Tag Archives: Animal

Immortal Jellyfish

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Immortal Jellyfish

Something that can live forever like the immortal jellyfish is a very curious thing.

  • Immortal jellyfish are a species of jellyfish found in the oceans near Japan and the Mediterranean area, though populations of them are popping up in various areas across the globe, and their movement to new areas is thought to be assisted by their travel in water held in the base of ships.
  • The scientific name of an immortal jellyfish is Turritopsis dohrnii and it is from the family Oceaniidae, a family of hydrozoans, and the species has also been dubbed as the ‘Benjamin Button jellyfish’.
  • Immortal jellyfish start life as larvae, that develop into polyps that have a similar appearance to soft coral, before they reach the mature jellyfish stage.
  • Immortal jellyfish adults are very small in size, reaching approximately 4.5 to 10 millimetres (0.18 to 0.4 inches) in diameter, and they are a transparent colour, sometimes with a vivid red stomach in its centre.
  • Immortal jellyfish are best known for their ability to avoid death from old age or severe wounds, by reverting back into a polyp form from being an adult jellyfish, by altering their cells – a process called ‘transdifferentiation’.
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An Immortal Jellyfish
Image courtesy of Discovery News/Youtube
  • As a result of reversions, immortal jellyfish can create numerous exact duplicates of themselves, as one polyp can release a number of medusae (jellyfish).
  • Triggers that can cause immortal jellyfish to revert to polyps include old age, stress, illness, injuries and feeling threatened, though as yet, they have not been seen reverting from adult to polyp forms in their ocean environment, but rather only in laboratory settings.
  • The immortal jellyfish of the species Turritopsis dohrnii, is often confused with the visually-similar Turritopsis nutricula and Turritopsis rubra, with images and common names of the three species frequently confused with each other.
  • Despite the immortal’s jellyfish ability to refrain from dying from age, rendering it fairly immortal, the animal can be killed by disease or by natural marine predators.
  • The immortal jellyfish’s strange properties were first discovered in 1988, by Christian Sommer from Germany, who was studying to be a marine biologist, and this kick-started significant interest in and further research of the jellyfish.
Bibliography:
The Immortal Jellyfish, 2015, American Museum of Natural History, http://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/on-exhibit-posts/the-immortal-jellyfish/
Immortal Jellyfish, n.d, Immortal Jellyfish, http://immortal-jellyfish.com/
Rich N, Can a Jellyfish Unlock the Secret of Immortality, 2012, The New York Times Magazine, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/magazine/can-a-jellyfish-unlock-the-secret-of-immortality.html?_r=0
Turritopsis dohrnii, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turritopsis_dohrnii

Darwin’s Frog

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Darwin’s Frog

Out of the mouths of Darwin’s frogs come babes.

  • Darwin’s frogs are a species of frog, native to South America’s Argentina and Chile.
  • Darwin’s frogs are also known by the names ‘Darwin’s toads’ and ‘southern Darwin’s frogs’, and their common names are reference to Charles Darwin who discovered the frogs in the 1830s.
  • The scientific name of a Darwin’s frog is Rhinoderma darwinii and it is one of two species in the family Rhinodermatidae, the family of the same name.
  • Darwin’s frogs grow to be around 2.2 to 3.5 centimetres (0.9 to 1.4 inches) in length and weigh 2 to 5 grams (0.07 to 0.17 ounces).
  • The skin of Darwin’s frogs is somewhat smooth and is usually coloured brown to green on the back, and a combination of black and white on the underside.
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A Darwin’s Frog
Image courtesy of Flavio Camus/Flickr
  • Darwin’s frogs are typically found among dead leaves in grassy or forest habitats, featuring streams or other smaller water bodies.
  • The diet of Darwin’s frogs consists primarily of insects as well as invertebrates like spiders, snails and worms, which it typically lays in wait for.
  • A Darwin’s frog has a pointed head and the frog utilises camouflage to evade predators, taking the appearance of a dead leaf when still.
  • Female Darwin’s frogs lay 30 to 40 eggs among decomposing vegetation on the forest floor, while the males keep watch over the eggs for around three weeks, and then collect them in their mouth and store up to 19 of them in their vocal sac, where they mature into tadpoles and then young frogs before being released from the adult male’s mouth after approximately six weeks.
  • Due to habitat loss and possibly disease, Darwin’s frogs are listed as vulnerable, with their population dwindling at a moderate rate.
Bibliography:
Darwin‘s Frog, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/darwins-frog/
Darwin’s Frog, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin%27s_frog
Darwin‘s Frog (Rhinoderma darwinii), n.d, Arkive, http://www.arkive.org/darwins-frog/rhinoderma-darwinii/
Linsted M, Rhinoderma Darwinii, 2000, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rhinoderma_darwinii/
Rhinoderma Darwinii, 2016, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/19513/0

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Bonobo

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Bonobo

A bonobo’s small size does not make it lesser than its great relatives.

