Animals World

Snake Behavior

2012-01-16T06:55:00.000-08:00

Physical Characteristics
Snake lack limbs, a sternum (breastbone), a shoulder girdle (skeletal elements for support of the front limbs), external ear openings, and a urinary bladder. In addition, the pelvic girdle (skeletal elements for support of the hind limbs) is absent in most snakes.

Snake also lack internal mechanisms for maintaining body heat and therefore have variable body temperatures (poikilothermy). Body temperature may be controlled behaviorally, however, by moving in and out of the Sun's rays. Metabolism varies greatly with body temperature. Temperature zone snakes are subjected to potentially fatal low winter temperatures. Such snakes hibernate, finding shelter in deep underground burrows or crevices, where they remain inactive and their metabolism slows dramatically. Conversely, some snakes may estate in deep, cool, subterranean receives during exclusively hot and dry periods.

Snake Skull
Partly as an adaptation to permit the swallowing of large food (item whole, the snake's skull has been increasingly advanced snakes the only solid portion of the skull is the bran case, the upper skull consisting broadly of the brain case in the rear; small protective bones around the eyes and snout in front; and four rather long tooth bearing bones below. All four tooth bearing bones are loosely attached to the skull by elastic ligaments and are independently movable. The bones of the snout are also movable and allow the snake to bend its snout upward.

Snake Eyes
Except for the blind snakes, families Typhopodae, Anomalepidae, and Leptotyphopidae, whose rudimentary eyes are situated beneath the head scales, a snake's eyes are permanently covered and protected by the transparent lower eyelid. The lower eyelid is fused to the vestigial upper eyelid, snakes, therefore, cannot blink or "close" their eyes. The lenses of snake's eyes are rounded and are normally adjusted for distance vision. To focus on near objects, the snake moves the lenses forward. Although the eyes are normally set for distance, a snake's distance vision is typically poor except for detecting movement.

Snake Hearing
Snakes lack external ear openings, eardrums, and middle ear cavities. The small, sound conducting columella bone, however, is present. When the snake's head is on the ground, earth borne vibrations (sounds) are picked up by the lower jaw and skull and are transmitted by bone conduction to the columella and through the columella to the inner ear. Certain experiments have shown that the snake's inner ear, as well as specialized nerve endings in the skin, can detect low frequency airborne vibrations.

Jacobson's Organ
The Jacobson's or vomeronasal, organ is located in front of the roof of the mouth. It is a chemical receptor capable of detecting tinny chemical particles, including those given off in the body scent of animals. The snake's forked tongue is flicked out to allow the chemical particles in the air to adhere to or dissolve in the moisture on the tongue. The tongue is then brought back to the Jacobson's organ, where its forked tip inserted into the organ's two opening and the chemical particles identified.

Heat Detection
Snakes can detect heat, or infrared rays through specialized groups of nerve endings scattered through the skin. These heat receptors are presumably involved in sun basking and other thermoregulatory behaviors. More specialized heat receptors are present as pits along the upper lip margins of many pythons and boas. In the pit vipers, such as the rattlesnakes, the specialized heat receptors (here called pit organs) are highly developed and occur as a single pair at the front of the head. The paired frontal placement of the pit organs enables the rattlesnake not only to detect the presence of warm bodied prey in the dark but also to strike at it accurately up to a distance of about 50 cm.

Squirrel

2012-01-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

A squirrel is any member of the rodent family, Sciuridae, with the exception of the marmots, genus Mermota, prairie dogs, Cynomys, and chipmunks, Eutmias and Tamias, and typically has a slender body and a long, bushy tail. The name is more commonly used to refer to those forms which live in trees, although it is equality suited to terrestrial types. It is also for arboreal African rodents of the family Anomaluridae, which are known as scaly tailed squirrel.

The family Sciuridae contains two subfamilies, the sciurinae (the tree and ground squirrels), with about 225 species, and the Petauristinae (the Flying squirrels), with about 35 species. Squirrels are distributed throughout the world except for the Australian region, Madagascar, southern. South America, and certain desert regions.

Squirrel

Squirrels vary in size from such tiny tropical forms as the pygmy squirrels, Myosciurus, of Africa, which are about 130 mm (5 in) in length including the tail, to the giant squirrels, Ratufa, of Asia, which may attain 91 cm (36 in). The tree and ground squirrels are typically dirunal, the flying squirrels, nocturnal, Squirrels eat primarily green vegetation, seeds, nuts, berries, fruits and insects.

The American eastern gray squirrel, Sciurus Carolinensis, typically of the tree squirrels, is native to the forests of the eastern half of the United States. Introduced into the United Kingdom. It has displaced the smaller native red squirrel, S. vulgris, in many regions. Grey squirrel normally nest in tree hollows, they may also construct leaf nets, which are used mainly as feeding shelters. They may breed in midwinter and again in late spring. Gestation is about 44 days, with usually two to four young per litter.

Ground squirrels are similar in appearance to tree squirrels. They typically inhabit open or brushy regions, with some species occurring in tundra or desert. Most are burrows, and those living in colder climates hibernate, whereas others, in hot, dry areas, may estivate.

Orangutan

2011-12-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

The orangutan, Pongo pygmeus, a great ape like gorilla, is native to the forest on the island of Borneo and Sumatra. Its name is Malayan and means, "man of the woods." Orangs have a shaggy coat of long, coarse, reddish brown hair. Adult males also have reddish blond beards and mustaches, well developed cheek pads, and a large throat pouch that is used as a sound resonator to reinforce calls. Males are markedly larger than females averaging about 75 kg (165 lb) in weight, females, averaging about 40 kg (90 lb). A large male in the wild may weigh 100 kg (220 lb) and stand about 1.4 m (4.5 ft) tall. The orang's arm to ankles when the animal stands erect.

Orangs often live in small group of two to four animals, but adult males may be solitary. Orangs are arboreal, seldom leaving the trees, where they feed primarily on fruit but also on leaves, bark, and birds eggs. They build simple sleeping nests, or platforms, on which they spend the night.

Full maturity is attained at 10 to 12 years of age, sexual maturity is reached at about 8 years. Gestation lasts about 9 months. Humans are the orangs only significant enemy, and unless hunting and destruction of their forest are curtailed, orangs will soon become extinct.

The Biggest Insect

2011-12-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

A ranger former who was traveling in New Zealand found the largest insect in the world: a Weta. The span of wings reached 18 cm, while weight is 3 times the weight of mice.

The giant Weta is the biggest insect on the world, and this founding is more bigger that founded before. Motffet and his friend find out this giant insect by combing plants deliberately in order to look for the giant Weta. Mostly people afraid to this giant insect, but Moffet is lying on his hand and giving them a carrot for feed.

This biggest insect behavior look different like other normal insect, don't affraid to human being. This weta eat his carrot, this insect is like don’t care to the human existence, it enjoy the carrot given. After take a picture of this weta then Moffet lying this insect to the ground. Weta has been there for 180 years before dinosaurus exist, and was believed have extinct.

Turtle Eggs Speak Before Hatch

2011-12-04T09:09:00.000-08:00

Australian species of river turtle (Emyduramacquarii) lay a set of eggs in the sand river. Eggs that laid lower have development more slowly than above. However, eggs in the second part turned out to be hatched together.

Ricky-John Spencer from University of Western Sydney in Australia intrigued by that fact. He suspects that the eggs are "talking" first before hatching.

To prove his hunch, he designed experiments. Spencer dividing the number of eggs into two parts. One part was incubated at higher temperatures, while other parts were incubated at lower temperatures. After a two-thirds of the development of eggs, both parts then put back together.

According to Spencer, the two parts of the egg might communicate chemically. "Eggs were actually breathing. They breathe in oxygen and release CO2," he said as quoted by New Scientist.

Spencer explained that the faster development of eggs of CO2 would spend more. The concentration of CO2 is the kind of "call" as well as a trigger to make another egg grow faster.

Spencer's research results published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B latest edition of November 2011. Spencer explained that hatched together is very important for the survival of sea turtles. This will ensure that vulnerable individuals are protected from predators. They have friends who protect.

Wren Bird Sing Duet

2011-11-12T17:35:00.000-08:00

Wren Plain-tailed birds that live in the Andes on the west coast of South America show the ability to sing duet.

Recent research suggests that male and female pair of Wren can work together generate a tone with a duration of 3-4 per second. The voice sounded like a chorus. Each individual are trying respond to what their partners, adjusting the time and tone to produce a melody beautifully.

Eric Fortune, an expert in neuroscience from Johns Hopkins University who conducted the study, said that the rhythmic duet between the two Wren resemble the human dance. In its publication in the journal Science, he said that based on brain scans, Wren continued to learn as people learn choreography. Wren could remember the whole "song" is sung, not just the parts "track" it.

In the world of Wren, the female is always the lead in singing. Females sing basic melody and then fitted with a more varied by male birds.

Researchers considered that females use song to choose the right partner in reproducing. When the female was alone, then he would sing full of all the "songs" out loud, but not so with males. They make more mistakes when the duet and the "practice". These male birds were more timid.

Arctic Reindeer

2011-11-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

Arctic reindeer may be one of the most troublesome animals adapt to the climate. They have thick fur to survive at the poles. However, moments after the escape, Arctic reindeer also must cool his body, though it's in the cold.

Arnold Blix, a biologist from the University of Tromso Norway, and colleagues managed to find a way how to adapt to the arctic deer still feel cool. They publish the results in The Journal of Experimental Biology.

"You dress thick in winter, and if you run, you will feel warm and you then open the jacket and took off his hat. Deer Arctic can not do this.

To find it, Blix Arctic deer train for running on a treadmill at different temperatures, from 10-30 degrees celsius. Furthermore, they see the response. Blix found that deer Arctic started to cool his body with his mouth closed and breathe in cold air from the environment.

This will cool the blood surrounding the nasal passages are then distributed to the venous blood vessels. When this mechanism is not enough, said Blix, deer Arctic will open his mouth and stuck out his tongue like a dog.

This will cool the blood to the efficient and allows them to release body heat by evaporation through the mouth. Well, if in a critical or very hot conditions, deer Arctic cold will drain blood from the nose to the brain.

Crocodile Have Tingling Sense

2011-10-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

It turned out that crocodiles can also be tickled and they trying to expel the flick because he felt annoyed with her feet to the place in which tingled. Of course, this crocodile can not laughed out as we do if tingled. Though crocodile skin is thick but on certain body parts of this crocodile will feel amused when tickled. Crocodile body parts may be similar to human being is tickled in the armpits, crocodiles also has the same sense, most of people also feel amused if held in the armpit.

This can be done on-site crocodiles captive, beside the crocodile already tame and familiar with crocodile handler also knows the crocodile body parts which can feel amused when tickled. But do not try to a wild crocodiles to be tickled because it will not tickled, but it can bite you.

Gorilla

2011-10-09T05:50:00.000-07:00

The gorilla, genus Gorilla, is a member of the family Pongidae, or great Apes, which also includes the chimpanzee and orangutan. Together with the lesser apes - a group that includes the gibbon and the Siamang (in Kalimantan)- the great apes are close relatives of monkeys and human, all belong to the order Primates.

The gorilla is the largest living primate: males some times reach 180 cm (6 ft) in height and in nature weigh between 135 and 180 kg (1300 and 400 lb). Females are shorter and weigh about half as much as the males. A silverback gorilla is an adult male whose hair on its back has turned from black to silver gray. A silverback is the dominant male of its troop and defends females and infants from intruders.

Gorillas become sexually mature at 6-9 years of age and live about half as long as a human. Single infant are born following a pregnancy of 8 1/2 months, are partially weaned by 1 year, but remain with the mother for at least 3 years. The hair or the male's back turns silver gray with maturity giving rise to the term "silverback" for adult males.

Gorillas are the most terrestrial of the great apes, their bulky size making them ill-suited to tree dwelling. Locomotion on the ground is quadrupedal, and the knuckles of the hands are used to support the upper body. Youngster and females with infants demonstrate their arboreal heritage, however, by building sleeping nest in trees each night.

Gorilla live in family groups that consist of a single male leader, or silverback: some younger, black-backed males, possibly sons of the silverback; several adult females; and varied numbers of juvenile and infant offsoring. Group size varies with geographic location and food availability.

Gorillas are rather amiable vegetarians. They spend most of their day foraging for food. When gorilla groups meet, fighting is rare. When tension does develop between silverbacks of two groups, it is generally relieved in nonaggression ways such as impressive displays of chest beating.

There are three geographic variants, or races of gorilla, all of which are found in the African rain forest; the western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), the mountain gorilla (G. gorilla beringen), and the eastern lowland gorilla (G. gorilla groueri). The gorilla is threatened with extinction in its natural habitat by various human activities, and its last chances for survival may be a few gorilla sanctuaries in Africa and zoos and other captive environments that maintain gorillas in other parts of the world.

Toad Fish

2011-09-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

The toad-fish is a wide bodied, usually drab colored, often fish found mostly in warm coastal regions. The more than 30 species constute the family Batrachoididae. Toad-fish are usually less than 38 cm (15 in) long, are often slime covered, and have a large head with directed eyes and a large mouth. Some species genus Thalassophryne have venom glands attached to fanglike dorsal fin spines. Other species (genus Porichthys), often known as midshipmen, have light organs on the belly. Mostly bottom dwelling and slow moving, toad-fish feed on crustaceans, mollusks, and small fish. One common species in the western Atlantic is the oyster toad-fish, Opsanus. When caught by an angler, it often grunts, erects spines, and may inflict a painful wound.

Toad Fish

The oyster toad-fish whose name is derived from its warty skin, lives in coastal water of the western Atlantic.

Python Snake Found in Pool

2011-09-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

Python Pattern Snake is a kind of non venomous large snakes. The biggest size can exceed 10 meters. Longer than an anaconda (Eunectes), the largest and longest snake in South America. Other names are the python; rice field snakes; snake petola (Ambon), and in pythonor often in English reticulated retics.

Python snake with four-meter long wallowing in the bottom of the pool in a private club Malaysia made the swimmer running, according to a report and description of staff at the club.

A woman who dive in the pool saw a huge snake 'resting' at the bottom of the metal stairs on Tuesday, according to the Malaysian national news agency, Bernama.

A total of eight people, including children, were swimming in the pool at the club in the small town of Seremban, about 60 kilometers from the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, when the sirens sounded, he said.

Management of the club contacted fire department, which issued the python. No one was injured. Quoting a spokesman of Fire Department, Bernama reported that the python might have sneaked into the pool from the bushes nearby to cool themselves, because the air is very hot.

Python commonly found in tropical Malaysia, but attacks on humans are rare. Not yet clear what type of python in the pool, but pattern python can grow up to achieve more than eight feet long. Fire Department can not give comment. A club official confirmed that the snake had moved safely.

Calf With Five Legs

2011-08-25T23:01:00.000-07:00

This incident happen on the Residents of Kepuh Wetan. Village Wirokerten, Banguntapan District, Bantul, Yogyakarta, shocked by the birth of twin calves belonging to Ngadiyono (50). Not because of the twins, but the uniqueness occurs in one cow because it has five legs.

Calf which was about a week it has now become a spectacle of local people. Although smaller, an additional one foot behind the right front leg, complete as a normal cow leg. "When the mother gave birth, the baby turned out really small twins, male and female. Strangely that females have five legs," said Ngadiyono.

The calf was also made cattle owners wonder because of the birth four times, had never experienced such oddities. "Previously only give birth one at a time, not like now," said Ngadiyono.

Like their parent, the two calves are also in maroon. Until now, the baby cows are born looking healthy and agile. Even the five-legged cow baby actually looks more agile when compared to the normal twin sister.

Many residents who live around the village Wirokerten continued to arrive to witness firsthand the five-legged cow. Twin cattle owner considers this event as a gift. He was not intending to sell it and will temporarily maintain into adulthood.

