Download Elephant Feeding - Department of Consumer Affairs

Terrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as
compared with aquatic animals, which live predominantly or entirely in the water (e.g., fish, lobsters,
octopuses), or amphibians, which rely on a combination of aquatic and terrestrial habitats (e.g., frogs,
or some crabs). Some terrestrial bugs include ants, flies, crickets, grasshoppers and snails.
Elephant Habitat
Elephants are able to survive in a variety of different locations because of the huge
variety of food sources that they consume. Grasslands is one of their main habitats,
they can also be found in the desert of the Savannah, forest areas, where there are
swamps, and everything in between.
They form emigrational paths that they continue to follow year after year. This allows
them to take advantage of the foods that grow in various areas. The paths that they
walk are clearly there just like a road and they are fascinating to see when you are
looking at areas that don’t have any clear pathways other than these from the elephants
as they roam around.
Today most of the elephants remaining in Africa live in National Parks. These areas
have been put in place to help give them plenty of room to survive. They are also well
protected in these locations to help the population count rise. However, this can be
stressful for the elephants as they love the ability to freely roam.
Elephant locomotion
To support the animal's weight, an elephant's limbs are positioned more vertically under the body
than in most other mammals. The long bones of the limbs have cancellous bone in place
of medullary cavities. This strengthens the bones while still allowing haematopoiesis.[79]Both the front
and hind limbs can support an elephant's weight, although 60% is borne by the front.[80] Since the
limb bones are placed on top of each other and under the body, an elephant can stand still for long
periods of time without using much energy. Elephants are incapable of rotating their front legs, as
the ulna and radius are fixed in pronation; the "palm" of the manus faces backward.[79] Thepronator
quadratus and the pronator teres are either reduced or absent. The circular feet of an elephant have
soft tissues or "cushion pads" beneath the manus or pes, which distribute the weight of the
animal.[80] They appear to have a sesamoid, an extra "toe" similar in placement to a giant panda's
extra "thumb", that also helps in weight distribution.[82] As many as five toenails can be found on both
the front and hind feet.[13]
Elephants can move both forwards and backwards, but cannot trot, jump, or gallop. They use only
two gaits when moving on land, the walk and a faster gait similar to running.
Elephant Feeding
1. Elephants eat between 149 and 169 kg (330-375 lb.) of vegetation daily.
Elephants consume several hundred pounds of vegetation daily.
An Asian elephant at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay eating a palm frond.
2. Sixteen to eighteen hours, or nearly 80% of an elephant’s day is spent feeding. Elephants
consume grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots.
Nearly 80% of an elephant's day is spent feeding.
3. Tree bark is a favorite food source for elephants. It contains calcium and roughage, which aids
digestion. Tusks are used to carve into the trunk and tear off strips of bark.
4. Elephants require about 68.4 to 98.8 L (18 to 26 gal.) of water daily, but may consume up to
152 L (40 gal.). An adult male elephant can drink up to 212 L (55 gal.) of water in less than five
minutes.
Elephants drink up to 40 gallons of water a day.
Elephants can use their trunks to spray water in their mouths.
5. To supplement the diet, elephants will dig up earth to obtain salt and minerals. The tusks are
used to churn the ground. The elephant then places dislodged pieces of soil into its mouth, to
obtain nutrients. Frequently these areas result in holes that are several feet deep and vital
minerals are made accessible to other animals. Ex: Over time, African elephants have hollowed
out deep caverns in a volcano mountainside on the Ugandan border, to obtain salt licks and
minerals. Hills have been carved by Asian elephants in India and Sumatra searching for salt
and minerals. These carved areas in the landscape provide valuable food and shelter resources
for a diverse array of native wildlife.
