Art and Music in Unexpected Places

 Atlas Obscura: Wild Life, published last fall, is billed as a guide to the world's living wonders.

But Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foer also write about ancient art, such as a depiction of a Sulawesi warty pig thought to be at least 45,500 years old. 

In France, the Cosquer Cave is heavy on marine life, while Kimberley, in Australia, favors kangaroos and reptiles. In fact, these sorts of pictures have been found in over 100 countries.

Even some tree trucks resemble dripping paint. The rainbow eucalyptus, in Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Indonesia, has green, orange, yellow, red and blue strips which are thought to offer protection. Scientists aren't certain, though.

There has been conjecture, too, about lyrebirds. It's been claimed that during the 1920s, one of these birds lived with a man who played the flute. After being released into the wild, the former pet sang flute-inspired songs that were imitated by other birds.  

Other vocal creatures apparently are walruses and snails. The Pacific walrus sounds more like a ''low, mournful wind chime,'' however. And there are doubts about Hawaiian tree snails, which reportedly used to perform in the forest. Detractors point to nearby crickets or the blowing wind. 

A strong breeze is definitely a factor when it comes to sand dunes' sound waves. Each locale is unique, with the Gobi Desert's spookiness being compared to evil spirits by Marco Polo.

More pleasant are Oman's hum, which brings to mind the sound of a whale, and the cello-like effect noted at the Mojave's Kelso Dunes.