Ivory War

2011-08-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

In national parks Zakouma, against hunters is a dangerous thing. Officially, the rangers are allowed to defend themselves if poachers shoot.In unofficial shoot-to kill the opponent's force on both sides who first pulled the trigger gun. In the last eight years, six rangers were killed by poachers and approximately six hunters by the rangers.

From an interview with one of the rangers, he has made three other shootings and others had even shot 21 times. But, two hunters who were identified by the rangers can escape using horses with AK 47 and M14 rifles.

No mercy between the two sides, a mixture of tribal settlements of the various local villages, some of them Arabs, mostly Muslims, and Arab nomads who are the main perpetrators in the killing of elephants Zakouma. Souleyman thinking about how to find the hunters, but now his subordinates have a new obsession: ivory. Finding the ivory in the woods cause euphoria in most African people known. The rangers who are dedicated to protect the forests are not much different attitude. Now the other rangers join with us. Compassion for the death of the bull elephant ivory continues with felling. To take the tusks of the elephant's body should be extra careful. Ivory elephant that is embedded in the body easily damaged by a stray swing of a machete, this requires special expertise. Last ivory to be pulled so hard removed from elephant’s body.

Ivory is the reason why men come and engage in a rigorous four-day pursuit to protect the park, but actually the ivory will not belong to them. Ivory will be locked at the headquarters in a warehouse filled with piles of confiscated ivory tusks growing. Ivory taken by hunters are usually taken as Khartoum from Douala to be sold as carvings or jewelry, or shipped to Asia through a network of illicit trade.

Ancient Elephant: Mastodon

Koala

2011-07-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

Koala may resemble with panda but this animals different with panda, either in their habit or their food. Panda’s food is bamboo that available in many country but the special bamboo that grows in China very suitable for Panda. The Koala have Greek name Phascolarctos cinereus, is a marsupial mammal in the phalanger family, Phalangeridae, more similar with Kangaroo.

Koala has large head, hairy ears fringed with white, a large nose, dense, woolly, grayish white fur; and a vestigial tail. It grows up to 84 cm (33 in) long, and weighs up to 14 kg (30 lb). Selective eaters of eucalyptus leaves and young bark, koalas are solitary or live in small harems led by a single male. The young are born after a gestation period of 25 to 30 days and weigh about 5.5 g (0.2 oz) at birth. They spend about 6 month in the mother's pouch and are weaned on predigested eucalyptus leaves, devoid of fecal material, that have passed though the mother's digestive tract. Nearly exterminated by epidemics around the turn of the century, by massive slaughter for their fur into the 1920s, and by human caused fires, koalas are presently found only the eucalyptus forest of eastern Australia. They are now fully protected by law.

Air Purifier For Fish

2011-07-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

The Lecturer and student of Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) to develop water purification technology for fish farming ponds in a way to recycle the dirty water pond. In addition to saving water, this innovation could make the fish seed is superior.

Technology aqua culture recirculation system was pioneered by I Gede Suantika since 2001. Initially the system was aimed at developing the zooplankton, the natural food for the fry. But now evolved to produce a superior fish seedlings. "Its production become higher and wastes almost zero waste or no waste," he said at the ITB East Hall,last Saturday.

Water from the fish pond filter applied to the bath first. Tub was filled with pieces of carpet to filter impurities and residual fish feed furthermore, water is pumped into the protein skimmer pipe tower. Here, the ozone gas sprayed to the water with hi-blow machine to kill bacteria.

The water flowed back into the tube containing activated carbon to be filtered. On the last tub or pond biofilter, gravel and water were given bio ball. The result is passed back to the fish pond. "As soon as the process continues, the water could always be clean again," said the lecturer of Ecology Research Group School of Biological Sciences ITB's.

This technology is applied in the laboratory and succeeded in breeding fish cultivation land and sea, such as tilapia, Gold Fish, carp, catfish, prawns, barramundi, and Bawal.

In the pool, according to research team member Hendrawandi Derrick, age of fish harvest also faster because of feeding can be more without the worry of pond water becomes dirty. With the old way, draining the pool water performed 2 weeks. The harvest of fish could be a month sooner.

Today's technology has been applied to breeder fish cultivation in Cianjur, West Java. Using two pools, each covering an area of the badminton court and with a capacity 70 tons of fish, appliance installation fee of Rp 100-120 million. "It is rather expensive at the beginning, but its production can be doubled from the usual," he said.

Giant Shrimp

2011-06-06T16:23:00.000-07:00

This is a shrimp-like fossil predator with a length of 1 meter is found in southeast Morocco. The animal has the biggest size in its kind and is expected to dominate the seas in the days of pre-dinosaurs for millions of years.

Animals called Anomalocaridid it looks like shrimp and cuttlefish. One part of his head protruding and circular. Covered their mouths and opens and closes like a camera diaphragm.

Giant Shrimp

The biggest Anomalocaridid prior findings, measuring 0.6 meters. Size is like that alone makes it the largest animal in the Cambrian period (542 to 501 million years ago), as invertebrates evolved into many things. Besides size, another surprising thing of this invention is a relatively young age of the fossil, estimated age of 488 until 472 years ago.

Narwhal

2011-05-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

What is the Narwhal fish? This fish live in the ocean, see the picture below:

Look to Other Animals:

The Lost Frog Shown

2011-05-24T22:26:00.000-07:00

Some of amphibian species on mysterious status, they are not state extinct, but not shown the availability for tenth years. A number of biologists do an exhibition to find out the lost amphibian species on the Congo area.

After traveled for two years since 2009, scientists discovered five types of frogs which are all unique. The existence of frogs that actually have been described since 1950, but they seemed to hide themselves from humans.

One type of frog found in the Hyperolius leucotaenius. This frog has a transparent skin so that internal organs and even eggs could be seen. This frog species found in Elila River, southeastern Congo.

Hyperolius leucotaenius has a green head and body-colored transparent plastic tub. This frog also has a pattern of yellow lines and tip-toe orange. Not yet clear reason why this frog has a transparent body.

In addition, there are three species found in highland areas Itombwe, southeastern Congo. Two of them are Chrysobatrachus cupreonitens who have a body color of green and brown and Phrynobatrachus asper which have thick fleshy foot.

Asper Phrynobatrachus species discovery is unique. This species was rediscovered in 2009 when a villager in the highlands of Itombwe offer dinner made from the frog to the scientists.

One species from the highlands again Itombwe is fingered frog nail or Arthroleptis pyrrhoscelis. The development of the frog is unique because not pass tadpole phase. While the latter is Hyperolius chrysogaster species, found in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, eastern Congo.

Expedition rediscovery of the lost amphibians is led by El Greenbaum, biologist at the University of Texas at El Paso. The expedition was funded partially by the research committee and exploration, National Geographic Society.

Others Animals:

Snake Bite Serum

2011-05-19T07:23:00.001-07:00

Patients bitten by venomous snakes are usually given anti-venom, snake venom antidote; unfortunately these drugs often cause severe allergic reactions. To overcome this, there searchers suggested give adrenaline in snake bite victims before they were given anti-venom.

In a study of 1,000 people who were taken to hospital from being bitten by venomous snakes in Sri Lanka, known to those given low dose of adrenaline immediately before the given anti-venom, allergic reaction was reduced to 43 percent within an hour and fell down to 38 percent in 48 hours.

Meanwhile, patients in the control group given promethazine, hydrocortisone or placebo, did not show the same benefits.

The researchers stressed the importance of these results, especially in countries where cases of snake bite is still a common health problems and allergic reactions resulting anti-venom because most lethal.

"Currently there is no action of anti-venom manufacturer or regulations of the WHO to improve the quality of anti-venom. Until that time comes, we can show early treat with low doses of the hormone adrenaline can be effective and safe for preventing acute reactions to the anti-venom," said researchers from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka.

The Giant Ant

2011-05-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

This ant just fossil that is founded in Wyoming, United States, that predict the age about 50 years. This ant included of monster because the body have 5 centimeters long while other finding in out of US just has 3 centimeters long.

This full fossil have founded on Green River formation by fossil collector, Louis Lube. Now this fossil is kept in Sains Museum and Alam Denver.

Fosil utuh itu ditemukan pada Formasi Green River oleh kolektor fosil, Louis Lube. Kini fosil itu disimpan di Museum Sains dan Alam Denver. The ancient expert from Simon Fraser University said, this is the giant ant, like other giant ant in Germany.

Archibald name it with Titanomyrma Lubei, allegedly that this ant is migrated from several continent, from outside of United States to Wyoming several million years ago, across the mainland Arkik when the temperature was warm.

Brontotherium or Brontosaurus

2011-04-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

Brontotherium is an ancient animals, that currently only found in some museum in the world. Brontotherium was a huge mammal, now extinct, related to the horse. The animal lived about 35 million years ago, during the Oligocenie epoch. It was one of the largest of the brontotheres, or titanotheres, family Brontotheridae, which first appeared in North America 54 million years ago and spread to Asia and eastern Europe. The last members of the family died out 22 million years ago. Brontotherium stood 2-4 m (8 ft) high at the shoulder, was 4.5 m (15 ft) long, and weighed about 5 tons. It teeth and fed to soft vegetation. Like many of the brontotheres, it bore a Y-shapped hornlike growth on its snout. This feature consisted of bone covered by thick skin.

Other ancient animals:

Diving Birds

2011-03-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

Diving birds may enter the water from flight, as does the brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis), or they may dive from the surface of the water. Diving birds are those which plunge into water to catch fish or other food. Most diving birds probably evolve from birds already adapted for swimming that were equipped with such adaptations as webbed or lobed feet for propulsion.

Some diving birds, for example, the extinct Hesperornithoformes of the Cretaceous Period, propelled them selves with their feet. They were large, streamlined, flightless birds with teeth for grasping slippery prey. Today the cormorants (family Phalacrocoracidae) are the major groups of foot propelled diving birds. Their bodies are streamlined for underwater passage, with the hind limbs from the nondiving dabbling ducks to such well adapted divers as the ruddy duck of North America.

Other diving birds are wing propelled, like air, water is a fluid, through more dense; thus, underwater wing propulsion may be regarded as a specialized form of flight. The characteristic is found in the diving petrels (Pelecanoididae) of the Southern ocean and in the auks (Alcidae) of the Northern Hemipshere. The majority of these birds can fly in the air as well as underwater, although the recently extinct great auk (Pinguinus impenis) lost its ability to fly, as did the the penguins (spheniscidae) of the Southern Hemipshere.

Owl

2011-02-16T06:25:00.000-08:00

Owls are a widely distributed group of birds of prey broadly characterized by large heads, flat faces, forward directed eyes, hooked beaks (the size of which is obscured by facial feathers), strong legs, sharp clawas, and soft feathers. The owl order, Strigiformes, comprises three families. One of these, the Protostrigidae, is extinct. These owls lived in North America during the Eocene Epoch, about 45 million years ago. The remaining two families are the barn owls and the typical owls.

The barn owl family, Tytonidae, contains two genera, Tyto and Phodilus, with 10 or 11 living species and 11 known fossil species. The earliest record of the barn owls is form France and dates back to the Miocene Epoch, about 19 million years ago. Barn owls range from 27 to 53 cm (11 to 21 in) in length and have relatively small eyes, a heart shaped face, a comblike margin on the middle claw, and a light coloration and sparse markings on the underparts of the body. The typical owls, family Stringidae, comprises 25 - 31 genera, three of them extinct, with 124 - 137 living species and 25 extinct species. The earliest unknown typical owls range from 13 to 71 cm (5.1 to 28 in) in length and have large eyes, a rounded or gogglelike face, feathered toes in many species, two tufts of head feathers resembling ears or horns in many species, and usually dark coloration and heavy markings on the underparts of the body.

Most owls are nocturnal, but several, including the pygmy owls, genus Glaucidium, are creapuscular, or twilight active, hunting mainly at dawn and dusk. A few owls, such as the burrowing owl, Speotyto cunicularia, and the short eared owl. The smallest owls are also active during the day. The smallest owls are probably the pygmy owls, some of which are only 13 cm (5.1 in) long, have a 32 cm (12.6 in) wingspan, and weight only 50 g (1.76 oz). The largest owls are the eagle owls, Bubo bubo and B.lacteus, which may reach 71 cm (28 in) long, have wingspan of just over 2 m (6.6 ft), and weight about 4 kg (almost 9 lb).

Most owls see well in poor light, but all see well in bright daylight - something that even the most nocturnal northern species have to do during the arctic summer. The Owl's eyes are almost immovable, and the owl must turn its head to look elsewhere; however; some species can rotate their heads horizontally 270^o, or about 3/4 of a circle, and can turn their head completely upside down (180^o). The eyes are more forwardly directed in owls than in other birds, and the visual fields of the two eyes therefore overlap, creating a binocular span of 60^o to 70^o, or about 1/6 of a circle. The overlapping visual fields of the two eyes are a perquisite for instantaneous stereoscopic vision, or dept perception.

The owl's ear openings are located behind and to the side of the eyes. They are covered by sparse, sound-transparent feathers that form the flat face. Most owls have an ear opening about the size of the eye, whereas a few species have extremely large ear openings that occupy the whole height of the head. Nine genera of owls have a remarkable anatomical asymmetry in the ear openings - the ear opening differ in position and shape so that one is not the mirror image of the other. Owls can determined the direction of the sound source on a horizontal level by comparing the intensity of a sound heard in the two ears; generally, the ear nearest the sound source will receive the highest intensity. Owls also need to know the vertical direction of a sound to be able to strike prey concealed by vegetation or snow, and this ability is provided by the asymmetrical ears. The soft feathers contribute to a noiseless flight, enabling owls to surprise their prey.

Antlion or Myrmeleontidae

2011-01-23T04:58:00.000-08:00

These animals called in Indonesia as “Undur-undur”, because the larvas of this animal always walk to backward. This animal include as insect belong to the family of Myrmeleontidae. In this world about 2000 species and they spread all over the world, they live in the worm area with sand.

In west country this animal is called as antlion (the giant of ant). This name is given because always hunt ant to feed, by digging for a trap, so assume as the giant for every ant.

Antlion have the real name Myrmeleontidae include of ordo Neuroptera, this name come from Greek language, that means of “wing net.” Adult antliont similar with dragonfly, because have long abdomen with two transparent wing with veined in the thorax. Antlion can differ with dragonfly by the long antenna with the top a little curved. Antliont have smaller than dragonfly, and can’t fly as fast as dragon fly, because they are a weak flyer.

The biggest antlion in the world is from genus Palpares in Africa with a wingspan reaches 16 cm. The species from Arabia just have wingspan about 2 cm, mostly antliont have about 4 to 10 cm.

Spider

2011-01-16T00:08:00.000-08:00

Spider comprise a large, widespread group of carnivorous arthropods. They have eight legs and can produce silk, and most have poison glands associated with fangs. There are more than 30,000 species of spiders are found on every continent except Antartica in almost every kind of terrestrial habitat and a few aquatic ones as well. Spiders range in body size from about 0.5 mm to 9 cm.

Classification:
Spiders constitute the order Araneae (class Arachnida), which is usually divided into 2 suborders. The suborder Orthognatha, or mygalomorph spiders has about 12 families and includes the trap door spiders, family Ctenizidae, and the large tarantulas, family Theraphosidae. The suborder Labidognatha or araceomorphs with about 60 families, contains the true spiders and includes most of the familiar ones. Among the major families are those which capture prey in webs, Araneidae, or orb weavers; Theridiidae, which capture prey that lands on their sheet webs - and those which hunt - lycosidae, or wolf spiders, mostly nocturnal; saiticidae, or jumping spiders, diurnal with excellent eyesight, and Thomisidae, or crab spiders.

Other Spiders:

Python Snake Wedge

2010-12-26T06:26:00.000-08:00

A python snake with a length of two meter wedge under the car wheel in Sutrisno Street, Medan, North Sumatra, Wednesday (22/12) at night. This event also makes people excited because the snake evacuation process lasted a lot.

