An Animal A Day
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Moa
The moa were giant flightless birds of New Zealand. Ten species are known, of varying sizes, with the largest species, the Giant Moa (Dinornis robustus and Dinornis novaezelandiae), reaching about three metres (ten feet) in height and about 250 kilograms (550 pounds) in mass. They were the dominant herbivores in the forest ecosystem.
Moa became extinct around the year 1500. This is thought to be due to hunting and land clearance after humans arrived in the islands although another school of thought suggests that numbers were declining before the impact of humans. Before the arrival of humans, some moa were hunted by Harpagornis, the world's largest eagle which is also now extinct. The kiwi are regarded as moderately close relatives of the moa.
Although the indigenous Maori told European settlers tales about the huge birds which they called Moa, which had once roamed the flats and valleys, the widespread physical evidence that they had actually existed was never closely examined by early European settlers.
In 1839, John W. Harris, a Poverty Bay flax trader who was a natural history enthusiast, was given a piece of unusual bone by a Maori who had found it in a river bank. He showed the 15cm fragment of bone to his uncle, John Rule, a Sydney surgeon, who sent it to Richard Owen who at that time was working at the Hunterian Museum at the Royal Colllege of Surgeons in London. Owen became a noted biologist, anatomist and paleontologist at the British Museum.
Sir Richard Owen and Dinornis skeleton from The Book of Knowledge, The Grolier Society, 1911
Owen puzzled over the fragment for almost four years. He established it was part of the femur of a big animal, but it was uncharacteristically light and honeycombed.
Owen announced to a skeptical scientific community and the world that it was from a giant extinct bird like an ostrich, and named it "Dinornis". His deduction was ridiculed in some quarters but was proved correct with the subsequent discoveries of considerable quantities of moa bones throughout the land, sufficient to construct skeletons of the birds.
Although dozens of species were described in the late 19th and early 20th century, many were based on partial skeletons and turned out to be synonyms. More recent research, based on DNA recovered from museum collections, suggest that there were only ten species, including two giant moa. The giant moa seems to have had sexual dimorphism, with females being much larger than males; so much bigger that they were formerly classified as separate species.
In July 2004, the Natural History Museum in London placed on display the moa bone fragment Owen had first examined, to celebrate 200 years since his birth, and in memory of Owen as founder of the museum.
Though there is no reasonable doubt that the Moa is extinct, there has been occasional speculation that some may still exist in deepest south-westland, a rugged wilderness in the South Island. Cryptozoologists and others reputedly continue to search for them, but none have ever been found, and some might regard such efforts as pseudoscience. In 1993, two people claimed to have seen a bird they suspect was a Moa, but their report was largely dismissed as a hoax.
Conservation status: Extinct (c. 1500)
Issue #19 -
MOA ??
dontknow ...
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to know more animals, come here often <Originally posted by SGpork:MOA ??
dontknow ... > -
ok
mr pct -
Airedale Terrier
The Airedale Terrier (often shortened to "Airedale") is a large and versatile terrier dog breed originating from the Aire valley in Yorkshire, England. It is often called the "King of Terriers" because it is the largest of the terrier breeds, 50 to 70 pounds (23-32 kg). The Airedale was bred originally to hunt otters. It was also called a "Waterside Terrier" because of this connection to hunting otters.
Airedale Terrier
Appearance
The Airedale coat
Like many terriers, it has a 'broken' coat, which requires regular hand stripping to maintain the coat and distinctive square terrier shape. A broken coat is a harsh, wiry topcoat with a soft, fur-like undercoat. Broken-coated breeds do not shed their coats as much as smooth coated breeds, and are therefore less likely to cause allergic reactions in people prone to dog allergies.
Stripping is the correct process for grooming an Airedale, using a small serrated edged knife to pull out loose hair from the dog's coat. Airedales who aren't being shown are often clipped with electric clippers. This process, while easier on the dog and the groomer, softens the coat and fades the color, and sometimes causes skin allegies for the dog. This is because the loose hair that would normally moult is cut, so the roots remain within the hair follicles.
The correct coat color is a black saddle, with a rich tan head, ears and legs; or a dark grizzle saddle (black mixed with gray and white). Both are acceptable in the AKC breed standard.
Tail
The Airedale's tail is usually docked (surgically shortened) within five days of birth, but this is not a requirement of breed standard authorities. However, to show an Airedale in the United States, the tail is expected to be docked.
This Airedale's tail is natural (undocked).
History of the Airedale
The Airedale was extensively used in World War One to carry messages to soldiers behind enemy lines and occupying the trenches. They were also used extensively by the Red Cross to find wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Their courage and stalwart character in the face of danger was legendary. In fact, the German designation for an Airedale is "Kriegshund" which means "War dog". Before the adoption of the German Shepherd as the dog of choice for law enforcement and search and rescue work, the Airedale terrier often filled this role.
