Read the physical description of these mammals. They look quite scary at nights with their facial coloration and glowing eyes.

Raccoon Face

Size: From head to hip, the raccoons are about 16 to 28 inches long. The long bushy tail is about 8 to 16 inches long, but most commonly it comes 10 inches long. Their shoulders are approximately 9 to 12 inches high. Males are larger than the females.

Weight: Their weight varies between 2 and 14 kg. Males weigh more than the females.

Color: They have a dark black patch of fur encircling the eyes. The rest of the face is covered with white fur. The ears have grey colored fur with white border. The rest of the body, apart from the tail, is completely grey colored. The long, bushy tails have alternate circles of dark grey and off-white fur.

Limbs: They have one pair of forelimbs and one pair of hindlimbs. The paws have five fingers and are capable enough to grip anything, like humans.

Raccoon Distribution

Raccoons are native to a long stretch, from Panama to Canada in North America. Reports suggest that during pre-Columbian era, these mammals inhabited forest and marshes along the riverside in Southeastern United States. It can be assumed that they were introduced to the north central and central regions of United States during the mid 19^th century. At present they reside in the Western Rocky Mountains, coastal marshes and prairies of North America.

Beyond North America, these animals can be found in many of the Asian and European countries. Germany is the second most populated country of the raccoons. Parts of Northern France and former Soviet Union were manually flourished with these mammals for establishment of their population for fur industries. Caucasus of Eurasia is densely populated with this species of mammals. Almost 10 of these animals inhabit per square mile of forest area. They are quite popular as exotic pet in Japan and thus can be often seen in captive. These animals were introduced to Germany between the years 1934 and 1945.

They prefer to sleep in hollow trees and rock crevices. These mammals also nest in the tree trunks during winters as well as reproducing. They use burrows that had been dug and used by other animals before, when other means of nesting are inconvenient to find. They sometimes use three crotches and dense undergrowths.

This species of mammals are usually found near marshes, riversides and lowland deciduous forests.

Raccoons are omnivorous in their diet habit. Their diet proportion is roughly about 27% vertebrates, 33% botanical materials and 40% invertebrates. During spring and summer they eat bugs, worms and insects. Throughout the summers they eat nuts and fruits. In autumn, they diet on protein and calorie rich foods to store the fat required for winter protection.

They prefer easy preys like bird eggs, amphibians and fishes. Raccoons get choosy with food when they have abundant options.

They always examine their food before eating by notching them with their front paws. They also wash any holed food.

Raccoon Image

Let us study behavioral patterns of raccoon.

• They are fast learners. Studies showed that they could distinguish a pile of things from another pile which differs in quanity.
• They are very aggressive at the slightest shift of their mood and have no fixed pattern when it comes to mood swings or rules they abide by.
• They are sociable in their own species.
• During mating season, the males roam around in groups. Both the mixed group and the gender-oriented group are known as nursery.
• Their socialization is highly gender oriented.
• They mark their feeding, playing and sleeping territories through their odor.
• Mother raccoons take the kits and detach themselves from male groups until the juveniles grow up. This is to protect the young ones from sudden aggression from the older ones.
• They are mostly nocturnal. But sometimes can be seen roaming around during the day.
• They are very fast climbers.
• These animals are great swimmers as well.
• They walk in a shuffle like pattern.
• They clean their foods before eating.
• Females of this species of mammals prefer solitude.
• Related females sometimes share the same territory.

Raccoons make a “hisshhh”-ing noise which is similar to that of a squirrel.

Their peak mating season is usually from early January till middle of March. In some geographical locations of their distribution zone, the mating season stretches till late June.

They are monogamous beings. During the mating season the males wander around restlessly in search of potential mates. Their courtship and mating time span with each partner can last up to more than an hour.

Baby Raccoon

During the peak mating season, if a female raccoon could not conceive or lose the child then she becomes fertile and capable of mating within 80 to 140 days.

After the gestation duration of about 65 days, a litter of approximately 5 kits is born. They young ones are nurtured by their mothers for about 3 to 6 months. If the temperature is very low then the kits stay with their mothers for as long as the next set of litter is born.

The young ones are born deaf and blind. They gain hearing ability by the age of 18 to 23 days and vision appears a few day after that. At birth, they weigh about 75 g and are approximately 4 inches long.

The mothers take the young kits to the outside world and mark the dens as well as the feeding grounds to them. The juveniles go out for feeding and then come back to the den till the time they leave the den permanently.

On average the life span of a raccoon in the wild is of about 3 to 4 years, with a maximum extent of about 15 to 16 years. In captivity, they have been recorded to have lived for about 20 years.

These mammals have many natural predators. Bobcats, great horned owls, wolves, eagle owls, lynxes and coyotes are the most common predators of raccoons. Under some uncommon circumstances, wild dogs and even wild cats prey on this species.

They are one of the most adaptive animal species on earth. Their vast range of diet preference allows them to adapt to new habitats, soon enough.

• They store essential fats for winter well in advance of the season.
• Their paws are like human palms that enable them to screen through rubbish in search of food stuff, near locality or trash dumps.

Raccoons do not hibernate, opposed to the common notion. They merely hide indoors and oxidize their body fats to survive during the extreme cold weeks.

Cute Raccoon

Though the raccoons are not great choices for pets still they are petted as exotic pets. Check for your State laws and get proper documents before petting one of this species. They are very risky pets. Even the infants cannot be tamed to abide by training.

Housing: House them in a strongly wired pen. It is advised not to leave them open in the house, as they can be of equal threat to the household stuff as well as to the resident human and other domestic animals.

Feeding: They are adapted to a wide range of diet. But if they are fed with usual cat food for a long period then that can become harmful for their health. Consult with a good veterinary for their proper health care.

Care: Do not let them roam around in the house. They cannot be domesticated as other pet animals so it is better not to handle them much. They can be aggressive at times and can endanger your mere life.

According to the declaration IUCN, the raccoons are listed as “Least Concerned” animals.

Read some very interesting facts about these mammals in here.

