This week we begin our final group of vertebrates- the mammals. To keep it light and fun, I'm going to ask that you pick your favorite mammal and report back. Here's what you need to include:
- Common name and species name (note that you need to pick a species- so black bear would work, just "bear," would not)
- Physical description- height, length, weight, identifying characteristics, unique adaptations, differences between males and females, where applicable
- Range- where in the world is this mammal found?
- Habitat- what type of habitat does the mammal occupy within its range?
- Predator/Prey relationships- What does it eat? What eats it? Where is it in the food web?
- Reproductive characteristics- Courtship behaviors, reproductive information (including egg-layer, marsupial, placental), Gestation period, number of offspring/number in litter
- Life expectancy (in wild and/or in captivity)
- Any other interesting tidbits?
- Why is this your favorite mammal?
African Elephant
ReplyDeleteDescription: African elephant stands 12 feet tall at the shoulder the length is about 5ft from the top to bottom African elephants are the largest of all land animals, adult males weighing between 1,800 and 6,300 kg (2 and 7 tons/ 4,000 and 14,000 lb.). Females are smaller, weighing between 2,700 and 3,600 kg (3 and 4 tons/ 6,000 and 8,000 lb.).
range: throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the rain forests
Habitat: The habitat of the African bush elephant ranges from the arid regions of western Niger to the Savanna grasslands of East Africa. These elephant species are known to travel several miles a day in search of food, and hence, it isn't quite surprising to see a herd of the African bush elephant species in the fringe areas of the forest or in the mountainous region.
predator prey: elephants do not hunt so they have no pray nor is any predetor big enough to hunt them reguraly.
Life expectancy: average of 50 to 70 years.
Other facts: Despite the size of ears the elephant’s hearing is poor
The name of an adult male is referred to as a bull
Elephants normally walk about 4 mph
The elephant's eyes are small and its eyesight is poor
They have the largest brains in the animal kingdom
This is my favorite mammal because I think Elephants are cute
African Giraffe
ReplyDeletePhysical description- The Giraffes stand to about 14 to 19 ft tall. Males - 1200; Females - 800. Giraffes are the tallest mammals in the world. There legs are taller than many humans- 6 ft. There tongue is even long too, about 21 inches! There coats are different, they don't have the exact same pattern.
Range- Giraffes roam the open grasslands in small groups of about half a dozen, and they live in the African savanna.
Habitat- The giraffe is usually in sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from southern Mali to Kenya, and south to northern South Africa. They travel miles to find enough food. Giraffes gather around rivers and waterholes during the dry season, but move into open, woodlands during the rains.
Reproductive- The gestation period is about 457 days, 1 calf is born (2 calves are rare). Occurs in the dry season. Within a few hours of being born they can run around, but mostly lay around being guarded by their mother.
Predator prey- Most adults are to big to be attacked, but the main predators of young Giraffes are lions, leopards, african wild dogs and hyenas.
Life expectancy- In the wild, 25 years. In captivity, 28 years.
Other Facts: - Giraffes can run as fast as 35 miles an hour.
- They only sleep 2 hours and 10 minutes.
- When they are giving birth, they stand up and the young fall more than 5 feet to the ground.
- Only 25 - 50% of Giraffe calves reach adulthood, the rest being victims of predators.
- Giraffes have a long, blue/black tongue.
Common Bottlenose Dolphin
ReplyDeletePhysical description:
Bottlenose dolphins are robust aquatic mammals that have a sleek, streamlined body. They are gray in color (fading into more of a white along the ventral region), range from 6.6 to 13 feet, can weigh up to 1,400 pounds, have a short and stubby nose (giving the "bottlenose" name), have a blowhole at the top of their heads, have 18 to 28 conical teeth on each side of each jaw, and 5 of their 7 neck vertebrate are not fused together like other oceanic dolphins, making their necks more flexible than the others. Their forelimbs are pointed flippers, they have no hind limbs, have a horizontally flattened tail, a high and curved dorsal fin, and two nostrils at the top of the head. They have blubber instead of fur, but are born with a small amount of hair on their nose. When they become an adult the hair is gone, leaving only the hair follicles.
Range:
Common bottlenose dolphins are found in the Pacific Ocean from northern Japan to Australia, and from California to Chile. In the Atlantic Ocean they are found from Nova Scotia to South Africa. In the Indian Ocean, they are found from Australia to South Africa. Temperature limits the range.
