What is the only member of the hyena family to feed on termites
"from their lairs in the early-morning hours. With the exception of the highly social spotted hyena, hyenas are generally not gregarious animals, though they may live in family groups and congregate at kills. Hyenas first arose in Eurasia during the Miocene period from viverrid-like ancestors, and diversified into two distinct types: lightly built dog-like hyenas and robust bone-crushing hyenas. Although the dog-like hyenas thrived 15 million years ago (with one taxon having colonised North America), they became extinct after a change in climate along with the arrival of canids into Eurasia. Of the dog-like hyena lineage, only the insectivorous aardwolf"
"and is the only survivor of the dog-like hyena lineage. Its success is partly attributed to its insectivorous diet, for which it faced no competition from canids crossing from North America. Its unrivaled ability to digest the terpene excretions from soldier termites is likely a modification of the strong digestive system its ancestors used to digest fetid carrion. The striped hyena (""Hyaena hyaena"") may have evolved from ""H. namaquensis"" of Pliocene Africa. Striped hyena fossils are common in Africa, with records going back as far as the Middle Pleistocene and even to the Villafranchian. As fossil striped hyenas are absent"
"delicacy. Echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. The four extant species, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of the order Monotremata, and are the only living mammals that lay eggs. The diet of some species consists of ants and termites, but they are not closely related to the true anteaters of the Americas. Echidnas live in Australia and New Guinea. Echidnas evolved between 20 and 50 million years ago, descending from a platypus-like monotreme. This ancestor was aquatic, but echidnas adapted to life"
"Echidna Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order of egg-laying mammals. The four extant species, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of the order Monotremata, and are the only living mammals that lay eggs. The diet of some species consists of ants and termites, but they are not closely related to the true anteaters of the Americas. Echidnas live in Australia and New Guinea. Echidnas evolved between 20 and 50 million years ago, descending from a platypus-like monotreme. This ancestor was aquatic, but echidnas adapted to life on"
"Hyena Hyenas or hyaenas (from Greek ὕαινα ""hýaina"") are any feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (in three genera), it is the fifth-smallest biological family in the Carnivora, and one of the smallest in the class Mammalia. Despite their low diversity, hyenas are unique and vital components of most African ecosystems. Although phylogenetically they are closer to felines and viverrids, and belong to the feliform category, hyenas are behaviourally and morphologically similar to canines in several elements of convergent evolution; both hyenas and canines are non-arboreal, cursorial hunters that catch prey with their"
"off evil and to ensure love and fertility. Hyena Hyenas or hyaenas (from Greek ὕαινα ""hýaina"") are any feliform carnivoran mammals of the family Hyaenidae . With only four extant species (in three genera), it is the fifth-smallest biological family in the Carnivora, and one of the smallest in the class Mammalia. Despite their low diversity, hyenas are unique and vital components of most African ecosystems. Although phylogenetically they are closer to felines and viverrids, and belong to the feliform category, hyenas are behaviourally and morphologically similar to canines in several elements of convergent evolution; both hyenas and canines are"
"the only known species of butterflies and moths that are ambush predators. Four species are known to eat snails. For example, the Hawaiian caterpillar, (""H. molluscivora""), uses silk traps, in a manner similar to that of spiders, to capture certain species of snails (typically Tornatellides). Larvae of some species of moths in the Tineidae, Gelechioidae, and Noctuidae (family/superfamily/families, respectively), besides others, feed on detritus, or dead organic material, such as fallen leaves and fruit, fungi, and animal products, and turn it into humus. Well-known species include the cloth moths (""Tineola bisselliella"", ""Tinea pellionella"", and ""Trichophaga tapetzella""), which feed on detritus"
"Hyenas are large, powerful animals, up to 80 kg (176 lb) and represent one of the most prolific large carnivorans on the planet. The aardwolf is much smaller at 27 kg (60 lb) and is a specialised feeder, eating mainly harvester termites. Family Herpestidae (the mongooses, kusimanses, meerkat, etc.) has 32 species. Previously, these were placed in the family Viverridae. However, Wilson and Reeder (1993) established the herpestids as morphologically and genetically distinct from viverrids. They are extant in Africa, Middle East and Asia. All have non-retractile claws. They are smaller as a family, ranging from 1 kg (2.2 lb)"
