Category Archives: Animals

Impala

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Impala

I’m impala’d by the many different types of antelopes in the world.

  • Impalas are a species of antelope native to southern areas of Africa, while in some areas they have been introduced.
  • An impala has the scientific name Aepyceros melampus, and it is from the family Bovidae, the family of ruminant cloven-hoofed mammals, and a number of subspecies exist.
  • Typically, the body of impalas grow to be 68 to 99 centimetres (27 to 39 inches) in height and the animal usually weighs between 37 to 76 kilograms (82 to 168 pounds).
  • Impalas live in herds, in habitats of warmer temperatures and a sustainable amount of vegetation, such as savannahs, woodlands and grasslands.
  • Impalas are generally brown and tan in colour, with undersides that are white; and their diet consists primarily of vegetation, including grass, plants, seeds, fruits and flowers.
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Imapala
Image courtesy of Tambako the Jaguar/Flickr
  • Impala spiral shaped horns, that are unique to the males, can grow to be larger than the animal itself, as lengths can be 45 to 97 centimetres (18 to 38 inches).s
  • Impalas are preyed on by hyenas, lions, leopards, cheetahs and crocodiles, and have an average lifespan of 12 to 15 years.
  • An impala has the ability to leap up to 3 metres (10 feet) in the air and as far as 10 metres (33 feet), and can run at a speed of up to 48 km per hour (30 miles per hour).
  • Impala females generally give birth to one young at a time, and the mother will attempt to protect the fawn by hiding it for a number of days or weeks.
  • Although these antelopes are classified as Least Concerned, the black-faced impala subspecies are threatened by human hunting and hybridisation with the common species.
Bibliography:
Impala, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/impala/
Impala, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/impala/
Impala, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impala

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Sulphur-crested Cockatoos

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Sulphur-crested Cockatoos

Sulphur-crested cockatoos are majestic and marvellous birds.

  • Sulphur-crested cockatoos are a group of birds that contain four subspecies, native to Papua New Guinea and eastern, northern and some southern areas of Australia.
  • The scientific name of a sulphur-crested cockatoo is Cacatua galerita, and it is from the family Cacatuidae, the family of cockatoos.
  • Sulphur-crested cockatoos have been introduced into Australia’s Perth in Western Australia, Asia’s Singapore, and New Zealand, along with other Pacific Islands.
  • Sulphur-crested cockatoos typically grow to heights of 44 to 55 centimetres (17 to 22 inches); they can weigh as much as 950 grams (34 ounces); and they can live up to 80 years, however, their lifespan in the wild is generally between 20 and 40 years.
  • A sulphur-crested cockatoo has white coloured feathers, a vivid yellow crest, and a grey coloured beak; and their feathers are waterproof due to a thin, special powder that they excrete.

Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, Yellow, Bird, Australia, Parrot, Perch, Ten Random Facts, Queensland

  • Seeds, berries, nuts, roots, and other vegetation make up the diet of sulphur-crested cockatoos and they generally live in family groups in forest habitats or where there are plenty of trees.
  • Female sulphur-crested cockatoos have clutches of one to three eggs, which are laid in a tree cavity, and the young are raised by both parents.
  • Some people consider sulphur-crested cockatoos as pests, even in native areas, as large populations can destroy crops, and they can also damage buildings with their sharp parrot beaks, as they like to chew wood.
  • When a group of sulphur-crested cockatoos are scavenging for food on a ground surface, a single bird from the flock is commonly found perching on a high platform watching for predators.
  • Sulphur-crested cockatoos generally make loud screeching noises; they are capable of imitating speech and other sounds; and are occasionally kept as pets.
Bibliography:
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, 2015, Australian Museum, http://australianmuseum.net.au/sulphur-crested-cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulphur-crested_cockatoo
Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, n.d, Zoos Victoria, http://www.zoo.org.au/healesville/animals/sulphur-crested-cockatoo

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Common Garden Skink

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Common Garden Skink

Although small, common garden skinks are great garden helpers!

  • Common garden skinks are lizards native to forests, and grassy or woody habitats in southern and eastern Australia.
  • ‘Common garden skinks’ are also known as ‘pale-flecked garden sunskinks’ and ‘garden skinks’.
  • The scientific name of a common garden skink is Lampropholis guichenoti, and it is from the family Scincidae, the family of skinks.
  • The colour of the skin of a common garden skink is mostly a brown-grey colour, and it usually has a black or dark coloured stripe down either side of its body and a copper coloured head.
  • The diet of common garden skinks generally consists of insects and vegetation, and can include caterpillars, spiders, slugs, cockroaches, crickets, worms and ants, and fruit and vegetables.

Common Garden Skink, Animal, Reptile, Australia, Small,

  • Small and enclosed spaces, such as rocks or trees, are the sought after home for common garden skinks, and they are commonly found in urban gardens, hiding in among plants or leaves.
  • Common garden skinks generally grow to a length of 9 centimetres (3.5 inches), and they have five toes on each of their four legs, as well as a long tail.
  • Common garden skinks can release their tails when caught by predators, such as birds, cats and larger reptiles like snakes.
  • Female common garden skinks generally lay their small white eggs in a communal location, each contributing two to six eggs to the nest of up to 250 in total.
  • Common garden skinks have tiny teeth, and the lifespan of the reptile generally ranges from two to three years.
Bibliography:
Common Garden Skink, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_garden_skink
Garden Skink, n.d, Museum Victoria, http://museumvictoria.com.au/discoverycentre/infosheets/lizards-found-in-victoria/garden-skink/
Lampropholis guichenoti, n.d, Lucid Key Server, http://keys.lucidcentral.org/key-server/data/09040100-0c09-4b0f-8501-000900020c0d/media/Html/Lampropholis_guichenoti.htm

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Binturong

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Binturong

Binturongs are mysterious hide-a-way animals.

