Animal A Day!

Stoneflies

2012-02-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

There are over 3,500 species within the Plecoptera order, and these insects are commonly referred to as Stoneflies. They can be found on every single continent except for Antarctica. They are poor fliers as adults, which means the individual species tend to remain in small, specific areas. This is one of the reasons why there are so many distinct species.

Chloroperlidae Enderlein

Stoneflies are awesome because they are a very primitive order. Fossils of their close relatives have been dated to the Carboniferous and Permian periods, and the order itself has been around since the Mesozoic. That is several hundred million years of history!

Another interesting fact is that a handful of Stonefly species, including the Lake Tahoe Benthic Stonefly, have the distinction of being some of the only insects to live their entire lives in the water.

All Stoneflies spend their larval stage in the water, and they are very picky about the kind of water they live in. It must be oxygen rich and pollutant free, which means that Stoneflies are a good indicator of water cleanliness and ecological degradation. Young Stoneflies may molt anywhere from 10 to 30 times, depending on the species. It can take 1-3 years for them to reach their full adult form.... but then tragically, like with many insects, their adult life is very brief. It lasts only 1-4 weeks.

The diet of a Stonefly is dependent on both the species and the instar period. (Instars are the many phases that the larvae go through while molting to reach the adult form) Some young flies eat plants or detritus. Some hunt. Some start with one diet and end up with another a few instars later. The adults of some species don't have any mouthparts at all, which means that are unable to eat, giving them shorter lifespans.

Location : Worldwide except Antarctica
Size : Varies

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Subclass : Pterygota
Superorder : Exopterygota -- Order : Plecoptera

Imperial Shag

2012-02-10T09:30:00.000-06:00

Phalacrocorax atriceps

The Imperial Shag goes by many names, including the Blue Eyed Shag and the Blue Eyed Cormorant. They live in the southern reaches of the planet, hunting and breeding as far away as Antarctica.

As with all Cormorants, the Imperial Shag dives for its food. They have very little body fat and heavy bones. This allows them to be less buoyant and to swim underwater easier. The Shags posses a large volume of blood, and that extra oxygen lets them stay underwater for up to 4 minutes. They also have powerful webbed feet that propel them, and hooked beaks that enable them to catch and hold on to slippery fish.

Outside of the breeding season Imperial Shags may live either alone or in flocks. But when the time comes to reproduce they always end up in massive colonies that often consist of other bird species as well. Pairs are monogamous, and 2-4 eggs are laid each season. Both parents incubate and care for the offspring until they fledge after 2-3 months.

Because most Imperial Shags live in areas that tend to be human-free, they aren't threatened overall. However, some small island populations are vulnerable to natural events that could affect their breeding and hunting range.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Southern Oceans
Size : Length up to 31in (78cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Pelecaniformes
Family : Phalacrocoracidae -- Genus-: Phalacrocorax -- Species : P. atriceps

Green and Gold Tanager

2012-02-09T09:00:00.000-06:00

Tangara schrankii

Another day, another pretty bird. Today's feathered friend is one of the 49 species found within the Tanager genus, Tangara. Meet the appropriately named Green and Gold Tanager!

While it would be appropriate for these guys to live up near Lambeau Field (horrible football reference, I'm sorry), they are actually found in the tropical and subtropical forests and swamps of the Amazon Basin.

Green and Gold Tanagers are omnivores that forage up in the trees for fruits, nuts, seeds, and insects. They also build their nests up in the trees, constructing small cup-shaped structures in which they lay 2-3 reddish-brown eggs. Females do just about all of the incubating and feeding, and the chicks fledge only 15 days after hatching.

While it appears that the population is declining due to habitat loss, the rate is not nearly fast enough for there to be major concern at this time. The species also has a pretty huge range, placing them as being of Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : South America
Size : Length up to 5in (13cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Thraupidae -- Genus : Tangara -- Species : T. schrankii

Yellow Tang

2012-02-08T10:00:00.000-06:00

Zebrasoma flavescens

I remember going to pet stores as a child and always admiring the huge display tanks of saltwater fish. And one particular fish always stood out- the Yellow Tang. How could it not? Its large(ish) size, its bright, almost neon coloring. It's quite the beauty!