An animal’s habitat is the area in which it would naturally choose to live. Generally, each species will
have a fairly specific habitat that displays certain characteristics and boasts particular features that cater
to that animal’s needs. Tigers can live in a wide range of habitats, and are commonly found in:
Image of a malayan tiger drinking
A malayan tiger taking a drink from a
rainforest pond
•Evergreen forests
•Mangrove swamps
•Tropical rainforests
•Savannahs
•Grasslands
•Rocky mountains
Most Tigers live in Asia, specifically throughout Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Russia. Tigers like to
live in swamps, grasslands,and rain forests. Usually where Tigers live there are trees, bushes, and clumps
of tall grass. It shades the Tiger from the sun when it's extremely hot. Not only does this protect them
from the sun, it also helps them to camouflage with their surroundings and surprise their prey. Unlike
other cats, Tigers love the water and are very sensitive to heat. Tigers are very powerful swimmers.
Most Tigers will soak in water usually after making a kill.
An animal’s habitat is the area in which it would naturally choose to live. Generally, each species will
have a fairly specific habitat that displays certain characteristics and boasts particular features that cater
to that animal’s needs. Tigers can live in a wide range of habitats, and are commonly found in:
Image of a malayan tiger drinking
A malayan tiger taking a drink from a
rainforest pond
•Evergreen forests
•Mangrove swamps
•Tropical rainforests
•Savannahs
•Grasslands
•Rocky mountains
Most Tigers live in Asia, specifically throughout Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Russia. Tigers like to
live in swamps, grasslands,and rain forests. Usually where Tigers live there are trees, bushes, and clumps
of tall grass. It shades the Tiger from the sun when it's extremely hot. Not only does this protect them
from the sun, it also helps them to camouflage with their surroundings and surprise their prey. Unlike
other cats, Tigers love the water and are very sensitive to heat. Tigers are very powerful swimmers.
Most Tigers will soak in water usually after making a kill.
Diet
1. Tigers eat a variety of prey ranging in size from termites to elephant calves. However, an
integral component of their diet are large-bodied prey weighing about 20 kg (45 lb) or larger
such as moose, deer species, pigs, cows, horses, buffalos and goats. Occasionally they may
consume tapirs, elephant and rhinoceros calves, bear species, leopards and Asiatic wild dogs.
A Bengal tiger finishing a meal.
Method of Feeding
1. Tigers mainly rely on their sense of sight and hearing rather than on smell when hunting prey.
They cautiously stalk their prey from the rear in attempt to get as close as possible to their
unsuspecting prey. Then they attempt to take down their prey with a powerful bite to the neck
and/ or throat.
Tigers cautiously stalk prey from the rear, getting
as close as possible to unsuspecting prey.bh
2. Tigers may consume up to 40 kg (88 pounds) of meat at one time.
3. It is estimated that every tiger consumes about 50 deer-sized animals each year, about one per
week.
Giraffe Habitat and Distribution
Giraffes are natives of Africa where they run wild in the tall grasses of the open planes.
However, they will also survive in the woodlands as well as along the savannahs. Giraffes will
move to where they need to in order to find food. Many people assume that since giraffes feed on
leaves high in trees that they would want to live where the forests are thick and plentiful.
However, this wouldn’t be good for them due to their height. They need lots of room to
maneuver.
The home range for a giraffe is between 8 and 50 square miles. These areas of habitat for the
giraffes often overlap and they will get along just fine with that. What is a common problem
though is that their natural habitat continues to be shrinking due to humans making roads and
other types of clearings out there. This means that the home range for them gets smaller and
smaller. As a result they are back to the same feeding areas before it has really had a chance for
adequate food sources to grow again.
Locomotation
Giraffes are unique animals, with their long necks and spindly legs. Ancient Greeks and Romans are
said to have thought giraffes were a camel and leopard mix. There are many giraffe facts that are
not commonly known, although giraffes are usually a popular exhibit at any zoo. Many know the
giraffe is normally quiet and love to eat acacia leaves, but there is so much more to learn about
these beautiful creatures.
What do Giraffes Eat?
Giraffes are avid eaters when food is plentiful. They prefer to consume what is in the trees
including twigs and leaves. Their eating habits often encourage the growth of new foliage too
which means that they can return to feed in that location on and off again. They also will
consume a variety of types of fruits that seasonally grow in the trees. What they will consume
depends on the time of year and where they reside.