Airedale temperament and character
The Airedale can also be used as a working dog and also as a hunter and retriever. However, he is typically an independent (stubborn), strong-minded dog with a great sense of humour. For those who can laugh along with their Airedale, patience will be rewarded as they have been known to reach great heights in competitive obedience, dog agility, and Schutzhund. He is also a reliable and protective family pet.
Health
The Airedale is relatively free of inherited diseases except for hip dysplasia in some lines. He usually lives for around twelve years, but has been know to last until the age of seventeen.
Country of origin: Great Britain (England)
Issue #20 -
cute dog
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Przewalski's Horse
Przewalski's Horse (Equus przewalskii or E. caballus przewalskii), also known as the Mongolian Wild Horse, or Takhi, is the closest living relative of the Domestic Horse and may in fact be the same species. (Authorities differ about the correct classification.) The two are the only equids that can cross-breed and produce fertile offspring.
Przewalski's Horse, Equus przewalskii
As of 2002, the world population of these horses is about 1,000, all descended from approximately 15 captured around 1,900 and bred in zoos. The wild population in Mongolia died out in the 1960s; captive-bred horses were returned to the wild starting in 1992. The area to which they have been reintroduced became Hustai National Park in 1998. Three of these horses now graze in a 12 acre (49,000 m²) paddock in the Clocaenog Forest in North Wales, UK, on the site of a former Neolithic/Iron Age settlement. The Forestry Commission hopes they will help recreate scenes from the Iron Age when these horses first roamed free in the woods.
Przewalski's Horse is stockily built in comparison to domesticated horses, with shorter legs. Typical length is about 2.1 metres (7 feet) with a 90 cm (3 foot) tail. They weigh around 350 kilograms (770 lb). The coat varies from dark brown around the mane (which stands erect) to pale brown on the flanks and yellowish-white on the belly.
In the wild, Przewalski's Horses live in social groups consisting of a dominant male, several mares, and their offspring. Each group has a well-defined home range; within the range, the herd travels between three and six miles a day, spending time grazing, drinking, using salt licks, dozing, and taking mud baths. At night, the herd clusters and sleeps for about four hours.
Fillies leave their natal groups around age 2, and look for a herd to join, after which they will begin to breed. Colts are driven out when they are about three years old, and spend a year or two in small bachelor herds, practicing fighting. At around age 5, a stallion will try to pass on his genes by attempting to take over an existing herd, stealing one or more mares from another stallion's harem, or gathering unattached fillies.
The horse is named after General Nikolaï Mikhaïlovitch Prjevalski (1839–1888) who was also an explorer and naturalist.
Conservation status: Extinct in the Wild
Issue #21 -
The animal kingdom is organised into evolution trees. it goes:
Kingdom --> Superphylum --> Phylum --> Subphylum --> Superclass --> Class --> Subclass --> Order --> Family --> Genus --> Species.
so humans are:
Animialia Chordata Vertebrata Gnathostomata Mammilia Placental Carnivora Primate Homo Sapien.
what a mouth full....
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i want fire horse..
not this -
Red-billed Hornbill
Hornbills are a family of tropical near-passerine birds found in the Old World.
The Red-billed Hornbill (Tockus erythrorhynchus) is a common resident breeder in much of sub-Saharan Africa. During incubation, the female lays three to six white eggs in a tree hole, which is blocked off with a cement made of mud, droppings and fruit pulp. There is only one narrow aperture, just big enough for the male to transfer food to the mother and the chicks.
Red-billed Hornbill, Tockus erythrorhynchus
When the chicks and the female are too big to fit in the nest, the mother breaks out and rebuilds the wall, then both parents feed the chicks.
This species has mainly whitish underparts and head and grey upperparts. It has a long tail and a long curved red bill which lacks a casque. Sexes are similar, but the female has a smaller bill. It is a large bird, at 42cm in length, but is one of the smaller hornbills.
This species is omnivorous, taking insects fruit and seeds. It feeds mainly on the ground and will form flocks outside the breeding season.
This conspicuous bird also advertises its presence with its noisy accelerating "tok-tok-tok-toktoktok" call.
Issue #22 -
Anaconda
Anacondas are three species of aquatic boa inhabiting the swamps and rivers of the dense forests of tropical South America.
An anaconda in South America
Two species are well-known:
-- The Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus), which has been reported at up to 10 metres in length (although most are considerably smaller). Although shorter than the longest recorded species, the Reticulated Python, it is considerably heavier. In fact, it is the heaviest snake species in existence. It can weigh 250 kg and have a girth of more than 30 cm in diameter. Females are larger than males. These are found mainly in northern South America, in Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, northern Bolivia, northeast Peru, Guyana, and Trinidad.
