Thursday 02 February 2012
Boa constrictor - Nature's Adapter
The Boa constrictor (
Boa constrictor) is one of the most well known species of snake in the world. This is partly due to the fact that boa constrictors can be found in a wide variety of places, including
Mexico, North America, South America, Caribbean islands, and more. They are also commonly seen at zoos and reptile houses across the world.
The boa constrictor is a large breed of snake, often reaching a weight of 60lb (27kg) in the wild. Female boas are larger than males, at around 10ft (3m) while males average around 8ft (2.5m). In captivity, these creatures have been known to grow even larger since they are well-fed on a regular basis.
The boa constrictor is highly versatile and adapts well to any living situation. Everything from the food they eat to the places they live are determined by their living environment. Ideally, the boa constrictor lives in the rain forest where it can camouflage itself within the trees and bushes, however this species has also been known to live in the desert or by oceans and lakes as well. When living in the desert, they often seek refuged deep within animal burrows, and while living by the water they tend to nest near the shore.
The boa constrictor's diet depends greatly on where it's living, but always consists of small animals. The snake will camouflage itself waiting for an animal to pass. Once one does, the boa strikes, biting it several times before constricting the creature until dead. Then the snake begins the process of digesting it, which can take up to a week. Mice, lizards and other small mammals are often consumed if the snake is living in the desert, while, and bats and birds are consumed if living in the rain forest. If the boa is living by water, they often use their outstanding swimming abilities to hunt amphibians found within the water. As the boa grows, the size of the prey goes up as well. It's not uncommon to see an adult bow constrictor hunting rabbits or wild chickens.
Young boa constrictors have many predators, including wild pigs, hawks,
coatis, and caimans. The adult boa's main predator is the
human, who hunt the snake for it's meat and skin. Because of this, the boa constrictor is listed as "Vulnerable" on the conservation status scale. This means that while the species isn't endangered currently, they are at a high risk of becoming so if special steps are not taken to protect this species.
Picture of the Boa Constrictor by XPS420, licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
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Tuesday 31 January 2012
Northern Viscacha - A Sun-Loving Andes Rodent
The Northern viscacha (
Lagidium peruanum), which is also sometimes called the Northern mountain viscacha, is a rodent and a member of the chinchillidae family, which also includes chinchillas. These little guys can be found in
Peru, northern
Chile and possibly
Bolivia and
Ecuador. Although they are typically found between the timber and the snow lines in the Andes Mountains at elevations between 3,000 to 5,000 meters -- or 10,000 feet to 16,000 feet -- they can also be found in low coastal ranges at only 300 meters -- or 980 feet. In addition, the northern viscacha is one of only 70 mammal species that live in the unique Winter Rainfall-Valdivian Forests in Chile.
Northern viscachas make their burrows in the crevices of the rocky habitat they prefer and live in large colonies that can include up to 80 animals. The northern viscacha is not a territorial animal, but colonies tend to be separated from one another by some distance.
Northern viscachas look a little like a cross between a squirrel and a rabbit. They have large ears for their bodies, soft, thick fur, and a bushy curled tail. Northern viscachas that live at lower elevations are typically gray in color, while those living up higher tend to be brown. The fur on their lower body is lighter than their upper parts and can be white, pale gray or yellow. The ends of their long tails are darker than the rest of the northern viscacha's body, usually rust or black in color.
These rodents weigh about 1.25 kilograms on average, or 2.75 pounds, and are approximately 300 to 450 millimeters in length, or about 12 to 17 inches, excluding their tails. This animal's long tail is usually about 200 to 400 millimeters in length, or about 8 to 16 inches.
The rocky territory that the northern viscacha lives in has sparse vegetation, so the little herbivore feeds on the hardy grasses that can survive in this somewhat harsh environment. It also dines on lichens and mosses. Northern viscachas typically feed in the evenings and early nighttime hours. Their daytime hours are usually spent basking in the sun on rocks.
The northern viscacha is a mainstay of the
Andean cat's diet. It is also hunted by
humans for food.
The northern viscacha is currently listed on the IUCN Red List as a species of least concern. It is believed to be a widely distributed species with a healthy population.
Picture of the northern viscacha by Alex Lee, licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
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Monday 30 January 2012
Murine Mouse Possum - Marsupials Without Pouches
The murine mouse possum (
Marmosa murina) is also known as the common mouse possum or Linneaus’s mouse opossum. But no matter what you call it, this is a small marsupial with huge eyes and no pouches. It also has the largest ears and part of the brain devoted to hearing, in comparison to its brain size, than any other mammal on the planet.
The murine mouse possum lives in the forests of South America near water sources, but has adapted to living near houses, orchards and cultivated fields. Countries it can commonly found in are
Bolivia,
Brazil,
Columbia,
Suriname,
Guyana,
Trinidad and Tobago,
Venezulea,
Peru and
Ecuador. Unlike other marsupials, the common mouse possum is not endangered. There has been an effort in North America to breed the murine mouse possum for the pet trade.
Physical Appearance
As its name suggests, the murine mouse possum looks like a cross between a brown mouse and an opossum. Since the creature is nocturnal, the eyes and ears are huge in comparison with the head. The short, dense fur is shades of brown with a dark raccoon-like “mask” going over the eyes. The nose is pointed and pink-tipped. The belly, inside of the legs and chest are pale grey or white.
Adults reach a body weight of 8.8 ounces (250 grams) and a length of 4.3 to 5.7 inches (11 to 14.5 centimeters). But the body is far shorter than the spectacularly long tail, used as a fifth limb to help keep balance in tree branches, for storing body fat and for carrying nesting material such as leaves. The long, softly furred tail reaches lengths of 5.3 to 8.3 inches (13.5 to 21 centimeters).
Life Cycle and Behavior
Murine mouse possums eat a varied diet mainly of insects but also include birds’ eggs, newly hatched chicks, small lizards and fruit. They live solitary lives as adults. Their best defense from predators such as birds of prey or domestic dogs is to run and hide in such places as old bird’s nests and rotting tree logs.
Females take sole responsibility for raising the young. Mating is a ritual that can last hours. Because she is a marsupial, has an extremely short gestation – a mere 13 days. During this time, she constructs a nest made of soft materials like leaves. She has about 6 babies per litter. With luck, the babies will live for another three years.
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