The horse (Equus caballus) is a large odd-toed ungulate mammal, one of ten living species of the family Equidae.
For centuries horses have been one of the most economically important domesticated animals, especially relied upon for farmwork and for transportation. Their importance declined following the introduction of mechanization. The history of the horse is prominent in religion, mythology, art, transportation, agriculture, and warfare.
Most horses perform work such as carrying humans or are harnessed to pull objects such as carts or plows. Hundreds of distinct horse breeds have been developed, allowing horses to be specialized for certain tasks; lighter horses for racing or riding, heavier horses for farming and other tasks requiring pulling power. Some horses, such as the miniature horse, can be kept as pets. In some societies, horses are a source of food, both meat and milk; in others it is taboo to consume these products. In industrialized countries, horses are predominantly kept for leisure and sporting pursuits, while in other parts of the world they are still used as working animals.
Horses and humans have lived and worked together for thousands of years and an extensive specialized vocabulary has arisen to describe virtually every horse behavioral and anatomical characteristic with a high degree of precision.
Horse anatomy is described by a large number of horse specific terms, as illustrated by the chart to the right. Specific terms also describe horses of various ages, colors and breeds.
Depending on breed, management and environment, the domestic horse today has a life expectancy of 25 to 30 years. It is uncommon, but a few horses live into their 40s, and, occasionally, beyond. The oldest verifiable record was "Old Billy," a horse that lived in the 19th century to the age of 62. In modern times, Sugar Puff, who had been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's oldest then-living pony, died at age 56.
Regardless of a horse's actual birthdate, for most competition purposes, horses are considered a year older on January 1 of each year in the northern hemisphere and August 1 in the southern hemisphere. The exception is endurance riding, where the minimum age to compete is based on the horse's actual calendar age.
The following terminology is used to describe horses of various ages:
In horse racing, the definitions of colt, filly, mare, and stallion or horse may differ from those given above. In the United Kingdom, Thoroughbred horse racing defines a colt as a male horse less than five years old, and a filly as a female horse less than five years old. In the USA, both Thoroughbred racing and harness racing defines colts and fillies as four years old and younger.
A very rough estimate of a horse's age can be made from looking at its teeth.
The English-speaking world measures the height of horses in hands, abbreviated "h" or "hh," and is measured at the highest point of an animal's withers. One hand is 4 inches, or 10.16 cm. Intermediate heights are defined by hands and inches, rounding to the lower measurement in hands, followed by a decimal point and the number of additional inches between 1 and 3. Thus a horse described as 15.2 hh tall, means it is 15 hands, 2 inches, or 62 inches (157 cm) in height.
The size of horses varies by breed, but can also be influenced by nutrition. The general rule for cutoff in height between what is considered a horse and a pony at maturity is 14.2 hands (147 cm, 58 inches) as measured at the withers. An animal 14.2h or over is usually considered a horse and one less than 14.2h is a pony. However, there are exceptions to the general rule. Some smaller horse breeds who typically produce individual horses both under and over 14.2h are considered "horses" regardless of height. Likewise, some pony breeds, such as the Welsh pony, share some features of horses and individual animals may occasionally mature at over 14.2h, but are still considered ponies.
The difference between a horse and pony is not simply a height difference, but also a difference in phenotype or appearance. There are noticeable differences in conformation and temperament. Ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails and overall coat. They also have proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, shorter and thicker necks, and short heads with broad foreheads. They often have calmer temperaments than horses and also a high level of equine intelligence that may or may not be used to cooperate with human handlers.
The donkey or ass, Equus asinus, is a member of the Equidae or horse family, and an odd-toed ungulate. The words donkey and ass are applied to the domesticated E. asinus. The animal considered to be its wild ancestor is the African Wild Ass, also E. asinus.
Colloquially, the term "ass" is often used today to refer to a larger, horse-sized animal, and "donkey" to a smaller, pony-sized one. In the western United States, a small donkey is sometimes called a burro. A male donkey or ass is called a jack, a female a jenny, and offspring less than one year old, a foal (male: colt, female filly).
While different species of the Equidae family can interbreed, offspring are almost always sterile. Nonetheless, horse/donkey hybrids are popular for their durability and vigor. A mule is the offspring of a jack (male) donkey and a mare (female horse). The much rarer successful mating of a male horse and a female donkey produces a hinny.
Asses were first domesticated around 3000 BCE, approximately the same time as the horse, and have spread around the world. They continue to fill important roles in many places today and domesticated species are increasing in numbers (although the African wild ass and another relative, the Onager, are endangered species). As "beasts of burden" and companions, asses and donkeys have worked together with humans for centuries.
Donkeys range considerably in size, depending on breed and management. Most domestic donkeys range from 0.9 to over 1.4 m tall, though the Mammoth Jack breed is taller, and the Andalucian-Cordobesan breed of southern Spain can reach up to 1.6 m high.
Donkeys are adapted to marginal desert lands, and have many traits that are unique to the species as a result. Wild donkeys live separated from each other, unlike tight wild horse and feral horse herds. Donkeys have developed very loud vocalizations, which help keep in contact with other donkeys over the wide spaces of the desert. The best-known call is referred to a "bray," which can be heard for over three kilometers. Donkeys have larger ears than horses. Their longer ears may pick up more distant sounds, and may help cool the donkey's blood. Donkeys in the wild can defend themselves with a powerful kick of their hind legs as well as by biting and striking with their front feet.
Donkeys' tough digestive system is somewhat less prone to colic than that of horses, can break down near-inedible vegetation and extract moisture from food very efficiently. As a rule, donkeys need smaller amounts of feed than horses of comparable height and weight. Because they are easy keepers, if overfed, donkeys are also quite susceptible to developing a condition called laminitis.
Ermine
The stoat (Mustela erminea) is a small mammal of the family Mustelidae. It is also known as the short-tailed weasel and the ermine.
The stoat can be found almost everywhere throughout the northern temperate, subarctic and Arctic regions, of Europe, Asia, and North America. In an unsuccessful attempt to control the rabbit population, it was introduced into New Zealand where human interference continues with the stoat's persecution. Stoats are largely nocturnal or crepuscular but will sometimes come out during the day.
The stoat is a member of the family Mustelidae, which also includes other weasels, mink, otters, ferret, badgers, polecats, the wolverine, martens, the tayra, the fisher and in some taxonomical classifications skunks. This is one of the most species-rich families in order Carnivora. The stoat moves in a sinuous manner when pursuing its prey extremely quickly over the ground considering its small size and is also a strong swimmer that is able to colonize offshore islands. Although it inhabits northern latitudes the stoat is built long and thin, leading to an increased surface area-to-volume ratio and increased dissipation of heat from its body. The advantage of this shape is that it is one of the few species able to follow burrowing animals into their own homes. It partly compensates for this shape by having short legs, small ears, a fast metabolism and, in winter, thick fur. Stoats may grow up to 30 cm long, with males much larger than the females. In most areas it coexists with the weasel (Mustela nivalis, also known as the Least Weasel), the smallest member of order Carnivora. Where the weasel is absent the stoat is smaller (~70 g).
The stoat's coat is a rich medium brown with an off-white belly. In winter, the coat is thicker and in regions that experience an inch or more of snow for at least forty days of the year (such as in Armenia), the color changes to clean white. This white fur is known as "ermine", a term originating either from the Latin phrase "Armenius m?s" ("Armenian rat") or from a word common to the Germanic and Baltic languages, hence the scientific name. At this stage the stoat itself may be referred to as ermine, or as being "in ermine". The winter stoat has been used in art as a symbol of purity or virginity. The white fur was highly prized, and used in the robes of the Lord Chief Justice of England. Both the animal and the heraldic tincture are symbols of Brittany. The furs would be sewn together making a pattern of black dots. A version of this pattern is used in heraldry as ermine tincture.
In all seasons the stoat has a black tip to its tail. The black tip probably serves as a decoy to predators, which would include almost any carnivore large enough to eat a stoat (e.g. wolves, foxes, wolverines, and some birds of prey). This kind of coat is very similar to the coat of the long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata), a related animal of about the same size which also moults into white in the northern part of its range, and it is easy to confuse these kinds of weasels. The North American name for the stoat, the "Short-tailed weasel" arose because its tail length distinguishes it from the long-tailed weasel. In general it is found farther north. Both species can be distinguished from the weasel because the weasel lacks a black tip on its tail.
Fox is a name applied to any of roughly 27 species of small to medium-sized canids, characterized by possessing a long, narrow snout, and a bushy tail, or "brush". By far the most common and widespread species of fox is the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), although various species are found on almost every continent. The presence of fox-like carnivores all over the globe has led to their appearance in the popular culture and folklore of many nations, tribes, and other cultural groups (see Foxes in culture).
The Modern English "fox" is derived from Old English fox. The Old English word itself comes from the Proto-Germanic word *fukh � compare German Fuchs, Gothic fauho, Old Norse foa and Dutch vos. It corresponds to the Proto-Indo-European word *puke meaning "tail" (compare Sanskrit puccha, also "tail"). The bushy tail is also the source of the word for fox in Welsh: llwynog, from llwyn, "bush", Lithuanian: uodegis, from uodega, "tail", and Portuguese: raposa, from rabo, "tail".
Dogs (male foxes) weigh on average, 5.9kg and vixens (female foxes) weigh less, at 5.2kg (13 lbs and 11.5 lbs, respectively).
Most foxes live 2 to 3 years, but they can survive for up to 10 years or even longer in captivity. Foxes are generally smaller than other members of the family Canidae such as wolves, jackals, and domestic dogs. Fox-like features typically include an acute muzzle (a "fox face") and bushy tail. Other physical characteristics vary according to their habitat. For example, the fennec fox (and other species of foxes adapted to life in the desert, such as the kit fox) has large ears and short fur, whereas the Arctic fox has small ears and thick, insulating fur.
Another example is the red fox which has a typical auburn pelt, the tail normally ending with white marking.
Unlike many canids, foxes are usually not pack animals. Typically, they are solitary, opportunistic feeders that hunt live prey (especially rodents). Using a pouncing technique practiced from an early age, they are usually able to kill their prey quickly. Foxes also gather a wide variety of other foods ranging from grasshoppers to fruit and berries.
Foxes are normally extremely wary of humans and are not kept as pets (with the exception of the fennec); however, the silver fox was successfully domesticated in Russia after a 45 year selective breeding program. This selective breeding also resulted in physical and behavioural traits appearing that are frequently seen in domestic cats, dogs, and other animals: pigmentation changes, floppy ears, and curly tails.
Canids commonly known as foxes include members of the following genera:
The diet of foxes comprises rodents, insects, worms, fruit, fish, birds, eggs, and all other kinds of small animals. The fox generally consumes around 1 kg of food every day. Foxes that live in neighborhoods mainly depend on household waste and even rodents and birds that keep moving around these areas. Foxes are known to cache their food, burying the excess for later consumption.
They mostly thrive in the higher latitudes, suburban and even urban environments both in Europe and in North America. They are found also in Eurasia, North Africa, India (Ladakh, Himalayas, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and Gujarat), China, Japan and in Australia.
Foxes are readily found in cities and cultivated areas and (depending upon species) seem to adapt reasonably well to human presence.
Red foxes have been introduced into Australia and some other countries for hunting. Australia lacks similar carnivores, and the introduced foxes prey on native wildlife, some to the point of extinction. A similar introduction occurred in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in temperate North America, where European reds (Vulpes vulpes) were brought to the colonies for fox hunting, where they decimated the American red fox population through more aggressive hunting and breeding. Interbreeding with American reds, traits of the European red eventually pervaded the gene pool, leaving European and American foxes now virtually identical.
Other fox species do not adapt as well as the red fox, and are endangered in their native environments. Key among these are the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) and the African bat-eared fox. Other foxes such as fennecs, are not endangered, but will be if humans encroach further into their habitat.
Foxes have been successfully employed to control pests on fruit farms, where they leave the fruit intact.
A gerbil is a small mammal of the order Rodentia. Once known simply as "desert rats", the gerbil subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats and jirds, all of which are adapted to arid habitats. Most are primarily diurnal (though some, including the common household pet, do exhibit crepuscular behavior), and almost all are omnivorous.
The word "gerbil" is a diminutive form of "jerboa", though the jerboas are an unrelated group of rodents occupying a similar ecological niche.
One Mongolian species, Meriones unguiculatus, also known as the Clawed Jird, is a gentle and hardy animal that has become a popular pet. It was first brought to the United States in 1954 by Dr. Victor Schwentker for use in research.
Gerbils are typically between six and twelve inches (150 to 300 mm) long, including the tail which makes up approximately one half of their total length. One species however, the Great Gerbil, or Rhombomys opimus, originally native to Turkmenistan, can grow to more than 16 inches (400 mm) in length. The average adult gerbil weighs approximately 2 1/2 ounces. As of August 19, 2003, officials in western China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region began releasing eagles to combat the damage they say the great gerbils have done to eleven million acres (46,000 km�) of grassland.
Pet gerbils have an average lifespan of 2 to 4 years. Some have been known to live five or six years.
Gerbils were first introduced to the pet industry in 1964. These were the Mongolian gerbils. Their value as pets was soon appreciated and they are now found in pet shops all over the UK and USA. It is illegal to purchase, import or keep a gerbil as a pet in the U.S. State of California.
The typical Mongolian gerbil is a desert species, and lives underground in a network of tunnels, which include chambers with families. Adults move away and meet others from other chambers, extend the network, create their own chamber and breed. Gerbils come up for food and water; there is no evidence of hoarding food, but gerbils will eat a lot of fatty foods in one sitting, suggesting supplies in the form of fat reserves rather than food storage. Gerbils do not hibernate and are diurnal. Their long tails help them to balance when they stand up on their hind legs.
Gerbil movement is more like hopping than running, and their large back feet are furry on the bottom to protect them from the heat of the sand. Gerbils are fast but overly inquisitive. In their natural environment, they are mostly insectivores, and additionally gain moisture from desert plants that store water in them. A gerbil is furry all over, including the tail, as this prevents it from getting sun-burned.
Normal gerbil behavior includes jumping, climbing, chewing, and digging. The digging motions are very common: the gerbil screws its face up and moves its arms rapidly.
Gerbils often stand at a high place and keep lookout for dangers. If they hear a noise, they will usually stand up straighter to investigate. Every so often the "lookout" switches. They are very sensitive to noises and shadows, as the wild gerbils are prey for birds and snakes.
Gerbils are social animals, and prefer to live in groups. Often very large groups live well together, as long as the living environment is big enough, otherwise the gerbils may become frustrated and attack one another. Groups of females are much more quarrelsome than groups of males, but if fighting occurs among males it is usually much more vicious. Males will very rarely attack females, however.
Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts are favorites of most gerbils, though they have individual preferences and too many sunflower seeds may result in illness. They also enjoy fruit peels such as orange and banana. In fact, gerbils will eat almost anything; dog biscuits and chews; rat food; rabbit food; guinea pig food; oats; various "special" treats from pet shops, which in fact were not appreciated nearly as much as some parsnip cores. Most weeds dubbed as safe for grazing animals like rabbits or guinea pigs can be eaten by gerbils as well. Pet gerbils will especially enjoy live crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts as food, tearing the insect apart and eating the juicy insides. It is good for you to feed your gerbil vegetables such as celery or carrots or an apple. A variation in diet is good for everyone, gerbil or human.
Although gerbils can go without water for a few days, provided they have plenty of moist food, they will always take water if it is available and it should be provided in a pet habitat such as a tank.
Gerbils do not need water to get clean - what cleans them is a sand bath. When taking gerbils out for exercise, a small basin of cool sand will be much appreciated, and true to instinct, a gerbil will roll over in the sand. The effect is instantaneous - their fur becomes much smoother and shinier.
The domestic goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep, both being in the goat antelope subfamily Caprinae.
Domestic goats are one of the oldest domesticated species. For thousands of years, goats have been used for their milk, meat, hair, and skins over much of the world. In the last century they have also gained some popularity as pets.
Female goats are referred to as does or nannies, intact males as bucks or billies; their offspring are kids. Castrated males are wethers. Goat meat from younger animals is called kid, and from older animals is sometimes called chevon, or in some areas mutton.
The Modern English word "goat" comes from the Old English gat which meant "she-goat", and this in turn derived from Proto-Germanic *gaitaz (compare Old Norse and Dutch geit'(meaning' "goat"), German Gei�' ("she-goat") and Gothic gaits, ("goat") ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ghaidos meaning "young goat" but also "play" (compare Latin haedus meaning "kid"). The word for "male goat" in Old English was bucca (which survives as "buck", meaning certain male herbivores) until a shift to "he-goat" (and also "she-goat") occurred in the late 12th century. "Nanny goat" originated in the 18th century and "billy goat" in the 19th.
Goats seem to have been first domesticated roughly 10,000 years ago in the Zagros Mountains of Iran. Ancient cultures began to keep them for easy access to milk, hair, meat, and skins. Domestic goats were generally kept in herds that wandered on hills or other grazing areas, often tended by goatherds who were frequently children or adolescents, similar to the more widely known shepherd. These methods of herding are still used today.
Historically, goat hide has been used for water and wine bottles in both traveling and transporting wine for sale. It has also been used to produce parchment, which was the most common material used for writing in Europe until the invention of the printing press.
Most goats naturally have two horns, of various shapes and sizes depending on the breed. While horns are a predominantly male feature, some breeds of goats have horned females. Polled (hornless goats) are not uncommon and there have been incidents of polycerate goats (having as many as eight horns), although this is a genetic rarity thought to be inherited. Their horns are made of living bone surrounded by keratin and other proteins and are used for defense, dominance, and territoriality.
Goats are ruminants. They have a four-chambered stomach consisting of the rumen, the reticulum, the omasum, and the abomasum.
Goats have horizontal slit-shaped pupils, an adaptation which increases peripheral depth perception.. Because goats' irises are usually pale, the pupils are much more visible than in animals with horizontal pupils but very dark irises, such as sheep, cattle and most horses.
Both male and female goats have beards, and many types of goats may have wattles, one dangling from each side of the neck.
Some breeds of sheep and goats appear superficially similar, but goat tails are short and point up, whereas sheep tails hang down and are usually longer (though some are short, and some long ones are docked).
In some climates, goats are able to breed at any time of the year. In temperate climates and among the Swiss breeds, the breeding season commences as the day length shortens, and ends in early spring. Does of any breed come into heat every 21 days for 2 to 48 hours. A doe in heat typically flags her tail often, stays near the buck if one is present, becomes more vocal, and may also show a decrease in appetite and milk production for the duration of the heat.
Guinea Pig
The Guinea pig (also commonly called the cavy after its scientific name) is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not pigs, nor do they come from Guinea. They are native to the Andes, and while no longer extant in the wild, they are closely related to several species that are commonly found in the grassy plains and plateaus of the region. The guinea pig plays an important role in the folk culture of many indigenous South American groups, especially as a food source, but also in folk medicine and in community religious ceremonies. Since the 1960s, efforts have been made to increase consumption of the animal outside South America.
In Western societies, the guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a household pet since its introduction by European traders in the 16th century. Their docile nature, their responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them, continue to make the guinea pig a popular pet. Organizations devoted to competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide, and many specialized breeds of guinea pig, with varying coat colors and compositions, are cultivated by breeders.
Guinea pig is also used as a metaphor in English for a subject of experimentation; this usage became common in the first half of the 20th century. Biological experimentation on guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century; the animals were frequently used as a model organism in the 19th and 20th centuries, but have since been largely replaced by other rodents such as mice and rats. They are still used in research, primarily as models for human medical conditions such as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy, and pregnancy complications.
History
The common guinea pig was first domesticated as early as 5000 BC for food by tribes in the Andean region of South America (present-day Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia). Statues dating from ca. 500 BC to 500 AD that depict guinea pigs have been unearthed in archaeological digs in Peru and Ecuador. The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped animals and often depicted the guinea pig in their art. From ca. 1200 AD to the Spanish conquest in 1532, selective breeding resulted in many varieties of domestic guinea pigs, which form the basis for some of the modern domestic breeds. They continue to be a food source in the region; most households in the Andean highlands raise the animal, which subsists off the family's vegetable scraps. Folklore traditions involving guinea pigs are numerous; they are exchanged as gifts, used in customary social and religious ceremonies, and frequently referenced in spoken metaphors. They also play a role in traditional healing rituals by folk doctors, or curanderos, who use the animals to diagnose diseases such as jaundice, rheumatism, arthritis and typhus. They are rubbed against the bodies of the sick, and are seen as a supernatural medium. Black guinea pigs are considered especially useful for diagnoses. The animal also may be cut open and its entrails examined to determine whether the cure was effective. These methods are widely accepted in many parts of the Andes, where Western medicine is either unavailable or distrusted.
Spanish, Dutch and English traders brought guinea pigs to Europe, where they quickly became popular as exotic pets among the upper classes and royalty, including Queen Elizabeth I. The earliest known written account of the guinea pig dates from 1547, in a description of the animal from Santo Domingo; because cavies are not native to Hispaniola, the animal must have been introduced there by Spanish travelers. The guinea pig was first described in the West in 1554 by the Swiss naturalist Konrad Gesner.[16] Its binomial scientific name was first used by Erxleben in 1777; it is an amalgam of Pallas's generic designation (1766) and Linnaeus's specific conferral (1758).
Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 18 species, classified in six or seven genera. Because they are easy to breed in captivity, hamsters are often used as lab animals and kept as pets in more economically developed countries. Recently hamsters have become established as popular small family pets.
Hamsters are crepuscular. In the wild, they burrow underground in the daylight to avoid being caught by predators. They are most active around dusk and dawn, which has led many people to mistake them for being nocturnal. In the wild they will eat any wheat, nuts and small bits of fruit and vegetables that they might find lying around on the ground, occasionally eating small insects such as small crickets or mealworms. The name hamster is derived from the German word Hamster, itself from earlier OHG hamustro, from ORuss chom?stor?, which is either a blend of the root of Russ chomiak "hamster" and a Baltic word (cf. Lith staras "hamster") or of Iranian origin (cf. Av hama?star "oppressor"). They have elongated fur-lined pouches on both sides of their heads which extend to their shoulders, which they stuff full of food to be brought back to the colony or to be eaten later.
Their diet contains a variety of foods both in the wild and when kept as a pets including dried food, berries and nuts. Fresh fruits and vegetables are also an integral part of their diet. Behavior can vary depending on their environment, genetics, and interaction with people.
Hamsters are stout-bodied, with tails much shorter than body length and have small furry ears, short stocky legs, and wide feet. Their thick, silky fur, which can be long or short, can be black, grey, white, brown, buff, yellow, "sapphire" or red depending on the species, or a mix of any of those colors. The Djhungarian hamster (Phodopus campbelli) and the striped dwarf hamster (Cricetulus barabensis) have a dark stripe down the middle of the back. Dwarf desert hamsters (genus Phodopus) are the smallest, with bodies 5 to 10 cm (about 2 to 4 inches) long; the largest is the common hamster (Cricetus cricetus), measuring up to 34 cm long, not including a short tail of up to 4 cm. The tail is often difficult to see; usually it is not very long, and on a long haired hamster it is barely visible. Hamsters are very flexible; and their bones are somewhat fragile.
