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Animal of the week.
Salamanders are very diverse; some have four legs; some have two. Also, some have lungs, some have gills, and some have neither — they breathe through their skin. Salamanders belong to the order Caudata, one of three orders in the Amphibia class, along with Anura (frog and toads) and Gymnophiona (caecilians, which have no legs and resemble large worms).
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Pinnipeds are found all over the world, and there are 33 known species of them. 19 are seal species. This is due to the fact that they have winged feet. Depending on the species of seal, there is quite a difference from the sizes. The largest ones can be about 16 feet long with the smallest of them being about four feet long. The terminology for seals includes males being called bulls, females being called cows, and the offspring being called pups. Many researchers believe that there are many species that have died off in the past. However, there is still a great deal of research that has to be done in that field. One of the most common types of seals is the gray seal. There are more of them than any other, and their numbers continue to increase annually. However, there are many other species of seals that are in jeopardy of extinction.
The orca is the apex predator of the sea and the largest member of the dolphin family. It is highly intelligent, highly adaptable and able to communicate and coordinate hunting tactics. Not typically a migratory species, orca ‘migrations' are principally in response to changes in favoured prey abundance and can sometimes be long, e.g between Alaska and California. Depending on the type of social group and location, orcas will hunt fish, squid, seals, sea lions, seabirds and even whales much larger than themselves. There has never been a documented attack on a human in the wild, and there are some stories of orcas actually protecting humans at sea from sharks.
These legendary animals have two teeth. In males, the more prominent tooth grows into a swordlike, spiral tusk up to 8.8 feet long. The ivory tusk tooth grows right through the narwhal's upper lip. Scientists are not certain of the tusk's purpose, but some believe it is prominent in mating rituals, perhaps used to impress females or to battle rival suitors. Females sometimes grow a small tusk of their own, but it does not become as prominent as the male's.
Hares are a bit larger than rabbits, and they typically have taller hind legs and longer ears. Snowshoe hares have especially large, furry feet that help them to move atop snow in the winter. They also have a snow-white winter coat that turns brown when the snow melts each spring. It takes about ten weeks for the coat to completely change color.
The arctic fox is an incredibly hardy animal that can survive frigid Arctic temperatures as low as –58°F in the treeless lands where it makes its home. It has furry soles, short ears, and a short muzzle—all-important adaptations to the chilly clime. Arctic foxes live in burrows, and in a blizzard they may tunnel into the snow to create shelter.
Snow leopards are rare, beautiful gray leopards that live in the mountains of Central Asia. They are insulated by thick hair, and their wide, fur covered feet act as natural snowshoes. They have powerful legs and are tremendous leapers, able to jump as far as 50 feet. Snow leopards use their long tails for balance and as blankets to cover sensitive body parts against the severe mountain chill. Thank you Nova for suggesting this beautiful arctic creature.
The Penguin is an aquatic, flightless bird that is highly adapted to life in the water. Their distinct tuxedo-like appearence is called countershading, a form of camouflage that helps keep them safe in the water. Penguins do have wing bones, though they are flipper like and extremely suited to swimming. Penguins are found almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere, where they catch their food underwater and raise their young on land.
The Osprey, also called sea hawk, river hawk and fish hawk is a fish eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than 60cm in length and 180cm across the wings. It is brown on the upper parts and predominantly grayish on the head and under parts. The osprey tolerates a wide variety of habitats, nesting in any location near a body of water providing an adequate food supply. It is found on all continents except Antarctica, although in South America it occurs only as a non-breeding migrant. Got a favorite animal? want to know more about it or see it featured on the internet? got a friend who visits this site daily and you want to surprise them? then please comment or contact me an animal suggestion right away and you wont be let down!
The Komodo Dragon is the largest reptile in the world getting up to 10 ft long and weighing up to 330lbs! The Dragon is a carnivore which means it eats meat, in the wild Komodo Dragons can live up to 30 years. It's vulnerable so it is not endangered or extinct, the Komodo Dragons current population is unknown. |
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Every week I will blog about an animal for you to read about and I will take suggestions too, enjoy! (all of the facts are from other websites.) Archives
February 2019
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