Endangered Animal Facts
African Elephant
Loxodonta africana
Weighing up to 6000 kg (6.6 tons) and measuring up to 3.3 m (10 ft.) at the shoulder, the African elephant is the world's largest land mammal. It is characterized by its highly dexterous trunk, long curved tusks, and massive ears.
A combination of the upper lip and nose, an African elephant's trunk is extremely versatile. Elephants use their trunk for smelling, breathing, detecting vibrations, caressing their young, sucking up water, and grasping objects. The tip of their trunk is comprised of two opposable extensions, or fingers, which allow for extreme dexterity.
Both male and female elephants possess tusks, which are modified incisor teeth. Although tusks are present at birth, the "baby tusks" fall out after a year, and permanent ones replace them. These tusks will continue to grow throughout the elephant's life. Similar to the trunk, elephant tusks are utilized in a wide range of activities. They are used for digging, foraging, and fighting. At times, they also act as a resting place for the elephant's very heavy trunk.
An African elephant's large ears also serve many purposes. The ears' large surface area helps radiate excess heat under the harsh African sun. The ears are also often used to communicate visually. Flapping their ears can signify either aggression or joy. And finally, elephants' ears, used in conjunction with the soles of their feet and their trunk, aid in the ability to hear sounds over long distances. On average, an elephant can hear another elephant's call at 4 km (2.5 mi.) away. Under ideal conditions, their range of hearing can be increased to 10 km (6.2 mi.).
Although elephants can make a very wide range of sounds (10 octaves), they mostly communicate through low frequency sounds called "rumbling." In fact, elephants are capable of producing and perceiving sounds one to two octaves lower than the human hearing limit. As lower frequency sounds travel farther than their higher counterparts, their range of communication is extensive. Furthermore, elephants have the ability to judge the distance from another elephant based on the pitch of his/her call. As the sound travels over distances, the higher tones will fade out, leaving a lower pitch.
Communication is vital to elephants, who rely on a social network for survival. The sustaining social unit is a herd of mothers and their young, sisters, and female cousins, led by an older matriarch. Male elephants will leave the herd at around 14 years old when they hit puberty. They then join a loose-knit band of other bull elephants, leaving the bachelor herd at will to search for potential mates.
Upon successful mating, the male elephant will move on to other herds, and the female will start a 22-month gestation period. When the calf is born, aunts, sisters, and cousins all help care for the newborn. In this way, all the elephants of the herd learn essential lessons in rearing a baby. And since elephants only give birth once every 5 years, successfully raising their offspring is critical to their survival.
Aside from their ability to learn through watching and mimicking, African elephants also possess other very human qualities. Their great capacity for compassion is demonstrated as they care for the wounded and grieve the deceased. Their developed sense of memory allows them not only to remember lost loved ones, but also to harbor grudges, and recognize long-lost friends. Upon the return of a friend, elephants take part in a joyous greeting ceremony where they spin in circles, flap their ears, and trumpet.
Having adapted to life across Africa's diverse ecosystems, the African elephant plays a vital role in maintaining ecological harmony. African elephants ingest plants and fruits, walk for miles, and excrete the seeds in fertile dung piles. In this way, new plants can grow in different areas and can cross fertilize. In fact, 90 different tree species rely on the elephant for propagation. African elephants also dig holes to expose underground springs. This allows smaller animals to access water in drier times.
Conservation Status
As African elephants act as a keystone species, it is vital to take steps in their conservation. Poaching and urban sprawl pose a massive threat to their survival.
Now classified as a near threatened species under IUCN's Red List, African elephants had benefited greatly from the 1989 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) ban on ivory. This measure was taken in response to the widespread obliteration of nearly half the African elephant population that took place in the preceding decade. However, with newer, more relaxed laws against ivory, as well as continuing human encroachment, the African elephant remains in trouble.
What You Can Do to Help
There are several ways to help support African elephants. For starters, don't buy, sell, or wear ivory. Also, participate in eco-tourism. Boosting Africa's economy through eco-tourism helps placate local residents who view elephants as pests. In addition, you can donate to or fundraise for the Elephant Corridor, a project that enables elephants in Botswana to roam freely across the border to Zambia.
Finally, help provide captive elephants with the best possibly life. Boycott circuses, whose unethical treatment includes chaining elephants up by their feet and trunks, as well as beating them frequently. Encourage zoos to create environments similar to African elephants' native habitat. They should be able to encompass elephant families and their travel patterns, and they should be located in a warm climate so that the elephants can spend all year outside.
African Elephant Distribution
African elephants inhabit various ecosystems in sub-Saharan Africa.
Elephant Resources
African Penguin
Spheniscus demersus
When you think of penguins, you may picture them surrounded by snow and ice. However, there is one species of penguins that is acclimated to warmer climates. African penguins live in colonies on the coast and islands of southern Africa.
Also called jackass penguins, they make donkey-like braying sounds to communicate. They can dive under water for up to 2.5 minutes while trying to catch small fish such as anchovies and sardines. They may also eat squid and crustaceans.
The African penguin averages about 60 cm (2 ft.) tall and weighs up to 3.6 kg (8 lb.). Their short tails and flipper-like wings that help them navigate in the water, while their webbed feet help propel them.
To keep dry and insulated in cold water, African penguins are covered in dense, water-proof feathers. These feathers are white on the belly and black on the back, which aids in camouflage. Their white belly will blend with the light when predators look up at them from below, and their black backs meld with the darker seas when predators look down on them from above.
African penguins breed within their colonies; they do not travel to give birth. The penguins nest in burrows they dig out of their own excrement, called guano, or in areas under boulders or bushes. Recent removal of the guano for fertilizer has forced the penguins to change their habits and nest primarily under bushes and boulders. Their nests protect eggs and chicks from the sun and from predators like cats and seagulls. Eggs are laid in pairs and both parents help incubate them. Both parents also feed the newly-born chicks. After 2-4 years, the chicks will mature and lay their own eggs.
Conservation Status
African penguins can live for an average of 10-15 years, however many do not reach their full life span, and populations have been steadily decreasing. The loss of nesting places due to guano removal has contributed to the population decline as well as a decrease of food due to overfishing and pollution. As such, African penguins are now considered vulnerable by IUCN's Red List. This means there is a risk they may become extinct.
What You Can Do to Help
If you would like to help the African penguin, you can volunteer, donate, or adopt a penguin through the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds.
African Penguin Distribution
African penguins live in colonies on the coast and islands of southern Africa.
Penguin Resources
American Bison
Bison bison
The American bison was once the symbol of the Great Plains. Vast herds roamed from Canada to Mexico providing food, clothing, and tools to the native people. From a population that numbered in the millions, American bison dwindled to near extinction, driven there by American settlers.
Though sometimes called the American buffalo, the American bison is not related to the water buffalo or the African buffalo. These are the only true buffaloes in the world. The American bison is more closely related to cows and goats.
American bison have large bodies and dark brown coats. They stand up to 1.9 m (6.5 ft.) at the shoulder and can be up to 3.8 m (12.5 ft.) long. Bison can weigh between 410-818 kg (900-1800 lb.). Like many animals, the male is larger than the female.
The bison has a large head with small curving horns and a scraggly beard. Both male and female bison have horns and beards. The bison's hair is brown to dark brown and is longer in the front of the body and the legs than in the back areas.
During the mating season (June to September), the males will use their large heads to butt each other in attempts to gain the attention of females. Males become sexually mature at 3 years old, but do not mate until they are old enough to hold their own when fighting. Female bison become sexually mature and begin mating between 2-3 years of age. In April or May of the following year, the female bison will give birth to a single calf.
The newborn calves have a reddish, light brown coat and lack the distinctive hump of the adult bison. They begin turning brown and developing the hump after a few months.
Calves are nursed for up to 8 months and are fully independent by 1 year of age. Male bison do not participate in the upbringing of the calves, who live for 10-15 years.
Bison are herbivores. They feed on the grasses of the prairie land all year round. They will generally rest during the day and feed in the mornings and evenings. Bison also need to find water every day.
Although bison have few natural predators because of their size, wolves, mountain lions and bears do attack the very young or very old bison. In some areas, people legally hunt bison or raise them for their meat and hides. There are, however, some protected herds that reside in national parks and reserves.
Conservation Status
Although an ongoing conservation program has resulted in modest increases in their population, the American bison is currently classified as near threatened by .
What You Can Do to Help
You can help in their preservation by adopting a bison via the or donating toward the purchase of prairie land for reserves at the .
American Bison Distribution
Herds of American bison roam patches of protected land throughout the plains of the United States and Canada.
American Bison Resources
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Atlantic Puffin
Fratercula arctica
Dubbed "sea parrots" as well as "clowns of the sea," Atlantic puffins sport large, brightly-colored beaks on their substantially-sized heads. Crisp black and white markings on their plumage, as well as superior diving capabilities, have led people to compare the northern seabirds to penguins. However, Atlantic puffins are actually not related to penguins at all. They are in fact small seabirds (about 25 cm, or 10 in., long) that belong to the Alcidae (auk) family.
For most of the year, Atlantic puffins live on the open ocean, with a range spanning from the eastern coast of Canada and the northern United States to the western coast of Europe and northern Russia. 60% of the world's puffins live near Iceland.
Puffins are specially adapted to living on the open sea. Waterproof feathers allow them stay warm as they float at the ocean's surface or swim underwater. Diving as deep as 60 m (200 ft.), they swim by flapping their wings as if flying through the water and use their feet to steer. There, they hunt herring, hake, capelin, and sand eels. They supplement their meals by drinking saltwater.
Atlantic puffins are also excellent fliers. Flapping their wings at up to 400 beats per minute, puffins can reach speeds of 88 km/h (55mph).
April to mid-August is breeding season for puffins. When a puffin is around 3-5 years old, it will choose a partner at sea to mate with for life.
It is thought that the birds' colorful bills and feet, which fade in the winter and brighten in the spring, help puffins assess potential mates.
Once on land, the pairs of puffins reunite within the colony. Some pairs exhibit a special behavior known as "billing" where the two birds rub their beaks together. This often draws an excited crowd of other puffins to watch.
Puffins create burrows, about 90 cm (3 ft.), in rocky cliffs either in the soil or between rocks. Often, couples will return to the same burrow year after year. At the back of the burrow, they build a nest lined with grasses, seaweed, and feathers. After the female lays a single egg, both parents take turn incubating the egg for about 40 days.
Once the chick hatches, the mother and father will take turns bringing it fish to eat several times a day. Atlantic puffins have the ability to carry several fish in their beaks at one time. They push the fish to the back of their mouth with their tongue, where ridges at the top of their bill secure the fish in place. This allows puffins to keep their mouth open to catch more fish without losing any in the process. In general, they can hold around 10 fish in their beak at once.
The chick stays in the burrow until it is able to fly. The young puffin uses a toilet area towards the front of the burrow away from the nest to stay clean. It cannot risk getting its feathers soiled and ruining the waterproof protection they provide. After 45 days, the chick leaves the burrow and spends 3-5 years at sea learning about feeding places and choosing a mate.
In the wild, puffins can live around 20 years. Their main predator is the great black-backed gull, which can capture a puffin mid-flight or swoop in on a puffin on the ground. Herring gulls are also a threat because they steal puffins' fish (sometimes right from their mouths), and they pull puffin chicks or eggs from their nests.
Conservation Status
With 6 million alive today, Atlantic puffins are not endangered. But some populations have been drastically reduced. Puffin colonies are threatened by overfishing, which causes a shortage of food for adults to feed their young. Oil spills also pose a danger. Oil not only destroys puffins' waterproofing, it also makes them sick when they clean it off their feathers. Finally, global warming adversely affects puffins, who are adapted to living in waters about 0-20°C (32-68°F) and catching fish who are also adapted to those colder temperatures. Global warming also causes rising sea levels, which could flood out puffins' breeding grounds.
What You Can Do to Help
If you would like to help puffins, you can help curb global warming by engaging in environmentally-responsible activities like using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs, cutting down your carbon emissions, and recycling. You can also adopt a puffin from .
Atlantic Puffin Distribution
For most of the year, Atlantic puffins live on the open ocean, with a range spanning from the eastern coast of Canada and the northern United States to the western coast of Europe and northern Russia. 60% of the world's puffins live near Iceland.
Puffin Resources
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Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
Clearly recognized by its white head, brown body, and hooked yellow beak, the bald eagle has been the national emblem of the United States of America since 1782.
Yet starting in the 1950s, this symbol of American patriotism began to dramatically decline in numbers due to the use of the chemical DDT. After rigorous conservation efforts by the United States government, the bald eagle successfully rejuvenated its population and can comfortably continue its role as the national bird of the US.
With a 2 m (7 ft.) wing span, a weight of 3-7 kg (7-15 lb.), and an overall size of 71-96 cm (28-38 in.), the bald eagle is one of the largest raptors in the world.
