Friday 29 June 2012 The Antelope Jackrabbit: Large Ears And High Leaps

The Antelope jackrabbit (Lepus alleni) is a species of North American hare. Known for its ability to make high leaps, and ears that are especially large, the mammal is named after the fast, long-legged antelopes of Africa.

Antelope jackrabbits can run as fast as 45 miles (72 km) per hour, and can jump as high as five-feet (1.5 m) and as far as 22-feet (6.7 m). The Antelope jackrabbit watches for predators from almost any angle; its large eyes are placed high and back enough to provide almost a 360-degree view. Predators include coyotes, rattlesnakes, bobcats and cougars. Once spotted and chased, the Antelope jackrabbit will race from its enemy, purposely flashing its white rump to confuse the predator.

Weighing between nine to 10 pounds (4.5 kg), the Antelope jackrabbit ranges from 18 to 24-inches (45 to 60 cm) in length, with a tail up to four inches (10 cm). The whitish ears, which grow as long as eight inches, help regulate body temperature by either transferring heat back to the air as needed or maintaining body warmth in cold weather. The ears also become erect when the Antelope jackrabbit is alarmed.

The Antelope jackrabbit is commonly found in northern Mexico and Arizona in the United States, and has been observed along the border of New Mexico and portions of southeastern California. Due to its stable population, the Antelope jackrabbit is not considered at risk of endangerment. Its natural habitat is grasslands at moderate elevations or deserts where grass grows under shrubs.

Because it is nocturnal, the Antelope jackrabbit spends the day resting, usually in the shade of grass, brush or cactus where temperatures are lower than the open desert. Blending in with its surroundings, the jackrabbit uses camouflage to evade detection.

Herbivorous, the Antelope jackrabbit eats green grass, desert vegetation and cactus pads, usually feeding at dusk and dawn. The Antelope jackrabbit will stand on its hind legs to reach higher branches of vegetation such as mesquite. Cacti routinely serves as a moisture source, as water is not available nor actively needed.

The breeding season runs from January to October, with a gestation period of roughly 42 days and the possibility of seven litters per year. Litter sizes average from one to five. Unlike rabbits, which are born blind, the Antelope jackrabbit young are born fully haired and with eyes open. Young are also born able to hop. You can help spreading the word about this animal by liking it on facebook

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Thursday 28 June 2012 Arapaima - South America's Living Fossil

The Arapaima (Arapaima gigas) is known as a living fossil because there exists a fossil of this species or one very close to it in Colombia. Living fossils often are only known because of the similarity in the fossils already found, because they have no other living species that resemble them. It is usually speculated that living fossils like the arapaima were around during catastrophic events in prehistory that led to the extinction of many other species.

The arapaima’s origins are said to be in Brazil, where it thrives in the fresh water of the Amazon basin. It is also found in other parts of South America, such as Argentina. Thailand and Malaysia also are home to the arapaima, where they live in local lakes, though they were introduced to these countries and are not native to them.

Out of all of the freshwater fish in the world, the arapaima is one of the largest. This fish can reach 2 meters in length or 6.6 feet, and can weigh more than 100 kilograms, or 220 pounds. Some can even grow to be 2.5 meters or 8.2 feet long. It is a unique species because it needs air to breathe, so it survives best in the shallower waters of the Amazon. In deeper waters it can be seen coming to the surface to take in air.

People in the arapaima’s native region love its meat. The flesh of the fish has a reputation for being very tasty, and arapaimas are eaten frequently in Brazil. It is also sought after in South America for other uses, including those that are medicinal in nature. According to local folk traditions, the fish’s tongue has healing properties. Supposedly if you dry the fish’s tongue and prepare it with a certain native bark by adding both to water, this mixture will get rid of parasitic worms. Locals also fashion nail files out of the arapaima’s scales. As for its own diet, it is a fierce freshwater predator, eating not only other fish and crustaceans but even some small birds.

Because it is so popular for both food and other uses, it is widely fished and has reached the Vulnerable stage on the extinction scale. If present trends as far as fishing rates and the destruction of its Amazon habitat continue, the fish will reach the Endangered stage on the scale. You can help spreading the word about this animal by liking it on facebook

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Thursday 21 June 2012 Hairy-eared dwarf lemur

The Hairy-eared Dwarf Lemur (Allocebus trichotis) is a nocturnal primate, the only member of the genus Allocebus of the family Cheirogaleidae. This species is endemic to Madagascar. Hairy-eared Dwarf lemur has been found at the nature reserves of Mananara, Zahamena, and Vohidrazana in Madagascar. This species lives originally in the primary lowland rainforests.

The hairy-eared dwarf lemur is one of the smallest primates with a weight of only 80 to 100 g (3 -3.6 oz) and a length of 30 cm. It has a galago-like ear. This could mean that it is, together with other cheirogalieds, more closely related to the galagos and lorises than to the lemurs. This species has a relatively longer tongue than the Microcebus and Cheirogaleus specie. The overall pelage color for Hairy-eared Dwarf lemur is gray. It has a brown tail and a face with a white stripe running from the rostrum or nose to between the eyes as well as dark rings surrounding its eyes. Its ears have tufts of brown while its teeth structure and claws are sharp.