Habitat:
They are found in temperate and tropical waters. They can be found in sounds and estuaries, coastal waters, bays, lagoons, harbors, deep pelagic waters, and over the continental shelf as well.
Predator/Prey relationships:
Common bottlenose dolphins eat a wide variety, including squids, crustaceans, and fishes, depending on their location. The only natural predators are large sharks (tiger sharks, bull sharks, and great white sharks), and killer whales.
Reproductive characteristics:
Sexually maturity is reached for females between the ages of 5 and 12, and for males it's 9 and 13. Babies are known as calves. Normally, a female can bear a calf every three years, and the gestation period is about 12 months. They weigh between 22 and 44 pounds at birth. They are normally delivered tail-first, but head-first has also been seen. Calves can be weaned for up to 18 months, and they get milk from the mother's nipples in abdominal mammary slits. A calf will often stay with its mother for three to six years.
Life expectancy:
The average lifespan is about 20 years, but a small amount have lived up to 40 or 50 years.
Other interesting facts:
They communicate through clicks, whistles, pulsed sounds, and body language. They live in groups often between 10 and 30 members, but can be in groups higher than 1,000. Sometimes an assisting dolphin might stay nearby a new mother and her calf, and is the only other dolphin the mother will allow near the calf. This is called an "auntie" dolphin, even though it could be male or female.
Name - West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) It is also sometimes referred to as the Sea Cow.
ReplyDeletePhysical Description -
The average West Indian Manatee is approximately 10 feet, and weighs between 800 to 1200 pounds, with females generally larger than males. The Manatee's color is gray or brown. The manatee's have adapted to a fully aquatic lifestyle, they therefore have smooth streamline features and no hind limbs. Their flippers also have either 3 or 4 nails so they can hold their food as they are eating.
Range-
The West Indian manatee lives in the West Indies, or Caribbean. In the winter, West Indian Manatees can be found in Florida. During summer, these large mammals have even been found as far north as New York and as far south as Texas.
Habitat-
The manatee generally lives in shallow coastal areas. The manatee is also known to be able to withstand large changes in water salinity, so they have been found in shallow rivers and estuaries. They can live in fresh water, saline water, and even brackish water. It is limited to the tropics and subtropics due to an extremely low metabolic rate and lack of a thick layer of insulating body fat.
Predator/Prey relationships-
The West Indian Manatee is an opportunistic feeder, meaning it will eat nearly all that is available. Large adult manatee's consume about 10% to 15% of the body weight in food daily. Manatees feed on about 60 different plant species which includes sea grasses as their major food source. They also consume some fish and small invertebrates. Because manatees feed on abrasive plants, their molars are often worn down and are continually replaced throughout life. Manatees have evolved to live in areas where it has no natural predators, but when it ventures into fresh water some of their predators include sharks, crocodiles, alligators, and orcas. Another source of manatee deaths are due to human causes. Accidents with cruise ships, tourists, recreational boats and even hunting, are the main contributor to manatee deaths.
Reproductive characteristics-
Females usually have their first calf when they are about 7 or 8 years old. They only have one calf approximately every three years. This is due to the fact that manatees nurse their calves for 1 or 2 years. When a calf is born, they usually weigh between 60 and 70 pounds and are between 4 and 4.5 feet. The family unit consists of mother and calf, which remain together for up to 2 years. Males group together in mating herds around a female when she is ready to mate, but they contribute no parental care to the calf later on. The gestation period lasts from twelve to fourteen months. The young are born with molars, allowing them to consume sea grass within the first three weeks of birth. On average, manatees that survive to adulthood will have between five and seven offspring between the ages of 20 and 26. .
Life expectancy -
Manatee's can live up to or more than 60 years old.
Interesting Facts -
Pelage, a type of fur, sparsely covers the manatee's body, which may play a role in reducing the build-up of algae on their thick skin.
Manatees are an endangered species and have seen a drastic decrease in populations. They are protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the the Florida Manatee Sanctuary Act of 1978
The manatee's are one of my favorite animals due to my 7th birthday. I was living in Vancouver, Canada at the time, and for my birthday party my parents took me and my entire 2nd grade class to go on a boat seal watching. I saw a ton of great seals on shore laying on the rocks. I remember seeing a really large white gray seal that I was convinced was a manatee. Although I was disappointed when the boat captain told me that manatees did not live as far north as Vancouver, I went home to learn more about manatee's and I have never forgotten.