Hundreds of residents gathered beneath a car that contained a snake. It's not a criminal event that makes people excited, but there is a python stuck under car wheels. It was so hectic with people who come, the traffic also had jammed.

Suspected snake entered under the car while their owners tour to the waterfront Percut, Deli Serdang. Although every effort is made, the lack of equipment and the position of the snake is difficult to evacuate, about two hours being tried but failed. The owners then took the car to the car workshop to save the snake.

Snails

2010-12-19T03:16:00.000-08:00

Snails represent a large and varied group of shelled gastropod mollusks in the class Gastropoda. They are diverse in size and ecologically, being terrestrial freshwater or marine. One terrestrial species, Helix pomatia is the edible snail (escargot) familiar in French gourmet cooking.

Externally, snails are characterized spiral shell flattened foot, and anterior head with prominent tentacies. When disturbed, the snail can withdraw into its shell, and in some cases the shell opening can be closed by a horny, or calcareous, plate called an operculum. Locomotion in snails is usually achieved by means of waves of contraction along the bottom of the muscular foot from rear to front.

All snails undergo body torsion during development Snail begin development as bilaterally symmetrical animals. During the larval stage the visceral mass is twisted 180 degres, so that posterior structures such as the anus are thought to accompany body torsion. Several advantages are thought to accompany body torsion. First the shell opening is rotated anteriorally, and consequently the snail withdraws into the shell headfirst, and providing added protection for that end, which contains concentrated sensory structures and the major part of the central nervous system. In addition, the gills used for respiration (in most species) are rotated anteriorally, and the snail can utilize the undisturbed water ahead of its own path of movement for inhalant respiratory currents.

Siamese Fighting Fish

2010-11-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

Siamese fighting fish are extremely aggressive toward each other. When males are placed together their colors deepen, and they spread their fins and gill covers, move side by side, and then attack - biting each others first, gills, eyes and skin.

Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens (family Anabantidae), commonly called bettas, are native to waters of the Malaysian peninsula and Thailand. They have been cultured for many years, particularly in Thailand (Siam), where the aggressive male and pitted against it others and bets are placed. In wild fish and in fish bred for fighting, the fins are short. In European breeding, however, the original yellowish brown, faintly banded males were developed into variety of long finned, brightly hued individuals.

Siamese fighting fish have a complex courtship. The male first builds a nest of bubbles near the surface, each bubbles being coated with mucus from his mouth. He then court the female, gathers her eggs in his mouth, place them in the nest, and guards and cares for the eggs and the newly hatched fry.

The betta is on of the labyrinth fishes, so called because of the presence of labyrinths of folded tissue in two chambers in the gill cavity; these labyrinths can absorb oxygen from air. Air breathing become requirement some weeks after hetching, and bettas denied accesss to surface air will drown.

Other kind of fishes:

Porcupine Fish

2010-10-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

Porcupine fish are about 15 species of Puffer related fishes that constitute the family Diodontidae and occur worldwide in shallow, tropical seas. When a porcupine fish is threatened it shallows water or air to inflate itself, producing a bristling ball of spines; in some smaller species, called burrfish, the spines are permanently erect.

Most species are about 30 cm (1 ft) long, but some many reach 90 cm (3 ft). The fused teeth form a break-line mouth, and the body is usually light colored with dark spots. The porcupine fish Diodon halocanthus, a feeder on small mollusk and in-fluted form.

Other fish:

Indri Monkey

2010-08-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Indri is not the name of women like Indonesian women, but Indri is a kind of primate like a gorilla. Indri is an arboreal, lemurlike primate, Indri, formerly found in the rain forests along the eastern coast of Madagascar from sea level to mountain heights of nearly 1,800 m (6,000 ft) but now largely confined to a small area in the central coastal region. Its number are steadily dwinding due to habitat destruction (deforestation) by human.

Indri is a member of the family indriidae, which also contains three living species; the avahi, or wooly indri, Avahi, and two speicies of sifakas, Propithecus, all native to Madagascar. The indri stands about 70 cm (2.5 ft) tall and a stumpy tail. Its coat is dense and silky and variable in pattern but often is black on the head, shoulders, black, upper arms, front of the thighs, and hands and feet, and white, gray or pale red on the rump, the black of the legs, and the lower arms.

Indris are diurnal and feed on leaves, fruit, and flowers. They may live singly or more commonly, in small family groups of two to five individuals. It is thought that they produce a single young after a gestation period of about 60 days. The Indri has laryngeal air sac. or throat pouch, and is able to produce very loud doglike howls.

Other Monkey Type:

Langur Monkey

Ilama

2010-08-11T17:33:00.000-07:00

The Ilama, Lama peruana is a South American member of the Camel family, Camelidae. It stand 1.2 m (4 ft) high at the shoulder and may be more than 1.2 m (4 ft) long plus a short tail and 140 kg (300 lb) in weight. Its body is covered with a fine, fairly long wool. The Ilama was domesticated as a wool and pack animal as long as 4000 years ago by the Indians of Peru from either a now extinct wild ilama or from the guanaco L. guanacoe.

The Ilama is a relative to the camel can carry load of 45kg over a day rugged slopes at high altitudes. Beside being a means of transportation in part of South America the Ilama also furnishes wool used for clothing and blankets.

Walrus

2010-07-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

A large marine mammal inhabiting open water at the edge of the Arctic ice pack, the walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, is closely related to the seal but forms its own family, the Odobenidae. Walruses lack external ears and have long tusks, a thick, wrinked, nearly hariless skin except for long bristles on the cheek pads, and reversible hirid flippers that facilitate locomotion over ice. They grow to enormous size; male may be 3.7 m (12 ft) long and weigh up to about 1400 kg (3000 lb); females are only slightly smaller.

Walruses use their tusks to climb up onto the ice, to stir up clams and other bottom shellfishes, and in feighting. Most walruses live in herds, and in the late winter and spring they drift along on large floating ice fields. Their bellows can be heard up to 0.8 km (0.5 mi) away.

Female walruses have one calf every other year, in April or early May; the calf may stay with the mother for 2 years. Some walruses live for up to 40 years. Long a source of food, ivory, blubber oil fuel, and hides to Eskimos, walrus populations have been greatly reduced by hunting. See endanger animals like Komodo Dragon, Sumatra Tiger, Bengal Tiger and else.

Snake Population Become Endanger

2010-06-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

As the destiny of the snake, like the story of prophets of Musa, that the snake will finished because everybody who see them will kill them, anybody who see the dangerous snake on their environment will call for help to remove them. A study of 11 snake species in location across UK, France, Italy, Nigeria and Australia suggests that the snake populations may be suffering a widespread decline, and practically endanger. (see Endanger Species).

Cobra Snake

As their founding there are 11 of 17 populations of snakes studied plummeted between 1988 and 2002, and remain low until the studied ended in 2008 and 2009. Five population were stable, with one increasingly slightly. The causes of these conditions believe of a change in the quality of habitats, such as growing shortage of appropriate ground, cover, or less abundant prey.

Many people also hunt for snake to take their skin to produce handicaps like belt, wallet, bag and other accessories. The good color of snakeskin make this kind of snake more hunt by peoples.

The researcher also still don’t prove yet that they are witnessing a global decline. A big environment changes make they are loosing of their living place.

Animals Behavior

2010-05-31T03:45:00.000-07:00

Animal’s life is wild as human being said, but actually, animals do not need others beside power and food. If these all have fulfilled, animals will stay calm and never disturb others. Sometimes animals fight to get their food and their couples but not all behave like this, after they get and the others recognize his power, this animal will not disturb anymore and stay calmly.

Animals just need food for to day and never stock the food for another day, so other food still on the source, and will not disturb other to take the food if they have satisfied, even the rest food will leave after they satisfied and other animals may take the rest.

Different with human being, we are never feeling satisfied, we always accumulate food and think to stock, sometimes do not share with others. This condition sometimes make other people less of food but we have too much of food. Even if we have more food while other, less of food we do not want to share with the less one. People can think and always feel worry that the other day don’t eat. People can omit this feeling, so sometime difficult to share with others. People never lets their thing take by others, and always keep in certain place to stock. Sometime using strong lock to keep this thing in order other can’t take their thing. Other people can take this stock but must change with other thing, we say this by barter. People is greed like animals but animal still behave limited greed not like people, the basic character of people is never feel satisfied.

The Snake Bite

2010-05-14T07:25:00.000-07:00

This accident was seeing on the television, when animal tamer try to playing a big snake like mamba snake. By touching the body part of the snake. The snake may feel angry because being played by this man and then the snake strike on the tamer hands, but several time the snake strike is missed. When the body is touch on the right side the snake is strike to the right try to bite a hand’s animal tamer. When touch in the left side, the snake also try to bite by strike to the left. Several times this snake is fail to get the hands tamer.

After several times the snake try to strike the hand then this snake can catch and bite the hands of this animal tamer, just on the palm of the hand. As usual then the snake is try coiling this man body by coiling the hand and try to coil the body by this animal tamer have known what should be done, his body is down to press the snake tail and the snake can’t coiling this man through the body and neck. The snake jaw is very strong and the snake teeth is very sharp, if you try to pull out from the snake bite, your hand can be torn and your hand can be cut off. To overcome this accident then he ask to help to his assistant to take a much of water, and pour water to the snake head. After about three-time pouring water to this snakehead then the snake release their bite and then this animal tamer can loose from bite snake.

I do not know why the snake release their bite after their head is pouring by water. However, logically this snake may feel difficult to breath and better to release their bite.

Vulture Bird

2010-04-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

Vultures are large birds of prey that live mainly as scavengers on carrion. They are divided into two groups, the new world vultures, family Cathartidae, and the old world vultures, subfamily Aegypiinae, family Accipitridae. Both groups are placed in the order Falconiformes, together with hawks and eagles, and old world vultures, however are of more ancient evolutionary origin and have been linked genetically to the storks. The combined classification resulted from superficial similarities produced by convergent evolution; thus the head and neck of all vultures are usually bare except for a thin covering of down, and both groups have weak feet adapted more for walking than clutching. Bills of New World vultures, however, are relatively weak of the Old World vultures are generally much stronger.

New world vulture species include the turkey vulture, Cathertes aura, and black vulture, Coragyps atratus, both widespread in the Americas; the king vulture, Sarcoramphus papa of tropical forest regions; and two South American Cathartes species. In the United States, vultures are also called buzzards. Turkey vultures depends more on eyesight for funding carrion. The tow Condor species include the California condor, Gymnogyps californianus, and the Andrean Condor, Vulture grypthus, which are among the world's largest flying birds.

Old world vultures inhabit the warrier parts of Europe, all of Africa, and the drier parts of Asia. They are most common in mountainous or open country and are seidon found in forests or in areas with high rainfall. All are carrion eaters except for the palm-nut vulture, Gyphohierax Angolensis, which feeds principally on the fruit of the oil palm.

Rhinoceros Behave For Safety

2010-03-26T05:07:00.001-07:00

Every animal have different behaviour each other, and sometime their behaviour is very useful for our safe or for our environmental protection. Like on the tsunami disaster last time there are many elephant that run far from the sea because of unknown reason. One of the elephant owner run after his elephant until several km far because his elephant run away, but after several km then he stop to run and several minutes then the sea flooded after him and the strange cases the sea water don’t touch the place where elephant stand just several meters. The other sign of this tsunami disaster actually also happen in Aceh, when the troop in the jungle see a group of bird in the sky fly away of the sea, then captain of this troop feel strange and decide to stop go to straight and then turn the group back to the same direction like the way of the birds flying, and several minutes after this sign the disaster come, the sea flooded to the land and reach the jungle where this group of troop walking.

Rhinoceros also have strange behaviour in the jungle, when people light up a fire in the jungle like in the night make a campfire, rhino will run to this fire and light off the fire by step on the fire. This behaviour of rhino is always happen in west java conservation area, that people is not allowed to make a campfire in the night, because can invite java rhinoceros. That is why on the java there is no forest fire while in Kalimantan forest always on fire every year, because no rhino in there. Rhinoceros is one of endanger animals that protect by government and this also one of ancient animals that still alive in Java.

Wallaby

2010-03-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

Wallabies are small to medium sized members of the Kangaroo family, Macropodiae. They differ from the other small members of the family the rat kangoroos, in a member of characteristics, including their long, oval shaped ears, rudimentary or absent canine teeth, and relatively smaller upper front teeth (central incissors). Wallabies are found in grassy, brushy, or rocky terrain in Australia and New Guinea, and in the Brismarck Archipelago, an island group northest of New Guinea. Here wallabies, genus Lagorchestes, grow to about 50 cm (20 in) long, plus a 45 cm (18 in) tail, and weigh up to about 2.7 kg (6 lb). The nail tailed wallabies Onychogalea are larger and have a horny and have a horny tip at the end of the tail. The brush wallabies, Wallabia, are among the fastest in the kangaroo family. They grow to about 1 m (40 in) long, plus a 75 cm (30 in) tail, and weigh more than 23 kg (50 lb).

The brush tailed rock wallaby in an adapt rock climber that can leap horizontally as much as 4 m (13 ft). A marsupial, the young climbs into the mothers pouch shortly after birth, where it feeds and grows for several months.

Pronghorn

2010-02-27T00:22:00.000-08:00

The Pronghorn, Antilocapra americana, the only living member of the family Antilocapridae, in the mammalia order Artiodactyla, is often called pronghorn Antelope, altough it is not a true antelope. It has pronged, or branching, hollow horns with a pernent bony core, covered with an outer sheath that is shed annually after the breeding season. The pronghorn is 1 1/2 m (5 ft) long and may weigh 60 Kg (135 lb).

One of the fastest of New World mammals, it can run up to 72 km/h (45 mph). Pronghorn live on grasslands and deserts from northern Mexico to southwestern Canada.

The pronghorn, a mammal related deer and antelope, once lived in vast number on the North American plains. Like the bison, the pronghorn was greatly overhunted in the 19^th century. Fleet footed pronghorns are among the spreaded animals in the North America. They can run at more than 53 miles (86 km) per hours, leaving pursuing coyotes and bobcats in the dust.

Last Post Animals World:

Peccary

2010-02-07T03:11:00.000-08:00

The peccary is an Antiodactyl, (even toed) mammal native to the Western Hemipshere from Texas to Patagonia. The family, Tayassuidae, consists of two genera, Catagonus and Tayassu. Peccaries are closely related to the swine family and fill similar ecologycal niches. They differ from pigs in several ways, however, including the possession of a dorsal musk gland. The body is 75 - 90 cm (30 - 35 in) long and weight up to 30 kg (66 lb). The slim legs end in sharp, two toed hooves.

The Snout is cylindrical, and spearlike upper canine teeth give peccaries the alternative javelina. The animals can run quickly. They live in groups in a wide range of habitats and feed on insects and small animals.

The collored peccary lives in deserts, dry woodlands, and can forests from the southwestern United States to Argentina, most often in groups of 5 to 15 animals.

Crocodile

2010-01-27T06:36:00.000-08:00

Crocodiles are large amphibious reptiles related to Alligators, Caimans, and Gavials. They are distinguished by a notch at the side of the snout that exposes the elongate fourth tooth of the lower jaw, thus fiving a crocodile’s face its typical expression. Crocodiles are found in tropical Africa, Australia, and Asia. In the islands of the western Pacific Ocean; and in the tropical parts of North of South America.

The smallest species is the broad fronted, or dwarf crocodile, Osteolaemus tetraspis, of West Africa, which seldom exceeds lengths of 1.5 m (5 ft), the largest is probably the saltwater crocodile, Crocodylus porosus, of southeastern Asia, with a length of up to 6 m (20 ft), although some reports give up to 9 m (30 ft). Several species, including the American and the Nile crocodiles are known to have also reached length of up to 6 m (20 ft) and to weight a ton or more.

