An Animal A Day
-
Western Tiger Swallowtail
The Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, is a common Swallowtail Butterfly of western North America, and is frequently seen in urban parks and gardens as well as in rural woodlands and riparian areas. It is a large, brightly colored and active butterfly, rarely seen at rest; its wingspan is 7 to 10 cm, and its wings are yellow with black stripes, and in addition it has blue and orange spots near its tail. It has the "tails" on the hind wings that are often found in swallowtails.
Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus
The eggs are deep green, shiny and spherical. They are laid singly, on the undersides of leaves. The caterpillars emerge about four days later. They are bright green, with a pair of large yellow eyespots with black and blue pupils. They can feed on the leaves of a variety of trees, and the predominant foodplant varies across their range; trees commonly used include cottonwood, willow, quaking aspen and many others. The caterpillars molt 5 times, eventually reaching a length of up to 5 cm before pupating. In summer, the butterfly can emerge as little as 15 days after the caterpillar pupated, but when the caterpillar pupates in the fall, the butterfly will not emerge until the spring. The chrysalis is green in summer and dark brown in winter, and looks like a piece of wood. Butterflies emerge from winter chrysalises between February and May, the date depending on the temperature, so they are seen earlier in the more southerly and more coastal parts of their range. The adult females lay up to a hundred eggs in total. The males often congregate, along with other species of swallowtail at pools and along streams and rivers; they drink from the water and mud, extracting minerals as well as moisture.
The normal range of the Western Tiger Swallowtail covers much of western North America, from British Columbia to North Dakota in the north to Baja California and New Mexico in the south. Individuals occasionally turn up east of this range; however, in general, in eastern North America, it is replaced by the similar Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus.
Like the other tiger swallowtails, the Western Tiger Swallowtail was formally classified in genus Pterourus, but modern classifications all agree in placing them within Papilio.
Conservation status: Secure
Issue #257 -
Midshipman fish
The Midshipman fishes are the genus Porichthys of toadfishes. They are distinguished by having photophores (which they use to attract prey and after which they are named, reminding some of a naval uniform's buttons) and four lateral lines. Typical midshipman fishes, such as the Plainfin Midshipman, are nocturnal and bury themselves in sand or mud of the intertidal zone during the day. At night they float just above the seabed. Some species are armed with venomous dorsal spines and are capable of inflicting serious injuries if handled.
Porichthys porosissimus, a species of Midshipman fish.
Mating in midshipman fishes depends on auditory communication; males during the breeding season broadcast a sound usually described as a hum, generated by rapid contractions of the muscles in the swim bladder. The sound can be kept up for up to an hour, and is loud enough to be heard by (and to puzzle) people on nearby land and houseboats; the hulls of the boats tend to amplify the sound to sleep-disrupting levels. Reproductive females develop a selective sensitivity to this sound, and respond by laying eggs in the rock nest of a singing male.
Researchers from the University of Washington and Cornell University have recently demonstrated that the increase in sensitivity associated with female reproductive status can be duplicated in non-reproductive females of the Plainfin Midshipman (Porichthys notatus) by boosting hormone levels, and that this acts on the fish's inner-ear to produce the change in sensitivity. An increase in levels of the hormones testosterone and estradiol triggers changes that result in increased sensitivity to higher sound frequencies.
There are about 15 species of midshipman fishes, including the following:
* Atlantic Midshipman Porichthys plectrodon
* Daisy Midshipman Porichthys margaritatus
* Darkedge Midshipman Porichthys analis
* Greene's Midshipman Porichthys greenei
* Mimetic Midshipman Porichthys mimeticus
* Plainfin Midshipman, Humming Toadfish, or California Canary Fish Porichthys notatus
* Saddle Midshipman Porichthys ephippiatus
* Smalleye Midshipman Porichthys oculellus
* Specklefin Midshipman Porichthys myriaster
* Porichthys bathoiketes
* Porichthys kymosemeum
* Porichthys oculofrenum
* Porichthys pauciradiatus
* Porichthys porosissimus
* Porichthys queenslandiae
Issue #258 -
Moon Jelly
Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita) are the most common Jellyfish species found in the genus Aurelia. Other species found in the genus Aurelia besides A. aurita are: A. labiata, A. limbata, Aurelia sp. They can be found in the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and are common to the waters off California, Japan, the East Coast of the United States as well as Europe. The animal can be large (up to 15 cm across), translucent and often considered beautiful for the patterns of color within its body. It feeds by stinging small medusans, plankton and mollusks with its tentacles and bringing them into its body for digestion, but is capable of only limited motion; like other jellies it drifts with the current.
Moon Jelly, Aurelia aurita
General biology
The cosmopolitan Aurelia aurita is found throughout the tropics and as far north as 70° latitude and as far south as 40°. (J.E. Purcell, et al. 2001). In addition to frequenting the North American coast, they are usually found all around the coasts of the British Isles (Russell, 1953). In general, A. aurita is an inshore species that can be found in places like estuaries and harbors (Russell, 1953). They live in ocean water temperatures that range from -6° to 31° Celsius; with optimum temperatures of 9-19° Celsius (Rodriguez, 1996). A. aurita prefers mildly cold salt water with consistent currents (Rodriguez, 1996). They can be found in 3% salinity water but are typically found only in water with 6% salinity (Russell, 1953).
Life cycle
A. aurita first starts out with an ovum from a female medusa and a sperm from a different medusa to form a zygote (Gilbertson, 1999). The zygote then turns into a blastula, then gastrula, and then planula (Gilbertson, 1999).