Hamsters' northern range extends from central Europe through Siberia, Mongolia, and northern China to Korea. The southern portion of their range stretches from Syria to India. Throughout dry, open country they inhabit desert borders, vegetated sand dunes, shrubby and rocky foothills and plateaus, river valleys, and mountain steppes; some live among cultivated crops. Geographic distribution varies greatly between species. The common hamster, for example, is found from central Europe to western Siberia and northwestern China, but the golden hamster has been found only near a small town in northwestern Syria.
Hamsters are omnivorous. Their diet consists mostly of grains (such as whole grain oats and corn) but also includes fresh fruit, roots such as carrots, green parts of plants. Hamsters carry food in their spacious cheek pouches to cache in the burrow. Hamsters in the Middle East have been known to hunt in packs to find insects for food.
Pet stores sell a variety of treats that are suitable for hamsters. However, it is important not to give a hamster too many of these, especially ones that are high in fat or sugar, because they may lead to the hamster getting diabetes. It is not always best to give hamsters fresh vegetables over fresh fruit, as fruit is also high in sugar. If you give hamsters fruit it is always best to do so as a treat and in extremely small amounts. The skin of fruits such as apples and pears is also good.
Most people try to feed their hamster everyday foods found in their kitchen. It is best to avoid human foods that will make them unhealthy or be hard for them to digest. It is also important to thoroughly wash fruits, vegetables and greens before feeding, as they can have traces of pesticides. Some foods to avoid giving hamsters are kidney beans, onion, garlic, large amounts of citrus fruit, and potato sprouts. Some hamsters also shouldn't eat iceberg lettuce, as it causes diarrhea. Dark leafy greens are preferred, such as kale and spinach. Celery, green beans, carrots, brocolli on occasion are great also.
Syrian hamsters are generally solitary and will fight to the death if put together, whereas dwarf hamsters can get along with others of the same species. They are primarily considered crepuscular and at one point were considered nocturnal as they are sometimes active all night. They are excellent diggers, constructing burrows with one or more entrances and with galleries that are connected to chambers for nesting, food storage, and other activities. They also like appropriate tunnels made by other mammals; the striped hairy-footed hamster (Phodopus sungorus), for instance, uses paths and burrows of the pika. None hibernate during winter, but some (mostly Syrian hamsters) experience periods of torpor lasting from a few days to several weeks. This probably means that conditions are too cold for them. Hamsters are known to stockpile large amounts of food, because of natural instinct from the wild. Because of this behavior it is alright if you leave a hamster alone for a few days if you need to go somewhere. Once you tame a Syrian hamster, they remain so for a very long time. However, once you tame a dwarf hamster, you must keep playing with it. If left alone for a maximum two weeks, it will become untame again.
A hedgehog is any of the small spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 16 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to North America; those in New Zealand are introduced. Hedgehogs have changed little over the last 15 million years. Like many of the first mammals they have adapted to a nocturnal, insectivorous way of life. The name 'hedgehog' came into use around the year 1450, derived from the Middle English 'heyghoge', from 'heyg', 'hegge' = hedge, because it frequents hedgerows, and 'hoge', 'hogge' = hog, from its piglike snout. Other folk names include 'urchin', 'hedgepig' and 'furze-pig'.
Hedgehogs are easily recognized by their spines, which are hollow hairs made stiff with keratin. Their spines are not poisonous or barbed and, unlike the quills of a porcupine, cannot easily be removed from the animal. However, spines normally come out when a hedgehog sheds baby spines and replaces them with adult spines. This is called "quilling". When under extreme stress or during sickness, a hedgehog can also lose spines.
A defense that all species of hedgehogs possess is the ability to roll into a tight ball, causing all of the spines to point outwards. However, its effectiveness depends on the number of spines, and since some of the desert hedgehogs evolved to carry less weight, they are much more likely to try to run away and sometimes even attack the intruder, trying to ram into the intruder with its spines, leaving rolling as a last resort. This results in a different number of predators for different species: while forest hedgehogs have relatively few, primarily birds (especially owls) and ferrets, smaller species like the Long-eared Hedgehog are preyed on by foxes, wolves and mongooses.
All hedgehogs are primarily nocturnal, although different species can be more or less likely to come out in the daytime. The hedgehog sleeps for a large portion of the daytime either under cover of bush, grass, rock or in a hole in the ground. Again, different species can have slightly different habits, but in general hedgehogs dig out dens for shelter. All wild hedgehogs can hibernate, although not all do; hibernation depends on temperature, abundance of food and species.
Hedgehogs have 5 toes on their front paws with short nails. However, on their back paws they have 4 toes with long, constantly growing nails. They have these characteristics because hedgehogs burrow.
Hedgehogs are fairly vocal, and communicate not only in a series of grunts and snuffles, but sometimes in loud squeals (depending on species).
Hedgehogs occasionally perform a ritual called anointing. When the animal comes across a new scent, it will lick and bite the source and then form a scented froth in its mouth and paste it on its spines with its tongue. It is not known what the specific purpose of this ritual is, but some experts believe anointing camouflages the hedgehog with the new scent of the area and provides a possible poison or source of infection to any predator that gets poked by their spines. Anointing is sometimes also called anting because of a similar behavior in birds.
Similar to opossums, mice, and moles, hedgehogs have some natural immunity against snake venom due to the protein erinacin in the animal's muscular system.
Hedgehogs perform well with other pets, including cats and dogs. They are occasionally threatened by these animals, though, but for those rare instances, the hedgehogs just roll into a ball until the threat is gone.
Although traditionally classified in the order Insectivora, hedgehogs are not exclusively insectivores but are almost omnivorous. Hedgehogs feed on insects, snails, frogs and toads, snakes, bird eggs, carrion, mushrooms, grass roots, berries, melons, and watermelons. In fact, berries constitute a major part of an Afghan Hedgehog's diet in early spring after hibernation. The hedgehog is occasionally spotted after a rainstorm foraging for earthworms. Although forest hedgehogs, most well-known to Europeans, are indeed mainly insectivores, this is not necessarily true for other species.
The llama (Lama glama) is a South American camelid, widely used as a pack animal by the Incas and other natives of the Andes mountains. In South America llamas are still used as beasts of burden, as well as for the production of fiber and meat.
The height of a full-grown, full-size llama is between 5.5 feet (1.6 meters) to 6 feet (1.8 m) tall at the top of the head. They can weigh between approximately 280 pounds (127 kilograms) and 450 pounds (204 kilograms). At birth, a baby llama (called a "cria") can weigh between 20 pounds (9 kilograms) to 30 pounds (14 kilograms). Llamas are very social animals and like to live with other llamas as a herd. Overall, the fiber produced by a llama is very soft and is naturally lanolin free. Very intelligent, llamas learn simple tasks after a few repetitions. When using a pack, llamas can carry about 25%�30% of their body weight for several miles.
Llamas originated from the central plains of North America about 40 million years ago. They migrated to South America and Asia about 3 million years ago. By the end of the last ice age (10,000�12,000 years ago) camelids were extinct in North America. As of 2007, there were over 7 million llamas and alpacas in South America and, due to importation from South America in the late 20th century, there are now over 100,000 llamas and 6,500�7,000 alpacas in the US and Canada.
Although they were often compared by early writers to sheep and spoken of as such, their similarity to the camel was very soon perceived. They were included in the genus Camelus in the Systema Naturae of Linnaeus. They were, however, separated by Cuvier in 1800 under the name of llama along with the alpaca and the guanaco. Vicu�as are in genus Vicugna. The animals of the genus Lama are, with the two species of true camels, the sole existing representatives of a very distinct section of the "Artiodactyla" or even-toed ungulates, called Tylopoda, or "bump-footed," from the peculiar bumps on the soles of their feet, on which they tread. This section thus consists of a single family, the Camelidae, the other sections of the same great division being the Suina or pigs, the Tragulina or chevrotains, and the Pecora or true ruminants, to each of which the Tylopoda have more or less affinity, standing in some respects in a central position between them, borrowing as it were some characters from each, but in others showing great special modifications not found in any of the other sections.
The discoveries of a vast and previously unsuspected extinct fauna of the American continent of the Tertiary period, as interpreted by the palaeontologists Leidy, Cope, and Marsh, has thrown a flood of light upon the early history of this family, and upon its relations to other mammals. It is now known that llamas at one time were not confined to the part of the continent south of the Isthmus of Panama, as at the present day, for their remains have been abundantly found in the Pleistocene deposits of the region of the Rocky Mountains, and in Central America, some attaining a much larger size than those now existing. Some species of llamas did stay in North America during the last ice ages. 25,000 years ago, llamas would have been a common sight in modern-day California, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Missouri, and Florida. These North American llamas belong to a single genus, Hemiauchenia, which is extinct.
Many camel-like animals exhibiting different genetic modifications and a gradual series of changes, coinciding with the antiquity of the deposits in which they are found, have been traced from the thoroughly differentiated species of the modern epoch down through the Pliocene to the early Miocene beds. Their characters having become more generalized, they have lost all that especially distinguishes them as Camelidae: they are merged into forms common to the ancestral type of all the other sections of the Artiodactyles.
So far none of these annectant forms have been found in any of the fossiliferous strata of the Old World; it may therefore be fairly surmised (according to the evidence at present before us) that the Americas were the original home of the Tylopoda, and that the true camels have passed over into the Old World, probably by way of north Asia. Gradually driven southward, perhaps by changes of climate, and having become isolated, they have undergone further special modifications. Meanwhile, those members of the family that remained in their original birthplace have become, through causes not clearly understood, restricted solely to the southern or most distant part of the continent. There are few groups of mammals for which the palaeontological history has been so satisfactorily demonstrated as the llama.
There are two living species of mink. The American Mink and the European Mink. The extinct Sea Mink is related to the American Mink, but is much larger. All three species of mink are dark-colored, semi-aquatic, carnivorous mammals of the family Mustelidae, which also includes the weasels and the otters. The American Mink is larger, and more adaptable than the European Mink. It is sometimes possible to distinguish the European and American species based on the fact that the American Mink usually lacks a large white patch on its upper lip, while the European Mink always possesses one. Any mink without such a patch can be identified with certainty as an American Mink, but an individual with such a patch, if encountered in continental Europe, cannot be certainly identified without looking at the skeleton. The American Mink's fur has been highly prized for its use in clothing, with hunting giving way to large-scale mink farming. Its treatment has also been a focus of animal welfare activism.
American Mink have found their way into the wild in Europe (including Great Britain) and South America, after being released from mink farms by animal rights activists. American Mink are believed by some to have contributed to the decline of the less hardy European mink through competition. Trapping is used to control and eliminate any feral American Mink.
A mouse (plural mice) is a small animal that belongs to one of numerous species of rodents. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse (Mus musculus). It is found in nearly all countries and, as the laboratory mouse, serves as a model organism in biology. It is also a popular pet. The American white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) and the deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) also sometimes live in houses. These species of mice live commensally with humans.
Although mice may live up to two years in the lab, the average mouse in the wild lives only about 5 months, primarily due to heavy predation. Cats, wild dogs, foxes, birds of prey, snakes and even certain kinds of insects have been known to prey heavily upon mice. Nevertheless, due to its remarkable adaptability to almost any environment, and its ability to live commensally with humans, the mouse is regarded to be the third most successful mammalian species living on Earth today, after humans and the rat.
Mice can be harmful pests, damaging and eating crops and spreading diseases through their parasites and feces. In western North America, breathing dust that has come in contact with mouse feces has been linked to the deadly hantavirus. The original motivation for the domestication of cats is thought to have been for their predation of mice and their relatives, the rats.
Mice have been known to humans since antiquity. The Romans differentiated poorly between mice and rats, calling rats Mus Maximus (big mouse) and referring to mice as Mus Minimus (little mouse). In Spanish similar terms are in use: rat�n for mouse and rata for rat.
De-coloration in mice was supposedly first noticed in China by 1100 BC, where a white mouse was discovered. However, there is sufficient evidence to believe that white mice were first noticed before that.
The word "mouse" and the word muscle are related. Muscle stems from musculus meaning small mouse - possibly because of a similarity in shape. The word "mouse" is a cognate of Sanskrit mus meaning 'to steal,' which is also cognate with mys in Old Greek and mus in Latin.
Mice range in size from 5 to 7 inches (13 to 18 cm) long (including a long tail). They weigh from 1/4 to 2 ounces (7 to 57 gm). The coat color ranges from white to brown to gray. Most mice have a pointed snout with long whiskers, round ears, and thin tails. Many mice scurry along the ground, but some can hop or jump.
All species of Mus are native to Eurasia and Africa, where they range from lowlands to mountaintops. The five species in the subgenus Pyromys are found in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, and mainland Southeast Asia. Much of their range originally consisted of open grasslands or grassy patches in forests.
Mice are timid, social, and territorial. They are usually active in the night time, while others, such as the harvest mouse, are active both day and night.
Mice rely on their senses while exploring their environment. One dominant sense is that of olfaction. While exploring their environment, mice actively sniff to acquire information about their surroundings. Sniffing behavior is therefore important in guiding behaviors such as feeding, reproduction, and rearing young. While resting a mouse will sniff between 2-4 times a second, a frequency which increases to levels between 6-15 times a second when the animal is aroused or actively exploring odors.
Breeding onset is at about 50 days of age in both females and males, although females may have their first estrus at 25-40 days. Mice are polyestrous and breed year round; ovulation is spontaneous. The duration of the estrous cycle is 4-5 days and estrus itself lasts about 12 hours, occurring in the evening. Vaginal smears are useful in timed matings to determine the stage of the estrous cycle. Mating is usually nocturnal and may be confirmed by the presence of a copulatory plug in the vagina up to 24 hours post-copulation. The presence of sperm on a vaginal smear is also a reliable indicator of mating.
Female mice housed together tend to go into anestrus and do not cycle. If exposed to a male mouse or the pheromones of a male mouse, most of the females will go into estrus in about 72 hours. This synchronization of the estrous cycle is known as the Whitten effect. The exposure of a recently bred mouse to the pheromones of a strange male mouse may prevent implantation (or pseudopregnancy), a phenomenon known as the Bruce effect.
The average gestation period is 20 days. A fertile postpartum estrus occurs 14-24 hours following parturition, and simultaneous lactation and gestation prolongs gestation 3-10 days due to delayed implantation. The average litter size is 10-12 during optimum production, but is highly strain dependent. As a general rule, inbred mice tend to have longer gestation periods and smaller litters than outbred and hybrid mice. The young are called pups and weigh 0.5-1.5 grams at birth, are hairless, and have closed eyelids and ears. Cannibalism is uncommon, but females should not be disturbed during parturition and for at least 2 days postpartum. Pups are weaned at 3 weeks of age; weaning weight is 10-12 grams. If the postpartum estrus is not utilized, the female resumes cycling 2-5 days postweaning.
Newborn male mice are distinguished from newborn females by noting the greater anogenital distance and larger genial papilla in the male. This is best accomplished by lifting the tails of littermates and comparing perineums.
Mice are common experimental animals in biology and psychology primarily because they are mammals, and so share a high degree of homology with humans. They are the most commonly used mammalian model organism, more common than rats. The mouse genome has been sequenced, and virtually all mouse genes have human homologs. They can also be manipulated in ways that would be considered unethical to do with humans (note Animal Rights). A knockout mouse is a genetically engineered mouse that has had one or more of its genes made inoperable through a gene knockout.
Mule
In its common modern meaning, a mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, which is classified as a kind of F1 hybrid. The reverse, the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey, is called a hinny. The term "mule" (Latin mulus) was formerly applied to the infertile offspring of any two creatures of different species. The mule, easier to breed and usually larger in size than a hinny, has monopolized the attention of breeders. The chromosome match-up more often occurs when the jack (male donkey) is the sire and the mare (female horse) is the dam. Sometimes people let a stallion (male horse) run with a jenny (female donkey) for as long as six years before she becomes pregnant. Mules and hinnies are almost always sterile (see fertile mules below for rare cases). The sterility is attributed to the differing number of chromosomes of the two species: donkeys have 62 chromosomes, whereas horses have 64.
A female mule, called a "molly", that has estrus cycles and can carry a fetus, can occasionally occur naturally as well as through embryo transfer.
The median weight range for a mule is between 270 kg (600 lb) and 410 kg (900 lb).
In its short thick head, long ears, thin limbs, small narrow hooves, short mane, absence of chestnuts (horny growths) inside the hocks, and tail hairless at the root, the mule looks like a donkey; in height and body, shape of neck and croup, uniformity of coat, and teeth, it appears horse-like; the mule comes in all sizes, shapes and conformities. There are mules that resemble quarter horses, huge draft mules, fine-boned racing mules, shaggy pony mules and many more types.
A mule does not sound exactly like a donkey or a horse. Instead, a mule makes a sound that is similar to a donkey's but also has the whinnying characteristics of a horse (often starts with a whinny, ends in a hee-haw). Sometimes, mules whimper. The coat of mules comes in the same variety as that of horses. Common colors are Sorrel, Bay, Black, and Grey. Less common are White, Roans (both blue and red), Palomino, Dun, and Buckskin. Least common are Paint mules or Tobianos.
The mule possesses the sobriety, patience, endurance and sure-footedness of the donkey, and the vigour, strength and courage of the horse. Operators of working animals generally find mules preferable to horses: mules show less impatience under the pressure of heavy weights, and their skin, harder and less sensitive than that of horses, renders them more capable of resisting sun and rain. Their hooves are harder than horses', and they show a natural resistance to disease and insects. Many North American farmers with clay soil found mules superior as plow animals, especially in the U.S. state of Missouri, hence the expression "stubborn as a Missouri mule".
Mules are generally less tolerant towards dogs than horses. They are also capable of striking out with any of their hooves in any direction.
FAO reports that China was the top market for mules in 2003 closely followed by Mexico and many Central and South American nations.
Several female mules have produced offspring when mated with a purebred horse or donkey. Since 1527 there have been more than 60 documented cases of foals born to female mules around the world. It must be noted that there are no recorded cases of fertile mule stallions. Mules and hinnies have 63 chromosomes that are a mixture of one from each parent. The different structure and number usually prevents the chromosomes from pairing up properly and creating successful embryos. In most fertile mule mares, the mare passes on a complete set of her maternal genes (i.e., from her horse/pony mother) to the foal; a female mule bred to a horse will therefore produce a 100% horse foal. Some examples of recorded fertile mules include:
After World War II, mules fell on hard times. The use of mules for farming and transportation of agricultural products gave way to modern tractors and trucks. A dedicated number of mule breeders, however, continued the tradition as hobby and continued breeding the great lines of mammoth jacks started in the United States by George Washington with the gift from the King of Spain of two Catalan Jacks. These hobby breeders began to utilize better mares for mule production until today's modern saddle mule emerged. Exhibition shows where mules pulled heavy loads have now been joined with mules competing in Western and English Pleasure riding, as well as dressage and hunter jumper competition. There is now a cable TV show produced by Meredith Hodges of the Lucky Three Ranch dedicated to the training of donkeys and mules. Mules, once snubbed at traditional horse shows, have, through the efforts of riders like Meredith Hodges, been accepted for competition at the most exclusive horse shows in the world in all disciplines.
In 2003, researchers a
The muskox (Ovibos moschatus) is an arctic mammal of the Bovidae family, noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor emitted by males, from which its name derives.
As members of the subfamily Caprinae of the family Bovidae, muskoxen are more closely related to sheep and goats than to oxen, but are in their own genus, Ovibos. Both sexes have long curved horns. Muskoxen are usually around 2.5 m (8.2 ft) long and 1.4 m (4.6 feet) high at the shoulder. Adults usually weigh at least 200 kg (440 lb) and can exceed 400 kg (880 lb). Their coat, a mix of black, gray, and brown, includes long guard hairs that reach almost to the ground. Rare "white muskox" have been spotted in the Queen Maud Gulf Migratory Bird Sanctuary Muskox wool, or qiviut (an Inuit word), is highly prized for its softness, length, and insulative value. Prices for yarn range between $40 and $80 per ounce (28 g).
During the summer, muskoxen live in wet areas, such as river valleys, moving to higher elevations in the winter to avoid deep snow. They graze on grasses, reeds, sedges, and other ground plants, digging through snow in the winter to reach their food.
Muskoxen are social and live in herds, usually of around 10�20 animals, but sometimes over 70. Winter herds consist of adults of both sexes as well as young animals. During the mating season, which peaks in mid-August, males compete for dominance, and one dominant bull drives other adult males out of the group. Non-breeding males will often form male only herds of 3-10 or wander the tundra alone. During this period all males are extremely aggressive. Bulls will even charge birds if they are close by.
Females are sexually mature at two years of age, and males reach sexual maturity after five years. The gestation period is eight or nine months. Almost all pregnancies yield single calves. The young nurse for a year, but may start to eat grasses as soon as a week after birth.
Muskoxen have a distinctive defensive behavior: when the herd is threatened, the bulls and cows will face outward to form a stationary ring around the calves. This is an effective defense against predators such as wolves, but makes them an easy target for human hunters.
The muskox, or its ancestor, is believed to have migrated to North America between 200,000 and 90,000 years ago. It is agreed however that the muskox was alive in the Pleistocene period making it a contemporary of the Mammoth. It is thought that the muskox was able to survive the last ice age (Wisconsin glaciation) by finding ice free areas away from prehistoric peoples. The muskox gradually moved across North America and arrived in Greenland during the late Holocene.
Muskoxen are native to the Arctic areas of Canada, Greenland, and Alaska. The Alaska population was wiped out in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, but muskoxen have since been reintroduced to Alaska. The United States Fish & Wildlife introduced muskox onto the Nunivak Island in 1935 as a means for sustenance living.The species has also been reintroduced from Banks Island to northern Europe, including Sweden, Estonia, the Dovre region of Norway, and Russia and from Ellesmere island to Eastern Canada, in the province of Quebec. Muskoxen were close to extinction at one point, but have recovered after being protected from hunting. The world population is estimated at between 80,000 and 125,000, with an estimated 68,788 living on Banks Island.
The last known muskox population outside North America lived on the Taymyr Peninsula of Siberia, and died out about 2,000 years ago.
Otters are amphibious (or in one case aquatic) fish-eating mammals. The otter subfamily Lutrinae forms part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, polecats, badgers, as well as others. With thirteen species in seven genera, otters have an almost worldwide distribution.They eat mainly fish, clams, lobsters, shrimp, and mice if they have to.
The word otter derives from the Old English word otr, otor or oter. This and cognate words in other Indo-European languages ultimately stem from a root which also gave rise to the English words water, wet and winter.
An otter's den is called a holt. Male otters are dog-otters, females are queens and babies are cubs or pups. The collective noun pack or "romp" is sometimes used for a group of otters, being descriptive of their often playful nature.
Otters have long, slim bodies and relatively short limbs, with webbed paws. Most have sharp claws on their feet, and all have long muscular tails.
