Animal of the week is no longer going on, we are now doing Animal af the Month! But please enjoy these facts about the animals that have been our animal of the week. Something you should know is that this page is a little different, the latest post is at the bottem.
Thank you and keep visiting.
Thank you and keep visiting.
Spotted Owl
Strix occidentalis
Wednsday Sep. 9 09
Order: Strigiformes
Family: Strigidae
Status: Rare resident.
General Description:
North American RangeSpotted Owls are medium-sized owls with brown eyes and no ear-tufts. They are gray-brown in color, with light spotting on their backs and breasts. They are slightly smaller than the closely-related and similar-appearing Barred Owl.
Habitat Spotted Owls are found in to low and mid-elevation mature forests with dense canopy. They prefer forests of Douglas Fir with complex vegetation at multiple levels and are often found near streams or other water sources. Because Spotted Owls typically do not cross brushy or clearcut areas, they prefer large expanses of undisturbed mature forest. A single pair of Spotted Owls requires 2,000-5,000 acres of contiguous forest!
Behavior:
Spotted Owls hunt mostly at night, but during the nesting season may also hunt during the day. They are sit-and-wait predators, watching from perches and then swooping silently down on unsuspecting prey, grasping it with their talons. They also take prey in mid-air and from branches. They react to variations in temperature by moving up and down within the canopy, which may be one of the reasons they require such complex habitat structure.
Diet:
Northern Flying Squirrels are their most common prey, but they also eat rats, mice, voles, rabbits, and bats. To a lesser extent they feed on small birds, reptiles, and large invertebrates.
Nesting:
Spotted Owls are monogamous and form long-term pair bonds. These bonds are maintained throughout the year, and pairs defend their territories year-round. They nest in trees with broken-tops and other natural hollows, in old stick nests of other species, in artificial nest boxes, and, especially in eastern Washington, in mistletoe tangles. The female scrapes a depression in existing debris, but adds no additional material to the nest. Spotted Owls reuse the same nest site for many years. Most pairs do not nest every year. The female typically incubates 2 eggs for 28-32 days, while the male brings her food. Once the young hatch, the female broods for 8-10 days and the male bring food to both the female and the young. The young leave the nest and venture onto nearby branches at 34-36 days. At this time the female joins the male bringing food to the young, which remain with their parents for 60-90 more days.
Migration Status:
Spotted Owls do not migrate but may wander to lower elevations in deep snow or when prey is scarce. Young birds may disperse long distances, which sometimes brings them into inappropriate habitats.
Conservation Status:
The conservation of Spotted Owls and their old-growth habitat is an issue that has sparked fierce debate between environmentalists and the timber industry. In the Pacific Northwest, more than half of former old-growth habitat has already been lost. Most Spotted Owl habitat in Washington is unprotected, and the timber has high economic value. Attempts were made to federally list Spotted Owls, based on their low numbers, historic and projected habitat loss, declining survival rates, and the failure of existing protective measures. After two failed attempts, the Seattle Audubon Society sued to force federal listing. The northern subspecies of Spotted Owl ('Northern Spotted Owl') is now listed as threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and as endangered by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is included on the Washington Gap Analysis Project's at-risk list. A number of recovery and management plans have been proposed and rejected as the debate over Spotted Owls continues. The current management plan requires enough clusters of old-growth forest to be preserved to sustain 1,500-2,000 territories and to allow for dispersal between territories. The dispersal factor is important, as dispersal time is a particularly dangerous stage of life for the Spotted Owl, with 80% of juveniles failing to survive. Increased habitat fragmentation allows Great Horned and Barred Owls to invade habitat that was formerly used exclusively by Spotted Owls. Great Horned Owls prey on Spotted Owls, especially dispersing juveniles. Barred Owls out-compete Spotted Owls for limited nesting sites, and the two species hybridize. Recently the State Public Lands Commissioner has been taking steps to allow logging in Spotted Owl habitat in southwestern Washington to help pay for school construction. Meanwhile, the Spotted Owl population in Washington continues to decline precipitously. Recent surveys have found significantly fewer owls than were found in surveys performed a only decade ago.
When and Where to Find in Washington:
Spotted Owls are uncommon residents in appropriate old-growth habitats at low to mid-elevations on both sides of the Cascades and in the Olympic Mountains. The Naches district of the Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern slopes of the Cascades (in Chelan, Kittitas, and Yakima Counties) also holds a significant population.
Family: Strigidae
Status: Rare resident.
General Description:
North American RangeSpotted Owls are medium-sized owls with brown eyes and no ear-tufts. They are gray-brown in color, with light spotting on their backs and breasts. They are slightly smaller than the closely-related and similar-appearing Barred Owl.
Habitat Spotted Owls are found in to low and mid-elevation mature forests with dense canopy. They prefer forests of Douglas Fir with complex vegetation at multiple levels and are often found near streams or other water sources. Because Spotted Owls typically do not cross brushy or clearcut areas, they prefer large expanses of undisturbed mature forest. A single pair of Spotted Owls requires 2,000-5,000 acres of contiguous forest!
Behavior:
Spotted Owls hunt mostly at night, but during the nesting season may also hunt during the day. They are sit-and-wait predators, watching from perches and then swooping silently down on unsuspecting prey, grasping it with their talons. They also take prey in mid-air and from branches. They react to variations in temperature by moving up and down within the canopy, which may be one of the reasons they require such complex habitat structure.
Diet:
Northern Flying Squirrels are their most common prey, but they also eat rats, mice, voles, rabbits, and bats. To a lesser extent they feed on small birds, reptiles, and large invertebrates.
Nesting:
Spotted Owls are monogamous and form long-term pair bonds. These bonds are maintained throughout the year, and pairs defend their territories year-round. They nest in trees with broken-tops and other natural hollows, in old stick nests of other species, in artificial nest boxes, and, especially in eastern Washington, in mistletoe tangles. The female scrapes a depression in existing debris, but adds no additional material to the nest. Spotted Owls reuse the same nest site for many years. Most pairs do not nest every year. The female typically incubates 2 eggs for 28-32 days, while the male brings her food. Once the young hatch, the female broods for 8-10 days and the male bring food to both the female and the young. The young leave the nest and venture onto nearby branches at 34-36 days. At this time the female joins the male bringing food to the young, which remain with their parents for 60-90 more days.
Migration Status:
Spotted Owls do not migrate but may wander to lower elevations in deep snow or when prey is scarce. Young birds may disperse long distances, which sometimes brings them into inappropriate habitats.
Conservation Status:
The conservation of Spotted Owls and their old-growth habitat is an issue that has sparked fierce debate between environmentalists and the timber industry. In the Pacific Northwest, more than half of former old-growth habitat has already been lost. Most Spotted Owl habitat in Washington is unprotected, and the timber has high economic value. Attempts were made to federally list Spotted Owls, based on their low numbers, historic and projected habitat loss, declining survival rates, and the failure of existing protective measures. After two failed attempts, the Seattle Audubon Society sued to force federal listing. The northern subspecies of Spotted Owl ('Northern Spotted Owl') is now listed as threatened by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and as endangered by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is included on the Washington Gap Analysis Project's at-risk list. A number of recovery and management plans have been proposed and rejected as the debate over Spotted Owls continues. The current management plan requires enough clusters of old-growth forest to be preserved to sustain 1,500-2,000 territories and to allow for dispersal between territories. The dispersal factor is important, as dispersal time is a particularly dangerous stage of life for the Spotted Owl, with 80% of juveniles failing to survive. Increased habitat fragmentation allows Great Horned and Barred Owls to invade habitat that was formerly used exclusively by Spotted Owls. Great Horned Owls prey on Spotted Owls, especially dispersing juveniles. Barred Owls out-compete Spotted Owls for limited nesting sites, and the two species hybridize. Recently the State Public Lands Commissioner has been taking steps to allow logging in Spotted Owl habitat in southwestern Washington to help pay for school construction. Meanwhile, the Spotted Owl population in Washington continues to decline precipitously. Recent surveys have found significantly fewer owls than were found in surveys performed a only decade ago.
When and Where to Find in Washington:
Spotted Owls are uncommon residents in appropriate old-growth habitats at low to mid-elevations on both sides of the Cascades and in the Olympic Mountains. The Naches district of the Wenatchee National Forest on the eastern slopes of the Cascades (in Chelan, Kittitas, and Yakima Counties) also holds a significant population.
Sun Bear
Helarctos malayanus
12/16/09
Fast Facts
Type: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Average lifespan in captivity: Up to 25 years
Size: 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5 m) long Weight: 60 to 150 lbs (27 to 70 kg)
Did you know? The Malay words for the tree-loving sun bear mean “he who likes to sit high.”
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m)
The reclusive sun bear, smallest member of the bear family, lives an insular life in the dense lowland forests of Southeast Asia.
Found from southern China to eastern India and as far south as Indonesia, sun bears, also called Malayan sun bears, take their name from the bib-shaped golden or white patch on their chest, which legend says represents the rising sun. They have a stocky, muscular build, small ears, and a short muzzle, which has earned them the nickname “dog bear.” Their sleek, black coat is short to avoid overheating in the tropical weather but thick and coarse to provide protection from twigs, branches, and rain.
Sun bears grow to only about half the size of an American black bear. Males, slightly larger than females, are about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and weigh up to 150 pounds (70 kilograms), a stature which suits their arboreal lifestyle and allows them to move easily through the trees. They have even been observed making sleeping platforms high above the ground out of branches and leaves.
Ironically, sun bears are nocturnal. They lumber through the forests by night, snacking on fruits, berries, roots, insects, small birds, lizards, and rodents. They have an excellent sense of smell and extremely long claws, exceeding four inches (ten centimeters) in length, which they use to rip open trees and termite nests. They also have an almost comically long tongue for extracting honey from bee nests, giving them their other nickname, “honey bear.”
Little is known about the social life of these bears, but there is some evidence that suggests they may be monogamous. Mother bears, called sows, make ground nests and give birth to one or two blind, helpless babies that weigh about 11 ounces (325 grams). Mothers have actually been observed cradling a cub in their arms while walking on their hind legs, a rare trait among bears. Cubs can move about after two months and are weaned by four months, but they remain with their mothers for two years or more.
Because of their remote habitat and shy personality, there is currently not enough data to determine if sun bears are in danger of extinction, but scientists fear the worst. Their homelands are being lost rapidly to deforestation, poachers hunt them mercilessly for body parts and fur, and some farmers kill them on site because they often eat crops such as oil palm, coconuts, and bananas. Adult females are also frequently killed so their cubs can be taken and raised as pets.
Type: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Average lifespan in captivity: Up to 25 years
Size: 4 to 5 ft (1.2 to 1.5 m) long Weight: 60 to 150 lbs (27 to 70 kg)
Did you know? The Malay words for the tree-loving sun bear mean “he who likes to sit high.”
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m)
The reclusive sun bear, smallest member of the bear family, lives an insular life in the dense lowland forests of Southeast Asia.
Found from southern China to eastern India and as far south as Indonesia, sun bears, also called Malayan sun bears, take their name from the bib-shaped golden or white patch on their chest, which legend says represents the rising sun. They have a stocky, muscular build, small ears, and a short muzzle, which has earned them the nickname “dog bear.” Their sleek, black coat is short to avoid overheating in the tropical weather but thick and coarse to provide protection from twigs, branches, and rain.
Sun bears grow to only about half the size of an American black bear. Males, slightly larger than females, are about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and weigh up to 150 pounds (70 kilograms), a stature which suits their arboreal lifestyle and allows them to move easily through the trees. They have even been observed making sleeping platforms high above the ground out of branches and leaves.
