Category Archives: Animals

Raccoon Dog

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Raccoon Dog

Raccoon dogs have more dog to them than raccoon.

  • Raccoon dogs are a species of dog that have an appearance notably similar to that of a raccoon, though they are only distantly related.
  • ‘Raccoon dogs’ are also known as ‘tanukis’ and ‘manguts’, and they are native to some of the eastern areas of Asia.
  • The scientific name of a raccoon dog is Nycetereutes procyonoides and it is form the family Canidae, the family of dogs, and five subspecies of the animal exist.
  • A raccoon dog has an average lifespan of 6 to 7  years, and the animal is generally between 45 to 71 centimetres (18 to 28 inches) in length with a weight from 3 to 10 kilograms (6.6 to 22 pounds).
  • The scientific name of raccoon dogs means ‘night wanderer’ when translated from Greek, which refers to the dog’s mainly nocturnal activity.
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Raccoon Dog
Image courtesy of Tambako The Jaguar/Flickr
  • Raccoon dogs live in woodland and forest habitats near water, and they have a habit of hibernating in winter, particularly when snowy, which is a unique characteristic in its family.
  • During summer months, raccoon dog fur is generally a red or yellow colour, however the fur coat changes to greys, browns and blacks in winter.
  • Raccoon dogs have a diet that consists primarily of rodents, fish, nuts, berries, molluscs, birds and their eggs, grains, insects, reptiles and frogs, and they are adept at climbing trees.
  • Raccoon dogs were first introduced to Europe, including parts of Russia, in the 1900s, and have since become a pest in some areas.
  • The primary predator of a raccoon dog is a wolf, and the animal is also commonly hunted by humans for the purpose of culling, for food, as well as for its fur.
Bibliography:
Raccoon Dog, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/raccoon-dog/
Raccoon Dog, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon_dog
Raccoon Dog – The Night Wanderer, 2015, Fact Zoo, http://www.factzoo.com/mammals/raccoon-dog-night-wanderer.html

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Red-eared Slider

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Red-eared Slider

Go a-slippin’ and a-slidin’ with red-eared sliders.

  • Red-eared sliders are a turtle species native to water habitats of some southern areas of the United States and parts of north east Mexico.
  • The scientific name of red-eared sliders is Trachemys scripta elegans and it is from the family Emydidae, the family of pond turtles.
  • The carapace (shell) of red-eared sliders typically grows to be 12.5 to 28 centimetres (5 to 11 inches) in length, but they are sometimes longer.
  • The shell colour of red-eared sliders varies from vegetation greens to dark greens depending on age, while limbs are usually green with yellow stripes, and behind each eye, a red or orange stripe can typically be seen.
  • Red-eared sliders have been introduced to numerous areas across Europe, Australia, the Pacific Islands, Asia, South America and South Africa, where the turtle has become highly invasive in some parts, and it is listed as one of the most invasive species in the world.
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Red-eared Slider
Image courtesy of Jim/Flickr
  • Of all aquatic-based turtles, red-eared sliders are one of the most commonly chosen as pets, especially in America, as they are readily adaptable to new environments, however, they are banned in some countries.
  • Red-eared sliders spend most of their time in the water, however, they have the need to bask in the sun to keep their body temperature up, as they cannot control their temperature themselves and they rely on external sources.
  • Female red-eared sliders dig a hole in the ground to lay the two to thirty eggs that she produces at a time, that generally hatch between 59 and 75 or more days.
  • A red-eared slider is identifiable by its abnormally long claws, red markings on its head, and its tendency to retreat into its shell by pulling its head in straight, rather than it bending horizontally.
  • The diet of red-eared sliders typically consists of aquatic plants, fish, snails, insect young, and crustaceans, and they have a lifespan in the wild of up to 30 years, while those in captivity can live a decade or two longer.
Bibliography:
Red-eared Slider, 2009, National Animal Pest Alert, http://www.pestsmart.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/red-earedslideralert.pdf
Red-eared Sliders, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-eared_slider
Red-eared Slider Turtles, 2015, Brisbane City Council, http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/environment-waste/natural-environment/protecting-wildlife-brisbane/pest-animals-invasive-species/red-eared-slider-turtles

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Panamanian Golden Frog

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Panamanian Golden Frog

Don’t pick a fight with Panamanian golden frogs.

