About animals

Wildebeest

2011-09-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

About animals | Wildebeest | The wildebeest is actually a subspecies of the antelope, despite it's bull-like appearance. There are two known species of wildebeest, both of which are native to Africa. The changing African seasons mean the wildebeest must migrate south in the winter, so the wildebeest can continue to graze on grass. Thousands of wildebeest all tend to migrate at once creating a wildebeest stampede.

The wildebeest is a primary source of prey for many large African mammals, that often pick out the weaker wildebeest from the outside of the herd. Wildebeest generally grow to around 1.5 tall but are relatively defenceless against dominant, carnivorous predators such as lions and crocodiles . The wildebeest are able to sense thunderstorms that are up to 30 miles away and the wildebeest follow these rains across Africa in what is commonly known as the great migration. The wildebeest trek around 30 miles everyday and approximately 1,000 miles a year as the wildebeest follow the rains in order to find the best grass.

When the baby wildebeest are born, they are often able to stand within a matter of minutes and these young wildebeest are soon able to run around and soon learn about the importance of protection in numbers. When the wildebeest are migrating around the African continent, the young wildebeest always stay very close to the mother wildebeest as it is easy for the young wildebeest to get lost when there are so many wildebeest travelling together or be preyed upon by watching predators.

Wildebeest inhabit large plains on the African savanna where there is plenty of food for the wildebeest to eat. Wildebeest are herbivorous animals and graze on grasses, leaves and shoots. Wildebeest live together in large herds in order to protect each other as on their own, wildebeest are defenceless and therefore vulnerable in the African wilderness. When danger is spotted, the wildebeest warn each using groaning calls and then run together creating a stampede, both to escape approaching predators and also to intimidate them.

Woolly Monkey

2011-09-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

About animals | Woolly Monkey | The woolly monkey is a medium to large sized primate, that inhabits the tropical forests of north-west South America. The woolly monkey is most well known for it's round-shaped head and dense fur that covers the body of the woolly monkey. Woolly monkeys are found throughout Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and parts of Venezuela where they live an arboreal lifestyle. Woolly monkeys have long and very strong prehensile tails which allows them to balance and grip onto branches without having to give up the use of their hands.

There are four different species of woolly monkey found in the South American jungles today. These are the brown woolly monkey (also known as the common woolly monkey), the grey woolly monkey, the Columbian woolly monkey and the silvery woolly monkey. All four of the different woolly monkey species are found in the same regions of South America. The woolly monkey gets its name from its soft and thick, curled fur which ranges from brown to black to grey, depending on the species of woolly monkey. Woolly monkeys have relatively stocky bodies, with powerful shoulders and hips.

Like many other primate species, woolly monkeys live together in fairly large groups known as troops. The woolly monkey troops contain both male woolly monkeys and female woolly monkeys. The woolly monkey troop is also known to split up into smaller groups when it is time to forage for food. The woolly monkey is an omnivorous animal, meaning that it feeds on both plants and other animals. Fruit is the primary source of food for woolly monkeys, but they will also eat nuts, seeds, leaves, flowers, nectar, insects and even small rodents and reptiles.

Due to their relatively large size, woolly monkeys have few natural predators within their jungle environment. Large birds of prey such as eagles, are the main predators of the young woolly monkeys, and wildcats such as ocelot and jaguars are the main predators of the adult woolly monkeys. The human is also one of the main predators of the woolly monkey as they are hunted for their meat and fur. The alpha male woolly monkey will mate with the females in his troop. After a gestation period of between 7 and 8 months, the baby woolly monkey is born. Woolly monkeys tend to only have one baby at a time although twins have been known to occur. The baby woolly monkey clings to it's mothers underside, before climbing up onto her back when it is around a week old. The baby woolly monkey is independent and no longer needs it's mother when it is around 6 months old.

Due to deforestation and therefore habitat loss, the woolly monkey population numbers are drastically decreasing, with the woolly monkey now considered to be an animal species that is vulnerable to extinction.

Walrus

2011-09-05T01:40:00.000-07:00

About animals | Walrus | The walrus is a large marine mammal that has flippers to help it swim. The walrus is found in the colder waters of the Northern Hemisphere, but the walrus is much more adapted specifically to the conditions of the Arctic Circle. There are three species of walrus. The Atlantic walrus, the Pacific walrus and the Laptev walrus found in the Laptev Sea. The walrus is most closely related to the seal and although the walrus and the seal are obviously similar, the walrus has some distinctive features such as the large tusks on the face of the walrus.

The walrus hunts fish and small mammals in the Arctic Circle. For a few hundred years, the walrus has been hunted by the Arctic people for meat, oil and the skin of the walrus but walrus hunting has led to the extinction of the walrus on many small islands within the Arctic circle. Today, only the Native Americans are allowed to hunt the walrus as it can often be one of the only sources of food for hundreds of miles. The walrus is a particularly sociable marine mammal and can often be seen in large groups. Walrus' can be heard grunting and making loud bellowing noises at each other but they become particularly aggressive during the mating season. The male walrus displays the most aggressive behaviour as the males have to fight to gain the respect of a female walrus.

Walrus' have long white tusks which they use for helping them to survive in the tough conditions of the Arctic circle. Both the male walrus and the female walrus have long tusks which can reach nearly a metre in length. Walrus' use their tusks for a number of reasons including breaking holes in the ice, hauling their large bodies out of the water and onto the ice, and defend themselves. The walrus also has a thick layer of fat under their skin, known as blubber, which keeps the walrus warm in the sub-zero temperatures and walrus' also have long, sensitive whiskers which they use as detective devices to find their favourite meal of shellfish on the dark ocean floor. The male walrus (bull) is often nearly double the size of the female walrus (cow). Walrus' can be found in groups of up to 2,000 walrus individuals which generally consists of the alpha male and his group of females and their young. The alpha male walrus will defend his walrus clan from other large male walrus' that are trying to infiltrate the group and steal the attention of his female followers.

Walrus' are thought to mate about once a year during the colder winter months. After a gestation period of just over a year, the female walrus gives birth to her fully developed walrus calf. The walrus calf stays with it's mother until it is at least 2 years old. This prolonged nursing period means that the walrus calf can develop it's warm and insulating layer of blubber which is vital to the survival of the walrus in the freezing conditions which the walrus inhabits. The walrus has a carnivorous diet which mainly consists of shellfish and echinoderms such as starfish and sea urchins. Occasionally the walrus will hunt fish, seals and young whales. The walrus uses it's enormous tusks to hold larger prey down so that the walrus can then eat it.

Zebu

2011-09-04T05:22:00.001-07:00

About animals | Zebu | The zebu is a species of cattle that is native to the jungles of South Asia and the Zebu is the only cattle species that can easily adapt to life in the hot tropics. The zebu is also known as the humped cattle as the zebu has a very distinctive hump on its upper back, located behind the head and neck of the zebu. Today the zebu can also be found in Africa, as the zebu was transported there from Asia many years ago. There are thought to be around 75 different species of zebu, with roughly half the zebu species found in Africa and the other half of the zebu species found in South Asia. The zebu has also been taken to South America from Africa, where zebu populations are continuously growing.