Ironically, sun bears are nocturnal. They lumber through the forests by night, snacking on fruits, berries, roots, insects, small birds, lizards, and rodents. They have an excellent sense of smell and extremely long claws, exceeding four inches (ten centimeters) in length, which they use to rip open trees and termite nests. They also have an almost comically long tongue for extracting honey from bee nests, giving them their other nickname, “honey bear.”
Little is known about the social life of these bears, but there is some evidence that suggests they may be monogamous. Mother bears, called sows, make ground nests and give birth to one or two blind, helpless babies that weigh about 11 ounces (325 grams). Mothers have actually been observed cradling a cub in their arms while walking on their hind legs, a rare trait among bears. Cubs can move about after two months and are weaned by four months, but they remain with their mothers for two years or more.
Because of their remote habitat and shy personality, there is currently not enough data to determine if sun bears are in danger of extinction, but scientists fear the worst. Their homelands are being lost rapidly to deforestation, poachers hunt them mercilessly for body parts and fur, and some farmers kill them on site because they often eat crops such as oil palm, coconuts, and bananas. Adult females are also frequently killed so their cubs can be taken and raised as pets.
Lion's Mane
Cyanea capillata
12/23/09
As a species jellies have been around for a very long time. They appeared in the oceans about 650 million years ago, before the dinosaurs. They still populate our oceans today in a profusion of sizes and shapes. Jellyfish are incredible creatures - it's amazing that they are living things. Check it out...their bodies are made up of 95% water, they have no bones or cartilage, no heart or blood, and no brain! (Talk about a real 'no-brainer'). They are one of earth's simpler and more primitive life forms. The picture you see at right is a much smaller specimen of a lion's mane jelly. The world-record holder was found dead, washed up on a beach.
Scientists have determined that some jellies have eyes that can detect light from dark and even some movement of objects in their field of vision. It doesn't seem possible that any living creature could have eyes, but NO BRAIN. The brain is where the processing of visual stimuli happens in most higher-order species. How does the procedure work in jellies with eyes and no brains? Scientists don't really know for sure, but by studying jellies they can learn a lot about how vision works and what role the brain plays in processing visual input.
Silent Predators The Arctic Lion's Mane, like most jellies, is a predator - it kills and eats other living creatures from the "animal" kingdom. (Even though water buffaloes and hippopatomi eat living things (plants), they are not considered predators.) That means that this giant jelly stalks, pursues, catches, kills and consumes its prey. What does it like to eat? Fish, plankton, and even other jellies. It's pretty hard to picture a jellyfish stalking and killing its prey, but it usually doesn't have to swim to catch a meal. You could say the Arctic Lion's Mane has its meal delivered.
Usually, an unsuspecting fish will swim into the almost invisible tentacles of the jellyfish, which are loaded with millions of nematocysts (stinging capsules contained within cells called cnidocytes located along the tentacles). When the fish contacts the tentacles a paralyzing venom is immediately injected into the victim. Then the jelly can eat its quarry at its leisure. Lion's Mane jellies can also pursue and kill other jellies for food. But then, there are also other creatures in the sea which eat the Lion's Mane.
If a human were to get stung by a Lion's Mane jelly it could be fatal, provided enough poison had been absorbed by the body. The venom can cause paralysis of the breathing muscles so the victim would die from suffocation. Don't expect to go swimming at the beach and see a huge Lion's Mane jelly - this big guy probably lived way out in the open ocean, way down deep. Many of this species of jellyfish are found in frigid, Arctic waters.
Scientists have determined that some jellies have eyes that can detect light from dark and even some movement of objects in their field of vision. It doesn't seem possible that any living creature could have eyes, but NO BRAIN. The brain is where the processing of visual stimuli happens in most higher-order species. How does the procedure work in jellies with eyes and no brains? Scientists don't really know for sure, but by studying jellies they can learn a lot about how vision works and what role the brain plays in processing visual input.
Silent Predators The Arctic Lion's Mane, like most jellies, is a predator - it kills and eats other living creatures from the "animal" kingdom. (Even though water buffaloes and hippopatomi eat living things (plants), they are not considered predators.) That means that this giant jelly stalks, pursues, catches, kills and consumes its prey. What does it like to eat? Fish, plankton, and even other jellies. It's pretty hard to picture a jellyfish stalking and killing its prey, but it usually doesn't have to swim to catch a meal. You could say the Arctic Lion's Mane has its meal delivered.
Usually, an unsuspecting fish will swim into the almost invisible tentacles of the jellyfish, which are loaded with millions of nematocysts (stinging capsules contained within cells called cnidocytes located along the tentacles). When the fish contacts the tentacles a paralyzing venom is immediately injected into the victim. Then the jelly can eat its quarry at its leisure. Lion's Mane jellies can also pursue and kill other jellies for food. But then, there are also other creatures in the sea which eat the Lion's Mane.
If a human were to get stung by a Lion's Mane jelly it could be fatal, provided enough poison had been absorbed by the body. The venom can cause paralysis of the breathing muscles so the victim would die from suffocation. Don't expect to go swimming at the beach and see a huge Lion's Mane jelly - this big guy probably lived way out in the open ocean, way down deep. Many of this species of jellyfish are found in frigid, Arctic waters.
Common Musk Turtle
Sternotherus odoratus
12/30/09
The Common Musk Turtle, or Stinkpot, likes muddy-bottomed, shallow waters. It walks along the bottom, looking for worms, snails, crayfish, and tadpoles. When resting it may look like an algae-covered stone. Its neck is so long that it can reach its back legs.
Look For : A small, short-tailed, gray or brown turtle with 2 whitish stripes on each side of its head and fleshy bumps on its chin and throat. Small bottom shell has 1 hinge (not always evident).
Length : 2-5".
Habitat : Slow rivers, streams, ponds, swamps, canals.
Range : Eastern U.S. from Great Lakes to eastern Texas.
Stinkpots are small turtles, with two distinguishing beige or yellow stripes that run from the top and bottom nares of their slightly pointed snout and across the side of their face. It has a domed carapace, a slightly hinged plastron, and under its chin and throat are small beard-like barbels, They are chiefly nocturnal, as evidenced by their large dark eyes, and in the evenings and early mornings you may see them trotting along in the shallows on a river bottom, foraging for food, and using their long neck both to reach their prey and to crane their head up to the surface for a breath of air. They are also accomplished swimmers capable of inhabiting deeper water and when so motivated, will sail through the water with neck extended, looking much like a Canadian goose in flight! The natural range of S. oderatus is rather large, extending from Quebec and southern Ontario in Canada and from Maine to Florida and west to Texas and Wisconsin in the US. Unlike some of the other musk turtles, S. oderatus are reported to not have a tolerance for brackish water. They tend to prefer slow moving or still water, and though they are a highly aquatic species, rarely coming out to bask in captivity, in their natural habitat they will seeming defy gravity by climbing up near 90 degree angled branches. With surprising strength and a fierce grip, they will hold their hefty little bodies well above the water. When disturbed, adults will quickly drop down, but juveniles may continue to cling fast. Soderatus is omnivorous, with juveniles being more carnivorous, and will feed on aquatic snails, carrion, fish eggs, worms, leeches, aquatic insects, larva, algae and aquatic vegetation. They have a sharp beak and strong jaws and care should be taken when handling them. Not all stinkpots will bite, but if annoyed or threatened, they are capable extending their long neck and, in a flash, can whip it back across their carapace and clamp down on an unsuspecting finger. This behavior may be more evident with wild turtles, or newly acquired turtles that are, sadly, almost exclusively collected from the wild. Like other aquatic turtles, S. oderadus may naturally harbor a range of parasites, which with the general stress of collection and mishandling in the pet trade may quickly reach dangerous levels, threatening the health and survival of the turtle. Both to discourage the wild caught trade of these turtles, and to avoid the costly vet bills that may likely follow their purchase from a pet store - finding a captive bred turtle is highly recommended. The other option is adopting a turtle that is in need of a home. In captivity we want to provide these turtles with an environment that will most closely resemble the conditions of their wild habitat and keep stress to a minimum. Because of their small size, a shallow plastic storage container can meet their needs nicely. They can also be set up quite attractively in an aquarium. Individual personalities differ. Some stinkpots are quite curious and responsive, others are very shy and secretive, but in either case, giving them plant cover in the tank will reduce stress and make them feel more secure. I use small smooth stones as a substrate in my set-up, and soft fern-like plastic plants that trail over sections of the water, which is kept at a depth that allows them to easily reach their head up to the surface while standing on the bottom. As a chiefly nocturnal species, a basking spot is not required. These turtles have also been kept successfully in ambient light without UV-B, but if additional UV-B lighting is desired, a means for retreat should be provided. Such lighting will be necessary if live aquatic plants are included. A piece of cork bark wedged well above the water-line across one side of the tank could provide such retreat, and would also enable the turtle easy access to the surface beneath it for breathing. The inclusion of a riverbank could be added by grading the substrate in a portion of the tank. In the wild, S. oderatus may emerge from the water, often just partially. Such an area with a portion of suitable substrate could also provide a nesting site for gravid females. In a shallow 24 x 18 inch tank, which I use for one turtle, heat is provided from one submersible aquarium heater (enclosed in protective housing) and a 24 watt Repti-Therm heat pad under about 1/3 of the tank. This allows the turtle to thermoregulate as needed. Keeping in mind their preference for slow-moving water, I installed a Fluval 1 underwater canister filter, directed such that it gently circulates the warmed water by the heater to other areas of the tank. The inclusion of a small airstone can also be beneficial. The species is found from temperate to sub-tropical climates, and depending on the climate and conditions of the habitat, may have year-round activity, or periods of hibernation and/or estivation. Though it is best to provide the turtle with a captive habitat similar to it's own, they can be kept at an acceptable active temperature range from 21-24 C (75-78 F) and provided with a gradient. By providing options in the habitat, and carefully watching the turtle's behavior and preferences, you will learn more about its environmental needs, and be able to make appropriate modifications. A healthy stinkpot will eat heartily, and after a settling in period, should accept suitable prey items (that can be dusted with a calcium and multi-vitamin/mineral supplement), and prepared food, such as Reptomin. Provide a variety of food items, including vegetation. They will likely nibble at aquatic plants such as duckweed, water lettuce and water hyacinth, if offered. This species can host a range of external and internal parasites, and newly acquired turtles should be checked, quarantined and carefully monitored. If symptoms such as anorexia, weight loss, or passing of undigested food are observed, proper diagnosis and treatment should be sought. Another point worth mentioning - the symptoms of respiratory illness may not include open-mouthed gaping in S. oderatus, and congestion may not be evident in some cases. However, if the turtle is holding it's head well above the water for extended periods, respiratory illness should be suspected. This may be accompanied by repeated up and down movements of the head when held above the water, or jerking of the head when under water. Because of their sensitive skin, care should always be taken when handling becomes necessary. Minor cuts and abrasions are susceptible to infection, and should be treated appropriately when they occur. S. oderatus is a hearty little turtle that can live up to sixty years. Providing an appropriate habitat and proper care will help insure that it remains healthy and happy for many years to come.
For more information visit http://www.eol.org/pages/790517
Look For : A small, short-tailed, gray or brown turtle with 2 whitish stripes on each side of its head and fleshy bumps on its chin and throat. Small bottom shell has 1 hinge (not always evident).
Length : 2-5".
Habitat : Slow rivers, streams, ponds, swamps, canals.
Range : Eastern U.S. from Great Lakes to eastern Texas.