The planula settles on the bottom and attaches itself onto a reef for a while (Gilbertson, 1999). The planula then grows and changes into a small polyp called a scyphistoma. The scyphistoma grows and becomes a strobila with small buds on the top layers. Each of the buds breaks off and forms an ephyra. The ephyra enlarges and matures to become the last stage, adult medusa. The strobila stage can reproduce by asexual fission (Gilbertson, 1999).
From mid July to October is when the growth of A. aurita at its highest. The ephyra and medusa stage can last approximately 14 months, although some medusae die earlier in the winter (Aria, 1997).
A. aurita has a complicated life cycle that has two main stages. In the polyp stage they reproduce asexually while the medusa stage they reproduce sexually.
The major tolerance and adaptability of A. aurita explains its presence worldwide. Medusae appear more frequently in shallow water that is open to the ocean with limited waves. The intermediate planula stage generally stays in water that is around 20 feet deep. The scyphistomas can be located in mussel beds. A. aurita medusae can survive in polluted, nutrient-poor, and airless environments. The polyps can survive in oxygen levels that are three times normal for several days, giving them a higher chance of living in case of a sudden change in the water oxygen.
Feeding
A. aurita species feed on zooplankton that includes organisms such as "mollusks, crustaceans, tunicate larvae, copepods, rotifers, nematodes, young polychaetes, protozoans, diatoms, eggs, fish eggs, and other small jellies." (Rodriguez, 1996). Occasionally, they would be seen feeding on hydromedusa and ctenophores (Rodriguez, 1996). Larvae of A. aurita have special nematocysts to capture prey and also to protect themselves from predators (Arai, 1997). The food is tied with mucus, and then it passed down by ciliated action down into the gastrovascular cavity where digestive enzymes from serous cell would break down the food (Arai, 1997). There is little known about the requirements for particular vitamins and minerals, but due to the presence of some digestive enzymes, we can deduce in general that A. aurita species consume carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids (Arai, 1997).
Body system
A. aurita does not have respiratory parts such as gills, lungs, or trachea. Since it is a small organism, it respires by diffusing oxygen from water through the thin membrane. Within the gastrovascular cavity, low oxygenated water can be expelled and high oxygenated water can come in by ciliated action, thus increasing the diffusion of oxygen through cell (Rees, 1966). The large surface area membrane to volume ratio helps A. aurita to diffuse more oxygen and nutrients into the cells.
The basic body plan of A. aurita consists of several parts. The species lack respiratory, excretory, and circulatory systems (Arai, 1997). The adult medusa of A. aurita, with a transparent look, has an umbrella margin membrane and tentacles that are attached to the bottom (Russell, 1953). It has four bright circular gonads that are under the stomach (J.E. Purcell, et al. 2001). Food travels through the muscular manubrium while the radial canals help disperse the food (Russell 1963). There is a middle layer of mesoglea, gastrodervascular cavity with gastrodermis, and epidermis (Solomon, 2002). There is a nerve net that is responsible for contractions in swimming muscles and feeding responses (Aria, 1997). Adult medusa can have a diameter up to 40 cm (Arai, 1997). The sexes are can be differentiated between males and females in the medusa stage (Arai, 1997). The young stage, planula, has small ciliated cells and would settle at the bottom of the water where it would change into strobila and then float off as ephyra (Gilbertson, 1999). There is an increasing size from starting stage planula to ephyra, from less than 1 cm in planula stage to 1 cm in ephyra stage (Russell, 1953).
Predators
The death of the organism sometimes is brought about after reproduction, leaving the gonads open to infection and degradation (Arai, 1997). A. aurita have been food for a wide variety of predators including the Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola), the Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta), and the hydromedusae (Aequorea victoria) (Arai, 1997).
Another cause of death is by fisheries of A. aurita for food in countries such as China, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. They are hunted by birds also. They defend themselves by stinging with their tentacles (Arai, 1997).
There are possible metazoan parasites that attack A. aurita (Arai, 1997).
Aurelia aurita interaction
Beside from being a source of food for human consumption, A. aurita species also "represent an important step in pelagic organic matter transformations" (Rodriguez, 1996). On the bad side, A. aurita species could ruin the fish markets for human, creating a tidal effect that may hurt the fish population either indirectly or directly by feeding on fish larvae (Arai, 1997).
Issue #259 -
Marsupial Lion
The Marsupial Lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) is an extinct species of carnivorous marsupial, that lived in Australia from about 24 million years ago, during the late Oligocene, and became extinct about 50,000 years ago, at the end of the last ice age, during the late Pleistocene epoch.
Marsupial Lion, Thylacoleo carnifex
Its cat-like appearance owes something to the theory that T. carnifex was descended from the Burryamids, or Pygmy Possums, which are native to the mountains of S.E. Australia. Hence an arboreal reconstruction with leopard-like appearance is presented. An alternative interpretation has thylacoleonids arising from Vombatid stock. In this case they would have been more closely related to modern day wombats than to possums. That ancestry would, presumably, leave them looking not quite so feline in appearance.
The dentition of this animal was unique. It had no canine teeth as do placental predators like wolves or lions. Instead it was equipped with very large incisors and extremely specialised carnassial teeth. These had become blade-like cutting edges, two pairs only being positioned on the upper and lower jaws. It has been asserted that T. carnifex's dentition represents the most extreme specialisation of any known mammalian carnivore.
The front paws of T. carnifex were equipped with a partly opposable thumb. The terminal phalanx of the thumb sported an impressively large, curved claw, while the other digits had smaller claws. The rear feet were equipped with similarly opposable thumbs. It's probably true to say that this was an animal equipped with four hands, rather than paws, and that it almost certainly was primarily an arboreal hunter. However, fossil specimens have been unearthed in areas which were open plains when the animal lived. So it appears to have been resourceful enough to make a living with or without a forest habitat.
