Thomson’s Gazelle
Thomson’s gazelles are the cheetah’s favourite prey, and they can change direction so sharply that cheetahs often lose the chase.
Mammal
Tree Kangaroo
Tree kangaroos can leap down to the ground from a height of over 15 metres without being hurt.
Vaquita
The vaquita is the world’s rarest marine mammal: recent surveys have estimated only around ten individuals left.
Verreaux’s Sifaka
On the ground, Verreaux’s sifakas ‘dance’, bounding sideways on their hind legs with their arms raised for balance.
Vicuña
The vicuña has the finest wool of any animal, and cloth made from it is among the most expensive in the world.
Virginia Opossum
When badly frightened, an opossum may ‘play dead’, falling limp with its mouth open and giving off a foul smell for minutes or even hours.
Walrus
A walrus finds clams on the dark seafloor with hundreds of sensitive whiskers, then sucks the soft body out of the shell with powerful suction.
Warthog
Warthogs back into their burrows so that they face outwards, ready to charge out with their tusks at any intruder.
Weddell Seal
Weddell seals keep breathing holes open in the ice by scraping them with their teeth, and can dive to over 600 m and stay under for more than an hour.