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Animal Adaptations Name:____________________________ Lesson Title: Animal Adaptations Page 1 of 2 Directions: Using the website below as a resource, fill in the name of each continent; list an animal from that continent; describe the climate in which the animal lives; and note three of the animal’s adaptations to its specific environment. Creature World: http://www.pbs.org/kratts/world/content.html Interesting Animal: Climate: Adaptations: 1. 2. 3. Interesting Animal: Climate: Adaptations: 1. 2. 3. Interesting Animal: Climate: Adaptations: 1. 2. 3. All rights reserved. Science NetLinks Student Sheets may be reproduced for educational purposes Animal Adaptations Name:____________________________ Lesson Title: Animal Adaptations Page 2 of 2 Interesting Animal: Climate: Adaptations: 1. 2. 3. Interesting Animal: Climate: Adaptations: 1. 2. 3. Interesting Animal: Climate: Adaptations: 1. 2. 3. All rights reserved. Science NetLinks Student Sheets may be reproduced for educational purposes Vertebrate List Small Mammals Medium Large Arctic Fox Beaver Blue Whale Koala Chimpanzee Giant Anteater Meerkat Coyote Hyena Mongoose Lynx Moose Opossum Porcupine Mountain Lion Vampire Bats Sun Bear Warthog Small Reptile Medium Large Flying Snake Boa Constrictor American Alligator Frilled Lizard Galapagos Tortoise Gila Monster Gavial (Gharial) Green Basilisk Komodo Dragon Lizard Loggerhead Sea Marine Iguana Turtle Web-footed Gecko Nile Crocodile Small Birds Medium Large Albatross California Condor Ostrich Arctic Skua Emperor Penguin Laughing Emu Kookaburra Osprey Peregrine Falcon Snowy Owl Small Amphibian Medium Large Poison Dart Frog Chinese Giant Red-Eyed Tree Salamander Frog Spotted Salamander Tiger Salamander Wallace’s Flying Frog Warty Newt Meerkat, Meerkat Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Meerkat Suricata suricatta Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Meerkat range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop A young meerkat nestles with its adult caretakers. Photograph by Mattias Klum Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/meerkat.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:23:04 AM] Meerkat, Meerkat Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Meerkat Profile Our Mission These gregarious animals are often seen in groups, and several families may live together in a large community. Squirrel-sized meerkats are mongooses famed for their upright posture. They often stand on their rear legs and gaze alertly over the southern African plains where they live. Mothers can even nurse their young while standing. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories Fast Facts Meerkats (also called suricates) work together in numbers. A few will typically serve as lookouts, watching the skies for birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles, that can snatch them from the ground. A sharp, shrill call is the signal for all to take cover. While a few individuals guard the group, the rest busy themselves foraging for the foods that make up their varied diet. Meerkats will eat insects, lizards, birds, and fruit. When hunting small game, they work together and communicate with purring sounds. Meerkats are good hunters and are sometimes tamed for use as rodent-catchers. Type: Mammal Diet: Omnivore Size: Head and body, 9.75 to 11.75 in (25 to 30 cm); Tail, 7.5 to 9.5 in (19 to 24 cm) Weight: Less than 2.2 lbs (1 kg) Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Meerkat groups utilize several different burrows and move from one to another. Each burrow is an extensive tunnel-and-room system that remains cool even under the broiling African sun. Females give birth Maps to two to four young each year in one of the group's burrows. Fathers Catalog Quick Shop and siblings help to raise meerkat young, teaching them to play and forage and alerting them to the ever-present danger from above. Young meerkats are so fearful of predatory birds that even airplanes Sign up for free will send them diving for cover. DVDs Newsletters Once a month get new photos and expert tips. Sign up advertisement Multimedia Meerkat Printable Factsheet Meerkat Features http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/meerkat.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:23:04 AM] Video: Meerkats vs. Puff Adder Adaptations of the Meerkat Adaptations of the Coolest Animal, the Meerkat The suricates have two black patches of fur, one covering each eye; which are about one centimeter in diameter. The black patches of fur, help them adapt to the sun in the desert, by keeping the burning sun out of their eyes and ears. They have pads on their feet to protect them from burning their feet. They are very social animals, living in groups. The benefit of living in groups are: more food, and tighter security. There are one or two sentries, usually on the look-out for predators coming near. The sentry, or sentries, warn the community, by a weak, dog bark vocalization, with their mouthes closed. By being small in size, meerkats can dig small burrows that they can run into from vicious, blood-thirsty, larger, predators. They kick up dirt, to blind a predator. They then team up and try to force the enemy away. The thin fur helps let the sun in and keeps the heat out They have sharp-hooked feet, that allow them to climb up rocks and dig in the dirt. http://www.sandi.net/roosevelt/meerkatadapt.html (1 of 2) [12/13/2008 10:26:27 AM] Adaptations of the Meerkat Their appetite for desert plants is because they want to conserve so much water in a very hot and dry biome. They build burrows to cool themselves, because it is so hot in the desert during the day. http://www.sandi.net/roosevelt/meerkatadapt.html (2 of 2) [12/13/2008 10:26:27 AM] Ostrich, Ostrich Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Ostrich Struthio camelus Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Travel & Cultures Video National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/ostrich.html (1 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:27:43 AM] Ostrich range advertisement Ostrich, Ostrich Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Our Mission Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Catalog Quick Shop Sign up for free Newsletters Once a month Portrait of an ostrich get new photos Photograph by Carsten Peter and expert tips. Sign up Ostrich Profile advertisement http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/ostrich.html (2 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:27:43 AM] Fast Facts Ostrich, Ostrich Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic The flightless ostrich is the world's largest bird. They roam African savanna and desert lands and get most of their water from the plants they eat. Though they cannot fly, ostriches are fleet, strong runners. They can sprint up to 43 miles (70 kilometers) an hour and run over distance at 31 miles (50 kilometers) an hour. They may use their wings as "rudders" to help them change direction while running. An ostrich's powerful, long legs can cover 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters) in a single stride. These legs can also be formidable weapons. Ostrich kicks can kill a human or a potential predator like a lion. Each two-toed foot has a long, sharp claw. Ostriches live in small herds that typically contain less than a dozen birds. Alpha males maintain these herds, and mate with the group's dominant hen. The male sometimes mates with others in the group, and wandering males may also mate with lesser hens. All of the group's hens place their eggs in the dominant hen's nest—though her own are given the prominent center place. The dominant hen and male take turns incubating the giant eggs, each one of which weighs as much as two dozen chicken eggs. Type: Bird Diet: Omnivore Average lifespan in the wild: 30 to 40 years Size: 7 to 9 ft (2.1 to 2.7 m) Weight: 220 to 350 lbs (100 to 160 kg) Group name: Herd Did you know? The ostrich has the largest eye of any land animal. Its eye measures almost two inches (five centimeters) across. Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand. The old saw probably originates with one of the bird's defensive behaviors. At the approach of trouble, ostriches will lie low and press their long necks to the ground in an attempt to become less visible. Their plumage blends well with sandy soil and, from a distance, gives the appearance that they have buried their heads in the sand. Ostriches typically eat plants, roots, and seeds but will also eat insects, lizards, or other creatures available in their sometimes harsh habitat. Special Advertising Sections Interactive Map Explore the signs of and solutions to the world’s water crisis. Download City Guides Check out the local hotspots with downloadable city guides. Get the Latest Headlines Make us your online news source. Read News Get Animal Pictures Multimedia Ostrich Printable Factsheet http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/ostrich.html (3 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:27:43 AM] Video: Jackal vs. Ostrich Eggs vs. Vulture Ostrich Info home | ads | info | gallery |thought | sitemap | links Ostrich Power Info The ostrich is too big to fly but has become so perfectly adapted to high-speed running that it is the fastest creature on two legs. At speeds of up to 70 km/h (44 mph), it can easily outstrip most enemies. Powerful legs, flexible knees and supple, two-toed feet are its adaptations for speed. The ostrich has lost its strong wing feathers, but the male has soft, curling plumes, once much in demand for fashionable hats and boas. Female birds are slightly smaller than males and have brownish plumage and off-white wings and tails. Juveniles are grayish-brown. Ostriches eat mostly plant matter but occasionally feed on small reptiles. They are nomadic, wandering in small groups in search of food. At breeding time, the male collects a harem of 2 to 5 females. One female scrapes a shallow pit in the ground in which to lay her eggs, and the rest of the harem probably uses the same nest. The eggs are the biggest laid by any bird -- the equivalent in volume of about 40 hen's eggs. The male bird takes over the incubation of the eggs at night and shares in the care of the young. http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/grasslnd/animals/ostrich.htm The ostrich is the world's largest living bird. The ostrich is a flightless bird, but it can run up to speeds of 40 mph. It can sustained this speed up to 30 minutes. The bird is indigenous to Africa and is not an endangered species. The ostrich is the only bird that has two toes on each foot. An ostrich reaches its breeding maturity at about three years of age. An ostrich can live to be about 70 years old. They can weigh from 250 to 400 pounds and stand 6 to 8 feet tall. A hen can lay from 10 to 70 eggs each year. Each egg weighs about three to four pounds and is about 6 inches in diameter. The gestation period is 42 days. An ostrich will yield 70 to 100 pounds of meat, two to four pounds of feathers, and 12-15 square feet of leather. Ostrich do not put their heads in the sand. Popularity The word ‘ostrich’ is the 24,638th most popular word in the English language. That’s way ahead of rival words like ‘orangutan’ at 62,318 or ‘ocelot’ at 78,206. The nearest rival to ‘ostrich’ is ‘bikini’ at 24,639 which, given the amount of porn around these days, is yet another remarkable achievement for our feathered siblings. (Verified by Word Count.) http://www.stevethepro.ukf.net/ostrichpower/info.htm (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:29:23 AM] Ostrich Info Fast Facts ● Common name: Ostrich ● Class: Aves ● Order: Struthioniformes ● Family: Struthionidae ● Genus species: Struthio (ostrich) camelus (camel-like) ● Size: approximate height 2.75 m (9 ft.) ● Weight: up to 156.5 kg (345 lb.) ● Description: largest living bird, males are jet black with white plumage and bright red or blue skin; females are fairly uniform in color, with earthy gray- brown plumage and skin color. ● Life span: around 40 years in managed situations, unknown in the wild ● Sexual maturity: 3 to 4 years ● Incubation: around 40 days ● Habitat: common in the wild in East Africa: in open country, desert areas, and dry savannah. ● Diet: bulk of food is vegetation, fruit, seeds, leaves, shoots, shrubs, succulent plants; also invertebrates, occasionally lizards, and other small vertebrates. Stones are ingested to aid in digestion. ● Status: Arabian and West African Ostrich listed as endangered by USFWS; specific populations are protected under CITES. Fun Facts One ostrich egg equals up to 24 chicken eggs. And it takes approximately 2 hours to boil! Ostriches can run up to 70 km/hr (40 mph) and can outpace most pursuers, such as lions, leopards, and hyenas. It is the largest and heaviest living bird. It is unable to fly and does not possess a keeled sternum (breastbone) common to most birds. Ostriches stretch out their neck and lay their head on the ground to keep from being seen, hence the myth that ostriches hide in the sand. Ostriches are so powerful that a single kick at a predator, such as a lion, could be fatal. A female ostrich shows a remarkable ability to recognize her own eggs even when mixed in with those of other females in their communal nest. http://www.stevethepro.ukf.net/ostrichpower/info.htm (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:29:23 AM] Ostrich Info Ecology and Conservation Humans have had a close relationship with ostrich for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians farmed ostrich and present day farming, which began in 1833,is run much the same way. Ostrich feathers have been used for adornment by humans for at least 5000 years and the eggs are still used by Bushmen as jewelry and receptacles for carrying water. Extensive hunting for feathers, meat, and skin coupled with overgrazing by domestic animals on their habitat has lead to the near extinction of the ostrich from the Middle East and North and South Africa. Although they are not globally threatened, the four subspecies of ostrich require strict protection and farming has helped to conserve the wild populations. Ostriches are a true dinosaur; they have been wandering the earth for at least 70 million years and possibly as many as 120 million years. http://www.ciwf.co.uk/Trust/FF/farmfacts%20ostriches.htm The ostrich is too big to fly but has become so perfectly adapted to high-speed running that it is the fastest creature on two legs. At speeds of up to 70 km/h (44 mph), it can easily outstrip most enemies. Powerful legs, flexible knees and supple, two-toed feet are its adaptations for speed. The ostrich has lost its strong wing feathers, but the male has soft, curling plumes, once much in demand for fashionable hats and boas. Female birds are slightly smaller than males and have brownish plumage and off-white wings and tails. Juveniles are grayish-brown. Ostriches eat mostly plant matter but occasionally feed on small reptiles. They are nomadic, wandering in small groups in search of food. At breeding time, the male collects a harem of 2 to 5 females. One female scrapes a shallow pit in the ground in which to lay her eggs, and the rest of the harem probably uses the same nest. The eggs are the biggest laid by any bird -- the equivalent in volume of about 40 hen's eggs. The male bird takes over the incubation of the eggs at night and shares in the care of the young. http://mbgnet.mobot.org/sets/grasslnd/animals/ostrich.htm http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/expltx/eft/dinocast/triassic.htm http://www.stevethepro.ukf.net/ostrichpower/info.htm (3 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:29:23 AM] Baboon, Baboon Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Baboon Papio anubis Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Baboon range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Olive baboons, like this mother and baby, are one of five baboon species. All live in Africa or Arabia. Photograph by Michael Nichols Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/baboon.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:30:44 AM] Baboon, Baboon Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Baboon Profile Our Mission There are five different species of baboons. All of them live in Africa or Arabia. Baboons are some of the world's largest monkeys, and males of different species average from 33 to 82 pounds (15 to 37 kilograms). Baboon bodies are 20 to 40 inches (60 to 102 centimeters) long, not including substantial tails of varying lengths. Baboons generally prefer savanna and other semi-arid habitats, though a few live in tropical forests. Like other Old World monkeys, baboons do not have prehensile (gripping) tails. But they can and do climb trees to sleep, eat, or look out for trouble. They spend much of their time on the ground. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Baboons are opportunistic eaters and, fond of crops, become destructive pests to many African farmers. They eat fruits, grasses, seeds, bark, and roots, but also have a taste for meat. They eat birds, rodents, and even the young of larger mammals, such as antelopes and sheep. Four baboon species (i.e., chacma, olive, yellow, and Guinea) are known as the savanna baboons. These animals form large troops, composed of dozens or even hundreds of baboons, governed by a Catalog Quick Shop complex hierarchy that fascinates scientists. Males use shows of physical power to dominate rivals, and troop members spend endless hours carefully grooming one another to remove insects and dead Sign up for free skin. Maps Newsletters Once a month get new photos and expert tips. A fifth species, the hamadryas baboon, lives in the hills along the Red Sea coasts of Africa and Arabia. These cliff-dwelling baboons disperse to forage during the day and reconvene in much smaller groups at night. Sign up advertisement Multimedia http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/baboon.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:30:44 AM] Fast Facts Type: Mammal Diet: Omnivore Average lifespan in the wild: 30 years Size: Head and body, 20 to 34 in (60 to 86 cm); Tail, 16 to 23 in (41 to 58 cm) Weight: 33 to 82 lbs (22 to 37 kg) Group name: Troop Did you know? Baboons use at least ten different and unique vocalizations to communicate with other members of the troop. Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Animal Bytes - Baboon Baboon Common Name: baboon Class: Mammalia Order: Primate Family: Cercopithecidae Genus species: Papio (baboon) cynocephalus (doglike face and head) FAST FACTS FUN FACTS ECOLOGY & CONSERVATION BIBLIOGRAPHY Fast Facts http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-byte...chordates/craniata/mammalia/primates/baboon.htm (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:31:55 AM] Animal Bytes - Baboon Description: Primate with course tan fur covering their body; face protrudes similar to a dog's muzzle Size: Head & body length = 60-72.5 cm (24-29 in) Tail length = 56-84 cm (22-34 in) Weight: Males = 27-44 kg (59-97 pds) Females = 14-17 kg (31-37 pds) Diet: Gestation: 6 months Sexual maturity: Males = 8-10 years Females = 4-5 years Life span: Average roughly 20-30 years Range: Sub-Sahara Africa Habitat: Savannas and arid zones Population: Status: CITES Appendix II as with all primates, not listed on USFWS RETURN TO TOP Fun Facts 1. Baboons have complex social structures with anywhere from 8 to 200 individuals per troop. They use at least 10 different vocalizations to communicate. 2. When traveling as a group, males will lead; females and young stay safe in the middle and less dominant males bring up the rear. 3. Highly opportunistic eaters, baboons will eat almost any food they come across including small mammals such as ground-nesting birds, hares, and even baby antelope. They will also eat roots, tubers, and even crustaceans or other marine life near the shore. http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-byte...chordates/craniata/mammalia/primates/baboon.htm (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:31:55 AM] Animal Bytes - Baboon 4. A baboon group's hierarchy is such a serious matter, some sub-species have developed interesting behaviors intended to avoid confrontation and retaliation. For example, males have frequently been documented using infants as a kind of "passport" for safe approach toward another male. One male will pick up the infant and hold it up as it nears the other male. This action often calms heated nerves and allows the former male to approach safely. 5. The swollen, colored genitalia on the females during estrous serves to attract potential mates during this fertile time. Experiments show males receptiveness toward females is directly correlated to the size of the swelling, regardless of the female's behavior. 6. With canines up to two inches long, adult males will take on just about any small predators. A lone male is able to intimidate and chase away an animal as large as a jackal. In fact, larger cats such as leopards are the only main predatorial threat (other than humans) and fierce dominant males will still gang up and harass such intruders until they retreat. 7. The difference between apes and monkeys is easy to spot once you know what to look for. Apes do not have a tail and are generally larger than most other primates. They have a more upright body posture as well. RETURN TO TOP Ecology and Conservation They are important in their natural environment not only serving as food for larger predators, but also aiding in seed dispersal due to their messy foraging habits. They are also efficient predators of smaller animals and their young, keeping some animals populations in check. Due to their extremely opportunistic lifestyle, baboons have been able to fill a tremendous number of different ecological niches, including places considered adverse to other animals such as regions taken over by human settlement. Thus, they are one of the most successful African primates and are not listed as threatened or endangered. However, the same behavioral adaptations that make them so successful also cause them to be considered pests by humans in many areas. Raids on farmer's crops and other such intrusions into human settlements have made baboons subject to organized extermination projects. It is important to remember however, that habitat loss is the driving force behind baboons' migration toward areas of human settlement. RETURN TO TOP Bibliography http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-byte...chordates/craniata/mammalia/primates/baboon.htm (3 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:31:55 AM] Parson's Chameleon: WhoZoo Chameleons: Masters of Disguise Name: Parsons Chameleon Scientific name: Chamaeleo parsonii Range: Eastern Madagascar http://whozoo.org/students/jefhar/Chameleon_2.htm (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:37:13 AM] Parson's Chameleon: WhoZoo Habitat: Rain forest Status: Not threatened Diet in the wild: Small insects Diet in the zoo:Small insects Location in the zoo: Herpetarium Physical description:The male Chameleon is slightly larger than the female, reaching up to 23.5 inches in length and exhibits a pair of blunt nasal horns on its snout. They have bulging eyes which allow them to see up to 360 degrees around them. They have unusual body shapes with rough skin and fascinating color changes. General information: The scientific name for the Parsons Chameleon is "Chamaeleo parsonii". True chameleons are members of the Old world Family Chamaeleonidae. There has been a great deal of discussion about the classification systems for the chameleons and there is no current model that is universally accepted.Chameleons are nonvenomous and primairly survive by eating small as well as large insects, and even small vertebrates. In captivity the chameleons' diet consists of large adult crickets and waxworms, usually called grubs. Chameleons live high in trees and are rarely ever on the ground. Their feet are designed for grabbing branches, therefore making them very clumsy and easily caught and eaten by awaiting predators if ever on the ground. Reproduction occurs once every two years, and the female produces 20 to 25 eggs per clutch. Incubation for this species takes longer than a year. As with other chameleons, once the babies are hatched from the amnionic egg, they are on their own. The parsons chameleon is one of four giant chameleon species, it ranks as the heaviest and possibly the largest of all the chameleon species. Temperatures in their environment are very mild, ranging from around 65 degrees F. at night to 85 degrees F. during the day. The life span is around seven years. The Fort Worth Zoo proudly holds the record for the longest kept chameleon in captivity, it lived up to four years. http://whozoo.org/students/jefhar/Chameleon_2.htm (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:37:13 AM] Parson's Chameleon: WhoZoo Special anatomical, physiological or behavioral adaptations: Chameleons have adapted the ability to change color for many reasons such as to regulate body temperature, communicate with other chameleons, and camouflage themselves against predators in their natural habitat. Their tongues can extend 1.5 times the length of their body, this allows them to grab food they otherwise would not be able to reach. Their globular, independent eyes help them to scan the area around them up to 360 degrees without having to move their heads. The chameleons feet are designed to grasp and hold branches. And last but certainly not least, the chameleons have developed the ability to drink water from licking the dew and rain droplets off of leaves. The drip system is the most common form of chameleon watering system. While in captivity at the Fort Worth Zoo, the zoo-keepers frequently mist the inside of the chameleon cage, keeping the leaves damp. Comments and observations related to the Chameleon of the Fort Worth Zoo. The chameleon has the ability to change color at any time in order to camouflage themselves aginst their predators in any environment, and to help regulate their body temperature, as reported above. The chameleon fascinates me more than any other reptile species due to the range of adaptations it has acquired for survival. There's not much movement from the animal, therefore its behavioral activity is difficult to observe. http://whozoo.org/students/jefhar/Chameleon_2.htm (3 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:37:13 AM] Parson's Chameleon: WhoZoo Current research: New classification systems are being designed upon the basis of lung structure, squamation, hemipenes, and other morphological structures. Latest research has discovered that chameleons are very delicate reptiles, therefore usually die while in captivity. They require extensive housing, special vitamin and mineral supplementation, exposure to UV lighting, a varied diet, and unusual watering in order to thrive in captivity. Since the UV output of most human-made full-spectrum lights do not provide the same UV exposure as the sun, additional supplementation is ESSENTIAL. Page author: Jeffrey M. Hart E-mail Jeff at [email protected] Sources and Links Fort Worth Zoo public display information, and employee interview. Internet information from Mike Fry Male Chameleon photo by Nigel Dennis WhoZoo Home Herp Index Animal Index http://whozoo.org/students/jefhar/Chameleon_2.htm (4 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:37:13 AM] Mountain Gorilla, Mountain Gorilla Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Mountain Gorilla Gorilla beringei beringei Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Travel & Cultures Video National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/mountain-gorilla.html (1 of 6) [12/13/2008 10:38:26 AM] Mountain Gorilla range advertisement Mountain Gorilla, Mountain Gorilla Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Our