BEAR
Depending on the species and the location, black and grizzly bears often prefer different habitats,
although both species can and do overlap. North American black bears are creatures of the forest,
preferring extensive wooded areas with a variety of fruit- and nut-producing species and small
openings that promote fruiting of many shrub species. Lowlands and wetlands are important
sources of succulent vegetation. Streams and pools are needed for drinking and cooling. Trees
larger than 20 inches around with strong, furrowed bark are easily climbed refuges for spring
black bear cubs, and old growth trees are preferred denning sites.
Grizzly bears, on the other hand, occupy a greater range of habitats. They evolved on the tundra
plains south of the ice sheets in Eurasia and are equally at home on the Arctic barren grounds,
the prairie and foothills grasslands, or the thick temperate rainforests of coastal British Columbia
and Alaska.
Locomotion: bEAR can run at speeds up to 35 miles per hour, although this speed is maintained
only for short distances. Contrary to the popular misconception, they can run uphill or downhill
at the same speed. They are good swimmers, and excellent climbers. No human can outrun a
bear.
Although all species of bears, including black and grizzly bears, are technically of the order
Carnivora, they are essentially omnivores that eat plants, insects, fish, and animals.
Bears spend most of their time perusing a patchwork of habitats throughout the year, feeding on
vegetation, insects and other more reliable, though lower calorie food sources. Plant foods make
up the majority of a bear’s diet – sometimes as much as 90 per cent.
However, fish and meat are important sources of protein and fat, though most non-coastal bears
rely on carrion (including winter-killed animals). Some bears, however, become very effective
predators on newborn elk, moose, deer or caribou. Others live in areas where salmon, suckers or
other fish spawn for part of each year.
When bears emerge from their dens in the spring, food is in short supply. Although bears are
hungry, most trees and shrubs won’t leaf for another month and only the grass at lower
elevations has begun to green up. At this time of year, they are often found foraging on sunny,
south-facing slopes where they can find overwintered berries or scavenge for winter-killed deer
and moose.
Horse Habitat
Regarding horse habitat, they prefer to live in wide green areas where they can easily access the
herbs and plants to eat. Domesticated horses, used for transportation purposes, are found in the
habitat created for them by their masters and feel comfortable in such environment as they get
used to it. They also like places that are near water. Moreover, they are also found in lower hilly
areas.
Locomotion is at the very heart of what most domesticated horses do for a living. The way a
horse moves (specifically) often is taken for granted. Locomotion is directly linked to
conformation as it dictates "the way a horse moves." Again, there are differences depending on
the type. For example, the Morgan horse will have a different nature to a particular gait than a
Thoroughbred. The Morgan will have higher "action" (raise its legs higher) than the
Thoroughbred, but the basic principles of locomotion will be the same.
The horse's legs should move in a straight line when watched from behind--the leg should track
straight and be perpendicular to the ground. The foot should hit the ground evenly and in a slight
heel-to-toe manner. When viewed from the side, the length of stride should be equal from side
to side and all of the angles of flexion (the fetlocks, carpus, hocks, etc.) equal when compared
from side to side. If the stride length is shorter on one side or the degree of movement of a
particular joint is different, this could signal a lameness problem. Stride length is typically
shortened on the lame leg. In addition, changes in stride length or joint movement trigger
changes in weight distribution and balance throughout the body. For example, when a lame
foreleg becomes weight bearing, the horse usually moves its head and neck upward and slightly
away from the lame leg. These movements further shift weight off of the painful limb. A
similar movement occurs in the pelvis in a hind leg lameness.
Feeding horses
People often call our Advice Line to ask how they should feed their horse or pony. In order
to offer guidance, we must consider why an animal requires food, how it feeds in its natural
state, and what the basic rules of feeding are...
All animals require food to maintain bodily condition, provide the raw materials for growth,
repair damaged tissues and provide energy for work or exercise.
