'/> Amazing Animals: June 2011

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Intriguing Animals Whose Names Start with The Letter I

From a one-horned rhinoceros, to a rare Japanese cat, down to the biggest living lemur… meet these intriguing animals whose names start with the letter “I”.

Indri

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The Indri (Indri indri), along with the Diademed Sifara are the world’s largest living lemurs. Also called the Babakoto, this diurnal tree-dweller inhabits the lowland and mountainous forests of Madagascar. Adults grow to about 64–72 cm in head-body length and can weigh between 6 to 9.5kg. Indri has large greenish eyes, round ears, long, sturdy legs and a very short tail about 5 cm long. Its black, silky fur is marked with some white patches along the neck, legs, and lower back.

Ibisbill

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The Ibisbill (Ibidorhyncha struthersii) is a unique bird related to the waders that inhabits stony riverbanks of wide high-altitude plateau across the Himalayas and central Asia.

This bird has gray plumage with a white belly, a black face, short reddish legs, a black breast band and a long down-curved bill. Adults grow to about 38-41 cm. Ibisbill diet includes small water invertebrates and occasionally small fish. It has to probe under rocks on river and stream beds to find its food source.

Iguana

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An iguana is a type of lizard found in South and Central America and as far as the Caribbean. These reptiles have exceptional vision that enables them to see clearly objects at long distances; and for searching food. It has four powerful legs, a long tail and come in different colors; green, yellow to brown.

Iguanas are mainly herbivores; its food source, includes leaves, flowers, fruit as well as worms, insects and other small animals. Females usually lay between 20-70 eggs in shallow ditches later cover these eggs with moist soil. Iguana predators include snakes, foxes, some large birds of prey, and people.

Inchworm

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The inchworms, also called cankerworms, measuring worms, or spanworms, are the larvae of moths belonging to the Geometridae family. These moths numbering over 1000 species are native to North America. .Inchworms are about 2.5 cm long with smooth, hairless bodies and can be green, brown, or black. Adult males sport brownish-gray front wings while female adults are wingless.

They may be small, but inchworms are voracious little monsters that wreck havoc on crops, shrubs and trees! Many considered them as pests, but the best part is… adult moths lay eggs only once every year.

Indian Rhinoceros

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The Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) or the Great One-horned Rhinoceros is a large herbivorous animal found in Nepal and India. These prehistoric-looking rhinoceros inhabit forest, marshy areas, and tall grasslands. Males are bigger than females, where adult males weigh from 2,200 to 3,000 kg, stand between 1.7 to 2 m tall and can reach up to 4 m long.

It has silver-brown ‘armor plating’ skin with minimal body hair, and a single black horn. Males grow thick neck-folds. It has sharp hearing and an excellent sense of smell, but has inferior eyesight. Indian Rhinos are friendly, agile, change direction quickly and an exceptional swimmer. They are excellent grazers, feeding mainly on grasses. However, their diet also includes fruits, branches, leaves, shrubs as well as some aquatic animals. Feeding occurs at night and early morning. To escape the midday heat, Indian rhino flounders or submerge themselves in water.

Impala

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Impalas are graceful antelopes found in savannahs and grasslands of eastern and southern Africa. Impalas have glossy, reddish-brown coat with white stripes around the eyes and black marking on the ears’ edges. Also, adult males sport long, “S”-shaped horns. This amazing antelopes grow between 120-160 cm long and weigh between 40-80 kg.

Impalas spend the day grazing on grasses, fruits, flowers and shoots. They are known to be fleet runners that can jump distances up to 10 meters and can clear obstacles by leaping to about 3 meters in the air. Impalas are social animals that go in herds numbering to around 200 individuals.

Iriomote Cat

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The Iriomote cat (Prionailurus iriomotensis), is a very rare cat found only on the Japanese island of Iriomote. A threatened species of cat (with an estimated population of around 100 individuals), Iriomote cat has grayish-brown fur marked with dark spots across its body, dark rounded ears and a relatively short but hairy tail.

Adult males average 53-56 cm long excluding the tail, stand about 25 cm at shoulder height and normally weigh 3-7 kg. The tail averages 16-45 cm long. Later studies showed that Iriomote cats are generally nocturnal animals; hiding in tree cavities during the day and emerging to hunt at dusk. Studies also showed that the cat’s diet includes: insects, fish, small mammals, reptiles, and birds.

Ibis

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The ibises are a group of medium-sized wading birds with long, slender, down curved bills comprising the family Threskiornithidae. Ibises are found in warm areas worldwide except on South Pacific islands. They grow from 55 to 75 cm in body length. Though, they come in different plumage colors, most ibises sport white plumage with colored heads.

