Common name : Common opossum, American marsupials, Virginia opossum Scientific name : Didelphimorphia Family : Didelphidae Native to : North America Interesting fact : They are immune against the poison of rattlesnakes, cottonmouths and pit vipers. There are more than 60 different species of an opossum. They have white and grey fur. They measure 76 […]
The Bullet Ant Gloves are an initiation rite that forms a part of the culture of the Satere-Mawe people of Brazil. Do you know: To complete the initiation ritual, the candidate undertakes the ritual a total of 20 times over a span of time. This test must be undertaken by the boys of the Satere-Mawe
Common name : Forest giraffe, Zebra giraffe Scientific name : Okapia johnstoni Family : Giraffidae Native to : Ituri rainforest, Central Africa Interesting fact : It was once referred to as the ‘African Unicorn’. Conservation status : Endangered Okapis have reddish dark backs, with striking horizontal white stripes on the front and back legs that
Common name : Inayala Scientific name : Nyala angasii or Tragelaphus angasii Family : Bovidae Native to : Southern Africa Interesting fact : Only males have spiral and yellow-tipped horns. Conservation status : Least Concern The coat is rusty brown in females and juveniles, and dark brown or slate grey, often tinged with blue, in
La Tomatina is an annual tomato-throwing festival organized in Buñol, Spain. Do you know: This Festival began in the 1940s, when disgruntled town people rioted, by attacking the councilmen of the town with tomatoes. Participants at the Tomatina Festival enjoy the chaotic atmosphere in line with the rules and regulations, including keeping with the time-limit
Common name : Banded anteater, Marsupial anteater or Walpurti Scientific name : Myrmecobius fasciatus Family : Myrmecobiidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : Although they are marsupials yet they don’t have pouches. Conservation status : Endangered Its diet consists of termites and ants. It has a soft-grey to reddish-brown coat, a red area on
Common name : Nilgiri ibex Scientific name : Nilgiritragus hylocrius Family : Bovidae Native to : Southern and Western parts of India Interesting fact : Males develop a light grey area on their backs and are thus called ‘saddlebacks’. Conservation status : Endangered They have grey-brown fur with light, pale underbellies and curved horns. Mature
Customs & Rituals The term Custom comes from the Latin word Consuetudinem, meaning ‘habit’; while the term Ritual comes from the Latin word Ritualis, meaning (religious) rites. Traditions are the customs that are passed down from one generation to another. All three–customs, rituals and traditions–are extremely important to reinforce social bonds and structures. Customs and
Common name : Maranai Scientific name : Martes gwatkinsii Family : Mustelidae Native to : Nilgiri mountain range and parts of the Western Ghats, India Interesting fact : They have been known to raid beehives of farmers and are thus considered a nuisance. Conservation status : Vulnerable It is the only species of a marten
Common name : Blue bull, Rojh Scientific name : Boselaphus tragocamelus Family : Bovidae Native to : India Interesting fact : They fall prey most commonly to vehicular accidents. Conservation status : Least Concern The nilgai has thin legs and a robust body that slopes down from the shoulder; males have distinctive white marks on
Scientific name : Alces alces Family : Cervidae Native to : Canada, Alaska, Scandinavia and Russia Interesting fact : It is the largest living species of deer. Conservation status : Least Concern Their diet consists of both terrestrial and aquatic vegetation and fruits. An adult moose stands 4.6-6.9 feet high at the shoulder, and weighs
Common name : Little mountain monkey, Colocolo Scientific name : Dromiciops gliroides Family : Microbiotheriidae Native to : South America, primarily, Chile and Argentine Interesting fact : It is the only living South American marsupial, called a ‘living fossil’ since others of its genus are extinct. Conservation status : Near Threatened It is an omnivore
Common name : Mungus, Mungisa Family : Herpestidae Native to : Southern Asia, Africa, and Southern Europe Interesting fact : They are immune to a snake’s venom and are used to control population of vermin as well. Conservation status : Threatened There are 33 species of mongooses, ranging from 24 to 58 cm in length,
Common name : Dirt tosser Family : Talpidae Native to : North America, Asia and Europe Interesting fact : Their blood cells have a special protein which helps them reuse oxygen inhaled, helping them survive below the earth. There are twelve sub-species of these sub-terranean mammals; a group of moles is called a ‘labour’! They
Common name : American mink Scientific name : Neovison vison Family : Mustelidae Native to : America and Europe Interesting fact : Trapped for fur Conservation status : Critically Endangered in America The mink is a common name for the semi-aquatic mammal. For centuries, they were trapped for fur, and only recently, due to various