FUN FACTS ABOUT BRIGHT PINK ANIMALS

“From jellyfish to millipedes, the rosy hues make rare but exciting appearances in nature“
BY JACOB MUÑOZ

Axolotls Have Hot Pink External Gills

An axolotl showing off the bones in its feet
and the blood vessels in its gills.

Captive axolotls are known for their pale

pink-white bodies and flashy, spiky,
hotpink hair-do—that isn't hair at all. The
crown of feathery prongs emerging from
the base of their head is actually, its gills.
Axolotls have four genes that influence
their color. Those with a white-pink body
rely on a recessive gene
that during embryonic development prevents pigment cells meant to darken their body from
taking effect.

But rose-hued axolotls won't pop up in the wilderness. For starters, wild axolotls are an
olivebrown color, and they only live in waterways in Xochimilco, Mexico. These critters are
critically endangered but persist in captivity as research subjects or unique pets.

Rare Fuschia Oblong-Winged Katydids Stand Out in a Crowd

A pink oblong-winged katydid failing to

blend in at the Middlefork Savanna Forest
Preserve in Lake County, Illinois.

Katydids have a reputation for being

brown or green, but some species shatter
the stereotype with a bright pink flair.
Oblong-winged katydids
(Amblycorypha oblongifolia) are one of
those species. Breeding experiments suggest this discrepancy isn’t due to a genetic mutation.
When a green individual mates with a pink one, they make blush-colored children half the
time. So why are fewer of these pink katydids seen?

Blame the power of camouflage, which gives green katydids that resemble leaves a survival
advantage in most areas. In contrast, easy-to-spot pink individuals are picked off by predators.
 Beware of the 'Purple People Eater'
A mauve stinger traveling
underwater.

The mauve stinger jellyfish (Pelagia

noctiluca) proudly displays brightly
pigmented hues, dazzling the beholder with
purple, yellow and even pink varieties. P.
noctiluca roughly translates to “night light”
in German, named for its ability to leave a
glowing trail of bioluminescent mucous
behind if frightened. They have stout bell-
or umbrella-shaped
“bodies” measuring between 3 to 12
centimeters, with long tentacles dangling below.

In Australia, these jellies have a quite shocking nickname: the purple people eater—and for
good reason. They’re covered with stinging cells called nematocysts that are able to paralyze
their small prey, including planktonic crustaceans and fish larvae, and give humans localized
pain.

Amazon River Dolphins May Get

Pinker From Battle
An Amazon river dolphin spyhopping in
the wild.

When Amazon river dolphins (Inia

geoffrensis) are young, they pretty much
look almost like the average bottlenose
dolphin one might see at a zoo with a
few key differences. They are born with
sleek, gray bodies, but feature long, thin
snouts and ridge-like humps where a
typical dorsal fin would be. But when they grow up, they become even more
distinct from good ol’ Flipper.

Some adults in the species develop a gorgeous blush-pink color, hence their nickname “pink
river dolphin.” How exactly these animals, also called boto, go from gray in their youth to pink
when they mature is unknown. But there is one rather brutally compelling theory: they beat
each other up.

Males, who are bigger and more aggressive, tend to also look pinker than the females. It’s
possible, then, that their color comes from their scar tissue that appears as they heal from
battle. Another idea is that the adults become pink to camouflage themselves in murky red
waters to hide from prey. Considering they’re an endangered species, impacted by human
hunting and development, that kind of adaptation might be crucial for their survival.
The Rose-Feathered Galah Will Make You
Say Ooh-La-La
A pink galah on a tree branch in
Australia.

Cockatoos might have the most stylish hairdos

in the animal kingdom, and the pink galah’s
short, white-feathered crest is among them.
Like other parrots, the galah’s
raspberrycolored neck, breast and
underwings are caused by psittacofulvins,
pigmented molecules in their feathers produce color absorbed from light. These molecules
are
unique to parrots, whereas most other birds get their colored plumage from light-absorbing
carotenoid pigments found in their diet, not within their feathers.

Those searching for wild galahs (Eolophus roseicapilla) will need to travel to two locations in
Oceania: mainland Australia or a small region in northern New Zealand.

This Super-Pink Sea Slug Eats Tiny Rose-

Colored Creatures

The pink design of a Hopkins’ rose

nudibranch signals poisonous danger to
predators.

Despite looking more like a sea anemone or

some kind of squishy, spiky stress ball, the
Hopkins’ rose nudibranch (Okenia rosacea)
is actually a sea slug—and please don’t give
it a squeeze. Aptly named, this North
Americabased, one-inch-long sea critter is as impossibly pink, save for its white-tipped
papillae. Nudibranches use their colors to warn predators that making a meal out of them
would lead to toxic consequences.

