Category Zology

What are the endangered animals in Eravikulam National Park?

 

There is a rise in the Nilgiri tahr numbers in Eravikulam National Park. The annual census held in April sighted 803 tahrs inside the park compared to 785 last year

The Nilgiri tahr is an endangered mountain goat found only in the hill ranges of the Western Ghats in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

People visiting the Eravikulam National Park (ENP) near Munnar are often amazed to see Nilgiri tahrs grazing nonchalantly in the tourism zone. Most of the park is out of bounds for visitors except for this demarcated area. Here the tahrs are almost tame, even allowing tourists to come close and click pictures!

In stark contrast, the tahrs in the core area of the park, where only park staff and researchers are allowed to go, are extremely shy, fleeing at the sight and sound of humans.

It is said that the tahr in the tourism zone became accustomed to people because of Walter Mackay, the manager of the Rajamalai tea estate in the 1950s. The estate was situated inside the present sanctuary (it was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975 and a national park in 1978). Mackay would toot his cars horn while driving through the sanctuary, attracting herds of tahrs. They would mob his car to be rewarded with handfuls of biscuits!

Of course, visitors today are forbidden to feed and pet the tahrs.

The tahr feeds on a variety of herbs, shrubs and grass. Sure-footed and agile like others of its kind, it can negotiate sheer cliffs with amazing ease.

The Nilgiri tahr is endemic to the open grasslands in the upper reaches of the Western Ghats. It is found mainly in the Nilgiri the Anaimalai and Nelliyampathy hill ranges. A mature male tahr has a coat of deep brown and is called a saddleback for the broad swathe of lighter-coloured fur down its back. The females are smaller and lighter in colour. Both have horns that curve straight back.

In the Eravikulam National Park (ENP), the leopard is its only known predator.

The females and juveniles stay close together in a herd. sometimes numbering over a hundred. The males are usually loners and join the herd during breeding time. The females calve from January to February. The park is closed to tourists at this time

There are around 800 tahrs in the ENP and small numbers in the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve and Silent Valley National Park in Kerala. The tahr is also found in Tamil Nadu’s Anaimalai hills. Around 60% of tahr habitat in the Western Ghats could be lost to climate change from the 2030s onwards. There are only around 3,120 tahrs left in the wild.

Back from the brink                                                                                            

In the early 1950s, poachers hunted the tahrs (their meat was a much sought-after delicacy) to the point of extinction. The tea company that then owned the area stepped in and declared it a sanctuary. A check post was set up at the site of the present Forest Department outpost, and all vehicles passing through the area were searched for firearms, snares and tahr carcasses. This went a long way in stamping out poaching.

Munnars High Range Wildlife and Environment Preservation Association is an NGO set up in 1928 by conservation-minded British tea planters.

Even today, tea and coffee planters in south India are actively involved in conservation and the Nilgiri tahr is a symbol of their success.

Picture Credit: Google

Why are stonefish so poisonous?

Stonefish is perhaps one of the world’s best camouflaged fish. But it is also the most venomous. Found in shallow waters of the tropical Indo-Pacific, stonefish stay in the muddy or rocky bottoms of marine environments, living among rocks or coral. It may look like a stone on the ocean floor and deceptively stays blended with the ocean floor while hunting. The skin covered by wart-like lumps helps it in camouflage. It has venomous spines and when stepped on accidentally or there is a contact, it can sting. The sting is painful and can be fatal. Did you know that the fish is a delicacy in certain parts of Asia after its venomous spines are removed.

Picture Credit: Google

What is a venomous lizard native to parts of the US and Mexico?

Native to the USA and Mexico, the Gila monster is a small, venomous lizard that is known to spend more than 90% of its life below the ground. As such you may not encounter the Gila monsters in the wild but bites are known to occur at times. The venomous lizard is known to use its venom only for defensive purposes. A mild neurotoxin, the venom of the creature is produced in the lizards’ salivary glands. The saliva is toxic and is found to contain the hormone exendin-4 which could be used to treat type 2 diabetes. Although its venom is deadly, it also has potential medicinal use. While the lizard is strictly nocturnal, above-ground sightings of it are also seen during the day.

Picture Credit: Google

Is the inland or western taipan oxyuranus microlepidotus?

Native to central Australia, the Inland Taipan snake usually lives in desert areas. Also called a fierce snake, the Inland Taipan is the world’s most venomous snake. The venom of the snake is very potent with experts noting that a drop of the snake’s venom is enough to kill 100 people. The snake is quite shy and encounters with humans are rare. The venom is so powerful that it could kill the victim within hours if medical treatment is not given.

Picture Credit: Google

What is de-extinction?

You must have heard of the term extinction. A species is declared extinct when the last member dies and no individual from that species exists anywhere on our planet. Local extinction refers to a species disappearing from one region, including a country. But have you heard of de-extinction? Come let’s find out what it is and what its implications are also known as resurrection biology, de extinction refers to the process that attempts to recreate extinct species through technology. Since these species no longer exist the new ones will be “new versions of the species. For the last few years, one of the main species in the news for de-extinction has been the woolly mammoth. A project seeks to create “a cold-resistant elephant with all of the core biological traits of the woolly mammoth, and will use the African elephant as the host. With the creation of this new version, the project also hopes the ecosytem that the animal inhabited can be improved – the Arctic tundra, now dominated by the threat of melting permafrost. Many view de-extinction as an opportunity to right the wrong humanity has meted out to wildlife. It is also seen as a first step towards safeguarding endangered species and those on the brink of extinction. The process can also be a chance for humans to learn about the crucial role wildlife plays in our planet and be sensitive towards them. But, de-extinction is not without concerns. The chief worry is the question of ethics – the new versions of species will be a product of humans and not nature. Also, if humans start creating plants and animals, is it far-fetched to think they could end up creating even humans in the future? And, there’s the financial aspect. Bringing back an extinct species costs money-a lot of it. It could rather be spent on safeguarding threatenend species, educating people on wildlife protection, creating a greener planet, etc.

Picture Credit : Google

Which animal is covered with scales?

In the animal kingdom, you will see that there are animals and insects with scales or shells. These help the animals protect themselves from predators. Animals both on land as well as in sea can have scales or shells. Let us take a look at some such animals.

GILA MONSTER

The Gila monster is a tough, heavily bodied lizard whose body is covered with beadlike scales called osteoderms. The scales cover all of its body except the belly. The lizard is known for its strong and venomous bite. When it bites its prey, the lizard doesn’t loosen its grip for several seconds and this allows the venom to flow into its prey. These lizards live in desert and semi-desert areas and are large-bodied, with short, fat tails.

PANGOLIN

Solitary, nocturnal creatures, pangolins are known for their body covered in an armour of scales. These scales help in protection. When threatened, the pangolin will use its front legs to cover its head and expose its scales. It can roll itself into a ball when it is touched. Pangolins are called scaly anteaters because of their diet which includes ants, termites, and larvae. They have no teeth and use their tongues to gather food. They live on the ground while some can climb trees. As many as eight species are found, with a distribution of four species each in Asia and Africa.

SEA URCHINS

 Sea urchins are spiny marine invertebrate animals. These sea animals live in tidal areas and the deep ocean and are seen on the seafloor. They are noted for their round-shaped spiked shell called “test”. They move across the ocean floor using their tube feet, which are small anatomical features seen on their undersides. The spines stretch out of the test and are used to move when they come across obstacles such as rocks. The largest urchin is the Sperostoma giganteum and is seen in Japan. As many as 950 species of sea urchins exist.

ARMADILLO

Armadillo is Spanish for “little armoured one”. The name refers to the bony, armour-like plates that the animal has. The set of plates covering the animal’s body is called the carapace. An animal found in the tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America, the armadillo lives in open areas such as grasslands while some live in forests. In all, over 20 species of armadillo exist. Did you know that two species of armadillo are able to roll up completely into a ball? The animal uses this technique to protect itself.

DIABOLICAL IRONCLAD BEETLES

With an extremely tough outer shell that justifies their name, the diabolical ironclad beetles are considered to withstand a lot of pressure and are almost unbreakable. The outer wing case of these beetles are called elytra. They inhabit the woodlands of western North America. They live under tree bark and cannot fly. Their elytra is fused together tightly and from a shield. When compression tests were carried out by scientists to test how much force the shield could withstand without cracking, it was found that force up to 149 newtons could be withstood by their shields.

LONGHORN COWFISH

The Longhorn cowfish is known for its uniquely shaped body. Its cubical body is encased in a protective hard shell called carapace and is made up of hard, bony plates. It is a solitary species and is found among seagrasses, reefs, harbours, estuaries, and so on. Its tiny fins and tail jut out from its shell. It received its name from the pair of horns that project from its eyes.

Picture Credit : Google 

Invasive species

Invasive species are those that get introduced to a new ecosystem, where they end up replacing or affecting the native fauna or flora. These are mostly introduced by humans. Let's read up on a few of the invasive species.

WILD PIGS

The wild pigs are native to Eurasia and parts of North Africa. Also called wild boar or feral hogs, the wild pigs arrived in the 1500s in the U.S. and are one of the most invasive species in North America. They were shipped in by Spanish colonisers as a mobile meat source. Over time, they populated the forests of the southeastern U.S., where their genes got mixed with escaped domestic pigs. They are such a threat as they can live anywhere, eat anything, and have a very high reproductive rate. They destroy crops, landscapes and spread diseases.

MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE     

A small bark insect, the mountain pine beetle depends on a host tree to feed and lay its eggs. They may seem inconspicuous, with just about one-fourth of an inch in length but they are one of the worst invasive species. They have had a massive impact on the pine forests, boring holes in the tree's bark. They lay eggs in these holes under the bark and deposit a fungus that eventually kills the tree. In fact, in 1995, an outbreak of this pest in the western United States and Canada led to the destruction of millions of acres pine forest.

BURMESE PYTHON

The Burmese python is one of the most concerning invasive species in South Florida where they have established a breeding population. They have even replaced alligators as the apex predator in Florida and have led to the decline of many native species, with the population of small animals dropping at alarming rates. Populations of raccoons, opossums, bobcats, marsh rabbits, cottontail rabbits, and foxes have all been on an alarming decline. These pythons got introduced as a result of the exotic pet trade after they escaped from their owners or got intentionally released into the wild by their owners.

BROWN TREE SNAKE

The brown tree snake was introduced to the Pacific island of Guam in the 1950s. And ever since its introduction, it led to the decimation of the native bird and animal populations on the island. It is believed to have been introduced via cargo ships or aircraft. The snakes which easily spread across the island also cause power outages when they climb electrical wires! Among the 11 native bird species in Guam, nine species went extinct after the snake's introduction.

EUROPEAN STARLING

European starlings are an invasive species in the United States. Interestingly enough, its arrival was the result of a plan to introduce all the species referred to in the works of English playwright William Shakespeare. These birds are native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa but easily took to the landscape of the U.S. and spread quickly across the country, affecting the population of native bird species.

LANTANA CAMARA

One of the worst invasive species in the world, Lantana camara was introduced in India by the British in the 1800s. It came in as an ornamental plant but ended up taking over several ecosystems as an invasive plant. Its ability to spread on the forest floor, climb over trees as a creeper or entangle with other native plants aided it in establishing itself. It continues to spread in India even as methodologies are being adopted to weed it out.

Picture Credit : Google 

The science behind pronghorn’s speed

When we think of very fast land animals, the first one that comes to our mind is perhaps the cheetah. Why not? It is the fastest land animal! Do you know which one is the second fastest? The pronghorn. And, the theory behind how it developed such. speed is fascinating. Let's find out more about the animal and its sprinting capacity.

A hoofed mammal, the pronghorn is native to North America, and does not have any close relative anywhere in the world. Healthy populations of the animals exist in their range and are listed under 'Least Concern' in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species. Though it looks a lot like an antelope, the herbivore belongs to its own taxonomic family called Antilocapridae. Pronghorns get their name from the forward-facing projection – the prong on their horns. Interestingly, their ‘horns’ exhibit characteristics of both a horn and an antler. The sheath of its horn is made of keratin, the substance horns are made of. But, these horns are forked and shed every year-just like antlers are! While much can be written about what else is unusual about the pronghorn, its most unique characteristic is its speed.

Running at more than 80 kmph, the pronghorn is the fastest land mammal in its entire natural range- from Canada through the US to Mexico in one aspect, it even gets better than the African cheetah-it can maintain a fast speed for a longer period of time than those carnivores. But the pronghom has no natural predator to match this speed, and so scientists had been stumped by the need for this speed. This is where the science of evolution comes in.

According to a study published recently, during the Ice Age, North America was home to several mammals that no longer exist today. Some of them are well-known today – woolly mammoths, giant sloths, and saber-toothed cats. There were lesser-known ones too, such as ‘Miracinongs’ a cheetah-like cat. The skeletal remains of ‘Miracinonyx’ show that “this now-extinct cat shares the morphological characteristics that indicate high speed capabilities with its African counterpart, the cheetah (Acinony)”. It is a close relative of the puma and the African cheetah. Both puma and ‘Miracinonyx’ are native to North America. Results provide support to "the hypothesis that ‘Miracinonyx’ preyed upon Antilocapra, but not exclusively”. Though it is not seen as conclusive evidence and more study is required, scientists say this "may provide an explanation for why pronghorns are so fast. Maybe they were chased by cheetahs after all".

Picture Crdit : Google 

Glass frogs have a secret!

Glass frogs live on trees, are active at night, and many of them are difficult to spot because of their green skin that merges well with their environment. “But these amphibians become true masters of camouflage during the day when they’re asleep.” How? Come, let’s find out.

When glass frogs rest or sleep, their muscles and skin turn transparent. So, whats visible are their eyes, bones, and internal organs. It is hard to spot them because they sleep on the bottoms of huge leaves and also blend well with the environment due to their transparency. But, how do they turn transparent, and what about the visibility of blood? Red blood cells absorb green light (the colour of light usually reflected by plants and other vegetation), and reflect red light. This makes blood highly visible, especially against a bright green leaf. In the case of glass frogs, though, something extraordinary happens.

A research team recently “observed that red blood cells seemed to be disappearing from the circulating blood” when the frogs rest. They conducted additional imaging tests on the animals, proving via optical models that the animals were able to achieve transparency because they were pushing red blood cells out of their vessels. It was suspected that the cells were being stored in one of the frog’s inner organs. which are packaged in a reflective membrane.

To find out where exactly the blood was going, scientists used a non-invasive imaging technology called photoacoustic microscopy (PAM). And the result was startling. The primary result is that whenever glass frogs want to be transparent, which is typically when they’re at rest and vulnerable to predation. they filter nearly all the red blood cells out of their blood and hide them in a mirror-coated liver – somehow avoiding creating a huge blood clot in the process.” When the frogs “are awake, stressed or under anaesthesia their circulatory system is full of red blood cells and they are opaque”. This unique capacity would explain why there are hardly any other land-based vertebrates that can achieve such transparency.

Also, in “most animals, pooling blood together leads to clotting which can be life-threatening, for example = leading to heart attacks in humans”. So, studying these amphibians can even help us understand blood clotting better.

Picture Credit : Google 

Our connection to other mammals

What makes us humans different from our ape cousins? Well, our brain power. And, that came about through tweaks in the genes, according to an ambitious project, whose results were published recently. Come, let’s find out more about this, and also how we are similar to and different from other mammals.

The Zoonomia Project compared the genomes (the genetic material that makes up a living organism) of 240 mammal species, including humans, to trace evolutionary changes over 100 million years. It studied a wide variety of mammals-from the huge North Pacific right whale (59 feet long) to the tiny bumblebee bat, just 3 cm long. It also included our closest evolutionary relatives – chimpanzees and bonobos. Do you know what startling result the study threw up? “The researchers identified genomic elements- 4,552 in all – that were pretty much the same across all mammals and were identical in at least 235 of the 240 species, including people.” It means that certain parts of genomes have remained unchanged across all mammal species, humans included, over millions of years of evolution.

As for how humans are different from other mammals, the study points to areas “associated with developmental and neurological genes”. It suggests that when Homo sapiens evolved, it involved changes in how the nervous system genes were “regulated”. And these were just tweaks rather than any dramatic and major changes to the genes themselves. This explains why we still share a large part of our genetic makeup with our ape cousins.

And, genes are also responsible for traits unique to some mammals. For instance, hibernation and the sense of smell. While some mammals have a keen sense of smell, others have almost none. Humans are “somewhat average”. The study also saw changes in genetic sequences in some species “in relatively short periods of time”, indicating how they are adapting to their environments.

While the findings are fascinating by themselves. scientists believe they “could inform human therapeutics, critical care and long-distance space flight”, and “also can help identify genetic mutations that lead to disease”.

In a study, researchers identified genomic elements – 4,552 in all-that were pretty much the same across all mammals and were identical in at least 235 of the 240 species, including people. It means that certain parts of genomes have remained unchanged across all mammal species, humans included, over millions of years of evolution.

Picture Credit : Google 

Does owls have eyeballs?

Owls don’t have eyeballs. They have eye tubes or cylinders, rod-shaped eyes that do not move in their sockets as eyeballs do. Instead, owls have to move their bodies or heads in order to look around. Since moving their torsos would likely make noise that would alert their prey to their presence, owls have evolved to have necks that can spin up to 270° essentially silently.

But why favour neck-spinning over the seemingly simple eye ball-spinning method of looking around? Well, night vision requires large corneas that allow for light to be collected effectively even in the dark, which is why most nocturnal animals (like the slow loris or tarsier) have huge eyes. But owls have small skulls, so their big eyes couldn’t expand out. They instead developed into the rod shape of today’s owls. They aren’t alone though: some deep-sea fish (like the anglerfish) also have rod-shaped eyes for seeing in the dark.

Picture Credit : Google 

Why do epaulette sharks walk on land?

Researchers at a Florida university say a species of shark with the ability to walk on land is evolving to survive warming seas and the climate crisis.

The epaulette shark, found on shallow reefs of Australia and New Guinea, can walk for upto 90 feet on dry land using its paddle-shaped fins, and survive hypoxia (deficiency of oxygen) for up to two hours. The 3 foot long sharks are able to slow and fast walk, as well as swim, giving them an exceptional ability to cross land to reach more favourable environments.

Tide pools and coral reef environments are subjected to warm temperatures when the tide is out. These sharks can move from tide pool to tide pool, allowing them to access new pools to forage for food or tide pools with better oxygenated water.

What sets epaulette sharks apart from other shark species with these abilities, is their tolerance of hypoxia for a prolonged period, and ability to not only survive being on land but walk distances up to 30 times its body length. This gives them better agility to evade predators, reach areas with more plentiful food and less competition for it.

Picture Credit : Google 

Will there be a ‘Project Great Indian Bustard’?

Proposed on the lines of Project Tiger, the country’s highest court seeks the government’s view on the idea. What prompted this? Here’s the story and background in five simplified points.