Stinkpots are small turtles, with two distinguishing beige or yellow stripes that run from the top and bottom nares of their slightly pointed snout and across the side of their face. It has a domed carapace, a slightly hinged plastron, and under its chin and throat are small beard-like barbels, They are chiefly nocturnal, as evidenced by their large dark eyes, and in the evenings and early mornings you may see them trotting along in the shallows on a river bottom, foraging for food, and using their long neck both to reach their prey and to crane their head up to the surface for a breath of air. They are also accomplished swimmers capable of inhabiting deeper water and when so motivated, will sail through the water with neck extended, looking much like a Canadian goose in flight! The natural range of S. oderatus is rather large, extending from Quebec and southern Ontario in Canada and from Maine to Florida and west to Texas and Wisconsin in the US. Unlike some of the other musk turtles, S. oderatus are reported to not have a tolerance for brackish water. They tend to prefer slow moving or still water, and though they are a highly aquatic species, rarely coming out to bask in captivity, in their natural habitat they will seeming defy gravity by climbing up near 90 degree angled branches. With surprising strength and a fierce grip, they will hold their hefty little bodies well above the water. When disturbed, adults will quickly drop down, but juveniles may continue to cling fast. Soderatus is omnivorous, with juveniles being more carnivorous, and will feed on aquatic snails, carrion, fish eggs, worms, leeches, aquatic insects, larva, algae and aquatic vegetation. They have a sharp beak and strong jaws and care should be taken when handling them. Not all stinkpots will bite, but if annoyed or threatened, they are capable extending their long neck and, in a flash, can whip it back across their carapace and clamp down on an unsuspecting finger. This behavior may be more evident with wild turtles, or newly acquired turtles that are, sadly, almost exclusively collected from the wild. Like other aquatic turtles, S. oderadus may naturally harbor a range of parasites, which with the general stress of collection and mishandling in the pet trade may quickly reach dangerous levels, threatening the health and survival of the turtle. Both to discourage the wild caught trade of these turtles, and to avoid the costly vet bills that may likely follow their purchase from a pet store - finding a captive bred turtle is highly recommended. The other option is adopting a turtle that is in need of a home. In captivity we want to provide these turtles with an environment that will most closely resemble the conditions of their wild habitat and keep stress to a minimum. Because of their small size, a shallow plastic storage container can meet their needs nicely. They can also be set up quite attractively in an aquarium. Individual personalities differ. Some stinkpots are quite curious and responsive, others are very shy and secretive, but in either case, giving them plant cover in the tank will reduce stress and make them feel more secure. I use small smooth stones as a substrate in my set-up, and soft fern-like plastic plants that trail over sections of the water, which is kept at a depth that allows them to easily reach their head up to the surface while standing on the bottom. As a chiefly nocturnal species, a basking spot is not required. These turtles have also been kept successfully in ambient light without UV-B, but if additional UV-B lighting is desired, a means for retreat should be provided. Such lighting will be necessary if live aquatic plants are included. A piece of cork bark wedged well above the water-line across one side of the tank could provide such retreat, and would also enable the turtle easy access to the surface beneath it for breathing. The inclusion of a riverbank could be added by grading the substrate in a portion of the tank. In the wild, S. oderatus may emerge from the water, often just partially. Such an area with a portion of suitable substrate could also provide a nesting site for gravid females. In a shallow 24 x 18 inch tank, which I use for one turtle, heat is provided from one submersible aquarium heater (enclosed in protective housing) and a 24 watt Repti-Therm heat pad under about 1/3 of the tank. This allows the turtle to thermoregulate as needed. Keeping in mind their preference for slow-moving water, I installed a Fluval 1 underwater canister filter, directed such that it gently circulates the warmed water by the heater to other areas of the tank. The inclusion of a small airstone can also be beneficial. The species is found from temperate to sub-tropical climates, and depending on the climate and conditions of the habitat, may have year-round activity, or periods of hibernation and/or estivation. Though it is best to provide the turtle with a captive habitat similar to it's own, they can be kept at an acceptable active temperature range from 21-24 C (75-78 F) and provided with a gradient. By providing options in the habitat, and carefully watching the turtle's behavior and preferences, you will learn more about its environmental needs, and be able to make appropriate modifications. A healthy stinkpot will eat heartily, and after a settling in period, should accept suitable prey items (that can be dusted with a calcium and multi-vitamin/mineral supplement), and prepared food, such as Reptomin. Provide a variety of food items, including vegetation. They will likely nibble at aquatic plants such as duckweed, water lettuce and water hyacinth, if offered. This species can host a range of external and internal parasites, and newly acquired turtles should be checked, quarantined and carefully monitored. If symptoms such as anorexia, weight loss, or passing of undigested food are observed, proper diagnosis and treatment should be sought. Another point worth mentioning - the symptoms of respiratory illness may not include open-mouthed gaping in S. oderatus, and congestion may not be evident in some cases. However, if the turtle is holding it's head well above the water for extended periods, respiratory illness should be suspected. This may be accompanied by repeated up and down movements of the head when held above the water, or jerking of the head when under water. Because of their sensitive skin, care should always be taken when handling becomes necessary. Minor cuts and abrasions are susceptible to infection, and should be treated appropriately when they occur. S. oderatus is a hearty little turtle that can live up to sixty years. Providing an appropriate habitat and proper care will help insure that it remains healthy and happy for many years to come.
For more information visit http://www.eol.org/pages/790517
American Crocodile
Crocodylus acutus
1/6/10
American crocodiles are well-armored with tough, scaly skin. They are gray-green or olive-green with long, slender snouts, which distinguish them from their cousin, the alligator. Also unlike the alligator, the fourth tooth on the bottom jaw of the American crocodile is visible when its mouth is closed. South Florida is the only place in which the crocodile and the alligator occur together.
Length 7-15 feet
Weight 150-450 lbs
Lifespan 60-70 years
Diet Small fish, invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals
Population
There are more than 1,000 American crocodiles, not including hatchlings, in Florida. Range
American crocodiles are found in southern Florida, the Caribbean, southern Mexico and along the Central American coast south to Venezuela.
Behavior American crocodiles inhabit brackish and saltwater habitats and are typically found in coastal mangrove wetlands, ponds, coves, creeks and canals. Decidedly less aggressive than the infamous Nile and Australian crocodiles, American crocodiles are shy, reclusive and rarely seen by people.
Reproduction
Mating Season January and February
Gestation 2-3 month egg incubation
Clutch size 35-50 eggs
In April or May, the female crocodile will build a nest of loose dirt in a mound by the water's edge and lay her eggs. She buries the eggs and fiercely guards her nest. When the eggs hatch in July or early August, the female helps carry her young to the water, but, unlike the alligator, she will not continue to care for her young.
Threats Once hunted intensively for their hides, today, loss of habitat to human development, illegal killing and roadkill are the greatest threats faced by American crocodiles.
Legal Status/Protection Listed federally as Endangered and by the State as Endangered. *Endangered Species Act; Florida Endangered and Threatened Species Act; Florida Administrative Code; **CITES Appendix I.
* The Endangered Species Act requires the U.S. federal government to identify species threatened with extinction, identify habitat they need to survive, and help protect both. In doing so, the Act works to ensure the basic health of our natural ecosystems and protect the legacy of conservation we leave to our children and grandchildren.
**Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international treaty with 172 member countries. Appendix I listed species cannot be traded commercially. Appendix II listed species can be traded commercially only if it does not harm their survival.
Length 7-15 feet
Weight 150-450 lbs
Lifespan 60-70 years
Diet Small fish, invertebrates, reptiles, birds and mammals
Population
There are more than 1,000 American crocodiles, not including hatchlings, in Florida. Range
American crocodiles are found in southern Florida, the Caribbean, southern Mexico and along the Central American coast south to Venezuela.
Behavior American crocodiles inhabit brackish and saltwater habitats and are typically found in coastal mangrove wetlands, ponds, coves, creeks and canals. Decidedly less aggressive than the infamous Nile and Australian crocodiles, American crocodiles are shy, reclusive and rarely seen by people.
Reproduction
Mating Season January and February
Gestation 2-3 month egg incubation
Clutch size 35-50 eggs
In April or May, the female crocodile will build a nest of loose dirt in a mound by the water's edge and lay her eggs. She buries the eggs and fiercely guards her nest. When the eggs hatch in July or early August, the female helps carry her young to the water, but, unlike the alligator, she will not continue to care for her young.
Threats Once hunted intensively for their hides, today, loss of habitat to human development, illegal killing and roadkill are the greatest threats faced by American crocodiles.
Legal Status/Protection Listed federally as Endangered and by the State as Endangered. *Endangered Species Act; Florida Endangered and Threatened Species Act; Florida Administrative Code; **CITES Appendix I.
* The Endangered Species Act requires the U.S. federal government to identify species threatened with extinction, identify habitat they need to survive, and help protect both. In doing so, the Act works to ensure the basic health of our natural ecosystems and protect the legacy of conservation we leave to our children and grandchildren.
**Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international treaty with 172 member countries. Appendix I listed species cannot be traded commercially. Appendix II listed species can be traded commercially only if it does not harm their survival.
Common Turn
1/13/10
Description
The common tern is the most widespread and abundant tern in New York. This species has a light grey back, white underparts, a white, deeply forked tail, and a glossy black cap and nape. Its pointed wingtips are noticeably darker than those of the roseate tern with which it associates. The tail is also shorter and has darker outer edges. In breeding plumage, the bill is blood red with a black tip. The immature and winter adult lack enough of the black crown to appear as though balding, and the bill is uniformly dark. The call is a harsh, rolling "kee-urr," with a downward inflection. The average common tern is 13-16 inches (33-40 cm) in length, has a wingspan of about 31 inches (71 cm) and weighs about 4.2 ounces (120 gm).
Life History
From late April to mid-May, common terns return to their northern breeding colonies. These colonies may contain several hundred to several thousand birds, including roseate, least and gull-billed terns, and black skimmers on Long Island. The nest is a simple scrape built above the high tide line in sand, gravel, shells or windrowed seaweed. It is usually lined with vegetation. A clutch of 2-4 (usually 3) eggs is laid during late May through July. Both sexes share incubation duties for 21-27 days. The young fledge about 28 days after hatching. One brood per season is typical, but re-nesting is common when the first nest is destroyed. By mid-October, the terns depart for wintering grounds, sometimes flying as fast as 40 mph.
The common tern secures its prey in a fashion similar to other terns, striking the water in shallow dives or skimming the surface. It feeds on small fish up to 3-4 inches in length. Occasionally, shrimp or aquatic insects are taken. One banded individual was found to be 25 years old upon recapture.
Distribution and Habitat
Common terns inhabit sand and shell beaches, grassy uplands and rocky inland shores in North and South America, Eurasia, and northern Africa. This species breeds in North America along the Atlantic Coast from the northern Maritime Provinces of Canada to South Carolina, and occasionally in the Gulf of Mexico or on large inland lakes. Wintering grounds are from its southernmost breeding areas on the Atlantic Coast to northern Ecuador and Brazil. In New York, common terns nest predominantly on Long Island, but they are also known to breed on small natural and artificial islands (power cribs, piers, navigation sites, etc.) in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers, and Oneida Lake in central New York.
Status
In the early 1900's, common terns were almost extirpated by plume hunters. Protective legislation in 1918 allowed this species to make a comeback in the 1920's and 1930's. Today, competition with ring-billed gulls for nest sites in upstate New York and disturbance on Long Island breeding beaches are the reasons for decline. Many colonies are being forced to breed in salt marsh habitats as a result of the increased human use of beaches and competition with herring and great black-backed gulls. Flooding and predation are problems as well.
Management and Research
Needs Researchers from private and public conservation organizations and concerned volunteers census tern breeding areas on Long Island annually. Extermination of rats has been undertaken in some areas where they were a problem in the past. In upstate New York, some nesting success has occurred as a result of the construction of gull exclosures on the terns' nesting islands.