  • Binturongs are mammals of medium stature found in the southern and southeastern forest habitats of Asia.
  • Binturongs are also known as ‘Asian civets’, ‘Malay civet cats’, ‘Asian bearcats’, and ‘bearcats’, however, they are unrelated to both cats or bears.
  • The word ‘binturong’ comes from a language no longer used, and as a result its original meaning has been lost; while the scientific name of the animal is Arctictus binturong, from the family Viverridae, the family of viverrids that includes civets and genets.
  • Binturongs have fur that is mostly black, with touches of grey, brown and white, and their long tail is prehensile or ‘able to grasp’.
  • Binturongs range from 60 to 96 centimetres (24 to 38 inches) in length, with their tail almost as long, and they weigh 10 to 22 kilograms (22 to 49 pounds).
Binturong, Animal, Zoo, Black, Sleeping, Ten Random Facts, Mammal
Binturong
Image courtesy of Trisha Shears/Flickr
  • Binturongs generally live in trees, and commonly climb up and down them, as they have poor jumping skills.
  • The diet of binturongs consists primarily of fish, birds, insects, worms, fruit, and the occasional small mammal.
  • Binturongs generally have litters of one to three cubs, that live up to 25 years, and the mammal is preyed on by leopards, snakes and tigers.
  • Binturongs are listed as a vulnerable threatened species, due to poaching, hunting for food purposes, and habitat losses.
  • Binturongs or not commonly seen in their natural habitats, and are often only recorded by photography traps.
Bibliography:
Binturong, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/binturong/
Binturong, 2015, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/binturong
Binturong, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binturong

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Old World Vultures

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Old World Vultures

Old World vultures are necessary parts of many ecosystems.

  • Old World vultures are large birds native to Africa, Europe and Asia, classified by two subfamilies, Gypaetinae and Aegypiinae.
  • Old World vultures are from the family Accipitridae, the family of hooked-beak birds, while New World vultures belong to a different family.
  • The diet of Old World vultures consists primarily of meat that they extract from the bodies of dead animals and people.
  • The heads of many of the Old World vultures are generally featherless, which is said to help prevent overheating.
  • Livestock may be treated with chemicals, that can render meat for Old World vultures poisonous, and has caused the destruction of many populations of the birds, although the birds are generally not affected by animal diseases and bacteria.
Old World Vulture, Cape Griffon Vulture (Gyps coprotheres), Ten Random Facts, Bird, White, Perch, Feather, Black
Old World Vulture
Image courtesy of Heather Paul/Flickr
  • Old World vultures range from 60 to 150 centimetres (2 to 5 feet) in height, generally weigh between 0.85 to 2.2 kilograms (2 to 5 pounds), and typically have a wingspan that spreads 130 to 183 centimetres (51 to 72 inches) wide.
  • Old World vultures have feathers that are typically coloured black, brown, white, grey or tan, or a combination of these colours.
  • Old World vultures have superb eyesight, and they can turn red in the head when they are not happy about something.
  • Snakes, hawks and wild cats prey on Old World vultures, and the birds commonly play dead when they feel vulnerable.
  • People from Old World vulture’s native countries benefit from the bird, as they clean up rotting carcasses, that would otherwise spread disease and cause other health problems.
Bibliography:
Old World Vultures, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_World_vulture
Vulture, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/vulture/
Vulture, 2015, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/vulture

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Australian Water Dragon

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Australian Water Dragon

Australian water dragons are the dragons of Down Under.

  • Australian water dragons are semi-aquatic lizards native to Australia’s eastern states, and they can be found near various water sources.
  • Two subspecies of Australian water dragons go by the name of ‘eastern water dragon’ and ‘Gippsland water dragon’.
  • The scientific name of the Australian water dragon is Intellagama lesueurii, and it has been previously known as Physignathus lesueurii.
  • Australian water dragons are from the family Agamidae, the family of dragon or iguanian lizards, and they are the solitary member of the Intellagama genus.
  • Australian water dragons are adaptive swimmers and climbers, and they feature a long tail that they use to swim in the water.

Water Dragon, Green, Lizard, Reptile, Ten Random Facts, Animal, Lazy, Ground, Land, Australia, Eastern

  • Australian water dragons grow to lengths of 60 to 100 centimetres (24 to 40 inches) in length and they weigh between 0.5 to 1 kilogram (1.1 to 2.2 pounds).
  • Australian water dragons are typically coloured a combination of black, green-grey, yellow, and brown, and they have obvious spikes at the back of the head, that become smaller and less obvious down the back and the tail.
  • Eggs of Australian water dragons are laid in quantities of six to eighteen, in holes they dig in soil or sand, and temperature determines the gender of the young.
  • The diet of Australian water dragons consists of insects, spiders, worms and occasionally rodents, fruit and vegetation.
  • Australian water dragons can stay under water for 30 to 90 minutes without needing air, and often camouflage themselves among foliage or escape into the water, to hide from predators.
Bibliography:
Australian Water Dragon, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_water_dragon
Eastern Water Dragon, 2010, Australian Reptile Park, http://www.reptilepark.com.au/animalprofile.asp?id=83
Water Dragon, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/water-dragon/

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