The European Hedgehog (Erinaceus Europaeus)
ReplyDelete- Description - It is 20 - 30cm long and weights 1.37 to 2.645 lbs. One of the most identifying characteristics is its hard, sharp hairs that forms into quills. The males tend to be both fatter and longer.
- Range - This Hedgehog is found through out most of Western Europe (hence the name). Also some have been imported into New Zealand.
- Habitat - European Hedgehogs live in woodland, farmland, and suburban areas. Many times they are found in hedges (hence the Hedge part of Hedgehog)
- Predators/Prey - The hedgehog eats insects, worms, snails, mice, frogs, and sometimes snakes or small birds. They like to eat millipedes and ground beetles. Yet they have been eaten by owls and foxes.
- Reproduction -When trying to reproduce hedgehogs have a tough dilemma. How do they get around the spines? Luckily though the hedgehogs have a way around them. The male's reproductive organ is located on their abdomen, where the bellybutton wold be located. While the female can push up her tail and have their reproductive parts come out of them. Thus the male hedgehog doesn't have to come all the way on the female and doesn't have to worry about the spines so much. The hedgehog is a placental mammal. They mate once a year and have one to eleven kids.
- Life Expectancy - There life expectancy is 2 - 7 years in the wild. While in captivity there life expectancy grows to between 4 - 10 years.
- Interesting Stuff - There are a few interesting facts about hedgehogs. For starters the are partially immune to snake venom. Thus they do prey upon some snakes. Also when looking for food they will emit a grunting sound similar to pigs (which is where they get the hog part of their name). Hedge hogs perform an act called self-anointing. This is where the will like or bit at a new surroundings or object then drool over themselves. This is believed to be a type of camouflage that protects the hedgehog from animals that hunt from scents.
- Why I like it - It is my favorite animal for three reasons. The first it is cute. The second it is quite interesting to think of an animal who's hair has become a a protective weapon (like if an organism made its saliva into a type of poison). Finally I like the hedgehog because it is what my favorite racer is.
Its hard to choose my favorite mammal there are soon many and they are so different but one of my favorites is the lion. An adult male lion can weight from 330-550lbs for males and 260-400 lbs for females or lionesses. Male lions can be from 5’7”- 8’2” in length and 4’7”-5’9” for females. Shoulder height (the highest point) on male lions is up to 4ft in males and as low as 3ft in females. Males have a large mane. Lions originally lived in southern Eurasia, Greece, India and most of Africa . They live in the grassland savanna usually found under shade of the scattered trees. Lions are predators that usually hunt in coordinated groups. There prey is usually large herding animals in the grassland. They will often scavenge for carcasses killed by other prey. It competes with the hyena for a lot of the same prey but is the top of the food chain. Lions have been found to kill hyenas and not eat them as if they were trying to eliminate competition they are known for 71% of hyena predatory deaths. Lionesses are able to reproduce around 4 years old and there is no particular mating season for lions. A lioness may mate with more than one male while she’s in heat. A couple of lions will mate up to 40 times a day during a several day period called a mating bout. The average destation period is 110 days. The litters are usually 1-4 cubs and are born in a secluded den. The cubs are usually not integrated back into the pride until they are 6-8 weeks old. If lioness in the same pride consive around the same time they help take care of each others cubs. Lion prides consist of up to 30 individuals. Lions can live from 10-15 years.
ReplyDeleteBottle Nose Dolphin. Tursiops truncatus
ReplyDeletePhysical Description- Adults may attain lengths of up to 13 feet and weights of 1,450 lbs.gray, varying from dark gray at the top near the dorsal fin to very light gray and almost white at the underside. In colder waters, they have more body fat and blood.Males are on average slightly longer and considerably heavier than females.
Range- Tropical weathers world wide.
Habitat- coastal waters to the open ocean.
Predators/Prey- active predators to- fishes, squids, and crustaceans such as shrimps. They are carnivores and are basically at the top of the food web.