• Part of their scientific name, lotor, is derived from the meaning “washer”. This has been given to them due to their behavior of dipping their food in some liquid as if to wash it.
• Dakota Sioux believed that these mammals possessed supernatural powers.
• Amongst Aztecs, the mother raccoon’s attachment to her kits symbolized personification of wise women’s contribution to the tribes.
• In many of native American folk lore, these animals had been portrayed as tricksters.
• Many novels and TV series have been depicted on living with a raccoon. The most renowned novel is Rascal by Sterling North.

See the pictures of this omnivorous mammal, below, so as to identify it correctly the next time you pass by one of them through the forest safari.

Raccoon Skull

Albino Raccoon

Raccoon Tail

Reference:

http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/game_raccoon.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/raccoon/

http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/raccoon_k6.html

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/raccoons/a/raccoons.htm

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_natural_predators_of_the_raccoon

Bulldog Ant

Have a look at the description of this huge ant.

Size: Bulldog ants are large in size and measures 8mm to 40 mm. The worker ants and the queens are of the similar size.

Eyes and Legs: They have large eyes and long hairy legs

Mandibles: Their mandibles are straight and long, located at the front of the head. These mandibles possess teeth along the inner lining.

Body: They have a stinger loaded with venom which is located in their abdomen at the tip of the gaster. These ants have the mesosoma which is attached to the gaster by two separate segments known as the petiole and the postpetiole.

Bulldog ants show very interesting behavioral characteristics.

• These ants are known to be very fierce and aggressive by nature.
• They are fast movers and always remain alert.
• They have a simple social structure – females are workers, while the large males are soldiers who guard the nest.
• These ants scatter loose dirt around their nest to keep a sharp eye on the enemies approaching.
• The queen of the bulldog colony runs to the farthest corner when disturbed slightly making it difficult to capture.
• These ants work independently and are not very organized by nature. The queen too finds her own food.
• Bulldog ants are very smart and when threatened, they tend to attack the intruder from behind through the alternative exits of their nests.
• While attacking an intruder, they grip them and curl its abdomen to inject their venom into the victim’s body repeatedly.
• The bulldog ants are more active during the nights of the warmer months. During winter they move deeper into the ground and can be seen only during the day.
• These ants spend considerable amount of time in grooming. i.e. cleaning their antennae and legs.

Bulldog Ant Photo

They usually feed on plant nectar, honeydew and plant juices. Sometimes they prey on other insects as well. They also feed on gum, fruits, fungi and seeds. These ants have their own dairy since they feed on sugar from the bugs that suck plant sap such as aphids just like milking cows.

The bull ants are found almost everywhere across Australia.

Bulldog ants are found in forests, woodlands, and heath. They make their homes underground which have expansive tunnel system with a small entrance.

These ants have certain adaptive features.

• These ants have highly advanced vision and therefore they are able to look out for enemies from a distance of 1 metre.
• They use their venom to give anaphylactic shock which can kill their victims. In case of humans they may cause skin allergies and sometimes death.
• The strong claw-like mandibles help them in searching for food, crushing preys and to scare off predators.
• These ants have two pair of jaws – the outer pair used for carrying objects and the inner pair is used for chewing food.

During certain times of the year, these ants develop wings. When the young queen is ready to mate she flies out to meet other males. These winged male and queens fly into the air and mate after which the males die. After mating, the queens’s wings fall off and she starts building an anthill. The fertilized queen starts a nest by digging small chambers where she lays her eggs. The queen spends her entire life laying eggs.

An ant’s life cycle passes through four distinct stages of egg, larva, pupa and adult. The eggs hatch into small grubs which grow into worker ants who expand the nest. The fertilized eggs hatch into females and unfertilized ones into males. The queen leaves the nest at night to find food for its babies. Forager ants who go out searching for food regurgitate the fluid food to feed other members of the colony. Young larvae are usually fed dead insects and grubs. In some species of bull ants, there are no colonies and the queen attacks the nest of other species to kill the queen before taking over the entire colony.

Bulldog Ant Life Cycle

Bulldog Ant Head

The bulldog ants live for 8 to 10 weeks passing through the four stages of life. However, in some cases, the queen ant may live for several years.

These ants are often hunted by ants of other species, birds, wasps and spiders.

They have been listed in the IUCN red list as Critically Endangered Species. However, no conservation measures have been taken yet.

Here are some interesting facts about these fierce little creatures.

• Unlike other ants, they communicate by touch and smell.
• They help in decomposition of dead plants and animals in the wild.
• The sting of these ants hurt a lot since they inject formic acid.
• Scientists have observed that these ants secrete a special chemical that kills pollen. Scientists are testing this secretion to check if it can be used to cure human diseases.
• Unlike other ants they are attracted to flowers but have no role in pollination.
• Some bulldog ants are known to jump and leap upto 2 inches when they are disturbed.

Here are some images of Bulldog Ant.

Bulldog Ant Picture

Bulldog Ant Image

Reference:

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Bull-ants

http://www.itsnature.org/ground/creepy-crawlies-land/bull-ants/    

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrmecia

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/student-projects/bull-ants.htm

http://www.insectvista.com/Bull_Ants.html

http://www.gould.org.au/wildlifecams/info_page.asp?id=red_bullant

http://www.arkive.org/australian-ant/nothomyrmecia-macrops/

Features of this robust fish has been described below.

Size : It can grow up to 43 inches in its lifetime.

Weight : It weighs around 10 kg or a little less.

Color : Female fishes of this species have a dark green body with faded shade on the underneath side. In males, an eye spot surrounded with yellow color is prominent close to the tail. During spawning season, their fins change into vivid bluish green color. Underside of the male is beige and the upper parts are deep brown in color. Generally their green fins are striped horizontally.

Bowfin

Fins : They have elongated dorsal fins which is a distinctive characteristic in them. There are more than 200 rows of theses dorsal fins, originating from the middle of its back to the tail’s base. The tail is short and rounded.

Other features : On the outside of the lower jaw, the gular or bony plate is situated.

Juveniles : On the two sides of their bodies, they have wavy lines or spots.

These fishes have originated from eastern United States and southeast Canada. Its native range can be traced from Ottawa and St. Lawrence into Great Lakes towards west of Texas till the Atlantic. At present they are distributed in North America, spreading across the Mississippi basin. From there it extends to the Gulf Coast, sweeping across Florida up to Atlantic Coast.