Yellow Tangs are native to the shallow, coastal reefs of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. They don't swim much deeper than 46m, and the larger fish tend to stay in the shallowest waters. Hawaii is a particular hotspot for the species, and most of the fish captured for captive living come from this area.

In the wild they feed on different algaes and plants, and live in small schools. They spawn several times a year, with these sessions coinciding with the full moon.

If you're interested in owning a Yellow Tang you'll need to have a large aquarium, and a lot of time and patience required to correctly maintain the habitat. Because they can reach lengths of up to 8in, and because they can get aggressive with other surgeonfish (the group in which they belong), a size of 55gallons is absolutely necessary.

Because they show aggression towards other fish of their type, most people keep only one, or they keep enough to form a school. The presence of a school prevents the territorial fighting that would arise if there were only 2 or 3 fish. Obviously the larger the school, the larger the required tank.

IUCN Status : Not Evaluated
Location : Pacific and Indian Oceans
Size : Length up to 8in (20cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Acanthuridae -- Genus : Zebrasoma -- Species : Z. flavescens

Wied's Marmoset

2012-02-07T10:00:00.000-06:00

Callithrix kuhlii

Wied's Marmoset is a small New World Monkey that lives in a small little pocket of forest near the Brazilian Atlantic Coast.

The social structure of the Wied's Marmoset is rather interesting. They live in a polyandrous society led by a dominant female. This female is often the only one who mates, and she will typically mate with multiple males.

Another, even more interesting fact about these Monkeys is that they commonly exhibit Chimerism. Wied's Marmosets typically give birth to twins, and while in utero the cell lines of the twins can be exchanged, leaving the offspring with their own genotype, and also the genotype of their sibling. Because the society is polyandrous, two zygotes could be fertilized by two different males... which means a Wied's Marmoset can have genetic information from two different fathers. Also astounding is the fact that a male could pass on his secondary cell line, rather than his primary. This would result in offspring that are more closely related to their uncle than to their own father!

The result of the Chimerism is a society that is invested in raising the offspring as a group, as one can never know for sure whose genetic information can be found in with offspring!

The species is currently listed as Near Threatened, and the wild population is on the decline. This is due to habitat loss (for farming purposes) and hunting for the pet trade. Many of the Marmosets now live within the confines of wildlife refuges and national reserves, and they are listed in CITES II.

IUCN Status : Near Threatened
Location : Brazil
Size : Body Length up to 28in (70cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Primates
Family : Callitrichidae -- Genus : Callithrix -- Species : C. kuhlii

Olive Ridley Sea Turtle

2012-02-06T10:03:00.001-06:00

The Olive Ridley Sea Turtle is one of the smaller Sea Turtles; they have a carapace length of around 2ft. They also have the distinction of being the most abundant Sea Turtle on the planet, with about 800,000 females coming ashore to nest annually.

Lepidochelys olivacea

Olive Ridleys, named for their olive coloration, have a very large distribution and can be found in tropical waters around the world. They are a migratory pelagic Turtle, but they also can be spotted in coastal regions as well.

Olive Ridley Sea Turtles exhibit one of the most interesting nesting habits in the world. Once or twice a year, in waves triggered by some unknown event (Lunar Cycles? Wind? No one knows for sure), thousands of female Turtles come ashore in events called Arribadas. Each turtle lays around 100 eggs, and sometimes there are so many Turtles that they actually dig up previously laid nests in order to deposit their offpspring! One beach in India saw 200,000 females at a single event!

Despite the large population number, Olive Ridley Sea Turtles are considered to be Vulnerable by the IUCN. This is because the selected survey sites have shown a population decline over the last 2-3 generations. The Marine Turtle Specialist Group actually reports a 50% decline since the 1960s. The Olive Ridleys are at risk due to hunting, egg harvesting, bycatch, and habitat degradation. So while they are the most abundant of the Sea Turtles, they are also one of the most exploited. The Turtles are currently protected by numerous agreements and treaties, including CITES I.

IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Tropical waters worldwide
Size : Carapace Length up to 28in (70cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Testudines
Family : Cheloniidae -- Genus : Lepidochelys -- Species : L. olivacea

Pale-mandibled Aracari

2012-02-05T09:39:00.003-06:00

Pale-mandibled Aracari at the Milwaukee County Zoo

Meet the Pale-mandibled Aracari, a species of bird that belong to the Ramphastidae family, making them relatives of the Toucans (can't you tell?) They can be found in the forests of Ecuador and Peru.