Reproductive Characteristics- Calving period usually spring and summer. Usually only one per time. Gestation period Approximately 12 months. The calf feeds on this milk by placing its rostrum against one of the two mammal slits located on the ventral surface of the mother's body. It then cups its tongue around the nipple which lies beneath the mammary slit. A tight seal is formed between the calf's tongue and the mother's nipple. The mother can physically eject milk into the calves mouth to help speed the nursing process.
Life Expediency- Most bottle Nose dolphins probably live 20 years or less.
This is my favorite animal because they are so cute and make a very cool noise. they are smooth I've never touched one I've only seen one before and its very cute and they are nice yo can swim with them.
Common name: Polar Bear
ReplyDeletePhysical description- A male is usually two times as large as the female. They usually weigh from 700-1500 lbs, and if standing on hind feet it can be 12 feet tall. A polar bear’s fur can be pure white to yellow. It’s different from other bears because it’s more slender, with a longer neck and head. There are five toes on each paw, which are very large. The large paws act as snowshoes and spread out the bear’s weight on snow and ice. The forepaws are partially webbed, and every paw has thick, curved claws. They have 42 teeth, with sets of incisors, canines, pre-molars, and molars. A polar bear’s ears are smaller than most found in other bears. This is an adaptation that enables them to preserve body heat.
Range- They’re found in the Arctic typically, although annually they may go south, as far as Canada and Norway.
Habitat- Polar bears inhabit arctic sea ice, water, islands, and continental coastlines.They may live on land or on sea ice.
Predator/Prey relationships- Polar bears feed mainly on ringed and bearded seals. Depending upon their location, they also eat harp and hooded seals and scavenge on carcasses of beluga whales, walruses, narwhals, and bowhead whales. Polar bears are on the top of the food web, and essentially have no predators aside from humans perhaps.
Reproductive characteristics- Males and females will usually meet in seal-hunting habitats, where the males will fight for the female’s attention. Females only reproduce every three years, so competition is tough. Once paired, the bears will stay together for a week or so. Several days of mating interactions may be required to stimulate ovulation and guarantee fertilization of the egg. Their reproduction is placental, and the gestation period is eight months. During pregnancy, females must gain at least 440 lbs. Usually litters are of two or one, litters or three or four are very rare.
Life expectancy (in wild and/or in captivity)- In the wild, polar bears usually live 15-18 years. In captivity it’s much longer, up to thirty or so years.
Any other interesting tidbits?- Polar bears are the largest land carnivores.
Why is this your favorite mammal?- I’ve always found polar bears incredibly interesting. They’re huge!! Despite the hunters that they are, I still think they’re cute. When I was little I always wanted to attend Bowdoin College, whose mascot is the polar bear, so I guess that’s where my interest started!
Honey Badger (Mellivora capensis).
ReplyDeleteThe skin around the neck is 6 millimeters thick. The head is small and flat, with a short muzzle. The eyes are small, and the ears are little more than ridges on the skin another possible adaptation to avoiding damage while fighting. The honey badger has short and sturdy legs, with five toes on each foot. The feet are armed with very strong claws, which are short on the hind legs and remarkably long on the forelimbs.
Adults measure 23 to 28 centimeters. Males weigh 12 to 16 kilograms (26 to 35 lb) while females weigh 9.1 kg. Skull length is 13.9-14.5 cm in males and 13 cm for females.
Although mostly solo creatures, honey badgers may hunt together in pairs during the May breeding season. Little is known of the honey badger's breeding habits. It is thought that its gestation period lasts six months, usually resulting in two cubs, which are born blind. Their lifespan in the wild is unknown, though captive individuals have been known to live for 24 years.
Honey badgers live alone in self-dug holes. They are skilled diggers, being able to dig tunnels into hard ground in 10 minutes.
Honey badgers are intelligent animals and are one of few species capable of using tools.
Despite their name, honey badgers are primarily carnivorous animals, and will take any sort of animal food at hand, including, small rodents, scorpions, birds, eggs, insects, lizards, tortoises and frogs. They will eat fruit and vegetables such as berries, roots and bulbs.
They may hunt frogs and rodents such as gerbils and ground squirrels by digging them out of their burrows. Honey badgers are able to feed on tortoises without difficulty, due to their powerful jaws. They kill and eat snakes, even highly venomous or large ones. They've been known to dig up human corpses in India. They devour all parts of their prey, including skin, hair, feathers, flesh and bones, holding their food down with their forepaws.