  1. THE PROPOSAL: Coming to the rescue of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB), the Supreme Court has mooted the idea of launching ‘Project GIB’ on the lines of ‘Project Tiger. A bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, and comprising justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, also sought reports from the chief secretaries of Rajasthan and Gujarat in six weeks on the installation of bird diverters in priority areas and assess the total length of transmission lines in the two States where undergrounding of electric wires have to be done to ensure the birds do not die of electrocution.
  2. COMMITTEE FORMED: The Supreme Court had earlier set up a three-member committee to assess the feasibility of laying high-voltage underground power cables. It had also directed the Gujarat and Rajasthan governments to convert overhead electric cables into underground power cables, wherever feasible, and install bird diverters in priority areas where the birds live. It has now directed the committee to submit an updated status report on the steps to safeguard the birds.
  3. ENDANGERED SPECIES: The great Indian bustard, considered India’s most critically endangered bird species, is especially found in Rajasthan and Gujarat, and as per the 2021 report of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), they are on the verge of extinction with less than 249 of them alive. Endemic to India, these birds were once seen across several States in the country. Due to hunting, habitat loss, and accidents caused by windmills and overhead power lines, their numbers dwindled over the last few decades.
  4. RECENT DEATHS: Being hit by overhead power lines is one of the major reasons for the death of these birds today, which is why the focus is on undergrounding such lines. While the work for undergrounding power lines has started in Gujarat, that does not seem to be the situation in Rajasthan, according to reports. Bird diverters too have not been installed in priority areas despite the Supreme Court’s direction. This would explain the deaths of seven birds so far this year, which is a matter of continuing concern.
  5. PROJECT TIGER: The Central government had launched ‘Project Tiger on April 1, 1973 to promote the conservation of the big cat whose population had dipped alarmingly. The number of tigers in 1973 was less than 300, and according to the All India Tiger Estimation Report, that number rose to 2,967 in 2018. Project Tiger has been viewed by the government as one of the most successful conservation programmes for a single species in the world. And so, it is hoped that a similar project for this critically endangered bird species would save it from extinction.

Picture Credit : Google 

Why are anteaters going extinct?

As their name suggests, giant anteaters are large. Like so many large mammals the world over, these creatures too are facing rising extinction risk, especially in Brazil. What are the reasons for this? Come, let’s find out.

Giant anteaters are native to Central and South America. In 2020, the Pantanal region of South America witnessed fires that destroyed about a third of the area. It proved to be injurious or fatal for wildlife such as jaguars inhabiting the region. According to a report, the fires killed “an estimated 17 million animals”. The numbers are not available for those injured or displaced. But among those that suffered are giant anteaters. Apparently, “more than 50 giant anteaters injured or displaced by the Pantanal fires were taken in by state rescue projects – a leap from 13 the previous year”. In 2021, Pantanal witnessed fires again, though on a scale smaller than the previous year. However, reports suggest that a few areas from 2020 suffered in 2021 too – this could spell disaster for the species there since they’d be denied time for recovery. Several animals are also indirectly affected by such fires. For instance, young animals could be orphaned and ones trying to escape such fires could get involved in accidents or end up in the hands of poachers. As for giant anteaters, some tried to escape the fire in 2021 and got hit by cars; they were rescued.

But, fires are not the only reason for falling giant anteater populations. A report says “Brazil’s anteater populations have fallen 30% over 26 years”. As solitary creatures, they require a large range for habitation. But this is becoming more and more difficult due to land seizures, expansion of farming, ranching, and mining “in the Amazon and the Brazilian savanna”. Further, the animal also has “a low population growth rate due to its life history of long gestation periods and single offspring”.

The giant anteater plays a significant role as both predator and prey. While it is consumed by jaguars and pumas, the mammal consumes large quantities of insects, especially ants and termites. Given this interconnectedness, the extinction of this insectivore can have unimaginable impacts on its ecological range.

Fires are not the only reason for falling giant anteater populations. As solitary creatures, they require a large range for habitation. But this is becoming more and more difficult due to land seizures, expansion of farming, ranching, and mining “in the Amazon and the Brazilian savanna”. Further, the animal also has “a low population growth rate due to its life history of long gestation periods and single offspring”.

Picture Credit : Google 

Which is the slowest bird at level flight?

Both the American woodcock and Eurasian woodcock have been recorded travelling at 8 km/h speed in level flight. Their brilliant camouflage techniques have earned them the title ‘timberdoodles.’ American woodcocks blend into woodland environments to the point of becoming invisible as they camouflage so perfectly with the leaf litter on the forest floor.

Their bodies are stocky and plump, and they have short wings. Their body structure helps them to navigate the woodland and meadows, which are their natural habitats. Their physical design implies that fast-paced and graceful flight is impossible for them.

However, American wood-cocks increase their pace during migration and speeds between 26 and 45 km/h have been recorded. Even during this time, they usually fly at relatively low altitudes.

Picture Credit : Google

Which is the fastest bird?

The peregrine falcon is the fastest bird in the world. Its diving speed during flight can reach above 300 km per hour, making it the world’s fastest animal. The bird has breeding populations on every continent except Antarctica and some oceanic islands, which gives it the credit of being the most widely distributed species of bird of prey.

For a long time, captive peregrine falcons have been used in the sport of falconry. After World War II, the bird suffered a huge decline in population across the globe. In most regions, including North America, the major reason for this loss of population is traced to the pesticide DDT, which the birds accumulated from their prey. The chemical concentrated in the bird’s tissues, which affected the deposition of calcium in the eggshells, making them abnormally thin and easily breakable.

In the British Isles, another pesticide named dieldrin caused direct death of peregrine falcons and thus contributed to their decline. Following the banning or minimising the use of organochlorine pesticides, their populations have increased in many regions.

The peregrine has been listed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 2015.

Picture Credit : Google 

Why is the cheetah known as the fastest mammal on land?

Cheetahs are the fastest mammals that live upon the planet and can run at speeds as high as 113 km per hour in short distances.

Their bodies are designed with a lot of agility. They can make quick turns while running at high speeds. Their spines are extremely flexible, giving them the ability to have long strides. Their slender limbs and hard footpads are also excellent tools that aid their agility and speed.

Cheetahs are covered in bold black stripes all over their body and each cheetah has a unique pattern over its skin. They have a tear-like pattern that runs from the inner corners of their eyes down to both sides of their mouths. The ends of their tails have black rings as well. These cats have great eye sight, making them dangerous predators.

Their unique coat is also a great way to blend with the tall, dry grass of the plains and helps them remain hidden during the hunt. The cheetahs live in a range of habitats across eastern and southern Africa, but they are usually found in open grasslands. At one point, they were found throughout Asia and Africa, but they are currently facing extinction due to loss of habitat. Their lives are threatened by the declining number of prey due to the destruction of the natural environments.

Although cheetahs are considered to be among the big cats, they are unable to roar- they can only purr. Like the other big cats of the family, they also usually prey on small- to medium-size animals such as hares, impalas, wildebeest calves, and gazelles.

The cheetah chases its prey at only about half of its maximum speed and often has to rest for at least half an hour before it can eat so as to catch breath. The pronghorn, also called the American antelope, is the fastest long-distance runner in the animal kingdom.

Picture Credit : Google 

What has caused the decline in grey whale numbers?

Often, conservation stories underline the importance of the role of all creatures-big and small-for balance in ecosystem. For instance, krill crustaceans barely two inches long are a huge link in the global food chain. If such a small organism can have a telling impact on the food chain, one can only imagine the kind of effect larger animals have in an ecosystem. So, when the population of a large animal plunges, it is always a cause for concern.

Grey whales are among the largest animals on Earth- nearly 50 feet long and weighing over 40 tonnes. These giants are known for their long annual migration of more than 15,000 km “between feeding grounds in the Arctic and breeding grounds in Baja Mexico” Recent research has revealed that the number of these fascinating creatures is witnessing a worrying slump- by nearly 40% in just six years. From 27,000 whales in 2016, the number stands at a concerning 16,650 today. Several factors are attributed to this decrease. One of them is the increase in strandings in 2019, when about 600 of these creatures washed up dead along the west coast of North America Though boat collisions and killer whale attacks caused a few of these deaths most of the dead whales were malnourished which takes us to n crucial of interconnectedness in an ecosystem. It is believed that the malnourishment could be the result of “the whales’ food sources of tiny crustaceans and other invertebrates they prey on in the Arctic shifting due to environmental changes. Further, the overall population among West Coast grey whales “coincides with diminished reproduction” While there were 383 baby whales during the calf production season last year, there have been a mere 217 newborns this year – “the lowest number since such counts began in 1994”

Grey whales were close to extinction several decades ago due to commercial whaling before their population improved due to timely conservation efforts. Even then, the 80s and 90s saw a plunge of about 40%, and eventually they rebounded. It is important for this whale population to recover too because they keep the population of certain other creatures in the food chain in check. Even in death-as carcasses- these large marine mammals help feed several other organisms.

Often, grey whales are washed up dead along the U.S. west coasts. Though boat collisions and killer whale attacks cause some deaths, researchers say malnourishment is a major reason. With tiny crustaceans and other invertebrates shifting due to environmental changes, the grey whales are left without food.

Picture Credit : Google 

Which is the tallest animal?

Giraffes are the world’s tallest animals with legs as long as 1.8 metres. They not only have long legs, but also have long necks that they use to reach leaves and buds on treetops, which no other animal can reach. They have very long tongues as well, which can be as long as 53.34 centimetres.

Living in the African savannah, they move at a speed of 16 kilometres per hour to cover long distances and can run as fast as 56 kilometres per hour in short distances. Although their massive height becomes advantageous while looking out for predators, it also becomes a difficulty while they drink from water holes. With their towering legs, the only way to drink water from these water holes is to bend down in a weird position that makes them vulnerable to attack. The wild cats of Africa are the most common predators of the giraffes.

Their favourite food is Acacia leaves. Like the cows, they regurgitate their food and chew it as cud. Their diet also keeps them hydrated, as the leaves have a lot of water content in them and helps them to avoid going to the water holes frequently. They also travel really long distances to find their meal as they consume about a hundred pounds of leaves every week, which is a big volume of plant matter to be found in one area.

Picture Credit :Google

What animals are the masters of camouflage?

Scorpionfish

Scorpionfish, one of the most venomous fish in the world, are found across the world in warm waters. They are most common in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. They are also known as rockfish and stonefish as they commonly live among rocks. They are perch-like fish with large, spiny heads and strong, sometimes venomous. fin spines. While their spines protect them from predators, it is their colouring that helps them in hiding. They are carnivorous and generally sedentary. The fin spines, even ones without venom, can inflict deep, painful wounds. While some are dull in colour, others are brighter, often some shade of red. The largest members of the family grow about 39 inches long.

Walkingstick

Suddenly seeing a twig crawling down a tree trunk? It isn’t a twig but a walkingstick, also called stick insect. The stick-like trickster uses its appearance to save itself from enemies. They are commonly found in tropical and temperate (or mild) forests across the world. Though related to grasshoppers, crickets, and mantises, these crawlies are either brown, green, or black. They’re also the world’s longest insects. The largest one found was 22 inches long with its legs extended. They spend most of their time on trees, munching on leaves. When predators like birds approach, the bug tries to remain still to blend with the branches. However, if the predator manages to catch the bug by its legs, the insect can detach the leg and scuttle away. The leg will later regenerate, or grow back.

Camouflage

Also known as cryptic colouration, is a defence mechanism used by organisms to disguise their appearence, usually to blend/ in with their surroundings. This tactic is used to mask their location, identity and even movement. This helps the prey to protect themselves from predators.

Chameleon

Chameleons have the ability to change their colour and pattern. They are found in warm climates and in parts of the Middle East, southwestern Asia, and southern Europe, Madagascar nearly all of Africa, and parts of India and Sri Lanka. There are more than 200 species of chameleons, of which 76 are found on the island of Madagascar. Their diet consists of insects and plants, though some may eat rodents or small birds. They live in a range of habitats, including deserts, rainforests, and savannahs. The word chameleon comes from the Greek ‘khamai’ meaning on the ground, earth and leon’ meaning ‘lion’. probably because the head of some species resembles a lion’s mane. The distinctive features of these lizards are their telescopic eyes, grasping tail, colour-changing skin, and projectile tongue.

Great Potoo

The Great Potoo is a nocturnal bird of the American tropics. Its name is similar to its wailing cry, “po-TOO,” made by some species. Their patterns of grey, black, and brown plumage resemble tree bark. Their camouflage helps them to even sleep while perched out in the open during daylight During the day, the birds sleep, vertically perched and virtually indistinguishable from the dead branches they roost on They wake up at dusk with their huge, wide-open eyes capable of spotting moths and other flying insects in the dark. They are mainly solitary creatures and highly restricted nesters. Instead of building a nest, they choose a branch or stub with a crevice just enough to accommodate the single egg they lay.

Nightjar

Nightjar is a medium-sized bird that are mostly active at night feeding on flying insects. They have a protective colouring of grey, brown, or reddish brown. There are about 60 to 70 species of nightjars. They are found almost worldwide in temperate to tropical regions, except for New Zealand and some islands of Oceania. They do not make nests, instead deposit their eggs on the ground or on the leaf-covered floor of the woodland. Some of the species, mainly the North American nighthawks, have adapted to urban life and nest on flat gravel-covered rooftops. The nightjar’s soft plumage and variegated colouring help it blend in with its surroundings. Despite their skill at camouflage, some nightjar species are endangered.

Picture Credit : Google 

Which bird has the longest wingspan?

The wandering albatross that glides above the sea for hours without flapping its wings has the longest wingspan of any living bird. Its wingspan ranges from 2.51 to 3.5 metres. These birds use their large wings to ride the sea winds and spend most of their lives out in the open sea. They are so efficient at flying that it takes them more energy to sit on a nest than fly!

Albatrosses are a pelagic species, which means they inhabit the open seas. They are found in all oceans except the North Atlantic. They breed on remote islands on the north of the Antarctic Circle, and travel thousands of kilometres from their breeding ground when it is not breeding season. They sometimes cross the equator as well. These birds can fly up to 40 kilometres per hour.

Albatrosses feed during the night, alone or in small groups, making shallow dives while hunting. They mostly consume small fish and crustaceans. They also follow fishing boats and ships to feed on discards and garbage. Albatrosses often overdo their hunting and end up eating so much that they are unable to fly and have to float on the water!

These birds come together in large colonies on remote islands and build their nests from mud and grass. An egg is produced by the female, which gets incubated by the pair in turns. The egg hatches after around 11 weeks, and once the chick is born, the parents take turns to hunt, while the other stays in the nest to take care of the chick. Albatrosses don’t have many predators owing to their large size, but they are listed as vulnerable due to increasing pollution, which makes it difficult for them to find food.

Picture Credit : Google

Do penguins face threat of extinction?

As much as 98% of colonies of this penguin species is at risk of extinction by 2100. So, the U.S. has listed the bird as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act. There’s still hope to save them.

Where do emperor penguins live?

Different species of penguins are found in different parts of the Southern Hemisphere. The emperor penguins are found only in Antarctica, where they live and breed. Emperor penguins thrive on Antarctica’s coastlines in icy conditions any human would find extreme. The penguins breed on fast ice, which is sea ice attached to land But they hunt for food within the pack ice-sea ice floes that move with the wind or ocean currents and may merge. Sea ice is also important for resting, during their annual moult, and to escape from predators.  

The U.S. lists them as “threatened”.

If current global warming trends and government policies continue, Antarctica’s sea ice will decline at a rate that would dramatically reduce emperor penguin numbers to the point that 98% of all their colonies would become quasi-extinct by 2100, with little chance of recovering, a new study has shown. That’s why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalised a rule listing the emperor penguin as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act, effective November 25, 2022. The director of the service said the listing “reflects the growing extinction crisis”. The U.S. Endangered Species Act has been used before to protect other species that are primarily at risk from climate change, including the polar bear, ringed seal, and several species of coral, which are all listed as threatened.

But, these penguins don’t even live in the U.S.!

Sure, these penguins don’t live on US. territory, so some of the Endangered Species Act’s measures meant to protect species habitats and prevent hunting them don’t directly apply. Being listed under the Endangered Species Act could still bring benefits, though. It could provide a way to reduce harm from U.S. fishing fleets that might operate in the region. And, with expected actions from the current administration, the listing could eventually pressure U.S. agencies to take actions to limit greenhouse gas emissions. However, the Bureau of Land Management has never acknowledged that emissions from oil and gas extraction on public lands and waters could harm climate-imperiled species. It issued more than 3.500 oil and gas drilling permits in New Mexico and Wyoming on public land during the first 16 months of the Joe Biden administration.

What’s harming the birds?

The greatest threat emperor penguins face is climate change. It will disrupt the sea ice cover they rely on unless governments adopt policies that reduce the greenhouse gases driving global warming. If there’s too much sea ice, trips to bring food from the ocean become long and arduous, and their chicks may starve. With too little sea ice, the chicks are at risk of drowning. Climate change is now putting that delicate balance and potentially the entire species at risk. Emperor penguins are adapted to their current environment, but the species has not evolved to survive the rapid effects of climate change that threaten to reshape its world. Major environmental shifts, such as the late formation and early loss of sea ice on which colonies are located, are already raising the risk.

How can we save them?

Decades of data since the 1960s are now helping scientists gauge the effects of anthropogenic climate change on the penguins, their sea ice habitat and their food sources. Meeting the Paris Agreement goal could still save the penguins. The results of the new study showed that if the world meets the Paris climate agreement targets, keeping warming to under 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 F) compared with pre-industrial temperatures, it could protect sufficient habitat to halt the emperor penguins decline. But the world isn’t on track to meet the Paris Agreement goals. The future of emperor penguins, and much of life on Earth, including humanity, ultimately depends upon the decisions made today.

Picture Credit : Google 

What is Self-Publishing?

Several species of agricultural crops depend on bats for pollination. In addition, fruits bats help in the dispersion of seeds, keeping several species of fruit-bearing trees alive. Some species of bats consume insects, considered agricultural pests. This not only prevents the use of billions of dollars worth of pesticides annually but also allows the soil to remain free from harmful chemicals.

The fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans causes white-nose syndrome in bats, and “is responsible for the deaths of over six million bats in North America”. This is one of the reasons for the decline in the population of bats globally. And, scientists say that this decline is of concern. What causes the plunge in their numbers, and why should we be worried? Come, let’s find out. Often labelled blood suckers and disease carriers, bats seem to get short shrift. Pop culture portayals of vampires and the endless speculation over the origins (often pointing to bats, albeit scientifically unproven) of the ongoing pandemic make it even worse for the world’s only flying mammals. Add to the fact that these nocturnal creatures usually do their work under the cover of darkness, their role in healthy ecosystems may not be appreciated by laypeople. Several species of agricultural crops such as banana, mangoes, avocadoes, and figs are said to depend on bats for pollination. In addition, fruit bats help in the dispersion of seeds, keeping several species of fruit-bearing trees alive. Some species of bats consume insects, considered agricultural pests. This not only prevents the use of billions of dollars worth of pesticides annually but also allows the soil to remain free from harmful chemicals. In fact, guano – the excrement of bats – makes for excellent manure. Found in all continents except Antarctica, bats are a part of different types of ecosystems – from rainforests to deserts. Irrespective of the region they inhabit, they play crucial ecological roles, keeping alive the biodiversity and the health of their ecosystems.

While the population of bats in North America has taken a huge hit due to the white-nose syndrome, there’s a general decline in their population in other parts of the world too. The reasons for this include climate change, invasive species, loss of habitat due to urbanisation and agriculture, lack of food, especially when pesticide is used to kill the insects they feed on, etc. There’s still a lot to be studied about bats. But an aspect of concem in studying bats is that they “roost in lots of different places, from caves to barns to attics, and scientists can’t monitor bats in all places at all times”.

Picture Credit : Google 

Which is the largest bird?

The largest bird on the planet is, rather ironically, the flightless ostrich. It also lays the largest eggs among any living land animal. Ostriches are also the fastest birds on land with an ability to run at 70 kilometres per hour. They are found in the African savanna and desert lands, where they meet most of their water requirements from the plants they eat.

Unlike other birds, ostriches use their wings as “rudders” to help them change direction while running. Their powerful and long legs cover about 3 to 5 metres in a single stride. These legs are also rather formidable weapons. An ostrich kick can kill a human or a potential predator such as a lion! Their feet have long, sharp claws too. Ostriches live in small herds with less than a dozen birds in one herd. They mostly eat plants, roots, and seeds but also consume insects, lizards, and other creatures that are found in this harsh habitat.