The common tern is the most widespread and abundant tern in New York. This species has a light grey back, white underparts, a white, deeply forked tail, and a glossy black cap and nape. Its pointed wingtips are noticeably darker than those of the roseate tern with which it associates. The tail is also shorter and has darker outer edges. In breeding plumage, the bill is blood red with a black tip. The immature and winter adult lack enough of the black crown to appear as though balding, and the bill is uniformly dark. The call is a harsh, rolling "kee-urr," with a downward inflection. The average common tern is 13-16 inches (33-40 cm) in length, has a wingspan of about 31 inches (71 cm) and weighs about 4.2 ounces (120 gm).
Life History
From late April to mid-May, common terns return to their northern breeding colonies. These colonies may contain several hundred to several thousand birds, including roseate, least and gull-billed terns, and black skimmers on Long Island. The nest is a simple scrape built above the high tide line in sand, gravel, shells or windrowed seaweed. It is usually lined with vegetation. A clutch of 2-4 (usually 3) eggs is laid during late May through July. Both sexes share incubation duties for 21-27 days. The young fledge about 28 days after hatching. One brood per season is typical, but re-nesting is common when the first nest is destroyed. By mid-October, the terns depart for wintering grounds, sometimes flying as fast as 40 mph.
The common tern secures its prey in a fashion similar to other terns, striking the water in shallow dives or skimming the surface. It feeds on small fish up to 3-4 inches in length. Occasionally, shrimp or aquatic insects are taken. One banded individual was found to be 25 years old upon recapture.
Distribution and Habitat
Common terns inhabit sand and shell beaches, grassy uplands and rocky inland shores in North and South America, Eurasia, and northern Africa. This species breeds in North America along the Atlantic Coast from the northern Maritime Provinces of Canada to South Carolina, and occasionally in the Gulf of Mexico or on large inland lakes. Wintering grounds are from its southernmost breeding areas on the Atlantic Coast to northern Ecuador and Brazil. In New York, common terns nest predominantly on Long Island, but they are also known to breed on small natural and artificial islands (power cribs, piers, navigation sites, etc.) in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the St. Lawrence and Niagara rivers, and Oneida Lake in central New York.
Status
In the early 1900's, common terns were almost extirpated by plume hunters. Protective legislation in 1918 allowed this species to make a comeback in the 1920's and 1930's. Today, competition with ring-billed gulls for nest sites in upstate New York and disturbance on Long Island breeding beaches are the reasons for decline. Many colonies are being forced to breed in salt marsh habitats as a result of the increased human use of beaches and competition with herring and great black-backed gulls. Flooding and predation are problems as well.
Management and Research
Needs Researchers from private and public conservation organizations and concerned volunteers census tern breeding areas on Long Island annually. Extermination of rats has been undertaken in some areas where they were a problem in the past. In upstate New York, some nesting success has occurred as a result of the construction of gull exclosures on the terns' nesting islands.
Black-footed ferrets
Mustela nigripes
(1/20/10)
Natural History
Captive Black-footed Ferrets in Col Black-footed ferrets are one of the most endangered mammals in the world. They are a member of a large group of mammals known as mustelids, or musk-producing animals. Sixty-four species of mustelids live throughout the world, except on the continents of Australia and Antarctica. Mustelids range in size from the least weasel, which weighs barely 1-2 ounces, to the sea otter, which may weigh over 100 pounds. Most mustelids have long bodies and short legs, well-developed claws, short, rounded ears, and scent glands under the tail. Their large skulls and strong jaws and teeth are adapted for eating meat. Some well-known members of the mustelid family include mink, skunks, badgers, martens, fishers, weasels, stoats, polecats, wolverines, and the European, or domestic ferret, sold in pet stores.
Black-footed ferrets are 18 to 24 inches (46-61 cm) long, including a 5 to 6 inch (13-15 cm) tail. They weigh only one-and-a-half to two-and-one-half pounds (0.68 – 1.13 kg), with males slightly larger than females. Black-footed ferrets are well adapted to their prairie environment. Their color and markings blend so well with grassland soils and plants that they are hard to detect until they move. They are obligate carnivores of the prairie dog for food and shelter. They are a slender, wiry animal with a black face mask, black feet, and a black-tipped tail. Their short, sleek fur is a yellow-buff color, lighter on the belly and nearly white on the forehead, muzzle, and throat. They have short legs with large front paws, and claws developed for digging. The ferret's large ears and eyes suggest they have acute hearing and sight, but smell is probably their most important sense for hunting prey underground in the dark. There are three ferret species worldwide but the black-footed ferret is the only one indigenous to North America.
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Cultural Significance
Native Americans knew of the close association between prairie dogs and ferrets, all of whom have coexisted for many thousands of years. Skeletons of both ferrets and prairie dogs have been found in camps occupied by prehistoric Indians, and various tribes had different beliefs about ferrets. Pispiza etopta sapa, meaning "black-faced prairie dog" is the Sioux Indian name for the black-footed ferret. The Pawnees call it "ground dog" and gave the ferrets special powers in their stories. The Navajo Nation refers to the ferret as Dlo ii liz-hinii and used ferret body parts and skins for medicinal purposes and ceremonial adornments. The Cheyenne and Blackfeet tribes decorated chiefs' headdresses with their furs. The Hualapai Indians, who traditionally regard all living things that come out at night as sacred, call the black-footed ferret Na-math. The Crow used ferret skins in sacred ceremonies as medicine bundles. These skins, stuffed and decorated with leather, cloth, bells and feathers can be seen in several museums in the West.
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Behavior
The nocturnal black-footed
ferret in South Dakota
Photo credits: Travis Livieri Black-footed ferrets are primarily nocturnal, making direct observation difficult. Most of their daytime activity is limited to the first few hours following sunrise. They spend most of their time underground in prairie dog burrows, typically spending only a few minutes aboveground each day to hunt or find new burrows or, in spring, mates. In burrows they sleep, cache their food, escape from predators and harsh weather, and give birth to their young. Ferrets do not hibernate, but in winter, the amount of time they are active and the distances they travel decrease substantially. They have been found to remain underground in the same burrow system for a week at a time in winter. In contrast, one ferret was observed traveling over six miles in one night during autumn. Males are more active than females and distances traveled by males tend to be about double that of females.
Black-footed ferrets are very playful, especially as juveniles. Young at play will wrestle, arch their backs and hop backward with their mouths wide open--the "ferret dance".Black-footed ferrets are very vocal. A loud chatter is used as an alarm call. Click here to hear a ferret chatter. A hiss is used to show agitation or fear, and whimpering sounds are used by females to encourage the young to follow. Male ferrets often "chortle" to females during breeding.
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Reproduction
Four-day-old black-footed ferret kitsBlack-footed ferrets lead solitary lives except during the breeding season or when females are caring for young. Breeding activity generally occurs in March and April, and after a gestation period of 41 to 43 days, a litter of kits is born. The average litter size is three to four young, but single kits, as well as litters of nine or ten have been recorded. Only the female cares for the young. The kits are born blind and helpless, weighing only 5 to 9 grams at birth, with thin, white hair covering their bodies. Their dark markings appear at about 3 weeks of age, and young kits begin to open their eyes about 35 days after birth. Black-footed ferret kits develop very rapidly and become increasingly active after their eyes open. (picture of male & female together (will send)
Black-footed ferret mom with kits Kits are about three-quarters grown by July when they first venture above ground. Long after they stop nursing, they depend on their mother for meals of meat. By late summer, the female leaves her kits in separate burrows during the day and gathers them together at night to hunt. Eventually, the young begin to hunt alone, and by September are usually independent and solitary. Both male and female ferrets become sexually mature at one year of age, and their peak reproductive period is about three to four years.
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Specialization
Black-footed ferrets are highly specialized. They are what is called an obligate carnivore, meaning that they specialize in eating one type of animal. In their case, it is prairie dogs. In the evolutionary past this was a very good survival strategy because prairie dogs were plentiful and their burrows provided shelter from harsh weather and predators. However, today due to human activities, their unique survival strategy has become a limitation to their survival.
Back to top
Threats
One day’s kill in ArizonaLoss of habitat is the primary reason black-footed ferrets remain near the brink of extinction. Conversion of native grasslands to intensive agricultural uses, widespread prairie dog eradication programs, and the fatal non-native disease plague have reduced ferret habitat to less than two percent of what once existed. Remaining habitat is now fragmented, with prairie dog towns separated by expanses of cropland and human development. Three species of prairie dog occurred across 500 million acres, an area the size of six Texas sized states, and physically occupied 100 million acres (Hilton et al, 1978). Prairie dogs once moved across the landscape over decades and centuries in response to drought, fire, bison grazing and other factors. Now prairie dog colonies are small and isolated with restricted movement and connectivity. Many other sensitive species such as burrowing owls, mountain plovers, (non-listed) golden eagles, swift fox, and ferruginous hawks are strongly linked to this habitat for their survival. Some species may follow the ferret's fate, and may soon require further conservation efforts to ensure their survival.
Young badger
Photo credits: Travis LivieriBlack-footed ferrets also face threats in the wild from predators and disease. Coyotes, great-horned owls, golden eagles, prairie falcons, badgers, bobcats and foxes all prey on ferrets. Several diseases affect black-footed ferrets, the most serious being canine distemper and sylvatic plague.
Canine distemper is thought to always be fatal to ferrets and is spread by other animals that frequent prairie dog towns, such as coyotes and badgers. Sylvatic plague, spread by fleas, is akin to the bubonic plague that devastated humans in Europe in the Middle Ages. Both ferrets and prairie dogs are highly susceptible to plague, and entire dog towns can be eliminated quickly. Ferrets are also susceptible to other diseases, including rabies, tularemia and human influenza, but these are not considered serious threats.
Captive Black-footed Ferrets in Col Black-footed ferrets are one of the most endangered mammals in the world. They are a member of a large group of mammals known as mustelids, or musk-producing animals. Sixty-four species of mustelids live throughout the world, except on the continents of Australia and Antarctica. Mustelids range in size from the least weasel, which weighs barely 1-2 ounces, to the sea otter, which may weigh over 100 pounds. Most mustelids have long bodies and short legs, well-developed claws, short, rounded ears, and scent glands under the tail. Their large skulls and strong jaws and teeth are adapted for eating meat. Some well-known members of the mustelid family include mink, skunks, badgers, martens, fishers, weasels, stoats, polecats, wolverines, and the European, or domestic ferret, sold in pet stores.
Black-footed ferrets are 18 to 24 inches (46-61 cm) long, including a 5 to 6 inch (13-15 cm) tail. They weigh only one-and-a-half to two-and-one-half pounds (0.68 – 1.13 kg), with males slightly larger than females. Black-footed ferrets are well adapted to their prairie environment. Their color and markings blend so well with grassland soils and plants that they are hard to detect until they move. They are obligate carnivores of the prairie dog for food and shelter. They are a slender, wiry animal with a black face mask, black feet, and a black-tipped tail. Their short, sleek fur is a yellow-buff color, lighter on the belly and nearly white on the forehead, muzzle, and throat. They have short legs with large front paws, and claws developed for digging. The ferret's large ears and eyes suggest they have acute hearing and sight, but smell is probably their most important sense for hunting prey underground in the dark. There are three ferret species worldwide but the black-footed ferret is the only one indigenous to North America.
Back to top
Cultural Significance
Native Americans knew of the close association between prairie dogs and ferrets, all of whom have coexisted for many thousands of years. Skeletons of both ferrets and prairie dogs have been found in camps occupied by prehistoric Indians, and various tribes had different beliefs about ferrets. Pispiza etopta sapa, meaning "black-faced prairie dog" is the Sioux Indian name for the black-footed ferret. The Pawnees call it "ground dog" and gave the ferrets special powers in their stories. The Navajo Nation refers to the ferret as Dlo ii liz-hinii and used ferret body parts and skins for medicinal purposes and ceremonial adornments. The Cheyenne and Blackfeet tribes decorated chiefs' headdresses with their furs. The Hualapai Indians, who traditionally regard all living things that come out at night as sacred, call the black-footed ferret Na-math. The Crow used ferret skins in sacred ceremonies as medicine bundles. These skins, stuffed and decorated with leather, cloth, bells and feathers can be seen in several museums in the West.
