Monday 24 June 2013 White-fronted capuchin - able to find what is under the rock.

The White-fronted Capuchin (Cebus albifrons) is a small, omnivorous monkey found throughout the northern half of South America. The primate's range currently stretches across seven countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, and Trinidad. The animal was discovered by Alexander von Humboldt in 1812, although there was some confusion about the description of the animal because of the various colors found across the 5 different subspecies. The primate is usually a creamy white color in front (hence the name White-fronted Capuchin), although the area that is "white" in the front can range from a creamy white color to a cinnamon brown color depending on the subspecies. Males are larger than females, with males averaging 3.4 kg (7.5 lb) while females average 2.9 kg (6.4 lb).

While the primate is primarily arboreal, it forages for food at all different levels of the forest. The animal often goes to the forest floor to obtain its diet that consists primarily of fruits, insects, frogs, lizards, and bird eggs. One of the notable traits of the White-fronted Capuchin is that it is a primate that is capable of manipulating objects; while it is common for larger, more advanced primates like chimpanzee to manipulate objects, the White-fronted Capuchin is one of the few small primates that have exhibited this trait. The White-fronted Capuchin has been observed in the wild examining leaves and turning them over to find insects and other food sources, and this ability is an example of adaptibility and intelligence that is not common in the smaller primates. The primate forms social groups called troops, with the older, alpha males leading the group and protecting members of the group from other troops and predators. Males are polygamous, and the gestation period for the primate is 160 days.

Only one baby is born at a time, and all members of a troop participate in playing with and helping raise the young.

The major predators of the White-fronted Capuchin are the boa constrictor and a bird of prey that shares its habitat called the Double-toothed Kite. When confronted with a predator, the primate will either exhibit aggressive behavior or descend to the forest floor and run. Aggressive behavior to predators or intruders typically takes the form of screams and the breaking of branches. Because of its wide range and ability to adapt, the White-fronted Capuchin is not yet considered endangered. There is, however, a concern that as their habitats continue to shrink in South America, the White-fronted Capuchin population may decrease.

Picture of the white-fronted capuchin by Whaldener Endo, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic You can help spreading the word about this animal by liking it on facebook

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Thursday 20 June 2013 Giant Noctule - Preying on nocturnal birds

The Giant Noctule (Nyctalus lasiopterus) is a rare, flying mammal also known as the Greater Noctule Bat. They are found scattered around the Iberian Peninsula in southwest Europe, the Balkans in southeastern Europe, and the Ural region in western Russia. They have also been spotted in Morocco and Libya in northern Africa, as well as in Turkey, northern Iran, and Kazakhstan.

These bats weigh approximately 1.7 ounces (50 grams), and possess a wingspan of up to 23 inches (60 cm). Despite their small stature, they are surprisingly predatory, and small passerine birds who migrate at night are in danger. Within the past decade, it has been found that Giant Noctules chase, catch, and eat fowl prey while in flight.

They use echolocation to navigate, forage, and hunt in the dark. They echolocate within specific frequency ranges that are above the hearing range of birds, which gives the bats the upper hand during the hunt. They fly higher up in the air, upwards of .3 miles (500 meters) to find prey, and researchers believe that spring and autumn, peak months for bird migration, are prime hunting seasons for these predatory bats.

During peak migration periods, the diet of Giant Noctules consists largely of passerine, or small perching birds. These birds are caught and eaten on the wing, in mid-air during flight, rather than from nests or perches. This species is the only known bat species that feeds like this, see also this article. Insects are also an important source of food. They have a few natural predators in the wild including owls, which can capture bats during flight, just as Giant Noctules capture passerine birds.

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