The zebu is one of the smallest species of cattle in the world with adult zebus reaching a height of just over a meter. The zebu is also about half the weight of a typical cow as the zebu is considered to have less meat. The small size of the zebu is thought to be the reason why the zebu is able to thrive in tropical climates, where other species of cattle do not fair so well. The zebu is a distinctive breed of cattle and besides the hump found on the shoulders of the zebu, the zebu also has a large flap of skin below its lower jaw, known as a dewlap, and the zebu also has long drooping ears. The hump-less cattle found throughout Africa today are considered to be a subspecies of the zebu that have adapted to life without their characteristic hump. Nevertheless, these hump free cattle are able to survive without complaint in their subtropical environment.

Due to the manageable size of the zebu, and the ability of the zebu to cope with the tropicals climates, the zebu has been domesticated in both its Native home in Southern Asia and in Africa as the zebu is predominantly used for lighter agricultural work. The zebu is also farmed for meat in some areas and the zebu is considered to be holy in India where the zebu is thought to have originated from.

The zebu is thought to have both parasite and disease resistant properties which is another reason why the zebu are thought to thrive so successfully in their native tropical environments. The zebu has also been interbred with the native cattle of both Africa and Brazil, where the zebu is most common outside of Asia, and many farmers consider the presence of a hump and droopy ears to be a sign that their cattle is purely bred. There are thought to be nearly 4 million zebu in farms around the world today, with the highest number of these being found in India, Brazil and the United States. The wild zebu can still be found in small herds in Southern Asia but the wild zebu populations are not nearly as high, mainly because of habitat loss due to deforestation.

Red Panda

2011-08-31T05:08:00.000-07:00

About animals|The Red Panda (Ailurus fulgens) is endemic to the Himalayas in Bhutan, southern China, India, Laos, Nepal and Burma.

The Red Panda is the state animal in the Indian state of Sikkim. The Red Panda is also the mascot of the Darjeeling international festivals. Red Pandas look quite different to the Giant Pandas, they more resemble the appearance of a racoon or weasel type animal.

The Red Panda is also known as the 'Lesser PandaWah Cat Bear', or 'Firefox'. The reference to being called a 'Wah' is because of its distinctive cry. Red Pandas are most closely related to the racoon and are now in a family (Ailuridea) of their own. Most can be found in the temperate forests of the Himalayas and some high mountain areas of China and Myanmar (Burma).

The sub-family of Red Pandas is divided into two sub-species:

Ailurus fulgens styani, which are native to northern Myanmar and south-central China

and

Ailurus fulgens fulgens, which is native to Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and the Indian states of Assam and Sikkim. Ailurus fulgens: Latin: 'fire-coloured cat'.

Red Panda Physical Characteristics

Red pandas have soft, dense fur that protects them from cool temperatures. The fur on the upper side of the animal is reddish-brown in colour while its underside and legs are black. The soles of the Red Pandas feet are covered with white fur. The Red Pandas compact face and the borders around the ears are primarily white.

The red panda has reddish brown mask-like markings over the eyes and dense, furry tail alternately marked with reddish and light brown rings. Their tail really does resemble that of a raccoons.

The Red Panda has semi-retractile claws and like the Giant panda, has a false thumb which is really an extension of the wrist bone.

Red Panda Habitat

Red pandas live in remote mountainous areas of the Himalayas in dense forest and bamboo thickets. The forests have a dense under story of bamboo and small trees. Red panda habitat temperatures usually fall between 10 - 25 degrees centigrade. Red pandas also inhibit elevation ranges from 6,000 - 12,000 feet.

Red Panda Diet

Just like the giant panda, the red panda is a bamboo eater and its diet is mainly bamboo. During summers, the red panda may feed on fruits, mushrooms, leaves, grasses, roots, fruits, lichens and acorns. Although considered herbivorous, the red panda will occasionally take birds eggs and it is speculated that they may eat mice and birds on occasions. Because the nutrient level of bamboo is so low, the Red panda has a slow metabolism and spends a good part of its day foraging.

The Red pandas digestive system is also like the digestive system of the giant panda. The Red panda is more suited to a carnivorous diet. However, it cannot digest cellulose, so it must consume a large volume of bamboo to survive and is therefore classed as mostly herbivorous.

Red Panda Social Behaviour

The Red panda is nocturnal and is mostly active in the early morning and late afternoon spending most of the day resting in trees conserving their energy as their bamboo diet has a low energy content. Red pandas are normally solitary creatures, however, they form pairs in the breeding season.

Red pandas appear to be territorial. Red pandas use glandular sacs in their anal regions which produce a scent which they use to mark territorial boundaries by rubbing their sacs on various objects in the wild. Additionally, they may also mark territory by using regular defecation sites. Red pandas have a mild, non-aggressive disposition.

Red Panda Reproduction

The gestation period of the female red panda is about 3 months. During this time, the female will make a nest out of grass and twigs in either a hollow tree or rock crevasse. Up to 3 newborn cubs are then delivered into the nest. Breeding season occurs from mid-January to early March and cubs are usually born between mid-May and mid-July. Red pandas reach sexual maturity around a year old.

Newborn red panda cubs weigh around 4 - 5 ounces. They are fully furred and pale yellow in colour. Just like Giant Panda cubs, they are blind at birth and rely totally on their mother for care and survival. When the cubs are 3 weeks old, they open their eyes. Red panda cubs start to take on the adult red panda colouration at about 90 days old. Red panda cubs are weaned at 5 months and stay with their mother until the next litter is about to be born, which is about a year after their birth.

Male red pandas do not share the raising of the cubs, it is completely left to the mother red panda to raise and care for the cubs herself. Red pandas can live up to 14 years in captivity. It is not sure, however, how long they actually live in the wild.

Red Panda Conservation Status

Red Pandas are listed as endangered by IUCN and Appendix II under CITES. The major threats to the red pandas are loss of habitat due to deforestation and forest fragmentation.

Red Pandas are often killed for their coats to make fur hats and clothes. Because of the growing human population in China, Red Panda habitats are being cleared to build houses. Approximately 10,000 pandas die per year, and approximately 7,000 of the 10,000 die from deforestation.

Giant Panda

2011-08-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

About animals|The Giant Panda (black-and-white cat-foot) (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), is a mammal classified in the bear family, Ursidae, native to central-western and southwestern China. Giant Pandas are one of the rarest mammals in the world. Pandas are easily recognized by their large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears and across their round body.

Giant pandas live in a few mountain ranges in central China, in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Pandas once lived in lowland areas, however, farming, forest clearing and other development now restrict giant pandas to the mountains.

The mist shrouded mountain forests of China, have slowly disappeared over the last century. Many of the bamboo areas which are vital for the Pandas diet and survival are being cut down by people who then build farms there. The Giant Panda is an endangered species. According to the latest report, China has 239 giant pandas in captivity (128 of them in Wolong and 67 in Chengdu) and another 27 pandas living outside the country. It also estimated that around 1,590 pandas are living in the wild.

