http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/index.php For animal lovers en jelmer.van.der.ploeg@gmail.com Copyright 2012 Pivot Pivot - 1.40.0 beta 2: 'Dreadwind' Tue, 15 May 2012 12:01:31 +0200 60 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=1079 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=1079#comm The Western pocket gopher (Thomomys mazama) is also called the Puget Sound pocket gopher and the Mazama pocket gopher. There are five subspecies still alive in the wild, but all of the subspecies look remarkably alike. A sixth subspecies, the Tacoma pocket gopher (Thomomys mazama tacomensis) sadly became extinct in 1970. Although the International Union for the Conservation of Nature classifies the Western pocket gopher as not endangered, individual subspecies are threatened or endangered.

All of the subspecies live on the West Coast of the United States and Mexico. They prefer open grasslands, meadows, marshlands, prairies and anywhere that has soil lose enough for digging and moist enough to grow a variety of the plants they eat. They munch on grasses, tree bark, young tree roots and some plants like lupines and false dandelions. They in turn are munched on by badgers, foxes, coyotes, skunks, large birds of prey and feral cats. Farmers kill Western pocket gophers if thy find any in their crops and orchards.

Physical Description

Western pocket gophers resemble furry tubes with short legs. It has a nearly hairless tail at one end and protruding incisors at the other. The large teeth aid the rodent to dug tremendously long burrows. They dig by biting into the soil and shoveling it backwards with their forefeet. The burrows are used not only by western gophers, but many other insect, reptile and mammal species that need to live underground. The eyes are tiny in comparison with the rest of the body. They are able to cry like people, but probably not for emotional reasons. The “crying” helps remove dirt from the pocket gopher’s eyes.

Males grow larger and heavier than females. Females average 6 inches (15.24 centimeters) in length while males can grow up to 9 inches (22.86 centimeters) long. Females can weigh around 2.65 ounces (75 grams) while males can tip the scales at 4.41 ounces (125 grams.) Both sexes sport a dirt-brown coat of fur and nearly hairless pink legs.

Life Cycle and Behavior

Biologists do not know a lot about the life cycle and normal behavior of pocket gophers. It is known that these little rodents can dig burrows up to 50 feet (164 kilometers) long. They are fiercely territorial and only come together briefly for breeding. Males have large territories overlapping several females’ territories. Males need to be 12 months old to breed, but females can become pregnant at a mere 10 weeks of age.

After a brief gestation of about 20 days, females give birth to hairless, blind and deaf babies. She can have anywhere from 2 to 7 babies. If food is plentiful, she can have two litters per year. Babies begin eating solid food at 21 days old. The mother weans them when they are only six weeks old. ]]> 1079@http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/ default Tue, 15 May 2012 12:01:00 +0200 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=1078 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=1078#comm The Nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) is a member of the bovine family, has a face similar to a horse, a camel hump-like area atop its broad shoulders, but is actually an antelope. The Nilgai is the largest Asian antelope and is native to India and Pakistan, where they number between 10,000 to 15,000. Tigers are their only natural predators, and the Nilgai prefer grasslands and bush lands to forested areas, so they are relatively safe there. The Nilgai is a bovine, so in many areas in India it is considered a sacred animal, and is therefore protected. Nilgai translates in Hindi to “blue cow,” and adult Nilgai bulls are actually a bluish-gray color. The cows and the calves are a light brownish-red color. Both sexes have white markings on parts of the head, chest, and belly, and a have a short raised mane on their neck. Bulls have horns that are 8-10 inches long (20-25cm) and a long tuft of hair hanging from the lower chest.

Nilgai were imported to southern Texas, USA during the 1930s-1940s as game animals. Now they number close to 37,000 on ranches and in the wild. Since Nilgai are native to a different climate, an extremely cold winter in South Texas may kill many. However, they have no natural predators in Texas, so their numbers are increasing. Nilgai are hunted as game, and hunting ranches in South Texas will arrange guided hunts. Also, Nilgai meat and hide products are for sale at certain ranches in Texas, and through on-line sources.

The average size for a Nilgai is 180-200 cm (6-6.5 ft.), and weight is about 120-240kg (264-528 lb.), with the males being larger than the females. Calves weigh 13-16 kg (30-35 lb.) at birth. Mating takes place year round, but the peak is December-March. The bulls compete for the females in mating season by posturing, neck wrestling, and occasionally resort to fighting with their horns. Rarely, they fight to the death. Gestation period is 245 days (8 months), and females usually give birth to two calves. Family groups are composed of one male and several cows and calves with 4-20 animals per group. The Nilgai becomes sexually mature around 3-4 years of age and has a life span of 21 years.