Preferring to make their homes in large trees near bodies of water (both fresh and salt), bald eagles build enormous nests, called eyries, out of sticks. Generally, their eyries are at least .5 m (2 ft.) deep and 1.5 m (5 ft.) across but can be bigger. These substantial nests have been known to weigh up to 900 kg (1 ton).
Living near a constant source of water, bald eagles feast on fish, ducks, snakes and turtles. They will also eat rabbits, muskrats, and dead animals. Utilizing their acute sense of sight and powerful talons, bald eagles attack their prey by swooping down on them at an angle. They can reach speeds of up to 160 km/hr (100 mph) when diving. Once they capture their prey, they use their hooked beak to pull flesh out before consuming it.
Bald eagles can reach great heights when flying. Using thermal convention currents, they can climb to up to 3000 m (10,000 ft.) in the air. They can soar for hours using these currents. When cruising, they can fly about 65 km/hr (40 mph). In addition, if their water source freezes, bald eagles may use thermal convention currents to migrate in the winter.
At around 4-5 years old, bald eagles will choose a mating partner through a courtship procedure. The courtship includes numerous calls and aerial displays.
Once coupled, the two birds will mate for life. Only in the case where one eagle dies or disappears will the other one find a new mate.
A mating pair produces up to three eggs a year, though it is not likely that all three will survive.
Both parents take turns incubating the eggs. While one is incubating, the other searches for food or more nesting materials. After a little over a month of incubation, the eggs hatch.
Bald eagles are not born with their distinctive brown and white look. When baby eaglets hatch, their entire bodies are covered with light gray feathers. Around 3 weeks, their plumage takes on a brown coloration. Finally, at 4-5 years old, they acquire the distinctive brown and white color pattern.
Conservation Status
In 2007, the bald eagle was removed from endangered and threatened species list kept by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition, currently considers the bald eagle as a species of least concern of extinction. Their successful recovery is due to years concerted conservation efforts along with the ban on the pesticide DDT in 1972.
While bald eagles have few natural enemies and are no longer considered endangered, threats still exist to the bald eagle, including habitat loss. As people move to the shores, they are cutting down trees and forcing eagles to make their homes elsewhere. Illegal hunting is another threat.
What You Can Do to Help
A good way to help bald eagles is to educate the public about the birds' habitat requirements. Encourage shore property owners to limit the clearing of trees near the water, and advocate for less development in eagle habitat. You can also donate to the .
Bald Eagle Distribution
Bald eagles are found throughout most of North America, preferring to make their homes in large trees near bodies of water.
Bald Eagle Resources
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys ludovicianus
Although they stand at only 30 cm (12 in.) high and weigh about 1 kg (1-3 lb.), black-tailed prairie dogs make a substantial impact on the ecosystem of the North American plains.
Prairie dogs reside in complex burrow systems. Entrances are easily spotted by the raised mounds of loose soil. These mounds allow a higher vantage point for sentries, or lookouts, to spot predators.
Small close-knit families called coteries compose the base of prairie dog social structure. Coteries consist of an adult male, one or more adult females, and their young offspring. Groups of neighboring coteries form a prairie dog colony.
Prairie dogs mate in March, and give birth to three or four pups in April or May. For 1-2 months, the mother will nurse and care for the pups underground. Once they emerge, the pups are nursed communally by other group members.
Relying heavily on a social network for survival, prairie dogs communicate with each other through barking. When a predator is near, prairie dogs remain outside their burrow and let out a repetitive series of warning barks so all members of the colony are aware of the predator's location.
If they were to all retreat into the burrow, the predator would simply attack when a prairie dog poked its head of out the entrance to check if the coast was clear. In this way, their system of warning barks has proven to be most successful.
Prairie dogs also perform jump-yip calls, in which they stand on the mound, throw their head back, and let out a high-pitched bark, sometimes evening toppling onto their backs due to the exertion.
Black-tailed prairie dogs are a keystone species; they play an integral role in promoting animal and plant diversity in the Great Plains. Without them, life on the plains would be vastly different.
Feeding on grasses, sedges, forbs (broad-leafed vegetation), roots, and seeds, prairie dogs keep vegetation short, fast-growing, and full of nutrition. Their digging action churns up soil like a plow, allowing for more fertile plant life. This in turn draws other wildlife like pronghorns,bison, and rabbits to the area to graze.
Prairie dog colonies also make suitable habitats for other animals. Their burrows sometimes become homes for rabbits, salamanders, snakes, and burrowing owls. In addition, mountain plovers prefer the areas of clipped grass for nesting.
Finally, prairie dogs provide an ample food source for golden eagles, hawks, swift foxes, coyotes, badgers, and endangered black-footed ferrets.
Conservation Status
Although they once numbered in the hundreds of millions, prairie dog populations are now estimated at around 10-20 million. Their numbers have decreased as a result of habitat destruction due to development and agriculture. Additionally, many farmers poison or shoot prairie dogs because they believe the animals interfere with cattle grazing. Finally, prairie dog populations have been largely affected by the sylvatic plague.
In 2000, the US Fish and Wildlife Service added the black-tailed prairie dog as a threatened species candidate for the Endangered Species Act. After further investigation, they determined that prairie dogs were not likely to become endangered in the near future and removed them as candidates in 2004. The classifies the black-tailed prairie dog as a species of least concern of becoming extinct due to the slow rate of their population decline.
What You Can Do to Help
If you would like to help the black-tailed prairie dog, there are several things you can do. You can contact government officials at the local, state, and federal levels advocating further protection for black-tailed prairie dogs. You can also make donations to charities trying to save the Great Plains and its wildlife like , , or .
Black-Tailed Prairie Dog Distribution
Black-tailed prairie dogs live in colonies scattered throughout the plains of the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
Prairie Dog Resources
Bonobo
Pan paniscus
The equatorial forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) house a truly special kind of ape and one of man's closest relatives: the bonobo.
Sharing 98.5% of the same DNA as humans, it is not surprising that bonobos possess very human-like qualities. They embody a profound intelligence and a deep emotional capacity. In fact, in captivity, bonobos have picked up on many facets of human culture, sometimes simply through observation of the researchers around them. They have learned how to communicate in human languages, use tools, play music, and in one case, a bonobo actually tried her hand at driving a golf cart (only to crash into a tree shortly after).
Physically, they resemble chimpanzees, a close relative. In fact, bonobos are sometimes referred to as pygmy chimps because scientists first believed bonobos were a subspecies of chimpanzees. Further inspection revealed differences, and scientists later categorized them as their own unique species. With a more upright skeleton, long legs, and narrow shoulders, bonobos have the ability to walk bipedally, or on two legs, more easily and for longer amounts of time than chimpanzees. Their skeletal anatomy is actually very similar to Australopithecus, an early ancestor of humans. Their faces are flatter with a higher forehead than those of chimps, and their long black hair parts in the middle.
Bonobos differ from chimpanzees behaviorally as well. While chimpanzee society is competitive and male-dominated, bonobos live harmoniously in matriarchal groups of up to 100 members. Females hold the highest rank in a group, and the sons of ranking females become leaders among the males. Although males are physically larger and stronger, females gain power through strong bonds and alliances, thereby forming a stable "sisterhood."
When a female bonobo reaches sexual maturity, she will join another group. This limits inbreeding and increases genetic diversity among bonobo populations. When approaching a new group, the young female will seek out older, high-ranking females and attempt to form a bond through grooming and sexual behavior.
Sexual behavior is predominant in bonobo life. Bonobos engage in sexual behavior for a variety of reasons: to form bonds, to neutralize tense situations, to express excitement, to greet one another, to encourage sharing and compassion, and of course, to produce young.
Bonobos reproduce at the same rate as chimpanzees, giving birth every 5-6 years. A female bonobo will bear young for the first time around 13-14 years old. She will nurse and carry her offspring for up to 5 years. Male bonobos do not take part in the rearing process.
Bonobos' diet is largely vegetarian. Foraging in small groups, bonobos eat leaves, flowers, bark, stems, roots, insect larvae, worms, crustaceans, honey, eggs, and soil. Occasionally they hunt small mammals like flying squirrels or duikers (small antelopes). At night, bonobos gather with their groups to nest, communicating with each other with high-pitched barking sounds.
Conservation Status
Currently, the has categorized bonobos as endangered. Civil war in the Congo has hugely impacted bonobo society, fragmenting their population to isolated pockets and limiting their genetic diversity. Furthermore, poverty has forced many people into hunting bonobos to sell their meat on the black market. Finally, bonobos are threatened by loss of habitat due to illegal logging and agricultural development.
What You Can Do to Help
To help bonobos, you can volunteer with or donate to the , which promotes the conservation of tropical forest habitat and the creation of natural corridors to connect isolated communities.
Bonobo Distribution
Bonobos inhabit the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa.
Bonobo Resources
Bornean Orangutan
Pongo pygmaeus
The orangutan, with its distinctive red-orange hair, is the only ape that inhabits Asia. Weighing up to 90 kg (200 lb.), the Bornean orangutan is about 1-1.5 m tall (3.5-4.5 ft.) with an arm span as long as 2.5 m (8 ft.).
Boasting a Malay name meaning "People of the Forest," orangutans share 97% of the same DNA as humans. Not surprisingly, they possess great intelligence as well as other human-like qualities.
For example, Bornean orangutans use tools in daily activities. They employ branches to test water depth or poke termite holes, and they utilize leaves as umbrellas, sponges, or napkins. Furthermore, research from the National Zoo in Washington, DC has demonstrated their great capacity to reason, solve problems, and even use computers. And similar to humans, baby orangutans cry, whimper, and smile at their mothers.
Living atop the rainforest canopies on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, the Bornean Orangutan is physically well-adapted to its environment. Strong hands and hand-like feet, along with flexible hips and long arms allow the orangutan to live primarily in treetops.
Swinging from tree to tree, orangutans feed on fruit, leaves, bark, flowers, and insects. They travel considerable distances to eat their favorite fruits (usually unripe), knowing which ones are in season and where to find them. They drink water captured in leaves when available, and in drier times, they soak up moisture from tree hollows using chewed leaf "sponges."
Each night, they build nests in the treetops with leaves and branches. In this way, they have little need to venture to the ground, where their hand-like feet and elongated arms make walking very awkward.
Male Bornean orangutans are largely solitary, only socializing temporarily with females during the mating process. To initiate this process, males send out a "Long Call," which can be heard up to 3 km (~2 mi.) away.
Females will only be receptive to mating if the male has developed cheekpads, orjipek, which usually occurs when the male reaches his 20s.
A mother orangutan will nurse her offspring for 6-7 years. Although orangutans reach maturity at 8 years old, females will stay with their mothers up until their teen years to learn essential parenting skills, observing their mothers care for their younger sibling. Only then are they capable of rearing their own young. As female orangutans only give birth every 8 years, their rate of reproduction is very slow. In this way, orangutan populations take years to restore when hit with natural disasters and human encroachment.
Conservation Status
In prehistoric times, orangutans inhabited forests as far north as China. Now, due to deforestation and poaching, Bornean orangutans have been restricted to the island of Borneo with their population reduced to 50,000-60,000. They are currently classified on the as an endangered species.
Many of the issues surrounding orangutan depopulation stems from the impoverished state of Indonesia. Facing poverty and starvation, many Indonesians have turned to eating orangutan meat, illegal logging, capturing babies for pet trade, and using slash and burn techniques to turn portions of the rainforest into palm oil plantations. Slashing and burning has resulted not only in a reduction of fruit trees and habitat for orangutans, it has also exacerbated natural forest fires, causing widespread destruction.
What You Can Do to Help
Aside from donating to the many orangutan charities around the world, there are many other things you can do to help save the orangutan on day-to-day basis. For starters, avoid purchasing tropical or exotic plywood and hardwood, palm oil-based products, and rayon viscose clothing. In addition, reduce your consumption of paper, and seek out recycled "treeless" paper sources.
Bornean Orangutan Distribution
Bornean orangutans live on the Southeast Asian island of Borneo.
Orangutan Resources
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Brazilian Tapir
Tapirus terrestris
A relative of the rhinoceros, the Brazilian tapir, or lowland tapir, is one of four species of tapir.
Inhabiting the rain forests of South America, Brazilian tapirs live near water and are capable swimmers and divers. In fact, they sometimes run to the water to escape predators.
Splayed toes, four on each front foot and three on each hind foot, help the tapir successfully navigate through soggy ground.
Weighing between 150-250 kg (330-550 lb.), Brazilian tapirs measure around 2 m (6 ft.) in length. Adult Brazilian tapirs have brown coats that vary in shade, with darker hair on their sturdy legs and short, stiff manes. They also have short tails.
A long, flexible proboscis, or snout, helps tapirs grasp leaves, shoots, buds, fruit, and small branches to eat. They generally feed only at night, hiding in the cool forest during the day.
For 2 days every 2-3 months, the female Brazilian tapir is able to conceive. Once pregnant, she will carry the baby for over a year before giving birth!
