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Bongo

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Bongo

You may get arrested if you hit these bongos.

  • Bongos are an antelope native to the forest habitats of tropical areas in Central and West Africa, and they have an average lifespan of 10 to 19 years.
  • The scientific name of a bongo is Tragelaphus eurycerus, and it is from the family Bovidae, the family of bovids, or ruminant mammals with cloven hooves.
  • As the largest forest antelope, the height of a bongo can reach 1.1 to 1.3 metres (3.6 to 4.3 feet) excluding the head, and it can weigh between 150 to 405 kilograms (331 to 893 pounds).
  • The fur of a bongo is mostly coloured a chestnut or red/orange brown colour, with black on its tail, legs and face, and it is patterned with approximately a dozen white or cream coloured stripes across its back.
  • Bongos have horns that have a curved, twisted shape that range from 75 to 100 centimetres (30 to 39 inches) in length, and they are found on both genders.
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A Bongo
Image courtesy of William Andrus/Flickr
  • The diet of bongos consists primarily of leaves and other vegetation including bark; fruit; and grass, and they also need to consume salt.
  • Poachers kill bongos for meat, horns and skin, which has led to a decrease in the animal’s population, and habitat loss has also contributed to the decline, and as such they are listed as near threatened.
  • Female bongos generally live in herds, while the males typically live alone, and the females usually produce a single calf per litter, which is born hidden in undergrowth, where it is kept protectively for a week or so, after which they join the herd.
  • Some native African communities fear touching bongos, let alone eating them, thinking contact would cause health problems, such as spasms, in humans.
  • Bongos are mostly nocturnal, and they shine their horns by cooling themselves down in mud and then scraping away the mud by rubbing their horns against trees.
Bibliography:
Bongo, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/bongo/
Bongo, n.d, African Wildlife Foundation, https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/bongo
Bongo (antelope), 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongo_(antelope)

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Pied Tamarin

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Pied Tamarin

Pied tamarins… cute or ugly?

  • Pied tamarins, also known as ‘pied bare-faced tamarins’ and ‘Brazilian bare-faced tamarins’, are primates of small size, native to the Brazilian rainforests of South America.
  • The scientific name of a pied tamarin is Saguinus bicolor, and it is from the family Callitrichidae, a family of New World monkeys that consists of tamarins and marmosets.
  • The height of pied tamarins ranges from 18 to 30 centimetres (7 to 12 inches), not including their long tail, and they generally weigh between 220 to 900 grams (0.5 to 2 pounds).
  • Fruit, nectar, frogs, eggs, lizards, spiders, insects and flowers make up the primary diet of pied tamarins.
  • Pied tamarins live in troops of three to fifteen and are protective of their territory, and they rest in trees at night, and forage for food in the daytime.
Pied Tamarin, Animal, Mammal, Primate, Monkey, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Pied Tamarin
Image courtesy of Josh More/Flickr
  • The fur of the upper body of a pied tamarin is generally white in colour, although its face is black and has no fur, while the lower body is generally a combination of black, red, tan and brown fur.
  • Pied tamarins have been listed as an endangered species, threatened primarily by habitat loss, and as such, they only occupy a small area in Brazil.
  • Each year, the dominant female in a troop of pied tamarins usually gives birth to twins, rather than a single baby, both of which are cared for by members in the group, including other females, males and more mature siblings.
  • Pied tamarins generally have a lifespan of eight to fifteen years, and their predators include hawks, feral cats and snakes.
  • Noises such as whistles and chirps are used by pied tamarins to communicate between each other, as well as to scare off threats.
Bibliography:
Pied Tamarin, 2001, Lincoln Park Zoo, http://www.lpzoo.org/animals/factsheet/pied-tamarin
Pied Tamarin, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/pied-tamarin/
Pied Tamarin, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied_tamarin

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Adélie Penguin

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Adélie Penguin

They may not be the emperor, but Adélie penguins sure are fascinating.

  • Adélie penguins are a common species of medium-sized penguin native to Antarctica and nearby islands in the Southern Ocean.
  • The scientific name of an Adélie penguin is Pygoscelis adeliae and it is from the family Spheniscidae, the family of penguins.
  • The height of Adélie penguins is usually between 40 to 75 centimetres  (16 to 30 inches), and they generally weigh between 3 to 6 kilograms (6.6 to 13.2 pounds)
  • The feathers on the back half of Adélie penguins is black, as is all of the head, while the front half is coloured white except for the head, and there is a white line encircling the eyes.
  • The diet of Adélie penguins consists primarily of krill, squid, and fish such as silverfish, and they are preyed on by orcas and leopard seals, as well as birds known as ‘skuas’, and they have an average lifespan of ten to twenty years.
Adélie Penguin, Animal, Bird, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Antarctica
Adélie Penguin
Image courtesy of Christopher Michel/Flickr
  • Adélie penguins are found on ice shelves in the winter where they hunt for their food; and they live in large colonies and breed in the spring and summer months on land where there is no ice.
  • Female Adélie penguins typically lay two eggs in a rock nest, that are incubated by both the female and her life long male partner, and while one sits on the eggs or looks after the young, the other is absent searching for food for up to ten to twelve days at a time.
  • Adélie penguins can travel distances of roughly 13,000 kilometres (8078 miles) or greater each year, to and from the breeding grounds in the south, to hunting grounds further north.
  • Adélie penguins can swim at speeds of 72 kilometres per hour (45 miles per hour), and they can reach depths of up to 175 metres (574 feet) in water.
  • Food eaten by Adélie penguins is not chewed, but swallowed, due to the teeth-like protrusions found inside their mouth that are designed to grip onto the food, and the penguins are able to eat up to 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of food in a single day.
Bibliography:
Adélie Penguin, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/birds/adelie-penguin/
Adélie Penguin, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad%C3%A9lie_penguin
Adelie Penguin, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/adelie-penguin/

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Chiton

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Chiton

You have to do some searching for chitons if you are to find one.