-- The Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), which reaches a relatively smaller maximum length of 3 metres. These live further south in Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, western Brazil, and northeast Argentina.
The third lesser known species is:
-- The Dark-Spotted or Deschauense's Anaconda (Eunectes deschauenseei) found in northeast Brazil.
Eunectes murinus (formerly called Boa murina) differs from Boa by the snout being covered with shields instead of small scales, the inner of the three nasal shields being in contact with that of the other side. The general colour is dark olive-brown, with large oval black spots arranged in two alternating rows along the back, and with smaller white-eyed spots along the sides. The belly is whitish, spotted with black. The anaconda combines an arboreal with an aquatic life, and feeds chiefly upon birds and mammals, mostly during the night. It lies submerged in the water, with only a small part of its head above the surface, waiting for any suitable prey, or it establishes itself upon the branches of a tree which overhangs the water or the track of game.
Like almost all boas, anacondas give birth to live young.
Anacondas have a reputation for bad temperament; that plus the massive size of the green species mean that anacondas are comparatively less popular as pets than other boas.
Issue #23 -
Common toad
The Common toad or European toad (Bufo bufo) is widespread throughout Europe, with the exception of Ireland and some Mediterranean islands. Its easterly range extends to Irkutsk in Siberia and its southerly range includes parts of northwestern Africa in the northern mountains of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia.
Common toad, Bufo bufo
Adults can grow to 18 cm (7 in) and their skin has a warty appearance and ranges from green to brown. As a defense against predators they secrete a toxic, foul tasting substance (bufagin). This is enough to deter many predators although grass snakes and hedgehogs are immune. Although the adults spend most of their time on land the females enter ponds and other still water to lay their eggs, toadspawn, which can be distinguished from the spawn of the common frog as it forms strings rather than than a large mass of eggs. Eggs are laid in the spring, with the females attempting to return to the water in which they were born. The young tadpoles resemble other tadpoles in their appearance except that toadpoles have a larger, rounder blacker head and shorter tail.
Common toads eat invertebrates such as insects, larvae, spiders, slugs and worms, which they catch on their sticky tongues. Larger toads may also take slow worms, small grass snakes and harvest mice, which are swallowed alive. Toads generally hunt at night, and are most active in wet weather.
In Great Britain many toads are killed on the roads while migrating to their breeding grounds, in some places special tunnels have been constructed so they can cross under roads and local wildlife groups run toad patrols carrying them across busy crossing points in buckets.
Toads have a long association with European witchcraft, as familiars and ingredients in potions.
Adult (female), Vitinia (Roma), Italy
Adult (male), Manziana (Roma), Italy
Issue #24 -
Asian long-horned beetle
The Asian long-horned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) is native to China and Korea where it causes widespread mortality of poplar, willow, elm, and maple throughout vast areas of eastern Asia.
Asian long-horned beetle, Anoplophora glabripennis
The bettle is shown on a cross-section of a tree it has damaged, creates large holes that inhibit the vascular system and ultimately kill the tree.
Asian longhorned beetles are big, showy insects: shiny and coal black with white spots. Adults are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. On their head is a pair of very long antennae that are alternately ringed in black and white. The antennae are longer than the insect's body.
An invasive species in the United States, the larva of this beetle has a voracious appetite for wood. It is especially damaging to maple trees: Norway, sugar, silver, and red maple are among its preferred foods. The species also feeds on horse-chestnut, poplar, willow, elm, mulberry, and black locust. Females of this species chew into the bark and lay eggs. When the eggs hatch, the immature beetles, which look like big white worms, chew their way farther into the tree. When they mature, the full-grown beetles chew their way out of the tree. The beetle life cycle leaves trees riddled with holes, oozing sap. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) believes this beetle can probably survive and reproduce in most sections of the country where suitable host trees exist.
At the Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Laboratory in Newark, Delaware, Asian longhorned beetle larvae are maintained on cuttings made from twigs of various tree species.
Issue #25 -
Atlantic herring
The Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) is the most abundant fish species of the world, living in large schools (swarm). Growing up to 45 centimeters in length and more than half a kilogram in weight, they feed on copepods, krill and small fish and are food for seals, whales, cod and other larger fish.
Adult Atlantic herring, Clupea harengus
The Atlantic herring fishery has long been an important part of the economy of New England and the Canadian Maritime provinces, because the fish congregates relatively near the coast in massive schools, notably in the cold waters of the semi-enclosed Gulf of Maine and Gulf of St. Lawrence. North Atlantic herring schools have been measured up to 4 cubic kilometers in size, containing an estimated 4 billion fish.
Looping underwater video of a school on its migration to their spawning grounds in the Baltic. With such high speeds, they can migrate over thousands of kilometers. In the North Atlantic they cruise between Norway and Greenland every year.