Baby tapirs have brown fur with white stripes to help them blend into the rain forest floor. The white stripes fade as the calves mature.
The baby will suckle for several months until the mother stops producing milk. At 18 months, the calf is fully grown but may stay with its mother for a little longer.
While healthy adult tapirs are fairly successful at avoiding predators, such as jaguars, pumas, and anacondas, young tapirs are more susceptible to attacks.
Conservation Status
The Brazilian tapir is more abundant than the other three species of tapir, but the still considers it vulnerable. One reason for the decrease in population is that Brazilian tapirs are hunted for their meat and hide. Furthermore, their habitat is being destroyed by deforestation and agricultural development.
What You Can Do to Help
You can help preserve their habitat by donating to the or the .
Brazilian Tapir Distribution
Inhabiting the rain forests of South America, Brazilian tapirs live near water and are capable swimmers and divers.
Tapir Resources
Capybara
Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris
At about 50 cm (1.5 ft.) tall at the shoulder, 130 cm (4 ft.) in length, and 35-70 kg (75-150 lb.), the capybara takes the title of world's largest rodent. Capybaras are semi-aquatic, spending a lot of time in the water. They inhabit southern Central America and northern South America in both savannas and rain forests near ponds, rivers, or lakes.
A constant source of water is important to capybaras, who retreat into murky waters to escape from predators like jaguars, anacondas, caimans, pumas, ocelots, and harpy eagles.
Capybaras are physically well-adapted to a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Their webbed feet help them maneuver in water and traverse soft, muddy ground. Their facial features are located towards the top of their large heads, allowing them see and breathe while swimming. Capable of staying submerged for up to 5 minutes, capybaras can press their ears against their heads to keep water out. Once they exit the water, their thin coat of coarse hair dries quickly.
Spending the hottest portions of the day in water or wallowing in the shade, capybaras graze in the morning and evening when it's cooler. They feed on grasses and aquatic plants, consuming 3-3.5 kg (6-8 lb.) a day.
Capybaras have special digestive adaptations that allow them to absorb enough nutrients from their highly fibrous diet. A large fermentation chamber, or cecum, in their intestines stores and churns the fibrous materials while mixing in bacteria, enzymes, and gases that aid in digestion. Capybaras also eat their own droppings – an activity called coprophagy. Coprophagy allows them to ingest a higher percentage of proteins and other nutrients.
Very social animals, capybaras live in small family groups of about 10-20. A typical group includes one dominant male, several females, their offspring, and a few subordinate males. The dominant male, usually the heaviest, stares down the other males in the group, driving them to the outer edges of the group. Here, the subordinate males act as sentinels (or lookouts), performing warning barks when a predator is near.
In some cases, a subordinate male will challenge the leader. The two capybaras will charge each other, rear up onto their hind legs, and engage in a scuffle until one flees the scene.
Usually, a group of capybaras has a ratio of one male to two females. The ratio is preserved because the subordinate males in the periphery of the group are more susceptible to predation. Also, juvenile males are sometimes forced out of the group once they reach sexual maturity, leaving them to fend for themselves. Without the protection of the group dynamic, these bachelors become easy targets.
Being the dominant male has several advantages. Not only does he enjoy a position toward the center of the group, safer from predators, he also mates with all the females in the group.
Capybaras mate in the water. After a 5-month gestation period, the female capybara will give birth to four to five babies. After a few days, when the babies join the rest of the group, they are communally nursed by all the females. In this way, all the offspring in the group stay together.
Baby capybaras are not effective swimmers at first, so they stay on land, hiding under brushy cover. Their smaller stature and inability to swim well make them susceptible to predators like foxes, vultures, feral dogs, and piranhas.
Capybaras can live 8-10 years in the wild, and around 12 years in captivity.
Conservation Status
Although capybaras are currently considered by the to be of least concern of becoming extinct, their populations have been largely affected by hunting in the past. People eat capybara meat and produce leather from their skin. In the countries where capybara populations started to dwindle, hunting restrictions were enacted, and capybara numbers stabilized.
Capybara Distribution
Capybaras inhabit southern Central America and northern South America in both savannas and rain forests near ponds, rivers, or lakes.
Capybara Resources
Common Octopus
Octopus vulgaris
Found worldwide in the shallow waters of tropical, subtropical, and temperate areas, the common octopus is a fascinating creature.
At 60-90 cm (24-36 in.) long, it has eight long limbs protruding from a globe-shaped head (or mantle). Two rows of suckers line their tentacles and can sense taste.
While it was commonly believed that the octopus's appendages were all arms, recent studies by marine experts have shown that two of the limbs act more as legs, allowing the octopus to walk across the sea floor and push off when swimming. The octopus also has the useful ability to regenerate a tentacle if it loses one.
Similar to a squid, the common octopus is classified as a mollusk, which is a soft-bodied invertebrate with a shell. The octopus has no skeletal structure but does possess a skull, which protects its brain. It also has a sharp beak and a toothed tongue called a radula, which it uses to pry open and drill into the shells of prey, like crabs and clams. Once it breaks into the shells, the octopus may also inject a paralyzing poison into its prey.
When confronted with a potential threat, the octopus employs several defense tactics. In the first method, pigment cells in the skin contract to allow for uncanny camouflage abilities. In addition to changing color, octopuses also adapt the texture of their skin and their body posture to blend in seamlessly with their surroundings.
The octopus may also adopt deflective markings to scare away potential predators. The areas around the eyes, suckers, arms, and web may darken so the octopus appears more threatening. Their coloration also reflects their mood. While their pigmentation is normally brown, octopuses may turn white, which shows fear, or red, which demonstrates anger.
Another defense tactic is flight. After releasing a cloud of purple-black ink, the octopus propels itself by funneling water from its gills at the top of its mantle through its siphon, located at the bottom of the mantle. It can reach speeds as high as 40 km/h (25 mph), but cannot maintain this speed for long.
Octopuses are solitary animals who make their homes in rocks and coral or dig burrows. They scatter rocks and shells (or midden) around their dens to hide them. They leave the dens only to eat or reproduce.
In early spring, octopuses move closer to the shore to mate. Two months after mating, the female octopus releases 100,000-500,000 eggs. She spends her time cleaning the eggs, providing oxygen by squirting water, and fending off predators.
Soon after the eggs hatch, both the male and female octopuses die. They only live 12-18 months. Meanwhile, the hatchlings are carried by the currents, and they feed on plankton for 45-60 days. Only one or two of the hatchlings will survive to adulthood.
Conservation Status
Currently, common octopuses are not considered endangered or threatened. However, octopus is a common food in Asian and Mediterranean cuisines. People catch octopuses by trawling (fishing with a large net) and by luring them into "octopus pots," which are plastic traps that octopuses confuse as suitable dens. If trawling coincides with their breeding season or if overfishing occurs, octopus populations could be in danger.
Common Octopus Distribution
Common octopuses are found worldwide in the shallow waters of tropical, subtropical, and temperate areas.
Octopus Resources
More Octopus Stuff from scifac.blogspot.com
Common Wombat
Vombatus ursinus
Also known as the course-haired wombat, the common wombat is the largest burrowing mammal and the second largest marsupial averaging 90-115 cm (35-45 in.) in length. Its solitary, nocturnal nature makes the wombat a rare sight for people in the wild.
The common wombat's hairless nose, smaller ears, rounder head, and longer fur distinguishes it from hairy-nosed species of wombats. Resembling a small bear, the common wombat has coarse, bristle-like fur that ranges in color from sandy hues to darker browns and blacks.
Preferring wet, forested areas with slopes (for good burrow drainage), common wombats inhabit the southeastern coastal regions of Australia, including eastern New South Wales, eastern and southern Victoria, southeastern South Australia, and the whole of Tasmania.
Wombats are territorial animals. They mark their home range by grunting at intruders, rubbing their scent on trees, and scattering cube-shaped droppings. The unique shape of their dung helps keep the markings in place around their territory.
With a tough barrel-like body, short powerful legs, and long flat claws, the wombat walks with a shuffling gait but is extremely adept at tunneling. A common wombat may have up to twelve burrows in its home range with three to four main burrows. A main burrow will house a network of subtunnels, which include multiple entrances and sleeping quarters.
Most of the time, wombats remain in their burrows to stay out of the heat. However, they venture out at night and in cooler mornings and evenings to graze. Their diet consists of grass, shrubs, roots, bark, and moss. To accommodate their fibrous diet, their teeth grow on a continual basis to balance out the constant wear.
Wombats breed on a seasonal basis. Their mating is timed so that the most vegetation is available when the offspring is ready to be weaned. In that sense, the latitude and altitude of a wombat's territory will determine the best time to mate. However, mating generally occurs in the winter months.
Wombats' gestation period is 20-30 days. Like all marsupials, babies continue their development in their mothers' pouches. Wombat pouches face backwards, with the opening located towards the hind end, so that that dirt doesn't get inside when burrowing. When a joey is born, it will crawl into the pouch and attach itself to a teat. The teat will then expand in the baby's mouth, locking the joey in place.
The joey will remain in the pouch for 6-8 months and will fully mature at 2 years old. In the wild, wombats generally live around 5 years, but in captivity, their lifespan can reach as much as 30 years.
Conservation Status
Common wombats are classified by the as a species of least concern. However, wombats are protected by law in Australia, except in Victoria where they are viewed as vermin because they destroy rabbit-proof fences.
Threats to wombats include destruction of habitat due to urban sprawl and modern day forestry practices, competition with rabbits and livestock for food, rabbit poisons, hunting, and road accidents. While eagles, owls, and quolls prey on the young, wombats' main predators include dingoes, foxes, and Tasmanian devils. Foxes also spread deadly diseases to wombats such as mange.
What You Can Do to Help
There are several things you can do to save wombats. Help protect remaining wombat habitat by supporting more frequent thinnings of pine plantations. Pine forests block out the sunlight required for vegetation to grow that wombats graze on. Furthermore, when deep plowing occurs before planting new pine trees, wombats are killed, and their burrows are destroyed. Scaling back dense pine forests while preserving existing eucalypt forests allows for more ideal living conditions to exist for wombats.
You can also educate others about wombats. Many people view wombats as rodents due to their appearance. In turn, wombats are slapped with negative connotations and assumptions that they're capable of population explosions. In actuality, it is difficult for wombat populations to recover from setbacks because wombats produce only one offspring every 2 years.
Common Wombat Distribution
Common wombats inhabit the southeastern coastal regions of Australia, including eastern New South Wales, eastern and southern Victoria, southeastern South Australia, and the whole of Tasmania.
Wombat Resources
Cougar
Puma concolor
The cougar, which is also commonly referred to as a puma, mountain lion or panther, is the second largest cat in North America. Unlike other big cats, however, the cougar cannot roar. Instead, the large feline purrs like a house cat.
Cougars also have similar body types to house cats, only on a larger scale. They have slender bodies and round heads with pointed ears. They vary between 1.5-2.7 m (5-9 ft.) from head to tail. While males can weigh up to 68 kg (150 lb.), females weigh less, topping out at nearly 45 kg (100 lb.).
The coat of the cougar is a grayish tan to reddish color with lighter parts on the underside. The tail has a black spot on the end.
Inhabiting various ecosystems from mountains to deserts to sea-level, the cougar's range includes western North America, a small region in Florida, and most of South America. Cougars make their home anywhere that there is shelter and prey.
Generally they prey on deer but also feed on smaller animals if necessary, including domestic animals and livestock. Cougars have even been known to eat insects. Skilled and cunning hunters, cougars stay hidden from their prey until they can pounce with claws out-stretched. Cougars can also climb with ease and leap over 6 m (20 ft.). After killing a large animal, a cougar hides the carcass and eats in the coming days.
For the most part, the cougar has no natural enemies and sits atop the food chain. However, cougars occasionally compete with other predators such as bears and wolves for food.
During most of their lives, cougars are solitary creatures. They interact only to mate, which can happen at any time of year. Females can breed as early as 2-3 years old, and they give birth to 2-3 kittens at a time. The female cougars raise the young while the males return to their solitary lifestyles. Female cougars fiercely defend their offspring from any threatening creature.
At around two years old, cougar offspring will leave their mother to start their own life. Some travel far to establish their own territory as cougars need a lot of room to roam.
A healthy cougar in the wild can live to around 10 years of age. In captivity, cougars can live as long as 20 years.
Conservation Status
Cougars have been long been killed by both sport hunters and farmers protecting their livestock. Other threats to cougar populations include habitat loss and fragmentation and automobile accidents. As a result, the cougar population has significantly decreased.
Although they once ranged throughout North and South America, they are no longer found in the eastern portion of the United States and Canada, the exception being a small population in Florida. The subspecies known as the Florida panther is considered to be critically endangered, and agencies are working to maintain the current population. There are still, however, several thousand cougars in the wild, and as a result, they listed as being of 'least concern' on the .
