Category Archives: Animals

Chihuahua (Dog)

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Chihuahua (Dog)

Chihuahua is pronounce chih-wow-wuh.

  • Chihuahuas are the smallest dog breed and are native to Mexico.
  • Chihuahuas come in many shapes and sizes and can grow up to 30-38 cm (12-15 inches) in height.
  • Chihuahuas are named after the Mexican state of Chihuahua.
  • Chihuahua puppies are often described as teacups, pocket size, tiny toy and miniature.
  • Chihuahua come in a variety of colours, most commonly fawn, red, cream, chocolate, white and black.

Chihuahua, fawn, cream, collar, Holding, Two Year, Sit, Australia, Small, Dog, Ten Random Facts

  • Chihuahuas often don’t like being around other breeds of dogs.
  • Chihuahuas like to live in den-like, dark, secure spots such as under beds or in baskets.
  • Chihuahuas often tremble when stressed, excited or cold.
  • Chihuahuas are sometimes fussy eaters, but wet or fresh food are most appealing to the dogs.
  • Chihuahuas normally have litters of 1-5.
Bibliography:
Chihuahua (Dog) 20 March 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chihuahua_(dog)>

Cockroach

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Cockroach

Pesky hissing insects…

  • Cockroaches are also known as roaches and are from the family of Blattaria.
  • Of the 4,500 species of cockroach, only about 30 species live in households and are generally regarded as household pests.
  • Cockroaches like warm environments and prefer to live in groups.
  • Cockroaches leave tracks containing chemicals, that other roaches can follow and use to find food and water.
  • Cockroaches are nocturnal insects and don’t like light.

Cockroach, dead, brown, common, house, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • The heaviest cockroach is the Australian giant burrowing cockroach, weighing 30 grams (1.1 ounce) and is approximately 9 cm (3.5 in) long.
  • Some cockroaches can live without any air for 45 minutes and can recover from being submerged underwater for 30 minutes.
  • Cockroaches have allergens that can cause asthma attacks, which can be as common as dust mite asthma related allergies.
  • Hydramethylnon, fipronil and boric acid are all toxic to cockroaches, so these chemicals are often used in cockroach baits.
  • In the early centuries, ground or boiled cockroaches were used as a medicine.
Bibliography:
Cockroach 17 March 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockroach>

Blue-winged Kookaburra

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Blue-winged Kookaburra

Laugh, laugh, laugh like most kookaburras. Well this one doesn’t.

  • Blue-winged Kookaburras are large kingfishers with long beaks.  The males have blue tails, while the females have red-brown tails.
  • Blue-winged Kookaburras are also known as Barking Jackass, Howling Jackass and Leach’s Kookaburra.
  • Blue-winged Kookaburras were first recorded by Sir Joseph Banks in 1770, who thought the kookaburra was a Laughing Kookaburra. Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield corrected the mistake in 1826.
  • Blue-winged Kookaburras are found in the southern parts of New Guinea and the wetter parts of northern Australia.
  • Blue-winged Kookaburras eat small animals that live on the ground; like reptiles, insects and mammals
Blue Winged Kookaburra, Male, Australia, Kokkaburra, Kingfisher, Bird, Ten Random Facts Photo courtesy of Val Laird
  • Blue-winged Kookaburras live in trees and nest in tree holes.
  • Blue-winged Kookaburras lay 3-5 eggs that are white and a little shiny.
  • Sometimes, in the first week of being born, Blue-winged Kookaburra babies sometimes aggressively kill their youngest sibling.
  • Adult Blue-winged Kookaburras fly quite slow.
  • Blue-winged Kookaburras cackle, trill, bark and screech.
Bibliography:
Broadfoot, E 10 June 2010, Blue-winged Kookaburra, Australian Museum, <http://australianmuseum.net.au/Blue-winged-Kookaburra>

Snow Leopard

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Snow Leopard

Snow leopard sneaks among the white snow…

  • Snow leopards are medium large cats and the scientific name is panthera uncia or uncia uncia.
  • Snow leopards are native to the mountainous regions of Central Asia and they live in snowy, rocky or forest terrain usually by themselves.
  • Snow leopards typically weigh 27-55 kg (60-120 pounds), and have a short body but a long tail, 80-100 cm (31 to 39 in) long.
  • Snow leopards can’t roar but instead hiss, chuff, mew, growl and wail.
  • Snow leopards have litters of, on average, one to five cubs.

 

Snow Leopard, Melbourne Zoo, Victoria, Australia, predator stare, portrait, Ten Radnom Facts, National Geographic, Jason Edwards

Snow Leopard
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • When travelling, snow leopards generally don’t like to make there own tracks so travel along another animal’s tracks instead.
  • Snow leopards live at altitudes of 2,700-6,000 meters (8,900-20,000 feet) in summer and in winter live at altitudes of 1,200-2,000 meters (3,900-6,600 feet)
  • Snow leopards dig up snow and then spray urine in the hole to mark its territory.
  • The snow leopard’s white coat helps it to be camaflouged in the snow.
  • Snow leopard’s diet consists of meat of various animals, depending on the season, and sometimes grass.
Bibliography:
Snow leopards 23 February 2013 , Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snow_leopard>

Sea Slug

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Sea Slug

Slimy sea slugs.

  • Sea slugs are also known as nudibranches, which means naked gills.
  • Sea slugs are commonly found in tropical oceans.
  • Sea slugs are mollusks without shells and come in a large variety of shapes, sizes and colours.
  • There are thousands of species in the world, and at least 500 of them are found at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
  • Some sea slugs are as small as sand, and some grow up to 30cm (12 inches) in length.
Sea Slug, Yellow, Blue Spots, Philippines, Coral, Sea, Beautiful, National Geographic, Ten Random Facts
Sea Slug
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • Sea slugs have special, feathery gills at the back of the slug’s body that allow them to breathe.
  • Sea slugs are carnivores that feed on sponge, coral, fish eggs, crabs, shrimp, lobster and clam.
  • Sea slugs have strong jaws and rough tongues.
  • Sea slugs have both male and female organs.
  • Some sea slugs are eaten by humans and have been used in traditional medicine in the far East.
Bibliography:
Holden-Boone, A 1998, Coral Reef, Somerville House Books, Canada
Sea Slug 2008, A-Z Animals, <http://a-z-animals.com/animals/sea-slug/>

Coyote

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Coyote

Stealthy wolves…

  • Coyote are also known as American jackals, brush wolves and prairie wolves.
  • Coyote are found in the north and central areas of America.
  • There are 19 subspecies of coyote and they range from to 76–86 cm(30–34) in length.
  • Coyote have grey brown to yellow grey bodies, with white belly and throats, and red brown paws.
  • Coyote can jump lengths of over 4 m (13ft) and they can reach high speeds of 69 km per hour (43 mph).
Coyote, Wolf, Snow, Background, Yellowstone National Park wildlife, USA, National Geographic, Ten Random Facts
Coyote
Image courtesy of National Geographic
  • It is usual for coyote to travel and live in groups and hunt in pairs.
  • Coyote generally have litters of one to nineteen pups, although six pups is the average.
  • Coyote make high pitched howls, yips, yelps and bark sounding calls.
  • Coyote eat small mammals, birds, livestock and large insects, as well as vegetation including fruit and vegetables.
  • Coyote do not normally attack humans and do not generally cause serious harm, although more attacks have been occuring recently in California, United States of America.
Bibliography:
Coyote 12 February 2013 , Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote>
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