Top 5 slowest animals in the world

All the creatures have given some amazing gifts from nature to survive or live in their respective niches. Like, we all know that cheetah can run faster than any other animal in the land but on the other hand, there is some creature who is extremely slow, their actions and movement of their body like sluggish which makes them different from others creatures. We can find these creatures on terrestrial, aquatic and aerial.

Here are some of the top 5 slowest animals, which are described below and that may benefit you to know more about them.

#1 SLOW LORIS

They are found in Southeast Asia. In India Northeast mainly then Bangladesh and some are also found in a range of the Philippines, China, and the island of Java.

Slow lorises have mainly 9 species have been currently discovered - the Bengal, Greater, Hiller's, Kayan, Sody's, Pygmy, Philippine, and Bornean.

In 2012 each species of slow loris is listed as either vulnerable or endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Scientific Classification

Order: Primates

Family: Lorisidae

Subfamily: Lorinae

Genus: Nycticebus

Species Type: Nycticebus coucang

Features

Body small or medium-sized with nearly equal arms and legs which are flexible.

They have a round cranium with large forward-facing gaps.

They can be of various colors and patterns on their body.

To protect from predators like snakes, orangutans, etc they use toxic bites i.e a toxin obtained by licking the sweat from the body and mixed saliva.

They are omnivores eating insects, fruits, gum, and other animals.

Their average speed is 1.9 km/ hr.

Behavior

The slow loris is usually live lonely on trees and sleep during the day time.

They are shy when they get spotted by others like humans.

They make idle and deliberate activities that produce stillness in their environment or habitat.

Habitat

They inhabit many types of foliage. They live in the Tropical rainforest and Evergreen forest. To get food easily they used to live on the edge of these areas.

Breeding

Maybe Continuous throughout the years. Females reached sexual maturity at 18 to 24 months, which males are capable of reproducing at 17 years. 

#2 GILA MONSTER

Native to the Northwestern Mexican state of Sonora and Southwestern United States. The Gila monster is named for the Gila River in Arizona. They are listed in IUCN Red Listed.

Scientific Classification

Order: Squamata

Family: Helodermatidae

Genus: Heloderma 

Species: H.suspectum

Binomial Nomenclature: Heloderma suspectum

Features

The length of the body is about 60 cm (2.0 ft) long and the weight 7-1.4 kg (1.5-3 pound).

Body covered with beard-like scales called osteoderm.

Gila monster is the most extreme venomous lizard in the world. Its venom contains a mild neurotoxin which is deadly for other animals or a human.

They are generally slow-moving lizards and their average speed is 2.4 km/ hr.

They track their prey with the help of their tounges by which they can catch the scent particle of their prey in the air.

They can easily be recognized by the black body with bright color patterns in their body.

Behavior

For more than 95% of their lives, they spend underground borrow, appearing only to feed but in summer light they take the sun to bask.

The oversized their tail by store fat in their body to keep alive during this time.

Habitat

They inhabit the succulent wasteland and scrubland seeking shelter in a burrow and under the rocks is their best location.

Breeding

Breeding season is usually in early summer. They're sexually mature ages 3 to 5 years.

#3 SEA HORSE 

Seahorse is a fish, due to its unique body structure, it appears like a horse. So its name is derived from the word hippocampus which means " Horse Caterpillar".

They are primarily found in some small Marine.

46 species have given this name.

Scientific Classification

Order: Syngnathiformes

Family: Syngnathidae

Genus: Hippocampinae

Species Type: Hippocampus heptagonus

Features

Their size is about 0.6 to 14 inches.

Have an exo- skeleton body framework which is made up of hard, bony plates that are bound together with a fleshy coating.

 They have a prehensile tail, this prohibits them from being washed away by the strong water current.

They can be found in varied colors.

Their average speed is 0.015 km/ hr.

Behavior

They use to swim with their pairs, by tie their tail with their partners, and that form a faithful pair of bonds between them.

They use their tail to grab onto seaweed underwater for a long time.

They can camouflage with the surrounding perfectly so that they can hide from the predator.

Habitat

Seahorse lives in Tropical and Temperate coral water or mangrove forest and seagrass floor.

But when winter arrived they move into deep water to avoid the tough weather.

They are relatively immobilized.

Breeding

Their breeding season is from February to October in a year.

They are monogamous.

Seahorse is the rare species on the earth in which female seahorse deposits up to 1500 eggs in the male pouch to reproduce the unborn young.

