Armored on the Inside

A young lion tries to flip over an African crested p porcupine in order to kill it in South Africa, where porcupines are the principal diet of Kalahari lions.

Armored on the Inside
Some animals have spikes that come into play only when they are attacked. Among these unusual animals is a mammal called the potto.

The potto is a slow-moving, tree-dwelling African animal. three bones in its neck end in thick spines that stick up through the skin. the spines usually are buried in its thick fur. however, if threatened, a potto curls up so that its neck bends and the spines stick up. some scientists have recently found that the spines are sensitive to touch and that pottos sometimes rub necks with each other. they are researching to see if pottos use their spines to communicate with one another.

A salamander called the sharp-ribbed newt also has hidden spines. its spines are the ends of its ribs. if attacked, the newt pushes its ribs so that they form rows of bumps on its back. there are poison glands on the bumps. the sharp rib tips may also poke out of the newt’s skin.

The hero shrew of west Africa does not show its strength; its armor is completely hidden inside. this armor is its oneof- a-kind backbone. each bone in its spine has ridges on it and fits snugly into the bones on either side of it. the spine is also very flexible, and the ribs attached to it are very thick. A person weighing 160 pounds ( 2 kilograms) can stand on the shrew’s back without harming it. why the shrew’s back is so strong is still a mystery, though its strength may certainly stop some predators’ jaws from crushing it.