What You Can Do To Help
It is difficult to stop habitat loss or reverse its effects, but there are some ways you can help. You can help persuade your congressperson to designate the cougar as a protected animal. This legally prevents the taking or injuring of cougars, unless they pose a threat. This law has been in effect in the state of California since the approval of Proposition 117 in 1990.
You can also appeal to your congresspeople advocating the preservation of open land in order to maintain a livable habitat for cougars. In addition, you can donate directly to the .
Cougar Distribution
Inhabiting various ecosystems from mountains to deserts to sea-level, the cougar's range includes western North America, a small region in Florida, and most of South America.
Cougar Resources
Emperor Penguin
Aptenodytes forsteri
The emperor penguin, the largest of 17 species of penguin at 1.15 m (45 in.) tall, is the only animal to inhabit the open ice of Antarctica during the winter. They face wind chills as cold as -60°C (-76°F) and blizzards of 200 km/h (124 mph). Despite such harsh conditions, emperor penguins spend their entire lives on the ice or in the surrounding waters of Antarctica.
To survive in this severely frigid climate, emperor penguins are equipped with several special adaptations. Four layers of scale-like feathers protect them from icy winds and provide a waterproof coat. The penguins can store large amounts of fat which insulates their bodies while also serving as a long-lasting energy source. They have small bills and flippers, which helps to conserve heat, and special nasal chambers that minimize the heat normally emitted through exhalation. Because their arteries and veins are situated close together, emperor penguins have the ability to recycle their own body heat. With this system, blood is cooled down on the way to the penguins' extremities and warmed up on the way back to the heart.
Emperor penguins are also specially adapted to traveling in this extreme habitat. On the ice masses, they use strong claws on their feet to help grip the surface as they shuffle along. They also slide on their sleek bellies while pushing with their feet. At sea, emperor penguins glide through the water with great speed and agility. Their aerodynamic bodies and strong flippers make them excellent swimmers, reaching speeds of 3.4 m/s (7.6 mph). They can dive deeper than any other bird - as deep as 565 m (1850 ft.) - and they can stay under for more than 20 minutes.
Every winter (which begins in March in Antarctica), emperor penguins traverse up 80 km (50 mi.) across the ice to reach stable breeding grounds. Males arrive shortly before females, ready to attract a mate with displays and courtship calls. Emperor penguins are monogamous during each breeding season, choosing only one mate. Most will find a new mate the next year, but some pairs choose to reform a bond again. Once the egg is hatched, in May or June, the female will pass the egg to the male to incubate. She will make the long voyage back to the sea to feed on krill, squid, and fish.
As there are no nesting supplies available on the ice mass, emperor penguins must create a safe, warm environment for the eggs using their own bodies. Careful to keep the egg sheltered, the male will balance the egg on his feet and cover it with a warm layer of feathered skin called a brood pouch.
In the next couple months, the male emperor penguins must cope with the worst weather conditions on earth, all the while eating nothing. To withstand the harsh winds and blizzards, the penguins huddle together in groups. They take turns moving towards the inside of the pack, where it is warmer, thereby sustaining the entire group.
Once the females arrive back at the colony, they regurgitate food for the hatchings to eat. At this time, the males can finally return to sea to fish, and the females will continue care for the chicks. After a few months, the juveniles leave the shelter of their mothers' brood pouches and stay in chick groups called crèches. This allows the females to go fish.
In December, the weather warms in Antarctica, breaking up the outer ice and bringing the sea closer to the nesting sites. When the young penguins reach the water, they are nearly done with their moult, and they're ready to swim and fish on their own. Adult penguins begin their yearly moult once separated from their offspring. They store up body fat beforehand because it takes a lot of energy to replace all their feathers, and they are unable to fish because they lack waterproof protection. By January, the new plumage has grown in, and the hungry penguins take to the waters in groups to forage for the summer.
Although emperor penguins are effective hunters, they are also prey to a few Antarctic animals as well. Only a third of the juvenile penguins will make it to their first birthday, falling prey to seabirds like giant petrels or skuas. In the water, both juveniles and adults are eaten by leopard seals and .
Conservation Status
According to the , emperor penguins are considered of least concern of becoming endangered. They have a large range, their populations are believed to be stable, and they live on average 15-20 years in the wild. However, emperor penguins do face a few threats due to human activity. Rising temperatures due to global warming will reduce emperor penguin breeding grounds and overfishing will limit their source of food. Further, studies have shown the appearance of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) antibodies in emperor penguin chicks. IBD is a highly contagious poultry disease that was most likely brought to Antarctica via humans exposed to infected birds. More studies are currently being conducted to measure the effect of the disease on emperor penguin populations.
What You Can Do to Help
If you would like to help emperor penguins, you can reduce carbon emissions which lead to global warming. Some measures include walking, biking or taking public transportation instead of driving, using energy saver appliances and light bulbs, buying locally grown produce, reducing your consumption of manufactured goods and packaging, recycling, and more. To learn more tips, see .
You can also donate to charities to help preserve emperor penguin habitat. Adopt a penguin through or donate to .
Emperor Penguin Distribution
Emperor penguins spend their entire lives on the ice or in the surrounding waters of Antarctica.
Emperor Penguin Resources
Giant Panda
Ailuropoda melanoleuca
As China's unofficial mascot and the symbol of the World Wildlife Fund, the giant panda is one of the most beloved animals in the world. It is also one of the more endangered species in the world, with only about 1600 living in the wild. Conservation efforts and breeding programs are currently in place to restore panda populations to their native habitat in the mountain forests of southwest China.
Giant pandas are identified by their distinctive black and white coloring. Their ears, muzzle, eyes, shoulders and legs are black while the rest of their body is white. Their thick hair keeps them warm in the cool, wet mountain zones. When on all fours, giant pandas average between 60-100 cm (2-3 ft.) tall at the shoulder and between 1-2 m (4-6 ft.) long. They can weigh between 100-115 kg (220-250 lb.), with males being larger than females.
One of the interesting evolutionary traits of the panda is their protruding wrist bone that acts like a thumb. This helps the pandas hold bamboo while they munch on it with their strong molar teeth. Bamboo makes up nearly the entire diet of the panda. Due to the low nutritional value of bamboo, pandas need to eat 10-20 kg (20-40 lb.) a day. Occasionally pandas will eat other available food, including small rodents, eggs, fish and other flora. Bamboo provides a good amount of water, but pandas need to supplement this with fresh water daily.
When pandas are between 4-8 years of age, they reach maturity and can reproduce. However, female pandas are only able to become pregnant for 2-3 days each spring! In this small window of time, male and female pandas find each other through scents and calls similar to that of goats or sheep. They do not roar like other bears.
Between 95 and 160 days of becoming pregnant, the female panda will give birth. The newborn cub is blind, hairless, and tiny, weighing only 85-140 g (3-5 oz.). Completely helpless, the cub cannot move much on its own for nearly 3 months. In turn, the mother is very protective and careful in tending to her cub during this time.
Conservation Status
Due to the fact that pandas reproduce so infrequently, it is very difficult for their population to recover from such a low point. Giant pandas are currently classified on as an endangered species.
One the main reasons that pandas have become endangered is habitat destruction. As the population in China continues to grow, pandas' habitat gets taken over by development, pushing them into smaller and less livable areas. Habitat destruction also leads to food shortages. Pandas feed on several varieties of bamboo that bloom at different times of the year. If one type of bamboo is destroyed by development, it can leave the pandas with nothing to eat during the time it normally blooms, increasing the risk of starvation.
What You Can Do to Help
Wildlife reserves have been set up in parts of China to make sure the pandas have a home, and care is taken to make sure they survive in the wild. Researchers continue to study how pandas breed in an effort to increase the population. You can help by donating or adopting a panda through the .
Panda Distribution
Although there are only 1600 pandas living in the wild, they naturally inhabit the mountain forests of southwest China.
Panda Resources
More Panda Stuff from scifac.blogspot.com
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
At an average height of around 5 m (16-18 ft.), the giraffe is the tallest land animal in the world. They live up to 25 years in the wild.
Characterized by its long legs, long neck, and distinctive spotted pattern, many people first believed the giraffe was a cross between a leopard and a camel, which is reflected in its scientific name,Giraffa camelopardalis.
Giraffes live primarily in savanna areas in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Their extreme height allows them to eat leaves and shoots located much higher than other animals can reach. In particular, giraffes seek out acacia trees. Their long tongues are helpful in eating because they help pull leaves from the trees. Spending most of the day eating, a full-grown giraffe consumes over 45 kg (100 lb.) of leaves and twigs a day.
The male giraffe is both taller and heavier than the female. Both sexes have skin-covered knobs, called ossicones, on the top of their heads. Female ossicones are smaller and have a small tuft of fur on top, while male ossicones are bald on the top. These knobs are used to protect the head when male giraffes fight, which involves swinging their necks at each other in a show of strength called "necking."
When giraffes walk, they move both legs on one side of their body and then both legs on the other side; this is unique to giraffes. However, they run in a similar style to other mammals, swinging their rear legs and front legs in unison. They can reach 55 km/h (35 mph) at full speed but only in brief spurts.
Female giraffes can become pregnant at 5 years old. They carry a baby for 15 months and give birth while standing up to one calf at a time. Newborn giraffes are about 2 m (6 ft.) tall and weigh 70 kg (150 lb.).
Giraffes sleep less than two hours a day. In general, they sleep with their feet tucked under them and their head resting on their hindquarters, but they can also sleep for short periods of time standing up.
Conservation Status
Giraffes are listed by as a species of least concern. Due to a decreasing population trend, however, the IUCN intends to monitor giraffes' population status to determine if the animals shall be placed in a higher threat category in the near future.
Giraffes face several threats, including loss of habitat due to logging for firewood. They are also hunted for their meat, hides, and tails, which are valued by many African tribes.
What You Can Do to Help
To help preserve giraffe populations, boycott products made with giraffe body parts and encourage others to do the same.
Giraffe Distribution
Giraffes live primarily in savanna areas in the sub-Saharan region of Africa.
Giraffe Resources
Gray Wolf
Canis lupus
Playing a major character in fairy tales and mythology throughout the ages, the gray wolf (or timber wolf) has been perceived in many different lights, from "Big, Bad Wolf" to spiritual being. In reality, gray wolves may not embody such extreme vices and virtues, but they do play a vital role in maintaining ecological harmony.
Although they are called gray wolves, these ancestors of domestic dogs actually range in color from brownish-gray, to all black, to all white.
Gray wolves are the largest of all canines. At 60-90 cm (2-3 ft.) at the shoulder and 1.5 m (4.5-6.5 ft.) in length, gray wolves vary in weight from 25-60 kg (55-130 lb.). They are also one of most widespread land mammals, inhabiting various ecosystems throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and a small portion of Africa. In general, gray wolves' size and weight increase the further north they reside.
Gray wolves are social animals, living and hunting in packs of 2-12. A typical pack is composed of an alpha male and an alpha female (the pack leaders), their pups, and several subordinate or juvenile wolves. The pack members exhibit close relationships and communicate with each other with a range of sounds including barks, whines, growls, and howls.
In general, only the dominant male and female breed to prevent the pack from becoming too large. The alpha couple will begin the bonding process early in the year and will mate in January or February. The alpha female then chooses a den site and gives birth to a litter of about six pups, who will reach maturity at 2-3 years old.
If a subordinate wolf feels a strong inclination to breed, and his/her attempts to mate are denied by the alpha pair, the subordinate wolf may leave the pack. However, leaving the safety of the group can prove to be a dangerous choice for the lone wolf, who may have to travel hundreds of miles to find a new territory and mate.
Gray wolves are known as keystone predators because they help maintain a balanced ecosystem. Their diet consists of ungulates (large hoofed mammals) such as elk, deer, moose, and caribou, as well as smaller mammals like beavers and rabbits. Because gray wolves eliminate only weak animals, herds become stronger and healthier as a whole. In fact, studies have shown that gray wolves have helped prevent the spread of chronic wasting disease, a contagious neurological disease, in deer.
Furthermore, in Yellowstone Park, researchers found that the presence of wolves forced herds of elk to move around more frequently, thereby allowing aspen and willow trees to flourish in areas where they had previously been overgrazed. This, in turn, resulted in the return of beavers and riparian birds to the region.
Conservation Status
According to , gray wolf populations have been determined to be stable in many parts of the world, including Asia, Europe, and northern North America. However, the gray wolf is very vulnerable in some areas, due to loss of habitat, trapping, shooting, and poisoning.
In Egypt, gray wolves are at extreme risk for becoming extinct, with only 30-50 wolves remaining. Despite this fact, no legal protections exist there.
Once numerous throughout Mexico and southwestern United States, the Mexican wolf (a gray wolf subspecies) is now limited to a region of about 17,700 sq. km (6800 sq. mi.) in east-central Arizona and west-central New Mexico known as the Mexican Wolf Recovery Area. Wolves that leave this area are captured and returned. Therefore, these wolves can never expand their boundaries and will remain isolated.