Ibises feed as a group, wading and probing in shallow lagoons, marshes, lakes, ponds and mud on fish, crustaceans and other small aquatic animals. Most species breed in colonies; building nests in bushes or trees. Females lay three to five greenish eggs. Both parents take turns in caring for the eggs and chicks.

Indian Pangolin

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The Indian Pangolin (Manis crassicaudata) is a thick-tailed Pangolin inhabiting forests and grasslands of India and Sri Lanka. This nocturnal animal lives primarily in burrows, but some will climb trees. Indian Pangolin eyes, ears and head are small but has a long tongue. The skin is brown in color, with large brownish to yellowish armored scales and five sharp claws on each foot.

The Indian Pangolin grows between 60-65 cm in head-body length and weighs about 8-9 kilograms. Also, it has a 45-55 long armored tail that comes in handy in climbing trees or balancing. Indian Pangolins are insectivore and feast on ants and termites. Since, they don’t have teeth, Indian Pangolins have two chambered stomachs that do the food-crushing process. Indian Pangolins breed all-year round. After a gestation of about 65-75 days, females give birth to one or two young.

Icterine Warbler

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The Icterine Warbler (Hippolais icterina) is a small passerine bird in the genus Hippolais . Its habitat ranges from France, Scandinavia, and southwest Siberia. This bird is found in open woodland, forests, parks, and orchards gardens.

Icterine Warbler is about 12–13.5 cm long and weighs about 8–23 g. Male and female carry similar plumage and colors; the head is green, long brownish bill, the eye is brown, greenish-brown back, and legs are blue. It feeds on insects, but at times eat fruits especially berries. This warbler is monogamous, seeking a new partner only when its mate dies.

Check out the entire Animal Alphabet list here:
Amazing Animal Alphabet Series 1
Amazing Animal Alphabet Series 2

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Unique Relatives of Seven Famous Animals

A compilation of seven unique animals that are seldom mentioned, and always outshone by their more famous, closest relatives. Have fun knowing them.

Okapi

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The Okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is an unusual animal living at high altitudes in the rainforests of Congo, in central Africa. It was only discovered by scientists in 1901. With white-and-black stripes on its legs, it was first thought to be some kinds of a rainforest zebra or a forest-dwelling house. However, the okapi is not related to a zebra, but guess what - it is the only living relative of the giraffe!

Just like the giraffe, the okapi has big, upright ears, and a long dark tongue that comes in handy in grooming and stripping fruits, branches, buds and young leaves from trees. It has chocolate-brown body coat with tan-colored chest. Though shorter than a giraffe, adults stand up to 1.5 m tall at the shoulder, a body length of about 2.5 m and weigh between 200 to 300 kilograms (440 to 660 lbs). Adult males own hair-covered horns that could grow up to 15 cm long. Females are slighter taller than males and have lighter body color. Okapis have a life span of about 20 to 30 years.

Pygmy Hippopotamus

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I guess many of us know about the large and muscular hippopotamus, but do you know that it has a less popular but unique relative? Yes, and it is the Pygmy hippopotamus! It is a “never-heard” animal until the early part of the 19th century. A copycat of the much larger hippo, the Pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) lives in swampy forests of Western Africa.

In physical stature, pygmy hippo resembles its larger relative, the Nile Hippopotamus. Though half the size as compared to its relative, adult on average stand 75-83 cm at the shoulder, between 150-177 cm in body length and weigh between 180-275 kg. Unlike Nile hippopotamus, pygmy hippo has smaller pig-liked head and its eyes are situated more to the sides. It has short tail with branched hairs. The skin is smooth resembling that of a common hippo; having a brown or greenish black coat and pinkish cheeks.

Aardwolf

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What do “laughing” hyena and aardwolf have in common? They both belong to the Hyenidae family, the former being one of the popular ones while the latter is considered the least known member. The Aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is a small, shy and nocturnal animal found in eastern and southern Africa. The aardwolf resembles the Striped hyena, but is much smaller with big, pointed nose and more slender muzzle. Its yellowish fur is marked with black stripes and with a distinctive mane around its neck.

On average, Aardwolf measures around 55–80 cm long, stands between 40–50 cm at the shoulder, and weighs up to 14 kg. It also has a long tail growing to 30 cm at the most. Its cheek teeth are very similar to the hyena, but are mainly used for eating insects.

Aardwolves live in bush land, dry plains, but are primarily sleeping in burrows during the day. By dusk, they emerge from the burrows to search for termites… their main food source. Would you believe that in a single night this unusual animal can consume about 200,000 termites with the aid of its long and sticky tongue!

Drill

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Mandrills are one of the main attractions of modern day zoos; but have you heard about its closest relative, the drill? These two monkeys are so similar in appearance with one main difference… a mandrill carries a more colorful face while a drill has a black face and a red chin to show. One of Africa’s most endangered animals, drills are found only in three countries: Nigeria, South Western Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.