The species ranges through most of Sub-Saharan Africa from the Western Cape, South Africa, to southern Morocco and southwestern Algeria and outside Africa through Arabia, Iran and western Asia to Turkmenistan and the Indian Peninsula.
All in all I like Honey Badgers because they are just plain awesome.
- Ring tailed lemur, scientific name, Lemur catta, is only one of 20 species of lemurs
ReplyDelete- They have binocular forward vision like monkeys and apes and must turn their head to see ahead because they have limited movement in their eye sockets. Their fur is black/gray, the limbs and belly are lighter and extremities are white. They have circles around their eyes, the muzzle is black and the tail is banded black and white. The average weight for adult males is between 6-7 pounds and females are usually smaller. Their tails can be up to 2 feet long.
- Lemurs are only found in the southwest portion of Madagascar, an island off the east coast of Africa.
- They live in open, arid areas and forests and their territories can range from 15-57 acres
- They mainly eat leaves, flowers and insects but also eat fruit and small vertebrates. (usually bird eggs)
- Females usually first produce offspring at the age of 3 and annually after that. Mating is extremely seasonal and begins in mid-April, the young are born in August and September. Gestation lasts four and a half months, usually only one offspring is produced but twins can occur if food is plentiful. The young cling onto the mothers back and belly for the first few weeks then after about a month they have become very independent.
- life span is 16-19 years in the wild
- The word Lemur comes from Latin and means ghost or spirit. They got their name because of their crazy eyes, haunting sounds and nocturnal ways so early people though of them as forest spirits.
- This is my favorite because they are cute and very different from anything around here. I like that they are only found in one area of the world which makes them very unique.
Appaloosa Horse.
ReplyDeletePhysical description: between 14-16 hands (56-64 inches) tall at the withers(shoulder) and about 900-1200lbs. their coats have a unique spotted pattern. identifying characteristics that distinguish this breed is mottled skin, striped hooves, spots, and white sclera(area of the eye that encircles the iris).
Range: This is breed is currently only found domestically around the world, but they were used by native americans.
Habitat: this animal needs lots of foliage for grazing, and space to roam.
Diet/predator/prey: Eats grass, hay, grain, fruits and vegetables. in the wild it may have been hunted by big cats. this is a prey animal that responds with flight.
reproduction/courtship: this is a placental mammal with a gestation period of about 11 months. One offspring is common, twins happen occasionally. The stallion will excite the mare by showing off and rolling his neck. he will then smell her all over, lingering at her tail, until she gives him permission to mount her.
life expectancy: in captivity horses usually live to be any where from 20-35 years old.
This is my favorite mammal because I own one and I know how great they are. They are beautiful, smart, and intuitive animals.
Bengal Tiger
ReplyDeleteup to 11 feet and 660 pounds, canine teeth up to four inches long, have vertical black stripes on a white to reddish orange fur
found in asia from the Caucasus and Caspian Sea to Siberia and Indonesia. The northern limit is the Amur River in south east Siberia
their habitats are usually covered, have a good water source, and have lots of prey. They live in wet evergreen forests, mangrove forests, and deciduous forests
literally eats any mammal it can find. It is a carnivore. The only thing that has really eaten a tiger in a person, and they usually use them for fur. Some other scavengers might eat a tiger if it is already dead. It is at the top of the food chain
is a placental mammal, mating usually happens between November and April. The gestation period is 16 weeks, and it lays 3-4 cubs that each weigh one pound
in the wild a tiger will live 10-15 year. In captivity it can live for over 20 years
the association of zoos and aquariums estimates that about 12,000 tigers are kept as personal pets, 4,000 in Texas alone.
This is my favorite mammal because it is so cool to look at and they are very majestic animals. I think that I would like to own one and take it on walks like people take their dogs on walks.
Morgan Horse
ReplyDeletePhysical description- 14.1-15.2 hands, around 1000 lbs, they have a arched neck, strong limbs, most commonly bay black and chesnut, and a long thick mane and tail.
Range- only in captivity now.
Habitat- large pastures with grass, and hay given in the winter. They get fed grain and treats.
Predator/Prey relationships-they eat grass, and there are not many stories of them being eaten by a predator because they are well take care of, but would be eaten by any big carnivorous predator in the wild.
