Thursday 29 July 2010
The Pantropical Spotted Dolphin - Yellow Fin Tuna's Best Friend
The pantropical spotted dolphin is a species of dolphin in the genus Stenella and is one of the more distinctive species of dolphin in the world's oceans. When the pantropical spotted dolphin is born it can be hard to distinguish it from its cousin the
common bottlenose dolphin as they are without spots. The dolphin acquires spots as it matures until the body is eventually covered with overlapping patterns of spots. When the pantropical spotted dolphin reaches maturity the body has a distinct black "cape" down its back with gray along the sides and a white underbelly. The pantropical spotted dolphin, like many of the other species in the Stenella genus, is a smaller dolphin. The average dolphin grows to between 1.5-2 meters (6-7ft) in length and weighs around 114 kg (250lbs).
It is possible to mistake the pantropical spotted dolphin with the coastal spotted dolphin and Atlantic spotted dolphin. However, the coastal dolphin is a subspecies of the pantropical spotted dolphin while the Atlantic dolphin is a different species in the Stenella genus. It is often hard to differentiate between the varieties as their coloration is very similar, but the pantropical spotted dolphin is often slightly smaller at full maturity and is found in a wider stretch of ocean.
The pantropical spotted dolphin is found in tropical and sub-tropical oceans and waterways across the globe. Their distribution can vary widely with some stocks occurring in and around the Hawaiian Islands, while others are found in large numbers far at sea in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. During the daytime hours spotted dolphins can be found in shallow waters with depths between 90-300 m (300 to 1,000 ft), but dive into deeper water at night in search of food. The dolphin feeds on a variety of creatures including fish, such as mackerel and flying fish, squid, and shrimp.
The pantropical spotted dolphin is unique for its unexplained association with yellow fin tuna. In fact, the species gained international notoriety in the late 1970s and 1980s as the species was pushed to the brink of annihilation due to their association with the yellow fin tuna. As fishermen around the globe used purse-seine nets to trap the tuna, they would trap the dolphins in their nets as well, leading to suffocation of the dolphins. An intense focus on dolphin-safe tuna fishing standards in the United States has helped bring the pantropical spotted dolphins' numbers back up, but its association with the yellow fin tuna and questionable fishing habits by mankind remain the biggest threats to the pantropical spotted dolphin.
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Wednesday 28 July 2010
Diademed Sifaka - One of the most colorful and attractive of all the lemurs
The Diademed Sifaka (Propithecus diadema) is a species of lemur belonging to the Propithecus genus, known as sifakas. As are all lemurs, they are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Their range lies mostly within the lowland forests of eastern Madagascar and extends into the subhumid forests of the Central Highlands. The lowlands are made up of dense evergreen forests with canopies of up to 30 m (98 ft). The highlands are a more mountainous region covered in broadleaf forests. Males are 37.2-50.8 cm (14.6-20 in) in height and 3.04-6.5 kg (6.7-14.3 lb) in weight. Females are 37.2-53.5 cm (14.6-20 in) in height and 3.1-6.7 kg (6.83-14.8 lb) in weight. Sifakas are arboreal, rarely venturing out of trees. Their only terrestrial predators are the
fossa and the Nile crocodile. They may also be hunted by humans. It is considered taboo by many in Madagascar to hunt the sifaka, although much of the younger generation does not agree.
The Diademed Sifaka has a long, silky coat which is reddish-brown at the extremities and white to gray on the back and chest. The neck is black, as are the face and hands. The face is encircled by a white crown. Primatologist Russell Mittermeier called it "one of the most colorful and attractive of all the lemurs." Their diet consists of leaves, seeds, fruit and flowers. Traveling from tree to tree throughout the day, they consume as many as 25 species of vegetation. The Diademed Sifaka is a social animal, living in groups of 3-10. They scent-mark their territory, which they aggressively defend from other members of their species. They are known to tolerate the presence of other lemurs.
