Animals

Blue whales

2008-07-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

Blue whales are the biggest animals in the world, and the females are larger than the males. The longest female on record measured 110 feet (34 m); the heaviest weighed 190 tons.
All three subspecies travel in pods composed of thirty to fifty individuals.
These whales, as with other members of the family Balaenopteridae, filter some six to seven tons of krill at a time with their baleen plates, "gulping" water and krill, then closing the mouth and forcing the water back out through the baleen.
Blue whales were too big and too fast for whalers before the 1864 invention of the exploding-head harpoon.
That and the indiscriminate use of factory ships have led to the species' rapid decline. Now fewer than ten thousand remain.

Koala II

2008-04-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

Koalas spend nearly all their time in the trees using their sharp, curved claws and long toes to climb about and to hold on to the tree branches. They sleep most of the day, and feed and move from tree to tree mainly at night.
Koalas don't often drink water, as they get moisture from eucalyptus leaves. However, in a severe drought, there is less moisture in leaves so koalas will then need to find water to drink.
Each koala has a home range made up of several trees that they visit regularly. They normally do not visit another koala's home trees except when a male is looking for a female to mate with.
Breeding season is generally from August to February. During this time the males will be heard bellowing as they compete for females. At this time the young from the previous year are ready to leave their mothers and become independent. Usually a female has one young each year, but may not breed in some years.
About 35 days after mating, a tiny baby called a joey is born. It is about 2 cm long, weighs less than 1 gram and is pink, hairless, blind and without ears. Amazingly, this tiny creature travels up its mother's belly and finds the entrance to the pouch. Inside the pouch, it attaches itself to a teat that immediately swells inside its mouth so that the joey cannot let go and lose the teat. The female is able to tighten muscles at the opening of the pouch to prevent the baby falling out.The female carries her baby in the pouch for 6 or 7 months after it is born. The baby, called a joey, feeds on its mother's milk inside the pouch.

Koala

2008-04-07T07:23:00.000-07:00

Koalas have soft, thick, grey or brown fur on their backs. The fur on the stomach is white. Koalas that live in the south have thicker fur than those in the north because of the cold winters, whereas the koalas in the northern part of the country live in warm to hot weather most of the year so have thinner fur. A koala has a large, hairless noses and round ears. Koalas don't have tails. Adult koalas measure between 64 to 76 centimetres in length and weigh between 7 and 14 kilograms.
Koalas have strong, sharp claws and long toes to help them climb. The front paws have two thumbs to help them grip branches strongly. The second and third toes on the back legs are joined together to form a grooming clawKoalas eat the leaves and young shoots of some kinds of eucalyptus (say you-kul-ip-tus) trees. In Australia there are over 600 species, or kinds, of eucalypts, but koalas only eat about 20 species. Within a particular area, there will be only three or four species of those eucalypts that will be regularly browsed (eaten) by koalas. A variety of other species, including some non-eucalypts, are eaten by koalas occasionally or used for just sitting or sleeping in. Different species of eucalypts grow in different parts of Australia, so a koala in Victoria has a very different diet from one in Queensland.

Bandicoots

2008-03-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Bandicoots are mostly solitary animals, which means they are generally on their own. They are marsupials about the size of a cat. They have a pointy snout, humped back and a thin tail. A female bandicoot has a backward facing pouch. This is so that when she is digging, she doesn't fill her pouch with soil.
Bandicoots live on the ground in areas where there are low-growing plants. In some parts of Australia, they even visit people's gardens.
They search on the ground looking for insects,spiders, seeds, berries and other similar food. When looking for food they dig in the soil and rummage in the fallen leaves on the ground. They hold their food in their front paws to eat it.
Bandicoots are mostly active at night and in the day they generally shelter in nests that are piles of leaf litter scratched together. When moving fast they bound and gallop.
Marsupials are not pregnant for very long, so that when the young are born, they are very tiny and hardly developed at all. They move into their mother's pouch to complete their development. Unusually for marsupials, bandicoots in the womb are attached to it by cords, and after they are born, the young climb the cords to reach the mother's pouch. The young of the Northern Brown bandicoot and the Long-nosed bandicoot are in the womb for only twelve and a half days, the shortest time of any marsupial. Inside the pouch, the young drink milk from teats, as they grow and develop.

Redblack spiders

2008-03-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

Redback spiders live in most parts of Australia. The female redback builds a sticky, tangled web in dry, sheltered places. She hides in a funnel-shaped part at the top of the web. Inside logs, under rubble and rubbish, among rocks and in sheds are places where redback spiders can be found. Male redbacks do not build webs.
Spiders are not insects, they are arachnids. They have 8 legs (insects have 6 legs).Female redback spiders have shiny black bodies with an orange or red stripe on the upper abdomen. A female's body is about the size of a large pea. Males are smaller and are brown. Their red markings are often pale. Redback spiders have long, thin legs.
Redback spiders are more common in warmer weather.
Redback spiders eat insects. Large female redbacks sometimes capture small lizards and will also steal food from the webs of other redback spiders.
The male redback spider hangs around near a female's web. He gets the female's attention by showing her his abdomen. This can be dangerous because if she mistakes him for prey she will squirt digestive juices onto him and try to eat him. Many males are eaten as they mate!

Kangaroos II

2008-02-26T11:31:00.001-08:00

Kangaroos weigh less than 2 grams when they are born. The tiny baby, called a joey, climbs up its mother's belly and into her pouch. The mother can't touch it because it is so tiny. She licks a path in her fur for it to travel along. Inside the pouch it grabs onto one of four teats and remains attached to it for about nine months.
Milk is automatically fed to the joey, and the milk changes according to the joey's needs as it grows until it no longer needs milk.
At nine months the joey will start to leave the pouch for increasing periods of time,returning always to the same teat for a feed until it is weaned.
A female kangaroo generally has another baby in her womb 'in suspense', which means it has developed just a little bit and then has stopped and waited. When a joey leaves the pouch, the mother starts the development of the one in her womb again, and it is born a few weeks later. Then she will have one tiny helpless joey in her pouch, drinking the kind of milk it needs to develop, and she will have another joey that is out of the pouch but which returns to feed on milk from another teat in her pouch. That milk will be different from what the tiny joey is drinking, because the older joey needs milk that will help it get strong as it hops around.

Kangaroos II

2008-02-26T11:31:00.000-08:00

Kangaroos

2008-02-18T09:59:00.000-08:00

Kangaroos belong to a group of marsupials called macropods, which means 'great footed animals'. Macropods have strong back legs with long feet. They hop on their back legs when travelling, using the muscular tail as a balance. Hopping in this way is an energy-efficient way of travelling long distances. Their front legs are small. When moving slowly, usually as they graze or to change position, the tail and front legs prop up the animal, and the back legs move forward.. this is called 'crawl walking'. Kangaroos are good swimmers, and will sometimes escape a threat by going into water if it is nearby.
Kangaroos live in groups of ten or more called mobs. Mobs can number over 50. Living in a group means there is protection for the weaker members. There are always some of the mob looking up so danger can be spotted quickly. The kangaroo has few natural predators. The thylacine was its main predator, but is now extinct. Dingoes are a threat, as are introduced species such as foxes and feral dogs or cats.
The mob feeds at night on grass and other low growing plants. Kangaroos drink water when they find it, but can go for long periods of time without drinking. They rest in the day.

2008-02-04T10:18:00.000-08:00

Design a "dream machine" for hunting and you'd come up with something very close to a cat. From the smallest domestic to the biggest "king of the jungle," felines are gifted in all the bodily tools and techniques needed to chase prey in the wild or toys in the living room: speed, athleticism and the killer instinct.
Born to RunIf a cat were an Olympic athlete, the only marathon it might win would be in sleeping. But watch out in the sprint events. The cat would leave its competitors in the dust. Oddly enough, it is the cat's fondness for sleep that makes it such a speed demon. Sleep is its way of conserving energy for the explosive bursts of power it needs for a successful chase. More often than not, these brief, energy-sapping episodes of running prowess are punctuated by yet more slumber. But hunting is not the only arena for showing off a cat's running ability. Sometimes its speed is put to the test when the cat itself is the target of a chase. Felines that survive in the wild, especially on open plains, rely heavily on their ability to run — much more so than domestic cats — because their habitats put greater onus on stalking and surprise attack. Given cause, though, all cats are gold-medal winners in high-speed pursuit.

Your cat

2008-01-29T11:37:00.000-08:00

Grooming begins at the moment of birth. Immediately after delivering their litters, both wild and domestic females lick off the layer of membranes covering each cub or kitten, simultaneously cleaning and warming the newborns. By 2 or 3 weeks of age, the youngsters have the physical skills and the motivation to groom themselves.
The papillae-spiked tongue is a feline's primary grooming tool. The moistening saliva and rough tongue work together to scrub and align the hairs of its coat. And thanks to the incredible suppleness of its spine, a cat can lick almost every part of its body, except for the head and face. To clean these places, cats lick their paws and then rub them over the face and head. If frustrated by a particularly rough, sticky or dirty patch on its coat, a cat may resort to using its teeth to tear or bite off the offensive material, along with the hairs. As a consequence of all this grooming, felines ingest a considerable amount of dead hair, which they occasionally vomit as hairballs. Longhair domestic breeds are prone to impaction of hair in the intestinal tract and may need regular doses of a hairball remedy to avoid serious problems. Frequent grooming of both longhair and shorthair cats by their owners helps to prevent problems by removing loose hair before it is swallowed.
Grooming also regulates body temperature.

Your cat

2008-01-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

Many of the cat's remarkable mental and physical abilities are dismissed as simply instinctive. However, just as humans are born with innate communication skills but must learn over time to master a language, cats refine many of their inborn abilities through practice. The widely-held belief that they learn through observation and imitation of their mother or other cats is now being called into question. Cats do learn, but in a different way than do humans or dogs; they have a special kind of intelligence.
A Cat Never ForgetsOnce attained, even if by accident or trial and error, most knowledge is retained for life, thanks to the cat's excellent memory. Even hunting techniques buried under years of neglect in the well-fed house cat's brain will be recalled with ease should the feline, for some reason, ever have to fend for itself.
Easily frightened, a cat will retain very strong memories of any incident that it considers threatening. All it takes is one face-to-face encounter with a growling dog to convince a feline that the entire canine species is best avoided forever. However, positive experiences are just as easily stored and recalled, particularly if they have to do with food or play.
As any cat owner knows, domestic felines respond well to familiar sounds, such as can openers, the rattling of their dry-food bags or the crinkly noise of a favorite toy. Many of them also have an uncanny ability to know the hour of their regular breakfast time, waking up their owner if he or she tries to sleep in.