Pale-mandibled Aracaris are named for... well... their pale-colored beaks. Their bodies are primarily black, but they sport some really beautiful splashes of color, including bright yellows, oranges, and reds on their chest and underbelly, and a huge pop of red on the back.

These birds are prolific frugivores, meaning that they eat lots and lots of different fruits. In the wild they actually feed off of over 100 different types of plant! They also will eat insects to get some extra protein.

They lay small clutches of of 2-4 eggs that take only 2 weeks to hatch. The young birds fledge after about 40 days.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : South America
Size : Body Length up to 2ft (60cm), Weight up to 20lbs (9kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Piciformes
Family : Ramphastidae -- Genus : Pteroglossus -- Species : P. erythropygius

Nutria

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

Myocastor coypus

What is this weird, beaver/rat looking Rodent? Why, it is the Nutria! Sometimes also referred to as the Coypu.
These guys are native to South America, where they live near bodies of water and feed on the aquatic plants.

Nutria often live in colonies where they breed at very quick rates. A female may have 2 or 3 litters a year, with each litter producing as many as 13 offspring! The young Nutria leave their mother after only a month or two. They are a short lived and very quick growing species. Male Nutria can reach sexual maturity at four months of age, and they tend to live for only a few years.

Outside of their natives lands, Nutria are very, very destructive. See that shaggy, not especially appealing coat? Well under that is a very dense undercoat that has long been used in the fur industry. The desire for these pelts resulted in the growth of captive breeding fur farms... that the Nutria occasionally escaped from.

The species is now considered invasive in several US states, as well as in parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. They are destructive because they breed quickly and feed on wetland plants, but care only for the stems. This means that they consume huge amounts of vegetation with much of it going to waste. The loss of vegetation leads to more erosion and soil displacement, which damages the wetlands. Nutria also carry parasites and displace native species. Hunting and chemical control methods are attempting to cut down the invasive populations, but only time will tell.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : South America
Size : Body Length up to 2ft (60cm), Weight up to 20lbs (9kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Rodentia
Family : Myocastoridae -- Genus : Myocastor -- Species : M. coypus

Pyrenean Brook Salamander

2012-02-03T09:30:00.000-06:00

Calotriton asper

As the name suggests, the Pyrenean Brook Salamander (sometimes called the Pyrenean Newt) is endemic to Europe's Pyrenean Mountains. They live in clear, oxygen-rich mountain streams and lakes, and live at a variety of altitudes ranging from around 175m to 2900m. The species can be identified by its squarish head and warty skin.

Pyrenean Brook Salamanders live most of their lives in the water, though they do have very flattened bodies and heads that allow them to hide under rocks at the waters' edge. Mating takes place after waking up from hibernation, and the eggs are laid underwater.

The length of the larval stage depends a lot on the altitude in which the Salamanders are living. The stage last around 14 months for those at lower altitudes, but can take as long as two years for those higher up on the mountain. Pyrenean Brook Salamanders can live as long as 20 years.

The species is still relatively safe overall, due to their large range. However, some local populations are becoming scarce and even extinct, due to habitat loss from damming, development, and pollution.

IUCN Status : Near Threatened
Location : France and Spain
Size : Length up to 5.5in (14cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Caudata
Family : Salamandridae -- Genus : Calotriton -- Species : C. asper

Blue-bellied Roller

2012-02-02T11:50:00.000-06:00

Blue-bellied Rollers are very striking blue, teal, and buff birds that live in the forested areas of western and central Africa. They are social birds that live in small groups, and they feed primarily on small reptiles and invertebrates. Hunting is done by sitting high up in a tree and then dive bombing the prey.

The species is named for their courtship ritual. The male and female birds perform rolling flights while calling out to each other. The birds are believed to be mostly monogamous, though some males will mate with more than one female. 2-3 eggs are laid at a time, usually in a tree hole, and the female does most of the incubating. During this time the birds are incredibly territorial and will attack other birds that come anywhere near the nest!