The Diademed Sifaka is an endangered species. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as critically endangered. It is estimated to have a population of 6,000 to 10,000 individuals. The largest threat to this species is human destruction of its habitat; native peoples employ slash-and-burn farming techniques which destroy vast areas of forest. Much of this destruction takes place in national parks far from the populated areas of Madagascar's east coast, where laws protecting endangered species are difficult to enforce.
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Tuesday 27 July 2010
The Bearded Seal - Square Flipper Seal
The Bearded Seal (
Erignathus barbatus), with his dapper beard, is an aquatic mammal living in and around the Arctic Ocean. The scientific name of
Erignathus barbatus, derived from the Greek words
eri and
gnathos, together mean "heavy jaw." It is also commonly referred to as the Square Flipper Seal. There are several distinguishing features of this breed of seal. It is earless, and the whiskers that make up the seal's beard curl up when dry, giving it a very debonair appearance. The muzzle is adorned with a set of very thick bristles, and the fore flippers are very square in shape, hence the common name often associated with this species. The pups, as baby seals are referred to, are born grayish-brown in color, with an intermittent pattern of white spots on the back and head. As they mature into adult seals, the overall fur color remains grayish-brown, but the fur darkens along the back, and the spots disappear. A few dark spots may develop along the flanks, as opposed to the white spots of the pups. The face and neck may often be reddish-brown in color. Another feature Bearded Seals possess is the presence of two pairs of nipples. This is uncommon in seals, and only Monk Seals share this characteristic.
The Bearded Seal's length is measured from nose to tail, and ranges from 7.4 to 8.9 ft, (2.25 to 2.7 m). Composed of 30-40% body fat, they weigh in at an astounding 606 to 750 lb, (275 to 340 kg). Both male and female Bearded Seals are the same size.
The Bearded Seal's diet consists of small prey living along the ocean floor. This includes clams, squid, and fish. Adult seals prefer not to dive too deeply for food, and tend to hunt in coastal waters with depths of 300 m or less. Pups are a little more daring, and will often dive as deep as 450 m for hunting. The fancy whiskers that adorn the Bearded Seal's face, are not only handsome, but serve as feelers when searching for food along the sediment of the ocean floor.
The Bearded Seal gives birth in the spring of each year to pups weighing around 30 to 40 kg. The pups are born on drifting ice floes in shallow waters, and then take to the water at only hours old. Not much time is needed for the pups to become skilled divers. The pups nurse for a time period of approximately 18 to 24 days, consuming an average of eight liters of milk per day! They gain around 3 kg per day, growing to a weight of roughly 100 kg by the time they are weaned. The Bearded Seal's primary predators are the
Polar Bear and of course, man, specifically the Inuit people inhabiting this area. The seal's skin is very desirable as a cover for wooden boat frames, as it is very buoyant. As of 2008, a status review was completed under the Endangered Species Act, and Bearded Seals have not been categorized as an endangered species. The Bearded Seal maintains a delicate balance in his ecosystem as both a predator and as prey.
Picture of the bearded seal pup: can you see the square flippers?
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Monday 26 July 2010
A Big-eyed Baby - The Small-Eared Galago
The Small-eared Galago (
Otolemur garnettii) is in the family of small prosimian primates commonly known as bush babies.
These are one of the more popular families of primates because the long furry tail and big eyes give them the look of a child's stuffed toy. The Small-eared Galago is one of the larger bush babies averaging 620 mm (42 in) long, with more than half of the length being its tail! It is reddish-brown to grey in color with a contrasting black, white, or brown tip on the tail. The male is slightly larger than the female, weighing about 907 grams (2 lbs) when grown. Galagos can live up to 15 years.
Galagos are native to several African countries, including Tanzania, Kenya, and Somalia. Their habitats are forested areas where they live in the middle to high canopies, and travel by leaping energetically from tree to tree.
Bush babies are nocturnal and feed primarily on fruit and insects. They contribute to the ecology by keeping the insect population down, and spreading seeds throughout their range, which aids in plant diversity and survival. The only known predators for the Galagos are the
Genet, a small cat-like creature, and possibly large snakes. They are not considered in any danger of extinction.