2008-01-10T00:24:00.000-08:00

Play is loosely defined by scientists as vigorous movements performed by the young for no immediate benefit, but which often have counterparts in serious adult behavior. Play may be solitary, as in the studying of and pouncing on a swaying blade of grass by a leopard cub, or social, as when wolf pack-mates romp and nip at one another. It is a common activity among most mammals, especially those most intelligent and social, such as primates, dolphins and carnivores. Invertebrates, fish and reptiles lack play behavior, but it has been observed among birds such as ravens.
Play requires huge amounts of extra energy, and it cuts into food-gathering time. Furthermore, it often exposes the young to predators while at the same time involving potentially dangerous activities. Despite its high costs, mammals continue to play, in part because it teaches them essential skills for survival. For example, young gibbons swing from branches — a critical adult skill — even after falling to the forest floor.
Sometimes play enables adults to display better parenting skills. Monkeys and apes, for instance, show more attention and patience with their offspring when they have had experience as juveniles playing with their younger siblings.

2008-01-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

Although new species are still being discovered at a rapid rate, the present count stands at 4,629 mammal species. Together, mammals represent one of the five major groups of vertebrates—animals that possess vertebral columns—a group that also includes fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds.
Several of the features that distinguish mammals from other vertebrates only become evident through studying the mammal's basic skeletal structure. For example, unlike other vertebrates, mammals have three middle-ear bones, or ossicles.
Another skeletal difference can be seen in the mammalian dentary, the tooth-bearing part of the lower jaw, which changed considerably as mammals evolved. In keeping with a generalized evolutionary trend toward a reduction in the number of bones in the skull, most of the lower jaw bones became smaller and eventually disappeared. Some, however, became the ossicles of the middle ear, and one, the dentary, grew larger. From taking up only about half of the jaw, the dentary of today's mammals has expanded until it forms a new jaw joint with the skull.
The teeth of mammals have also undergone significant changes in the course of evolution. Some 290 million years ago, the precursors of modern mammals had teeth that were all the same size and shape. Gradually, as hunting and eating habits diversified, teeth became more specialized, designed to process food before digestion can occur. The mammalian stomach is usually made of a single saclike organ, although among some mammals, such as ruminant artiodactyls and cetaceans, it is subdivided into chambers.

Horse - Pinto

2007-12-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

Since Pintos come from many different breeds, their origin is variable. It is claimed that when Cortes came to America in the 1500's, he brought with him two Overo type horses. The term Pinto is derived from the Spanish word for painted: Pintado. Used as a warhorse by American Indians since the coloring provided camouflage.
The Pinto horse is a color breed in contrast to most other breeds which are defined by their genetic ancestry. In America, the Pinto is regarded as a proper breed. The Pinto does not have consistent conformation since it is bred for color. Pintos may be from a variety of breeds, ranging from Thoroughbred to Miniatures. There are four acknowledged types of conformation however: the Saddle type, Stock type, Hunter type and Racing type.
Height
12 - 14 hands. Pintos standing between 12 and 14 hands are registered as ponies; those between 14.1 and 16 hands are registered as horses.

Pintos have a dark background coloring and upon this color random patches of white. The Pinto coloration may occur in any breed or specific conformation. However, the Pinto Horse Association of America does not accept horses with Appaloosa or Draft breeding or characteristics. There are two color patterns acceptable for registration, "Overo" and "Tobiano".

Horse - Arabian

2007-12-10T07:27:00.000-08:00

The Arab horse originates from the desert lands of Asia and the most famous are the horses of the Bedouin Arabs, known as the Original or Elite Arab. Through selective breeding the Bedouins developed an Arab horse which was tough and yet beautiful. It was these Arab horses that were used as a cavalry horse by the Moslems and taken to North Africa and into Spain and France. Many Arab horses were left behind when the Moslems left and were left to breed with local horses creating such breeds as the Andalusian.
Small head with concave profile, large eyes and small muzzle, arched neck, sloping shoulder, strong level back, strong hindquarters, strong legs. Tail carried high, fast and free action, plenty of stamina.

Horse:Standardbred

2007-12-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

The Standardbred is the fastest harness horse in the world, fueling the passion in the US for harness racing. The Standardbred eclipsed the old favorite of harness racing, the Morgan, by reducing the standard times for the mile by a full minute.
Bred in the mid 19th century, the Standardbred is widely considered as the fastest harness racing horse in the world. This particular breed can be traced back to 1788 to a Thoroughbred stallion called Messenger (a Darley Arabian descendent). This horse is bred for speed not conformation. In 1871, the American Trotting Register was founded. In 1879, a racing "standard" was laid down. Over a distance of 1 mile, trotters were to clock in at 2 minutes 30 seconds, pacers at 2 minutes 25 seconds. These "standards" gave the breed its name. The average speed of these "races" is 30 m.p.h. Since 1879, harness racing has become a hugely popular sport worldwide. It is found in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Germany, France and Russia.

Horse - Morgan

2007-11-29T09:37:00.000-08:00

The Morgan horse comes from a single rough-coated colt known as Justin Morgan, named after his schoolteacher owner, and thought to have been bred from Dutch, Thoroughbred, or Arabian breeding lines.

The Morgan Horse is an American breed founded from a single stallion named Figure foaled in 1793 and the breed was named after his owner Thomas Justin Morgan. Figure was later used for plowing and pulling timber and won many pulling contests with him. The origins of Figure are uncertain but it is believed Welsh Cob, Thoroughbred, Arabian and Barb were all present in his background.
Small head with slightly concave face, thick neck, strong shoulders, deep chest, short broad back, muscular hindquarters. Strong with good stamina. High stepping action.

The Welsh pony

2007-11-05T06:45:00.000-08:00

The Welsh pony originates in the hills of Wales, long before the Romans arrived. This inhospitable terrain produced a pony with an unusual strength of character, endurance and native intelligence. Only the most hardy of stock survived the semi-wild lifestyle, ensuring the modern breed is represented by excellent lines.

All Welsh ponies are descended directly and entirely from animals registered with the Welsh Pony and Cob Society in Wales. Welsh Native Ponies are divided into 4 sections:¨
Section A - The Welsh Mountain Pony is the original and smallest, probably descended from the Celtic pony, Arabian, Andalusian and Thoroughbred. Over the last 200-300 years, two Arabian stallions have roamed the Welsh Mountains to improve native stock.
Section B - Bred as a quality children's riding pony. Created by crossing Welsh Mountain mares with a small Thoroughbred stallion.
Section C - Slightly smaller version of mountain-type pony. Used for trekking, a good hunting pony for children. Used mainly in harness in the past.
Section D - Welsh Cob is slightly larger version of mountain-type pony. A cross between Welsh Mountain ponies and Spanish horses. Good trotter, used to create and improve trotting breeds worldwide.
Characteristics
Small head with concave face and crested neck. Sloping shoulders on a short back with a high tail. Short legs with neat feet. Powerful loins and hindlegs. Strong hock joints engaged well under the body.

Horse - Belgian

2007-11-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

The Belgian horse is a heavy, powerful horse, native to the fertile pastures of Belgium. These were horses that carried knights into battle in medieval Europe. They provided the genetic material from which nearly all the modern draft breeds originated.
The familiar "blond" Belgian Draft horse that we see in the United States has its roots in the Brabant, also known as the Belgian Heavy Draft. This name has been shortened to Belgian for common usage. During the Middle Ages it was known as the Flanders Horse (after the region of Europe in which it originated) and had great influence on the development of other draft horse breeds, such as the Suffolk Punch, the Clydesdale and the Shire.
Characteristics
The head is comparatively small and refined, with an intelligent expression. The Belgian Draft more normally seen in the United States is not as "massive" as the Brabant, but still retains the proportions of the Brabant.
Height
16.2 - 17 hands
Colors
Sorrel and roan colors are most common in the modern Belgian
Personality
Kind temperament and easy to handle.

Coyotes

2007-10-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

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.

Kultarr

2007-10-25T08:05:00.001-07:00

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.

Giant Panda

2007-10-17T06:53:00.000-07:00

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.

Spectacled Flying Fox

2007-10-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

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.

Ornamental Snake

2007-10-06T05:35:00.000-07:00

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.

Amputa

2007-10-01T05:03:00.000-07:00

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.

African Wild Ass

2007-09-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

At a shoulder height of 4.1 feet (1.25 meters), the African Wild Ass can weigh up to 605 pounds (275 kg). The ass is covered with a short coat of fur, ranging in color from gray to light brown with a white muzzle and underbelly. The legs are also white and end in a small hoof, only about the same width as the leg. There is a black stripe along the back of the ass, and the mane is short and black tipped. The ears are long and also tipped with black, and the tail has a single tuft of hair at the end.
The African Wild Ass eats plant material, often eating thorn bushes and tougher plants that other animals ignore. They need to have water at least every three days, but they are able to survive on water that is dirty and brackish and can get a lot of their moisture from the plant material that they eat.
Sexual maturity of the female ass usually happens by the time she reaches two. Males can also reproduce at two, but it is so competitive that they usually are forced to wait until they are around four. Males are very territorial and will often hold a huge territory that is about 23 km, and they mark the edges of their territories with dung.

Gila Woodpecker

2007-09-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

Male has round red cap; both sexes fawn-colored with back, wings, and tail banded or cross-striped with black and white. Gray-brown head and underparts. Female similar to male in appearance except lacks red cap.
Behavior:A very conspicuous, noisy bird. Lives in nest cavities of trees and sometimes canyon foothills. May occupy the same nesting hole for more than 1 season until it is appropriated by an owl, kestrel, snake or large lizard.
Reproduction: 3-4 white eggs are laid around April to May. Incubation lasts about 14 days and is shared by both sexes. Young are fed and cared for by adults for a long time after leaving the nest. Sometimes interbreeds with golden-fronted woodpecker

Burrowing Owl II

2007-09-09T03:32:00.000-07:00

They are largely diurnal or crepescular in hunting activity. They will hunt from an observation point, or will hover in the air close to the ground, pouncing on the prey, burying talons in the back and pecking viciously at the neck. Burrowing owls also catch insects in flight. They often live in permanent pair bonds, sleeping in underground burrows, sometimes with several pairs in the same area. Burrowing owls used to breed in colonies, but these have largely disappeared in recent years. Now only in suitable terrain, where food is abundant, will there be ten or more pairs in a 2-3 acre site.
Courtship begins in April with the pair sitting together, rubbing heads and issuing soft cooing sounds. Nesting begins in May, with brood sites being abandoned holes of prairie dogs, badgers, skunks, and armadillos.
The clutch has 5-9 glossy, white eggs, which both parents incubate for approximately one month. Food is brought by both parents until the young are fully fledged, usually sometime in July. Young are often found out of the burrow but near it, awaiting the parents' return with food. They are sexually mature at one year.