They have a very soft underfur which is protected by their outer layer of long guard hair. This traps a layer of air, and keeps them dry and warm under water.
Otters do not depend on their specialized fur alone for survival in the cold waters where many live: they also have very high metabolic rates. For example Eurasian otters must eat 15% of their body-weight a day, and sea otters, 20 to 25%, depending on the temperature. In water as warm as 10�C (50�F) an otter needs to catch 100 grams (3 oz) of fish per hour to survive. Most species hunt for 3 to 5 hours a day, and nursing mothers up to 8 hours a day.
Most otters have fish as the primary item in their diet, supplemented by frogs, crayfish and crabs. Some are expert at opening shellfish, and others will take any available small mammals or birds. This prey-dependence leaves otters very vulnerable to prey depletion.
Otters are very active, chasing prey in the water or searching the beds of rivers, lakes or the sea. Most species live beside water, entering it mainly to hunt or travel, otherwise spending much of their time on land to avoid their fur becoming waterlogged. The sea otter actually lives in the sea.
Otters are playful animals, for example sliding repeatedly down snowy slopes, apparently from sheer enjoyment. Different species vary in their social structure, with some being largely solitary, while others live in groups�in a few species these groups may be fairly large.
Northern river otter (Lontra canadensis)
Southern river otter (Lontra provocax)
Neotropical river otter (Lontra longicaudis)
African clawless otter (Aonyx capensis)
Congo clawless otter (Aonyx congicus)
Oriental small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea)
The northern river otter (Lontra canadensis) became one of the major animals hunted and trapped for fur in North America after European contact. River otters eat a variety of fish and shellfish, as well as small land mammals and birds. They grow to one metre (3 to 4 ft) in length and weigh from five to fifteen kilograms (10 to 30 lb).
In some areas this is a protected species, and some places have otter sanctuaries, which help ill and injured otters to recover.
Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) live along the Pacific coast of North America. Their historic range included shallow waters of the Bering Strait and Kamchatka, and as far south as Japan. Sea otters have some 200 thousand strands of hair per square centimetre of skin, a rich fur for which humans hunted them almost to extinction. By the time the 1911 Fur Seal Treaty gave them protection, so few sea otters remained that the fur trade had become unprofitable
Pigs, also called hogs or swine, are ungulates which have been domesticated as sources of food, leather, and similar products since ancient times. More recently, they have been involved in biomedical research and treatments, especially for their eyes and hearts, which closely resemble those of humans. Their long association with humans has led to their considerable representation in cultural milieux from paintings to proverbs.
Native to Eurasia, they are collectively grouped under the genus Sus within the Suidae family. Despite pigs' reputation for gluttony, and another reputation for dirtiness, a lesser known quality is their intelligence. The nearest living relatives of the swine family are the peccaries.
A pig has a snout for a nose, small eyes, and a small tail, which may be curly, kinked, or straight. It has a thick body, short legs, and coarse hair. There are four toes on each foot, with the two large middle toes used for walking.
Pigs are omnivores, which means that they consume both plants and animals. Pigs will scavenge and have been known to eat any kind of food, including dead insects, worms, tree bark, rotting carcasses, garbage, and even other pigs. In the wild, they are foraging animals, primarily eating leaves and grasses, roots, fruits and flowers. Occasionally, in captivity, pigs may eat their own young, often if they become severely stressed. A typical pig has a large head with a long snout which is strengthened by a special bone called the prenasal bone and by a disk of cartilage in the tip. The snout is used to dig into the soil to find food and is a very sensitive sense organ. Pigs have a full set of 44 teeth. The canine teeth, called tusks, grow continually and are sharpened by the lowers and uppers rubbing against each other.
Pigs that are allowed to forage may be watched by swineherds. Because of their foraging abilities and excellent sense of smell, they are used to find truffles in many European countries. Domesticated pigs are commonly raised as livestock by farmers for meat (called pork), as well as for leather. Their bristly hairs are also used for brushes. Some breeds of pigs, such as the Asian pot-bellied pig, are kept as pets.
Breeding occurs throughout the year in the tropics, but births peak around rainy seasons. A female pig can become pregnant at around 8-18 months of age. She will then go into estrus every 21 days if not bred. Male pigs become sexually active at 8-10 months of age. A litter of piglets typically contains between 6 and 12 piglets. After the young are weaned, two or more families may come together until the next mating season.
Pigs do not have functional sweat glands, so pigs cool themselves using water or mud during hot weather. They also use mud as a form of sunscreen to protect their skin from sunburn. Mud also provides protection against flies and parasites.
Pigs have been domesticated since ancient times in the Old World and are known for their exceptional intelligence. Domestic Pigs are found across Europe, the Middle East and extend into Asia as far as Indonesia and Japan. They were brought to southeastern North America from Europe by De Soto and other early Spanish explorers. Pigs are particularly valued in China and on certain oceanic islands, where their self-sufficiency allows them to be turned loose, although the practice is not without its drawbacks (see below).
The Domestic Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) is usually given the scientific name Sus scrofa, although some authors call it S. domesticus, reserving S. scrofa for the Wild boar. It was domesticated approximately 5,000 to 7,000 years ago. Their coats are coarse and bristly. They are born brownish colored and tend to turn more grayish colored with age. The upper canines form sharp distinctive tusks that curve outward and upward. Compared to other artiodactyles, their head is relatively long, pointed, and free of warts. Their head and body length ranges from 900-1,800 mm and can weigh 50-350 kg.
Pigs can be trained to perform numerous simple tasks and tricks. Recently, they have enjoyed a measure of popularity as house pets, particularly the dwarf breeds.
Pigs are frequently referenced in culture and are a popular topic for idioms and famous quotes.
Domestic pigs that have escaped from farms or were allowed to forage in the wild, and in some cases wild boars which were introduced as prey for hunting, have given rise to large populations of feral pigs in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and other areas where pigs are not native. Accidental or deliberate releases of pigs into countries or environments where they are an alien species have caused extensive environmental change. Their omnivorous diet, aggressive behaviour and their feeding method of rooting in the ground all combine to severely alter ecosystems unused to pigs. Pigs will even eat small animals and destroy nests of ground nesting birds. The Invasive Species Specialist Group lists feral pigs on the list of the world's 100 worst invasive species and says about them:
Pony
A pony is a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. There are many different breeds of ponies. Compared to horses, ponies often exhibit thicker manes, tails and overall coat, as well as proportionally shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, thicker necks, and shorter heads with broader foreheads.
Ponies are generally considered intelligent and friendly, though sometimes they also are described as stubborn or devious. The differences of opinion often result from an individual pony's degree of proper training. Ponies trained by inexperienced individuals, or only ridden by beginners, can turn out to be spoiled because their riders typically lack the experience base to correct bad habits. Properly trained ponies are appropriate mounts for children who are learning to ride. Larger ponies can be ridden by adults, as ponies are usually very strong.
The pony originated from original wild horse prototypes that developed small stature due to living on the margins of livable horse habitat. These smaller animals were domesticated and bred for various purposes all over the Northern hemisphere.
Ponies were historically used for driving and freight transport, as children's mounts, for recreational riding, and later as competitors and performers in their own right. During the Industrial Revolution, particularly in Great Britain, a significant number were used as "pit ponies," hauling loads of coal up from the mines.
For many forms of competition, the official definition of a pony is a member of equus caballus that measures less than 14.2 hands (hh) (1.47 meters or 58 inches) at the withers. Horses are 14.2 or taller. However, the term "pony" can be used in general (or affectionately) for any small horse, regardless of its actual size or breed. Furthermore, some horse breeds may have individuals who mature under 14.2 but are still called "horses" and are allowed to compete as horses. In Australia horses that measure from 14 hands to 15 hands are known as a galloway. Thus ponies in Australia measure under 14 hands.
People who are unfamiliar with horses may confuse an adult pony with a young, immature horse. While foals that will grow up to be horse-sized may be no taller than some ponies in their first months of life, they are very different. A pony can be ridden and put to work, while a foal is too young to be ridden or used as a working animal. Foals, whether they grow up to be horse or pony-sized, can be distinguished from adult horses by their extremely long legs and slim bodies. Their heads and eyes also exhibit juvenile characteristics. Furthermore, in most cases, nursing foals will be in very close proximity to a mare who is the mother (dam) of the foal. While ponies exhibit some neoteny with the wide foreheads and small size, their body proportions are similar to that of an adult horse.
Ponies are seen in many different equestrian pursuits. Some breeds, such as the Hackney pony, are primarily used for driving, while other breeds, such as the Connemara pony and Australian Pony, are used primarily for riding. Others, such as the Welsh pony, are used for both riding and driving.
Ponies compete at events ranging from hunters, English riding on the flat, harness, and western riding classes at horse shows, to other competitive events such as gymkhana and combined driving. They are seen in casual pursuits such as trail riding. Ponies also are shown in dressage, equitation, and other events, even in international-level competition. Though many exhibitors confine themselves to classes just for ponies, top ponies are competitive against full-sized horses. For example, a 14.1 hand pony named Stroller was a member of the British Equestrian show jumping team, and won the silver medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics. More recently, the 14.1-3/4 hand pony Theodore O'Connor won the gold medal in eventing at the 2007 Pan American Games. There is no direct correlation between a horse's size and its inherent athletic ability.
The Sri Lankan elephant is a sub-species of Asian elephant which includes the
, the Sumatran elephant, the Sri-Lanka elephant and the Borneo elephant. The Sri Lankan is the largest of all the Asian elephant sub-species and is thought to be most closely related to the elephant. As its name suggests, the Sri Lankan elephant is found on the Island of Sri Lanka and is thought to have arrived there from southern India. Despite once roaming the Island, the Sri Lankan elephant is now restricted to just a few designated National parks as the Sri Lankan natural gets turned into crop fields.
The Sri Lankan has smaller ears than the African elephant and the Sri Lankan also has a more curved spine than the African elephant. Unlike the African elephants, the female Sri Lankan elephants very rarely have tusks, and if the female Sri Lankan elephant does have tusks, they are generally barely visible and can only be seen when the female Sri Lankan elephant opens her mouth.
The Sri Lankan elephant follows strict migration routes that are determined by the monsoon season. The eldest elephant of the Sri Lankan elephant herd is responsible for remembering the migration route of its Sri Lankan elephant herd. This Sri Lankan elephant migration generally takes place between the wet and dry seasons and problems arose when farms where built along the migratory routes of the Sri Lankan elephant herds, as the Sri Lankan elephants caused a great deal of destruction to the newly founded farmland.
Sri Lankan elephants are herbivorous animals meaning that they only eat plants and plant matter in order to gain all of the nutrients that they need to survive. Sri Lankan elephants eat a wide variety of vegetation including grasses, leaves, shoots, barks, fruits, nuts and seeds. Sri Lankan elephants often use their long trunk to assist them in gathering food.
Due to their large size, Sri Lankan elephants have very few predators within their natural environment. Besides human hunters, tigers are the primary predator of the Sri Lankan elephant, although they tend to hunt the smaller Sri Lankan elephant calves rather than the much larger and stronger adults.
Female Sri Lankan elephants are generally able to breed by the time they are 10 years old, and give birth to a single Sri Lankan elephant calf after a 22 month gestation period. When the Sri Lankan elephant calf is first born, it weighs about 100 kg, and is cared for not only by it's mother by also by other female Sri Lankan elephants in the herd (known as aunties). The infant Sri Lankan elephant remains with its mother until it is around 5 years old and gains its independence, with males often leaving the herd and female calves staying.
Today, the Sri Lankan elephant is considered to be an animal that is in immediate danger of becoming extinct due to the fact that Sri Lankan elephant populations have been declining at a critical rate. Sri Lankan elephants are thought to be suffering primarily due to habitat loss in the form of deforestation and hunting for their ivory tusks by human poachers.
, the Sumatran elephant, the Sri-Lanka elephant and the Borneo elephant. The Sri Lankan is the largest of all the Asian elephant sub-species and is thought to be most closely related to the elephant. As its name suggests, the Sri Lankan elephant is found on the Island of Sri Lanka and is thought to have arrived there from southern India. Despite once roaming the Island, the Sri Lankan elephant is now restricted to just a few designated National parks as the Sri Lankan natural gets turned into crop fields.
The Sri Lankan has smaller ears than the African elephant and the Sri Lankan also has a more curved spine than the African elephant. Unlike the African elephants, the female Sri Lankan elephants very rarely have tusks, and if the female Sri Lankan elephant does have tusks, they are generally barely visible and can only be seen when the female Sri Lankan elephant opens her mouth.
The Sri Lankan elephant follows strict migration routes that are determined by the monsoon season. The eldest elephant of the Sri Lankan elephant herd is responsible for remembering the migration route of its Sri Lankan elephant herd. This Sri Lankan elephant migration generally takes place between the wet and dry seasons and problems arose when farms where built along the migratory routes of the Sri Lankan elephant herds, as the Sri Lankan elephants caused a great deal of destruction to the newly founded farmland.
Sri Lankan elephants are herbivorous animals meaning that they only eat plants and plant matter in order to gain all of the nutrients that they need to survive. Sri Lankan elephants eat a wide variety of vegetation including grasses, leaves, shoots, barks, fruits, nuts and seeds. Sri Lankan elephants often use their long trunk to assist them in gathering food.
Due to their large size, Sri Lankan elephants have very few predators within their natural environment. Besides human hunters, tigers are the primary predator of the Sri Lankan elephant, although they tend to hunt the smaller Sri Lankan elephant calves rather than the much larger and stronger adults.
Female Sri Lankan elephants are generally able to breed by the time they are 10 years old, and give birth to a single Sri Lankan elephant calf after a 22 month gestation period. When the Sri Lankan elephant calf is first born, it weighs about 100 kg, and is cared for not only by it's mother by also by other female Sri Lankan elephants in the herd (known as aunties). The infant Sri Lankan elephant remains with its mother until it is around 5 years old and gains its independence, with males often leaving the herd and female calves staying.
Today, the Sri Lankan elephant is considered to be an animal that is in immediate danger of becoming extinct due to the fact that Sri Lankan elephant populations have been declining at a critical rate. Sri Lankan elephants are thought to be suffering primarily due to habitat loss in the form of deforestation and hunting for their ivory tusks by human poachers.
Doberman Pinschers are, in general, gentle, loyal, loving, and intelligent dogs.The Doberman is a strong,noble breed that protects the ones he loves! Although there is variation in temperament, a typical pet Doberman attacks only if it has been mistreated or believes that it or its family are in danger. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Doberman Pinscher is less frequently involved in attacks on humans resulting in fatalities than several other dog breeds such as pit bull type dogs, German Shepherd Dogs, Rottweilers and Alaskan Malamutes.
The magpie is a small to medium sized bird that is found across the globe. The magpie is most closely related to the crow, but the magpie has highly distinguishable black and white feathers which make magpies easy to spot. There are thought to be around 15 different species of magpie spread across Europe, Asia and parts of Australia and Africa. The magpie is generally around 50 cm long with a slightly larger wingspan, although the exact size of the magpie is dependent on the magpie species.
In China and Korea, the magpie is seen as a symbol of good luck and good fortune. In the United Kingdom however, one magpie is said top be bad luck and seeing two is good luck (one for sorrow, two for joy).
The European magpie also has the notorious reputation for taking and stashing shiny objects. It has been known for magpies to be attracted to ladies jewellery, along with plastics and even the windscreen wipers from cars. The magpie will often take the wonderful objects is has found and collect them in it's nest.
Magpies mate for life and mating partners are usually together for their entire lives. Magpies mate in the spring time when the weather begins to get warmer and build large nests in the trees. The female magpie lays up to 8 eggs (usually around 5), which are a surprisingly small size in comparison to the size of the magpie itself. The magpie chicks hatch out of their eggs after an incubation period of around 3 weeks, and the magpie chicks are normally able to fly when they are between 3 and 4 weeks old.
Magpies are noted to be highly intelligent birds and are often able to sense approaching danger relatively quickly. Magpies are known to be dominant and curious birds but are relatively secretive when they feel they are in danger. Magpies are also known to mimic the calls of other birds and have fully taken advantage of new food sources created by the presence of humans.
Despite their large wings, magpies are not particularly keen on long flights and tend to stay close to cover. Magpies hide in trees and thick bushes to hide from predators and to catch their prey.
Magpies are omnivorous birds and eat a range of fruits, nuts, seeds, insects, eggs and small mammals and reptiles. Magpies have a number of predators within their natural environment including dogs, foxes and cats.
In China and Korea, the magpie is seen as a symbol of good luck and good fortune. In the United Kingdom however, one magpie is said top be bad luck and seeing two is good luck (one for sorrow, two for joy).
The European magpie also has the notorious reputation for taking and stashing shiny objects. It has been known for magpies to be attracted to ladies jewellery, along with plastics and even the windscreen wipers from cars. The magpie will often take the wonderful objects is has found and collect them in it's nest.
Magpies mate for life and mating partners are usually together for their entire lives. Magpies mate in the spring time when the weather begins to get warmer and build large nests in the trees. The female magpie lays up to 8 eggs (usually around 5), which are a surprisingly small size in comparison to the size of the magpie itself. The magpie chicks hatch out of their eggs after an incubation period of around 3 weeks, and the magpie chicks are normally able to fly when they are between 3 and 4 weeks old.
Magpies are noted to be highly intelligent birds and are often able to sense approaching danger relatively quickly. Magpies are known to be dominant and curious birds but are relatively secretive when they feel they are in danger. Magpies are also known to mimic the calls of other birds and have fully taken advantage of new food sources created by the presence of humans.
Despite their large wings, magpies are not particularly keen on long flights and tend to stay close to cover. Magpies hide in trees and thick bushes to hide from predators and to catch their prey.
Magpies are omnivorous birds and eat a range of fruits, nuts, seeds, insects, eggs and small mammals and reptiles. Magpies have a number of predators within their natural environment including dogs, foxes and cats.
The Baboon is a medium to large sized species of Old World Monkey that is found in a variety of different habitats throughout Africa and in parts of Arabia. There are five different species of Baboon which are the Olive Baboon, the Guinea Baboon, the Chacma Baboon, the Yellow Baboon and the Hamadryas Baboon which differs most from the others wide it's bright red face and cliff-dwelling lifestyle (the other four species are collectively known as Savanna Baboons). However, there is some debate over the classification of the different species due to the fact that some have been known to interbreed, indicating that they could be sub-species instead. Baboons are incredibly sociable and intelligent animals that are known to form close bonds with other members of the troop that often last for life. They are also incredibly adaptable animals but their population numbers are declining throughout their natural range primarily due to hunting and habitat loss.
Baboons are large and powerfully built monkeys that spend most of their time on the ground. They have large heads with a long, dog-like muzzle and cheek-pouches for storing food with a heavy brow ridge protecting their eyes. Males are often twice the size of females and have fearsomely sharp canines that help them to defend the troop from danger, but their exact size depends on the species with the Chacma Baboon being the largest while the Guinea Baboon is the smallest species. Baboons have wild-looking fur with a longer mane that extends over the shoulders and hairless patches on their faces and rumps which are padded with hard skin. Their colour varies from olive-green to yellow, silver and brown depending on the species. They also have a distinctive bend towards the base of their long tails.
Baboons would have once been found throughout the African continent and today, although they are still widespread, their natural range continues to decrease. Baboons are found in a variety of habitats including savanna, scrub, rocky deserts and rainforests providing there is an ample supply of water. The Hamadryas Baboon is found in the rocky deserts in the hills that line the coast of the Red Sea both in north-east Africa and in parts of the western Arabian peninsula. The Olive Baboon is the most widespread species with a range that extends from west to east across a wide range of habitats, whereas the Guinea Baboon is confined to a small region in the west. The Yellow Baboon is found in the east and the largest species, the Chacma Baboon is also found the furthest south, with a range that covers the southern tip of Africa.
Baboons are incredibly sociable animals that live in large troops that can be very varied in size and can contain a few hundred members. Baboon troops consist of both males and females with their young and form very close bonds by feeding, sleeping and grooming together. During the day they break into smaller bands of 4 or 5 females and young, that is led by a dominant male who attempts to keep other males away. The Hamadryas Baboon however, lives in much smaller groups of around 12 females and a single alpha male. Baboons live together for protection and are constantly on the look-out for dangerous predators, particularly when they are out in the open. If a threat is spotted, they make loud barks and while the males run to attack, the females and young disappear up into the safety of the trees. Baboons communicate between one another in a variety of different ways including vocals calls, facial expressions and even signal with their tails.
Baboons breed all year round and while they don't have a strict breeding season, there are peaks in mating and births at certain times of year (depending on the location). When a female is ready to mate, the dominant male of their sub-group will defend his right to mate with her fiercely but despite his efforts, female Baboons mate with numerous males in the group during their lives. After a gestation period that lasts for around 6 months, the female Baboon gives birth to a single infant that grabs onto her fur instantly and clings onto her. When they are born, young Baboons are contrasting colours to their parents and are tolerated by the troop until they moult and grow their adult fur after about two months. Young females remain with their mother and the two will often form very close bonds throughout their lives, whereas males are chased out of the troop and are forced to try and prove themselves to another group.
The Baboon is an omnivorous animal that is known to eat a wide variety of both plant matter and small animals. Fruits, seeds, tough roots and flowers all make up the bulk of their diet, along with insects, eggs, lizards and rodents. However, their large size and power also means that they sometimes hunt and kill larger prey such as young Gazelles. In areas where human settlements are encroaching on their natural habitats, Baboons are also known to raid crop fields which has led to them often being seen as pests. Baboons have very similar teeth to people with a series of large, flat molars which are perfect for grinding down vegetation and surplus food can be stored in their flexible cheek pouches to be saved for later.
Due to their size and the fact that Baboons spend the majority of their lives on the ground, they are preyed upon by numerous predators throughout their natural range. Wildcats such as Lions, Leopards and Cheetahs are the most common predators of the Baboon along with large Pythons, African Wild Dogs and Birds of Prey that hunt the smaller and more vulnerable young. People however, pose the biggest threat to Baboons as they are often hunted and killed for meat and are even shot by farmers who consider them as pests, fearing for their crops. Their numbers though are being most affected by the loss of their once vast natural habitats, which are being subjected to deforestation for agriculture or land clearance for grazing and growing human settlements.
Although Baboons retire into the safety of the trees to sleep at night, they spend nearly all of the rest of their lives on the ground and roam throughout their home ranges in search of food and water. They are known to walk many miles a day and only stop in the shade to get out of the midday sun, and are capable of travelling more than four miles between dawn and dusk. Like many other primates, Baboons take part in social grooming by picking parasites, dead skin and dirt from each other's fur. This not only strengthens social bonds within the troop but also highlights the status of the individual, with the Baboon who is being groomed having a higher status in the troop than the one who is grooming them. In order for male outsiders to be accepted into the troop, they must form a relationship with one of the females until he is then accepted by the others. This process can take months but the pair are usually known to remain close-knit friends for life.