  • Chitons are a type of mollusc that are found primarily on rocks in a marine environment, next to, or in the ocean.
  • The scientific name of a chiton is Polyplacophora, being the class it belongs to, although it has previously been known as Amphineura.
  • ‘Chitons’ are also known as ‘polyplacophorans’, ‘sea cradles’, ‘coat-of-mail shells’ and ‘loricates’.
  • The rough ellipse shape of a chiton is covered by a shell that is divided into eight plates, that is surrounded by what is known as a ‘girdle’, that is flexible and may or may not contain spikey protrusions or scales.
  • Generally chitons can navigate from one place to another and back to the same spot again with ease, and perhaps use the Earth’s magnetic field or secreted chemicals to find their way.

Chiton, Animal, Marine, Aquatic, Ten Random Facts, Trivia, Brown, Rock, Pool, Australia

  • Chitons have a muscle, referred to as a ‘foot’, on the underside of its shell, which is used to move the mollusc along surfaces.
  • The diet of chitons consists primarily of algae, phytoplankton, marine moss animals, and bacteria, although some species eat small crustaceans.
  • The word ‘chiton’ comes from the term khitōn, a Greek word that means ‘mail coat’, ‘frock’, or ‘tunic’.
  • Chitons have the ability to firmly attach themselves to surfaces with their ‘foot’, making them almost immovable.
  • The mouth of chitons is located on the underside of its body, while microscopic optical or light sensors are thought to be located in the shell.
Bibliography:
Chiton, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiton
Davy K, Chitons, 2010, MESA, http://www.mesa.edu.au/friends/seashores/chitons.html
Nordsieck R, Chitons (Placophora), n.d, The Living Word of Molluscs, http://www.molluscs.at/polyplacophora/index.html?/polyplacophora/main.html

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Dusky Dolphin

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Dusky Dolphin

Dusky dolphins are the experts in acrobatics.

  • Dusky dolphins are a species of dolphin native to fairly low temperature waters in coastal areas, in the Southern Hemisphere, and they live in large groups or pods, that revert to small groups at various times in the day.
  • The scientific name of a dusky dolphin is Lagenorhynchus obscurus and it is from the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins.
  • The diet of dusky dolphins consists primarily of aquatic animals, that mainly includes fish and squid, and they are preyed upon by orcas and sharks.
  • A dusky dolphin’s length ranges from 1.6 to 2.1 metres (5.2 to 6.9 feet), while the weight varies from 70 to 120 kilograms (154 to 264 pounds).
  • It is common for dusky dolphins to swim according to cold water currents, and they are said to be able travel up to 780 kilometres (485 miles) in a single journey.

Dusky Dolphin, Animal, Marine, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Water, New Zealand

Dusky Dolphin
Image courtesy of NOAA Photo Library/Flickr

  • Dusky dolphins have a smooth skin that ranges from grey, black and blue in colour, while the underbelly is white.
  • The sounds produced by dusky dolphins are generally clicks and whistles that have a frequency varying from 40 to 110 kilohertz.
  • For reproduction purposes, female dusky dolphins generally prefer speedier and more agile males over any other characteristic, and mature females will usually produce one calf every two to three years, and care for their young in groups that contain mothers and their babies.
  • Dusky dolphins are prided for their particular skill in aerial acrobatics, that include graceful flips, slaps, leaps and spins.
  • As a popular animal viewed by tourists, dusky dolphin sightings have increased significantly over the decades, although actual numbers of the animal in the wild are undetermined due to a lack of data, and the species is protected in many areas.
Bibliography:
Dusky Dolphin, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/dusky-dolphin/
Dusky Dolphin, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusky_dolphin

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Giant Ghana Snail

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Giant Ghana Snail

Giant Ghana snails can be beaten in a race but no snail can beat it in size.

  • Giant Ghana snails are a species of snail, native to the forests of West Africa, in the countries of Ghana, Sierra Leone, Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Liberia, and Ivory Coast.
  • The scientific name of giant Ghana snail is Achatina achatina and it is from the family Achatinidae, a family of large to medium land snails.
  • ‘Giant Ghana snails’ are also known as ‘giant tiger land snails’ and ‘tiger snails’, and should not be confused with the closely related ‘giant African snails’ with the scientific name Achatina fulica.
  • Giant Ghana snails can reach lengths of 18 to 30 centimetres (7 to 12 inches) making them the largest snails that exist on land, in the world.
  • Giant Ghana snails have been introduced to some areas of the United States where they are restricted, and some islands in the Caribbean, where they are considered a pest, while in some locations they are kept as pets.

Giant Ghana Snail, Trivia, Ten Random Facts, Animal, Shell, Large, Record, Grass Brown, Black

Giant Ghana Snail
Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
  • Giant Ghana snails are hermaphrodites and can lay around 30 to 300 eggs at a single time, and they live to be around five to ten years of age.
  • Giant Ghana snails can be eaten, sold commercially in parts of Africa, and are a good source of protein.
  • The roughly coned shaped shell of a giant Ghana snail is often striped and chestnut to brown in colour, while the actual snail is a blue-grey.
  • Giant Ghana snails were originally very common in their native habitat, although their population has decreased in recent times as a result of over-consumption by humans, and habitat loss.
  • The diet of giant Ghana snails consists of decomposing vegetation and other plant life that can include vegetables, leaves, grass, flowers and fruit.
Bibliography:
Achatina (Achatina) achatina (Linné, 1758), 2015, Pet Snails, http://www.petsnails.co.uk/species/achatina-achatina.html
Achatina achatina, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achatina_achatina

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