Burrowing Owl

2007-09-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Roundish head with no ear tufts; yellow eyes; short bulbous beak. The legs are long and slender and covered with sparse feathers. The short hair-like feathers on the legs terminate in sparse bristles on the feet. The wings are long with the outer three primaries emarginated. The tail is very short and square. The plumage is pale to chocolate-brown, streaked and spotted with white on the back, the wings and tail barred with white. The breast and underparts are white to buff, spotted or barred with brown. The eyebrows and below the beak are white. Juvenile coloration is similar to the adult but not as heavily spotted.
Burrowing owls are very active. When perched, they may bob up and down in a series of bows or occasionally flip into the air. They are the only small owls which habitually perch on the ground. They have become so terrestrial that they are practically flightless and will often run or flatten themselves against the ground, rather than fly, when disturbed.

Habitat:

Open country: prairies, deserts, farms; also found close to civilization.

Bat-eared Fox

2007-08-27T08:27:00.000-07:00

The distribution of the bat-eared fox is divided into two populations, one from southern Zambia and Angola to South Africa, the other from Ethiopia and south Sudan to Tanzania.
Unlike most members of the canine family, these foxes eat primarily insects. Perhaps this is because their enormous ears are pointed out and down, and specifically adapted for hearing prey that live underground. They also have different teeth than most other canines; sharp, pointy and specialized for crunching insects. They can have up to 48 teeth in their mouth including and extra 4-8 molars.
They breed annually and are monogamous. Young are born in self dug dens after a gestation period of 60 days. The average litter size is 2-4 pups. Newborns are sparsely covered with gray underfur and change to adult coloring in 4-5 weeks. Considered full grown at 5-6 months. Males play a larger role than females in guarding, grooming and playing with the pups

Rock Cavy

2007-08-25T01:43:00.000-07:00

Rock cavies live in the arid, north-eastern countryside of Brazil, and have adapted to living in rocky outcrops called lajeiros.
Cavies are relatives of the domestic Guinea pig. They have heavily padded feet, are quite agile, and are exceptional climbers. Coat is gray, grizzled with white and black. Throat is white and the belly is yellowish-white. The rump and backs of thighs are reddish. There is no tail and both sexes look similar.
Cavies are very vocal, making a variety of chirps, squeaks, burbles and squeals. Sometimes, a piercing alarm whistle is emitted when excited. Cavies are, for the most part, very docile and only get aggressive with younger cavies.
Cavies become sexually mature between 1 and 3 months of age. The gestation period for cavies is fairly long for rodents, lasting from 50 - 60 days. Litter sizes average 2 - 3 offspring. The male usually does not help rear the young.

Siberian Lynx

2007-08-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

Siberian lynx are solitary cats, which are recognized by tufts of hair on their ears, short, bobbed tails and manes of fur around their faces. They are well adapted for their cold habitat with wide webbed paws (these work like snow shoes keeping the lynx on top of the snow), hair on the bottom of their paws (this provides traction) and a thick coat of fur for warmth. Their long hind legs help them walk on snow and allow them to jump up to 10 feet to catch prey. Lynx are also excellent swimmers.
Reproduction:
68 days; 2-3 kittens

The Snow Leopard

2007-08-22T02:53:00.000-07:00

Asia - from southern Himalayas westward through Pakistan and north to the Russian mountain ranges.
The coat is luxuriantly dense and long (1 inch on body and 2 inches on tail, and almost 3 inches on underside). It is a pale gray with black spots arranged in open rings or rosettes. The ears are small and white with black edges; dark at the bases. The underparts are almost pure white. Its head is smaller than a leopard's. The body looks longer in relation to the head. The tail is about three feet long. Their feet are broad and thickly furred over the pads, acting as snow shoes.
Mating occurs in late winter or early spring. Gestation is 90-100 days with usually 2-4 cubs in a litter. The young are born in spring, remaining with the mother until the end of the first winter. The den is a cave or rocky cleft.In captivity, snow leopards in the more northern latitudes tend to have litters slightly earlier than those further south.

Gila Woodpecker

2007-07-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

Male has round red cap; both sexes fawn-colored with back, wings, and tail banded or cross-striped with black and white. Gray-brown head and underparts. Female similar to male in appearance except lacks red cap.
Behavior:A very conspicuous, noisy bird. Lives in nest cavities of trees and sometimes canyon foothills. May occupy the same nesting hole for more than 1 season until it is appropriated by an owl, kestrel, snake or large lizard.
Reproduction:3-4 white eggs are laid around April to May. Incubation lasts about 14 days and is shared by both sexes. Young are fed and cared for by adults for a long time after leaving the nest. Sometimes interbreeds with golden-fronted woodpecker.

Black-footed Penguin

2007-07-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

The black-footed penguin inhabits 16 islands off the coast of south and southwestern Africa.
Slightly smaller than South American penguins. Their body is shaped like a bowling pin with webbed feet. Piebald, with a white stripe encircling the black cheek and throat, and a black stripe extending in the shape of a horseshoe across the chest and along the flanks. They also have bare skin forming pink spectacles around the eyes. These aid in heat dispersal when penguins leave cold water for a warm shore. They are more commonly known as jackass penguins because they sound so much like braying donkeys. Magellanic and Galapagos penguins have a second stripe on their chest. Their feathers help them to regulate their body temperature and act as a water proofing when swimming in the water.
Pairs are monogamous. Both build a nest of hardened guano, grass, feathers and pebbles. 2-3 eggs are laid at a time. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs for a period of 38 days. The chicks are born with thick gray feathers to help keep them warm and act as a camouflage. The chicks start swimming and eating on their own at 2 months of age.

White-winged Dove

2007-07-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

Brownish-gray above and gray below with a bold white wing patch that appears as a brilliant white crescent in flight. It is also visible during rest. Adults have blue, featherless skin around each eye and a long dark mark on the lower face. Their eyes, legs and feet are red. Juveniles are grayer than adults and have no blue eye-ring and their legs and feet are brownish-pink.
Usually a gregarious bird by nature. White-wings feed together in large flocks especially after nesting season. Flocks usually range from a few to fifty, but have been observed in flight with as many as 3-4,000! May fly 25 miles or more for food and water. Drink from stock tanks, windmill troughs, reservoirs, streams, etc.
Males attract females with a courtship behavior of cooing and visual displays. They aggressively defend territory and will spar with wing slaps if necessary. Attracted females join the male in their courtship ceremony. Over 2-5 days the pair build a nest of grasses and weed stems. 1-4 dull cream colored, unmarked eggs are laid and incubated by both the male and female for 11-14 days.

Cardinal

2007-07-03T07:55:00.000-07:00

Characteristics: Males are almost solid crimson with black shades around the beak and eyes. A crest of plumage stands erect on top of the head. The female is more yellowish-brown and also has a crest and reddish-orange bill. Females do not have the black mask but areas of their face my be dark.
Behavior:Solitary and pugnacious in the breeding season, the male may occasionally wound, or even kill their adversaries. Parents are joined by other cardinals when tending to the nestlings. The nest is usually built by the female and the male brings his incubating partner food.
Reproduction:Breeding occurs between March and September. Two broods are raised a year in March and May-July. The female lays 2-5 eggs and incubates them without the males help for 11-13 days. Juveniles are ready to breed the following year.

White rhino

2007-07-02T07:54:00.000-07:00

The white rhino is the only grazing rhino. Mild and inoffensive in temperament, this species of rhino is the most social with females often living in groups of 5-7 individuals.Rhinos are very good mothers and will stay with a calf teaching and protecting it for 2-4 years. Adult males are solitary and territorial.
Females become sexually mature at 5 years of age and bear their first calf at 6-8 years. A single birth is the rule, with the baby weighing only about 4 percent of the mother's weight - about 143 lbs. (65kg). Females seek seclusion from other rhinos at the time of birth. Males first become sexually potent at 7-8 years of age but are prevented from breeding by social factors until they claim their first territories or dominant status usually at an age of 10 years.
Interesting Facts:There are five living species of rhinos: white, black. Indian, Javan and Sumatran. The black and white live in Africa, while the other three live in Asia. All five species of rhino are in jeopardy of going extinct.

Arabian Wildcat

2007-06-25T12:11:00.000-07:00

Characteristics: Gray-brown fur with tabby stripes that can be quite long and thick. They are usually marked with white patches on their bellies and between their forelegs, with a white throat patch. Unlike domestic cats, wildcats have tails that are bushy and blunt-ended.
Behavior:Solitary, both males and females maintain territories. They usually hunt at night, stalking their prey silently, and pouncing from close range to kill with their teeth and sharp claws. By day, they hide in the cover of rocks, reed beds or thick bushes.
Reproduction:After a gestation period of about 65 days, the female gives birth to 2 or 3 kittens in a secluded den. The young suckle for about a month and begin to accompany their mother on hunting trips when they are 3 months old. The young are independent by the time they are 6 months old, and are sexually mature at 1 year. The male plays no part in rearing the young.

Mule Deer

2007-06-08T11:35:00.000-07:00

The Mule Deer, while closely related to the eastern species-the white-tailed deer, are remarkably distinct in their biological, ecological, and behavioral attributes.The Mule Deer carries its thin, black-tipped tail drooped, unlike the uplifted, bushy white tail of its cousin. They have a distinctly different gait from the leisurely, graceful leaps of the white-tail. When startled, a Mule Deer will move in a series of stiff-legged jumps with all four feet hitting the ground together.
Mule Deer are usually a dark gray-brown, with a small white rump patch and a small, black-tipped tail. Their large ears are distinctive. White-tail deer are tan in color, with a larger tail.Mule Deer antlers are normally smaller and branch to form 2 equal forks, while the male White-tailed Deer has forward curving antlers with a number of points (tines) branching from the main beam.

ELK OR WAPITI

2007-05-28T11:34:00.000-07:00

Many biologists believe the name "wapiti" (WAA-pi-tea) is a Shawnee Indian word meaning "white rump," an appropriate description for the elk's large rump patch. "Cervus" is from the Latin word meaning stag or deer.
Elks’ body lengths range from six and three quarters to nine and three quarters feet, while they stand four and one-half to five feet tall. Adult males weigh six hundred to one thousand pounds or more, and females weigh between four hundred and fifty to six hundred pounds. The males have antlers that can span five feet and ordinarily have six sharp points or "tines."
Elk have even numbers of toes on each foot, a characteristic that separates them from other hoofed mammals. Adult males and females are tannish brown above and darker below, with long legs and short tails In late spring they molt or shed their tan winter coats for reddish brown coats. The small whitish tail is surrounded by a yellowish white rump patch that is bordered by darker hairs. Bulls have a dark shaggy mane that covers their necks.

Coyote

2007-05-27T14:14:00.000-07:00

The coyote is a member of the dog family. In size and shape the coyote is like a medium-sized Collie dog, but its tail is round and bushy and is carried straight out below the level of its back.
Coyotes found in low deserts and valleys weigh about 20 pounds, less than half of their mountain kin, who can weigh up to 50 pounds. Desert Coyotes are light gray or tan with a black tip on the tail.
Coyotes of high elevations have fur that is darker, thicker and longer; the under parts are nearly white, with some specimens having a white tip on the tail. In winter the coats of mountain coyotes become long and silky, and trappers hunt them for their fur.
The coyote is one of the few wild animals whose vocalizations are commonly heard. At night coyotes both howl (a high quavering cry) and emit a series of short, high-pitched yips. Howls are used to keep in touch with other coyotes in the area. Sometimes, when it is first heard, the listener may experience a tingling fear of primitive danger, but to the seasoned outdoorsman, the howl of the coyote is truly a song of the West.