Back to top
Behavior
The nocturnal black-footed
ferret in South Dakota
Photo credits: Travis Livieri Black-footed ferrets are primarily nocturnal, making direct observation difficult. Most of their daytime activity is limited to the first few hours following sunrise. They spend most of their time underground in prairie dog burrows, typically spending only a few minutes aboveground each day to hunt or find new burrows or, in spring, mates. In burrows they sleep, cache their food, escape from predators and harsh weather, and give birth to their young. Ferrets do not hibernate, but in winter, the amount of time they are active and the distances they travel decrease substantially. They have been found to remain underground in the same burrow system for a week at a time in winter. In contrast, one ferret was observed traveling over six miles in one night during autumn. Males are more active than females and distances traveled by males tend to be about double that of females.
Black-footed ferrets are very playful, especially as juveniles. Young at play will wrestle, arch their backs and hop backward with their mouths wide open--the "ferret dance".Black-footed ferrets are very vocal. A loud chatter is used as an alarm call. Click here to hear a ferret chatter. A hiss is used to show agitation or fear, and whimpering sounds are used by females to encourage the young to follow. Male ferrets often "chortle" to females during breeding.
Back to top
Reproduction
Four-day-old black-footed ferret kitsBlack-footed ferrets lead solitary lives except during the breeding season or when females are caring for young. Breeding activity generally occurs in March and April, and after a gestation period of 41 to 43 days, a litter of kits is born. The average litter size is three to four young, but single kits, as well as litters of nine or ten have been recorded. Only the female cares for the young. The kits are born blind and helpless, weighing only 5 to 9 grams at birth, with thin, white hair covering their bodies. Their dark markings appear at about 3 weeks of age, and young kits begin to open their eyes about 35 days after birth. Black-footed ferret kits develop very rapidly and become increasingly active after their eyes open. (picture of male & female together (will send)
Black-footed ferret mom with kits Kits are about three-quarters grown by July when they first venture above ground. Long after they stop nursing, they depend on their mother for meals of meat. By late summer, the female leaves her kits in separate burrows during the day and gathers them together at night to hunt. Eventually, the young begin to hunt alone, and by September are usually independent and solitary. Both male and female ferrets become sexually mature at one year of age, and their peak reproductive period is about three to four years.
Back to top
Specialization
Black-footed ferrets are highly specialized. They are what is called an obligate carnivore, meaning that they specialize in eating one type of animal. In their case, it is prairie dogs. In the evolutionary past this was a very good survival strategy because prairie dogs were plentiful and their burrows provided shelter from harsh weather and predators. However, today due to human activities, their unique survival strategy has become a limitation to their survival.
Back to top
Threats
One day’s kill in ArizonaLoss of habitat is the primary reason black-footed ferrets remain near the brink of extinction. Conversion of native grasslands to intensive agricultural uses, widespread prairie dog eradication programs, and the fatal non-native disease plague have reduced ferret habitat to less than two percent of what once existed. Remaining habitat is now fragmented, with prairie dog towns separated by expanses of cropland and human development. Three species of prairie dog occurred across 500 million acres, an area the size of six Texas sized states, and physically occupied 100 million acres (Hilton et al, 1978). Prairie dogs once moved across the landscape over decades and centuries in response to drought, fire, bison grazing and other factors. Now prairie dog colonies are small and isolated with restricted movement and connectivity. Many other sensitive species such as burrowing owls, mountain plovers, (non-listed) golden eagles, swift fox, and ferruginous hawks are strongly linked to this habitat for their survival. Some species may follow the ferret's fate, and may soon require further conservation efforts to ensure their survival.
Young badger
Photo credits: Travis LivieriBlack-footed ferrets also face threats in the wild from predators and disease. Coyotes, great-horned owls, golden eagles, prairie falcons, badgers, bobcats and foxes all prey on ferrets. Several diseases affect black-footed ferrets, the most serious being canine distemper and sylvatic plague.
Canine distemper is thought to always be fatal to ferrets and is spread by other animals that frequent prairie dog towns, such as coyotes and badgers. Sylvatic plague, spread by fleas, is akin to the bubonic plague that devastated humans in Europe in the Middle Ages. Both ferrets and prairie dogs are highly susceptible to plague, and entire dog towns can be eliminated quickly. Ferrets are also susceptible to other diseases, including rabies, tularemia and human influenza, but these are not considered serious threats.
Bottlenose Dolphin
(1/27/10)
There are at least thirty two species of dolphins. The bottle nosed dolphin, a popular performer, the common dolphin and the tucuxi dolphin (also known as the buffeo, or river dolphin) are some of the better known varieties. The bottle-nosed dolphin belongs to the family Delphinidae in the suborder Odontoceti and order Cetacea.
Scientifically, they have been classified as Tursiops truncatus. The bottlenosed dolphin has been so named, courtesy its peculiar snout. The snout is distinctly set off from the head, like the neck of a bottle. They may be found in almost all tropical and temperate coastal waters. They move around in groups consisting of lesser than twenty dolphins. Special offshore varieties that may be found in many places and in the deep water, form schools that can be as large as two hundred. Some of them make seasonal migrations.
This variety of dolphin is usually dark grey or black at the top. It has a lighter belly. The length of adults varies, from about two meters to nearly four. In general, males are slightly larger than females, and cold-water bottle nosed dolphins are larger than their warm-water counterparts.
The bottle-nosed dolphin needs variety in its food. It feeds on shrimps, squids, other invertebrates and fish. The quantity of food intake per day is said to be one-third the dolphin’s weight. The dolphins feed by nosing into near-shore rocky crevasses, by chasing fish onto mud banks and snapping them up while they are beached, or by co-operatively herding prey into dense clusters, sometimes against a shore or up to the surface of the water. These smart creatures sometimes follow shrimp boats for the prey that they stir up and for the catch that is tossed overboard.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenosed dolphins are gregarious by nature. In some near-shore societies, they appear to stay together for life.
The female of the species attains maturity between years five and twelve, while the male members do so between ages nine and thirteen. A calf is born after a gestation period of about twelve months. Usually, a single calf is born. The calves nurse for up to eighteen months.
The dolphins communicate by means of a rich repertoire of whistles and rasping sounds, and in at least some populations, individuals appear to have a signature whistle. Bottlenose dolphins are able to discriminate even small objects by echolocation. They send out high frequency clucks, that bounce off the prey and other objects, and the dolphins use the returning echoes to distinguish the objects. For this reason, most studies of echo location in dolphins have used bottle-nosed dolphins as subjects.
Bottle-nosed dolphins are often considered the most adaptable of the cetaceans. They are the most commonly kept dolphins in zoos and marine aquaria. They are frequently hunted for meat, fertilizer and oil. Fortunately, in spite of this fact, their number does not seem to have reduced significantly, except in the Black Sea.
Scientifically, they have been classified as Tursiops truncatus. The bottlenosed dolphin has been so named, courtesy its peculiar snout. The snout is distinctly set off from the head, like the neck of a bottle. They may be found in almost all tropical and temperate coastal waters. They move around in groups consisting of lesser than twenty dolphins. Special offshore varieties that may be found in many places and in the deep water, form schools that can be as large as two hundred. Some of them make seasonal migrations.
This variety of dolphin is usually dark grey or black at the top. It has a lighter belly. The length of adults varies, from about two meters to nearly four. In general, males are slightly larger than females, and cold-water bottle nosed dolphins are larger than their warm-water counterparts.
The bottle-nosed dolphin needs variety in its food. It feeds on shrimps, squids, other invertebrates and fish. The quantity of food intake per day is said to be one-third the dolphin’s weight. The dolphins feed by nosing into near-shore rocky crevasses, by chasing fish onto mud banks and snapping them up while they are beached, or by co-operatively herding prey into dense clusters, sometimes against a shore or up to the surface of the water. These smart creatures sometimes follow shrimp boats for the prey that they stir up and for the catch that is tossed overboard.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenosed dolphins are gregarious by nature. In some near-shore societies, they appear to stay together for life.
The female of the species attains maturity between years five and twelve, while the male members do so between ages nine and thirteen. A calf is born after a gestation period of about twelve months. Usually, a single calf is born. The calves nurse for up to eighteen months.
The dolphins communicate by means of a rich repertoire of whistles and rasping sounds, and in at least some populations, individuals appear to have a signature whistle. Bottlenose dolphins are able to discriminate even small objects by echolocation. They send out high frequency clucks, that bounce off the prey and other objects, and the dolphins use the returning echoes to distinguish the objects. For this reason, most studies of echo location in dolphins have used bottle-nosed dolphins as subjects.
Bottle-nosed dolphins are often considered the most adaptable of the cetaceans. They are the most commonly kept dolphins in zoos and marine aquaria. They are frequently hunted for meat, fertilizer and oil. Fortunately, in spite of this fact, their number does not seem to have reduced significantly, except in the Black Sea.
Bengal Tigers
(2/1/10)
Physical characteristics
A White Bengal Tiger at the Cougar Mountain Zoological Park. Previously it was considered the second largest subspecies, behind the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), however a recent study suggests that maybe this subspecies could be, on average, the largest of the tigers.[5] The total length for the males is of 270-310 cm meanwhile those of the females is of 240–265 cm;[6] the tail measures 85–110 cm long and the height at the shoulder is 90–110 cm.[7] The average weight is 221.2 kg (487.7 lb) for the males and 139.7 kg (308 lb) for the females,[8] however those who inhabit the north of India and Nepal have an average weight of 235 kg (518 lb) for the males and 140 kg (308.6 lb) for the females.[9] Its coat is yellow to light orange, and the stripes range from dark brown to black; the belly is white, and the tail is white with black rings. A mutation of the Bengal subspecies, the white tiger, have dark brown or reddish brown stripes on a white background color, and some are entirely white. Black tigers have tawny, yellow or white stripes on a black background color. The skin of a black tiger, recovered from smugglers, measured 259 cm and was displayed at the National Museum of Natural History, in New Delhi. The existence of black tigers without stripes has been reported but not substantiated.[10]
The Bengal tiger's roar can be heard for up to three kilometers (almost two miles) away.[11]
[edit] Tiger records Officially, the heaviest Bengal tiger with confirmed weight was a male of 258.6 kg (570 lbs) and was shot in Northern India in 1938,[12] however, the heaviest males captured by scientists at this time are two tigers (M105 and M026) of more than 270 kg (600 lb), tagged in Nepal in 1984.[13] The largest known Bengal tiger, measured between pegs, was a male with a head and body length of 221 cm, 150 cm of chest girth, a shoulder height of 109 cm and a tail of just 81 cm, perhaps bitten off by a rival male. This specimen could not be weighed, but it was calculated to weigh no less than 272 kg.[14] Finally, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the heaviest tiger known was a huge male hunted in 1967, it measured 322 cm in total length between pegs (338 cm over curves) and weighed 388.7 kg (857 lb). This specimen was hunted in the north of India by David Hasinger and is actually on exhibition in the Smithsonian Institution, in the Mammals Hall.[15]
In the beginning of the 20 century, there were reports of big males measuring about 12 ft (3.7 m) in total length, however there was not scientific corroboration in the field and it is probable that this measurement was taken over the curves of the body.[16]
[edit] Genetic ancestry The Bengal tigers are defined by three distinct mitochondrial nucleotide sites and 12 unique microsatellite alleles. The pattern of genetic variation in the Bengal tiger corresponds to the premise that these tigers arrived in India approximately 12,000 years ago. This recent history of tigers in the Indian subcontinent is consistent with the lack of tiger fossils from India prior to the late Pleistocene and the absence of tigers from Sri Lanka, which was separated from the subcontinent by rising sea levels in the early Holocene.[17][18] However, a recent study of two independent fossil finds from Sri Lanka, one dated to approximately. 16,500 years ago, tentatively classifies them as being a tiger.[19]
[edit] Behaviour A male and female tiger in India interact with each other. Tigers do not live in prides as lions do. They do not live as family units because the male plays no part in raising his offspring . Tigers mark their territory by spraying urine on a branch or leaves or bark of a tree which leaves a particular scent behind. Tigers also spray urine to attract the opposite sex. When an outside individual comes into contact with the scent, it learns that the territory is occupied by another tiger. Hence, every tiger lives independently in their own territory.
