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Oriental Fire-bellied Toad

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Oriental Fire-bellied Toad

Maybe one day someone will see an oriental fire-bellied toad combust.

  • Oriental fire-bellied toads are a species of frog native to Korea, southern parts of Japan, northeastern areas of China and south-eastern sections of Russia.
  • The scientific name of an oriental fire-bellied toad is Bombina orientalis and it is from the family Bombinatoridae, the family of fire-bellied toads.
  • Oriental fire-bellied toads grow to be 3.5 to 8 centimetres (1.4 to 3 inches) in length and weigh 28 to 56 grams (1 to 2 ounces).
  • Oriental fire-bellied toads have a green to brownish-grey coloured back with wart like bumps, sometimes accompanied by black spots, that helps them to blend into their surroundings, and are a vivid red to yellow colour on the underside, spotted with black.
  • The bright colour of the underside of an oriental fire-bellied toad signifies that it is poisonous and will release toxic secretions, and to scare off predators it can arch its back and display its colourful belly.
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Oriental Fire-bellied Toad
Image courtesy of Ryan Somma/Flickr
  • Somewhat still streams and small water pools, in a variety of forest habitats, are the haven of oriental fire-bellied toads.
  • Female oriental fire-bellied toads generally lay between 40 to 250 eggs at a time, deposited in and around aquatic vegetation.
  • The diet of oriental fire-bellied toads consists of worms, molluscs, algae, insects, fungi, and spiders, and they can have a lifespan up to 20 years in the wild.
  • Oriental fire-bellied toads are commonly kept as pets, as they are fairly easy to care for, although caution needs to be taken when handling the toads, to avoid being irritated by their poison.
  • Oriental fire-bellied toad pupils can be of a triangular shape, and its tongue cannot extend, unlike many other frog species.
Bibliography:
Szcodronski T, Bombina orientalis, 2006, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bombina_orientalis/
Oriental Fire-bellied Toad, 2016, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/amphibians/oriental-fire-bellied-toad
Oriental Fire-bellied Toad, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oriental_fire-bellied_toad
Oriental Fire-bellied Toad Fact Sheet, n.d, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/reptilesamphibians/facts/factsheets/orientalfirebelliedtoad.cfm

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Mexican Redknee Tarantula

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Mexican Redknee Tarantula

You would be glad to hear that Mexican redknee tarantulas are not something to fear.

  • Mexican redknee tarantulas are a species of spider found in the forests of the Mexican mountain ranges in southern North America, and they have become a popular pet, though they are listed as ‘near threatened’ and are now somewhat protected.
  • The scientific name of a Mexican redknee tarantula is Brachypelma smithi and it is from the family Theraphosidae, the family of tarantulas.
  • ‘Mexican redknee tarantulas’ are also known as ‘red knee tarantulas’, ‘red-kneed tarantulas’, ‘Mexican red-knee tarantulas’ and ‘Mexican red-kneed tarantulas’.
  • Numerous small hairs can be found on Mexican redknee tarantulas, and the spider is primarily brown to black in colour with orange to red coloured patches on each leg joint.
  • Mexican redknee tarantulas are generally between 12 to 14 centimetres (4.7 to 5.5 inches) long and weigh 15 to 16 grams (0.5 to 0.6 ounces), while females are typically larger than males.

Mexican Redknee Tarantula, Arachnid, Spider, Red, Zoo, Sandy, Crawl, Hairy, Animal

  • The diet of a Mexican redknee tarantula consists primarily of insects, rodents and frogs, but also birds and other mammals, that are captured at the entrance of the spider’s burrow where it makes a web, and paralyses and liquefies the prey using its venom.
  • Through an extensive molting process, Mexican redknee tarantulas can restore any limbs or other bodily extensions that have been lost.
  • Female Mexican redknee tarantulas typically live to be 20 to 30 years, however a male’s lifespan is much shorter, at around 5 to 10 years.
  • When feeling threatened, a Mexican redknee tarantula can defend itself using its bite, however it prefers to display its fangs and shoot barbed hairs from its abdomen.
  • A female Mexican redknee tarantula lays from 200 to 400 or more eggs at one time, that are gathered into a silk web sack, which hatch after one to three months, and the young exit the sack approximately three weeks after hatching.
Bibliography:
Giesler A & Zaitz D, Brachypelma smithi, 2011, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Brachypelma_smithi/
Mexican Red-kneed Tarantula, 2010, Australian Reptile Park, http://www.reptilepark.com.au/animalprofile.asp?id=135
Mexican Redknee Tarantula, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_redknee_tarantula
Red Knee Tarantula, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/red-knee-tarantula/

Bengal Tiger

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Bengal Tiger

Bengal tigers are in common in the world of tigers!