The Small-eared Galago is also known for its loud, raucous call that can be heard up to 400 feet away. The infants also produce a clicking call to communicate with their mothers. The females have only one baby at a time, and are the primary caregivers. Galagos become sexually active when 20 months old, and the gestations period is 130 days. In the wild, breeding season seems to be between August and October each year.
Bush babies do not form families; they do not bond for life like other animals. Both sexes are very promiscuous, having multiple partners over their lifespan. Perhaps because of the competition involved in this behavior, the Galagos do not live in bands or families. Each male and female has his/her own range that does not overlap with the same sex. Males tend to have larger ranges, overlapping the females.
The family of Galagos have become a staple of most zoos and animal preserves even though they are in no danger of extinction. Their cute appearance makes them well liked by children, resulting in the production of stuffed toys and related items that produce needed income. Perhaps in this way they also contribute to the ecology, enabling zoos to focus resources on animals more in need of assistance.
Picture of the small-eared galag by
Ltshears, licensed under
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Friday 23 July 2010
The Great White Shark: Nature's Most Fearsome Hunter
The great white shark (
Carcharodon carcharias), although it's more commonly known as 'great white' or 'white death'. The great white is one of the most fearsome hunters on the planet and is known primarily for its size, which can be up to 6 metres (20 feet) or more with a weight of over 2,240 kilograms (4,938 pounds). The great white shark is the only surviving member of its genus, Carcharodon.
An interesting thing about great white sharks is their distribution. Great whites currently inhabit virtually all coastal waters with temperatures between 12 and 24 degrees Celsius, or 54 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Typically, however, great whites tend to congregate in high numbers around Australia, California, the northeastern United States, South Africa, New Zealand, Isle Guadalupe of Mexico and the Mediterranean waters. In fact, the densest population of sharks is found off the coast of Dyer Island of South Africa and it's here that most great white research takes place.
Currently, the social behavior and structure of great whites is not well known. Studies on populations in South Africa show a dominance hierarchy, which depends on a number of things like size and gender. Female great whites dominate males and area residents display dominance over newcomers to the area.
The diet of the great white shark is very diverse and they will prey upon everything from fish, cetaceans, pinnipeds, sea turtles, sea birds and sea otters. Popular prey includes tuna fish, rays, other sharks, dolphins and whales and especially sea lions, and seals. Great white sharks also have a reputation for consuming inedible objects like license plates and cans, which can often be found in the bellies of these sharks when they're caught. One reputation that the great white has not earned is as an "eating machine." Great whites are ambush hunters, choosing to take their prey from below. Their hunting style also seems to vary depending on their prey. For example, they prefer to attack seals at such high speeds near the surface of the water that they'll actually completely leave the water's surface. Dolphins, on the other hand, are usually attacked from above or behind to avoid their echolocation. In the wild, great whites are known as apex predators, meaning they have virtually no enemies other than the
killer whale on occasion.
Great whites became infamous after their depiction in the 1975 movie Jaws, portraying the shark as a man eater. Fortunately, great whites very rarely attack and kill humans, and are not likely to even target them for attack. In the densely populated Mediterranean Sea, for example, there have only been 31 confirmed attacks on humans in the last two hundred years and most of these attacks were non-fatal. It's believed that attacks on humans are merely a case of mistaken identity as the shark probably sees a swimmer from below as a seal. Great whites are currently considered a vulnerable species, although it's not known exactly how large their population is. Still, conservation efforts are in place to protect the great white from hunting.
Picture of the great white shark by Terry Goss, licensed under
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Wednesday 21 July 2010
Rough-Toothed Dolphin - The Caped Crusader of the Sea
The Rough-toothed dolphin is often mistaken for the
Bottlenose,
Spinner or Spotted species, but upon closer inspection observers note unique physical characteristics specific to this animal. The dolphins appear to wear a mask, hood and cape that ranges from dark grey to black in color. The markings begin at the tip of the nose and extend back past the dorsal fin. The lips, throat and underbelly are in stark contrast with hues of white to pink. The belly surface is further marked with irregular grey or black splotches.
