Category Archives: Animals

Zebra

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Zebra

Black and white stripes.

  • Zebras are from the family Equidae, which is the family of horses, although they are generally slower than their cousins, and they run in a zig zag line when chased.
  • Zebras are known for their black and white stripey patterns that cover their body, head and legs, with no two zebras having the exact same pattern.
  • Zebras are found in African grasslands, scrublands, woodlands, mountainous areas, savannas, and coastal areas.
  • There are three different species of zebras, plains zebras; mountain zebras; and Grévy’s zebras, with the plains zebras being the most common, and the other two species are endangered.
  • One sub species of plains zebra is extinct due to hunting – the quagga, which did not have a full body of stripes.
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 Zebras
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • Tests have shown that the stripes on zebras help reduce the attractiveness of flies.
  • Zebras grow up to 350 kg (770 pounds) in weight and between 1 and 1.6 metres (3 ft 2 and 5 ft 3) to their shoulder in height.
  • Zebras are herbivores, and mainly eat grass, and can exist on low quality feed.
  • Zebras always sleep standing up, but they only do it when there are fellow zebras on watch for predators like lions and hyenas.
  • Zebras have not been domesticated due to their panicky and unpredictable nature, although there have been single cases of zebras trained for human use.
Bibliography:
Zebra, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra>

Ghost shrimps

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Ghost shrimps

Dig, dig, dig. Dig, dig, dig…

  • Ghost shrimps are also called marine yabbies, pink nippers, burrowing shrimps, ghost nippers, nippers, yabbies and Australian ghost shrimps.
  • Ghost shrimps are often used as bait for fishing and are collected by using yabby pumps.
  • The ghost shrimp’s scientific name is Trypaea australiensis, and is also known as Callianassa australiensis, and they are from the family of crustaceans.
  • Ghost shrimps live in flat sandy or muddy areas which are covered by tidal salt waters.
  • Ghost shrimps eat very small organic matter and plankton.

 Ghost Shrimp, Marine yabby, slatwater, claw, big, sea, animal, creature, beach, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Ghost shrimps live approximately 60 cm (2 feet) below the surface and create tunnels underground which generally contain water.
  • Ghost shrimps grow up to 7.5cm (3 inches) long, and have soft, flexible bodies, that are almost transparent.
  • Ghost shrimps have a large claw that sometimes grows up to half the size of itself, and the male’s claw is often larger than the female’s.
  • One ghost shrimp may have multiple surface entrances to its main tunnel.
  • The Australian ghost shrimps are native to the eastern coast of Australia.
Bibliography:
Australian ghost shrimp (Callianassa australiensis), n.d, Marine Species Identification Portal, <http://species-identification.org/species.php?species_group=lobsters&menuentry=soorten&id=66&tab=beschrijving>
Cumming R, The Humble Saltwater Yabby, 2013, Dreamfish, <http://dreamfish.com.au/wordpress/how-to-articles/how-to-catch-nippers-saltwater-yabbies/>

Yellow-bellied Sunbird

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Yellow-bellied Sunbird

Darting here and there…

  • The Yellow-bellied sunbird is also known as an ‘Olive-backed sunbird’ and a ‘Yellow-breasted sunbird’ and its scientific name is Cinnyris jugularis or Nectarinia jugularis.
  • Yellow-bellied sunbirds can be found from north-east Australia to south Asia, including parts of China, Philippines and Malaysia.
  • The yellow-bellied sunbird’s diet generally consists of nectar, and sometimes insects.
  • Yellow-bellied sunbirds are normally 11-12 cm (4.3-4.7 inches) in length, and are quick fliers and have fast beating wings.
  • Yellow-bellied sunbirds are a species of sunbird and belong to the song bird family, Nectariniidae, and although they look similar to a hummingbird, they are not related.

Yellow-bellied sunbird, Yellow, green, female, red, flowers, background, bird, small, cute, Val Laird, Ten Random Facts

Yellow-bellied Sunbird
Image courtsey of Val Laird
  • Yellow-bellied sunbirds have a curved beak and are yellow underneath, or on their ‘bellies’, and have an olive coloured back and brown coloured wings.
  • Male yellow-bellied sunbirds have an iridescent blue throat, face and upper chest.
  • Yellow-bellied sunbirds build woven nests of branches and plant material, and generally include an overhanging porch.
  • Female yellow-bellied sunbirds lay 1-2 green/blue coloured eggs.
  • Yellow-bellied sunbirds are significant pollinators of mangrove trees, their native habitat, although they have become accustomed to human populated areas.
Biliography:
Olive-backed sunbird, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive-backed_Sunbird>

Mosquito

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Small but pesky.