"of all termite families except Termitidae, the so-called ""higher termites"". They are found exclusively in the hindgut, especially the paunch, an enlarged section of the hindgut with an anaerobic interior that serves as a fermenter. In ""R. flavipes"", wood eaten by the termite is first broken up with the mandibles, treated with host endoglucanases from the salivary glands, ground up into small particles in the gizzard, and then treated with additional host cellulases in the midgut, freeing glucose for immediate absorption. It then passes into the paunch, where flagellates take up the partly-digested wood particles through endocytosis. The flagellates break"
"These leeches resemble the Haemadipsidae and were included there by many authors, but this has always been controversial. Their status as a distinct family is supported by sequence analysis of the nuclear 18S and 28S rDNA and mitochondrial COI genes as well as the anatomy of their sexual organs and nephridia; the latter are located at the belly rather than along the body sides as in the Haemadipsidae proper. They feed on blood – typically of amphibians – and small invertebrate except ""Mesobdella"", which is exclusively a blood-feeder and has been recorded to attack humans on occasion. Xerobdellidae Xerobdellidae are"
"Thaumetopoeinae. They feed on trees and shrubs, except in the subfamily Dioptinae, which feed on herbaceous plants (Miller, 1992). The larvae typically feed on only one family of trees, but closely related species will feed on distantly related plants; for example different members of the genus ""Datana"" feed on Juglandaceae, Hamamelidaceae, Ericaceae and Anacardiaceae (Miller 1992). Adults have tympanal organs on the metathorax that opens towards the top, and the tibial spurs have serrated edges (Scoble, 1995). Mouthparts vary from well-developed to absent. The Dioptinae, which was formerly considered a separate family, are colourful and fly by day, while the"
"can have black and/or white patterning, or can be solid in color. Their eyes are almost unique in the reptile world, having keen binocular vision and keyhole shaped pupils, being similar in this aspect with twig snakes, who also have keyhole shaped pupils. The genus name ""Ahaetulla"" comes from the Sinhalese name ""ehetulla"" for ""Ahaetulla nasuta"", which means 'eye plucker' or 'eye striker. They are primarily diurnal and arboreal, living in humid rainforests. Their diet consists mainly of lizards, but sometimes frogs and rodents are also consumed. ""Ahaetulla fronticincta"", however, feeds exclusively on fish, striking its prey from branches overhanging"
"legs. The larva feeds on the internal structures of the host, and as it grows larger it begins to protrude from the body. It develops a hardened sac (called a ""thylacium"") around its body for protection. The host is eventually killed and the larva leaves the dead body and spins a cocoon. Dryinidae Dryinidae (Hymenoptera, Chrysidoidea) is a cosmopolitan family of solitary wasps. ""Dryinidae"" comes from the Greek (Dryinus = Oak). Latreille named this family because the first species was collected in an Oak plant in Spain. The larvae are parasitoids of the nymphs and adults of Auchenorrhyncha (Hemiptera). Dryinidae"
"significantly larger than ""T. aculeatus"", and their diets consist mostly of worms and grubs rather than ants and termites. Species of the Tachyglossidae are egg-laying mammals; together with the related family Ornithorhynchidae, they are the only extant monotremes in the world. The five subspecies of the short-beaked echidna are each found in different geographical locations. The subspecies also differ from one another in their hairiness, spine length and width, and the size of the grooming claws on their hind feet. The earliest fossils of the short-beaked echidna date back around 15 million years ago to the Pleistocene era, and the"
"old trees, wood piles, around old houses, dense vegetation, etc. The trinket snake feeds on rodents, other small mammals, and lizards. Diurnal and highly active, ""C. helena"" is noted for its temper and will strike repeatedly if molested. The males of this species are generally more aggressive than the females. Its bites are often very damaging due to its inward pointing teeth. Trinket snake The trinket snake (""Coelognathus helena"") is a nonvenomous constrictor species of colubrid snake native to south Central Asia. The specific name of this beautiful snake, ""helena"", may be a reference to the most beautiful woman in"
"the majority feeding on fungi, lichens, and detritus. The most familiar members of the family are the clothes moths, which have adapted to feeding on stored fabrics and led to their reputation as a household pest. The most widespread of such species are the common clothes moth (""Tineola bisselliella""), the case-bearing clothes moth (""Tinea pellionella""), and the carpet moth (""Trichophaga tapetzella""); the brown-dotted clothes moth (""Niditinea fuscella"") despite its name, preferentially feeds on feathers in bird nests. One remarkable genus is ""Ceratophaga"", whose members feed exclusively on pure keratin in the form of the horns and hooves of dead mammals"
"and Asia, ""Tyrannobdella rex"" being the only one from South America. Its closest relative, ""Pintobdella chiapasensis"", is native to Mexico, where it infests tapirs. The sister group to Praobdellidae is made up of the two South American families Semiscolescidae (genera ""Semiscolex"" and ""Patagoniobdella"") and Macrobdellidae (genera ""Macrobdella"", ""Philobdella"" and ""Oxyptychus""). Tyrannobdella Tyrannobdella rex is a species of leech found in South America in the upper reaches of the Amazon. This newly found genus of leech takes sustenance from the mucous membranes of the mammalian upper respiratory tract, and is known to feed upon humans. It has eight teeth. ""Tyrannobdella rex"""