Mission Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Catalog Quick Shop Sign up for free Newsletters Once a month get new photos and expert tips. Male silverback mountain gorillas gain their distinctive silver tinge at about 13 years old, when they reach adulthood. Photograph by Michael Nichols Sign up advertisement http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/mountain-gorilla.html (2 of 6) [12/13/2008 10:38:26 AM] Mountain Gorilla, Mountain Gorilla Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Mountain Gorilla Profile Fast Facts There are roughly 700 mountain gorillas remaining on Earth, and nearly half live in the forests of the Virunga mountains in central Africa. These gorillas live on the green, volcanic slopes of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo—areas that have seen much human violence from which the gorillas have not escaped unscathed. Type: Mammal Many conservation initiatives are meant to aid mountain gorillas, and it is believed that their numbers may be steady or slowly increasing. Still they continue to face major threats from habitat loss and poaching. Weight: 300 to 485 lbs (135 to 220 kg) Mountain gorillas have longer hair and shorter arms than their lowland cousins. They also tend to be a bit larger than other gorillas. Diet: Omnivore Average lifespan in the wild: 35 years Size: Standing height, 4 to 6 ft (1.2 to 1.8 m) Group name: Troop or Band Protection status: Endangered Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Special Advertising Sections Interactive Map Explore the signs of and solutions to the world’s Gorillas can climb trees, but are usually found on the ground in communities of up to 30 individuals. These troops are organized according to fascinating social structures. Troops are led by one dominant, older adult male, often called a silverback because of the swath of silver hair that adorns his otherwise dark fur. Troops also include several other young males, some females, and their offspring. water crisis. The leader organizes troop activities like eating, nesting in leaves, and moving about the group's 0.75-to-16-square-mile (2-to-40-squarekilometer) home range. hotspots with Those who challenge this alpha male are apt to be cowed by impressive shows of physical power. He may stand upright, throw things, make aggressive charges, and pound his huge chest while barking out powerful hoots or unleashing a frightening roar. Despite these displays and the animals' obvious physical power, gorillas are generally calm and nonaggressive unless they are disturbed. In the thick forests of central and west Africa, troops find plentiful food for their vegetarian diet. They eat roots, shoots, fruit, wild celery, and tree bark and pulp. Female gorillas give birth to one infant after a pregnancy of nearly nine months. Unlike their powerful parents, newborns are tiny— weighing four pounds (two kilograms)—and able only to cling to their mothers' fur. These infants ride on their mothers' backs from the age of four months through the first two or three years of their lives. Young gorillas, from three to six years old, remind human observers http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/mountain-gorilla.html (3 of 6) [12/13/2008 10:38:26 AM] Download City Guides Check out the local downloadable city guides. Get the Latest Headlines Make us your online news source. Read News Get Animal Pictures Mountain Gorilla, Mountain Gorilla Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic of children. Much of their day is spent in play, climbing trees, chasing one another, and swinging from branches. Get your daily dose of In captivity, gorillas have displayed significant intelligence and have even learned simple human sign language. See Photos photos. For Kids! It's no stretch to find fun facts on our Kids site! Fun and Games Shop National Geographic DVDs Multimedia Whatever your interest, you'll be Photo Gallery: Gorillas Mountain Gorilla Printable Factsheet Video: Gorilla Rescue entertained and educated with our collection of best-selling DVDs. Shop Now Primate Features Virunga Gorillas Virunga National Park, home to nearly 200 gorillas, has become a battleground for militia groups and the Congolese army. Learn More Kids: Gorilla Creature Feature Get fun facts on mountain gorillas, plus video, audio, photos, and more at National Geographic's Kids site. Explore More http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/mountain-gorilla.html (4 of 6) [12/13/2008 10:38:26 AM] Gorilla Adaptations Adaptations 1. Flat teeth: the benefit of this is to be able to grind the plants they eat. 2. A strong upper body: the benefit of this is that it helps them walk and uproot plants. 3. Stereoscopic Vision(good eyesight): the benefit of this is that it helps them to detect other animals. 4. Able to see color: the benefit of this is that it helps them to see poachers and other animals. 5. Fingered hands: the benefit of this is that it makes it easier to grab food. It's also easier to walk on their knuckles. 6. Thumbs: the benefit is that gorillas can grab their food and climb trees a lot easier. 7. Loud roar: the benefit of this is that it scares off/intimidates other animals. 8. Long arms: helps them to climb trees and reach for food. 9. Thin fur: this is beneficial because it keeps the gorillas cool. 10. Black fur: this is beneficial because it camoflauges them and keeps them hidden, deep in the rainforest. http://www.sandi.net/roosevelt/gorillaadapt.html [12/13/2008 10:39:18 AM] Cheetah, Cheetah Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Cheetah Acinonyx jubatus Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Cheetah range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Sharp eyesight and raw speed make the cheetah a formidable hunter. Photograph by Chris Johns Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/cheetah.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:40:40 AM] Cheetah, Cheetah Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Cheetah Profile Fast Facts Our Mission The cheetah is the world's fastest land mammal. With acceleration that would leave most automobiles in the dust, a cheetah can go from 0 to 60 miles (96 kilometers) an hour in only three seconds. These big cats are quite nimble at high speed and can make quick and sudden turns in pursuit of prey. Before unleashing their speed, cheetahs use exceptionally keen eyesight to scan their grassland environment for signs of prey— especially antelope and hares. This big cat is a daylight hunter that benefits from stealthy movement and a distinctive spotted coat that allows it to blend easily into high, dry grasses. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs When the moment is right a cheetah will sprint after its quarry and attempt to knock it down. Such chases cost the hunter a tremendous amount of energy and are usually over in less than a minute. If successful, the cheetah will often drag its kill to a shady hiding place to protect it from opportunistic animals that sometimes steal a kill before the cheetah can eat. Cheetahs need only drink once every three to four days. Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Average lifespan in the wild: 10 to 12 years Size: 3.5 to 4.5 ft (1.1 to 1.4 m); Tail, 25.5 to 31.5 in (65 to 80 cm) Weight: 77 to 143 lbs (35 to 65 kg) Protection status: Endangered Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Maps Female cheetahs typically have a litter of three cubs and live with them for one and a half to two years. Young cubs spend their first year learning from their mother and practicing hunting techniques with playful games. Male cheetahs live alone or in small groups, often with Sign up for free their littermates. Catalog Quick Shop Newsletters Once a month get new photos Most wild cheetahs are found in eastern and southwestern Africa. Perhaps only 12,000 of these big cats remain, and those are under pressure as the wide-open grasslands they favor are disappearing at the hands of human settlers. and expert tips. Sign up advertisement Multimedia Photo Gallery: Cheetahs Video: Lives of Cheetahs http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/cheetah.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:40:40 AM] Cheetah Printable Factsheet Cheetah Fact Sheet Make a Donation Home About The Cheetah How You Can Help Sponsor a Cheetah About CCF Programs & Results News & Event Calendar Kids4Cheetahs Volunteer Cheetah Shop Run For The Cheetah Stay In Touch! Library Links What's New at CCF Videos Check Out Search Cheetah Fact Sheet Order: Carnivora Family: Felidae Genus: Acinonyx Species: Jubatus DESCRIPTION: Height: 30+ inches at shoulder Weight: 69-140 lbs. Body length: 4 feet Tail length: 28.5 inches The world's fastest land mammal, the cheetah, is the most unique and specialized member of the cat family and can reach speeds of 70 mph. Unlike other cats, the cheetah has a leaner body, longer legs, and has been referred to as the "greyhound" of the cats. It is not an aggressive animal, using flight versus fight. With its weak jaws and small teeth--the price it paid for speed, it cannot fight larger predators to protect its kills or young. The cheetah is often mistaken for a leopard. Its distinguishing marks are the long teardrop-shaped lines on each side of the nose from the corner of its eyes to its mouth. The cheetah's coat is tan, or buff colored, with black spots measuring from 78 to 1.85 inches across. There are no spots on its white belly, and the tail has spots that merge to form four to six dark rings at the end. The tail usually ends in a bushy white tuft. Male cheetahs are slightly larger than females and have a slightly bigger head, but it is difficult to tell males and females apart by appearance alone. In this section: About the Cheetah Introduction to the Cheetah The Problem Genetic Diversity Information Race for Survival Cheetah Studbook Click here to watch the National Geographic Video "Animal Mothers: Cheetah vs. Gemsbok." The fur of newborn cubs is dark and the spots are blended together and barely visible. During the first few weeks of life, a thick yellowish-gray coat, called a mantle, grows along the cub's back. The dark color helps the cub to blend into the shadows, and the mantle is thought to have several purposes, including acting as a thermostatic umbrella against rain and the sun, and as a camouflage imitating the dry dead grass. The mantle is also thought to be a mimicry defense, causing the cub to resemble a ratel, or honey badger, which is a very vicious small predator that is left alone by most other predators. The mantle begins to disappear at about three months old, but the last traces of it, in the form of a small mane, are still present at over two years of age. The cheetah is aerodynamically built for speed and can accelerate from zero to 40 mph in three strides and to full speed of 70 mph in seconds. As the cheetah runs, only one foot at a time touches the ground. There are two points, in its 20 to 25 foot (7-8 metres) stride when no feet touch the ground, as they are fully extended and then totally doubled up. Nearing full speed, the cheetah is running at about 3 strides per second. The cheetah's respiratory rate climbs from 60 to 150 breaths per minute during a high-speed chase and can run only 400 to 600 yards before it is exhausted; at this time it is extremely vulnerable to other predators, which may not only steal its prey, but attack it as well. The cheetah is specialized for speed through many adaptations: It is endowed with a powerful heart, oversized liver, and large, strong arteries. It has a small head, flat face, reduced muzzle length allowing the large eyes to be positioned for maximum binocular vision, enlarged nostrils, and extensive air-filled sinuses. Its body is narrow, lightweight with long, slender feet and legs, http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=43 (1 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:40:55 AM] Cheetah Fact Sheet and specialized muscles, which act simultaneously for high acceleration, allowing greater swing to the limbs. Its hip and shoulder girdles swivel on a flexible spine that curves up and down, as the limbs are alternately bunched up and then extended when running, giving greater reach to the legs. The cheetah's long and muscular tail acts as a stabilizer or rudder for balance to counteract its body weight, preventing it from rolling over and spinning out in quick, fast turns during a high-speed chase. The cheetah is the only cat with short, blunt semi-retractable claws that help grip the ground like cleats for traction when running. Their paws are less rounded than the other cats, and their pads are hard, similar to tire treads, to help them in fast, sharp turns. Distribution It has been estimated that in 1900, more than 100,000 cheetahs were found in at least 44 countries throughout Africa and Asia. Today the species is extinct from +20 countries and between 12,000 to 15,000 animals remain, found mostly in small-pocketed populations in 24 to 26 countries in Africa and -100 in Iran. The cheetah is classified as an endangered species, and listed in Appendix I (which includes species that are most threatened) of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Prior to the 20th century, cheetahs were widely distributed throughout Africa and Asia, and were originally found in all suitable habitats from the Cape of Good Hope to the Mediterranean, throughout the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East, from Israel to India, and through the southern provinces of the former Soviet Union. Today, the Asian cheetah is nearly extinct, due to a decline of available habitat and prey. The species was declared extinct in India in 1952, and the last reported cheetah was seen in Israel in 1956. Today, the only confirmed reports of the Asian cheetah comes from Iran, where less than 100 occur in small isolated populations. Free-ranging cheetahs still inhabit a broad section of Africa, including areas of North Africa, the Sahel, East Africa, and southern Africa. Viable populations may be found in less than half of the countries where cheetahs still exist. These declining populations mean that those cheetah which do survive, come from a smaller, less diverse gene pool. Populations continue to decline from loss of habitat, decline of prey species, and conflict with livestock farming. Throughout Africa, cheetahs are not doing well in protected wildlife reserves due to increased competition from other larger predators, such as lion and hyenas, and most protected areas are unable to maintain viable cheetah populations. Therefore, a large percentage of the remaining cheetah populations are outside of protected reserves, placing them in greater conflict with humans. There are now only two remaining population strongholds: Namibia/Botswana in southern Africa, and Kenya/Tanzania in East Africa. The cheetah's greatest hope for survival lies in the relatively pristine countryside of Namibia, which is home to the world's largest remaining population of cheetah. However, even in Namibia, the cheetah's numbers drastically declined by half in the 80s, leaving an estimated population of less than 2,500 animals. At the beginning of the 1990s, when CCF began its work with the farming community, a gradual change has occurred within Namibia, and over the last couple of years the population has stabilized. CCF's research has shown that farmers have more tolerance for cheetahs and are killing less, and those that are being killed are linked to livestock losses, or that they are calling CCF to help them. Habits The cheetah is generally considered to be an animal of open country and grass lands. This impression is probably due to the ease of sighting the cheetah in the shorter grass. However, cheetahs use a wider variety of habitats, and are found often in dense vegetation and even mountainous terrain. Since cheetahs rely on sight for hunting, they are diurnal: more active in the day than night. In warm weather, they move around mostly during the early morning and late in the afternoon when the temperatures are cooler. Cheetahs prey on a variety of species from rabbits to small antelope, and the young of larger antelope. Their hunting technique is to stalk as close as possible to the prey, burst into full speed, tripping the prey with a front paw and, as the prey falls, biting it by the throat in a strangulation hold. Cheetahs are more social in their behaviors than once thought. They will live singly or in small groups. Female cheetahs are sexually mature at 20 to 24 months. The mating period lasts from http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=43 (2 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:40:55 AM] Cheetah Fact Sheet one day up to a week. The female's gestation period is 90 to 95 days, after which she will give birth to a litter of up to 6 cubs. She will find a quiet, hidden spot in the tall grass, under a low tree, in thick underbrush, or in a clump of rock. Cheetah cubs weigh between 9 to 15 ounces when born. Although cheetah cubs are blind and completely helpless at birth, they develop rapidly. At 4 to 10 days of age, their eyes open, and they begin to crawl around the nest area; at 3 weeks their teeth break through their gums. Due to the possibilities of predation from a variety of predators, the female moves her cubs from den to den every few days. For the first 6 weeks, the female has to leave the cubs alone most of the time, in order to hunt. Also, she may have to travel fairly long distances in search of food. During this time, cub mortality is as high as 90 percent in the wild, due to predation. The cubs begin to follow their mother at 6 weeks old, and begin to eat meat from her kills. From this time onward, mother and cubs remain inseparable until weaning age. The cubs grow rapidly and are half of their adult size at 6 months old; at 8 months old, they have lost the last of their deciduous teeth. About this time, the cubs begin to make clumsy attempts at stalking and catching. Much of the learning process takes the form of play behavior. The cubs stalk, chase and wrestle with each other and even chase prey that they know they cannot catch, or prey that is too large. The cubs learn to hunt many different species, including guinea fowl, francolins, springhares, and small antelope. They still are not very adept hunters at the time they separate from their mothers. The female leaves her cubs when they are between 16 to 18 months old to rebreed, starting the cycle over again. The cubs stay together for several more months, usually until the female cubs reach sexual maturity. At this time, the male cubs are chased away by dominant breeding males. Male cubs stay together for the rest of their lives, forming a coalition. Male coalition is beneficial in helping to acquire and hold territories against rival male cheetahs. Males become reproductively active between 2 and 3 years of age. Cheetahs & Humans The cheetah's long association with humans dates back to the Sumerians, about 3,000 BC, where a leashed cheetah, with a hood on its head, is depicted on an official seal. In early Lower Egypt, it was known as the MAFDET cat-goddess and was revered as a symbol of royalty. Tame cheetahs were kept as close companions to pharaohs, as a symbolic protection to the throne. Many statues and paintings of cheetahs have been found in royal tombs, and it was believed that the cheetah would quickly carry away the pharaoh's spirit to the after life. By the 18th and 19th centuries, paintings indicated that the cheetah rivaled dogs in popularity as hunting companions. The best records of cheetahs having been kept by royalty, from Europe to China, are from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. Hunting with cheetahs was not to obtain food, which royalty did not need, but for the challenge of sport. This sport is known as coursing. Adult wild cheetahs were caught, as they already had well developed hunting skills and were tamed and trained within a few weeks. The cheetahs were equipped with a hood, so they could not see the game they were to hunt, and were taken near the prey either on a leash, a cart, or the back of a horse, sitting on a pillow behind the rider. The hood was then removed and the cheetah dashed after the prey, catching it, after which the trainer would reward it with a piece of meat, and then take the cheetah back to the stable where it was kept. Many emperors kept hundreds of cheetahs, at any given time, in their stables. With this great number of cheetahs in captivity, it was recorded only once, by Emperor Jahangir, the son Akbar the Great, an Indian Mogul in the 16th century, that a litter of cubs was born. During his 49year reign, Akbar the Great had over 9,000 cheetahs, in total, which were called Khasa or the "Imperial Cheetahs," and he kept detailed records on them. All of the cheetahs kept as "hunting leopards" were taken from the wild. Because of this continuous drain on the world populations, the numbers of cheetahs declined throughout Asia. In the early 1900's, India and Iran began to import cheetahs from Africa for hunting purposes. Other Survival Challenges Molecular genetic studies on free-ranging and captive cheetahs have shown that the species lacks genetic variation, probably due to past inbreeding, as long as ten thousand years ago. http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=43 (3 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:40:55 AM] Cheetah Fact Sheet The consequences of such genetic uniformity have led to reproductive abnormalities, high infant mortality, and greater susceptibility to disease, causing the species to be less adaptable and more vulnerable to ecological and environmental changes. Unfortunately, captive breeding efforts have not proven to be meaningful to the cheetah's hope for survival. The similar experiences of the world's zoos have reaffirmed the traditional difficulties of breeding cheetahs in captivity. Despite the capturing, rearing, and public display of cheetahs for thousands of years, the next reproductive success, after Akbar the Great son's recorded birth of one litter in the 16th century, occurred only in 1956 at the Philadelphia Zoo. Unlike the other 'big cats', which breed readily in captivity, the captive population of cheetahs is not self-sustaining and, thus, is maintained through the import of wild-caught animals, a practice which goes against the goals of today's' zoological institutions. Although reproduction has occurred at many facilities in the world, only a very small percentage of cheetahs have ever reproduced and cub mortality is high. In the absence of further importations of wildcaught animals, the size of the captive population can be expected to decline, a trend, which coupled with the continuing decline of the wild population, leaves the species extremely vulnerable. Conservation Efforts We founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in 1990 to directly confront the above issues and to implement techniques for cheetah conservation in their natural habitat. The CCF is the only fully established, on-site, international conservation effort for the wild cheetah. A permanent base for this long-term effort was established in 1991 in Namibia, Africa-- home to the largest remaining, viable, population of cheetah. CCF's primary mission is to focus on conservatory and management strategies outside of protected parks and reserves. It conducts research, disseminates information, and implements conservation management techniques that will lead to the long-term survival of free-ranging cheetah. The project is directed by Laurie Marker. The over-all objective of CCF is to secure the survival of free-ranging cheetahs in suitable African habitats. The CCF's long-term program focuses on: 1) cheetah research and conservation education; and 2) livestock and wildlife management, education, and training. In Namibia, programs are being developed that can be adapted for use in other African countries. The goal is to develop workable strategies for promoting sustainable cheetah populations, a goal which, in the end, is largely dependant on the willingness and the capacity of individuals and local communities where the cheetahs live. As a part of the long-term program, conservation efforts are being developed through the knowledge gained from the collection of base-line data including: a) the distribution and movements of cheetahs through the Namibian farmlands; b) the problems leading to the continued elimination of the cheetah; c) the assessment of the over-all health of the free-ranging cheetah population; d) the development of livestock farm management practices to reduce conflict with cheetahs; e) the development of livestock/wildlife management and education to sustain a balanced ecosystem that supports wildlife, and cheetah; and f) the adaptation of successful programs to other countries where cheetah are in need. The knowledge gained from this program will reveal the necessary information to employ strategies for the long-term survival of the species in Namibia, and will be significant to the conservation of cheetahs elsewhere in the their native range and contribute to maintenance of captive cheetahs, which are 99% from Namibian stock. Extinction is forever and survival is up to you and me---every last one of us! The Cheetah Conservation Fund is the conduit through which everyone can become involved. http://www.cheetah.org/?nd=43 (4 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:40:55 AM] Nile Crocodile, Nile Crocodile Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Nile Crocodile Crocodylus niloticus Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Nile Crocodile range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Nile crocodiles are the largest crocodilians in Africa, sometimes reaching 20 feet (6 meters) long. Photograph by Chris Johns Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/nile-crocodile.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:42:46 AM] Nile Crocodile, Nile Crocodile Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Nile Crocodile Profile Our Mission The Nile crocodile has a somewhat deserved reputation as a vicious man-eater. The proximity of much of its habitat to people means runins are frequent. And its virtually indiscriminate diet means a villager washing clothes by a riverbank might look just as tasty as a migrating wildebeest. Firm numbers are sketchy, but estimates are that up to 200 people may die each year in the jaws of a Nile croc. Type: Reptile Africa's largest crocodilian, these primordial brutes reach a maximum size of about 20 feet (6 meters) and can weigh up to 1,650 pounds (730 kilograms). Average sizes, though, are more in the range of 16 feet (5 meters) and 500 pounds (225 kilograms). They live throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the Nile Basin, and Madagascar in rivers, freshwater marshes, and mangrove swamps. Weight: 500 lbs (225 kg) Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Catalog Quick Shop Sign up for free Newsletters Once a month Fast Facts The diet of the Nile crocodile is mainly fish, but it will attack almost anything unfortunate enough to cross its path, including zebras, small hippos, porcupines, birds, and other crocodiles. It will also scavenge carrion, and can eat up to half its body weight at a feeding. Diet: Carnivore Average lifespan in the wild: 45 years (est.) Size: 16 ft (5 m) Group name: Bask (on land) or float (in water) Did you know? Mummified crocodiles and crocodile eggs have been discovered in Egyptian tombs. Protection status: Endangered Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: One unusual characteristic of this fearsome predator is its caring nature as a parent. Where most reptiles lay their eggs and move on, mother and father Nile crocs ferociously guard their nests until the eggs hatch, and they will often roll the eggs gently in their mouths to help hatching babies emerge. Hunted close to extinction in the 1940s through the 1960s, local and international protections have helped them rebound in most areas. In some regions, though, pollution, hunting, and habitat loss have severely depleted their numbers. get new photos and expert tips. Sign up advertisement Multimedia Photo Gallery: Alligators and Crocodiles Video: Croc's Breakfast http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/nile-crocodile.