Although there is a popular belief that ostriches bury their heads in the sand, this is not true. Perhaps the saying would have originated because of the bird’s defensive behaviour. When faced with trouble, ostriches lie low and press their long necks to the ground as a means to become less visible. Since their plumage blends well with sandy soil, from a distance, it gives the impression that they have buried their heads in the sand.

Picture Credit : Google

Which is the largest animal on Earth?

Blue whales are the biggest animals that have ever inhabited our planet. These marine mammals grow up to 22 metres in length and to a weight of 150,000 kilograms. Their tongues alone weigh as much as an elephant in some cases and their hearts can be as big as an automobile.

The most interesting detail about these huge creatures is the fact that they reach these immense body sizes by consuming tiny shrimp-like animals called krills alone. In some seasons, a single adult blue whale eats about 4000 kilograms of krill a day.

Blue whales belong to the family of baleen whales. Baleen is a fringed plate made of fingernail-like material that is attached to their upper jaws. These giant animals feed by first gulping a great amount of water through their mouth and then they expand the pleated skin on their throat and belly to take it in. After this, the whales use their massive tongue and force the water out through the thin, overlapping baleen plates. This process leaves behind a large volume of krill, which gets consumed by the whales. Blue whales are found in all the oceans, except the Arctic. They occasionally swim in small groups but they move about in pairs or stay alone.

They now face a severe threat due to whaling and are considered endangered according to the IUCN Red List.

Picture Credit : Google

Birds with an aesthetic sense?

Did you know that bowerbirds are famous for building elaborate structures and even decorating them? Read on to know fascinating facts about the species.

The early European explorers to Australia and New Guinea thought that the elaborate structures they sometimes came across in the forests were built by Aborigines, so artistic and skilled were they. Imagine their surprise when they found that a species of bird was responsible!

The bird is called a bowerbird because of its habit of making complicated ‘bowers’ or places of courtship to attract and impress the females. The males spend weeks setting up and decorating their bowers. A young male may take several years to perfect the technique.

There are 20 species of bowerbirds of which the satin bowerbird of Australia builds the most elaborate bower. The remarkable structure it builds may reach up to 2.7 m in height. It may consist of a tower of twigs arranged around a central sapling or resemble a miniature house, complete with a door and thatched roof!

Other species clear an area in the forest and set up an ‘avenue’ or domed tunnel of sticks with just enough space for the bird to enter. Some prepare a lek or display area spread with upturned leaves or ’tiled’ with rocks.

Several species give their bowers a coat of paint, using charcoal mixed with saliva or the natural pigment contained in the juice of wild berries. A piece of bark fibre or a tuft of leaves held in the beak serves as a ‘paintbrush’. Not content with this, a bowerbird may bring coloured stones, feathers, leaves and flowers to add to the decoration. Iridescent insect skeletons, spider webs and snail shells serve as extra adornment.

Modern-day bowerbirds use discarded buttons, toys, empty tins, coloured straws, broken glass, and even CDs for this purpose! The floor of the bower is often strewn with an enticing bed of soft, fresh leaves.

When the male bowerbird is satisfied with his handiwork, he lures the female inside by calling loudly and when she shows interest, with a dance display. Most male bowerbirds play no part in raising the young. The female lays eggs, which she will incubate by herself. She also cares for the brood on her own.

Quick facts

  • There are 20 different bowerbird species, and the males come in colours ranging from green, orange, red, yellow and black to white, olive-brown and sooty grey. Some have a brilliant crest or a ruff. Females are comparatively dull
  • Bowerbirds live in tropical forests, mangroves, eucalyptus groves and savanna woodlands.
  • They can imitate the calls of other species, as also machines like a chain saw.
  • Satin bowerbirds may reuse and refurbish the same bower for more than 30 years.
  • Different species go for different colours. The striped gardener bowerbird prefers yellow, red, and blue objects, while the fawn-breasted bowerbird favours green
  • Bowerbirds may kill insects solely for the purpose of decorating Competition for females is fierce.
  • The birds fight for choicest pieces, steal baubles from each other and tear apart their rivals’ bowers.
  • Researchers think that they are the only animal species besides humans to have an aesthetic sense.

Picture Credit : Google 

How do we know that humpback whales communicate through songs, or about the sounds that pervade the ocean depths?

How do scientists know that humpback whales communicate through songs? That’s because they have ears placed on the bottom of the ocean at strategic points! These ‘ears’ are part of a network of underwater microphones or hydrophones placed by various scientific research organisations that eavesdrop on the sounds that pervade the inky depths-from the squeaky whistles and moans of whales and the rumbling of earthquakes, to the drone of ships passing overhead.

The sounds provide a lot of information about the world beneath the waves. The information can reveal how man-made noise affects the creatures of the deep as well as predict if the movement of tectonic plates is going to cause an earthquake.

Sound travels much further than any other form of energy in the ocean, with low-frequency sound reaching thousands of kilometres deep. Data collected from hydrophones shows that shipping activity cripples communication between whales and other marine mammals that use sound and echolocation to find their mates, fellows, and prey. The noise from ships is so loud that these animals are forced to ‘shout to be heard! According to a diver, the disturbance caused by a ship passing above is like being hit in the chest with a heavy golf club.

Data collected from hydrophones shows that shipping activity cripples communication between whales and other marine mammals that use sound and echolocation to find their mates, fellows, and prey.

Picture Credit : Google 

How powerful is a harpy eagle?

Harpy eagles are America’s most powerful birds of prey that live in the tropical rainforest. They are a key bio-indicator, meaning if there are good numbers of harpies in the forest, then it is certain that there is a healthy number of its prey species.

In Greek mythology, the harpy was a terrifying creature with the body of an eagle and the face of a woman. Harpies flew about in flocks and had a foul smell and sharp claws.

The aptly named harpy eagle of Central and South America has a piercing gaze and fan-like crest that give it a fearsome look. It has dark slate-grey plumage. with lighter grey feathers on its head and face. A broad bib of black separates its head and underside. Its belly and legs are a startling white.

Harpies are America’s most powerful birds of prey, though not the largest (that title is held by the Andean condor). They live in the tropical rainforest, and unlike eagles that live in the open, they prefer to hunt just beneath the canopy – this in spite of having a wingspan of around 2.5 m! The wings are shorter and broader than those of other eagles to facilitate hunting among the trees. As with most eagle species, female harpies are almost double the size of males.

These fascinating eagles are extremely dexterous fliers and at the top of the food chain wherever they live. Harpies can weave in and out of branches and pluck unlucky sloths and monkeys off like ripe fruit with their wickedly curved, razor sharp talons. The back talons are longer than those of a grizzly bears at 13 cm. Sloths and monkeys are the females’ favourite food but the males prefer the smaller opossums, fawns, snakes, iguanas, and even porcupines.

A harpy eagle can perch silently for hours and hours, waiting for a meal. It can fly almost vertically, so it can attack from below as well as drop down from above. It can turn its head upside down to get a look at its prey as it zooms in. Its keen eyes can spot something as small as two cm in size from 200 metres away.

Harpy eagles are elusive and rarely seen, though their range is very wide. They are near-threatened due to logging and agriculture. No one knows how many remain in the wild – scientists believe the number could be between 20,000 and 50,000.

Fact file

  • Harpies build huge nests measuring around 1.2 m wide and 1.5 m long, big enough for a person to lie in!
  • The birds mate for life, and once a nest is built, an eagle pair may reuse and repair the same nest for many years.
  • Harpy eagles are usually quiet but they can wail, croak, whistle, click, and mew.
  • Monkeys and sloths may weigh up to eight kg but a harpy’s talons can latch on with a pressure of over 50 kg. This is bone-crushing, and the victim dies instantly.
  • Chicks are pure white and attain adult colouring at the age of three. The harpy is Panama’s national bird.
  • The eagle is a key bio-indicator. That is, if there are good numbers of harpies in the forest, then it is certain that there is a healthy number of its prey species.

Picture Credit : Google 

On a wild python chase

Articles on animal numbers dwindling may often include hunting as one of the reasons. Over the last few centuries, several creatures – large and small, and marine and land dwelling have been pushed to the brink of extinction due to mindless hunting. But here’s a species whose killing has been actively taken up and encouraged. Why? Come, let’s find out.

Among the largest of snakes, Burmese pythons are native to Asia. However, in the 1990s, thanks to the pet trade, thousands of them found homes in the U.S. It is said that over the years, many either escaped into the wild or were released there by the pet owners themselves who found it difficult to keep the snakes. When Hurricane Andrew stuck Florida in 1992, it is believed that several snakes escaped a python-breeding facility and found refuge in Everglades, a massive wetland in southern Florida. And, today they’ve turned into an invasive species. Large as they are – growing up to 20-odd feet, they feed on large mammals such as pigs and goats. Famously, or rather infamously, way back in 2005, a python tried “to swallow an alligator and exploded in the park, leaving both the predators dead”. In the last few decades, the snakes have decimated native wildlife populations of foxes, rabbits, raccoons, opossums, deer, etc., and are irrevocably altering Everglade’s ecosystem.

Considering how vast Everglades is – about 20,000 sq km, and that there are thousands of pythons out there, the authorities are constantly looking for ways to capture the snakes or control their population. In fact, cash is rewarded to those who hunt them. Even a month-long competitive hunt has been organised in the hope that the wetlands would be rid of these non-venomous reptiles.

Though Burmese pythons continue to wreak havoc in another continent, back in their native range, the story is different. They face several threats, and their numbers are declining due to habitat loss, pet trade, and use in traditional medicine. Sadly, they are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.

Did you know?

A few years ago, two Indians – Masi Sadaiyan and Vadivel Gopal – belonging to Tamil Nadu and from the Irula tribe known for its exceptional snake-catching skills, were flown to Everglades. Within a month, the duo had caught 27 pythons. This is an impressive number considering a month-long python hunting competition in 2016 comprising 1,000 hunters managed a haul of only 106!

Picture Credit : Google 

Elusive hummingbird species spotted in Colombia

An elusive and rare hummingbird has been rediscovered in Colombia by a birdwatcher. The hummingbird Santa Marta sabrewing has been spotted years after it was first recorded in 2010. The news has sent ornithologists across the world into a state of excitement as they celebrate the find.

This is the third time that the species has been documented. It was first documented in 1946 and later in 2010 when the researchers captured pictures of the species in the wilderness.

The bird was spotted by Yurgen Vega during a survey of the endemic birds in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. The researcher said that the sighting was a complete surprise and that he was overwhelmed with emotion when he first spotted the bird.

The hummingbird Santa Marta sabrewing, which is only found in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains of Colombia was thought to have gone extinct by many ornithologists. This species of hummingbird has been listed on the IUCN red list of threatened species ‘as critically endangered’. The bird also figures in the Top 10 ‘most wanted’ list of the ‘Search for Lost Birds’ initiative of conservation organisations.

The hummingbird spotted by Yurgen Vega was male. The bird is identified by its emerald green feathers, bright blue throat and curved black bill The bird was spotted to be singing and vocalising. Scientists associate this behaviour to either courtship or defending territory.

John Mittermeier, director of threatened species outreach at the American Bird Conservancy has likened the rediscovery to “seeing a phantom”.

The species is believed to live at an altitude of 1200 to 1800 metres in the neotropical forest. During the rainy season, they are known to migrate in search of flowering plants.

The Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in northern Colombia is rich with wildlife and home to 24 bird species that aren’t found anywhere else. Yet, according to scientists, only 15 per cent of the habitat is intact. The spotting of the hummingbird has further intensified the call to protect these forests which can solely aid in the conservation of the rare species dwelling there.

Armed with this information, the scientists will now focus on identifying stable populations of this species which can help them come up with conservation strategies and learn more about the bird.

What’s the IUCN Red List?

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species is an indicator of the health of the biodiversity in the world. The global conservation status of animals, plant species and fungi are covered under this. The list indicates the conservation status of the species and helps in formulating conservation plans. It gives information such as the habitat, population size, ecology, threats the species faces and so on. At present, there are more than 147,500 species on the IUCN Red List of which more than 41.000 species figure under the “threatened with extinction” category.

What’s ‘Search for Lost Birds’

A joint initiative of conservation organistaions Rewild’, ‘American Bird Conservancy (ABC) and ‘Bird Life International’, the Search for Lost Birds’ attempts to find 10 species that haven’t been observed in the wild for over a decade but do not figure in the extinct category of IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Picture Credit : Google 

Were the dinosaurs killed by more than one asteroid?

A newly discovered undersea crater off the coast of West Africa is leading scientists to wonder whether the dinosaurs were wiped out by more than one asteroid 66 million years ago.

What appears to be a second large asteroid impact crater has been discovered under the sea off the coast of West Africa, leading scientists to speculate that it may have been the smaller cousin of the one that struck the gulf of Mexico millions of years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs.

At 9km wide, the newly discovered crater- dubbed the Nadir Crater – is not as larger as the vast Chicxulub Crater in Mexico, which is estimated to be around 180km wide and 20km deep.

However, its size, age and placement on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean is leading geoscientists to wonder if the Earth was hit by more than one space rock that fateful day 66 million years ago, or if the Nadir Crater was caused by a chunk that broke off the Chicxulub asteroid.

Picture Credit : Google 

What is guano?

Guano is the accumulated excrement or droppings of seabirds or bats. It is valuable as manure, as it has a high content of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium – key nutrients essential for plant growth. Before fertilizer began to be made in factories (the first such factory came up in Germany in 1913), countries competed to capture islands populated by seabirds so that they could have access to large deposits of guano. Economies of some countries like Peru flourished through the export of guano. Even today, Peru is the largest exporter of guano which is in demand again because of the growing popularity of organic farming.

Picture Credit : Google 

ARE CHEETAHS COMING BACK TO INDIA?

Cheetahs to prowl India for the first time in 70 years! The country will be home to the world’s fastest land animal for the first time since 1952, when the indigenous population was declared extinct.

Eight cheetahs are set to arrive in August from Namibia, home to one of the world’s largest populations of the wild cat. The first arrivals will make their home in the State of Madhya Pradesh at Kuno-Palpur National Park, selected for its cheetah-friendly terrain.

Separately, India is also expected to get 12 cheetahs from South Africa, for which a draft agreement has already been signed, with a final one expected soon, officials familiar with the matter said.

The Asiatic cheetah could once be found in areas stretching from the Arabian Peninsula to Afghanistan. It is now known only to survive in Iran, where in 2022 only 12 were reportedly still alive.

Only about 7,000 cheetahs remain in the wild globally, with most of them in African savannahs. The animal is classified as a vulnerable species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list of threatened species. The arrival of the cheetahs is expected to coincide with India’s 75th Independence Day celebrations on August 15.

Picture Credit : Google 

HOW ARE MAMMALS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER ANIMALS?

All mammals have fur on their bodies – hair is a form of fur – and they are warm-blooded. This means that they are able to keep their body temperature stable even if there are changes in their environment. Most begin life inside the mother’s body and are born as well-formed babies. Mammal babies feed on their mothers’ milk until they are old enough to eat solid foods.

Animals belong to the kingdom Animalia while mammals belong to the class Mammalia. Development from a blastula, consumption of organic material, breath oxygen, motility, and sexual reproduction are the characteristic features of animals while the fur-covered body, sweat glands, three ear bones, single lower jaw bone, neocortex, uterus, giving birth to live young, and mammary glands are the characteristic features of mammals. Vertebrata, Protochordata, Echinodermata, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Annelida, Nematoda, Platyhelminthes, Coelenterata, and Porifera are the animal phyla while placentals, marsupials, and monotremes are the three types of mammals. Animals are multicellular eukaryotes, which develop from a blastula. They consume organic materials and breath oxygen. Mammals are the most developed groups of animals whose body is covered with fur. They have mammary glands and they give birth to the live young. The main difference between animals and mammals is the characteristics.

Similarities Between Animal and Mammal 

  • Animal and mammal are two types of higher organisms classified under kingdom Animalia.
  • They are multicellular eukaryotes.
  • Both grow from a hollow cell sphere called blastula.
  • Both consume organic materials.
  • They breath oxygen.
  • They are motile and undergo sexual reproduction.

Picture Credit : Google 

WHAT ARE THE FUN FACTS ABOUT MAMMALS?

Mammals are vertebrates – animals that have a backbone. This means that all mammals have a bony skeleton inside their bodies, which gives them a strong frame. They usually have two pairs of limbs, and organs such as a heart, lungs, stomach and intestine. They come in all shapes and sizes and live in a huge variety of places, from the frozen Arctic wasres to the hottest deserts on Earth.

Of all the different types of animals, mammals are the ones that humans can relate most closely to. This is because humans are just one of the many species of mammals. So what are their characteristics? How are they alike and what are their differences?

They Produce Milk

All mammals have mammary glands, which are used to provide milk for their young. Mammary glands are made up of glandular tissue and ducts and develop from the sweat glands. While many have nipples that allow their young to nurse, one family of mammals, known as monotremes, secrete milk through ducts rather than nipples.

In nearly all mammals, the female is the only one who feeds the young. This means that the nipples of the male, while present, are underdeveloped. In a few species of mammals, such as the Bismarck masked flying fox and Dayak fruit bat, both the male and female are capable of producing milk and both will help care for the young.

They Are Warm-Blooded

A warm-blooded animal is better able to regulate its internal temperature, making it more resilient to outside threats. While a cold-blooded reptile requires a certain external temperature to function, warm-blooded mammals can maintain their body temperature through diet and other methods.

They Have a Four-Chambered Heart

One characteristic of mammals that you cannot see is their four-chambered heart. Reptiles and amphibians have three-chambered hearts, while fish have hearts with two chambers. Birds and mammals are the two classifications of vertebrates that have four chambers.

With a four-chambered heart, the body can easily keep the deoxygenated blood heading to the lungs separate from the oxygen-rich blood heading away from the lungs. This means the animal has fully oxygenated blood available at all times. By having constant access to a well-oxygenated supply of blood, mammals are able to physically exert themselves more fully and without the need for frequent breaks.

Most Replace Their Teeth Once Over Their Lifetime

With the exception of a few mammals, such as kangaroos and manatees, mammals replace their teeth once over their lifetime. Born with deciduous teeth, these fall out to make room for the primary teeth. If they lose a primary tooth, it doesn’t grow back. This contrasts with animals such as alligators and sharks, that can replace teeth throughout their life.

Their Lower Jaw is Made of a Single Bone

In other classes of vertebrates, the lower jaw is made up of several bones and is not attached to the skull. The mammal’s jaw is made of a single bone, attached to the skull. This solid structure gives the mammal’s jaw tremendous power.

They are Protected by Hair

All mammals have some form of hair or fur during some period of their life. Some, like dogs and cats, are covered in fur throughout their life. Others, such as dolphins, have a light covering of hair early in development.

Hair can provide camouflage, protection from the weather, and aid in exploring their environment.

Credit : A-Z Animals 

Picture Credit : Google

HOW BIG IS THE LEATHERBACK?

The largest of all the turtles is the leatherback, which can grow up to 1.6 m long and weigh about 360 kg – almost as heavy as a horse. Unlike other turtles, its shell is not hard but slightly flexible with an almost rubber-like feel. It can stay underwater for over an hour and dive to a depth of about 1280 m.

The leatherback sea turtle is the most unique of all sea turtle species. As the only living member of the family Dermochelyidea, they are the largest living turtle species and have the greatest migratory distribution of any reptile on the planet. Its distinguishing feature is its carapace, which has a smooth, leathery skin that covers a flexible matrix of bone. This carapace is highly specialized for diving to extreme depths of up to 4,000 feet (1,219 meters). In addition, a unique thermoregulatory adaptation allows leatherbacks to maintain core body temperatures at these extremely cold depths.

