Category Archives: Animals

Giant Clam

By | |
Leave a comment
Giant Clam

You may not be a giant when next to a giant clam.

  • Giant clams are very large bivalves, shells with two pieces that are hinged together, and are native to the Indian and Pacific oceans, in coral reefs.
  • The giant clam has the scientific name Tridacna gigas, and is a mollusc from the family Cardiidae, the family of cockles, and it is commonly believed to be the largest extant bivalve, and while it is the heaviest, longer specimens of Kuphus polythalamia have been found.
  • Giant clams typically range from 90 to 120 centimetres (35 to 47 inches) in length, and can weigh 100 to 200 kilograms (220 to 440 pounds), although they can grow larger.
  • The diet of a giant clam primarily consists of nutrients produced by algae that the clam plays host to and with which it lives in a photosymbiosis relationship, and it also consumes plankton and sometimes other plant and animal matter.
  • Giant clams possibly grow around 12 centimetres in length annually, until maximum length has been reached, and they have a lifespan spanning approximately 20 to 100 years in the wild.
Giant Clam, Underwater, Blue, Bright, Beautiful, Animal, Mollusc, Flickr, Blue-lipped Clam, Ten Random Facts, Tridacna gigas
Giant Clam
Image courtesy of Malcolm Browne/Flickr
  • Once a giant clam has found a favourable location, it settles there and does not re-position itself ever again, however, they do have predators, that include eels; fish; starfish; and snails, that are smaller than the clam itself, and once attacked, they will be slowly eaten by their enemies.
  • Giant clams are vulnerably endangered due to coral reef habitat destruction as well as over-fishing partly due to the clam being considered as a delicacy.
  • Giant clams usually close in self defense, but quite slowly, and often not all the way, and while they have often been regarded as highly dangerous and fatal, this is considered a myth and no known fatalities have occurred.
  • Giant clams have a combination of colours that vary, and include yellow, red, orange, green, pink, blue and brown, and it is said that every clam is unique in its appearance.
  • Giant clams are said to be able to produce 500 million eggs at once, that are released in the ocean and once fertilised, they quickly hatch and produce a shell.
Bibliography:
Giant Clam, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/giant-clam/
Giant Clam, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/invertebrates/giant-clam/
Giant Clam, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_clam

Amazon:      

Mandrill

By | |
Leave a comment
Mandrill

Mandrills are bright, colourful and… unique.

  • Mandrills are the largest extant species of monkey, and are native to regions of western Africa, in mostly forest habitats.
  • Mandrills have the scientific name Mandrillus sphinx, and are from the family Cercopithecidae, the family of Old World monkeys.
  • A mandrill has a dark coloured fur coat, white underbelly, red and blue face and a brightly multi-coloured backside.
  • Mandrills typically grow to be 55 to 95 centimetres (22 to 37 inches) in length and weigh 10 to 37 kilograms (22 to 82 pounds).
  • A mandrill’s diet mainly consists of vegetation such as fruit, bark, leaves and twigs; invertebrates including insects, spiders and snails, as well as frogs, birds, rodents and eggs.
Mandrill, Primate, Zoo, Animal, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, Mammal, Colourful
Mandrill
Image courtesy of Heather Paul/Flickr
  • Mandrills are preyed on by leopards, as well as the occasional crown eagle and python, and they have a typical lifespan of 20 years, although it can range up to 31 years in captivity.
  • Mandrills live in troops of up to 1,300 individuals, but typically this number is closer to 600, often with a dominant male, although males often live alone.
  • Female mandrills generally give birth to a single young approximately every two years; and the mother generally takes care of the baby.
  • Mandrills can make various noises including grunts, roars, screeches and crow-like sounds.
  • Due to the illegal removal of forest habitats and the killing of the animal for bushmeat, mandrills are classified as a vulnerable species.
Bibliography:
Mandrill, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/mandrill/
Mandrill, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrill

Amazon:      

Axolotl

By | |
1 Comment
Axolotl

Axolotls are unique but a little bit creepy.