  • Bonobos are a species of great ape and one of two species in Pan, the chimpanzee genus, and they are native to Africa’s Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • ‘Bonobos’ are also known as ‘dwarf chimpanzees’, ‘pygmy chimpanzees’, and ‘gracile chimpanzees’.
  • The scientific name of the bonobo is Pan paniscus, and it is from the family Hominidae, the family of great apes.
  • Bonobos stand at a height of approximately 104 to 124 centimetres (41 to 49 inches) and weigh 25 to 61 kilograms (55 to 134 pounds).
  • The hair colour of bonobos is dark in colour and can be a combination of brown, black and grey, and while they have a similar appearance to their close relatives, the common chimpanzee, their hair is longer and their exposed skin is typically darker, being almost black.

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A Bonobo
Image courtesy of Ted/Flickr
  • It is thought that 30,000 to 50,000 individual bonobos exist, and they are listed as endangered, as their numbers have been decreasing, caused primarily by habitat destruction and human hunting for the pet industry, as well as for food.
  • Bonobos typically live in small groups of three to ten individuals, often as part of a large community, and they spend time on the ground, as well as in the treetops of rainforests where they make nests of leaves and branches to sleep in, and they are also adept at using tools.
  • Individual bonobos generally get along quite well with those in its troop, and there is a social hierarchy where the females are generally more dominant than males, though once mature, female young generally move to another troop; while the social hierarchy of the males is generally dependent on the individual’s mother.
  • A bonobo’s diet consists primarily of fruit, but also other parts of plants, as well as eggs and honey, the occasional meat such as small mammals, insects and earthworms.
  • Adult female bonobos give birth to one baby every four to five years, and the young are dependent on their mothers for three or more years, and they have a lifespan of 20 to 50 years, reaching the upper limit in captivity.
Bibliography:
Bonobo, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/bonobo/
Bonobo, 2016, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/bonobo
Bonobo, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonobo
Williams A, Pan Paniscus, 2004, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pan_paniscus/

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X-ray Tetra

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X-ray Tetra

Take more than a scan over these x-ray tetras.

  • X-ray tetras are a species of freshwater fish, native to some of the waterways of northern South America including the Amazon region.
  • ‘X-ray tetras’ are also known as ‘x-ray fish’, ‘water goldfinch’ and ‘golden pristella tetra’.
  • The scientific name of an x-ray tetra is Pristella maxillaris, from the family Characidae, the family of characids, and it is the only species of its genus.
  • X-ray tetras are notable for having a mostly transparent body, with their internals a shiny silver-gold colour and fins coloured black, white and yellow.
  • The length of x-ray tetras ranges from 3 to 5 centimetres (1.2 to 2 inches), and they generally have a lifespan of 3-5 years in the wild.
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X-Ray Tetra
Image courtesy of Mike S/Flickr
  • X-ray tetras have a diet that consists of insects, crustaceans and worms, that are scavenged from the bottom of their river and swamp environments and sometimes they feed on aquatic plant material.
  • Female x-ray tetras produce from 300 to 400 eggs at a time during the wet season, which they lay among plants in the water, and the eggs can hatch from 24 hours onwards.
  • X-ray tetras have what is known as a ‘Weberian apparatus’, a group of tiny bones that act as a sound amplifier, and as a result, the fish are able to hear very well, allowing them to speedily move away from predators.
  • X-ray tetras have been popularly kept as fish tank pets, as they are attractive and quite resilient, however they are a schooling fish and as such it is best if they are kept in groups of at least six.
  • The first scientific description of an x-ray tetra dates back to 1894, by American marine biologist Albert Ulrey, though the fish was originally known under different scientific names, including Pristella riddlei.
Bibliography:
Interesting Facts About X-Ray Fish, 2016, Buzzle, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/interesting-facts-about-x-ray-fish.html
Pristella maxillaris, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pristella_maxillaris
Pristella maxillaris, 2016, Seriously Fish, http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/pristella-maxillaris/
X-Ray Tetra, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/x-ray-tetra/
X-Ray Tetra, 2016, About Fish Online, http://www.aboutfishonline.com/articles/xraytetra.html

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Cruiser Butterfly

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Cruiser Butterfly

Cruiser butterflies sport a variety of different colours.