In the marshes of Lake Erie in Ohio, these fishes are pretty abundant. It prefers to live in clear, shallow water with plenty of aquatic vegetation. It inhabits rivers, natural lakes, embayment systems and ox-bows. They are intolerant to clay silt s. These fishes can also live in areas with less oxygen and high temperature.

It migrates during the spawning months and also moves into flood-plains during high tides. They also migrate for feeding, as observed. During the day time, they forage in deeper waters and move into shallow waters at night.

• They can survive without eating for a considerable duration of time.
• During the spawning season, males use their fins to make space and also eat away the stems to clear the area for the females to lay eggs.
• It usually waits for its prey and catches it suddenly or stalks it till it is caught.
• After growing up, they do not unite in schools like their juvenile phase.
• Males show paternal behavior towards the juveniles.
• They are great attackers for their ability to strike really hard.
  

  Bowfin Teeth

They are not fussy eaters hence they feed on any aquatic creatures, from frogs to snakes. It usually feeds on crayfish, amphibians and crustaceans. They also eat injured fishes or their carcasses.

• They have extremely sharp teeth, which is used violently against enemies for survival.
• As they maintain a secretive lifestyle, they succeed in protecting themselves from predation to a great extent.
• Due to their ability to breathe air directly from the surface, they can live in coastline habitats and waters with low oxygen, unlike the other fishes.

Bowfins spawn in late summers and spring season. In different places, its season has been noted to vary. It has been noted to spawn from March till June or in early February.

Spawning of the Bowfin fishes take place in marshy bays where there is plentiful vegetation. For the females to lay eggs, the males create the nests by cleaning off the weeds of a range. One or more females may lay eggs in the same nest in the night. Once they are laid, the males perform the guarding duty.

When the eggs hatch, the young ones stick themselves to the vegetation rootlets with the help of their bodily organ, just like glue. Till they attain a size of around 3 inches, they are protected by the males. They form schools and travel with it. Maturity has been noticed to occur by the age of 3 years in the juveniles.

It might be difficult to ascertain their life span but they may live for 10 years in the wild. In captivity, the species has been kept alive for as long as 30 years.

Bowfin Picture

It has no known sub-species.

Major threats to these bowfins are basically the bigger ones of their type.

Housing : Make sure, you have made ample room for your pet as it grows drastically in its first year. Therefore a large aquarium is best suited for it.

Feeding : You can feed them with fishes, frogs, worms and insects apart from crustaceans.

Care : While handling it be careful as it will leave no instance of biting if it is meddled with.

Presently they are not threatened or endangered.

• These fishes are often mistaken to be northern snakeheads for their long dorsal fins but short anal fins distinguish them from the northern snakeheads.
• They are termed as living fossils as they have lived in their present form for above hundred million years.
• They are predator fishes and control the population of unwanted fishes to a great extent.
• EPA has suggested lesser consumption of these fishes as they collect higher levels of mercury in them.
• They are commercially exploited for their eggs as caviar in Louisiana.
• They are also called cotton fish because if they are not cooked properly, it becomes like cotton balls in the mouth.

Take a look at some of the pictures here.

Bowfin Photo

Bowfin Image

There are a few common names of this magnificent bird.

• Brewster’s Woodpeckers
• Cardon Woodpeckers

Color: The head, throat, breast and belly are brown colored with a small red cap on top of its head. Their backs and wings are black and white. It has a white rump. Females and juveniles do not possess red cap. The eyes are dark red in color.

Gila Woodpecker

Size:  These birds are 8 to 10 inches long.

Bill: They have black colored, pointed bills.

Tail: White upper tail is covered with striped central tail feathers. The wings in the lower portions are white.

Legs: The legs are short with strong toes and sharp claws.

Tongue: The tongue of this woodpecker is long, pointed and sticky.

Weight:  An adult woodpecker weighs around 68 gm.

Wingspan: Their wingspan stretches up to 16 inches.

These birds are found in southeastern part of California, southwestern Nevada, southern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico and southern part of central Mexico.

During winters these spectacular birds migrate to southern parts of USA.

Gila woodpeckers live in cities, wooded desert washes and in saguaro cactus. They permanently inhabit the Sonoran Desert.

Let us read the behavioral patterns of this bird species.

• These birds tend to bang loudly on metal chimneys and pipes to announce their territories and also to attract mates.
• The Gila woodpecker builds its home wherever it is possible. Though it prefers to build houses in saguaro cacti.
• This species of Woodpecker is noisy and blazing.
• They are found foraging in the canopy of trees. They search for irregularities in the bark and are curious to get inside the holes of dead wood.
• The males are very aggressive when it comes to protecting their nests.
• Adult birds undergo a complete post-nuptial molt in the months of August, September and October.
• These medium sized woodpeckers are cavity nesters. They dwell in the same nest for more than one season, if it remains vacant and not captured by other animals or birds.
• The Gila Woodpecker is monogamous by nature.
• It prefers solitude to company during the reproduction phase.

This woodpecker calls in a rolling “churr” sound. It makes a “yip yip yip” and also a “kee-u kee-u” sound. These beautiful woodpeckers have a long and steady drum. Their calls may resemble a to that of a Rubber ducky.

The Gila Woodpecker feeds on beetles, grasshoppers, ants, fruits from saguaro cactus, berries and mistletoe.  They are known to hang on the garden humming-bird feeders and hastily lick the sugary water. While the males search the trunk and main branches of the cacti for insects, the females hunt for the diseased parts or the ends of the branches.

Gila Woodpecker Picture

This red capped woodpecker is noisy and has a loud, screeching call during flight. They are moderately high flyers.

This medium sized Woodpecker has certain adaptive features:

• Woodpeckers’ have 2 toes on each foot which are pointing forwards and 2 which are pointing backwards. The toes help them stick to trees and branches in a vertical posture.
• They use their inflexible tail feathers to stabilize and hold themselves straight and erect.

The predators of the Gila Woodpecker include bobcats, coyotes, hawks, housecats, snakes, fox, kites, falcons, mountain lions and wolves.

Gila Woodpecker mates from April through August. It raises about 2-3 broods in a single season.

The eggs have a twelve to fourteen days incubation period. The nest is just a hole in a giant saguaro cactus or any tree. Woodpeckers generally lay three to four eggs. If food is abundant then Gila may have a second clutch in the month of July.