A typical school of herring heads to shore during mating season, usually during the fall. Each female lays from 50,000 to 90,000 eggs, which sink to the ground and stick to it via an adhesive covering.
Schools can on calm days sometimes be detected at the surface from more than a mile distance, by the little waves they form, or from a few meters at night, when they trigger bioluminescence of surrounding plankton ("firing"). All underwater recordings show herring constantly cruising with high speeds up to 108 cm per second, and much higher escape speeds.
Slow motion macrophotography video (50% timelag, looping, each image shifted to compensate the rolling microturbulences from the waves) of feeding juvenile herring (38 mm) on copepods - the fish approach from below and catch each copepod individually. In the middle of the image a copepod escapes successfully to the left.
In this sequence a herring attacks four times in a row (50% timelag, looping, each image shifted to compensate the rolling microturbulences from the waves). In the third attack the copepod is visible between the wide opened sides of the mouth. The opercula are spread wide open to compensate the pressure wave which would alert the copepod to trigger a jump.
If prey concentrations reach very high levels, like in microlayers, at fronts or directly below the surface, herring ram forwards with wide open mouth and far expanded opercula over several feet, then closing and cleaning the gill rakers for a few milliseconds ("sift feeding" or "filter feeding").
Spawning herring. There is at least one herring stock spawning in any one month of the year, each race having a different spawning time and place (spring, summer, autumn and winter herrings) in 0 to 5 m off Greenland down to 200 m in autumn (bank) herrings of the North Sea. Eggs are laid on the sea bed, on rock, stones, gravel, sand or beds of algae. " .. the fish were darting rapidly about, and those who have opportunity to see the fish spawning in more shallow water ... state that both males and females are in constant motion, rubbing against one another and upon the bottom, apparently by pressure aiding in the discharge of the eggs and milt" (Moore at Cross Island, Maine).
Herring eggs. A female herring may deposit from 20,000 up to 40,000 eggs, according to her age and size, averaging about 30,000. In sexually mature herrings, the genital organs are so large just before spawning commences that they make up about one-fifth of the total weight of the fish.
Eggs attached to algae. The eggs sink to the bottom, where they stick in layers or clumps to gravel, seaweeds or stones, by means of their coating mucus, or to any other objects on which they chance to settle.
Freshly hatched herring larvae. The larvae are 5 to 6 mm long at hatching, with a small yolk sac that is absorbed by the time a length of 10 mm is reached. Only the eyes are well pigmented (a camera works only with a black housing) the rest of the body is as transparent as possible, and virtually invisible under water and natural luminance conditions.
The dorsal fin is formed at 15 to 17 mm, the anal fin at about 30 mm - the ventral fins are visible and the tail becomes well forked at 30 to 35 mm - at about 40 mm the little fish begins to look like a herring.
Adult herring
Issue #26 -
Sea angel
Sea angels are small pteropod mollusks of the suborder Gymnosomata. Their feet have developed into wing-like appendages (parapodia) and their shells have been lost, both adaptations made to suit their free-swimming oceanic lives. These adaptations also explain the common name sea angel and the New Latin name of the order; from gymnos meaning "naked" and soma meaning "body." Within the order are approximately eight families and 17 genera.
Sea angel, Clione limacina
Also known as gymnosomes, sea angels belong to the Orthogastropoda a subclass of Gastropoda (snails and slugs) which includes nudibranchs. The other suborder of pteropods, Thecosomata, are superficially similar but not closely related. They have larger, broader parapodia, most species retaining a shell, and are known commonly as sea butterflies.
Sea angels are gelatinous, mostly transparent and very small, with the largest species (Clione limacina) reaching 5 cm. Clione limacina is a polar species; those found in warmer waters are far smaller. Some species of sea angel feed exclusively on sea butterflies; the angels have terminal mouths with the radula common to mollusks, and tentacles to grasp their prey, sometimes with suckers similar to cephalopods. Their "wings" allow sea angels to swim much faster than the larger (usually fused) wings of sea butterflies. Other species of sea angel feed mostly on zooplankton.
Another large polar species of sea angel, Clione antarctica, defends itself from predators by synthesizing a previously unknown molecule, named pteroenone. As predators will not eat the sea angel some animals, such as amphipods, take up home inside them. Local population density of Clione antarctica may reach claustrophobic levels; up to 300 animals per cubic metre have been recorded.
Slowly beating their parapodia, sea angels gracefully fly through the upper 20 metres of the water column. Although usually slow-moving, they are capable of surprising bursts of speed. The animals are simultaneous hermaphrodites, fertilization occurring internally. A gelatinous egg mass is released during spawning, the eggs floating freely until hatching. Their embryonic shells are lost within the first few days after hatching.