Male Bengal tigers fiercely defend their territory from other tigers, often engaging in serious fighting. Female tigers are less territorial, occasionally a female will share her territory with other females. If a male happens to enter a female's territory, he would probably mate with her, if she is not already pregnant or has a litter. If she is pregnant or has a litter, he has no choice but to find himself a new territory and a mate. Similarly, females entering a male's territory are known to mate with him. Both males and females become independent of their mother around 18 months old, whereupon the cubs have to establish their own territories and fend for themselves. A male territory is larger than a female territory.
[edit] Reproduction and lifecycle A male tiger with his cub at the Bandhavgarh National Park, in India. Mating can occur at any time, more often between November and April. The females can have cubs at the age of 3–4 years; males reach maturity by about 4 years old. After the gestation period of 103 days, 2-5 cubs are born. Newborn cubs weigh about 1 kg (2 lb) and are blind and helpless. The mother feeds them milk for 6–8 weeks and then the cubs are introduced to meat. The cubs depend on the mother for the first 18 months and then they start hunting on their own.[20]
[edit] Hunting and diet Bengal tigers are classified as obligate carnivores, meaning that they have a diet of strictly meat. Bengal tigers eat a variety of animals found in their natural habitat, including deer (sambar, chital, barasingha, hog deer and muntjac), wild boars, water buffalo, gaur, nilgai antelope, and occasionally other ungulates (such as Nilgiri tahr, serow and takin, where available); tigers have also been observed eating small prey, such as monkeys, hares, birds (primarily peafowl), and porcupines, but large and medium-sized ungulates provide the majority of biomass consumed by tigers, and are essential for their survival.[21][22][23][24][25] Bengal tigers have also been known to take other predators such as leopards, wolves, jackals, foxes, crocodiles, Asiatic Black Bears, Sloth bears, and dholes as prey, although these predators are not typically a part of the tiger's diet. Adult elephants and rhinoceroses are too large to be successfully tackled by tigers, but such extraordinarily rare events have been recorded. The Indian hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett described an incident where two tigers fought and killed a sick large bull elephant.[26] Due to the encroachment of humans on the Bengal tiger's habitat, Bengal tigers also eat domestic cattle, and if injured, old, or weak, humans. When a tiger consumes human flesh, it becomes known as a man-eater and will prey on humans. The nature of the Tiger's hunting method and prey availability results in a "feast or famine" feeding style. Tigers gorge themselves often consuming 18–20 kg (40–60 lb) of meat at one time as they may not be successful hunting again for several days.[21] Bengal tigers prey on vulnerability, so they attack the last animal at the end of a herd, kill it, and then drag the animal's carcass to a safe location to consume it.[20]
[edit] Population and distribution A Bengal tigress with her cubs at the Bandhavgarh National Park, India The current population of wild Bengal tigers in the Indian subcontinent is estimated to be between 1,300 and 1,500.[27] Of these, 1,411 are found in the wild in India[28] while about 280 are found in Bangladesh, mostly in the Sunderbans.[29] Over the past century tiger numbers have fallen dramatically. Of eight sub-species alive in 1900, three are now extinct and we have lost over 90 per cent of wild tigers.[30]
Habitat losses and the extremely large-scale incidences of poaching are serious threats to species survival. Poachers kill tigers not only for their pelts, but also for body parts used to make various traditional East Asian medicines. Other factors contributing to their loss are urbanization and revenge killing. Farmers blame tigers for killing cattle and shoot them. Poachers also kill tigers for their bones and teeth to make medicines that are alleged to impart the tiger's strength to the human who consumes the medicine. The hunting for Chinese medicine and fur is the biggest cause of the decline of the tigers.
[edit] India An early silver coin of Uttama Chola found in Sri Lanka showing the Tiger emblem of the Cholas. In Grantha Tamil.[31][32] The Shiva Pashupati, seal with tiger (broken) to right of the seated Shiva figure termed Pashupati A Bengal Tiger in a natural reserve in Karnataka, India. Following the revelation that only 1,411 Bengal tigers exist in the wild in India, down from 3,600 in 2003, the Indian government has decided to set up eight new tiger reserves.[33] The Bengal tiger has been a national symbol of India since about the 25th century BCE when it was displayed on the Pashupati seal of the Indus Valley Civilisation. On the seal, the tiger, being the largest, represents the Yogi Shiva's people[34]
The tiger was later the symbol of the Chola Empire from 300 CE to 1279 CE and is now designated as the the official animal of India.[35]
India has about two-thirds of the world's wild tigers, according to the IUCN Cat Specialist Group. in the past, Indian censuses of wild tigers relied on the individual identification of footprints (known as pug marks), which one review criticized as inaccurate.[36] Using modern camera trap counting methods, the landmark 2008 national tiger census report, Status of the Tigers, Co-predators, and Prey in India, published by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, estimates only 1411 adult tigers in existence in India (plus uncensused tigers in the Sundarbans)[37].
As of June 2009, Bengal tigers are found in 37 tiger reserves spread across 17 Indian states.[38] An area of special interest lies in North India where 11 protected areas are found in the Terai Arc, comprising dry forest foothills and dune valleys at the base of the Himalayas. "The whole idea," says Seidensticker, "is to maintain the connection between them, to create a necklace (of habitat) along the Nepal-India border, involving 1,000 miles from the Royal Chitwan National Park to Corbett National Park."
Once a royal hunting reserve, Chitwan became a national park in 1973. New economic incentives give villagers a direct stake in this renowned tourist attraction, with more than a third of revenues from park entrance fees being returned to the 300,000 people living in 36 villages in the surrounding buffer zone. As a result, locals are now creating and managing tiger habitat and consider themselves guardians of their tigers.
Rivaling Chitwan for the title of the world's best tiger habitat is the Western Ghats forest complex in western South India, an area of 14,400 square miles (37,000 km2) stretching across several protected areas. The challenge here, as throughout most of Asia, is that people literally live on top of the wildlife. The Save the Tiger Fund Council estimates that 7,500 landless people live illegally inside the boundaries of the 386-square-mile Nagarhole National Park in southwestern India. A voluntary if controversial resettlement is underway with the aid of the Karnataka Tiger Conservation Project led by K. Ullas Karanth of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
While the Project Tiger initiative launched in 1972 initially reversed the species' population decline, the decline has resumed in recent years; India's tiger population decreased from 3,642 in the 1990s to just over 1,400 from 2002 to 2008.[39] Since then, the Indian government has undertaken several steps to reduce the destruction of the Bengal tiger's natural habitat in India. In May 2008, forest officials at the Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, India spotted 14 tiger cubs.[40] In June 2008, a tiger from Ranthambore was successfully reintroduced to the Sariska Tiger Reserve.[41]
[edit] Bangladesh According to lateset Pug mark census, 400 Bengal tigers are counted to live in Bangladesh. Most are in Sundarbans while a few could be found in Easter hilly paty of the country. The Sundarbans tiger project is a Bangladesh Forest Department initiative that effectively started its field activities in February 2005. The idea for creating such a project was first developed during a field survey in 2001 conducted by Md. Osman Gani, Ishtiaq U. Ahmad, James L. D. Smith and K. Ullas Karanth. They realized that the Sundarbans mangrove forest at the mouth of the Ganges River contained probably one of the largest populations of wild tigers left in the world. As such, there was an urgent need to start measures that would ensure the protection of this precious area.
The Save the Tiger Fund and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service generously donated funds to support the initial phase of research that aims to collect data on tiger ecology using telemetry, and study the tiger’s environment by assessing its habitat and prey.
But management of a wilderness area needs more than just information on the species to be protected. Personnel with skills and resources to implement conservation strategies, and the general support of the country are also required. So from the research base, the project is evolving rapidly to also encompass capacity building and conservation awareness activities. It has been able to do so through the forward thinking approach to management taken by the Forest Department, and the incredible support of the Bangladeshi people.
The project is administered by the Forest Department and it utilizes wildlife consultants from the University of Minnesota to advise on research strategies and train staff. At the field level, there is a team of 8, made up of Forest Department personnel and one wildlife consultant.
[edit] Others Nepal, with a maximum of 200 tigers split into three isolated and vulnerable sub-populations, reports stability after a serious decline.
To the east of Nepal, in Bhutan, scientists in this small Buddhist kingdom have evidence of a richer tiger population than previously estimated. Camera traps snapped photos of a wild tiger high in the Himalayas, at the surprising elevation of 13,000 feet (4,000 m). This offers new possibilities for suitable tiger habitat.[10]
[edit] Relationship with humans [edit] Poaching A Bengal tiger in the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary[42] A Bengal tiger is being relocated in Sunderban The Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) works with law enforcement agencies in India to apprehend tiger poachers and wildlife traders throughout India. WPSI also makes every effort to investigate and verify any seizure of tiger parts and unnatural tiger deaths that are brought to their notice.
The illicit demand for bones from wild tigers for use in traditional Chinese medicine, coupled with the international trade in tiger skins, continues to be the main reason for the unrelenting poaching pressure on tigers in India. There is virtually no demand for either bones or skins of tigers within India.[43]
The following figures represent only a fraction of the actual poaching and trade in tiger parts in India. The central and state governments do not systematically compile information on tiger poaching cases and the details come from reports received by WPSI from enforcement authorities, work carried out by WPSI, and other sources.[44]
To date, WPSI has documented the following cases:
Year Tigers known to be killed 1994 95 1995 121 1996 52 1997 88 1998 44 1999 81 2000 53 2001 72 2002 43 2003 35 2004 34 2005 43 2006 37 2007 27
In 2006, India's Sariska Tiger Reserve lost all of its 26 tigers, mostly to poaching.[45] In 2009, the Panna Tiger Reserve also reported that there weren't any tigers left within the sanctuary due to excessive poaching.[46]
[edit] Genetic pollution Tara, a hand-reared supposedly Bengal tigress acquired from Twycross Zoo in England in July 1976, was trained by Billy Arjan Singh and reintroduced to the wild in Dudhwa National Park, India, with the permission of India's then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in an attempt to prove that zoo-bred, hand-reared tigers can be released in the wild with success. In the 1990s, some tigers from Dudhwa were observed which had the typical appearance of Siberian tigers: white complexion, pale fur, large head and wide stripes. With recent advances in science, it was subsequently found that Siberian tigers' genes have polluted the otherwise pure Bengal tiger gene pool of Dudhwa National Park. It was proved later that Twycross Zoo had been irresponsible and maintained no breeding records and had given India a hybrid Siberian-Bengal tigress instead. Dudhwa tigers constitute about 1% of India's total wild population, but the possibility exists of this genetic pollution spreading to other tiger groups; at its worst, this could jeopardize the Bengal tiger as a distinct subspecies.[47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54]
[edit] Attack on humans Closeup of a Bengal tiger in a national park in southern India. Tigers are known to not like the presence of humans in their territory since they like to be alone. Any human interference in tiger hunting and lactating may disturb tigers and they often growl during such disturbances. There have been incidences where mother tigers have been separated from their cubs due to human interference. A well known incident occurred in Bandhavgarh National Park where a tigress known as Mohini was separated from her cubs while crossing the road since some tourists blocked her road to the other side resulting in losing her contact with her cubs, who had already crossed the road. Usually, tigers become man eaters when they grow old and have no strength to hunt. At such times if a human comes in contact with the tiger, he/she may be killed. But that is not the only reason why tigers become man eaters. If tigers do not have enough prey to feed upon, due to an imbalance in the food chain, they will often try to hunt humans. If a young tiger has injured teeth or paws, then it becomes difficult for him to tear apart his prey, which is also another reason for him to eat man.