Variation in the size of fossil remains are usually interpreted to mean that males of the species were bigger than females. Sexual dimorphism is common in many mammalian species, for instance kangaroos, lions and seals. It generally indicates a breeding system where males must defeat and dispossess other more dominant males for access to females. In such species, mature males are often fewer in number than breeding-age females.
Generally speaking, fossil T. carnifex presents as a large animal which exhibited a wide range in body size. Fossil evidence suggests that an average individual would have weighed about 45 kg. The largest specimens, which were just a shade smaller than the African lioness, Panthera leo, appear to have lived in south-eastern Australia.
Pound for pound, the Marsupial Lion had the strongest bite of any mammal species living or extinct; a 100 kg Marsupial Lion, had a bite comparable to that of a 250 kg African Lion and is thought to have hunted large animals such as diprotodonts.
Conservation status: Prehistoric
Issue #260 -
Colorpoint Shorthair
The Colorpoint Shorthair is a variant of the Siamese cat. It features the same long, tubular body, large ears, and triangular, wedge-shaped head as the modern Siamese. However, the coat comes in a wider variety of "point" colors and patterns than do the traditional Siamese.
Three month old flame point Siamese kitten, a Colorpoint Shorthair
Possible coat colors and patterns include red point (also called flame point), cream point, lynx points (points featuring a tabby pattern; can be in a variety of colors), and tortie-points (points featuring a tortoise-shell, or calico, pattern; can be in a variety of colors). Non-pointed coat colorations are considered part of the Oriental Shorthair breed.
In the United Kingdom, the colorpoint shorthair is not considered a separate breed from the Siamese, and are shown in cat shows as Siamese. In the United States, the colorpoint shorthair is considered a seperate breed.
Issue #261 -
Amami Rabbit
The Amami Rabbit, or Amami no Kuro Usagi (Pentalagus furnessi), also known as the Ryukyu Rabbit, is a primitive dark-furred rabbit which is only found in Amami Oshima and Toku-no-Shima, two small islands between southern Kyushu and Okinawa in Kagoshima Prefecture (but actually closer to Okinawa) in Japan. Often called a living fossil, the Amami Rabbit is a living remnant of ancient rabbits that once lived on the Asian mainland, where they died out, remaining only on the two small islands where they survive today.
Amami Rabbit, Pentalagus furnessi
The Amami Rabbit has short legs, a somewhat bulky body, rather large and curved claws, and is active at night. Its ears are also significantly smaller than those of other rabbits or hares. A forest-dweller, it apparently only has one (or sometimes two) young at once, which the mother digs a hole in the ground for them to hide in during the day. At night, the mother opens the entrance to the hole, while watching for predators (like venomous snakes), and then nurses its young, after which it closes the hole with dirt and plant material by thumping on it with its front paws. Amami Rabbits sleep during the day in hidden places, such as caves. Amami Rabbits are also noted for making calling noises, which sound something like the call of a pika; this makes them unique as most rabbits cannot make calling noises.
Unfortunately, the Amami Rabbit is endangered, because of hunting, which ended when Japan gave the rabbit legal protection in 1921, but also because of deforestation and killings by dogs, cats, and other animals introduced by humans, which continue today. In particular, mongooses released by island residents to kill poisonous snakes have killed a large amount of Amami Rabbits. Deforestation is also very harmful to the rabbits, especially as they are asleep during daylight, and will often be killed without being able to flee.
Conservation status: Endangered
Issue #262 -
Common Spoonbill
The Common Spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia) is a wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family Threskiornithidae. This species is widespread across southern Eurasia from Spain to Japan, and north Africa. Most birds migrate to the tropics in winter, with European breeders going to Africa.
Common Spoonbill, Platalea leucorodia
It occurs in marshy wetlands with some open shallow water, nesting in colonies in trees or reedbeds. It does not usually share colonies with storks or herons. Usually four eggs are laid.
This species is almost unmistakable through most of its range. The breeding bird is all white except for its dark legs, black bill with a yellow tip, and a yellow breast patch like a pelican. It has a crest in the breeding season.
Non-breeders lack the crest and breast patch, and immatures have a pale bill and black tips to the primary flight feathers. Unlike herons, spoonbills fly with their necks outstretched.
Common Spoonbill differs from African Spoonbill in that the latter species has a red face and legs, and no crest.
This spoonbill feeds on various fish, frogs and other water creatures.
Subspecies
- P. l. leucorodia (Common Spoonbill)
- P. l. balsaci (Mauritian Spoonbill)
- P. l. archeri (Red Sea Spoonbill)
Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
Issue #263 -
Black Caiman
The Black Caiman (Melanosuchus niger) is an endangered species, related to alligators. It is a carnivorous reptile that lives along slow-moving rivers and lakes, in the seasonally flooded savannas of the Amazon basin, and in other freshwater habitats in South America. Once common, it was hunted to near extinction primarily for its commercially valuable hide.
Black Caiman, Melanosuchus niger
The black caiman can grow to about 6 meters (20 feet) in length, and is both the largest alligator and the Amazon's largest predator. They eat fish, including piranhas, birds, turtles, and land-dwelling animals like the capybara and deer when they come to the water to get a drink. Their teeth are designed to grab but not rip, so they swallow their food whole after drowning it. Immature specimens eat crustaceans and insects. The caiman's excrement was once a substantial food source for the plankton which form the base of the aquatic Amazonian food chain, and their rarity has thus led to a concomitant decline of many species, including some important food species.
