Category Zoology

How do animals breath?

All animals need oxygen to survive. They get it either by breathing air or by absorbing oxygen from water into their body. Dolphins live in water and breathe air through the blowhole on top of their head. All vertebrate animals that live on land have lungs. When we breathe in, the muscle below the rib cage (called the diaphragm) is pulled down, and air gets sucked into the rib cage, filling the lungs. Blood cells circulating through tiny blood vessels near the lungs pick up oxygen and carry it around the body to the sites of respiration. Air is then forced out of the lungs as the diaphragm bows upwards. Birds are different from humans in many ways. As you probably know, they fly, and their bodies are well adapted for flight. Their lungs are very efficient: they take in much more oxygen per breath than other animals do. Because they get this extra oxygen they have lots of energy to direct to the flight muscles in their wings – they can flap away for hours! Frogs and toads have lungs, but when they are in water they can also breathe through their skin.

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What is an animal?

Millions of different types of animal live on Earth. Each kind of animals is known as a species. Whether they are as tiny as an ant or as big as an elephant, all animals have a few things in common. For example, animals must eat other living things to survive, unlike plants, which get their energy from sunlight. Animals can also move from pace to place, whereas plants cannot. There are characteristics by which we recognize animals — they are multicellular, get the energy necessary for life by eating other organisms, and can move and sense their environment. Animals are a group of organisms in the family Animalia.  Animals can be insects, mammals, reptiles, fish, and other organisms that are not plants.  In agriculture, animals are raised for food, fiber, and fuel.  These animals are known as livestock.  Companion animals are what we call dogs, cats and other animals that provide companionship to humans.

 

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When was the takahe bird rediscovered?

        The takahe was once thought to be extinct. By 1898, ornithologists had come to the conclusion that the last bird had died due to introduced predators and grazing animals. However, in 1948, a small Population of the bird was discovered in a remote valley in New Zealand.

       The takahe bird is also known as the South Island takahe or notornis. It is a flightless bird, endemic to New Zealand. The Colour of the bird is mainly purple-blue with a greenish tinge on its back and inner wings. It has a broad and powerful bill. Its length is about 63 centimetres and weighs about 2.7 kilograms. Today the species is under Close watch and is managed by the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

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Which is the national bird of Nepal?

       Commonly spotted India, the Himalayan monal is the national bird of Nepal.

       The bird has a blue back and green neck. It has other colours too, such as orange and yellow, all shining in metallic splendour.

       The male bird of the Himalayan monal is about 70 centimetres long. The female tends to be shorter in length. Their plumage is not as brilliant as the males; they are streaky brown in appearance.

       As their name suggests these birds are found in the Himalayas especially in the open forests and meadows. They can live in high altitudes even up a height of 4500 metres. They are well adapted to the cold climate and snow.

       Their legs are equipped to dig into the ground through snow. They eat roots, seeds, berries, shoots and invertebrates.

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What is special about the Narina trogon bird?

        A reticent and shy bird, the Narina trogon spends much of its time perching motionless in an upright position amongst high branches of trees. They are found in pairs. They relish insects, particularly caterpillars. They usually snatch their prey from a branch and return to their perch to eat.

      It does not socialize much with other birds. The bird is sometimes so absorbed in itself that when it is disturbed, it might just turn around to conceal its crimson belly. Largely green and red in colour, the Narina trogon is a medium-sized bird found across Africa. It is considered of least conservation concern as it is found in abundance.

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What important role does the green broadbill in nature?

       Many birds perform important functions that help to sustain life on earth. The green broadbill is one such bird. It plays an important role in the ecosystem by disseminating seeds in its droppings.

       The green broadbill is a small green bird with three black bars on each wing. The bird tends to remain camouflaged in the green canopy of trees. It prefers to inhabit dense rainforests.

       The bird comes down to the lower branches for foraging. Although they eat insects and worms, their diet primarily consists of soft fruits such as figs and other vegetation.

       Also known as the lesser green broadbill, it is distributes in broadleaved evergreen forests of Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula where it frequents lowland and lower Montana rainforests.

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