ANIMAL MAGIC
Words: Emma Juhasz TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE WITH SOME OF THE MOST REMARKABLE CREATURES IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM ALL STARS OF A NEW BOOK BY PHOTOGRAPHER MARK CARWARDINE THE ANIMAL KINGDOM is filled with many bright and beautiful creatures, but as award-winning writer and photographer Mark Carwardine has discovered, some are more extraordinary than others. Animals have evolved [...]
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Words: Emma Juhasz
TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE WITH SOME OF THE MOST REMARKABLE CREATURES
IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM ALL STARS OF A NEW BOOK BY PHOTOGRAPHER
MARK CARWARDINE
THE ANIMAL KINGDOM is filled with many bright and beautiful creatures,
but as award-winning writer and photographer Mark Carwardine has
discovered, some are more extraordinary than others. Animals have
evolved in many ways to adapt to the environments in which they live,
and Carwardine’s collection of images is an insight into some amazing
feats of
evolution. From the fattest mammal to the baggiest amphibian, this is
an intriguing portrait of some of the world’s most unique creatures.
Extreme Nature, Mark Carwardine (Collins, £12.99)
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BIGGEST BIRD The ostrich is a multiple record breaker among birds: it’s
the tallest, and fastest, with the largest eyes and eggs. They tower at
2.8m in height and weigh up to 160kg, and when frightened by predators
can flee at speeds of up to 45mph.
EYES The colossal squid is a formidable
predator of the deep,
cold oceans. This specimen was caught in the Ross Sea, off Antarctica.
It weighed 150kg and its eyes were 24 inches wide.
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ANIMAL This giant Titicaca frog lives in Lake Titicaca in the
Andes one of the world’s highest and most isolated lakes. The
water has a very low oxygen content due to the altitude, so this
aquatic animal has developed flabby folds of skin to increase the
amount of oxygen it can absorb.
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ELASTIC TONGUE A chameleon’s tongue travels 6m in 20 milliseconds
and can extend to over twice the creature’s body length. It can catch
prey that weigh up to 15% of its own body weight.
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TREE DWELLER Life in the trees is normally reserved for
lighter mammals, but the orangutan, which weighs up to 135kg, is an
exception. It spends most of its day in trees, but moves slowly with
all four limbs rather than swinging like a monkey.
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CARNIVORE Polar bears have the greatest fat intake of any adult
land mammal. Pregnant females hibernate in winter, but during the
Russia’s greatest male ballet spring they need to build dancer, Rudolf
Nureyev, is up their reserves again and photographed here during eat
enormous quantities. Ballet rehearsals with The Royal By autumn, 1963.
their body School in50% ofHis outstanding weight will be fat deposits.
technique, good looks and astonishing charisma on stage made him an
international star. For over 12 years he was part of ballet’s most
legendary partnership with Dame Margot Fonteyn, the leading British
dancer of the time. They had incredible chemistry on stage and a
lifelong friendship off it.
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