Crocodiles swim or float the surface of the water, exposing only their eyes, nostrils, flat tail, and webbed toes. A fleshy value in the throat allows them to open their mouths in the water without choking. The nostrils and ears can also be closed to keep out water. Besides the normal upper and lower eyelids, crocodiles have a transparent third eyelid, the nictitating membrane, which allows them to see underwater. Crocodiles swim by moving their tails.

Most crocodile hunt at night and bask during the day, hungry crocodiles hunt during the day as well. Generally, they feed on other vertebrate animals. Crocodiles vary among species in the prey they prefer. Some broad fronted crocodiles typically feed on frogs, birds and small mammals, whereas specialized narrow snouted crocodiles feed primarily of fish. Such large species as the saltwater crocodile and the Nile crocodile often catch large animals for example, antelopes, deer, and hogs, and are known to attack humans.

The female crocodile lays her eggs in nest made of vegetation or in sand banks and remains with them until the heat of the Sun causes them to hatch about three moths later. It is believed that she digs up the young when they begin to call and either carries them in her mouth or leads them to the water.

Crocodile originated during the late Triassic Period, 200 million years ago. During the Cretaceous Period, about 120 million years ago, crocodiles existed that were so large – 12 m (40 ft) or more – they may have preyed on dinosaurs.

Crocodiles belong to the family Crocodylidae, order Crocodylia. The 11 species that exist today belong to three genera. Tomistoma, the false gavial of the Malaya Peninsula, Sumatra, and western Borneo; Osteolaemus, the broad fronted crocodile of West Africa, and Crocodylus (nine species), the true crocodile. Several species of crocodile, including the American crocodile, C. acutus, are in danger of extinction, their existence threatened by habitat loss and hide hunters.

Rhinoceros Sumatra Birth

2010-01-18T18:07:00.000-08:00

A male sumatra rhinocheros (Rhinoceros sumatranensis) called as Andalas, an endanger animal, that already 8 years old bird in the Zoo of Cincinati, Ohio, US at the end. This rhino was mating with female Sumatra rhino called as Ratu in the nature reserve Rhino Sumatra Way Kambas, Lampung. Before this Rhino is removed to Way kambas on 2007 that is difficult to mate.
Andalas have matted with Ratu at December 4, 2009 and about December 20, last year. Even though success being mate, Ratu difficult pregnant, about 18 times of mating this rhino can pregnant.

This endanger animals of Indonesia is difficult to breed, or breeding in the captivity. The fertility of this rhino is difficult to know except by Ultra Sonography (USG). A female rhino on lust condition difficult to know the sign.

A male rhino, Andalas follow to the International breeding program through methodology on the zoo of Cincinnati. On the last program this zoo success to breed tree female rhinos name with Emi that already dead on 21 years old because of sick. The expert hope this program can breed Andalas with female rhina in the nature reserve in order can add the population of Sumatra rhino in the world. Rhinoceros population in the world just about 200s.

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Marmoset

2010-01-14T23:31:00.000-08:00

Marmoset is not a kind of marmot, but more similar to monkey or phalanger. Marmoset have a long tailed monkey. Marmoset comprise of the 4 genera and 33 species of the family Callithycidae, order Primates. They are among the world's smallest monkeys. The weight of marmoset about 0,45 kg (1 lb) and measuring or length of marmoset about 20 to 35 cm (8 - 14 in).
The tail become special because the tail long about 25 to 45 cm (10 - 16 in), longer than the body. The fur is long and variable in color. Marmoset inhabit in tropical forest like in Panama and South America. They feed of fruit, insect and spiders. The male assist in the birth of the young and carries them on his back between feedings.

The catoon-top of marmoset is a native rain forests of Colombia, is among the world's smallest, about 25 cm (10 in) in combined head and body length. This monkey's name is derived from its shaggy, while crest.

Ostrich

2009-12-28T14:54:00.000-08:00

My Last Post Animals World:

The ostrich, Struthio camelus, is the largest living bird. It may stand 3 in (10 ft) tail and weigh more than 150 kg (330 lb). Although flightless, the ostrich is able to take 3.5 m (12 ft) strides and to run at a sustrained speed of 50 km/h (30 mph) for 15 minutes or more. In short bursts it may reach 70 km/h (43 mph). if cornered, it can also kick dangerously with the two ciawed toes on each of its long, featheries legs. Its long neck is sparsely covered with hairlike feathers; the head is small, with large eyes and a short, flat bill. Its body is covered with large, soft, loosely structure feathers, and its wing and tail feathers are plumelike. The female is greyish Brown; the male is black, with white wings and tail. Alone among birds, ostriches eliminate urine and feces separately.
Ostriches live in arid, open country, where they feed on plant matter as well as on occasional insects, lizards, birds, and mice. They can go for long periods without water. Osteriches commonly live in small, loosely organized flocks. Sometimes, due to fom a group of several hundred birds.

The most common mating pattern is one male and three females in a family unit. The male usually makes a nest by scraping out a depression in sandy ground. All the females lay their eggs in the same nest, and both sexes incubate the eggs. A family of females may lay from 15 to 30 eggs, but not all hatch. The eggs are larger than those of any other living bird. They may be 150 mm (6 in) long and 127 mm (5 in) wide, have a shell 1.97 mm thick, and weigh up to 1600 g (3.5 lb). The young hatch in 42 days and are able to run almost immediately. Both young and adult ostriches hide by sitting with their heads and necks streched out on the ground, which may have given rise to the erroneous belief that ostriches bury their heads in the sand. Ostriches reach full size in about 6 moths but do not attain sexual maturity until 3 to 4 years of age. They may live for 30 years in the wild and much longer in captivity.

The ostrich is the only living species in the family Struthionidae and in the order Struthioniformes. It originated in the Asiatic steppes during the Eocene Epoch, 40 million to 50 million years ago, and once ranged through Asia, Europe, and Africa. Its natural range is now limited to Africa, where it is separated into four subspecies.

Green Frog

2009-11-27T15:44:00.000-08:00

Green frogs, Rana clamitans, in the tamily Ranidae, are divided into two subspecies the bronze frog, R. c clamitans, and the frog R. c melanda. The bronze frog, found from the coastal plain of North Carolina to east Texas, exclusive of most of peninsular Florida, is brown or bronze above and has a while belly marked with dark, wormlike lines. Males have yellowish throats at breeding time. The green frog, found from the Canadian mantime provinces south to the Carolinas and Oklahoma, is green or greenish brown and usually spotted above and white below, often with spots on the lower lip and legs. In both subspecies the tympanum, or eardrum, is as large as, or larger than, the eye, and the prominent ridges on the upper sides of the body do not extend to the groin. Adults attain lengths of 6.3 to 9.0 cm (2.5 to 3.5 in).

Female Green Frog

Green Frogs are abundant and long-lived, surviving for up to ten years. Insects are their main food. The frog's call is a single loud sound, often repeated three of four times. The green frog is common to the shallow freshwater ponds and streams of eastern North America.

Other animals:

Fishing Industry

2009-11-14T16:48:00.000-08:00

Commercial fishing is a worldwide water fish, shellfish, and marine mammals, and their processing for market. Fishing equipment ranges from small boats whose nets are cast and hauled in by hand to factory ships equipped with the most advanced technologies for finding, harvesting, and processing huge quantities of fish. These large catches are made at heavy expense, however, not only in the cost of the equipment and fuel, but also in the potential depletion of fishery resources.
The major portion of the total fish harvest consists of relatively few fish species, which is divided into two groups. Pelagic species, those which inhabit the near surface layers of the oceans, include several species of herring, tuna, salmon, anchovies, pilchard, sardines, menchaden, and mackerel. Demersal species, fish that inhabit the near bottom layers of the ocean, include cod, sole, halibut, haddock, hake, and flounder. Large catches are also made of animals called shellfish, shrimp, lobster, scallops, oysters, clams, crabs, mussels, and squid. The major marine mammal, the whale, has lost most of its former commercial importance.

Almost all large pelagic and damersal fich catches are made over the continental shelf, the underwater plateau surrounding the continents and large islands. In these water temperatures, water depths, and the currents that influence the quantities of available food create an environment that is highly favorable to the existence of large school of fish. The animals living in and on the bottom of the continental shelf serve as additional food sources for demersal fish. Furthermore, most species spawn on continental shelves, and the main nursery grounds of many species are also in coastal regions.

The Development of the Fishing Industry
Prehistoric people were hunters and food collectors, and they found much of food in lakes, river, and shallow coastal ocean waters. Shellfish were the most accessible food fish, and the large shell heaps found throughout the world bear witness to the first fishing technique, the use of bare hands.

During the Mesolithic Period (c 10,000 – 6000 ac) certain cultures that depended almost entirely on a diet of fish developed primitive fishing technologies, including stone pointed fishing spears, fishing lines and nets, and bone harpoons. Improved equipment increased the size of catches. Drying, salting, and other techniques preserved the catch.

As large fishing craft were built, vessels ventured farther into the oceans, and sea fishing developed into a well defined vocation. Early ocean fisheries were confined to the coastal regions of settled areas and to the Mediterranean Sea. Gradually the rich fishing regions of the Atlantic Ocean and North and Baltic seas began to be exploited.

The opening of the fishing areas around Nova Scotia and Newfoundland had a considerable effect on European history. First fished by the French in the early 1500s, by the beginning of the 17th century the North Atlantic fisheries had become the principal source of New World wealth for England.

The Principal Fisheries
The most important world fisheries are located in waters less than 400 m (1300 ft) in depth. The major fishing grounds are in the North Atlantic (including the Grand Banks and the Georges Banks off the New England coast), the North Sea, the waters over the continental shelves of Iceland and Norway, and the Barents Sea; in the North Pacific, particularly the Bering Sea, the Gulf of Alaska, and the coastal areas around Japan, and in the Pacific waters off the coasts of China and Malaysia. Other important fishing grounds are found off the Peruvian coast and off the coast of the southeastern United States.

Fishing is often restricted to the spawning periods of a particular species. Fortunately, different stocks of the same species often have different spawning times on different grounds, and this fact enables the fishery to be extended over longer periods. For example, the Norwegian “spring herring” gathers for spawning mainly in September to December.

The local fisheries of the African coast, and many of those found elsewhere in the tropics, remain relatively underdeveloped. The principal limiting factors are first, the narrowness of the continental shelf, which limits the presence of demersal fish, and the existence of a straight coasting that offers few possibilities for good harbors; second, the high temperatures, which effect the keeping quality of the fish catch and third, limited access to the interior, making marketing difficulties.

Major Fishing Countries
By the early 1990s, China had emerged as the nation with the largest fish catches, totaling some 15 million metric tons (16.5 million US tons) in 1992. (The Chinese catch is, however, largely from aquaculture, Japan is second, followed by Peru, Chile, Russia, and United States. The Pacific countries of Indonesia, Thailand, and South Korea complete the list of the ten principal fishing nations.

Other Kind Fishes:

Giant Squid Was Catched

2009-10-21T00:45:00.000-07:00

Researchers accidentally discovered a giant squid with long 5.9 meters caught in their nets off the coast of Louisiana, Gulf, Mexico. The findings of rare animals in these locations showed many things we do not know about the giant squid.
Squid was netted newly weighed 46.7 kg. He was captured on July 30, at a net trawls in a depth of 450 meters below the water that pulled the ship researchers. However, animals die because they can not adjust to changes in pressure at different water depths when brought to the surface.
"When it comes trawl nets from the water, I saw there was something big in it, very big," said Anthony Martinez, water mammal researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The researchers are examining the actual types of sperm whale food intended to preserve the squid they found and sent to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum for further investigation.

Giant squid are rarely found in one piece. Researchers usually only see the remnants of her body in the stomach as eat of sperm whales animal. These findings make it very valuable for researchers, this the animals study will completed the animals reference.

Giant squid can reach lengths of 12 meters and usually found in the deep ocean, as in the waters of Spain and New Zealand. Previously recorded only once, in 1954, a giant squid was found dead floating in the Mississippi Delta, is still at around the Gulf of Mexico.

Other Animals Story:

Panda Bear from China

2009-10-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

We often see this animals look so sweet on the television, but actually this animals is bear, yes the Bear from China. The different of other bear that is usually eat meat, this bear is herbivore, eat of young bamboo leaf. May be similar with other animals world that many kind of similar animals but different meal. Like us a human from different area have different meal, people from Antarctica should eat meat everyday, different with normally people that just enough to eat of rice or bread plus others vegetables and many kind of fruit like tomato, mango, orange, papaya, fig fruit, kiwi, and many other of fruit.
Pandas comprise two species of mammals, each the sole member of its genus. The giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is commonly classified as a bear, family Ursidae; the lesser, or red, panda, Ailurus Fulgens, is usually placed with the raccons, family Procyonidae.

The giant panda, a rare and closely protected pandas animal lives in the cool, panda including of endanger species that still exist now, damp bamboo forestsof mountainous central China, generally at elevations of 1500 to 4000 m (5000 TO 13000 ft). Its thick, wooly coat is black or brownish black and yellowish white; the darker color terms patches around the eyes, covers the ears, legs, and chest, and forms a band across the shoulders. Giant pandas grow to 1.5 m (5 ft) long, plus a short tail, and weigh 150 kg (330 lb) or more. Bamboo constitutes most of their diet. One or two young are born.

The lesser panda is found in the forested mountain of western China at elevations of 1.800 to 4000 m (6.000 to 13.000 ft). Its dense, wooly coat of reddish brown has lighter colored bands on the tail and dark red brown to black undersides. The face animal grows to 112 cm (44 in) long, including a 48 cm (19 in) tail, and weighs up to 5 kg (1.1 lb).

The panda polulation has declined sharply in the last decade, due to human encroachment of the pandas' natural habitats in bamboo thickets. Pandas are being forced to move into isolated communities, resulting in inbreeding and a loss of food. The chinese government has established 12 panda reverses with new breeding center in an attempt to prevent the panda's extinction. Breeding of pandas in captivity has had limited success, however, because their sexual habits are poorly understood.

Kangaroo

2009-09-18T20:11:00.000-07:00

A kangaroo is a marsupial mammal in the family Macropodidae. Typically, It has greatly enlarged hind eggs, a strong, muscular tail, small head, and large ears. It usually moves in a hopping gait. The fore part of the kangaroo's stomach has been modified for the bacterial fermentation of plant cellulose, which makes that material digestible. Female kangaroos have an abdominal pouch for carrying their young, which are born in a rather underdeveloped state. Although the period of gestation, or pregnancy, may be short, generally ranging from 27 to nearly 40 days, the young may spend a long period in the pouch; in the case of the red kangaroo, Macropus rufus, they remain nearly 8 months.

The 50 or more species of kangaroos are distributed from Tasmania and Australia proper to New Guinea and adjescent islands, and some have been introduced into New Zealand. The Macropodidae family is divided into two subfamilies, Macropodidinae, containing the large and small kangaroos (wallabies and wallaroos), and Potorinae, containing the small and primitive rat kangaroos.

The Largest kangaroo, and the largest marsupial, is the gray kangaroo, Macropus giganteus, also called M. major or M cangaru, which inhabits open forest or bushland in eastern Australia and Tasmania. It may stand more than 2 m (7 ft) tail, be 2.9 m (9.6 ft) long, including its tail, and weight nearly 80 kg (200 lb). It can leap 1.5 m (5 ft) when moving at a slow pace and more than 9 m (30 ft) at high speeds. For short distances a gray kangaroos feed on grasses and other herbaceous material. The smallest kangaroo is the musky at kangaroo, Hypsiprymnodon moschatus of northeastern Australia, which grows to 33.5 cm (3 in) long, has a 17 cm (6.7 in) hairless tail, and weighs about 500 g (1 lb). Its limbs are nearly equal in size, and its foot structure is quite different is quite different from that of the other species.