The pelican is a large bird that is most well known for the pouch that the pelican has in it's beak which the pelican uses to scoop fish out if the water. The pelican is found in the countryside worldwide, dwelling near water and densely populated fishing areas. The brown sea pelican is one of the largest species of pelican and with male pelicans often leaving the flock to hunt alone at sea. The brown pelican is particularly remarkable for the it's ability to swoop down to the ocean surface from enormous heights to catch fish.
The pelican is generally an enormous bird with some species gaining a wingspan of well over 3meters. Other species of pelican are much smaller but these smaller species of pelican tend to live on land rather than spending their lives at sea.
There are eight different species of pelican found on every continent in the world with the exception of the Antarctic. Pelicans tend to prefer the more temperate and warmer climates to the colder ones, and pelicans are therefore most commonly found closer to the Equator.
Despite the fact that pelicans are omnivorous birds, pelicans mainly feed on fish, crustaceans such as prawns and crabs, small species of turtle and squid. The pelican uses it's beak pouch to scoop a mouth-full of water up and then strains the water out of it's beak leaving the food (such as fish) behind for the pelican to eat.
During the breeding season, pelicans nest in colonies and breeding usually begins with a group of male pelicans chasing a single female pelican. The pelican courtship can occur on land, in the air or on water. The male pelican collects materials to build the nest which the female pelican then uses to build the nest either on the ground or in a tree depending on the pelican species.
The female pelican lays an average clutch size of 2 eggs which both the female pelican and the male pelican help to incubate. After an incubation period of around a month, the pelican chicks hatch out of their eggs but often, only one pelican chick will survive out of the two. The female pelican feeds her young until they are around 3 months old, although baby pelicans are usually able to walk and swim when they are about 2 months old.
Due to their generally large size, pelicans have few predators in their natural environment. Wild dogs such as coyotes are one of the main predators of the pelican along with cats and humans who hunt the pelican for their meat and feathers.
Pelicans inhabit areas around the world usually in large flocks of more than 100 birds. Pelicans rest and nest together in these communities but often hunt and feed alone with the exception of the female pelican feeding her pelican chicks. The pelican chicks are known to gather together in small groups within the communial nesting site of their parents
The pelican is generally an enormous bird with some species gaining a wingspan of well over 3meters. Other species of pelican are much smaller but these smaller species of pelican tend to live on land rather than spending their lives at sea.
There are eight different species of pelican found on every continent in the world with the exception of the Antarctic. Pelicans tend to prefer the more temperate and warmer climates to the colder ones, and pelicans are therefore most commonly found closer to the Equator.
Despite the fact that pelicans are omnivorous birds, pelicans mainly feed on fish, crustaceans such as prawns and crabs, small species of turtle and squid. The pelican uses it's beak pouch to scoop a mouth-full of water up and then strains the water out of it's beak leaving the food (such as fish) behind for the pelican to eat.
During the breeding season, pelicans nest in colonies and breeding usually begins with a group of male pelicans chasing a single female pelican. The pelican courtship can occur on land, in the air or on water. The male pelican collects materials to build the nest which the female pelican then uses to build the nest either on the ground or in a tree depending on the pelican species.
The female pelican lays an average clutch size of 2 eggs which both the female pelican and the male pelican help to incubate. After an incubation period of around a month, the pelican chicks hatch out of their eggs but often, only one pelican chick will survive out of the two. The female pelican feeds her young until they are around 3 months old, although baby pelicans are usually able to walk and swim when they are about 2 months old.
Due to their generally large size, pelicans have few predators in their natural environment. Wild dogs such as coyotes are one of the main predators of the pelican along with cats and humans who hunt the pelican for their meat and feathers.
Pelicans inhabit areas around the world usually in large flocks of more than 100 birds. Pelicans rest and nest together in these communities but often hunt and feed alone with the exception of the female pelican feeding her pelican chicks. The pelican chicks are known to gather together in small groups within the communial nesting site of their parents
Coyotes (prairie wolf) are native to North and Central America although they are believed to have split off from the European grey wolf. They are a species in their own right, differing from wolves in vocalization patterns, ecology, pack structure. The coyotes scientific name Canis latrans actually means barking dog. Coyotes grow up to about 90cm in length, which is a similar size to a medium dog. The northern subspecies of coyote generally grows bigger than the southern subspecies of coyote. The Eastern coyote is the largest of all and has been found to be the result of a few remnant wolves mating with incoming coyotes in the northeastern states of the USA.
The coyote is able to reach sprinting speeds of around 40 mph which the coyote is able obtain for extended periods of time. The coyote can also jump to heights of up to 4m!
There are 19 different subspecies of recognised coyote with only 3 of these coyote subspecies found in central America. The remaining 16 subspecies of coyote can be found distributed throughout Mexico, Canada and the USA.
Historically the coyote has generally been nocturnal but now can often be seen during the day in areas where they are not persecuted by humans. In areas where they are heavily hunted and trapped they tend to remain nocturnal. Coyotes adapt very well to suburban life and can often be seen drinking out of swimming pools.
The coyote tends to reside in a burrow when its not looking for food and the coyote is more than capable of digging the burrow itself. The coyote is intelligent enough to find and inhabit an empty badger burrow if at all possible. This becomes the center of the coyotes territory which can extend to 19 km around the den. The size of the territory depends on how much food is available. Coyotes tend to associate in mated pairs, though in areas where large prey live a loose pack structure is observable. They are considerably less social than wolves and their threat displays are much more primitive. They arch their backs and gape their jaws and do not have the repertoire of facial expression the more social wolf has. The coloring of the coyote varies considerably according to location. In the northernmost parts of its range coyotes can be pale to almost white in color. In the west they tend to be a rich reddish hue with black markings. In the plains states they are plain grayish brown. The occasional black coyote is seen in the great plains states and in the eastern states; those may actually be the result of hybridization with wolves. It would take DNA analysis to be sure.
The coyote is able to reach sprinting speeds of around 40 mph which the coyote is able obtain for extended periods of time. The coyote can also jump to heights of up to 4m!
There are 19 different subspecies of recognised coyote with only 3 of these coyote subspecies found in central America. The remaining 16 subspecies of coyote can be found distributed throughout Mexico, Canada and the USA.
Historically the coyote has generally been nocturnal but now can often be seen during the day in areas where they are not persecuted by humans. In areas where they are heavily hunted and trapped they tend to remain nocturnal. Coyotes adapt very well to suburban life and can often be seen drinking out of swimming pools.
The coyote tends to reside in a burrow when its not looking for food and the coyote is more than capable of digging the burrow itself. The coyote is intelligent enough to find and inhabit an empty badger burrow if at all possible. This becomes the center of the coyotes territory which can extend to 19 km around the den. The size of the territory depends on how much food is available. Coyotes tend to associate in mated pairs, though in areas where large prey live a loose pack structure is observable. They are considerably less social than wolves and their threat displays are much more primitive. They arch their backs and gape their jaws and do not have the repertoire of facial expression the more social wolf has. The coloring of the coyote varies considerably according to location. In the northernmost parts of its range coyotes can be pale to almost white in color. In the west they tend to be a rich reddish hue with black markings. In the plains states they are plain grayish brown. The occasional black coyote is seen in the great plains states and in the eastern states; those may actually be the result of hybridization with wolves. It would take DNA analysis to be sure.
The crab-eating macaque is a medium species of monkey, found in the tropical and sub-tropical forests and jungles throughout South-East Asia. The crab-eating macaque differs from other macaque species in the fact that the crab-eating macaque has a long tail which is about the same length as it's body. The crab-eating macaque is widely dispersed across the South-East Asian jungles and are found in a variety of different habitats. The crab-eating macaque generally settles in areas that are close to water over a wide range of habitats including lowland forests, tropical jungles and mangroves.
The crab-eating macaque is a highly sociable animal and lives in groups containing between 5 and 60 crab-eating macaque individuals. The crab-eating macaque troops are centred around the female crab-eating macaques are they remain in the same place for their whole lives. There are often half as many males in a crab-eating macaque troop than there are females.
The crab-eating macaque is an arboreal primate meaning that it spends most of its life in the safety of the trees. The crab-eating macaque has a long tail which helps it to balance and sharp nails and its fingers to toes which help with grip.
Despite its name, the crab-eating macaque does not only eat crabs and in fact at least 50% of the crab-eating macaque's diet is made up from fruits, nuts and seeds. The crab-eating macaque also eats insects, small reptiles, amphibians, fish and crustaceans.
The crab-eating macaque is relatively small in size and therefore has a number of predators within its natural environment. Tigers and large reptiles such as snakes and crocodiles are the main predators of the crab-eating macaque along with large birds of prey like eagles who prey on the smaller crab-eating macaque individuals.
After a gestation period of around six months, the female crab-eating macaque gives birth to a single infant (baby) crab-eating macaque. Male crab-eating macaque babies remain with their mothers until they are a couple of years old and are independent enough to find another troop, but the crab-eating macaque babies tend to remain in the troop for their whole lives.
Although the crab-eating macaque is not considered to be a animal under threat at this time, habitat loss in the form of pollution but primarily deforestation is causing sever declines in the crab-eating macaque population numbers.
The crab-eating macaque is a highly sociable animal and lives in groups containing between 5 and 60 crab-eating macaque individuals. The crab-eating macaque troops are centred around the female crab-eating macaques are they remain in the same place for their whole lives. There are often half as many males in a crab-eating macaque troop than there are females.
The crab-eating macaque is an arboreal primate meaning that it spends most of its life in the safety of the trees. The crab-eating macaque has a long tail which helps it to balance and sharp nails and its fingers to toes which help with grip.
Despite its name, the crab-eating macaque does not only eat crabs and in fact at least 50% of the crab-eating macaque's diet is made up from fruits, nuts and seeds. The crab-eating macaque also eats insects, small reptiles, amphibians, fish and crustaceans.
The crab-eating macaque is relatively small in size and therefore has a number of predators within its natural environment. Tigers and large reptiles such as snakes and crocodiles are the main predators of the crab-eating macaque along with large birds of prey like eagles who prey on the smaller crab-eating macaque individuals.
After a gestation period of around six months, the female crab-eating macaque gives birth to a single infant (baby) crab-eating macaque. Male crab-eating macaque babies remain with their mothers until they are a couple of years old and are independent enough to find another troop, but the crab-eating macaque babies tend to remain in the troop for their whole lives.
Although the crab-eating macaque is not considered to be a animal under threat at this time, habitat loss in the form of pollution but primarily deforestation is causing sever declines in the crab-eating macaque population numbers.
The lionfish (also known as the turkeyfish, tigerfish, dragonfish, scorpionfish, and butterfly cod) is a poisonous spiky fish found in the warmer waters of the western and central Pacific Ocean. The lionfish is a predatory fish hunting small fish, but it's venom is capable of being fatal to larger creatures. The lionfish is a popular aquarium fish around the world, although the lionfish is better kept in tanks with lots of space and few other fish. The lionfish can live to around 16 years in the wild and lionfish often live longer if looked after well in captivity.
There are around 8 different recognised species of lionfish that are found in the Pacific Ocean. The lionfish is natively found in coastal waters around rocky crevices and coral reefs where there are lots of smaller fish for the lionfish to eat and also places for the lionfish to hide.
The lionfish catches it's prey by hiding in a crevice in the rock or coral and then ambushing it as it swims past.The lionfish then corners it's prey with it's large fins before swallowing it whole.
Lionfish prey on a wide variety of small fish and crustaceans that inhabit the tropical reefs. The lionfish is prey to few predators due to the large size of the lionfish and the fact that the appearance of the lionfish is intimating to other animals. The spikes that protrude from the body of the lionfish contain venom that lionfish uses to defend itself if it is being pursued. The main predators of the lionfish are large fish, eels and humans that catch the lionfish to put into a tank. Although the lionfish is a solitary animal and they only really come together to mate, a few lionfish inhabit a certain area of the reef. The lionfish group usually contains one male lionfish and a few female lionfish that he mates with. The male lionfish is highly territorial and protects the area in which by himself and his females live.
The female lionfish releases between 2,000 and 15,000 eggs into the water which are fertilised by the male lionfish. The lionfish pair then quickly hide so that their eggs can float into the ocean before being spotted by predators that eat the eggs. The lionfish eggs hatch in just 2 days and the tiny lionfish fry remain near the surface of the water until they are bigger. When the lionfish fry reach nearly an inch in length, they swim down into the ocean to join the reef community.
The Lionfish is also an invasive species, originally from the Indian and Western Pacific oceans. It was brought into Florida as an aquarium fish, and after a hurricane broke some of the aquariums containing the fish, they started to appear around the lower coast of Florida. They have now spread all the way up to Long Island, New York.
When scientists do dives to study the lionfish, sometimes they kill one, and trace it's DNA. The odd thing lately, is that all the fish trace back to an original six or seven Lionfish from the ocean in which they came.
There are around 8 different recognised species of lionfish that are found in the Pacific Ocean. The lionfish is natively found in coastal waters around rocky crevices and coral reefs where there are lots of smaller fish for the lionfish to eat and also places for the lionfish to hide.
The lionfish catches it's prey by hiding in a crevice in the rock or coral and then ambushing it as it swims past.The lionfish then corners it's prey with it's large fins before swallowing it whole.
Lionfish prey on a wide variety of small fish and crustaceans that inhabit the tropical reefs. The lionfish is prey to few predators due to the large size of the lionfish and the fact that the appearance of the lionfish is intimating to other animals. The spikes that protrude from the body of the lionfish contain venom that lionfish uses to defend itself if it is being pursued. The main predators of the lionfish are large fish, eels and humans that catch the lionfish to put into a tank. Although the lionfish is a solitary animal and they only really come together to mate, a few lionfish inhabit a certain area of the reef. The lionfish group usually contains one male lionfish and a few female lionfish that he mates with. The male lionfish is highly territorial and protects the area in which by himself and his females live.
The female lionfish releases between 2,000 and 15,000 eggs into the water which are fertilised by the male lionfish. The lionfish pair then quickly hide so that their eggs can float into the ocean before being spotted by predators that eat the eggs. The lionfish eggs hatch in just 2 days and the tiny lionfish fry remain near the surface of the water until they are bigger. When the lionfish fry reach nearly an inch in length, they swim down into the ocean to join the reef community.
The Lionfish is also an invasive species, originally from the Indian and Western Pacific oceans. It was brought into Florida as an aquarium fish, and after a hurricane broke some of the aquariums containing the fish, they started to appear around the lower coast of Florida. They have now spread all the way up to Long Island, New York.
When scientists do dives to study the lionfish, sometimes they kill one, and trace it's DNA. The odd thing lately, is that all the fish trace back to an original six or seven Lionfish from the ocean in which they came.
The Humboldt is a medium-sized species of that is found breeding on the coasts of South America. The Humboldt is similar in appearance to and closely related to other more northern species including the African , the magellanic and the Galapagos penguin. The Humboldt is one of the most northern-dwelling species as it is found natively breeding on the coastlines of Peru and Chile. The Humboldt is named after the cold water current that it spends most of it's time swimming in, which is itself named after the explorer, Alexander von Humboldt.
Humboldt are medium-sized that can grow to heights of 70 cm or more. Also the Humboldt is undoubtedly very similar in appearance a number of other species, the Humboldt can be easily identified by the pink, fleshy base at the end of their bills.
All are fantastic swimmers and the Humboldt is no exception. Humboldt use their powerful flippers and streamlined bodies, aided by their webbed feet to soar through the water. Humboldt populations have been severely affected in their native regions due to increasing commercial fishing which leaves less food for the to eat.
The Humboldt is a carnivorous , that like all other species, survives on a that is only comprised of marine . Krill and small crustaceans make up the bulk of the Humboldt along with larger including and various species of
. Humboldt can be at sea for days at a time whilst hunting and catch their food by diving deep into the water for minutes at a time.
The Humboldt has few on land, the main ones being large and sea-birds that hunt their eggs . Large hunt the Humboldt in the water along with large sharks and . Humboldt populations have also been seriously affected by hunting, and are easily affected by changes in the water from oil spills and chemical pollutants.
Humboldt nest on beaches and rocky along the South American coast, where their range in Chile overlaps that of the closely related magellanic (these sites are known as rookeries). The female Humboldt
lays two eggs which are incubated for just over a month and usually fledge (leave the nest) when they are between 2 and 3 months old.
Today, the Humboldt populations throughout the Ocean have been drastically declining over the past few years, with interference (mainly
loss and over-fishing) being the main cause.
Humboldt are medium-sized that can grow to heights of 70 cm or more. Also the Humboldt is undoubtedly very similar in appearance a number of other species, the Humboldt can be easily identified by the pink, fleshy base at the end of their bills.
All are fantastic swimmers and the Humboldt is no exception. Humboldt use their powerful flippers and streamlined bodies, aided by their webbed feet to soar through the water. Humboldt populations have been severely affected in their native regions due to increasing commercial fishing which leaves less food for the to eat.
The Humboldt is a carnivorous , that like all other species, survives on a that is only comprised of marine . Krill and small crustaceans make up the bulk of the Humboldt along with larger including and various species of
. Humboldt can be at sea for days at a time whilst hunting and catch their food by diving deep into the water for minutes at a time.
The Humboldt has few on land, the main ones being large and sea-birds that hunt their eggs . Large hunt the Humboldt in the water along with large sharks and . Humboldt populations have also been seriously affected by hunting, and are easily affected by changes in the water from oil spills and chemical pollutants.
Humboldt nest on beaches and rocky along the South American coast, where their range in Chile overlaps that of the closely related magellanic (these sites are known as rookeries). The female Humboldt
lays two eggs which are incubated for just over a month and usually fledge (leave the nest) when they are between 2 and 3 months old.
Today, the Humboldt populations throughout the Ocean have been drastically declining over the past few years, with interference (mainly
loss and over-fishing) being the main cause.
The spider
is found in the tropical jungles of South America, from Southern Mexico to Brazil. The spider
generally dos not enter the further southern regions of South America as the terrain becomes mountainous and not to the spider
taste. There are four different types of spider , all of which are fairly large in size and get to around 50cm tall, plus the spider
tail which can often grow longer than the spider
body.
The spider
is thought to get it's name from the way the spider
can be seen hanging in the trees. The spider
can often be seen with all four hands on separate branches, so the spider
looks like a spider's web. The spider
can also hang from branches by it's strong tail, which gives the spider
spider-like attributes.
The spider
mainly eats fruits and berries and spider
are a thought to play a vital part in spreading the seeds of many plants throughout the South American
. The spider
also eats
and small
for protein and also honey which the spider
finds it.
Due to the extensive hunting of the spider
from both
and bigger jungle
such as the
and the
, all four species of spider
are now considered to be endangered or critically endangered.
The spider
is often kept as an exotic pet worldwide and is one of the most popular species of pet
due to the spider
looks and the spider
character. Please don't keep spider
as pets. Spider
belong in the jungles were they come from and are on the verge of extinction, this process should not be helped.
Spider
form groups of between 10 and 30 individuals which splits up during the day so that there is less competition for food. Unlike many other primates, it is the female spider
that leave their original group to join new groups, rather than the male spider
. Male spider monkeys are known to stay together throughout their lives.
Female spider breed every three to four years and when she is ready to, the female spider
chooses a male spider from her group in which to mate with. After a gestation period of around 7 months, the female spider will give birth to one baby spider monkey.
Baby spider
completely rely on their mother until they are between 6 to 10 months old and are big enough and strong enough to make it on their own. Until then, the mother spider carries her young on her tummy and then on her back in on order to keep them safe. Female spider are known to help their young when jumping in the trees and groom them too.
is found in the tropical jungles of South America, from Southern Mexico to Brazil. The spider
generally dos not enter the further southern regions of South America as the terrain becomes mountainous and not to the spider
taste. There are four different types of spider , all of which are fairly large in size and get to around 50cm tall, plus the spider
tail which can often grow longer than the spider
body.
The spider
is thought to get it's name from the way the spider
can be seen hanging in the trees. The spider
can often be seen with all four hands on separate branches, so the spider
looks like a spider's web. The spider
can also hang from branches by it's strong tail, which gives the spider
spider-like attributes.
The spider
mainly eats fruits and berries and spider
are a thought to play a vital part in spreading the seeds of many plants throughout the South American
. The spider
also eats
and small
for protein and also honey which the spider
finds it.
Due to the extensive hunting of the spider
from both
and bigger jungle
such as the
and the
, all four species of spider
are now considered to be endangered or critically endangered.
The spider
is often kept as an exotic pet worldwide and is one of the most popular species of pet
due to the spider
looks and the spider
character. Please don't keep spider
as pets. Spider
belong in the jungles were they come from and are on the verge of extinction, this process should not be helped.
Spider
form groups of between 10 and 30 individuals which splits up during the day so that there is less competition for food. Unlike many other primates, it is the female spider
that leave their original group to join new groups, rather than the male spider
. Male spider monkeys are known to stay together throughout their lives.
Female spider breed every three to four years and when she is ready to, the female spider
chooses a male spider from her group in which to mate with. After a gestation period of around 7 months, the female spider will give birth to one baby spider monkey.
Baby spider
completely rely on their mother until they are between 6 to 10 months old and are big enough and strong enough to make it on their own. Until then, the mother spider carries her young on her tummy and then on her back in on order to keep them safe. Female spider are known to help their young when jumping in the trees and groom them too.
Ducks are medium sized aquatic
related to other aquatic like and geese. Ducks differ from and geese in their tendency to dive into the water in order catch their food. Ducks are omnivorous feeding on aquatic plants, small and grubs both in and out of water meaning that ducks can easily adapt to different conditions. It is because of the duck's ability to eat such a diverse amount of food both in water and on dry land that makes ducks one of the most widespread in the world as they are found on every continent, with the obvious exception of Antarctica.
A duck's mouth contains rows of tiny plates that line their teeth, to help them filter water out of their beaks without losing food. The duck's advanced water filtering system is similar to the way in which a feeds in the ocean.
Contrary to popular belief, not all ducks actually quack! It is generally known that it is only really the females of most duck species that actually make a quacking sound. All ducks actually have a wide range of calls that they use to communicated with one another including whistles and grunts!
Ducks are particularly vulnerable and therefore ducks have many around the world. of ducks range from smaller such as foxes, wolves and even large , to bigger including and humans.
Ducks are farmed all over the world for their meat and eggs. Ducks are also farmed on mass for their feathers (known as down) which is most commonly used in bedding, such as duvets and pillows. Domestic duck populations are thought to be at their highest in particularly in China which has the largest market for duck in the world. Many different species of duck are consumed around the world, with the meat of the duck being particularly favourable to due to it's rich taste.
Ducks are also hunted regularly by shooters as ducks are seen to be an easy target. The calm and quiet nature of the duck means that it often takes a long time to react to surrounding noise.
As with other commercially farmed such as , ducks are often intensively farmed and are subjected to terrible conditions. Consumers of duck meat and eggs should only purchase products that are organic or free range, and should try to avoid buying bedding that is made from duck down (feathers).