Adult leatherbacks have few natural predators, but their eggs and newborns are preyed upon by many animals, including birds, raccoons, and crabs. Female leatherbacks tend to return to the same nesting area to lay their eggs. Their large size makes them opportunistic in selecting a nesting beach. Like most reptiles, temperature determines the gender of the offspring—if it’s warm inside the nest, females will be born. Likewise, if temperatures are cooler, males develop. Once the eggs hatch, they’re on their own—the baby sea turtles must make it into the water and learn to fend for themselves without any care from their parents. Leatherbacks reach maturity at approximately 16 years old. Their average lifespan is unknown, but it’s thought to be at least 30 years.

Leatherbacks are found in tropical and temperate marine waters all over the world. They live off both the east and west coasts of the United States, and also in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Hawaii. Leatherbacks spend most of their lives at sea and sometimes look for prey in coastal waters.

Jellyfish make up the biggest portion of their diet, but they also eat seaweed, fish, crustaceans, and other marine invertebrates. Leatherbacks have downward-pointing spines in their throat, which allows jellyfish to be swallowed, but prevents them from coming back up.

Credit : The National Wildlife Federation

Picture Credit : Google 

WHAT IS A GHARIAL?

Gharials are also reptiles in the Crocodylidae family. They live in fresh water, and are only found in parts of India and Nepal. A long, sleek snout that displays rows of very sharp, flesh-tearing teeth, and a bulbous lump on the male’s snout make them different from their cousins. Gharials can grow up to six metres in length.

Physical Description

The gharial is one of only two species in the Gavialidae family. It  has a characteristic elongated, narrow snout, similar only to the tomistoma (previously called the false gharial). Many sharp, interlocking teeth line the gharial’s elongated jaws.

Gharials exhibit sexual dimorphism — or differences in characteristics between males and females of the same species — in both size and appearance. Adult males develop a bulbous growth at the tip of their snout, called a “ghara” after the Indian pot it resembles. The ghara has several functions. It partially covers the crocodiles nostrils and acts as a vocal resonator, creating a loud, buzzing sound when the gharial vocalizes. It is also a visual signal for females, helping males attract a mate.

Because of their weak leg muscles, gharialsare poorly equipped for locomotion on land. Most of their movement takes place in the water. When they do move across land, gharials push their bodies forward across the ground, a motion known as belly-sliding.

Size

The gharial is one of the largest of all crocodilian species, with males reaching 16 to 20 feet (5 to 6 meters) in length. Females typically grow to lengths of 11.5 to 15 feet (3.5 to 4.5 meters).

Native Habitat

Historically, the gharial’s range spanned rivers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. Today, only fragmented populations remain in Nepan and northern India.

Gharials are adapted to an aquatic lifestyle in large rivers, and individuals typically only leave the water to bask and nest on sandbanks.

Food/Eating Habits

Adult gharials primarily eat fish, while juveniles also feed on insects, crustaceans and frogs. The crocodile’s unique snout, along with its sharp, interlocking teeth help it capture prey, quickly striking at fish in the water. At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, gharials eat a variety of fish.

Reproduction and Development

Like other crocodilians, gharials are polygamous, with one male defending a territory where he and several females live. Territorial and courting display behaviors include head slapping the water and buzzing vocalizations. Females reach sexual maturity when they are approximately 9.8 feet (3 meters) in length, and males at about 13 feet (4 meters). Mating typically occurs in December and January.

Females dig a nest during the dry season, between March and April, and deposit an average of 40 eggs, which hatch from 60 to 80 days later. As with all crocodilians, the sex of the hatchlings is determined during incubation.  Females, who are protective of their nest and hatchlings, provide the sole parental care.

Credit : Smithsonian’s national zoo & conservation biology institute 

Picture Credit : Google 

WHICH BIRDS CAN FLY NON-STOP OVER LAND AND SEA, IN SEARCH OF FOOD AND WARMTH?

Here’s a closer look at some of the birds that perform great feats of endurance by flying non-stop over land and sea in search of food and warmth.

The Arctic tern

The bird that probably sees more daylight than any other creature in the world is the slender, graceful relative of the seagull, the Arctic term. This 33- to 35-cm-long bird makes the most spectacular migration, travelling over 35,000 km every year. It breeds in the Arctic summer and then flies south, reaching in time for the Antarctic summer!

The terns breed on the Arctic coasts of Alaska, Greenland, Canada, Europe, and Siberia, some nesting within 700 km of the North Pole. They raise their young on the abundance of insects and fish during the short-lived Arctic summer when the sun almost never sets. As winter closes in, they begin flying south. After a journey halfway around the globe, they gorge on the small fish and plankton of the Antarctic ocean throughout the southern summer- once more in almost perpetual daylight!

Shining bronze cuckoo

The Arctic term is not the only avid seeker of the sun. Though it may be the long-distance migration champion, there are other birds that perform greater feats of endurance by flying non-stop over land and sea in search of food and warmth.

The fledglings of the shining bronze cuckoo are abandoned by their parents. With no adult bird to guide them; they fly out each March from their breeding grounds in New Zealand.

They accurately follow the path of their parents to Australia, and from there, turn northwards to Papua New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago. Out of the total distance of 6,400 km, 2,000 km is over open sea! One mistake can be fatal, for the birds cannot swim.

Ruby-throated hummingbird

The ruby-throated hummingbird flies 800 km non-stop across the Gulf of Mexico to South America every autumn. Scientists are baffled, because the bird weighs just 3.5 gm, not enough to store so much energy.

What guides birds across such distances so accurately? Scientists discovered in 1977 that deposits of magnetic iron oxide in the skulls of migratory birds may act as a built-in compass. Some believe that the instinct to migrate maybe encoded in the genes, compelling the birds to behave as their ancestors did, even without apparent reason.

Picture Credit : Google 

WHAT IS CRYPTOZOOLOGY?

It is the study of animals whose existence has not been proved or documented by mainstream Zoology. Such animals include creatures from myths and legends such as Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, and the Yeti, among many others. Cryptozoology also involves searching for living members of extinct species such as dinosaurs. All these animals are collectively called ‘cryptids’.

The search for cryptids is largely based on alleged sightings and stories; the lack of concrete evidence has kept cryptozoology from being recognised as a true branch of science. However, cryptozoologists argue that several animals like the okapi, giant squid, the mountain gorilla, and so on, were deemed cryptids before their existence was brought to light. Although examples of such successes are few and far, the prospect of unravelling more mysteries of nature continues to give cryptozoology a huge following.

Picture Credit : Google 

WHAT ARE KEYSTONE SPECIES?

Keystone species play a unique and crucial role in the functioning of an ecosystem. The animals and organisms that come under this category help to maintain biodiversity within their community either by controlling populations of other species that would otherwise dominate the community or by providing critical resources for the survival of a wide range of organisms.

These species act as the glue that holds the system together. The term was coined by Dr Robert Paine in 1969, to describe the power a single species exerts on an ecosystem. Examples of keystone species include starfish, sea otters, beavers, wolves, elephants, prairiedogs and bees.

Keystone Species Examples

Sea Otter

The sea otter (shown below) is considered a keystone species as their consumption of sea urchins, preventing the destruction of kelp forests caused by the sea urchin population. Kelp forests are a critical habitat for many species in nearshore ecosystems. In the absence of sea otters, sea urchins feed on the nearshore kelp forests, thereby disrupting these nearshore ecosystems. However, when sea otters are present, their consumption of sea urchins restricts the sea urchin population to smaller organisms confined to protective crevices. Thus, the sea otter protects the kelp forests by reducing the local sea urchin population.

Large Mammalian Predators

While small predators are important keystone species in many ecosystems, as mentioned above, large mammalian predators are also considered keystone species in larger ecosystems. For example, the lion, jaguar (shown below), and gray wolf are considered keystone species as they help balance large ecosystems (e.g., Central and South American rainforests) by consuming a wide variety of prey species.

Sea Star

Sea stars (shown below) are another commonly recognized keystone species as they consume mussels in areas without natural predators. In many cases, when the sea star is removed from an ecosystem, the population of mussels proliferates uncontrollably, and negatively effects the resources available to other species within the ecosystem.

Credit :  Biology dictionary  

Picture Credit : Google 

WHAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP DOES THE MACULINEA ALCON BUTTERFLY HAVE WITH THE ANTS?

Did you know there is a species of butterfly, Maculinea alcon, that can trick the Myrmica ants into taking care of their young? The butterfly’s caterpillar feeding off plants drop to the ground and wait to be picked up by the passing ant. Its waxy coat secretes chemicals that mimic those found on the ants. Mistaking it for one of its own, the ant takes it to its nest where it’s taken care of by other ants.

Studying  Maculinea alcon, a beautiful blue butterfly, in the marshes of Denmark, David R. Nash and colleagues found that Alcon butterflies fool Myrmica ants into raising their young, by having larvae with an outer coating that mimics that of the ants. The ants care for the Alcon blue butterfly caterpillars — an ant colony parasite — to the detriment of their own offspring.

The researchers say the observed differences in patterns of surface chemistry of caterpillars between locations “indicate an ongoing coevolutionary arms race between the butterflies and Myrmica” ants.

“The more closely the butterfly mimics the ant cuticle’s hydrocarbon chemistry, the more successful the butterfly is in attracting the ants, but this varies from location to location,” explained a statement from Science Express.

Nash and colleagues say the findings should be considered when reintroducing the threatened Alcon blue butterfly into the wild.

Credit : Mongabay

Picture Credit : Google 

WHICH IS THE SMALLEST BAT IN THE WORLD?

Kitti’s hog-nosed bat or bumblebee bat is the world’s smallest mammal and the world’s smallest bat. Weighing just 1.7-2.0 gms, with a head-to-body length of 1.14-1.29 inches and a wingspan of 5.1-5.7 inches, the bat is found only in a select few limestone caves on Khwae Noi River in Kanchanaburi Province of southwest Thailand.

The population of the bats is very small and the slow reproduction of the species can form a problem in the future. Females of the Bumblebee bats are giving birth just once a year during the summer in April. For a long time their recently born youngster will stay attached to the belly of its mom. It takes quite some time before the wings of the super tiny bat are well-enough developed to fly. The slow reproduction of the spices can become a threat for the future as places were (and still are) disturbed by scientists, tourists, monks and new developments like the deforestation and a new pipeline being built from Thailand to Myanmar. However it is hard to tell to which extend these developments will affect the population of the species. Many caves – inhabited by the Bumblebee bat – are hard to access; therefore it is difficult to estimate their total population.

Not like other bat species, these bats are only seen in very small groups of sometimes just 10 bats. Larger groups are consisting of 100 to max. 500 Bumblebee bats. The bats are to be found in limestone caves mostly located close to the river, as it provides the tiny bats with many insects. They are also living in the forests but it is very difficult to spot them there. So-far the tiny bat is spotted in Kanchanaburi, the West of Thailand and since 2001 the bat is also discovered in a Southeast region of Myanmar. In Thailand’s Bumblebee bats are living in the caves along the river Kwai and in the Sai Yok National Park. If you want to see this little guy you may be lucky at the Lawa Cave near the river Kwai. Close by accommodations are the River Kwai Resotel (a stylish bungalow resort) or the Float House (luxurious floating on the river Kwai).

Credit : River Kwai Resotel 

Picture Credit : Google 

WHICH IS THE MOST VENOMOUS SNAKE IN THE WORLD?

The inland taipan is the world’s most venomous snake, but this Australian taipan is so shy that hardly anything was known about it by Western science for nearly a hundred years after it was first described in 1879.

The inland taipan’s alternative name, ‘fierce snake’, points to the potency of its venom rather than its behaviour. The other Australian taipan that it shares a common ancestor with, namely the coastal taipan, is far more aggressive.

The inland taipan lives in the remote black soil plains of the outback where the borders of South Australia and Queensland meet.

The inland taipan is most active in the early hours of the day, when it surfaces to hunt for prey and to bask in the morning sun. After a few hours it retreats back into its shelter for the remainder of the day, although in cool weather it may show up above ground in the afternoon too.

The inland taipan has adapted to the extremes of the outback climate by dramatic seasonal changes in its coloration. The color of its back varies from a dark brown to almost black in winter. During the summer months it changes to a pale straw color.

These color changes allow the inland taipan to control its temperature, with the darker markings efficient at absorbing heat and the lighter ones good at reflecting it. The head of the inland taipan is much darker compared to the rest of the body, which makes it possible for the snake to warm up quickly by exposing only its head to the sun.

The inland taipan is one of the few Australian snakes to specialize in eating mammals. It will mainly prey on small to medium-sized rodents, especially the native long-haired rat (Rattus villosisimus), though it will also eat the plains rat (Pseudomys australis) and the introduced house mouse (Mus musculus). The venom of the inland taipan is considered to be the most lethal of any snake, surpassing even the venom of sea snakes. It has evolved over time to be especially effective in killing mammals, which also makes it extremely toxic to humans.

The venom from a single bite is said to be enough to kill at least 100 men. On top of its extreme neurotoxicity, the venom also contains an enzyme called a ‘spreading factor’ that speeds up the absorption. An untreated bite has the potential to kill a person in 30 to 45 minutes, which makes immediate medical attention critical. If provoked, the inland taipan curves its forebody into a raised S-shape in an attempt to fend off the offender. This threat display also prepares the snake for striking.

Credit : Active wild 

Picture Credit : Google 

WHICH IS THE LARGEST MONKEY IN THE WORD?

The mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is a large Old World monkey native to west-central Africa. It is one of the most colorful mammals in the world, with red and blue skin on its face and posterior. The species is sexually dimorphic, as males have a larger body, longer canine teeth and brighter coloring. Its closest living relative is the drill with which it shares the genus name Mandrillus. Both species were traditionally thought to be baboons, but further evidence has shown that they are more closely related to white-eyelid mangabeys.

Mandrills mainly live in tropical rainforests but will also travel across savannas. They are active during the day and spend most of their time on the ground. Their preferred foods are fruit and seeds, but mandrills will consume leaves, piths, mushrooms, and animals from insects to juvenile antelope. Mandrills live in large, stable groups known as “hordes” which can number in the hundreds. Females form the core of these groups, while adult males are solitary and only reunite with the larger groups during the breeding season. Dominant males have more vibrant colors and fatter flanks and rumps, and have more success siring young.

The mandrill lives in west-central Africa, including southern Cameroon, mainland Equatorial Guinea (Río Muni), Gabon and parts of the Republic of the Congo. Its range is bounded by the Sanaga River to the north and the Ogooué and Ivindo Rivers to the east. It does not appear to share habitat with the drill, as the two species are separated by the Sanaga River. Mandrills live in tropical rainforests, generally preferring primary forests over secondary forests. They may live in gallery forests surrounded by savanna and travel across grass areas within their forest habitats. They have also been recorded in mountainous areas, near rivers and in cultivated fields.

The mandrill is an omnivore. The core of its diet consists of plants, of which it eats over a hundred species. One study found the mandrill’s diet was composed of fruit (50.7%), seeds (26.0%), leaves (8.2%), pith (6.8%), flowers (2.7%), and animal matter (4.1%), with other foods making up the remaining 1.4%. During the wet season, mandrills forage in continuous forest, when fruit is most available, while during the dry season they feed in gallery forests and between savannas and forests.

Mandrills are mostly diurnal and are awake around 10 hours per day from morning to dusk. They often pick a new tree to sleep in every night. Mandrills have been observed using tools; in captivity, they used sticks to clean themselves. In the wild, mandrills appear to live 12–14 years, but captive individuals can live 30–40 years.

Picture Credit : Google 

WHAT MAMMAL IS THE DEADLIEST?

Ungainly as it is, the hippopotamus is the world’s deadliest large land mammal. Hippos are aggressive creatures, and they have very sharp teeth. And you would not want to get stuck under one; at up to 2,750kg they can crush a human to death.

Hippos do attack humans. When it comes to these large river horses , there are about 500 deaths per year in Africa. The number is shockingly large and outpaces nearly any other animal on earth. In fact, hippos are known as some of the deadliest land animals in the world, with the mosquito being the overall winner for a long time now (currently, it’s 725,000 per year).

Generally, it’s best to avoid hippos totally. If a hippo does happen to attack, the odds of living through it depend on whether you can get away or not. Sadly, if a hippo is able to grab you, the odds of escaping alive are slim.

Hippos really only attack people that have entered into what they consider their territory. On land, hippos aren’t generally territorial, but getting close is still a bad idea. Despite their stocky legs, an angry hippo can easily outpace a human, averaging 20 mph in short bursts, whereas a human can typically only run 6-8 mph.

When you enter a hippo’s territory in the water, however, things can turn nasty fast. They typically keep to sections of rivers that are around 55-110 yards of shore (that number triples when it comes to lakeshore). They will relax and patrol their territory, readily displacing trespassers.

The most common hippo attacks come from the water with humans on boats. Since hippos are submerged, it can be incredibly hard to see them from the surface. If a human floats by while fishing, it’s easy to miss the massive animal at rest. Suddenly, the hippo will launch itself at the boat, usually capsizing it. Once a human is in the water, there is little they can do to stop the attack.

Besides humans, hippos are known to attack lions, hyenas, and crocodiles. Lions and hyenas generally avoid hippos with how easy it would be for a full-grown adult to kill a pack of either of them. Still, there are occasional instances where desperate lions and hyenas will find an isolated hippo and try to kill it. It doesn’t usually result in much, but a hippo usually doesn’t have a problem defending itself.

The most common interaction that hippos have is with the crocodile. Since they share territory, conflict is more common. Generally, there isn’t much friction between the two species. Still, there are occasional instances of violence. If a female hippo has a calf, any encroaching crocodiles are likely to be chased away. If they don’t learn their lesson, it isn’t uncommon for a hippo to outright kill an annoying croc.

Credit : A-Z Animals

Picture Credit : Google 

WHICH IS THE LARGEST LIZARD IN THE WORLD?

The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard in the world. These wild dragons typically weigh about 154 pounds (70 kilograms), but the largest verified specimen reached a length of 10.3 feet (3.13 meters) and weighed 366 pounds (166 kilograms).

Komodo dragons are large lizards with long tails, strong and agile necks, and sturdy limbs. Their tongues are yellow and forked. Adults are an almost-uniform stone color with distinct, large scales, while juveniles may display a more vibrant color and pattern.

The muscles of the Komodo’s jaws and throat allow it to swallow huge chunks of meat with astonishing rapidity. Several movable joints, such as the intramandibular hinge opens the lower jaw unusually wide. The stomach expands easily, enabling an adult to consume up to 80 percent of its own body weight in a single meal, which most likely explains some exaggerated claims for immense weights in captured individuals. When threatened, Komodos can throw up the contents of their stomachs to lessen their weight in order to flee.

Although males tend to grow larger and bulkier than females, no obvious morphological differences mark the sexes. One subtle clue does exist: a slight difference in the arrangement of scales just in front of the cloaca. Sexing Komodos remains a challenge for human researchers; the dragons themselves appear to have little trouble figuring out who is who.

Komodo dragons eat almost any kind of meat, scavenging for carcasses or stalking animals that range in size from small rodents to large water buffalo. Young feed primarily on small lizards and insects, as well as snakes and birds. If they live to be 5 years old, they move onto larger prey, such as rodents, monkeys, goats, wild boars and deer (the most popular meal). These reptiles are tertiary predators at the top of their food chain and are also cannibalistic.

Although the Komodo dragon can briefly reach speeds of 10 to 13 mph (16 to 20 kph), its hunting strategy is based on stealth and power. It can spend hours in one spot along a game trail — waiting for a deer or other sizable and nutritious prey to cross its path — before launching an attack.

Most of the monitor’s attempts at bringing down prey are unsuccessful. However, if it is able to bite its prey, bacteria and venom in its saliva will kill the prey within a few days. After the animal dies, which can take up to four days, the Komodo uses its powerful sense of smell to locate the body. A kill is often shared between many Komodo dragons.