To look for other animals on Animals World Contains

Painted Turtle

2009-09-05T02:07:00.000-07:00

The painted turtle, Chrysemys picta, family Emydidae, is an attractively marked turtle that measures 10-25 cm (4 - 10 in) in length, with females attaining a large size males. This species has red markings on the margin of its shell, dark limbs that are streked with red or yellow, and a black head marked with yellow. The smooth, oval carapace unserrated along its posterior margin. The males have long claws on the fore-feet that presumbly are used in courship display.
Painted turtles are found throughout the northern United States and southern Canada; part of their range extends to Florida, Lousiana, and Arizona. They prefer quite, shallow waters with a heavy growth of vegetation. These turtles are fond of basking. They usually hibernate underwater, burried in the mud, but in southern states may not hibernate every year. They are mainly carnivorous.

The Painted turtle is perhaps the most numerous small pond turtle found in the northern United States and southern Canada. Its shell usually has bright red or yellow markings.

Kiwi Bird

2009-08-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

Kiwi bird is a flightless, solitary, nocturnal bird found just in New Zealand. Three living species, all in the genus Apteryx, comprise the family Apterygidae. They are usually classified in their own order, Apterygiformes. Named for their cry, kiwis are brownish or grayish in color and may be streaked or barred. They have small heads, hairlike plumage, minute wings, and no external tail. The bill is long and slender, with nostrils near the tip.

Kiwis range from 1.25 to 4 kg (2.75 to 9.0 lb) in weight and from 45 to 84 cm (18 to 33 in) in length and stand up to 30 cm (1 ft) high. They inhabit humid forests or swamps, where they feed on insects, snails, barries, and especially earthworms. Recent experiments confirm that kiwis locate food by smell, which is unusual for birds. The one or two very large eggs, each about 13 cm (5 in) in length and 400 g (14 oz) in weight, are laid in a burrow, and the smaller male incubates them for about 11 weeks. The little spotted kiwi, A. oweni, seems to be disappearing.

Prior to the arrival of humans in the 13th century or earlier, New Zealand's only endemic mammals were three species of bat, and the ecological niches that in other parts of the world were filled by creatures as diverse as horses, wolves and mice were taken up by birds (and, to a lesser extent, reptiles). Beside the name of animals kiwi also name of fruit, kiwi fruit, this fruit can grow in china, New Zealand and California.

Wolf

2009-08-02T02:02:00.000-07:00

Possibly no animal has been so misunderstood feared, hated, and persecuted throughout history as the wolf. The gray wolf, also called the timber wolf, is the largest of about 41 wild species within the exception of the red wolf of southeastern. Texas and southerm Louisiana, all living wolves are consider as single species, Canis Lupus. The red wolf, canis rufus is similar to but smaller than the gray wolves and is intermediate in many characteristics between gray wolves and cayotes, indeed it has been suggested that the red wolf originated as a fertile cross between gray wolves and cayotes.

Characteristic
The size of wolves varies with geographic lacality. Adult range from about 127 to 164 cm from nose to tip of tail, from 65 to 90 cm high at the shoulder, and from 18 to 80 kg in weight. The red wolf is at the lower end of this range, seldom exceeding 30 kg in weight. Coat colors vary from pure white, which is predominant in the north, through motted gray to brown or black. Grizzled gray is the most common color. The red wolf is usually a reddish tan.

Wolves can live in a variety of habitats, ranging from arctic tundra to forest and praire. The are absent from desert and the highest mountains. At one time the wolf occured throughout most of the Nortern Hemisphere north of 20^o north latitude, or approximately from the Arctic to south central Mexico. Attempts to exterminate the animals have reduced this range considerably. On the Old world Wolf still exist in the sofyet union, china, northern India, eastern Europe, and in very small numbers, Western Europe. Most new world wolf population are in Canada and Alaska. A small population exist in Mexico. Of the 48 contigeous states only Minnessota currently has a wolf population large enough to maintain itself.

New Dinosaurus Australia

2009-07-14T16:47:00.000-07:00

Australia known as Island with unique animal like Thorny Devil lizard and kangaroo. Scientist from the museum Queensland that lead by Scott Honcnull, announce their finding of new fossil of dinosaurs from Queensland, Australia.

Theropod is carnivores from Tyrannosaurus rex family found bigger and horrific than Velociraptor that found on the Jurassic film.

Those raptor carnivores is named with Australovenator wintonensis and called as Banjo. “He was fast and frisky.” Scott Hocknull said, “ He can catch his prey easily in the open place. The unique weapon of him is big three paw and sharp on each hand. Not like other theropod with small hand like T-rex, while Banjo is different. His hand really function as a weapon. They are velociraptor from Australia, but bigger and frightening

Meanwhile, other two sauropod plant eater named Witonotitan wattsi ( 'Clancy') and Diamantinasaurus matildae ( 'Matilda'). Witonotitan estimated to have a large and high, while supposedly more similar Diamantinasaurus hippopotamus or rhinoceros.

Bengal Tiger

2009-07-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

Tiger life more days more difficult, because their habitats are narrower. Their foods more difficult to find, because they compete with human needed. Such as in Sumatra – Indonesia, Tiger is more rare and include as endanger species. Currently we may just can see this animals on the Zoo, if we see in wild nature we will feel fear. As an example are a white Bengal tiger on show in California below that find of a piece of meat and become an exhibition.

White Bengal tiger, dives for a piece of meat at the opening of the new Odin's Temple of the Tiger exhibit at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Thursday, July 9, 2009, in Vallejo, California.

Praying Mantis

2009-07-09T06:56:00.000-07:00

Praying mantises, or mantids, large predatory insects of the order Orthoptera, are so named because the spiny forelegs appear to be folded in an attitude of prayer. The uppermost leg segment (the coax), usually small in other insects, is greatly elongated, providing greater reach and allowing the next two segments, the femur and tibia, to be snapped closed against one another as an insect trap. The front portion of the thorax (prothorax), the region just behind the head, is also greatly elongated, forming a necklike structure, mantises are the only insects that can turn their heads to look directly behind them.

As the mantis moves its head to keep its prey in sight, its head stimulated special receptors that send out nerve impulses that automatically and instantly adjust the distance and angle of the mantis’s strike. In captivity the female mantis may kill and eat the male immediately after or even during mating, but this behavior is not common in the wild. Mantis eggs are laid in a frothy egg case in fall and hatch in spring.

The common praying mantis, shown grasping prey with its forelegs, is legally protected in some areas as a destroyer of insect pests.

Ancient Fish

2009-06-24T09:34:00.000-07:00

Research of ancient fish fossil coelacanth in the Manado sea water of North Sulawesi on this year 2009, have been planning on this month of July. Work together between LIPI Indonesia and Fukushima Aquamarine – Japan.

This research cooperation is a routine annual research. After tenth of diving operation on 2008 has not yet appeared catch of ancient fish. On the picture is a fish catch by photo that use of remotely operated vehicle in Malalayang, Manado-Indonesia.

Aquamarine Fukushima – Japan said that very interested to know the detail of ancient fish fossil. So they often do a diving expedition or seminar about coelacanth. As said by Agus H. Thakrawidaja, Biologi Center of Fish Research, LIPI. Expert from Japan sure that there are no evolution on this fish for thousandth years. So they want to collect this fish, either life or dead. Agus said that we don’t know much about the fish.

As Agus that the condition of central Sulawesi is very suitable for this fish to life, but there are not enough scientific data to prove it.

Find other kind of fishes:

Toad

2009-06-20T23:38:00.000-07:00

Toads are rough skinned, generally land dwelling, tailness amphibians closely related to frogs. True toads make up the family Bufonidae. More than 200 species, classified in the genus, Bufo, are found in North and South America, Asia and Africa from sea level to more than 4,500 m (15,000 ft) in the Himalayas. Member of other genera are also found throughout the world except in Australia and Antartica, some only in tropical areas.

The name toad is also used to refer to certain frogs. These include the Mexican burrowing toad, Rhinophrynus dorsalis, family Pipidae, the Surinam toads, genus Pipa, family Pipidae; the fire belled toads, Bombina, and the midwife toad, Alytes obstetricans, family Discoglossidae; and the spadefoot toads, Scaphiopus, family Pelobatidae.

Toad generally have squat bodies and short legs. Most are moderate sized, about 5 to 8 cm (2 to 3 in) long, some, however, such as the oak toad, Bufo quercus, may be only 20 to 30 mm (0.8 to 1.2 in), others, such as Blomberg’s toad, B. Blomberi, may reach 150 mm (6 in) or more. Most are drab. A few genera of toads are brightly colored or spotted. Malaysian tree toads, pedostibes, for example are green with yellow and blue spots, and male Costa Rican toads, B. periglenes, are bright gold.

A toad’s thick, warly skin allows it to inhabit drier regions than does a frog. Toads are found in fields, gardens, woodlands, and meadows as well as moister areas. They frequently use horny projections on their hind feet to dig shallow burrows in which to hide. As cold weather approaches, they find a secluded spot and hibernate. Toads do not jump as frogs do, but make short hops or even walk. They are carnivorous, feeding mostly on insects. Toads are the prey of many animals. When provoked or injured, toads secrete a poison from their skin. In most species poison glands are scattered over the body, but they may be concentrated on the side of the neck. Toads also defend themselves by inflating their bodies, a tactic that increases their bulk and makes them harder to swallow.

Toads typically breed in water. they are very prolific most laying 20,000 eggs in a single clutch, with the giant toad producing as many as 100,000 eggs at the time. The eggs hatch into tailed aquatic larvae (tadpoles) that metamorphose into the adult from in a few weeks. Several toads depart from this mode of reproduction. Some species lay eggs on land and lack a free swimming in tadpole stage; in other fertilization is internal and birth is given to fully formed toadless. (Animals World)

Animals World Contains

2009-06-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

Animals World Contains:
- West Nile Virus Diseases

West Nile Virus Diseases

2009-06-13T03:09:00.001-07:00

West Nile virus is a diseases that caused by bite of an infected mosquito, this mosquito is carrying the westnile viruses, but it's should be known that not all the mosquito are infected by this viruses. The most risk when is bitten by mosquito is in July to early September, because many of mosquito have infected by this viruses. But in some country, this mosquito can risk for along the year. Also should be understand that not all people that bite by infected mosquito will get virus and sick, and although kids can get West Nile Virus, it's rare for them to become very sick from it.

Statistically, a person's risk of contracting West Nile is low, and less than 1% of those infected develop serious illness from the virus. Those at highest risk for serious illness are the elderly and those with lowered immune systems. However, people of all ages can develop serious illness, so it is important for everyone to protect themselves from mosquito bites to minimize the risk of infection diseases.

Good Prevention Action:

Eliminate sources of standing water in your yard where mosquitoes may lay eggs. Fill, cover or remove any items that can trap water. Common mosquito breeding containers include:

Change the water at least once or twice a week, cleaning the bath on a regular basis
Ponds - consider purchasing mosquito-eating fish if the pond is serving as a mosquito breeding site and cannot be drained.
Buried every unused goods not use that can keep water inside.

Pit Viper

2009-05-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

Pit vipers are venomous snakes having a pair of heat-sensing pits in the front of the head, and hollow erectile fangs used to transmit venom. These snakes characteristically have broad, lance-shaped heads and vertical pupils. Terrestrial species are typically stout-bodled and marked with patterns of brown, gray, yellow, pink or black; tree in color, with markings of yellow, red, or black. The pit vipers are closely related to the true vipers and are usually classified as a subfamily, Crotalinae, of the viper family, Viperidae.

The pit organ is located between the nostril and the eye on each side of the head. It is supplied with nerves and blood vessels and is partially enclosed in a cavity in the side of the maxillary, a bone of the upper jaw. The pit has a thermo receptor function and is sensitive to infrared radiation; it is capable of responding to change in temperature of only fraction of a degree. Thus pit vipers can detect the presence of animals with body temperatures only slightly different from that of the environment.

In North America, pit vipers are represented by about 31 species of Rattlesnae (genera Crotalus and Sistrurus) and by the Copperhead and Water Moccasin, or cottonmouth (Agkistrodon). The greatest diversity of pit vipers occur in Central and South America, with 2 or 3 species of Rattlesnake, about 60 species of lance-heads, such as the Fer-De-Lance (Bothrops), and the Bushmaster (Lachesis). In the Old World, pit vipers occur from the north Caspian region of Europe, across Asia to Japan and the Indonesian Archipelago.

Phalanger

2009-05-20T17:01:00.000-07:00

Phalangers, family Phalangeridae, are a diverse group of arboreal Marsupial – mammals including the Cuscus and Koala whose name refers to the grasping ability of some of the finger and toe bones (phalangers), which enables the animals to climb tree. The phalangers are the most widely distributed of all marsupials, ranging from Australia and New Guinea to the Solomon Islands and parts of Indonesia. They have been introduced into New Zealand. Seventeen genera and about 42 species are known. Phalangers vary from 10 to 122 cm (4 to 48 in) in total length. Their mode of locomotion also varies greatly, from that of the slow moving koala to that of the gliding opossum. The fur is usually dense and woolly and is valuable in commerce. The tall is commonly long, though vestigial in the koala, and sometimes prehensile. Some genera have membranes fro gliding through the air. Most phalangers live in tree; a few inhabit plain areas.

The vulpine phalanger, or brush-tailed possum, is a small marsupial native to Australia. Highly adaptable, it lives in tress, caves, city parks and on the roots of houses.

Genus Phalanger
• Gebe Cuscus, Phalanger alexandrae
• Mountain Cuscus, Phalanger carmelitae
• Ground Cuscus, Phalanger gymnotis
• Eastern Common Cuscus, Phalanger intercastellanus
• Woodlark Cuscus, Phalanger lullulae
• Blue-eyed Cuscus, Phalanger matabiru
• Telefomin Cuscus, Phalanger matanim
• Southern Common Cuscus, Phalanger mimicus
• Northern Common Cuscus, Phalanger orientalis
• Ornate Cuscus, Phalanger ornatus
• Rothschild's Cuscus, Phalanger rothsschildi
• Silky Cuscus, Phalanger sericeus
• Stein's Cuscus, Phalanger vestitus

Frog in Madagascar

2009-05-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

Under estimation" of Madagascar's natural riches, up to 221 new species of amphibians have been found on the island country, including the frog Boophis ulftunni, pictured. The find nearly doubles the number of known amphibians in Madagascar, a new study says. An international team of scientists discovered the new species after collecting 2,850 specimens from more than 170 sites, including the country's most visited and studied national parks. The work suggests that tropical amphibian diversity has been underestimated at an "unprecedented level" worldwide, the study authors write in the May 4 online edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
This frog in the Boophis genus was among more than 200 new species of amphibian discovered in Madagascar, one of the most biologically diverse regions on the planet, experts said in May 2009. In the previous 15 years, scientists had found more than a hundred new frog species in the island country, "which led us to believe that our species inventory is almost complete," team member Frank Glaw, herpetology curator at Munich's Zoologische Staatssammlung, said in a statement.
Amphibian patterns of diversity, especially in the tropics, are not well understood, mainly because of incomplete information on species classification and distribution. In May 2009, for example, researchers unexpectedly found more than 200 new amphibian species in Madagascar, including the newly identified frog in the Boophis genus pictured above.
Rampant habitat destruction in Madagascar may be affecting more species than previously thought, both among amphibians (above, a newfound frog species in the Boophis genus) and other kinds of animals, experts said in May 2009. The deforestation rate in Madagascar is one of the highest on the planet, with more than 80 percent of the island's forests already lost. Other similar of frog look in Toads and see what is the different.