Giant Panda Characteristics

The Giant Panda has a black-and-white coat. Adult pandas measure around 1.5 metres long and around 75 centimetres tall at the shoulder. Males are 10 - 20% larger than females. Male pandas can weigh up to 115 kilograms (253 pounds). Female pandas are generally smaller than males and can occasionally weigh up to 100 kilograms (220 pounds).

The giant panda has a body typical of bears. Pandas have black fur on their ears, eye patches, muzzles, legs and shoulders. The rest of the pandas coat is white. The pandas thick, wooly coat keeps it warm in the cool forests of its habitat.

Giant pandas have large molar teeth and strong jaw muscles for crushing tough bamboo. Many people find these cuddly looking bears to be lovable, however, giant pandas can be as dangerous as any other bear.

Pandas have the largest molars out of all the carnivorous mammals. The forepaws of the panda have an extra 'thumb' called an 'opposable pseudo thumb' which is used in conjunction with its 'forefingers' and enables the panda to grasp even small bamboo shoots with precision.

After the sloth bear, the panda has the longest tail in the bear family measuring 4 - 6 inches long. Giant Pandas can usually live to be 20 - 30 years old in captivity.

Giant Panda Diet

Although Pandas mostly eat bamboo, they are still classed as a carnivore. Pandas have a digestive system of a carnivore, however, they have adapted to a vegetarian diet through their large consumption of bamboo. A Pandas digestive system cannot digest the cellulose in bamboo, that is why they have to eat so much and for long periods of the day.

The average Giant Panda eats as much as 20 to 30 pounds of bamboo shoots a day. Because pandas consume a diet low in nutrition, it is important that they keep their digestive tract full. Pandas may eat other foods such as honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges and bananas.

Pandas do not hibernate as they are not able to store enough fat to feed them through the winter on their diet of bamboo.

Giant Panda Behaviour

Pandas are good at climbing trees and they can swim as well. Pandas are difficult to see out in the wild as they live among the thick dense bamboo plants in old-growth forests which is their favourite habitat. Pandas are very solitary creatures and will live alone and will only meet other pandas during mating season.

Giant panda bears are silent creatures most of the time, however, they can bleat. Pandas do not roar like other bears, however, they do have 11 different calls, four of which are only used during mating.

The Giant Panda is active at twilight and during the night. Throughout the day, it will make dens in caves, hollow trees and dense thickets. To avoid competition with other pandas over food and to signal its presence, the Panda will mark its territory by putting a pungent secretion from its anal glands on stones and tree trunks.

The male Giant Pandas home range may overlap with several female territories and when breeding season arrives during the springtime, he will attempt to mate with these local females.

The female Pandas usually announce their readiness to breed by becoming more vocal and leaving special scent marks around to enable the males to track them. The females give birth to their cubs in the Autumn and these stay as constant companions for the next 18 months or more.

Pandas signify aggression by lowering their heads and staring at their opponents. To signal submissiveness, a panda will put its head between its front legs and often hide its eye-patches with its paws. This position is also adopted by females during mating, and by captive animals that are being harassed by humans. At close range, aggression is signaled by a swipe with a paw, or by a low-pitched growl or bark that will send an opponent scampering up the nearest tree.

Giant Panda Reproduction

Giant Pandas have a very slow reproductive rate which sadly contributes towards their decline in numbers. Giant Pandas mate during the springtime. The female panda's gestation time varies between 112 days and 163 days. After this time, she will give birth to one single cub. On rare occasions, she will produce 2 - 3 cubs, but usually only one will survive.

The female panda can only conceive during a 72 hour estrus period which only happens during the spring breeding period.

Because of this limited time for the female to become pregnant, some mating pairs will often copulate for several hours, whereas other mating pairs will only copulate once. Male pandas are more sexually active for longer and will attempt to mate with several female pandas during this time. The mating pairs will show no interest in each other at any other time of the year.

The female panda gives birth in the Autumn. Panda cubs are very small, weighing between 3.5 and 6 ounces. They have little fur, are pinkish white in colour, blind and very helpless. No other mammal gives birth to such a small baby except marsupials like the kangaroo who keeps her babies in her pouch until they are fully developed. A panda mother will carry her cub around in her arms and care for its every whim constantly. Panda cubs cry just like human babies when they need feeding or need care from their mother. They will cry for milk about every 2 hours or so. Between feeding times, the mother panda will continuously hold her cub very gently.

This attentive behaviour will continue until the cub is able to move around by itself when the cub is about 3 months old. At this age, the cub will continue to follow its mother around and by 6 months the cub can begin eating bamboo. They are finally weaned off their mothers at around 9 months old. The weaning of the cubs in the spring following their births is an ideal time as the newest most protein-filled bamboo shoots are available. This gives cubs the best possible start in life on a diet that in the best of conditions is of poor nutritional quality. At about a year old, the cubs can weigh 75 pounds, which is about a third of an adult pandas weight.

Female pandas do not reach sexual maturity until they are 5 to 6 years old. However, even young, inexperienced female pandas display a maternal instinct and know instantly how to care for the young without needing any practice. This is very important because no breeding season is then wasted through 'clumsy parenting'. Because female pandas start to breed quite late and only rear a single young cub every 2 years, she will only rear in total around 7 offspring in her lifetime. By the age of 22, a female panda is considered 'old' and possibly 'post-reproductive'. The giant pandas low reproductive rate makes it very difficult for a giant panda population to recover from a decline in numbers.

With many conservation programs in place today, the Panda is desperately trying to be saved from extinction. It would be one of the greatest tragedies within the animal kingdom if this great bear was wiped out completely.

Giant Panda Conservation Status

Probably the most major threat to the survival of the Giant Panda Bear is the destruction of their natural habitats, along with increased human population and poaching. The different varieties of bamboo go through periodic die-offs as part of their renewal cycle. Without the ability to move to new areas which have not been affected, starvation and death will certainly occur for the giant panda. Such die-offs of the bamboo also put the giant pandas in more direct contact with farmers and poachers as the bears try to find new areas in which to feed.

The recent announcement that the Chinese government will nearly double protected areas for giant pandas in the Qinling mountain range by creating five new panda reserves and five 'corridors' (linking protected regions) is expected to have a major benefit on the future of the panda. Many organizations are continuously supporting and trying to find ways to save and preserve the existence of this special, adorable bear.

Wombat

2011-08-29T10:05:00.000-07:00

About animals | Wombat | The wombat is a medium sized marsupial that is found only in Australia and it's surrounding islands. Wombats are burrowing mammals that spend most of the day under ground, coming out at night to feed. The common wombat is thought to be a descendant of the giant wombat that existed around 50 million years ago. The giant wombat's extinction is said to be caused by hunting and changes to their environment including pollution and habitat loss.

