The animal kingdom is widely distributed across the world and comes in different shapes and sizes. There are many skinny animals in the wild that belong to different families and genera. Here is the list,
Skinny Animals
1. Ferret (Mustela putorius furo)
A ferret is a small mammal that belongs to the weasel family. As per the genetic evidence, it is said that it was domesticated 2500 years ago to facilitate the hunting of rabbits. These skinny animals can reach upto 20 inches in length and their average weight is upto 1.5 to 4 pounds. The scientific name of the ferret is Mustela putorius furo which means smelly little thief because of the smell produced in the anal glands and the instinct to steal and hide various things. The avarage lifespan of a ferret is between 7 to 10 years in captivity.
2. Greyhound (Canis lupus familiarise)
Greyhound is one of the best dog breeds for seniors which is also referred to as English Greyhound and considered as one of the oldest breeds of dogs. The origin of dog breeds is believed to be found in both Mesopotamia and Egypt. These dog breeds are sighthound dogs that hunt primarily by sight and speed, rather than by scent and endurance as scent hounds do.
The name Greyhound comes from the Old English ground. It is the only greyhound species mentioned by name in the Bible is the greyhound ((Proverbs 30:29-31, King James Version): “There be three things which do well, yea, Which are comely in going; A lion, which is strongest among beasts and Turneth not away from any; A greyhound; A he-goat also.”
3. Whippet (Canis lupus familiarise)
Whippet is a medium-sized dog breed that is quite similar to the greyhound, however, it is smaller in size. The name whippet comes from an early 17th-century word, now obsolete, meaning “to move briskly”. They can be good apartment dogs since they are not much of a barker and fairly inactive indoors and just need a good walk or run. The avarage lifespan of a whippet is between 11 to 14 years. The avarage height of the whippet doh breed is between 46 to 56 cm and the average weight is upto 13 kg.
4. Aardvark (Orycteropus afer)
Aardvark is one of the animals with long faces known for its excellent sense of smell, used for finding of food. These animals with big noses have a great sense of hearing which will help them detect and hide from predators. The primary diet includes termites and 50,000 termites per night. The main predators of Aardvark include lions, cheetahs, wild dogs, pythons, leopards, and humans. These animals with no necks are excellent swimmers since they have beautiful webbed feet. The avarage lifespan of Aardvarks in the wild is unknown, however, they live upto 23 years in captivity.
5. Lemur
Lemur is a small primate that can be found only on the island of Madagascar. They can reach between 3.6 to 27 inches in length and the average weight is between 1.1 ounce to 20 pounds of weight. Talking about the appearance, they have fur that can be black, grey, brown, or reddish colored.
The name lemur means spirits of the night and it refers to the nocturnal nature of these animals, However, some lemurs are active during the day. The primary diet includes fruit, leaves, flowers, tree sap, and bark. The avarage lifespan of a lemur is upto 18 years in the wild and up to 30 years in captivity. Ring-tailed lemurs are one of the most popular animals with stripes in the world.
6. Weasel (Mustela)
Weasels are small mammals that belong to the genus Mustela of the family Mustelidae. As of now, 10 species of Weasel are known to humans that can be found all across the world except for Antarctica, Australia, and neighboring islands. Talking about appearance, they have long, slim bodies along with short legs and five small-clawed toes on each foot. The color of the fur is brown to yellow-brown fur with paler fur on the belly. The tip of the tail is black all year round.
7. Pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana)
Pronghorn is one of the common chaparral animals and is the only surviving member of the family Antilocapridae. They are a member of the superfamily Giraffoidea which is closely related to the giraffes and okapi. Talking about the appearance, they have yellowish-brown to reddish-brown colored fur with a white underside and white stripes on the neck and around the mouth. The male pronghorns can be identified with the help of black markings on the neck and face. The avarage lifespan of Pronghornis upto 10 years.
8. Wallaby (Notamacropus)
Wallaby is one of the jumping animals and has powerful hind legs which are used for bounding at high speeds and jumping great heights. These animal species are crepuscular and are most active around dusk and dawn and they are also classified as nocturnal. Wallabies are solitary animals, however, they will forage for food in groups of up to 30 animals. The young wallabies are known as “joeys”, like many other marsupials. The natural predators include wild dogs, foxes, and feral cats.
9. Kangaroo (Macropodidae)
Kangaroo is one of the popular forest animals that are highly social and live in groups known as mob, a herd, or a troop. They are marsupial animals that are found in Australia as well as New Guinea. As of now, four different kangaroo species are known: the red kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, western grey kangaroo, and antilopine kangaroo. These animal species can leap a distance of 9 meters (30 feet) and 3 meters (10 feet) in height. The dietary habit is herbivores and feeds on grasses, flowers, leaves, ferns, moss, and even insects.
10. Antelope
Antelope is a term used to describe a variety of horned mammals in the Family Bovidae. As of now, 91 species of antelopes are known and found in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. The avarage lifespan of Antelope is upto 10 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity. The largest species of antelope is giant eland whose body length ranges from 220 to 290 centimeters and height is between 130 to 180 centimeters at the shoulder.
These are the 10 skinny animals in the world. Kindly share your comments and post your comments.