#4 KOALA

They are also called Koala bear but are not bear, Koala is an arboreal tree-dwelling marsupial.

Native to Australia, and are found in the coastal region of the mainland's eastern and southern region, occupying Subtropical Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia.

Their species are also listed in the venerable IUCN List.

Scientific Classification

Family: Phascolarctidae

Genus: Phascolarctos

Species: P.cinereus

Binomial Nomenclature: Phascolarctos cinereus

Features

Their body length of 60-35 cm(24-33 in) and weight 4-15 kg (9-33 lb).

The body is stout and a wide head with a spoon-shaped leathery nose, small yellow eyes, big fluffy ears, and an almost tailless.

Fur colour spectrum is Silver grey, pale yellow, and chocolate brown.

Due to the smaller brain, they have less capability to perform arduously.

In the male, a scent gland called a gland oozes i.e an oily, strong musky fluid is present on their chest, they usually rubbed on branches to attack the female.

The female has a permanent pouch to raise their young one.

The average speed is 10 km/ hr.

Behavior

They engaged only 15 minutes a day on social behavior.

They get insufficient energy from their diet because it contains high protein but low fiber and ligin.

For most of the period they sleep up to 20 hours a day and are particularly active at night.

On a hot summer day, they searching for the coolest part of the tree and hug the tree to lose heat.

During the cold or moist period, it curls itself into a tight ball to conserve energy.

Habitat

Koala typically lived in eucalypt woodland because of the leaves of these trees.

Their climate ranging from tropical to cool temperate. In a semi-arid climate, they prefer riparian habitat.

Breeding

During the breeding season, the male koala may bellow at any time of the year.

Male begin mating at 3 to 4 years of age and females begin mating at 2 years old, generally giving birth once a year for the next 10 to 15 years.

The baby koala is called a joey. 

#5 SLOTH

Sloth being related to the word slow because of its extremely low metabolism and slow activity.

Found in Central and South America of the tropical rain forest. 

There are mainly 6 species are found they are- Pygmy three-toed sloth, Pale- throated sloth, Maned sloth, Linnaeus two-toed sloth, Hoffman's two-toed sloth, Brown-throated sloth.

Due to deforestation, their forest is lost, and also they are hurt by predators so their population is also decreasing like Pygmy sloth is critically endangered, and Maned sloth is venerable.

Scientific Classification

Superorder: Xenarthra

Order: Pilosa

Binomial Nomenclature: Folinara

Features

In a 3- toed sloth the average head and body length is about 58 cm(23 in) and the tail is round, short, and movable.

In a 2- toed sloth the head and body are about 60-70 cm(24-27 in)long.

The outer layer of shaggy long hair is a pale brown to gray and cover a short, dense coat of black and white underfur. During the rainy season, a greenish tint is formed in their body.

The sloth has long arms for swimming, hanging, or clawing and a sharp sight to hide from predators.

Their average speed is 0.008 m/ hr.

Behavior

They mainly stay in solidarity.

They are generally very aggressive towards others of a similar sex.

They usually spend 15 to 20 hours of sleep per day.

According to physiology, sloth is heterothermy they are very sensitive to temperature change of their body.

Habitat

They can easily found in the high of the trees of canopy forest. Due to their low metabolism, they usually saw as resting, hanging, or feeding on leaves of the trees.

Breeding

In the brown and pale throated spices reproduction is seasonal but in maned sloth may breed throughout the year.

Sexual maturity of two-toed sloth is for female 2 to 3 years and male 4 to 5 years and for three-toed, pale- throated sloth is reversed of this.

5 Most Unique And Beautiful Butterflies Species

"Butterflies are nature's angles. They remind us what a gift it is to be alive."

 - by Robyn Nola 

Butterflies are a very wonderful insect, which always grabs our attention toward them. They can be easily found in our greenery environment. They belong to the phylum Arthropoda of order Lepidoptera. There are around 20,000 butterfly species are present in this world. They are of different sizes, shapes, and spectacular pigments or colors which makes them unique from each other. Their average life around 2 weeks. Some species hardly live a day or 2 and other species are capable of living around 9 months. The interesting fact is that their reproduction and survival are depicted by their colors.

Here are the 5 most unique and beautiful butterfly species which are described below and that may benefit you to know more about them.

#1 PEACOCK PANSY 

Mostly found in Cambodia and South Asia. It is listed as the least concern in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)Red List.