The black caiman has a bony ridge over red eyes, and black, scaly skin. The skin coloration helps with camouflage during its nocturnal hunts, but may also help absorb heat.
In December, females build a nest of soil and vegetation, which is about 1.5 meters (5 feet) across and 0.75 meters wide (2.5 feet). They lay from 50 to 60 eggs, which hatch in about six weeks. They sometimes eat their young.
Their main predator is humans, who hunt them for leather or meat.
Conservation status: Lower risk (cd)
Issue #264 -
Weaver ant
Weaver ants (genus Oecophylla) are social insects belonging to the ant family, known for their communication and nest building behaviour. Weaver ants are social insects that have complex bio-chemical communication and make elaborate nests out of living tree-leaves. Weaver ants are found in the tropical forests of Africa and southeast Asia. They are colored a shade of red and are known for their painful, irritating sting.
Weaver ants, genus Oecophylla
Complex communication in nest building
Weaver ants form the most elaborate communicative organization in the insect world. They form complex organizations through their simple intelligence to emerge as an elaborate social structure. At first the queen ant lays her eggs among tree leaves while the worker ants engage in building the nest. This emergent ant society helps in building the nest by weaving together living tree leaves. This is done by first forming ant chains that hold together leaves and then manipulating the ant larva to produce silk in order to glue the tree leaves. Thus the ant colony emerges with the queen in the centre of the nest whose only purpose is to lay eggs while female ants engage in building the nest. The entire nest building activity is a very distributed process involving every ant.
Emergent ant organization and artificial intelligence
The emergence of complex organization among weaver ants, from simple biological intelligence is a model for social communication processes in organizations and artificial intelligence. It is extensively modeled and studied in the emergence of complex behavior from simple rules in diverse disciplines of generative sciences. The weaver ants emergent organization and eating behaviour is applied as natural bio-control of pests in orchards, where they are introduced on trees in order to build nests and act as natural pest control.
Issue #265 -
Eulachon
The eulachon, also hooligan or candlefish, is a small anadromous ocean fish, Thaleichthys pacificus, a smelt found along the Pacific coast of North America from northern California to Alaska. It feeds primarily on plankton as well as fish eggs, insect larvae, and small crustaceans. It forms an important part of the diet of many ocean and shore predators, and serves as a prominent food source for people living near its spawning streams.
Eulachon, Thaleichthys pacificus
The common names of this fish have a somewhat confusing relationship. The name "candlefish" derives from the fact that it is so fat during spawning, with up to 15% of total body weight in fat, that if caught, dried, and strung on a wick, it can be burned as a candle. This is the name most often used by early explorers. The name "eulachon" (occ. "oolichan", "oulachon", "uthlecan", etc.) is from the Chinookan language and the Chinook jargon based on that language. The name "hooligan" appears to have been derived from "eulachon" by similarity with the English slang term for a ruffian or scoundrel which gained currency in the late 19th century. Eulachon is the more proper of the two names, but most people who harvest the fish call it "hooligan". Others pronounce the name as "hooligan" but write "eulachon".
Eulachon, as anadromous fish, spend most of their adult lives in the ocean but return to their natal freshwater streams and rivers to spawn and die. As such, one stream may see regular large runs of eulachon while a neighboring stream sees few or none at all. Regular annual runs are common but not entirely predictable, and occasionally a river which has large runs sees a year with no returns; the reasons for such variability are not known. The eulachon run is characteristic for the early portion being almost entirely male, with females following about midway through the run to its conclusion. Males are easily distinguished from females during spawning by fleshy ridges which form along the length of their bodies.
Native Americans and Eskimos made eulachon an important part of their diet, as well as a valuable trade item with people who lived outside of its range. They were caught using traps, rakes, and nets. The harvest continues today, with other residents taking part in the exploitation of the large runs. Today harvested eulachon are typically stored frozen and thawed as needed. They may also be dried, smoked, or canned. Most Native American and Eskimo groups also boiled large amounts of eulachon for the rich oil, which is easily skimmed and preserved. Preserved eulachon oil formed a valuable trade commodity for coastal people, and the numerous passes through the coastal mountains used for this trade were called "grease trails". Other uses include bait for sport and subsistence fishing, and food for cats and dogs.
The unrelated sablefish Anoplopoma fimbria is also called "candlefish" in the United Kingdom.
Issue #266 -
Japanese marsh shrimp
The Japanese marsh shrimp, Caridina japonica, is a species of shrimp found in the Yamato river area of Japan as well as parts of Korea and Taiwan.
Japanese marsh shrimp, Caridina japonica
According to different sources, Caridina japonica was introduced into the world of aquaria by Takashi Amano in the early eighties. Takashi Amano is a well known photographer and aquarist. He would have been the first who noticed these shrimps' useful characteristic of eating algae and started using them in his show aquaria.
The most important characteristic of Caridina japonica is the translucent body covered with reddish brown points of ± 0.3 mm on their sides which may look like a broken line of reddish colour. The dorsal surface has a white stripe that runs from the head to the tail and the eyes are black.
Caridina japonica in an aquarium
Females are easily distinguised from males from the more elongated lower row of dots lining the body.
Common names: Alga shrimp, Japanese swamp/marsh shrimp, Amano shrimp, Yamamoto shrimp, Yamato Numaebi
Issue #267 -
Deinonychus
Deinonychus antirrhopus ("counterbalancing fearsome claw") is a wolf-sized, carnivorous dromaeosaurid dinosaur species from the Early Cretaceous Clovery Formation of Montana. Its name, "Terrible claw", refers to the huge, sickle-shaped talons on the second toe. These claws were probably held retracted while the dinosaur walked on the third and fourth toes. It was commonly thought that Deinonychus would kick with the sickle claws to slash at its prey, but recent tests on reconstructions of similar velociraptor talons suggest that the claw was used to stab, not slash. Like with all dromaeosaurids the tail was stiffened by a series of elongated bones (not tendons). This gave Deinonychus greater balance and turning ability.