Langur Monkey

2009-04-24T05:05:00.000-07:00

The langurs, genus Presbytis, also called leaf eating or leaf monkeys, are a group of 14 species of long tailed, tree dwelling monkeys of southern Asia. Their habitats range from sea level, dry-zone forests, through tropical rain forests, to snow covered trees at attitudes of 4000 m (13 000 ft). Langurs are 43 to 79 cm (17 to 31 in) long, have a tail 49.5 to 109 cm (19.5 to 43 in) ling, and weight from 3 to 21 kg (6.5 to 46 lb).

The fur is rather long and often forms a crest or cap on the head and prominent ridge above the eyes. Coloration is generally brownish grayish, or blackish, with lighter underparts. Langurs subsist largely on a diet of leaves. They live in troops of 3 to 120 individuals. Four other species in the same family, Cercopithecidae, are also called langurs; the douc langur, Pygathrix nemaeus, of Indochina; the snub nosed langurs. Rhinopitecus roxellanae of western China and R. avunculus of North Vietnam; and the Mentawi Island langur, Simias concolor, from islands off the west coast of Sumatra – Indonesia.

The hanuman langur is considered in India symbol of self sacrifice. Folktales tell how this langur got its black face and hands by being scorched in a fire while helping his master.

Marlin Fish

2009-04-19T05:42:00.000-07:00

Marlins, family Istiophoridae, are large oceanic fishes characterized by an elongation of the upper jaw (premaxillae and nasal bones) into a long, rounded, pointed bill, or spear. The complete function of the bill is not clear, but apparently it is used to stun the marlin's prey of fish and squid as the marlin slashes through their schools. Marlins can swim at speed up to 65 km/hr (40 mph).

Four species are frequently recognized. The black marlin, Makaira Indica, of the Indian and Pacific oceans, is the largest, reaching 708 kg (1,560 lb). The blue marlin, M. nigricans, is found worlwide in warm waters. The striped marlin, Tetrapturus audax, inhabits the Pacific. The white marlin, T. albidus, of the Atlantic, is the smallest.

The blue marlin, found in warm and tropical seas throughout the world, is a favorite sport fish among deep-sea anglers.

Hippopotamus (Kuda Nil)

2009-04-10T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hippopotamus are two species of herbivorous, chiefly aquatic mammals in the family Hippotamidae, order Artiodactyla. The name hippopotamus means “river horse,” in Indonesia usually called as “Kuda Nil.”

With the exception of the elephant, Hippopotamus amphibius is the largest living land animal and may weigh more than measure 1.5 m (5 ft) tall at the shoulder. The hippopotamus has short legs. Its eyes and nostris protrude high on head, which allows it to stay submerged in water for long periods. Mucous glands in the skin secrete a pink-pigmented liquid, and people once thought the hippo sweated blood.

H. amphibius lives the Upper Nile to South Africa. The calf is born nurses underwater. The pigmy hippo, Choeropsis liberiensis, grow to about 1.2 m (4 ft) long and weight about 230 kg (500 lb). Its habitat includes the wet forest and swamps of Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Sierra Leone.

An adult hippopotamus can weight more than four tons. It skin alone, including a thick lining of fat, weights 450 kg (1000 lb). The hippo is the largest land animal, next to the elephant.

Egret

2009-04-05T07:51:00.000-07:00

An egret is any of the slender, long bodied usually white birds of the heron family, Ardeidae, that grow long, decorative plumes (the aigrette) in breeding season. The great egret, Casmerodium albus, of the world’s temperate and tropical zones and the New World snowy egret, Egretta thula, were once most almost eliminated in America by plume hunters supplying the millinery trade, but they have survived under strict protection. The stockier cattle egret, Bubulcus ibis, of Eurasia and Africa, has extended its range in recent decades to South America, Australia and North America.

Egret, a species of heron, were nearly destroyed during the 19th century by hunters, for their plumes were highly prized as hat feathers. The snowy egret has plumes on its head and back. The great egret has long, silky tail feathers. Both species live in colonies near fresh water marshes.

Stingray

2009-03-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

Stingrays are much feared venomous fishes in the subfamily Dasyatinae, family Dasyatidae. They are flattened like other rays and posses broad, winglike pectoral fins, which they flap in swimming. The tail is long and whiplike and bears two strong spines at its base. The stingray usually lies partly buried in the sand. If in stepped on or seized, it lashes out vigorously with its tail and attempts to drive a spine into the intruder. The spines are tempts to drive a spine into the intruder. The spines are derivatives of the scales and are associated with poison glands; they are serrated and solid, thus cutting and tearing the flesh as well as injecting poison. The wound can be extremely painful, and the powerful poison, apparently a protein, affects the heart and the nervous system of mammals and can cause depressed respiration.

The head of the stingray is not well defined, and there is no dorsal or caudal fin. The skeleton is composed of cartilage. The gill openings are ventral, with water being taken in through paired spiracles behind the eyes. The ventral mouth has numerous small, blunt teeth. Small clams, crustaceans, and other invertebrates are caught as food when the ray digs a broad depression in the sand. The stingray is ovoviparous; the female carries eggs internally but does not nurture the fetuses, and the young are born alive. Stingrays are widely distributed in warm, shallow seas, and a few species ascend rivers in South America. They occur along the Atlantic coast of the United States as far north as Cape hatteras. Some species may reach more than 1.5 m (5 ft) across. Stingrays may weigh from 0.7 to 340 kg (1.5 to 750 lb).

Porcupine

2009-02-28T09:24:00.000-08:00

Porcupines are large, spine or quill-bearing rodent in the families Hystricidae (Old World) and Erethixontidae (New World) of the mammalian order Rodentia. The often large spines, or sharp hairs, which act as defense organs, are controlled by erectile muscles in the skin. The arboreal North American porcupine, Eretizon dorsatum, ranges across Canada and most of the United States into northern Mexico. It is about 58 cm (23 in) long, weight up to 18 kg (40 lb), and eats bark, buds, twigs, and leaves. The prehensile-tailed porcupines, genus Coendou, of Mexico and Central and South America, comprise about 20 species. The spines are shorter but denser than those of the North American porcupine. The Old World porcupines include the common or crested porcupine, Hystrix cristata, found in sourthern Europe and Africa. A large nocturnal rodent, about 61 cm (2 ft) long, it has a crest of white tipped quills. After a gestation period of nearly four months, the female gives birth to two or three young, which initially have soft fur rather than quills.

The north America porcupine defends itself by raising its barbed quills and thrashing its fail to drive them into an attacking animal.

Poisonous Toilet Spider

2009-02-16T19:20:00.001-08:00

This is important for you that want to defecate using sit-toilet and find a spider like on the drawing below.

This spider called as Stripped Telamonia, this spider have small size about as big as corn seed and have unique color. Three women get into hospital and being treated for 5 days and died. All the patient have the same symptom such as cold, fever and vomit continue with loose feeling on all the muscle, look there is no traumatic syndrome.

An autopsy result that the poisonous contains on the blood and there is a small bitten wound on their right bottom. Then known that all victim just visit to the certain restaurant before they are died. Health of Department then closed the Restaurant for observation, food, water AC system and all observed, without any result.

The clue founded after the servant said that 3 of the victims are not eat in the restaurant, they just using toilet. Then the Toxicologist remember to certain article they read, he back to the restaurant and go to the toilet, and up the toilet base. Under the chair is not seen by eyes, there is a small spider. The spider then being captured and bring to the laboratory. Then they know that that spider is Telamonia with two stipped or Two Stripped Telamonia (Telamo nia Demidiata), called like that because their meat is red color.

This spider is very poisonous but need for several days before the effect merge. This spiders is life in cold place and high humidity. The toilet base is the perfect place for this spider.

Finch Bird

2009-02-08T05:49:00.000-08:00

Finch is a general term popularly applied to more than 1000 species of stout billed, seed eating birds that are classified in several different families and subfamilies. Among the weaverbirds, family Ploceidae, for instance, are many species called finches. The waxbills, Estrildidae, are also a type of finch. Charles Darwin based much of his theory of evolution on birds now known as Darwin’s Finches (Geospizidae). In a more restricted sense, however, finches belong primarily to the subfamily Carduelinae of the great family Fringillidae, which also includes the cardinal of the great family Frimarily to the subfamily Carduelinae of the great family Fringillidae, which also includes the cardinals, buntings, grobreaks, towhees, sparrows, and many other birds. Other carduelines that are not specifically named finch include the siskins, redpolls, crossbills, and pine grossbreaks.

Most finches, regardless of their classification, are primarily seedeaters, with stout bills and a well developed gizzard. But even the seedeaters usually feed their young, for a few days at least, on more easily digested insects. Exceptions occur among the Goldfinches, redpools, and some other carduelines.

Many finches are brightly colored with red, yellow or blue predominating. Most finches are very musical, with songs that vary from the soft twittering of goldfinches and canaries to the printed warble of the purple finches in flight. Many authorities consider finches the highest and latest development on the avian evolutionary ladder.

Puffin Bird

2009-01-29T04:37:00.000-08:00

Puffins, sometimes referred to as bottlenoses or sea parrots, comprise three species of birds (common, horned, and tufted puffins: Fratercula artica, F. corniculata, and Lunda cirrhata) in the family Alcidae, order Charadriliformes. Their closest relative, the rhinoceros auklet, Cerorchinca monocerata, does not have the large, triangular-shaped, laterally compressed, and sculputured bill typical of puffins. Puffins are compactly built, about 30 cm (12 in) tall, and their three front toes are webbed. They feed by diving for marine organisms.

Puffins are found along seacoasts and on Islands in the northern oceans, nesting in colonies of as many as 50,000 inhabitants. Total world population of the birds is about 15 million. The puffins usually nest in burrows or caves and lay a single white egg. Both eggs and adult birds are used as a human food resource.

The common Atlantic puffin is considered by sailor to be a land indicator: if three or more are sighed, land is likely within 240 km (160 mil). Once threatened by extinction is the United States, puffins from Canada have been used to reestablish breeding colonies in Marine.

Mastodon

2008-12-29T02:15:00.000-08:00

The mastodon, an elephantikle mammal belonging to the order Proboscidea, was widespread from Miocene through the Pleistocene epochs (26 million to 10 thousand years ago). Mastodons were in the mainline of proboscidean evolution, first appearing in the early Oligocene (38 million to 26 million years ago). Their teeth, consisting of a series of paired conical cusps, seen in profile resemble a woman’s breasts; hence the name mastodon was derived from the Greek for breasts tooth.

Gomphotherium (also called Trilophodon) lived during the late Miocene and the early Pliocene (12 million to 3, 5 million years ago). It resemble Phiomia, but the teeth were more beastlike and the trunk was more fully developed. Shovel-tusked mastodons such as amebelodon developed broad, scoop-shaped lower tusks that were useful for digging vegetation. Mastodon americanus, common in North America during the Pleistocene Epoch and perhaps up to a few thousand years ago, was not as tall as tall as modern elephants. Its strongly curved upper tusks were very large, and its body was covered with long, reddish brown hair.

The Mastodon, a browsing mammal somewhat smaller than a present day elephant became extinct only in the last 10,000 years.

Muskrat

2008-12-18T06:58:00.001-08:00

The muskrat, Ondatra zibethicus, in the family Cricetidae, is a semiaquatic rodent found in fresh-water and saltwater marshes from Alaska through most of Canada and the United States. It was introduced into Europe for its fur but quickly became a pest. A dark colored polulation in Newfoundland is often classified as a separate species. O. obscurus. Muskrats are stoutly built, reaching about 33 cm (13 in) long, plus a laterally flattened 29 cm (11-in) tail, and they weigh up to 1.8 kg (4 lb). The hind feet are partly webbed. The dense, glossy coat ranges in color from grayish brown to dark brown or almost black. Muskrats live in a network of burrows in the banks of waterways or build houses of mounded vegetation in open water. They eat mainly plant material. Breeding is confined to the warmer moths in the north, where a female may have three litters a year, but occurs year round in the south. Gestation takes about 30 days, with usually three to seven young to a litter. The musk rat’s fur is of prime commercial importance.

The muskrat dives and swims in the freshwater habitat by padding with partially webbed hind feet. It builds a shelter in the water or burrows into the sides of earthen banks.

Otter

2008-12-08T06:51:00.001-08:00

Otters are long bodied, semi aquatic members of the weasel family, Mustelidae. This group includes the sea otter, genus Enhydra, the river otters, Lutra; the giant otter, Pteronura, of South America; the African clawless otter, Aonyx; and the small clawed otters of Asia, Amblonyx and Africa, Paronyx, both of which are often classified with the clawless otter.

The river otters, Lutra, comprise 11 or 12 species found on all the continents except Australia and Antartica and include the North America otter, L. Canadensis, and European otter, L. lutra. They have broad snouths, small ears, short legs with fully webbed, and a thick but tapering tail. Their underfur is short and dense, brownish or grayish in color, and is overlain with darker, coarser guard hairs. Male river otters reach about 1 m (3 ft) in length, plus a 50 cm (19 in) tail; they weigh up to about 14 kg (30 lb). Females are smaller.

River Otters feed and small land mammals. Northern populations of river otters mate in summer, and the young are not born until 91/2 to 121/2 months later. This prolonged gestation is due to the delayed implantation, or attachment, of the newly developing embryo to the wall of the uterus.

Gazelle

2008-11-30T02:29:00.000-08:00

Gazelles, genus Gazella, are slender, graceful antelopes belonging to the family Bovidae, order Artiodactyla. There are about 12 species and 50 recognize forms. The largest gazelle is the dama, or red necked, gazelle, G. damaruficollis, of northern Africa, which stands slightly less than 1 m (3 ft) tail at the shoulder. Other species are 51 to 85 cm (20 to 34 in) tall. Gazelle have long, thin legs with two-toed hooves. Both sexes have beautiful, black ringed, 25 to 38 cm long (10 to 15 in) horns, except for Persian, or goitered, gazelle, only the bucks of which have horns.

Bazelles have brown or fawn colored coats, usually with black and white markings around the face and neck, white undersides and rump, and often a horizontal band of dark color along the flanks. The ears are long and narrow. The tail is short. The large, luminous black eyes are a striking feature. Many gazelles are fast runners, and Grant’s gazelle has been clocked at 80 km/h (50 mph).

Gazelles inhabit open plains from Mongolia and India to Egypt and Morocco and into tropical eastern and central Africa. Several species have become threatened because of overhunting. Gazelle graze in herds numbering from four or five to several hundred. Central and eastern African gazelles often mingle with herds of other herbivores. Like other antelopes, gazelles are ruminants, or cud-chewers.

Vulture

2008-11-13T07:21:00.000-08:00

Vultures are large birds of prey that live mainly as scavengers on carrion. They are divided into two groups; the New World vultures, family Cathartidae, and the Old World vultures, subfamily Aegypiinae, family Accipitridae. Both group are placed in the order Falconiformes, together with hawks and eagles, and Old World vultures are in fact related to hawks. New World vulture, however, are of more ancient evolutionary origin and have been linked genetically to the storks. The combined classification resulted from superficial similarities produced by convergent evolution; thus the head and neck of all vultures are usually bare except for a thin covering of down, and both groups have weak feet adapted more for walking than clutching. Bills of New World vultures, however, are relatively weak; those of the Old World vultures are generally much stronger.

New World vulture species include the turkey vulture, Chathartes aura, and black vulture, Coragyps atratus both widespread in the Americas; the King vulture, Sarcoramphus papa, of tropical forest regions; and two South Americans Cathartes species. (in United States, vultures are also called buzzards). Turkey vultures depend more on eyesight for finding carrion. The two condor species include the California condor, Gymnogyps californianus, and the Andean condor, Vulture gryphus, which are among the world's largest flying birds.

Old World vultures inhabit the warmer parts of Europe, all of Africa, and the dried parts of Asia. They are most common in mountainous or open country and are seldom found in forest or in areas with high rainfall. All are carrion eaters except for the palm-nut vulture, Gyphohierax angolensis, which feeds principally on the fruit of the oil palm.