The horse is a grazing animal, designed to eat almost constantly throughout the day. Their
natural feed is grass and they have evolved to eat for 18 out of the 24 hours.
Rules of Feeding
Feed little and often: This imitates the horse's natural feeding pattern, and achieves satisfactory
digestion by ensuring a constant passage of food through the digestive system.
Feed plenty of bulk and roughage such as grass, hay, haylage, etc: This ensures that the
digestive system is always adequately filled, as would be the case in the wild.
Feed according to size of horse and workload: More work requires more energy, and more
food. Too much or too little food will result in the animal being over or under weight.
Keep a check on your horse’s condition: By fat scoring regularly you will be able to tell
whether your horse needs to gain, lose or maintain weight. This information is vital when
working out how much you should be feeding your horse. It is also worth remembering that an
overweight horse which is lacking energy is unlikely to benefit from a higher energy feed.
For more information on this, and to learn how to assess your horse’s condition, see our Right
Weight page. Remember: ‘feed’ includes grass, hay and haylage as well as concentrate feed.
Do not make sudden changes to the diet: Bacteria in the large intestine break down the feed
and they have to adapt to any changes in the diet. Sudden changes can cause some bacteria to
die, produce poisons and cause metabolic disorders.
Keep to the same times of feeding each day: Horses are creatures of habit and thrive on a
regular routine.
Ensure that both feed and feeding utensils are clean: Horses are fastidious feeders and can be
easily deterred from eating.
Feed something succulent each day: Succulents like apples and carrots help to maintain the
horse's interest and adds moisture to the feed.
Do not do fast work immediately after feeding: A full stomach will put pressure on the lungs
and affect the horse's breathing. Fast work results in redistribution of the blood in the body,
leading to impaired digestion.
Provide a constant supply of fresh water: If this is not possible, ensure that the horse is
watered before feeding so that undigested food is not washed through the digestive system too
rapidly.
Finally: you need to know what to feed in addition to grass or grass products such as hay.
Remember that many leisure horses may only need the addition of a vitamin and mineral
supplement rather than a concentrate feed.
In the past, considerable knowledge and skill were required to provide the horse with a balanced
diet by mixing the raw ingredients oneself. The availability of balanced mixed feeds produced by
many reputable feed manufacturers has made this process much more simple today.
- See more at: http://www.worldhorsewelfare.org/feeding#sthash.OnLjEAg3.dpuf
An aquatic animal is an animal, either vertebrate or invertebrate, which lives in water for most or all
of its life.[1] It may breathe air or extract its oxygen from that dissolved in water through specialised
organs called gills, or directly through its skin. Natural environments and the animals that live in them
can be categorized as aquatic (water) or terrestrial (land). Animals that move readily from water to
land and vice versa are referred to as amphibians.
The term aquatic can in theory be applied to animals that live in either freshwater (freshwater
animals) or saltwater (marine animals). However, the adjective marine is most commonly used for
animals that live in saltwater, i.e. in oceans, seas, etc.
Aquatic animals (especially freshwater animals) are often of special concern to conservationists
because of the fragility of their environments. Aquatic animals are subject to pressure from
overfishing, destructive fishing, marine pollution and climate change.
Sharks don’t roam all areas of the ocean as some people fear. While it is true that occasionally
they are spotted in locations that they normally wouldn’t be it has to do with their needs. For
example if something is wrong in their normal habitat such as severe pollution, an oil spill, or
even a lack of food then they will search out other locations where they can reside.
They aren’t territorial like so many types of animals are. So they are free to roam the waters. The
females don’t stay to care for their young so for those species who lay eggs, they have not
trouble placing them in a hidden location and then being on their way. They young sharks care
for themselves from the very moment they hatch.
Locomotion
Sharks swim by moving their caudal fin from side to side in a sweeping motion, which propels them
forward through the water. The large upper lobe of the caudal fin of most sharks provides most of the
forward thrust. Sharks, like makos, which sometimes need to swim at high speed, also have a welldeveloped lower caudal fin lobe for greater thrust. As a shark moves through the water, it angles the
pectoral fins to change direction.