  • Panamanian golden frogs are a brightly coloured amphibian species native to Central America’s Panama.
  • ‘Panamanian golden frogs’ are also known as ‘golden arrow poison frogs’, ‘Zetek’s golden frogs’ and ‘golden frogs’, and despite their common name, they are toads, not frogs.
  • The scientific name of the Panamanian golden frog is Atelopus zeteki and it is from the family Bufonidae, the family of true toads.
  • Panamanian golden frogs have a distinctive gold, yellow or yellow-green skin colouration that is generally spotted with black, though the young toads are green in colour.
  • The length of Panamanian golden frogs reach 3.5 to 6.3 centimetres (1.4 to 2.5 inches) and they are typically 3 to 15 grams (0.1 to 0.53 ounces) in weight.
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A Panamanian Golden Frog
Image courtesy of Brian Gratwicke/Flickr
  • The skin of adult Panamanian golden frogs is highly toxic on touch, excreting poisons deadly to rodents and other animals, and they are also potentially hazardous to humans.
  • The diet of Panamanian golden frogs consists of invertebrates like spiders, ants, caterpillars, wasps, and flies, and the wider the variety of its diet, the more poisonous the toad becomes.
  • Along with a noise that sounds like a whistle, Panamanian golden frogs commonly move their hands in a waving motion as a means of communication, signalling to both potential mates and threats.
  • Panamanian golden frogs typically live in mountainous river and stream habitats, and have a lifespan of approximately 12 years, growing from egg to tadpole to adult.
  • Due to fungal diseases and habitat destruction, Panamanian golden frogs are listed as critically endangered, although it is possible that in 2007, they became extinct in the wild.
Bibliography:
Panamanian Golden Frog, 2015, The Animal Facts, http://theanimalfacts.com/reptiles/panamanian-golden-frog/
Panamanian Golden Frog, 2015, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/panamanian-golden-frog
Panamanian Golden Frog, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panamanian_golden_frog
Platt J, Sunday Species Snapshot: Panamanian Golden Frog, 2014, Scientific American, http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/extinction-countdown/sunday-species-snapshot-panamanian-golden-frog/

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Monarch Butterfly

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Monarch Butterfly

Be warned when the monarch butterfly displays its bright wings.

  • A monarch butterfly is a species of common and easily recognisable butterfly, native to North America, though they are now found in a number of countries around the world.
  • ‘Monarch butterflies’ are also known as ‘milkweeds’, ‘common tigers’, ‘monarchs’, ‘black veined browns’, ‘King Billies’ and ‘wanderers’.
  • The scientific name of the monarch butterfly is Danaus plexippus and it is from the family Nymphalidae, the family of brush-footed butterflies.
  • The wingspan of monarch butterflies typically extends a distance of 8.6 to 12.4 centimetres (3.4 to 4.9 inches), and they generally travel thousands of kilometres each year, when they migrate to warmer areas in autumn where they overwinter.
  • Monarch butterflies are a distinctive orange and black colour, and sometimes white and black, though this is rare, with white spots decorating the wing borders; a pattern similar to that of the viceroy butterfly.
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Monarch Butterfly
Image courtesy of William Warby/Flickr
  • The diet of the monarch butterfly caterpillar consists of mainly milkweed leaves, from various species in the Asclepias genus, while the butterfly will feed on nectar from various flowers including milkweed.
  • After hatching from an egg, it takes roughly 9 to 14 days for a monarch butterfly caterpillar to moult and form into a chrysalis, while it takes 9 to 15 days for the butterfly to emerge from the chrysalis.
  • Monarch butterfly larvae or caterpillars are generally patterned with yellow, white and black stripes, while the chrysalis is mostly green with the odd yellow speck.
  • The taste of monarch butterfly is particularly putrid and potentially poisonous towards many possible predators as a result of the insect’s milkweed diet.
  • Monarch butterfly caterpillars were taken to the International Space Station in 2009, where the specimens both lived and emerged from their chrysalis under the watchful eye of scientists.
Bibliography:
Danaus plexippus, 1999, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Danaus_plexippus/
Monarch Butterfly, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_butterfly
Monarch Butterfly (Danaus Plexippus), n.d., Wildscreen Arkive, http://www.arkive.org/monarch-butterfly/danaus-plexippus/

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Gila Monster

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Gila Monster

Gila monsters have turned back the clock!