Issue #27 -
Harpagornis
The Harpagornis or Haast's eagle (Harpagornis moorei) was a massive New Zealand eagle and the largest bird of prey known to have lived. It is believed that Maori called it Pouakai or Hokioi.
Artist's rendition of Harpagornis (Harpagornis moorei) attacking moas
Female Harpagornis weighed 10 to 14 kilograms (22 to 30 pounds) and males 9 to 10 kilograms. They had a wingspan of about 3 meters which is short for a bird of that weight but which allowed them to hunt in forests. It preyed on large, flightless birds species including moa up to 15 times its weight. It attacked moa at speeds up to 80 kilometers per hour (50 mph), seizing a moa by the pelvis with the talons of one foot and killing it with a blow to the head or neck with a talon of the other foot. In the absence of other large predators or scavengers, Harpagornis could have fed on a single large kill over a number of days.
Early human settlers in New Zealand (Maori arrived about 1000 years ago) also preyed heavily on large, flightless birds and hunted some of them, including all the moa species, to extinction. The Harpagornis became extinct along with its prey. It may also have been hunted itself by humans: a large, fast bird of prey that specialized in hunting large bipeds may have been perceived as a threat by Maori.
In effect, birds occupied all positions in the New Zealand animal ecology. Moa filled a grazing niche occupied elsewhere by deer or cattle, and the harpagornis occupied the same niche as carnivorous hunters such as wolves, leopards or tigers. For this reason, they have sometimes been termed leopard eagles.
DNA analysis has shown that it is most closely related to the small Little Eagle and Booted Eagle, and not, as previously thought, to the large Wedge-tailed Eagle. Harpagornis may have diverged from the small eagles about one million years ago. Its increase in weight by 10 to 15 times in that period is the greatest and fastest evolutionary increase in weight of any known vertebrate. This was made possible by the presence of large prey and the absence of competition from other large predators.
This bird was first classified by Julius von Haast, who named it Harpagornis moorei after George Henry Moore, the owner of the Glenmark Estate where the bones of the bird had been found.
Conservation status: Extinct (c 1500)
Issue #28 -
Somali
The Somali is a long-haired breed of cat. The breed appeared spontaneously in the 1950s from Abyssinian breeding programs when a number of Abyssinian kittens were born with bottle-brush tails and long fluffy coats. Abyssinians and Somalis share the same personality (active, intelligent, playful, curious) and appearance. The only difference between them is the fur length and therefore the amount of grooming required. Unlike most long-haired cats, Somalis shed very little excess hair. Their coat is generally shed en masse, or "blown", once or twice a year, rather than constantly shedding like a Persian or other long-haired cat.
A blue Somali
Somalis have a striking, bushy tail, which, combined with their ruddy coat, has earned them the nickname of "fox cats" in some circles. Their coats are ticked, which is a variation on tabby markings, and some Somalis may show full tabby stripes on portions of their bodies, but this is seen as a flaw, and tabby Somalis are only sold as neutered pets. The only tabby marking on a show Somali is the traditional tabby 'M' on the middle of the forehead. Like Abyssinians, they have a dark rim around their eyes that makes them look like they are wearing kohl, and they have a small amount of white on their muzzles and chins/throats. White elsewhere on their bodies disqualifies them from show-status.
A brown Somali
Country of origin: United States
Issue #29 -
Narwhal
The Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is an Arctic species of cetacean similar in size and shape to a dolphin. It is rarely found south of latitude 70°N. It is one of two species of whale in the Monodontidae family (the other is the beluga). It is possibly also related to the Irrawaddy Dolphin.
Narwhal, Monodon monoceros
The name "narwhal" is derived from the Old Norse words for 'corpse' and 'whale' to describe the mottled white and grey colouring of the skin of the adult.
Physical description
The conspicious characteristic of male Narwhals is their extraordinary long tusk which projects from the left side of their jaws and has a clockwise-oriented spiralled ridge. The tusk can be up to 3m long (compared with a body length of 4-5m) and weigh up to ten kilograms. One in 500 males has two tusks.
Two Narwhal tusks from the same animal. This is unusual.
The purpose of the tusk has been the subject of much debate. Early scientific theories supposed that the tusk was used to pierce the ice covering the Narwhal's Arctic Sea habitat. Others suggested the tusk was used in echolocation. Nowadays scientists believe the tusk is primarily used for showmanship and for dominance - those males with the largest tusk are most likely to successfully attract a mate. Like the tusks of elephants, Narwhal tusks do not regrow if they break off.
Male Narwhals weigh up to 1.5 tons, the female no more than a ton. Most of the body is pale with brown speckles in colour, though the neck, head and edges of the flippers and fluke are nearly black. Older animals are usually more brightly colored than younger animals.
