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.

They are native to certain countries in Europe, North Africa, and West Asia including Spain, France, Bulgaria, Romania, and the Ukraine. Their natural habitat consists of mixed and deciduous forests, as well as wooded river valleys. The Giant Noctules are highly dependent on mature woodlands containing old trees. They use hollow trees to roost in summertime, and rock crevices during the winter months, which are a time of hibernation. Old buildings are also common roosting sites.

Giant Noctules are considered to be a near threatened animal. Their population appears to be decreasing due largely to deforestation. In particular, the loss of old trees, which are crucial to supporting bat colonies, and the disturbance of other roosting sites, such as old buildings, threaten these small, remarkable creatures' survival.

Picture of the giant noctule by Nicol Harper, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Generic license. You can help spreading the word about this animal by liking it on facebook

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Tuesday 18 June 2013 Black Dolphins - one of the smallest species of all of the cetaceans

Black dolphins (Cephalorhynchus eutropia) are known by many other names such as Chilean dolphins, Chilean black dolphins, and white-bellied dolphins. These small cetaceans have blunt, beakless heads and a stock body shape. The average length of this dolphin is 67 inches (1.7 m) and a mature dolphin weighs around 132.27 lbs (60 kg). Their flippers and the large dorsal fin are round in shape. The color of the coat is gray but the ventral sides are light in color. There are white markings on their forehead, throat, lips, and in the area behind their flippers. There is a dark gray band round their throat. There are vertical lines known as fetal folds on a baby black dolphin. It is believed that before birth, the calf is tightly curved in its mother's womb.

Black dolphins are mainly found in cold water. Their habitats are in the shallow coastal waters of Chile, South America, Argentina, Cape Horn, Beagle Channel, and to the south of Isla Navarino. This species is thought to be highly gregarious since they roam about in small groups of 2 to 10 individuals. In the northern range, there are 20 to 50 individuals in a group. Valdivia near Chiloe and the gulf of Arauco are places where these dolphins are found in abundance.

Black dolphins like feeding on crustaceans, fish, and cephalopods. They also eat fish as anchovies, sardines, schooling fish, and squids. Their diet sometimes also includes green algae. There is no information about the reproduction pattern of Black dolphins yet.

Just like other species of dolphins, the black dolphins can also swim very fast. They can cover short distances rapidly with a speed of 20 mph. Then they sense any kind of danger, they swim even faster but at the same time, they get tired soon. At a normal speed, they can swim for hours and can cover long distances with a speed of 4 to 6 mph. Some population of the Black dolphins may migrate seasonally but others remain in one area through out the year.

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