Among the thousands of animal species living in nature, there are a handful of animals that some manage to attract attention with their lifestyles, some with their diet and some with their interesting colours. But we are looking at none of those today because in this article we will be looking at ten of the most amazing animals, all of which can inflate themselves in some way…
Frigatebird (Fregata magnificent)
INFO: Frigatebirds are a family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, Fregata. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked tails and long hooked bills.
Puff adder (Bitis arietans)
INFO: When threatened, puff adders inflate their upper bodies and hiss. This habit as given rise to their common name. Despite their slow travelling speed, puff adders are known for their quick strike. According to Perry’s Bridge Reptile Park, they can strike within 0.25 of a second of being threatened.
Elephant seals (M. angustirostris)
INFO: Elephant seals are very large, oceangoing earless seals in the genus Mirounga. Both species, the northern elephant seal and the southern elephant seal, were hunted to the brink of extinction for oil by the end of the 19th century, but their numbers have since recovered. They take their name from their trunklike inflatable snouts.
Siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus)
INFO: The siamang is an arboreal, black-furred gibbon native to the forests of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. The largest of the gibbons, the siamang can be twice the size of other gibbons, reaching 1 m in height, and weighing up to 14 kg. It is the only species in the genus Symphalangus. A large gular sac (throat pouch), found in both males and females of the species, can be inflated to the size of the siamang’s head, allowing it to make loud, resonating calls or songs.
Red-eyed Tree Frog (Litoria chloris)
INFO: The vocal sac is the flexible membrane of skin possessed by most male frogs and toads. The purpose of the vocal sac is usually as an amplification of their mating or advertisement call. The presence or development of the vocal sac is one way of externally determining the sex of a frog or toad in many species; taking frogs as an example.
Attwater’s Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido attwateri)
INFO: The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with the males having elongated feathers, called pinnae, erected to form what looks like ear-like structures. The male also has as a bright orange or golden air sac on either side of his neck, which he inflates during mating displays.
Pufferfish (Tetraodontidae)
INFO: Tetraodontidae is a family of primarily marine and estuarine fish of the order Tetraodontiformes. The family includes many familiar species variously called pufferfish, puffers, balloonfish, blowfish, blowies, bubblefish, globefish, swellfish, toadfish, toadies, toadle, honey toads, sugar toads, and sea squab.
Greater Sage Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus)
INFO: In birds, the voice box (called the syrinx) is double-barrelled. Some species, such as the greater sage grouse, also have a pair of vocal sacs, kept within a flexible throat pouch. As soundwaves escape from the syrinx they resonate against the elastic membrane of each sac which, as it inflates, is pulled taut like the skin of a drum. The throat pouch can also be brushed against the feathers on the wings to make a dramatic whooshing sound.
Male hooded seal (Cystophora cristata)
INFO: The hooded seal is a large phocid found only in the central and western North Atlantic, ranging from Svalbard in the east to the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the west. The seals are typically silver-grey or white in colour, with black spots that vary in size covering most of the body. The generic name Cystophora means “bladder-bearer” in Greek, from the species’ unusual sexual ornament – a peculiar inflatable bladder septum on the head of the adult male. This bladder hangs between the eyes and down over the upper lip in the deflated state. In addition, the hooded seal can inflate a large balloon-like sac from one of its nostrils.
African Twig Snake (Thelotornis)
INFO: The twig snakes, also commonly known as bird snakes or vine snakes, are a genus of rear-fanged venomous snakes in the family Colubridae. The genus is native to Africa. All species in the genus have a slender and elongated profile, a long tail, a narrow head, and a pointed snout. When threatened, they inflate the throat to display bold black markings between the scales.
Do you know of any other amazing animals that can inflate? Which of these animals did you like the most? Do let us know in the comments below.