A White Bengal Tiger at the Cougar Mountain Zoological Park. Previously it was considered the second largest subspecies, behind the Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), however a recent study suggests that maybe this subspecies could be, on average, the largest of the tigers.[5] The total length for the males is of 270-310 cm meanwhile those of the females is of 240–265 cm;[6] the tail measures 85–110 cm long and the height at the shoulder is 90–110 cm.[7] The average weight is 221.2 kg (487.7 lb) for the males and 139.7 kg (308 lb) for the females,[8] however those who inhabit the north of India and Nepal have an average weight of 235 kg (518 lb) for the males and 140 kg (308.6 lb) for the females.[9] Its coat is yellow to light orange, and the stripes range from dark brown to black; the belly is white, and the tail is white with black rings. A mutation of the Bengal subspecies, the white tiger, have dark brown or reddish brown stripes on a white background color, and some are entirely white. Black tigers have tawny, yellow or white stripes on a black background color. The skin of a black tiger, recovered from smugglers, measured 259 cm and was displayed at the National Museum of Natural History, in New Delhi. The existence of black tigers without stripes has been reported but not substantiated.[10]
The Bengal tiger's roar can be heard for up to three kilometers (almost two miles) away.[11]
[edit] Tiger records Officially, the heaviest Bengal tiger with confirmed weight was a male of 258.6 kg (570 lbs) and was shot in Northern India in 1938,[12] however, the heaviest males captured by scientists at this time are two tigers (M105 and M026) of more than 270 kg (600 lb), tagged in Nepal in 1984.[13] The largest known Bengal tiger, measured between pegs, was a male with a head and body length of 221 cm, 150 cm of chest girth, a shoulder height of 109 cm and a tail of just 81 cm, perhaps bitten off by a rival male. This specimen could not be weighed, but it was calculated to weigh no less than 272 kg.[14] Finally, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the heaviest tiger known was a huge male hunted in 1967, it measured 322 cm in total length between pegs (338 cm over curves) and weighed 388.7 kg (857 lb). This specimen was hunted in the north of India by David Hasinger and is actually on exhibition in the Smithsonian Institution, in the Mammals Hall.[15]
In the beginning of the 20 century, there were reports of big males measuring about 12 ft (3.7 m) in total length, however there was not scientific corroboration in the field and it is probable that this measurement was taken over the curves of the body.[16]
[edit] Genetic ancestry The Bengal tigers are defined by three distinct mitochondrial nucleotide sites and 12 unique microsatellite alleles. The pattern of genetic variation in the Bengal tiger corresponds to the premise that these tigers arrived in India approximately 12,000 years ago. This recent history of tigers in the Indian subcontinent is consistent with the lack of tiger fossils from India prior to the late Pleistocene and the absence of tigers from Sri Lanka, which was separated from the subcontinent by rising sea levels in the early Holocene.[17][18] However, a recent study of two independent fossil finds from Sri Lanka, one dated to approximately. 16,500 years ago, tentatively classifies them as being a tiger.[19]
[edit] Behaviour A male and female tiger in India interact with each other. Tigers do not live in prides as lions do. They do not live as family units because the male plays no part in raising his offspring . Tigers mark their territory by spraying urine on a branch or leaves or bark of a tree which leaves a particular scent behind. Tigers also spray urine to attract the opposite sex. When an outside individual comes into contact with the scent, it learns that the territory is occupied by another tiger. Hence, every tiger lives independently in their own territory.
Male Bengal tigers fiercely defend their territory from other tigers, often engaging in serious fighting. Female tigers are less territorial, occasionally a female will share her territory with other females. If a male happens to enter a female's territory, he would probably mate with her, if she is not already pregnant or has a litter. If she is pregnant or has a litter, he has no choice but to find himself a new territory and a mate. Similarly, females entering a male's territory are known to mate with him. Both males and females become independent of their mother around 18 months old, whereupon the cubs have to establish their own territories and fend for themselves. A male territory is larger than a female territory.
[edit] Reproduction and lifecycle A male tiger with his cub at the Bandhavgarh National Park, in India. Mating can occur at any time, more often between November and April. The females can have cubs at the age of 3–4 years; males reach maturity by about 4 years old. After the gestation period of 103 days, 2-5 cubs are born. Newborn cubs weigh about 1 kg (2 lb) and are blind and helpless. The mother feeds them milk for 6–8 weeks and then the cubs are introduced to meat. The cubs depend on the mother for the first 18 months and then they start hunting on their own.[20]
[edit] Hunting and diet Bengal tigers are classified as obligate carnivores, meaning that they have a diet of strictly meat. Bengal tigers eat a variety of animals found in their natural habitat, including deer (sambar, chital, barasingha, hog deer and muntjac), wild boars, water buffalo, gaur, nilgai antelope, and occasionally other ungulates (such as Nilgiri tahr, serow and takin, where available); tigers have also been observed eating small prey, such as monkeys, hares, birds (primarily peafowl), and porcupines, but large and medium-sized ungulates provide the majority of biomass consumed by tigers, and are essential for their survival.[21][22][23][24][25] Bengal tigers have also been known to take other predators such as leopards, wolves, jackals, foxes, crocodiles, Asiatic Black Bears, Sloth bears, and dholes as prey, although these predators are not typically a part of the tiger's diet. Adult elephants and rhinoceroses are too large to be successfully tackled by tigers, but such extraordinarily rare events have been recorded. The Indian hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett described an incident where two tigers fought and killed a sick large bull elephant.[26] Due to the encroachment of humans on the Bengal tiger's habitat, Bengal tigers also eat domestic cattle, and if injured, old, or weak, humans. When a tiger consumes human flesh, it becomes known as a man-eater and will prey on humans. The nature of the Tiger's hunting method and prey availability results in a "feast or famine" feeding style. Tigers gorge themselves often consuming 18–20 kg (40–60 lb) of meat at one time as they may not be successful hunting again for several days.[21] Bengal tigers prey on vulnerability, so they attack the last animal at the end of a herd, kill it, and then drag the animal's carcass to a safe location to consume it.[20]
[edit] Population and distribution A Bengal tigress with her cubs at the Bandhavgarh National Park, India The current population of wild Bengal tigers in the Indian subcontinent is estimated to be between 1,300 and 1,500.[27] Of these, 1,411 are found in the wild in India[28] while about 280 are found in Bangladesh, mostly in the Sunderbans.[29] Over the past century tiger numbers have fallen dramatically. Of eight sub-species alive in 1900, three are now extinct and we have lost over 90 per cent of wild tigers.[30]
Habitat losses and the extremely large-scale incidences of poaching are serious threats to species survival. Poachers kill tigers not only for their pelts, but also for body parts used to make various traditional East Asian medicines. Other factors contributing to their loss are urbanization and revenge killing. Farmers blame tigers for killing cattle and shoot them. Poachers also kill tigers for their bones and teeth to make medicines that are alleged to impart the tiger's strength to the human who consumes the medicine. The hunting for Chinese medicine and fur is the biggest cause of the decline of the tigers.
[edit] India An early silver coin of Uttama Chola found in Sri Lanka showing the Tiger emblem of the Cholas. In Grantha Tamil.[31][32] The Shiva Pashupati, seal with tiger (broken) to right of the seated Shiva figure termed Pashupati A Bengal Tiger in a natural reserve in Karnataka, India. Following the revelation that only 1,411 Bengal tigers exist in the wild in India, down from 3,600 in 2003, the Indian government has decided to set up eight new tiger reserves.[33] The Bengal tiger has been a national symbol of India since about the 25th century BCE when it was displayed on the Pashupati seal of the Indus Valley Civilisation. On the seal, the tiger, being the largest, represents the Yogi Shiva's people[34]
The tiger was later the symbol of the Chola Empire from 300 CE to 1279 CE and is now designated as the the official animal of India.[35]
India has about two-thirds of the world's wild tigers, according to the IUCN Cat Specialist Group. in the past, Indian censuses of wild tigers relied on the individual identification of footprints (known as pug marks), which one review criticized as inaccurate.[36] Using modern camera trap counting methods, the landmark 2008 national tiger census report, Status of the Tigers, Co-predators, and Prey in India, published by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, estimates only 1411 adult tigers in existence in India (plus uncensused tigers in the Sundarbans)[37].
As of June 2009, Bengal tigers are found in 37 tiger reserves spread across 17 Indian states.[38] An area of special interest lies in North India where 11 protected areas are found in the Terai Arc, comprising dry forest foothills and dune valleys at the base of the Himalayas. "The whole idea," says Seidensticker, "is to maintain the connection between them, to create a necklace (of habitat) along the Nepal-India border, involving 1,000 miles from the Royal Chitwan National Park to Corbett National Park."
Once a royal hunting reserve, Chitwan became a national park in 1973. New economic incentives give villagers a direct stake in this renowned tourist attraction, with more than a third of revenues from park entrance fees being returned to the 300,000 people living in 36 villages in the surrounding buffer zone. As a result, locals are now creating and managing tiger habitat and consider themselves guardians of their tigers.
Rivaling Chitwan for the title of the world's best tiger habitat is the Western Ghats forest complex in western South India, an area of 14,400 square miles (37,000 km2) stretching across several protected areas. The challenge here, as throughout most of Asia, is that people literally live on top of the wildlife. The Save the Tiger Fund Council estimates that 7,500 landless people live illegally inside the boundaries of the 386-square-mile Nagarhole National Park in southwestern India. A voluntary if controversial resettlement is underway with the aid of the Karnataka Tiger Conservation Project led by K. Ullas Karanth of the Wildlife Conservation Society.
While the Project Tiger initiative launched in 1972 initially reversed the species' population decline, the decline has resumed in recent years; India's tiger population decreased from 3,642 in the 1990s to just over 1,400 from 2002 to 2008.[39] Since then, the Indian government has undertaken several steps to reduce the destruction of the Bengal tiger's natural habitat in India. In May 2008, forest officials at the Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, India spotted 14 tiger cubs.[40] In June 2008, a tiger from Ranthambore was successfully reintroduced to the Sariska Tiger Reserve.[41]
[edit] Bangladesh According to lateset Pug mark census, 400 Bengal tigers are counted to live in Bangladesh. Most are in Sundarbans while a few could be found in Easter hilly paty of the country. The Sundarbans tiger project is a Bangladesh Forest Department initiative that effectively started its field activities in February 2005. The idea for creating such a project was first developed during a field survey in 2001 conducted by Md. Osman Gani, Ishtiaq U. Ahmad, James L. D. Smith and K. Ullas Karanth. They realized that the Sundarbans mangrove forest at the mouth of the Ganges River contained probably one of the largest populations of wild tigers left in the world. As such, there was an urgent need to start measures that would ensure the protection of this precious area.
The Save the Tiger Fund and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service generously donated funds to support the initial phase of research that aims to collect data on tiger ecology using telemetry, and study the tiger’s environment by assessing its habitat and prey.