The common wombat is a nocturnal herbivore and gets to about 26 years old in the wild although some wombat individuals have been known to live for longer in captivity. Wombats eats grasses, shoots and bark which the wombat needs to keep gnawing on in order to keep it's continuously growing teeth at a manageable size. Like all other marsupials, the female wombat has a warm pouch on it's belly in which the wombat babies are nurtured for the first few months of life. When the baby wombats are first born they are very small and undeveloped and crawl into the mother wombat's pouch almost immediately. The baby wombat stays in the pouch of the mother wombat until the baby wombat is around 5 months old. By the time the baby wombat is roughly 7 months old, it is able to care for itself.

Wombats have long claws which they use to dig burrows. Wombat burrows can easily become an extensive network of underground tunnels leading to small chambers. Most wombats are solitary animals but some wombats have been known to form underground colonies with other wombats.

Wombats have a few natural predators including foxes and dingos. Although the wombat is relatively defenceless when it is out and about, wombats are generally well protected in their underground burrows as many predators cannot follow the wombat into the narrow, complex tunnels. Today the wombat is considered to be an endangered species of animal. Wombat numbers have been decreasing rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting by humans who believe the wombat and it's network of underground tunnels to be an agricultural pest.

Fox

2011-08-29T00:23:00.000-07:00

About animals | Fox | The fox is a scavenger carnivours dog, generally found in urban city areas in the northern Hemisphere. The fox is a nocturnal mammal, meaning that the fox only goes out a night to hunt for prey. Wild foxes tend live for around 6-7 years, but some foxes have been known to be older than 13 in captivity. The wild fox hunts for the mouse and other small mammals and birds, but foxes appear to enjoy all species of insect.

A fox is generally smaller than other members of the dog family like wolves, jackals and domestic dogs. Foxes can be a pest in the cities as foxes are often seen tearing into rubbish. There are around 12 different species of fox found around the world, which include the urban fox or red fox, the beautifully white Arctic fox, the sand fox which is a light-coloured fox found in desert regions and the tiny yet big eared fennec fox.

Foxes in Europe have been the victims of fox hunting, an extremely controversial sport that involves humans on horses hunting out the fox, lead by a pack of hound dogs which would find the fox by following the scent of the fox. Fox hunting in this manner is now illegal, although it is still allowed if the sport only contains humans on horseback, without the use of their clever but somewhat vicious dogs.

The fox is also found in the more rural areas of the Northern hemisphere, although fox numbers in the countryside are outnumbered by fox numbers in cities as due to the foxes scavenging nature, food is more readily available in the urban streets.

Brazilian Tapir

2011-08-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

True Wild Life | Brazilian Tapir | The South American Tapir (Tapirus terrestris), or Brazilian Tapir (from the Tupi tapi'ira) or Lowland Tapir or (in Portuguese) Anta, is one of four species in the tapir family, along with the Mountain Tapir, the Malayan Tapir, and Baird's Tapir. It is the second largest land mammal in South America, after Baird's Tapir. The Brazilian Tapir (also known as the South American Tapir) is known to be a fantastic swimmer and the Brazilian Tapir is generally found close to water in the Amazon Rainforest.

It is dark brown in color, paler in the face, and has a low, erect crest running from the crown down the back of the neck. The round, dark ears have distinctive white edges. The South American Tapir can be found near water in the Amazon Rainforest and River Basin in South America, east of the Andes. Its range stretches from Venezuela, Colombia, and Guianas in the north to Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay, in the south, to Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador in the West.

It is an herbivore. Using its mobile snout, this tapir feeds on leaves, buds, shoots, and small branches that it tears from trees, fruit, grasses, and aquatic plants.

The social life of the South American tapir is unknown. In the San Diego zoo, the captive group forms a structured herd, with dominant and subordinate animals of both sexes. The dominant male and female make what is called the 'sliding squeal', less than a second in duration. On hearing this sound the others make a 'fluctuating squeal', which is longer and quavers rather than merely decreasing in pitch. This is also uttered when a dominant individual approaches, apparently as an appeasement call and as a sign of pain or fear. Tapirs also utter a challenging snort, and a click made with the tongue and palate, perhaps as a species identification.

Leafy Sea Dragon

2011-08-25T06:38:00.000-07:00

About animals | Leafy Sea Dragon | Sea Dragons are arguably the most spectacular and mysterious of all ocean fish. Though close relatives of sea horses, sea dragons have larger bodies and leaf-like appendages which enable them to hide among floating seaweed or kelp beds. Sea dragons feed on larval fishes and amphipods, such as and small shrimp-like crustaceans called mysids ("sea lice"), sucking up their prey in their small mouths. Many of these amphipods feed on the red algae that thrives in the shade of the kelp forests where the sea dragons live.

As with their smaller common seahorse (and pipefish) cousins, the male sea dragon carries and incubates the eggs until they hatch. During mating the female deposits up to 250 eggs onto the "brood patch" on the underside of the male's tail. After about eight weeks, the brood hatches, but in nature only about 5 per cent of sea dragons survive to maturity (two years). A fully grown Leafy Sea Dragon grows to about 18 inches (45 cm).

Leafy Sea Dragons are very interesting to watch-- the leafy appendages are not used for movement. The body of a sea dragon scarcely appears to move at all. Steering and turning is through movement of tiny, translucent fins along the sides of the head (pectoral fins, visible above) and propulsion derives from the dorsal fins (along the spine). Their movement is as though an invisible hand were helping, causing them to glide and tumble in peculiar but graceful patterns in slow-motion. This movement appears to mimic the swaying movements of the seaweed and kelp. Only close observation reveals movement of an eye or tiny fins.

Most sources of information about sea dragons say they are found in the ocean waters of southern Western Australia, South Australia and further east along the coastline of Victoria province, Australia. Sea dragons are protected under Australian law, and their export is strictly regulated. A 1996 assessment by the Australian government's Department of Environmental Heritage indicates "It [the Leafy Sea Dragon] is now completely protected in South Australia because demand for aquarium specimens threatened the species with extinction." Currently the specific law which protects them is called the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. For a February 2002 updated overview of the leafy sea dragon, see this page from the Department of Environmental Heritage site.

Wolverine

2011-08-24T18:13:00.001-07:00

About animals | Wolverine | The wolverine is a medium sized mammal that despite it's bear-like appearance (and it's name) is most closely related to the weasel. The wolverine is known to be strong and vicious and is said to have immense strength in comparison to it's size. The wolverine is found throughout Canada, Europe, parts of North America and the Arctic Circle where the wolverines inhabit mountainous regions and dense forests. Wolverines are also known to venture into more open areas such as plains and farmland when they are in search of food.

The wolverine generally eats mice, rats and other small mammals, birds and eggs during the summer months when these small animals are in abundance. During the bitter winter however, when snow covers the ground, the wolverine tends to hunt larger animals such as reindeer (caribou), sheep and moose. Despite the fact that the wolverine is known to be capable of hunting down and killing animals that are so much bigger than itself, the wolverine tends to prefer to scavenge the kills of other animals such as wolves and bears. The wolverine will let the larger predators hunt the prey down and the wolverine then chases the hunter away by showing its teeth and growling fiercely. Then the wolverine is left to eat the kill. The wolverine uses its large teeth and powerful jaws to crush large bones and eat meat that has been frozen in the unforgiving Arctic winter.