Sharks are slightly heavier than water, so they naturally tend to sink. Buoyancy or lift is provided in two
ways. First, sharks store large quantities of oil in their liver. Because oil is less dense than water, storing
this oil decreases the overall density of the shark, and increases its buoyancy. Second, as a shark swims,
its pectoral fins provide lift, in much the same way the wings of an airplane does. If a shark stops
swimming it will sink, but its stored oil and relatively light skeleton help it to float and decreases the
amount of energy that must be expended on swimming.
Feeding
Sharks and batoids eat almost anything: fishes, crustaceans, marine mammals, mollucs and other sharks.
Sharks are not very selective feedres but some sharks like the hammerhead are known for eating
stingrays, bull sharks for eating other sharks and smooth dogfish for eating crustaceans.
Tiger sharks are called the trash cans of the sea because they eat anything. Tiger sharks are ecologically
important predators of sea turtles and sea snakes. Sharks usually eat only slow, ill or sick prey.
Dolphins are found living in bodies of water around the world. They are found in all of the oceans, and
they are a common attraction for people to come see. Dolphins are known as being gentle creatures and
there is a type of mystic curiosity surrounding them too.
Most of them live in saltwater but they can also live in freshwater locations. Only a handful of the
species though are known to thrive in freshwater regions. They tend to stick to the shallow areas of the
water found along the continental shelves. The types of dolphins you will find depend on the species
though in terms of the location.
Locomotion
Dolphins use there fins to help push them through the water.
The top dorsal fin is filled with a fibrous connective tissue. It serves to keep the animal upright and
prevents "roll".
The flukes are located on the tail of the dolpin and are responsible for forward movement of the animal.
The tips of each fluke change position as the flukes move the animal forward. The flukes are connected
to sets of very powerful muscle groups in the back and along the belly of the animal. Like the dorsal fin,
they are filled with fibrous connective tissue and function as thermoregulators
The remaining two fins are called the pectorals. Pectorals help the dolphin to stop and turn, acting as
balancing planes. They are the only dolphin fins to contain bones. An x-ray of the dolphin's pectoral fins
reveal bones similar to those found in the human arm, wrist and hand.
Dolphin Feeding
Dolphins spend plenty of time finding food daily. They can consume up to 30 pounds of fish per
day as adults. They have the ability to use a variety of different feeding techniques that have
proven to help them in a variety of settings. In addition to dining on fish, squid is popular.
The ocean is tremendously diverse and species-rich. It is the home of countless organisms living in very
different ecosystems. Mussels and worms thriving in the Wadden Sea are a food source for millions of
migratory birds. Communities of tube worms, crustaceans and bacteria have developed at volcanic
hydrothermal seeps in the deep sea. Elsewhere kelp forests sway with the currents while sea otters on
the hunt swim through. Sea birds nest on rugged and rocky coasts while thousands of iridescent fish
species frolic in reefs.
Fish are a key component of marine biotic communities. For millennia mankind has had an especially
close bond with them because they provide people with food. Around 43 million people worldwide
make their living directly from fishing or fish breeding. But people are careless with this natural
resource. Over thousands of years too many fish have been taken. Many fishing grounds have been
overfished. Furthermore, the ocean is being polluted by effluents from industry, settlements and
agriculture. Some habitats such as mangrove forests are destroyed directly by construction. Considering
the serious situation, it is important to investigate the present status of marine fish.
Locomotion
Fish swim by exerting force against the surrounding water. There are exceptions, but this is normally
achieved by the fish contracting muscles on either side of its body in order to generate waves of flexion
that travel the length of the body from nose to tail, generally getting larger as they go along. The vector
forces exerted on the water by such motion cancel out laterally, but generate a net force backwards
which in turn pushes the fish forward through the water.