  • Cruiser butterflies are a species of butterfly native to the tropics of New Guinea and surrounding islands, and parts of Queensland in Australia.
  • The scientific name of a cruiser butterfly is Vindula arsinoe and it is from the family Nymphalidae, the family of brush-footed butterflies.
  • The wings of a male cruiser butterfly are mostly an orange colour, decorated with black patterns including a couple of eye spots.
  • Cruiser butterflies have a wingspan that generally ranges from 7.5 to 8.2 centimetres (3 to 3.2 inches) in length.
  • A female cruiser butterfly has a combination of yellow/orange, brown, black and white coloured wings, and despite its difference in appearance to the male, it has similar black markings.
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Cruiser Butterfly
Image courtesy of Bernand Dupont/Flickr
  • Cruiser butterfly caterpillars are black and yellow to white in colour, and they have black branch like spikes down the back and sides of their body.
  • The chrysalis of a cruiser butterfly reaches a length of 3 centimetres (1.2 inches), and is coloured brown to green, while the caterpillar itself is a centimetre (0.4 inches) longer.
  • Cruiser butterfly larvae feed primarily from the species of the passion flower family, while the butterflies feed on nectar from various flowers.
  • Cruiser butterflies have a habit of congregating around collections of moist to wet soil, where they obtain nutrients from the liquid they consume there, and this phenomenon is known as ‘mud-puddling’.
  • The eggs of a female cruiser butterfly varies from a white to brown colour, with many small bumps on the exterior, and they are about 1.5 millimetres (0.06 inches) in height.
Bibliography:
Cramer’s Cruiser, n.d, Learn About Butterflies, http://www.learnaboutbutterflies.com/New%20Guinea%20-%20Vindula%20arsinoe.htm
Cruiser (Vindula arsinoe), n.d, Oz Animals, http://www.ozanimals.com/Insect/Cruiser/Vindula/arsinoe.html
The Cruiser, 2015, Coff’s Harbour Butterfly House, http://lepidoptera.butterflyhouse.com.au/nymp/arsinoe.html

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Gibbon

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Gibbon

Gibbons may be small, but they still are apes.

  • Gibbons are a group of around 17 species of primate, that live in family groups in trees, in tropical forests of southeast Asia.
  • The scientific name of the gibbon family is Hylobatidae, and they are from the superfamily Hominoidea, which is the group of apes.
  • ‘Gibbons’ are also known as the ‘smaller apes’ or ‘lesser apes’, in comparison to the more well known ‘great apes’, and as an ape, they do not possess a tail.
  • Gibbons grow to be around 44 to 90 centimetres (17 to 35 inches) in height and they generally weigh between 4 to 13 kilograms (9 to 29 pounds), depending on the species.
  • The diet of gibbons is predominately fruit, especially figs, but it also consists of insects, leaves, flowers and sometimes bird eggs.
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Gibbon
Image courtesy of Leszek Leszczynski/Flickr
  • Typically, gibbons will have one partner for life, and the females usually give birth to one baby every two to three years, with the young taking roughly six to seven years to become independent; and they can have a lifespan of 25 years or more.
  • The colour of gibbon hair is determined by the species and gender, and it can range from brown, grey, black, cream, and white – which is often evident around the face and sometimes on the feet and hands.
  • Gibbons have a ball-and-socket like joint at their wrists, as well as long arms, that allow for swinging between trees at speeds of 56 kilometres per hour (35 miles per hour), making them one of the fastest tree-dwelling mammals in the world.
  • When walking on two feet, either on the ground or on branches, gibbons use their arms to assist in balance; and they communicate with each other via calls and ‘songs’ with their loud voices.
  • Primarily due to habitat destruction, all gibbon species in 2015, bar one, were considered critically endangered or endangered, which led the primate to come into the spotlight as the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s 2015 animal, to further encourage its conservation.
Bibliography:
Gibbon, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/gibbon/
Gibbon, 2016, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/gibbon/
Gibbon, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibbon

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