It was observed in captivity that males and females tend to groom each other by removing dead skin and parasites before leaving their nest at night. The hairy-eared dwarf lemur leaps frequently among branches of trees, they have been observed to leap more often than members of the genera Cheirogaleus and Microcebus. Although they typically forage and feed alone at night, these lemurs live in social networks with overlapping ranges, and they have occasional contacts mainly based on vocalizations and scent marking during the night. Due to small body size, most vocalizations are relatively high-pitched small-contact, alarm, threat, and range defense.

Interestingly, the hairy-eared dwarf lemur is one of the world's rarest mammals. This species was assumed to be extinct because no specimen had been seen from 1875 until 1966. It was rediscovered in 1966 on the east coast of Madagascar near Mananara. In 1989, two live members were found in the same vicinity, south of the Mananara River. As of 1997, it was still known only from eastern Madagascar near Mananara. The status has been changed from Critically Endangered to Endangered in 1996 due to the discovery of new subpopulations.

The hairy-eared dwarf lemur is trapped and eaten by local inhabitants. Deforestation of its habitat for agriculture and logging is also another reason why it has decreased in population.

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Wednesday 20 June 2012 The Potto: The Nighttime Adventurer who moves Softly-softly

Potto (Perodicticus potto) is the name given to a family of strepsirrhine (wet, curly nostrils) primates known as Lorisidae. In some English-speaking parts of Africa, it is known as Softly-softly for the way it moves without making a sound. It is a relatively small animal, weighing in at about 3 pounds/1.5 kg and reaching an average length of 12-14 inches or 30-40 cm. It has a relatively small head in comparison to the rest of its body, suggesting a lesser intelligence.

There are several unique features to this animal’s anatomy. Three of the vertebrae in their neck have sharp points that almost pierce the skin and are used as a defense. If confronted, the potto will turn and hide its face and neck-butt the opponent. They do bite on occasion. The saliva of a potto has inflammatory properties, causing swelling at the site of the bite. Another notable feature is the opposable thumbs which help them to firmly grasp the branches of a tree. The index finger is considered to be a primitive feature that no longer serves a purpose. Pottos move slowly and quietly, always using at least 2 limbs to grasp a branch.

Pottos are nocturnal animals, moving around at night and sleeping in the leaves during the day. They typically live in the rainforests in tropical parts of Africa, very high up in the trees. This is the primary reason it has so few predators. They almost never come down from the trees, and no predators that can get as high as the treetops they inhabit. Birds of prey in this region are diurnal, hunting only during the day. The only real threat to pottos is to those who live near villages because they are hunted for bushmeat. Pottos themselves subsist on a diet primarily made up of fruit, tree gums, and insects, in that order. Some have been known to eat bats, but this is not common.

These primates emit an odor not unlike the smell of curry from their scent glands located underneath the tail. The courting ritual is a mutual grooming session while hanging upside down. They lick and comb each other’s fur with their claws and teeth, marking each other with their scent glands. Mating is face to face and upside down. Once impregnated, the gestational period lasts for approximately 170 days, producing only a single offspring. A baby potto is not fully mature until 18 months of age.

The potto is Class B of the African Convention which only allows it to be hunted or captured with special authorization from the government. International trade is also strictly controlled. The only real threat to the pottos’ lifestyle is habitat loss stemming from aggressive logging and agriculture. They can live in any type of tree. But they can’t live anywhere without them.

Picture of the potto by Ltshears at the Cincinnati zoo, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported You can help spreading the word about this animal by liking it on facebook

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Tuesday 19 June 2012 Black-footed cat - smallest cat living in the African desert

Among the different breeds of wild cat, the Black-footed Cat (Felis nigripes) is among the smallest. The male's weight is just 2.2 kilograms, and the female weighs even less, an average of 1.5 kilograms. Their body length is approximately 50 centimeters and shoulder height is 22 centimeters. The Black-footed Cat has a broad head, with a black line that runs across the cheeks from the outer corner of each eye. Its coat varies from sandy brown to a red-brown, and the pelage is spotted with dark patches. Its legs have horizontal stripes, the tail adorned with rings. They can only be found in South Angola, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. The Black-footed Cats lives in an arid environment, and it is strongly believed that they can live without drinking water. They get what they could from the food, just like the Sand Cat of Africa.

The Black-footed Cat lives in uninhabited burrows, covered and hidden by big boulders. Hunting is basically done at night, and their diet consists of rodents, ground squirrels, mice, small mammals, and as secondary choices- spiders and even reptiles. Actually, it is common for an individual to go after bigger prey, and store the carcass for future consumption. A Black-footed Cat is also capable of scavenging on the meat/flesh of dead mammals, a lamb for example.

These cats' litter size is one to four young, with a gestation period of 65 days, give or take. The newborns would attain "maturity" when they come to about 20 months. During times when they feel threatened, a male would emit a high-level "roar".

Interesting fact: Birds can be captured by Black-footed cats, it would jump into the air at the exact moment that the bird takes off...the sense of timing of these cats is highly-developed.

Picture of the Black-footed cat by Asten, original http://www.flickr.com/photos/asten/260095916/, licensed under Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic You can help spreading the word about this animal by liking it on facebook

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Wednesday 13 June 2012 The Blue-Fronted Amazon Parrot - colorful and camouflaged

The blue-fronted amazon (Amazona aestiva) is a medium to large sized parrot, indigenous to south and central America. It is known for its bright green coloration, with a bright blue colored markings above the ceres or beak area. Around the head, the color may consist of bright yellow markings. Many people prefer to own this type of parrot for its excellent ability to speak and to mimic sounds. It also makes a good companion with proper training.

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