Behaviour
These are quick, active mammals which feed mainly on species of cod that reside under ice-enclosed seas. In some areas their diet however seems to have adapted to feed on squid.
Narwhals normally congregrate in groups of about 5-10 in number. Sometimes several of these groups might come together, particularly in summer when they congregate on the same coast. Males use their tusks for jousting to establish a social hierarchy.
Narwhals are deep-divers. During a typical deep dive the animal will descend at two metres per second for eight to ten minutes, reaching a depth of upto 1000 m, spend perhaps a couple of minutes at depth before returning to the surface. The deepest recorded is 1164 m. Typical dive times are twenty minutes, with twenty five minutes recorded in exceptional cases.
Population and distribution
The Narwhal is found predominantly in the Atlantic and Russian areas of the Arctic. Individuals are commonly recorded in the northern part of Hudson Bay, Hudson strait, Baffin Bay, off the east coast of Greenland and in a strip running east from the northern end of Greenland round to eastern Russia (170° E). Land in this strip includes Svalbard, Franz Joseph Land and Severnaya Zemlya. The northernmost sightings of Narwhal have occurred north of Franz Joseph Land, at about 85°N.
Narwhal range
Estimates of population have concentrated on the fjords and inlets of Northern Canada and western Greenland. Aerial surveys suggest a population of around 40,000 individuals. When submerged animals are also taken into account, the true figure may be in excess of 50,000.
Narwhals are a migratory species. In summer months they move closer to coasts. As the winter freeze begins they move away from shore, and reside in densely-packed ice - surviving in leads and small holes in the ice. As spring comes these leads open up into channels and the whale returns to the coastal bays.
The summer (solid) and winter (striped) distributions of the Narwhal
Narwhal myths
The Narwhal remained an animal of legend until the 19th century. Their high north habitat was not visited by Europeans until that time - stories of their existence only reached the mainstream scientific community through those trading with Inuit hunters.
In even earlier times, the Narwhal gave rise to the legend of the unicorn in the middle ages. During that time Narwhal tusks (usually found washed-up on northern shores) were believed to have come from a horse-like creature that had healing powers; however, according to the legend, the creature was a wild beast that could only be captured by offering a virgin as sacrificial bait.
Through contact with Inuit in the seventeenth century the aquatic nature of the unicorn was discovered, from whence its legend as a sea monster flourished.
Predation and conservation
The main predators are Polar Bears, Orcas and Walruses. Some Inuit hunt this species. In Greenland, traditional hunting methods are used, but high-speed boats and rifles are frequently used in northern Canada.
Issue #30 -
Figbird
The Figbird (Sphecotheres viridis) is a conspicuous and very common medium-sized passerine bird native to Indonesia, New Guinea, northern and eastern Australia, and the islands nearby.
Figbird, Sphecotheres viridis
Unlike most orioles, figbirds are gregarious, forming flocks of 20 to 40 birds during the non-breeding season, and breeding in small colonies, often making with a number of nests in a small area.
Juvenile and female figbirds are drab coloured, looking rather like olive-backed orioles, but the males have conspicuous bright green or yellow plumage and an unmistakable parch of bare red skin around the eye. In the southern part of their range—from around Sydney north to about Proserpine—male figbirds are a rather bright olive-green, becoming brighter and more yellow further north, culminating with the birds of the tropical north, which are almost pure golden-yellow.
Female and male figbirds, Daintree, Queensland.
Issue #31 -
Red-eared Terrapin
The Red-eared Terrapin (Trachemys scripta elegans), called the Red-eared Slider in the US, is native to the southern United States, and has become common in the UK.
It is a medium-sized aquatic animal similar in appearance and coloration to a tortoise, ranging in size from 2 cm (0.8 in) when born to 40 cm (16 in) as an adult, and is recognised by a red stripe down each side of the head. They are almost totally aquatic, only leaving the water to bask on hot sunny days, and they hibernate over the winter at the bottom of ponds or shallow lakes where they enter a state of torpor. Feeding on vegetation, insects and small fish, they are reasonably widespread in the UK, being more active during hot weather. They will tolerate other species in their habitat, but will quickly dive underwater when approached, making them difficult to catch.
A female Red-eared Terrapin, Trachemys scripta elegans
Red-eared terrapins are not native to the British Isles, but have become common in most areas due to widespread release of imported pets by the public. People should realise that terrapins in captivity need a lot of care, as they can live to over 40 years old. They have a strong bite, resulting in injuries that should be seen by medical staff as soon as possible; and they may carry some diseases. They are not thought to be breeding in the UK, as the mean summer temperature is too low. However, there is some possibility that if temperatures rise by a few degrees breeding could start. Recent news (2001) from a reptile specialist in the South (near Southampton) is that terrapin nests and eggs were found last year, but no hatchlings were found.