In 1973, gray wolves residing in the US's lower 48 states gained federal protection under the Endangered Species Act. In the western Great Lakes region, which includes Minnesota and Michigan, gray wolf populations were successfully restored, and in 2007, federal protections were lifted for wolves in that region. Success of the wolf restoration program in the Great Lakes region is largely credited to farmers' improved perceptions of wolves, public support, and the diligence and hard work of managing agencies.
Gray wolves were also successfully reintroduced into Yellowstone Park in 1995. In light of this fact, the US government considered removing federal protection for gray wolves in the Northern Rocky Mountain/Greater Yellowstone region, which includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, eastern Washington and Oregon, and northern Utah. However, in 2008, the US Federal District Court in Missoula, Montana reinstated Endangered Species Act protection for wolves in this area.
What You Can Do to Help
If you would like to help gray wolves, there are several things you can do. You can "adopt" a wolf through organizations like or the . These organizations support several initiatives that help gray wolves, such as banning aerial gunning in Alaska, fighting to preserve federal protections, and helping ranchers find effective ways to protect their livestock so they refrain from killing wolves.
You can also help by supporting gray wolf habitat protection.
Gray Wolf Distribution
Gray wolves are also one of most widespread land mammals, inhabiting various ecosystems throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and a small portion of Africa.
Gray Wolf Resources
Great White Shark
Carcharodon carcharias
Few creatures strike more fear in humans than the great white shark. In reality, great white shark attacks on humans are rare - and it is even rarer for one of these attacks to be fatal. However, the size of the great white shark and its efficiency as a predator add to the perpetuation of this unnecessary fear.
The great white shark averages 4.5 m (15 ft.) in length, but some have been recorded as large as 6 m (20 ft.) long! They generally weigh up to 2250 kg (5000 lb.).
Great white sharks are blue-gray on the dorsal, or top, part of their bodies. This helps them blend in with the bottom of the ocean when viewed from above. The belly, or ventral, part of the body, is white. This makes it difficult to see the sharks from below, with sunlight shining in around them. They have strong, torpedo-shaped bodies and powerful tails that help them swim. Great whites can reach speeds up to 24 km/hr (15 mph).
Great whites use their speed and coloring to help them hunt. They search for prey at the surface of the ocean while swimming below. Once they spot a target, they use a burst of speed to bump their prey while simultaneously biting it. They have several rows of teeth that can number into the thousands. As teeth fall out, they are rapidly replaced by those in the row behind them. These sharp, serrated teeth can be devastating. A single, large bite can be fatal.
When great white sharks are young, they feed on smaller prey, like fish and rays. As they grow larger, they feed more exclusively on marine mammals, such as sea lions, seals and small whales.
The great white is at the top of the food chain and has few threats in the ocean. Only orcas and larger sharks can pose a risk. The only other risk to the great white shark is human interaction. They are sometimes caught by accident in fishing nets or intentionally sought out by sport fisherman. Their jaws and fins are sold for considerable amounts of money.
Not much is known about the mating habits of great white sharks. What is known is that after mating the female develops several eggs which hatch in her womb. The newly-hatched shark pups feed on unfertilized eggs in the womb as they develop before being born. In general, the mother gives birth to a litter of two to ten pups, each of which average 1.5 m (5 ft.) in length. Male great whites reach maturity at 9-10 years of age. Females mature even later, between 14 and 16 years of age. Female sharks are thought to give birth once every couple years, but even that is uncertain.
Great whites spend their time in temperate waters all over the world, although they have been known to make brief trips into colder water in the north. They live in the upper part of the ocean, towards the surface, and close to the shore, where sunlight shines through and prey is available.
Conservation Status
The great white shark is listed as vulnerable by the , but it is on the cusp of being labeled endangered due to overfishing.
What You Can Do to Help
You can help great white sharks by not purchasing great white jaws or items made from their fins.
Great White Shark Distribution
Great white sharks spend their time in temperate waters all over the world, although they have been known to make brief trips into colder water in the north.
Great White Shark Resources
Green Anaconda
Eunectes murinus
With an average length of 6 m (20 ft.) and a top length of 8.8 m (29 ft.) the green anaconda is one of the longest snakes in the world. The green anaconda, with a girth of nearly 30 cm (12 in.) and a weight of 227 kg (550 lb.), is the heaviest of all snakes.
The green anaconda is native to South America, making its home in swamps, marshes and streams. Their enormous size makes it much easier for green anacondas to swim in the water than to slither slowly on land. Their eyes and nostrils are on the top of their head allowing them to see and breathe while most of their body is under water.
Most of their time is spent in the water hunting. Although they use both sight and smell to hunt, they also have the ability to sense heat emitted by potential prey. Green anacondas prey on a variety of animals including fish, birds, tapirs, wild pigs, capybaras, and caimans (reptiles similar to alligators). They've even been known to eat jaguars.
Anacondas are not venomous; they use constriction instead to subdue their prey. Once an anaconda sights its target, it will grab the animal in its jaws, locking it in with its teeth. Once firmly grasped, the anaconda will coil around the prey and squeeze it until it dies of crushing or suffocation. It will then consume the carcass whole. For larger prey, the green anaconda can unhinge its jaw to stretch its mouth around the body. After a big meal, anacondas can go weeks without eating again.
Green anacondas have also been known to partake in cannibalism. Females, the larger of the sexes, have been reported to eat smaller male anacondas.
Green anacondas spend most of their time alone. However, between April and May, males seek out females for the opportunity to mate. Often times, multiple males will pursue the same female. This results in "breeding balls" of up to a dozen males wrapped around a single female, all attempting to mate. The breeding ball can last up to 4 weeks.
Once pregnant, the female will produce eggs inside her body. The eggs develop for 8-12 weeks and then hatch while still inside the mother's body. She then gives birth to as many as 80 tiny snakes, each 30-60 cm (12-24 in.) in length.
Green anacondas can live over 10 years in the wild. They can live up to 30 in captivity.
Conservation Status
Anacondas are sometimes hunted illegally for their skin or to be sold as pets, but this is rare. Their size makes them inconvenient pets, and their skin is not very popular for clothing and shoes. They are also very difficult to catch.
Another threat they face is habitat destruction. Despite this they are not considered endangered.
Green Anaconda Distribution
The green anaconda is native to South America, making its home in swamps, marshes and streams.
Anaconda Resources
Green Turtle
Chelonia mydas
When born, green turtles are only 5 cm (2 in) long. But they grow up to 1.5 meters (5 ft) in length and can weigh over 300 kg (700 lbs), making them the largest of the hardshell sea turtles.
The dorsal shell of the green turtle, or carapace, is wide, smooth, and brownish-olive in color. The underside of the shell, or plastron, is yellow. Green sea turtles are so named for the greenish hue of their skin. They have heads that cannot retract into their bodies, a trait commonly associated with turtles. Reaching speeds of up to 56 km/h (35 mph), their streamlined shell and paddle-like flippers aid in their ability to swim quickly and with grace.
Green sea turtles are able to hold their breath for hours at a time. Because they are cold-blooded, the temperature of the water affects their ability to hold their breath. In colder water they can hold their breath for longer.
With features well-adapted to sea life, their agile mobility underwater does not carry over to their travels on the beach. On land they move slowly, laboriously pulling themselves along with their flippers. But in general, green turtles only venture onto land to lay their eggs. Females lay eggs every 2-4 years once they are sexually mature.
To reach their nesting grounds, green turtles migrate long distances, traveling back to the beaches where they were born. After mating in the shallow waters near shore, female turtles climb onto the beach and lay their eggs in a pit. They lay 100-200 eggs at a time and leave them alone for 2 months before they hatch. Once the baby turtles hatch, they must crawl to the water and avoid a multitude of predators, including birds and crabs.
Green turtles make their home in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide. There are two types of green turtles, the Atlantic green turtle and the Eastern Pacific green turtle. It is debated whether these are subspecies or completely separate species. Each of the populations has its own feeding and breeding grounds. Atlantic green turtles are found throughout the Atlantic Ocean, while Eastern Pacific green turtles are found in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Mediterranean and Black Seas. Over 80 countries in the world have green turtles nest on their beaches.
Green turtles feed on crabs, jellyfish, and other creatures as juveniles. As adults they become herbivores, primarily eating sea grasses and algae.
Conservation Status
According to the , green turtles are listed as endangered, and their numbers are decreasing. Green turtles are hunted and their eggs are collected by humans, a legal practice in some countries. Green turtles are also threatened by destruction of nesting areas and foraging areas in the sea. Sometimes green turtles are accidentally caught in fishing nets, further declining their population.
There are efforts to lessen the amount of turtles and eggs harvested in many countries. In addition, many countries are trying to protect the nesting and foraging grounds. They are protected under many treaties and laws.
What You Can Do to Help
Green turtles can use as many advocates as they can get. Make sure you do not purchase products made from this endangered species. Also, if you live an area that green turtles use for nesting, you can lead a community effort to protect the beaches they nest on.
Green Turtle Distribution
Green turtles make their home in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide.
Green Turtle Resources
Grizzly Bear
Ursus arctos horribilis
Standing as tall as 2.5 m (8 ft) and weighing up to 360 kg (800 lbs.), the grizzly bear is a subspecies of brown bear that inhabits western Canada and the northwestern United States.
Grizzly bears are specially adapted to survive the changing seasons. During warmer months, they eat a massive amount of food so they can live off body fat during the winter, when food is scarce. They may intake 40 kg (90 lbs.) of food each day, gaining over 1 kg (2.2 lbs.) of body weight a day. As omnivores, grizzlies will eat anything nutritious they can find, gorging on nuts, fruit, leaves, roots, fungi, insects, and a variety of animals including salmon and other fish, rodents, sheep, and elk. Their diet varies depending on what foods are available for the season.
In the fall, as temperatures cool and food becomes scarcer, grizzlies dig dens in the sides of hills. They have long rounded claws (the size of human fingers) and a large mass of muscles on their backs that help them dig. These characteristics, along with small rounded ears and white-tipped (or "grizzled") fur, distinguish grizzly bears from black bears.
The bears settle in their dens to sleep for the winter. While it is not classified as a true hibernation (since the bears can wake up during this time), the deep sleep allows the grizzlies to conserve energy. Their heart rate slows down from 40 beats per minute to 8, and they do not go to the bathroom at all during these months of slumber.
Pregnant grizzly bears even give birth in their sleep! Midwinter, grizzly bear cubs (usually born in pairs) arrive into the world blind, hairless, and toothless. They use what little strength they have to nestle into their mother and nurse. For a month, the cubs feed on their mother's milk and gain strength. By the time spring comes, the cubs have opened their eyes and grown teeth and fur; the new family is ready to venture outside the den.
The cubs stay under their mother's care for 2-3 years. While mother grizzlies are fiercely protective of their cubs, nearly half the cubs do not survive past the first year, falling to disease, starvation, and predators like wolves, mountain lions, and adult male grizzlies.
Grizzly bears have a multitude of strengths. They are highly intelligent and have excellent memories. Detecting food from great distances away, grizzlies have an astute sense of smell, even better than that of a hound dog. They are good swimmers and fast runners, reaching speeds as high as 50 km/h (35 mph) over land. Young grizzlies also have the ability to climb trees to evade danger, but this skill fades as they become bigger.
Conservation Status
In the United States, 50,000 grizzly bears once roamed the land from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Plains, but when pioneers came in the 1800s they wiped out much of the continental U.S. grizzly bear population. Now only about 1200 - 1400 grizzly bears live in five separate populations in the northwest U.S., including areas in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington, and the grizzly bear is a protected species under the Endangered Species Act.
In Canada and Alaska, grizzly bear numbers are much higher, with about 30,000 grizzlies in the wild.
Grizzly bears are threatened by habitat loss due to logging, development, and mining. Human interaction also poses a threat to grizzlies. When bears are drawn close to humans, attracted by livestock, garbage, and other food, they are often exterminated. Furthermore, in Canada, people hunt grizzlies for trophy (where it is legal to do so). In the U.S., sometimes grizzlies are shot by people mistaking them for black bears, which are not protected.
What You Can Do to Help
If you would like to help grizzlies, you can donate to organizations such as and , which help preserve grizzly habitat and work toward minimizing human-bear conflicts (with measures like bear-resistant dumpsters and electric fences).
When living in or visiting grizzly bear habitat, do not feed the bears, and keep all garbage securely contained.
Grizzly Bear Distribution
Grizzly bears inhabit Alaska, western Canada, and parts of the northwestern United States.
Grizzly Bear Resources
Hippopotamus
Hippopotamus amphibius
Sub-Saharan Africa is the home to the second heaviest land mammal in the world — the hippopotamus. Their dense bodies make it impossible for them to swim, even though they spend most of their time in the water.
The body of the hippopotamus is well suited for aquatic life. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are located at the top of their head, so they are able to see, hear, and breathe while mostly submerged. A clear membrane covers and protects their eyes while allowing them to see underwater. Their nostrils close to keep water out, and they can hold their breath for several minutes.