Genus Cyprinodon

2007-05-19T01:53:00.000-07:00

The Desert Pupfish is a small, silvery-colored fish with 6 to 9 dark bands on its sides. This tiny fish grows to a full average length of only 2.5 inches. Pupfish develop quickly, sometimes reaching full maturity within 2 to 3 months. Although their average life span is 6 to 9 months, some survive more than one year.
Pupfish have a short, scaled head with an upturned mouth. The anal and dorsal fins are rounded with the dorsal sometimes exhibiting a dark blotch. The caudal fin is convex at the rear.Pupfish feed on brown and green algae. During winter months, when the water is cold, they become dormant, burrowing in the muddy bottom of their habitat.
As spring approaches and the water warms, Pupfish become very active and begin their mating ritual. The breeding males become iridescent blue in color and defend their territory, chasing away all other fish except females that are ready to spawn. Spawning starts towards the end of February and continues through summer.

Jaguars

2007-05-14T07:53:00.000-07:00

Of all the big cats, jaguars are the least studied. While some tidbits of information do come from examining jaguars in the wild, most of what is known about the creatures has been learned by studying captive animals. Wild jaguars are difficult to study because observing them is a rare occurrence.
The jaguar (Panthera onca) is a New World mammal belonging to the Felidae family and is one of the four “big cats” in the Panthera genus, along with the tiger, lion and leopard of the Old World.
Jaguars and the leopards seem at first glance to be nearly identical, but do in fact show marked differences. Both species have distinctive builds and differing coat patterns. In comparison with the leopard, the jaguar is larger and much stockier.
Primary jaguar habitats include tropical rain forests and swampy grasslands of Central and South America. In damp forest habitats, jaguars roam close to rivers, streams and lakes. They are fond of water and are notable as felines who enjoy swimming.

Black bears

2007-05-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

Black bears, unlike true hibernators that burn protein reserves, use their fat reserves for energy. Their urea, from the urine, is recycled back into the production of muscle tissue, and a bear may gain muscle mass in winter although it may lose 20 to 40 percent of its weight. Most of this is from the fat reserves gained during the summer and fall. One interesting side note is that humans on a starvation diet have problems with the formation of gallstones. Bears produce an acid in called ursodeoxycholic acid that is stored in their gallbladders. This acid prevents gallstones, enhances digestion and enables the bears to lose fat, not muscle mass, during their winter slumber. Though some black bears are taken illegally for their ursodeoxycholic acid, a black market product, a synthetic form of this acid has been created using cow bile. The product is used to prevent or dissolve gallstones.

Black bears

2007-04-23T11:40:00.000-07:00

Bear dens vary by locale and conditions. A cave, fallen trees, brush piles, culverts, the base of tree roots, and under buildings all may house the wintering bear. Current research points to reduced thyroid gland activity as the primary motivator for black bears to hibernate, but this is still under investigation. Early researchers believed that the onset of hibernation was due to the snow, temperature changes, decreased atmospheric pressure or a decrease in daylight hours. But a skinny bear will continue to forage in the winter, despite the “rule” that it should be hibernating. That bear might not survive the winter burning up its limited fat supply.
Black bears are not true hibernators like chipmunks and ground squirrels, for example. True hibernators lower their heart and breathing rates to about 10 percent of their normal activity. Black bears lower their body temperature about 10 degrees and their breathing and heart rates decrease slightly.

Red Knee Tarantula

2007-04-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

This is a dark spider overall with a black burst covered by brown hairs. Its legs have orange to dark red-orange “knees” and some smaller patches of orange on the legs. Carapace is usually a creamy beige with a distinctive black square. Can grow to 5 and 1/2 inches in size. A tarantula has two major body sections: the cephalothorax and the abdomen. Appendages on the cephalothorax include four pairs of legs, a pair of pedipalps and a pair of fang tipped chelicerae. (Chelicerae are appendages each of which is made up of a fang and a basal segment containing venom glands and teeth used to macerate prey.) Of the legs, the first two are for holding prey, and the others are used for walking. Mature males have special copulatory organs on the pedipalps and hooks on the first pair of legs. The abdomen has two pair of spinnerets posteriorly.

Lemur

2007-04-02T09:18:00.000-07:00

Males fight viciously for mating privileges during these narrow time windows. Females typically mate with more than one male, often with one from another troop. Gestation is 134-138 days and usually one infant is born, sometimes two if food is abundant. Infants are carried ventrally the first two weeks, then on the back. At two and a half months the infant leaves the mother at times to play, explore and sample solid foods. Final weaning is at 5-6 months. Females in the group with newborns will handle and even nurse other females’ infants as well as attend groups of young as they play. Adult males emigrate periodically and some females are driven out. Life span is 27 years.
Males have fingernail-like wrist spurs which are used to rub on the scent glands of the inner arm and then scar branches and leave scent. They also have “stink fights” in which they face each other and wave tails which have been rubbed on strong-smelling wrist glands.
The palms of this lemur are long, smooth and leather-like, affording a firm footing on slippery rocks, and the great toe is smaller than other, more arboreal species.

Bibliography:
Novak, Ronald. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World

Lemur

2007-04-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

Head-body length 15-18 inches, tail length 22-24 inches, weight around 6.5-7.75 pounds. Pelage is soft, thick and woolly. Conspicuous black-and-white banded tail. Gray to brown back, white under-parts, a white face with dark brown triangular eye patches and white ears. Eyes are bright red-brown or orange. Face is elongated and fox-like. Females have one pair of mammae. Hindlimbs are considerably longer than forelimbs, giving a hunched, leaning-forward look as they stand or move. Scent glands are present on wrists, arms and chests and are used to mark territory and foraging routes.
These diurnal lemurs start the day soaking up the sun, forage until noon, nap during the hottest part of the day, forage in the late afternoon and evening, and sleep in the trees at night. Ringtails defend resources but are not strictly territorial. Ranges can be15 to 60 acres, depending on the type of habitat and thus the available resources. Troops of 5-24 have non-overlapping territories and disputes usually involve opposing groups of females running at each other and vocalizing. Larger groups form a core group of adult females and infants, juveniles and one or more high-ranking males. Females are extremely dominant and win all disputes with males. Females have dominance relationships, but not dominance hierarchies and there is not always a single, individual leader for the entire group. Even infants grapple for dominance.
Females reach sexual maturity at 2 years of age, have their first young at three years and annually thereafter. Males reach sexual maturity at two and a half years of age, but must contend with older males who will curtail any mating on their part. Mating season is mid-April. Females enter estrous for only a few hours of a single day, although all the females of a group will enter estrous within two weeks of one another.

Bibliography:
Hutchins, Michael, Ed. 2004. Grzimek’s Animal Life Encyclopedia

River Otter

2007-03-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Long, slender, sleek body, weighing approximately 20 pounds (9 kg) and about two and a half feet (76 cm) long. Head is small and round, with small eyes and ears; prominent whiskers. Legs short, but powerful; all four feet webbed. Tail long and slightly tapered toward the tip with musk-producing glands underneath. The short dense fur is dark brown. Chin and stomach are reddish yellow, tinged with gray. Females are a third smaller than males.Fish, crayfish, frogs, turtles, and aquatic invertebrates, plus an occasional bird, rodent or rabbit. Because otters prey most easily on fish that are slow and lethargic, much of the diet consists of "rough" fish like carp, suckers, catfish, and sculpins. Zoo diet: fish or horsemeat with vegetables. Feline diet with fish three times a week and vitamin E twice a week.

Hottentot Teal

2007-03-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

Male has a black crown contrasting with a buffy white face and throat with a blackish "thumbprint" at the ear. Back and sides of neck, breast spotted with black. Tawny buff flanks and abdomen. Back, rump and tail dark brown to black. upper tail covers vermiculated with black. Upper wing surface mostly dark brown to black. The secondaries form an iridescent green speculum. Feet and bill are bluish gray. Females have browner crowns and less contrasting facial markings. A very small duck averaging only 12 to 14 inches in length.
An African species ranging from Angola, Zambia and the eastern Congo to Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia, south nearly to the Cape. Also resident in Madagascar. Live in shallow fresh water marshes and ponds with fringed edges of reeds and floating leaf plants.
Diet:
Grass seeds, water insects and insect larvae. They forage by dabbling, not diving.

Toucan

2007-03-10T16:44:00.000-08:00

Bill is bicolored with most of the upper mandible yellow, lower mandible and wedge-shaped area at base of upper mandible dark maroon-chestnut. Plumage is mostly black; rump white, under tail-coverts red, bare skin around eye yellowish green. Call is an almost gull-like repeated yelping ‘kee-yoo, tedick-tedick-tedick’.
Humid forest edge. Lowlands to 2000 meters in Central and nw South America (Honduras to western Equador).
Toucans are gregarious birds, usually seen in small flocks of 3 to 12 birds. Breeding is during the dry season. They nest in tree hollows. Incubation of the two to four eggs by both sexes lasts around 15 days. Young have particularly well-developed heel pads for shuffling about in the hard nest. These are lost by fledging at 40-50 days.
Their enormously enlarged bills which are used for plucking and manipulating tree fruits are lighter and less awkward than they look since they are largely hollow. The bill is strengthened by a honeycomb network of bony fibres within the horny outer sheath.

Coyote

2007-02-27T08:00:00.000-08:00

The ubiquitous coyote is found throughout North America from eastern Alaska to New England and south through Mexico to Panama. It originally ranged primarily in the southwest corner of the US, but it has adapted readily to the changes caused by human occupation and, in the past 200 years, has been steadily extending its range.
The coyote is a member of the dog family. In size and shape the coyote is like a medium-sized Collie dog, but its tail is round and bushy and is carried straight out below the level of its back.
Coyotes found in low deserts and valleys weigh about 20 pounds, less than half of their mountain kin, who can weigh up to 50 pounds. Desert Coyotes are light gray or tan with a black tip on the tail.
Coyotes of high elevations have fur that is darker, thicker and longer; the under parts are nearly white, with some specimens having a white tip on the tail. In winter the coats of mountain coyotes become long and silky, and trappers hunt them for their fur.