Blue-bellied Rollers are not in any current danger. They have a large range, are abundant within it, and show no major signs of population decline.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Western and Central Africa
Size : Length up to 1ft (30cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Coraciiformes
Family : Coraciidae -- Genus : Coracias -- Species : C. cyanogaster

Hipparion

2012-02-01T10:00:00.000-06:00

Hipparion

Hipparion is the name given to an entire genus of now-extinct, yet successful horses that roamed throughout most of the world. They first evolved around 22 million years ago in North America, and from there they spread to Africa, Asia, and Europe over the next 20 million years.

If you looked at Hipparion, you might think it was a small modern horse or pony. They were about the same height and weight... but the legs were a bit... off.

You see, horses didn't always have a single hoof. They are odd-toed ungulates (Perissodactyls) which means that their weight is distributed through a single toe on each leg, rather than between two toes (think of a cloven deer hoof). Early horses started out having several toes, and gradually they lost them all except for that single, central digital. Horse speed can be attributed to the fact that they have longer stride lengths, as they are actually running on a fingernail!

Hipparion moved a lot like a modern horse, which is something we know from looking at fossilized hoof-prints. But even though Hipparion ran on one hoof, it still had some of its other toes! These toes were placed slightly higher up on the leg, one on either side of the hoof, and they did not touch the ground. Modern horses have lost these vestigial toes all together.

The last of the Hipparion species went extinct around 2 million years ago. Though these early equines belonged to the same subfamily as the modern Horses, they are not their descendants.

Status : Extinct for around 2 million years
Location : North America, Europa, Asia, Africa
Size : Height up to 13.3hands (1.4m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Perissodactyla
Family : Equidae -- Genus : †Hipparion

Egyptian Plover

2012-01-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Egyptian Plover at the Milwaukee County Zoo

The Egyptian Plovers have long been one of my favorite birds at the Milwaukee Zoo, but before I got my new camera I could never get good shots of the enclosure. Well my photo drought has ended!

I'm drawn to this little bird by its small size and striking, contrasting colors. What a looker! This, and their nesting habit (which we will get to later) make them a very distinctive shorebird.

Egyptian Plovers can be found living near sandy riverbeds throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. They are sometimes called "Crocodiles Birds" due to a 5th century BCE account by Herodotus stating that they pick food from between a Crocodiles teeth. The story has persisted, but there is no actual proof that the birds engage in this risky feeding behavior.

In reality, Egyptian Plovers feed on insects, seeds, and the occasional mollusk. They tend to remain sedentary, and breeding pairs will aggressively defend their territory. These couples will produce 2-3 eggs at a time which they bury them in the sand! Burying the eggs helps to keep them warm, and also helps to protect them from the eyes of hungry predators. But sometimes the eggs get too hot, so in order to cool them down the parents will wet their feathers and use the water to chill the eggs. Baby Plovers leave their "nests" when they are only a day old, though they will stick around their parents for about a month.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Sub-Saharan Africa
Size : Length up to 8in (20cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Pluvianidae -- Genus : Pluvianus -- Species : P. aegyptius

Morelet's Crocodile

2012-01-30T08:12:00.001-06:00

Crocodylus moreletii

Allow me to introduce you to the Morelet's Crocodile, named for P.M.A. Morelet who discovered the species in 1850. This species, which lives in Central America, grows to lengths of up to 3m. They can be found in secluded freshwater swamps and marshes near the Gulf of Mexico.

Morelet's Crocodiles have been in trouble for a number of decades. They have been illegally hunted since the early 20th century because their skin can be used to make high quality leather. Habitat destruction has also hurt the species. Since the 1970s they have been monitored by the Crocodile Specialist Group, and their numbers have been improving.

Behavior wise, Morelet's Crocodiles are considered to be shy, which is why they prefer secluded habitats. They have the distinction of being the only New World Crocodile that they exclusively build mound nests for their eggs. These nests can be 3m wide and 1m tall, and the female will guard over their eggs until they hatch. She will then dig out her offspring and carry them to the water.

IUCN Status : Least Concern - Conservation Dependant
Location : Guatemala, Belize, Mexico
Size : Length up to 9.8ft (3m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Crocodilia
Family : Crocodylidae -- Genus : Crocodylus -- Species : C. moreletii

Elegant Tern

2012-01-29T07:31:00.001-06:00

Thalasseus elegans

Today's animal is a migratory bird with a long bill and a nifty black crest. Elegant Terns live off the Pacific North American coasts, hanging out at different latitudes during different points of the year. They are shore birds and are very rarely found inland.