  • Bengal tigers are the most abundant subspecies of tiger alive and they are found in the Asian countries of Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
  • ‘Bengal tigers’ are also known as ‘royal Bengal tigers’ and ‘Indian tigers’, and they live mostly alone and occupy mangrove areas, forests and jungles.
  • The scientific name of a Bengal tiger is Panthera tigris tigris, and it is from the family Felidae, the family of cats.
  • Bengal tigers generally range from 2
    .4 to 3.3 metres (7.9 to 11 feet) in length, and they can weigh between 75 to 300 kilograms (165 to 661 pounds) or more.
  • The pelt of Bengal tigers is an orange to yellow colour striped with black, while the underside and some areas of the face and limbs are coloured white with black stripes.
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Bengal Tiger
Image courtesy of Paul Mannix/Flickr
  • The diet of Bengal tigers consists primarily of small to medium sized mammals, including wild boars, buffalo, deer and hares.
  • Despite the animal numbers of the Bengal tiger being the greatest among tigers, it is classified as an endangered species due to extensive poaching for its fur and other body components (often used in traditional medicine), and habitat loss which also decreases numbers of prey.
  • Female Bengal tigers have litters that range from one to five cubs, every three or four years, as the young remain dependent for at least 18 months; and they can have a lifespan of 18 to 25 years.
  • The speed of a Bengal tiger can reach 65 kilometres per hour (40 miles per hour); and its only predators are humans.
  • In 2010, approximately 2000 to 2500 Bengal tigers populated the wild, with the highest population concentrated in India; and in recent years, there has been significant government effort, especially in India, to protect and increase tiger numbers.
Bibliography:
Bengal Tower, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/bengal-tiger/
Bengal Tiger, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_tiger
Bengal Tiger, 2016, World Wildlife Fund, http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/bengal-tiger

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Grainy Cochran Frog

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Grainy Cochran Frog

The grainy Cochran frog is hidden in a forest of secrets.

  • Grainy Cochran frogs are a species of frog native to the southern countries of Central America.
  • The scientific name of a grainy Cochran frog is Cochranella granulosa and it is from the family Centrolenidae, the family of glass frogs.
  • The Spanish name for the grainy Cochran frog is ‘ranita de cristal’ which literally means ‘glass frog’, while the frog is also known as a ‘granular glass frog’.
  • Grainy Cochran frogs are found around streams among plants, in moist forests that are situated in low-lying habitats.
  • Grainy Cochran frogs are small and generally reach a length of 2.25 to 3.2 centimetres (0.9 to 1.3 inches).
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Grainy Chochran Frog
Image courtesy of Brain Gratwicke/Flickr
  • The skin of grainy Cochran frogs is a green-blue colour speckled with tiny white dots that give it a grainy texture.
  • Around 50 to 60 eggs are laid by female grainy Cochran frogs, on vegetation that branches over and touches water bodies, so that on hatching, the new tadpoles can drop into the water.
  • On the underside of a grainy Cochran frog, the skin is translucent, allowing its internal organs to be viewed.
  • A grainy Cochran frog male fends off other amphibious intruders to its territory, often by wrestling on a leaf, where the loser is the individual that falls off, and the winner claims the territory.
  • While grainy Cochran frogs are classified as ‘least concern’, they are still threatened by pollution of water and loss of habitat.
Bibliography:
Cochranella granulosa, n.d, IUCN Red List, http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/54964/0
Cochranella granulosa, 2014, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochranella_granulosa
The Granular Glass Frog, 2015, Alien Earthlings, http://www.thenighttour.com/alien1/cochranella_granulosa.htm
Iyer S, Cochranella granulosa, 2009, AmphibiaWeb, http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Cochranella&where-species=granulosa

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Woolly Monkey

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Woolly Monkey

Are woolly monkeys the long-lost cousins of woolly mammoths?

