Common name : Honey bear Scientific name : Helarctos malayanus Family : Ursidae Native to : South-East Asia Interesting fact : It has avoracious appetite for honey and honeycombs. Conservation status : Vulnerable Usually, the sun bear’s fur is jet-black, short and sleek with some under-wool and some individual sun bears are reddish or grey. […]
He gave half the prasada to Kaushalya and half the remaining part to Sumitra. As he gave one half of that to Kaikeyi, an eagle came and took it away for Anjani, who was to be the mother of Hanuman, Rama’s devotee. Kaikeyi was upset. But Kaushalya gave some more to her and to Sumitra.
While Dasharatha was holding his yajna, the devas spoke to Lord Brahma about Ravana, the rakshasa king. Brahma’s boon to Ravana had made him so powerful that he was now treating the devas and the sages and all creatures very badly and causing them great misery. Brahma’s boon had made Ravana unconquerable by the devas,
The Haka Dance is a popular Maori tradition, which is indigenous to New Zealand. Do you know: The native Haka Dance became extremely popular when the New Zealand Rugby team performs it. Both men and women perform the Haka Dance. There are even simpler versions of the dance that can be performed by children. The
The Suryavanshi dynasty worshipped the Sun, tracing their ancestry to the son of Surya, Shraaddhadev. Many great kings belonged to this dynasty like Harishchandra, Sagar, Bhagirath, Dileep, Raghu, Aja, Dasharatha and his illustrious son, Rama. The dynasty was also called Raghuvansha, as King Raghu gave away all his possessions in a sacrifice. Dasharatha was Raghu’s
Punctuality is an overrated custom in South America. Do you know: If you arrived on time or early for a meeting or party in South America, it is considered rude and you would be deemed ‘too eager’. It is customary for people in most parts of South America to show up a minimum of 10
Common name : Rope dancer Scientific name : Petaurus breviceps Family : Petauridae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : Its preferred diet is sugary nectarous foods, and it is able to glide through the air. Conservation status : Least Concern It is an omnivorous marsupial. A sugar glider has a thick, soft fur usually
Common name : Madagascar sucker-footed bat or Old world sucker-footed bat Scientific name : Myzopoda aurita Family : Myzopodidae Native to : Madagascar Interesting fact : Uses wet adhesive-like secretion to stick to surfaces, not suction. Conservation status : Least Concern There are peculiar cup-like features on its wrists and ankles. The sucker-footed bat can
Common name : Sumatra short-eared rabbit or Sumatran rabbit Scientific name : Nesolagus netscheri Family : Leporidae Native to : Sumatra, Indonesia Interesting fact : Locals have no name for it, because they don’t even know that it exists! Conservation status : Vulnerable It is usually about 40 cm (1 foot 4 inches) long, with
Scientific name : Condylura cristata Family : Talpidae Native to : Canada and the United States Interesting fact : They weigh about 55 grams, and have 44 teeth. Conservation status : Least Concern The star-nosed mole is covered in thick, blackish-brown, water-repellent fur, and has large, scaled feet and a long, thick tail, along with
Common name : Canadian hairless cat Scientific name : Felis catus Native to : Philippines Interesting fact : The first hairless cat was born in 1966. Conservation status : Domesticated It is a hairless breed of cat, although it does have slight fur. They need constant oiling and moisturizing. Many people are fascinated by the
Common name : Andean bear or Andean short-faced bear, Jukumari Scientific name : Tremarctos ornatus Family : Ursidae Native to : South America Interesting fact : Their gall bladder is valued in traditional Chinese medicine. Conservation status : Threatened Overall, its fur is blackish in colour, though it may vary from jet black to dark
Common name : Indian muntjac, Barking deer, Kakar Scientific name : Muntiacus muntjak Family : Cervidae Native to : South Asia Interesting fact : Alarm call resembles a ‘bark’. Conservation status : Least Concern These deer can bark for almost an hour. In the Nilgiri, where they are found, they have been known to feed
Scientific name : Solenodon paradoxus Family : Solenodontidae Native to : North and South America Interesting fact : Its bite is poisonous and can cause paralysis or fits. Conservation status : Endangered Solenodons are venomous mammals. They resemble very large shrews, have extremely elongated snouts, long, naked, scaly tails, hairless feet, and small eyes. Their
Common name : Varying hare or Snowshoe rabbit Scientific name : Lepus americanus Family : Leporidae Native to : North America Interesting fact : Unlike rabbits, they live above the ground. Conservation status : Least Concern It has the name ‘snowshoe’ because of the large size of its hind feet and the marks its tail