Quills instead of the usual fur are not only an amazing “built-in” protective mechanism, but also, in some cases, a dangerous weapon) Below is a selection of the 5 most dangerous thorny animals in the world
Through the impenetrable thorny cover it is almost impossible to reach vulnerable places, and areas of the body not covered with needles are usually carefully guarded (for example, a hedgehog curls up into a ball at the sight of danger). This list includes the brightest and most dangerous representatives of the prickly fauna =)
So, in 5th place is the Australian echidna, whose defensive weapon cripples and kills anyone who comes close to it
The Australian echidna lives, oddly enough, in Australia)) This spine-covered mammal the size of a rabbit comes in two types: with a short and a long nose
If you disturb an echidna during a meal, it will burrow into the ground, and only a small forest of needles will remain outside - the animal will remain in this position until the violator of its personal space leaves. In addition, the echidna can curl up into a ball like the smaller prickly animal familiar to us - the hedgehog, and the echidna's poisonous needles are hidden even in its paws. In total, there are more than 5 thousand spines on the mammal’s body, so this can be called an ideal defensive weapon!
The echidna is so popular in Australia that it is even minted on one of the Australian coins)
The 4th place is occupied by the porcupine fish or sea urchin, whose deadly spines normally lie quietly along the body. But as soon as the sea urchin senses danger, it suddenly sucks in a gigantic amount of water and/or air, the needles straighten and the fish turns into a huge prickly ball. No one will be lucky enough to swallow such a surprise =)
How does this small fish manage to make such a transformation? The point is in the stomach of the sea urchin: dense walls allow it to expand several times when water is drawn in, and the rest of the internal organs during this process are arranged in an arc along the spine. It is the critical tension of the skin that allows the needles to stretch out and make the fish unsuitable for feeding)
Another “underwater” owner of spines is spiny box fish, I don’t know the exact Russian name, but something like a spiny box) Unlike the sea urchin, this fish’s spines are constantly in alert condition, although it can increase in size, just like the porcupine fish swallows water, but in this case it becomes not like a ball, but rather like a pumpkin)
In 3rd place is the armadillo lizard, armed with sharp armor, living in Madagascar. The weapons of this reptile are sharp, hard plates of armor that protect the body.
The armadillo lizard uses its spines in two ways: the spines on its tail are perfect for protecting the entrance to the burrow during quiet times, and in times of danger, the lizard puts its tail into its mouth, thus turning into a spiny wheel that can be swallowed without harm to itself. it's simply impossible
2nd place goes to the deceptively graceful lion's ruffed scorpionfish, whose 18 red and white hollow dorsal ridges are actually needle-like poisonous fins that inject venom under the skin of its unlucky prey
If a person runs into such a needle, he will be at least very painful, and in some cases such a “touch” can lead to a fatal outcome
Thanks to its painful and deadly weapon, this fish, as a rule, behaves quite impudently and is afraid of few people at all, swimming slowly and naturally)
Well, in 1st place, as many have already guessed, is the porcupine, known primarily for its long thick quills thrown back
When danger arises, the porcupine straightens its quills and begins to shake its tail, producing grinding sounds somewhat reminiscent of a snake hissing.
If this warning was ignored, the porcupine releases all its quills directly into the attacker’s face, and whether it’s a hyena or a lion, they will have to retreat in any case and will be very lucky if they survive at all after such poisonous acupuncture)