Scientific Classification

Family: Nymphalidae

Genus: Junonia

Species: J.almana

Binomial Nomenclature: Junonia almanac

Features

The adult butterfly has a 54-62 cm(2.1-2.4 in).

The pattern on the underside of the wings changes chiefly during two distinct adult forms.

The dry- season form has few markings, while the wet- season form has extra eyespots and lines.

Larval stages

The caterpillars of Junonia almanac, food feed on a variety of plants, including Hygrophila auriculata, Phyla nodiflora, and species in the general Acanthus, Barleria, and Gloxinia.

#2 SYPHINA ANGEL

It is found in Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. They inhabit the cloud forest species at an altitude between about 2000-3000 m.

Scientific Classification

Family: Riodinidae

Genus: Chorinea

Species: C.sylphnia

Binomial name: Chorinea sylphide

Features

They have a transparent wing reflect in numerous iridescent green, blue, and pink.

The adult usually flies during sunshine, but sometimes settle beneath the leaves of bushes.

Larval Stage

They laid the underside of leaves of the food plant which includes Prionostema (Hippocrataceae) and Maytenus ( Celastraceae).

#3 EMERALD SWALLOWTAIL

It is also known as Emerald peacock or green- banded Peacock. It is native to Southeast Asia due to their unique coloration, people use to keep in their houses regularly around the world. Emerald lives in an Asian primary forest.

Scientific Classification

Family: Papilionidae

Genus: papilio

Binomial Nomenclature: Papilio palinurus

Features

They have a wingspan of about 8-10 cm ( 3.1-3.9in)

Outer side wings are covered by dusky green scales and the background varies from dark greenish to black.

Dusky dark green with a sudden streak of radiation green angled on either side.

Inside are black with orange, white, and blue spots along the edges of hindwings. 

They can take a high-velocity flight.

Larval stage

Caterpillar feeds on plants of the genus Euodia belonging to the Rutaceae family.

#4 GLASSWINGED BUTTERFLY

It is mainly found in the Central and Northern regions of South American as far south as Chile, with the appearance of the north as Mexico and Texas.

Their habitat in the Tropical rainforest in the Central and South American countries.

Scientific Classification

Family: Nymphalidae

Genus: Greta

Species: G.oto

Binomial Nomenclature: Greta oto

Features

The length of the butterflies is 2.8-3.0 cm(1.1-1.2 in). 

Have a wingspan of 5.6-6.1  cm(2.2-2.4 in).

Their bodies are a grimy brown color.

Adult wings with opaque and dark brown borders stained with red or orange with a lack of tiny scales on their wings.

Larval Stage

The caterpillar of this phase has a green color body with bright purple and red lines.

They are found on the host plants of the genus Cestrum.

#5 BLUE MORPHO

Mostly found in South America, Mexico, and Central America. The genus of these butterflies consists of over 29 species and 147 subspecies occur.

Inhabit the primary forests of the Amazon and Atlantic, Morphos are found at altitudes between sea level and about a range of 1,400 m(4,600 ft).

Scientific Classification

Family: Nymphalidae

Genus: Morpho

Tribe: Morphine

Species Type: Morpho achilles 

Features

Morpho wingspan range from 7.5 cm(3.0 in).

The dorsal side of their wings only presents iridescent lamellae, leaving the ventral side down.

The female is a little duller colored partially iridescent, but males have bluer iridescent than females.

Larval Stage

The caterpillar grew with reddish-brown bodies and with a bright-line grown or yellow patches on their back.

They have grown some fine hairs on their skin which can feel irritation on the human body surface.

From their bodies, strong disgust odors come which help them to protect or defense against the predators.

They feed on a variety of plants like Moraceae,  Guttiferal, Canellaceae, etc.

Top five beautiful birds species in india

India is a paradise of a vast number of bird species that are incredibly assorted across the country. India consisting of more than 12% of the world's avifauna and is also placed in the top 10 countries globally for biodiversity. Indian government furthermore established some bird sanctuaries in India, which are now particularly popular locations to visit and enjoy and capture the beauty of the varied species of birds who migrate from the corner of the world.

Here is the list of the top 5 beautiful bird species and also discussed below, which may benefit you to know more about them.

#1 ASIAN PARADISE FLYCATCHER

It is native to the Indian subcontinent, Central Asia and Myanmar. Due to its global stable population, it has been listed as the least concern on the IUCN Red List since 2004.