"hyena is the largest known member of the Hyaenidae, and is further physically distinguished from other species by its vaguely bear-like build, its rounded ears, its less prominent mane, its spotted pelt, its more dual purposed dentition, its fewer nipples and the presence of a pseudo-penis in the female. It is the only mammalian species to lack an external vaginal opening. The spotted hyena is the most social of the Carnivora in that it has the largest group sizes and most complex social behaviours. Its social organisation is unlike that of any other carnivore, bearing closer resemblance to that of"
"the separate order Hymenoptera, termites divide labour among castes consisting of sterile male and female ""workers"" and ""soldiers"". All colonies have fertile males called ""kings"" and one or more fertile females called ""queens"". Termites mostly feed on dead plant material and cellulose, generally in the form of wood, leaf litter, soil, or animal dung. Termites are major detritivores, particularly in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and plant matter is of considerable ecological importance. Termites are among the most successful groups of insects on Earth, colonising most landmasses except Antarctica. Their colonies range in size from"
"not necessary for subduing, and other insects present are not affected by the allomone. Adult berothid lacewings are not predatory and feed on nectar like most lacewings. However, female berothids lay egg clusters on logs, stumps or trees infested with termites. The tiny, newly hatched larvae crawl across the wood seeking cracks and crevices that will lead to the termites within. Lomamyia latipennis Lomamyia latipennis are species of insect in the family Berothidae. The larvae feed on termites which they subdue with an aggressive allomone. The first instar approaches termites and waves the tip of its abdomen near the termites'"
"than half of the diet. Most accipitrids will not eat plant material. Insects are taken exclusively by around 12 species, in great numbers by 44 additional species, and opportunistically by a great many others. The diet of the honey-buzzards includes not only the adults and young of social insects such as wasps and bees, but the honey and combs from their nests. The snail kite (""Rostrhamus sociabilis""), slender-billed kite (""Helicolestes hamatus"") and hook-billed kites (""Chondrohierax uncinatus"") are specialists in consuming snails, which usually constitute 50-95% of their diet. Other ""kites"" are divided into two groups, a loose assemblance of smallish"
"on termites and ants. They rely on their sense of smell to find most of their food and hunt at night. A few anatomical characters unite the Orycteropodidae and Tubulidentata. This classification follows Lehmann 2009. Orycteropodidae Orycteropodidae is a family of afrotherian mammals. Although there are many fossil species, the only species surviving today is the aardvark, ""Orycteropus afer"". Orycteropodidae is recognized as the only family within the order Tubulidentata, so the two are effectively synonyms. Aardvarks had originally been categorized as relatives of American anteaters in the order Edentata. But their unique type of teeth and other morphological characteristics"
"known from subtropical and tropical regions around the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Well-known Haemadipsidae are for example the Indian Leech (""Haemadipsa sylvestris"") and the ""yamabiru"" or Japanese Mountain Leech (""Haemadipsa zeylanica""). Members of the family feed on blood, except ""Idiobdella"" which has adapted to eat small snails. The other notable group of jawed blood-sucking leeches are the aquatic Hirudinidae. The Xerobdellidae are sometimes included in the Haemadipsidae, but their status as a distinct family is supported by sequence analysis of the nuclear 18S and 28S rDNA and mitochondrial COI genes as well as the anatomy of their sexual organs and"
"Hahnia (therapsid) Hahnia is a poorly known genus of meat-eating stem-mammals (therapsids) that lived during the Upper Triassic in Europe. This genus is based on tiny, isolated teeth, and its affinities with other cynodonts are unclear. The generic name is invalid, thus the inverted commas. The name ""Hahnia"" has already been used for a spider. The authors are aware of this, and will doubtless come up with a new name sometime in the future. The genus """"Hahnia"""" (""for Hahn"") was named by Godefroit P. and Battail B. in 1997 based on a single species. Fossil remains of the species """"Hahnia"""
"a secret agent. The choice of a platypus was inspired by media underuse, as well as to exploit the animal's striking appearance. As a character, Perry has been well received by both fans and critics. Platypus The platypus (""Ornithorhynchus anatinus""), sometimes referred to as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. The animal is the sole living representative of its family (Ornithorhynchidae) and"
