Today is Christmas, the holiday that children around the world have been anxiously awaiting for including the arrival of man in the red suit himself, Santa Claus!
In honor of Christmas, we’re presenting a WILD twist of Clement Clarke Moore’s “A Visit from St. Nicholas” story. Enjoy!
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring not even a mouse.
Perhaps not the typical rodent of lore, the cute puffball known as the woodland jumping mouse is one amazing mouse; its elongated hind legs allow it to hop up to 3 meters (9 feet) at a time!
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon would be there.
The uniquely shaped and vibrant pitcher plant could easily be mistaken for a child’s stocking. Don’t be deceived however, this delicate plant is actually of the carnivorous variety with the ability to secrete an acidic solution.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
This snoozing koala might look snug as a bug in a rug, and you would be right; koalas are primarily nocturnal. The koala is often mistakenly called a koala bear even though it is not related to bears, but rather belongs to the marsupial family.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.
While reindeer might not have shiny red noses like Rudolph, they still are an extraordinary species that can survive the extreme conditions of the north. Its specifically designed hooves serve as snowshoes and also aid in cracking ice when searching for food.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came, and he whistled and shouted and called them by name.
The regal bald eagle might not be as swift as Santa’s reindeer, but it is an enduring raptor that can live up to 28 years. Its name is certainly a misnomer, since the bald eagle sports a full set of white feathers upon its head.
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard on his chin was white as the snow.
While Santa’s beard might be more grandiose, one cannot deny that the emperor tamarin has a truly unique and elegant beard. Much like St. Nick, himself the emperor tamarin has a sweet tooth with a diet that includes fruits and nectar.
He had a broad face and a little round belly, that shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
With a belly to rival that of Santa himself, the big-belly seahorse has a large protruding stomach. Like other seahorses, it lacks scales and instead has skin stretched over bony plates. Additionally, much like the man in red, the big belly seahorse is most active at dusk and at night.
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
The wondrous and colorful spear thistle is noted for its purple flower that does not appear until its second year of growth. The fluffy orb-like seedlings or down are functionally designed to aid in wind dispersal.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight — “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”
Merry Christmas from the Arkive Team to you!
William Lazaro, Arkive Social Media Intern, Wildscreen USA