Staying underwater helps the hippopotamus not feel the weight of its hulking frame. They can weigh up to 3600 kg (8000 lb.)! Under the water, hippos tap their feet along the ground to propel themselves. Being submerged for the most part of the day also helps keep the hippo cool and protected from the sun. When they do venture out of the water for a significant amount of time, hippos secrete a red-colored substance to cool their hairless skin. The secretion is referred to as 'blood-sweat' but is actually neither of those fluids.
In the evening, hippopotamuses leave the water to feed. As herbivores, they feed on short grass for six hours a night consuming up to 68 kg (150 lb.). They may travel several kilometers to reach an adequate grazing area.
Though they feed on land, hippos do many other activities in the water, including mating and birthing. Groups of 10-30 hippos live together with one dominant male. During the dry season, the dominant male chooses a partner, and then the other males fight each other for the remaining females.
Eight months after conception, at the height of the wet season, female hippos give birth to one calf at a time, either on land or underwater. Afterwards, mothers leave the herd for a short period of time to bond with their calves underwater. After a few weeks, the calves finally exit the water to feed on grass.
While many people view the hippopotamus as a harmless and comic character, this is not actually the truth. In reality, the hippopotamus is a dangerous creature. They have powerful jaws and sharp teeth that can crush a crocodile or split a boat in two.
Conservation Status
Hippos are listed by as vulnerable due to loss of habitat. Hippopotamus habitats are infringed upon by humans, who use their grazing land for farming and also divert water for farming needs. War in the regions that hippos inhabit has also wrecked havoc on hippopotamus populations. Finally, poachers kill hippos for their ivory tusks and for for sport.
What You Can Do to Help
If you'd like to help hippos, avoid buying products made from their ivory tusks. Encourage others to boycott these products as well.
Hippopotamus Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa is the home to the second heaviest land mammal in the world, the hippopotamus.
Hippo Resources
Indian Rhinoceros
Rhinoceros unicornis
Creating folds that look like armor, the skin of the Indian rhinoceros is a brownish-gray hue with raised wart-like bumps on the neck, shoulders, and legs.
Its single horn distinguishes the Indian rhinoceros from its African counterparts, who all have two horns. Consequently, the Indian rhinoceros is also referred to as the Great One-Horned Rhinoceros.
Weighing up to 2200 kg (4800 lb.), Indian rhinos graze in flood plain areas in Northern India and Nepal. Interestingly, they have lips that are specially adapted to grasp the grass they eat (also known as prehensile lips). They occasionally eat leaves, fruit, and crops as well.
To combat the heat, Indian rhinos eat during the cooler parts of the day and immerse themselves in nearby rivers and mud holes during the hottest parts of the day. They are considered to be good swimmers and sometimes eat the aquatic plants they encounter.
Rhinoceroses have poor eye sight. However, they make up for it with their exceptional hearing and sense of smell. In fact, they use their enhanced sense of smell to seek out other rhinos during the mating season.
At around 4-6 years old, female Indian rhinoceroses are ready to mate. The males are generally ready around age 9, but only the largest and most dominant male rhinos will mate. After a 15- to 16-month gestation period, the female rhino will give birth. She will give birth again in 1-3 years. Male rhinoceroses do not help in rearing the young.
Generally solitary creatures, except for mothers and offspring who stay together, Indian rhinos live in loosely-defined territories. These territories are marked with urine, feces, and glandular secretions. That said, Indian rhinos may meet up at watering holes without fighting.
Conservation Status
Indian rhinoceroses are currently listed as vulnerable on , but fortunately, their numbers have risen due to conservation efforts. India and Nepal have strengthened their opposition to poaching and have created parks and reserves to protect the rhinos. Traditionally, rhinoceroses have been killed for their horns, which are believed to have medicinal value in many Asian cultures.
What You Can Do to Help
To help in the conservation of the Indian rhinoceros, you can donate to the .
Indian Rhinoceros Distribution
Indian rhinoceroses reside in flood plain areas in Northern India and Nepal.
Rhino Resources
Koala
Phascolarctos cinereus
When early European settlers first encountered koalas in Australia, they thought the tree-climbing animals were bears or monkeys. Even today people still incorrectly refer to koalas as "koala bears." But koalas are in fact marsupials, closer related to and kangaroos.
As marsupials, female koalas have pouches where their young stay until fully developed. Unlike kangaroo pouches, which open towards the top, koala pouches are located towards the bottom of their bodies and open outward. The baby koala, or joey, won't fall out of the pouch because the mother koala uses a strong sphincter muscle to keep the pouch closed.
Koalas have special physical characteristics that complement their tree-dwelling lifestyle. With two opposable digits, their forepaws are well-adapted to gripping branches and picking eucalyptus leaves, their main form of nourishment. Tough textured skin on the soles of their feet along with long sharp claws provide traction, and strong thigh muscles aid in climbing. Extra thick fur on their bottoms and a cartilaginous pad at the base of their spines provide cushioning so koalas can sit comfortably on branches for hours. They also have a curved backbone and two fewer pairs of ribs than most mammals (11 instead of 13) creating a curled skeletal structure that fits well into the forks of trees.
Koalas also have special adaptations that enable them to feast on eucalyptus leaves. Very fussy eaters, koalas use their excellent sense of smell to select the best tasting leaves. Although there are 600 types of eucalyptus trees, koalas generally limit their diet to two or three favorite kinds. In addition, eucalyptus leaves are highly fibrous and poisonous to other animals. But koalas have bacteria in their stomachs that break down the fiber and toxic oils and allow them to absorb 25% of the nutrients. In order to survive on such a low calorie diet, koalas conserve energy by moving slowly and sleeping around 20 hours a day.
Koalas inhabit the forests of eastern Australia, but there are a few differences between northern and southern subspecies. Koalas range in length from 60-85 cm (2-3 ft.), but northern koalas are on the smaller side, weighing 4-8.5 kg (9-19 lb.), while southern koalas weigh 7-13 kg (15-29 lb.). Southern koalas also have thicker fur to keep them warm in the colder winters.
Koalas are territorial animals who live separately in their own home ranges. A home range consists of suitable trees that provide food and shelter and overlaps slightly with other koalas' home ranges. Koalas define their territories by making scratch marks on trees; males also secrete a sticky brown substance from a scent gland in their chests that they rub on the bark. From August to February, koalas meet in the overlapping areas to mate.
A koala's pregnancy lasts 35 days. When the joey is born, it is only 2 cm (less than an inch) long. It is hairless, blind, and has undeveloped ears. But the newborn does have very strong forelimbs and an instinct to climb from the birth canal into the mother's pouch. There the baby finds a nipple, which swells in its mouth keeping the joey in place.
After the joey spends 6 months in the pouch developing, the mother koala will produce a special substance called pap. Pap is a soft, alternate form of fecal matter that consists of the bacteria necessary to digest eucalyptus. In order for the joey to start eating leaves, it will need the bacteria in its intestines. So the joey feeds on pap in addition to milk for several weeks before leaving the pouch.
A joey will stay with its mother for 6 more months after first venturing out of the pouch. In this time, the joey learns how to grasp leaves with its hands and returns to the pouch to hide or sleep. When the joey becomes too large, it may ride on its mother's back or abdomen. At 1 year of age, the joey can live on its own.
Conservation Status
Koalas can live around 10-15 years, and they have only a few natural predators, including dingoes, large owls, eagles, and goannas, which generally only target juveniles. The classifies the koala as a species of least concern. However, koalas face several threats to their survival. Motor vehicle accidents and dogs are major causes of death for koalas, along with disease. The largest threat they face, however, is loss of habitat caused by land clearing/development, bushfires, and eucalyptus tree dieback. Eighty percent of the original habitat has been destroyed since Europeans settlers came to Australia. Furthermore, the majority of the remaining land is owned privately and is not subject to legislative protection.
What You Can Do to Help
If you would like to help koalas, you can write to the Australian Environment Minister to advocate listing the Southeast Queensland koala population as critically endangered and protecting koala habitat more effectively. You can also "adopt" a koala or plant a eucalyptus tree by donating to the .
Koala Distribution
Koalas inhabit the forests of eastern Australia.
Koala Resources
Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
Standing at only 30 cm (12 in.) tall, meerkats, also known as suricats, depend on group cooperation to survive in the Kalahari Desert. They live in groups of 20-50 extended family members in large underground tunnels.
These family groups, called gangs or mobs, are led by an alpha pair, with the female being the most dominant. Most of the group members are either children or siblings of the alpha pair.
The dominant couple (and subordinate pairs) will produce two to four pups a year. Other group members will babysit the pups, even feeding them milk. Because survival of the pups is vital to sustaining their social unit, meerkats have been known to risk their lives trying to protect the young.
One of the most important roles a meerkat plays is that of the sentry, or watch guard. One meerkat will stand on its hind legs, propped up by its tail, and act as a lookout while the rest of the mob is outside looking for food and frolicking in the sun. The lookout scans the area for predators, including hawks, eagles, snakes and jackals. If a predator is spotted, the guard lets out a distinctive bark. At the sound of the warning bark, all the meerkats sprint to the nearest tunnel entrance. The sentry is the first to emerge from the burrow to check if the coast is clear.
Meerkats are specially adapted to living in the harsh desert environment. Dark patches around their eyes help them be effective lookouts by reducing the glare of the sun, much like a baseball player who paints dark lines beneath his eyes. Their eyes also allow them to take in a wide angle view of the scene. This helps prevent predators from gaining an advantage by sneaking up.
Meerkats also possess special adaptations to help them burrow. Their eyes have a clear protective membrane that shields them from dirt while digging. Their ears also close tightly to keep dirt out.
Meerkats have light brown fur with a gray and brown tint to it with stripes on their back. Their dark-skinned bellies are covered with only a thin layer of fur, allowing the meerkats warm themselves by lying face up in the sun.
Eating both plants and animals, meerkats are omnivores. Their diet mostly consists of insects, which they sniff out using their enhanced sense of smell. Meerkats also eat small rodents, fruit, birds, eggs, lizards, and even poisonous scorpions. They can catch a scorpion and pull off its deadly stinger in the blink of an eye. Because they have very little fat to store energy, meerkats forage and hunt every day.
Conservation Status
The meerkat is not currently endangered and is considered at lower risk of becoming endangered. That said, by no means should meerkats be disregarded; they play an important part in maintaining ecological harmony in the desert. They provide food for predators like jackals and eagles, and they curb pest infestation by eating insects.
What You Can Do to Help
You can help meerkats by spreading awareness of their vital role in the Kalahari's ecological balance. You can also support the , which uses funds raised through eco-tourism to subsidize landowners and farmers. In this way, development and farming are decreased, allowing for increased preservation of meerkat habitat.
Meerkat Distribution
Meerkats depend on group cooperation for survival in Africa's Kalahari Desert.
Meerkat Resources
Mountain Gorilla
Gorilla beringei beringei
The mountain gorilla, a large, strong ape inhabiting Africa's volcanic slopes, has few natural predators. Yet due to detrimental human activity, such as poaching, civil war, and habitat destruction, the mountain gorilla has become the most endangered type of gorilla, with only around 700 mountain gorillas living in the world.
Currently, the mountain gorilla's habitat is limited to protected national parks in two regions of Africa. One group of gorillas lives in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. The other group is spread over three national parks in the Virungas mountain region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda.
Mountain gorillas are as shy as they are strong. But when threatened, they can be aggressive. They beat their chests and let out angry grunts and roars. Group leaders will charge at the threat. Mothers will fight to the death to protect their young.
Mountain gorillas live in groups of up to 30. The group, or troop, is led by a single alpha male, an older silverback. These males are called silverbacks because of the silver stripe they develop on their backs when they mature. The oldest males of the group are at least 12 years old. These troops also include several younger males, adult and juvenile females, and infants.
In addition to providing protection to group members, silverbacks maintain order and decide all activities within their troop. They schedule feeding trips, resting time, and travel. They also father the majority of the young in the group.
Female mountain gorillas can produce young beginning at age 10. They carry one or two babies at a time and give birth after a 8.5-month gestation period. In general, they will bear between two and six offspring in a lifetime.
Newborn gorillas weigh about 1.8 kg (4 lb.) at birth. They are as weak and uncoordinated as human babies. For the first four years of their lives, they get around by clinging to their mothers backs. By 3.5 years of age, the young gorillas are fully weaned from their mothers milk and start the same diet as mature mountain gorillas: plants, leaves, roots and shoots.
Fully-grown male mountain gorillas can weigh up to 180 kg (400 lb). Females weigh half that at about 90 kg ( 200 lb). Aside from the silver stripe on their backs, male mountain gorillas are distinguished from females because they have a crest of fur on their heads. Both genders have similar thick black hair covering their body. Their thick hair keeps them warm in cold mountain temperatures.