Elegant Terns have a massive migration route, though it as not as long as that of their Arctic Tern cousins. They spend their summers breeding up near California and Mexico, and then winter as far south as Chile. Interestingly, it is estimated that 90%-97% of all Elegant Terns nest in one colony on Isla Rasa in the Gulf of California, Mexico!

Elegant Terns breed in monogamous pairs, and both parents help to incubate and feed the chicks. Chicks leave the nest after only a week, and they join a large colony, or creche, of similarly aged young birds. They will stay with the creche for a little over a month, and their parents will continue to feed them during that time. Once they fledge, they remain near their family for several more months.

Elegant Terns are carnivores that feed primarily on fish. They hunt by flying over the water, adn then diving down swiftly to snatch up a meal.

IUCN Status : Near Threatened
Location : Pacific Coasts
Size : Body length 16in (41cm), Wingspan 42in (107cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Sternidae -- Genus : Thalasseus -- Species : T. elegans

Pygmy Mammoth

2012-01-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

When one thinks about Mammoths, they probably conjure up images of absolutely gigantic, hairy elephant-like mammals. The Pygmy Mammoths of the Channel Islands skew that image a bit- many were less than half the size of their mainland relatives!

At some point tens of thousands of years ago, a group of Columbian Mammoths made a six mile swim out to Santarosae, a "superisland" that existed when the ocean was 300 feet lower. Today only the very highest land points remain above water, and form four of California's Channel Islands.

Pygmy Mammoth Model from the Field Museum

Why did these 14ft tall, 20,000lb Mammoths swim so far? Perhaps they were allured by the smell of food! Mammoths, and modern Elephants, are excellent distance swimmers thanks to their trunks and buoyant bodies, so travelling a few miles for a buffet of fresh vegetation is a definite possibility!

Once on the island the Mammoths bred and the population grew. At the same time, the water levels rose, creating a larger gap between the island and mainland and trapping the Mammoths. As the number of animals rose, the amount of food fell. Having a smaller size (and thus requiring less sustenance) became the favored trait, and the Columbian Mammoths evolved and diverged into a new species.

Pygmy Mammoths were comparable in size to our modern Clydesdale Horses. They rarely stood larger than 7ft and weighed around 2,000lbs. A very far cry from the species they evolved from!

Fossils have been discovered on four of the Channel Islands, with the first specimens uncovered in the 1870s. A near-complete skeleton was unearthed in 1994.

Radiocarbon dating has shown that Mammoths were living on the islands for over 40,000 years. However, the species went extinct around 11,000 years ago, which was around the same time that many of the mainland megafauna species were also dying out.

Status : Extinct for 11,000 years
Location : Channel Islands, California
Size : Height up to 7ft (2.1m), Weight up to 2,000lbs (910kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Proboscidea
Family : Elephantidae -- Genus : Mammuthus -- Species : M. exilis

Morganucodon

2012-01-27T09:00:00.000-06:00

Morganucodon

Meet some of the very first mammal-like creatures, members of the genus Morganucodon. Fossils of these tiny rodent-resembling animals have been found across Europe, Asia, and North America.

Morganucodon is named for Glamorgan, Wales, where it was first discovered in 1941. The remains date back over 200 million years, to the late Triassic period! For some perspective, that is over 100 million years before T-Rex even showed up!

Members of the genus are so interesting because they have both mammalian and reptilian characteristics, though they are classified as mammals. They have hair and teeth like mammals, but their lower jaw is reptilian. They also laid eggs and had venomous spurred feet like modern Platypuses do! Morganucodon ate insects and was most likely nocturnal, based on the eye size.

Status : Extinct for 200 million years
Location : Europe, Asia, North America
Size : Body Length around 4in (10cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Morganucodonta
Family : Morganucodontidae -- Genus : Morganucodon

Dusky Dolphin

2012-01-26T09:00:00.000-06:00

Lagenorhynchus obscurus

The Dusky Dolphin is a small little Cetacean that rarely grows longer than 2m. They can be found in coastal waters throughout the Southern Hemisphere, and are divided into three subspecies based on location. These groups live near New Zealand, in the Indian Ocean, and off of South America.

The species is known for its acrobatic skill and they are frequently seen leaping and jumping in groups. They are also very fond of boats, and like to swim and tumble alongside them. Dusky Dolphins are fast swimmers, and can reach speeds of up to 20 knots.