Ducks have adapted well to life on the water and along with their special water filtering system in their mouths, ducks also have webbed feet which allows them to travel on the surface of the water with ease. The webbed feet of the duck also make it easier for the duck to walk on the slippery river banks.
related to other aquatic like and geese. Ducks differ from and geese in their tendency to dive into the water in order catch their food. Ducks are omnivorous feeding on aquatic plants, small and grubs both in and out of water meaning that ducks can easily adapt to different conditions. It is because of the duck's ability to eat such a diverse amount of food both in water and on dry land that makes ducks one of the most widespread in the world as they are found on every continent, with the obvious exception of Antarctica.
A duck's mouth contains rows of tiny plates that line their teeth, to help them filter water out of their beaks without losing food. The duck's advanced water filtering system is similar to the way in which a feeds in the ocean.
Contrary to popular belief, not all ducks actually quack! It is generally known that it is only really the females of most duck species that actually make a quacking sound. All ducks actually have a wide range of calls that they use to communicated with one another including whistles and grunts!
Ducks are particularly vulnerable and therefore ducks have many around the world. of ducks range from smaller such as foxes, wolves and even large , to bigger including and humans.
Ducks are farmed all over the world for their meat and eggs. Ducks are also farmed on mass for their feathers (known as down) which is most commonly used in bedding, such as duvets and pillows. Domestic duck populations are thought to be at their highest in particularly in China which has the largest market for duck in the world. Many different species of duck are consumed around the world, with the meat of the duck being particularly favourable to due to it's rich taste.
Ducks are also hunted regularly by shooters as ducks are seen to be an easy target. The calm and quiet nature of the duck means that it often takes a long time to react to surrounding noise.
As with other commercially farmed such as , ducks are often intensively farmed and are subjected to terrible conditions. Consumers of duck meat and eggs should only purchase products that are organic or free range, and should try to avoid buying bedding that is made from duck down (feathers).
Ducks have adapted well to life on the water and along with their special water filtering system in their mouths, ducks also have webbed feet which allows them to travel on the surface of the water with ease. The webbed feet of the duck also make it easier for the duck to walk on the slippery river banks.
- Ducks have webbed feet which allows them to paddle and swim in the water more smoothly.
- When ducks swim, they push out their feet back in a kicking motion so that the webbing catches the water and pushing it behind the duck.
- On the return stroke, the webbing on the foot of the duck closes up which allows the duck to have less water resistance and to travel faster.
- Ducks have a have complex structure of capillaries on their feet which help to regulate the blood flow and stops their feet from getting cold.
- The webbed feet of the duck means that the duck cannot walk smoothly on land and instead move around in a waddling motion.
- Like other species of , ducks do not have teeth but instead uses their beaks to catch their food.
- Ducks have rows of thin bristles in their mouths that enable them to filer nutrient particles out of the water.
- Ducks use their strong beaks to catch their food and then swallow them whole, using their gizzard to help to digest their food.
- The beak of a duck is comprised of an upper and lower jaw that are strong as they are made out of bone.
- The duck uses its beak both to feed, and to groom itself as the duck picks the dirt out of its feathers.
The bullfrog is one of the most widely distributed across the North American continent. The bullfrog is a medium-sized that is best known for it's loud cow-like calls, hence it's name. Bullfrogs are found in a wide range of permanent including ponds, swamps and lakes where the bullfrog tends to prefer to be closer to the banks rather than out in the open water. Bullfrogs also prefer to be in warmer climates rather than the cooler ones.
Today bullfrogs are being more and more commonly kept as pets and are even eaten by locals in some of the more southern regions of North America. Bullfrogs have also been introduced to other countries throughout the world where they have generally had a devastating impact on the local .
Bullfrogs are carnivorous and bullfrogs have a that is meat-based. Bullfrogs are hunters, hiding and resting during the day and actively hunting by night. Bullfrogs hunt a variety of and their larvae, eggs, spiders and even small . Some of the larger bullfrogs, today found in South Korea, have been even known to eat small snakes.
Due to the relatively small size of the bullfrog and the fact that its calls can be heard for some distance, the bullfrog has numerous different within its natural environment. Aquatic including large and are the most common of the bullfrog along with a number of species.
Bullfrog breeding occurs around late spring to early summer, when the male bullfrogs call out to the female bullfrogs attracting them into their territory. Once the bullfrogs have mated, the female bullfrog can lay around 20,000 eggs which float together on the surface of the water.
The bullfrog eggs hatch in less than a week, and thousands of bullfrog tadpoles emerge into the surrounding water. The tadpoles begin to develop limbs and start to look like adult. This whole process can take anywhere from 3 months to 3 years, depending of where the bullfrog lives.
Bullfrogs are generally quite hardy and can get to be 10 years old in the wild. One bullfrog kept in captivity was said to have died at the age of 16!
Today bullfrogs are being more and more commonly kept as pets and are even eaten by locals in some of the more southern regions of North America. Bullfrogs have also been introduced to other countries throughout the world where they have generally had a devastating impact on the local .
Bullfrogs are carnivorous and bullfrogs have a that is meat-based. Bullfrogs are hunters, hiding and resting during the day and actively hunting by night. Bullfrogs hunt a variety of and their larvae, eggs, spiders and even small . Some of the larger bullfrogs, today found in South Korea, have been even known to eat small snakes.
Due to the relatively small size of the bullfrog and the fact that its calls can be heard for some distance, the bullfrog has numerous different within its natural environment. Aquatic including large and are the most common of the bullfrog along with a number of species.
Bullfrog breeding occurs around late spring to early summer, when the male bullfrogs call out to the female bullfrogs attracting them into their territory. Once the bullfrogs have mated, the female bullfrog can lay around 20,000 eggs which float together on the surface of the water.
The bullfrog eggs hatch in less than a week, and thousands of bullfrog tadpoles emerge into the surrounding water. The tadpoles begin to develop limbs and start to look like adult. This whole process can take anywhere from 3 months to 3 years, depending of where the bullfrog lives.
Bullfrogs are generally quite hardy and can get to be 10 years old in the wild. One bullfrog kept in captivity was said to have died at the age of 16!
The Chimpanzee is a species of ape that is natively found in a variety of different in western and central . Closely related to other great apes including and , the Chimpanzee is also very closely related to as we share 98% of the same DNA. They are thought to be the most intelligent on the planet after people and are not only known to show emotion but they are also great problem-solvers and are even known to not just use, but also make tools to help them to survive more successfully in their surroundings. There are two different species of Chimpanzee which are the Common Chimpanzee and the smaller (also known as the Pygmy Chimpanzee) which has a limited distribution south of the Congo River. However, despite being highly adaptable and intelligent creatures, Chimpanzees are severely threatened in their natural today, mainly due to hunting for bushmeat and deforestation.
Chimpanzees are large primates that have long yet sparse black hairs covering their bodies with the exception of their face, palms and the soles of their feet. Their hair not only allows them to remain warm in areas at higher altitudes but it also provides their skin with some protection from the sun. The hairless parts of their bodies are light to dark brown in colour depending on the age of the individual (their skin darkens as they mature). They have large ears that give them excellent hearing and a heavy brow-ridge over their eyes. Like other great apes, Chimpanzees have good sight and are able to see in colour, while their forward facing eyes allow them to focus on a single object clearly. They have long fingers and an opposable big toe that helps them to grip onto things, with their arms also being longer than their legs which enables them to move around on all fours which is known as knuckle-walking. Chimpanzees have 32 teeth which are very similar to those of to help them to not just grind up plant matter but their longer canines also help to bite into flesh.
Chimpanzees are found throughout 21 different countries in western and central where they are known to inhabit a variety of different regions from the tropical, humid to the dryer and more arid regions of the savanna and open woodlands. They are excellent climbers and rely heavily on the surrounding trees not just for protection from but also to find food and places to nest during the night. Chimpanzees have been severely affected by the loss of much of their natural as forests are cleared to make way for agriculture or to cut down the trees as tropical timber. With groups being pushed into smaller and smaller ranges the competition for food and nesting sites increases and conflict can occur both between different groups and amongst individuals who reside in the same community.
Chimpanzees are highly sociable that spend the daylight hours feeding, playing and grooming with other members of the group. Groups (also known as communities) can range in size from 15 to 120 individuals depending on the and the amount of food available. They are highly territorial and do not tolerate outsiders in their midst, often killing an individual that is from another group. Chimpanzee groups have incredibly complex social structures with the dominant males not necessarily being the strongest individuals but more the ones that can rally together the most supporters. Chimpanzees make nests in the trees at night by folding over branches to provide them with a safe platform on which to sleep, with a new nest being constructed every day. Although they spend a lot of time both sleeping and eating in the trees and do move about by swinging from branch to branch, most travel is done using a network of paths on the ground using their knuckles to balance on.
Although bonds within the group can last for many years, there are no long-term bonds between males and females as far as reproduction is concerned. Female Chimpanzees can give birth at any time of year to a single infant that is born after a gestation period that lasts for around eight months. After birth the infant clings onto it's mother's fur and will remain with her solidly for the first few years when the young begins to get more adventurous and starts to explore their surroundings increasingly more on their own. Young Chimpanzees learn the skills they need to survive by watching their mother including what to eat, how to make tools and nest building, along with playing with other young individuals to practise both their grooming and wrestling skills. Females are thought be able to reproduce at 13 years of age where males seem to develop slightly later and breed when they are about 16 years old.
The Chimpanzee is an omnivorous animal that eats hundreds of different types of food. The bulk of their diet is comprised of seasonal fruits, seeds and flowers that are picked from the trees, along with insects such as ants and termites that are extracted from their nests using a stick. However, they are known to eat larger prey too and when working together, sub-groups are able to kill monkeys and birds and have even been known to successfully hunt small antelope. Chimpanzees are the only animals (apart from Orang-Utans and Humans) that don't just use tools but also make them. They are known to strip the leaves and twigs off branches which are then inserted into a termite mound, where the termites crawl onto the branch and the Chimpanzee then licks them off. They are also known to use stones as hammers to open nuts and have even been known to use chewed leaves as a sponge to soak up water, which is then drunk from the leaf.
The hedgehog is thought to be one of the oldest mammals on earth, with estimates dating the hedgehog to around 15 million years ago. It is believed that the hedgehog has changed very little over that period of time. The hedgehog is a small mammal that is predominantly found in Europe, Asia and Africa and the hedgehog has also been artificially introduced to New Zealand.
The hedgehog is commonly around 25 cm long, with the hedgehogs back being covered in spikes. The hedgehog can also protect itself by curling its body into a ball so only the hedgehog spikes are exposed. This method of only exposing the spikes of the hedgehog, keeps the hedgehog safe from predators.
The hedgehog is a that naturally feasts on bugs and . It has been known for to domesticate hedgehogs in their gardens, by feeding the hedgehog year round until the hedgehog goes into in the winter.
There are thought to be 16 different species of hedgehog found around the world although, oddly enough, there are no species of hedgehog that are native to
and no living species of hedgehog that are native to North America.
The spikes of the hedgehog are hollow hairs that are made from the protein keratin (the same stuff that hair and fingernails are made from), and unlike the spikes of the , the spikes of the hedgehog cannot be removed easily. The spikes of the hedgehog also differ from the spikes of the as the hedgehog spikes are not poisonous or barbed.
When baby hedgehogs get to a certain age, the young hedgehog will shed the softer baby spikes that are then replaced with the stronger and darker spikes of the adult hedgehog. Hedgehogs have also been known to shed a number of spikes when the hedgehog is under extreme stress or if the hedgehog is poorly.
All species of hedgehog have evolved to react to their natural surroundings slightly differently. Despite the fact that hedgehog species all commonly roll themselves into a tight ball to expose only their outward pointing spikes, some hedgehog species, such as those hedgehogs inhabiting the regions, will often try to run away from
first leaving their spiky ball defense as a later option. This has led to hedgehogs in different environments to have different . For example, the larger forest hedgehogs are more commonly preyed upon by owls, and , where the smaller hedgehogs that exist in more open areas are hunted by foxes, wolves and weasels.
Hedgehogs are well known for their need to hibernate during the colder winter months although this is not true for every hedgehog species around the world. Whether or not a hedgehog will hibernate, depends on the hedgehog species, the climate in which they live and how much food is available.
Most hedgehog species are loudly vocal and use grunts and snuffles in order to communicate between one another. Some species of hedgehog will also communicate between each other using louder squealing noises.
The larger species of hedgehog give birth to around 3 or 4 baby hedgehogs, but the smaller hedgehog species tend to have slightly larger litters and therefore give birth to 5 to 7 babies. When the hedgehog babies are first born, they are born blind and without their spikes. Although the spikes of the hedgehog babies can been vaguely seen under the skin, the spikes of the baby hedgehog will grow through the skin in a matter of days after the baby hedgehog has been given a thorough clean by the mother hedgehog.
The larger species of hedgehog tend to live longer in the wild than the smaller species of hedgehog as the larger hedgehog species have fewer . The average age of a large hedgehog is around 8 years but the average age of a small hedgehog is about 5 years. Both species have known to live longer in captivity as the risk of has been removed.
The hedgehog is commonly around 25 cm long, with the hedgehogs back being covered in spikes. The hedgehog can also protect itself by curling its body into a ball so only the hedgehog spikes are exposed. This method of only exposing the spikes of the hedgehog, keeps the hedgehog safe from predators.
The hedgehog is a that naturally feasts on bugs and . It has been known for to domesticate hedgehogs in their gardens, by feeding the hedgehog year round until the hedgehog goes into in the winter.
There are thought to be 16 different species of hedgehog found around the world although, oddly enough, there are no species of hedgehog that are native to
and no living species of hedgehog that are native to North America.
The spikes of the hedgehog are hollow hairs that are made from the protein keratin (the same stuff that hair and fingernails are made from), and unlike the spikes of the , the spikes of the hedgehog cannot be removed easily. The spikes of the hedgehog also differ from the spikes of the as the hedgehog spikes are not poisonous or barbed.
When baby hedgehogs get to a certain age, the young hedgehog will shed the softer baby spikes that are then replaced with the stronger and darker spikes of the adult hedgehog. Hedgehogs have also been known to shed a number of spikes when the hedgehog is under extreme stress or if the hedgehog is poorly.
All species of hedgehog have evolved to react to their natural surroundings slightly differently. Despite the fact that hedgehog species all commonly roll themselves into a tight ball to expose only their outward pointing spikes, some hedgehog species, such as those hedgehogs inhabiting the regions, will often try to run away from
first leaving their spiky ball defense as a later option. This has led to hedgehogs in different environments to have different . For example, the larger forest hedgehogs are more commonly preyed upon by owls, and , where the smaller hedgehogs that exist in more open areas are hunted by foxes, wolves and weasels.
Hedgehogs are well known for their need to hibernate during the colder winter months although this is not true for every hedgehog species around the world. Whether or not a hedgehog will hibernate, depends on the hedgehog species, the climate in which they live and how much food is available.
Most hedgehog species are loudly vocal and use grunts and snuffles in order to communicate between one another. Some species of hedgehog will also communicate between each other using louder squealing noises.
The larger species of hedgehog give birth to around 3 or 4 baby hedgehogs, but the smaller hedgehog species tend to have slightly larger litters and therefore give birth to 5 to 7 babies. When the hedgehog babies are first born, they are born blind and without their spikes. Although the spikes of the hedgehog babies can been vaguely seen under the skin, the spikes of the baby hedgehog will grow through the skin in a matter of days after the baby hedgehog has been given a thorough clean by the mother hedgehog.
The larger species of hedgehog tend to live longer in the wild than the smaller species of hedgehog as the larger hedgehog species have fewer . The average age of a large hedgehog is around 8 years but the average age of a small hedgehog is about 5 years. Both species have known to live longer in captivity as the risk of has been removed.
The centipede is a speedy, carnivorous that is found generally around decaying matter all around the world. Centipedes are not only carnivorous but the bite of the centipede also contains venom which means that the centipede kills it's before eating it. Despite their name, and the common conception that a centipede has 100 legs, this is in fact not true. The centipede has pairs of legs that run the length of the body of the centipede, which are normally between 15 and 30 pairs of legs in total and not 50.
There are thought to be around 8,000 species of centipede worldwide, although only about 3,000 have actually been properly documented and undergone intense studying in the scientific world.
The centipede can be found worldwide and has even been spotted inside the Circle. The centipede can range in size from a few millimetres to 30 cm long. The centipede has a bite that will be painful to but not fatal unless the is allergic (like with wasp/bee stings).
The centipede is usually found on land in moist usually under rocks, leaf litter, logs and occasionally in burrows in the ground or rotting wood. The centipede favours damp environments and so is rarely found in the hot and dry regions.
The centipede is one of the most dominant of the world, having claws on their first body segment is one of the centipedes noticeable traits. The centipede is a carnivorous and is therefore a pure meat-eater. Centipedes mainly on
, spiders, earthworms and other small although some large species of centipede have been known to on small and reptiles.
The centipede has a number of in it's natural environment although all the that generally on the centipede are relatively small. , toads, and small such as shrews and mice are the most common
of the centipede. The centipede is also seen by in certain cultures.
Female centipedes lay an average of 60 eggs per clutch which are coated in a sticky substance for protection. The female centipede usually buries her eggs in the soil and some species of centipede are known to nurse their eggs and baby centipedes but not all.
The centipede is one of the oldest on Earth having evolved into the form it is today, millions of years ago. The centipede has been found in fossils dating over 400 million years old.
There are thought to be around 8,000 species of centipede worldwide, although only about 3,000 have actually been properly documented and undergone intense studying in the scientific world.
The centipede can be found worldwide and has even been spotted inside the Circle. The centipede can range in size from a few millimetres to 30 cm long. The centipede has a bite that will be painful to but not fatal unless the is allergic (like with wasp/bee stings).
The centipede is usually found on land in moist usually under rocks, leaf litter, logs and occasionally in burrows in the ground or rotting wood. The centipede favours damp environments and so is rarely found in the hot and dry regions.
The centipede is one of the most dominant of the world, having claws on their first body segment is one of the centipedes noticeable traits. The centipede is a carnivorous and is therefore a pure meat-eater. Centipedes mainly on
, spiders, earthworms and other small although some large species of centipede have been known to on small and reptiles.
The centipede has a number of in it's natural environment although all the that generally on the centipede are relatively small. , toads, and small such as shrews and mice are the most common
of the centipede. The centipede is also seen by in certain cultures.
Female centipedes lay an average of 60 eggs per clutch which are coated in a sticky substance for protection. The female centipede usually buries her eggs in the soil and some species of centipede are known to nurse their eggs and baby centipedes but not all.
The centipede is one of the oldest on Earth having evolved into the form it is today, millions of years ago. The centipede has been found in fossils dating over 400 million years old.
The cockroach, also known as the roach, is found worldwide in every environment and every with the exception of water. The cockroach is one of the most commonly known pests to of the world but plays a vital role in the ingesting decomposing materials. There are thought to be around 4,000 known species of cockroach in existence but only about 30 of the different species of cockroach are the ones that come into contact with. Cockroaches are generally not keen on close contact with and are only really present if there is enough for them to eat.
The cockroach is dated around 300 million years old, with fossil evidence suggesting that the modern cockroach is much smaller than the original roach. Today the cockroach is on average, about an inch long.
The cockroach is an omnivorous and feeds on decaying matter and therefore is often associated with things being dirty (you would not be happy to find them in a restaurant for example). Most cockroach species are with the exception of the oriental cockroach, which is attracted to light. Cockroaches generally only eat organic matter but some have been known to even eat substances such as mouldy wallpaper paste.
Due to it's small size and abundance, the cockroach is to numerous around the world including , spiders, small and. The cockroach is even eaten by in some cultures and regions of the world.
Cockroaches are thought to be able to have up to four litters of young every year. The female cockroach lays between 10 and 90 eggs per time, which hatch in a matter of days. It takes just a month for the baby cockroach to become an adult cockroach. Female cockroaches are distinguishable from male cockroaches as the female cockroaches have a more rounded abdomen.
Unlike most other , the brain of the cockroach is in its body instead of its head. This means that a headless cockroach can live for nearly two weeks and will eventually die from malnutrition and not nerve damage
The cockroach is dated around 300 million years old, with fossil evidence suggesting that the modern cockroach is much smaller than the original roach. Today the cockroach is on average, about an inch long.
The cockroach is an omnivorous and feeds on decaying matter and therefore is often associated with things being dirty (you would not be happy to find them in a restaurant for example). Most cockroach species are with the exception of the oriental cockroach, which is attracted to light. Cockroaches generally only eat organic matter but some have been known to even eat substances such as mouldy wallpaper paste.
Due to it's small size and abundance, the cockroach is to numerous around the world including , spiders, small and. The cockroach is even eaten by in some cultures and regions of the world.
Cockroaches are thought to be able to have up to four litters of young every year. The female cockroach lays between 10 and 90 eggs per time, which hatch in a matter of days. It takes just a month for the baby cockroach to become an adult cockroach. Female cockroaches are distinguishable from male cockroaches as the female cockroaches have a more rounded abdomen.
Unlike most other , the brain of the cockroach is in its body instead of its head. This means that a headless cockroach can live for nearly two weeks and will eventually die from malnutrition and not nerve damage
The beetle is a small sized invertebrate that is known to be incredibly versatile and is found in numerous different shapes and sizes. Beetles are found in nearly every different habitat on Earth and are only absent from the freezing polar regions. The beetle has the largest number of sub-species out of all the insects, with 40% of all recognised insects being classed as beetles. There are more than 350,000 different species of noted beetle, however, scientists estimate the real number is between 4 million and 8 million beetle species.
As with other species of insects, the body of the beetle is comprised of three sections all coated in the hard outer shell, which are the head of the beetle, the thorax of the beetle and the abdomen of the beetle. Beetles also have antennae which are used to understand the surroundings of the beetle and are made of about 10 different sections.
Beetles are believed to play a vital role in whichever ecosystem they are inhabiting mainly as they consume the debris from plants and animals including fallen petals and animal dung. All animals that ingest decomposing material are working wonders for the soil as they are consuming a large proportion of the compounds that would otherwise be absorbed into the soil, such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
The beetle is an omnivorous animals and feeds on whatever it can find but generally plants and fungi and the debris from both plants and animals. Some bigger species of beetle have been known to eat small birds and even small species of mammal. Other species of beetle feed of the dust from wood and therefore enjoy burrowing themselves into trees.
Due to their small size and wide, diverse range, beetles are prey to numerous species of animal from other insects to reptiles, birds, fish and mammals. The exact predators of the beetle however are largely dependent on the size and species of the beetle and the area in which the beetle inhabits.
Recently, the Asian long-horned beetle has been found in number of North American states with the beetle having quickly gained a name for itself as an agricultural pest. The Asian long-horned beetle is a type of bark boring beetle which means that they dig themselves into wood.
As with other species of insects, the body of the beetle is comprised of three sections all coated in the hard outer shell, which are the head of the beetle, the thorax of the beetle and the abdomen of the beetle. Beetles also have antennae which are used to understand the surroundings of the beetle and are made of about 10 different sections.