Most fishes generate thrust using lateral movements of their body and caudal fin. But there are also a
huge number of species that move mainly using their median and paired fins. The latter group profits
from the gained maneuverability that is needed when living in coral reefs for example. But they can't
swim as fast as fish using their bodies and caudal fins.
Sea turtles are known to be distributed in many places around the world, except the polar regions. They
prefer the tropic and sub tropics temperatures. They are found along the coastal regions of sandy
beaches. This includes areas of North America, South America, Central America, India, South Africa, and
Australia. They have also been spotted in the Atlantic Ocean by Canada and even in areas around
Europe.
Occasionally, sea turtles will be found in strange locations. Researchers wonder if they got confused
during migration. Perhaps they were in a fishing net and turned loose far from their natural habitat.
Others believe it has to do with global warming and the search for food. Since sea turtles are loners
these are often isolated incidents were one or two sea turtles are identified.
Locomotion
locomotion in turtles, including comparisons of limb kinematics and muscle function across habitat
specialists and generalists
Current directions
• Flow visualization to compare thrust production between turtle forelimbs and hindlimbs during
swimming (with George Lauder, Harvard).
• Comparisons of limb bone loading between swimming and walking
Feeding
1. Depending on the species, sea turtles may be carnivorous (meat eating), herbivorous
(plant eating), or omnivorous (eating both meat and plants). The jaw structure of many
species is adapted for their diet.
2. Green sea turtles have finely serrated jaws adapted for a vegetarian diet of sea grasses
and algae. As adults, these are the only herbivorous sea turtles.
3. Some species change eating habits as they age. For example, green sea turtles are mainly
carnivorous from hatching until juvenile size; they then progressively shift to an
herbivorous diet.
4. A hawksbill has a narrow head with jaws meeting at an acute angle, adapted for getting
food from crevices in coral reefs. They eat sponges, tunicates, shrimps, and squids.
5. Loggerheads' and ridleys' jaws are adapted for crushing and grinding. Their diet consists
primarily of crabs, molluscs, shrimps, jellyfish, and vegetation.
6. Leatherbacks have delicate scissor-like jaws that would be damaged by anything other
than their normal diet of jellyfish, tunicates, and other soft-bodied animals. The mouth
cavity and throat are lined with papillae (spine-like projections) pointed backward to help
them swallow soft foods.
7. Researchers continue to study the feeding habits of flatbacks. There is evidence that they
are opportunistic feeders that eat seaweeds, cuttlefish, and sea cucumbers.
8. In a zoological environment all sea turtle species can be maintained on a carnivorous diet.
Walrus
The walrus is found in the Arctic Ocean and in subarctic seas. Walruses spend much of their time
on land, but they are graceful in water. They dive up to 180 feet deep for clams and shellfish on
the ocean floor, staying underwater for up to 30 minutes. The adult male walrus weighs more
than 2,000 pounds. Its upper canines form tusks up to 27 inches long that it hooks into ice floes
to pull itself out of the water. Walruses live up to 40 years in the wild.
Locomotion
hind limbs of the walrus are the major source of aquatic propulsion; the forelimbs are used for
manoeuvring as well as for propulsion.
Feeding
1. Walruses prefer molluscs - mainly bivalves such as clams. They also eat many other
kinds of benthic invertebrates including worms, gastropods, cephalopods, crustaceans,
sea cucumbers, and other soft-bodied animals. Walruses may occasionally prey on fishes
such as polar cod.
2. Walruses may eat the carcasses of young seals when food is scarce.
3. There are some rare but habitual seal-eating walruses. Their diet consists mainly of
ringed and bearded seals. These are usually male walruses, recognizable because they are
usually larger than other males, with powerful shoulder and chest muscles. Their skin
may become grease-stained from the blubber of the seals they prey on.
Arboreal animals are creatures who spend the majority of their lives in trees. They eat, sleep and play in
the tree canopy. There are thousands of species that live in trees, including monkeys, koalas, possums,
sloths, various rodents, parrots, chameleons, geckos, tree snakes and a variety of insects. Many animals
have evolved special adaptations to aid their arboreal lifestyles.