Dusky Dolphins live in interesting social groups. At night when they swim closer to shore their group is very small, numbering somewhere between 6 and 15 individuals. But during they day they swim to deeper water and join up with other groups in order to cooperatively hunt, play, and socialize. These gatherings can include several hundred dolphins. At night they break up again into their smaller sections.

The small social groups themselves seem to be strong, but there are no strong bonds between mated pairs. Dusky Dolphins are promiscuous breeders, and males compete with each other over females.

There are no good population estimates for the Dusky Dolphins. As a result, we don't know for sure how much hunting for food and bait, and gill-net tangling has affected their numbers.

IUCN Status : Data Deficient
Location : Coastal waters in the Southern Hemisphere
Size : Length around 6ft (1.8m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata --Class : Mammalia -- Order : Cetacea
Suborder : Odontoceti -- Family : Delphinidae -- Genus : Lagenorhynchus -- Species : L. obscurus

Carolina Wren

2012-01-25T09:00:00.000-06:00

The Carolina Wren is a stout little cinnamon colored bird that lives in the eastern parts of North America. They are year-round dwellers, but are sensitive to the cold. Because of this, their more northern populations tend to shrink after cold winters, though in recent decades the warmer winters have caused the species to spread north.

Thryothorus ludovicianus

Carolina Wrens are unique among Wrens in that only the male is a loud singer. They actually have one of the loudest songs, by size, of any bird, and it is often described as sounding like teakettle-teakettle-teakettle. One captive male Wren was such a prolific singer that he was recorded doing 3,000 songs in a single day!

Pairs will form at just about any time of the year, and they will remain monogamous, often for several years. The male and female will stake out a territory that they will nest and forage for food in. They will build nests just about anywhere, including in trees, in mailboxes, on stumps, and even in old boots! A pair will raise multiple broods in a single year, with the female incubating and the male bringing food.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Eastern North America
Size : Length around 7in (18cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Troglodytidae -- Genus : Thryothorus -- Species : T. ludovicianus

Lizard Buzzard

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-06:00

The Lizard Buzzard is a relatively small raptor that can be found in the tropical, open woodlands of Sub-Sahran Africa.

Kaupifalco monogrammicus

You can identify the Lizard Buzzard by its white chin, striped over with a vertical black line. They also sport black and white barred chest feathers, dark gray wings and back, and black tipped wings and tail feathers. Juveniles look a lot like their parents, but their feathers are tipped in brown rather than black.

As you may have guessed from the name, Lizard buzzards eat a lot of reptiles, though insects also make up a good portion of their diet. They even kill poisonous snakes, utilizing a quick strike to the head to kill. Lizard Buzzards typically hunt by waiting perfectly still on top of a high perch, swooping down to snatch their meal, and then bringing it back up to the perch to be consumed. The birds will occasionally hunt while in flight as well.

Lizard Buzzards are monogamous, and mates will find each other by making calls from their perches. Unlike many raptors, they do not perform aerial displays during courtship. Females do most of the incubating, while the males hunt. The normally quiet male Buzzards become very territorial and aggressive during nesting.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Africa
Size : Length around 14in (36cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Accipitriformes
Family : Accipitridae -- Genus : Kaupifalco -- Species : K. monogrammicus

Sambar

2012-01-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Rusa unicolor

Meet the Sambar, one of the most widely spread Deer species in the world... and also one of the most confusing. Sambar can be found throughout South and Southeast Asia, and they have been introduced into the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. However, they vary greatly in size depending on their specific location. This has led to a lot of taxonomic confusion, and currently you might see them refereed to as both Rusa unicolor and Cervus unicolor.

Sambar can grow to some pretty huge sizes. Males have been recorded at over 600lbs! (That is more than double the average weight of the American White-Tailed Deer, for reference) Their antlers can also grow up to a meter long!

Like many Deer, Sambar are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active during dawn and dusk. They are typically solitary, though sometimes small groups of females and their young will forage together. Males live alone, and form aggressively defended territories during the breeding season.

Sambar have adapted very well to different habitat types, and can be found in all types of forested areas, from the very wet to the very dry. The habitat variety has also allowed them to consumes many different types of vegetation. Unfortunately, their adaptability has not kept them off of the Red List. They are currently ranked under "Vulnerable," due to hunting and habitat loss through many countries in their large range.

IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : South and Southeast Asia
Size : Length around 80in (2m), Average weight up to 400lbs (180kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Cervidae -- Genus : Rusa -- Species : R. unicolor

Staghorn Coral

2012-01-22T09:00:00.000-06:00

Acropora cervicornis

Today we delve into the story of the Staghorn Coral, a really cool species that is very quickly going extinct.

Staghorn Corals are named for their deer antler-like shape, and their individual branches can grow up to 2m long. They are the fastest growing of all the western Atlantic Corals, capable of adding on another 4-8in each year. Staghorn Coral has a relationship with algae, and the Coral gets most of its food from the byproducts of the algaes' photosynthesis.

Unfortunately they are a species that does not handle change very well, and even slight variations in temperature or water salinity can damage and even kill the polyps. Hurricanes, White Band Disease, Algae overgrowth, increased predation, and human interaction has caused a 98% population decline since 1980.

Staghorn Coral is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, and was placed on the United States Endangered Species List in 2006. Efforts are being made to revitalize the species, including retattaching broken branches, but the future of the Staghorn Coral is still very much in question. Not helping matters is the fact that the Coral primarily reproduces asexually. Fragments break off and then reattach elsewhere to create new Corals. While this works to repopulate after hurricanes and other natural events, it doesn't work well in cases of disease and bleaching. Lack of genetic diversity can hurt the revitalization of the species.

IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Caribbean Sea, Atlantic Ocean
Size : Branches can grow up to 6.5ft (2m)

Classification : Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Anthozoa -- Order : Scleractinia
Family : Acroporidae -- Genus : Acropora -- Species : A. cervicornis

Amphicoelias fragilis

2012-01-21T08:00:00.000-06:00

We all know that the Blue Whale is the longest (and largest) living vertebrate. But is it the longest one to have ever lived? What about Dinosaurs? And what are "The Bone Wars?" Time for a story!

The year is 1877, the place- Colorado. Two paleontologists, Othniel C. Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope, had been embroiled in a paleontological battle of one-up-manship for nearly a decade. These "Bone Wars" stem back to 1868 when Marsh publicly humiliated Cope for reconstructing an Elasmosaurus incorrectly. The battle then intensified when Marsh tossed scientific decorum to the wind and bribed excavators to exclusively send him fossils from a site in New Jersey.

These underhanded actions went on well into the 1890s, as both men resorted to theft, bribery, and destruction of property in attempts to come out on top. They also strove to ruin the other's credibility and get their funding cut off. In the end, both men were ruined financially, and gave American Paleontology some pretty bad PR in the eyes of their European counterparts.

Cope's A. fragilis vertebrae drawing

However, the competition was pretty good for discovery, as they did end up identifying almost 140 new species of Dinosaur in the process. (If you had to pick a winner, it would probably be Marsh. In the end he simply had more money and was able to hire larger crews, thus enabling him to discover 80 new species, compared to Cope's 56) These two rivals were responsible for the discovery of some of the most famous Dinosaur types. Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and Diplodocus were all finds that can be attributed to the Bone Wars.

But.... they were also responsible for some pretty big screw ups. The whole Brontosaurus/Apatosaurus confusion? Marsh. And what about today's animal? Amphicoelias fragilis? That one is all Cope.

You see, back in 1877 there were some huge digs going on in the American west. Rich fossil sites with dozens of undiscovered species were being fought over by the two men. During this time an absolutely massive vertebrae was uncovered, measuring 5 feet by 9 feet. A creature would have had to measure nearly 200ft long in order to have a bone that size! That would make this Sauropod the longest vertebrate to have ever lived!

...But Cope screwed up somewhere. Because the bone was lost not long after it's uncovering. The only evidence we have are notes and drawings made by Cope. Did he exaggerate? Was there a clerical error? No one really knows, and so Amphicoelias fragilis remains an asterisk on the "Longest-Creatures" list, pending additional fossil evidence.