Gila Woodpecker Nest

After digging the nest hole, the mating pair allows the cactus to dry up for quite a few months before it is utilized again. This makes the cactus to build a solid dry wall around the nest.

The eggs are white in color and not very sleek when fresh. After sometime it becomes fairly shiny. The shape varies from ovate to elliptical-ovate and is at times quite pointed.

The Gila digs into a cactus or uses a mesquite bush for building nest. The saguaro is the most sought-after nesting site because the cactus offers security with its spines and the 30 degree lesser temperature inside.

Both the parents share the 2 week incubation phase and feed the young one for a month after they are hatched. The young ones are bare and blind at first but become completely clothed in the feathers before leaving the nest. The male protects the nest as it is prone to attacks by foxes, flickers, cowbirds and other animals.

The young woodpecker leaves the nest when they turn one month old. The young one feeds on insects, fruits and scavenged items from human territory.

In captivity these woodpeckers can live up to ten years. They however live up to seven years in the wild.

Gila Woodpecker is classified as “Least Concern” by the IUCN.

Find out some interesting facts about these amazing birds.

• These Woodpeckers are closely linked to the colorful toucans and jacamars which live in tropical rainforests.
• In the desert, the woodpeckers carry out an important ecological function of taking out detrimental flesh from the saguaro cactus plants.

Here are some pictures of this fabulous woodpecker.

Gila Woodpecker Image

Gila Woodpecker Photo

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gila_Woodpecker

http://www.desertmuseumdigitallibrary.org/kids/FunFacts/Gila_Woodpecker.html

http://www.nature.org/newsfeatures/specialfeatures/animals/birds/gila-woodpecker.xml

http://www.birdinginformation.com/birds/woodpeckers/gila-woodpecker/

http://www.avianweb.com/gilawoodpeckers.html

http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-gila-woodpecker.html

Size Adult seals grow as long as 2.4 meters and at birth they measure around 80 cm.

Weight: Pups are around 16 to 18 kilograms, whereas the adults can weigh around 300 to 400 kilograms.

Color: The pups are born with long, black or dark brown colored hair on their skin with white marks on the belly. Adults too have black fur but the females have grey or brownish fur on them.

Looks: It has a flat and short snout with elongated nostrils, directed upwards that are very prominent. They have short flippers with tiny claws. It also has smooth, long whiskers on its face.

Mediterranean Monk Seal

At present, only a few hundreds of these mammals are left and are found in Madeira, Ionian Sea, Desert Islands, Turkey (southwestern) apart from Aegean Sea and some regions of Western Sahara.

Although its range stretched across northwest Atlantic Africa, Mediterranean islands, Black sea shores, Madeira, Atlantic France and Portugal, they have severely diminished in numbers in the range.

Migration patterns cannot be traced in this species, but they have been noted to follow the migratory routes of the fishes or travel in search of food. As evident from Black Sea Reports, these monk seals frequented areas which are rich in fishes and also followed tuna schools in their migratory phase.

A shift in the type of habitat can be noticed in these sea mammals. With changing times, they have moved their base from open beaches to caves. These caves are tucked away in faraway coastlines where accessibility of humans is restricted. It cannot be seen from the surface as the entrances are located underwater.

In ancient Greek civilization, these seals were always exploited for commercial, medicinal and entertainment purposes. They were also considered to be a nuisance for damaging their fish nests and were hence killed. Excavations in Egypt have unearthed remains of Mediterranean monk seals alongside humans and dogs, which might be indicative of the superstition that existed among the Egyptians.

• These seals are diurnal.
• They are highly efficient in hunting in oceans and can reach their prey located at a depth of almost 230 feet of the ocean floor.
• With time, they have completely withdrawn all contacts with humans to avoid disturbance, due to their sensitive nature.
• Mother and the pup communicate via specific set of sounds that are very loud.
• Studies have revealed that human presence can compel the mothers to abandon their pups and pregnant ones might even suffer miscarriages..
• Some of their activities are influenced by high and low tides. During low tides, they can be out in the sea and during high tides they restrict their outing.
• They make their boundaries clear and defend those from the intruders.
• Although they move around single or in a group of 3, they may join larger groups for molting, which is the process of shedding their hair and epidermal layer.

Two types of feeding techniques have been found to be practiced by them, one done at the surface and the other by diving deep into the ocean. Their diet consists of octopuses, eels, squids, mollusks and fishes.  They prefer hunting for their prey in open spaces as they can effectively swim around.

No such predator is known to exist but predation of juveniles by sharks and killer whales have been reported in some cases.

Mediterranean Monk Seal Image

As there has been massive exploitation of their natural habitats due to growing tourism, these creatures have moved their base and adapted to the changing habitats.

• They have developed faculties of hearing and sight which helps them in water, but this however deteriorates when they are on land.
• It can swim with the help of the flippers it has been endowed with.
• It has a furry body which keeps heat intact in its body.

Mating activities have been observed in the months of September till November. During this time, males may show aggressiveness and stalk the females in other’s territories. They undergo a long gestation period (often extending to almost a year), after which a single pup is born.

After around 14 days, the pups get into water and weaning is complete by the 18^th week. They become adults around the age of 4 yrs and become adept at swimming in the 2nd month from their birth.  Till they turn 3 yrs, they are being nurtured by their mothers, though suckling is over by the age of 4 months. They have high mortality initially as they are often swept away by the waves after being deserted by their mothers who go out looking for food.

On an average, they live for almost 20 years which can extend till 45 years as well.

No sub-species of these Monk seals have been reported as yet.

They are not receptive in captivity as they are sensitive to human intrusion. Only orphaned pups have been captivated on temporary basis.

They have been listed as Critically Endangered species by IUCN Redlist, hence they demand conservational measures that have been initiated since the late 20^th century.

• They have been known to consume around 3 kilograms of food each day.
• It can locate its prey hiding below rocks in the depths of oceans by moving the rocks aside.
• According to legends they sleep very deep, for which they were considered to be susceptible to numerous threats.
• Monk seals are depicted in coins traced back to 500 BC as well as mentioned in classic literatures by Aristotle, homer and Plutarch.
• A colony of seals still survives in Atlantic Ocean’s Cabo Blanco.