In India and Texas, Nilgai compete with the cattle for food sources. They eat shoots, buds, flowers, fruit, and farmer’s crops when food is scarce. Some Indian farmers have built 6-7 ft. fences to prevent Nilgai from eating their crops, but since it is an antelope, it easily jumps these fences. The Nilgai is truly a remarkable as well as unusual looking animal.

Picture of the Nilgai by Thomas Schoch, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license and GFDL. ]]> 1078@http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/ default Fri, 11 May 2012 14:50:00 +0200 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=1077 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=1077#comm The Sri Lankan giant squirrel (Ratufa macroura) is a much larger tree squirrel than North Americans or Europeans are used to seeing, but it is small in comparison to the Indian giant squirrel (Ratufa indica.) Also called the grizzled squirrel due to its coloration, there are three recognized subspecies, Ratufa macroura macroua, Ratufa macroura dandolena and Ratufa macroura melanochra. The subspecies differ slightly in how thick their coats are. All of the subspecies live on the island of Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon.)

All three of the subspecies is listed as near threatened, which is not as bad as being endangered but still worse than common. The Sri Lankan giant squirrel population is plummeting due to poaching and destruction of their forests. Two of the subspecies live in lowland forests while the third lives in the highlands. The squirrels are frequent visitors to hotels and tourist spots in Sri Lanka.

Physical Description

The Sri Lankan giant squirrel has a body shape like the more familiar North American gray squirrel, but it is much larger and has a different color. The underside is a pale grey, silver, yellow or tan. The top of the head, back and sides are black. The contrast in colors is so sharp that the squirrel appears to be striped. The nose is pink. The ears are round with small tufts protruding from them.

Adults grow to a body length of 9.8 to 18 inches (25 to 45 centimeters.) This excludes the white-topped tail, which grows to be the same length as the rest of the body. The long tail is used as a counterbalance while the squirrel moves through branches. Adults reach weights of 3.3 to 6.61 pounds (1.5 to 3 kilograms.)

Life Cycle and Behavior

Not much is known about the reproductive behavior of Sri Lankan giant squirrels, but it is known that females have a gestation that averages 28 days. Females make nests or dreys high in trees and give birth to one or two babies. The female does most of the work taking care of her babies. It is unknown how long she nurses the babies, but she does take care of them for six to nine months.

Sri Lankan giant squirrels live solitary lives with large territories. They are active during the day, spending a large part of the time searching their territory for food. They eat a wide variety of foods, including nuts, fruits, bird eggs, bird chicks, insects and tree bark from some species of trees. It is unknown how long Sri Lankan squirrels live.

Picture of the Sri Lankan Giant Squirrel by Steve Garvie , licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. ]]> 1077@http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/ default Thu, 10 May 2012 19:35:00 +0200 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=789 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=789#comm Very adorable video of two talking cats, they really seem to have a conversation. After you have watched it, watch also the next video, where you hear what they say in English, very funny...





In this video, you hear what they were saying in English, good video. ]]> 789@http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/ cool Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:10:00 +0200 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=774 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=774#comm This video has more than 11 million views, i cannot believe it.

This cat has mastered the old ninja skill of moving without moving... ]]> 774@http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/ cool Thu, 08 Jul 2010 00:01:00 +0200 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=769 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=769#comm Amazing footage of a dog escaping from its prison. Michael Scofield eat your heart out! Very clever, at the beginning of the video you wouldn't figure out how the dog would escape, right? ]]> 769@http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/ cool Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:47:00 +0200 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=710 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=710#comm Imagine relaxing in the sea, together, resting in the coral, would you see this picture in your mind? Click the picture of this wolfish pair to watch the video. ]]> 710@http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/ cool Wed, 24 Mar 2010 12:50:00 +0200 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=587 http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=587#comm This is one of the funniest animal videos featuring funny cats and dog videos, Tyson the skateboarding dog, penguins and even a polar bear. I really like the funny cats in the beginning, I am curious what you think? Half of the clip is of Tyson the skateboarding dog, so if you get tired of him, you can stop watching... Have fun! ]]> 587@http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/weblog/pivot/ cool Mon, 01 Sep 2008 12:01:00 +0200