Goblin Shark

This shark has to be one of the scariest living animals that I have ever seen! The goblin shark is not very well heard of, mostly because they are quite rare. These sharks live down at great ocean depths. Barely anything is known about these mysterious creatures - in fact, only 45 specimens have ever been found! Goblin sharks have no close living relatives. They are obviously carnivorous, because of their long and jagged teeth. Their back teeth are flatter and adapted to crushing, which suggests that they eat small crustaceans, such as crabs, as well as fish and squid. Most of the sharks documented were found off the coast of Japan, but they live near Australia, New Zeland, off the coast of some parts of Africa, and even here in Canada - off the coast of B.C! There is still alot to learn about these mysterious sharks. Their breeding habits are unknown, as well as their migration habits (if any), lifespan, social groups, and even their population count. As far as we know, goblin sharks are fairly harmless to humans . . .but yet again, not many have been encountered - yet!

Patagonian Mara

This animal would be the deer of the rodent world! The Patagonian mara lives in southern South America. It resembles a very small deer in both looks and behaviour. It is a fast runner, and is also good at jumping. They look a lot like antelopes when they run! The mara is herbivorous, and eats greens and fruits. This rodent will live in scrubby, desert like places, and also places with a few small bushes and plants. Maras live in underground tunnels, much like jackrabbits. The male maras often sit by the group and look for danger. When a predator such as a fox or bird of prey comes along, the rodents will disappear into their tunnels. Young maras look like miniature adults, sometimes with longer fur. They are very cute!

Harpy Eagle

The Harpy eagle really is an immense bird! Growing up to one metre in length, and having a maximum wingspan of over two metres, it is surprisingly agile. Although females can weigh up to nine kilograms (twenty pounds) in the wild, this eagle navigates through the dense forests of Southern Mexico and central South America quickly to catch it's prey. A third of what it eats by weight is sloths, but the harpy eagle can also eat a variety of snakes, lizards and macaws. To catch it's prey, this eagle has developed very thick, powerful legs and feet, and a strong and sturdy beak. The harpy eagle builds a nest of sticks high up in an old tree. It will lay two white eggs every two to three years, but they are not the best parents. After the first egg hatches, the second is ignored, and the young eagle inside dies. Maybe this is a contributing factor as to why the harpy eagle is rare within it's range. As with many unfortunate animals, the harpy eagle's population is declining due to habitat loss.