Blackbird

2008-11-05T15:07:00.000-08:00

Blackbird is the common name for about 25 species of birds of the New World family Icteridae, which also includes orioles and bobolinks, and for several unrelated Old World birds of the Thrush family, Turdidae. American blackbirds range from 20 to 28 cm (8 to 11 in) long and have pointed bills and rounded tails. Males are typically black, and some have marking in bright colors. Females may be brown, grayish, or mottled. The red winged blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus male has flashing red shoulder patches, for example, and the female is brown and striped, they are abundantly distributed over the marshes and upland fields of most of North America.

Many blackbirds are gregarious and nest in colonies; two to seven eggs are laid. They feed on insects, seeds, and grain. The common blackbird of the Old World resembles the duller species of American blackbirds but is actually a thrush related to the American robin.

Blackbird are among the most populus of all birds, with some winter flocks numbering in the million. The yellow headed blackbird, the only North American bird with a yellow head and a black body; the red winged blackbird; and the brewer’s blackbird.

The male of the nominate subspecies, which is found throughout most of Europe, is all black except for a yellow eye-ring and bill and has a wide range of vocalisations; the adult female and juvenile have mainly brown plumage. his species breeds in woods and gardens, building a neat, mud-lined, cup-shaped nest. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects, earthworms, berries, and fruits.

Both sexes are territorial on the breeding grounds, with distinctive threat displays, but are more gregarious during migration and in wintering areas. Pairs will stay in their territory throughout the year where the climate is sufficiently temperate. This common species has given rise to a number of literary and cultural references, frequently related to its melodious song.

Other Birds:

Louse

2008-10-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

Louse is a name applied to several different invertebrates that are either external parasite (harmful to the host) or commensals (not harmful). Included are certain crustaceans, such as the parasitic fish louse. Argulus Most commonly, however, the name refers to two groups of flattened, wingless insects living or warm-blooded animals. They are usually regarded as separate ofders; Mallophaga, or chewing lice, and Anophlura, or sucking lice.

Chewing lice are found on mammals but mostly commonly rodents. The crab louse and the head and body louse are sucking lice and the only lice that parasitize humans. Both lice glue their eggs or nits, to hair, but body the body louse may also fasten its eggs to clothing. The immature lice look like tiny adults.

In addition to the uncomfortable itching caused by its bites, the body louse may transmit the pathogens that cause typhus, replacing fever, or trench fever. The spread of these diseases, and of lice themselves, is closely associated with crowded, unsanitary conditions.

A body louse is a small, wingless insect that lives on humans, sucking its host’s blood. A louse egg, or nit is attached to the host hair.

Leopard

2008-10-20T07:49:00.000-07:00

The leopard, Panthera pardus, is one of the largest members of the cat family, Felidae. A large male may weigh more than 91 kg (200 lb), may stand 70 cm (28 in) high at the shoulder, and may be 1.5 m (nearly 5 ft) long, plus a 90-cm (35 in) tail. Leopards occupy a great diversity of habitats, including dry grass-lands, scrubland, mountains, and jungles. They have the greatest geographic distribution of any wild cat, being found over most of Africa south of the Sahara and from the Middle East and India north into central Asia and south into the East Indies. The leopard’s color varies from a pale yellowish gray to a yellowish red, with whitish underparts. Spots are present over the entire body, but on the back and sides they are formed into circles, or rosettes. Black leopards, or panthers, occur in the same litter with yellowish leopards.

Leopards are chiefly nocturnal and solitary, but a male and female commonly hunt as a pair during and for a time after the mating season. Usually two to four young are born after a gestation period of 90 to 105 days. Intensive hunting of leopards for their skins has eliminated or seriously reduced a number of subspecies and geographical races.

The snow leopard, or ounce, Uncia uncia, is similar in size and general appearance to the leopard. Its coat, however, has a dense, wooly underfur and a long, thick outer coat. It is generally light yellowish gray to cream colored, with black to grayish rosettes on the upper parts of the body. Snow leopards are found in the highlands of central Asia from the Altai Mountains into the Himalayas. They inhibit rocky grasslands above the tree line. Breeding occurs in late winter, and usually two to four young are born after gestation period of about 98 days. The snow leopard has become quite scarce mainly because of overhunting for its beautiful fur.

The clouded leopard, Neofelis nebulosa, weighs up to 23 kg (50 lb) and may be 80 cm (32 in) high at the shoulder and 1 m (40 in) long, plus a 90 cm (35 in) tail. It is grayish or yellowish to brownish yellow in color, with black spots and dashes on the head, legs, and tail, and large, black-bordered, “cloudlike” bloches on its sides. Clouded leopards inhabit forest from India to Taiwan south into Borneo. Gestation is about 90 days, with apparently two young to a litter. The clouded leopard continues to be hunted, despite its rarity.

Musk Ox

2008-10-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

The musk-ox, Ovibus moschatus, in the family Bovidae, live on open tundra to well vegetated terrain in northern Canada and Greenland and has been introduced into Alaska. It is short legged but massively built, reaching 1.5 m (5 ft) high at the shoulder and more than 400 kg (900 lb) in weight. The large head bears broad, down curving horns. Musk oxen are protected from the cold by an ankle length dark brown outer coat covering a light brown, soft, dense undercoat. The coat’s musky odor gives the musk-ox its name. Musk oxen live in herds of 20 to 100. When under attack they form a circle, horn outward, with the young on the inside.

The muskox is a stocky, long-haired animal with a slight shoulder hump and a very short tail. Both sexes have horns, but the horns of bulls are larger and heavier than those of cows. The horns of bulls develop large bases which nearly span the entire forehead. The pelage consists of a long, coarse, outer layer and a short, fine underhair. Coloration of the Greenland muskox, the race found in Alaska, is generally dark brown with creamy-colored hair on the “saddle,” forehead, and legs. Muskoxen have cloven hooves, all four of which are the same size.

The male musk ox weight more than the female and has longer horns. The extremely long outer coat and short, dense inner coat provide the musk ox with excellent insulation against the cold temperatures of the far north.

Moutain Goat and Moutain Sheep

2008-09-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

Mountain Goat

The mountain goat, Oreamnos Americanus, in the family Bovidae, is not a true goat (Capra) but rather a member of a group (tribe Rupricaprini) known as goat antelopes. Mountain goats stand about 1 m (39 in) high at the shoulder and weigh up to 140 kg (300 lb). The goat is white sometimes tinged with yellow, with a thick, woolly underfur. The hair above the shoulder and on the neck is long and stiff. Both sexes have beards and permanent, black, unbranched horns that seldom exceed 23 cm (9 in) long. The hooves are hard and sharp and surround soft pads, enabling the animals to obtain footing on ice and rocks. Mountain goats are found from southwestern Alaska along the Rocky Mountain into the northern United States. Mating occurs in November, and or two born in the spring.

Mountain Sheep

Mountain sheep are members of the genus Ovis in the family Bovidae and are characterized by narrow muzzle, pointed ears, and massive curling horns in the older males (rams). Unlike true goats, Capra, they lack beards and have dished, or concave, foreheads. The largest of the mountain sheep, the argaili, reaches 1.2 m (4 ft) in height at the shoulder and 160 kg (350 lb) in weight. Coat colors range from white to gray or dark brawn. The coat is generally short and coarse, with only the mouflon species developing a woolly undercoat in winter. Some forms have a mane of hair down the front of the neck. Mountain sheep generally inhabit dry upland areas, from craggy mountains into semideserts. During the summer moths the adult males live in groups apart from the females and their young. In late fall and early winter the males battle for possession of females, which they gather into harems of up to 12 awes. Gestation lasts 5 to 6 months, and form one to three lambs are born in the spring.

Mountain sheep are usually classified into six species; the bighorn, O. Canadensis, of the western United States and southwestern Canada; the Dall sheep, O. dalli, of Alaska and northwestern Canada; the argali, or Marco Polo sheep, O. ammon, of central Asia; the red sheep, O. laristanica, of southern Iran; and the mouflon, O. musimon, of Sardinia and Corsica.

Earwig

2008-09-19T00:02:00.000-07:00

Earwigs are small to medium-sized, usually brownish insects that have a pair of pincers at the end of the abdomen. The approximately 900 species, constituting the order Dermaptera, are distributed worldwide. Most resemble the common earwig, Forticula auricularia. Some species are wingless, however, and two tropical genera are parasites on bats and rodents. The name “earwig” derives from tales about the insects crawling into ears. Earwigs feed on both plants and small animals, sometimes capturing prey by using the pincers, which are strong enough to nip human skin. Female earwigs display primitive social behavior by tending their eggs and young, which resemble the adults and undergo simple Metamorphosis. The insects are mainly nocturnal and can be a pest in garden by damaging flowering plants.

A male earwig (A) differs from a female (B) by having wings, one pair of which is short and leathery and the other pair veined and delicate. Both male and female have forceps-like pincers on their abdomens (C), which are used for defense. The female is shown in a defensive posture with pincers raised.

Turtle Conservation

2008-09-06T19:50:00.001-07:00

To protect this endanger animal an animal love organization in Panama work and try to conserve this animal from destruction. The project is done in Soropta and Playa Larga of Panama Beach.

Many people have hunter the turtle such as painted turtle for their meat and also for the egg that can be taken very easy in the beach which this turtle usually eggs. Their eggs is similar with chicken eggs, every time one turtle egg can produce 100 to 200 eggs depends on the turtle size and big. For young turtle sometime hunt for getting meat, so this condition make this animal become endanger in the world.

As those organization found in Panama about 35 turtles were killed annually, may be this mean that adult turtle found dead of killed. The population of this turtles in Panama is predicted only hundreds if the condition can't be stopped can cause this turtle will extinct.

The main goal is environmental education is an important part of the programmed and their biologists visit local schools to talk about conservation and the need to protect the turtles. Employee eight local men as beach guards and assistants at Soropta and it is rewarding to see how interested they have become in turtle conservation. They also work with local groups on neighboring San-San and Sixaola beaches to provide incentive and some organization for protection of their beach.

Hope that their work will have a great result and can save this sea turtle from extinction. Someday people will very difficult to find turtle in free nature because human always hunt this animal for their food, people too indulge want have free a lot of eggs and never consider their continues existence in the world.

Chameleon

2008-08-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

Chameleon, family chamaeleonidae, are old world lizards that dwell in trees, except for the stump tailed chameleon, genus Brookesia, which lives mainly on the forest floor. Chameleons range from Africa and Madagaskar to southern Spain, India, and Sri Lanka. They are noted for their ability to change color in response to light, heat, and other stimull. The rang of colors is limited to shades of green, yellow, or brown. The males, in particular, often have horns, crests, of flaps on their heads.

The lizards range in length from les than 7.5 cm (3 in) for Brookesia to more than 60 cm (24 in) for some species of Chamaeleo. Chameleons have a long, flattened body and –except for the stump-tailed variety –a prehensile tail that serves as an extra limb. The hind foot has two toes on the inside and three on the outside; the forefoot has the opposite arrangement. The chameleon's protruding eyes are almost completely convert by eyelids, leaving only a narrow opening; the eyes can rotate independently in a complete hemisphere. The tongue, which may be longer than the body, is used to snare eat birds and small rodents. Chameleons are mostly oviparous, developing and hatching their eggs outside the body, but a few are ovoviviparous producing living young within the body.

Jackson's chameleon is a 3 horned species found in Africa. All chameleons are tree dwellers and can change skin color. The species catches insect with its long sticky tongue

Dove and Pigeon

2008-08-19T21:20:00.000-07:00

Dove is the common name of various species of bird in the family Columbidae, order Columbiformes. Other species in the same family are called Pigeon. There is no biological distinction between the two. Small species are often called Dove, and large species, Pigeon, but this usage is inconsistent. The domestic pigeon, Columba Livia, for example is known also as the rock dove. The reason is historical; dove is of Anglo-Saxon origin, while pigeon are French.

The rock dove is commonly known as the domestic pigeon is familiar as inhabitant City Park and of suburban and rural areas throughout North America and Europe. This kind of pigeon also lets live in park and garden around the Big Ben in England and other tourism city in French.

Pigeon bird in Mecca city of Arab Saudi come breaded from Medina city. This Pigeon Bird represents the livestock animal of Prophet Muhammad wife, Aisyah. This bird has a special character with stripe Grey color in their body, if in Indonesia called as Megan. There are no other color and model of Mecca and Medina pigeon, just one color. This pigeon is let’s living around the mosque, either in Nabawi Mosque or in Haram Mosque and no contaminates with other species.

The Last Dinosaurus Clan

2008-08-07T21:43:00.000-07:00

Museum worker in New Zealand express that reptile which is considered to be the last clan of Dinosaurus which above on this world will become a father for the first time in ten years on the age of -111. Henry, name of this tuatara, with his couple that is younger, Mildred releases many of eggs last month after marrying in Museum Southland, south Island of New Zealand, Last March.

This Tuatara curator Tuatara, Lindsay Hazley, Wednesday then tells about Henry’s live in the special place in a special museum of Tuatara since 1970 and show don’t want to marry because of last cancer which grows in his genitals that is taken or operated. He now enjoy for the real live, consorted three female tuatara which will bear again next March. Australia as known has many reptile type that each of this animals have amazing character like Thorny Devil from Australian Dezert. Tuatara if look to the physical form, this animals like Thorny Devil or like a Komodo from Komodo Island of Indonesia.

Falcon

2008-07-26T23:40:00.000-07:00

Falcon are any of about 60 species of birds of prey that constitute the family Falconidae in the order Falconiformes, which also include eagles, hawks, and vultures. The true falcons are typified by a bulled-shaped body, long and pointed wings, a medium to long tail, long toes with sharply hooked claws, a short neck, and a short, hooked, and usually notched bill. Coloration may vary widely, but the sexes of any one species are usually similar in appearance, except that the females are larger. Certain species of falcons are also known as caracaras, falconets, gyfalcons, hobbies, kestrels, and peregrines; somewhat confusingly, a number of falcons are also called hawks. Falcons are strong, fast fillers with great aerial agility.

They seldom soar in the manner of hawks. The peregrine has been clocked at 290 km/h (180 mph) in a dive. This speed and agility make falcons successful hunter of birds, reptiles, and small mammals. Some species, however, are insectivorous or eater pf carrion.

Although falcons strike or grasp their prey with their claws, they generally kill the captured prey with their beaks, whereas hawks kill with their claws. Falcons are usually solitary or live in pairs. They nest in trees or on cliffs and often occupy the nests of other species of birds. Females generally lay two to six eggs, and both the male and female incubate the eggs and care for the young. Falcons seldom live more than 20 years. The falcons' only serious enemy is humankind.

For many years falcons were considered vermin because they were thought to exact a heavy toll on chickens and other livestock. In recent times pesticides have been responsible for decimating and endangering several species. Organochlorine pesticides (DDT, dieldrin) reduce the ability of certain birds to produce sufficient calcium for their eggs; consequently, the eggs are thin shelled and susceptible to breakage. The earliest fossil record of the falcon family is from the Miocene Epoch of Argentina, about 15 million ago.

Marten

2008-07-17T09:33:00.001-07:00

Martens are eight species of usually arboreal, weasellike mammals of the genus Martes in the weasel family, Mustelidae. The genus includes the sable, M. zibellina, and the fisher, M. pennanti, as well as those animals commonly called martens. Martens range up to 60 cm (2 ft) long, plus a 30 cm (1-ft) tail, and reach 2 kg (4.5 lb) in weight. Their fur is soft and thick and commercially valuable. It ranges in color from golden brown to almost black, with a characteristic whitish yellow to reddish yellow patch on the throat and chest. Martens feed mainly on rodents, but also eat rabbits, birds, fruit, insects, and carrion. Martens display the phenomenon of sects, and carrion. Martens display the phenomenon of delayed implantation, in which the fertilized ovum (egg) halts its development and remains free within the uterus for varying length of time; as a result, gestation in martens may last 7 to 9 months. Mating occurs in summer and the usually two to four young are born in early spring.