Conservation Status
Mountain gorillas are considered endangered by . Not only are mountain gorillas threatened by loss of habitat due to human encroachment, they have also become victims of human violence. As civil war rages in Africa, efforts to conserve mountain gorilla populations have been curtailed. Mountain gorillas have also been killed or captured by poachers. Their body parts are sold to collectors, and baby gorillas are sold illegally as pets, research subjects, or private zoo animals.
What You Can Do to Help
To help, you can make donations to the . You can also support the , set up by conservationist Dian Fossey.
Mountain Gorilla Distribution
The mountain gorilla's habitat is limited to protected national parks in two regions of Africa. One group of gorillas lives in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda. The other group is spread over three national parks in the Virungas mountain region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Rwanda.
Gorilla Resources
Narwhal
Monodon monoceros
Narwhals are mid-sized whales living in the cold waters of the Arctic Circle near northern Canada and Greenland. They grow between 4 and 6 m (12-20 ft.) in length – a similar size to their relative, the beluga whale.
But they are easily distinguished from their beluga kin. Male narwhals possess a great spiraled tooth that projects from their heads. The long, hornlike tooth can reach up to 3 m (10 ft.) in length and grows continually to replace wear. Researchers are unsure of the exact purpose of the tooth. Some believe it serves as an attractive ornament for mating, while others believe it is used as a weapon to fight rivals. One researcher concluded that the tooth has the ability to detect changes in water temperature and pressure.
Narwhals also have a second tooth that measures about 30 cm (1 ft.) long, but it remains embedded in the skull. Some females have been spotted with a protruding tooth, though not nearly as long as that of the males. There have even been some males with two long protruding teeth.
Narwhals also differ from belugas in skin color. Narwhals have black and white mottled skin. Appearing to resemble the bodies of drowned soldiers, the name narwhal derives from the old Norse word nar meaning corpse.
At birth, narwhals are approximately 1.5 m (5 ft.) in length. At maturity, which is between 6 and 9 years, females grow to about 3.5 m (11.5 ft.) in length, and weigh around 1,000 kg (2,200 lb.). Males reach between 4 and 6 m (13 and 20 ft.) and can weigh 1,600 kg (3,500 lb.).
Once they are mature, females will give birth to a calf once every 3 years. The pregnancy lasts for about 14 months, and calves are born in the spring.
Like many other whales, narwhals travel in groups. Their pods average 15-20 whales. Sometimes multiple pods will meet in social groups of up to 100 whales, although it is hard to get exact numbers. Narwhals have proven difficult for researchers to tag and track, mainly due to the cold and icy water conditions and the fact that narwhals do not come very close to shore.
Narwhals feed more regularly in the winter, consuming fish like cod and halibut, shrimp, and squid. Preying on creatures primarily on the bottom of the sea, they dive on average 800 m (.5 mi.), but can go twice that. The dives last around 25 minutes. In the summer, narwhals feed rarely, having stored up enough energy during the winter feeding season. They return to the same feeding grounds each year.
Narwhals are preyed upon by polar bears and walruses if they get trapped by shifting ice. Off shore they are attacked by orcas, to whom they are also related. In the summer, narwhals are also hunted by Inuits using kayaks and spears.
Conservation Status
Narwhals are currently considered near-threatened. Exact data is not known regarding the number of narwhals in the world. There are concerns with specific populations near the coasts of Eastern Canada and Greenland due to intense hunting. Many of the areas inhabited by narwhals are also subject to drilling and mining, which produces waste that is dangerous to all animal populations.
What You Can Do to Help
One way you can help is to get involved with the .
Narwhal Distribution
Narwhals inhabit the cold waters of the Arctic Circle near northern Canada and Greenland.
Narwhal Resources
Orca (Killer Whale)
Orcinus orca
With sleek black backs and bright white bellies and eye patches, orcas (aka killer whales) are easily distinguishable from other aquatic animals. One of the ocean's largest predators, male orcas can grow to 9.5 m (32 ft) in length, while females are slightly smaller at 8 m (23 ft). They live primarily where the water is cold but can live anywhere from the polar regions right up to the equator. This massive range makes orcas the most widespread of all sea creatures.
True to their name, killer whales are effective hunters. They prey on seals, sea lions, fish, sea birds, turtles, octopuses, and squid. Orcas will even attack other whales, including the enormous blue whale which can measure over three times their size. They have also been known to breach the surface to grab sea lions and seals, even partially jumping onto ice floes to reach their target.
Orcas hunt in pods, or groups, in a way similar to wolves. They circle their prey and force them into smaller areas before attacking. Once cornered, the orcas take turns biting and ramming their prey.
Sending sound waves that travel underwater, orcas use echolocation as a means for hunting. The reverberating sound provides information about an object's location, size, and shape. Echolocation is also used as a form of communication. Each pod has a distinctive sound it uses to communicate among its members.
There are thought to be three types of pods: transient, resident, and offshore. Transient pods are constantly on the move following food sources. Resident pods generally stay in one area close to shore, while offshore orcas prefer the open waters. Currently, scientists are not clear as to why there are contrasting pod behaviors. Some believe it is because there are actually several species of orca, but more research must be conducted in order to test that theory.
In resident pods, killer whales of both genders will live with their mothers for their entire lives, forming matrilines. In this way, resident pods consist of very tight, stable bonds and can comprise of 10-50 whales. Offshore pods are also large, made up of 30-60 whales. Transient pods, on the other hand, tend to be smaller (around 2-5 whales), as offspring will generally leave the group when a sibling is born.
When females reach 6-10 years old, they are ready to bear young. Males need to be older to breed, roughly around 10-13 years of age.
Mating can take place at any time of year and only occurs between members of different pods to avoid interbreeding. After 17 months of gestation, calves are born in the water tail first. Female orcas can give birth every 3-10 years.
Newborns are very carefully protected within the pod. Often younger females will help new mothers protect their calves. Orcas are also known to shelter injured or ill members of their pod from danger.
Conservation Status
At present orcas are not endangered. They have not been widely hunted by humans but are susceptible to some of the same threats as other marine mammals, including pollution, overfishing of their prey, and habitat infringement. They live an average of 30 to 50 years in the wild.
What You Can Do to Help
You can help orcas by spreading awareness about their special abilities to hunt, communicate, and live cooperatively. Write to your legislator about preserving their ocean habitat and keeping it free from pollution.
Orca Distribution
Orcas can live anywhere from the polar regions right up to the equator. This massive range makes orcas the most widespread of all sea creatures.
Orca Resources
Platypus
Ornithorhynchus anatinus
An animal with a bill like a duck, a tail like a beaver, and feet like an otter sounds like something a mad scientist would create. Add to the list the ability to lay lizard-like eggs and shoot poison out of your foot, and you have a unique creature indeed. You have the platypus, a monotreme (an egg-laying mammal) that is indigenous to freshwater rivers and lakes in eastern Australia and Tasmania.
Roughly the size of a house cat, the platypus is between 30-60 cm (12-24 in.) in length and weighs 1-2 kg (2-4 lb.). The platypus is covered in thick, dark brown hair over most its body. The thick hair is waterproof and helps keep the platypus warm and dry when in the water, where it spends most of its time. Webbed paws and short legs that protrude from the sides of the body allow it to swim and dive with ease. Naturally buoyant, platypuses must keep swimming in order to stay underwater. Although you would think their wide tails are used to propel them while swimming like a beaver, they are actually used to store fat.
While submerged underwater, the platypus closes its eyes and ears. In order to hunt, it relies on its bill to sense other animals. The bill, which is actually a soft, leathery snout, has electro-receptors that pick up on the small electrical signals sent by animals when they move. These help the platypus find worms and freshwater shrimp to feed on.
The platypus will then store the food in its cheeks and wait to resurface before eating. Although they have no teeth, platypuses have grinding pads in their mouths to crush and grind their food.
The male platypus also possesses two small spurs, one on each hind paw. The spurs release enough toxic venom to kill a small animal or be incredibly painful for a human. While this weapon is used against predators if threatened (the platypus would actually rather run than fight), it is primarily used against other male platypuses during mating season. They fight to show dominance and scare away potential mating rivals.
The platypus mating season is between June and October. Around 2 years of age, both male and female platypuses are ready to mate.
After successfully mating, two or three eggs develop in the female. After about a month, the female lays the eggs, which are soft like lizard eggs. She will incubate the eggs by curling around them for 10 days before they hatch. The male will have nothing to do with the eggs or newborns.
Newborn platypuses are helpless. They are blind and hairless. They feed on their mother's milk, which is expelled through pores on her body. The babies suckle on milk for 3-4 months.
Conservation Status
Platypuses have a lifespan of over 10 years in the wild, but they do face a few threats. They have several natural predators, such as snakes, foxes, and birds of prey. Platypuses are also susceptible to habitat destruction, but that is at a minimum. They are protected from being hunted. As such, their populations are stable and they are listed as low risk for extinction.
Platypus Distribution
Platypuses are indigenous to freshwater rivers and lakes in eastern Australia and Tasmania.
Platypus Resources
Polar Bear
Ursus maritimus
Polar bears, or "sea bears," are the world's largest land predators, weighing up to 600 kg (1300 lb.) and measuring up to 3 m (10 ft.) tall. On average they live to be about 25 years old, reaching sexual maturity at around 4 years.
Although they appear white or yellow in color, their fur is actually clear and hollow, and their skin is black. Their visibly pale coloring is caused by the reflection and scattering of light.
Inhabiting the ice and sea of the Arctic, polar bears are well-equipped for survival in a harsh environment. Two coats of fur and a thick layer of blubber help insulate the polar bear's body from the cold, keeping its temperature at an even 37° C (98.6° F). In addition, polar bears' paws are especially adapted for walking on the ice and swimming in the sea. Hairs and bumps on the soles of their feet provide traction, while webbing between their toes allows for effective swimming strokes.
Polar bears are also equipped with strong noses. They use their powerful sense of smell when hunting for seals, their main source of food. They can smell a seal's breathing hole, or aglu, up to one mile away. Once located, a polar bear will wait patiently by the hole and attack the seal's head when it comes up for air. In ideal hunting conditions, the bear will just eat the seal fat, leaving the carcass for other animals. However, when food is scarce, polar bears will eat just about anything. Supplemental foods include walruses, short-legged reindeer, birds, bird eggs, kelp, and beached whales. When in proximity to human settlements, they have even been known to eat garbage such as Styrofoam.
Polar bears do not hibernate like other bears, but females do enter into a dormant state while pregnant. After mating in the spring, a female polar bear spends the summer ingesting large amounts of food and building a maternity den in a snow drift to prepare for the arrival of her cubs.
In the fall, she enters into a dormant state, remaining this way even as she gives birth. The litter, usually two cubs, will spend two years with their mother learning essential hunting and survival skills.
Conservation Status
Global warming greatly impacts the fate of the polar bear. After conducting a series of nine studies in 2007, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) has predicted a loss of two-thirds of the world's polar bears by 2050 due to declines in ice habitats. Specifically, a reduction of large masses of ice results in limited access to seals. Not only does this adversely affect the health of adult polar bears, it also hinders the successful reproduction and nourishment of new bear cubs. Rising temperatures also result in unstable maternity dens, as snowdrifts melt and collapse.
In light of these findings, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has created a proposal urging the US Government to include polar bears as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. They are currently listed as vulnerable by .
What You Can Do to Help
To help save the polar bear habitat, you can take measures to reduce your carbon emissions in order to curb global warming. This includes walking or taking public transportation instead of driving, using energy saver appliances and light bulbs, buying locally grown produce, recycling, and more. For more information, visit the
Polar Bear Distribution
Polar bears inhabit the sea and ice masses of the Arctic circle.
Polar Bear Resources
Ring-tailed Lemur
Lemur catta
Found only in the southern part of Madagascar in the dry forest and bush, the ring-tailed lemur is a large, vocal primate with brownish-gray fur and a distinctive tail with alternating black and white rings.
Male and female ring-tailed lemurs are similar physically. They are roughly the same size, measuring about 42.5 cm (1.4 ft.) from head to rump and weighing roughly 2.25 kg (5 lb.).
Highly social creatures, ring-tailed lemurs live in groups averaging 17 members. Their society is female-dominant, and a group will often contain multiple breeding females. Females reproduce starting at 3 years of age, generally giving birth to one baby a year.
When born, a ring-tailed lemur baby weighs less than 100 g (3 oz.). The newborn is carried on its mother's chest for 1-2 weeks and then is carried on her back. At 2 weeks, the baby starts eating solid food and begins venturing out on its own. But the juvenile is not fully weaned until 5 months of age.
Although they are capable climbers, ring-tailed lemurs spend a third of their time on the ground foraging for food. They range far to find leaves, flowers, bark, sap, and small invertebrates to eat. When the lemurs travel over ground, they keep their tails in the air to ensure everyone in the group is in sight and stays together.