It is easy to determine the sex of an individual older than about a year. Males have longer front claws and a longer, thicker tail. Males also tend to have a concave ventral shell as compared to that of females. When full grown, females are also significantly larger than males.
There is a European turtle species, the European Pond Turtle (Emys orbicularis), similar in shape, size, and habit to the Red-eared Terrapin, but with a more rounded head. This species is not found in the UK, but is common in central and southern Europe. Red-eared terrapins are members of the order Testudines, which contains nearly 250 species. In the United States, members of this genus are usually referred to as turtles. However, in the UK they are split into Turtles (aquatic), Tortoises (land), and Terrapins (semi-aquatic).
Issue #32 -
Greater Siren
The Greater Siren (Siren lacertina) is an eel-like amphibian. There is some debate over whether it is a true salamander. The largest, of the Sirens, they can grow from 48-97 centimeters in length. They range in color from a dark green-brown to almost black, and have a lighter grey or yellow underbelly. Younger Sirens also have a light stripe along their side, which goes away with age. They have large gills and no hind legs. The front legs, each with four toes, are so small that they can be hidden in the gills.
Greater Siren, Siren lacertina
The Greater Siren is generally carnivorous and eats worms, insects, snails, and small fish, although they have also been observed to eat vegitation. They have a Lateral line sense organ for finding prey.
They live from Washington D.C. to Florida. Females lay eggs between February and March, as many as to 500. The eggs hatch two months later. The method of egg fertilization is currently unknown.
Issue #33 -
Emperor Gum Moth
The Emperor Gum Moth (Opodiphthera eucalypti) is a species native to Australia, and can be easily found in all the states except for Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania.
A female Emperor Gum Moth, Opodiphthera eucalypti
Eggs
The eggs are laid on a leaf either singly or several in a row. They are pale cream in color and are approximately 2 mm in length. The eggs are usually laid on native eucalyptus trees but are sometimes found on introduced species such as the peppercorn, silver birch, liquidamber and apricot trees. They hatch between 7-10 days after being laid.
The eggs of the Emperor Gum Moth
Caterpillars
Caterpillars can usually be found on young adult leaves between October and March (the Australian Spring and Summer). When the caterpillars hatch they are black with short hairs on top of little nodes on their bodies called tubercles. The hairs are not poisonous and will not sting. As the caterpillars mature they change color each time the shed their skin (which totals to 5 stages in the caterpillars appearance). By the final stage before pupation the caterpillars have develop striking coloration, having a yellow/cream stripe down their bright green/blue body and nodes of red and blue. Despite this they are still surprisingly hard to spot. The caterpillar stage in the Emperor Gum Moths life cycle can last for many weeks, depending on the temperature and weather conditions.
The Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar at the 5th development stage, distinguished from 4th stage by its green underside.
Cocoon
When the caterpillar is fully mature it spins a dark brown silken cocoon on a branch which usually has a leaf to protect it with. The moth usually emerges from the cocoon the following year (in Spring or early Summer) but depending on weather conditions can stay in the cocoon from anywhere between 2 and 5 years. One case has even been record of a moth emerging out of the cocoon after 10 years! When the metamorphosis is complete, the adult moth regurgitates a fluid to soften the tough cocoon and then cuts a hole using sharp hooks on the base of each forewing. After this is done, the moth emerges and rests while its wings dry and expand.
The Emperor Gum Moth in its tough brown cocoon.
Adult Moth
The Emperor Gum Moth does not feed after it emerges from the cocoon, relying solely on the energy they stored as caterpillars. Their adult life span is limited to a couple of short weeks in which they mate, lay eggs and die. The moths, like the caterpillars, are very striking. The Emperor Gum Moth is a very large moth, having a wingspan of 120 mm-150 mm. Females are generally larger than males. The furry wings and body are multi colored, but are in overall tones of pale reddish/brown. The wings are decorated with four prominent ‘eyes’ and various other markings in a symmetrical formation. The antennae of the males are feathery, while the females are thinner and with less hairs.
An adult male Emperor Gum Moth
The Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar eggs after the caterpillars have hatched and partially eaten the leaf. The eggs capsules are tough remain long after the caterpillars have gone. Caterpillars can be seen in the background.
The Emperor Gum Moth caterpillars at the 2nd stage of their growth.
The Emperor Gum Moth caterpillars at the second and third stage in their growth. Black coloured caterpillar is the 2nd stage, and the larger yellow colored caterpillar is a young 3rd stage caterpillar.
The Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar in its 4th stage. Its recently shed 3rd stage skin is visible beside it.
The Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar feeding on a eucalyptus leaf.
The Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar at the 4th development stage.
The bright blue/green top of an Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar.
The underside of an Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar.
The Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar's strong rear grip.
The Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar spinning its silken cocoon on a eucalyptus twig.
