Category Archives: Animals

Gopher

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Gopher

What secret underground gopher networks have you stumbled upon?

  • Gopher rodents are 35 species of mammal, notable for creating and living in tunnel networks underground.
  • Gophers are the family group with the scientific name Geomyidae, and they are native to North America and Central America.
  • ‘Gophers’ are also known as ‘pocket gophers’ due to the pouches they have in their cheeks, and the term is occasionally used to refer to some of the Sciuridae family’s ground squirrels.
  • Gophers grow to be 12.7 to 35.5 centimetres (5 to 14 inches) in length and range from 220 to 1000 grams (0.5 to 2.2 pounds) in weight.
  • Gophers typically live up to three years in the wild, although some reach up to seven years.

Gopher, Rodent, Mammal, Animal, Grass, Ten Random Facts, animal, Flickr

Gopher
Image courtesy of Sebastian Bergmann/Flickr
  • Gophers have brown, dirt camouflaging fur, long teeth, and a tail that is short.
  • Gophers are prey to weasels, owls, hawks, badgers, snakes and other animals.
  • Gophers are often classified as agriculture and domestic yard pests, as the burrowing under soil can make a visible mess, and they sometimes eat and destroy plants and crops.
  • Gophers are solitary animals and the females give birth to between two to five offspring at one time, that initially can not see.
  • The diet of gophers primarily consists of tubers and roots, as well as vegetables, and other plant material, that they store in their burrows, and they use their cheek pouches to carry their food.
Bibliography:
Gopher, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopher
Myers P, Geomyidae, 2001, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Geomyidae/
Pocket Gophers, 2014, National Wildlife Federation, http://www.nwf.org/wildlife/wildlife-library/mammals/pocket-gophers.aspx

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Okapi

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Okapi

Okapis are weird and wonderful creatures.

  • Okapis are solitary mammals that are endemic to central Africa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s rainforest habitats, and they are a prominent symbol of the country.
  • Okapis have fur coloured red to brown, and the legs are striped black and white like a zebra.
  • ‘Okapis’ are also known as ‘forest giraffes’ and ‘zebra giraffes’, and have the scientific name Okapia johnstoni.
  • Okapis are one of two living species from the family Giraffidae, the family of giraffes, and they have a longer neck than other similar shaped animals, and the males have short horns that look similar to those of a giraffe.
  • An okapi has a long tongue that can be up to 45 centimetre (18 inches) long, that is used for face cleaning and grabbing vegetation.
Okapi, Zoo, Mammal, Marwel, 2008, Ten Random Facts, Giraffe, Fossil, Unique, Endangered, Flickr
Okapi
Image courtesy of David/Flickr
  • Okapis range from 1.5 to 2 metres (4.9 to 6.6 feet) in height and 200 to 350 kilograms (440 to 770 pounds) in weight.
  • Okapis are shy creatures that live in remote areas, and are rarely seen in the wild by humans, and they have a lifespan of around 20 to 30 years.
  • Okapis eat only vegetation, including leaves, fruit, fungus and grass, although they also consume red coloured clay for its mineral and salt content.
  • Okapis are a protected species, and due to dwindling numbers by poaching and habitat loss, in 2013 they were classified as endangered.
  • Around 175 okapis can be found in captivity in zoos across the globe, some of which are involved in their conservation.
Bibliography:
Okapi, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/okapi/
Okapi, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okapi

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Spotted Salamander

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Spotted Salamander

Did the spotted salamander lose a body part? No problem! It can be regenerated.

  • A spotted salamander is an amphibian that moves through a metamorphosis process, from a water dwelling creature to one that spends its time on land, except for breeding purposes.
  • Adult spotted salamanders can grow to lengths of 15 to 25 centimetres (5.9 to 9.8 inches), and they look similar to a lizard due to their short legs and tail.
  • Spotted salamanders are native to the United States and Canada, in North America, and are also known as ‘yellow-spotted salamanders’ and have the scientific name Ambystoma maculatum.
  • Spotted salamanders are nocturnal and live among rocks, logs, leaves, or in abandoned burrows in forest habitats, that contain temporary water sources during the rainy season, and they usually stay hidden unless it is damp or raining.
  • Spotted salamanders have the family name Ambystomatidae, the family of mole salamanders, and are one of the 32 species of the genus Ambystoma, the only genus in the family.
Spotted Salamander, Lizard, Orange, Black, Flickr, Ten Random Facts, Animal,
Spotted Salamander
Image courtesy of Brian Gratwicke/Flickr
  • Spotted salamanders are primarily coloured black, but they can also be dark blue, brown, grey or green , and they are patterned with yellow to orange spots.
  • Female spotted salamanders lay an average of two hundred eggs in temporary freshwater ponds that lack much wildlife, like fish, during the rainy season, typically breeding in the same hole annually, reached by the same route.
  • When threatened, spotted salamanders release a poisonous substance on enemies, although they generally prefer to stay out of danger by hiding.
  • Spotted salamanders can regrow body parts, from organs to limbs, and while they only have up to a 10% survival rate in the pool of water, once they change to their adult form they can live to 20 or 30 years.
  • Spotted salamanders’ diet mainly consists of spiders, insects, bugs, worms and slugs that they catch with their sticky tongue, and they are preyed upon by snakes, birds, raccoons and other creatures.
Bibliography:
Spotted Salamander, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/amphibians/spotted-salamander/
Spotted Salamander, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_salamander
Stout, N. and G. Hammond, Ambystoma maculatum, 2007, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Ambystoma_maculatum/

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Tiger Shark

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Tiger Shark

Underwater tigers – presenting the tiger shark.

