Cheeky turtles catch a free ride on the back of a giant hippo in South Africa – via Herp Digest

The comical scene was captured by Simon Smith, 35, whilst visiting the Kruger National Park in August

December 11, 2018, by Thea Jacobs, Irish Sun

It's a hippo-pot-a-bus - a group of cheeky turtles have caught a free ride on a the back of a giant hippo. 

Simon Smith, 35, caught the group of turtles - also known as terrapins - riding on the back of a hippo while visiting the Kruger National Park, South Africa. 

The property consultant from Durban believes the terrapins were looking for a spot to sunbathe when they spotted the hippo.

And it seems the hippo is unfazed by his little passengers who are enjoying their free ride. 

Simon, who took the images in August, added: "I think what made this particular sighting unique is the sheer number of terrapin on the back of the hippo, as well as how close I was to the sighting.

"The terrapins, being ectothermic, were looking to warm their bodies in the sun.

Hunting or Angry? Scientists Can't Agree on Odd Octopus Behavior

By Laura Geggel, Senior Writer | February 2, 2017 11:30am ET

This story was updated Feb. 2 at 11:30 a.m. EST.

A wild octopus surprised an Australian diver this week by suddenly, and quite dramatically, inflating itself with water, ballooning up like a parachute. Later, when the diver posted a video of the interaction online, she wondered whether the octopus was trying to intimidate her with its grandiose size.

That's possible, marine biologists said, but they can't agree on what caused the curious behavior.

One idea is that the octopus was hunting for food, said Kathleen Sullivan Sealey, an associate professor of biology at the University of Miami, who doesn't know the diver but watched the video online.

In the video post, the diver noted how the octopus "blew itself up like a parachute multiple times," turning its body and eight legs into a giant net as the animal traversed the rocky and sponge-filled ocean floor off the coast of Melbourne, Australia.

Read on and watch video 

Japanese monkey tries to mate with deer

10 January 2017

A male Japanese monkey has been filmed trying to mount and mate with a Sika deer.

Researchers saw the primate attempting to mate with at least two deer in November 2015, during the macaque breeding season.

The macaques regularly bathe in hot springs in snow-covered parts of Japan, and live side-by-side with the deer.

The macaques have previously been observed grooming the deer or riding them in a playful manner.

The curious behaviour is outlined in a study published in the journal Primates.

The monkey seemed to be a low-status male, who guarded his "love interests" by chasing away other male monkeys who came near.

Co-author Alexandre Bonnefoy commented: "The male mounted the deer and displayed some copulation behaviours, which included about 15 sexual movements over a period of 10 seconds, before dismounting."

It's not the first example of inter-species mating. In 2014, reports of an Antarctic fur seal coercing king penguins into sexual relations made headlines worldwide.

Source  

Kangaroo stuns couple by smashing through window and jumping on bed

Victorian couple, who were having a Sunday morning lie-in, pursued marsupial through house as it banged into furniture and tried to escape through closed windows

Australian Associated Press

Monday 19 December 2016 04.36 GMT Last modified on Monday 19 December 201605.47 GMT

A Victorian couple was left stunned when a kangaroo landed on their bed after crashing through the window of their Torquay home.

Bill and Norma McConnell were enjoying a Sunday morning lie-in when the kangaroo bounced on to their bed.

“It’s obviously had the momentum to jump through the window and virtually land on top of Norma, only a few feet from her face,” Bill McConnell told 3AW radio.

The kangaroo kept going, bounding off the bed, through the bedroom door and down the passageway. “It took a while to realise it was, in fact, a kangaroo,” McConnell said.

He gave chase, watching the marsupial bang into furniture as it tried to escape through closed windows. “I picked up a chair, like a lion tamer, to protect myself just in case,” McConnell said. “It then hit the TV … and then it just sat behind a chair”.

After getting its bearings, the roo found the back door open and skipped off into the morning light, sailing over a two-metre fence on its way.

“I am just lucky we weren’t hurt,” McConnell said.

Source