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:42:46 AM] Nile Crocodile Printable Factsheet Crocodile :: Animal Facts :: Young People's Trust for the Environment Image*after at www.imageafter.com) Nile crocodile: Crocodylus niloticus Distribution: Madagascar, Egypt and central Africa, south to Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe. Habitat: Mainly large rivers, lakes, waterholes and wetlands; also estuaries and mangrove swamps. Size: Average 3.5m, but up to 5.5m. Description: A long body armoured with bony plates set in the skin of the back; long deepsided tail, short limbs and long-snouted skull. Lifespan: Ages of over 56 years have been recorded. Estimated to live 70 - 100 years. Diet: Mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and carrion. There are between 5 000 - 6 000 species of reptiles in the world today, and of these 23 are crocodilians. One family of crocodilians includes the crocodiles, alligators and caimans Crocodylidae; the second family, Gavialidae, has only one member - the gharial or gavial (a very narrow-snouted crocodile). Crocodilians are the closest surviving relatives of the great dinosaurs and they have changed very little during the 150 million years that they have lived on Earth! Alligator or crocodile? What is the difference? The answer is that there is very little difference between any of the crocodilians. The easiest to identify is the gharial because it has an extremely long, thin snout. True crocodiles have lower teeth which fit into notches either side of the outer upper jaw - protruding when the jaws are closed. Alligators and caimans have broader snouts than crocodiles and the lower teeth cannot be seen when the jaw is closed - all their upper jaw teeth hang over those in the lower jaw. Geographically speaking, true crocodiles live in Africa, Asia and the Americas; alligators are found in China and the southern United States; caimans live in South America and the gharial in southern Asia. Adaptations for a life in water: Crocodilians can move about on land - with surprising speed, particularly when alarmed or angry - but their bodies are mainly adapted for a life in water. The nostrils, eyes and ears lie along the top of the head so that the animal can hear, see, smell and breathe when the rest of the body is submerged. When completely under the water, the ears are covered by small flaps of skin which can be closed to make the ears watertight. The nostrils can also be closed by special muscles, and the eyes have a 'third eyelid' which gives protection when diving. There are special bony flaps in the throat which allow a crocodile to eat when submerged or breathe when its jaws are open underwater. Crocodilians, being cold-blooded reptiles, have to avoid extremes of temperature. When it is fairly cool, they rest on a waterside bank, allowing the sun to warm their body. During the http://www.ypte.org.uk/animal/crocodile/66 (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:43:22 AM] Crocodile :: Animal Facts :: Young People's Trust for the Environment hottest part of the day, the animals will move into the shade or water to prevent their body from overheating. The Nile crocodile is one of the largest of all crocodilians ( the estuarine crocodile, the most aquatic and marine of all crocodilians, living in South India, Indonesia and South Australia, is reputed to be the biggest of all). It preys on almost anything, including hoofed animals that drink at the water's edge, predatory fish - and sometimes humans! The crocodile uses its strong jaws and teeth to drag an animal underwater and drown it. It cannot chew, so it clamps its jaws and spins its own body to tear off large chunks of flesh. It eats every part of the body, including bones and antlers, which help digestion. Breeding: Nile crocodiles begin to breed when they are around 2.5m in length - this may take 7 - 35 years to achieve. Mating occurs in the dry season and, when the rainy season begins, the female digs out a nest in a bank near the water. She lays up to 80 white hardshelled eggs, covers them well with sand and guards them for about 3 months. When the young are ready to hatch, they begin to call with squeaky 'chirps' and their mother digs them out of the nest. As the miniature crocodiles (about 30cm long) hatch, the female gently picks up a few at a time in her jaws and carries them to a safe nursery area in the water. She will guard them from predators for several more weeks until they go off on their own. At first, the young feed on insects and then, as they grow (about 25cm a year), progress to crabs, birds and fish before tackling the adult diet. Despite the mother's protection, very few crocodiles reach adulthood. Large lizards, mongooses, hyenas, birds, large fish and other crocodiles all eat hatchlings. The Nile Crocodile and Man Crocodiles were revered by the ancient Egyptians but nowadays they are generally regarded as ugly, fearsome and dangerous creatures. Relentless hunting, particularly during the last 50 years or so, has severely reduced most crocodilians and of the 23 living species, 11 are endangered, including the Nile crocodile. The main reason for the over-hunting of crocodilians is the demand for their skins, which may be made into handbags, shoes, brief cases etc. During the 1950s some 5 - 10 million Nile crocodiles a year were killed for their skins. Another threat to the crocodiles is destruction of their habitat - drainage of wetlands, clearance of riverside forests, trampling of nesting sites by cattle - have all reduced suitable habitat. Yet another problem is the use of new types of fishing nets called gill nets, in which crocodiles can become entangled and drown. The Future? Crocodilians play an important role in the ecology of their watery habitats. They act as scavengers, just as vultures, hyenas and jackals do on land, keeping the rivers and lakes clear of carrion (dead animals). They also eat large quantities of predatory fish, so helping to preserve suitable fish for humans. Although legally protected in many places, crocodiles continue to be hunted. The best hope for their survival lies in the setting-up of sanctuaries within their existing habitats, where they are protected from hunters. Also, several projects have been started for breeding Nile crocodiles in captivity with the intention of restocking suitable rivers and lakes. Commercial crocodile farming is also being tried in a few countries, a small percentage of the crocodiles raised being used for restocking wild habitats, and the remainder used for skin products. It is most important that the skin trade is carefully monitored so that only farm-bred animals http://www.ypte.org.uk/animal/crocodile/66 (3 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:43:22 AM] Emperor Penguin, Emperor Penguin Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Emperor Penguin Aptenodytes forsteri Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Emperor Penguin range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Emperor penguins are the largest penguins, standing about 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall. Photograph courtesy Giuseppe Zibordi/Michael Van Woert/NOAA NESDIS, ORA Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/emperor-penguin.html (1 of 5) [12/13/2008 11:32:15 AM] Emperor Penguin, Emperor Penguin Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Emperor Penguin Profile Our Mission Emperors are the largest of all penguins—an average bird stands some 45 inches (115 centimeters) tall. These flightless animals live on the Antarctic ice and in the frigid surrounding waters. Penguins employ physiological adaptations and cooperative behaviors in order to deal with an incredibly harsh environment, where wind chills can reach -76°F (-60°C). They huddle together to escape wind and conserve warmth. Individuals take turns moving to the group's protected and relatively toasty interior. Once a penguin has warmed a bit it will move to the perimeter of the group so that others can enjoy protection from the icy elements. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Catalog Quick Shop Emperor penguins spend the long winter on the open ice—and even breed during this harsh season. Females lay a single egg and then promptly leave it behind. They undertake an extended hunting trip that lasts some two months! Depending on the extent of the ice pack, females may need to travel some 50 miles (80 kilometers) just to reach the open ocean, where they will feed on fish, squid, and krill. At sea, emperor penguins can dive to 1,850 feet (565 meters)—deeper than any other bird—and stay under for more than 20 minutes. Male emperors keep the newly laid eggs warm, but they do not sit on them, as many other birds do. Males stand and protect their eggs Sign up for free from the elements by balancing them on their feet and covering them Newsletters with feathered skin known as a brood pouch. During this two-month bout of babysitting the males eat nothing and are at the mercy of the Once a month Antarctic elements. get new photos and expert tips. Sign up advertisement When female penguins return to the breeding site, they bring a belly full of food that they regurgitate for the newly hatched chicks. Meanwhile, their duty done, male emperors take to the sea in search of food for themselves. Mothers care for their young chicks and protect them with the warmth of their own brood pouches. Outside of this warm cocoon, a chick could die in just a few minutes. In December, Antarctic summer, the pack ice begins to break up and open water appears near the breeding site, just as young emperor penguins are ready to swim and fish on their own. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/emperor-penguin.html (2 of 5) [12/13/2008 11:32:15 AM] Fast Facts Type: Bird Diet: Carnivore Average lifespan in the wild: 15 to 20 years Size: 45 in (115 cm) Weight: Up to 88 lbs (40 kg) Group name: Colony Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Penguin Adaptation Penguins are designed for life in the sea. Some species spend as much as 75% of their lives in the water. (They lay their eggs and to raise their chicks on land.) Heavy, solid bones act like a diver's weight belt, allowing them to stay underwater. Their wings, shaped like flippers, help them "fly" underwater at speeds up to 15 mph. A streamlined body, paddle-like feet, insulating blubber, and watertight feathers all add to their efficiency and comfort underwater. They also have a remarkable deep-diving ability. In addition to blubber for insulating warmth, penguins have stiff, tightly packed feathers (up to 70 per sq. in.) that overlap to provide waterproofing. They coat their feathers with oil from a gland near the tail to increase impermeability. Black and white countershading makes them nearly invisible to predators from above and below. Like most birds, penguins have little or no sense of smell (a boon for those in a crowded penguin rookery!) Like other birds, their sense of taste is also limited. Their vision appears to be better when they are underwater. Scientists suspect they may be nearsighted on land. Penguins are considered to be the most social of birds. Rookeries may contain thousands of individuals. (As many as 24 million penguins visit the Antarctic continent!) Even at sea, they tend to swim and feed in groups. Most species of penguins build nests, but the nests may consist only of a pile of rocks or scrapings or hollows in the dirt. Emperor penguins build no nests; they hold the egg on top of their feet under a loose fold of skin called the brood patch. Make an animal suited for Antarctica. 1. Brainstorm ways in which penguins are well-adapted to cold water and icy environments. 2. Flying birds need a large wingspan to hold them in the air, but small wings work best for birds swimming through the water. Demonstrate this with two large sheets of paper. Try to push a sheet of paper through a pan of water. It doesn't push very well. Fold another large sheet of paper five or six times and try pushing that through the water. The smaller, stiffer paper, like a penguin's wing, works better. 3. Most birds have hollow bones to make their bodies light enough to become airborne. But the penguins' heavy, solid bones help them float lower in the water. You can demonstrate the difference between hollow bones and solid bones with two toilet http://www.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/penguin.html (2 of 5) [12/13/2008 11:34:14 AM] Penguin Adaptation paper rolls, one empty the other stuffed with tissue paper. 4. Float an empty can in a bucket of water open end up. It floats high in the water like flying aquatic birds (ducks, for example). Add sand to another can until it sinks slightly. Now push down on both cans. The sand-filled container is easier to push down into the water. In this way, it is easier for a penguin to dive into the water. 5. As a group, make a Venn diagram to show the ways that penguins are different from and similar to other birds. 6. Have different groups of students make Venn diagrams showing how penguins are different from and similar to seals, whales, fish, and other birds. 7. Using ideas from the discussion about penguin adaptations and Venn diagrams, have groups of students design a totally new marine animal that is also well-adapted for the cold. 8. Make a picture of the animal. 9. Model it from playdough or clay and place it in a shoe box diorama. 10. Have students explain the rationale behind the design of their animals and habitats. Does it reflect earlier discussions? 11. Use a globe to show that all 17 species of penguins live south of the equator. Penguins live along the western and southern coasts of South America, the tip of Africa, southern Australia, New Zealand, and all around Antarctica. One species, the Galapagos penguin, lives on the equator in the path of the cold Peru Current. Seven kinds of penguins visit Antarctica, but only two species, the Adelie and Emperor penguins, breed exclusively on the Antarctic continent. 12. Penguins are the only birds that migrate by swimming. Trace the migration routes of these Magellanic penguins on a chart of the globe. They may migrate to the west coast of South America to Tetas Point in northern Chile or up the east coast of South America, past Argentina as far north as Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Draw their routes on a map of South America and estimate the distance they have traveled. Using satellite images, match their routes with the location of cold water currents. 13. Research the route by which other species of penguins migrate. Use satellite images of the Southern Hemisphere and references on penquin migration to trace the migration routes of various species. http://www.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/penguin.html (3 of 5) [12/13/2008 11:34:14 AM] Penguin Adaptation Discuss assumptions students can make about migration routes by looking at infrared imagery (penguins follow water currents). The Great Auk Research the Gulf of Maine's own "penguins," the flightless Great Auks. These birds became extinct in 1844 when two museum collectors landed on a remote island off Iceland and strangled the last surviving pair for their collection and then smashed the last egg. Learn how Great Auks were similar to penguins. Find out why they were slaughtered (for food, their feathers, and for stuffed specimens for natural history collections). Whaling and penguins Whale and seal hunting were factors motivating the exploration of Antarctica. The whales come to Antarctica to feed in the summer (just as they return to the Gulf of Maine to feed). The decline in the whale population because of whaling means that fewer whales are eating the krill in Antarctica. Discuss the potential impact of the removal of a major predator from the ecosystem. With fewer whales, more krill is left for the penguins. Scientists think the recent increase in penguin populations may be a result of an increase in krill available to the penguins. Could this theory be proved or disproved? Materials Globe, Venn diagrams, construction paper, two empty toilet paper rolls, tissues, two empty cans, a bucket of water, sand, art supplies, a shoe box for each student, modeling clay or play dough Coping with the cold | Blubber Glove | Salt Concentration | Chick Die-Off | Changes in Antarctic Ice | Creating Plankton Space Available Gulf of Maine Aquarium Home Page Updated May 31, 2000. http://www.gma.org/surfing/antarctica/penguin.html (4 of 5) [12/13/2008 11:34:14 AM] Leopard Seal, Leopard Seal Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Leopard Seal Hydrurga leptonyx Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Leopard Seal range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Leopard seals, named for their spotted coats, are one of the primary predators of Antarctica. Photograph by John Eastcott and Yva Momatiuk Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/leopard-seal.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:38:38 AM] Leopard Seal, Leopard Seal Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Leopard Seal Profile Fast Facts Our Mission The leopard seal is named for its black-spotted coat. The pattern is similar to that of the famous big cat, though the seal's coat is gray rather than golden in color. This seal is sometimes called the sea leopard, and the resemblance is more than skin deep. Like their feline namesakes, leopard seals are fierce predators. They are the most formidable hunters of all the seals and the only ones that feed on warm-blooded prey, such as other seals. Leopard seals use their powerful jaws and long teeth to kill smaller seals, fish, and squid. These effective predators live in frigid Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters, where they also eat penguins. They often wait underwater near an ice shelf and snare the birds just as they enter the water after jumping off the ice. They may also come up beneath seabirds resting on the water surface and snatch them in their jaws. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Catalog Quick Shop Sign up for free Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Average lifespan in the wild: 12 to 15 years Size: 10 to 11.5 ft (3 to 3.5 m) Weight: Up to 840 lbs (380 kg) Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Shellfish are a far less dramatic prey but still an important part of the leopard seal's diet. Leopard seals are earless seals. They have long bodies (10 to 11.5 feet/3 to 3.5 meters) and elongated heads. Like most other seals, leopard seals are insulated from frigid waters by a thick layer of fat known as blubber. Though the leopard seal is known for its coat, it has not been commercially hunted for its skin like its relatives the fur seals. Newsletters Once a month get new photos and expert tips. Sign up Multimedia Special Advertising Sections advertisement Photo Gallery: Seals and Sea Lions Video: Leopard Seal Seal and Sea Lion Features http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/leopard-seal.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:38:38 AM] Leopard Seal Printable Factsheet WikiAnswers - What adaptations does a seal have Enter a question here... Browse: Unanswered questions | Most-recent questions | Reference library Ads by Google Leopard Seal Questions Sea Lions Reference Seal Pictures Seal Photo n [Edit] What adaptations does a seal have? me In: Seals and Sea Lions [Recategorize] rd [Edit] word? ember me Join now Whiskers feel for fish in darkness: Seals can bring their whiskers forward when they need to feel for fish in the darkness of deep or murky waters. A seal's sensitive whiskers can feel the slight changes in water currents around them when fish are swimming in schools. me ome nt site activity center munity forum A body for swimming: The seal has a body perfectly adapted for life in the water. Their body is shaped to go through the water with a minimum of resistance. This is called "streamlining". The flippers of seals propel them through the water. Fur Seals and Sea Lions use their front flippers like wings to 'fly' through the water. Fur for warmth: Fur Seals have two layers of fur. One is short, fine and forms a very warm layer closest to the seal's body. The other hair is a much longer 'guard hair' which forms an outer waterproof layer. These two layers of fur would be like us wearing a jumper under a wetsuit when we go swimming. Sea Lions have a coat with only one layer. There is very little under-layer of finer hairs. ADVERTISEMENT Claws are great for grooming: To keep their fur coats in good condition, seals wash and groom their fur a lot. The claws on the hind feet stick out to scratch when the seal bends its flipper 'Keeping Cool' - Thermoregulation: Fur Seals often need to cool down, as their coats are so effective at heat insulation. They do this by 'sailing'. The seal's hairless flippers have a lot of blood vessels running through them. One flipper can be held out of the water so the wind passes over its surface. The evaporation of the water from the wet flipper cools the flipper and the blood flowing through it. Seals do this when they need to regulate their body temperature. It is called "thermoregulation". http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_adaptations_does_a_seal_have (1 of 3) [12/13/2008 11:40:39 AM] WikiAnswers - What adaptations does a seal have Keeping a look-out: Looking directly backward is a behaviour used by male seals to keep watch over their territory of rock platforms and rockpools. This way they can see all around and behind. During the breeding season, the larger male seals become protective of a territory (and the females within it). They need to keep a close watch on all parts of their territory so no rival males can steal the favourable rock pools or any female seals. Online Catalog - Seals Standard and Custom Seals from AFM. Catalog and Engineering Reference. www.afmusa.com Plastic Security Seals Huge Selection- Plastic Security Seals. Cost Effective & Durable NelcoProducts.com/SecuritySeals Seal Looking for Seal? Find exactly what you want today. Yahoo.com First answer by Ellie emf ellie. Last edit by Ellie emf ellie. Contributor trust: 21 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 12 [recommend question] Also see on Answers.com ● Seal (legal term) ● Seal (in zoology) Research your answer: Can you answer other questions about seals and sea lions? ● What are the Locations of Malibu Stacy Seals for lisa in big super happy fun fun game in the simpsons game? ● Are there any sharks in the british seas? ● What is the elephants life cycle? ● Are other species that are being introduced into Hawaii effecting the Hawaiian Monk Seal? http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_adaptations_does_a_seal_have (2 of 3) [12/13/2008 11:40:39 AM] Killer Whale, Killer Whale Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Killer Whale (Orca) Orcinus orca Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Killer Whale (Orca) range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Largest of the porpoises, the killer whale, or orca, is a highly successful predator, feeding on fish, seals, and sometimes whales. Subscriptions Photograph by Gerard Lacz/Animals Animals—Earth Scenes TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killer-whale.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:42:45 AM] Killer Whale, Killer Whale Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Killer Whale (Orca) Profile Fast Facts Our Mission Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators. They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches (ten centimeters) long. They are known to grab seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds. Though they often frequent cold, coastal waters, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Catalog Quick Shop Killer whales hunt in deadly pods, family groups of up to 40 individuals. There appear to be both resident and transient pod populations of killer whales. These different groups may prey on different animals and use different techniques to catch them. Resident pods tend to prefer fish, while transient pods target marine mammals. All pods use effective, cooperative hunting techniques that some liken to the behavior of wolf packs. Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Average lifespan in the wild: 50 to 80 years Size: 23 to 32 ft (7 to 9.7 m) Weight: up to 6 tons (5,443 kg) Group name: Pod Size relative to a bus: Whales make a wide variety of communicative sounds, and each pod has distinctive noises that its members will recognize even at a distance. They use echolocation to communicate and hunt, making sounds that travel underwater until they encounter objects, then bounce back, revealing their location, size, and shape. Killer whales are protective of their young, and other adolescent females often assist the mother in caring for them. Mothers give birth Sign up for free every three to ten years, after a 17-month pregnancy. Newsletters Once a month get new photos and expert tips. Orcas are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-andwhite coloring and are the intelligent, trainable stars of many aquarium shows. Killer whales have never been extensively hunted by humans. Sign up advertisement Multimedia Photo Gallery: Whales http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/killer-whale.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:42:45 AM] Killer Whale (Orca) Printable Factsheet Orca Page Orca Whale The Orca , or killer whale can be found in every ocean as far as the ice packs of the Arctic and Antarctica , and in cooler inshore waters . The Orca is wide spread and in no danger of extinction . Some special adaptations of the Orca are : (1) SPEED - the orca is the fastest member of the dolphin family , reaching speeds up to 30 miles per hour , but it's normal speed is between 6 and 10 miles per hour . (2) TEETH - The Orca has 40 - 50 concial teeth that point backward . These enable the Orca to tear big chunks of flesh from large prey . (3) JAWS - The Orca's jaws are so big , they can swallow a seal whole . Some key facts about Orca's are that they can range in length from 26 - 36 feet for a male , and 23 - 26 for a female. The Orca's live on a diet of fish , squid , seals , and other whales. An Orca's sexual maturity is between 8 and 16 years old ; their mating season is winter , and Females bred about every 3 - 8 years. The number of young an Orca usually has is one calf . The orca's mating call is a type of clicking sound . An Orca 's life span can be up to one hundred years. The Orca , or killer whale is the only whale that preys on other warm blooded animals. Using teamwork , they hunt in a group , or pod and will even attack large whales . http://www.k12.nf.ca/stannesacademy/AnimalAdaptations/Orca.htm (1 of 3) [12/13/2008 11:43:36 AM] Orca Page Whales aren't always the hunter . Sometimes they are hunted by fisherman who claim that Orcas deplete their fish stocks . They were often captured live for marine parks , but this activity is now controlled in the United States . Some of the main features on the Orca Whale are : (1) Dorsal Fin : The males dorsal fin maybe as large as seven feet , but the females dorsal fin is small and curved to the back . (2) White Markings : Flashes above the eyes , belly , and undersides of of tail flukes and head are white .(3) Tail Flukes : Very Power . They propel the Orca to speeds up to a speed of 30 miles per hour .