Hermann's Tortoise

2007-02-25T03:05:00.000-08:00

Head is moderate in size with a non-protruding snout and hooked upper jaw. Head is brown or black. Carapace moderately domed, about eight inches long. The carapace of older tortoises develops a wavy rim. Variable in color: yellow, olive, or orange to dark brown. Lighter individuals have dark blotching. Plastron is dark brown or black with a yellow border and midseam. Has a divided supracaudal scute. Horny claw-like tail tip in both sexes. The male's tail is longer and more robust.
Geographical range:
Southern Europe from northeast Spain to the Balkans, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Also found on islands in the Mediterranean. Prefers evergreen Mediterranean oak forest, but, due to habitat degradation, is found in dry meadows, scrub hillsides, and rocky slopes. Seems to like dense vegetation, but avoids moist places.

Bibliography:
Ernst, Carl and Barbour, Roger: Turtles of the World

Laughing Kookaburra

2007-02-21T12:54:00.000-08:00

This largest of all kingfishers is up to 17 inches in length and weighs up to 1 pound. Plumage is brown with grayish white underside and head. Tail has dark bands and face has brown cheek patches. Females have gray patches on their wings; males have blue patches on their wings and at the top of their tail. They have long sharply pointed beaks that are slightly flattened from top to bottom; the top of the beak is black and the bottom is tan. Known for its loud territorial call that sounds like maniacal human laughter, the bird also utters softer gutteral sounds. Their flattish feet have the middle and outer toes welded together over much of their length and they hop instead of walk.
They feed by perching on a tree branch and pouncing on terrestrial invertebrates, reptiles, small mammals, birds and nestlings. Can devour snakes up to 3 ft in length. Not closely associated with water, but will sometimes catch fish with plunging dives and, on occasion, raid suburban goldfish ponds.

Fishers Lovebird

2007-02-15T09:22:00.000-08:00

General plumage green with yellowish underparts; forehead cheeks and throat orange red; remainder of head dull olive green tinged with reddish on occiput; upper breast and collar around neck yellow; upper tail coverts washed with pale blue; under wing coverts blue and green, tail green; white ring around eye; red bill. Sexes alike.

Breeding is colonial. Unpaired birds seek out the company of other unpaired birds and attempt to preen them. They quickly discover if they are compatible and, if they are, they establish life-long pairs. When they reach sexual maturity the male courts the female who is often aggressive towards him. Courtship feeding takes place in which the male feeds the female regurgitated food. The nest is a hole in a tree, in a cavity in a building or among the bases of palm fronds. Inside the cavity the birds build a bulky dome-shaped nest entered through a tunnel made of long twigs or strips of bark carried by the female in her bill, one piece at a time She lays 8 to 10 eggs. Incubation is 23 days and the young leave the nest 38 days after hatching.

Red-Billed Hornbill

2007-02-05T08:31:00.000-08:00

Thin red bill and pale head distinctive, crown and nape dark gray, neck and face white, back sooty brown with white stripe down center, underparts white, primaries black with white spots, tail black. Circumorbital and throat skin creamy yellow to pale pink. 3 subspecies. Males and females similar but males slightly larger.
Obtains almost all food on the ground while running about. Feeds largely on insects - beetles, grasshoppers, termites, ants, fly larvae. Also takes geckos, birds' eggs and nestlings and scavenges dead rodents.
Usually found in pairs or small family parties, but during the dry season may congregate in flocks of several hundred at good feeding areas, such as around water holes. They are territorial and will defend their territories against their own species, but not other species, so that several species of hornbill may have overlapping territories. Birds move to feeding areas early in the morning, but usually return to a regular roost site within their territories at night. They roost in a tree close to the trunk or large branch. Like all hornbills except the large ground hornbills of Africa, Red-billed Hornbills nest in holes in trees where the female is sealed up for two to three months while she incubates the eggs and feeds the young with insects brought by the male. The female lays 3-5 eggs which she incubates from 23-25 days. The female molts and re-grows her feathers during incubation. She breaks out of the nest when the eldest chick is 21-22 days old. The chicks reseal the entrance alone using their droppings and food remains. Chicks fly well on first emergence from nest, never returning. They may remain with their parents for 6 months.

Siamang

2007-02-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

Diurnal. They sleep upright, sitting on their ischial callosities, arms folded and head between knees, unlike great apes who build sleeping nests or platforms. Well-developed forearms and limited body weight and hooklike hands facilitate brachiation. May hold or carry objects with feet. Occasionally, they walk bipedally on the ground or along branches with arms held above the head for balance. In the wild, they rarely decend to earth. The inflatable throat sac acts as resonating chamber for vocal cords.
The siamangs' loud calls usually occur only in the morning hours and act to help maintain territorial possession as well as cohesion within the siamang family group. The hooting-barking call can be heard for 2 miles. The songs have a definite pattern with repeatable sequences and a definite introduction, middle and end. In this great call duet, the male and female each sing different but coordinated parts

Bibliography:
MacDonald, David. 1987. The Encyclopedia of Mammals, Equinox, Oxford.

Siamang

2007-01-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

Largest of the lesser apes. Height: up to 3 feet. Weight: 20 to 45 pounds (Sumatran male is largest). Color: jet black, with long, profuse, somewhat shaggy hair. Face is naked with sparse stubble of moustache and beard. Armspread up to 5 feet. Forearm hair grows toward elbow as in great apes and humans. Dark eyes, color vision, and a throat sac inflatable to the size of the head (gular sac). The toes are webbed between 2nd and 3rd toes. No facial fringe or tail.

Upper canopy of forested regions of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula from 500 to 2500 feet.
Fruits, leaves and other plant products. Probably also small animals, insects, birds and birds' eggs.
Social group consists of a monogamous pair: one male, one female and up to 3 dependent offspring. Gestation: 7-8 months (230 days). Single births. Young are born very small (6 ounces) and usually naked. The long adult hair does not appear until 2-3 years of age. Infant is weaned at one year. When there are older youngsters in the family, the father gives the older ones protection and affection while the mother tends the infant. Siamangs mature at 8 years of age and at that time leave their parents. Lifespan: 25 years.

Griffon Vulture

2007-01-24T09:21:00.000-08:00

Light sandy-brown color. Weight is about 15 pounds. Has an eight-foot wing span, but short legs with weak, blunt toes. The horn-colored beak is slender and relatively weak. The long goose-like neck is thinly covered with down, with a distinct ruff of quill and down feathers at the base of the neck. Tail is rounded.

Widely distributed around the Mediterranean, ranging east into India and south across the savannas of Africa. Sometimes found as far north as the Scandinavian countries. Prefers barren areas with few trees, mountain steppes and high plateaus.

The friendliest and most social of the vultures. Non-territorial. There is some indication that pairs mate for life. They are "home" bodies and do not migrate. Nests are always placed on cliffs even when trees are available. They are built of twigs and grass and much excrement, often on the remains of previous years' nests and are found in a variety of sites, from well-protected rock caves to exposed ledges. 10-15 pairs may share nesting grounds. A single egg is hatched, occasionally two. Incubation period is unusually long, between 48-50 days. Young are covered with pale buffy down; when they leave the nest after 3-4 months they look almost like adults. Life span is 40 years.

Black Kite

2007-01-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

Generally dark brown or black. Crown and nape streaked with white or gray. Black cere and yellow feet. Eyes brown or yellowish brown; exact color varies from area to area. Smaller than most of the flying scavengers. Weight around 2 pounds. Wing span up to 5 feet.

Europe, Africa, Middle East, India and southern Asia east to South China, New Guinea, and Australia. Range covers elevations from sea level up to 14,000 feet. In winter birds living in cold areas migrate to warmer climates. These birds are very adaptable; they can exist in habitats ranging from crowded cities to remote, desolate areas.

Generally roost communally, but normally hunt singly like vultures. Over 3000 individuals have been counted around one "piggery" in Australia. Their nests are generally built in trees at 15 to 100 feet above the ground. Nests are about 18" to 24" in diameter and 10" to 18" deep. All types of available material are used in nest building. There are 2 or 3 dull white eggs in a clutch. The eggs are incubated for 38 days by only the female. The male will bring some food to the female during incubation and while she is feeding the young. The chicks are able to fly about 42 days after hatching.

Brown House Snake

2007-01-11T08:55:00.000-08:00

Two to four feet long; cylindrical, slender body with smooth rounded scales. Small eyes with vertical elliptic pupils. Uniform light to reddish brown above. Two light stripes on either side of the head, one running from the tip of the snout across the upper half of the eye and the other from the lower half of the eye to the angle of the mouth. Underside yellowish to mother-of-pearl white.
Very common and widespread throughout most of southern Africa and extending northwards to central, west and east Africa to the Congo, Sudan and Eritrea. A common nocturnal constrictor found near human dwellings.
Mainly rodents and other small vertebrates including bats and lizards. One snake can devour an entire rodent family in a single session.
Oviparous, laying 8 to 10 eggs, but a large female can lay up to 18. Laying takes place in spring or early summer. The young take 60 to 90 days to develop and are 7 to 10 inches long.
Its slender shape allows it access to places where small rodents are to be found.
As its common name indicates it is often found in and around human dwellings in tool sheds, compost heaps or beneath building rubble where it searches for rodents and lizards. As it is nocturnal, it is seldom seen. Other than humans, its enemies include several snakes including cobras and birds of prey, especially owls.

White-Throated Monitor

2007-01-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

Monitors swallow small prey or pieces of large prey whole rather than chew it as do iguanas and other lizards. Like snakes, they have a strong bony roof to the mouth which protects the brain from being damaged by the passage of large mouthfuls. They can also greatly increase the size of their mouth cavity by spreading the hyoid apparatus and dropping the lower jaw. Their long, deeply-slit tongue is also snakelike and is often protruded to follow olfactory “tracks". Other similarities with snakes are the shape of the vertebrae, the chamber structure of the heart, and the absence of a urinary bladder.
Powerful legs allow them to run swiftly. Long, sharp claws make them good climbers; claws also are used as tools to dig out dens or enlarge rodent dens for their own use.
When lizards walk and run, they amble from side to side, flexing their bodies laterally. The muscles that are responsible for this flexing work in a different direction to expand the chest for breathing. Thus at higher speeds flexing predominates and breathing suffers. Monitors, however. have shown no constraint on oxygen consumption because they have a throat pump. As the monitor breathes, air is drawn both into the lungs and into an expanding cavity in the throat area. The cavity contracts, pumping the air into the lungs.

Alberts, Allison. "Lessons from the Wild"

White-Throated Monitor

2007-01-04T08:08:00.000-08:00

Hunt over a large home range of around 2.3 square miles for females and 7 square miles for males (keeping to a much smaller part of their home range during the dry season-when food and thus energy is in shorter supply). Mating and egg incubation occurs during the drier months with hatching coinciding with the onset of the rainy season. Seven or more soft smooth leathery-shelled eggs are buried in the ground. Sexual maturity is reached at three to five years. Life expectancy is about 15 years.
Also known as the Cape Monitor. The family of monitor lizards (31 species with 58 subspecies) includes the largest lizards now in existence; several species reach 5 feet or more. The largest is the Komodo Dragon at ten feet long, and the smallest is the eight inch short-tailed monitor of Australia.
Monitors can get quite agitated if brought to bay. At first they inflate their bodies and hiss. Then they attempt to deter any attack by violently lashing the tail like a whip. Finally they may attack by grabbing their adversary with powerful jaws and clawing with their feet.

