Everyone knows that every member of the faunanature has awarded certain mechanisms of protection against threats that emanate from the external environment. And quite remarkable in this respect are animals with needles. Some of them are so “insured” by attacks from living creatures that they pose a serious danger even to human health.
It should be noted that animals with needlesthey are characterized by the fact that they have a dense prickly layer of skin, therefore, it is almost impossible to reach their vulnerable spots. They also carefully protect the "bare" areas, in the event of a danger, they immediately roll up into a ball.
So, which animals with needles are most protected from the adverse conditions of the outside world?
On the land
First of all it is the Australian echidna.Her needles can hurt anyone who gets too close to her. The size of the echidna corresponds to the size of the hare. If you distract an animal while it is eating, it will immediately be buried in the ground in such a way that only sticking needles will be visible, and will remain in that position until the troublemaker leaves. Also, in order to protect the echidna, it can, like the hedgehog, curl up into a ball; it has sharp needles even on the legs. In total, her body has over 5 thousand spines.
What other animals with needles have reliableprotection mechanisms? Among them is the battleship lizard that lives on the island of Madagascar. This reptile has prickly hard plates that cover most of its body. She uses her “weapon” in two ways. On the tail spikes perform the function of protecting the burrow. If a threat arises from somewhere, the animal puts its tail in its mouth, thus transforming itself into a “spike” wheel. To cope with such an obstacle is not far from each representative of the fauna.
What is the name of an animal with needles, in whichAre they thick, long and always laid back? Surely, every child knows the answer to this question. Of course, it is a porcupine. He is also perfectly “armed” in order to resist external stimuli. As soon as a threat arises, he immediately straightens his spines and begins to shake his tail, emitting a grinding that is more like a hissing snake.
In case such a warning to himthe enemy did not react, then in the next instant the animal releases needles directly into the face of its abuser, who, ultimately, no matter what strength he has, is forced to retreat, since the risk of being punctured by poisonous thorns is very large.
In water
What animals with needles possess elevatedprotective immunity while swimming in the sea? Among them we can distinguish porcupine fish, which is also called the sea urchin. His needles are deadly. In its natural state, the spines of the water inhabitant are “smoothed” along the body. At the slightest suspicion of danger, he immediately absorbs a huge amount of water into himself, his needles become "on end" and the sea urchin turns into a large prickly ball.
This is another confirmation of how unusual and surprising representatives of the fauna can be.