Squirell
There are 3 basic groups of squirrels, with each group living within a certain
type of habitat. Tree squirrels live in woodlands and forests in both arid and
humid environments. Certain species of tree squirrels, such as the gray
squirrel, prefer large stands of deciduous trees that include beech, maple,
and oak.
The second group, flying squirrels, also lives in forests. However, some
species of flying squirrels differ from tree squirrels because they prefer
forests with large stands of coniferous trees. For example, the northern
flying squirrel lives in the northern parts of North America in forests
containing spruce and cedar trees.
Locomotion
Members of the squirrel family have five toes on their hind feet and four toes on their front feet.
All squirrels have strong hind legs. Some species are quite dexterous and agile. The various treeclimbing species are especially adept at grasping limbs and other vegetation, making great leaps
between branches, and cushioning a fall by flattening their bodies and spreading their tail fur.
Feeding
To prepare for cold months, squirrels will bury their food. In the winter months they have a store
of food they can eat when supplies are scarce.
Spider monkey
Spider Monkeys live in tropical climates, specifically the evergreen forests of Central and South America. They can
also be found as far north as Mexico.
Habitat:Spider Monkeys are arboreal (inhabits in trees). Thriving in the upper canopy, spider monkeys hunt with ease
and without the competition of other primates. Also, it should be noted that they sometimes inhabit semi deciduous
and mangrove forests.
Diet:Spider monkeys are omnivorous more specifically they are categorized as fruigivorous because of their fruit and
seed based diet. They also tend to feed on young leaves, flowers, aerial roots, occasionally bark and wood, honey,
insects/insect larvae, and bird eggs. Spider monkeys eat while hanging, climbing or moving. Rarely they feed on
insect parts, as well as some animal prey (1.2%).
At the zoo they are fed various fruits, seeds, leaves and flowers.
Locomotion
Quadrupedal
In this type of Spider monkeys locomotion, it is seen to use all four limbs for movement when they are
walking or running; Quadrupedal locomotion is generally seen in these monkeys if it is on a stable
relatively substrate which is free of any obstacles.
Suspensory
These traveling movements in Spider monkeys is seen when hanging, climbing or gliding through the
trees. When they are using suspensory locomotion they may be swinging with their arms from one branch
to another and often maintaining a tail hold.
bipedalism
Here, the spider monkeys locomotion is observed using only two limbs when leaping. Despite being able
to walk and run on two legs on the ground, these monkeys tend to spend most of their time in the crowns
of trees and travel mainly by swinging.
Owls are well known as being very versatile birds when it comes to their habitat. They
are able to live in a variety of locations and some of those may surprise you. The most
common place to find owls living is in wooded areas. They have a place to call their own
territory and where they can hide during the day from predators. They also have access
to lots of different food sources because of the other living creatures in the forest.
There are some species of owls that are able to live in the rainforests. They do very well
with the humidity and the rainfall. They are able to find great places to live that protect
them from their environment. However, the trade off is that they seem to have more
predators that they need to hide from or to protect themselves from.
Locomotion
The Spectacled Owl's locomotion comes from flying and for walking and because they have these two
techniques to get around, their skeleton is built for efficiency in both. The actual skeleton of the bird
makes up 7 to 9 percent of its body weight and is built to be strong yet light.
Bones that are seperated in mammals are actually fused together in owls to support their body weight
when they are standing on the ground. However, some of the larger bones are hollow in order to reduce
body weight for flying.
The owls breast bone, or sternum, is large and flat to support the owl's flight muscles. The wing bones in
owls are fairly long and the wing surface is broad which help with easy takeoffs and more efficient flight.
Their wingspan is 76 to 91cm.
Owl Food: What do Owls eat? Owls are Birds of Prey, which means that they must kill other animals to
survive. Their diet includes invertebrates (such as insects, spiders, earthworms, snails and crabs), fish,
reptiles, amphibians, birds and small mammals.