Monitors can see objects as far away as 985 feet (300 meters), so vision does play a role in hunting, especially as their eyes are better at picking up movement than at discerning stationary objects. Their retinas possess only cones, so they may be able to distinguish color but have poor vision in dim light. They have a much smaller hearing range than humans and, as a result, cannot hear sounds like low-pitched voices or high-pitched screams.

The Komodo dragon’s sense of smell is its primary food detector. It uses its long, yellow, forked tongue to sample the air. It then moves the forked tip of its tongue to the roof of its mouth, where it makes contact with the Jacobson’s organs. These chemical analyzers “smell” prey, such as a deer, by recognizing airborne molecules. If the concentration of molecules present on the left tip of the tongue is greater than that sample from the right, the Komodo dragon knows that the deer is approaching from the left.

This system, along with an undulatory walk, in which the head swings from side to side, helps the dragon sense the existence and direction of food. At times, these reptiles can smell carrion, or rotting flesh, up to 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away.

This lizard’s large, curved and serrated teeth are its deadliest weapon, tearing flesh with efficiency. The tooth serrations hold bits of meat from its most recent meal, and this protein-rich residue supports large numbers of bacteria. Some 50 different bacterial strains, at least seven of which are highly septic, have been found in the saliva. Researchers have also documented a venom gland in the dragon’s lower jaw. In addition to the harmful bacteria, the venom prevents the blood from clotting, which causes massive blood loss and induces shock.

The Komodo’s bite may be deadly, but not to another Komodo dragon. Those wounded while sparring with each other appear to be unaffected by the bacteria and venom. Scientists are searching for antibodies in Komodo dragon blood that may be responsible.

The lizard’s throat and neck muscles allow it to rapidly swallow huge chunks of meat. Several movable joints, such as the intramandibular hinge, open its lower jaw unusually wide. The dragon’s stomach also easily expands, enabling an adult to consume up to 80 percent of its own body weight in a single meal. When threatened, Komodo dragons can throw up the contents of their stomachs to lessen their weight in order to flee.

Komodo dragons are efficient eaters, leaving behind only about 12 percent of their prey. They eat bones, hooves and sections of hide, as well as intestines (after swinging them to dislodge their contents).

At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, the Komodo dragon eats rodents, chicks and rabbits. Occasionally, he consumes fish and carcass meals of beef.

Credit : National  zoo Smithsonian education 

Picture Credit : Google

WHY SOME SPECIES HAVE YELLOW BLOOD?

When an animal has a high concentration off vanabin in the blood it turns yellow. The yellow color is caused by the metal called vanadium which is found in Vanabin proteins. Scientists do not know why animals have these high concentrations of vanabin as it doesn’t help the circulation of oxygen. So that is still to be explored.

Beetles have yellow-ish blood like several other bugs. You might have noticed this whenever big bug splashes again in the front of your car.

Many people don’t realize that insects typically don’t even have blood vessels. Instead, they have a large hole inside the skeleton where all the blood resides.

Sea Cucumbers have yellow blood. Sea Cucumbers are weird animals. They live down at the bottom of the ocean and are very simple animals. They might look like fruit and the name doesn’t make it easier to categorize this as an animal. But it is an animal and is it quite remarkable. They have thousands of tiny feet as you can see at the picture above. It will move slowly at the bottom of the ocean.Again, the reason for the yellow color is found in the proteins of the blood. It has a high concentration of vanabin which has yellow pigment. One of the strangest facts about Sea Cucumbers is that they can change from male to female during their lifetime. It’s not possible to distinguish the males from the females from the exterior anyway.

Credit : Animal how

Picture Credit : Google 

WHAT KIND OF TURTLES LIVE ON THE GALAPAGOS’ SAN CRISTABOL ISLAND?

A study published by researchers a few weeks ago details how a few thousand giant tortoises living on Galapagos’ San Cristabol island may not really be the species they were presumed to be. So, they have the potential to be a new species. What’s the story behind this?

Way back in 1906, explorers collected giant tortoise bones and shells from a cave in San Cristabol island. Recently, researchers compared these with genetic materials obtained from giant tortoises now living on the same island. And, they discovered these near-8,000 giant tortoises were different from the ones recorded over a century ago, though both were classified as Chelonoidis chathamensis. Scientists believe “the evidence suggests that one group of tortoises on the island split into two groups, possibly highland and lowland varieties. This may be a result of sea level rises in the past splitting the island in two”. Meanwhile, Galapagos Conservancy, which was part of the study, has said that the Chelonoidis chathamensis species is “almost certainly extinct.

Further DNA research is required to see exactly how distinct these two groups are because that is what will offer conclusive evidence on whether the tortoises now living are an entirely new species. If so, “under scientific naming nales, this means the living species would need a new common and scientific name

Right now, there are 14 recognised species of Galapagos giant tortoise. However, only 13 species are currently alive-the “Pinta Island tortoise went extinct in 2012 after the last of its species, Lonesome George, passed away”. Only research will tell us if the number of recognised species is likely to go up by at least one.

Picture Credit : Google 

How is the emperor penguin a survivor?

If there was an award for survival of an animal in an extreme environment, it would certainly go to the emperor penguin. These birds spend their entire life in the Antarctic, facing chill winds as cold as minus 60 degree centigrade and blizzards blowing at 200 km/h!

The emperor penguin is a distinctive bird. It has a black head and back, pale yellow breast and ear patches and a white belly. Considered the tallest and heaviest of all penguin species, an adult bird is about 4 feet tall and weighs between 23 and 45 kg.

Emperor penguins are very social and live in large groups. These groups are cohesive and supportive and individuals help each other to stay warm in the brutal Antarctic winters. The whole group will huddle in a big circle, with the outer members of the circle moving inwards periodically to ensure that no penguin is exposed to the cold for too long. How’s that for teamwork?

Emperor penguins trek 50-120 km over the open ice to breeding colonies which can contain up to several thousand individuals. Penguins stay with the same partner for life. Females lay a single egg, which is handed over to the male. The mother then goes to the sea to feed. The father will incubate the egg in a special ‘brood pouch’ near his feet for 65 days. He will lose about 40 percent of his body weight during this time. The mother returns just before the chick hatches and feeds it with regurgitated fish from the sea. The father then goes to the sea to feed. In this way the parents take turns foraging at sea and caring for their chick. The lifespan of an emperor penguin is typically around 20 years in the wild.

The emperor penguin is severely affected by climate change and is listed under ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN’s Red List.

Picture Credit : Google

What kind of bird is the greater rhea?

The greater rhea is a flightless bird native to South America. It is the largest bird in both North and South America and is related to ostriches and emus. It is 4 feet tall and weighs about 26 kg. It is much smaller than ostriches (which are 9 feet tall and weigh 140 kg) and emus (which are 7 feet tall and weigh 56 kg).

The greater rhea has a light-coloured head and neck with beautiful blue eyes. It has fawn-coloured feathers on its body and powerful long legs, which it uses to outrun predators. Even though its large wings are useless for flight, they are used for balance and for changing direction as the bird runs.

Rheas are opportunistic feeders that eat plants, fruits, seeds and also insects, lizards, birds and other small game. Unfortunately rheas also like to eat crops, which annoy many South American farmers. As more open grasslands are converted to farmland, this problem is likely to become even more severe.

In the wild, the greater rhea lives for about 10 years. Did you know that in August 2000 a captive group of rheas escaped a farm in Germany and established a population in Northern Germany? You could call them pioneer rheas like the pioneers that settled America!

Rheas are farmed for their eggs and meat. Their skins are used in the manufacture of leather and hunting has reduced their numbers considerably. Today, regulations are in place that limits both hunting and farming the greater rhea for commercial use. This species is listed as ‘Near Threatened’ by the IUCN.

Picture Credit : Google

Why is the emu remarkable?

The emu is a large, flightless bird that is native to Australia. It is the second tallest bird in the world, growing to a height of about 7 feet and weighing around 56 kg. It is grey in colour with a bluish head and gentle-looking eyes. Did you know that the emu is the only bird in the world with calf muscles in its legs? Even though it cannot fly, its sturdy legs help it run at a top speed of 48 km/h and jump 7 feet vertically up!

The emu has three toes on its feet, one of which is a long dagger like claw that is potentially dangerous. The emu however, is not known to kill humans, though it will defend itself if provoked.

The emu eats plants and insects and can store food as fat for times when supplies run low. It also has a sixth sense for finding water and travels many miles on foot to find it.

Emu fathers are very devoted. The female emu lays a clutch of eggs and then leaves the parenting to the male. The male emu bird incubates the eggs over a period of 50 days, during which it does not eat or drink! It loses up to a third of its body weight during this time and then looks after the hatched chicks for 2 years till they become independent.

Did you know that in 1932, Australia waged a war against emus? And lost? Soldiers were called in to help eradicate a group of 20,000 emus who were eating up wheat fields in Western Australia. After making several attempts to kill the emus, the soldier accepted defeat and returned home! Even machine gun fire proved ineffective against these highly intelligent and strategic birds who evaded every tactic employed against them!

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) lists the resourceful and resilient emu as a species of ‘Least Concern’, as its populations are stable across Australia.

Picture Credit : Google

Why is it said that cassowaries are dangerous?

If you like dinosaurs, the cassowary will blow your mind! Considered a descendent of the extinct velociraptor, this bird has 12.7 centimetres long dagger like toes on its feet and a kick that would flatten Bruce Lee!

Native to Australia like the kangaroo and the koala, the cassowary is a striking specimen. It has a bright blue head with a fibrous hollow helmet-like casque and a long blue neck with colourful wattles. It is covered with rough black feathers that look like hair from a distance. It has long, thick and powerful legs that are covered with armour-like scutes. Each of its feet has three toes, with the innermost toe sporting a long dagger-like nail capable of disembowelling an unwary intruder with a single slash. Up close, it looks more suited to the world of Jurassic Park than normal life! Not for nothing is this bird called the most dangerous bird on earth!

It is the third tallest bird in the world after the ostrich and the emu, and the second heaviest bird after the ostrich. It can grow to a height of 5 feet 6 inches and weigh about 60 kg. Although it cannot fly, it runs pretty fast, reaching a speed of 50 km/h.

This bird is solitary in nature and loves to eat fruits. So much that some fruits are named after it – such as the cassowary plum. It likes to toss fruits in the air and swallow them whole. It will also eat plants, fungi, insects and small invertebrates when available.

Female cassowaries are larger than the males and make very carefree mothers. For instance, they will lay about 4 eggs and then leave the entire burden of parenting on the male! The male cassowary incubates the dark green eggs for 50 days and then looks after the chicks for nine months till they learn to become independent.

This incredible bird is listed as ‘Endangered’ and suffers from a loss of habitat and human encroachment.

Picture Credit : Google

Why is the American woodcock special?

You may have heard of singing birds but have you heard of dancing birds? The American woodcock is perhaps one of the most comical and cute dancing birds found in nature. Unlike the stately peacock which shakes its magnificent tail in an elegant rain dance, the homely little woodcock walks with a typical bobbing gait that looks like it is grooving to ‘Hakuna Matata’ from the movie Lion King!

This rounded, fluffy bird has a combination of brown and black feathers (rather like our own sparrow) except that it has a freakishly long beak! It uses the beak to dig out its favourite food – earthworms. Its funny walk is also supposed to make insects move on the ground, making them easier to spot.

If it perceives a threat, it freezes in response till the threat passes. Its eyes are set far back on its head, giving it a panoramic vision that helps detect predators. This biological adaptation has actually pushed its brain down and in an upside down position relative to other birds! Also, compared to other birds, woodcocks migrate at a leisurely pace. They hold the record for the slowest flight speed for a migrating bird at 8 km/h.

The woodcock usually makes its nest on the ground, concealed among fields with adequate ground cover and in shrub thickets. The female typically lays about 1 to 5 eggs and incubation lasts for 22 days. The male takes no responsibility for the chicks and does not help feed the female or offer any sort of protection to the family (rather a bad example of a parent!).

The woodcock is found in forests, fields and meadows in the eastern half of North America including Canada. It is considered the king of game birds in America and is hunted for its tasty meat in these countries.

Fortunately this plump fuzz-ball is still found in large numbers in America and is listed as ‘Least Vulnerable’ by the IUCN.

Picture Credit : Google

Why is the frigatebird noteworthy?

The frigatebird is an extraordinary bird. It is a sea-faring bird but has a major disadvantage. Its feathers are not waterproof. It would drown if it landed on the water. So it has developed a method to stay aloft while flying over the sea for weeks at a stretch without touching down!

It makes use of the warm air currents that rise up from the ocean which form cumulus clouds. It is the only bird that deliberately flies through these clouds. It does this to make use of the updraft of air currents in the cumulus clouds which help it to fly using minimum effort.

When it needs a meal, instead of swooping down to the ocean to catch fish, it bullies other birds into dropping their catch and neatly steals it mid-air! This is why these birds are also called the pirates of the sky! In appearance too they look somewhat like villains. The frigate bird has sleek black feathers, a long hooked bill and a deeply forked tail. The male adult also sports a bright red throat pouch – rather like a red scarf on a swashbuckling pirate!

It has an 8-foot wingspan and has the largest wing surface area compared to its body weight, of any bird. What this means is that the frigate bird’s wings can make the maximum use of ocean currents and fly for longer periods of time. It thus flies higher and faster than any other sea bird. It reaches a top speed of 153 km/h during flight and soars well above 4000 m above sea level! This altitude is unbelievably high for a seafaring bird.

There are 5 species of frigatebirds currently in the world, of which 2 species are critically endangered, while 3 species are widespread (listed as Least Concern).

Picture Credit : Google

Which is the fastest flying bird?

Spotting a white-throated needletail swift is not easy. They do not hop about on the ground for one thing. In fact they never land on the ground if they can help it. And they are one of the fastest birds in the sky, reaching a top speed of around 170 km per hour! So it may be difficult to get a good look at them as they whizz past.

This greyish brown swift has a white throat patch, as well as a whitish patch on its back. It measures around 21 cm and weighs 120 grams. It is found in Australia, Central Asia, Sweden, Norway, Great Britain and Siberia. It is called needletail due to its tapering tail, which is not forked as with other swifts.

It builds its nest in rock crevices, cliffs or high up in tall trees. It avoids hunting on the ground and catches its food on the wing. It eats insects like beetles, flies, bees, locusts, grasshoppers, cicadas and moths. The needletail has very short legs which it uses only for clinging to vertical surfaces.

It constructs a cup-like nest made of twigs and straw stuck together with its own saliva. The female lays 2 to 7 eggs and both parents incubate the eggs for a period of around 23 days. This bird was first described by the English ornithologist John Latham in 1801.

It is listed under ‘Least Concern’ on the IUCN Red List.

Picture Credit : Google

Who is the ultimate speed king?

The ultimate speed king on the planet, with no competitors on land, water or the air, is the peregrine falcon. This superbird achieves an unbelievable speed of 321 km/h during its famous downward ‘stoop’ (dive) to catch prey.

This large-sized falcon has a blue-grey back, barred underparts and a black head. It hunts birds like pigeons, ducks, songbirds and gulls.

It has special tubercles in its nostrils to guide the air and prevent damage to its lungs during a dive. Its vision is 8 times better than a human’s and it has a third eyelid to protect its eyes during those super-fast dives. It swoops down in a curve to decrease drag and strikes its prey mid-flight, knocking it out!

The word peregrine means wanderer or pilgrim. These birds may fly around 30,000 kilometres every year from Europe to Africa during winter.

The peregrine falcon has faced many unforeseen threats over the years. One of the birds it likes to hunt is the pigeon. However, during the First World War thousands of peregrines were killed because they were a threat to messenger pigeons carrying important military messages to and fro.

A large number also perished due to the rampant use of the pesticide DDT, which entered their systems through food. This pesticide made peregrine eggs brittle and a huge number of eggs broke, depleting their numbers drastically. After many countries banned the use of DDT, population figures have been picking up. They are currently listed under ‘Least Concern’ in the IUCN List.

Picture Credit : Google

HOW DOES SEAWEED GROW IN INDIA?

Seaweed is being hailed as a miracle crop that absorbs more carbon dioxide than trees. For women in coastal villages in Tamil Nadu, cultivating seaweed has empowered them with a source of income.

India is the world’s third-largest carbon polluter, behind China and the U.S. Authorities are looking to seaweed farming to help reduce the impact of greenhouse gas emissions, reverse ocean acidification, improve the marine environment, and provide a sustainable livelihood for coastal communities.

Marine scientist M. Ganesan says that seaweed provides a possible way forward as coastal habitats and wetlands absorb five times more carbon than terrestrial forests. “It is a miracle crop in many ways, it is eco-friendly, it doesn’t use land or fresh water. It absorbs carbon dioxide dissolved in water during photosynthesis and oxygenates the entire marine ecosystem.” Seaweed absorbs an estimated 173 million metric tons of carbon annually.

When seaweed dies and drops to the seafloor, its carbon is locked up in the sediment. As a result, seaweed cultivation has been identified as a carbon sink that could help alleviate climate change.

Lakshmi Murgesan is part of a team of women who cultivate seaweed on bamboo rafts; one raft yields upto 200 kilos in 45 days, of which 50 kg is used to cultivate the next raft. She makes Rs 20,000 each month farming seaweed, and says, “I would not have been able to educate my children but after doing this, I could send to college.” my children

The product is sold in markets nationwide as well as the U.S. and Australia through AquAgri, a private company. India, which has an 8,000 km coastline, aims to boost production from the current 30,000 tons to more than 1 million tons each year by 2025.

Picture Credit : Google

What is an albatross?

Have you heard the term ‘albatross’? It means an unwanted burden in English. Did you know the term is coined after a giant seabird of the same name?

An albatross is the largest seabird in the world. It has an incredible wingspan that can reach up to 3.35 metres – the longest of any bird. This graceful sentinel of the sky spends most of its life soaring high above the oceans in the southern hemisphere. An albatross lives most of its life out in the open Oceans and may touch land after 5 or 6 years only for the purpose of breeding!

While at sea, they eat krill, fish and rubbish from shipping vessels and sometimes follow ships for many days eating from its discarded waste.

It is this habit that caused it to be immortalized in ST Coleridge’s ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’. Here a sailor shoots an albatross that follows his ship and dooms the crew with bad luck. He is forced to wear the dead albatross around his neck as punishment by the rest of the crew. Hence, an albatross around the neck signifies great problem.

The albatross is probably the most loyal bird in the world. It mates for life and its ‘divorce rate’ is zero! If its mate dies it will not search for another partner. It also has an extremely low reproductive rate, laying just one egg in a year or two!

Picture Credit : Google 

Which is the largest fish?

We now know that the blue whale is the largest sea creature, but it is not a fish. It is a mammal. So, you might ask -which is the biggest fish in the ocean? The answer is the ‘whale shark’. You might further ask – is it a whale or a shark? To answer, the whale shark is not a whale, but a shark. However, owing to its massive size (it is known to reach lengths of more than 12 metres), it has earned the name ‘whale’ shark.

Like many whales and unlike most sharks, it is a filter feeder. In another deviation from sharks, its mouth is located at the front of its head rather than on the underside of its head. However, like all true sharks it breathes with the help of gills, unlike whales which breathe air like humans do. Also, as with all sharks, its skeleton is made of cartilage.

Larger whale sharks may weigh up to 54,400 kg. It would follow that such enormous sharks would be top predators in the ocean, but the whale shark is a harmless fish. It feeds on tiny organisms called plankton that float in the ocean. It uses its massive mouth, which can stretch up to 1 metre wide; to take in the plankton-rich waters using sieve-like structures called filter pads to separate the food from water.