The nose or beak is long, round and gently curves to form a small head. The body is stocky in appearance having dorsal and pectoral fins located further back on the body compared to other dolphins. Additionally, the fins are much larger in size. This playful sea mammal was aptly named for the wrinkled ridges on the crowns of the 22 to 27 large teeth within its mouth. Newborn rough-toothed dolphins are approximately 3 feet (0.9m) in length and grow to lengths of 8.5 feet (2.6m) as adults. Mature weight averages around 350 pounds ( 160kg). Females reach sexual maturity at around 10 years of age, but males are not mature until the age of 14.
Rough-toothed dolphins prefer deep tropical waters around the world and tend to stay within the 35° to 40° latitudinal band. They are very social creatures not only amongst their own kind, but with other dolphin species, some whales and fish. In fact, the rough-tooth has been known to produce hybrid offspring with other dolphin species while in captivity. The rough-toothed dolphin is known to travel in groups as small as 8 and in communities numbering in the hundreds. Researchers estimate the total worldwide population to be over 150,000 and this dolphin species is not currently considered endangered.
While traveling in groups, the dolphins are noted for being extremely fast swimmers and have been seen surfing along the top of the water or skimming just below the surface. It is not uncommon for the curious animals to venture close to boats or ride along the bow waves of passing vessels. They have the capability to stay submerged for as long as 15 minutes at a time and have been seen diving to depths of 70m for food.
Rough-tooths have been observed hunting prey in a group effort and were sighted on more than one occasion attacking
Mahimahi larger than 1m in length. However, the usual diet consists of various cephalopods (mollusk, squid) and fish. Like other dolphin species, the rough-tooth dolphins communicate and echolocate with shrill, high-pitched whistles and clicks.
Many times the dolphins wear scars from skirmishes with octopi, sharks or other rough-toothed dolphins. There are a few countries that hunt the mammal for its meat, but human encounters generally occur accidentally as a result of being caught in fishing gear.
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Tuesday 20 July 2010
The Eurasian Beaver - Keeping Us Warm and Well
The Eurasian beaver (
Castor fiber) is not only a charming animal, but a useful one as well. Throughout history, this species of beaver was considered valuable for its fur, which ranges in color from light rust to brown to black. Beaver fur has many uses, chief among which is the making of hats. In addition to its fur, the Eurasian beaver has a unique secretion known as castoreum; originating in the scent glands of the animal, it is believed to have medicinal properties.
The Eurasian beaver was once plentiful Eurasia, but due to these desirable characteristics it has been hunted extensively. The species is still recovering from reaching the brink of extinction at the beginning of the 20th century. Reintroduction programs in many European countries has brought the animal from a mere 1,200 known specimens to 639,000 by the end of 2003. Populations of Eurasian beaver are growing in countries such as Romania, Sweden, and Great Britain. They can still be found as far east as China.
A typical Eurasian beaver looks quite similar to the better-known
North American beaver, though there are several notable differences. The Eurasian beaver, for example, is the larger of the two, weighing approximately 39.5 pounds (18 kg). Facial characteristics are different as well; the Eurasian beaver has a longer, narrower muzzle than its North American cousin. Interestingly, the two species of beaver are related, but not genetically compatible for procreation.
The preferred habitat of the Eurasian beaver is on riverbanks in dense forests. Avid swimmers and divers, they live half their life in the water and half on land. They tend to be somewhat nocturnal, coming out of their cave homes at night to feed on twigs, bark, and river vegetation. Busy builders as well, they never eat the same type of trees that they use for constructing dams and lodges. These dams and lodges protect the beaver from predators, which include wolves,
red foxes, and brown bears. In fact, their most effective predators have been humans.
Beavers tend to charm humans because they remind us of ourselves. They are quite social, and tend to live in families of 5 to 8 individuals. Often an older beaver couple "owns" a specific area or territory, and the other members of the group submit to them. The female member of this couple is most often the dominant one.
Though once brought to the edge of extinction, the Eurasian beaver (
Castor fiber) is now increasing in populations throughout Europe and Asia. Though its fur and secretions are valuable to humans, this lovable animal is finally regaining its place in the wild.