Skull of Deinonychus antirrhopus
Discoveries
Based on the association of a number of Deinonychus skeletons in a single quarry — several hundred Deinonychus bones were discovered by paleontologist John Ostrom and Grant E. Meyer in 1964 in southern Montana — it has been speculated that Deinonychus lived in packs. This is quite possible, but it is difficult to prove or disprove this idea. Shed teeth of Deinonychus are often found alongside skeletons of the ornithopod dinosaur Tenontosaurus, indicating that it fed on them, and perhaps hunted them. Deinonychus, like all dromaeosaurids, were among the smartest dinosaurs. If deinonychus hunted in packs, it most likely used tactics to bring there larger prey down. Like most carnivores, deinonychus probably preyed upon the young, sick, old, and weak.
John Ostrom named and described Deinonychus, and the discovery of this clearly active, agile predator did much to change the scientific (and popular) conception of dinosaurs and open the door to speculation that dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded.
Several years later, Ostrom noted similarities between the hand of Deinonychus and birds, which led him to revive the hypothesis that birds are descended from dinosaurs. Thirty years later, this idea is almost universally accepted. Finds of related dinosaurs from China, such as Sinornithosaurus and Microraptor indicate that this dinosaur probably bore feathers. Other relatives include Velociraptor, Utahraptor, and Dromaeosaurus.
A skeleton of Deinonychus can be seen on display at the American Museum of Natural History or the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology. The American Museum and Harvard specimens are from a different locality than the Yale specimens which Ostrom described, and the claws are different shapes (Ostrom 1976). This raises the possibility that the two are, in fact, different species or even different genera.
* Skull length: 410 mm (16 in)
* Total length: 3 m (10 ft)
* Hip height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
* Weight: 80 kg (175 lb)
Deinonychus antirrhopus as envisioned by artist Luis V. Rey
Conservation status: Fossil
Issue #268 -
Anatolian Shepherd Dog
The Anatolian Shepherd Dog is an ancient breed of dog developed in Anatolia (central Turkey) for guarding flocks of sheep from wolves, bears, and jackals.
Anatolian Shepherd Dog
Appearance
The coat can be any color. The Anatolian is a muscular breed, with thick neck, broad head, and sturdy body. Its lips are somewhat pendulous and it has triangular drop ears. It stands 27 to 32 inches (69 to 81 cm) at the withers and weighs between 80 and 150 pounds (36 to 68 kg), with bitches on the smaller side and males on the larger side.
Temperament
The Anatolian was developed to be independent and forceful, responsible on its own for guarding its master's sheep. These traits make it more challenging as a pet; owners of dogs of this breed must determinedly socialize the dogs to turn them into appropriate companions. They are intelligent and can learn quickly but might choose not to obey; this is not generally a dog for a beginning or shy owner. They become very protective of other animals in the household, and will treat them as their "herd".
Health
The Anatolian is somewhat more long-lived than some giant breeds of dogs, with a life expectancy of 10 or 11 years. They reach full maturity, like many large breeds, at around 4 years. They are very sensitive to processed dog food tending to develop allergic reactions very easily. This can be avoided by feeding them a diet of lamb and rice.
Anatolian Shepherd Dogs are one of the larger breeds; this 7-month-old Anatolian might not yet be full size.
History
The breed's ancestors most likely migrated to the area now known as Turkey about 1000 AD with Turkic-speaking people, although it is probable that dogs similar to this existed at least 6,000 years ago in Mesopotamia. Over the centuries, slight regional variations began to develop, although the dogs were collectively known as coban kopegi. In the 1970s, breeders began focusing on specific regions and working on developing standard breeds for each of the regions; the Anatolian is one of those breeds, coming from central Turkey.
Famous Anatolian Shepherd Dogs
- Butch from Cats & Dogs
Alternative names: Coban Köpegi, Karabas or Karabash, Kangal Dog
Country of origin: Anatolia (Turkey)
Issue #269 -
Pygmy Marmoset
The Pygmy Marmoset (Callithrix (Cebuella) pygmaea) is a monkey native to the rainforest canopies of western Brazil, southeastern Colombia, eastern Ecuador, and eastern Peru. It is one of the smallest primates, with its body length ranging from 14-16 cm (excluding the 15-20 cm tail). Males weigh around 140 g (5 ounces), and females only 120 g (4.2 ounces).
Pygmy Marmoset, Callithrix (Cebuella) pygmaea
Despite its name, the Pygmy Marmoset is somewhat different from the typical marmosets classified in genus Callithrix. As such, it is accorded its own subgenus, which was formerly recognized as its own genus, Cebuella.
Pygmy Marmosets have a tawny coat, and ringed tails that are as long as their bodies. They are omnivorous, feeding on fruit, leaves, insects, and sometimes even small reptiles. Much of their diet, however, comes from tapping trees for sap. Up to two-thirds of their time is spent gouging tree bark to reach the gummy sap. Pygmy Marmosets have specialized incisors for gouging holes in bark. Unfortunately, because of its small size, and its swift movements, it is very hard to observe in the wild.
In captivity Pygmy Marmosets can live up to 11 years.
There are two subspecies of the Pygmy Marmoset:
- Callithrix (Cebuella) pygmaea pygmaea
- Callithrix (Cebuella) pygmaea niveiventris
Conservation status: Lower risk (lc)
Issue #270 -
Redwing
The Redwing (Turdus iliacus) is a member of the thrush family Turdidae.