(4) Rounded ; peddle shaped . Keico The Whale a.k.a. Free Willy Did You Know ............. (1) When an orca breaches , the splash can be heard several miles away . (2) The orca can toss a 600 pound prey into the air. (3) There are two types of whales : (1) toothed whales (2) Boleen Whales http://www.k12.nf.ca/stannesacademy/AnimalAdaptations/Orca.htm (2 of 3) [12/13/2008 11:43:36 AM] Siberian Tiger, Siberian Tiger Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Siberian Tiger Panthera tigris altaica Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Siberian Tiger range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Many conservation programs have been established to save the critically endangered Siberian tiger, whose numbers have dwindled to mere hundreds in the wild. Subscriptions Photograph by Joel Sartore TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/siberian-tiger.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:47:24 AM] Siberian Tiger, Siberian Tiger Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Siberian Tiger Profile Our Mission Siberian (or Amur) tigers are the world's largest cats. They live primarily in eastern Russia's birch forests, though some exist in China and North Korea. There are an estimated 400 to 500 Siberian tigers living in the wild, and recent studies suggest that these numbers are stable. Though their northern climate is far harsher than those of other tigers, these animals have some advantages. Northern forests offer the lowest human density of any tiger habitat, and the most complete ecosystem. The vast woodlands also allow tigers far more room to roam, as Russia's timber industry is currently less extensive than that of many other countries. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Tigers are the largest of all wild cats and are renowned for their power and strength. There were once eight tiger subspecies, but three became extinct during the 20th century. Over the last 100 years, hunting and forest destruction have reduced overall tiger populations from hundreds of thousands to perhaps 5,000 to 7,000. Tigers are hunted as trophies and also for body parts that are used in traditional Chinese medicine. All five remaining tiger subspecies are endangered, and many protection programs are in place. Poaching is a reduced—but still very significant—threat to Siberian tigers. Tigers live alone and aggressively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful hunters that travel many miles to find prey, such as elk and wild boar, on nocturnal hunts. Tigers use Sign up for free their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same and hunt by stealth. They lie in wait and creep close enough Newsletters stripes) to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds (27.2 kilograms) in one night, Once a month though they usually eat less. get new photos Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans; and expert tips. however, a few do become dangerous maneaters. These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in areas where their Sign up traditional prey has vanished. Catalog Quick Shop advertisement Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old, and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/siberian-tiger.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:47:24 AM] Fast Facts Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Size: 10.75 ft (3.3 m) Weight: 660 lbs (300 kg) Protection status: Endangered Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Tiger (Siberian) :: Animal Facts :: Young People's Trust for the Environment not changed significantly over the last five years. Around 1000 Siberian Tigers are also held in zoos around the world. Distribution & habitat: Around 80% of Siberian tigers live within the coniferous, scrub oak and birch woodlands of the Primorski Krai region of Russia (eastern Russia), with low numbers also being found in northeast China and northern North Korea. Description: The Siberian tiger’s orange colour is actually paler than that of other tigers and it has widely spaced brown stripes rather than black. It has a white chest and belly and a thick ‘ruff’ of hair around its neck. Adaptations to environment: Its thicker fur, and the layer of fat along its belly and flanks, allow it to live within the cold, harsh Siberian temperatures which can reach as low as - 46° C. A tiger’s stripes act as camouflage within long grass and dense vegetation as they help distort its body outline, however, as the land here is covered in snow for most of the year the Siberian Tiger has developed stripes much paler than that of other tiger subspecies. Size: They are the largest of all cats with males growing up to 3.3 metres long and weighing up to 300 kilograms. The smaller females measure around 2.6 metres and weigh between 100-167 kilograms. Life span: They can live up to the age of 25 years in their natural habitat. Food: Its favourite foods include elk, deer, wild boar, lynx and bear; wild boar makes up more than half of its diet. They will also eat fish, rabbits and small rodents when larger prey are scarce. Dietary requirements: An adult needs to eat around 9 kg of food a day to survive within the cold climate. They can, however, eat up to 50kg (110 pounds) of meat in just one meal, that’s around 400 hamburgers!! Hunting: Tigers can run very fast reaching speeds of up to 50 mph, however, they can only maintain this speed over short distances. In fact only one out of ten of their hunts will actually be successful. They hunt mainly at night time; their excellent night vision and highly developed senses of hearing and smell allow this. Their night vision is six times better than that of human’s. Territory: Their territories can be as great as 1,000 square kilometres; they need to cover such vast areas whilst hunting in order to find their prey. Reproduction: The Siberian tiger’s mating season tends to be from December to January. The normal gestation period is three to three and a half months. Cubs: An average litter size is three or four cubs. The cubs are born blind and are around the size of a house cat. After about two weeks their eyes start to open and their teeth begin to grow. They are weaned at six months and independent by 18 months. They will start hunting on their own within their first year, however, they do not leave their mother and establish their own territories until they reach three to five years old. Unfortunately it is usual for only one cub from each litter to survive to maturity. Threats: Forest fragmentation and poaching have both taken their toll on tiger numbers, however, in Korea logging of Korean Pines seems to pose the greatest threat. Poaching: Although it is illegal to kill a tiger, tigers are still poached today because their http://www.ypte.org.uk/animal/tiger-siberian-/185 (2 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:46:16 AM] Tiger (Siberian) :: Animal Facts :: Young People's Trust for the Environment body parts can be sold on the black market for great sums of money. The tiger parts are sold for their fur and use in traditional Chinese medicines. Logging: Korean pines produce a good quality wood which is used mainly for pencil production. The pine is critical to the survival of the tiger population because its nuts are a vital food source to elk, deer and boar – the tiger’s main prey. The survival of the Siberian tiger is largely dependent on the protection of the Korean Pine. Russian law now protects the tree yet in many areas there are very few trees left remaining. Much work is needed to restore the forest ecosystem back to health. PROJECTS ‘Trees for Tigers’ project: - ‘Trees for Tigers’ is the newest Global Releaf restoration campaign run by the American Forests. Its aim is to restore and link habitats suitable for the Siberian tiger through an extensive tree-planting programme. The project started in 2000 and is intended to continue for five years. Its main goal is to plant one million tree seedlings. Fortunately for the Siberian Tiger this is just one of a number of projects currently being undertaken to help preserve tigers in the wild. Many zoos around the world also have active breeding programmes to maintain genetic diversity and thereby improve the prospects for the survival of this wonderful species. Useful web sites: www.americanforests.org Trees for Tigers www.5tigers.org About Us | Animal Facts | Environmental Facts | Residential Courses | Residential Holidays | News | Search | Shop School Talks | School Membership | Awards | Links | Contact YPTE | Downloads http://www.ypte.org.uk/animal/tiger-siberian-/185 (3 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:46:16 AM] Sun Bear, Sun Bear Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Sun Bear Helarctos malayanus Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Travel & Cultures Video National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/sun-bear.html (1 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:51:40 AM] Sun Bear range advertisement Sun Bear, Sun Bear Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Our Mission Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Catalog Quick Shop Sign up for free Newsletters Once a month A sun bear get new photos Photograph by Anup Shah/Animals Animals-Earth Scenes and expert tips. Sign up Sun Bear Profile advertisement http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/sun-bear.html (2 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:51:40 AM] Fast Facts Sun Bear, Sun Bear Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic The reclusive sun bear, smallest member of the bear family, lives an insular life in the dense lowland forests of Southeast Asia. Type: Mammal Found from southern China to eastern India and as far south as Indonesia, sun bears, also called Malayan sun bears, take their name from the bib-shaped golden or white patch on their chest, which legend says represents the rising sun. They have a stocky, muscular build, small ears, and a short muzzle, which has earned them the nickname “dog bear.” Their sleek, black coat is short to avoid overheating in the tropical weather but thick and coarse to provide protection from twigs, branches, and rain. Average lifespan in captivity: Up to 25 years Sun bears grow to only about half the size of an American black bear. Males, slightly larger than females, are about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and weigh up to 150 pounds (70 kilograms), a stature which suits their arboreal lifestyle and allows them to move easily through the trees. They have even been observed making sleeping platforms high above the ground out of branches and leaves. Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Diet: Omnivore Size: 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5 m) long Weight: 60 to 150 lbs (27 to 70 kg) Did you know? The Malay words for the tree-loving sun bear mean “he who likes to sit high.” Special Advertising Sections Interactive Map Explore the signs of and solutions to the world’s water crisis. Ironically, sun bears are nocturnal. They lumber through the forests by night, snacking on fruits, berries, roots, insects, small birds, lizards, and rodents. They have an excellent sense of smell and extremely long claws, exceeding four inches (ten centimeters) in length, which they use to rip open trees and termite nests. They also have an almost comically long tongue for extracting honey from bee nests, giving them their other nickname, “honey bear.” Download City Guides Little is known about the social life of these bears, but there is some evidence that suggests they may be monogamous. Mother bears, called sows, make ground nests and give birth to one or two blind, helpless babies that weigh about 11 ounces (325 grams). Mothers have actually been observed cradling a cub in their arms while walking on their hind legs, a rare trait among bears. Cubs can move about after two months and are weaned by four months, but they remain with their mothers for two years or more. guides. Because of their remote habitat and shy personality, there is currently not enough data to determine if sun bears are in danger of extinction, but scientists fear the worst. Their homelands are being lost rapidly to deforestation, poachers hunt them mercilessly for body parts and fur, and some farmers kill them on site because they often eat crops such as oil palm, coconuts, and bananas. Adult females are also frequently killed so their cubs can be taken and raised as pets. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/sun-bear.html (3 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:51:40 AM] Check out the local hotspots with downloadable city Get the Latest Headlines Make us your online news source. Read News Get Animal Pictures Special anatomical, physiological or behavioral adaptations: Their jaws are disproportionately large to break open hard fruit such as coconuts. Their tongue is extraordinarily long to get insects out of logs. The ears of the Malayan sun bear are smaller and rounder than that of other bears. In fact, their teethes are flatter than other bears and, the canines are long enough to protrude between lips. From: http://whozoo.org/Intro98/kenneke/ekelustzone-final.html Laughing Kookaburra, Laughing Kookaburra Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Laughing Kookaburra Dacelo gigas Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Laughing Kookaburra range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop At up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) in length, the laughing kookaburra is the largest member of the Kingfisher family. Their stout beaks can grow to 4 inches (10 centimeters). Subscriptions Photograph by Medford Taylor TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/laughing-kookaburra.html (1 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:58:44 AM] Laughing Kookaburra, Laughing Kookaburra Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Laughing Kookaburra Profile Our Mission The laughing kookaburra is well known both as a symbol of Australia’s birdlife and as the inspirational “merry, merry king of the bush” from the children’s song. Native to the eucalyptus forests of eastern Australia, the laughing kookaburra is the largest member of the Kingfisher family, with females weighing up to one pound (455 grams) and growing to 18 inches (45 centimeters) in length. Its beak can reach 4 inches (10 centimeters) long and is used to snatch a variety of invertebrates and small vertebrates, including the occasional small snake. Since being introduced in western Australia and New Zealand, the kookaburra has angered farmers by preying on their fowl. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps The laughing kookaburra has dark brown wing plumage and a white head and underside. Dark brown eye stripes run across its face and its upper bill is black. Its reddish-colored tail is patterned with black bars. It gets its moniker from its manic laughter-like call. And its early dawn and dusk cackling chorus earned it the nickname “bushman’s clock.” Laughing kookaburras are monogamous, territorial birds that nest in tree holes. Females lay one to five eggs, which are tended by a collective unit composed of parents and elder siblings. Fledgling kookaburras generally remain with their parents to help care for the Sign up for free subsequent clutch. Catalog Quick Shop Newsletters Once a month get new photos and expert tips. Laughing kookaburras are not currently considered threatened although loss of habitat is a primary threat to the birds. They have adapted well to human development and often inhabit suburban areas, which provide both food and shelter. Sign up advertisement Multimedia http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/laughing-kookaburra.html (2 of 5) [12/13/2008 10:58:44 AM] Fast Facts Type: Bird Diet: Carnivore Average lifespan in captivity: Up to 20 years Size: 15 to 18 in (39 to 45 cm) Weight: 13 to 16 oz (368 to 455 g) Did you know? Noisy early morning and evening choruses have earned the laughing kookaburra the nickname “bushman’s clock.” Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens: Laughing Kookaburra Home: Things to See & Do: Animals: Birds: Laughing Kookaburra Keeper Talks Botanical Gardens Bio Facts: Laughing Kookaburra Common Name: Laughing Kookaburra Animals Amphibians Birds Invertebrates Mammals Reptiles Zoo Loop Map Train Rides Events Scientific Name: Dacelo novaeguineae Family: Alcedinidae Order: Coraciiformes Class: Aves click for larger image Range: Eastern and southeastern Australia Habitat: Woodlands and open forests Description: Large head, short neck, and husky build. It is the largest of the kingfishers - up to 18 inches long. Back and wings are brown with light blue specks on shoulders, and a white patch at the base of the wing quills. Tail is white and barred with black. Feet have syndactyl toes (3 forward, 1 backward). Life Expectancy: Up to 15 years Sexual Maturity: 1 year Diet: In the wild, they eat Insects, larvae, rodents, eggs, and snakes. In the Zoo, they are fed mice, bird of prey mix, crickets and mealworms. Status: Not listed Behaviors: Breeding occurs between September and January. Nesting is done in the hole of a tree trunk or a termite mound. The incubation period is 25-27 days, and 2-4 eggs are hatched. Both the male and female incubate and take care of the young. They mate for life. The laughing kookaburra is known for the laughing call it makes at dusk and dawn. Adaptations: The strong bill is used to make nests in tree trunks and termite mounds. Syndactyl feet are used for perching, and allow the laughing kookaburra to stay very still. They can swoop down quietly from a standstill to catch prey. http://www.jaxzoo.org/things/biofacts/LaughingKookaburra.asp (1 of 2) [12/13/2008 10:59:41 AM] Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens: Laughing Kookaburra Special Interest: The famous naturalist, John Gould, wrote about the laughing kookaburra, “It rises with the dawn when the woods re-echo with its gurgling laugh; at sunset it is again heard.” Its voice can be heard up to half a mile away. The laughing kookaburra is a member of the kingfisher family (Alcedinidae). Folklore: The Australian Aborigines believe that God made the laughing kookaburra have such loud, pronounced laughter at dawn, so humans would not miss the sunrise. They also believe that children who insulted a kookaburra would sprout an extra slantedtooth. Conservation: The main threat to the laughing kookaburra is loss of habitat. Jacksonville Zoo History: Except for a short period between January 1975 and February 1978, this species has been exhibited since May 1966. It has successfully bred here. Revised: December 2000 All content copyright 2008 Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens Site design and development by Idea Integration, Inc. http://www.jaxzoo.org/things/biofacts/LaughingKookaburra.asp (2 of 2) [12/13/2008 10:59:41 AM] Koala, Koala Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Koala Phascolarctos cinereus Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Koala range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop A mother koala and baby in the fork of a tree Photograph by Medford Taylor Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/koala.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:05:24 AM] Koala, Koala Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Koala Profile Our Mission Though often called the "koala bear," this cuddly animal is not a bear at all; it is a marsupial, or pouched mammal. After birth, a female carries a single baby in its pouch for about six months. When the infant emerges, it rides on its mother's back or clings to her belly, accompanying her everywhere until it is about a year old. Type: Mammal Koalas live in eastern Australia, where the eucalyptus trees they love are most plentiful. In fact, they rarely leave these trees, and their sharp claws and opposable digits easily keep them aloft. During the day they doze, tucked into forks or nooks in the trees, sleeping for up to 18 hours. Weight: 20 lbs (9 kg) Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Catalog Quick Shop Fast Facts Diet: Herbivore Average lifespan in the wild: 20 years Size: 23.5 to 33.5 in (60 to 85 cm) Protection status: Threatened Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: When not asleep a koala feeds on eucalyptus leaves, especially at night. Koalas do not drink much water and they get most of their moisture from these leaves. Each animal eats a tremendous amount for its size—about two and a half pounds (one kilogram) of leaves a day. Koalas even store snacks of leaves in pouches in their cheeks. A special digestive system—a long gut—allows koalas to break down the tough eucalyptus leaves and remain unharmed by their poison. Koalas eat so many of these leaves that they take on a distinctive odor from their oil, reminiscent of cough drops. These plump, fuzzy mammals were widely hunted during the 1920s and 1930s, and their populations plunged. Helped by reintroduction, Sign up for free they have reappeared over much of their former range, but their Newsletters populations are smaller and scattered. Koalas need a lot of space— about 100 trees per animal—a pressing problem as Australia's Once a month woodlands continue to shrink. get new photos and expert tips. Sign up advertisement Multimedia Photo Gallery: Bears Video: Koalas Saved Koala and Kangaroo Features http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/koala.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:05:24 AM] Koala Printable Factsheet Fact Sheet - Koala 2. Community Life: This Is My Home Koalas are not very friendly to each other. They do not interact with each other except in territorial disputes and to mate. A male koala "owns" about 15 trees in his territory. He scent marks by urinating or rubbing a gland on his chest against a tree trunk declaring ownership ofthat tree. The bellow of the male is low pitched and can be heard for up to 800 meters. It may announce his presence to other males or to females. Females wail, snarl, and scream to communicate. Marsupials are very small and underdeveloped when they are born. A newborn koala weighs 1/50 of an ounce and is 3/4 of an inch long-about the size of a peanut! Using powerful front legs and paws, it crawls into its mother's pouch and attaches to a nipple in order to drink milk, grow, and develop. By seven months of age, the joey pokes its head out and gradually starts to explore, squeaking to call for its mother. By 12 months the youngster is weaned, but will return to the pouch for safety until it is 18 months old. Soon after, the young koala leaves for good to find a home of its own. 3. Laid-back In The Outback A koala leads a slow-paced life. About 14.5 hours of its day are spent sleeping, with another 4.8 hours resting. Foraging requires another 4.7 hours, leaving only four minutes per day for travel! 4. Physical Adaptations: How Do I Do What I Do? Koalas are nocturnal or active at night, and it's late evening when they move from tree to tree. Their front paws have long, sharp claws, well adapted for climbing. Two of the digits function as thumbs and are opposable to the other digits giving them an excellent grip. Koalas feed mainly on the leaves, shoots, soft stems, flowers, and bark of the eucalyptus trees in which they live. It is a diet high in fiber and low in protein. Their digestive system has a cecum that contains microorganisms that help them digest their high fiber diet. Since some types of eucalyptus are toxic during certain seasons of the year, the cecum may also function to detoxify the food. Generally, koalas sniff and accept or reject each leaf they pick. Most of the water a koala needs is in the leaves that they eat. 5. Conservation: Together We Can Make It Happen! Even though koalas are common where they are found, they face problems shared with wildlife all over the world. The most pressing problem is loss of habitat. Many eucalyptus tracts are being cleared, leaving "islands" of trees. Koalas do not move very far, and certainly not very fast! Movement increases risk of predation by Australian wild dogs. Perhaps even more important, scattered habitat may keep them from finding mates. Planting trees as corridors or pathways between the forest "islands" may help insure their future. Fortunately, many people all over the world know and love koalas. Concerned Australian citizens have formed groups to help koalas by planting trees and caring for those injured by domestic pets, highways or pesticides. The Australian government has strict laws to regulate exportation and hunting of koalas. International law also protects them by regulating trade of live koalas and http://www.seaworld.org/animal-info/animal-bytes/...data/craniata/mammalia/diprotodontia/koala-fs.htm (3 of 5) [12/13/2008 11:06:18 AM] Eastern Gray Kangaroo, Eastern Gray Kangaroo Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Eastern Gray Kangaroo Macropus giganteus Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Eastern Gray Kangaroo range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop A young eastern gray kangaroo peers from its mother's pouch. Photograph by Nicole Duplaix Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/gray-kangaroo.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:08:33 AM] Eastern Gray Kangaroo, Eastern Gray Kangaroo Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Eastern Gray Kangaroo Profile Fast Facts Our Mission Gray kangaroos roam the forests of Australia and Tasmania and prefer to live among the trees, though they do take to open grasslands for grazing. Gray kangaroos, red kangaroos, and wallaroos are called the great kangaroos because they are so much larger than the nearly 70 other kinds of kangaroos. Gray kangaroos hop along on their powerful hind legs and do so at great speed. A gray kangaroo can reach speeds of over 35 miles (56 kilometers) an hour and travel for long distances at 15 miles (24 kilometers) an hour. Their bounding gate allows them to cover 25 feet (8 meters) in a single leap and to jump 6 feet (1.8 meters) high. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Females have one baby at a time, which at birth is smaller than a cherry. The infant immediately climbs into its mother's pouch and does not emerge for two months. Until they reach about 10 or 11 months of age, threatened young kangaroos, called joeys, will quickly dive for the safety of mom's pouch. As they grow, joeys' heads and feet can often be seen hanging out of the pouch. Type: Mammal Diet: Herbivore Average lifespan in the wild: 8 to 10 years Size: Up to 7 ft. (2.1 m) Weight: Up to 120 lbs (54 kg) Group name: Mob Did you know? A gray kangaroo can hop along at speeds of over 35 miles (56 kilometers) an hour. Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Larger male kangaroos are powerfully built. Like many species, male kangaroos sometimes fight over potential mates. They often lean back on their sturdy tail and "box" each other with their strong hind legs. Kangaroos can also bite and wield sharp claws, which they may Sign up for free do in battle with an enemy, such as a dingo. Catalog Quick Shop Newsletters Once a month get new photos and expert tips. Sign up Gray kangaroos gather in groups called "mobs." Aboriginal and European Australians have spent centuries clearing open tracts of land and establishing water sources—both of which are boons to kangaroo populations. Many millions of these animals roam Australia, and considerable numbers are killed each year for their skins and meat, which is becoming a more popular human food. advertisement Multimedia Eastern Gray Kangaroo Printable Factsheet Video: Dingo vs. Kangaroo Australia Features http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/gray-kangaroo.