  • Axolotls are amphibians that live permanently in water habitats, and they are native to Central America’s Mexico.
  • ‘Axolotls’ are also known as ‘Mexican salamanders’ and ‘Mexican walking fish’, and they typically grow to be 15 to 45 centimetres (6 to 18 inches) in length, and weigh 60 to 200 grams (2 to 7 ounces).
  • Axolotls have the scientific name Ambystoma mexicanum and are from the family Ambystomatidae, the family of mole salamanders, and while they are from the salamander family, they do not progress beyond the larval stage.
  • An axolotl has a large head, miniscule teeth and no eyelids, as well as external gills that appear like a frill around its neck, and a long fin running down its back.
  • Axolotls are generally black or brown in colour, although they can be gold, grey, pale pink or almost white.
Axolotl, Pink, Looking, Face, animal, Pet, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, Mexican Walking Fish
Axolotl
Image courtesy of Ruben Undheim/Flickr
  • The diet of axolotls generally consists of worms, insects and little fish, and after they have seized their food, it is pulled into their body by an internal suction.
  • Axolotls are known for their regenerating properties, regrowing limbs, as well as organs, and they can also adapt and use another’s body part.
  • Axolotls are critically endangered due to the expansion of Mexico City and the pollution it causes and remaining suitable habitats are also threatened by introduced species of fish.
  • An axolotl can lay 100 to 1000 eggs at one time and the eggs become attached to surrounding natural objects that protect them, due to their adhesive nature.
  • Axolotls can move up to speeds of 17 kilometres per hour (10 miles per hour) and live approximately 10 to 20 years, and while their predators are birds and fish, they are not often preyed upon.
Bibliography:
Axolotl, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/axolotl/
Axolotl, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl

Amazon:     

Chamois

By | |
Leave a comment
Chamois

Is a chamois a mountain climbing goat or antelope?

  • Chamois are mammals originating in Europe’s mountainous habitats, and they have an appearance similar to a goat and antelope.
  • Chamois are one of two species in the Rupicapra genus and they have the scientific name Rupicapra rupicapra.
  • The diet of a chamois consists of vegetation including grass, bark, herbs, leaves and shrubs, and they are generally 70 to 80 centimetres (28 to 31 inches) in height and weigh between 25 to 60 kilograms (55 to 132 pounds).
  • Chamois are part of the subfamily Caprinae, or group of caprids or goat-antelopes that includes domestic sheep and goats, that in turn, are from the Bovidae family, the family of horned and cloven hoofed mammals.
  • A chamois is typically brown to grey or black in colour with black and white prominent markings, including a black stripe on its back, and the fur colour changes according to the seasons.
Chamois, Mammal, Hill, Travel, Horns, Lessinia, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Chamois
Image courtesy of Umberto Nicoletti/Flickr
  • Female chamois generally live with their young in small groups of up to 30, although in winter they can reach numbers of up to 100; while the mostly solitary males attract these females by engaging in fellow male duels.
  • The lifespan of a chamois ranges from 15 to 17 years, and up to 22 in captivity, with main predators being lynxes, eagles, brown bears and wolves.
  • Chamois are hunted for their meat, fur and/or hide, while the latter is used to make smooth, liquid-absorbing leather known by the same name, although hunting is typically illegal.
  • Chamois can leap up to 2 metres (6.6 feet) high and 6 metres (20 ft) in length, and can move at speeds of 50 kilometres per hour (31 miles per hour).
  • Eight chamois originating from Austria,were deliberately introduced into the mountain regions of the South Island of New Zealand in the Pacific in 1907, with another two in 1914, and they have been legally hunted there since 1930.
Bibliography:
Chamois, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/chamois/
Chamois, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamois
Huffman, B, Rupicapra rupicapra: Chamois, 2004, Ultimate Ungulate, http://www.ultimateungulate.com/artiodactyla/rupicapra_rupicapra.html

Amazon:     

Scorpion

By | |
Leave a comment
Scorpion

You’ll regret being stung by a scorpion.