  • Gila monsters are a lizard of larger size native to the southwest of the United States and to the northwest of Mexico, and were named after the Gila River Basin or the Gila River, where they were initially found, in the United State’s Arizona.
  • A Gila monster has the scientific name Heloderma suspectum and is from the family Helodermatidae, the family of American venomous lizards.
  • Gila monsters typically grow to be 30 to 60 centimetres (12 to 24 inches) in length, making them the largest living land-dwelling lizard in the United States, and they usually weigh between 1.3 to 2.2 kilograms (3 to 5 pounds).
  • Habitats that Gila monsters thrive in include desert, shrubby areas, woodlands and rocky areas, and they mostly live alone in burrows spending most of their time there.
  • The diet of Gila monsters is carnivorous, consisting primarily of frogs, eggs, insects, birds, small mammals and lizards.
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A Gila Monster
Image courtesy of walknboston/Flickr
  • Gila monsters can live without food for months, although they may eat up to a third of their body weight in a single sitting, mostly eating their prey by swallowing whole.
  • Gila monsters have a very strong grip and are thus difficult to pry from a bite, while submerging underwater is the best method to force release, and although their bite is venomous it is not lethal to a healthy adult despite causing symptoms of weakness, great pain and a drastic reduction in blood pressure.
  • Around two to thirteen eggs are produced by female Gila monsters at a single time, and they are buried in a shallow hole.
  • Gila monsters are listed as near threatened, and in 1952, they were protected under law and were the first venomous animal to receive such protection.
  • The saliva of Gila monsters contains a chemical that can be used as a treatment for those with diabetes, as it assists in controlling blood sugar levels.
Bibliography:
Gila Monster, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/gila-monster/
Gila Monster, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/reptiles/gila-monster/
Gila Monster, 2015, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/gila-monster
Gila Monster, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gila_monster

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Red Wolf

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Red Wolf

At such small numbers, red wolves can easily be lost among similar relatives.

  • A red wolf is a mammal of medium size, native primarily to the marshes in the eastern areas of the United States.
  • ‘Red wolves’ are also known as ‘Florida wolves’ and ‘Mississippi Valley wolves’.
  • The scientific name of a red wolf is Canis rufus or Canis lupus rufus, and it is from the family Canidae, the family of dogs.
  • The length of a red wolf, including the tail, is typically between 121 and 160 centimetres (48 and 63 inches) and it generally weighs between 23 and 39 kilograms (50 and 85 pounds).
  • The fur of a red wolf is generally a combination of red, brown, black, grey and white in colour, although it is most notably red on parts of the face, ears, and legs.
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A Red Wolf
Image courtesy of Brandon Trentler/Flickr
  • The carnivorous diet of red wolves consists primarily of rodents, rabbits, raccoons and deer, and they have an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years.
  • A female red wolf has approximately five to seven pups at a time, in dens in hollow trees, on river banks or in those that have been made by other animals but deserted.
  • By 1980, red wolves had become extinct in the wild as a result of coyote cross-breeding and hunting by humans, as well as possible habitat destruction.
  • Red wolves live in packs that can consist of two to ten wolves, and they are most often closely related to each other.
  • In 2015, red wolves were listed as critically endangered, due to captive breeding programs that allowed them to be reintroduced into the wild from 1987 in North Carolina, and as such, they are a protected species.
Bibliography:
Canis rufus, 2015, The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/3747/0
Red Wolf, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/red-wolf/
Red Wolf, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_wolf

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