  • Mosquitoes are insects from the family Culicidae, which is the mosquito family.
  • Many species of mosquitoes suck blood from vertebrates, such as humans and animals, which is a method of transferring disease to their hosts, although some are harmless as they are not blood feeders.
  • The term ‘mosquito’ comes from the Spanish or Portuguese words ‘mosca’ and ‘ito’ meaning ‘little fly’.
  • There are over 3,500 species of mosquitoes.
  • Most female mosquitoes lay there eggs near or in water.

Mosuito, House, Killed, Dead, Hand, Indoor, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • Mosquitoes often mate as soon as possible although the female mosquitoes won’t lay eggs until the climate has the right conditions.
  • Most mosquitoes live up to one to two weeks after they have become an adult.
  • Most mosquitoes need blood to produce eggs and they need sugar for energy, so they feed on nectar and other plant material.
  • Mosquitoes can be found nearly anywhere in the world, although they are absent from Antarctica.
  • Some mosquitoes carry life threatening diseases like malaria, dengue fever, or other viruses, and it is estimated that over two million people, every year, die from mosquito borne diseases.
Bibliography:
Mosquito, 2013 Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culicidae>

Blue Swimmer Crab

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Blue Swimmer Crab

Clickety Click, Clickety Click… big nippers.

  • Blue swimmer crabs are also known as blue manna crab, flower crab, blue crab, sand crab and ‘blueys’.
  • The scientific name of the blue swimmer crab is Portunus armatus, originally Portunus pelagicus.
  • Blue swimmer crabs are large crabs native to the Indian and Pacific Ocean, and the middle east coast of the Mediterranean.
  • Male blue swimmer crabs are blue with white spots and female crabs are a dull green brown.
  • The main body, or carapace, of blue swimmer crabs can grow up to 25 cm (9.8 inches) in width.

Blue Swimmer Crab, Coast, Live, Australia, Queensland, Undersize, Ten Random Facts

  • Blue swimmer crabs can’t live very long out of water.
  • Blue swimmer crabs bury themselves in the sand or mud for most of the day.
  • Blue swimmer crabs feed at high tide, mainly on fish, worms, molluscs and, crustaceans.
  • Blue swimmer crabs are often caught for its meat, as it is very sweet.
  • Male blue swimmer crabs are believed to become more territorial in cold waters than warm waters.
Bibliography:
Portunus Pelagicus, 2013 Wikipedia,<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portunus_pelagicus>

Land Snail

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Land Snail

Slowly wins the race.

  • Land snails are terrestrial gastropod mollusks, commonly known as ‘snails’, and have shells that they live and hide in.
  • There are thousands of species of land snails, and together with water snails there are 43,000 different species, the second most numerous species on earth, with insects ranking first.
  • Land snails have a muscular foot that is moistened by mucus, that they use to glide along surfaces.  The mucus helps to protect the snail’s body from being damaged or drying out on rough surfaces.
  • Land snails have both male and female organs and generally lay their eggs in soil, or in other hidden and protected spots.
  • Land snail babies hatch with shells attached, and they need access to calcium food sources during their life time to maintain their shell.

Snail,Spiral, Brown, Back, Tail, Inside Shell, Ten Random Facts, Land Snail, Garden, Stick, Australia,

  • Many species of land snails hibernate in winter, and to keep themselves moist during the inactive period, they seal up their shell with dried mucus.
  • The largest land snail is the Giant African Snail that can grow up to 30 cm (12 in) in length.
  • Land snails can live from 2 to 15 years but some can live more than 25 years.
  • Land snails generally eat plant material, including fruit and vegetables, making them a common pest to gardeners, although some species also eat meat.
  • Land snails have been part of the human diet for thousands of years and are commonly eaten in some European and African countries, and are often considered a delicacy.
Bibliography:
Land Snail, 2013 Wikipedia,<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_snail>
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