  • Tiger sharks are large fish, or sharks, located in the warmer oceans of the earth, and are commonly found in coastal waters.
  • Tiger sharks are the sole species of the Galeocerdo genus, and are from the family Carcharhinidae, the family of requiem sharks.
  • Tiger sharks have the scientific name Galeocerdo cuvier, and are also known as ‘sea tigers’, ‘man-eater sharks’ and ‘spotted sharks’.
  • Tiger sharks grow to be 3.0 to 5.5 metres (9.8 to 18 feet) in length, and weigh 385 to 1,524 kilograms (848 to 3,360 pounds) in weight.
  • Tiger sharks are coloured generally in a combination of blue or green and grey, black and white and are typically patterned with dark stripes.
Tiger shark, underwater, fish, animal, aquarium, Ten Random Facts, Animal, Flickr
Tiger Shark
Image courtesy of Gord Webster/Flickr
  • Tiger sharks eat a wide variety of items, but their diets typically consist of fish, birds, marine mammals and molluscs, as well as man-made rubbish.
  • The tiger shark is second only to the great white shark, as the most common to attack humans, even though it is an uncommon for them to strike.
  • Tiger sharks are commonly hunted for their skin, fin, flesh and liver, the latter containing a significant amount of vitamin A, used to create vitamin rich oil.
  • Female tiger sharks give birth to fully developed young, numbering from 10 to 80, after they have been forming internally for up to 16 months, and they have an approximate lifespan of 30 to 50 years.
  • Tiger sharks can move at speeds of 32 kilometres per hour (20 miles per hour), even though they generally move slowly through the water.
Bibliography:
Tiger shark, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/tiger-shark/
Tiger shark, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/fish/tiger-shark/
Tiger shark, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_shark

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Moray Eel

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Moray Eel

Moray eels are shy, are you?

  • Moray eels are a family of roughly 200 different species of eel, found mainly in the world’s tropical and sub-tropical salt waters.
  • A moray eel looks similar to a snake, however, it has a dorsal fin that sits behind its head and along its body.
  • Moray eels are divided into 15 genera and are also known as the family of Muraenidae.
  • Moray eels can grow to be 0.11 to 4 metres (0.375 to 13 feet) in length, and while they do not have a good sense of sight, their smell sense is acute.
  • The head and body of moray eels, and the inner section of the mouth in some species, are usually marked with patterns that differ, depending on the species.
Moray Eel, Hiding, Rocks, Ko Lanta, November 2010, Ten Random Facts, Marine, Underwater, Flickr
Moray Eel
Image courtesy of Thomas Quine/Flickr
  • Moray eels have an outer layer of mucus that can be poisonous, varying by species, and some eels may be toxic if eaten, due to their diet.
  • Moray eels prey on sea snakes; molluscs and cephalopods like octopus and squid; fish and crustaceans.
  • Moray eels are hunted by large fish and sharks, and have a life span of approximately ten to thirty years.
  • Moray eels do interact and cooperate with some other marine species, in the process of hunting.
  • Moray eels are typically afraid of people, attacking humans to self defend or mistake human fingers for food, and in which case, the eel cannot let go as it latches on with its large teeth.
Bibliography:
Moray Eel, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/moray-eel/
Moray Eel, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moray_eel

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Dormouse

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Dormouse

The dormouse is very cute.

  • Dormice are small, furry mammals that are native to Europe and parts of Asia and Africa.
  • The dormouse has the scientific and family name Gliridae, that has also been known as Myoxidae and Muscadinidae, and includes 29 species.
  • Dormice can grow to be 6 to 19 centimetres (2.4 to 7.5 inches) in length, in addition to their long tail, and they can be 15 to 180 grams (0.5 to 6.35 ounces) in weight.
  • Dormice are rodents that are a similar shape to a mouse, although they have a furry tail.
  • Dormice have diets that mainly consist of vegetation, including fruit, nuts and flowers, along with insects, and they have many predators that include birds and mammals like cats, foxes and weasels.
Dormouse, Mouse, Rodent, Ten Random Facts, Animal, Flickr, Household, Wood, Stare
Dormouse
Image courtesy of Moscardino/Flickr
  • Dormice have a life span of up to five years, and females have litters one or two times a year, and on average have four mice per litter.
  • Doormice are mostly nocturnal, live in small groups mostly among trees and are good climbers.
  • The word ‘dormouse’ possibly comes from the term ‘dormeus’ or ‘dormir’, an Anglo-French word meaning ‘sleepy’, and the animal does have notably extended hibernation periods that can last longer than six months.
  • Dormice have been eaten historically by the Ancient Romans, as well as today by some cultures.
  • The fur of a dormouse can range from brown, tan, gold, white, grey or black in colour, and their whiskers are black.
Bibliography:
Dormouse, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/dormouse/
Dormouse, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dormouse

 

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