Picture Credit : Google 

Which is the largest reptile?

When it comes to reptiles, there is none deadlier than the saltwater crocodile. Reaching lengths of 2 metres and weights of 1,000 kgs, this apex water predator is the largest of all reptiles found on Earth. Saltwater crocodiles are hyper-carnivorous, opportunistic predators that will eat anything that they can get their jaws on!

They appear lethargic as they bask on riverbanks or float motionless in the water but are capable of lightning-fast strikes at unsuspecting victims. They usually drag their prey into the water. Armed with a lethal bite which is among one of the most powerful in the world, there is no escaping once a ‘saltie’ latches onto a hapless victim.

Unlike other crocodiles who are confined to river systems, this crocodile fares very well in the open seas as well. They are able to travel long distances on ocean currents and learn to track the migratory route of their prey with very little prior conditioning. They are known to be very aggressive towards humans and are more likely than other types of crocodile to treat humans as prey.

Picture Credit : Google 

What makes the blue whale incredible?

Can you imagine a creature longer than three buses, heavier than 33 elephants, with blood vessels so gigantic that you could swim around in them, a heart as big as a car and a tongue as heavy as a pick-up truck? This creature has the unique distinction of being the largest animal EVER to have lived on Earth. Meet the blue whale.

This blue-grey leviathan weighs a whopping 130,000 kg and can grow over 33 m long! It has a long, streamlined body, powerful tail, small dorsal fin and yellowish underside, giving it the nickname ‘sulphur bottom’ whale. Considering its enormous size, one would imagine it to be a top predator with brutal, fearsome teeth to shred its victims, but the blue whale is a gentle giant that feeds mainly on tiny shrimp-like crustaceans called krill.

The blue whale is also called baleen whale because it has unique fibrous plates called ‘baleen’ plates instead of teeth in its mouth. While eating, the blue whale gulps a huge amount of water into its mouth and then expels it back out through these baleen plates which act like hairy nets that capture the krill within. It can eat up to 4000 kilograms of krill every day!

Interestingly the blue whale is not only the largest animal on Earth but also the loudest! Its call may be heard for hundreds of kilometres around!

Sadly, this powerful, yet peaceful creature has been hunted almost to extinction.

Picture Credit : Google 

WHAT IS A FOSSIL?

Fossil, remnant, impression, or trace of an animal or plant of a past geologic age that has been preserved in Earth’s crust. The complex of data recorded in fossils worldwide—known as the fossil record — is the primary source of information about the history of life on Earth.

Only a small fraction of ancient organisms are preserved as fossils, and usually only organisms that have a solid and resistant skeleton are readily preserved. Most major groups of invertebrate animals have a calcareous skeleton or shell (e.g., corals, mollusks, brachiopods, bryozoans). Other forms have shells of calcium phosphate (which also occurs in the bones of vertebrates), or silicon dioxide. A shell or bone that is buried quickly after deposition may retain these organic tissues, though they become petrified (converted to a stony substance) over time. Unaltered hard parts, such as the shells of clams or brachiopods, are relatively common in sedimentary rocks, some of great age.

The hard parts of organisms that become buried in sediment may be subject to a variety of other changes during their conversion to solid rock, however. Solutions may fill the interstices, or pores, of the shell or bone with calcium carbonate or other mineral salts and thus fossilize the remains, in a process known as permineralization. In other cases there may be a total replacement of the original skeletal material by other mineral matter, a process known as mineralization, or replacement. In still other cases, circulating acid solutions may dissolve the original shell but leave a cavity corresponding to it, and circulating calcareous or siliceous solutions may then deposit a new matrix in the cavity, thus creating a new impression of the original shell.

Fossils of hard and soft parts that are too small to be observed by the naked eye are called microfossils. Some fossils are completely devoid of plant and animal parts but show evidence of an organism’s activities. Such traces of organisms, which are appropriately known as “trace fossils”, include tracks or trails, preserved waste products, and borings.

Credit: Britannica

Picture credit: Google

What ant actually explodes to protect the entire colony?

Found in the remote rainforests of Borneo, Colobopsis explodens ants have developed extreme abilities to protect their colony. When threatened by other insects, these ‘exploding ants’ rupture their own body walls, releasing a toxic, sticky liquid which kills or immobilizes their attacker.  Outside the kitchen door at the Kuala Belalong Field Studies Center in Brunei, on a number of trees near the balcony, there is a nest of very special ants. Workers of C. explodens have a distinctive, rather foul talent. When their nest is invaded, they rupture their own abdomens, releasing a sticky, bright yellow fluid laced with toxins on their attackers. Similar to honey bees that die after stinging, the exploded ants do not survive, but their sacrifice can help save the colony. Scientists call this suicidal behaviour “autothysis”.

Some ants (called door-keepers) have even developed plug-shaped heads used to physically barricade the nest entrances against intruders. These ants explode, but their nests live to see another day.

Credit : The Newyork Times

Picture Credit : Google 

How are baby elephants similar to human babies?

Baby elephants suck their trucks just like human babies suck their thumbs. And they do it for the same reason – comfort. Trunk sucking also helps young elephants master the use of their trunks for feeding.

Aside from the comfort it provides, trunk sucking helps an elephant calf learn how to use and control this lengthy appendage. With more than 50,000 individual muscles in the trunk, you can imagine how complicated it is to get it to do what you want it to do at any given time. Sucking on the trunk helps a young elephant learn how to control and manipulate the muscles in the trunk so that it can fine-tune its use.

Elephants also suck their trunks as a means of advanced “smelling.” They can taste the pheromones of other elephants by touching their trunks to urine or feces and then popping the trunk in their mouths to get a closer whiff.

While trunk sucking is primarily a mannerism found in young elephants, older elephants—even mature bulls—have been seen sucking their trunks when they are nervous or upset.

Credit :  Tree Hugger

Picture Credit : Google 

WHAT DID EARLY ANIMALS LOOK LIKE?

By around 500 million years ago, bacteria in the oceans had evolved into the earliest fish. These strange creatures had no jaws; they had funnel-like Sucking mouths.

The first animals – including the common ancestor of all animals today – evolved in the sea over half a billion years ago. We have no direct evidence of what they were like.

But by studying animals today, we can work out features they must have shared – small size, soft bodies, and a tendency to stay very still or creep slowly across the ocean floor.

The creatures had bodies built from multiple cells with specialised roles, like organisms before them. Now, those cells could also form sheets called epithelia, allowing structures to develop. Along with increased genetic complexity, this set the scene for big changes.

Earth’s environment was in flux during the Cambrian period, and the Ediacaran period that came before it. Sea levels rose, and chemicals washed into the ocean. In the underwater world, evolution got to work. New creatures emerged that could move further than ever before – and change their environment by burrowing and building. Soon, the new species were living in every habitat across the length and breadth of the ocean.

Credit: Natural History

Picture credit: Google

What is the largest carnivorous marsupial?

The Tasmanian devil is the largest carnivorous marsupial, known for their high-pitched squeal and aggressive temperament. They have held this title for over 80 years. Specifically, these creatures weigh between 9 and 29 pounds. A Tasmanian Devil weighing 29 pounds is as heavy as three one-gallon cans of paint. These mammals range from 20 to 31 inches long. Picture two bowling pins lined up end to end and you have the length of a 31-inch Tasmanian Devil. This mammal’s tail is equal to half of its body length. These animals store fat in their tail to use for energy. So, if you see one of these animals with a thick tail, you know it’s healthy. Thanks to conservation efforts, they are being reintroduced to Australian mainland after a 3,000-year gap. Mother devils can give birth to 50 young ones at one go. However, very few survive.

A Tasmanian Devil is a small animal with short brown or black fur with a stripe of white hair across its chest. Some of these marsupials have patches of white hair near their dark tail. This marsupial’s front legs are longer than its back ones. They have dark eyes and small mouselike ears. These animals have excellent sight and hearing allowing them to track down prey at night.

They are known for their very strong jaws. In fact, this marsupial’s jaws have a bite force of 94 pounds. That strong bite force allows them to easily consume the meat, hair, bones, and organs of the dead animals they find. Some scientists refer to Tasmanian Devils as environmental vacuums because they clean up the carcasses they find in their habitat.

Credit : A-Z-Animals

Picture Credit : Google 

Which insect is named after Greta Thunberg?

Did you know a beetle species in 2019 was named after Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg in recognition of her contribution towards creating awareness about climate change? Called Nelloptodes gretae the tiny beetle belongs to the Ptiliidae family of beetles. The beetle is less than 1 millimeter long. They have no eyes or wings and are a pale yellow and gold color. . Nelloptodes gretae belongs to a group of some of the smallest known free-living animals, London’s Natural History Museum said Friday.

The species is fitting for the Swedish 16-year-old. “Many people say that Sweden is just a small country and it doesn’t matter what we do,” Thunberg once said. “But I’ve learned that you are never too small to make a difference.” Not to mention the beetle’s antennae, which resemble Thunberg’s signature pigtail braids.

Michael Darby, a scientific associate at the museum who found the insect during his studies of the museum’s vast collection, chose the name to honor Thunberg’s contribution to saving the planet.

Nelloptodes gretae was first discovered in Kenya in the 1960s by entomologist William Block, who donated the samples to the museum, where they have stayed ever since. Thunberg has become known worldwide for her weekly climate strikes, which she started on her own in 2018. Since then, the teenager has inspired millions of people to spend their Fridays urging their governments to take action against climate change.  Her movement has resulted in the largest climate protests in history.

Credit : CBS news

Picture Credit : Google 

How do spiders defend themselves?

There are about 40,000 species of spiders and nearly all of them have poison glands. Fortunately, in most cases the venom is very weak and has little or no effect on man. The bite of the tarantula was once thought to cause a disease called tarantism when the victim wept and danced wildly. Now it is known that the bite is not dangerous to man.

A few spiders, however, can injure people. One of these is the black widow which lives in North America. Its bite can cause intense pain, severe illness and even death, though this is rare.

In actual fact the mouth of a spider is made in such a way that it cannot really bite. These animals use their venom as a chemical to paralyze their victim. Scientists have found that the venom of spiders in some species breaks down the tissues of the victim and turns them into a sort of jelly which the spider then sucks up because it has no means of chewing its food.

If a spider is not hungry it does not kill its victim immediately. Instead, it imprisons it by wrapping a thick web of threads round it, waiting for the right moment to inject its venom.

 

Picture Credit : Google

How the bee-eater makes its strange nest?

The nests of bee-eaters are strange constructions, like those of the fishing martin. The bee-eater used its long beak to dig out deep tunnels on the steep banks of rivers.

The tunnels open on to a room under the ground, which is the bird’s nest. The floor of the nest is covered in butterflies wings and the remains of insects.

These remains do not make a very comfortable bed but the young bee-eaters seem to like it.

The bee-eater is a tireless flier. From morning until night it goes in search of insects. While other birds help farmers by eating up grubs that live on plants, the bee-eater prefers to catch its victims as they fly along.

The only damage this bird does in hunting is to kill many bees and this angers bee-keepers.

The bee-eater with its brilliant plumage and pointed wings is related to the kingfisher. It is found in Europe and Australia.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Do you know how bees produce wax and honey?

The wax produced by bees is used in making honeycombs consisting of six-sided cells into each of which the queen bee lays an egg that will eventually give birth to an insect. Other cells in the honeycomb act as storage places for honey.

Bees produce wax in very thin sheets from eight glands on their abdomens. It takes some 1,250 of these sheets to make up one gramme of wax. We can imagine the amount of hard work that goes into the construction of a honeycomb. Not only does the bee produce the wax, but it also shapes it into the hexagonal cell.

The honey is nectar from flowers which has been gathered concentrated and digested by the bees. The honey still has the scent of the flowers where the bees first found it. The queen bee is an extremely fertile animal. This insect is no more than 2 centimeters long but lays an average of 2,500 eggs a day at the rate of two eggs every minute. It does this throughout its entire life, accumulating a total of 2 million eggs.

Each egg is placed inside a hexagonal cell. If the larvae as the infant bees are called are fed on a substance known as royal jelly, they too, become queens. If they are just fed on pollen they grow into ordinary bees. But a beehive can contain only one queen. So the first queen bee to emerge from the cells and drives the old queen out. The old queen leaves with a swarm of bees still loyal to her to start another hive elsewhere.

Once the new queen begins her reign she carries out what is called her nuptial flight. As she flies through the air she is accompanied by male bees known as drones. The queen bee flies higher and higher and only the strongest of the drones can catch her and mate with her, the queen bee return from her nuptial flight fertilized and sets to laying eggs assisted by a group of bees who feed her and look after all her needs.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Which spiders do Victorians mistake for a Sydney funnel-web?

Victorian funnel-web, trap-door spiders and mouse spiders do Victorians mistake for a Sydney funnel-web. The Melbourne trap-door spider, stanwellia grisea, looks similar to the Sydney funnel-web. It is found throughout the Melbourne metropolitan area. The Melbourne trap-door spider is quite aggressive, but rarely bites. If you are unlucky enough to be bitten, it can be painful but not dangerous. Mouse spiders, missulena bradleyi, are found on the outskirts of Melbourne, on the Mornington Peninsula and in the drier western areas of Victoria. They can also be aggressive but rarely bite. The bite is not known to be dangerous. Victorian funnel-web, mouse and trap-door spiders all live in burrows in the ground.

Funnel-webs burrow in sheltered sites under logs and rocks where they can find a cool and humid climate. Funnel-webs rush out of their burrow when potential prey, such as beetles, cockroaches, small lizards or snails, walk across silken trip-lines that the spider has placed around the outside of its burrow. They then return to their burrow to eat their meal.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Is it true that all female spiders eat the males after mating?

No, this is not true. Some female spiders do not eat their mates, however some species will eat the male, if they are smaller or food is scarce.

“We were surprised to find that such a simple characteristic such as how small males are relative to females has such a large effect on the frequency of sexual cannibalism,” Wilder said.

Perhaps the most well-known example of spider-women eating spider-men is the black widow. But even that cannibalism case is overstated. For most of the many species of black widows, cannibalism is the exception, not the rule, according to Rod Crawford of the Burke Museum of Natural History & Culture at the University of Washington.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Are daddy long-legs the most poisonous spiders in the world?

It turns out that the notion is false on both counts. But a little clarification is needed.

According to entomologists at the University of California, Riverside, the term “daddy longlegs” is commonly used to refer to two distinct types of creatures: opilionids arachnids with pill-shape bodies and eight long legs that are actually not spiders, and pholcids, which have long legs and small bodies, and thus resemble opilionids, but which are true spiders.

Pholcids, or daddy long-legs spiders, are venomous predators, and although they never naturally bite people, their fangs are similar in structure to those of brown recluse spiders, and therefore can theoretically penetrate skin. For these reasons, “This is most probably the animal to which people refer when they tell the tale,” the entomologists assert.

But is pholcids’ venom extremely poisonous? Surprisingly, because they almost never bite, scientists have never bothered to conduct research to determine their venom’s toxicity to humans . In 2004, the Discovery Channel show “Mythbusters” stepped in to fill this knowledge void. The team set out to coax a daddy longlegs spider into biting the arm of the show’s co-host, Adam Savage.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Is the deadly Sydney funnel-web spider found in Victoria?

Sydney funnelweb spiders are not found in Victoria.

The two Victorian funnelweb spider species are relatives of the Sydney funnelweb spider. 

Funnelweb spiders are found around the east coast and the highlands of Australia (from Queensland to Tasmania) and small regions of South Australia. Most are found on the ground where they build burrows in moist, cool, sheltered areas, but some are tree-dwelling. They are regarded to be the most notorious of the Australian spiders due to their highly toxic and fast-acting venom. However, out of at least 40 species, only the male Sydney funnelweb spiders have been responsible for recorded deaths

Funnelweb spiders have a shiny black head and legs, and black to brown abdomen covered in fine hairs. The females are slightly larger (35 mm) than the males (30 mm).

The female produces a pillow-shaped silk egg sac, which she defends vigorously if disturbed. The spiderlings hatch about 3 weeks later, and stay with the mother for a few months. Funnelwebs reach maturity in about 2–4 years. The females live for 10 or more years, whereas the males die 6–9 months after maturity.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Where did the barking spider get its name?

The barking spider, sometimes called the whistling spider, is an Australian farantula. When disturbed, they produced a sound by rubbing their palps over their fangs. The largest are found in Queensland, and some have been found in north-west Victoria.

Barking Spiders produce their barking sound by rubbing rows of spines on their palaps against spines on their lower jaw. This noise is used to deter predators.

The deserts are prone to flash flooding and Barking Spiders live in burrows with leaky rooves. The hairs on their body trap air bubbles during flash floods and the air pocket prevents them from drowning.

Barking Spiders have brush feet with claw tufts and a film of oil produced from a special gland which gives them a suction cup ability to climb smooth vertical surfaces.

 

Picture Credit : Google

When was the red-back spider anti-venom discovered?

The red-back spider anti-venom was discovered in 1956. Since the development of the anti-venom for red-back spiders, latrodectus hasselti, there have virtually been no confirmed deaths from red-back bites. If you are bitten by a red-back spider, serious illness does not develop for at least three hours after the bite, giving you enough time to get to a doctor or hospital. Red-back spider bites cause intense local pain and localized sweating which may be followed by other symptoms including muscular weakness and spasm, loss of coordination, nausea and dizziness.

Compared with the placebo group, the antivenom had very little effect, but it caused allergic reactions in 4% of those receiving it (remember the risk of this comes from the fact that we’re using antibodies made by horses as the basis of the antivenom).

Based on this, Isbister says the treatment of redback spider bites should be re-evaluated. But other toxinologists quoted in the news reports highlighted that past studies have indicated the antivenom was effective.

 

Picture Credit : Google

What is the scientific study of ants?

Myrmecology is the scientific study of ants and is a branch of entomology (the study of insects). There are more than 12,500 described species in the ant family that have been classified out of an estimated total of 22,000.  Ants are found everywhere in the world including areas that are temperate and tropical.  Most of the described and unknown species are located in the rainforests, however, due to the destruction of those forests, most of them will probably never be categorized.  The only land mass lacking ants are Antartica and a possibly a few remote or inhospitable islands.

Ants often are studied by engineers for biomimicry and by network engineers for more efficient networking. It is not known clearly how ants manage to avoid congestions and how they optimize their movements to move in most efficient ways without a central authority that would send out orders. There already have been many applications in structure design and networking that have been developed from studying ants, but the efficiency of human-created systems is still not close to the efficiency of ant colonies. Furthermore, there are efforts to use ant algorithms and the behavioral strategies of ants in modern management.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Why are insects indispensable?

Scientists have sounded alarm over the rapid decline in insect population. In a series of papers published in the latest Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists have pointed out how human activities are posing multi-dimensional risks to the insect population. The threats include deforestation, climate change, invasive species, pesticide use, habitat loss, pollution, forest fire, urbanisation and light pollution. On an average, the decline in insect abundance is estimated to be around 1-2% per year or 10-20% per decade. These losses are seen in all continents.

Why is this a cause for concern?

Insects are useful to humankind and the environment in a number of ways. They pollinate crops we rely on for food, keep pests in check, and recycle nutrients in the soil. They have been doing many other vital ecological processes for millions of years that it would be hard to imagine a world without them. In this Eco-logical, let’s take a look at some of these beneficial insects.

Bees

Bees pollinate a third of everything we consume. These include crops, fruits, vegetables, nuts, coffee, tea, and plants such as sunflowers that are turned into oil. Crops grown as fodder for livestock are pollinated by bees. Bees play a crucial role in sustaining biodiversity. Many flowering plants depend on bees for pollination. Without bees, even birds and animals that depend on plants for food will suffer.