Drills (Mandrillus leucophaeus) are social animals, where one dominant male leads a group of about 20 females. Also, the leader acts as the father to all the young. Interacting with other groups is a normal way of life to drills. Male drills are three times heavier than females weighing up to 45 kg. At about three years old, female drills reach sexual maturity, but can only have one offspring every six years. Drill’s average life span is 28-30 years. Drills are omnivorous that feeds on grass, roots, and fruits, to small animals.

Silky Anteater

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The Giant Anteater is rather well known, but its relative the Silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus), is almost never heard of. The smallest anteater in the world, silky anteater lives in the tropical forests of southern Mexico, Bolivia and parts of Brazil. It is a solitary, slow moving tree-dwelling nocturnal animal that is seldom seen. It sleeps during the day curled up in a ball, and emerges during the night to search for ants and other insects. Using its long sticky tongue, silky anteater can consume up to 8000 ants in a night.

The Silky Anteater normally measures between 36 and 45 centimeters and weighs less than 400 g. It has a soft and silky golden brown fur. Also, silky anteater has short stout, two big curved claws in each forepaw, and a prehensile tail. Females give birth to a single young where both parents care for the offspring.

Hyrax

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Looking at the picture above, I bet you will be misled that a Hyrax is a rodent-type animal. But do you know that the nearest relative of this unique creature is the elephant! Both elephants and hyraxes share some anatomical and physiological features. Both live in arid lands, feed on plants, rubbery toe pads and tusks.

There are four extant species of Hyrax namely: The Rock Hyrax, the Yellow-spotted Rock Hyrax, the Western Tree Hyrax, and the Southern Tree Hyrax. Hyraxes are found in Africa and the Middle East. They are furry animals with short tails. Hyrax averages between 30–70 cm long and weighs between 2–5 kg. They live in small family groups where a dominant male leads the group. Hyrax diet includes: fruits, leaves, insects and birds’ eggs Females give birth to up to four young.

Crab-eating Racoon

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Many are familiar with the infamous common raccoon, but have you heard about the Crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus), its close but seldom mentioned relative. Found in South and Central America, crab-eating raccoons live near bodies of water such as streams, lakes and rivers searching for crabs, frogs, fish, shellfish and other freshwater animals.

An average crab-eating raccoon grows between 41 to 60 cm in body length and weighs between 2 to 12 kg. Just like its cousin the Common Raccoon, it has short, rounded ears; a bushy tail and small eyes mark with the popular “bandit’s mask” black eye patches. But unlike its relative, crab-eating raccoon has thinner fur and spends most its time in water (semi-aquatic).

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Philippine Spotted Deer: The World’s Rarest Deer!

The Philippines’ biodiversity is truly amazing that it is haven to some of the world’s smallest faunas and floras as well as home to what many believe as the world’s rarest deer. Read on to learn more about this fascinating animal — the Philippine spotted deer.

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The Philippine Spotted Deer (Rusa Alfredi) is a small deer about 60 to 80 cm tall at shoulder height and about 130 cm long with short tail, eight to 13 cm long. This species is found only in two Visayan islands (Negros and Panay) inhabiting forests areas, though at one time found in open grasslands.

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This small deer is easily recognized by the many large distinguishing yellowish-beige spots spread across its underbody and sides. It has fine, soft fur with an overall dark brown coat; while its underbodies are much paler. The Philippine Spotted Deer has dark brown face and neck though its chin bears some white patches. A lighter colored fur ringed the eyes while the inside surface of the ears are white. Males are larger than females where and grow short, stout antlers about 4.5 cm long.

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Other than the fact that females have a gestation period of eight months, little is known about the deer's life cycle in the wild. Though young animals have been sighted all-year round, studies showed that many are born in March, May, and June. In captivity, the Philippine Spotted Deer can live up to 20 years.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Fascinating Animals Whose Names Begin with The Letter “C”

Natures present us with beautiful, strange, odd and fascinating creatures. The animal kingdom itself have millions of amazing and special species that many of us have not known or seen. Below is a list of 10 fascinating animals whose names begin with the letter C.

1. Capybara

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A capybara is a semi-aquatic mammal that is native to South America. It is usually found living in forested areas near rivers, lakes, swamps, ponds and marshes. Capybara has short head and broad body with reddish-brown fur upper body that turns yellowish-brown underneath. On average, an adult capybara can reach 130 centimeters in length and to about 65 kg in weight.

Adult capybaras are tailless, have 20 teeth, and with slightly webbed feet. An herbivore, it feeds mainly on grass, fruits, tree bark sand aquatic plants. An adult capybara can consume up 3.5 kg of grass per day! Also, capybaras are excellent swimmers and can survive completely underwater for up to five minutes. If the need arises, it can sleep underwater, keeping its nose just at the waterline.