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:08:33 AM] Grey Kangaroos General information: The Gray Kangaroo is a native animal of Australia. The kangaroo has played an important part in the history of Australia. In the days of the dream time with the aborigines the kangaroo was a main food source and the encouraged the creation of a famous Australian item, the boomerang. The boomerang was better than the spear because if you missed your target it would hopefully come back to you. The kangaroo's numbers in Australia are stable since the extermination of its natural predator, the Tasmanian Wolf. The Eastern Gray Kangaroo can be found in the eastern third of the Australian Continent, especially along the coast in damp forest and scrub habitat. The Gray Kangaroo or Forester can be found on the crest of Australia which can be found on the baggy green cap of the Australian cricket team and on the cover of the Australian passport. The male kangaroo is known as a Boomer, the female as a Flyer and the young kangaroo as a Joey. Even though these animals look cuddly they are to be approached with caution because of a large claw on the hind legs that have sent many a tourist running away injured. Photo by Bruce Hayward (University of Alaska Museum) http://whozoo.org/students/jasrea/kangaroo.html (3 of 6) [12/13/2008 11:09:20 AM] Grey Kangaroos Special anatomical, physiological or behavioral adaptations: The ancestors of the kangaroos may have been tree-dwellers like modern tree kangaroos, opossums or koalas. The Gray Kangaroo is able to hop an amazing distance. They use this as their first line of defense. Kangaroos have been seen to leap over fences or cars and their leaps have been reported to have reached lengths of 26 feet and 10 feet in height. The males usually form a loose harems in order to breed but then move off and join a group of males for a while. The embryo from the female Kangaroo is the size of a pea at birth. Several days before birth the female begins the task of cleaning out her pouch until it is free of debris. The joey will remain in the pouch attached to the nipple of the mother for nine months. The female has four nipples in the pouch, one for a different stage in the growing process. The joey will play peek-a-boo while gaining courage to enter the new world. This is done by hanging the joey's ear out of the top of the pouch like a handkerchief. Once the joey starts to wander into the new world it is helped getting in and out of the pouch by a group of muscle s that the female has in the opening of the pouch. In the morning a family of Kangaroos will sometimes go to a water hole and line up and take turns bathing and washing their teeth with their paws. They also thoroughly clean their ears, faces, bellies and backs. http://whozoo.org/students/jasrea/kangaroo.html (4 of 6) [12/13/2008 11:09:20 AM] Dingo, Dingo Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Dingo Canis dingo Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Dingo range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Dingoes, though generally associated with Australia, likely originated from Southeast Asia and were introduced to Australia about 3,000 years ago. Subscriptions Photograph by Jason Edwards TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/dingo.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:13:20 AM] Dingo, Dingo Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Dingo Profile Fast Facts Our Mission The dingo is legendary as Australia's wild dog, though it also occurs in Southeast Asia. The Australian animals may be descendents of Asian dingoes that were introduced to the continent some 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. These golden or reddish-colored canids may live alone (especially young males) or in packs of up to ten animals. They roam great distances and communicate with wolf-like howls. Dingo hunting is opportunistic. Animals hunt alone or in cooperative packs. They pursue small game such as rabbits, rodents, birds, and lizards. These dogs will eat fruits and plants as well. They also scavenge from humans, particularly in their Asian range. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Catalog Quick Shop Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Size: Head and body, 3.5 to 4 ft (1.1 to 1.2 m); Tail, 12 to 13 in (30 to 33 cm) Weight: 22 to 33 lbs (10 to 15 kg) Group name: Pack Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Dingoes breed only once a year. Females typically give birth to about five pups, which are not independent until six to eight months of age. In packs, a dominant breeding female will kill the offspring of other females. Australia is home to so many of these animals that they are generally considered pests. A famous "dingo fence" has been erected to protect grazing lands for the continent's herds of sheep. It is likely that more dingoes live in Australia today than when Europeans first arrived. Sign up for free Though dingoes are numerous, their pure genetic strain is gradually Newsletters Once a month being compromised. They can and do interbreed with domestic dogs to produce hybrid animals. Studies suggest that more than a third of southeastern Australia's dingoes are hybrids. get new photos and expert tips. Sign up advertisement Multimedia Photo Gallery: Wild Dogs Video: Dingo vs. Kangaroo Dog Features http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/dingo.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:13:20 AM] Dingo Printable Factsheet WikiAnswers - What are some of a dingo's behavioural adaptations Enter a question here... Browse: Unanswered questions | Most-recent questions | Reference library Ads by Google Adaptations Questions Dingo Reference Baby Dingo Dogs Wild Animals Coyote n [Edit] What are some of a dingo's behavioural adaptations? me In: Land Mammals [Recategorize] rd [Edit] word? ember me Join now One adaptation is the dingo's coat: a dingo living in hot, tropical areas has a short single coat while a dingo living in cool to cold mountain areas has a longer and thicker coat with a double layer of fur. Dingoes howl they do not bark. Although dingoes are habitually seen alone, many belong to socially interacted mobs whose members meet every few days. As they have 3 distinctive types of howls: moans, bark/howls and snuffs they utilize this howling for long distance means of communication to catch the attention of pack members and rivals. me ome nt site activity center munity forum Dingo Everything to do with Dingo items. Yahoo.com Behavioral Targeting Ads Boost revenue: sign up for a free behavioral targeting evaluation www.revenuescience.com ADVERTISEMENT Animal Trapping Raccoons,Opossum,skunks,squirrels Best rates around ProTraps.googlepages.com First answer by ID2043844836. Last edit by ID2043844836. Question popularity: 1 [recommend question] http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_some_of_a_dingo's_behavioural_adaptations (1 of 2) [12/13/2008 11:17:51 AM] Tasmanian Devil, Tasmanian Devil Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisii Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Tasmanian Devil range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Subscriptions This yawning Tasmanian devil was photographed at a quarantine facility in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. The site monitors devils for signs of devil facial tumor disease (DFTC), a fatal, contagious cancer that over the past decade has decimated wild populations of the iconic Australian marsupial. TV & Film Photograph by Ian Waldie/Getty Images Shop http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/tasmanian-devil.html (1 of 5) [12/13/2008 11:19:23 AM] Tasmanian Devil, Tasmanian Devil Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Our Mission Tasmanian Devil Profile As comical as it is, the familiar Looney Tunes portrayal of a Tasmanian devil as a seething, snarling, insatiable lunatic is, at times, not all that far from the truth. Tasmanian devils have a notoriously cantankerous disposition and will fly into a maniacal rage when threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or defending a meal. Early European settlers dubbed it a "devil" after witnessing such displays, which include teeth-baring, lunging, and an array of spine-chilling guttural growls. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Catalog Quick Shop These famously feisty mammals have a coat of coarse brown or black fur and a stocky profile that gives them the appearance of a baby bear. Most have a white stripe or patch on their chest and light spots on their sides or rear end. They have long front legs and shorter rear legs, giving them a lumbering, piglike gait. The Tasmanian devil is the world's largest carnivorous marsupial, reaching 30 inches (76 centimeters) in length and weighing up to 26 pounds (12 kilograms), although its size will vary widely depending on its specific range and the availability of food. Its oversize head houses sharp teeth and strong, muscular jaws that can deliver, pound for pound, one of the most powerful bites of any mammal. Tasmanian devils are strictly carnivorous, surviving on small prey Sign up for free such as snakes, birds, fish, and insects and frequently feasting Newsletters communally on carrion. They are at their most rowdy when jockeying for position on a large carcass. Like other marsupials, when they are well fed, their tails swell with stored fat. Once a month get new photos and expert tips. Sign up advertisement Devils are solitary and nocturnal, spending their days alone in hollow logs, caves, or burrows, and emerging at night to feed. They use their long whiskers and excellent sense of smell and sight to avoid predators and locate prey and carrion. They'll eat pretty much anything they can get their teeth on, and when they do find food, they are voracious, consuming everything—including hair, organs, and bones. Mothers give birth after about three weeks of pregnancy to 20 or 30 very tiny young. These raisin-size babies crawl up the mother's fur and into her pouch. However, the mother has only four nipples, so only a handful of babies survive. Infants emerge after about four months and are generally weaned by the sixth month and on their own by the eighth. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/tasmanian-devil.html (2 of 5) [12/13/2008 11:19:23 AM] Fast Facts Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Average lifespan in the wild: Up to 5 years Size: 20 to 31 in (51 to 79 cm) Weight: 9 to 26 lbs (4 to 12 kg) Did you know? When confronted, a Tasmanian devil will often yawn at its tormentor as if pretending to be unbothered by the threat. Protection status: Endangered Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Tasmanian Devil, Tasmanian Devil Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Once abundant throughout Australia Tasmanian devils are now indigenous only to the island state of Tasmania. Their Tasmanian range encompasses the entire island, although they are partial to coastal scrublands and forests. Biologists speculate that their extinction on the mainland is attributable to the introduction of Asian dogs, or dingoes. Efforts in the late 1800s to eradicate Tasmanian devils, which farmers erroneously believed were killing livestock (although they were known to take poultry), were nearly successful. In 1941, the government made devils a protected species, and their numbers have grown steadily since. Survival Threatened Tragically, though, a catastrophic illness discovered in the mid-1990s has killed tens of thousands of Tasmanian devils. Called devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), this rapidly spreading condition is a rare contagious cancer that causes large lumps to form around the animal's mouth and head, making it hard for it to eat. The animal eventually starves to death. Animal health experts are sequestering populations where the disease has not yet appeared and are focusing on captive breeding programs to save the species from extinction. Because of the outbreak, the Australian government has listed Tasmanian devils as vulnerable. Special Advertising Sections Interactive Map Explore the signs of and solutions to the world’s water crisis. Download City Guides Check out the local hotspots with downloadable city guides. Get the Latest Headlines Make us your online news source. Multimedia Tasmanian Devil Printable Factsheet Related Features http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/tasmanian-devil.html (3 of 5) [12/13/2008 11:19:23 AM] Read News Get Animal Pictures Tasmanian Devil Home Animals of the World Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisii Animal Photos The Animal Kingdom Animal Activities About Us Shop Contact Us Location, Habitat and Diet Tasmanian devils are only found in the wild on the Australian island of Tasmania. It will inhabit many or all habitats of the island including rainforests, woodland forests and coastal brush areas. Tasmanian devils are mainly scavengers, and will feed on the carcasses of other animals. The devils have strong teeth that allow them to eat most or all of the carcass, including the bones. Size and Description Tasmanian devils will usually grow to a length between 22 and 32 inches. It can weigh up to 26 pounds. The tail is roughly half the size of the body, and is used to store a large portion of Tasmanian devils' body fat. The fur is black and it will most often have white patches on its chest and rump. Its face resembles that of a large rat (although unrelated) and the muzzle is a brownish-tan. Tasmanian devils' are relatively short with shoulder height of about 1 foot and has short legs. © Timbles | Dreamstime.com Classification Reproduction The pregnancy period of Tasmanian devils will last between 3 and 4 weeks. The litter size will vary, but the mother only has enough mammary glands and nipples to nurse four young. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Dasyuromorphia Adaptations The most noticeable adaptation of Tasmanian devils is its excellent senses. It will use its great sense of smell to locate carrion during the day, but especially at night. Tasmanian devils can also emit a pungent odor as a defense mechanism when threatened. Family: Dasyuridae Genus: Sarcophilus Species: harrisii Special Facts Earlier in the 20th century, the population of Tasmanian devils nearly reached extinction due to hunting and trapping, but recovered once Australian law protected the species. In the last decade, the population of Tasmanian devils has once again been threatened by a devastating facial tumor disease. A program called the Save the Tasmanian Devil has been started to help the animal and manage the disease. ©2008 The Animal Spot | Contact Us | Copyright Policy http://www.theanimalspot.com/tasmaniandevil.htm [12/13/2008 11:28:07 AM] Platypus, Platypus Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Platypus range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop View of a platypus from above Photograph by Nicole Duplaix Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/platypus.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:22:29 AM] Platypus, Platypus Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Platypus Profile Our Mission The platypus is among nature's most unlikely animals. In fact, the first scientists to examine a specimen believed they were the victims of a hoax. The animal is best described as a hodgepodge of more familiar species: the duck (bill and webbed feet), beaver (tail), and otter (body and fur). Males are also poisonous. They have sharp stingers on the heels of their rear feet and can use them to deliver a strong toxic blow to any foe. Platypuses hunt underwater, where they swim gracefully by paddling with their front webbed feet and steering with their hind feet and beaverlike tail. Folds of skin cover their eyes and ears to prevent water from entering, and the nostrils close with a watertight seal. In this posture, a platypus can remain submerged for a minute or two and employ its sensitive bill to find food. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps These Australian mammals are bottom feeders. They scoop up insects and larvae, shellfish, and worms in their bill along with bits of gravel and mud from the bottom. All this material is stored in cheek pouches and, at the surface, mashed for consumption. Platypuses do not have teeth, so the bits of gravel help them to "chew" their meal. On land, platypuses move a bit more awkwardly. However, the webbing on their feet retracts to expose individual nails and allow the creatures to run. Platypuses use their nails and feet to construct dirt Sign up for free burrows at the water's edge. Catalog Quick Shop Newsletters Once a month get new photos and expert tips. Sign up Platypus reproduction is nearly unique. It is one of only two mammals (the echidna is the other) that lay eggs. Females seal themselves inside one of the burrow's chambers to lay their eggs. A mother typically produces one or two eggs and keeps them warm by holding them between her body and her tail. The eggs hatch in about ten days, but platypus infants are the size of lima beans and totally helpless. Females nurse their young for three to four months until the babies can swim on their own. advertisement Multimedia Platypus Printable Factsheet http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/platypus.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:22:29 AM] Fast Facts Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Size: Head and body, 15 in (38 cm); Tail, 5 in (13 cm) Weight: 3 lbs (1.4 kg) Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Platypus at Animal Corner December 13, 2008 Animal Related Sites | Educational Sites | Link To Us | Add To Favourites The Duck-billed Platypus Homepage Animals British Wildlife World Wildlife Reptiles Pets Cuban Solenodon | The Duck-billed Platypus | Eurasian water shrew | Northern Short-tailed Shrew | Southern Short-tailed Shrew The Duck-billed Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania. The Platypus is one of the few venomous mammals whereby the male Platypus has a spike on the hind foot which delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans, they also use it to kill small animals in self defence. Female Platypus are not venomous. Insects and Bugs Farm Animals Marine Life Rainforests Galapagos Wildlife Venomous Animals Endangered Animals Biomes Platypus Description The Duck-billed Platypus is about the size of a cat. It has thick, waterproof fur all over its body (except for the feet and bill) that insulates the animal and keeps it warm. Their legs sprawl out to the side of the body, giving it a lizard-like walk. The Duck-billed Platypus uses its tail for storage of fat reserves, an adaptation it shares with the Tasmanian Devil. The Duck-billed Platypus has webbed feet and a large, rubbery snout. These are features that appear closer to those of a duck than to those of any known mammal. The webbing is more significant on the front feet and is folded back when walking on land. Unlike a birds beak (in which both the upper and lower parts of the beak separate to reveal its mouth), the snout of the Platypus is a sensory organ with the mouth on the underside. Their nostrils are located on the dorsal surface of the snout while the eyes and ears are located in a groove set just back from it. This groove is closed when swimming. Platypuses have been heard to emit a low growl when disturbed and a range of other vocalisations have been reported in captive specimens. The weight of the Duck-billed Platypus varies considerably from 700 grams (1.54 pounds) to 2.4 kilograms (5.3 pounds) with males being larger than females. Males average 50 centimetres (20 inches) total length http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/venanimals/ven_mammalsPlat.html (1 of 3) [12/13/2008 11:23:41 AM] About Venomous Animals Venomous Mammals Venomous Snakes Venomous Spiders The Duck-billed Platypus Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Monotremata Family: Ornithorhynchidae Genus: Ornithorhynchus Species: O. anatinus Binomial Name Ornithorhynchus anatinus Platypus at Animal Corner while females average 43 centimetres (17 inches). There is a great variation in size depending on the region in which the Platypus lives, and this pattern does not seem to follow any particular climate rule and may be due to other environmental factors such as predation and human residence. The Platypus has extra bones in the shoulder girdle which are not found in any other mammals. Platypus Communication Platypuses are Monotremes, the only mammals known to have a sense of electro reception (the ability to receive and make use of electrical impulses). Their electro reception is the most sensitive of any monotreme. The electro receptors of the Platypus are located in rostro-caudal rows in the skin of the bill. The Platypus can determine the direction of an electric source, perhaps by comparing differences in signal strength across the sheet of electro receptors. This would explain the anima's characteristic side-to-side motion of its head while hunting. The Platypus feeds by digging in the bottom of streams with its bill. The electro receptors could be used to distinguish live and dead objects in this situation. When disturbed, its prey would generate tiny electrical currents in their muscular contractions which the sensitive electro receptors of the Platypus could detect. Experiments have shown that the Platypus will even react to an 'artificial shrimp' if a small electrical current is passed through it. Platypus Habitat Duck-billed Platypuses live in burrows and spend much of their time in freshwater ponds and streams. The Platypus is generally regarded as nocturnal and crepuscular (animals that are primarily active during the twilight), but individuals are also active during the day, particularly when the sky is overcast. It tends to habitat bridges rivers and the riparian zone (the interface between land and a flowing surface water body) for both a food supply of prey species and banks where it can dig resting and nesting burrows. It may have a range of up to 7 kilometres (4.4 miles) with males home ranges overlapping with those of 3 or 4 females. Platypus Reproduction Together with the four species of echidna, the Duck-billed Platypus is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. After an egg hatches, the tiny baby (called a puggle) drinks its mothers milk, which comes from tiny openings in the mothers belly. Duckbilled Platypuses have a life span of 10 - 17 years. Platypus Diet Platypus are carnivores (meat-eaters) and they use their bill to strain its tiny prey, like crayfish, worms, insects, snails and shrimp from muddy water. The Duck-billed Platypus can store food in cheek pouches while it is hunting underwater. http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/venanimals/ven_mammalsPlat.html (2 of 3) [12/13/2008 11:23:41 AM] Platypus at Animal Corner Platypus Venom The male Platypus has venomous ankle spurs which produce a cocktail of venom, composed largely of defensin-like proteins (DLPs), which is unique to the Platypus. Although powerful enough to kill smaller animals, the venom is not lethal to humans, but does produce excruciating pain. So intense is the pain that the victim may be immobilized. Swelling rapidly develops around the wound and gradually spreads throughout the affected limb. The pain develops into a long-lasting hyperalgesia (an extreme sensitivity to pain) that persists for days or even months. Venom is produced in the crural glands of the male, which are kidneyshaped alveolar glands (general anatomical term for a concave cavity) connected by a thin-walled duct to a calcaneus spur on each hind limb. The female Platypus, in common with echidnas (the only surviving monotremes apart from the Platypus), has rudimentary spur buds which do not develop (dropping off before the end of their first year) and lack functional crural glands. The venom appears to have a different function from those produced by non-mammalian species. The venoms effects are non-life threatening but nevertheless powerful enough to seriously impair the victim. Since only males produce venom and production rises during the breeding season it is thought that it is used as an offensive weapon to assert dominance during this period. Platypus Conservation Status Until the early 20th century the Duck-billed Platypus was hunted for its fur, however, it is now protected throughout its range. Although captive breeding programs have had only limited success and the Platypus is vulnerable to the effects of pollution, it is not under any immediate threat. Cuban Solenodon | The Duck-billed Platypus | Eurasian water shrew | Northern Short-tailed Shrew | Southern Short-tailed Shrew Google Search Web www.animalcorner.co.uk Copyright©2003-2008 AnimalCorner MJB http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/venanimals/ven_mammalsPlat.html (3 of 3) [12/13/2008 11:23:41 AM] Lynx, Lynx Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Lynx Felis lynx Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Lynx range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Lynxes are known for the black tufts of fur on the tips of their ears and their thick fur. Photograph by Norbert Rosing Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/lynx.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:45:16 AM] Lynx, Lynx Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Lynx Profile Our Mission The lynx is a solitary cat that haunts the remote northern forests of North America, Europe, and Asia. Lynx are covered with beautiful thick fur that keeps them warm during frigid winters. Their large paws are also furry and hit the ground with a spreading toe motion that makes them function as natural snowshoes. These stealthy cats avoid humans and hunt at night, so they are rarely seen. There are several species of lynx. Few survive in Europe but those that do, like their Asian relatives, are typically larger than their North American counterpart, the Canada lynx. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Catalog Quick Shop Sign up for free Newsletters Once a month All lynx are skilled hunters that make use of great hearing (the tufts on their ears are a hearing aid) and eyesight so strong that a lynx can spot a mouse 250 feet (75 meters) away. Canada lynx eat mice, squirrels, and birds, but prefer the snowshoe hare. The lynx are so dependent on this prey that their populations fluctuate with a periodic plunge in snowshoe hare numbers that occurs about every 10 years. Bigger Eurasian lynx hunt deer and other larger prey in addition to small animals. Lynx mate in early spring or late winter. About two months later, females give birth to a litter of one to four young. Humans sometimes hunt lynx for their beautiful fur. One endangered population, the Iberian lynx, struggles to survive in the mountains of Spain, far from the cold northern forests where most lynx live. get new photos and expert tips. Sign up advertisement Multimedia Lynx Printable Factsheet http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/lynx.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:45:16 AM] Fast Facts Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Size: Head and body, 32 to 40 in (80 to 100 cm); Tail, 4 to 8 in (10 to 20 cm) Weight: 22 to 44 lbs (10 to 20 kg) Protection status: Threatened Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Do you know... ... what kind of adaptations lynxes have to survive? The Lynx has very good adaptations and senses like: * sharp teeth * good sense of smell * sharp hearing * forward facing eyes * keen eyesight * camouflages colouring Can you put the adaptations in the right place in this drawing? Which of the adaptations or senses will be the best one to: * Catch a prey? _________________________________ * Kill a prey? ___________________________________ * Hide from prey and people? _______________________ Do you know... ... whether lynxes live in a group or live solitary? Some animals, like the wolves, live in big groups. Lynxes prefer to live alone so they doesn't need to share their food. Only the females live together with their cubs of the year. Do you know more animals that live in groups? ______________________________ __________________ Do you know more animals that live solitary? _________________________________ _________________________________ 2 Hedgehog, Hedgehog Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Hedgehog range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop Hedgehog rooting for bugs and grubs Photograph by Henry Ausloos/Animals Animals—Earth Scenes Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/hedgehog.