Beetles are believed to play a vital role in whichever ecosystem they are inhabiting mainly as they consume the debris from plants and animals including fallen petals and animal dung. All animals that ingest decomposing material are working wonders for the soil as they are consuming a large proportion of the compounds that would otherwise be absorbed into the soil, such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
The beetle is an omnivorous animals and feeds on whatever it can find but generally plants and fungi and the debris from both plants and animals. Some bigger species of beetle have been known to eat small birds and even small species of mammal. Other species of beetle feed of the dust from wood and therefore enjoy burrowing themselves into trees.
Due to their small size and wide, diverse range, beetles are prey to numerous species of animal from other insects to reptiles, birds, fish and mammals. The exact predators of the beetle however are largely dependent on the size and species of the beetle and the area in which the beetle inhabits.
Recently, the Asian long-horned beetle has been found in number of North American states with the beetle having quickly gained a name for itself as an agricultural pest. The Asian long-horned beetle is a type of bark boring beetle which means that they dig themselves into wood.
The ant is a small sized invertebrate that is found all around the world, with the exception of the polar regions including the Arctic Circle and Antarctica. As with many other species of insect, there are numerous ant species inhabiting many different environments all around the world. There are more than 12,000 recognised species of ant worldwide, but there are estimated to be nearly 14,000 in total. Ants are thought to have developed from wasp like creatures 100 million years ago after blooming flowers appeared on Earth.
Ants are found in many different sizes and vary in colour depending on the species of ant. Some species of ant even have wings so are able to fly which only extends the range of their territory. In the more humid environment of the tropical jungles of the Southern Hemisphere, the ants are generally of the bigger species, often reaching more than a few centimetres long.
Ants are extremely sociable insects and have a complex social structure where every ant individual has a purpose (effectively a job). Ants live in colonies and have a social structure from the worker ants that gather the materials and food, as well as nursing and caring for the ant larvae (the babies), to the queen ant that runs the nest and is the only female that reproduces in her colony.
The queen ant often can live for over a year which is considerably longer than the lives of the worker ants which only really last for a couple of months. The queen ant produces between 800 and 1,500 eggs per day which are fertilised by the sperm of the male ants which is present in the nest. Remarkably, ant eggs that have not been fertilised will still hatch but produce sterile female ants that become worker ants as they cannot reproduce.
Ants are omnivorous animals and therefore eat a mixture of both plant and animal matter. The diet of the ant primarily consists of leaves, fungi, honey, nectar, small insects and dead animals, although the exact diet of the ant depends on the species. Some ants species have a more herbivorous diet, where other species of ant mainly eat meat.
Due to their abundance and small size, ants have numerous animals that prey on them from tiny insects to reptiles, mammals and fish, and even certain species of plant have also developed ways in which they can digest them.
An ant is said to be able lift up to 50 times its own body weight, and be able to be pull more than 30 times it own body weight. This is the equivalent of an average human adult lifting a fully grown African elephant!
Ants are found in many different sizes and vary in colour depending on the species of ant. Some species of ant even have wings so are able to fly which only extends the range of their territory. In the more humid environment of the tropical jungles of the Southern Hemisphere, the ants are generally of the bigger species, often reaching more than a few centimetres long.
Ants are extremely sociable insects and have a complex social structure where every ant individual has a purpose (effectively a job). Ants live in colonies and have a social structure from the worker ants that gather the materials and food, as well as nursing and caring for the ant larvae (the babies), to the queen ant that runs the nest and is the only female that reproduces in her colony.
The queen ant often can live for over a year which is considerably longer than the lives of the worker ants which only really last for a couple of months. The queen ant produces between 800 and 1,500 eggs per day which are fertilised by the sperm of the male ants which is present in the nest. Remarkably, ant eggs that have not been fertilised will still hatch but produce sterile female ants that become worker ants as they cannot reproduce.
Ants are omnivorous animals and therefore eat a mixture of both plant and animal matter. The diet of the ant primarily consists of leaves, fungi, honey, nectar, small insects and dead animals, although the exact diet of the ant depends on the species. Some ants species have a more herbivorous diet, where other species of ant mainly eat meat.
Due to their abundance and small size, ants have numerous animals that prey on them from tiny insects to reptiles, mammals and fish, and even certain species of plant have also developed ways in which they can digest them.
An ant is said to be able lift up to 50 times its own body weight, and be able to be pull more than 30 times it own body weight. This is the equivalent of an average human adult lifting a fully grown African elephant!
The elephant is the only known mammal that, despite having knee joints, cannot jump! This is thought to be primarily due to the elephants sheer size but also because of the way that the elephants legs are built, they are short and stocky to support the elephants phenomenal weight.
Elephants are herbivores that spend around 22 hours eating! The elephant searches for green leaves in the tree tops but it is not uncommon for the elephant to tear down the tree to get the leaves.
One old elephant related myth is that elephants are afraid of mice. There are a number of theories from where this arose such as the size difference (elephants are one of the biggest land animals, mice are one of the smallest), the fear from the elephant that a mouse could crawl into the elephants trunk and nest, and the fact that mice have been known to crawl over elephants while they are sleeping so they can get to any left over food, are also viable possibilities. Whether or not elephants are actually scared of mice is unknown, however tests show that elephants are definitely not as comfortable with mice around as you might expect.
Elephants are herbivores that spend around 22 hours eating! The elephant searches for green leaves in the tree tops but it is not uncommon for the elephant to tear down the tree to get the leaves.
One old elephant related myth is that elephants are afraid of mice. There are a number of theories from where this arose such as the size difference (elephants are one of the biggest land animals, mice are one of the smallest), the fear from the elephant that a mouse could crawl into the elephants trunk and nest, and the fact that mice have been known to crawl over elephants while they are sleeping so they can get to any left over food, are also viable possibilities. Whether or not elephants are actually scared of mice is unknown, however tests show that elephants are definitely not as comfortable with mice around as you might expect.
- The foot of an elephant has five toes that are buried in the flesh of their feet, with not all the toes of an elephant having toenails.
- The foot of an elephant is formed in such a way that when elephants walk, they are effectively walking on tip toe.
- The underneath of elephants feet is made up of tough and fatty tissue that acts a shock absorber so that elephants can walk more quietly.
- The elephant uses its enormous feet in which to collect small amounts of water and to dig up roots out of the tought ground.
- The foot of an elephant is about half the width of its shoulder, so scientists are able to tell the size of the elephant by looking at the footprint.
- Elephants have 26 teeth in total which includes 24 molars in the mouth of the elephant and the elephants tusks which are actually two incisors.
- The molars in the mouth of the elephant replace themselves six times during their lives with the new molars being larger than the old ones.
- The replacing molars in the mouth of the elephant push the old molars forward to let the new molars grow at the back of the elephants mouth.
- The elephants uses its tusks for digging, ripping bark from trees and foraging, as their tusks are essentially no different from normal teeth.
- The teeth of the elephant are made from ivory, a strong compound that humans seem to have lust for but it has meant that countless elephants have been killed for their teeth alone.
The dugong is a large marine mammal found in the warm waters surrounding Indonesia and Australia. Although the dugong can be found widely throughout the Indo-Pacific tropics, the highest population of the dugong is concentrated around northern Australia. Although the dugong looks extremely similar to a manatee, the two are different species. The dugong and the manatee are very closely related and can look almost identical until you look at their tail. The tail of the dugong is typically forked like the tail of a shark, where the tail of the manatee is broad and flat, and slightly more flipper looking than fin looking.
Dugongs are smaller than manatees with the average adult dugong reaching lengths of around 3 meters and weigh nearly 400 kg, which is about the same as a large cow. The front flippers of the dugong can be as much as half a meter in length.
It is thought the legends of mermaids may have originated when sailors from a distance glimpsed dugongs swimming in the water, and mistook them for half-human half-fish creatures. These mermaid legends are also said to be true of the dugongs larger cousin, the manatee.
Dugongs inhabit the warm shallow waters, and despite their large size, dugongs are strictly herbivorous animals and have been referred to as the cows of the sea. Dugongs graze on sea grasses and aquatic plants that grow in abundance in the tropical shallows. Dugongs eat large amounts of sea plants and often leave feeding trails behind of bare sand and uprooted sea grass.
Female dugongs give birth to just one calf about once every five years. The baby dugong is born underwater in the warm shallows, where the baby dugong is immediately able to swim to the surface in order to take its first breath. When the baby dugong is born, the dugong calf is about a meter in length and weighs about 20 kg. The dugong calf will stay close to its mother until the baby dugong is about 2 years old.
Dugong populations are constantly decreasing, with many dugongs being accidental victims in large commercial fishing. Dugongs are now considered to be vulnerable animals but the dugong will commonly get older than 70 years of age. Dugong calves will not reach their full size until they are about 15 years old.
Dugongs are smaller than manatees with the average adult dugong reaching lengths of around 3 meters and weigh nearly 400 kg, which is about the same as a large cow. The front flippers of the dugong can be as much as half a meter in length.
It is thought the legends of mermaids may have originated when sailors from a distance glimpsed dugongs swimming in the water, and mistook them for half-human half-fish creatures. These mermaid legends are also said to be true of the dugongs larger cousin, the manatee.
Dugongs inhabit the warm shallow waters, and despite their large size, dugongs are strictly herbivorous animals and have been referred to as the cows of the sea. Dugongs graze on sea grasses and aquatic plants that grow in abundance in the tropical shallows. Dugongs eat large amounts of sea plants and often leave feeding trails behind of bare sand and uprooted sea grass.
Female dugongs give birth to just one calf about once every five years. The baby dugong is born underwater in the warm shallows, where the baby dugong is immediately able to swim to the surface in order to take its first breath. When the baby dugong is born, the dugong calf is about a meter in length and weighs about 20 kg. The dugong calf will stay close to its mother until the baby dugong is about 2 years old.
Dugong populations are constantly decreasing, with many dugongs being accidental victims in large commercial fishing. Dugongs are now considered to be vulnerable animals but the dugong will commonly get older than 70 years of age. Dugong calves will not reach their full size until they are about 15 years old.
The manatee is a large marine mammal and the manatee is also commonly known as the sea cow. The manatee is found in warmer waters only in the eastern hemisphere around subtropical regions such as Florida and the Caribbean. The average manatee can often weight more than 500kg and can grow to lengths of over 4.5 meters. Despite their large size it is not uncommon for the manatee to reach more than 70 years old.
The manatee spends most of its time grazing on plants in warm, shallow waters that are seldom deeper than a couple of meters. The manatee is a herbivore and therefore only really feeds on aquatic plants like sea grass and algae but it has been thought that certain species of manatee may eat smaller fish but not necessarily on purpose .
The female manatee generally grows to larger sizes than the male manatee meaning that the female manatee is also heavier than the male manatee. The large size of the manatee makes the manatee one of the biggest mammals in the world, but the manatee obviously has a long way to go before it will be the size of a blue whale!
Manatees inhabit warm, shallow marshlands under water, where the manatee spends a great deal of its time sleeping. As the manatee is indeed a mammal, manatee do not have gills and therefore cannot breathe underwater so the manatee has to resurface regularly in order to take in air.
Manatees usually breed only once every couple of years, with the manatee gestation period lasting about a year. Manatees only give birth to one manatee calf at a time. Mother manatee then spend 12 to 18 months to weaning the manatee calf.
Manatees can often be seen in large herds, often of more than 20 manatee individuals. This however, is quite rare as the manatee is generally a solitary animal and with the exception of the mother manatee nursing her manatee calf, manatees tend to spend most of their time alone.
The manatee has been linked to mermaids in ancient folklore and the people of West Africa, believed the manatees to be sacred so anyone that killed a manatee was a sinner. The people of South America, would hunt manatees for their meat and then use the bones of the manatee to treat basic ailments.
Despite popular belief, the dugong is not another name for the manatee, or even a type of manatee. The dugong inhabits waters close to Australia and although closely related to the manatee, the two have one obvious difference. The tail of the manatee is broad and flat, but the tail of the dugong is forked and therefore more fish-like in appearance.
The manatee spends most of its time grazing on plants in warm, shallow waters that are seldom deeper than a couple of meters. The manatee is a herbivore and therefore only really feeds on aquatic plants like sea grass and algae but it has been thought that certain species of manatee may eat smaller fish but not necessarily on purpose .
The female manatee generally grows to larger sizes than the male manatee meaning that the female manatee is also heavier than the male manatee. The large size of the manatee makes the manatee one of the biggest mammals in the world, but the manatee obviously has a long way to go before it will be the size of a blue whale!
Manatees inhabit warm, shallow marshlands under water, where the manatee spends a great deal of its time sleeping. As the manatee is indeed a mammal, manatee do not have gills and therefore cannot breathe underwater so the manatee has to resurface regularly in order to take in air.
Manatees usually breed only once every couple of years, with the manatee gestation period lasting about a year. Manatees only give birth to one manatee calf at a time. Mother manatee then spend 12 to 18 months to weaning the manatee calf.
Manatees can often be seen in large herds, often of more than 20 manatee individuals. This however, is quite rare as the manatee is generally a solitary animal and with the exception of the mother manatee nursing her manatee calf, manatees tend to spend most of their time alone.
The manatee has been linked to mermaids in ancient folklore and the people of West Africa, believed the manatees to be sacred so anyone that killed a manatee was a sinner. The people of South America, would hunt manatees for their meat and then use the bones of the manatee to treat basic ailments.
Despite popular belief, the dugong is not another name for the manatee, or even a type of manatee. The dugong inhabits waters close to Australia and although closely related to the manatee, the two have one obvious difference. The tail of the manatee is broad and flat, but the tail of the dugong is forked and therefore more fish-like in appearance.
The Liger is the largest of the world's felines, known to grow up to 12ft tall when standing on their hind legs. Created by the mating of a male Lion with a female Tiger, Ligers tend to far exceed the size of both of their parents and although they share similar characteristics with both of them, the Liger tends to be more like a Lion rather than a Tiger. A Tigon is the result of breeding a female Lion with a male Tiger, with this animal tending to be less like a Lion having more Tiger-like qualities. Due to the fact though that Lions and Tigers live in different areas of the world, it is very unlikely that Ligers (or Tigons) would occur naturally in the wild. Today there are a handful of Ligers found in zoos around the world, which are a result of either accidental or deliberate Human intervention.
The Liger is an enormous animal with a large muscular body and broad head. Ligers tend to have sandy or dark yellow fur which is covered in the distinctive faint stripes inherited from their mother. Although other variations in fur colour have been known (including white when their mother is a White Tiger), the Liger generally has a more Lion-like appearance including the manes of the males. Although a Liger's mane is not as big or as impressive as that of an adult Lion, they can grow quite large on some individuals but it is not uncommon for a male Liger to have no mane at all. Along with their stripes which tend to be most noticeable around their hind quarters, the Liger may also inherit the spots found on the backs of Tiger's ears along with the tufted fur around their chins.
Historically it could have been possible although rare, for a male Lion to mate with a female Tiger in the wild to produce Liger offspring. This is because the Asiatic Lion once roamed across a much larger portion of Asia meaning that they could have more easily wandered into a Tiger's territory. Today however, Tigers are only found in the dense jungles of Asia where they are being pushed into smaller and smaller pockets of their natural habitat. Lions on the other hand, are found patrolling the African grasslands with the exception of the few remaining Asiatic Lions, who are found in a remote forest in India where there are no Tigers. Sadly, although the natural habitat of the Liger would probably be fairly similar to that of a Tiger, the world's only known Ligers are found in caged enclosures.
Despite their gigantic size and the fact that their parents are two of the planet's most ferocious predators, the Liger is known to have a relatively gentle and docile nature particularly when interacting with handlers. They have however been reported to be slightly confused as to whether or not they are Lions or Tigers as their most bewildering characteristic is the fact that they seem to love water. In the wild, it is not uncommon for Tigers to enter water either to catch prey or to cool down in the heat and so they are naturally good swimmers, which is something that the Liger seems to have inherited. Lions do not like water however and so it is often reported that it does take some time for the Liger to take to it's water loving lifestyle. Another odd thing is the fact that the Liger appears to make both Lion and Tiger noises but it's roar is more like that of a Lion's.
Most Ligers are created through the accidental introduction of Lions and Tigers in the same enclosure although it can take up to a year for the two to mate. After mating the male Lion with the female Tiger, the Tiger gives birth to a litter of between 2 and 4 Liger cubs after a gestation period that lasts for about 100 days. As with the young of other large felines, the Liger cubs are born blind and are incredibly vulnerable, relying heavily on their mother for their first 6 months of life. As with Lion cubs, young Ligers have darker spots on their fur which helps to provide them with extra camouflage. However, as with some adult Lions, these spots often remain on Ligers and are most prominent on their underside. Many Liger cubs are sadly born with birth defects and often don't survive for longer than a week.
Like the rest of the world's felines, the Liger is a carnivorous animal meaning that it hunts and kills other animals in order to gain it's nutrition. Although the wild diet of the Liger can only be presumed, it is thought to be similar to that of a Tiger mainly hunting larger herbivores including Deer, Wild Boar and (due to their immense size) possibly small or vulnerable Asian Elephants. In captivity they tend to eat an average of 20lbs of meat a day but it is thought that a Liger would easily devour 100lbs worth of food in one sitting. The Liger has an enormous and incredibly strong jaw with sharp, pointed teeth which are ideal for tearing through flesh. Ligers also have very muscular bodies and sharp claws which also help them to catch and eat their prey
If they were found in the wild, the Liger would be the most dominant predator in their environment and would therefore have no natural predators to worry about, with the obvious exception of Humans. Much like Lions and Tigers, Ligers would be subjected to both hunting for trophies and their fur, along with severe habitat loss throughout much of what would be their natural range. In captivity, many Liger cubs are born with fatal birth defects due to the fact that it is the result of cross-breeding of two different species. Another problem to consider is the unnatural nature in which Ligers are both bred and kept all around the world. As it is highly unlikely that Ligers can occur in the wild today, they are merely being bred and kept by zoos in order to make money.
Although like many other hybrids Ligers tend to be sterile, it has been known for a female Liger to be able to produce offspring but a fertile male Liger has never been recorded. She will either be bred with a male Lion or a male Tiger to either produce a litter of Li-Liger or Ti-Liger offspring depending on the species of the father. One of the most famous Ligers is a Hollywood creation named Hercules, who is the offspring of a male Lion and a female Tiger in an institute in Florida. At the age of three he stood at 10ft tall when on his hind legs and weighed half a ton. Another reason as to why Ligers would be rarely produced in the wild is that if a male Lion and a female Tiger came across one another, they are much more likely to fight to defend their territory or avoid one another completely in order to risk getting hurt.
The Liger has been bred by people since the early 19th century when a litter of Liger cubs was born in Asia in 1824. It was more than 100 years however until the next recorded litter which was in a zoo in South Africa just before World War II. Although Ligers are known to be quite even tempered, there remains a great deal of controversy over the cross-breeding of two different animal species, particularly when it is so highly unlikely to occur without Human intervention. Today there are a number of Ligers found in zoos and animal institutes around the world, who are bred (generally by accident) and kept as a money-making attraction.
As there is no real scientific name assigned to the Liger due to the fact that it is made from cross-breeding two separate species artificially, and that is it is not found in the wild, the Liger has no conservation status. The Liger is found in only a handful of enclosures on the planet but they remain frowned upon by many as they do not exist in the wild and therefore have no value as such to conservation. Tigons are more rarely found than Ligers today however, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries there were more of them than there were Ligers. The breeding of Ligers is now banned in a number of countries around the world.
The Bengal tiger (also known as the Royal Bengal tiger) is a subspecies of tiger, found across the Indian subcontinent. The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh and is considered to be the second largest tiger in the world. The Bengal tiger is the most numerous species of tiger in Asia and is found in dense forests and mangrove swamps and jungles throughout India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, although the Bengal tiger's range today is much smaller than it once was.
The Bengal tiger is considered to be the second largest species of tiger, although recent reports suggest that the Bengal tiger is on average, larger than the Siberian tiger. The Bengal tiger has a yellow or light orange coat, with black or dark brown stripes and a white belly.
The white tiger is a Bengal tiger that has mutated genes, meaning that it is white in colour with black stripes. Black tigers are known to have black fur with lighter coloured stripes but are even rarer than the white tiger.
The Bengal tiger is a dominant and carnivorous predator, hunting its prey by stalking it until the Bengal tiger has the opportunity to catch it off guard. Bengal tigers primarily hunt larger mammals including deer, wild boar, cattle and goats.
Due to the size and power of the Bengal tiger, it has no natural predators in its native environment. Humans that hunt the Bengal tiger and habitat loss are the only threats to the Bengal tiger.
After a gestation period of 3 to 4 months, the female Bengal tiger gives birth to up to 5 cubs. Newborn Bengal tiger cubs weigh about 1 kg (2 lb) and are blind and helpless. The mother feeds them milk for about 2 months and then the Bengal tiger cubs are introduced to meat. Bengal tiger cubs depend on their mother for the first 18 months and then they start hunting on their own.
Today, due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, and hunting by human poachers, the Bengal tiger is considered to be an endangered species. Despite being the most common of all the tiger species, there are thought to be around 2,000 Bengal tigers left in the wild.
The Bengal tiger is considered to be the second largest species of tiger, although recent reports suggest that the Bengal tiger is on average, larger than the Siberian tiger. The Bengal tiger has a yellow or light orange coat, with black or dark brown stripes and a white belly.
The white tiger is a Bengal tiger that has mutated genes, meaning that it is white in colour with black stripes. Black tigers are known to have black fur with lighter coloured stripes but are even rarer than the white tiger.
The Bengal tiger is a dominant and carnivorous predator, hunting its prey by stalking it until the Bengal tiger has the opportunity to catch it off guard. Bengal tigers primarily hunt larger mammals including deer, wild boar, cattle and goats.
Due to the size and power of the Bengal tiger, it has no natural predators in its native environment. Humans that hunt the Bengal tiger and habitat loss are the only threats to the Bengal tiger.
After a gestation period of 3 to 4 months, the female Bengal tiger gives birth to up to 5 cubs. Newborn Bengal tiger cubs weigh about 1 kg (2 lb) and are blind and helpless. The mother feeds them milk for about 2 months and then the Bengal tiger cubs are introduced to meat. Bengal tiger cubs depend on their mother for the first 18 months and then they start hunting on their own.
Today, due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, and hunting by human poachers, the Bengal tiger is considered to be an endangered species. Despite being the most common of all the tiger species, there are thought to be around 2,000 Bengal tigers left in the wild.
The Indochinese tiger (also known as the Corbett's tiger) is a subspecies of tiger, found throughout south-east Asia. The Indochinese tiger is now an endangered species and actually thought to be extinct in the Chinese wild today. The Indochinese tiger is found throughout Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Burma and Vietnam, although the Indochinese tiger's range is much smaller now than it once was and no Indochinese tigers have been seen in the wild in China since 2007.
The Indochinese tiger is a medium sized species of tiger that is found inhabiting the secluded forests in the mountainous regions that generally lie along the borders between countries. This makes studying the Indochinese tiger very difficult so not much is known about them.
The Malayan tigers found in Malaysia and parts of Thailand, were once thought to be the same as the Indochinese tiger and it was only recently that the two were classified as separate subspecies.