Images of this species of seal have been represented here.

Mediterranean Monk Seal Photo

Mediterranean Monk Seal Picture

References:

http://www.monachus-guardian.org/factfiles/medit1909.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_monk_seal

http://www.arkive.org/mediterranean-monk-seal/monachus-monachus/#text=All

Eggs : Eggs are 3 mm in size with a thickness of more than 1 mm, in cream coloration.

Larvae : These grow up to around 75 mm in length and a fully grown larva has a reddish head with a yellowish green body. The body is segmented which contains tubercles in orange and yellow.

Moth : The following are the physical features of the moths:

Wingspan : Moths have a wingspan of more than 5 inches.

Polyphemus Moth

Color : Wings of these moths have a blend of yellow and brown. On the wings there are white and black lines. One of their most distinct features is the eye like spots on the wings. The hind wings have larger eye spots in yellow, black and blue colors. Whereas those in the front wings are small and yellow colored.

Other Features : Males have big antennas which sets them apart from the females.

This silk moth is common in the United States, Mexico and south Canada. It is highly prevalent in its range across America. It is commonly found in its range barring few like Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.

They dwell in deciduous hardwood forests, wetlands and orchard apart from urban areas. They have several host plants where they lay their eggs.

• The larvae are solitary, feeding all alone.
• They have to molt or shed their skin because of their unusual growth.
• It forages lavishly during its caterpillar stage.

Polyphemus Moth Image

The caterpillars subsists on the host plants, by its eating the foliages of beech, birch, oak, maple, willow, honey locust, walnut, lemons, American elm, plum, pears and a range of other trees. When they hatch out of eggs they eat those shells that they were in. The caterpillars keep on munching on leaves and end up cutting the petiole which makes it fall on the ground. Once they attain adulthood, they do not eat anymore. The caterpillar is a voracious eater, gorging on leaves at a rate exceeding 85,000 times than its weight in a couple of months.

Usually as caterpillars they face threats from birds, insects and small mammals. A wasp is also known to be dangerous to their existence. It is a parasite which can create menace by injecting eggs  into its body.

• As a defense mechanism, it makes use of its large eyespots on the rear wings to ward off predators by misleading them.
• Males are endowed with large antennas which help them locate the females by identifying the smell.

During the mating season, males fly long distances to find a partner. This usually happens in the midnight. Mating generally takes place during early summer. The females release pheromones which have a distinct smell. The males get attracted to this scent and proceeds with mating.

It seems that the short-lived adulthood is only for them to reproduce because after mating and laying eggs they die. It engages in mating after some mating rituals and the lays eggs on the part below the leaf. It lays around 4 to 5 eggs on it, which hatches around 12 to 14 days after.

It has the same life cycle like other mates of its family. Yellow colored caterpillars born from the eggs laid on the host plants. They feed on the shells of the eggs from which they emerge till 2 weeks from deposition. Before it is grown fully, it molts 5 times.

Polyphemus Moth Carterpillar

The host plant serves as the foraging ground, which nourishes it to attain the size of about 4 inches. After encasing themselves in the host plant, they begin on the journey of spinning brown silk cocoons. It finally becomes the pupa on the fifth molting, which also changes its color to a very bright green with dots of silver on its sides.  These cocoons sometimes fall to the ground or hang from the branches till winter ends. Till the end of the month of May, the Polyphemus moths live in the cocoon.

As adults they do not live beyond 5 to 6 days. From day one till it completes it metamorphosis completely, it lives for around 70 days.

For keeping them as pets, these guidelines can be followed:

Housing : For providing the perfect space to mate, the metal cage should have holes of correct sizes for the male and female to mate.

Feeding : Feed them with leaves of paper birch, red oak, hazelnut and Norway maple.

Care : You have to take care of the eggs, first by putting them in small pot and then raising them outside as larvae.

No data from IUCN seems to be available to shed light on its status.

• They might give the impression of a sudden jump when they are disturbed during their rest.
• Adult moths do not have digestive system or mouth, for which after caterpillar stage they do not feed.
• Larval stages during which they molt is known as instars.
• They are often highly damaging to the trees as they feed on them recklessly.
• It got its name from Greek Mythology, which had Thoosa and Poseido’s one-eyed Polyphemus. Due to the large spots on the wings’ rear sections, they have been named so.

Here are some images of this moth.

Polyphemus Moth Cocoon

Polyphemus Moth Picture

References:

http://bugguide.net/node/view/427

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/polyphemus_moth.htm

http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Antheraea-polyphemus

http://onnaturemagazine.com/butterfly-and-moth-guide.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antheraea_polyphemus

http://www.naturenorth.com/spring/bug/silkmoth/mothing.html

http://www.geocities.ws/mothman15/Poly.htm

http://butterflies.aa6g.org/Butterflies/Raised/polyphemus.html

http://fieldguide.mt.gov/detail_IILEW0S010.aspx

Physical characteristics of the striped hyena are:

Size : Barring the tail, it is approximately 90 to 130 cm long. Their bushy tails measure around 35 to 40 cm in length. The shoulders have a height between 65 and 80 cm.

Weight : Adult Hyena might weigh between 20 and 55 kg with their average weight being 35 kg approximately. Males are more voluminous as compared to the females.

Color : Hair on their back is white near the bottom but towards the top it is darker in color, often brown or black. It has dark stripes and spots running across the forelegs from both inside and outside. Few dark stripes run vertically on the thigh’s outer portions. There are many color variations on the fur apart from these.

Looks : It has a thick cover of hair on its back running up to its tail. They resemble a dog but have slender features and long legs.

Striped Hyena

Striped hyenas are found in Egypt, Senegal, Niger, Chad, Mali, Nigeria, central Tanzania and Cameroon in the continent of Africa. They are sparsely found in India, Pakistan, Israel, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tadzhikistan.

Striped hyenas generally live in open areas or those having light thorny shrubs. Habitat often depends on the geographical location of these creatures. Desert regions are avoided in Africa; instead thick mountains are preferred in its northern parts.

Thick forests and mountains with high altitudes are not inhabited in Asian regions but they have been spotted at 3,300 m above sea level in Pakistan. Semi-desert vegetation, areas with thickets and boundaries of sand deserts are their biomes too. Traces of their existence near human settlements have been found in Israel’s populated areas.