Honeybees, a bee species, have the distinction of being the only insect that produces a food consumed by humans. Humans also use beewax, secreted by the insects to build the honeycombs, to make candles and lubricants.

Ladybugs

Ladybugs help humans by keeping a check on pests that destroy crops. Ladybugs have a voracious appetite. They consume plant-eating insects such as aphids, spider mites and mealybugs and in doing so they help protect crops.

Ladybugs lay hundreds of eggs in the colonies of pests, and when the eggs hatch, the larvae begin to feed on the pest insects. Farmers use ladybugs for biological pest managements. This way, the bugs help reduce the use of harmful pesticides.

Praying mantises, green lacewings and dragonflies too help humans in a similar fashion. These insect eat moths, mosquitoes, roaches, flies and many other insects considered pests by humans.

Dung beetles

Have you seen a dung beetle? They have a dark, round body with hard, protective covers and they are mighty recyclers. As the name suggests, their diet is dung – yes, animal and human faeces. They actually feed on the food that pass through an animal’s body undigested. While larvae eat the solid poop, the adult beetles generally suck up the nutritious moisture from the dung. They store their food underground. By burying the dung, the beetles loosen and nourish the soil and help control fly populations. If not for such decomposers, the world would be a barren, smelly landscape filled with flies.

Other decomposer insects such as carrion beetle play a significant role of eliminating dead or rotten bodies of plant or animals from the environment by feeding on them. Some of the other carrion feeders include ants, mites, wasps and fly larvae (maggots).

Butterflies and moths

Besides being a vital element of the food chain- as pollinators and as prey for birds, bats and other insectivorous animals – butterflies and moths are important to humans for their aesthetic value. Butterflies are among the most appealing creatures in Nature, with colours and ornate patterns that are enjoyed by humans. They inspire art and literature. In some cultures, butterflies are portrayed as symbols of souls, freedom, love and peace. Other insects groups represented in art include bees, beetles, grasshoppers, and dragonflies.

Insect as food

Many species of insects are known worldwide to be part of human diet. Some important groups include grasshoppers, caterpillars, beetle grubs, winged termites, bees, worms, ant brood, cicadas, and a variety of aquatic insects. Scientific research has shown that edible insects are a very rich source of protein and other nutrients. Eating insects can, in fact, help fight hunger and food insecurity.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Are spiders insects?

Technically speaking, spiders are not insects! Why aren’t they exactly? We’ll look into a few main reasons why spiders and insects are so different. But first, let’s break down what spiders and insects have in common, which is actually quite a bit.

To understand the similarities and differences between spiders and insects, we have to cover a bit of taxonomy. Taxonomy is the science of classifying all living things. Spiders, insects, fish, birds, and humans all fall into the Kingdom Animalia. Pretty much every animal is able to breathe and move, unlike plants and fungi. Additionally, animals are multicellular, unlike bacteria. Let’s dive deeper into the world of taxonomy and discover more about the classification of spiders and insects.

The next taxonomic level down is where spiders and insects lose their similarities. Spiders are in a class of animals known as arachnids. Spiders, scorpions, mites, and ticks are all different kinds of arachnids. Perhaps the biggest difference between arachnids and insects are the number of legs they have. One of the defining characteristics of spiders and other arachnids is that they have 8 legs. Insects, on the other hand, only have 6. This difference may not seem that significant, but it’s one of the most important things that separate these two classes of animals!

Next up is the number of body segments. Spiders have two segments – the abdomen, and the cephalothorax (which is a combination of a head and thorax). Insects boast three distinct segments – an abdomen, a thorax, and a head. Although they serve essentially the same functions, the body segments are another characteristic that spiders and insects do not have in common.

 

Picture Credit : Google

What are gregarious locusts?

Are you thinking of these insects being particularly chatty? Well, you may not be off the mark. Yes, gregarious locusts are sociable. But they also exhibit a few other characteristics when they are gregarious. Let’s find out more about this.

What are locusts?

Locusts are insects that belong to the grasshopper family, and so, look a lot like grasshoppers. But there are a few crucial differences between them. Among those is the ability of locusts to fly long distances and also invade fields as swans, causing unimaginable damage to agricultural crops. Remember locust invasion in several parts of Africa and India in 2020, reported widely the media? However, locusts are solitary creatures just like grasshoppers, and they come together as swarms only when they are gregarious. Gregarious is a phase that occurs during a locust’s lifecycle.

When do they become gregarious?

During the dry season when there’s not much vegetation around, locusts are forced to come together on small patches of land that has a little vegetation, When that happens, the chemical serotonin gets released in their body. With this they reach the gregarious phase, during which they are sociable. According to National Geographic “Locusts can even change color and body shape when they move into this phase. Their endurance increases and even their brains get larger.” Soon, when it rains, they multiply in large numbers, the place becomes even more crowded, and they start invading agricultural lands in swarms. Reports suggest that the phase is triggered by the need for food.

There are several varieties of locusts that take over large areas of agricultural lands. However, the desert locust is the most dreaded for its country crossing abilities and for polishing off tens of thousands of acres of vegetation.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Do spiders spin silk?

The word spider invariably evokes visuals of stunningly beautiful and intricate webs. But do you know not all spiders spin webs? Yes, you read that right. There are a few varieties that do not spin webs at all. However, what is interesting is that all spiders produce silk. Which means their silk has several uses other than just spinning the web. This silk a strong, flexible protein fibre – is used as a tether for safety in case of a fall; to create egg sacs: to wrap up prey: to make nests, etc.

Spiders have structures called spinnerets on their abdomen: these are their silk-spinning organs. Most of them have a cluster of spinnerets, though the exact number differs with species. The silk is a liquid before it comes out. While the fact that it has many uses is fascinating, what is intriguing about spider silk is its strength. Most of them are said to be five times stronger than steel. And a study in 2018 revealed how the silk gets its strength. When scientists analysed the silk of a specific species of spider using an atomic force microscope, they discovered that “each strand – which is 1000 times thinner than a human hair is actually made up of thousands of nanostrands”!

Trivia

There are several varieties of spider webs because different species use different patterns to construct their webs. Apparently, the webs can be categorised into orb, sheet tangle, funnel, lace, radial, and purse, based on their structure, and the webs also give a general idea about the family a spider could belong to.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Why is my butterfly not eating?

Butterflies don’t eat; that only drink. Though caterpillars constantly eat, once they turn into butterflies, they only drink liquids, primarily nectar from flowers and juices from fruits. Butterflies drink using a proboscis – a tube that works like a straw – because of which they stick to an all-liquid diet.

They do need other nutrients like nitrogen, salts and amino acids. These can be found in tree sap, wet soil and flower pollen. Somewhat less appealing, they can also get these nutrients from rotten fruit or vegetables, faeces, urine, sweat, tears and (the least attractive of all) rotting carcasses!

These nutritional needs stem from the caterpillar’s food. Plants have almost none of the salts that all animals need. Even plant eating mammals like horses and cows need salts – this is also why plants need fertilizers.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Can mosquitoes fly when it rains?

Mosquitoes shouldn’t be able to fly in the rain, but they still do!

Despite being roughly the same size, a single raindrop can weigh up to 50 times more than an average mosquito. So, a mosquito flying in the rain is like a person wandering about when it’s raining buses! Common sense says mosquitoes shouldn’t survive the rain, but they are a stubborn bunch.

So how do they survive the rain?

Well firstly, they do not get wet. The glassy wings and the tiny hairs on their bodies are designed to repel water. So, when a raindrop bounces off of a mosquito, one of the two scenarios may occur:

Raindrop hits wings or legs [very probable]

Raindrop hits the core body or head [unlikely]

In the first scenario, the mosquito rotates around the raindrop due to its hydrophobic body and regains normal flight with minimal effort. In other terms, the mosquitoes just shake it off

In the second scenario, the mosquito gets hit hard and drops in altitude. But it still manages to survive by taking on only a fraction of the full momentum [2–17% depending on the mosquito] of the raindrop upon impact. It does this by making the collision inelastic. The secret to this is to go with the flow

Besides, the drastic difference in mass between the mosquito and the raindrop actually becomes an advantage when we analyse the system by applying the law of conservation of momentum.

And that is how the pesky little mosquitoes fly in the rain.

 

Credit : Quora

Picture Credit : Google

What is the mosquitoes job in the food chain?

Scientists are not sure. Mosquitoes are not known for eating waste. They don’t improve the soil like earthworms do. Yes, frogs prey on mosquitoes, but it is not their major food source. Mosquitoes pollinate plants since the males drink nectar, but they don’t do a lot of it.

Winegard thinks that may be mosquitoes have evolved to check the uncontrolled human population growth. But no one will accept that theory. Others say they have been put on earth to tell us that we are not as mighty as we think we are. We can be brought down by a tiny insect army. Do you agree?

So do we eradicate all mosquitoes? Biologists say they are part of the ecological cycle, so we cannot. They are there for a purpose, for balance in the eco-system. Who knows, maybe if we kill off all the mosquitoes, we may upset this balance and the natural selection of species. Winegard also points out: “Since there are 3,500 mosquito species and very few transmit diseases, perhaps the eradication of those that transmit diseases is extreme.”

 

Picture Credit : Google

How can we prevent mosquito bites?

Why mosquitoes bite and what to do:

  • According to studies, mosquitoes prefer blood type O over A, B or a mix of any of them. So if your blood type is O, you find more of the insects buzzing around you.
  • Mosquitoes are attracted to bright colours.
  • Mosquitoes like the smell of beer in beer drinkers.
  • When you exercise, you let out a lot of carbon dioxide. Mosquitoes thrive on CO2.
  • Our skin usually keeps us safe from mosquitoes, but you know they attack your legs. That is because of the bacteria on your feet.
  • All this information about what is good for them is genetically coded into the mosquito brain. So the insect knows where to find food.

What you can do:

  • Sleep under a net if your area is mosquito-prone.
  • Keep surroundings clean to prevent them from breeding.
  • Keep your feet covered in places like the park, bus stands, railway stations, movie halls.
  • Wash your feet well when you reach home after school, before sitting down at the table to study.

 

Picture Credit : Google

How to determine if mosquitoes are ready to feed?

Mosquitoes buzzed around even when dinosaurs roamed the earth. By sucking blood and carrying parasites of crippling diseases, these creatures have ravaged human populations, especially in Africa. Mosquito bites have caused the death and disability of millions of people, ruining the economy of some countries:

Weaponized

Mosquitoes have been used as a biological weapon during wars. According to Winegard, the Nazis purposely re-flooded the Pontine Marshes around Rome and Naples in Italy to reintroduce mosquitoes, and they spread malaria in that part of Italy during World War II. The soldiers fighting the Nazis got malaria and had to be sent back.

With all the science and technology we have now, why are we not eradicating mosquitoes?

Here is why:

They’re everywhere

Mosquitoes are everywhere – in swamps, forests, fields and homes – 110 trillion of them. They are global, and have been around for 100 million years. They are great survivors, “masters of evolutionary adaptation.” They are resilient, which means they can adapt to different weather conditions and terrains. They withstood “global showers” of DDT spray, and five types of mosquitoes are now immune to this pesticide. We all have defences in our body against disease. In the same way, mosquitoes have developed immunity to survive our attempts to kill them off.

Untiring work

Still, a lot of work has been done to tackle this relentless insect. Funding is available for research on mosquito-borne disease. Mosquito nets are given out in large numbers to people. Insecticides and malaria drugs are distributed in counties that cannot afford them. Doctors say death from malaria, the major disease caused by mosquitoes, has decreased across the world. However, there is an increase in the incidence of Zika, West Nile, and dengue.

Governments are low trying biological control of mosquitoes. This is to avoid use of pesticides. In this method, fish are bred in ponds where mosquitoes lay eggs. The fish eat the larvae. There are also plants that kill mosquito larvae. But these have had only limited success in keeping down mosquito numbers.

Climate crisis

Mosquitoes thrive when we create the right environment for them – by rearing animals and plants close to our homes, cutting down trees, letting water stagnate and keeping sewage channels open. Climate change, which is now a serious crisis, also helps breed mosquitoes. “Increased temperatures mean a longer breeding season for mosquitoes,” said Winegard in an interview.

“Canada has seen a 10% increase in mosquito-borne disease in the last 20 years. In the southern US, we’ve seen domestic cases of Zika, chikungunya, and even dengue in the last 10 years. So if temperatures rise around the planet, which increases the risk of spreading disease.”

 

Picture Credit : Google

Why is the mosquito deadly?

The mosquito transmits or carries more diseases than any other insect. The six major ones spread by it are: malaria, dengue fever, chikungunya, zika fever, lymphatic filariasis and Japanese encephalitis.

Different species of the mosquito cause different illnesses. Research into human civilisation shows that mosquito-borne diseases throughout history have killed more people than man-made weapons.

In the book: The Mosquito: A Human History of Our Deadliest Predator, historian Timothy Winegard gives us this startling fact: over the course of 200,000 years, 108 billion people have lived on Earth. Of these, 52 billion have been killed by mosquitoes. Since 2000, an average of 2 million people have died due to diseases caused by mosquitoes. And so, it is safe to sat, the insect has had a disastrous effect on our civilisation.

 

Picture Credit : Google

What makes the snow leopard an endangered animal?

               A snow leopard is a large cat that is native to the mountain areas of Central and South Asia. These wild cats can be spotted sporadically in the alpine and subalpine zones of China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, and Mongolia, at heights between 3000 to 4500m.

               In size, snow leopards are slightly smaller than others of its family. They have stocky bodies with thick fur and small, rounded ears, all of which together, help the animal to minimize heat loss.

               Although the animals are agile and powerfully built, their population is in great danger. The main reasons for such falling numbers are hunting, habitat loss, and retaliatory killings. With the reduction in the number of its prey like the Argali sheep, ibex, and hares, these leopards are forced to hunt domestic animals in its nearby areas.

               As a result, locals kill them in retaliation. The leopards are also poached for their skin for making fur coats.

Picture credit: google

Why is the sei whale an endangered animal?

            The sei whale is one of the fastest whales in the world that inhabits all oceans and adjoining areas, except those in polar and tropical regions. They are the third largest rorquals, followed by blue whales and fin whales.

            Sei whales are sometimes seen travelling alone, or in pods of up to six individuals. A normal individual is about 14 to 20 metres long, with a weight up to 26 tonnes. Females are a little longer than males. If unharmed, these animals can live till the age of 65.

            As they are at the top of the food chain, whales have an important role in the overall health of a marine ecosystem. But today, they have a very insecure existence due to human activities.

            The biggest threat faced by the sei whale population is commercial whaling. Besides, there is something called scientific whaling, carried out by countries like Iceland and Japan. It means killing whales for scientific research.

            There have also been events of mass deaths of sei whales in the past due to pollution, and the presence of toxic substances in water.

Picture credit: google

Why the Grevy’s zebra is considered an endangered animal?

            The Grevy’s zebra is an important member of the horse family. Also known as the imperial zebra, they are the most endangered of the zebra species. Historically, they were seen in the semi-arid scrublands and plains of Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, and Kenya in East Africa. But now, their range is confined to a few parts of Southern Ethiopia, and Northern Kenya.

            Compared to its relatives, Grevy’s zebras have larger ears and narrower stripes. They feed mostly on grass, roots, and tree bark, and also on hard seeds. It is believed that these zebras can live without water for about three days.

            During the 1970s, the population of Grevy’s zebras was thought to be 15,000. But at the start of the 21st century, this number came down to 3500.

            Today, there are estimated to be around 2500 in the wild. In captivity, there are around 600 individuals surviving. The main reason for the fall in population is poaching. The skin of these zebras is of great value in the global market.

Picture credit: google

What makes the giant otter rare?

               The giant otter is a carnivorous mammal native to South America. It is a social animal that lives with family groups, supporting up to eight members. They are mostly seen in freshwater rivers and streams that are seasonally flooded. Sometimes, these animals are also spotted in freshwater lakes and springs.

               The primary cause of the decline of the giant otter population is poaching. They have been hunted for decades, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s, bringing their number to less than 5000. It is the velvety pelt that makes a giant otter an attractive target. Besides, the animals are extremely easy to hunt as they are active throughout the day. And by nature, otters are inquisitive and fearless towards human beings. This makes it even worse for them.

               Other factors are habitat loss and degradation caused by mining, logging, and over-fishing. Quite a lot of giant otters are killed by fishermen who consider them to be a menace.

Picture credit: google

Why the Rothschild’s giraffe is considered an endangered animal?

            The Rothschild’s giraffe is a subspecies of Northern giraffes. It is also known by the names Baringo giraffe and Ugandan giraffe.

            With just around 1500 individuals in the wild, it is yet another animal that has an endangered existence. Isolated population of this animal can be seen in savannah, grasslands, and the open woodlands of Uganda and Kenya. The strange name of these animals comes from zoologist Walter Rothschild, who was the first to describe the species.

            What makes a Rothschild’s giraffe different from others in the family is its appearance. It has a specific type of coat pattern, with light brown patches and creamy lines in between. Also, it has no markings below the knees, making one feel that the animal is wearing white stockings!

            The biggest threats to the lives of Rothschild’s giraffes are poaching, expansion of human population and habitat loss.

Picture credit: google

What makes the Iberian lynx special?

               Iberian lynx is a wild cat native to the Iberian Peninsula. It is one of the most endangered animals on Earth, as classified by the IUCN Red List. Lynxes were once seen throughout the Iberian Peninsula, and the South of France. But since the mid 1990s, only fragmented populations have survived that too in Central and south-western parts of Spain, and in a few areas of Portugal.

               This wild animal is distinguished with a bobbed tail, spotted coat, muscular body and long legs. By nature, they are solitary and nocturnal. European rabbits alone form the diet for an Iberian lynx. In the 20th century, there was a sharp fall in the number of these rabbits. This in turn, caused a decline in the population of lynx too. Besides, there are other human-induced reasons like the destruction of forest habitat and its conversion to agricultural land, hunting, accidental killings, construction of dams highways and railways.

               By the start of the 21st century, the number of Iberian lynx came down to around 100, and the animal was on the verge of extinction.

Picture credit: google

Why is the wild water buffalo rare?

            The wild water buffalo is a large bovine native to South-east Asia, particularly India. They are seen mostly in wet grasslands, swamps, and river valleys in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Thailand and Cambodia. With a wild population of less than 4000 individuals, these animals are now a rare sight.

            In general, wild water buffaloes are larger and heavier than domestic ones, and weigh up to 1200 kg.

            The major challenge for the survival of water buffaloes is habitat loss. Besides, the degradation of wetlands due to exotic species like stem twiners and linas, diseases and parasites transmitted from domestic livestock etc. have contributed largely to the decline of the water buffalo population.

            In countries like Thailand, Cambodia and Myanmar these animals are hunted on a large scale. This happens despite the fact that hunting and killing of these endangered animals are prohibited in many countries including Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan and India.

Picture credit: google

Why is the Przewalski’s horse considered as an endangered animal?

            The Przewalski’s horse is quite a strange name for an animal, isn’t? Not many of us have heard of the animal, mainly because not many exist today. Also known as the Dzungarian horse, these are a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horses, native to the steppes of Central Asia.

             It is a relatively small member of the horse family, with a stiff, dark, upright mane and a height up to 1.4 metres. They were once found throughout Mongolia, Northern China, and some parts of Siberia. But at present, they can be spotted only on the plains and prairies of Mongolia. There is no evidence to show that the animal was ever domesticated, and so one can say a Przewalski’s horse is the only wild horse in the world today.

            In the 1960s, the species was almost extinct in the wild, but was saved after a few individuals were reintroduced to their native habitats at the Khustain Nuruu National Park, Takhin Tal Nature Reserve, and Khomiin Tal in Mongolia. The main reasons for the disappearance were hunting for meat, and interbreeding with domesticated horses. Today, there are many zoos in the world where these horses are seen in small numbers.

