動物王國誤解多多

動物王國奧妙無窮，令人著迷。而我們在探索動物王國的時候也難免被一些表象迷惑，產生一些誤解。

If human have myths， legends and tales to live on， the animal kingdom can boast of1 some fascinating if not2 strange misconceptions. From flying fish， dancing snakes to an immortal jellyfish， the animal kingdom is not short of misconceptions. Read on to learn which are true and which are not.

Fish can fly

We all know that fish spend their entire life swimming below the surface of the water and need to stay underwater for survival. But did you know that there are some species that have also learned， practiced and mastered the art of flying？ These flying fish belongs to the fish family Exocoetidae3， which consists of 64 species grouped in seven to nine genera4. To get away from predators， flying fish using its large pectoral fins5 take short glided flights to propel themselves out of the water. By swishing its tail to about 50～70 times per second， a flying fish is able to muster up6 enough momentum7 to burst through the surface. In so doing， it can rise into the air up to 11 meters and glide up to 50 meters.

Fish can walk

Believe or not， fish can walk！ Yes， underwater and on land， these exceptional creatures are capable of walking. On land， some species like the climbing perch8 or the famous walking catfish9 can do the trick. Storing and using oxygen to survive， they can leave their natural habitat and walk on land to get to another stretch of water. If you are not impressed by the capability of the fish species mentioned above， then take a look at the batfish10！ Though a poor swimmer， batfish has adapted well to its environment and mastered the art of walking underwater. Yes， literally walking using its limb—like pectoral pins11！ What a spectacular act for a small fish that grows to about 36cm.

注釋

1. boast of： 自夸；夸耀

2. if not： 甚至

3. Exocoetidae： 【魚】飛魚科

4. genus n. 【生】屬；genera，genus的復數形式

5. pectoral fin： 【魚】胸鰭；pectoral adj. 胸的，胸部的

6. muster up： 積蓄（力量等）

7. momentum n. 沖力，勢頭

8. climbing perch： = climbing fish 【魚】攀鱸，一種 能從水中出來呼吸幾個小時的淡水魚。它通過

彎曲尾部向前移動，用鰭做支撐；有時還能看見

它爬到傾斜的樹干上。

9. walking catfish： 【魚】蟾胡子鲇（亞洲所產一種

能在陸地上呼吸、用尾和鰭在地上爬行的鲇魚，

有的地方俗稱塘角魚）；

catfish n. 鲇魚，鯰魚

10. batfish n. 【魚】蝙蝠魚（一種體扁的海魚）

11. pin n. <口>腿，常用復數

12. animated adj. 動畫（片）的

13. integral adj. 構成整體所必需的；固有的，基本的

14. merge vt. 使合為一體；使融合

15. stun vt. 使……打暈，使昏迷

16. charge n. 負荷；電荷

17. respiratory adj. 呼吸（作用）的，呼吸系統的

18. carp n. 鯉魚

19. plumage n. （鳥的）全身羽毛，羽衣

20. culprit n. 導致過錯的人；產生事故的原因

21. larva n. 【動】幼蟲；幼體；larvae是其復數形式

22. pigment n. 【生】色素，色質

23. carotenoid n. 【生化】類胡蘿卜素

24. waddle vi. （似鴨、鵝般地）蹣跚行走，搖搖擺擺

地行走

25. beat to the draw： 比對方搶先行動

26. turritopsis nutricula： 燈塔水母

27. revert vi. 【生】回復突變；返祖遺傳，常與介詞

to連用

28. polyp n. 【生】（水螅型）珊瑚蟲，水螅蟲

29. transdifferentiation： 【生】轉分化，是一種類型 細胞或組織在某些理化因素作用下轉變為

另一種正常細胞或組織的現象。機體通過 細胞轉分化來代替或修復受損組織和功 能，所以轉分化將來有可能會成為器官移

植中獲取具有修復功能的細胞的重要手段。

Turtles can’t crawl out of their shells

By watching cartoons and animated12 films， we can be misled into believing that turtles can crawl out of their shells. That’s a lot of nonsense！ The true fact is a turtle’s shell is basically an integral13 part of its skeleton and consists of hard bony plates that are merged14 to its spine and ribs.

Electric eels aren’t eels

The electric eel gets its name by its capability to stun15 prey and deter predators using massive amount of electrical charge16 its body generates. These notorious creatures live in the muddy ponds and streams of the Amazon basins in South America. Their bodies contain electric organs， which， when threatened or attacking prey， are capable of generating electric shocks. Electric shocks can cause respiratory17 or heart failure and in some rare cases lead to death. But did you know that electric eels are not true eels， but rather a knife fish， more closely related to carps18 and catfishes.

Bats aren’t blind

Contrary to common belief， bats are not blind！ Most of the species depend heavily on their remarkable sense of hearing to sense their preys and navigate even through darkness. However， there is a species of bat known as the fruit bat or flying fox that uses its eyes to determine its locations. The fruit bat locates and catches its prey， such as small insect，in mid—air using smell and acute vision. Rather than relying on its ears， it instead uses excellent eyesight to track down its prey.

Flamingos aren’t born pink

Genetics （not food） is the major factor determining color of animals. However， there is an exception to this fact. Flamingos. In general， flamingos are born with white plumage19， but why then do they undergo color transformation as they grow older？ The culprit20 —the food they eat. Flamingos’ diet include insect larvae21 and saltwater shrimps which both contain pigments22 called “carotenoids23” which are responsible for the change in feather color （from white to pink）.