Status : Extinct
Location : United States
Size : Length up to 200ft? (61m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Saurischia
Superfamily : †Diplodocoidea -- Genus : †Amphicoelias -- Species : A fragilis

Crested Auklet

2012-01-20T09:00:00.000-06:00

Aethia cristatella

Today, where I live, it is finally cold. I got out the winter coat for the very first time, which is a little shocking for a Wisconsin winter. Seriously, it was 50 degrees three days last week. Anyway, I'm in a frosty mood, with it being 3 degrees outside, so lets learn about an Arctic critter today!

The Crested Auklet is a small Arctic Seabird that nests in the Bering Sea and in the Sea of Okhotsk. They live in huge colonies on rocky coasts and islands, and they don't even build nests! The females just lay their single egg right there on the boulders!

Male and Female Crested Auklets looks the same, and are named for the fancy crest of feathers that forms during the breeding season. They feed primarily on Plankton, but will also feed on small fish on occasion. Crested Auklets are birds that are built for swimming, and their body position makes them pretty awkward on land. And don't confuse them with Antarctic Penguins! Crested Auklets can definitely fly!

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Alaska and Russia
Size : Length up to 11in (27cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family : Alcidae -- Genus : Aethia -- Species : A. cristatella

Paedophryne amauensis

2012-01-19T09:00:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wondered what the smallest vertebrate in the world is? Well today is your lucky day to find out! The honor goes to a tiny, itty bitty little frog found in Papua New Guinea, Paedophryne amauensis!

Paedophryne amauensis

So how small is this wee Amphibian? Well... that picture there should tip you off- it's sitting on a US dime! You're seeing it right; P. amauensis measures only around 8mm, which is less than half the diameter of the ten cent coin.

The species is a very newly discovered one; it was first spotted in 2009 and published about just this month. It's no wonder that the species was hard to spot, as they live on the rainforest floor and blend in with all of the substrate and foliage. They also make calls that sound more like those of an insect than a frog!

P. amauensis is helping scientists to understand the limits of vertebrate size. Because there are so many anatomical features involved in being a member of the Chordata phylum, there is a lot that needs to be stuffed into an extra-tiny package. The frog has adapted for its smallness by having shorter fingers and toes and a simplified skull. Their small amount of surface area also means that they need to live in very wet areas so that they don't dry out. But, just like bigger frogs, they slurp up insects... albeit very tiny ones.

There has already been some controversy about the "smallest vertebrate title," as Ichthyologists are claiming that the crown should really go to the males of a species of Anglerfish. They are only 5mm long, but are lacking some vital organs and essentially live as parasites off of the much larger females. Herpetologists are countering that they are looking at a species average size, which would place the Anglerfish out of the running.

IUCN Status : Not Evaluated
Location : Papua New Guinea
Size : Length .27in (7.7m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Microhylidae -- Genus : Paedophryne -- Species : P. amauensis

Brittlestar

2012-01-18T09:30:00.000-06:00

Brittlestar

Invertebrates can be difficult to write about. There are literally hundreds of thousands of species! To compare, there are only 50,000 members in the Chordata phylum, but almost 1,000,000 Arthropods! And that doesn't include the Nematodes, Molluscs, Annelids, and the 30-somethings other Invertebrate phyla out there!

Unfortunately, even though there are way, way more invertebrates, it can be incredibly difficult to find exact information about a single species. To be fair, some are quite prolific- like the American Lobster, Black Widow, and Common Octopus. But other times it is difficult to say much about an entire family, much less a specific genus or species.

Such is the case today with the Brittlestar. There are close to 2,000 species within the Ophiurida order, and they can be found in oceans worldwide. Not only is their geographic range huge, but they also live in many different ocean environments, from shallow coasts to deep sea floors!

Brittlestars are named for their starfish-like bodies and long, stringy arms that break away easily when they are under attack. Don't worry, the arms grow back! They are also very fast movers, and tend to come in camouflaging colors. These are excellent traits to have when you have literally dozens, if not hundreds of predators.

Brittlestars, and many other invertebrates, are so interesting because they are so very different anatomically from more familiar critters. They don't have brains! Their mouth and anus are the same exact orifice! They sense light and smells through their feet! Some of them are even bioluminescent! Most species feed on floating debris that they grab using their arms and transport to their central organs, but some also make use their tooth-ringed mouth/anuses to feed on small animals.

Location : Worldwide
Size : Typical body diameter around 1in (2.5cm)

Classification : Phylum : Echinodermata -- Class : Ophiuroidea -- Order : Ophiurida