Tag Archives: Animal

Cichlid

By | |
Leave a comment
Cichlid

Cichlids are cute little fish with a vicious appetite.

  • Cichlids are a family of fish, of small to medium size, with in excess of 1600 discovered species out of the estimated 2000 to 3000 in total.
  • The scientific name of a cichlid is Cichlidae, and it is from the suborder Labroidei, the suborder that also includes wrasses, surfperches and damselfish, among others.
  • Cichlids are found in freshwater regions in many countries across the globe, and they are native primarily to South America, southern North America and Africa, and some are also found in certain areas in Asia.
  • The size of cichlids ranges quite widely among species, from 2.5 to 100 centimetres (1 to 39.4 inches).
  • Cichlids are popularly kept in aquariums as pets, with many different hybrids bred specifically for the pet industry.
Cichlid, Fish, ANimal, Sea, Single, Yellow, Ten Random Facts, Trivia, Striped, African
A Cichlid
Image courtesy of Marcell Sigg/Flickr
  • The diet of cichlids, depending on the species, consists primarily of plants, fish – even from the same family, algae, parasites and insect larvae.
  • Cichlids are often fished as a sport, and some species are mass-bred for commercial reasons, commonly for food or as pets.
  • The colours of cichlids range from black, yellow, orange, green, blue, red, silver or white, and they are commonly patterned in their colouring.
  • An average of 200 eggs is produced by a female cichlid at one time, and the fry are generally cared for by both parents until the babies are capable of swimming alone.
  • Cichlids typically live to be 5 to 60 years of age; and fellow fish, eels, birds and humans are common predators.
Bibliography:
Cichlid, 2015, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/cichlid/
Cichlid, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cichlid

Amazon:        

Cotton-top Tamarin

By | |
3 Comments
Cotton-top Tamarin

Top it all off with the cotton-top tamarin.

  • Cotton-top tamarins are small primates, native to the forests of north-west Columbia, in South America.
  • Cotton-top tamarins are among the smallest monkeys, with a size of 18 to 30 centimetres (7 to 12 inches) in length and 220 to 900 grams (7.7 to 32 ounces) in weight.
  • The hair on the head of a cotton-top tamarin is coloured white, hence its common name, while the monkey has fur on its body that ranges from white, brown, black and tan in colour.
  • The scientific name of a cotton-top tamarin is Saguinus oedipus, and it is from the family Callitrichidae, a family of New-world monkeys.
  • The diet of cotton-top tamarins consists primarily of fruit, insects, nectar, rodents and sap, and they spend much of their time, including sleeping, in trees.
Cotton-top Tamarin, Mammal, Primate, Monkey, animal, Trivia, Ten Random Facts,
Cotton-top Tamarin
Image courtesy of Mark Kent/Flickr
  • Cotton-top tamarins have been protected since 1969, however, they are listed as critically endangered, with total population numbers decreasing due to major habitat loss, and they have been sought after for the pet industry, even though it is illegal.
  • Cotton-top tamarins live in troops with two to fourteen individuals, with the head consisting of a female and her choice of male partner, and they are generally the only pair that breeds, due to the breeding suppressing pheromones that the dominant female releases.
  • Generally, female cotton-top tamarins produce two babies at single time, although one is not uncommon, and the young are transported on the back of the parents, and are also cared for by others in the group.
  • Cotton-top tamarins are preyed on by snakes, birds of prey, and wild cats, and they have an average lifespan of 8 to 15 years in the wild.
  • Sounds made by cotton-top tamarins are similar to those of birds, and include whistles, chirps and trills, and they are able to make 38 different sounds.
Bibliography:
Cotton-Top Tamarin, 2011, Perth Zoo, http://perthzoo.wa.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Cotton-top-Tamarin-Fact-Sheet-2012.pdf
Cotton-top Tamarin, 2015, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton-top_tamarin
Cottontop Tamarin, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/cottontop-tamarin/

Amazon:       

Vampire Bat

By | |
Leave a comment
Vampire Bat

Vampire bats are the closest real thing to vampires.