But management of a wilderness area needs more than just information on the species to be protected. Personnel with skills and resources to implement conservation strategies, and the general support of the country are also required. So from the research base, the project is evolving rapidly to also encompass capacity building and conservation awareness activities. It has been able to do so through the forward thinking approach to management taken by the Forest Department, and the incredible support of the Bangladeshi people.
The project is administered by the Forest Department and it utilizes wildlife consultants from the University of Minnesota to advise on research strategies and train staff. At the field level, there is a team of 8, made up of Forest Department personnel and one wildlife consultant.
[edit] Others Nepal, with a maximum of 200 tigers split into three isolated and vulnerable sub-populations, reports stability after a serious decline.
To the east of Nepal, in Bhutan, scientists in this small Buddhist kingdom have evidence of a richer tiger population than previously estimated. Camera traps snapped photos of a wild tiger high in the Himalayas, at the surprising elevation of 13,000 feet (4,000 m). This offers new possibilities for suitable tiger habitat.[10]
[edit] Relationship with humans [edit] Poaching A Bengal tiger in the Kanyakumari Wildlife Sanctuary[42] A Bengal tiger is being relocated in Sunderban The Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) works with law enforcement agencies in India to apprehend tiger poachers and wildlife traders throughout India. WPSI also makes every effort to investigate and verify any seizure of tiger parts and unnatural tiger deaths that are brought to their notice.
The illicit demand for bones from wild tigers for use in traditional Chinese medicine, coupled with the international trade in tiger skins, continues to be the main reason for the unrelenting poaching pressure on tigers in India. There is virtually no demand for either bones or skins of tigers within India.[43]
The following figures represent only a fraction of the actual poaching and trade in tiger parts in India. The central and state governments do not systematically compile information on tiger poaching cases and the details come from reports received by WPSI from enforcement authorities, work carried out by WPSI, and other sources.[44]
To date, WPSI has documented the following cases:
Year Tigers known to be killed 1994 95 1995 121 1996 52 1997 88 1998 44 1999 81 2000 53 2001 72 2002 43 2003 35 2004 34 2005 43 2006 37 2007 27
In 2006, India's Sariska Tiger Reserve lost all of its 26 tigers, mostly to poaching.[45] In 2009, the Panna Tiger Reserve also reported that there weren't any tigers left within the sanctuary due to excessive poaching.[46]
[edit] Genetic pollution Tara, a hand-reared supposedly Bengal tigress acquired from Twycross Zoo in England in July 1976, was trained by Billy Arjan Singh and reintroduced to the wild in Dudhwa National Park, India, with the permission of India's then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in an attempt to prove that zoo-bred, hand-reared tigers can be released in the wild with success. In the 1990s, some tigers from Dudhwa were observed which had the typical appearance of Siberian tigers: white complexion, pale fur, large head and wide stripes. With recent advances in science, it was subsequently found that Siberian tigers' genes have polluted the otherwise pure Bengal tiger gene pool of Dudhwa National Park. It was proved later that Twycross Zoo had been irresponsible and maintained no breeding records and had given India a hybrid Siberian-Bengal tigress instead. Dudhwa tigers constitute about 1% of India's total wild population, but the possibility exists of this genetic pollution spreading to other tiger groups; at its worst, this could jeopardize the Bengal tiger as a distinct subspecies.[47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54]
[edit] Attack on humans Closeup of a Bengal tiger in a national park in southern India. Tigers are known to not like the presence of humans in their territory since they like to be alone. Any human interference in tiger hunting and lactating may disturb tigers and they often growl during such disturbances. There have been incidences where mother tigers have been separated from their cubs due to human interference. A well known incident occurred in Bandhavgarh National Park where a tigress known as Mohini was separated from her cubs while crossing the road since some tourists blocked her road to the other side resulting in losing her contact with her cubs, who had already crossed the road. Usually, tigers become man eaters when they grow old and have no strength to hunt. At such times if a human comes in contact with the tiger, he/she may be killed. But that is not the only reason why tigers become man eaters. If tigers do not have enough prey to feed upon, due to an imbalance in the food chain, they will often try to hunt humans. If a young tiger has injured teeth or paws, then it becomes difficult for him to tear apart his prey, which is also another reason for him to eat man.
SEA OTTER FACTS
Enhydra lutris kenyoni
(2/8/10)
Family: The sea otter is the largest member of the Mustelidae, or weasel family, and the only one which lives almost entirely in the water.
Lifespan: Sea otters can live up to 25 years of age, although the average lifespan is 10 to 12 years.
Length and weight: Although the sea otter is the smallest marine mammal, the average adult can be as large as 5 feet in length and weigh up to 70 lbs. The average length of an adult female is 4 feet and average weight is 60 lbs. At birth, sea otters weigh approximately 5 lbs and are 10 inches in length.
Color: Sea otter fur ranges from brown to almost black with guard hairs that may be silver, light brown, or black. As a sea otter ages, their hands and necks will lighten until almost white.
Fur: Sea otter fur is the finest of any mammal, consisting of 850,000 to 1 million hairs per square inch. Sea otters depend on these hairs to keep them warm while in the water. If a sea otter’s fur becomes soiled with foreign substances such as oil, the sea otter will not be able to keep itself insulated. Consequently, sea otters spend much of their time cleaning and grooming their fur.
Behavior: Sea otters are social animals who may float together in groups of less than 10 to more than 100, called rafts. Usually these groups are separated by sex, females and pups spend time in one group and males in another. Otters usually swim on their backs but have been known to swim on their stomachs while traveling. Sea otters will only eat while they are floating, but may also groom, rest, and nurse their young. It is also common for sea otters to wrap themselves in kelp beds when resting or sleeping.
Body: Sea otters have long flat tails and since the majority of their time is spent in the water, webbed hind feet which are perfect for swimming. Retractable claws on a sea otter’s front paws allow the sea otter to grab food. Sea otters have round heads, small eyes, and visible ears.
Habitat: Sea otters are coastal, shallow water dwellers. Their habitat consists of two areas in these waters- the ocean floor where they find their food, and the ocean surface where they eat, groom, rest and social interactions occur.
Food Habits: Sea otters mainly eat benthic invertebrates such as clams, mussels, urchins, crabs, and fish. They must dive to capture their food, sometimes up to 250 feet. Sea otters also use “tools” such as a rock to open their hard-shelled prey. Adult sea otters can eat 25 to 30 percent of their body weight per day in order to stay warm. Feeding is a very important activity for sea otters, and occurs mainly in the morning and afternoon.
Life History: A sea otter becomes sexually mature at 3 to 6 years. A female’s pregnancy usually lasts 5 to 8 months and can have one pup per year. In Alaska, most pups are born during May and remain dependent on their mothers for 5 to 12 months.
Predators: Include humans, sharks, bears, eagles (on pups), and killer whales
Lifespan: Sea otters can live up to 25 years of age, although the average lifespan is 10 to 12 years.
Length and weight: Although the sea otter is the smallest marine mammal, the average adult can be as large as 5 feet in length and weigh up to 70 lbs. The average length of an adult female is 4 feet and average weight is 60 lbs. At birth, sea otters weigh approximately 5 lbs and are 10 inches in length.
Color: Sea otter fur ranges from brown to almost black with guard hairs that may be silver, light brown, or black. As a sea otter ages, their hands and necks will lighten until almost white.
Fur: Sea otter fur is the finest of any mammal, consisting of 850,000 to 1 million hairs per square inch. Sea otters depend on these hairs to keep them warm while in the water. If a sea otter’s fur becomes soiled with foreign substances such as oil, the sea otter will not be able to keep itself insulated. Consequently, sea otters spend much of their time cleaning and grooming their fur.
Behavior: Sea otters are social animals who may float together in groups of less than 10 to more than 100, called rafts. Usually these groups are separated by sex, females and pups spend time in one group and males in another. Otters usually swim on their backs but have been known to swim on their stomachs while traveling. Sea otters will only eat while they are floating, but may also groom, rest, and nurse their young. It is also common for sea otters to wrap themselves in kelp beds when resting or sleeping.
Body: Sea otters have long flat tails and since the majority of their time is spent in the water, webbed hind feet which are perfect for swimming. Retractable claws on a sea otter’s front paws allow the sea otter to grab food. Sea otters have round heads, small eyes, and visible ears.
Habitat: Sea otters are coastal, shallow water dwellers. Their habitat consists of two areas in these waters- the ocean floor where they find their food, and the ocean surface where they eat, groom, rest and social interactions occur.
Food Habits: Sea otters mainly eat benthic invertebrates such as clams, mussels, urchins, crabs, and fish. They must dive to capture their food, sometimes up to 250 feet. Sea otters also use “tools” such as a rock to open their hard-shelled prey. Adult sea otters can eat 25 to 30 percent of their body weight per day in order to stay warm. Feeding is a very important activity for sea otters, and occurs mainly in the morning and afternoon.
Life History: A sea otter becomes sexually mature at 3 to 6 years. A female’s pregnancy usually lasts 5 to 8 months and can have one pup per year. In Alaska, most pups are born during May and remain dependent on their mothers for 5 to 12 months.
Predators: Include humans, sharks, bears, eagles (on pups), and killer whales
Orangutan
(2/15/10)
Orangutan is one of the four great apes: in the world, the other three being gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos. At the same time, it is the only ape that is found in Asia, all the other three are from Africa. Native to Indonesia and Malaysia, orangutans are presently found inhabiting the islands of Borneo and Sumatra only. They can be divided into two separate species, namely the Sumatran orangutan (Pongo abelii) and the Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus). Habitat destruction, poaching and predation have led to steep decline in the population of the animal. Read on to get some interesting facts and amazing information on orangutans.
Facts about Orangutan
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Subfamily: Ponginae
Genus: Pongo
Type Species: Pongo pygmaeus
Species: Pongo pygmaeus and Pongo abelii
Height (males): Around 175 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Weight (males): Around 118 kg (260 lbs)
Height (females): Around 127 cm (4 ft 2 in)
Weight (females): Around 45 kg (100 lbs)
Color: Reddish-brown
Natural Habitat: Rainforests on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra
Diet: Mainly fruits (with sugary or fatty pulp), along with young leaves, shoots, seeds and bark, insects and bird eggs
Age: 35 to 40 years (wild), 50 (captivity) years
Age of Maturity: 8 years
Gestation Period: 8 to 9 months
Number of Offspring: One
Interesting & Amazing Information on Orangutans
- In the earlier times, people thought an orangutan to be a person hiding in the trees, trying to avoid having to go to work or become a slave.
- Orangutan is the only ape that is strictly arboreal. At the same time, it is the largest tree-living mammal in the world.
- An orangutan baby has the longest childhood dependence on its mother in the world, averaging at six years.
- Orangutan females give birth only about once every 8 years, the longest time between births of any mammal on earth.
- A male orangutan uses its throat sac to make a very notable call that echoes through the forest. It is used either to locate and advertise their presence to females or to warn away other males.
- The hands of an orangutan are very much like that of humans. They have four long fingers and an opposable thumb.
- Orangutans are very intelligent. They have been known to use leaves as umbrellas, in rainy season, as well as cups, to help them drink water.
- Every evening, orangutans construct a ‘nest’, of leaves and branches, on trees, in which they will curl up and sleep at night.
- Orangutans do not swim.
- Orangutans have an enormous arm span. A male orangutan can stretch his arms as much as 7 ft (2.1 m) wide, from fingertip to fingertip.
- Orangutans are active in the daytime and spend lot of their time looking for food.
- The arms of an orangutan are incredibly long and almost reach down to their ankles.
- Orangutans are solitary animals, which generally come together only to mate and then part ways again.
- As a male orangutan gets older, its face starts developing cheek pads and the throat starts getting a pouch.
- Orangutans share almost 97 percent of the human DNA.