Some are migratory birds their population mainly travels south to spend the winter in Tropical Asia. In southern India and Sri Lanka, both migratory and residents population exists.

Scientific Classification

Family: Monarchidae 

Genus: Terpsiphone

Species: T.paradisi

Binomial nomenclature: Terpsiphone paradise

Features

MALE: Have elongated central tail feathers about (19-22cm or 7.5-8.5in)long.

Head is glossy black and their eyes black.

FEMALE: Have short-tailed with four wings (86-92mm or 3.4-3.6in)long.

The back four with a greyish throat and underparts.

Young males look relatively much like females but have a black throat and bew-ringed eyes.

Adult -( 24 cm or 9.5 in )long tail feathers with two central tail feathers about (30 cm or 12 in)long.

Their voice is quite noisy as described as sweet.

The Asian Paradise Flycatcher mostly breed from May to July.

These birds are monogamous and both the parent birds consisting the nest, insulating their eggs and feeding and protecting the young.

#2 THE MALABAR TROGON

It is found in the forest of Sri Lanka and the Peninsula of India. In India, it is mainly found in the Western Ghats, hill forests of Central India, and part of the Eastern Ghats.

Scientific Classification

Family: Trogonidae

Genus: Harpactes

Species: H.fasciatus

Binomial Nomenclature: Harpactes fasciatus

Features

Birds have sluggish medium - size and brightly colored in trogon.

The Male has a blackhead, a white belt, and a bright red belly.

The Female has a brown head and orangish underparts.

They are insectivores.

They migrate seasonally during rain in the hill forest region.

The breeding season in India is mainly February to May ( before the monsoon) while it is March to June in Sri Lanka.  

#3 HIMALAYAN MONAL

Also known as the Impeyan monal and Impeyan pheasant. Native to Himalaya forest and shrubland. It is Nepal's national bird, where it is known as the dance or dance. And in India state bird of Uttarakhand, where it is known as the moral and also in Himachal Pradesh listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List.

Scientific Classification

Family: Phasianidae 

Genus: Lophophorus

Species: L.impejanus

Binomial nomenclature: Lophophorus impedance

Features

Male is decked out with Rainbow colors and back flashes with bright white patches. 

The Female is nearly bright-colored with a pale blue eye patch, white throat, and a streaky brown body.

During winter this bird moves toward the lower level forests of 2000 ft taking shelter in a dense area of bamboo and rhododendron.

Diet of seed, fruit, and insects.

The breeding season lasts from April to June. Both male and female begin breeding at 2 years old.

#4 INDIAN PITTA

It is native to the Indian subcontinent. They usually inhabited deciduous forest, dense evergreen forest, and scrub jungle. Due to their high range, it considers as least concern on the IUCN Red List.

Scientific Classification

Family: Pittidae 

Genus: Pitta 

Species: P.brachyura

Binomial nomenclature: Pitta brachyura

Features

A very colorful stubby- tailed bird is also known as " Navrang" which mean nine colors.

This bird has long, strong legs.

A black eye- stripe.

It is usually hidden in the forest floor where it picks insects other small vertebrates or leaf litter.

It has two distinctive note of whistling calls which is heard at dawn and dusk.

They breed during the southwest monsoon from June to August.

They also breed in the hills of Central India and the Western Ghats south to Karnataka.

#5 INDIAN PEAFOWL

Also known as the common peafowl and blue peafowl. It is native to the National bird of India and also it has been listed as of the least concern by IUCN.

Scientific Classification

Family: Phasianidae 

Genus: Pavo

Species: P.cristatus

Binomial nomenclature: Pavo cristatus

Features

MALE: Male peacock is a large size bird length from bill to the tail of( 100 to 115) cm and the end of 195 to 225 cm.

Weight is about 4-6 kg.

Due to the microstructure of feathers resulting in optical phenomena.

FEMALE: Female peahen is smaller at 95 cm in length.

Mostly brown on their back with a white belly.

An iridescent green neck.

Their sound behavior indicated the presence of a predator( i.e pia- ow or may - awe) calling loud noise.

When agitated they use to sound like ( ka- aan... ka- aan or Kok- Kok) rapidly.

Peacock aispolygamous.

Omnivorous and eat the seed, insect, fruit, small mammals, and reptile.

Their breeding season is during the rainy season.

Peafowl sexual maturity at the age of 2 to3 years.