The Indochinese tiger is a dominant and carnivorous predator, hunting it's prey by stalking it until the Indochinese tiger has the opportunity to catch it off guard. Indochinese tigers primarily hunt larger mammals including deer, wild boar, cattle and goats.
Due to the size and power of the Indochinese tiger, it has no natural predators in its native environment. Humans that hunt the Indochinese tiger and habitat loss are the only threats to the Indochinese tiger.
After a gestation period of 3 to 4 months, the female Indochinese tiger gives birth to up to 5 cubs. Newborn Indochinese tiger cubs weigh about 1 kg (2 lb) and are blind and helpless. The mother feeds them milk for about 2 months and then the Indochinese tiger cubs are introduced to meat. Indochinese tiger cubs depend on their mother for the first 18 months and then they start hunting on their own.
Today, due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, and hunting by human poachers, the Indochinese tiger is considered to be an endangered species. Modern estimates suggest that the current wild Indochinese tiger population is between 1,200 and 1,800 individuals.
The Indochinese tiger is a medium sized species of tiger that is found inhabiting the secluded forests in the mountainous regions that generally lie along the borders between countries. This makes studying the Indochinese tiger very difficult so not much is known about them.
The Malayan tigers found in Malaysia and parts of Thailand, were once thought to be the same as the Indochinese tiger and it was only recently that the two were classified as separate subspecies.
The Indochinese tiger is a dominant and carnivorous predator, hunting it's prey by stalking it until the Indochinese tiger has the opportunity to catch it off guard. Indochinese tigers primarily hunt larger mammals including deer, wild boar, cattle and goats.
Due to the size and power of the Indochinese tiger, it has no natural predators in its native environment. Humans that hunt the Indochinese tiger and habitat loss are the only threats to the Indochinese tiger.
After a gestation period of 3 to 4 months, the female Indochinese tiger gives birth to up to 5 cubs. Newborn Indochinese tiger cubs weigh about 1 kg (2 lb) and are blind and helpless. The mother feeds them milk for about 2 months and then the Indochinese tiger cubs are introduced to meat. Indochinese tiger cubs depend on their mother for the first 18 months and then they start hunting on their own.
Today, due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, and hunting by human poachers, the Indochinese tiger is considered to be an endangered species. Modern estimates suggest that the current wild Indochinese tiger population is between 1,200 and 1,800 individuals.
The White Tiger (also known as the White Bengal Tiger) is a subspecies of Tiger, found throughout the Indian subcontinent. Although the range of the White Tiger is historically very large, these animals are incredibly rare as their colouration is dependent on a defective, recessive gene that is passed on from their parents. Over the past couple of centuries the White Tiger has become even rarer in the wild due to trophy hunting or capture for the exotic pet trade, with there having been no recorded sightings of these elusive predators for the past 50 years. Today, the White Tiger can still be found in a handful of zoos and animal sanctuaries around the world with these large and beautiful felines often being the star attraction. Along with the Bengal Tiger, the White Tiger is considered to be the second largest species of Tiger in the world after the Siberian Tiger.
The White Tiger is a large and powerful animal that can weigh up to 300kg and reaches more than 3 meters in length. Unlike the white variations found in other animal species, the White Tiger is not an albino as they still carry some form of pigment that creates their fur colour, as some individuals are known to retain an orange tinge to their white coloured fur. Like other Tiger species, the White Tiger has black or dark brown stripes that run vertically along it's body, the pattern of which is unique to both the Tiger species and the individual. Along with the change in fur colour, the gene carried by the White Tiger's parents also means that they have blue eyes rather than the green or yellow coloured eyes of normal Bengal Tigers. Despite the beauty of the White Tiger's fur, it does in fact give these individuals a disadvantage as they are not so easily camouflaged into the surrounding jungle.
The White Tiger would once have been found throughout much of India and the surrounding countries but their range has decreased dramatically, particularly over the past 100 years or so. Today the Bengal Tiger is found in small pockets of it's natural habitat in India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and although populations are severely declining, they remain the most numerous Tiger species in the world. They are found in a variety of habitats including tropical forests, mangrove swamps and moist jungles that generally support dense vegetation and have a good source of fresh water. Although the White Tiger could once be found in the wild, it is very rare for the gene carrying parents to actually mate, and with the rapidly declining numbers of Bengal Tigers throughout their natural range, the chances of White Tigers being produced are becoming less every day.
Like other Tiger species, the White Tiger is a solitary animal as this allows this large predator to sneak up on prey more effectively in the dense jungle. Although the White Tiger is not nocturnal, they do the majority of their hunting at night as this also helps them to hunt more successfully. White Tigers have incredible hearing and sight which, along with their stealth, helps them when hunting in the jungle in the dark. Each Tiger occupies a large territory that is marked by urine and claw marks on trees, and can be up to 75 square miles in size. Despite the fact that they are solitary animals except for during the mating season, male White Tiger territories can overlap with those of a number of females', particularly in areas which are high in prey. Male White Tigers will however, defend their patch fiercely from other males who may be trying to steal their spot.
In order for a White Tiger to be produced, both of it's parents must carry the gene. Male and female White Tigers are attracted to one another by their roars and scent marks, and once mated, the male and female go their separate ways. After a gestation period that lasts for around 3 and a half months, the female White Tiger gives birth to up to 5 cubs, which are blind and weigh roughly 1kg each and can have either white or orange fur. The White Tiger cubs suckle on the milk from their mother and begin to eat meat that she has caught for them when they are around 2 months old, and are weaned four months later. The White Tiger cubs begin to accompany their mother hunting and eventually leave her and begin their solitary life in the jungle when they are about 18 months of age. White Tigers have an average lifespan of 12 years, which can be longer in captivity.
In the same way as other Tiger species, the White Tiger is a carnivorous animal meaning that it only hunts and eats other animals in order to gain the nutrition that it needs. The White Tiger is an apex predator in it's environment, hunting it's prey by stalking it stealthily in the darkness of night. The White Tiger primarily hunts large, herbivorous animals including Deer, Wild Boar, Cattle and Goats that feed both in the jungle and on it's outskirts. The White Tiger has a number of adaptations to help it to both catch and kill it's prey, including being strong and powerful, incredibly fast, and having long and sharp claws and teeth.With growing Human settlements pushing the White Bengal Tiger into smaller and smaller pockets of it's historical range, they are also commonly known to hunt and kill livestock, with entrances into villages also becoming increasingly common.
In it's natural environment, the White Tiger has no predators due to the fact that it is such a big and powerful animal itself. They are however severely affected by people and have been for hundreds of years, as they have been both captured and hunted for their beauty, and have lost a significant chunk of their historical range to deforestation for both growing Human settlements and agriculture. With the loss in forest, there is also a decline in the White Tiger's prey so populations are becoming increasingly harder to sustain. The fact that the few Bengal Tigers that remain in the wild are becoming more and more isolated means that there is less of a chance that White Tigers will be produced, and this coupled with the severe declines in population numbers could mean that White Tigers have disappeared from the wild forever.
Oddly enough, the White Tiger is thought to have a slightly shorter life expectancy than the normal Bengal Tiger. Although there is no evidence of this in the wild, captive studies conclude that it is due to the White Tiger's mutated genes and to the inbreeding that is required to continue breeding the White Tiger in captivity. One of the biggest reasons for White Tiger's becoming rarer and rarer in the wild is the fact that they were often captured by the rich, who kept them as an incredibly exotic pet. The White Tiger is one of the most versatile and adaptable predators in the Asian jungle as they are not only incredibly quick and agile at running, but they are also very capable swimmers, allowing them to breech natural boundaries such as rivers and wetland.
Since they were first brought into captivity, White Tigers have been interbred by Humans in a business that is morally questionable and purely profit based. Since then, this already rare animal is thought to have disappeared completely as there have been no confirmed White Tiger reports since the mid 1900s. Although it is simply a question of two gene carrying individuals mating, the fact that people have hunted them and taken over much of their natural habitat, means that the chances of this happening are not very high. There is an issue however, with increasing instances of Bengal Tigers actually entering Human settlements which causes problems between the Tiger and the villagers. Due to the fact that Tigers are becoming increasingly more vulnerable animals, it is illegal to shoot them and so they often return to the same village night after night.
The White Tiger is a Bengal Tiger which is a species listed by the IUCN as Endangered and therefore severely threatened in it's surrounding environment. Estimates of around 100,000 Tigers found in the jungles and mangrove swamps of Asia were made at the beginning of the 1900s, but today there are thought to be less than 8,000 Tigers in the wild, with around 2,000 of these being Bengal Tigers. There are no White Tiger individuals known to be found outside of captivity.
Cats (domestic cats) seem to date back to around ancient Egyptian times, when they were worshiped and heralded as sacred animals to the Gods in Egypt. The cat has since become an honored and valued member of family homes worldwide. A cats senses are superior amongst the animal world, with exceptional sight, smell and taste, cats are able to subtly sneak up on, and catch their prey with immense success.
Despite the cats unbeatable night-vision, a cats eyesight during the day is actually not too dissimilar from a humans! Due to this, cats are more nocturnal hunters looking for small rodents and birds.
The average domestic cat sleeps for around 18 hours a day and tends to spend their waking time hunting for food. Despite wild cats being solitary animals, the domestic cat is known to enjoy attention from humans and other animals and will often even get on well with some dogs.
Despite the cats unbeatable night-vision, a cats eyesight during the day is actually not too dissimilar from a humans! Due to this, cats are more nocturnal hunters looking for small rodents and birds.
The average domestic cat sleeps for around 18 hours a day and tends to spend their waking time hunting for food. Despite wild cats being solitary animals, the domestic cat is known to enjoy attention from humans and other animals and will often even get on well with some dogs.
- Cats have soft pads on the bottom of their paws to enable them to move smoothly and run quickly.
- Cats have sharp claws to help the cat to grip when running and climbing trees.
- Sharp claws and soft pads allow the cat to hold onto and grip its prey effectively.
- The sharp claws of the cat are retractable which allows them to remain sharp as they avoid contact with the ground when it is not needed.
- Cats are able to walk very precisely as they put their back paws in place of the front paws, helping to minimise noise and visible tracks.
- Cats have highly specialised teeth which allows them to both bite and tear meat apart.
- The front set of teeth in the mouth of the cat are well developed and act efficiently to shear meat apart, like a pair of scissors.
- Cats have tiny hooks or spikes on their tongue which helps the cat to get any remaining meat from bones.
- The hooked tongue of the cat is very beneficial so that the cat is able to clean itself effectively.
- The average adult cat has 30 teeth which include 12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 premolars and 4 molars.
The lynx is a member of the cat family and one of the bigger felines of North America. Lynx are best known for their short stubby tails and the long tufts of black hair on the ears of a lynx. There are three different types of lynx with these being the North America lynx found in Canada and Alaska, the European lynx found in Spain and Portugal and the Asian lynx which is found in Turkestan and central Asia.
The North American lynx is the biggest species of lynx and some of these lynx individuals have extremely thick and fluffy looking fur which keeps the lynx warm in the freezing Canadian winter. The European and Asian lynx species are much smaller in size and have personalities that resemble those of a domestic cat, rather than a large feline.
The lynx tends to inhabit dense shrub and grasslands in the forests of North America and parts of Eurasia. The lynx hunt small mammals, birds and fish, and the lynx are prey to few predators.
Although the lynx is a ground mammal, lynx are often known to climb trees or swim in order to catch their prey. Lynx hunt small mammals, birds and fish but prefer to hunt larger mammals like reindeer, deer and elk if the lynx can find and catch them.
The lynx has large paws which help the lynx to balance and also give the lynx more power when pursuing potential meals. The lynx also has extremely acute hearing which allows the lynx to hear oncoming prey and predators over long distances, and the lynx also has a strong jaw and sharp teeth which the lynx uses to bite down on its prey.
Lynx are usually solitary animals and will spend their time both hunting and resting alone, however a small group of lynx may travel and hunt together occasionally. Lynx mating takes place in the late winter and the female lynx will give birth to two to six kittens after a gestation period of about 70 days. Female lynx will usually give birth to a litter a year. The young lynx kittens stay with the mother lynx for around nine months meaning that the lynx kittens will have the mother lynx to watch over them during their first winter. The lynx kittens then move out to live on their own as young adults. It is known that adult lynx will give their young the prey to play with it before they eat it as this thought to develop their hunting skills.
Lynx live in dens in rock crevices or under ledges which gives the lynx a safe place to rest as well as a home for when the lynx kittens arrive and need safely looking after. Lynx do not normally take their kill back to their den, the main exception to this is when the mother lynx is providing for her lynx kittens. Lynx children love to wrestle with each other.
The North American lynx is the biggest species of lynx and some of these lynx individuals have extremely thick and fluffy looking fur which keeps the lynx warm in the freezing Canadian winter. The European and Asian lynx species are much smaller in size and have personalities that resemble those of a domestic cat, rather than a large feline.
The lynx tends to inhabit dense shrub and grasslands in the forests of North America and parts of Eurasia. The lynx hunt small mammals, birds and fish, and the lynx are prey to few predators.
Although the lynx is a ground mammal, lynx are often known to climb trees or swim in order to catch their prey. Lynx hunt small mammals, birds and fish but prefer to hunt larger mammals like reindeer, deer and elk if the lynx can find and catch them.
The lynx has large paws which help the lynx to balance and also give the lynx more power when pursuing potential meals. The lynx also has extremely acute hearing which allows the lynx to hear oncoming prey and predators over long distances, and the lynx also has a strong jaw and sharp teeth which the lynx uses to bite down on its prey.
Lynx are usually solitary animals and will spend their time both hunting and resting alone, however a small group of lynx may travel and hunt together occasionally. Lynx mating takes place in the late winter and the female lynx will give birth to two to six kittens after a gestation period of about 70 days. Female lynx will usually give birth to a litter a year. The young lynx kittens stay with the mother lynx for around nine months meaning that the lynx kittens will have the mother lynx to watch over them during their first winter. The lynx kittens then move out to live on their own as young adults. It is known that adult lynx will give their young the prey to play with it before they eat it as this thought to develop their hunting skills.
Lynx live in dens in rock crevices or under ledges which gives the lynx a safe place to rest as well as a home for when the lynx kittens arrive and need safely looking after. Lynx do not normally take their kill back to their den, the main exception to this is when the mother lynx is providing for her lynx kittens. Lynx children love to wrestle with each other.
The cougar is native to the Americas, particularly south America and western North America and is often known by other names such as mountain lion, puma and panther. Cougars can be found mainly in the mountain regions of Canada and Mexico, but as the name cougar is often used to describe an un-spotted leopard, cougars are also found in Asia and Africa. The cougar is the fourth biggest feline in the world behind the lion, tiger and jaguar, making the cougar the second largest cat in the Americas. The cougar has longer back than front legs and a long heavy body.
Cougars prey on large mammals such as moose, deer, elk and stray wolves and can often go for long periods of time without food. Cougars are also well known for their amazing ability to jump up to 30ft.
Cougars tend to have between 1 and 4 cubs, generally during the spring and summer time when the adult cougars are hunting well again after the harsh winters. A cougar typically lives until its about 20 years old.
Due to the cougars vast range, the cougar is known in different places by different names. Until the late 1990s there were thought to be 32 different species of cougar inhabiting both North and South America. Recent studies however, have shown that the DNA of the majority of the 32 cougar species was too similar. There are therefore only 5 different species of cougar found on the American continent.
Today the cougar is only found in parts of Florida in North East America and the cougars range on the west coast has been dramatically reduced by human interference. The cougar is most commonly found in the Canadian Rockies and the more mountainous regions of Southern Mexico.
Cougars prey on large mammals such as moose, deer, elk and stray wolves and can often go for long periods of time without food. Cougars are also well known for their amazing ability to jump up to 30ft.
Cougars tend to have between 1 and 4 cubs, generally during the spring and summer time when the adult cougars are hunting well again after the harsh winters. A cougar typically lives until its about 20 years old.
Due to the cougars vast range, the cougar is known in different places by different names. Until the late 1990s there were thought to be 32 different species of cougar inhabiting both North and South America. Recent studies however, have shown that the DNA of the majority of the 32 cougar species was too similar. There are therefore only 5 different species of cougar found on the American continent.
Today the cougar is only found in parts of Florida in North East America and the cougars range on the west coast has been dramatically reduced by human interference. The cougar is most commonly found in the Canadian Rockies and the more mountainous regions of Southern Mexico.
The Bobcat is a medium-sized wildcat that is found in a variety of habitats across the southern half of North America. They are widespread and adaptable predators that are closely related to the larger and more northerly dwelling Canadian Lynx with the biggest difference being that the Bobcat only has a small "bobbed" tail, from which it gets it's name. Measuring about double the size of a domestic cat, the Bobcat has the greatest range of all North American felines but their secretive nature means that they are seldom seen by people. There are currently twelve recognised sub-species of Bobcat which vary in their colouration and geographic range, with individuals found in mountainous forest being darker with more markings than their lighter-coloured cousins that are found in more arid, semi-desert regions.
Due to the fact that the Bobcat belongs to the same family as the Lynx, they are similar in appearance but not at all the same. The Bobcat is smaller in size and has smaller feet and ear tufts than the Canadian Lynx, and often tends to be darker in colour. Bobcats have beige to brown or reddish fur that is mottled or spotted with the intensity of these markings depending on the individual and where it lives (those found in more open, arid areas tend to have fewer markings than those found amongst dense cover). The underside of the Bobcat is white so the darker spots are more distinctive and they also have a white tip to their short, black tail, which only grows to around 15cm in length . Like the larger Lynx, the Bobcat has ear tufts that are thought to heighten their hearing along with also having a ruff of longer fur around it's face.
The Bobcat is the most widely distributed of all North American felines and is found across North America from southern parts of Canada right down to southern Mexico. They are incredibly versatile animals that have adapted to living in a variety of different habitats throughout the three different countries. Although Bobcats are known to prefer rocky hillsides that are well-vegetated, they are found in numerous different habitats throughout their natural range including mountain woodlands, coniferous forest, swampland, deserts and even in suburban areas in some places. The exact appearance of the Bobcat depends on what kind of habitat it is found in as the differing coat colours allow the individual to remain as camouflaged as possible in it's surroundings. The historical range of the Bobcat once extended right across North America but the capture of them for their fur and loss of their natural habitat has led to the disappearance of them in some areas.
The Bobcat is solitary and nocturnal animal that is most active in the darkness of night, tending to hunt most during dawn and dusk. During the day, Bobcats sleep and rest in dens in the form of a rock crevice or hollow tree with one individual having a number of dens within it's home range. Bobcats are highly territorial and mark their ranges with scents from their urine and faeces and distinctive claw marks on trees to alert others of their presence. Males patrol a large home range which often overlaps a number of smaller female territories but the two will not interact until the breeding season which begins in the winter. At other times of the year though, Bobcats tend to avoid one another to reduce the chances of them being injured in a fight.
Bobcats can only be found together during the breeding season when both males and females can mate with multiple partners and after a gestation period that last for 8 - 10 weeks, the female Bobcat gives birth to a litter of up to 6 kittens in a safe and secluded den. Bobcat kittens are born blind and open their eyes after about 10 days, feeding on their mother's milk until they are old enough to begin consuming meat. Most births occur in the late winter or early spring with Bobcat kittens usually remaining with their mother until the next winter when they are around eight months old and have learnt how to hunt independently. Female Bobcats tend to have a single litter every year and after mating, the male Bobcat plays no part in rearing the young.
The Bobcat is a carnivorous feline meaning that it only hunts and eats other animals in order to gain the nutrients that it needs to survive. Bobcats mainly hunt small mammals like Rabbits, Hares and Mice along with Birds close to the ground and the occasional Lizard. During the harsher winter months they are also known to hunt larger animals including Deer and will also feed on fresh carrion. The Bobcat is an incredibly elusive predator that hunts it's prey by stalking it silently in the dark before pouncing on it with incredible force, and despite their size, Bobcats are known to be able to kill animals that are much larger than themselves. In areas where growing Human settlements have encroached on the Bobcat's natural habitat, they have also been known to take occasional livestock such as poultry and sheep.
The Bobcat is a fierce and dominant predator in it's natural habitat with adult Bobcats therefore being threatened by few animals, the biggest concern to them being Cougars and Wolves. The small and vulnerable Bobcat kittens however, are preyed upon by a number of predators including Coyotes and Owls that are able to hunt the kittens whilst there mother has gone off to hunt. The biggest threat to Bobcat populations throughout North America is people that have previously hunted the Bobcat to near extinction in some areas for their soft fur. In areas where Bobcats are now forced to share their natural ranges with growing numbers of people, they have also been hunted by farmers who fear for their livestock. Despite the fact that they are very adaptable animals, Bobcats are also been threatened by habitat loss with populations being pushed into smaller and more isolated regions of their once vast natural range.
The Bobcat is also known as the Red Lynx due to the fact that the two are very similar in appearance but the Bobcat tends to be much darker and richer in colour than their northern relatives. They are incredibly secretive yet powerful animals that are able to pounce on their prey from up to three meters away before delivering a fatal bite, allowing Bobcats to also hunt animals that may be up to double their own size. Although Bobcats are generally quiet and not greatly vocal animals, the fierce growls and snarls that they make when they are hiding often leads people to believe that there is a Mountain Lion in the area.
Bobcats have historically dominated a wide variety of habitats across North America with the Bobcat known to people all over the continent, having roots in Native American folklore and in tales of the first European settlers in the Northern USA and Canada. However, the beauty, softness and density of the Bobcat's fur lead to an increased value in their pelts and therefore the hunting of them from the early to mid 1900s that completely decimated populations particularly in the mid-western and eastern USA. Although they are now internationally protected, the hunting of Bobcats still continues in some areas, particularly those with the densest populations. They are also seen as pests by farmers that hunt Bobcats to protect their livestock, particularly in Mexico where it has led to the Mexican Bobcat being listed as an Endangered species.
Today, the Bobcat is listed by the IUCN as an animal that is of Least Concern from becoming extinct in it's native environment in the near future. Since the international protection of the Bobcat in the 1970s put an end to the extensive trading of their fur, populations have been able to recover and are stable throughout much of their natural range. However, in areas where there is increasing levels of Human activity, numbers are still declining due to both hunting and habitat loss. There are estimated to be between 800,000 and 1,200,000 Bobcat individuals left in the wild of North America.
The mountain lion is one of the biggest species cat native to the mountains of the Americas. The mountain lion is thought to be a subspecies of cougar that is strictly confined to the mountainous areas. The mountain lion is a highly adaptive feline, able to withstand the harsh conditions in the Rocky and Andes mountains. The mountain lion does not hibernate and therefore the mountain lions undergo uncompromising winters.
Mountain lions tend to hunt rabbits, hares and larger birds, and without doubt deer and elk if they were to come across it. The mountain lion has no real natural predators although the mountain lion needs to be wary of bears due to the bears severe size advantage.
Female mountain lions tend to have one litter of kittens every two or three years. The female mountain lion kitten litter size can range from one mountain lion kitten to six. Female mountain lions are extremely protective over their mountain lion kittens and some female mountain lion individuals have been known to fight to off large mammals, including grizzly bears, with success.
