General Discussion

Strap-toothed beaked whales are my favourite unusual animals. Males have tusks that literally grow over the top of their beaks, almost completely holding their mouths closed. They survive entirely by eating tiny squid by suction feeding.

I have way, way too many to name, but an interesting one I don't see often is the Ussuri tube-nosed bat! [img]http://fruitbat.jp/otherbats/kotenngukoumori/content/images/large/09c_8160743_.jpg[/img] They're a species of Vesper Bat (a family of microbats) native to the Koreas, Northern Japan, and Russia. They're the only known species of bats to hibernate in snowbanks! In the spring and autumn, it primarily roosts in clumps of dead leaves, but it also utilizes tree cavities and peeling tree bark. In the winter, they've been found roosting within cylindrical or conical holes in snowbanks. It is hypothesized that the bats excavate these cavities themselves. Hibernating within the snow may protect it from predators and prevent water loss; the snow holes likely have a stable thermal environment, as well. The only other mammal species known to hibernate within snow is the polar bear.