The wolverine also has long, sharp, powerful claws that the wolverine uses to catch it's prey and to defend itself from predators and other wolverines. The wolverine also uses it's claws for climbing and digging. Like the skunk, the wolverine has a strong-smelling fluid called musk which the wolverine uses to warn others to stay away. Wolverines also have a thick coat of brown fur to protect them from the freezing cold temperatures. The wolverine has large feet help it move across the soft snow, with five sharp claws on each foot. Wolverines are highly territorial animals and they will fight other wolverines to defend their territory. Wolverines are not particularly fast movers (although they are known to reach speeds of more than 30mph when needed), so they do not chase or stalk their prey. However, wolverines are good climbers and often rest in trees, where the wolverines wait until the right moment to pounce on their prey from the trees or large rocks.

The female wolverine has one litter every two or three years. She digs a den with tunnels in a snowdrift that is near piles of rocks. After a gestation period of nearly 2 months, the female wolverine gives birth to a small litter of baby wolverines (known as kits), usually 2 or 3 kits are born. The mother wolverines nurses her wolverines kits until they are around 10 weeks old and are then big enough and strong enough to start learning to hunt for themselves. Wolverines usually live to between 8 and 13 years old although some wolverine individuals in captivity have been known to nearly reach the age of 20! The wolverine is considered to be a near threatened species as the wolverine numbers are declining due to hunting and habitat loss.

Highland Cattle

2011-08-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

About animals | Highland Cattle | Highland cattle (also known as the hairy cow) are an old Scottish breed of cow, bred primarily for their beef. Highland cattle are often bred for cattle shows, and some highland cattle can win many prizes due to the incredible condition of the highland cattle individuals. The highland cattle are famous for their long haired coats which help the hairy cows to cope with the harsh conditions of the Scottish Highlands. The highland cattle inhabit areas of Scotland close to the Arctic circle meaning that the highland cattle have adapted to endure the most uncompromising conditions.

Highland cattle originally come from Scotland. Highland cattle can now be found in Europe, North America and Australia, where the highland cattle are all commonly farmed for their meat but some people also use the long hair of the highland cattle. Highland cattle have adapted to living in such harsh terrains as highland cattle have a large, strong build and a thick double layer of long orange hair. Highland cattle also have two horns on the tops of their heads which the highland cattle use to dig through thick snow to find the vegetation that lies underneath and the highland cattle also use their horns in order to defend themselves from oncoming predators and other rival highland cattle.

The highland cattle are also extremely adept at foraging for food and the patience and skill of the highland cattle means that the highland cattle can often be found grazing on steep, mountainous slopes in the Scottish highlands. Highland cattle are herbivorous mammals and therefore only eat plant matter, mainly grasses. Highland cattle are also known to eat leaves from low growing trees and shrubs and the highland cattle are also rather partial to the odd flower!

Due to the sheer size of highland cattle, other than humans highland cattle have very few natural predators in their wild habitat. Depending on the location of highland cattle, packs of wolves are one of the main threats to grazing highland cattle and those highland cattle inhabiting the plains in North America, are also in fear of being hunted by larger animals such as mountain lions, cougars and bears. Coyotes in North America are also a threat to the young and weak highland cattle calves but it is too dangerous for the coyote to hunt a highland cattle calf unless the young highland cattle has been separated from the group.

Zorse

2011-08-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

About animal | Zorse | The zorse is a cross between a zebra stallion and a domestic mare. It is also possible to use a zebra mare and a domestic stallion, but owners of valuable zebra mares don't want to waste a year of their breeding life producing a hybrid when they could be producing a zebra foal instead. The crosses were originally done in England and Africa to try to produce a domestic horselike animal that was resistant to diseases spread by the tse tse fly in Africa. Zebras have natural resistance, where domestic donkeys and horses do not. The experimental crosses were actually becoming popular until early in the 20th century when the auto displaced the horse and mule. At that point cross-breeding was largely abandoned. A revival of interest came in the early 1990s, with just about every breed of domestic horse imaginable being tried.

A zorse generally inherits the striping pattern and some of the conformation of the zebra sire with the size, colouration, and temperament of the domestic mare. Coarse bad tempered pony mares produce coarse bad tempered zonies. Mares of quality, especially Quarter horses and American Paint horses, produce some very beautiful zorses that have a good working attitude. If the mare has a pattern, such as pinto spotting or Appy spots, the zorse often will also. You only see the striping pattern on the pigmented areas, never on the white areas. Breeders avoid using gray mares because the zorse can inherit the graying gene and lose all his stripes in a few years! You can still see the stripes on the skin.

Like mules, zorses are born anatomically normal males or females. They exhibit normal breeding behaviour. But like mules they are sterile. Males should be gelded as early as a few months old to prevent dangerous studdy behaviour. A breeder in KY keeps two zorse mares in the pasture with his Paint stallion to keep him company. He has bred them both hundreds of times over the years but no offspring have ever resulted.

Zorses tend to be very hardy and live into their 30s with good care. Their temperaments are generally similar to those of their mothers, but like the zebra they do have a strong flight response. Because of this it's best for a first time hybrid owner to get a zedonk instead. When a zedonk startles he freezes up like a donkey rather than bolt blindly like a horse or zebra.

Yellow-margined Box Turtle

2011-08-20T08:34:00.001-07:00

About animal|Yellow-margined Box Turtle | The Chinese box turtle is a species of Asian box turtle with several names. Its common names include Chinese box turtle, 食蛇龜 Snake-eating turtle, Yellow-margined box turtle, and Golden-headed turtle. Taxonomically, it has been called Cistoclemmys flavomarginata, Cuora flavomarginata, and Cyclemys flavomarginata. The Integrated Taxonomic Information System uses Cuora flavomarginata.

Yellow-margined Box Turtle has a highly domed shell, the carapace and plastron of which are a dark brown, excepting a cream-yellow stripe on the vertebral keel. The edge of the plastron is lightly pigmented due to the marginal scutes' and plastral scutes' lighter pigmentation near their edges. The skin on the limbs is brown in color while the top of the head is a pale green. Each side of the head has a yellow line extending from behind the eye backward. The skin beneath the head and between the limbs is a lighter pink-ish color.

The name box turtle refers to C. flavomarginata's ability to bring the plastron to the edges of the carapace. This is enabled by a hinge on the plastron and ligaments connecting the carapace and plastron, which allows for limited movement. The forefeet have five claws, while the rear have four.

The external difference between male and female Yellow-margined Box Turtle is slight. Males have a broader tail than females; it is almost triangular in shape.