2. Cat

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Our list would not be completed without the cat (Felis catus), also known as the domestic cat or housecat. A small predatory and carnivorous mammal, cats normally weigh between 2.5 and 7 kilograms and average about 23–25 centimeters in height. Cats' night vision is superior to humans and its sense of smell is about fourteen times as strong as a human's. Cats have dozens of movable vibrissae (whiskers) over their body, especially on theface that helps them in navigating.

3. Cuban Solenodon

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The Cuban Solenodon, also known as Almiqui (Solenodon cubanus),is found in dense, humid forests, brush country, and around agricultural lands. A nocturnal mammal with dark brown fur, the Cuban solenodon has a flexible snout and tiny eyes. Adult ones average 41–56 cm long from nose to tail and weigh about one kg. A Cuban Solenodon communicates with others via squeaks, squeals and twitters. Its diet includes: snakes, frogs, and crabs.

4. Coconut Crab

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The coconut crab (Birgus latro) also known as the robber crab or palm thief, is the largest land-living arthropod in the world. An excellent coconut palm climber, it can easily break open coconuts using powerful pair of pincers. Its body is divided into four regions; the cephalic lobe, forepart, trunk, and opisthosoma. Adults average up to 40 cm and weigh up to nine kg. Since coconut crabs live on the land, they have differently structured organs on their body that resembles those seen on insects. Coconut crabs main diet are coconuts, but they also search for fruits, leaves, tortoise eggs and even shells of other animals.

5. Coati

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The coati is widespread and native to South, Central, and south-western North America. It lives in habitats ranging from hot and arid areas to humid Amazonian rainforests. A main feature of Coati is the white markings around the eyes, the ears and snout. Its snout is extremely flexible and can be rotated up to 60 degrees in any direction. Coatis average 33 to 69 cm from head to the base of the tail, about 30 cm tall at the shoulder, and weigh between three to eight kg. The coati is an omnivore; its diet consists mainly of ground litter invertebrates and fruits. They also eat small vertebrate prey, such as lizards, rodents, small birds, and bird's eggs.

6. Cheetah

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The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest land animal on earth, reaching speeds of up to 110 km/h (68 mph). Cheetahs are sprinters that can accelerate from 0 to 110 km/h (68 mph) in three seconds, faster than most super cars. A cheetah weighs between 88-143 pounds (39-65 kg). Its head and body together measure 44 to 53 inches (112-135 cm). The tail is 26 to 33 inches (66-84 cm).

7. Comb Jelly

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The phylum Ctenophora, also known as Comb Jellies has about 90 extant species that live in marine waters worldwide. Their bodies consist of a mass of jelly with one layer of cells on the outside and another lining the internal cavity. Adults of various species range from a few millimeters to 1.5 meters (59 in) in size. Comb jellies use their eight rows of comb-like plates to move in a rippling motion. Most species use their two long tentacles to capture prey.

8. Crocodile

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Crocodiles are large aquatic reptiles found throughout Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. Their habitat includes rivers, lakes, wetlands and sometimes in brackish water. Crocodiles have a streamlined body that enables them to swim swiftly. Webbed feet, which allow it to make fast turns and sudden moves in the water or initiate swimming. Crocodiles have the ability to close off their nasal passages in the water, allowing them to seize food without drowning. Since crocodiles feed by grabbing and holding on to their prey, they have evolved sharp teeth for tearing and holding on to flesh, and powerful muscles that close the jaws and holding them shut.

9. Caterpillar

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Caterpillars are the larval stage of butterflies and moths. A voracious feeder, it eats leaves or other parts of plants. Most caterpillars have tubular, segmented bodies that includes: three pairs of true legs on the three thoracic segments, about four pairs of prolegs on the middle segments of the abdomen, and often a single pair of prolegs on the last abdominal segment. Caterpillars breathe through a series of small openings along the sides of their thorax and abdomen called spiracles. Caterpillars have 4,000 muscles and move through contraction of the muscles in the rear segments pushing the blood forward into the front segments elongating the torso. Many caterpillars are cryptically colored and resembled the plants on which they feed. Their size varies from as little as one mm to about three inches.

10. Clownfish

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There are about twenty eight extant species of clownfish that are found in coral reefs in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Depending on species, clownfish are overall yellow, orange, reddish, or blackish, and many show white bars or patches. The largest reach a length of 18 cm, while the smallest barely reach 10 cm. They have a symbiotic relationship with sea anenomes. Clownfish secrete a special slime—thought to counteract the stinging cells of certain species of anemones—which enables them to seek refuge among anemone tentacles.

Check out the entire Animal Alphabet list here:
Amazing Animal Alphabet Series 1
Amazing Animal Alphabet Series 2