"species is listed as being of least concern. Tayra The tayra (""Eira barbara""), is an omnivorous animal from the weasel family, native to the Americas. It is the only species in the genus Eira. Tayras are also known as the ""tolomuco"" or ""perico ligero"" in Central America, ""motete"" in Honduras, ""irara"" in Brazil, ""san hol"" or ""viejo de monte"" in the Yucatan Peninsula, and high-woods dog (or historically ""chien bois"") in Trinidad. The genus name ""Eira"" is derived from the indigenous name of the animal in Bolivia and Peru, while ""barbara"" means ""strange"" or ""foreign"". Tayras are long, slender animals"
"Ceratophaga vicinella Ceratophaga vicinella is a species of moth belonging to the family Tineidae. It has a restricted range in the southeastern United States, mainly in Florida and Mississippi. This species appears to be in decline, almost certainly because the gopher tortoise (""Gopherus polyphemus"") is under threat; the moth relies on the tortoise in a unique way. All ""Ceratophaga"" larvae feed, uniquely among Lepidoptera, on solid keratin. Most species feed on the horns and hooves of dead ungulates but ""C. vicinella"" feeds exclusively on the shells of dead gopher tortoises. The larvae of ""C. vicinella"", whitish with a dark brown"
"and arthropods. Other researchers observed similar behaviour, classifying them as frugivores. In 2007, a short report documented the feeding behaviour of a couple and their newborn. About half the juvenile’s diet consisted of tree frogs shortly after hatching, while the other half was reserved for variously shaped, sized and coloured fruit. Specifically, the tree frogs seemed to belong to two genera only: ""Hyla"" and ""Phyllomedusa"", while the fruits came mostly from Lauraceae (near half), followed by ""Euterpe precatoria"" (Arecaceae), ""Iryanthera"" sp. (Myristicaceae), ""Pouteria"" sp. (Sapotaceae), ""Guatteria"" and ""Unonopsis"" sp. (Annonaceae), and ""Tetragastris"" sp. (Burseraceae) in decreasing order of importance. Over"
"Outback, essentially anywhere ants and termites are available. It is smaller than the ""Zaglossus"" species, and it has longer hair. Despite the similar dietary habits and methods of consumption to those of an anteater, there is no evidence supporting the idea that echidna-like monotremes have been myrmecophagic (ant or termite-eating) since the Cretaceous. The fossil evidence of invertebrate-feeding bandicoots and rat-kangaroos, from around the time of the platypus–echidna divergence and pre-dating ""Tachyglossus"", show evidence that echidnas expanded into new ecospace despite competition from marsupials. The genus ""Megalibgwilia"" is known only from fossils: Aboriginal Australians regard the echidna as a food"
"of prey, ""Dorylus"" ants rarely consume termites. Ants are not the only invertebrates that perform raids. Many sphecoid wasps and several species including ""Polybia Lepeletier"" and ""Angiopolybia Araujo"" are known to raid termite mounds during the termites' nuptial flight. Termites are less likely to be attacked by parasites than bees, wasps and ants, as they are usually well protected in their mounds. Nevertheless, termites are infected by a variety of parasites. Some of these include dipteran flies, ""Pyemotes"" mites, and a large number of nematode parasites. Most nematode parasites are in the order Rhabditida; others are in the genus ""Mermis"","
"Rhinophrynidae The Rhinophrynidae are a family of frogs containing one extant genus, the monotypic ""Rhinophrynus"", and a number of fossil genera. The family is sometimes known as the Mexican burrowing toads or simply burrowing toads. ""Rhinophrynus"" occurs in the Central America north from Costa Rica to Mexico and Texas. Fossil finds of Rhinophrynidae come from Mexico, the United States, and Canada. ""Rhinophrynus"" is a burrowing ant and termite eater. The Rhinophrynidae are the sister taxon of the Pipidae. The clade formed by these two genera is sometimes referred to as Xenoanura or superfamily Pipoidea. Extant genera: Fossil genera: The affinity"
"Tayra The tayra (""Eira barbara""), is an omnivorous animal from the weasel family, native to the Americas. It is the only species in the genus Eira. Tayras are also known as the ""tolomuco"" or ""perico ligero"" in Central America, ""motete"" in Honduras, ""irara"" in Brazil, ""san hol"" or ""viejo de monte"" in the Yucatan Peninsula, and high-woods dog (or historically ""chien bois"") in Trinidad. The genus name ""Eira"" is derived from the indigenous name of the animal in Bolivia and Peru, while ""barbara"" means ""strange"" or ""foreign"". Tayras are long, slender animals with an appearance similar to weasels and martens."
"white-cheeked honeyeater (""P. nigra""), brown honeyeater (""Lichmera indistincta""), singing honeyeater (""Lichenostomus virescens""), tawny-crowned honeyeater (""Gliciphila melanops"") and red wattlebird (""Anthochaera carunculata""). Lorikeets have also been observed feeding at the flowers, as have insects, including ants, bees, and aphids. Of these, evidence suggests that only birds are effective pollinators. Insects apparently play no role in pollination, since inflorescences do not form follicles when birds are excluded in pollinator exclusion experiments; and pollination by mammals has never been recorded in this species. Honeyeaters prefer to forage at individual flowers which have only just opened, as these offer the most nectar. As they"