Reproductive characteristics- They go into heat monthly, placental, pregnant for 11 months, one offspring sometimes two, life expectancy is 25-35 years. Male mounts the female after teasing each other and getting excited,
They are fun, fiesty, beautiful, smart, and very versatile.
I have always loved Morgans and my horse is part Morgan.
North American River Otter- Lontra Canadensis
ReplyDeletePhysical Description- Stocky, short legs and neck. 11-30 lbs. Elongated body, 26-47 inches long. It's tail is about 1/3 of it's body length. The color of the otter is mostly brown, with lighter sections around it's face
Range- All of the East Coast and Canada.
Habitat- Otters live on bodies of water. They make burrows on the edge of rivers, lakes, swamps, and coastal shorelines.
Predators/Prey- The otters pray on mostly fish, but do feed on amphibians, turtles, and crayfish. Otters must look out for, depending on their area, crocodiles, large fish and sharks, mountain lions, bears, and even domestic dogs.
Reproductive Traits- Otters typical breed from December to April. During the breeding, the male grabs the female by the neck with his teeth. True gestation lasts 61-63 days, but because of delayed implantation, the gestation can last up to 10-12 months.
I'm not sure why this is my favorite mammal. I just find them quite interesting.
Okapi (Okapia johnstoni)
ReplyDeleteLength: 6 ½ - 7 ft. Shoulder Height: 5 – 5 ½ ft. Weight: 462 - 550 lbs.
The coat is velvet-like and is generally dark chestnut-brown or purplish red in color. There are distinctive patterns of horizontal stripes, like zebra stripes, on the upper legs. The lower legs are white, and dark at the joints. The horse-like head is generally lighter, with a black muzzle, and is supported by a thick neck. The ears are large. The black tongue is long and prehensile. The forequarters are much higher than the rear. Males have two skin covered 'horns' or knobs on the forehead which develop between one and five years of age.
The Ituri Forest in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa.
The Okapi is found in sense, moist jungles near water.
They feed primarily on the leaves, buds, and shoots of more than 100 different species of forest vegetation. Many of the plant species fed upon by the okapi are known to be poisonous to humans. Additionally, okapis eat grasses, fruits, ferns, and fungi. The okapi's mineral and salt requirements are filled primarily by a sulfurous, slightly salty, reddish clay found near rivers and streams.
Humans and leopards are the main predators of the Okapi.
Okapis are placental mammals. To locate breeding partners, okapis use their well-developed sense of smell. Okapis are usually silent, but during the rut, they may make a soft coughing sound. Females give birth to a single calf after a gestation period of 425 - 491 days. Expectant mothers retreat into dense forest to give birth, after which the newborn lies hidden for several days. The young have been seen nursing from two different females.
Okapis can live for more than 30 years.
Okapis are related to giraffes, but were thought to have been related to horses when they were first discovered.
In captivity, dominant animals hold their necks straight and heads higher than subordinates, and the placing of the neck and head on the ground is a clear sign of submission. In addition, social grooming and play behavior seem to be common for both juveniles and adults.
The Okapi is one of my favorite mammals because they are so strange looking and because there isn't a lot known about them. I also like their coloration and their stripes.
I can't pick my favorite but for the purpose of this I will choose the snow leopard. They are found in the mountain ranges of Asia. They are 2 feet high and 6-7.5 feet long. They can live up to 21 years in captivity and for an unknown amount of time in the wild. They weigh between 77-120 lbs. They eat what ever meat they can catch and bring back to their den. They have massive paws and an extremely long tail which helps them keep balance while running through the rough terrain. They live in the mountain peaks where there are lots of rocks and caves for shelter, they also need a good food source. They usually have a litter of 1-2 young and the young will stay with the mother for over a year. The courtship behaviors are not well known. They do give birth to live young and are placental. This is not my "favorite" I picked it because I needed to do this and couldn't decide which animal was my favorite.
ReplyDelete1) red panda (Ailurus fulgens)
ReplyDelete2)Head and body of red pandas are 22 to 25 in long, and their tail about15 to 19 in. Males weigh 8.2 to 14 lb and females 9.3 to 13 lb. They have long, soft red fur. There's white on their face with tear markings as well. The white badges on their face are similar to those of a raccoon. Their long bushy tail with six alternating yellowish red transverse ochre rings provides balance and excellent camouflage.
3) The red panda is lives in the temperate forests of the Himalayas, and ranges from the foothills of western Nepal to China in the east.