Redwing, Turdus iliacus
It breeds in conifer and birch forest and tundra in northern Europe and Asia. It is strongly migratory, with many northern birds moving south during the winter. It is a very rare breeder in Great Britain and Ireland, but winters in large numbers in these countries.
Redwings nest in shrubs or on the ground, laying several eggs in a neat nest. Migrating birds and wintering birds often form large flocks, often with fieldfares.
The Redwing is similar in size to the Song Thrush. It is omnivorous, eating a wide range of insects and worms in summer, and berries in winter.
Redwings often construct their nests on the ground.
The sexes are similar, with plain brown backs and streaked white underparts. The most striking identification features are the red flanks and underwing, and the white stripe above the eye.
The male has a varied short song, and a whistling flight call.
Issue #271 -
Green Iguana
The Green iguana (Iguana iguana) is a large, arboreal lizard from Central and South America. They are typically about 2 metres in length from head to tail and can weigh up to 5 kg. It is possible to determine the sex of a green iguana by examining the underside of the hind legs. Males have highly developed pores in this area that secrete scent, and are often covered in a waxy substance.
Green Iguana, Iguana iguana, in captivity
These lizards have recently become extremely popular in the pet trade—over 800,000 animals were imported into the United States alone during 1995, mainly coming from captive farming operations based in the country of origin. Despite the apparent "mass market" appeal of these animals, however, they are very demanding to care for properly over their lifetime, and the great majority will die within a few short years. Many ignorant buyers are tempted by the price of young iguanas and apparent low cost of feeding, typically giving inappropriate vegetables and insufficent housing without sources of heat.
If properly cared for, a captive green iguana can live anywhere from eight to 20 years. The oldest known pet iguana lived 29 years.
In the wild, green iguanas are diurnal and strictly herbivorous (although the young were once thought to eat insects, this has been proven false), and can be found living in trees and near water, into which they will dive if frightened. They can fall up to 40 feet without being injured, and can run quickly despite their clumsy appearance. Because of their popularity in the pet trade and as food in Latin American countries, green iguanas are listed on the CITES Appendix II, which means they considered a threatened species.
Iguanas have an unusual behaviour when threatened- they bite onto the threatening creature and do not let go until forced to, or the threat is removed. Iguannas will also use their sharp tails as a whip in defence as well.
Issue #272 -
Feathered Thorn
The Feathered Thorn (Colotois pennaria) is a moth of the family Geometridae. It is found throughout Europe and the Near East.
Feathered Thorn, Colotois pennaria
The forewings of this species are basically brown but individuals vary greatly in tone from drab light brown to much richer reddish tones. They are usually marked with two dark fascia and a small discal spot but these features can be faint or almost absent. The hindwings are lighter buffish brown. The common name derives from the very strong feathering on the antennae of the male. The wingspan is 46-50 mm, the males being usually larger and broader-winged than the females. The females tend to be rather sluggish but the males fly actively at night and are attracted to light. The species is on the wing from September to November*.
The larva is brown and twig-like and feeds on a variety of trees and shrubs (see list below). The species overwinters as an egg.
* The flight season refers to the British Isles. This may vary in other parts of the range.
Subspecies
- C. p. paupera
- C. p. pennaria
Issue #273 -
Jewel Cichlid
The Jewel Cichlid or Jewelfish comes from Africa. This freshwater species lives in coastal basins from Southern Guinea to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in the Nile basins. The fish is typically extremely hostile to other fish and has been known to take on much larger fishes, such as the Jack Dempsey cichlid, the Oscar cichlid and the Green Terror cichlid to establish a territory in the aquarium. The fish have also been used experimentally by physiologists and ethologists.
Jewel Cichlid, Hemichromis bimaculatus
Jewels can reach lengths of 7-13 cm (6"). Their bodies are long and not very deep, like many of the African cichlids. They are reddish-orange to pink with iridescent blue-green specks on most of their scales. The colors are greatly enhanced during breeding.
The native environment of the Jewel Cichlids is mud- and sand-bottomed rivers in forested areas a fair distance inland from the coast. They natively live in a tropical climate and prefer freshwater or brackish water with a 6.5 - 7.5 pH, a water hardness of 4 - 16 dGH, and a temperature range of 70 - 73 °F (21 - 23 °C).
Issue #274 -
Common house spider
The Common house spider, sometimes called the American house spider, is, as its name suggests, an extremely common spider in North America. It is fairly likely to escape notice since it tends to build its tangled web in secluded locations. Its behavior on its web is quiet and efficient, so it generally does not draw attention to itself. There are several species of this genus, Achaearanea. Their coloration consists generally in patterns of shades of brown, and they are rather dull in appearance, all of which makes it more easy for them to slip into the background. They are not known to bite people with any high degree of frequency, and their venom is not known to be dangerous to human beings. Their bodies are generally around a quarter of an inch long.
Common house spider, Achaearanea tepidariorum, and egg sac
Many species of Common house spider share a body shape and size that makes them similar to widow spiders. The widow spiders, however, are glossy black, usually with a red hourglass or other marking (depending on the species), and are quite venomous.
Like many predators, these spiders seem to have no idea that they might become the prey of some other animal. If they are removed from their webs they are rather helpless because they have such poor vision, and their only concern seems to be to leave the uncomfortable place they find themselves in and find their own web or build another one. Should one somehow find such a spider on one's hand, for example, its most likely reaction would be to hurry to the edge of one's palm and drop off the edge, to let itself down to the floor on a safety line of silk. They do not wander around inside one's house except to find a secure place to build a web. Once they have a web they are quite happy to stay there waiting for flies and mosquitoes. Hanging from strands of silk in these cobwebs one may often see one or more roughly spherical sacs made of spiderweb. These sacs contain their eggs.