Unlike other sea slugs, nudibranchs feast on certain creatures, and the Hopkins’ rose variety
gets its beautiful color from its choice prey: tiny pink bryozoans, or moss animals. Bryozoans
are colonial animals, meaning they live in colonies where individual organisms connect in
units called zooids. These Lego-like animals are no match for the Hopkins’ rose nudibranch,
however, which has hook-like teeth made to pierce through bryozoans and gobble up the
pink delicacies.
This Worm-Like Creature Is Actually a Lizard
A Mexican mole lizard in Laz Paz, Baja
California Sur, Mexico.

Despite its blush-colored, noodle-like

frame, the Mexican mole lizard (Bipes
biporus) is neither a worm nor a snake.
Instead of four legs, however, the
reptile has just two tiny forelegs for
digging while the rest of its body slithers
along. Rarely emerging from the
ground, the strange-looking lizard’s
subterranean lifestyle causes it to have
low levels of color-boosting melanin. This behavior leads to its baby-pink appearance, though
it turns white as it matures.

The Mexican mole lizard belongs to a group of legless lizards called amphisbaenians. Of
course, since it actually does have limbs, it also resides within a special three-species family
called Bipedidae that have front legs, unlike the other amphisbaenians. Native to Baja
California Peninsula in Mexico, these critters are hitched to a rather unsavory, baseless myth
among locals. Some folks fear the lizard will crawl into certain exposed areas while relieving
themselves.

A Fluffy, White Bat With Rosé-Toned Wings

A Northern Ghost Bat hanging from a palm
leaf.

Not to be mistaken for cotton ball hanging from the

rafters, the northern ghost bat (Diclidurus albus)
lives up to its name thanks to the soft white fur it
sports. Once in the air, however, its translucent pink
wing membranes, stretching from the forelimbs to
the hindlimbs, are unmistakable. This coloring
deviates from the darker membranes more
commonly found among bats, helping the ghost bat
stand out among its batty relatives.

Where the northern ghost bat’s name deceives is its geographical range. Not found in most
of the Northern Hemisphere, instead, their habitat range includes Mexico, Central America,
most of Brazil, parts of South America and across some Caribbean islands, including
Trinidad.

The species is solitude save for breeding season, which happens to occur in January and
February—just in time for the season of love, when members in groups as big as four step
outside their bubbles to cozy up together during the day.
This Coral-Colored Seahorse Matches Its Home
A Bargibant's pygmy seahorse trying to blend in
with its surroundings.

Measuring just under an inch when fully grown,

the Bargibant’s pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus
bargibanti) doesn’t just rely on its small stature
to hide from predators. They instead go one step
further: matching their environment with the
precision of an expert designer.

The species lives mainly in the Coral Triangle in the western Pacific Ocean, where they reside
and feed on gorgonian corals. The color of the pygmy seahorses depends on the coral they
live in during their youth. To match their vibrant coral home, they’re usually an orange-yellow
mix or a red-pink fusion, with bumps called tubercles aiding their camouflage. It’s unclear yet
if the seahorses can change colors if they take up residence elsewhere, or if their coloration
lasts a lifetime.

A Mantis Disguised as a Beautiful

Blossom
A female orchid mantis, which looks
like a generic flower in its
environment.

The orchid mantis (Hymenopus

coronatus), found in Southeast Asia
and Indonesia, uses its white body
with ombré hints of pink and yellow
hues to draw in other insects for a
feast. This appearance, particularly
stunning in their juvenile forms, is an
example of aggressive
mimicry where an animal blends in with its environment to catch prey off guard. However,
the orchid mantis doesn’t actually look like any particular flower in its environment.

Rather, the orchid mantis’s unspecific nature is actually a boon. Instead of just attracting
specific types of pollinators for the kill, the mantis keeps its menu wide open by appearing
generic enough to bring in many unsuspecting insects. It doesn’t need to saddleup next to
blossoms to get the job done either; standing out in the open masquerading as a gorgeous
orchid is enough to pull off the charade.

This Dashing Dragonfly Is No Damselfly in Distress

A vibrant male Roseate Skimmer
dragonfly at Bob Jones Park in
Southlake, Texas.

The roseate skimmer is an aptly

named dragonfly—that is, for the
males. As an animal that exhibits
sexual dimorphism, the species’
mature males and females appear
noticeably different from each other.
The females are decidedly less
colorful, taking on a
brownish hue. The males, however, show off pink-purple bodies when they reach adulthood.
A young male roseate skimmer (Orthemis ferruginea) is certainly a mama’s boy, having a
similar appearance to the females before his own maturation.

The species can be found throughout the southern United States, from California to Florida.
It also is located in Hawaii and parts of the Midwest and East Coast, Mexico, and Central
America. Roseate skimmers prefer inland bodies of water where vegetation is plentiful and
decide to put their eggs even in tiny pools so long as the plants they desire to eat are around.

