Wild creatures

At the farthest reaches of Earth, in the coldest waters on the planet, lives a two-ton beast with thick tusks that measure more than three feet long-the mighty walrus. Don't be fooled by its gigantic size and odd appearance-a walrus isn't a slow, lazy creature that lies around the ice all day. These animals spend most of their time in the water, where they are strong and skilled swimmers.Feel a Meal: A walrus' snout is covered with 400 to 700 long, thick whiskers, which are arranged in about…

The caracal is a medium-sized wild cats native to Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. It has a distinctive look and can reach up to 50 mph speeds.

How many dolphins can you count?

The alligator gar is one monster of a freshwater fish. It looks similar to the fierce reptile it's named for, and even has a tough armor that's hard to penetrate. This creature floats along, seemingly harmless as a log, until a potential victim swims near. These huge, strong fish even overpower young alligators in their native southern swamps.Super Snout: The alligator gar's long jaws each have two rows of needle-sharp teeth. These weapons can slice into thick hide and rip another creature…

A specialized weapon sometimes is all that's needed to survive in the wild, and thylacosmilus was armed to the teeth. Two long canines with sharpened edges and lethal points grew from the creature's upper jaw. About the size of a modern leopard, thylacosmilus tackled prey much larger than itself and killed with a single bite to the neck.Stay Sharp: Sheath-like extensions of this beast's lower jaw protected the long canine teeth, and prevented-thylacosmilus from accidentally stabbing itself…

The genet might look like a house cat, but don't expect it to roll over and purr. It silently stalks prey on forest floors in the wilds of Africa and elsewhere, making its kills with a quick pounce. Wide eyes give the genet great night-vision, so it can see every move its prey makes before closing in. Bigger predators might try to stalk the genet, but this creature stays camouflaged in dark forests, and can slip through thick bushes if it needs to make a getaway. Oddly, this creature is not…