Chacoan Peccary

2011-08-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

About animals | Chacoan Peccary | The Chacoan peccary or Tagua is a species of peccary found in the dry shrub habitat or Chaco of Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina. About 3000 exist in the world. It is believed to be the closest living relative to the extinct genus Platygonus. The Chacoan peccary has the unusual distinction of having been first described in 1930 based on fossils and was originally thought to be an extinct species. In 1975 the animal was discovered to still be alive and well in the Chaco region of Paraguay. The species was well known to the native people, but it took a while for scientists to rediscover its existence. It is known locally as the tagua.

Chacoan peccaries have received the nickname "pigs from green hell" because of their wild, impenetrable habitats.[citation needed] The Chacoan peccary is confined to hot, dry areas. Dominated by low-lying succulents and thorny bushes, the Gran Chaco is approximately 140,000 square kilometers. There are a few scattered giant trees, but the majority of the vegetation is thorny scrub vegetation. The Chacoan peccary has developed adaptations like well-developed sinuses to combat dry, dusty conditions. The feet are also small, which allows maneuverability among spiny plants.

Chacoan peccaries often travel in herds of up to twenty individuals. They are active during the day, especially in the morning when they are most apt to travel. Herds display a general travel cycle within the homerange of 42 days. This allows the individuals to monitor and show ownership over their areas. These social mammals communicate by various sounds ranging from grunts to chatters of the teeth. Even though individuals may occasionally exhibit aggressive behavior like charging and biting, this species is not as aggressive as others.

As a defensive strategy, members of a herd may line up in a defensive wall; this makes the herds easy targets for hunters. The Chacoan peccary produces a milky, odorous substance that is used for marking trees, shrubs and similar. The substance is secreted from glands located on the back, and is dispersed by rubbing. Frequently bathing in mud or dust, Chacoan peccaries also defecate at particular "stations".

Malayan Tapir

2011-08-18T01:03:00.001-07:00

About animals | Malayan Tapir | The Malayan Tapir, also called the Asian Tapir, is the largest of the four species of tapir and the only one native to Asia. The Malayan Tapir is the largest of the tapir species and has a distinctive white band across it's body. The Malayan Tapir once roamed the tropical forests across South East Asia but the Malayan Tapir today has a much smaller range primarily due to habitat loss.

The Malayan Tapirs are primarily solitary creatures, marking out large tracts of land as their territory, though these areas usually overlap with those of other individuals. Tapirs mark out their territories by spraying urine on plants, and they often follow distinct paths which they have bulldozed through the undergrowth.

The Malayan tapir eat grass and nuts, water plants, and fruits. They put food in their mouths using their noses, just like an elephant. Exclusively a vegetarian, the animal forages for the tender shoots and leaves of more than 115 species of plants (around 30 are particularly preferred), moving slowly through the forest and pausing often to eat and note the scents left behind by other tapirs in the area.

The Malayan Tapirs have black and white sections like the Giant Panda. You'd think it would make them stand out, but tigers and other predators have a hard time finding them. Malayan Tapirs go out at night, so predators can only see the white parts of them. Predators can't see their shape. They look relaxed, but can run away very quickly if in trouble. If they see a predator, they quickly hide under water.

The Malayan Tapirs are skilled swimmers that live in forests where there is water. The forests are disappearing. Living in small numbers in small forests, it's hard to find food. They're also have trouble on finding mates. Their numbers are becoming smaller. Out of all tapirs, Malayan Tapirs are the closest to extinction.

Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo

2011-08-18T01:01:00.001-07:00

About animal | Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo | Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroo also called the Ornate Tree Kangaroo, belongs to the family Macropodidae, which includes kangaroos, wallabies and their relatives. The species is native to the rainforests of New Guinea, and the border of central Irian Jaya in Indonesia. Under the IUCN classification, the species is listed as Endangered, which is a result of overhunting and human encroachment on their habitat.

Like other tree-kangaroos, Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroo is quite different in appearance from terrestrial kangaroos. Unlike its land dwelling cousins, its legs are not disproportionately large compared to its forelimbs which are strong and end in hooked claws for grasping tree limbs, and it has a long tail for balance. All of these features help it with a predominantly arboreal existence. Goodfellow's Tree-kangaroo has short, woolly fur, usually chestnut to red-brown in color, a gray-brown face, yellow-colored cheeks and feet; a pale belly, a long, golden brown tail, and two golden stripes on its backside. It weighs approximately 7 kg.

Although it feeds mainly on the leaves of the Silkwood tree, other morsels are accepted when available, including various fruits, cereals, flowers and grasses. It has a large stomach that functions as a fermentation vat, similar to the stomachs of cows and other ruminant herbivores, where bacteria break down fibrous leaves and grasses.

Unlike other kangaroos, Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroos like to stay in the treetops rather than hopping around on the ground. They choose to live in the treetops to protect themselves from enemies on the ground. The New Guinea Island used to be rich in nature but as it became the major exporter of lumbers and minerals, the forests were destroyed by the human. The more and more safe places to live for Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroos are now disappearing.

To make the matters worse, roads have been extended to the middle of a forest. It has made Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroos an easy prey for hunters who go after their meat. They are usually active in the morning and evening but those who live in the area where there are many people have become nocturnal. Once they chose to live in the treetops to protect themselves from the enemies; maybe now they have changed their lifestyle for fear of human, their new enemies.

White Tiger

2011-08-18T01:00:00.001-07:00

About animals | White Tiger | The white tigers originated in the pure Bengal strain in India. Later in captivity Siberian was crossed in to make a bigger more impressive white tiger. They do have some pigment, so they are not albinos. The white tiger has a shorter life expectancy than the orange tiger, thought to be due to the white tigers mutated genes and to the inbreeding depression necessary to perpetuate the bloodline. The white tiger was always rare to come across in the wild in India, and none have been seen in the wild for over 50 years. The gene that causes the background to be white is a simple recessive. For that reason to produce whites they must be mated either to other whites or to normal orange tigers that are carriers of the white gene. The white tiger has been known to give birth to an orange tiger when mated to an orange male. Cubs of both colors occur in the same litter.

White tigers have also sadly appealed to those who are rich who either display the white tiger in captivity or killed the white tigers for their fur. For that reason white tigers are no longer seen in the wild. All were captured for captive breeding programs or killed as trophies for rich hunters. It has been speculated that some white tiger individuals are born with a blue tinge to their black stripes. Although this has not been recorded, it is possible for a genetic mutation to occur diluting the black stripes of the white tiger a blue/gray color. This dilution of black to blue is common in horses, cats, and dogs.

As white tigers are simply a different coloured version of the normal orange tiger, there are very few differences (if any at all) in the white tiger's behaviour. The white tiger lived in a jungle habitat where there was plenty of cover for the white tiger to remain hidden and to keep on the look out for potential prey. However, they did tend to stand out against their backgrounds and did not camofluage as effectively as normal orange tigers

The tiger is a carnivorous mammal and a fearless predator hunting large mammals including deer, wild boar and cattle. Tigers are extremely stealthy animals and are able to sneak up on their prey and catch it off guard. This makes the tiger a ruthless and dominant predator within its environment. The tiger is a solitary animal and it requires a large territory in order to ensure that there is an adequate food supply. Tiger cubs remain with their mother until they are strong enough and experienced enough to hunt for themselves.