Its home range varies between 44 and 72 square km in the Serengheti region and around 61 square km in the Negev desert.

• It chases its prey till it overpowers it by injuring it which includes ripping apart the internal organs.
• It is a nocturnal mammal.
• They are solitary eaters but those having cubs do consider carrying food from the foraging sites.
• They might show social interactions in captivity.
• During fights among themselves, bites are directed towards the legs and throats but not the mane.
• It licks the region center to the back during social interactions.
• Some kind of sniffing behavior is also noticed. It signals the greeting of the hyenas.
• It uses it uses a kind of anal secretion scent marking technique to mark its territory.
• These hyenas are monogamous animals.
• The skin on the neck of the female is grabbed by the males while mating.

These hyenas are omnivores and chiefly subsist on dead animals that are thrown out by the sea. It eats the decomposed bodies of animals, at various phases, which comprise bones, ligaments, cartilages and other body parts. It can consume any carcass but refrains from that of the vultures. It has a varied diet of oil willow fruits in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan along with melons in Israel. Dirt, dead bodies of buffaloes and feral horses are its main food in Jordan.

It does not have an extensive range of calls like some other species of Hyena. The cubs whine before engaging in suckling and ‘yelling’ on being pursued by attackers. When it is frightened, it makes a giggling sound and during fights for food or playing, it basically growls. Striped hyenas usually remain silent with very less vocalizations.

Striped Hyena Photo

They compete for food with several predators, which again vary according to the locations. But as such they are not preyed upon by bigger carnivores like tigers and lions. Humans have also been found to harm their existence.

While being attacked for predation, it pretends to be dead to avoid being preyed on by the apex predators who eat freshly preyed animals.

A particular mating season cannot be pointed as it largely varies from one place to another. In some places like southeastern Turkmenistan, breeding happens in November and December while in other places it might be noticed in January or February. Mating can take place several times in a day.

After reaching sexual maturity by the age of 3 yrs, striped hyenas start mating. After the gestation period of almost 3 months, the cubs take birth. Maximum 6 cubs are born in a litter. Both the male and female care for the young ones.

After birth, the cubs are not able to see anything and their ear tubes are also closed. It takes around 7 days for the eyes to open. It has been observed that in the zoo weaning occurs after passing of 8 weeks.

They are said to live for around 12 years in the wild which might even extend for more than 20 years in captivity.

Striped Hyena Image

It might not be a great idea to pet these hyenas as they fall in the nearly threatened category. In captivity, it has been noted that they can be tamed like dogs.

In several parts of its range it has an endangered status. Striped hyenas have been listed as nearly threatened species according to IUCN. They live in several protected habitats in their range.

• Reports suggest that massive hyenas belonging to Asia Minor, Middle East, Indian subcontinent and central Asia chase and attack bigger preys.
• One can recognize the excreta of these hyenas from afar as they turn stark white due to the presence of calcium in their food.
• They have been depicted in folklores from Asia and Middle East.
• The Hebrew Bible contains a reference of this animal which is called as zevoa.
• On being frightened, their long hair at the back gets erected.
• Wolves and this species of hyenas have been reported to have shared the same dens.
• They are Lebanon’s national animal.
• They have the ability to raise the hair and make it look more than 30 percent bigger than what it originally is.

Take a look at some of the images of Striped Hyena here.

Striped Hyena Cubs

Striped Hyena Picture

Reference:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Striped_hyena#Reproduction_and_development

http://www.hyaenidae.org

http://www.iucnredlist.org

Common Dolphin is the name of 2 species of dolphins that are scientifically known by the Latin names given below:

• Delphinus delphis (Short-beaked common dolphin).
• Delphinus capensis (Long-beaked common dolphin).

Some studies suggest the existence of a third species known as Delphinus tropicalis but recent studies consider it as a regional variety.

There are stark similarities in the appearance of the 2 species of common dolphins except a few dissimilarities. Take a look at their physical characteristics:

Size : The 2 species of Common Dolphins have a medium size, growing as big as 8.2 ft, with an average of 6 ft approximately. Naturally the only point of differentiation is the size of the beak which is longer in the long-beaked common dolphins.

Weight : Their weight varies between 80 and 150 kg, but it might as well be as heavy as 235 kg. Males are heavier compared to the females. To be precise, Short-beaked ones may weigh around 440 pounds and the long-beaked ones between 170 and 500 pounds approximately.

Color : It is primarily dark on its back and the abdomen is white. On the sides of these common dolphins, there is a pattern in the shape of hourglass composed of yellow and grey at the front and dark grey at the rear.

Common Dolphin

Rostrums : Their rostrums are thin and elongated with interlocking sharp teeth on every side.

In east Atlantic waters, they inhabit from West Africa to Norway’s southern parts and in West Atlantic, from Florida till Newfoundland. In Pacific, it stretches from Japan till Australia. They are commonly spotted in Australian waters (Tasman Sea and south-east Indian Ocean) barring North Australian regions. They are also seen in Galapagos waters.

Long-beaked ones prefer living in shallow habitats but the short-beaked ones can be found at a depth of around 590 feet as well. Level of shallow water isn’t lesser than 180 m. They can live in cool temperate or tropical offshore waters. They live in open oceans and coastal regions in the Mediterranean. Basically, areas where they can forage on epipelagic fishes are their territories.

Some of their behavioral characteristics are:

• They hunt in schools and generally dives more than 250 meters to bring their prey down.
• They form huge groups known as pods, made of hundreds and thousands of individuals.
• These social creatures indulge in games and activities including bowriding, breaching, pitch poling, porpoising and somersaulting.
• They can swim very fast, often speeding at 65 km per hour maximum and 11 km/hour minimum.
• They can move over escarpments and ridges in the oceans.
• In New Zealand, they have been found to feed along with Bryde’s whales and Australasian gannets apart from which they happen to live with Bottlenose and striped dolphins too.
• They usually eat during the nights, not by chewing them but swallowing them

Common dolphins exchange a range of sounds. They whistle and whine during social interactions which can be specific to a certain pod.