  • Woolly monkeys are a genus of four species of monkey, native to South America’s rainforest habitats.
  • The scientific name of a woolly monkey is Lagothrix and it is from the family Atelidae, a family of New World monkeys.
  • The height of woolly monkeys is usually from 40 to 70 centimetres (16 to 28 inches) and they typically weigh betweeen 3 to 11 kilograms (6.6 to 24 pounds).
  • Woolly monkeys have thick, furry hair, and it ranges from a combination of black, grey, brown or red-brown in colour, depending on the species.
  • The diet of woolly monkeys consists primarily of fruit, but also flowers, insects, immature seeds, and leaves.
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Woolly Monkey
Image courtesy of Liz Lister/Flickr
  • Woolly monkeys live in trees in troops of 10 to 70 individuals; however will generally break off into small groups for tasks such as foraging.
  • Female woolly monkeys typically have a single baby at a time, every second year, and the young becomes mostly independent at six months of age, and they can have a lifespan of up to 30 years.
  • Generally, woolly monkeys remain among the treetops where they sleep and search for food, however, they do occasionally set foot on ground.
  • The long tail of a woolly monkey is prehensile and very strong, having the ability to support its entire body weight as well as provide balance.
  • Woolly monkeys are considered vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, depending on the species, due to loss of habitat and hunting by humans for food, fur, and the pet industry.
Bibliography:
Common Woolly Monkey, n.d, Wildsreen Arkive, http://www.arkive.org/common-woolly-monkey/lagothrix-lagotricha/
Woolly Monkey, 2011, University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, http://pin.primate.wisc.edu/factsheets/entry/woolly_monkey/taxon
Woolly Monkey, 2014, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolly_monkey
Woolly Monkey, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/woolly-monkey/

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Asian Giant Hornet

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Asian Giant Hornet

You’ll thank your lucky stars when you don’t aggravate an Asian giant hornet.

  • Asian giant hornets are the largest extant species of hornet, and are native to the East Asian tropics.
  • ‘Asian giant hornets’ are also known as ‘yak-killer hornets’ and ‘giant sparrow bees’.
  • The scientific name of Asian giant hornets is Vespa mandarinia and it is from the family Vespidae, a family of wasps.
  • The diet of Asian giant hornets consists primarily of beetles, as well as large insects including honey bees, as well as tree sap, honey and soft fruit, however, the adults are only able to consume liquid, though they chew solid food and feed it to their larvae.
  • Asian giant hornets reach 3.5 to 5.5 centimetres (1.4 to 2.2 inches) in length and have a wingspan of 3.5 to 7.6 centimetres (1.4 to 3 inches); and they can devastate a hive of bees in six hours or less.
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Asian Giant Hornet
Image courtesy of t-mizo/Flickr
  • Asian giant hornets have a yellow to orange coloured head with a black to brown thorax, and a striped yellow/orange and black abdomen.
  • It is common for Asian giant hornets to live and nest underground, often under large tree roots abandoned by a past animal, however the hornets can dig if need be.
  • Asian giant hornets have a 6 millimetre long stinger (0.24 inch) that can painfully inject toxins that are potentially fatal if stung in succession, and they are said to cause the deaths of 60 to 100 people across Japan and China each year, with symptoms that include cardiac arrest, organ failure and anaphylaxis.
  • Asian giant hornets communicate primarily through the expulsion and trailing of scented chemicals known as ‘pheromones’, even uniquely marking food sources including hives with such a scent.
  • Asian giant hornets have a life span of three months up to one year, depending on their gender and role in the hive; and the queen will initially lay as many as 40 eggs, however as the year progresses, she will usually lay many thousands.
Bibliography:
Asian Giant Hornets, 2016, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/asian-giant-hornet/
Asian Giant Hornets, 2016, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_giant_hornet
Lallanilla M, Killer Hornets Terrorize China, 2013, Live Science, http://www.livescience.com/39988-killer-hornets-terrorize-china.html
Weaver C, This Hornet Will Be the Last Thing You See Before You Die, 2013, Gawker, http://gawker.com/this-hornet-will-be-the-last-thing-you-see-before-you-d-1428724767
Vespa mandarinia, 2016, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Vespa_mandarinia/

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