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:57:39 AM] Hedgehog, Hedgehog Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Hedgehog Profile Our Mission There are some 15 species of hedgehog in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Hedgehogs have also been introduced into nontraditional ranges such as New Zealand. The hedgehog was named because of its peculiar foraging methods. These animals root through hedges and other undergrowth in search of the small creatures that compose the bulk of their diet—insects, worms, centipedes, snails, mice, frogs, and snakes. As a hedgehog picks its way through the hedges it emits piglike grunts—thus, the hedgehog. Some people consider hedgehogs useful pets because they prey on many common garden pests. While on the hunt, they rely upon their senses of hearing and smell because their eyesight is weak. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Hedgehogs have a coat of stiff, sharp spines. If attacked they will curl into a prickly and unappetizing ball that deters most predators. They usually sleep in this position during the day and awaken to search for food at night. Hedgehogs hibernate in cold climates. In deserts, they sleep through heat and drought in a similar process called aestivation. They remain active all year in more temperate locations. Catalog Quick Shop These solitary animals typically couple only for mating. The young born each year, in litters ranging from one to eleven, remain with their mothers for only four to seven weeks before heading out on their Sign up for free own. Among the predators females must guard against during this Newsletters period are other male hedgehogs, which will sometimes prey upon the young of their species. Hedgehog mothers have also been known Once a month to eat their young if the nest is disturbed, though they sometimes simply move them to a new nest. get new photos and expert tips. Sign up advertisement Multimedia http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/hedgehog.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:57:39 AM] Fast Facts Type: Mammal Diet: Carnivore Size: Head and body, 5 to 12 in (13 to 30 cm); Tail, 1 to 2 in (3 to 5 cm) Weight: 14 to 39 oz (397 to 1,106 g) Size relative to a tea cup: European Hedgehog BIOMES KEY European Hedgehog Animal List Erinsceus europaeus General Information The European hedgehog is a rodentlike mammal. It has an egg-shaped body that measures 7-8 inches long. It has bristling spines which are a pale yellowish color around its face and underparts. This animal also has a small tail that measures less than an inch. Its head is sharp and like a wedge. Hedgehogs have coarse hairs on their face, legs, and underparts. They are warm-blooded and maintain a constant body temperature. Males and females look very similar. The European hedgehog breeds twice a year between May and June, August and September. They normally have 4 or 5 "hogs" in their litter. The gestation time is 34-39 days. The baby hedgehogs are born in a nest of leaves and grass built by their mother. They are blind at birth and in about a week they can see. It takes about a month before the babies are old enough to leave the nest without their mother. http://lsb.syr.edu/projects/cyberzoo/europeanhedgehog.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:58:31 AM] European Hedgehog Niche/Habitat Zoo Observations At the Utica Zoo, we learned by watching the European hedgehog that if it is not watched closely, it will run away. Another thing we noticed was that you needed to wear gloves to handle it because of its sharp spines. The European hedgehog looks for food morning to night. It sniffs out worms, snails, insects, snakes, and small rodents. The European hedgehog is usually found in the British Isles, Western Europe, the Mediterranean Islands, and recently has been introduced to New Zealand. These animals live in deciduous forests, sand dunes, open woodlands, hollow stumps, and cavities in rocks. They hibernate in climates with cold winters. Adaptations The European hedgehog has poor eyesight but has a very good sense of smell and hearing. When they fear harm, they roll into a tight, spiny ball for protection. The only real predator the European hedgehog has is the fox. The fox will roll the hedgehog into a pond of water where the animal has to uncurl itself or else it will drown. That is when the fox will attack it. The European hedgehog spines are a pale yellowish-white color around its face and underparts. The rest of the body is a brownish color which blends well with its surroundings. http://lsb.syr.edu/projects/cyberzoo/europeanhedgehog.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 11:58:31 AM] Wolverine, Wolverine Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Wolverine Gulo gulo Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Wolverine range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop A wolverine on a rock Photograph courtesy National Park Service Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/wolverine.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 12:05:02 PM] Wolverine, Wolverine Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Wolverine Profile Our Mission The wolverine is a powerful animal that resembles a small bear but is actually the largest member of the weasel family. Type: Mammal These tough animals are solitary, and they need a lot of room to roam. Individual wolverines may travel 15 miles (24 kilometers) in a day in search of food. Because of these habitat requirements, wolverines frequent remote boreal forests, taiga, and tundra in the northern latitudes of Europe, Asia, and North America. Average lifespan in the wild: 7 to 12 years Wolverines eat a bit of vegetarian fare, like plants and berries, in the summer season, but this does not make up a major part of their diet— they are tenacious predators with a taste for meat. Wolverines easily dispatch smaller prey, such as rabbits and rodents, but may even attack animals many times their size, such as caribou, if the prey appears to be weak or injured. These opportunistic eaters also feed on carrion—the corpses of larger mammals, such as elk, deer, and caribou. Such finds sustain them in winter when other prey may be thinner on the ground, though they have also been known to dig into burrows and eat hibernating mammals. Weight: 24 to 40 lbs (11 to 18 kg) Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps Males scent-mark their territories, but they share them with several females and are believed to be polygamous. Females den in the snow or under similar cover to give birth to two or three young each late winter or early spring. Kits sometimes live with their mother until Sign up for free they reach their own reproductive age—about two years old. Catalog Quick Shop Newsletters Once a month get new photos Wolverines sport heavy, attractive fur that once made them a prime trapper's target in North America. Their fur was used to line parkas, though this practice is far less common today and the animals are protected in many areas. and expert tips. Sign up advertisement Multimedia Wolverine Printable Factsheet http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/wolverine.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 12:05:02 PM] Fast Facts Diet: Omnivore Size: Head and body, 26 to 34 in (66 to 86 cm); Tail, 7 to 10 in (18 to 25 cm) Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Hinterland Who's Who - Wolverine Home Media Gallery WhoTube Glossary Search Français Mammal Fact Sheets: Wolverine The wolverine has been described as the fiercest creature on earth. Print version Description Send to a friend | Habitat and habits | Range | Feeding | Breeding | Conservation | Resources Wolverine This animal ● ● ● ● generally prefers remote areas, far away from humans and development can travel up to 40 km during its daily hunting activities is known by a variety of descriptive names, including “skunk-bear,” because it marks its food and various landmarks with urine and musk has one of the most striking pelts of all fur-bearing animals Back to top Description Although the wolverine Gulo gulo belongs to the weasel family, Mustelidae, it is not long and lean like a weasel, but short and thick, like a small bear. Its head is broad and round, with small eyes and short rounded ears. Its legs are short and sturdy, with five toes on each foot. Its long, curved claws are semi-retractile, which means they can be partly drawn back in, and they are used for climbing and digging. Its teeth are strong, and its head, neck, and shoulder muscles are well developed. These adaptations allow the wolverine to feed on frozen flesh and bone, and they provide a clue as to how wolverines survive. http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=108 (1 of 6) [12/13/2008 12:05:58 PM] Hinterland Who's Who - Wolverine An adult wolverine is about the size of a medium-sized dog. Adult males weigh about 12 to 18 kg, adult females about 8 to 12 kg. Wolverines that live in the north of their range are usually larger than those living farther south. The wolverine has one of the most striking pelts of all fur-bearing animals. Its fur is typically a rich, glossy, dark brown. Two pale yellow stripes originate at the nape of its neck and sweep along each flank to merge at the base of its long, bushy tail. White or orange patches are common on the chest or throat. The wolverine’s toes, forepaws, or legs may occasionally be marked with white. Back to top Habitat and habits Within its range, the wolverine occupies many different kinds of habitats. Wolverines generally prefer remote areas, far away from humans and their developments. However, the specific characteristics of the wilderness that the wolverine depends upon are not yet known. Labrador and Quebec, for example, have not been recolonized by wolverines, despite the abundance of caribou and undisturbed habitat. This lack of knowledge about wolverine habitat makes it difficult for wildlife managers to manage the species and protect its habitat. One specific type of habitat wolverines need is the den used by the female to give birth and raise her kits. Finding such a den is difficult. Most dens that have been found are in tundra regions and consist of a complex of snow tunnels associated with boulders or rocks. The configuration of the rocks results in natural cavities under the snow, which form dens for the wolverines. Studies are expensive and difficult to conduct because of wolverines’ large home ranges and low densities. It is not surprising that we are still learning about the biology and behaviour of this species. Some of the mysteries have been dispelled with the help of studies in Alaska, Montana, British Columbia, Yukon, and Nunavut of wolverines equipped with collars that allow their movements to be monitored using satellites. The home range of an adult wolverine extends from less than 100 km2 for females to over 1 000 km2 for males. These home ranges are the largest reported for a carnivore of this size, and in many areas they rival the home ranges of bears, wolves, and cougars. The size of the home range varies depending on the availability of food and how it is distributed across the landscape — the more food there is, the smaller the home range needs to be. The density of wolverines ranges from one individual per 40 km2 to one per 800 km2. Those regions that have the most different kinds of habitat and prey, particularly those that include large ungulates, or animals with hooves, contain the most wolverines. The mountainous and forested areas of British Columbia and Yukon have the highest densities, although these numbers are still low compared with the densities of other carnivores. Densities of wolverines in Manitoba and Ontario are lower. The rarity of wolverines becomes readily apparent when their density is compared with the density of other solitary carnivores: one coyote per 0.5 to 10 km2 and one grizzly bear per 1.5 to 260 km2. Wolverines can travel long distances during their daily hunting activities, up to 40 km, with males travelling farther than females. They have traditional routes, and they revisit the same places every year. Wolverines are constantly on the move, unless they have found a kill site. The young leave their home range, or disperse, when they become sexually mature, at about one or two years of age. These dispersal movements can be extensive, 300 km and more for young males. The young females settle within or next to the area where they were born. The wolverine is known by a variety of descriptive names, including “skunk-bear,” because it marks its food and various landmarks with urine and musk, a fluid secreted from its anal glands, and “glutton,” because of its voracious appetite. The wolverine has been described as the fiercest creature on earth and a fearless aggressive fighter that will drive bears away from their kills. It is, in fact, the wolverine’s reliance on scavenging in order to survive that has given rise to exaggerations about its gluttony and ferocity. The wolverine is also a creature important in the folklore of North American First Nations peoples and a mammal very well adapted for its way of life. http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=108 (2 of 6) [12/13/2008 12:05:58 PM] Hinterland Who's Who - Wolverine Because of its reputation and conflicts with trappers, the wolverine was considered a pest by European North Americans, an attitude that persisted into the 1960s. Today, wolverines’ numbers are greatly reduced in some areas, and conservation biologists and wildlife managers consider wolverines to be animals in need of protection. Unique characteristics Few people, even those who spend a lot of time outdoors, have seen wolverines in the wild. This contributes to the animals’ mysterious reputation and explains why they are probably the most misunderstood and one of the least known of Canada’s wild animals. Back to top Range The wolverine is found throughout all northern regions of the globe. Wolverines are not abundant anywhere, even where they do well. The species is known for a large home range and low density, which is a measure of its numbers. The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada considers wolverines found west of Hudson Bay to be of “special concern” and the eastern population, found in Quebec and Labrador, to be “endangered.” Historically, before the appearance of Europeans in North America, wolverines occurred throughout Canada and Alaska, with some small extensions of this range into the western United States and into the Great Lakes area. They occupied a wide variety of habitat types, excepting very dry, hot areas. A portion of the wolverine’s historical range has been lost. Wolverines have also disappeared from areas with relatively intact habitats. Eastern Canada and the western United States have been particularly hard hit. Wolverines disappeared most rapidly at the edges of their distribution and in Eastern Canada. We do not know if any wolverines still occur in Eastern Canada, although Labrador and Quebec are still considered part of the current distribution. Similarly, whether wolverines still occur on Vancouver Island is unknown. There are two main reasons why wolverine populations disappeared from parts of North America. The first is that wolverines are scavengers—which means they feed on carrion, or dead animals—and are attracted to bait. Because the wolverines damaged traplines, early trappers used any means to kill them, including poison. The extensive wolf poisoning programs that occurred throughout Canada beginning in the late 1700s also killed many wolverines. The second, and more important, reason for the decline of wolverine populations is that wolverines have a low resiliency because of their low densities and low reproduction, or the number of young that are successfully produced and raised. This means that wolverine populations have a difficult time rebounding once their numbers have been lowered by either nature or human-influenced factors. Back to top Feeding http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=108 (3 of 6) [12/13/2008 12:05:58 PM] Hinterland Who's Who - Wolverine The wolverine is a carnivore, or flesh eater. It is more of a scavenger than a hunter, and is usually dependent on other carnivores, such as wolves, to kill the animals for it to eat. Leftovers from a wolf kill can be considerable. The wolverine has been known to carry away moose carcasses and caribou heads. Because of its great dependence on carrion, or dead flesh, from large mammal kills, the wolverine needs to be able to survive long periods without food. It will revisit old kills to consume frozen bones and pelts when it cannot find other food. Some individual wolverines can become good hunters and can kill young and adult ungulates, or animals with hooves, such as caribou and even moose, if the prey is in poor physical condition or if the wolverine has manoeuvred it into a disadvantaged position, such as in heavy snow. Since ungulates are not always available, wolverines must have a diversity of prey in their diet to survive. Female wolverines with young, or “kits,” rely on small mammals, such as marmots and ground squirrels. As the movements of family groups are restricted, food must be found in a smaller area. Snowshoe hares, especially when they are particularly abundant, are an important food source for all wolverines. Wolverines hide excess food by burying it or stashing it in rock crevices or in trees. Back to top Breeding Wolverines mate in the summer and reproduce by what is known as “delayed implantation.” The egg is fertilized, but its development temporarily stops. The egg floats around in the uterus and implants some time later, as early as November or as late as March. The active period of gestation, or pregnancy, lasts 30 to 40 days. Birth occurs between February and May. The female gives birth to and raises her kits in a den. Most dens that have been found are in tundra regions and consist of a complex of snow tunnels that have formed naturally around rock configurations. Wolverines can have as many as six kits, but they typically have three or fewer. Not all of the young survive their first year: some die of starvation, others from predation. Wolverine kits grow quickly compared to the young of other mammals. This rapid rate of growth continues after the mother stops nursing her kits, which happens at nine or 10 weeks of age. Kits reach the size of adults by seven months of age. When food is scarce, a high percentage of a population will not have young. In fact, some females may not reproduce even when food is apparently abundant, because raising young results in a large loss of energy for wolverine mothers. The mechanism of delayed implantation, which allows wolverines to have young when food is most abundant and to adjust the size of the litter to the availability of food, is an effective way of reproducing without sacrificing precious energy. Back to top Conservation Wolverines have few natural predators, but they are occasionally attacked and killed, although seldom eaten, by wolves and other large carnivores. Eagles have been known to take young kits. Wolverine mothers go to great lengths to find secure dens for their young, suggesting that predation may be important in some areas. During the mating season, fights between resident males and other males can occur as they compete for females. It may be this fighting that encourages the young males to disperse considerable distances. Scavenging is a difficult way to survive. Many young, inexperienced wolverines and very old wolverines die from starvation, even if food is abundant. Transients, typically young adults passing through the territory, have a higher mortality rate than residents, because they do not benefit from hunting in a familiar home range. The wolverine pelt remains one of the most prized furs because of its beauty and because frost brushes off easily. The Inuit and Dene of northern Canada use wolverine fur as trim and lining for their clothing, such as parkas, mitts, and moccasins. Over 80 percent of all wolverine pelts sold in Canada—about 400 to 600 each year—come from the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Yukon, and British Columbia. Wolverine fur is consistently high in value: a well-handled and prime pelt http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=108 (4 of 6) [12/13/2008 12:05:58 PM] Hinterland Who's Who - Wolverine sells for an average of $400. Roads that permit human access to wolverine habitat can be detrimental to wolverine populations, especially if the animals are also killed by trapping or hunting. In areas where logging occurs, wolverines may use the forested corridors adjacent to roads to get to other parts of their home ranges. This makes them vulnerable to trappers who use the same roads to set their traps. Major roads, like the Trans-Canada Highway, can also keep wolverines from reaching important parts of their habitat. Denning females are sensitive to disturbance, particularly human activity. Even the presence of careful researchers has caused wolverines to abandon their dens. The increasing use of snowmobiles and skiing in the vicinity of wolverine dens, such as in subalpine mountainous regions, can harm wolverine populations. However, in tundra areas, female wolverines have tolerated human activity without abandoning their dens. A number of zoological organizations and individuals have been successful in raising wolverines in captivity. Researchers have learned much about wolverine behaviour from studying these captive animals. It has been suggested that wolverines raised in captivity could be used in reintroductions, where wolverines are moved to a new region in order to increase or augment existing populations or assist in the recovery of endangered populations. The success of wolverine reintroductions depends on many factors. There must be a sufficient supply of animals, and reintroduced animals must originate from the same habitat, environmental conditions, and genetic stock (to protect those characteristics that have allowed them to adapt to those environmental conditions) as the animals they are joining. A recovery plan is being written to examine the options for the survival of the eastern Canadian wolverine population and the measures necessary to achieve its recovery. In other regions of Canada, trapping can be a concern in areas where safe places or refuges for wolverines need to be maintained, especially if an increase in population numbers is required. Trapping must be excluded over a very large area to protect a sufficient number of resident wolverines. Protection of denning habitat from human disturbance may also be critical for wolverine survival. Wolverines are subject to the same habitat threats that affect other large carnivores in Canada, like the grizzly bear. The wolverine does not appear to thrive in habitats that have been permanently altered by land-based activities, such as agriculture, urban and industrial development, and human settlement. The problem does not appear to be the actual loss of habitat or the presence of humans. Instead, the problem seems to be the breaking up, or fragmentation, of the wolverine habitat, as well as the increased human access to the habitat. Studies of wolverine ecology do not suggest that wolverines cannot co-exist with certain land-use activities, such as forestry and mining. However, where such activities occur, especially if they are coupled with trapping, low-density wolverine populations can have a difficult time surviving or growing. Even higher-density populations, such as those in the mountainous areas of British Columbia, can be negatively affected by human access and trapping. The future of the wolverine in Canada is of international importance. At present, Russia, Canada, and Alaska maintain the only large and relatively secure populations left in the world. Within North America, the species’ long-term survival in the western United States is dependent upon maintaining continuity with wolverines in British Columbia and Alberta. Success at retaining wilderness in Canada may be the key to maintaining and restoring the wolverine throughout its range. Back to top Resources Online resources The Wolverine Foundation Canadian Wildlife Service, Species at Risk http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=108 (5 of 6) [12/13/2008 12:05:58 PM] Ghost Crab (Ocypode quadrata): Camouflaged Cruncher Ghost Crab: Hungry Nocturnal Ghosties By Patricia B. Mitchell. Ghost crabs are rather cute crustaceans which are difficult to spot because they are sand-colored and somewhat diaphanuous. Their stalked black eyes give them an extraterrestrial appearance, and they scurry about in a rather purposeful manner — but you will probably only see them at dusk or at night. Ghost Crabs scavenge the beach, looking for tasty things to eat. Once a year, when baby sea turtles are hatching out, they enjoy special feasts. They drag the three-inch-long hatchlings down into their underground burrows, and devour them. A large Ghost Crab, seen at sunset at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. This example is about 2 inches across. You might notice the golfball-sized entrance holes of the Ghost Crab burrows in the dry sand of the upper beach, or in the sand dunes. The burrows extend down 3-4 feet. To watch some species of Ghost Crabs built (or repair) their homes is particularly fascinating. The “Ghostie” brings up clawfuls of sand and tosses them 6-12 inches away from the burrow opening. Later on, the Ghost Crab tromps down the strewn-about sand, and, using its claws, smooths out the surface. (In contrast, other species bring up the sand in the form of little balls and leave them scattered about the entrance.) Crab tracks also clearly mark the burrow entrance. Yet another entrance style is represented by a dome of sand which covers the burrow hole. Obviously some Ghosties are http://www.mitchellspublications.com/guides/shells/articles/0057/ (1 of 3) [12/13/2008 9:46:56 AM] Ghost Crab (Ocypode quadrata): Camouflaged Cruncher more inclined than others to camouflage their home. The burrow may slant down at a 45° angle, and has a “turn-about” chamber at the end. The tunnel home is constructed with wet grains of sand so that it will not collapse. In the winter Ghost Crabs hibernate in their burrows, “holding their breath” for six weeks by storing oxygen in specialized sacs near their gills. When not hibernating, the Ghost Crab has to wet its gills periodically for purposes of both respiration and reproduction. The creature maintains a little seawater in the bronchial chambers. When this supply of water needs to be replenished, the Ghost Crab approaches the shoreline sideways, standing there until a wave washes in far enough to wet him. Then he scampers back to the upper beach. (On occasion a Ghost Crab can wick up enough water from damp sand to serve this purpose.) Females with egg masses, however, need to frequently enter the water to keep the eggs wet. Although Ghost Crabs cannot swim, the females may turn upside down in the water to ventilate the egg mass which is carried under her tail. The babies begin life in the water, and then become amphibious temporially. A third reason to sometimes visit the sea is to escape from predators — birds and raccoons, for example. Besides eating baby sea turtles, the Ghost Crab likes beach fleas, coquina clams, mole crabs, lizards, and carrion. He feeds at night. When the moon is full, the almost invisible