Sports

2011-08-18T00:47:00.001-07:00

NEPAL'S POPULAR GAMES

Nepal popular sports are sports that involve a lot of individual effort. The varied and challenging topography of the Himalayan country presents a challenge to adventure loving persons from all over Nepal and the world.

Nepal popular sports include sporting activities like mountain flight, bungee jumping, paragliding, mountain biking and white water river rafting. The adventure sport of mountain biking offers the visitor a superb way for observing the Himalayan country in an environmentally friendly way. The biking activity enables the rider to see both the unique urban and natural landscape of Nepal. This popular sport of Nepal could be enjoyed all over the country. The more adrenaline loving sports person may partake the thrill of bungee jumping over the Bhote Kosi River. The jump height of 160 meters is not for the faint hearted.

Para gliding is one of the popular sports in Nepal that are enjoyed by visitors to the Himalayan country. This air-borne activity is conducted in some predetermined spots at Nepal. Para gliding in Nepal takes place at Sarangkot. This adventure sport of Nepal is weather dependent and could take place only in selected months of the year. The favored months are November and December.

sports and entertainment

Nepal has also several festive games as traditional sports of various regions which belongs ethnical groups all over the country. In the Mountain and Himalayan regions people participated for their game show during many times of year in different cultural occasions. Some of the most renowned traditional sports of remote are – Horse Ridding, Race, Mountain Horse Polo, Bull Race, Sheep Fighting and Archery. Horse Ridding and Archery are very popular game in Trans Himalayan districts of Manang, Mustang and Dolpo’s remote area. People of there celebrate and play these games as their typical culture during the festive moments. Sheep Fighting and Bull Race are also most popular in Annapurna region’s Kaski and Lamjung areas of pasture land. For cultural and religious entertainment they also celebrate many typical festivals- in high mountain valleys of various region of the country.

Nepal confident of qualifying for U-19 World Cup

Nepal’s coach Jagat Tamata is confident of qualifying for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup. He says the players are fit and their morale is high. And the team given to him is the best available squad and is capable of beating any side.

Nepal are preparing for the U-19 World Cup Qualifiers slated for Ireland from July 28 to August 9. Ten teams are vying for the six available berths for the World Cup and Tamata is confident earning tickets to Australia.

“Our objective is qualification and winning the tournament itself would be just a bonus,” added Tamata. “I have a best combination of players in the squad — with seven batsmen, two batting allrounders and five bowlers,” said Tamata, who led Nepal to U-19 Elite Cup final where they lost to Afghanistan in Thailand in February, in his debut tour as a head coach.

Nepal’s Fixture

• July 28 vs Afghanistan

• July 29 vs Scotland

• July 31 vs Kenya

• August 1 vs Vanuatu

• August 3 vs Canada

• August 5 vs Namibia

• August 6 vs Ireland

• August 7 vs PNG

• August 9 vs USA

Hammam cries foul over FIFA charges

Embattled former Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed bin Hammam has pointed a finger at his accusers as he prepares for a FIFA corruption hearing beginning in Zurich on Friday.

The 62-year-old Qatari has been suspended since May following allegations that he attempted to bribe Caribbean football officials to vote for him in the FIFA presidential election.
On Friday he will go before FIFA’s ethics committee to learn his fate, but in a personal blog post written on Wednesday he asked why the people to whom he allegedly offered bribes had not also been the subject of an investigation. “Does it not surprise anyone that, although I have been suspended for the last seven weeks... for allegedly bribing individuals, none of those who it is claimed received those alleged inducements have faced similar action?” wrote Hammam. “Why was the FIFA ethics committee in such a hurry to suspend me before the FIFA election took place, and then begin to search for evidence to find if I am guilty or not?” “With just a few days to go before my hearing, there can be no doubt that there has been a campaign waged within certain quarters to ensure that I am seen to be guilty and eliminated from football in the court of public opinion, even before my hearing has started,” wrote Hammam. Hammam and former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner were suspended when a leaked report revealed four Caribbean Football Union (CFU) associations were offered money or saw the offence occurring during a meeting on May 10-11. Warner has since resigned from all football activities, prompting FIFA to drop their investigation into his role in the affair. Hammam has previously called for a fair hearing from FIFA and he once again lamented the leaking of information to the media in the build-up to Friday’s hearing at FIFA headquarters.

FIFA hands life-time ban on Hammam

Asian football supremo Mohamed bin Hammam was on Saturday banned from the game for life after being found guilty of corruption following a two-day hearing of FIFA's ethics committee.The 62-year-old Qatari, the president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), had been accused of trying to buy votes in the FIFA presidential election with $40,000 cash gifts to Caribbean football officials."Hammam is hereby banned from taking part in any kind of football activity at national or international level for life," said ethics committee deputy chairman Petrus Damaseb at FIFA headquarters.Whistle-blowers said Hammam tried to bribe officials to vote for him by distributing cash-stuffed envelopes during a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) meeting in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on May 10-11. CFU officials Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester, also being investigated by the ethics committee over claims they helped hand out the money, were eached banned from football-related activity for a year.Former FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF president Jack Warner was also charged over his alleged role in the affair, but his resignation from FIFA last month prompted the organisation to drop all the charges against him. Hammam's subsequent withdrawal from the presidential election gifted a fourth straight term in office to his former ally Sepp Blatter, who made cleaning up FIFA's tarnished image a post-election priority.

Nepal defeated by Jordan 9-0

Nepal has been defeated by Jordan 9-0 at the 2014 FIFA World Cup 2 Round Qualifiers match played at the Amman International Stadium in Jordan on Saturday.

Mo. Hasan scored the first goal at the seventh minute of the game.

Likewise the other goal scorers were Khalil Amir, Ahmed Hayal, Salim Abdullah and Ibrahim Ahmed.

Unfortunately, Nepal (FIFA rank 148) was not able to score against Jordan (FIFA rank 83) throughout the game.

Nepal‚ Aussies in same group

Nepal were drawn in Group A alongside defending champions Australia, England and fellow qualifier Ireland for next year’s ICC Under-19 World Cup.

Nepal qualified for the 15-day event for the sixth time after they finished second behind Scotland in the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifiers that concluded in Ireland on Tuesday. Top six qualifiers from Ireland joined the 10 ICC full-member countries and they have been divided into four groups. The World Cup will be held in Queensland in August next year.

The other two qualifiers Scotland and Afghanistan are in Group B along with Pakistan and New Zealand, while the West Indies, India, Zimbabwe and Papua New Guinea are in Group C. Sri Lanka, South Africa, Bangladesh and Namibia were drawn in Group D.

Nepal first played in the age-group World Cup in 2000 in Sri Lanka after they qualified as runners up to Bangladesh (then not a Test-playing nation). Nepal then dominated the qualifying tournaments and made it to the World Cup as the regional champions in the next four editions before missing it out in the last edition.