The Emperor Gum Moth caterpillar spinning its silken cocoon on a eucalyptus twig.
Issue #34 -
Yellowfin tuna
The yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) is a type of tuna eaten as food. It is found in open waters of tropical and subtropical seas worldwide, though not in the Mediterranean Sea. It has been reported to be up to 239 cm in length and 200 kg in weight.
Yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares
The second dorsal fin and the anal fin are both bright yellow, thus the common name, and they are very long, as are the pectoral fins. The main body is very dark metallic blue, changing to silver on the belly, which also has about 20 vertical lines.
Yellowfins tend to school with fishes of the same size, including other species of tuna, and larger fish are often seen with porpoises, whales and whale sharks. Yellowfins eat other fish, crustaceans, and squid.
Commercial fisheries catch yellowfins with encircling nets, as well as with rod and reel. The fish are mainly sold in frozen or canned form, but are also popular as sashimi.
Issue #35 -
Blue crab
The Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is a small crustacean found in the waters off the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. There is also a blue crab on the island St. Francois, Seychelles. In its scientific name, calli is Greek for "beautiful", nectes for "swimmer", and sapidus is Latin for "savory".
Blue crab, Callinectes sapidus
The natural predators of the blue crab include eels, drum, spot, trout, some sharks, and cownose sting rays. The blue crab is an omnivore, eating both plants and other animals. Blue crabs typically consume thin-shelled bivalves, annelids, fish, plants and nearly any other item they can find, including carrion.
The Chesapeake Bay, shared by Maryland and Virginia, is famous for its blue crabs, and they are one of the most important economic items harvested from it. In 1993, the combined harvest of the blue crabs was around 100 million. Over the years the harvests of the blue crab dropped; in 2000, the combined harvest was around 45 million. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources has created stricter guidelines for harvesting blue crabs to help increase populations. These include raising the legal size from five to 5.25 inches and limiting the days and times they may be caught. While blue crabs remain a popular food in the Chesapeake Bay area, the bay is not capable of meeting local demand, so crabs are shipped in from North Carolina, Louisiana and Texas as well.
Most are eaten as hard-shell crabs, but they can be eaten unpeeled if caught just after molting, before the new shell has had time to harden. These are known as soft shell crabs. Blue crabs are extremely high in vitamin B12 with just three ounces of crab meat having a full daily allowance.
Male crabs are known as "jimmies", and females as "sooks".
The blue crab is the official Maryland State Crustacean, and the tourism slogan "Maryland is for Crabs" can be found on all manner of souvenir items in the state.
Male blue crab. Note his blue tipped claws.
Female blue crab. Note her "painted fingernails".
Issue #36 -
Stegosaurus
Stegosaurus was a large herbivorous dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of North America. It is among the most easily identifiable dinosaurs, owing to the distinctive double row of kite-shaped plates along the back and the four long spikes on the tail. Its name is derived from the plates, and means "roofed" or "covered lizard" in Greek. It is one of the most popular dinosaurs in children's fiction.
Fossil Stegosaurus skeleton at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC.
Characteristics
Stegosaurus is the largest stegosaur, and reached up to 9 meters (30 feet) in length, and 5,000 kg (5.5 short tons) in mass, though most species never exceeded 7 meters (23 feet), and about 2,000 kg (2 short tons).
The size of a Stegosaurus compared to a human
The largest plates, over the hips, were 60 centimeters (2 feet) wide and 60 centimeters tall. The arrangement of the plates has long been a subject of debate, but most scientists now agree that the plates form a pair of alternating rows down the back. The plates are highly modified osteoderms, or bony-cored scales, similar to those seen in crocodiles and many lizards.
The purpose of the plates is debated. Their large size suggests that they may have been used to increase the apparent height of the animal, to intimidate enemies or impress other members of the species. A recent theory is that they may have helped to control the temperature of the animal, much as elephants and jackrabbits do with their ears. The plates have blood vessels running through grooves in them. Wind flowing around the plates would have cooled the blood flowing through them. The tail appears simply to have acted as a weapon.
The skull of Stegosaurus was long and narrow, and its head was carried close to the ground, probably no higher than 1 meter (3 feet).
Relationships
Stegosaurus was a member of the armored dinosaurs, or Thyreophora. Relatives included the ankylosaurus and the nodosaurus.
In film
As one of the most recognizable dinosaurs, the Stegosaurus has seen its share of screen time. In the classic monster film, King Kong (1933), the first creature the band of rescuers meet as they chase the abducted Fay Wray deep into Skull Island is a roaring Stegosaurus, which behaves like an irritable rhinoceros, and charges. It eventually goes down under several fusillades of small arms fire.
A Stegosaurus in the forest
Conservation status: Fossil
Issue #37