Ghost Crab scuttles across the sand, facing the moon. His large eyestalks are club-shaped and capable of 360° vision, although he can't see straight overhead. (He can retract his periscope-like eyes into grooves on the front of his shell when he senses the need to protect them.) His vision is so acute that he can spot and grab insects in mid-air. The Ghost Crab's carapace (shell) is rectangular in shape, with nearly vertical sides. His off-white to tan carapace is 1½-2 inches across. He has six strong, hairy legs which can carry him along at speeds up to 10 miles per hour, making him the fastest of all crustaceans. He can run sideways, forward, and backward. He has strong pincers of unequal size. And don't stick your hand down his burrow — he doesn't mind pinching you very hard. (He crushes his victims before gobbling them up.) On some of the Caribbean Islands, Ghost Crabs are a human food source. Notes ● ● ● ● The specimens pictured here were found at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. For more information on the Ghost Crab see: ❍ Todd Ballantine, Tideland Treasure. ❍ Peter Meyer, Nature Guide to the Carolina Coast. ❍ Carol M. Williams, Beach Bountiful: Southeast. Classification: Genus Ocypode quadrata; Family Ocypodidae. Digital formatting is by Jonathan Mitchell. http://www.mitchellspublications.com/guides/shells/articles/0057/ (2 of 3) [12/13/2008 9:46:56 AM] Nature Notebook: Invertebrates: Ghost Crab Ocypode sp. Have you ever taken an evening stroll on the beach and seen a ghost? It probably was a ghost crab, not a spirit from another world. This crustacean‛s name comes from its ability to blend in with sand, then alternately “appear” and “disappear.” These quick crabs can run up to 10 miles per hour. Their speed, camouflage and “periscope” eyes that see 360º provide protection from predators like gulls, dogs and children. At night they gather food and go to the sea to wash water over their gills for oxygen, then return to burrows at dawn. Cool Link: The Ghost Crab - information and pictures of a ghost crab emerging from its hiding place in the sand. back to Nature Notebook Home Search What's New? Visitor Info Calendar Exhibits Education Research Museum Store Join Us! Fun Stuff Site Map Staff Directory Links North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources © 2003 NCMNS 11 W. Jones St. Raleigh, NC 27601 919.733.7450 In NC 877.4NATSCI http://www.naturalsciences.org/funstuff/notebook/inverts/ghostcrab.html [12/13/2008 9:50:36 AM] Email Gray Wolf - Defenders of Wildlife Donate : Renew : Free eNews Sign Up Text size: AAA Search Our Site Snow Leopard ● ● ● ● ● Home > Wildlife and Habitat > ● ● ● ● ● Email Print ● +Share Choose an animal or habitat Choose a state or region © DianeHargreaves.com Act Now to Protect this Species > Defending Wolves Defenders of Wildlife led the effort to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Central Idaho. We continue the fight today. Learn more. Related Information Action Alerts Help Ensure a Lasting Future for Wolves in Greater Yellowstone and the Northern Rockies Support a National Wolf Recovery Plan See all Actions >> Gray Wolf Wildlife & Habitat Home Adopt an Animal... Events Canis lupus Wolf Awareness Week The wolf is the largest member of the canine family. Gray wolves range in color from grizzled gray or black to all-white. As the ancestor of the domestic dog, the gray wolf resembles German shepherds or malamutes. Wolves are making a comeback in the Great Lakes, Northern Rockies and Southwestern United States. Carnivore Conference Height 26-32 inches at the shoulder Length 4.5-6.5 feet from nose to tip of tail Weight 55-130 lbs; Males are typically heavier and taller than the females Lifespan 7-8 years in the wild, but some have lived 10 years or more Diet Staples Ungulates (large hoofed mammals) like elk, deer, moose and caribou. Also known to eat beaver, rabbits and other small prey. Wolves are also scavengers and often eat animals that have died due to other causes like starvation and disease. Population There are an estimated 7,000 to 11,200 wolves in Alaska and more than 5,000 in the lower 48 states. Around the world there are an estimated 200,000 in 57 countries, compared to up to 2 million in earlier times. Go Wild! See all Events >> Defenders Magazine Articles On the Ground: Helping Ranchers, Keeping Wolves (Fall 2008) Defenders News Briefs: Fall 2008 (Fall 2008) Save Wolves from Senseless Slaughter! Give those special wildlife lovers in your life a howlin' good gift -- and help protect America's wolves when you adopt a wolf or make a wolf-saving gift! Defenders in Action: Judge Halts Wolf Killing in Rockies (Fall 2008) Publications Jamie Clark's Testimony on Bush's AntiEnvironmental Regulations (12/11/2008) Statistics on Payments From the Bailey Wildlife Foundation Wolf Compensation Trust (12/02/2008) Full list of payments in the Northern Rockies and Southwest (12/02/2008) Press Releases Bush administration leaves a stained legacy on environmental issues (12/11/2008) Nineteen Alaskan wolves already killed http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/wolf,_gray.php (1 of 3) [12/13/2008 9:53:57 AM] Gray Wolf - Defenders of Wildlife this season (11/24/2008) Range Wolves were once common throughout all of North America but were killed in most areas of the United States by the mid 1930s. Today their range has been reduced to Canada and the following portions of the United States: Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin and Wyoming. Mexican wolves are found in New Mexico and Arizona. Alaska wildlife officials release protocol for the killing of wolf pups in their dens (11/7/2008) WILDLIFEeNEWS Thanks to the reintroduction of wolves in 1995, Yellowstone National Park is one of the most favored places to see and hear wolves in the native habitat. Behavior Wolves live, travel and hunt in packs of 4-7 animals on average. Packs include the mother and father wolves, called the alphas, their pups and several other subordinate or young animals. The alpha female and male are the pack leaders that track and hunt prey, choose den sites and establish the pack's territory. Wolves develop close relationships and strong social bonds. They often demonstrate deep affection for their family and may even sacrifice themselves to protect the family unit. Wolves have a complex communication system ranging from barks and whines to growls and howls. While they don’t howl at the moon, they do howl more when it’s lighter at night, which occurs more often when the moon is full. Reproduction Mating Season January or February Gestation 63 days Litter size 4-7 pups Pups are born blind and defenseless. The pack cares for the pups until they mature at about 10 months of age. Threats The most common cause of death for wolves is conflict with people over livestock losses. While wolf predation on livestock is fairly uncommon, wolves that do prey on them are often killed to protect the livestock. Defenders is working with livestock owners to develop non-lethal methods to reduce the chances of a wolf attacking livestock. These methods include fencing livestock, lighting, alarm systems and removing dead or dying livestock that may attract carnivores like wolves. Another serious threat is human encroachment into wolf territory, which leads to habitat loss for wolves and their prey species. Overall, the greatest threat to wolves is people’s fear and misunderstanding about the species. Many fairy tales and myths tend to misrepresent wolves as villainous, dangerous creatures. Legal Status/Protection Under the Endangered Species Act* (ESA), gray wolves are listed as endangered in the lower 48 states, except Minnesota, where they are listed as threatened. Wolves in Alaska are not listed under the ESA. Endangered means a species is considered in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range, and threatened means a species may become endangered in the foreseeable future. Portions of the Northern Rockies (Wyoming, central Idaho, and southern Montana) and the Southwest are designated as nonessential experimental populations, which isolate geographically-described groups from other existing populations and offer broader management regulations. Read more about Wolves and the Endangered Species Act Sneak Attack on Wolves! October 24, 2008 - The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced the re-opening of a public comment period on its Northern Rockies wolf delisting rule, a highly criticized rule that was voluntarily withdrawn by them on Oct.14. Learn more Stay Up to Date: My Yellowstone Wolves * The Endangered Species Act requires the US federal government to identify species threatened with extinction, identify habitat they need to survive, and help protect both. In doing so, the Act works to ensure the basic health of our natural ecosystems and protect the legacy of conservation we leave to our children and grandchildren. How You Can Help ● ● Help gray wolves and other wildlife by adopting a wolf or making a wolf-saving gift today at our Wildlife Adoption and Gift Center! Take Action for Wildlife at our Wildlife Action Center. For additional information Imperiled Species: Wolf My Yellowstone Wolves Blog Wolves in Yellowstone (CNN Planet in Peril Video) http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/wolf,_gray.php (2 of 3) [12/13/2008 9:53:57 AM] Enter Your Email See latest eNews > Privacy Policy > Gray Wolf - Canis lupus Gray Wolf Common Names: Timber Wolf Genus: Canis Species: lupus Gray wolves can survive in many biomes as long as food is plentiful and the climate is relatively cold. The Siberian Taiga, one of the habitats they are best suited to, is a boreal forest with long, cold winters and short summers. It covers part of northern Russia, the place where wolves are most plentiful. All wolf packs defend a territory, which can greatly vary in size. The gray wolf is the largest wild canine. They are around 3 feet tall at the shoulder and are about 3 to 5 feet in length from nose to tail tip. Their weight ranges from 40 to 176 pounds. Male wolves are larger than females. Gray wolves have long legs with large paws. Their tails are long and bushy. They have pointed ears and yellow brown eyes. Their rough coats can be varying shades of gray, brown, white, or black, but in Europe can be grayish brown. The gray wolf has many special adaptations. Their coats are made up of wooly fur to provide insulation and long guard hairs to keep out moisture. The gray wolf's large paws have fleshy pads and claws for traction and can spread to provide better support in snow. Wolves have a sense of hearing twenty times sharper than a human's and have a sense of smell a hundred times keener. The wolf's jaws can deliver a crushing pressure of over 500 pounds per square inch! Wolves' vision is very motion sensitive. They have a reflective retina, called a tapetum that enhances their night vision. They can't see color. Wolves have great stamina. They can cover a distance of more than eighteen miles at a http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/gray_wolf.htm (1 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:00:29 AM] Gray Wolf - Canis lupus quick trot. They have a top speed of about 40 miles per hour. The maximum lifespan of a wolf is 17 years. Wolves reach sexual maturity at 1 year for females and 2 years for males. Wolves typically mate once every year between January and March. They have a gestation period of about 63 days. The average litter size is 5 or 6, born in a den, such as a rock cavity or a hole in the ground. Wolf pups have a birth weight of about 1 pound. They stay with their mother in the den for 8 weeks before they are weaned. During that time the other wolves bring food for the mother. Wolves are very social animals. They live in groups called packs. A typical pack is lead by an alpha male and female wolf, which are a breeding pair. The other members of the group are their current offspring and young wolves who are the previous year's litter. There may also be some lower ranking adults. Packs can have as few wolves as 4 or as many as 30. There are also many lone wolves. The largest wolf pack ever recorded was made up of 36 members! Wolves are carnivores. They eat animals like moose, caribou, and other deer-like animals. When food is scarce, they will eat rodents. They also scavenge. A wolf can eat 22 pounds of meat at one meal. The pack members will track down a herd and select an old, sick, or young animal. They generally use their stamina to wear down prey in long pursuit, but will also sprint to catch it. The predatory success of wolves is mainly due to the flexibility of their hunting methods. They will flush out their prey, stalk it, or use trickery. No humans have ever been killed by healthy wolves in North America. The wolf is at the top of the food chain and has no natural enemies. Their only threat is humans. Wolves help keep the ecosystem's population in check by preying on the weak animals so there will be food for the stronger individuals. In Canada and Alaska, the gray wolf population is stable. In most of North America, however, they are an endangered species. In Europe, Asia, and Africa, the remaining wolf populations are tiny. The largest wolf population in Europe and Asia is found in Russia, which includes the Siberian Taiga. by Bonnie E. 2002 http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/gray_wolf.htm (2 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:00:29 AM] WikiAnswers - What are the adaptations of a wolf Enter a question here... Browse: Unanswered questions | Most-recent questions | Reference library Ads by Google Wolf Tattoo Art Questions Aztec Wolf Reference Animal Adaptations Arctic Wolf n [Edit] What are the adaptations of a wolf? me In: Wolves [Recategorize] rd [Edit] word? ember me Join now me ome nt site activity center munity forum Adaptations of a Wolf: Wolves have adapted to the seasonal changes in their environment in many ways. They have thick foot pads on the bottoms of their feet so that they don't get their feet wet or cold while running. Their feet also expand when they run, which helps them run more smoothly. Another one of their adaptations is that they have very good hearing. They can hear another wolf howl from five miles away. They can also hear their prey, like caribou, coming from far away. Wolves howl and bark to get other wolves that aren't in the pack away from their food, or out of their territory. Each wolf has a different sounding bark and howl. Wolf-Ritz 16 Free Prints Digital Photo Prints in 1 Hour! 16 Prints Free. Use Code: NEW16P www.RitzPix.com ADVERTISEMENT Decisions Inc. Broker Streamline/QuickBooks Real Estate Co. Mgt. Systems www.decisionsinc.net Triple Rotor Watch Winder Wolf Design 3 Rotor Winder On Sale Free Shipping. Delivered by Xmas www.CapitolSupply.com http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_adaptations_of_a_wolf (1 of 2) [12/13/2008 10:01:43 AM] Rattlesnakes (DesertUSA) Search Site DesertUSA Quick Links ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Home Animals Community Deserts Desert Attractions Geology Maps Message Board Places to Go People & Cultures Photography Plants & Wildflowers Recipes-Southwest River Information Search DesertUSA Shop Things to Do Videos What's New Go Rattlesnakes Genus Crotalus Subscribe Unsubscribe Send Common Questions: What are the symptoms of a rattlesnake bite? How can I protect my dog and other pets from rattlesnake bites? How can I keep rattlesnakes out of my yard? Interesting Facts About Rattlesnakes ● Hotel Reservations ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Prickly Pear Products Nimble for Dogs DVDs Books and more... FREE DesertUSA NEWSLETTER More Information Enter E-Mail address ● ● ● Approximately 7,000 - 8,000 people a year receive venomous snakebites in the U.S. and about 5 of those people die. (FDA) 25% of adult rattlesnake bites are dry, with no venom injected. (Brown, 1997) Rattlesnakes can strike a distance roughly two-thirds their own length Rattlesnakes are deaf and feel vibrations to detect prey or nearby danger The most dangerous species of rattlesnake in the U.S. is the Mojave Rattlesnake The least toxic rattlesnake is the Sidewinder. Rattlesnake Video The Rattlesnake comes in 16 distinct varieties, all positively identified by the jointed rattles on the tail. Most rattlesnakes, when disturbed, normally try to withdraw. But if they think they are cornered, the explosive sizzling buzz of their rattles is an unmistakable warning to retreat. More videos like this, click here. Rattlesnake Audio Click the play button to hear a rattlesnake. Venomous Snakes http://www.desertusa.com/may96/du_rattle.html (1 of 8) [12/13/2008 10:05:49 AM] Rattlesnakes (DesertUSA) Throughout the World there are many snakes whose venomous bite can be fatal to humans. In the United States, however, there are only four including; the Coral Snake, the Copperhead, the Cottonmouth Water Moccasin and the Rattlesnake. Rattlesnake Description & Identification Rattlesnakes come in 16 distinct varieties. There are numerous subspecies and color variations, but they are all positively identified by the jointed rattles on the tail and a triangular head. Rattlesnakes, copperheads and cottonmouths are all pit vipers. Pit Vipers are snakes with two pits under their nostrils to detect heat, thus enabling the rattlesnake to hunt warm-blooded prey. The pits are so sensitive that the snake can determine the size of the warm-blooded animal and can even detect prey in complete darkness. There are many species of rattlesnake and each can be identified by the variation of the pattern and color of their skin. Colors can range from shades of brown, gray and black, tones of yellow, cream, rust, olive, and light pink. A rattlesnake’s skin may contain a pattern that is banded, diamond shaped, or blotched. Some species of rattlesnake have no identifying pattern at all. Rattlesnakes have a forked tongue that they flick up and down. The tongue picks microscopic airborne particles and gases from the air. When the tongue slips back into it's mouth it touches a sensitive spot on the roof of their mouth called the Jacobson's organ. This organ picks up the particles collected by the tongue and sends messages to the snakes brain identifying the scent as food, enemy, mate or other object or substance. Rattlesnakes also have external nostrils lined with olfactory cells which can pick up scent. The nostrils are mainly used for breathing. The fork of the tongue is a directional aide. It can provide information based on which side or fork in the tongue has the strongest presence of a particular odor. This information helps the rattlesnake follow its prey or find it's way home. Rattlesnakes pick up vibrations through their body muscles which send sound through to their jaw bones and on to their inside ear parts. Rattlesnakes do not have outer ears and therefore rely on vibrations to pick up sound. Community ● ● ● ● ● DesertUSA Blog Forums Desert Talk Readers' Stories Readers' Photos A snakes vision can detect objects or movement from about 40 feet away, but their vision is sharper when objects are closer. A rattlesnake's pupils are elliptical, not round which enables the snake to see well in dim light. This is helpful for night hunting. Tools & Downloads ● ● Search DesertUSA Free Wallpaper http://www.desertusa.com/may96/du_rattle.html (2 of 8) [12/13/2008 10:05:49 AM] Rattlesnakes (DesertUSA) ● ● ● Free E-Cards Podcasts Reservations General Info. ● ● ● About DUSA Advertising Contact Us Rattlesnakes have the following physical characteristics: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● Broad, "triangular" head Eyes have verticle "cat-like" pupils Covered in scales that are a varitey of colors/patterns Scales are keeled with a raised ridge in the center of each Body is heavy or thick (or fat) in appearance Large tubular fangs in mouth that fold out when the mouth opens The mouth is like a hinge, opening 180 degrees Blunt tail with jointed rattle (Note: baby rattlesnakes don't have rattles and some adult snakes may break or lose their rattles) Typically rattlesnakes range from 3' to 4' in length In ideal habitats where there is a constant, abundant supply of small rodents, the rattlesnake sometimes attains a length of 5 feet, but the average adult size is between 3 and 4 feet. http://www.desertusa.com/may96/du_rattle.html (3 of 8) [12/13/2008 10:05:49 AM] Rattlesnakes (DesertUSA) Range While most of the rattlers are concentrated in the southwestern United States, they extend north, east and south in diminishing numbers and varieties. Every contiguous state has one or more varieties of rattlesnake. The rattlesnake is found in many different biomes ranging from along the coast at sea level, the inland prairies and desert areas to the mountains at elevations of more than 10,000 feet. Behavior In the northern areas of their range and at higher elevations, snakes congregate in the Fall at crevices in rocky ledges to hibernate for the winter, returning to these places annually. These spots are known as snake dens. When temperatures begin to warm in April, snakes come out of hibernation. They remain near the den entrance for a few days, sunning themselves, then make their way to where they will spend the summer. They rarely go more than a mile from their dens. Most snakes are secretive in their summer activities, hunting at night and remaining inactive and out of sight for days at a time during the digestive period after eating a squirrel or small rabbit. Consequently, more snakes are seen in the Spring and Fall migrations to and from their winter homes. Rattlesnakes are cold-blooded (Ectothermic) and they rely on external sources to regulate their body temperature. When rattlesnakes are too hot they retreat into the shade or into a burrow. When a rattlesnake is too cold they sun themselves or find a surface, such as a paved road, to absorb the heat from the asphalt. It is common to find snakes on the road in http://www.desertusa.com/may96/du_rattle.html (4 of 8) [12/13/2008 10:05:49 AM] Rattlesnakes (DesertUSA) the evening hours as they attempt to warm their bodies by lying on asphalt or concrete pave areas. Life Cycle While some types of snakes lay eggs, rattlesnakes give live birth. The rattlesnake, however, does have eggs, but the eggs are carried inside the females body. Once the eggs are fertilized they are carried for approximately 90 days. The eggs hatch inside the rattler's body and then she gives live birth to her young. A reproduction system of this type is called ovoviviparous. The female rattler may contain from 4 to 25 eggs, from which an average of 9 or 10 hearty young are born live. Mating usually occurs in the Spring after emerging from hybernation, but can also occur in the Fall. Rattlesnakes reach sexually maturity at 3 years of age. A female rattlesnake reproduces every two years and During the process of mating the female rattlesnakes are passive while the male crawls on top of the female. By making jerking motions with the hind portion of his body he is able to press his tail beneath the female's tail. The male continuously flicks his toungue throughout the mating process which can continue for several hours or more. The young are born between August and October. The newborn rattlesnake is about 10 inches long and has a small horny button on the tip of its tail. Rattler babies have venom, short fangs and are dangerous from birth. In fact, they are more pugnacious than the adults. Although unable to make a rattling sound, the youngsters throw themselves into a defensive pose and strike repeatedly when disturbed. Young rattlers are completely independent of the mother. They remain in the area of their birth for the first 7 to 10 days, until they shed their first baby skin and add their first rattle. The litter will begin to disperse as they venture out in search of food. Many newborn rattlesnakes do not survive their first year, either dying of hunger or being eaten by birds and animals. Even if they survive the first summer, they may perish during the first winter, if they can't find a suitable warm crevice in which to hibernate. If all goes well, youngsters grow rapidly. Each time they come out of hibernation, they shed http://www.desertusa.com/may96/du_rattle.html (5 of 8) [12/13/2008 10:05:49 AM] Rattlesnakes (DesertUSA) their skin. With each skin shedding (molting) a new rattle appears. During the rapid growth of the first few years, they may molt three times annually. Thus, the number of rattles is not a true indicator of age. Rattles also wear out or break off, so it is unusual to find an adult snake with more than 8 or 10 rattles. Lifespan The average lifespan of a rattlesnake is 20 to 30 years in captivity. In the wild, the lifespan is less due to predation, disease or death by accident. Predators The King snake is well known for being immune to the venom of many pit vipers, including rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes are part of the King snakes diet. Roadrunners, pigs, Hawks, Eagles and Humans are also predators to the rattlesnake. Diet Rattlesnakes are carnivorous. Instead of chewing their food, they swallow it whole. The size of the prey a rattlesnake selects is limited by its own ability to eat it based on it's own size. Rattlesnakes eat lizards and small rodents such as ground squirrels, small rabbits, rats and mice, striking rather than attempting to hold their prey. The rattlesnake first bites it's prey to immobilize it with a toxic venom. When the hollow fangs of the rattler penetrate the victim's flesh, venom is injected as though through twin hypodermic needles. Most small prey is immediately stunned. The venom stuns and immobilizes the prey, allowing time for the rattler to swallow the victim whole. The venom also begins the digestive process as it breaks down the tissue of the prey. Rattlesnakes have a highly-efficient digestive system which takes a lot of metabolic energy. After a rattlesnake swallows it's prey, they normally hide out while they digest their meal. Rattlesnakes become sluggish while digesting, a process that can take several days depending on the size of the meal. Common Questions: What are the symptoms of a rattlesnake bite? How can I protect my dog and other pets from rattlesnake bites? How can I keep rattlesnakes out of my yard? If you need help with a venomous bite or if you have a poisoning emergency, call your Poison Center immediately. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911. Poison Centers across the country now have a new national emergency phone number - 1-800-222-1222 For more information on control and removal of rattlesnakes - Click Here http://www.desertusa.com/may96/du_rattle.html (6 of 8) [12/13/2008 10:05:49 AM] The River Otter THE RIVER OTTER (Lutra canadensis) The river otter, found in the United States and Canadian waterways, is a subspecies of the Otter (Lutrinae), which belongs to the martens (Mustelidae) family. The river otter is called Nutria del Canada or Nutria Norteamerica (Spanish), Lontre du Canada (French), Kanada-Otter or Nordamerikanischer Fischoter (German) and Lontre Canadese (Italian). River otters have existed for a long time. Their fossils date back to the Pleistocene period. Archeological remains have been uncovered from 200 BC to the mid-1400s. Otters are expert swimmers and divers, swimming at an average speed of seven miles per hour and staying underwater for up to 2 minutes. Unlike muskrats or beavers, the otter barely makes a ripple when swimming or splash when diving. Their specially built ears and nose have a valve-like skin that closes and keeps the otter watertight underwater. The otters nose is diamond shaped, with two nostrils at the bottom of the nose. Otters communicate with their noses, mainly by smelling marked territories. When they do talk, it is with chirps, chuckles, grunts, whistles and screams. River otters are most active from early evening through early morning. They are active all year, even in the cold Alaskan winters. Otters play more than most wild animals -- wrestling, chasing other otters, tossing and diving for rocks and clamshells, toying with live prey and occasionally, sliding. http://luddist.com/otter.htm (1 of 7) [12/13/2008 10:07:32 AM] The River Otter Otters' webbed and clawed feet are good for running and swimming. River otters can run up to 15-l8 mph. They run and slide -- gliding as much as 25 feet on ice and ending with a tumble into a snowdrift or splash into the water. River otters are three to four feet long and weigh 15 to 25 pounds. They live up to 25 years in captivity and about 15 years in the wild. Their colorful coats range from nearly black to reddish or grayish brown on their backs. The belly is silvery or grayish brown. The throat and cheeks are silvery to yellowish gray. The velvety thick fur is the most durable North American fur and has been in demand ever since Europeans came to this continent. Even today, people hunt otters for their fur. Bummer! In recent years, more than 50,000 otters have been taken in North America. The otter harvest in Louisiana sometimes exceeds 10,000 animals, higher than in any other state. Otters have few natural enemies, especially in water. On land, young otters are vulnerable to a variety of predators such as the fox, wolf and raptors. Most otter mortality is related to humans. Legal otter harvests remove animals above what the habitat will support. Otters are fairly easily trapped and accidental trapping, primarily in beaver traps, is a problem. Other harmful human actions include habitat destruction and adding pesticides and pollutants -- mercury, DDT, dieldrin and polychlorinated biphenyl -- into the food chain. Since otters are at the top of the food chain (they eat animals that eat other animals that eat other animals . . .), these nasty chemicals are concentrated by the time they reach the otters. http://luddist.com/otter.htm (2 of 7) [12/13/2008 10:07:32 AM] The River Otter HABITAT River otter have disappeared or are rare through most of their range. River otters do well in Alaska and most of Canada, in the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes and most states along the Atlantic Coast and Gulf of Mexico. The good news is that Nebraska, New York and Indiana are re-introducing otters. Otter populations are extremely sensitive to changes in habitat. They have disappeared from nine states and one Canadian province. The primary cause of decline was habitat pollution and destruction. Hunting, currently legal in some US states and all Canadian provinces, also reduces otter numbers. River otters use a variety of habitats. They frequent lakes and ponds, but usually live in marshes and along wooded rivers and streams. Otters live in dens, usually borrowed from beavers, muskrats or woodchucks. Dens have openings above water in summer, but in winter these are closed and the only entrance is below water. The entrance opens up to a large nest chamber, which may have a bare floor or a slight accumulation of leaves or grass. River otters require a large amount of space. This home range varies considerably depending on age, gender and food availability. Throughout a year, an otter may occupy 50 or more miles of a stream. Otters may occupy only a few miles of stream, but often move from one area to another. http://luddist.com/otter.htm (3 of 7) [12/13/2008 10:07:32 AM] The River Otter Brush piles and root areas under large trees are used as temporary homes. Beavers are important to otters, for the dens they build, and because beaver ponds make ideal otter habitat. FOOD Otters are carnivores (meat eaters). They eat crustaceans (animals with shells), amphibians, reptiles, birds and insects, but mostly fish. They use their keen sense of touch to find and catch their underwater target. Their sensitive facial whiskers easily detect moving prey. This is especially useful in the murky water created by the otter searching for victims on muddy lake and stream bottoms. Otters typically Otters catch prey with their mouths and use their forelimbs to hold the prey. They eat their prey head first and discard the fish http://luddist.com/otter.htm (4 of 7) [12/13/2008 10:07:32 AM] The River Otter hunt by diving and chasing fish, or by digging in the bottom of ponds and streams. Although otters are expert divers, hunting is not always successful. One study found that the success rate of finding food on a dive was less than 20%. fins. After eating, they clean their face and whiskers by rubbing them on grass or snow. FAMILY LIFE River otters reach sexual maturity when they are two years or older. They breed in March-April and birth in late winter/early spring, about a year later. Litter size varies from one to six, but litters of two or three are most common. Young otters, called kits, are helpless at birth. Their eyes do not open until they are at least three weeks old. The moms are devoted parents, teaching Baby otters grow quickly, exploring outside the den when they are about two months old. Young otters can care for themselves in about five or six months, but the family usually stays together for a few months longer, often until the birth of a new litter. The young otters leave home when they are about 12 to 13 months of age. http://luddist.com/otter.htm (5 of 7) [12/13/2008 10:07:32 AM] The River Otter their children to swim. Moms even catch and release prey to improve the young otters' foraging skills. Otter dads rarely help raise their young. REFERENCES I couldn't have done this report without these valuable River Otter resources: OtterNet ● American River Otter ● The Introduction of River Otters in Indiana ● The Introduction of River Otters in New York ● The Introduction of River Otters in Nebraska ● A Great Collection of Otter Pictures ● Want to play some fun and educational Otter games? Try the: Otter Game Advanced Otter Game ● ● http://luddist.com/otter.htm (6 of 7) [12/13/2008 10:07:32 AM] Llama Llama Llamas are frequently used by physiologists to study hypoxic stress due to their proven ability to live successfully at high altitude. The lama genus is considered to have four species: llama (L. llama), alpaca (L. pacos), guanaco (L. guanacoe), and vicuna (L. vicugna) (Lama Information). Guanacos and vicunas are rarely found in captivity, however the llama and alpaca have been domesticated for approximately four thousand years (Walker et al., 1936). Image courtesy of Brian Pinkerton at Mount Lehman Llamas. Numerous physiological adaptations of llamas to decreased oxygen pressures have been found. The llama shows a shift to the left in the http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/anphys/1999/Dickens/llama.htm (1 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:11:33 AM] Llama oxygen dissociation curve when compared to similar lowland animals. Specifically llamas have adapted by lowering the P50 value, A graph demonstrating the leftward shift in the oxygen dissociation curve of the llama. The curve is compared to mammals (man, horse, and pig) native to lowlands, yet physiologically similar to the llama. Graph adapted from Hall et al. (1936). http://www.bio.davidson.edu/Courses/anphys/1999/Dickens/llama.htm (2 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:11:33 AM] therefore the llama will more easily obtain oxygen from a low pressure environment (Meschia et al., 1960). Research also suggests that llamas use erythrocytes with high hemoglobin concentrations which aids in the process of oxygen extraction (Lewis, 1976). Finally, llamas show an increased affinity for oxygen due to lowered concentrations of DPG (Meschia, 1960). Llama Printout- EnchantedLearning.com Advertisement. EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site. As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages. Click here to learn more. Become a member of Enchanted Learning. Subscribe by Credit Card Subscribe by Check Subscribe by School Purchase Order Site subscriptions last 12 months. Click here for more information on site membership. As low as $20.00/year (directly by Credit Card) Site members have access to the entire website with print-friendly pages and no ads. (Already a member? Click here.) All About Mammals Llama Animal Printouts Label Me! Printouts Llamas are woolly mammals related to camels. These herding animals were domesticated thousands of years ago in the Andes Mountains of western South America. These animals are used as pack animals, and are raised for their wool, meat, and hides. Even their droppings are burned as fuel. Llamas have a life span of 15 to 28 years. Llamas make a humming sound http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/camel/Llamaprintout.shtml (1 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:12:36 AM] Llama Printout- EnchantedLearning.com and will spit to establish dominance. Anatomy: Llamas are very strong mammals that have two-toed feet with toenails on the top and with pads on the bottom. They do not have hooves. Llamas are 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 m) tall at the shoulder. Young llamas are called crias. Diet: Llamas are herbivores (plant-eaters). They eat mostly grasses, herbs, and other plant material. Llamas are ruminants; they have a three-part stomach. They partially chew their food; later, the food is regurgitated as a cud, which the llama then chews thoroughly. Classification:Class Mammalia (mammals), Order Artiodactyla, Suborder Tylopoda, Family Camelidae, Genus Lama, Species L. glama. Enchanted Learning Search First search engine with spelling correction and pictures! Search EnchantedLearning.com for all the words: Enter one or more words, or a short phrase. You can use an asterisk * as a wild-card. Search Enchanted Learning Now! Advertisement. Advertisement. Copyright ©1999-2008 EnchantedLearning.com ------ How to cite a web page http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/mammals/camel/Llamaprintout.shtml (2 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:12:36 AM] Scarlet Macaw December 13, 2008 Purchase Tickets Online Visit the Zoo Education Rental Facilities Support the Zoo Explore the Zoo Botanical Collection Meet the Animals Siberian Lynx Weids Marmoset Egyptian Fruit Bat Flamingo Barred Owl Black Swan Snow Monkey African Lion Pacu Black Tailed Prairie Dog North American River Otter Scarlet Macaw Emperor Scorpion Serval Reticulated Giraffe European Ferret Dwarf Caiman Pond Turtle Scarlet Macaw Home » Explore the Zoo » Meet the Animals » Scarlet Macaw Scientific Name: Ara macao Class: Aves Order: Psittaciformes Family: Psittacidae Feeding Type: Herbivorous Range: Throughout Amazon Basin to Northern Bolivia. Central America to Southern Mexico Habitat: Tropical forests, tree savannas, wooded banks of large rivers Diet in the Wild: Fruits and nuts Diet at the Zoo: Fruit and commercial parrot pellets. Vegetable, monkey biscuits, and parrot seed mix Description: Scarlet macaws are red with blue and yellow wings. From its beak to the tip of its tail, it measures 34 to 36 inches. Their feet consist of 2 toes pointing forward and 2 toes pointing backwards. They are used for climbing and grasping food. Wings are typically narrow and pointed, enabling the macaw to fly with great speed and maneuverability. Adaptation/Behavior: The macaw’s strong bill is adapted not only to crush its food, but also as an additional limb for climbing. The bill is hinged against the skull for independent movement, thus increasing its strength and flexibility. Macaws are gregarious birds and often form large flocks. They communicate by making various calls, from squawks to piercing shrieks, and are also well known for their ability to imitate human sounds. Courtship/Breeding: Scarlet macaws mate for life. Their nests are usually in tree hollows, several feet from the ground. The clutch is 2 to 4 eggs, and incubation lasts approximately 25 days. Conservation: Scarlet macaws are at low risk, but increase deforestation could pose as a threat. Threats also arise from cage-bird trade, which accounts for thousands of captures and deaths every year. Interesting Facts Giant Madagascar Day Gecko Hissing Cockroach http://www.blankparkzoo.com/en/explore_the_zoo/meet_the_animals_2/scarlet_macaw.cfm (1 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:14:24 AM] Our Animals template.html Species from the Peruvian Jungle Back to Species list English Name: Anaconda Snake Scientific Name: Eunectes Murinus= green Anconda, Eunectes Notaeus= yellow Anaconda Spanish Name: Anaconda Size: The biggest one ever seen was 37.5 feet,but there can be bigger Life span: Anacondas can be able to live until they are a little older than 30 Diet: Cabybara, other rodents like agoutis, pigs, caimans, and also deer. This is the Anacondas main diet because they can eat a lot of animals more by constricting them and then swallowing them whole. Anacondas are basically carnivores. The way they kill them is by squeezing them so tight that they will run out of air. Predators: Humans have hunted them because they are very big and their skin ids to make shoes, purses, etc.... Adaptations: It has eyes really high in his head so that underwater he can see the preys from above withought getting out of the water. Also its color pattern of light green with black spots helps it camuflage in the forest. Finally the Anaconda blends in with http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/7th/7block/jungle_research/cards/card7.html (1 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:18:33 AM] template.html the vegetation of its habitat and with the muddy water that the Anacondas love. Interesting Facts: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/7th/7block/jungle_research/cards/card7.html (2 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:18:33 AM] considered the biggest snake in the world females usually are heavier than the males when Anacondas get out of the water for a long time they usually become infested with ticks. the scales of the yellow and black underside of the lower tail of the Anacondas have a unique pattern for each snake the Anaconda may squeeze the pray to kill it the Anaconda may also grab it and drown it the Anacondas do not chew on their food even though they have sharp teeth, they just swallow it it has a lot of muscles but it is not poisonous template.html Bibliography: (go to MLA site) "Enchanted Learning" 12 Mar. 2003 <http:// www.enchantedlearning. com/subjects/reptiles/ snakes/ Anacondacoloring. shtml> "Anaconda" 12 Mar. 2003 <http://www. nashvillezoo.org/ anaconda.htm> "Anaconda Picture" 12 Mar. 2003 <http://www. americazoo.com/kids/ graphics/AMAZON2. jpg> By: Rafael Uranga, Diego Angel http://www.amersol.edu.pe/ms/7th/7block/jungle_research/cards/card7.html (3 of 3) [12/13/2008 10:18:33 AM] Two-Toed Sloth, Two-Toed Sloth Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Site Index Subscriptions Shop Newsletters Our Mission Home Animals Animals Animals Main Daily News Two-Toed Sloth Choloepus hoffmanni Environment Amphibians Birds Bugs Fish Invertebrates Mammals Prehistoric Reptiles A-Z Green Guide History Kids Maps Music Photography Science & Space Two-Toed Sloth range Travel & Cultures Video advertisement National Geographic Magazine National Geographic Channel Magazines Shop A two-toed sloth hangs from a branch. Photograph by Roy Toft Subscriptions TV & Film http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/two-toed-sloth.html (1 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:20:36 AM] Two-Toed Sloth, Two-Toed Sloth Profile, Facts, Information, Photos, Pictures, Sounds, Habitats, Reports, News - National Geographic Travel With Us Two-Toed Sloth Profile Our Mission The sloth is the world's slowest mammal, so sedentary that algae grows on its furry coat. The plant gives it a greenish tint that is useful camouflage in the trees of its Central and South American rain forest home. Sloths are identified by the number of long, prominent claws that they have on each front foot. There are both two-toed and three-toed sloths. Books & Atlases Clothing & Accessories DVDs Maps All sloths are built for life in the treetops. They spend nearly all of their time aloft, hanging from branches with a powerful grip aided by their long claws. (Dead sloths have been known to retain their grip and remain suspended in the air.) Sloths even sleep in trees, and they sleep a lot—some 15 to 20 hours every day. Even when awake they often remain motionless, and two-toed sloths are generally silent. At night they eat leaves, shoots, and fruit from the trees and get almost all of their water from juicy plants. Sloths mate and give birth while hanging in the trees. Young two-toed sloths are often seen clinging to their mothers; they travel by hanging onto them for the first five weeks of their lives. Catalog Quick Shop On land, sloths' weak hind legs provide no power and their long claws are a hindrance. They must dig into the earth with their front claws and use their strong front legs to pull themselves along, dragging Sign up for free their bellies across the ground. If caught on land, these animals have Newsletters no chance to evade predators, such as big cats, and must try to defend themselves by clawing and biting. Once a month Though they couldn't be clumsier on land, sloths are surprisingly get new photos good swimmers. They sometimes fall directly from rain forest trees into rivers and stroke efficiently with their long arms. and expert tips. Sign up Two-toed sloths are slightly larger than their three-toed relatives. They are able to survive in captivity, while three-toed sloths are not. advertisement http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/two-toed-sloth.html (2 of 4) [12/13/2008 10:20:36 AM] Fast Facts Type: Mammal Diet: Herbivore Size: 24 to 27 in (60 to 70 cm) Weight: 17.5 lbs (8 kg) Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man: Two-Toed Sloth - choloepus hoffmanni Login Cams Gallery Gift Shop Sitemap Education Center Forum About Two-Toed Sloth - choloepus hoffmanni By: C.M.Shorter Two-Toed Sloth Picture The Two-Toed Sloth, choloepus hoffmanni often referred to as Hoffman's Two-Toed Sloth is one of the world's most unique small mammals. Present day Sloth ancestors can be traced back to about 60 million years ago when there were both tree and ground Sloths. Some species of the now extinct giant Ground Sloth were as large as an elephant. All modern day living Sloths are Two-Toed Sloth or ThreeToed Sloths and classified as tree sloths. During the Ice Age, Giant Ground Sloths moved into North America from its origin in South America followed by their close relatives, the Armadillos which were probably the ultimate ancestor of the Sloth. Sloths are also related to anteaters in a group of mammals known as edentates. Sloths do have cheek teeth but are lacking incisors and canines and also make use of their hard lips to help tear at foraged food. CLICK HERE TO SEE ANIMAL WEBCAMS Pictures of Sloths >> Should you decide to go on a wild animal safari, you will have to look high up in the treetop canopy cover to observe a sloth in the wild. Sloths are famous for their ability to live and perform almost all basic life functions while hanging upside down suspended in mid-air! In fact, Sloths eat, sleep, mate and actually give birth while in this upside down position. They have spent so much time "hanging around" many of their internal organs (liver, stomach, spleen & pancreas) have actually been repositioned. The Two-Toed Sloth has only six cervical vertebrae and a more limited range of movement than the Three-Toed Sloth. The Two-Toed Sloth has the lowest and most variable body temperature of any mammal ranging from a low of 24°C to a high of 33°C (74°F - 92° F) and also the lowest muscle mass relative to overall body weight of any mammal. Geographic range for the 5 remaining species of tree Sloths are the neotropical forests of Central America, the northern regions of South America, particularly in the Amazon Rainforest basin of Central Brazil and in Peru. Sloths are excellent living examples of evolutionary adaptation by a species to the canopy of the forest. In the constant jungle warfare between prey and predator, Sloths have succeeded through adaptations which enable them to survive as leaf-eaters, or folivores, existing primarily on a steady diet of tree leaves although this species will also consume animal matter such as bird eggs, nestlings, lizards, insects and carrion. A high ingestion of tree leaves that are coarse, full of cellulose and protected by toxic chemicals produced by trees to ward off predators takes quite a bit of time for the Sloth to digest. The Sloths have an extremely slow metabolic digestion rate of this fibrous diet descending only once every 5-7 days to urinate and defecate. Time spent on the ground is very short. Ground time is used sparingly either for personal hygiene or used to switch trees to obtain a new aerial food source. Sloths cannot walk upright but rather have to drag and pull themselves along with their claws and forearms. Sloths surprisingly are very good swimmers moving through the waterways or to navigate flood waters by using a "breaststroke" type movement. http://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/two-toed-sloth.cfm (1 of 2) [12/13/2008 10:24:21 AM] Two-Toed Sloth - choloepus hoffmanni Like the Three-Toed Sloth they are medium sized animals typically achieving weights of between 9-20 lbs. with body length anywhere from 21-29 inches. Sloths are the slowest animal in the world! A far comparison from our Cheetah, known as the "fastest animal in the world" even if only for short sprinting distances. Sloths are so slow moving that algae actually grows on them. Sloths fur is tan to greyish brown in color, shaggy with a coarse outer fur grading to softer, finer layers of underfur. Sloths spend so much time upside down they are the only mammal whose fur is parted running belly to back to allow water to run off quickly during rainstorms. Their fur is specially designed to allow algae to colonize within the shaft giving them a symbiotic relationship with the algae as the Sloths can even absorb these airborne nutrients through their skin. The algae also gives the Sloths' coat an overall greenish-blue hue that provides excellent camouflage against the jungle canopy. Continue - Two-Toed Sloth >> Copyright © 1999-2006 Tigerhomes.org | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Contact Us http://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/two-toed-sloth.cfm (2 of 2) [12/13/2008 10:24:21 AM] Two-Toed Sloths Are Almost Entirely Arboreal and Nocturnal Animals Login Cams Gallery Gift Shop Sitemap Education Center Forum << Back to Two-Toed Sloth About Page 2 Two-Toed Sloths are almost entirely arboreal and nocturnal animals By: C.M.Shorter Two-Toed Sloths are almost entirely arboreal and nocturnal animals resting in the crown of trees and are particularly fond of taking up positions in the lianas that lace the canopy tree tops. For an animal that sleeps up to 20 hours a day this provides shelter and sends a warning of danger by any movement of the lower portion of the interlocking woody vines from approaching predatory jungle animals like Anacondas, Harpy Eagles, Jaguars and Ocelots. Two-Toed Sloths have subtle body markings for the most part with faces lighter in color than overall body tone. Skulls are relatively short yet distinctively rounded with external ears reduced in size. Tails in Two-Toed Sloths are absent unlike the Three-Toed Sloth which has a small tail and markedly longer forearms. Sloths can turn their head 180 degrees in both directions, an adaptation that only a handful of other animal groups share with them like Owls and some Prosimians. CLICK HERE TO SEE ANIMAL WEBCAMS Reproduction is also an upside down event! A mother sloth gives birth to a single baby while their stomach is facing up. Breeding season is in early Spring with a gestation period of 120 days typically. Like the Sanctuary's Ring Tailed Lemurs, the mother Sloth does not build a nest but rather the baby Sloth stays on its mother's back until it is old enough to take care of itself (see our Ring Tail Baby pictures). The weaning period for the baby Sloth is slightly longer however, as they do not feeding independently until the age of 5 months and they continue a close association with their mothers for a period of 2 years. Conservation Status of the Two-Toed Sloth is listed on CITES but it is not currently listed as an endangered animal. As always, we hope you found this piece interesting. You will see in our Mission Statement our goal of providing you with the best Educational Information available. We sincerely hope our efforts will help instill the value of global conservation and animal education as part of your own goals. We invite you to check out other areas of the Sanctuary’s Web Site such as our World famous Animal Web Cams featuring our Tigers, Lions & Lemurs in beautiful naturalistic habitats. << The Two-Toed Sloth Main Page Copyright © 1999-2006 Tigerhomes.org | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Contact Us http://www.tigerhomes.org/animal/two-toed-sloth-2.cfm [12/13/2008 10:24:56 AM] Teacher Notes Begin the lesson by drawing a three-column chart on the board; each vertical column will represent an animal, and each row will contain a question (listed below). Start by announcing the discovery of a fascinating new animal—then choose a student (who should remain silent during the following class discussion) to represent this new animal. Ask the class to help you learn more about the new animal by answering a few basic questions about its habitat. Ask students: What shall we name this new animal? (For example, a boy named Dylan who likes to skateboard could be called “Dylan Skateboardicus.”) What is the weather like in this animal’s habitat? How does this animal find shelter? How does this animal find food? Does this animal have any predators? What behaviors show this animal has "adapted" to its environment? Now ask students to name a different animal (a real animal). Ask them the same questions and fill in the chart. Repeat again with a final animal. Development Have students use their Animal Adaptations student E-Sheet to go to the first page of the Kratts' Creatures website, either online or with a duplicated copy of the page. On the site's first page, ask students what they see (a world map) and point out that the map is a simplified outline of the whole world, showing its major landmasses (continents) and oceans. Tell them that these landmasses contain many animal habitats. Note: You might want to take this opportunity to tie in a geographical location they are currently learning about. This will provide a habitat familiar to the students and allow you to expand on both subjects. Distribute the Animal Adaptations student sheet. Have students choose a continent from the website (say North America to start) and record the name of the continent on the student sheet. Have them choose an animal (for example, a polar bear) and write down notes about its climate, as well as list specific features and behaviors that are adaptations to its specific environment. Students can find out some information about the animals by going to Clubhouse Clues and picking the animal from a list (they can get to Clubhouse Clues by clicking on the picture of "Allison" in the lower, right corner of the map). Students also can learn more about the animal by watching a video clip about it. Have students complete the student sheet for each continent. After the lesson, ask students to offer their favorite animal and its most interesting features for survival. Write the names of the animals on the board, including their features and habitats. Choose two animals, and then ask students to speculate. Ask students: What would happen if the animals switched habitats? What adaptation features would be useful or useless in the new habitat? Do you think the animal could survive in the unfamiliar habitat? What does that tell you about how animals adapt to their environments?