Issue #275 -
Aepyornis
Aepyornis is an extinct genus of flightless bird. These large birds, which were native to Madagascar, have been extinct since at least the 16th century. Aepyornis was the world's largest bird, believed to have been over three metres (10 feet) tall and weighing more than half a tonne (500 kilograms, or 1,100 pounds). Remains of Aepyornis adults and eggs have been found; in some cases the eggs have a circumference of over one metre (three feet). Three species have been described; A. hildebrandti, A. medius, and A. maximus, but the validity of some is disputed, with some authors treating them all in just one species. Aepyornis was a ratite, related to the ostrich; it could not fly, and its breast bone had no keel.
Aepyornis, genus Aepyornis
The National Geographic Society in Washington holds a specimen of an Aepyornis egg which was discovered by Luis Marden in 1967. The specimen is intact and contains an embryonic skeleton of the unborn bird.
Whilst it is often believed that the extinction of the Aepyornis was an effect of human actions, a study in 2000, by a team of archaeologists from Sheffield University and Royal Holloway University in the UK, suggests otherwise. Their study in Madagascar aimed to investigate human relationships with this bird. Research reports from Sheffield University stated that there was no evidence for the suggestion that the bird had been hunted to extinction. The archaeologists also believe that the killing of the bird may have been taboo as no evidence was found that it had been killed for food.
The modern Malagasy name for the bird is Vorompatra, meaning "marsh bird". They are commonly known as the 'elephant bird', a term that originated from Marco Polo. It has also been suggested that the legend of the roc may have originated from this bird.
H.G. Wells wrote a short story entitled Aepyornis Island about the bird. It was published in The Complete Short Stories of H.G. Wells.
Species
Aepyornis hildebrandti
Aepyornis medius
Aepyornis maximus
Conservation status: Extinct (16th century)
Issue #276 -
Havana Brown
The Havana Brown is a breed of cat, resulted from persistent efforts to develop a completely brown cat breed. In the early 1950s in Britain, a cross between a seal point Siamese and a black domestic shorthaired cat with Siamese heritage led to the foundation stock for the Havana Brown.
Havana Brown
The Havana Brown is a moderately sized, muscular short-haired cat with a body of average length. The coat color must be brown, typically reddish-brown, with no tabby markings. Whiskers should also be brown and the eye color should be green. The head should be slightly longer than wide and the nose should have a distinct stop at the eyes. Males tend to be larger than females and are average in weight compared with other breeds.
The Havana Brown is an intelligent cat that often uses its paws both to examine objects, and to communicate with its owners. The most likely explanation of the breed's name is that its coat color is very similar to that of Havana cigars.
The breed has been recognized for championship competition in both the US and Britain since the late 1950s. It is considered an endangered breed, since the breeding pool is very small. In the late 1990s, there were only 12 CFA-registered Havana Brown catteries and under 130 unaltered cats.
Country of origin: Britain
Issue #277 -
Parti-coloured bat
The Parti-coloured Bat (Vespertilio murinus) is a species of bats in the family of Vesper bats. It is a medium sized bat.
Parti-coloured Bat, Vespertilio murinus
Description
Their twittering call, similar to a bird's call, are to be heard particularly in the autumn during the mating season. The parti-coloured bat has a maximum body size of 6.4 centimeters with a span from 27 to 33 centimeters, and a weight between 12 and 23 gram. Its name is derived from its fur, which has two colours. Its backside is red to dark-brown, with silver-white-frosted hair. The ventral side is white or gray. The ears, wings and the face are black or dark brown. The wings are narrow. The ears are short, broad and roundish.
The highest known age is twelve years.
Behaviour
These bats hunt for their prey, for example mosquitoes, caddis flies, and moths, with ultrasonic sound of around 25-27 kHz. They hunt after twilight at heights of above 10 to 20 meters, for example in open landscape over streams and lakes and above forests or at street lights. In cold weather the bat may remain in its resting place.
There is not much known about the behaviour of parti-coloured bats, as they are quite rare. Female bats live in small groups, of about 50 animals, sometimes up to several hundred adult females. In Western Europe, male groups consist of about 250 animals and are found only during the spring and early summer. These bats migrate, and flights of up to 900 km were found. The furthest migration was determined at 1,440 km in the year 1989.
Between October and March, the bats hibernate. They hibernate alone, and can bear temperatures down to -2.6 degrees Celsius.
Reproduction and birth
Females form maternity roosts during May and July and generally give birth to twins. After the pups are weaned females leave the maternity roost. Birth of the young is in western Europe around beginning of June. First juveniles can be found flying as early as 3-4 weeks later.
Occurrence
The parti-coloured bat occurs in Central and Western Europe and in Asia. Its natural habitat is mountains, steppes and forested areas, but in Western Europe, they can mainly be found in cities. The species is protected, as it is threatened by insecticides and changes in their habitat.
Issue #278 -
Common Shag
The Common Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis) is a species of cormorant. It breeds around the rocky coasts of western and southern Europe, southwest Asia and north Africa, mainly wintering in its breeding range except for northernmost birds. In Britain this seabird is usually referred to as simply the Shag; in scientific literature it is usually called the European Shag.