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Monday 19 July 2010
The Indian Crested Porcupine - Small But Ferocious
The Indian crested porcupine (
Hystrix indica) is a rodent found throughout the Middle East and southern Asia in habitats as diverse as grasslands, forests, scrublands and mountains, though it creates underground homes for itself whatever the climate. Its lengthy claws and broad feet are designed to make digging expedient.
It is a member of the Old World Porcupines, and its coloration is brown and black with bands of white. Its habits are nocturnal, and its diet includes such items as roots, grains and fruit. While it is primarily an herbivore, it will occasionally chew on bones for added nourishment, especially calcium.
Indian porcupines can reach a size of up to 44 pounds (20 kg) and more than three feet (91 centimeter). They typically have litters of 2 to 4 pups, with up to two litters a year. Following a gestation period of about 120 days, the pups are born with soft quills, and their eyes are open from the beginning. Adult males are called boars, while the females are sows and a group is known as a prickle. While they usually live with at least one other porcupine, they generally forage for food on their own.
Because of their fierce defensive instincts and sharp quills, predators tend to avoid porcupines, but their natural enemies include
leopards and
tigers, while
humans also sometimes hunt them for food. These quills, which grow in layers, are the porcupines' most distinctive features, and the longest ones can grow up to a third of the length of their bodies. When they attack, Indian crested porcupines move backward and lodge their quills into the offending animal, often inflicting a fatal wound. Meanwhile, the short quills serve as a warning rattle to other nearby animals. Many big cats have been found with quills embedded in them, demonstrating the ability of the Indian crested porcupine to hold its own against much larger enemies.
Because the Indian crested porcupine is so adaptable and wide-ranging and has so few natural enemies, it is extremely common and not under any consideration for endangered status, being given the designation of Least Concern.
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Friday 16 July 2010
The European Bison - Coming Back From The Brink Of Extinction
The European Bison (
Bison bonasus), also know as "wisent", looks very similar in appearance to its North American cousin, the
Bison bison. It shares some of the same characteristics of its North American relative, such as a pronounced shoulder hump, short neck, and overall body thickness, except the European Bison is smaller in stature. You can tell the difference between them by the European Bison's longer mane of hair on its forehead and underneath the neck. Its coat is also less shaggy than the American Bison and varies in color from golden brown to dark brown. Both males and females have short horns that curve upwards and project outwards.
Typically, the European Bison is around 2.9 meters or 9 and 1/2 feet in length and 1.8 to 1.95 meters or 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 4 inches tall. It typically weighs anywhere from 800 to 1,000 kg or from 1763 pounds to a little over 2200 pounds. It also features a tail that is typically around 2 and a half feet long.
For many years the European Bison was known to roam throughout the southeastern, central, and western regions of Europe. Unfortunately, due to advances in agriculture and becoming a sought after target for hunters, by the early 1900's this great beast was only able to be found in two protected areas , which were ancient forests in the former Soviet Union and Poland. By 1927 the only European Bisons that remained were all living in captivity in European Zoos. At that time there were only 54 of this species left in the entire world. The animal has since been reintroduced into the wild in forests located in the Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Poland, and Russia. The Bison bonasus is known to thrive in mixed forests where there are open spaces and undergrowth.
The European Bison has been rated as a vulnerable species on the IUCN red list, with an estimated population of around 2000 and growing. Many of these current creatures, however, are not considered mature individuals, meaning they have not reached breeding age yet. Currently, the population size is increasing and due to the low mortality rate of the species some populations have even needed to be culled in order to manage them better.
While these creatures may be found feeding on shoots and leaves, their most common food is grass. They also must drink every day, sometimes using their hooves to break ice so they can drink the water. European Bison are especially agile for their size, being able to clear a stream of up to 3 meters from a standing position. There were times when predators like wolves and bears were a threat to this creature, but the number one predator of European Bison was and always will be man.
Picture of the European bison by Henryk Kotowski,
en:User:Kotoviski, licensed under
GFDL
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