4) The red panda's habitat is temperate mountainous regions with large amounts of bamboo.
5) Their main threat as far as predators is humans. With all the deforestation and hunting for their fur. Snow leopards have also been known to hunt them. Their diet is mostly bamboo but they have eaten small animals such as birds.
6) They remain solitude until mating season where the meet for a brief time and they may mate with more then one partner during the mating season. They're a territorial animal.
7) After about 18 months they reach sexual maturity and full adulthood at 2 to 3 years. They meet between mid-January to early March to mate.
8)There life spans varies but they're well adapted to live in captivity and over 300 have been recorded born in captivity.
Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus)
ReplyDeleteThey are about 50-60 feet in length, and weigh up to 40-50 tons. The difference in the males and females is their size–females tend to be smaller (about 33-40 feet). Sperm whales are usually dark gray to black in color, although they can appear to be light gray on occasion. They have many adaptations to cope with the extreme amounts of pressure they deal with when diving through the ocean zones. Sperm whales can decrease their heart rates to preserve oxygen supplies while collapsing their lungs with their overly flexible ribcage. Also, when oxygen levels are extremely low, the sperm whale can direct blood to only their brain and other essential organs instead of wasting it on the entire body.
The sperm whale is found world-wide with the exception of the polar seas. They are also not usually found in coastal waters.
Both tropical and cooler waters are occupied by sperm whales. They live at the surface of the water, however, they also dive pretty far down to catch giant squid.
Sperm whales usually stick to the diet of giant squid, although they do tend to eat octopus and fish.
The gestation period is over 16 months. There is only one offspring (twins account for less than 1% of all births). Sperm whales are viviparous and only give birth once every four to six years. Female sperm whales tend to stay in their own pod for life, and when the mating season comes around the males will approach these pods.
Sperm whales have a relatively long life span–they have a life expectancy of over 70 years.
Sperm whales can dive down about 11,000 feet below surface level.
Sperm whales are one of my favorite mammals, but I am fascinated with all marine mammal species in general.
Canadian Lynx Species name Lynx Canadensis
ReplyDeleteThey can be between 2-3ft in height weigh up to 40 pounds and can be as long as 43 inches. They have triangular shaped tufted ears, a thick set body, long hind legs, a short stumpy tail, and very large fur covered paws. They have grey fur with white tips and the male is larger than the female. there thick fur is used to help keep them warm in the winter and there large fur covered paws and long hind legs help them walk through deep snow.
They are found throughout canada and alaska and parts of the northern states of North America. They live in forested areas mainly but are sometimes found living on scrub land and tundra.
They eat toads, rodents, and deer, but mainly eat snow hares. they are not really preyed on by any animal but they are hunted for fur.
They breed between january and febuary and there gestation period last over 2 months. they can have up to 4 babies at once but most of the time only have 2.
they live for about 15 years sometimes 18.
My favorite animal is the rabbit- specifically my rabbit- but for the purpose of this blog I will say the New England Cotton Tail because he comes from wild rabbits (:
ReplyDeleteNew England Cotton Tail or Sylvilagus transitionalis.
Rabbits are known for their long ears which can be up to 4 inches long. Rabbits themselves can range from 8 inches to 20 inches in length. They can weigh anywhere from less than 1 pound to 20 or maybe more! They have powerful hind legs, and they typically do not walk, they hop (: Rabbits are found almost everywhere in the world. Rabbits are a prey animal. Therefore they are a very clean animal, and very scared. Rabbits are placental, they do NOT lay eggs (believe it, that is one of the most popular searches on Google?!) Gestation is typically a month to a month and a half. and litter size can range from three to nine or more, per litter. They live for a few years in the wild, but can easily live for 15 years or more in captivity, much like a cat. To warn others of danger, or simply when you piss mine off, they may thump their feet at you. I find this very amusing, but my bunny thinks it is very intimidating.. Often I will do it back (: Rabbits are very curious, and their noses are constantly moving, the more interested they are in something, the faster they will move, if their nose stops moving, it is because they are so absorbed that their nose cannot move fast enough. Also, rabbits CAN make noise, but will only do so when hurt. And it sounds like a scream. It isn't very nice to hear :( And why is a rabbit my favorite animal? Well because they are they cutest animals ever, of course!