Bearded Dragon

2011-08-17T09:51:00.000-07:00

About animals | Bearded Dragon | The bearded dragon (also known as the dragon) is found naturally in Australia, but bearded dragons are kept as exotic pets in many places all around the world. Bearded dragons can grow up to 24 inches long but that is including their long tail, making the bearded dragon fairly small in body size for a lizard.

Bearded dragons feed mainly on insects, crickets and worms and like all reptiles enjoy spending their days on a rock under the sun recharging until nightfall when the bearded dragon is much more active. The bearded dragon is known to be docile and trusting yet outgoing and curious! The bearded dragon is a quite and gentle lizard and the bearded dragon is therefore a popular exotic pet for children.

The bearded dragon is a territorial lizard and should be keep in a big enough enclosure if the bearded dragon is kept as a pet. The bearded dragons diet is made up mainly of leafy greens which the bearded dragon plucks from trees and bushes.

Bearded dragons go through a period every year that is similar to a mammal's hibernation. The bearded dragon tends to become lethargic and the bearded dragon will not come out that often. The bearded dragon will also be eating less and the bearded dragon does this for a period of two to three months.

Walrus

2011-08-16T08:06:00.001-07:00

Kowari

2011-08-15T09:19:00.001-07:00

About animals | Kowari | also known as the Brush-tailed Marsupial Rat, Kayer Rat, Byrne's Crest-tailed Marsupial Rat, Bushy-tailed Marsupial Rat and Kawiri, is a small carnivorous marsupial native to the dry grasslands and deserts of central Australia. It is monotypical of its genus. The Kowari is a ground dwelling carnivorous marsupial, living either in its own dug burrow or in the hole of another mammal. The Kowari is a solitary animal and marks its territory with secreations from a scent gland and leaving scats and urine at certain places throught their home teritory When approached, Kowari are very aggressive with much hisssing and chattering and thrashing of its tail.

Sexual maturity in a Kowari is reached in the first year of life but breeding seldom takes place until the second year between May and December. The female Kowari (who may produce 2 litters per season) carries up to six young on her teats for about eight weeks and suckles them in a nest (of soft materials) for a further eight weeks. Young Kowaris may ride on their mothers side or back (2-3 months old). The young become independant 100 days after birth.

The Kowari is well adapted to life in the central desert and does not need to drink, as it derieves needed moisture from its food. When cold and food supply is scarce, the Kowari may become torpid (a form of hibernation). By day, it sleeps in a burrow (sometimes can be seen "Sunbaking"), and at night it is a fierce predator on insects, the larger arthropods, and small vertebrates (eg birds, rodents, lizards) The Kowari can stalk like a cat and uses a direct neck bite when killing large prey.

Its range seems to have contracted considerably in recent decades but it is not clear whether this is an indication of its impending endangerment or of cyclical changes in the density of an opportunistic species, self regulating its numbers to survive in a harsh enviroment. So at this stage its Status is listed as Vulnerable Distribution: 100,000-300,000 square kilometres

Bongo an amazing animal

2011-08-14T06:43:00.000-07:00

About animals| Bongo | The bongo is a reddish-orange hoofed animal with white stripes running vertically along the body of the bongo. The bongo is the one largest species of Antelope and the bongo is generally found grazing in herds in the African forests. The bongo is one of the only animal species in the world of which both the male and female bongo individuals have horns. The horns of the bongo tend to be fairly long and in most cases, slightly spiraled or wavy in appearance. The bongo uses these horns both for defense purposes and in the case of the males, it is believed that the bongo individuals with the largest horns are the dominant male of the bongo herd.

The bongo is generally found in the more mountainous regions of central Africa, where the bongo inhabits dense woodland and can be found up to an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level. Despite the colourful appearance of the bongo, the bongos white stripes actually aid the bongo in being camouflaged very successfully in the thick forests.

Originally, bongos were found in three different parts of Africa, East, Central and West. Today all three populations of the bongos ranges have shrunk in size due to habitat loss for agriculture and uncontrolled timber cutting as well as humans hunting the bongo for meat. Despite the fact that the bongo is a solitary animal, the bongo is rarely seen in herd sizes of more than 20 bongo individuals and these herds comprise predominantly of the female bongos with their young.

The bongo is a nocturnal animal and are generally found grazing the newly sprouting grasses and shrubs in the dead of night which also helps to aid the bongos survival in a land where there are many dominant carnivorous predators.

Grey Seal

2011-08-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

About animals | Grey Seal | The grey seal is one of the rarest species of seal in the world with around 40% of the grey seal population inhabiting the cooler waters around the United Kingdom. Grey seals are the biggest land breeding mammal in the United Kingdom, but are superbly adapted for life in the sea. Adult grey seals have 2 layers of thick fur and a thick blubber layer of fat to keep them warm at sea.

Grey seals get all the water they need from their food and a well hydrated grey seal will have bright eyes and tears. Grey seals feed mainly on squid and fish but the grey seal prefers to hunt sandeels and the seabed. The hands and feet of a grey seal are formed into webbed flippers with 5 strong claws on each. The grey seal has very powerful rear flippers that propel them through the water, using their tail to help steer. The grey seal also has very powerful shoulders that enable the grey seal to haul out onto steep and slippery rocks, even in a big swell.

Grey Seal pups have a white coat when born & for up to 3 weeks, then they moult into their adult coat. The grey seal mums feed their pups for 15 to 21 days with a rich milk that is 60% fat and the grey seal pups balloon out very quickly. After this weaning stage the grey seal mums leave their pups and the area. Grey seal pups leave too, as they must teach themselves to feed.

Life is hard for Grey Seal pups. About 30 to 50 percent of them die before their first birthday. Grey seal mums recognise their own pups calls and know exactly how their own pup smells. The Cornwall Seal Group in south west England was set up to monitor the presence (or absence) of seals in a north coast colony.

Red eyed frog

2011-08-11T02:07:00.001-07:00

About animals|Many scientists believe the red-eyed tree frog developed its vivid scarlet peepers to shock predators into at least briefly questioning their meal choice.

These iconic rain-forest amphibians sleep by day stuck to leaf-bottoms with their eyes closed and body markings covered. When disturbed, they flash their bulging red eyes and reveal their huge, webbed orange feet and bright blue-and-yellow flanks. This technique, called startle coloration, may give a bird or snake pause, offering a precious instant for the frog to spring to safety.

Their neon-green bodies may play a similar role in thwarting predators. Many of the animals that eat red-eyed tree frogs are nocturnal hunters that use keen eyesight to find prey. The shocking colors of this frog may over-stimulate a predator's eyes, creating a confusing ghost image that remains behind as the frog jumps away.

Red-eyed tree frogs, despite their conspicuous coloration, are not venomous. They are found in tropical lowlands from southern Mexico, throughout Central America, and in northern South America. Nocturnal carnivores, they hide in the rain forest canopy and ambush crickets, flies, and moths with their long, sticky tongues.

Red-eyed tree frogs are not endangered. But their habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate, and their highly recognizable image is often used to promote the cause of saving the world's rain forests.