Penguins have long legs

Another animal misconception is that penguins have short legs. Definitely， this isn’t true. People arrived at this notion because penguins waddle24 and their fur conceals their true body shape. In reality， penguins have surprisingly long legs. We are misled to believe that these flightless birds have short legs because penguins stand in a crouching position. But they take this posture simply to keep as much heat as possible.

Not all animals have to die

Even before the time of Cleopatra， men have been in continuous search for the“fountain of youth”， but sad to say a species of jellyfish has beaten us to the draw25. Turritopsis nutricula26， a tiny species of jellyfish， has found the secret of immortality. It is capable of reverting27 completely to a polyp28 stage after having reached sexual maturity. To be biologically immortal， it undergoes a process called “transdifferentiation29” whereby the cycle can repeat indefinitely. Only when the nerve center is separated from the body does this process come to a halt.

如果說人類靠神話、傳說和故事得以生存，那么動物王國則有著一些引人入勝乃至奇異的誤解可供吹噓。從會飛的魚、會跳舞的蛇到長生不老的水母，動物王國不乏誤解。讀讀本文，了解一下哪個是真實的，哪個不是。

魚會飛

我們都知道，魚兒終身都在水下游弋，必須待在水中才能生存。但是，你是否知道有些魚已經學習、鍛煉并掌握了飛行的本領。這些會飛的魚隸屬飛魚科，包括7～9個屬的64種魚。為了躲避捕食者，飛魚憑借其碩大的胸鰭做短途滑行以推動自己飛出水面。飛魚通過每秒鐘迅速擺動尾鰭50～70次，就能攢足足夠的動能來沖出水面。通過上述動作，它可飛入空中達11米高，滑行長達50米的距離。

魚會走路

信不信由你，魚會走路！沒錯，在水下和陸上，這些奇特的動物都能步行。在陸地上，部分魚類，如攀鱸或著名的蟾胡子鲇，就精于此道。它們能夠儲存和使用生存必需的氧氣，離開自然棲息地，在陸上行走以到達另一片水域。如果上述魚類的能力還不讓你稱奇，那就來看一看蝙蝠魚吧！蝙蝠魚盡管不善游泳，但卻很好地適應了環境，掌握了水下行走的秘訣。是的，它們真的用像腿一樣的胸鰭走路！對這種能長到36厘米的小魚而言，這是多么驚人的壯舉啊！

烏龜不能爬出龜殼

看漫畫和動畫可能會使我們誤認為烏龜能夠從龜殼里爬出來。真是一派胡言！事實是，烏龜的殼是其骨架不可分割的一部分，組成龜殼的諸多堅硬骨板和烏龜的脊骨、肋骨渾然一體。

電鰻不是鰻

電鰻之所以得名是因為其具有憑借身體產生的巨大電流擊暈獵物和威懾捕食者的能力。這種臭名昭彰的動物生活在南美洲亞馬孫盆地泥濘的池塘和河流之中。它們的身體含有放電器官，在受到威脅或攻擊獵物時，能夠產生電擊。電擊能夠使對手呼吸衰竭或心力衰竭，在少數情況下還會置對手于死地。但是你知道嗎？電鰻其實不是真正的鰻，而是一種刀魚，與鯉魚和鯰魚更為相近。

蝙蝠眼不瞎

與人們通常的想法相反，蝙蝠不是瞎子！多數種類的蝙蝠十分依賴它們非凡的聽力來發現獵物，甚至在黑暗中穿行。但是，有一種被稱為果蝠或飛狐的蝙蝠卻用眼睛來定位。憑借嗅覺和敏銳的視覺，果蝠定位并捕捉諸如空中的小昆蟲這樣的獵物。它并不依賴耳朵，而靠極好的視力來追捕獵物。

火烈鳥并非生來就是粉紅色

遺傳（而不是食物）是決定動物身體顏色的主要因素。可是，這一觀點也有例外。火烈鳥就不是。通常，火烈鳥出生時羽毛是白色的，那為什么它們長大后，顏色會發生變化呢？罪魁禍首就是——它們的食物。火烈鳥的食譜中包括昆蟲幼體和鹽水蝦，這兩者都含有被稱為“類胡蘿卜素”的色素，而這種色素正是導致火烈鳥羽毛變色（從白色變為粉紅色）的原因。

企鵝腿很長

另一個有關動物的誤解是“企鵝的腿很短”。這種看法絕對不正確。人們之所以產生這種想法，是因為企鵝蹣跚而行并且皮毛遮蓋了真實的體型。事實上，企鵝的腿長得令人吃驚。企鵝站立時是蜷曲著的，所以我們被誤導，認為這種不會飛的鳥腿很短。但企鵝選擇這種站姿只是為了盡可能地保存熱量。

并非所有動物都會死亡

早在埃及女王克婁巴特拉時期之前，人們就在不停尋找“青春之源”，但很遺憾，一種水母比我們捷足先登了。一種小型水母燈塔水母，已經找到了長生不老的秘訣。它在性成熟后能重新回到水螅型狀態。為了長生不老，它經歷著一種被稱為“轉分化”的進程，這種循環可以不斷重復。只有把它的神經中樞從身體剝離后，這一進程才會停止。