  • Vampire bats are a subfamily of three species of bats native to Central and South America, and Mexico in North America.
  • The scientific name of a vampire bat is Desmodontinae, from the family Phyllostomidae, the family of New World leaf-nosed bats, and the fur of the bat generally ranges from brown, black to grey in colour.
  • The diet of vampire bats consists only of blood, from either mammals or birds, depending on the species, and the bat needs to consume it at least every two days so that it does not starve to death.
  • Vampire bats grow to be 7 to 9.5 centimetres (2.7 to 3.7 inches) in height; have wings that spread 15 to 18 centimetres (5.9 to 7 inches); and the weight ranges from 19 to 57 grams (0.7 to 2 ounces).
  • On the end of their nose, vampire bats have receptors that can interpret infrared, that are used to find heated areas on a mammal’s body, which are normally areas that contain blood close to the surface.
Vampire Bat, Animal, Trivia, Random Facts, Brown, Flickr, France
Vampire Bat
Image courtesy of stanzer/Flickc
  • Colonies of vampire bats, numbering around 100 or as many as a thousand, live together, and they care for each other, even to the point of vomiting up blood to keep a fellow bat alive, or looking after orphaned young.
  • A female vampire bat has a single baby at a time, that drinks its mother’s milk until it is approximately three months of age; and the bats typically live to be 8 to 12 years of age.
  • A vampire bat typically feeds by itself, generally landing nearby its usually sleeping prey, scrambling onto it with its arms and legs, and biting the animal to make a wound, which is usually not felt by the host and does not clot due to chemicals in the bat’s saliva.
  • Vampire bats spend roughly 20 to 30 minutes feeding off a single wound at a time, and they do not directly cause fatalities to their prey, although diseases and bacteria may be transferred.
  • Despite being classified as least concern, vampire bats are reducing in numbers due to loss of habitat and poisoning by humans, especially farmers, to protect their livestock.
Bibliography:
Common Vampire Bat, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/common-vampire-bat/
Vampire Bat, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/vampire-bat/
Vampire Bat, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_bat

Amazon:        

Fire-bellied Toad

By | |
Leave a comment
Fire-bellied Toad

Be careful about touching a fire-bellied toad… it can ‘burn’ you.

  • Fire-bellied toads, also known as ‘firebelly toads’, are amphibians, and a toad of smaller size, native to central to northern Asia and across Europe.
  • Fire-bellied toads typically grow to be 4 to 7 centimetres (1.6 to 2.8 inches) in length and weigh 20 to 80 grams (0.7 to 2.8 ounces).
  • The scientific name of a fire-bellied toad is Bombina, that is one of two groups in the family Bombinatoridae, and there are eight species in the genus.
  • Depending on the species, the skin of fire-bellied toads contains numerous bumps, and ranges from green, black and brown in colour, while the underside is yellow, red, orange or black, and the bright colour acts as a natural warning that it contains toxins which can be harmful to animals, and can cause a rash in some humans.
  • The diet of fire-bellied toads consists primarily of flies, worms, shrimp, beetles, larvae, spiders and other insects.

Fire-bellied Toad, Frog, Trivia, Random Facts, Ten, Green, Black, Side, Animal, Reptile, Amphibian

A Fire-bellied Toad
Image courtesy of Flickpicpete/Flickr
  • Unlike most frogs, fire-bellied toads do not produce a croaking sound, but instead a bark, which is used by males to find a mate.
  • Female fire-bellied toads lay around 50 to 300 eggs at a time, laid onto vegetation that is situated above a small body of water, and they develop into tadpoles, and eventually toads, that have an average lifespan of ten to fifteen years.
  • Triangular or heart shaped pupils can be found in the eyes of some fire-bellied toads, and they can arch their backs and flip upside down to show their bright coloured bellies to scare away predators like birds, lizards, foxes and snakes.
  • Some fire-bellied toad species are listed as vulnerable or endangered due to habitat loss, and disease is also a possible cause of the decline in numbers in some species.
  • Fire-bellied toads generally live alone near fresh water ponds and streams, in forest and swamp habitats, and some species are kept as pets.
Bibliography:
Fire-bellied Toad, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/fire-bellied-toad/
Fire-bellied Toad, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire-bellied_toad
Oriental Fire-bellied Toad, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/amphibians/oriental-fire-bellied-toad/

Amazon:       

Cuttlefish

By | |
Leave a comment
Cuttlefish

Cuttlefish are not fish!

