At
Their Peak: 5 Extreme Animals Who Can Survive Mount Everest
“...1. Himalayan tahr
This
relative of the wild goat is specially adapted to life on the rugged mountain
slopes of the Himalayas. The tahr’s range...is between 2,500 & 5,000 meters
in elevation. The animals manage to live in this extreme environment because of
their dense woolly coat & thick undercoat. In the summer, tahrs shed much
of this fur, even becoming a lighter color. Their hooves, as with many goats,
help them traverse the steep mountainside. Tahrs, in particular, have flexible,
rubbery cores in their hooves to allow for a solid grip on smooth rocks.
Meanwhile, the hard, sharp keratin rims on the outside of their hooves allows
them to lodge their feet in small footholds, keeping them upright.
2. Snow leopard
Snow
leopards in this area generally live between 3,000 & 4,500 meters in
elevation... they have stocky bodies with thick fur & small, rounded ears —
all of which helps these cats minimize heat loss. Snow leopard paws are wide,
distributing their weight for walking on snow, & they have fur on their
undersides to increase their grip as they move. Their tails have also been
specially evolved as blankets: they are extra thick & very fuzzy — perfect
for protecting their faces while sleeping. Snow leopards are even able to
breathe the thin air more easily with their unusually large nasal cavities.
3. Himalayan black bear
This
rare subspecies of the Asiatic black bear lives in the range of 3,000 to 4,000
meters... In the winter, the bear moves down to 1,500 meters... preferring to
stay around the tree line. Himalayan black bears have longer, thicker fun than
their other Asian black bear cousins. These creatures manage the cold, as many
bears do, by hibernating through the worst parts of the winter.
4. Alpine chough
The
alpine chough... is a part of the crow family. Although they naturally fly
quite a bit higher, these birds nest between 3,500-5,000 meters up in the
Himalayas...They are quite fond of humans sometimes, as they like to sit
outside hotel windows & wait for any food they can get from tourists.
5. Himalayan jumping spider
... the
Himalayan jumping spider is known to live at a higher elevation than any other
animal. Fittingly, its scientific name, Euophrys omnisuperstes, means ‘standing
above all’. This small spider hides in crevices high up on the mountain at
elevations up to 6,700 meters. But what does it eat? The answer, as far as
experts can tell, is frozen insects delivered by the wind.”
Laura
Burge
Aug.
14/2017
care2.com