The Shocking Pink Dragon Millipede Lives Up to Its Name

A shocking pink dragon millipede
crawls through its environment,
sharply contrasting the drab
background.

While the shocking pink dragon

millipede
(Desmoxytes purpurosea) is
considerably smaller than dragons
of lore, they are just as
intimidating to their enemies as
their firebreathing namesakes.
Resembling hot pink limousines of the insect
world, the three-centimeter-long millipedes’ vibrant color serves as a warning to any wouldbe
predator: stay away. They have glands that excrete hydrogen cyanide, a highly toxic acid. This
strategy—using appearance to signal danger—is known as aposematic coloration.

Aposematic coloration is thought to be the reason for the pink dragon millipede’s coloring
because it eats out in the open during the day, perhaps confident that its stunning appearance
will dissuade other animals from eating it. The pink dragon millipede resides in northern
Thailand. It is also one of the biggest in its genus. In total over 30 different dragon millipedes
exist, all around Southeast Asia in countries such as China and Vietnam.
Bubble-Gum Pink Elephant Hawk Moths
Are Global Sensations
The small elephant hawk moth trades size in
exchange for color.

Both the small elephant hawk moth

(Deilephila porcellus) and its larger cousin
(Deilephila elpenor) rock beautiful
bubblegum pink wings outlined in olive set
the small elephant hawk moth (Deilephila
porcellus). Both insects start out as gray,
dusty-looking caterpillars that slightly
resemble elephant trunks, hence the name
elephant hawk moth. D. elpenor has a gorgeous pink stripe on its abdomen that differentiates
it from its smaller relative.

These moths can be found in North Africa, Europe, and even as far east as China. Their location
can even impact how vibrant their colors are. Moths in drier and warmer parts of Asia show
less, or even an absence of, pink coloring, while moths in northwest Africa and around the
Mediterranean Sea have brighter colors.

Pale-Pink Naked Mole-Rats

Are Resilient Feats of Nature
A naked mole-rat at the
National Zoo.

As one of the most unique,

and perhaps off-putting,
mammals in the world, the
naked mole-rat
(Heterocephalus glaber) is
interesting in more ways than
one. They are mostly hairless,
resulting in a wrinkly light-
pink or gray-pink appearance. However, the practically-blind animals have
whiskers on their faces and tails to sense their surroundings and hairs on their feet to help
them move soil around in their East African underground environment. Naked mole-rats are
also the longest-living rodents, with an estimated life expectancy of up to 30 years. They’re
immune to cancer, and their risk of death doesn’t increase with old age, baffling scientists.
They can even survive better than us humans, as they are able to withstand nearly 20 minutes
without oxygen.

This Magenta-Speckled Snake

Slithers With Style
Liophidium pattoni slithers along
with its pink-striped scales.

Researched for the first time in 2010,

Liophidium pattoni may lack a
common name, but it certainly has
no shortage of pizzazz. The slithering
creature is striped with hot pink
speckles against black scales along its
back with a bright yellow belly. The
underside of the tip of its tail looks as
if it was dipped in magenta, almost as if the snake is cosplaying as a
mermaid, minus the fin.

The species can be found in northeast Madagascar and is just one of two kinds of snakes with
bright body coloration among more than 90 species known to science on the island. Because
it is not believed to be aggressive nor dangerously poisonous, its pink pattern may be an
indicator of bad taste or even a bluff that it’s harmful to predators. Essentially, it could be an
example of aposematic coloration without actual danger lurking behind.

(Taken from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/14-Fun-Facts-About-Bright-Pink-Animals-

180977021/)

Based on the article above, answer the questions that follow.

1. Do you have any problems with the vocabulary? Can you guess the meaning based on
the context?
 ANSWERS: I don’t have any problem with the vocabulary, I can fully understand all the
meaning and the words in this context

2. What do you think about the topic?

ANSWERS: The topic is about knowing the unique creatures with a pink body colour.
The facts about them are interesting.

3. What are the main ideas of the article?

ANSWERS: The main idea is about some fact of the creature with pink colour body

4. Who do you think the text is written for?

ANSWERS: The text is for student who studied about animals. It can be for animal lover
since it’s a fun fact that can interest the reader itself. Children also would suitable as
they growing up learning about animal.

5. Choose 3 animals that you like. Explain why you choose them.
ANSWERS: A Mantis Disguised as a Beautiful Blossom is one of my favourites because
of their body that look like beautiful flower. The way they catch their prey by disguising
as a flower make them one of the unique animals. What is more interesting than that
are the Coral-Coloured Seahorse. Seeing the coral itself is an amazing view, the Coral-
Coloured Seahorse a most special animal out there. I hope I can see it with my own
eye one day. Naked Mole-Rats can be the cutest thing. Knowing that they are blind
amaze me how they sense their surrounding and move around.