They have a varied diet which chiefly constitutes squids and schools of fishes. Apart from that, they hunt small fishes from the mid water and surface of the ocean. Food behavior is influenced by different locations and seasons. They have been reported to be subsisting on anchovies in the Mediterranean Sea.

Common Dolphin Image

They may move around to hunt for food but they are not typically migratory. Beyond Southern California and eastern Pacific, there have been movements based on seasons. Dolphins from north are south bound in Pacific Ocean, as studies have revealed. They have been noted traveling to warmer waters with the change of season. In the months starting from May till October, they have been found visiting oceanic waters off Scotland.

Sharks are the worst enemies of the babies while even as adults they face threats from whales and humans. Their life is at risk from parasites and diseases as well.

These are some of their adaptive features:

• They are endowed with features like well developed throat and larynx to emit calls in high and low pitches helping in eco-location and communication
• They have the ability to arrest breathing for several minutes when they are diving.
• Amazingly, they have adapted the process of blood circulation during diving.
• To breathe in air from the surface, they make use of the blowhole on their head.
• They use their sharp interlocking teeth to catch hold of their prey before devouring it whole by swallowing it.

Season for mating may vary, but usually it happens during spring and fall.

The common dolphins mature at different intervals at different locations. In the Pacific region, the females mature by the age of 7 and males mature between the age of 7 and 12. Mating takes place when become almost 6 ft long. The mother gives birth to her offspring after a gestation period of 11 months. The ones inhabiting the Pacific, takes an interval of 3 years between another birth and those from the Black Sea takes just a year. Both the species have no such marked difference in reproduction pattern.

The calf measures around 3 ft after birth with a weight of 10 kg approximately. Weaning period of the babies also varies largely according to location, from 6 months to 19 months.

It generally lives for 20 years, which may even exceed to 35 years in the oceans.

No sub-species of these dolphins have been reported yet.

They are rarely held in captivity but they are often nursed in zoos only to be later released. Nevertheless, they were exhibited at SeaWorld in San Diego along with Bottlenose dolphins, performing shows like their counterparts.

They have been marked as Least Concern species by IUCN, hence they are not endangered.

Some fun facts for kids are:

• In ancient specimens of art and literary works of Rome and Greece, these dolphins were popularly depicted.
• Maximum time for dives can reach up to 8 minutes but usually it varies from 10 seconds to 2 minutes.
• Among its species, the short-beaked dolphins are more popular globally.
• In the Black Sea they have been called pest due to their massive appetite consuming fish even more than their yearly production.
• Hybrids formed by union of the common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins have also been reported.
• Their feeding behavior might endanger their lives because during their foraging trips they often get captured by fishing gears.
• As per estimates, their population is higher in the eastern Pacific.
• While at sea, they perform different acrobatics by jumping high in the air with their peers.

Take a look at these playful dolphins in these pictures.

Common Dolphin Picture

Common Dolphin Photo

References

http://www.dolphins-world.com/Common_Dolphin.html

http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=60

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_dolphin

http://www.whaledolphintrust.co.uk/species_details.asp?inst=18&species_id=116

Some of the distinct physical features of these ducks may be listed as:

Length : Length of these ducks varies between 40 and 49 cm approximately.

Wingspan : They have a wingspan ranging between 60 and 70 cm.

Mandarin Duck

Color : Amazing color variations can be observed in the males with red bills and white semi circle above the eye. They have purple colored chest on which runs two perpendicular lines in white along with orange colored sails on its back. Females are paler with grey heads and stripes of white at the end of the eyes, resembling the wood ducks.

Chiefly native to China, it made a gradual entry to Britain and United States with the effort of breeders who introduced them to other parts of the globe. Their population can be traced to Southeast Russia, Southern England, Japan and Siberia apart from China.

They take refuge in forested areas having water sources close to it. Mountains having plenty of woodlands, marshes and streams are ideal for them to house in. With the approaching of breeding season they build their nests in cavities of trees close to the streams where they can obtain their food.

Some of the typical behavioral traits can be noted here:

Mandarin Duck Picture

• They eat on the ground during daytime and when dusk sets in they settle on trees to continue feeding.
• While hunting, they quickly pick their prey by submerging their heads in shallow water bodies.
• Daytime is mostly spent lazing under the shade of trees.
• Till the ducklings learn to fly, they are watched over by the males.
• Courtship rituals are elaborate involving preening and shivering of their bodies in a typical fashion.
• Often old unions between two mating ducks are renewed during 2 to 3 mating seasons.
• They are highly gregarious when they have finished breeding and tending their younglings.
• Mandarins are well adapted to swimming, walking and flying, not at much high altitude.
• Males molt like other ducks, during which they appear like the females.
• Ducklings look  alike the females but male ones can be differentiated due to their slightly pinkish bills.

Migration is common among the groups inhabiting the Asian countries. By the time fall approaches, the ducklings get adapted to flying and flock with other mates. They travel to south Japan and eastern parts of China during the winters.

They emit sounds like ‘bifu’, ‘ge-ge’ and ‘wooing’. A kind of sound similar to ‘keet’ can be heard when they are calling out to their mates for mating.

Flying Mandarin Duck

They have a smooth flight, assisted by a strong pair of wings.

A significant part of their diet is beechnut, apart from seeds and plants. However their diet is influenced by change in seasons. During summers, they feed on frogs, mollusks, small snakes, fish and dew worms whereas with the onset of winters they consume grains of various types.

• They have webbed feet on which the presence of sharp claws help them get a strong hold on the branches while perching over there.
• They have sturdy wings which allow them to move with ease while flying unlike other ducks, with repeated wing beats.

Mating season begins before spring sets in, usually in the month of September. During this phase, they gather in flocks to indulge in impressing the females. The females select their respective partners in the wake of spring and continue with the process.

The females lay their eggs in different breeding habitats in the trees. During incubation, only the females play an active role as the males depart from participating in it. When the hatchlings emerge, they are taught to leap out from the nest by the mother who is subsequently followed to the nearest water body.

They have a life cycle which is no different from other ducks. Eggs are laid in the cavities of trees near streams. Eggs have varied colors from ivory to buff and measure around 56 mm. They make their nests out of branches and make it comfortable for the ducklings which emerge after a month.

Baby Mandarin Duck

After hatching the juveniles follow their mothers and learn flying. They start eating on their own just a few days after they hatch and within the next six months they are totally independent.