  • Cuttlefish are aquatic animals of the mollusc type, and they are cephalopods that feature a pronounced head and a total of ten tentacles, eight of which are short.
  • Cuttlefish are typically 15 to 50 centimetres (6 to 20 inches) in length, plus the length of the tentacles, and weigh 3 to 10.5 kilograms (6.6 to 23 pounds).
  • There are approximately 120 species of cuttlefish, and they are from the order with the scientific name Sepiida, that contains five families, and they are related to octopus and squid.
  • The diet of cuttlefish consists primarily of fish, crabs, molluscs, shrimp and worms, among others.
  • Due to their ability to change body colour for camouflage purposes or other reasons, as well as the differences between species, cuttlefish can come in a variety of colours, including red, pink, yellow, green, brown, white and blue.
Cuttelfish, Animal, Fish, Mollusc, Underwater, Camouflage, Brown,
Cuttlefish
Image courtesy of William Warby/Flickr
  • Inside a cuttlefish there is distinct aragonite porous shell, known as a ‘cuttlebone’ that is often found on the beach and fed to pet birds as a source of calcium, and the blood of the animal is coloured a greenish-blue and pumped around by three hearts.
  • Poison that can be lethal and is used to paralyse its prey, is produced by a cuttlefish in its mouth, and the animal captures its prey by two long tentacles that propel out from its body and later retract.
  • To protect itself from predators such as sharks and large fish, cuttlefish may use camouflage or produce ink to obscure the other animal’s vision.
  • To find a mate, a male cuttlefish will change its skin colour for appeal, while females die after laying approximately 200 eggs; and the animal has an average lifespan of one to three years.
  • Cuttlefish can be found in most oceans around the world, however they do not live around North or South America; and some cultures enjoy the animal as food, and they are commonly dried and shredded and eaten as a snack.
Bibliography:
Cuttlefish, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/cuttlefish/
Cuttlefish,  2015, Net Industries, http://science.jrank.org/pages/1918/Cuttlefish.html
Cuttlefish, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuttlefish

Amazon:       

Atlantic Puffin

By | |
Leave a comment
Atlantic Puffin

Atlantic puffins are the parrots of the sea.

  • Atlantic puffins are small flying birds that are native to the North Atlantic Ocean, and they are one of four species of puffins.
  • ‘Atlantic puffins’ are also known as ‘common puffins’, ‘clowns of the sea’ and ‘sea parrots’, and the birds have an average lifespan of 15 to 30 years.
  • The scientific name of an Atlantic puffin is Fratercula arctica, and it is from the family Alcidae, the family of auks, and even though some think that the bird is similar to a penguin, they are not related.
  • Atlantic puffins typically grow to 25 to 30 centimetres (10 to 12 inches) in height; their weight generally ranges from 368 to 500 grams (13 to 18 ounces); and they have a 47 to 63 centimetre (18 – 25 inch) wingspan.
  • The plumage colour of Atlantic puffins is typically coloured a combination of black, white and grey, while the bird’s large beak, legs and webbed feet are a vivid orange, although the beak generally turns grey in winter.
Atlantic Puffin, Bird, Ten Random Facts, Animal,, Bird,
Atlantic Puffin
Image courtesy of Brain Gratwicke/Flickr
  • The diet of Atlantic puffins consists primarily of fish, and also includes worms, molluscs, shrimp and crustaceans.
  • Atlantic puffins catch their prey by diving underwater; they are excellent swimmers, although they are said to crash into the water when landing; and they are also good flyers and can reach up to speeds of 88 kilometres per hour (55 miles per hour).
  • By bobbing for days on end, Atlantic puffins are able to survive on the surfaces of the ocean with no land in sight, and they spend a significant portion of the year on water, and return to land for breeding purposes.
  • Female Atlantic puffins lay a single white egg annually in a burrow that is cared for by both parents, while hatching can take up to 45 days; and adults usually have only one partner during their life.
  • Despite being listed as least concern, Atlantic puffin numbers have decreased over the past century and are threatened by pollution, especially oil spills; animals introduced to breeding grounds; and humans hunting for food.
Bibliography
Atlantic Puffin, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/birds/atlantic-puffin/
Atlantic Puffin, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_puffin
Puffin, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/puffin/

Amazon:        

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...