White-Throated Monitor

2007-01-02T10:03:00.000-08:00

All monitors have long, forked tongues, sharp teeth, relatively long necks, pointed snouts, sharp claws, and non-autonomous tails. The eyes have eyelids and round pupils. Body is usually fairly massive, with four powerful legs, each bearing five clawed toes. The tail is thick and long and functions as a rudder, as a prehensile organ and as a weapon. It is twice as long as the body. The body is covered with various small, non-overlapping scales that form a granular pattern. Typically gray-brown with conspicuous white or yellowish markings. Can grow to six feet, but average length is four feet.
Geographical range: South Africa north to Zimbabwe, south into Namibia, and northeast into Mozambique. It lives in dry steppe or savannah regions, seeking shelter under tree roots or in burrows during hottest part of day.

Chameleon

2006-12-28T06:04:00.000-08:00

Chameleons have many distinct peculiarities. Each eye has a scaly lid in the form of a cone, with only a small round opening in the middle for the pupil. Eyes can move independently which gives a good range of view as well as the depth perception needed for aiming its extremely long tongue. The tongue has a thickened club-like tip that will grasp the prey by a combination of wet adhesion and muscular activity. An adaptation to arboreal life is the modification of the feet; toes are partially fused into two groups, two toes in one and three in the other, which can oppose one another. The tail also serves as a prehensile instrument; thus it cannot be shed and replaced like those of many other lizards.
Color changes in chameleons may depend on mood, changes of light, temperature, health, etc., and not just the background.

Chameleon

2006-12-26T10:54:00.000-08:00

Arboreal and diurnal. In general, chameleons stay strictly within a certain region and hold territories which they defend against animals of both their own and other species. Males often react violently to each other. They have fixed sleeping places, which they leave in the morning to sunbathe, then move to favorable posts where they wait for prey. Nosy Be Chameleons can breed all year. Females usually lay 2 to 3 clutches per year. As many as 30 or 40 parchment-shelled eggs are laid and buried in the ground or rotting vegetation. Eggs take 5 to 12 months (depending on temperature and moisture) to hatch since a 3-5 month diapause (dormant with no embryo development) is associated with this species. After hatching, the young begin to hunt insects and disperse over a wide area. They grow quickly and reach sexual maturity before the end of their first year. In captivity chameleons rarely live longer than 4-5 years.

Chameleon

2006-12-04T08:37:00.000-08:00

Males grow to a length of 12 to 17 inches and females from 7 to 9 inches. Panther chameleons range in color from green to blue to red depending on the region of Madagascar where they are found. The Nosy Be male is blue-green, emerald green, turquoise with patches of red or yellow on the head and chest. Lips are bright yellow or white. A continuous white stripe runs the length of the body. Dark vertical bars may appear on the lateral surface of the body and tail when the animal is stressed. Females are dull in color, i.e. gray or brown. When they are receptive to breeding, they lighten or brighten in color, and when non-receptive or gravid, they become dark brown to black with contrasting color bars.
Geographical range: Trees of the tropical rainforests of the island of Nosy Be off the island of Madagascar.

American Alligator III

2006-12-02T11:13:00.000-08:00

All alligators bask, smaller ones most frequently. They hunt and feed at night. In winter, they bury themselves in mud, go into deep burrows or remain resting underwater with their nostrils above water and their breath keeping an air hole in the ice. Alligators can withstand cold better than crocodiles. Internal temperature may drop to 5 deg C. (41 deg F) from a temperature usually around 33 deg C. (91 deg F). Voice: American alligators are the best vocalizers of the crocodilians. Adults have a throaty, bellowing roar with great carrying power. When alligators congregate in breeding groups in early spring, bellowing choruses can last from ten minutes to half an hour. Low growls are used during aggressive interactions. All sizes hiss when approached by an intruder. Female grunts like a pig in calling her young. Hatchlings and juveniles use a variety of grunts in many social situations. They also vocalize with infrasound, below the range of human hearing.

American Alligator II

2006-11-29T11:20:00.000-08:00

Female builds nest of vegetable debris 4-7 feet in diameter and 2-3 feet high. Courtship begins in April. Mating takes place in water after courtship displays by males. One display, known as the "water dance" is characterized by "fizzing" water around a male's torso, produced by a loud subsonic call. Female constructs a nest of rotting vegetation and lays about 45 hard-shelled white eggs slightly larger than hen’s eggs from late May through June. Nine week incubation. Female guards nest until babies call, then tears the nest open and cracks unhatched eggs with her teeth. She takes them to water and often remains with them. Young are about 9 inches at hatching, weighing 2 ounces. Growth is rapid: one foot in length for each of the first six years. Young alligators are preyed upon by others of their kind and by large fish, turtles, snakes, herons, raccoons, and black bears. They probably live 50-60 years.

American Alligator

2006-11-25T12:20:00.000-08:00

Broadly rounded snout distinguishes it from crocodiles. Fourth tooth on each side of lower jaw is hidden when mouth is closed. Young are black with yellowish cross-bars. Mature alligators are coal black when wet, dark gray when dry. Males are 11 to 12 feet long and weigh 450-550 pounds. Females are no longer than 9 feet and weigh about 160 pounds. Record length is 20 feet.
North Carolina to Florida Keys and west to central Texas. Lacking the salt-removing glands found in crocodiles they live in fresh water swamps and waterways only. When given protection, alligator populations rebound and soon reoccupy areas where they have long been absent.
Diet: Large stomach. Carnivorous. Eats fish, snakes, frogs, turtles, birds, and mammals such as muskrats, deer and cows. Big animals are dragged underwater and drowned and then torn to pieces. They are very efficient metabolically; even a big alligator can get by on about 50 pounds of food a year. Eats little or nothing from early October to late March. Feeds heavily during summer to store fat. Newborn starts feeding at once, eating small fishes and water insects.

African Lion

2006-11-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

Life span in the wild is 15-18 years, in captivity 25-30 years.
Backward-curved horny papillae cover the upper surface of the tongue; these are useful both in holding onto meat and removing parasites during grooming. The roar of a lion can be heard up to five miles away and can be most intimidating up close. Territorial roaring is usually heard an hour after sunset. When separated they roar to let each other know where they are; females often call their cubs by roaring. The mature male's mane not only makes him appear larger but protects his throat from his mortal enemies-other marauding lions and the hyenas after his cubs or kill.
A lion is a digitigrade, or toe walker; that is his heel doesn't touch the ground. His loud roar is made possible by the cartilage in his throat having ossified into bone. This is true of all the big cat or "roaring" species. The smaller cats with the softer throat structure can only meow.

African Lion

2006-11-07T07:54:00.000-08:00

Lions feed on a variety of large and medium-size prey. They prefer wildebeast (or gnu) to all others when the annual migration brings the vast herds through the pride's range. Otherwise they eat buffalo, zebra, antelope, giraffe, and warthogs. They also steal kills and carrion from other predators.
Lions are the only cats that live in large family groups. Each pride differs in size and formation, but a typical pride consists of two males and seven females and a variable number of cubs. Females are usually sisters and/or cousins that have grown up together. When the pride hunts as a group they employ an ambush that forces large prey into the waiting paws of the males. Females have the speed but lack the body weight to knock down large "family size" prey such as the wildebeast. Despite their tremendous power and adaptive efficiency, lions are more likely to fail than succeed in their attempts to kill.

African Lion

2006-11-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

Typically a mature male stands 4 feet at the shoulder and is 8 .5 feet long, plus tail. He'll average 450 pounds. Females are considerable smaller, weighing less than 300 pounds. Adult lions usually have a plain unspotted coat, light brown to dark ochre in color. Cubs are marked with spots which sometimes persist on the legs and belly until they are fully grown. Male lions have a brown mane, which tends to grow darker and fuller as the animal ages. The tail has a black tuft at the end. "White" lions occasionally occur in the Transvaal region of southern Africa, but these are not true albinos.
Thousands of years ago, lions were common throughout southern Europe, southern Asia, eastern and central India and over the whole of the African continent. Today, with the exception of some 300 highly protected animals in the Gir National Park of India, the only naturally-occuring lions are found in Africa. (But even in Africa lions have been wiped out in the north; the last Numidian male was shot as a trophy in the 1930s.) Lions do not live in heavy forests and jungles and they do not inhabit desert areas due to a scarcity of game.

Burrowing Bullfrog

2006-10-29T04:08:00.000-08:00

The largest South African frog, this bullfrog measures up to 24 cm (9.5 inches) and may weigh over two kilograms. It has a stout body with dull green skin and a broad head. The male usually has a yellow throat while the female's throat is cream. Toothlike projections on its lower jaw restrain struggling prey. Only its hind toes are webbed. The female is much smaller than the male (12 cm or 4.45 inches), which is an exception in frogs.
Tropical Africa eastward and southward from Nigeria. Found throughout the eastern savanna regions, from Somalia to Port Elizabeth, extending westwards to Angola.Habitat open grassland in temporary puddles, when available.
Anything it can overpower, including mice, lizards, and other frogs.
Males call from a breeding site in shallow water where females then lay their eggs, one at a time. In breeding, the male develops swollen pads on forelimbs and thumbs with which he grasps the female. As she lays her eggs, he fertilizes them. The jellylike substance around the eggs protects them to some degree and prevents dehydration.

Laughing Kookaburra

2006-10-23T10:20:00.000-07:00

They feed by perching on a tree branch and pouncing on terrestrial invertebrates, reptiles, small mammals, birds and nestlings. Can devour snakes up to 3 ft in length. Not closely associated with water, but will sometimes catch fish with plunging dives and, on occasion, raid suburban goldfish ponds. Prey is stunned by dropping from a height or whacking it against a branch before swallowing. They will even kill poisonous snakes by grabbing them behind the head and smashing them against a rock until they are dead.

Diurnal. These birds live in family groups that defend the same territories year round. They nest in hollow trees, holes in the walls of buildings, or the nests of termites. Sexual maturity is at 1 year. The female lays two or three white eggs; incubation is 18-22 days and the nestling period is 20-30 days. Both parents generally play equal parts in incubation, brooding and rearing of the young. The young depend on their parents for several months. Often the offspring will stay with their parents to help gather food for the following broods of chicks and to help guard the territory. Eventually, they will find a mate of their own and establish their own territory.

Laughing Kookaburra

2006-10-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

This largest of all kingfishers is up to 17 inches in length and weighs up to 1 pound. Plumage is brown with grayish white underside and head. Tail has dark bands and face has brown cheek patches. Females have gray patches on their wings; males have blue patches on their wings and at the top of their tail. They have long sharply pointed beaks that are slightly flattened from top to bottom; the top of the beak is black and the bottom is tan. Known for its loud territorial call that sounds like maniacal human laughter, the bird also utters softer gutteral sounds. Their flattish feet have the middle and outer toes welded together over much of their length and they hop instead of walk.