Within a year, the females become sexually mature and lay between 10 and 12 eggs. Breeding season begins in late March continuing up to June.

They may live for around six years in the wild, which may increase when they are kept in captivity.

Geographical range influences the type of threat that they face. Some of the predators of these ducks are grass snakes, Mink, raccoon dogs, Eurasian eagle owls, polecats and otters. They are not safe due to the loss of habitats and hunters that are always on their prowl.

You can very well keep them as pets for which these conditions should be ensured:

Housing : Keep them in at least 6 ft high pens near a water body so that they can swim around and bathe in it.

Feeding : Feed them with non-medicated pellets and also give them grasses and egg shells.

Mandarin Duck Pair

Care : Make sure to change water regularly as they need fresh water all the time.

According to the status listed by IUCN they are a Least Concern species.

• In China, these ducks are highly regarded for marital fidelity and love, making them a common feature in their art for signifying life-long affection.
• To wish good luck to the newlyweds, it was tradition to gift them with living pair of Mandarin ducks in ancient China.
• There is also a Chinese proverb for couples deeply in love which contains them as metaphor.

Males are bestowed with such beauty and elegance that they become the best choice as pets.  A lot of their population has been destroyed by loggers, an impending threat to the forests.

Take a look at these Mandarin ducks listed here.

Mandarin Duck Image

Mandarin Duck Photo

Reference:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Mandarin_Duck

http://www.canaryzoo.com/bird%20specie%20mandarin%20duck.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_Duck#Food_and_feeding

http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/m/mandarin/index.aspx

http://www.singing-wings-aviary.com/Mandarin%20Ducks.htm

Their wings measure between 80 and 110 mm, approximately.

Adults

A very distinct feature on Spicebush Swallowtails is the orange marking on the upper side of the rear wing. There are ivory spots on the lower portions of the wings which is largely black from the front. Males have bluish green scales on the rear wing’s upper side and the females have them in blue.

Spicebush Swallowtail

Juveniles

They are like bird excreta color in their larvae stage. On becoming caterpillars, they attain a light yellowish lateral bar across its body. They are pinkish downwards with segments outlined with different colors. A pupa attains shades of green and brown based on the season.

A tail is present at the end of the wing. It measures about 10 to 12 mm.

Swallowtails are distributed across North America. Their range stretches from south Canada up to Florida. Manitoba, southern Ontario and central Texas are some of other areas that come under its range. It has sparse population in New England and south of Mississippi River. On rare occasions they are also found in Cuba and Colorado.

They inhabit temperate climates, living in grasslands, savanna and forests. Marshes, bogs, swamps and agricultural areas are some of its prime habitats. Deciduous woodlands abound with larvae of this species, adults fly around this range as well. Roadside areas, parks and shaded regions in the woods are dwelt by them.

• Females actively look out for host plants to lay eggs on them after copulating with her partner.
• Males and females are both promiscuous but the trend is less probable in females than males.
• Drakes mate every day and the females mate several times in her entire lifetime.
• In order to mate, the males start watching over the flight path on hill tops and areas where host plants are located.
• Males exhibit courtship ritual for a moment when he meets with the females.
• They engage in ‘puddling’ which is a kind of behavior they exhibit while patrolling for mates or food sources.
• They also form groups and inhabit river banks and moist areas. They draw draw moisture from those areas during puddling
  

  Spicebush-Swallowtail Image

• During mating, females prefer to be under direct sunlight unlike the males.
• Females use chemical as well as visual hints to locate host plants.
• Before finalizing the plant as a host plant it beats it with its forelegs to identify the taste.

During the metamorphosis of this butterfly, their diet changes. In the stage of the larvae, they feed on leaves and shrubs of the host trees that are aromatic in nature. They primarily subsist on spicebush and sassafras. Apart from that they also feed upon sweetbay, redbay. Feeding on the host plant however is dependent on its availability in the certain region.

Adults on the other hand, like any other butterflies subsist on nectar, especially on honeysuckle, thistle flowers and clovers. Apart from these they also derive nectar from azalea, jewelweed, milkweed, mimosa, sweet pepperbush and dogbane.

These butterflies are being predated extensively by various predators throughout their life. Some of the predators which threaten their existence are dragonflies, spiders, robber flies and birds of different species.

To feed on the nectar that lies deep in the flowers, they have been provided with long proboscis.

Spicebush butterflies save themselves from predators by mimicking bird dropping and green snakes during the initial two stages of their lives.

Even after reaching adulthood, they can ward off predators by looking like Pipevine Swallowtails, that taste awful.

Summers are ideal to mate when they become adults.

Spicebush Swallowtail Picture

In the different geographical ranges, breeding months are varied. Copulation takes place after the initial procedures of finding a mate and impressing it via some rituals of courtship. Copulation continues for a long duration, sometimes exceeding an hour. The females then deposit their eggs on the host plants.

It basically occurs during the summers from April to October in the southern parts of the range. When the eggs are laid, they are not being looked after specifically like other species. Larvae get fully developed by deriving nutrients from the eggs produced by the females. Two generations might be produced by this species, beginning in April till October.

Eggs are laid on the part below the leaves which appear like bird dropping in its larval stage. With time, this starts looking like snakes forming into pupae, that turn greenish during summers. With the beginning of fall they assume brownish tinge and finally metamorphose into beautiful butterflies at the end of the cycle.

Hibernation in winter might be evident in some pupae, when they look like dead leaves.

Adults have a very little life span which ranges from 2 days to 14 days.

It has two sub-species, named Papilio troilus troilus and Papilio troilus ilioneus.

There is not enough information regarding their existence status by any authentic source.

• Sometimes when trees are planted for sheer ornamentation, they can be turned into host plants.
• Due to their slow flight, they can be easily caught.
• The females are very cautious while selecting the host plant so that its progeny is safe.
• An interesting experiment revealed that this species would rather die but eat anything not belonging to lauraceae species of host plants.
• Courtship dances are common features for wooing the female.

Some images listed here which will help in identification of Spicebush Swallowtail butterflies in their habitats.

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

Spicebush Swallowtail Photo

Reference:

http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Papilio_troilus/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papilio_troilus