Common Shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis, at nest with chicks
This is a medium-large black bird, 68-78 cm long and with a 95-110 cm wingspan. It has a longish tail and yellow throat-patch. Adults have a small crest in the breeding season. It is distinguished from the Great Cormorant by its smaller size, lighter build, thinner bill, and, in breeding adults, by the crest and metallic green-tinged sheen on the feathers. Among those differences are that a shag has a lighter, narrower beak; and the juvenile shag has darker underparts. The Common Shag's tail has 12 feathers; the Great Cormorant, 14 feathers. The green sheen on the feathers results in the alternative name "Green Cormorant" sometimes being given to the Common Shag.
It feeds in the sea, and, unlike the Great Cormorant, is rare inland. It will winter along any coast that is well-supplied with fish.
The Shag is one of the deepest divers among the cormorant family. Using depth gauges, Shags have been shown to dive to at least 45 metres. Shags are preponderantly benthic feediers, i.e. they find their prey on the sea bottom. They will eat a wide range of fish but their commonest prey is the sand eel. Shags will travel many kilometres from their roosting sites in order to feed.
Common Shag in flight
In UK coastal waters, dive times are typically around 20-45 seconds, with a recovery time of around 15 seconds between dives; this is consistent with aerobic diving, i.e. the bird depends on the oxygen in its lungs and dissolved in its bloodstream during the dive. When they dive, they jump out of the water first to give extra impetus to the dive.
It breeds on coasts, nesting on rocky ledges or in crevices or small caves. The nests are untidy heaps of rotting seaweed or twigs cemented together by the bird's own guano. The nesting season is long, begining in late February but some nests not starting until May or even later. Three eggs are laid. Their chicks hatch without down and so they rely totally on their parents for warmth, often for a period of two months before they can fly. Fledging may occur at any time from early June to late August, exceptionally to mid October.
The name shag is also used in the Southern Hemisphere for several additional species of cormorants.
There are three subspecies:
- Phalacrocorax aristotelis aristotelis - northwestern Europe (Atlantic Ocean coasts)
- Phalacrocorax aristotelis desmarestii - southern Europe, southwest Asia (Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea coasts)
- Phalacrocorax aristotelis riggenbachi - northwest African coast
The subspecies differ slightly in bill size and the breast and leg colour of young birds. Recent evidence suggests that birds on the Atlantic coast of southwest Europe are distinct from all three, and may be an as-yet undescribed subspecies (Yésou et al., Brit. Birds 98: 369-370, 2005).
Issue #279 -
Sidewinder
The Sidewinder is the most common name of a species (Crotalus cerastes) of highly nocturnal rattlesnake found in the southwestern United States. It is also called the horned rattlesnake.
Sidewinder, Crotalus cerastes
The sidewinder is named for its unusual form of movement across hot desert sands. It forms a letter-J shaped track as it moves via sidewinding, which allows it to move on the loose sand.
While the Sidewinder is venomous, its bite is not usually fatal to adult humans. However, the bite can cause severe systemic reactions and localized tissue death, and death is possible if the individual suffers an allergic reaction to the venom.
This snake is a pit viper, using its sensory pits to detect the infrared (heat) radiation of potential prey. The warhead and heat-seeking guidance system of the American-designed AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missile (which is named for the snake) parallel the snake's venom and these sensory organs.
There are various subspecies:
- Crotalus cerastes cerastes, Mojave Desert Sidewinder
- Crotalus cerastes cercobombus, Sonoran Desert Sidewinder
- Crotalus cerastes laterorepens, Colorado Desert Sidewinder
Issue #280 -
Salt Creek Tiger Beetle
The Salt Creek tiger beetle, Cicindela nevadica lincolniana, is a critically endangered subspecies of tiger beetle endemic to the saline wetlands of northern Lancaster County, Nebraska, adjacent to and immediately to the north of the city of Lincoln. It is a predatory insect, using its mandibles to catch other insects. The beetle is one of the rarest insects in North America; as of 2005, the total population is believed to be about 150 individuals.
Salt Creek tiger beetle, Cicindela nevadica lincolniana
Physical description
The Salt Creek tiger beetle measures about 12 mm (0.5 in.) in length. The beetle has a metallic brown to dark olive green coloration, with a dark metallic green underside. Its body form and color pattern differs from other tiger beetle subspecies.
Life cycle
Little is known about the life cycle of the Salt Creek tiger beetle. Adults emerge around June 1 and disappear five or six weeks later; populations peak about two weeks after the beetles' initial emergence. After mating, the beetles lay eggs in sloping, muddy, saline soil.
Upon hatching, the larva constructs a burrow. The larva is a voracious feeder, capturing prey that wanders too close to the burrow. During the larval stage, the beetle will molt multiple times (the precise number is unknown, but most other tiger beetles have three larval stages). If a three-stage cycle does exist, it is likely that the Salt Creek tiger beetle spends over a year in the third larval stage.
The larva prepares for its pupation by digging a side chamber and sealing the burrow entrance.
Habitat
The beetle is found along the banks of Salt Creek and its tributaries and in the mud flats of saline marshes of northern Lancaster County. Its historical range is believed to have included similar habitat in extreme southern Saunders County. Much of this habitat has been degraded or destroyed by drainage of the salt marshes for agriculture or development and by runoff from surrounding farms and the city of Lincoln.
Conservation
Interest in the Salt Creek tiger beetle began with surveys conducted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the mid-1980s. These surveys indicated that the beetle was quite rare; an in-depth study of the beetle began in 1991. The beetle was added to the Nebraska endangered species lists in the 1990s. On October 6, 2005, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the beetle as an endangered species under the federal Endangered Species Act.
From 1991 to 2005, the number of sites containing Salt Creek tiger beetles has declined from six to three.
Conservation status: Critical
Issue #281