Geographical range
Open woodland, forest, farmlands, orchards, towns of eastern and southeastern Australia from northeast Queensland south to Victoria and west to southeastern South Australia. Introduced into southwestern Australia, Tasmania, and Kangaroo and Flinders Islands in Bass Strait.

Asian Potbellied Miniature Pig

2006-10-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

Wild pigs live in a group of females and their offspring with males joining the group to mate. Pigs differ from other ungulates in that they are born in a nest and remain there following birth. Potbelly Pigs reach puberty around 6-7 months of age. Females have a heat cycle every 21 days that lasts about 3 days. The gestation period is around 114 days and a litter of 4 to 12 is usually produced. Piglets are weaned at 8-10 weeks. Full growth is not reached until about 3-4 years of age. Life span is about 12-18 years.
The snout is adapted for rooting for food; a cartilaginous disc supported and strengthened by a prenasal bone makes a very good digging tool. The pig has a very keen sense of smell and can locate minuscule amounts of food in the soil and can follow it by air-scenting. They have been used by law enforcement agencies to sniff out drugs.
Wild pigs throughout the world have been extensively hunted for food, sport and as pests to man’s crops. Size, temperament, and sharp tusks of many make them potentially dangerous adversaries. Asian Potbelly Miniature Pigs are also known as Chinese or Vietnamese Potbelly Pigs and are descended from the wild boars that once roamed throughout China.

Asian Potbellied Miniature Pig

2006-10-13T06:50:00.000-07:00

Full grown Potbelly Miniature Pigs range from 15-18 inches in height, average 3 foot in length and weigh an average of 70-150 pounds with some reaching 200 pounds or more. (At one time the ideal weight, according to breeders, was around 50 pounds, but evidently this standard has been changed.) Males are larger than females. (Their farmyard cousins can weigh up to 1500 pounds.) Unlike livestock pigs, Miniature Potbellies have retained the shiny dark gray, brown, or black coat of the wild boars, with occasional spots of white. Solid white coats are also found. Their tails are long and straight rather than curly. They have an exaggerated potbelly, a swayed back, and erect ears.

Found in the domesticated state in Asia, Europe, and North America.

Pigs are omnivorous. With wild pigs activity is mainly nocturnal and crepuscular, but domestic pigs adjust to a daytime schedule. They eat fungi, tubers, bulbs, green vegetation, grains, nuts, cultivated crops, invertebrates, small vertebrates and carrion.

Indian Muntjac

2006-10-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

Females reach sexual maturity within a year of age and are polyestrous, with a cycle of 14-21 days and estrus lasting about two days. Gestation is about 210 days. Young is born in dense jungle growth, where it remains hidden until it can move about with its mother. Life span is 17 years in captivity.
Tusks are capable of inflicting serious injuries to other animals. They are also called barking deer since they make a deep, barklike sound; if they sense a predator they will “bark” for an hour or more.
Muntjacs are considered a relatively primitive group of deer, because of their small size and because the males have enlarged upper canines. A new species of muntjac called the Giant Muntjac was just found in 1992 in Vietnam. It weighs 88-110 lb (40-50 kg).

Bibliography:
Nowak, Ronald. 1999. Walker’s Mammals of the World

Indian Muntjac

2006-10-04T09:37:00.000-07:00

Weight variously reported as 40-60 pounds and height at shoulder 23-30 inches. Coloration varies from deep brown to yellowish or grayish brown with creamy or whitish markings. Body is covered with short, soft hairs, except for the ears, which are sparsely haired. Antlers are carried on long, bony hair-covered pedicles. These pedicles do not originate on the top of the skull as in other deer, but extend some distance down the face, visible externally as prominent ridges. Antlers usually are just spikes. The upper canine teeth of the males are elongated into tusks, which curve outward from the lips. Females have small bony knobs and tufts of hair where the antlers occur in the males.

M. muntjak is found in the forests of India and Nepal to southern China, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Malay peninsula and Indonesia. M. reevesi is found in southern China and Taiwan. Introduction has led to the establishment of wild populations of M. reevesi in England and Wales.

2006-10-01T13:02:00.000-07:00

Pygmy goats originally came from the Cameroon region of West Africa. Now found as pets in many places.
Goats are known for their ability to prosper on poor pasture. They are vegetarians that prefer browse to pasture. To reach high branches they stand on their hind legs.
The normal issue is two kids after a gestation period of 21-22 weeks. Goats are sexually mature as early as 6 months old. The normal life span is 8 to 12 years.
They are agile climbers due in part to the hair which grows between their hooves and gives them traction on smooth surfaces.

Alpine Goat
Usually fawn-colored and black-bearded and often has no horns. Length head to tail 6 feet. Weight to 250 pounds. As in wild goats, the udder has only two nipples. Both sexes have two skin appendages at the throat, and the males have beards.
Originally bred in the Alpine regions of Switzerland.
Goats are known for their ability to prosper on poor pasture. They are vegetarians that prefer browse to pasture. In addition to foliage they also eat mosses and lichens.
The normal litter is two kids after a gestation period of 21-22 weeks. Goats are sexually mature as early as 6 months old. The normal life span is 8 to 12 years.
They are agile climbers due in part to the hair which grows between their hooves and gives them traction on smooth surfaces.

La Mancha Goat

2006-09-24T12:37:00.000-07:00

A large goat with short, glossy hair of any color or combination. Females are around 28” at the withers and weigh 130 pounds or more. Males are around 30” at the withers and can weigh over 165 pounds. The goat has a wide, long tapering head, and a wide, deep muzzle with a dished or straight nose. The male has a full beard. The feet and legs are strong, straight and wide-apart. This goat is most famous for its very small ear flaps. There are 2 types of LaMancha goats: the “elf ear” of approximately 2 inches in length; and the “gopher ear” which is smaller (1” in length) and lacks most of the cartilage seen in the elf ear. Neither sex has horns.
Goats are known for their ability to prosper on poor pasture. They are vegetarians that prefer browse to pasture.
The normal issue is one to two kids after a gestation period of 21-22 weeks. Goats are sexually mature as early as 6 mos. old. Normal life span is 8 to 12 years.

Common Eland

2006-09-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

Elands have been tamed, but not domesticated as yet. Eland can gain 1 1/2 pounds a day on grazing land compared to about 2/3 of a pound in cattle. Adult males produce a clicking noise when walking, possibly originating in the tendons of the front legs. The click is much louder than the clacking of the hooves and can be heard over a mile away in still conditions. The sound may serve to warn younger males there is a large dominant male around.

They have been reduced in numbers because: they are easily captured and killed; they yield large amounts of tender meat; their thick hide is excellent; and they suffer from rinderpest. Although the common eland is not endangered, the giant eland is listed as endangered by the IUCN and the USFDI.

Bybliography:
MacDonald, David. 1984. The Encyclopedia of Mammals

Common Eland II

2006-09-16T12:05:00.000-07:00

Browse in morning and evening. Lie in shelter during heat of day. Very shy and difficult to approach. Gregarious, occurring in groups up to 100. Bulls often solitary, but not territorial. Travel long distances during migration. Impregnate forehead tuft with moist or urine-soaked soil and brush this paste on tree trunks, bushes, or walls as a marking. Use horns for fighting and to break branches off trees. Display broadside, keeping head up and away and presenting shoulder region. Males are sexually mature at 4 years of age, females at 3 years. Apparently there is no fixed breeding season but the majority of births are at the beginning of the rainy season. Gestation period is 250-270 days; one calf is usual. Calves form nursery groups; often have closer bonds with other calves than with their mothers. Males decide ranking by their sparring within the nursery group. Females will cooperatively fight predators. Life span is 15-20 years.

Common Eland

2006-09-01T04:54:00.000-07:00

Largest and most heavily built of the antelopes. Shoulder height: 6 feet. Weight: up to 2000 pounds. Both sexes have horns about 2 feet long and slightly spiralled. They have a hump on the shoulders and a prominent dewlap. Color is tawny; dorsal line, tail tuft and tip of dewlap are all black. They have a few thin, vertical white stripes on the body and a tuft of dark hair on the forehead. Their hooves are rounded.
Geographical:
Found in eastern, central and southern Africa. Prefer plains or moderately rolling country with brush and scattered trees.
Diet:
Young leaves of trees and shrubs; also, succulent fruits. Males and female favor different foods: females are selective feeders of flowers and herbs in open grassland, while male browse bushes near cover
Can go for long periods without drinking, getting sufficient moisture from food.

Chinchilla II

2006-08-28T09:43:00.000-07:00

Colonial, formerly found in groups of about 100 individuals. Earlier reports of monogamy probably erroneous. Relatively long gestation period (111 days) but still may produce two litters during the long summer season. Gives birth to two or three exceedingly precocial young weighing about 35 g. each. Lactation lasts between six and eight weeks. Both males and females become fertile at about eight months of age. Life span is 10 years in the wild, twice that in captivity.
Nocturnal (large eyes and long vibrissae). Dense fur indicates the depth of cold at the altitudes they inhabit. This fur has led to their extirpation. Feet adept at jumping, clinging and climbing over rocks.
As late as 1900 an estimated 500,000 skins were being exported annually from Chile. Shortly thereafter, however, chinchillas became rare and the skin price went higher. It is the most valuable fur of any in the world, considering its size and weight. Wild chinchilla coats have sold for $100,000, and that was years ago. Their descendants are bred commercially throughout the world. Reintroduction attempts have not been successful.

Bibliography
Nowak, Ronald and John Paradiso. 1983. Walker's Mammals of the World

Chinchilla

2006-08-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Silvery gray pelt, each hair tipped by black, very dense and soft, with up to 60 hairs growing from each follicle. Adults weigh about 500-800 grams with females larger than males. Large, rounded ears and eyes, pupils vertical slits. The short forefoot and narrow hind foot have four digits with stiff bristles surrounding the weak claws. Tails have coarse long gray and black hairs on the dorsal surface. Vibrissae are very long (110 mm).
Geographical range:
Relatively barren foothills of the Andes at elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 meters and in the coastal mountains of Chile, sheltering in crevices and holes among the rocks.
Strictly herbivorous, eating any available vegetation.

Chimpanzee IV

2006-08-17T23:56:00.000-07:00

Chimp communities are made up of 15 to 120 animals. These communities lack a definite leader and are usually split into a number of subgroups which are temporary and change in composition within a matter of hours or days ("fusion-fission" groups). Mothers often travel alone with only their offspring. Males seldom or never leave the community into which they were born, whereas most females migrate to a new community during an adolescent estrus period. In male relationships, tension is routinely expressed in dominance interactions when parties meet, but males also spend much time grooming each other. They form a loose dominance hierarchy.
For sleeping at night, each chimp (except infants who nest with their mothers) constructs a nest of vegetation 9-12 meters high in a tree. Males may hunt cooperatively for baby monkeys or bush pigs and even "share" some of the meat. Goodall has documented serious territorial fights.

