Tuesday, October 30, 2007

 

Coyotes

The term "wily coyote" was possibly coined in response to this intelligent canid's problem-solving abilities when hunting prey.
Coyotes will ambush a ground squirrel by waiting at one of the burrow's exits as a badger digs its way in at the entrance.
When hunting in pairs, one typically distracts the attention of the prey while the other coyote sneaks up from behind.
They will also wade in the water to catch fish and forage along the banks for crayfish or turtle eggs,
In general, they eat a variety of food items, including small rodents, rabbits, and carrion, as well as some fruits and plants. They do not, however, prey on large game.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

 

Kultarr

It is the size of a mouse.
It lives in the desert.
It eats small animals.
Its fur is brownish grey.
It does not have a pouch, but a fold of skin on its belly.
The kultarr is a marsupial that is the size of a large mouse. It has long back legs and a long tail with a tuft on the end. Its fur is brownish grey on the back and white on the front.
When moving fast it does not hop, it bounds.It swivels on its front feet to change direction quickly.
It is a carnivore, which means it eats meat. It is an active predator, and eats insects, spiders and other small animals. It gets most of the moisture it needs from its prey, but it also licks dew that forms on plants during the night.
The kultarr lives in the arid (dry) desert areas of central Australia. It shelters from the heat of the day in a burrow, and hunts at night when it is cool.
The female gives birth to 6-8 young. She doesn't have the sort of pouch other marsupials have, but carries the babies on her belly protected by a fold of skin. After 4 weeks the young are kept in a nest for about 9 weeks. Then, until they are weaned at 12 weeks old, the young ride on their mother's back.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

 

Giant Panda

Reclusive herbivores, giant pandas once enjoyed a wide range in southern China. However, habitat destruction and poaching for their valuable fur have killed off most of them, leaving only about one thousand in the wild.
The ancestors of the giant panda were carnivores, but its diet has evolved into one of mostly stalks and roots of the slow-growing, nutrient-poor bamboo.
It spends ten to sixteen hours a day eating the twenty to forty pounds (9 to 18 kg) of bamboo it needs for its daily quota.
It forages over a large area to get enough; a typical home range is about 1.5 to 2.5 square miles (4 to 6.5 sq km).
The solitary panda comes together with others only to mate.

Monday, October 08, 2007

 

Spectacled Flying Fox

This native Australian bat got its name from the light colored fur around its eyes resembling glasses. It can be found living in the tops of trees in the northeastern parts of Queensland. It has also been seen in New Guinea and small islands close by. Since bats are nocturnal they spend most of the day resting in groups numbering into the tens of thousands on top of trees where they hang upside down. They don't sleep much and chatter amongst themselves. They bring their wings around them like a vampire to keep their body heat inside. When the sun sets they leave the trees in search of food. They will use their sense of smell, night vision and will follow sounds made by other bats to find sources of food. Their diet consists of nectar and pollen from flowers and fruits. They have been seen eating citrus fruits and even mangoes. Because of this they are also known as the spectacled fruit bat. They weigh between 400 and 600 grams and have a body and head length of about 23 cm.
Since they drink by skimming the water they are often caught by crocodiles. They also have to be careful of other predators like the carpet python and the white-breasted sea-eagle.

Saturday, October 06, 2007

 

Ornamental Snake

The Ornamental Snake's preference for moist areas is most likely because it eats almost exclusively frogs. It has been recorded eating several species of frogs and the only time anything other than a frog was recorded as food was once when the Ornamental Snake was recorded eating a centipede. It has also been observed that the Ornamental Snake will strike at frogs and some toads without eating them. We are not sure why this occurs but frogs that have been struck but not eaten suffer extensive cellular breakdown and resemble “bags of fluid.” It is interesting to note that in the same studies that observed the Ornamental Snake eating exclusively frogs it showed a definite preference for the type of frogs it was eating. It was found eating 5 different species of frogs, it had struck four other species of frog and one species of toad without eating them, and there were two species of frog present at the feeding site but neither had been touched. This snake is quite a picky eater.
The Ornamental Snake gives birth to live offspring, averaging 6.8 young per litter, (litter size ranges from 3 to 11 offspring). Mating habits and seasons are not readily available.

Monday, October 01, 2007

 

Amputa

The amputa lives in the Simpson Desert. There is limited information on the origins of the amputa.
Amputa are not fond of the heat and will retreat into their burrow. Burrows can be found on sand dunes possible in close proximity to other amputa burrows. Amputa tend to be very social with one another. Amputa are primarily nocturnal, probably more so in the summer to avoid the heat; however some amputa will enjoy the sun on warmer winter days.
Sand colored fur covers the back of the amputa (possibly as a survival tool) and fades into a pale grey on the underbelly and chin. The first half of tail has the same coloration as the body; the second half of the tail is covered in bushy, black fur. Short, round ears and a short nose are also present on the amputa.
The amputa will eat large arthropods and small vertebrates on occasion.

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