Aside from using visual cues, ring-tailed lemurs also communicate via scent and vocalizations. They mark their territory by scent. A male lemur will also engage in stink fights during mating seasons, wiping his tail with the scent glands on his wrists and waving it at another male while staring menacingly. Eventually one male will back down and run away.
Vocally, ring-tailed lemurs have several different alarms calls that alert members to danger. They have several predators, including fossas (mammals related to the mongoose), Madagascar Harrier-hawks, Madagascar buzzards, Madagascar ground boas, civets, and domestic cats and dogs.
Conservation Status
Ring-tailed lemurs are a near-threatened species. The main threat to their population is habitat destruction. Much of their habitat is being converted to farmland or burned for the production of charcoal. However, the ring-tailed lemur is popular in zoos, and they do comparatively well in captivity and reproduce regularly. In captivity, ring-tailed lemurs can live for nearly 30 years, compared to up to 20 in the wild.
What You Can Do to Help
You can help ring-tailed lemurs by contributing to the through volunteer work or donations. The WWF also provides the opportunity to . The money donated goes to help establish and manage parks and protected areas in Madagascar.
Ring-tailed Lemur Distribution
The ring-tailed lemur is found only in the southern part of Madagascar in the dry forest and bush.
Ring-tailed Lemur Resources
Short-beaked Echidna
Tachyglossus aculeatus
Sometimes called the spiny anteater, the short-beaked echidna (pronounced e-kid-nuh) measures 30-45 cm (13.5-17.5 in.) long and weighs 2-5 kg (6.5-14.5 lb.). Although it resembles a porcupine or hedgehog, closer inspection of the echidna reveals some of the animal's more unusual traits.
Echidnas are monotremes, or mammals that lay eggs. They have a lower body temperature than other mammals, maintaining temperatures around 31-32° C (87.8-89.6° F). Similar to reptiles, their legs protrude outwards and then downwards, resulting in a waddling effect when they walk.
Two types of fur cover their body. A coat of short, coarse hair insulates echidnas from the cold, while longer hairs act as spines, protecting them from predators. Their sharp, creamy-colored spines are 50 mm (2 in.) in length and are composed of keratin, the same material that makes up our fingernails.
Consuming ants, termites, grubs, larvae, and worms, the echidna is specially-adapted to hunt its prey. It has a pointy snout that can sense electrical signals from insect bodies. Once it detects its prey, the echidna uses its long, sharp claws and short, sturdy limbs to dig into the soil and expose the invertebrates. It finishes the deed by licking them up with its long, sticky tongue. Echidnas do not have teeth, but they do have horny pads in their mouths and on the back of their tongues which grind the prey.
Short-beaked echidnas are found all over Australia and southern New Guinea, in contrast to long-beaked echidnas, which reside only in the highlands of New Guinea. Limited only by an insufficient supply of ants or termites, short-beaked echidnas live in a range of climates and habitats. They are able to find shelter in rocks and fallen trees.
When confronted by predators, such as goannas (large Australian monitor lizards), dingoes, foxes, feral cats, dogs, eagles, and Tasmanian devils (which even eat the spines), the echidna employs several tactics for defense. On hard surfaces, they may run away or curl into a ball exposing only the spines. In other cases, they may dig into the soil or wedge themselves into a crevice or log, again only exposing the spines.
Echidnas are largely solitary creatures and only convene to mate. At the beginning of the mating season, which spans from July to August, the female echidna develops a pouch. A few weeks after mating, she digs a burrow and lays one soft, leathery egg into her pouch. After 10 days, a blind, hairless baby echidna (known as a puggle) hatches and attaches itself to a milk patch inside the pouch. For the next 8-12 weeks, the puggle nurses inside the pouch until it develops spines. At this point, the puggle must vacate the pouch, but it still stays in the burrow for the next 6 months and continues to suckle.
Conservation Status
Although short-beaked echidnas are considered common and widespread, they are protected by law in Australia. Threats include road accidents, bush fires, and droughts.
What You Can Do to Help
If you live in Australia or New Guinea, you can help echidnas by driving carefully, keeping pet dogs under control, and leaving gaps under fences so echidnas can roam freely.
Echidna Distribution
Short-beaked echidnas live in a range of climates and habitats all throughout Australia and southern New Guinea.
Echidna Resources
Siberian Tiger
Panthera tigris altaica
As the largest cat in the world, the Siberian tiger averages about 3.3 m (11 ft.) in length, with a tail measuring 1 m (3 ft.). Adult male tigers can weigh up to 320 kg (700 lb.), while female tigers are significantly smaller, weighing up to 180 kg (400 lb.).
Siberian tigers are distinguishable by their striped fur. Similar to people's unique fingerprints, no two tigers have the same striped pattern. Siberian tigers differ from other tigers because they have fewer, paler stripes, and they also have manes. The mane, in addition to their thick fur, helps keep them warm.
Also known as the Amur tiger, the Siberian tiger resides in a small region in the southeast region Russia. They are also located in small numbers in China and North Korea.
Siberian tigers are solitary animals, marking their scent on trees to keep other tigers away. They roam many miles and hunt often. They stalk their prey, which include elk, boar, bears, and deer, until they are close enough to pounce. When successful, they drag their kill to a secluded area before devouring the meat.Tigers also hunt smaller animals like rabbits, pikas, and fish. Because tigers are not always successful on their hunts, they need to hunt often. They can eat up to 27 kg (60 lb.) if they are very hungry, but generally they eat about 9 kg (20 lb.) of meat in one sitting.
Tigers give birth at any time of year. Female tigers give birth to a litter of two to six cubs and can give birth once every 2 years. The female will carry a litter for 3-3.5 months before giving birth. She will care for the cubs by herself. At times, the mother tiger will leave the helpless babies alone while she hunts. Often she cannot catch enough food for the cubs, and some will die.
At 3 months, the babies will be able to leave the den; they may even go on hunts with their mother. At 18 months old, they are able to hunt on their own, but will not leave their mother's den. When they reach 2-3 years old, they will leave the den and begin life on their own.
Conservation Status
There are only 400-500 Siberian tigers left in the world, and they are considered endangered by. One cause of their dwindling population is loss of habitat due to deforestation. In addition, Siberian tigers are poached, or illegally hunted, for their fur and for body parts that are used for traditional medicines.
Efforts have been made to curb poaching of tigers and to protect tiger habitats. Many countries, including the United States, have created laws that outlaw the importation and selling of tiger parts. There are also breeding programs to help sustain the tiger population.
Siberian Tiger Distribution
The Siberian tiger resides in a small region in the southeast region Russia. They are also located in small numbers in China and North Korea.
Tiger Resources
Spotted Salamander
Ambystoma maculatum
Named for the two rows of yellow and orange spots speckled along their black backs, spotted salamanders are large members of the mole salamander family. On average, they measure about 18 cm (7 in.), but they can reach lengths up to 23 cm (9 in.) long!
Common in the forests of the eastern United States and eastern Canada, spotted salamanders make their homes in areas that are close to ponds and vernal pools. But despite their thriving populations, the dark amphibians are difficult to find. Adults spend most of their day hiding underground or beneath rocks and logs. Venturing out from their hiding spots at night to hunt, they eat just about anything they can catch and swallow, including worms, spiders, insects, and slugs.
When threatened, spotted salamanders secrete a mild sticky toxin from their backs and tails that dissuades predators such as skunks, raccoons, turtles, chipmunks, squirrels, opossums, and snakes from eating them.
Spotted salamanders use ponds for breeding. In early spring, spotted salamanders wake from their hibernation and migrate to ponds to mate for several days. They return to the same pond each year. Thousands of spotted salamanders will travel to a breeding pond at the same time. During the breeding period, females lay up to 200 eggs which are encased in a jelly-like coating. The coating helps protect the eggs from predators like fish, turtles, aquatic insects, birds, frogs, and crayfish.
A few weeks after being laid, the eggs hatch. Larval spotted salamanders have feathery gills on the outside of their bodies. They live underwater, feeding and growing for up to 4 months. Juvenile spotted salamanders lose their gills and climb onto land. When they reach adulthood they are able to breed. Spotted salamanders can live up to 20 years.
Conservation Status
The spotted salamander is listed by the as a species of least concern. However, development of wooded areas that contain breeding grounds of spotted salamanders can put their populations at risk. Spotted salamanders are also at risk of being run over by cars when they cross streets to reach their breeding grounds.
What You Can Do to Help
If you live in an area with a population of spotted salamanders, you can help by keeping an eye out for salamanders that are crossing the road. You can also help preserve forests and vernal ponds in your area.
Spotted Salamander Distribution
Common in the forests of the eastern United States and eastern Canada, spotted salamanders make their homes in areas that are close to ponds and vernal pools.
Spotted Salamander Resources
Tasmanian Devil
Sarophilus harrisi
The late night screeching, stress-induced stink, and fierce look led early Australian settlers to name this marsupial the devil. Although once found all over Australia, Tasmanian devils now live only on the island state of Tasmania.
Inhabiting coastal scrub and forest areas, they make their dens anywhere they can safely sleep during the day, including hollow logs, old wombat burrows, and naturally-formed caves.
The Tasmanian devil is only the size of a small dog. It has black fur that helps it stay camouflaged when searching for food at night. It is also characterized by its sharp teeth, which aid in eating.
A nocturnal scavenger and sometime hunter, the Tasmanian devil a can travel long distances while looking for food. It will eat whatever is available, usually carrion (dead animals), sometimes eating spoiled or rotting meat. The Tasmanian devil will also eat fur and bones, which it crushes in its powerful jaws. Although they are solitary animals, Tasmanian devils will gather together to feed, often growling viciously at each other trying to scare off their competition. When they have finished eating, there is nothing left of the carcass.
Tasmanian devils' breeding season lasts from March to May. Female devils will mate with dominant males, who fight to gain their attention. Three weeks after conception, the females give birth to up to 50 babies, called joeys. These 50 extremely tiny joeys scramble to attach themselves to one of the four available teats in the mother's pouch. Those that do not make it will not survive.
The remaining joeys will attach to the nipple in the pouch for roughly 3 months while they become fully developed. Like the wombat, the Tasmanian devil has a pouch that opens on the bottom to keep dirt out while traveling.
After the joeys leave their mother's pouch, they remain hidden in the den for another 3 months. During this time the mother brings food to the young, and eventually the young devils begin venturing out on their own before finally leaving the den for good. They can live for up to 5 years in the wild.
Conservation Status
The Tasmanian devil is protected on the island of Tasmania. Efforts have been made to sustain their population there. Being hit by cars is a major case of death for the devils, as they often feed on roadkill. The Tasmanian devils are also susceptible to Devil Facial Tumour Disease, which has dramatically decreased the population in the past 10 years. As such, they have been listed as endangered by the .
What You Can Do to Help
To help you can volunteer with the or donate to the .
Tasmanian Devil Distribution
Now found only on the island state of Tasmania, Tasmanian devils were once found all over Australia.
Tasmanian Devil Resources
Toco Toucan
Ramphastos toco
Measuring 63.5 cm (25 in.) in length, the toco toucan is the largest of all toucans. Its black body and white throat are overshadowed by its most recognizable trait: a large colorful beak.
The bright orange beak is about 19 cm (8 in.) long – one third of the bird's total length. But despite its substantial size, the beak weighs less than you may think. Composed of the protein keratin, the structure of beak incorporates many air pockets allowing for a very low mass.
Furthermore, recent research has concluded that toucans regulate body temperature by adjusting the flow of blood to their beak. More blood flow means more heat is released. When toucans sleep, they tuck their beak under their feathers to keep them warm.
Toco toucans also use their beaks to pluck and peel fruit, their main source of food. In addition, the beak houses a flat tongue of the same length, which helps the toucan catch insects, frogs, and reptiles. Toco toucans also occasionally eat the eggs of other birds.
Although they spend much of their time in trees, they are not very good at flying. Toucans mainly travel among trees by hopping. When they do take flight, they flap their wings vigorously and glide, traveling only short distances.
Toucans nest in the hollows of trees. They often move into cavities created and abandoned by woodpeckers. Several toucans live together in a single hollow.
It is in these hollows that they lay their eggs, generally two to four a year. Both parents incubate the eggs for 16-20 days. Once the chicks hatch, both parents continue to care for the young. Baby toucans are not born with an excessively large beak; the beak grows as the birds develop.
Native to South America, toco toucans inhabit a range of habitats including tropical forests, savannas, and shrubland.
Conservation Status
Because toco toucans can live in a variety of habitats, they are not as susceptible to rainforest destruction as other species. Their population has not been determined, but it is thought to be large due to the frequency of sightings within their range. As such, the toco toucan is listed by the as being of least concern, and there are no specific efforts to protect the species.
What You Can Do to Help
Although toco toucans are not considered threatened, you can still help protect their habitat. Avoid buying products made from rainforest wood and help raise funds to help protect the rainforests of South America.
Toco Toucan Distribution
Native to South America, toco toucans inhabit a range of habitats including tropical forests, savannas, and shrubland.
Toco Toucan Resources