Bibliography:
De Waal, Frans. 1982. Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes

Chimpanzee III

2006-08-16T11:27:00.000-07:00

Females in heat have prominent swelling of the pink perineal skin, lasting two to three weeks or more, and occurring every four to six weeks. Males have relatively huge testes. Puberty in both sexes occurs at about seven years, but males are not fully integrated into the social hierarchy until 15 or so. Females raised in captivity begin mating at eight to nine years and give birth for the first time at 10-11 years old. Wild females mature three to four years later. There is no breeding season. Chimpanzee females are not receptive for three to four years after giving birth, then resume sexual activities for one to six months until conception.
Females mate only when in heat. For the first week or more, female chimps are promiscuous and mate on an average of six times a day. Toward the last week of estrus, when ovulation occurs, high ranking males may compete for mating rights. Occasionally, an exclusive "consortship" is formed, a female and male eluding other members of the community for days or weeks. Reproductive capability in the female may last at least until the age of 40. Maximum life span in the wild may be 60 years.
The newborn is helpless with only a weak grasping reflex and needs support from the mother's hand during travel. Within a few days it clings to the mother's ventral surface without assistance, and begins riding "jockey-style" at 5-7 months. By four years, the infant travels mostly by walking, but stays with its mother until at least five to seven years old. Weaning begins in the third year.

Chimpanzee II

2006-08-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

Feed on a wide variety of foodstuffs (over 80 different items have been catalogued) with the largest proportion consisting of fruit and young leaves. In long dry seasons, buds and blossoms, soft pitch, stems, galls, honey, bark and resin, seeds and nuts are also eaten. Animal prey makes up as much as five percent of the diet, with social insects, such as ants and termites, providing the largest amounts. On rare occasions small game (monkeys, pigs, and antelope) is hunted. Feeding is essentially an individual activity, but after a cooperative hunt may share morsels in response to begging by others. There seem to be "cultural" differences between groups of chimpanzees in the variety of food taken and the techniques for processing it. (West African chimps use wood and stone tools as hammers to open nuts.)

Chimpanzee

2006-08-01T09:25:00.000-07:00

Head and body length ranges from 28 to 33 inches in females and 30-36 inches in males. Height ranges from about 3-1/4 feet to 5-1/2 feet. Weight is from 99 pounds to 176 pounds. Captives may be heavier. Arm-spread is 50% greater than height. No tail. Face bare, skin pink in infancy darkening to black in adulthood. Baldness is frequent in adults, typically a triangle on the forehead of male, more extensive in females. Hair color is black. Infants have white tail tuft and older males (20 or over) may develop grey back patch.
Geographical range:
Western and Central Africa, north of river Zaire, from Senegal to Tanzania, from 14 degrees north to 10 degrees south. Humid forest, deciduous woodland or mixed savanna; presence in open areas depends on access to evergreen fruit-producing forest. Found from sea level to 6500 feet.

Arabian Camel

2006-07-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

Camels run like a giraffe with both legs on one side of the body moving simultaneously. The resulting rocking, shuffling gait gave rise to the term "Ship of the Desert". Camels have been used as beasts of burden for centuries. They are known for their loathing of men and forms of work and spit foul-smelling stomach contents when annoyed. Arabs utilize almost every portion of the body. Tents are made of camel-hair cloth. The flesh of young camel is said to taste similar to veal. Camel milk is nutritious and cheese is also made from it. Skin makes good leather. Dried bones are substituted for ivory. Dung is burned as fuel on the desert. The name "Dromedary" is properly reserved for the Arabian racing camel such as those used in the various military camel corps. These camels can travel 80 to 120 miles per day carrying a rider. Arabian baggage camels have a heavier build and are capable of carrying a 200 kg load up to 40 miles per day. There are 160 words for camel in Arabic.

Arabian Camel

2006-07-28T05:53:00.000-07:00

Everything is adapted for life on the desert. Feet are broadened to walk on sand. Eyelashes protect eyes from wind-blown sand. Nostrils close to keep sand out. Lips are thickened to withstand the coarsest of desert plants. Coloration matches the environment. Callouses are present on knees and other parts of the body that touch the hot sand when the animal sits down. Hump is a flesh mound not supported by bones. A reserve of fat (not water) is stored in the hump. Hump size varies with food supply and working conditions. Can tolerate a rise in temperature of 12 degrees Fahrenheit. Able to drink brackish or salt water. Camels exhibit unusual tolerance for dehydration. Most animals perish when 20% of their body weight is lost whereas camels survive a 40% loss of body weight without serious consequences. Heavy fur and the fatty hump serve to insulate the body, preventing body temperature from rising to the sweating point (the major cause of water loss). When water again becomes available, camels are able to restore their body water quickly; they have been known to drink one third of their body weight in 10 minutes.

Arabian Camel

2006-07-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Single hump. Head and body length: 10 feet. Shoulder height: 6-7 feet. Weight: 1000-1500 pounds. Body is carried on long, slender legs ending in two toes beneath which is a broad, callous and elastic pad. Neck and head are both elongated. Upper lip is deeply cleft. Short tail. Eyes are heavily lashed. Ears are haired. Nostrils are slit-like. Coloration is fawn or beige. Coat is smooth and shorter than that of the Bactrian camel, but equally woolly.
The exact range of the Arabian Camel will probably never be known. The species exists only in the domesticated state today in Arabia and has been introduced into other regions of the world.
Able to eat practically anything that grows in the desert, including salty plants rejected by other grazers. When hungry, will eat fish, meat, bones and skin. Diet in captivity includes hay and grains plus vitamin and mineral supplements.
During rutting season, the male protrudes a fleshy fold from his mouth and emits a loud, unpleasant roar. A single calf, rarely two, is born after a gestation period of 13 months. The calf can move freely by the end of the first day. The mother nurses the young for one year. Maturity is at 3-5 years. Life span is 30-40 years. Females may breed every other year.

Bobcat

2006-07-14T08:24:00.000-07:00

Solitary, except during breeding season. Nocturnal where hunted, but often abroad during day in protected areas. Territories are not defended but are vigorously marked (especially by females) with feces, urine, anal gland secretions, ground scrapes and "scratching post" scrapes. Females maintain exclusive ranges, but male ranges may overlap and include those of several females. Females den in a cave, hollow log or stump. Annual litter of 2 or 3 young. Most kittens are born small, blind, and helpless in April or May after a gestation period of 60-70 days. The mother defends them, keeping the father away until the kittens are weaned at about two months. The male may then reappear to help the female collect food. Litter disbands in about six to nine months. Life span in wild 12+ years, in captivity up to 30 years.
Expert climbers and swimmers. Excellent hunters, having keen eyesight, but short-winded and unable to sustain an extended chase. The decorative-looking hairs on the ear tips serve as antennae, increasing the animal's ability to hear the slightest sound. If these tufts are removed, hearing declines. Bobcats have prominent ear spots which play an important part in aggressive posturing, possibly serving as eye mimics to give an impression of a wide and formidable head.

Bibliography:
Leopold, A. Starker, Ralph Gutierrez and Michael Bronson, 1981.

Bobcat

2006-07-02T14:30:00.000-07:00

Shoulder height: 19-22" (45-58 cm); weight: 12-26 pounds (4-15 kgs). Often confused with lynx, but with these differences: the bobcat has a longer tail with a black bar on the upper side fringed with white hairs; it also has shorter and more slender legs with small, less thickly furred paws and ear tufts less visible. Usual color is a shade of buff or brown spotted with dark brown and black. Buff bobcats are common in desert country; those from forests are darker. Females have 4 nipples.
Geograghical range:
Southern Canada, the entire United States (except the midwestern corn belt) and southward into Mexico. Prefers brushy woodlands but occurs sparingly from high mountains to desert. Common in California chaparral communities.
Diet varied but strictly carnivorous: rabbits, squirrels, mice, gophers, wood rats, chipmunks, as well as the eggs of ground-nesting birds and occasionally a lamb or young deer.

Vervet

2006-06-29T03:10:00.000-07:00

Diurnal; most active in early morning and late afternoon. Territorial, but generally avoid serious conflicts (defend with loud barking and displays). Mainly ground dwellers, but take shelter in the trees when alarmed and sleep in trees. Usually found in groups of 20-50. Social structure is similar to other Old World monkeys in that the stable core of any group consists of several families of closely related adult females and their dependent offspring. Females stay in the natal group; males transfer to a neighboring group at adolescence. To minimize aggression from the transferred-to group, many males transfer in the company of age mates or maternal brothers. Males transfer groups several times during their lives. Sub adult females reciprocate their mother's grooming, join her in the formation of alliances, and serve as temporary caretakers of their mother's subsequent offspring. As a result, bonds are formed not only between mother and offspring but also among maternal siblings. Adult males interact only rarely with infants and show no special preference for those infants that are likely to be their offspring. High-ranking males are unable to maintain exclusive access to females around the time of ovulation, so paternity is uncertain. Infants acquire the rank of their mother's family. Older females maintain and acquire their dominance rank not by size or aggressiveness, but by size of their family and/or alliances formed. Male dominance rank is acquired by size, strength, and other determinants of fighting ability and is much less stable than female dominance rank.

Vervet

2006-06-26T14:01:00.000-07:00

Stocky, green guenon. HBL 46-66 cm (18-26"). Weight 3.5-4.5 kg (7 1/4 to 10 pounds). Usually yellowish to olive green coat with white underparts and gray lower limbs. Face black with white cheek-tufts and browband. Both sexes have long, sharp canines.

The most widespread African guenon (there are up to 20 subspecies), occurring throughout the Northern and Southern Savanna, from Senegal to Sudan and south to the tip of South Africa. Adapted to practically all wooded habitats outside the equatorial rain forest. Being small and not a fast runner, this monkey cannot afford to venture far from the safety of trees. It is essentially an edge species and typically associated with riverine forest; in the dry savanna, they stay near the acacias. Colonies have been established on St. Kitts, Nevis, and the Barbados Islands in the West Indies-probably descended from pets.

Sun Bear

2006-06-23T01:21:00.000-07:00

Arboreal, nocturnal. Sleep and sun bathe in tree nests formed of bent branches (often as high as 23 feet off the ground). Huge claws aid in climbing and manipulating food items and are probably used in defense as well. Unusually long tongue is used in slurping up insects. Bare soles also aid climbing.

Also called “honey bear”. Malayan name, basindo nan tenggil, means “he who likes to sit high”. The pigeon-toed gait signals that this animal is arboreal. Chest markings are variable and may even be completely lacking, but the name “sun bear” may be due to the crescent shape usually present, likened to a rising or setting sun. If caught by large predator, can turn in its loose skin and bite attacker.