The American marten, M. Americana, also called the American sable, is found from Alaska to eastern, Canada south into the western United States. In Indonesia this kind animals called as Musang. The Eurasian pine marten, M. martes, and the beech or stone marten, M. foina, have been overhunted and exterminated from many parts of their range.

The American marten inhabits North America forest, hunting squirrels and other prey in tree branches. Closely related to the mink, the marten is prized for its glossy brown fur.

Five Sumatra Tigers being Moved

2008-07-01T20:52:00.001-07:00

Five Sumatra tiger are being moved from Aceh to Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia. Safari Park Team of Indonesia make health inspection of a Sumatra tiger have quarantined for 8 months in Office of Experienced Resource Conservation Hall ( BKSDA), Aceh, Banda Aceh, last Thursday (26/6). Five Sumatra tiger that supposed attack human being in Aceh forest area hereinafter will translocation to area of National Park of South Bukit Barisan, Lampung.

Five tiger consisted of four male tiger and one female being catch because of often generate conflict with the citizen. Citizen over there have refused of that tiger. CONFLICT happened because of the habitat of them have destroyed and unable to provide the food source so that they descend to civil locations.

After being catch, the fifth of tiger is penned in the cage with size measure 2x3 meters. Placement in the cage is done for six-month is not fulfilling the freedom standard of freedom and tiger straggling. That tiger also become depended to human being, especially in the case of food.

Fifth evacuation of tiger and one crocodile need time almost all day long . By using of rental hercules aeroplane, time travel from Aceh to Lamung about 3.5 hours. The plane take off from NAD at 07.00 and arrive at the Airport of Raden Intan Lampung at 10.30.

According to information of Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild of Fauna of and Flora (CITES), Sumatra tiger have entered in appendix I or critically of high level. Population of this animal in tropical forest of Sumatra estimated just 350-400 tigers.

Java Rhinoceros Recognize Infra-Red Light

2008-06-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

This tell about WWF activity in conservation forest Ujung Kulon west Java. All environmental organizational activist, World Wildlife Fund ( WWF) agape a moment to see the record of a Java rhinoceros nuzzling camera video trap which they install. How do not because there is no lamp around and camera record rhinoceros activity uses the infra-red light.

Onthis record taken at Maret-April 2008, seen two heads rhinoceros in National Park of Ujung Kulon, West Java, seen a mother and a child, moment recorded both seeing kept quiet for a second. Later; then, rhinoceros mother closed to the camera and in a short time nuzzle it.

Camera then dies and record, Lucky, camera protected by waterproof thick bale of plastic material do not broken and chafed only. Moment all activities find it few days then, the camera lie above the land.

"Probably because the distance is too close so that rhinoceros can see the infra-red light," say the Adhi Rachmat Hariyadi, Site Manager WWF for Indonesia at TN Ujung Kulon, moment announce the result of first video trap record about Java rhinoceros life. But, until date still unpredictable why the rhinoceros mother seems knows that being recorded. Others dissimilar rhinoceros are also recorded the same distance but do not see annoyed with the camera. Adhi tell the rhinoceros which is being suckle its child possible more sensitive so that can recognize the infra-red light wave.

To ascertain the mentioned require further research. Java Rhinoceros is inclusive animal which still not a lot of researched yet. The animal mousy and solitary so that even difficult be met directly.

Dolphin

2008-06-19T05:50:00.000-07:00

The majority of small-toothed whales are whales are called dolphins. They are mammals of the order Cetacea and the families Platanistidae, Delphnidae, and Grampidae and include about 50 species. All have a beaklike snout and sharp, conical teeth. The term porpoise is sometimes applied to many of the same species, but porpoises, strictly speaking, are members of the family phocaenidae teeth. The dolphin fish (mahi-mahi or dorado) is a sport fish related to the mackerels.

More dolphin species are about 2 m in length, the males averaging 10 to 20 cm longer than females. The largest is bottle nose dolphin, Tursiops truncates, well known in many public aquariums. This species may reach over 3 m in length and 200 kg in weight. The smallest species is the buffeo, Sotallia fluviatilis, of the Amazon River, it is rarely over 1.2 m in length and 30 kg in weight.

Dolphin are predators and feed on live food, except when trained otherwise in captivity. The primary food is fish, mostly open water types such as herring, mackerel, and sardines. Some species seem to prefer squid; occasionally shrimp and other crustacean are consumed. Food consumption is estimated at about 30 kg (66 lb) a day for an individual about 2.5 m (8.2 ft) in length and 100 kg (220 lb) in weight.

Dolphin can be found in virtually all the seas and oceans of the world. Some species are sharply restricted, but many, such as the common dolphin, Delphinus delphis, or the bottle nose dolphin, are found world wide. Several species are found in freshwater, notably the Ganges River dolphin. Platanista gangetica, the river of south America are the home of the long snouthed dolphin, Inia geoffrensis, and the buffeo. Dolphin are abundant in some area of the world. Off the coast of the Japan, population of the white-sided dolphin.

King Snake

2008-06-08T07:03:00.000-07:00

King snakes, genus Lampropeltis, in the family Colubridae, are moderately sized, powerful constrictors and have smooth scales and single anal plates (the scale in front of the vent). Their diet consist of a variety of vertebrates, including other snakes. Six species occur in the United States. The prairie king snake, or mole snake, L. calligaster, is distributed from Maryland westward to Nebraska and Texas and southward to Florida. It is brown or tan with darker biotches. Most subspecies of the common king snakes, L. getulus, are dark brown or black with white or yellow bands, stripes, or spots. This species occur from coast to coast. Two species, the Sonora mountain king snake, L. pyromelana, and the California mountain snake, L. zonata, are restricted to mountainous region in the western United States and Mexico. They are tree colored with red, black, and white. The Mexican king snake, L. mexicana, is marked with gray, black and sometimes orange and is found in southwestern Texas and northern portion of the Mexican often known as Milk Snakes.

Komodo Dragon

2008-06-08T07:02:00.000-07:00

The largest living lizard, the Komodo dragon, Varanus komodoensis, attains a total length of up to 3 m (10 ft) and an average weight of 136 kg (300 lb). These giant lizards live only in the vicinity of Indonesia, for example, on Komodo island, for which they are named. They are representative of the monitor Lizard family, Varanidae. Like other monitors, Komodo dragons are carnivorous, feeding on animals as large as small deer and bush pigs. Like other large monitors, they can be formidable adversaries, even for humans, if actually cornered. Young Komodo dragons climb trees, but adults, far too large to be arboreal, dig burrows or spend hot daylight hours under bushes, coming out in the morning and evening. Like several other monitors, Komodo dragons swim well. These reptiles are endangered and are under strict protection by the Indonesian government.

The Komodo dragon is a relative of the extinct 7 m (23 ft) reptile V. pricus, whose remains have been found in Quatenary deposits in Australia. The origin Komodo is from Komodo Island that is located in Nusatenggara Timur (East Nusatenggara) island in Indonesia.

Lamprey

2008-06-03T15:01:00.000-07:00

Lamprey in Indonesia called "Belut Lamprey", and hagfishes are the two surviving groups of jawless vertebrates. The earliest known lampreys, genus Mayomyzon, are from the Pennsylvanian Period, about 300 million years ago, and are thought to be closely related to an extinct group of jawless fishes, the ostracoderms, which flourished earlier. Lamprey is eel-like in shape and lack scales and paired fins (pectorials and pelvics), but they do have a tail and one or two dorsal (top) fins. In place of jaws, lampreys have an oral sucking disk bearing teeth and a rasplike tongue. The internal body support consists of notochord ("backbone") and a cartilaginous skeleton. Lamprey have seven separate gill openings on each side and a single nostril on the upper part of the head.

Some lampreys live only in fresh water. Other species are anodromous, living in marine waters but breeding in fresh water. Lamprey are found in cold to cool coastal and inland waters of both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with the exception of all of Africa but the northwestern tip.

Although individuals within a single lamprey species may be either parasitic or non-parasitic, it is more usual for a species to be exclusively one or the other. When lamprey hatch they develop into small, blind, toothless, almost wormlike larvae called ammocetes, which burrow in the stream bottom. Ammocetes are filter feeders, straining tiny organisms from the water for food. After several years the ammocetes metamorphose, or change, into the adult form. If the species or individual is non-parasitic, the digestive system degenerates and the adult neither feeds nor grows, merely surviving long enough to reproduce. If parasitic, the adult will adhere to the bodies of the other fish with its sucking disk and then rasp their flesh to feed their blood and tissue.

Cat Bird

2008-06-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

Catbird is the common name for birds that belong to several Old and New families and have mewing calls. The grey catbird, Dumetella carolinensis, family Mimidae, is common over most of Nort America from central Canada south (except on the U.S. West Coast), wintering south to central America. Slightly smaller (23 cm/9 in) than the American robin, it is slim and dark grey, with a black and chestnut red under-tail coverts. Although it is not a gifted mimic as the related Mockingbird, the catbird has a large repertoire of notes, which is strings together in a long and variable song.

The grey catbird, named for its strident, catlike whine, can be found in dense thickets in suburbs and parks. So catbird is not cat like but more like bird, this bird also don't like rat for her feed. What is the cat bird eat?, this bird is eaten of insect and seed of many plant.

Catfish

2008-05-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

Catfish comprise about 2,000 species of mostly freshwater fishes in the order Silurifrmes. Distributed worldwide, they are most diverse in South America. Catfish are distinguished by the presence of barbells, or whiskers; the lack of true scales; strong spines at the front of the dorsal and pectoral fins; and in most cases, an adipose fin on top of the body is usually partly to completely armored. Most catfish have small eyes, they rely on taste, smell, and hearing. The barbells and much of the skin are often covered with taste buds. Many catfish are inactive during the day, coming out to feed at night. Freshwater catfish usually spend mush of their time (and lay their eggs) in hollow logs, undercut banks, and other hiding places. One or both parents guard the eggs until they hatch. In Indonesian this fish is called "lele".

Many species of fresh water catfish are used for human food. North American catfish of the genus Ictalurus are important commercially and are popular with anglers. Catfish farming involves raising and marketing such species as the channel catfish, I. punctatus.

Some catfish are quite distinctive in appearance or behavior. A parasitic catfish, the candiru, Candellis cirrhosa, a minute South American catfish with strong, recurved spines, has been known to enter the urinary tract of persons wading in the water. The electric catfish Malapterurus electricus, native to Africa, can produce a charge of up to 350 volts, enough to stun a human. The predatory walking catfish, clarias batrachus, has lunglike organs that allow it to breathe air, enabling it to move over land from one body of water to another. A European catfish, the wells, Silurus glanis, is one of the largest freshwater fishes, reaching 4,5 m (15 ft) in length and 300 kg (660 lb) in weight.

Catfish are bottom dwelling fish marked by the presence around the mouth of sensitive tactile organs (barbells) that look like a cat's whiskers.

Caterpillar

2008-05-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

A caterpillar is an elongate, wormlike larva of an insect, particularly of Butterfly and Moths. Typically long and slender, a caterpillar consists of three regions; head, thorax, and abdomen. The mandibles, or jaws, are effective in chewing plant matter. The thorax bears three pairs of short legs, and the abdomen usually bear a pair of fleshy prolegs on each of the third to sixth segments and on the tenth, or last, segment. Caterpillars of small moths rarely exceed 5 mm (0.2 in) in length; those of the largest may measure up to 155 mm (6 in). They are often brightly colored and patterned, and many have hairs of pines, which are sometimes poisonous.

Caterpillars are essentially the nutritive and growth stage of the insects life span. Ecologically, they are enormously important, transforming large amounts of plant matter into animal matter and wastes, as well as serving as food for other animals. Many caterpillars, however, are destructive to crops and shade trees.

Echolocation

2008-05-17T18:04:00.000-07:00

Echolocation is the use of the echoes of sounds produced by certain animals to detect obstacles in their path and perhaps to locate food. The term echolocation was coined (1944) by Donald R. Griffin to describe this process. The list of echolocators includes may bats, porpoises, some whales, several species of birds and some shrews. Blind people and animals that live where the lighting is unpredictable also use a form of echolocator.

Sound used in echolocation may be produced in the voice box, the mouth, or some part of the head, and in all cases highly refined auditory systems detect returning echoes. For echolocation to work, each outgoing pulse of sound must be registered in the organism's brain, where it will be compared to its echo. Porpoises, birds, and some bats use loud orientation sounds, which pose a problem of self-deafening. The problem is resolved in bats by neutral and muscular modifications in their auditory system.

Echolocation is mistakenly associated with high-frequency sound, or ultrasound. In fact, the echolocations sounds of oil birds and cave shiftiest are quite audible to the human ear, as are those of some bats. Most bats use pulses of ultrasonic sound (inaudible to humans) because high-frequency sounds provide better resolution of targets than do lower-frequency sounds. Insectivorous bats use a wide array of echolocation strategies involving changes in loudness and frequency.

A bat judges the distance to its prey by reflecting sounds it has emitted. Echolocation is also used to navigate in dark caves or at night.

Bison

2008-05-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

Bisons comprise two species of the genus Bison. One, commonly but incorrectly known as the buffalo, is the American bison. The other, the European species, is the wisent.

The bull of the American bisen, Bison, may weight more than 900 kg (about 2,000 lb) and stand more than 1.9 m (6 ft) high. The massive head and forequarters are covered with long hair, and the body slims down toward the hindquarter, which are covered with shorter hair. The female of the species is somewhat smaller. Both sexes have horns, but those of the male are more massive.

The bison was a principal resource of the Plains Indians, providing food, skims for shelter and boats, bones for tools and utensils, and "buffalo chips" (dung) for fuel. Few wild animals have undergone a more devastating encounter with humans. The grasslands from the Mississippi River to Rocky Mountains were home to 30 million bison when white settlers first arrived. These numbers were reduced to about 500 near the end of the last century, and then slowly increased to an estimated 35,000 to 50,000 on refuges and ranches today.

The European bison, or wisent, B. bonasus, may weigh up to 1,000 kg (2,200 lb) and stand more than 2 m (6 ft) high. It lack the shaggy coat of the American bison and has longer legs and a smaller head with longer horns. The wisent inhabits woodlands and feeds on grasses, ferns, leaves, and tree bark. At one time it ranged from western Europe to Siberia, but the destruction of forests led to its decline. On the verge of extinction in the early 1900s, the wisent is no longer endangered; captive breeding has been successfully used to increase the dwindling population.
The massive American bison is aggressive and easily angered. Before combat, a bull competes with other bulls in roaring.

Grouse

2008-05-04T05:50:00.000-07:00

Grouse, order Galliformes, are popular game birds of the family Tetranidae and are related to the other gallinaceous birds including turkeys and quail. Like their relatives, grause are heavy-bodied, chicken like ground dwellers and have a short, heavy bill and short, rounded wings. They are medium sized, 30.5-88.9 cm (12-35 in) long. The feet and nostrils are covered with feathers. Grouse eat seeds, insects, bark, and buds.

The tetraonids, which include the Ptarmigans, have insulating double feathers and feathered feet; even the toes are feathered in the ptarmigans. So-called snowshoes, shed in summer, are characteristic of some species. Tetraonids also have erectile feathers-rusfts or pinnae-on the sides of the neck, and some have inflatable carvical pouches for producing the booming sounds characteristic of some species. They lay large clutches of eggs. Intestinal ceca harbor bacteria that function in the microbial decomposition of cellulose, prominent in their diet.

The sage grouse feeds primarily on sagebrush. Characteristic of all members of the grouse family are feather covered nostrils and legs. The elaborate courtship of the male the use of a collective display site called a lek.