  • Scorpions are anthropods belonging to the order Scorpiones, which is also their scientific name, that consists of 13 families and approximately 1750 species, plus around 110 that are extinct.
  • Scorpions have two claw-shaped pedipalps; a long segmented body, and a long segmented erect tail, tipped with a stinger and venom.
  • Scorpions are related to spiders, and of the thousands of species, only around 25 to 40 can actually cause a human fatality, and they are preyed on by birds, lizards, rodents and possums.
  • Scorpions are native worldwide, with the exception of Antarctica, although they were introduced to some Pacific Islands, including New Zealand, as well as Europe’s Great Britain.
  • Scorpions can be found in a wide variety of habitats, and typically live in holes in the ground or other similar shelters during the day, and are active during the night.
Scorpion, Yellow, Orange, Arthropod, Close, Animal, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, Amazing
Scorpion
Image courtesy of Matt Reinbold/Flickr
  • Scorpions are capable of living up to a year without food, and their diet mainly consists of insects, spiders and some small reptiles and mammals, that are trapped via their pincers and/or dangerous venom; and they liquidize their prey before consumption.
  • Scorpions produce from 1 to 105 young over a period of a few weeks, while the young are dependent on their mother and live on her back until their first moult.
  • Scorpions are fried and traditionally consumed in Asia’s China, where a wine made from the creature is also used as medicine.
  • Scorpions range from less than 1 centimetre (0.4 inches) in length, to 21 centimetres (08.3 inches) and weigh 10 to 100 grams (0.4 to 3.5 ounces).
  • Scorpions are typically coloured black, white, red, brown or yellow, and when placed underneath an ultraviolet light, they may emit a fluorescent colour.
Bibliography:
Scorpion, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/scorpion/
Scorpion, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/bugs/scorpion/
Scorpion, 2014, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/scorpion
Scorpion, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scorpion

Amazon:     

Woolly Mammoth

By | |
Leave a comment
Woolly Mammoth

There is a lot of information about the extinct woolly mammoth.

  • Woolly mammoths are large, extinct mammals from prehistoric northern Europe, Asia and America, that are said to be relatives of Asian Elephants.
  • Woolly mammoths have the scientific name of Mammuthus primigenius and are one of ten species of mammoth from the family Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths.
  • Woolly mammoths reached 1.8 to 4 metres (6 to 13 feet) in height and weighed up to 4 to 8 tonnes (4.4 to 8.8 tons); had dark hair coats coloured mostly black or brown; as well as small ears and short tails that reduced the chance of frostbite.
  • Woolly mammoths boast some of the most collected data of all prehistoric animals, due to extensive skeletons, preserved bodies, fossils and cave depictions.
  • Woolly mammoths had two long, sloped tusks that grew to be 1.5 to 4.2 metres (5 to 14 feet) in length, and three quarters were generally visible, while the tusks were probably used for defense and species fighting in the form of hitting.
Woolly Mammoth Royal BC Museum, Victoria, British Columbia, Fake, Replication, Musuem, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, MammalReplica of a Woolly Mammoth
Image courtesy of Rob Pongsajapan/Flickr
  • Woolly mammoths lived in large herds similar to today’s elephants, while weak and young mammoths were preyed on by pack dog species and large animals from the cat family, and the typical life span ranged from 25 to 80 years.
  • The diet of woolly mammoths probably consisted of vegetation including shrubs, trees, fruit, moss, nuts and smaller plants.
  • Woolly mammoths are often depicted in ancient cave paintings, while the bones were used by people to create human shelters and the tusks made into weapons and tools.
  • Woolly mammoths probably became extinct due to hunting and habitat changes, and the last mammoths probably lived isolated in the Arctic Ocean on Wrangel Island.
  • Some frozen woolly mammoths contain DNA that could possibly be extracted and cloned, although this popular theory is controversial, due to financial costs and ethical issues.
Bibliography:
Woolly Mammoth, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/woolly-mammoth/
Woolly Mammoth, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolly_mammoth

Amazon:     

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...