The main food largely depends on the species of Owl. For example, Scops and Screech Owls feed on
insects mostly, while Barn Owls eat mainly mice, shrews and voles. Larger Owls such as the Eagle
Owl will prey upon hares, young foxes and birds up to the size of ducks and gamebirds. Some species
have specialised in fishing, such as the Asian Fish Owls and African Fishing Owls. Although certain
species have these preferences for food type, most owls are opportunistic, and will take whatever prey is
available in the area.
Many birds build their nests in trees. Trees provide plenty of materials for the
bird to build its nest.
Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the autumn and the fallen rotting leaves
provide a rich food supply and habitat for thousands of tiny creatures.
The tree provides the bird with a rich source of food. There are insects on the
tree and worms and insects on the ground below.
The tree also provides the bird with a place of shelter and gives protection
against predators.
Locomotion
Although most birds can fly, not all flying animals are birds. For example, many insects also fly. Birds have a very
strong heart and an efficient way of breathing – these are necessary for birds to fly. Birds also use a lot of energy
while flying and need to eat a lot of food to power their flight. As we have learned, flying birds have strong, hollow
bones and powerful flight muscles.
Not all flying animals are birds, and not all birds can fly. The ability to fly has developed independently many times
throughout the history of the Earth. Bats (flying mammals), pterosaurs (flying reptiles from the time of the dinosaurs
that were NOT dinosaurs), and flying insects have flight mechanisms that are quite distinct from those of birds.
Feeding
Natural foods that birds eat include insects, worms, berries, fruit, flower nectar, nuts, seeds,
tree sap, buds of trees and shrubs, fish, small animals, other birds, and eggs. They even
scavenge dead animals.
You can get a clue what a bird eats by the type of beak or bill the bird has. A thick cone
shaped bill is good for cracking seeds. Examples would be cardinals, grosbeaks, finches,
sparrows, and towhees. These birds eat seeds all year long, eating insects when seeds are
scarce.
Tree snake
Brown tree snakes can be found in many settings, including rugged outcrops, woodlands, savannas, arid
and damp forests, shrublands, rain forest, mangroves and heathlands. They occur in elevations up to
3,900 feet. Brown tree snakes frequently spend time in residential neighborhoods, as well. When female
brown tree snakes lay their eggs, they generally do so inside of cavities of trees or in openings of rocks.
Locomotion
This form of locomotion is the kind most commonly seen. It is used by most small to mid-sized to fairly big
snakes and is incorporated in areas where the terrain is rather uneven or variable.
This method of movement is accomplished by the snake lashing it's body back and forth causing lateral
waves that force longitudinal motion. To put it another way: They go forward by moving sideways.
Doesn't make a whole lot of sense does it?
So imagine a person jumping in diagonal leaps. By the person pushing diagonally off the ground he/she
makes a forward movement.
This is the same basic idea with snakes. The head pushes off an uneven portion of the ground and each
succeeding bodypart follows where the head left off. What one gets is many waves coming off the snake
as each part of the body follows the direction of the head.
Now this is not always the case. Some snakes such as Cobras are able to move with a good third of their
body held off the ground, so the head doesn't have to start the movement. Plus since many environments
contain highly variable pivot points on them the snake must compensate on the fly. This requires very
good neuromuscular control or "mind-belly coordination" as it were.
To see the HUP in action one would say that it looks more like the snake is flowing over it's environment
much like water. Indeed the lashing is next to impossible to notice, but if one were to place a snake
HUP'ing onto a smooth surface like glass or one where the ground is very weak to lateral movement like
sand then the lashing becomes quite evident as the snake starts throwing itself off to the side.
Feeding
The general diet of brown tree snakes consists of tiny mammals, bird eggs, birds, tiny lizards, lizard eggs
and amphibians. Youngsters are especially partial to eating lizards. They readily consume many types of
sustenance, which is one of the reasons they can so easily adapt to new environments. Brown tree
snakes also occasionally feed on fellow snakes and chicks. They aren't shy about rummaging for food
inside trash cans, either.