Baby mountain lions are born blind, and these mountain lion kittens are completely dependent on their mother at first until the mountain lion kittens are around three months of age. As the mountain lion kittens grow, they begin to go out with their mother, first visiting kill sites, and after six months, the mountain lion kittens begin to hunt small prey on their own.
Mountain lions tend to hunt rabbits, hares and larger birds, and without doubt deer and elk if they were to come across it. The mountain lion has no real natural predators although the mountain lion needs to be wary of bears due to the bears severe size advantage.
Female mountain lions tend to have one litter of kittens every two or three years. The female mountain lion kitten litter size can range from one mountain lion kitten to six. Female mountain lions are extremely protective over their mountain lion kittens and some female mountain lion individuals have been known to fight to off large mammals, including grizzly bears, with success.
Baby mountain lions are born blind, and these mountain lion kittens are completely dependent on their mother at first until the mountain lion kittens are around three months of age. As the mountain lion kittens grow, they begin to go out with their mother, first visiting kill sites, and after six months, the mountain lion kittens begin to hunt small prey on their own.
Fish are found in every ocean, lake, river and stream in all corners of the globe, in many sizes, colours and species. Most fish (depending on size) tend to eat plankton in the water, insects and smaller fish. Fish respire through gills in the sides of their heads, allowing the fish to breath underwater. Fish return to the water surface for air at varying intervals. The electric eel fish can go for up to 10 minutes without resurfacing for air.
Due to the bright colours of fish, and the fact that fish are extremely peaceful animals, many people today now keep all kinds of fish in tanks and ponds.
Due to the bright colours of fish, and the fact that fish are extremely peaceful animals, many people today now keep all kinds of fish in tanks and ponds.
The Adelie Penguin is the smallest and most widely distributed species of Penguin in the Southern Ocean and is one of only two species of Penguin found on the Antarctic mainland (the other being the much larger Emperor Penguin). The Adelie Penguin was named in 1840 by French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville who named the Penguin for his wife, Adelie. Adelie Penguins have adapted well to life in the Antarctic as these migratory Birds winter in the northern pack-ice before returning south to the Antarctic coast for the warmer summer months.
The Adelie Penguin is one of the most easily identifiable Penguin species with a blue-black back and completely white chest and belly. The head and beak of the Adelie Penguin are both black, with a distinctive white ring around each eye. The strong, pink feet of the Adelie Penguin are tough and bumpy with nails that not only aid the Adelie Penguin in climbing the rocky cliffs to reach its nesting grounds, but also help to push them along when they are sliding (rowing) along the ice. Adelie Penguins also use their webbed feet along with their small flippers to propel them along when swimming in the cold waters.
The Adelie Penguin is one of the southern-most Birds in the world as it is found along the Antarctic coastline and on the islands close to it. During the winter months, the Adelie Penguins migrate north where they inhabit large platforms of ice and have better access to food. During the warmer summer months, the Adelie Penguins return south where they head for the coastal beaches in search of ice-free ground on the rocky slopes where they can build their nests. More than half a million Adelie Penguins have formed one of the largest animal colonies in the world on Ross Island, an island formed by the activities of four monstrous volcanoes in the Ross Sea.
Like all species of Penguin, the Adelie Penguin is a highly sociable animal, gathering in large groups known as colonies, which often number thousands of Penguin individuals. Although Adelie Penguins are not known to be terribly territorial, it is not uncommon for adults to become aggressive over nesting sites, and have even been known to steal rocks from the nests of their neighbours. Adelie Penguins are also known to hunt in groups as it is thought to reduce the risk of being eaten by hungry predators. Adelie Penguins are constantly interacting with one another, with body language and specific eye movements thought to be the most common forms of communication.
Adelie Penguins return to their breeding grounds during the Antarctic summer months of November and December. Their soft feet are well designed for walking on land making the trek to it's nesting ground much easier as the Penguin fasts during this time. Adelie Penguin pairs mate for life in large colonies, with females laying two eggs a couple of days apart into a nest built from rocks. Both the male and female take it in turns to incubate their eggs while the other goes off to feed, for up to 10 days at a time. The Adelie Penguin chicks have an egg-tooth which is a bump on the top of their beaks, which helps them to break out of the egg. Once hatched, the parents still take it in turns to look after their young while the other goes off to gather food. After about a month, the chicks congregate in groups called crèches and are able to fend for themselves at sea when they are between 2 and 3 months old.
Adelie Penguins are strong and capable swimmers, obtaining all of their food from the sea. These Penguins primarily feed on krill which are found throughout the Antarctic ocean, as well as Molluscs, Squid and small Fish. The record of fossilised eggshell accumulated in the Adelie Penguin colonies over the last 38,000 years reveals a sudden change from a Fish-based diet to Krill that started two hundred years ago. This is thought to be due to the decline of the Antarctic Fur Seal Seal in the late 1700s and Baleen Whales in the twentieth century. The reduction of competition from these predators has resulted in there being an abundance of Krill, which the Adelie Penguins are now able to exploit as an easier source of food.
The African Penguin is a small to medium sized Penguin species that is found along the coast of South Africa and on a number of it's surrounding islands. The African Penguin is thought to be most closely related to the Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins found in southern South America, and the Galapagos Penguin found in the Pacific Ocean near the Equator. The African Penguin was named for the fact that it is the only species of Penguin that is found breeding on the African Coast, and it is believed to be one of the first Penguin species to be discovered by humans.
The African Penguin is a fairly distinctive species of penguin with clean black and white markings and a sharply pointed black beak. The African Penguin also has black feet and a number of dot-like markings flecked across it's white chest which are said to be as unique to the individual Penguin as a Human finger print is, along with a narrow black band. The male African Penguin is generally slightly larger than their female counterparts but both are fairly similar in appearance. One of the African Penguin's most distinctive features is that they have pink glands above their eyes which help them to cope with the temperate climates. The hotter the African Penguin gets, the more blood is sent to these glands so it may be cooled by the surrounding air, which in turn, makes these glands more pink.
The African Penguin is found on the south-western coast of Africa, living in 27 colonies on 24 islands between Namibia and Algoa Bay, near Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with the largest colony found on Dyer Island, near Kleinbaai. African Penguins are most densely distributed around the cold, nutrient rich waters of the Benguela Current where there is a plentiful supply of food. Although they spend much of their time at sea, African Penguins gather in nesting sites on rocky islands where they spend their days in sheltered burrows to avoid the hot sun. They are one of the only Penguin species to be found in non-freezing conditions and cope with this by burrowing, emerging at dusk and dawn, and using the pink glands above their eyes to cool the blood down.
Like many other Penguin species, African Penguins are incredibly sociable birds, with adults forming pair bonds that last for life (as long as 10 years). African Penguins can often be seen grooming one another, which is not only practical for cleaning purposes, but also for removing parasites and even just rearranging feathers, constantly strengthening the social bond between the pair. Their courtship displays are often very noisy as the male and female Penguin call to each other using a series of donkey-like sounds. African Penguins are also known to submit to a spot of bathing only a few meters from the shore, which they are thought to do quite regularly to both clean and to cool themselves down in the heat.
African Penguins begin to breed at the average age of four, when a male and female will pair up, and tend to breed together for the rest of their lives. The female African Penguin either digs herself a burrow or finds a dip beneath a rock or bush, in which she lays two eggs. The eggs are incubated by both parents for up to 40 days, when only one of the eggs will usually hatch. The African Penguin chicks are fed and kept warm by their parents constantly until they are a month old when they begin to be left on their own, forming crèches with other chicks for protection from predators. They tend to remain with their parents until they are between 3 and 5 months old, when they will leave the colony (this is dependant though on the supply and quality of food in the area). The chicks return to the colony after a couple of years to moult into their adult plumage. African Penguins generally live for between 10 and 15 years.
The African Penguin is a carnivorous animal that, like all other Penguin species, survives on a diet that is only comprised of marine organisms. Shoaling fish including Anchovies, Sardines, Horse Mackerel and Round Herrings make up the bulk of the African Penguin's diet, along with the occasional Squid or Crustacean when normal food is in short supply. The streamlined body of the African Penguin allows it to move through the water like a rocket, capable of reaching a top speed of around 20 kph when hunting for food. African Penguins catch their prey by diving into the ocean depths for around 2 minutes at a time. Although they normally go to depths of around 30 meters, it is not uncommon for them to be found hunting more than 100 meters beneath the water's surface.
The African Penguin's smaller size means that it has many predators both in the water and also on dry land. Their marine predators are primarily Sharks and Cape Fur Seals, but the biggest threat to them on land is not just to the adult Penguins, but more the vulnerable eggs and chicks. Kelp Gulls and Scared Ibises prey on them from the air and Mongooses, Snakes, and Leopards have been observed hunting them on ground. The African Penguin has also been severely affected by Human activity in their native regions, with populations thought to have taken a drastic decline, mainly due to the exploitation of their eggs for food when they were first discovered. They are also severely affected by the disruption of their natural habitats.
Penguins have more feathers than any other bird, which act as a waterproof layer keeping their skin dry. African Penguins moult once a year which they do back in their colonies. The whole process lasts for about 20 days, in which time, the African Penguins cannot swim or eat, and can lose almost half of their body weight. African Penguins are known to spend long periods of time fishing out at sea, and depending on the area, can travel between 30 and 110 km in one trip. However, those African Penguins who have chicks to feed, will rarely go that far, catching food closer to the shore, and as quickly as possible. The African Penguin is also known as the Jackass penguin, due to the donkey-like call that they make during their courtship rituals.
Electric Eels are found in the waters of South America, and are capable of generating a 500volt electric shock through 28ft of still water. The shock that the electric eel produces is enough to harm any large mammal, including humans. Electric eels can grow up to 2.5 metres and only need to surface for air every 10 minutes due to the eels complex circulatory system. Electric eels tend to live in muddy beds in calm water, eating fish and small mammals.
Despite the name electric eel, the electric eel is actually related most closely to a catfish and not the common eel fish and many electric eel adults tend to be smaller than their eel fish counterparts.
The electricity that the electric eel uses to shock its prey, is produced in pairs of organs that are found in the abdomen of the electric eel. These electricity producing organs take up around of 80% of the body of the electric eel leaving only 20% of the electric eels body free to hold the electric eels vital organs that it needs to survive.
Electric eels are found inhabiting fresh waters of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America, and the electric eels tend to prefer the river floodplains, swamps, coastal plains, and creeks. Electric eels tend to live on muddy bottoms in calm water and in stagnant arms of rivers, where the electric eel spends most of its time hunting.
The electric eel is also known for its unusual breeding behaviour. In the dry season, a male electric eel makes a nest from his saliva into which the female electric eel lays her eggs. As many as 17,000 young electric eels will hatch from the eggs in one nest. These young electric eels feed mainly on invertebrates found on the river bed, however, first-born baby electric eels have been known to gobble up the eggs from batches of other electric eels that were laid only a short time after themselves.
Despite the name electric eel, the electric eel is actually related most closely to a catfish and not the common eel fish and many electric eel adults tend to be smaller than their eel fish counterparts.
The electricity that the electric eel uses to shock its prey, is produced in pairs of organs that are found in the abdomen of the electric eel. These electricity producing organs take up around of 80% of the body of the electric eel leaving only 20% of the electric eels body free to hold the electric eels vital organs that it needs to survive.
Electric eels are found inhabiting fresh waters of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America, and the electric eels tend to prefer the river floodplains, swamps, coastal plains, and creeks. Electric eels tend to live on muddy bottoms in calm water and in stagnant arms of rivers, where the electric eel spends most of its time hunting.
The electric eel is also known for its unusual breeding behaviour. In the dry season, a male electric eel makes a nest from his saliva into which the female electric eel lays her eggs. As many as 17,000 young electric eels will hatch from the eggs in one nest. These young electric eels feed mainly on invertebrates found on the river bed, however, first-born baby electric eels have been known to gobble up the eggs from batches of other electric eels that were laid only a short time after themselves.
The African Clawed Frog is a large species of flat Frog that is primarily found dwelling at the bottom of lakes and rivers. The African Clawed Frog is also known as the Platanna and has a number of very unique features that mean it is specially adapted to it's habitat. The African Clawed Frog is thought to have originated in South Africa, and is today found naturally across the African continent. The African Clawed Frog has also been introduced to the Americas and parts of Europe.
The average adult African Clawed Frog grows to about 12 cm in length, and weighs around 200g. The African Clawed Frog is often a greenish, grey colour although other colours of the African Clawed Frog are not uncommon (such as albino). The colour of the African Clawed Frog's skin, along with it's mottled pattern, gives it more camouflage from hungry predators. They have a line of stitch-marks along either side of their bodies which act as sense organs to detect prey in the surrounding water. Their eyes and nose are located on top of the head enabling them to see and breathe but without being too visible.
The African Clawed Frog is most commonly found in eastern and southern Africa, along the African Rift Valley where they prefer stagnant waters to fast-flowing streams. African Clawed Frogs are bottom-dwelling animals and will only leave the safety of the water if they are forced to migrate. They inhabit warm shallow creeks and rivers during the summer and move into the flooded forests during the rainy season. Due to introduction by Humans, the African Clawed Frog can now be found in numerous freshwater habitats outside of Africa where they can be a very invasive species.
The African Clawed Frog spends its whole life in water, except for poking its head up to the surface from time to time to breathe. The African Clawed Frog can swim at astonishing speeds sideways, backwards, forwards, up and down, and in all other directions. It is a ferocious predator and once food has been spotted, the African Clawed Frog then catches it's prey using it's claws, which shovel it into the African Clawed Frog's mouth. The African Clawed Frog has evolved very successfully as a bottom-dwelling animal, which means that it has greater protection from predators and a better choice of food.
Female African Clawed Frogs are often nearly double the size of the males, and are able to reproduce more than once a year. After mating, the female African Clawed Frog can lay thousands of eggs at a time on an underwater object, which are held together in the water by a jelly-like substance. After hatching, the African Clawed Frog tadpoles begin their life in the water until they grow legs and are able to venture out onto the river banks if need be. The African Clawed Frog is known to have a long lifespan for small aquatic animals, and can live to around 5 to 15 years in the wild. Some adult African Clawed Frogs have been recorded to live to nearly 30 years old in captivity.
The African Clawed Frog is a carnivorous animal and an apex predator within it's underwater environment. The African Clawed Frog's main food is Water Bugs and small Fish but the African Clawed Frog is also known to eat it's own skin whenever it is shed. African Clawed Frogs also hunt other small invertebrates such as Insects, Spiders and Worms, which it scoops into it's mouth using it's clawed front feet. African Clawed Frogs in captivity have a much less varied diet which primarily consists of Worms.
Due to its small size, the African Clawed Frog has a number of natural predators within its native environment, that occur both in and out of the water. Small mammals including Rodents, Cats and Dogs, and numerous Birds and Reptiles, all prey on the African Clawed Frog, but herons are their most common threat. By living on the muddy bottoms of lakes and rivers, the African Clawed Frog can remain safely hidden for much of the time, and only it's eyes and nose appear above the water-line when it surfaces. Although not as vulnerable as many other amphibians, the African Clawed Frog is also being threatened by water pollution.
African Clawed Frog Interesting Facts and Features
The African Clawed Frog is named for their unique feet, as their hind feet are webbed but their front legs have clawed toes instead, which are used to help shovel food into their mouths. In the 1940s the African Clawed Frog became the world's first pregnancy test for Humans, which although barbaric, has led to them being found worldwide today. The African Clawed Frog has also been a popular test subject for scientific research for in general. They are known to be highly aggressive animals and particularly ferocious amphibians.
Over the years, Humans have managed to find a number of uses for the African Clawed Frog in our day to day lives. The most notable (and probably cruellest) of these practises was the use of the African Clawed Frog females as a type of pregnancy test. The hormone produced by Human babies (passed on through the mother's urine) known as HCG, induces ovulation in the female African Clawed Frog. Humans also use them in laboratories worldwide for research and teaching. Habitat loss and water pollution caused by people nearby is also having a drastic effect on African Clawed Frog populations.
Although the African Clawed Frog has been classified as being at Least Concern from imminent extinction, population numbers have fallen in certain areas due to deteriorating water quality. Elsewhere, African Clawed Frog populations around the world have often become non-native pests to the local plants and wildlife.
The common frog is a medium-sized species of frog that inhabits a wide range of habitats across much of Europe. Although the common frog is not as commonly seen in our gardens as it once was, the common frog still appears to be surviving effectively within its environment and is not considered to be an animal that is currently at risk from extinction. The common frog is found throughout the European continent, with the range of the common frog stretching from Ireland in the east to the mountains in western Russia. The common from is also found in parts of Scandinavia that actually lie within the cold Arctic Circle.
The common frog tends to grow to between 6 cm and 10 cm in length. The common frog has dark blotches that run down its back, with the body of the common frog ranging from green, to brown, to grey in colour. The common frog is said to be able to change its skin tone in order to fit in more effectively in its surroundings.
Like many other frog species, the common frog has webbed toes and eyes on the top of its head, in order to better equip the common frog for its aquatic lifestyle. The male common frog can also be distinguished from the female, by a small swelling that appears on one of his toes during the mating season.
The common frog is a carnivorous animal and the majority of the common frog's diet consists of small invertebrates such as insects and spiders. The common frog also hunts larger invertebrates including worms and snails that are present in the common frog's woodland or marshland habitat.
Due to its small size, the common frog often has numerous predators within its natural environment. The common frog is eaten by various animal species that includes foxes, cats, birds, snakes and even some large fish.
Common frogs tend to breed in the early spring, when mating takes place in calm, shallow pools of water. The female common frog lays up to 2,000 eggs in a sticky cluster that floats on the water's surface, known as frogspawn. Once developed the common frog tadpoles emerge into the water where they are fully aquatic until they metamorphose into adult common frogs and are able to leave the water.
The common frog tends to grow to between 6 cm and 10 cm in length. The common frog has dark blotches that run down its back, with the body of the common frog ranging from green, to brown, to grey in colour. The common frog is said to be able to change its skin tone in order to fit in more effectively in its surroundings.
Like many other frog species, the common frog has webbed toes and eyes on the top of its head, in order to better equip the common frog for its aquatic lifestyle. The male common frog can also be distinguished from the female, by a small swelling that appears on one of his toes during the mating season.
The common frog is a carnivorous animal and the majority of the common frog's diet consists of small invertebrates such as insects and spiders. The common frog also hunts larger invertebrates including worms and snails that are present in the common frog's woodland or marshland habitat.
Due to its small size, the common frog often has numerous predators within its natural environment. The common frog is eaten by various animal species that includes foxes, cats, birds, snakes and even some large fish.
Common frogs tend to breed in the early spring, when mating takes place in calm, shallow pools of water. The female common frog lays up to 2,000 eggs in a sticky cluster that floats on the water's surface, known as frogspawn. Once developed the common frog tadpoles emerge into the water where they are fully aquatic until they metamorphose into adult common frogs and are able to leave the water.
Frogs are amphibians, creatures that inhabit both land and water environments equally successfully. There are thought to be around 5,000 different species of frog around the world. Frogs are well known for their coiled, sticky tongue which they project out of their mouths to catch insects. Frogs are also well known for being able to breathe through their skin as well as their lungs.
Some frogs can leap over 50 times their body length, which results in the frog jumping an enormous height. Many frogs in cooler climates hibernate through the winter in compost heaps and big piles of mud.
Most species of frog have webbed hands and feet, which aids the frog in swimming, jumping and even climbing. Frogs tend to lay their eggs (known as frog spawn) in ponds and lakes but some frogs have been known to also lay their eggs in big puddles. Baby frogs are called tadpoles and are completely water-based until the tadpoles develop arms and legs and are able to climb out of the water.
Frogs are found all over the world with the exceptions of the polar regions. Although this is the case, many of the 5,000 frog species are found in the tropical rainforests of the southern hemisphere in places like South America and Indonesia.
Frog populations of certain frog species are severely declining mainly due to deforestation and climate change. Frogs are very susceptible to atmospheric changes and many frog species, therefore cannot exist outside of their native habitat.
Many species of frog, particularly those species of frog living in the tropics, are known to contain chemicals that are poisonous to make the frog inedible for potential predators. The levels of poisons within different frog species differs from mild amounts of poison to large amounts of poison, which can end up being deadly for those animals that eat it.
Some frogs can leap over 50 times their body length, which results in the frog jumping an enormous height. Many frogs in cooler climates hibernate through the winter in compost heaps and big piles of mud.
Most species of frog have webbed hands and feet, which aids the frog in swimming, jumping and even climbing. Frogs tend to lay their eggs (known as frog spawn) in ponds and lakes but some frogs have been known to also lay their eggs in big puddles. Baby frogs are called tadpoles and are completely water-based until the tadpoles develop arms and legs and are able to climb out of the water.
Frogs are found all over the world with the exceptions of the polar regions. Although this is the case, many of the 5,000 frog species are found in the tropical rainforests of the southern hemisphere in places like South America and Indonesia.
Frog populations of certain frog species are severely declining mainly due to deforestation and climate change. Frogs are very susceptible to atmospheric changes and many frog species, therefore cannot exist outside of their native habitat.
Many species of frog, particularly those species of frog living in the tropics, are known to contain chemicals that are poisonous to make the frog inedible for potential predators. The levels of poisons within different frog species differs from mild amounts of poison to large amounts of poison, which can end up being deadly for those animals that eat it.
There are two main species of Horned Frog, the Argentine horned frog and the Cranwells horned frog, both of which are found in the wetland areas of Argentina on the tip of South America. The Argentine horned frog is also commonly known as the Argentine wide-mouthed Frog or Pacman frog, and is the most common species of horned frog. The Argentine horned frog is native to the rain forests of Argentina but can now be commonly found throughout Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.
The Argentine horned frog is most well known for being a voracious eater, as the horned frog will attempt to swallow anything that moves close to the horned frogs wide mouth. The horned frog tends to hunt things such as insects, small birds and mammals, lizards and other frogs, and the horned frog is often very greedy with its selection.
The Cranwells horned frog is also originally from Argentina but is hard to find elsewhere as the Cranwells horned frog is an extremely popular exotic pet particularly in North America. This is because the horned frog is a very hardy species of frog, making the horned frog one of the easier exotic pets to look after.
The horned frog is commonly known as the Pacman frog due the horned frogs very close resemblance to the characters in the Pacman video game.
The Argentine horned frog is most well known for being a voracious eater, as the horned frog will attempt to swallow anything that moves close to the horned frogs wide mouth. The horned frog tends to hunt things such as insects, small birds and mammals, lizards and other frogs, and the horned frog is often very greedy with its selection.
The Cranwells horned frog is also originally from Argentina but is hard to find elsewhere as the Cranwells horned frog is an extremely popular exotic pet particularly in North America. This is because the horned frog is a very hardy species of frog, making the horned frog one of the easier exotic pets to look after.
The horned frog is commonly known as the Pacman frog due the horned frogs very close resemblance to the characters in the Pacman video game.