Animals

Alligator

2011-03-18T00:04:00.000-07:00

Alligator

An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis).
The name alligator is an anglicized form of el lagarto, the Spanish term for "lizard", which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida called the alligator.
Alligators have a variety of successful adaptations to their ecological niche that have allowed these reptiles to remain almost unchanged for 200 million years.

A large adult American alligator's weight and length is 800 pounds (360 kg) and 13 feet (4.0 m) long, but can grow to 14.5 feet (4.4 m) long and weigh over 1,000 pounds (450 kg). According to the Everglades National Park website, the largest alligator ever recorded in Florida was 17 feet 5 inches (5.31 m), although according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission web site the Florida state record for length is a 14 feet 5/8 inches (4.28 m) male from Lake Monroe in Seminole County. The largest specimen ever recorded was found in Louisiana and measured 19 feet 2 inches (5.84 m). The Chinese alligator is smaller, rarely exceeding 7 feet (2.1 m) in length. Alligators have an average of 75 teeth.
The average lifespan for an alligator is 50 years.

Scientific name – Alligator Mississippiensis

Size - 13 feet

Bee

2011-03-17T23:54:00.000-07:00

Bee

Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila. There are nearly 20,000 known species of bees in seven to nine recognized families, though many are undescribed and the actual number is probably higher. They are found on every continent except Antarctica, in every habitat on the planet that contains insect-pollinated flowering plants.
Bees are adapted for feeding on nectar and pollen, the former primarily as an energy source and the latter primarily for protein and other nutrients. Most pollen is used as food for larvae.
Bees have a long proboscis (a complex "tongue") that enables them to obtain the nectar from flowers. They have antennae almost universally made up of 13 segments in males and 12 in females, as is typical for the superfamily. Bees all have two pairs of wings, the hind pair being the smaller of the two; in a very few species, one sex or caste has relatively short wings that make flight difficult or impossible, but none are wingless.
The smallest bee is Trigona minima, a stingless bee whose workers are about 2.1 mm (5/64") long. The largest bee in the world is Megachile pluto, a leafcutter bee whose females can attain a length of 39 mm (1.5"). Members of the family Halictidae, or sweat bees, are the most common type of bee in the Northern Hemisphere, though they are small and often mistaken for wasps or flies.
The best-known bee species is the European honey bee, which, as its name suggests, produces honey, as do a few other types of bee. Human management of this species is known as beekeeping or apiculture.
Bees are the favorite meal of Merops apiaster, the bee-eater bird. Other common predators are kingbirds, mockingbirds, beewolves, and dragonflies.

Scientific name – Apis mellifera

Size - 2.1 mm -39 mm

Blue Morpho

2010-11-27T07:31:00.000-08:00

Blue Morpho

Male morphos have beautiful blue wings that flash in the sunshine as they fly through the rainforests where they live. There are more than 50 species of morpho and they all come from the American tropics. They were once caught in huge numbers so that their wings could be used to make jewelry, but today many species are protected. The male’s brilliant colour is protected by microscopic ridges on the surface of its scales. These reflect the light in a certain way, making the wings glisten with a metallic blue sheen. Female morphos usually have less blue on their wings, although in some species they are orange or brown.

Scientific name – Morpho species

Distribution - South America

Size - Wingspan up to 14cm

Grey Mouse Lemur

2010-11-27T06:50:00.000-08:00

Grey Mouse Lemur

Mouse Lemurs are among the world’s smallest primates. They look very much like mice, but have forward-facing eyes, tiny fingers and toes and long tail with fluffy tips. They often weight less than 50g. Like many primitive primates, mouse-lemurs move about at night. They eat a wide range of food including insects, fruits and leaves. They give birth to two or three young after a gestation period of about eight months.

Scientific Name: Microcebus rufus

Ice fish

2010-11-27T06:44:00.000-08:00

Ice fish

Antarctic ice fish are the only vertebrates that do not have hemoglobin – the red pigment that normally carries oxygen in blood. Their blood is almost colourless and it collects oxygen in the same way that water does – by simply dissolving it. Ice fish have to survive with about a tenth as much oxygen as normal fish and they do this by swimming slowly and by spending long periods without moving. They live on the seabed, feeding on small animal such as crustaceans.

Scientific Name: chaenocephlus aceratus

Cheetah

2010-11-27T05:15:00.000-08:00

Cheetah

Instead of hunting by stealth, the cheetah relies on speed. It is the fastest land animal on earth and can reach speed of about 95 km/h in just three or four seconds – an acceleration rate that beats most cars. Cheetahs can do this because they have slender bodies, long legs and springy backbone. Unlike other cats, they do not have retractable claws on their front feet and they bring down their prey by knocking it to the ground. Cheetahs feed mainly on antelopes and other grazing mammals. They live in grassland and semi-desert.

Scientific Name: Acinonyx jubatus

Nightingale

2010-11-27T04:33:00.000-08:00

Nightingale

In Europe, the nightingale has a reputation for being one of the finest singers in the bird world. Its plain brown plumage and secretive habits make it difficult to see, but ist rich fluty song is impossible to mistake. Nightingales are unusual because they sing by night as well as day, which is how they get their name. They feed on insects and fruit and nest low down in tangled vegetation.

Scientific Name: Luscinia megarbynchos

Dwarf Beetle

2010-11-27T04:28:00.000-08:00

Dwarf Beetle

As we;; as being the smallest beetles in the world, dwarf beetles are among the smallest of all insects. The smallest species looks like little more than a speck. These beetles feed on the decaying remains of plants and fungi. Their feathery hind wings fold when not in use.

Scientific Name: Nanosella fungi

Chinese Giant Salamander

2010-11-27T04:23:00.000-08:00

Chinese Giant Salamander

This is the largest amphibian in the world. It has a large, broad, small eyes and dark, wrinkly skin. It lives in cool mountain streams, where it eats insects, frogs, and fish. Chinese giant salamanders are very rare. They are threatened by pollution and they are also collected for food and for use in traditional medicine.

Scientific Name: Andrias davidianus

Size: Up to 1.15 m cm long

Kea

2010-11-26T02:53:00.000-08:00

Kea

The Kea is a larger and heavily built parrot from the mountain of New Zealand. Unlike other parrots, it eats dead animals and insects, as well as fruits and seeds. It has dark green plumage, a large beak and strong feet for walking on the ground. Kea is inquisitive and will help themselves to picnics and leftover food. They will also tug at shoelaces and car windscreen wipers .They used to be short for apparently attacking sheep, but they are now protected

Scientific name – nestor notabilis

Distribution - South island of New Zealand

Size - Up to 48cm long

Burrowing Owl

2010-11-26T02:17:00.000-08:00

Burrowing Owl

Burrowing Owl is live in open places, where there is no cover for rearing a family. They dig burrows for shelter or take over ones made by other animals. They have long, slender legs and use their feet and beaks to scratch at the ground . Burrowing owls hunt at night but spend much of day standing by the entrances to their homes. If they are disturbed, they make a call that sounds like a rattlesnake shaking its tail.

Scientific name – Athene cunicularia

Distribution - North America

Size - Up to 25cm long