Picture credit: google

Why is the green sea turtle considered as an endangered species?

            Green sea turtles are large sea turtles that can be spotted in tropical and subtropical seas around the world. The distinct populations of these sea animals are seen predominantly in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and sometimes, in the Indian Ocean too. Over 80 countries are known to have the nests of these turtles on their beaches. With a weight up to 300 kg, green sea turtles are huge. Their name comes from the greenish colour of their cartilage and fat.

            Like many other species, green sea turtles too have an unsafe existence. As a result, they have been listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List.

            The reasons for the falling population of the turtles are both intentional and accidental. In general, these animals are continuously hunted for food and their eggs. Then there are other unintentional reasons like boat strikes and fishing nets that lack turtle excluder devices.

Picture credit: google

Why is the bonobo special?

            The name bonobo many sound really cute to many of us, but the lives of these animals are anything but cute. A bonobo is an endangered animal that can be seen only in the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Africa.

            They are also known by the names pygmy chimpanzees and gracile chimpanzees. The animal is distinguished by its long legs, dark face, pink lips, and parted long hair. In general, they are known to be peaceful primates, living in groups led by females.

            Along with common chimpanzees, bonobos are also very close relatives of human beings, and are of high intelligence.

            Although there isn’t much data, the remaining population of bonobos is thought to be something between 29,500 and 50,000. Hence, they are classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List.

            By now, you must be aware that almost all the species that are endangered, consider humans as their biggest threat. It’s not different in the case of bonobos either.

Picture credit: google

Why is the hawksbill sea turtle a rare sight?

            A hawksbill sea turtle is one of the most critically endangered species found in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Generally, these aquatic beings spend most of their time in shallow lagoons and coral reefs, feeding on sponges, sea anemones and jellyfishes.

            The appearance of a hawksbill turtle is similar to that of other marine turtles. They have narrow, pointed beaks and distinctive patterns of overlapping scales on their shells. It is said that depending on the temperature of the water, the shells of these turtles change colour, making them a highly valuable species.

            A hawksbill sea turtle is now a rare animal, merely because of human activities. They are widely hunted for meat, as well as for other purposes. In many parts of the world, they are still seen as delicacies. Another reason for their exploitation is the attractive shells of hawksbill turtles, which have largely become materials for decoration and jewellery-making. The existence of these turtles is also threatened by heavy pollution in water and loss of nesting areas due to coastal development.

Picture credit: google

Why the red wolf is considered an endangered animal?

            The red wolf or the Florida wolf is one of the two species of wolves native to the Eastern United States. The other one is the gray wolf. The name red wolf comes from the reddish colour of the animal’s fur. Otherwise, these wolves are mostly brown and buff coloured. They are highly social animals living in packs, known to avoid humans and human activities. Raccoons, rabbits, white-tailed deer, nutria, and other rodents form their main diet.

            Red wolves are in the news often because of their decreasing number. It is one of the critically endangered species in the world, as classified by the IUCN Red List in 1996.

            Red wolves started disappearing by the 1990s. The belief that red wolves cause cattle loss is widespread, and this has resulted in indiscriminate killing of these animals in remote areas. Land clearing, hunting, logging, road development, mineral exploration, etc., too have affected this helpless species.

            The current wild population of red wolves is at its worst ever – there are less than 100 left.

Picture credit: google

Why is the aye-aye special?

            An aye-aye may not sound like a living thing, but it is in reality, a lemur that is native to Madagascar. The appearance of this creature is as strange as its name. At first glance, it seems to be a rodent, but in fact, it is a primate.

            The name aye-aye, was given by French naturalist Pierre Sonner-at in 1782, while describing the lemur. This primate comes in dark brown or black colour, and has a bushy tail that is larger than their body.

            The species was thought to be extinct in 1933. In 1957, they were rediscovered. Currently, aye-ayes are the largest and the most endangered nocturnal primates classified by the IUCN Red List.

            There are many reasons for the fall in their numbers. One of them is superstition. There is a belief in Madagascar that an aye-aye brings bad luck. For this reason, many of these animals are mercilessly killed on sight. Then of course, they are hunted down, and their habitats destroyed to meet man’s selfish needs.

Picture credit: google

Why is it said that chinchillas are endangered animals?

            As adorable as their name, chinchillas are rodents seen in the Andes Mountains of Northern Chile. These beautiful creatures are best known for their soft, velvet-like fur.

            But sadly, the same feature has taken them close to extinction. They are one of the most critically endangered species on Earth, as classified by the IUCN Red List.

            The population of wild chinchillas has been in danger for at least a hundred years. Previously, they were found extensively in the coastal regions, hills and mountains of Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia. But poaching, hunting, habitat destruction, deforestation etc have strictly confined the animals to the very few regions where they are now seen.

            In 1920, legal measures were framed by the countries to protect the species. However, they still don’t help as required. Poaching for fur has been the greatest threat before chinchillas.

Picture credit: google

Why is the golden lion tamarin special?

            The golden lion tamarin or golden marmoset is one of the rarest animals in the world, native to the Atlantic coastal forests of Brazil. It is a peculiar, tree-dwelling monkey with a small rounded head that is surrounded by a thick, golden mane. Its body and tail are covered with long silky hair that comes in pale blonde to reddish golden colour.

            After observing a   shrinking population, the IUCN Red List classified the golden lion tamarin as an endangered species. Subsequently, a few wildlife organisations started reintroduction programmes from 140 zoos worldwide.

            Although it was a success, the population of the monkeys is still not out of danger. Due to logging, agriculture and industry-expansion, the rain forests of Brazil are disappearing.

            That means that the habitats of the golden lion tamarins are being destroyed. Yet another challenge the species face is the illegal pet trade. With all these, the estimated wild population of this golden animal is thought to be less than 3500.

Picture credit: google

Why is the pygmy hippopotamus endangered?

            Pygmy hippopotamuses, as appropriately named, are small-sized relatives of common hippopotamuses. They are native to the swamps of West Africa, mainly Liberia.

            Compared to their cousins, a pygmy hippo is tiny in size. It reaches just up to 80 cms in height, and its weight is less than one-fourth of that of a full-sized hippo.

            Pygmies in general are nocturnal and solitary animals, eating only tree leaves, branches, fallen leaves, and fruits. With just less than 3000 individuals, they are classified as an endangered species by the IUCN Red List.

            The main reasons for their population decline can be predicted – habitat loss, conversion to farm land and hunting for food. In spite of the prohibition of the bush meat trade and several awareness programs about the need to conserve endangered species, hunting of pygmy hippos is still a reality in Liberia.

Picture credit: google

Why is the Asiatic cheetah a rare sight?

            An Asiatic cheetah is one of the rarest animals today, because of its status of being critically endangered.

            One of the fastest mammals alive, this animal was once prevalent on the Indian subcontinent. Its range extended throughout India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. But today, if one has to be lucky enough to see an Asiatic cheetah, he has to go to remote areas in Eastern Iran. Hence, the animal is now also known as the Iranian cheetah. Studies show that presently there are only less than 50 cheetahs in the wild.

            One of the reasons for the disappearance of Asiatic cheetahs is thought to be the absence of preferred preys. We know for a fact that when small animals in an area are over-hunted, it affects the larger ones too.

            Apart from this, cheetahs are poached in large numbers. In Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, it was hunting that brought the cheetah population to a close.

Picture credit: google

Why is the Chinese alligator considered as an endangered animal?

            As their name suggests, Chinese alligators are members of the alligator family native to China. Originally, their range extended through much of the country. But today, they can be spotted in swamps and ponds in the lower basin of the Yangtze River alone. The population of these alligators has been reduced due to exploitation of their habitat and poisoning of prey.

            The skins of Chinese alligators were once used to make drums but it was never a popular material for making leather products. Besides, these alligators do not attack humans. Yet, we treat them so badly that they are on the verge of extinction. In 1998, the largest area where alligators lived was a small pond along the Yangtze River, surrounded by farmland. And the number of individuals in them was 11!

            Poaching is another threat. These animals are hunted for their meat, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine. Apart from all these, they are killed simply because people think of them as a menace. Experts warn that unless extreme actions are taken, this subspecies will soon become extinct in the wild.

Picture credit: google

Why is the Borneo elephant different?

            Believed to be the cutest in the world, Borneo elephants are a subspecies of Asian elephants native to the lowland forests of Indonesia and Malaysia. They are also known as pygmy elephants, with relatively small sizes, baby-faces, large ears, and plump bellies. The size of these elephants is a fifth smaller than the mainland Indian elephants.

            The tails of Bornean elephants are so long that they often drag it on the ground as they move.

            With a population less than 2000 altogether, they have been classified as endangered by the IUCN Red List. Due to massive deforestation, the habitats of these elephants in Borneo are fragmented. This leaves the animals without shelter and food. Conversion of forest land to commercial plantations, logging, expansion of agriculture fields, and palm plantations too have affected the lives of Bornean elephants very badly.

            They are also hunted down for their valuable tusks. Reports reveal that snares or poisons are often used in forests to catch the elephants. However, this endangered species is protected by law in Malaysia.

Picture credit: google

Why is the African wild dog seen rarely?

            African wild dogs are members of the dog family that are seen in southern Africa and the southern part of East Africa, especially Tanzania, and Northern Mozambique. They mostly roam in savannah, open plains, and sometimes, in the woodlands of these countries.

            Once respected by several hunter-gatherer societies, African wild dogs are known by various different names like painted dogs, cape hunting dogs, and African hunting dogs. They are highly social, and live in packs of around 10 individuals.

            However, the dogs are most talked about for their reducing numbers. They are considered to be the most endangered predators of Africa. The major threats to their existence are killing, both accidental and targeted, as well as diseases like rabies, canine distemper etc.

            As human encroachment increases, the habitats of the wild dogs are destroyed. This is another factor that leads to Man-animal conflict.

         Picture credit: google

What makes the gharial an extremely threatened animal?

            Gharials are large crocodiles found in the Indian subcontinent. They are among the largest living crocodiles in the world. These animals have long snouts and mouths with around 110 sharp teeth. The name of this species comes from the unique shape of their snouts. The snouts resemble earthenware pots used in India known as ‘gharas’, hence the name gharials.

            These animals were seen in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar other than in India. But today, it is a critically endangered species that can be spotted only in India and Nepal.

            This change, experts say, has happened over the past decades. With increase in farming and agricultural practices, many habitats of the crocodiles were encroached. Then, factors like mining, pollution and other general disturbances contributed to environmental changes.

            History points out that the species came close to extinction by the 1970s, but was saved by a long-term captive breeding and re-introduction programme. However, in the late 1990s the population again declined. The National Chambal Sanctuary and Katar-niaghat Sanctuary are two of the places in the country where gharials are protected.

Picture credit: google

Why the proboscis monkey is considered an endangered animal?

            The proboscis monkey is a large tree-dwelling primate that is native to the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. With its long and pendulous nose, this is one among the most easily identifiable species of Borneo’s primates. Hence, it is also called the long-nosed monkey.

            Proboscis monkeys have partially webbed feet that make them excellent swimmers.

            Due to extensive habitat destruction and hunting, they have become endangered. Today, there are just less than 1000 of them remaining in the world. Conversion of forest land for agriculture, and palm-plantations pose major threats to their existence.

            They are also vulnerable to poaching. They are hunted for bush meat, as well as to make traditional Chinese medicine. Hence, the population is said to have reduced by more than 50 per cent in the past four decades.

            Experts note that proboscis monkeys are highly sensitive to digestive complications, noise pollution, diseases, and human interference. They are therefore, protected by law, throughout the Borneo range.

Picture credit: google

Why is the black-footed ferret endangered?

            The black-footed ferret is a member of the weasel family that is native to North America. This short-legged animal with a slender body is perhaps, the rarest mammal in the country.

            They are nocturnal animals that leave their burrows at night. Most of their time is spent underground. Prairie dogs form the major part of the diet of a black-footed ferret. It is said that the animal eats more than 100 prairie dogs in a year.

            Once numbered in the tens of thousands, this ferret species had almost been extinct in the 1960s. But slowly, they made a comeback. However, black-footed ferrets are still endangered with just around 300 individuals in the wild, and almost the same number in captive breeding facilities.

            The main threat facing ferrets is habitat destruction. Non-native diseases too pose an equally dangerous challenge, hampering their recovery. Another reason is the massive killing of prairie dogs. This leaves ferrets without food. Many programmes have been undertaken to protect this species from extinction.

Picture credit: google

Why are Bornean orang-utans special?

            Bornean orang-utans are a species of orang-utans that are seen on the island of Borneo. Sharing more than 90 per cent of their DNA with humans, orang-utans are highly intelligent and skilled animals. They are small sized apes that eat over 500 plant species for their diet.

            Experts hold that orang-utans are important for the major role they play in seed dispersal. This helps, in a large way, in keeping forests healthy.

            But this species is also special, and rather precious, because of their falling numbers, According to the IUCN, the population of Bornean orang-utans has dropped by almost two-third since the 1970s.

            The most important factors contributing to this includes hunting and conversion of forest land. The pet trade using young orang-utans that involves huge cash is another threat before the species.

            Besides these, there are merciless attacks and sometimes killings by local residents, when the orang-utans move into agricultural areas and feed on them.

            The WWF is one of the few organisations that work with governments, and local bodies to conserve Bornean orang-utans.

Picture credit: google

Why is the Amur leopard an animal to conserve for future?

            Amur leopards are known by different names across the world- as Manchurian leopards, Far Eastern leopards, or Korean leopards. They are a critically endangered subspecies that are just less than 70 in number.

            This attractive wild animal is native to the Primorye region of southeastern Russia, and the Jilin province of northeast China. Like other leopards, they too run at a speed of up to 60 kilometres per hour.

            In general, amur leopards are very strong and solitary beings. However, they are on the verge of being extinct. In spite of having some tracts of suitable habitats in Russia and China, encroachments, new roads and developmental activities into the wild have badly affected their population.

            However, the main reason for the fall in number of amur leopards is massive poaching. They are hunted mostly for their beautiful skin. Reports show that in many instances, the locals living around the habitats have killed these leopards for skin.

Picture credit: google

Why are Asian elephants under threat?

            Asian elephants are those distributed throughout Southeast Asia, from India to Borneo. With its immense size and strength, this largest living animal has played an important role in our economies, religions and culture.

            By nature, Asian elephants are extremely sociable animals that form groups of six to seven individuals. Most of their time is spent feeding on grasses, but they also eat tree bark, roots, leaves, and small stems besides cultivated crops like bananas and sugar cane. They prefer staying close to sources of fresh water.

            Although suitable habitats exist for this species, Asian elephants are still endangered. In India, the biggest threat is habitat loss.

            In general, these elephants face the great risk of poaching too. Their tusks are the main reason why they are hunted. They are captured alive to be used as tourist attractions or sometimes, to be used in circuses and other inhumane entertainments. Different countries have taken different legal measures to protect their elephant species. Trading in ivory and elephant hunting is illegal in most countries.

Picture credit: google

What makes the Mexican prairie dog an endangered animal?

            As the name suggests, Mexican prairie dogs are a species of prairie dogs found in Mexico. They mostly inhabit flat prairies, and valleys between mountains, at a height of 1600 to 2200 metres.

            Thought to be highly social rodents, Mexican prairie dogs belong to the same family as squirrels. They live in extensive burrow networks known as towns. Depending on the habitat, each town may have up to a hundred individuals! This species is active during the day throughout the year, and feeds on just grasses.

            However, one cannot see many of these individuals together anymore, as Mexican prairie dogs have become an endangered species. Habitat loss is the main reason for the decline in the number of Mexican prairie dogs. It is also hunted for food, and poisoned by locals, since the dogs are believed to destroy farms.

Picture credit: google

What are the reasons behind the decline in the population of the Baird’s tapir?

            As strange as their name, tapirs are animals that look like pigs with a trunk, but they are in fact, related to horses and rhinoceros. Baird’s tapir is a Latin American species of tapir that is seen in Mexico, Central America, and North-western South America.

            Not many researchers have been conducted on the lives of Baird’s tapirs. But experts say that the animals are shy and solitary, and live in forests, close to areas that have a permanent water supply.

            With less than 5500 individuals left in the wild, Baird’s tapirs are classified as endangered animals by the IUCN.

Picture credit: google

Why is the Andean mountain cat special?

            The Andean cat is considered to be one of the cutest, and the most endangered wild cats in the world. It is a small feline with long soft fur, a thick tale and pale silvery gray colour.

            Andean mountain cats are found in the areas of the Andes Mountains of Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. The cat is believed to be a solitary animal. Its population is estimated to be less than 2500, and hence, is classified as endangered by the IUCN.

            The main reasons for the danger these cats face is habitat loss, cattle grazing, and hunting. It is said that many Andean cats have been killed by local people who believe that the cats are predators of their domestic animals. They are also killed by local shepherds or their dogs, and hunted for food and traditional medicine in places in Peru. Besides, the reduction of its prey is also a factor for the decline of this cat population.

Picture credit: google

Why is the brown spider monkey considered as an endangered animal?

            The brown spider monkey is one of the seven species of spider monkeys that can be spotted in the forests of Northern Colombia and Northwestern Venezuela.

            They are primates that prefer undisturbed dense forests, and stay most of the time high in trees. Instead of walking or running on all fours, these monkeys travel mostly by swinging and climbing.

            However, it is not for their strange eating habits that the brown spider monkeys are in the news, but for the threat of extinction they face. This species was among the world’s 25 most endangered primates as of 2004 and 2006, and has been classified as critically endangered, by the IUCN Red List.

            Hunting and habitat destruction due to human encroachment, conversion of forests into agricultural lands etc. are the main factors that threaten them. Its slow reproductive rate also makes the situation worse.

            Serrania de San Lucas in southern Bolivar is one of the places where the monkeys are protected. There are also various zoos, especially in Europe, that provide them safe shelters.

Picture credit: google

What are the threats to Siamese crocodiles?

            The name Siamese crocodiles may not be familiar to most of us. They are among the most endangered reptiles in the world today. These fresh water crocodiles were previously found throughout South Asia, in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia. But today, their surviving population can be seen only in the Mekong River basin and wetlands in Cambodia, and a few other places. Even here, their habitat is fragmented, owing to hunting and human activities.

            The main threats to Siamese crocodiles are humans. Aggressive hunting for crocodile skin, conversion of rainforest habitats into agricultural farms, use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers etc have contributed greatly to the declining population of these reptiles. It is said that there are not more than 5000 Siamese crocodiles alive today.

            However, the crocodiles are extensively bred and maintained in captivity, in Cambodia, as well as in Thailand. There are also many conservation programmes underway in these two countries, which gives a little hope regarding the future of these endangered crocodiles.

Picture credit: google

Why is the Malayan tiger an endangered animal?

            The Malayan tiger is a subspecies of tiger found in the southern and central parts of the Malay Peninsula, and in the southern tip of Thailand. Unlike other tigers, they mostly live in open woodlands. Deer, wild boar, gaur, tapir, sun bear, and elephant calves are the main food source of these wild animals.

            In 2015, the Malayan tigers were classified as critically endangered by the IUCN. This was because their population was estimated to be less than 250, and had declined by more than 25 per cent in seven years.

            The main reasons for the fall in the Malayan tiger population are hunting and habitat destruction. The tigers especially are of high demand across markets in Asia, for their bush meat and bones, which are also used as a sign of wealth, or for making folk medicine.

            The Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT), comprising the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS), Traffic South-east Asia, Wildlife Conservation Society, and WWF-Malaysia is a prominent organisation that works towards conserving this subspecies.

Picture credit: google

What are known as woodland butterflies?

Because of the variety of food sources, more species of butterfly are found in woodlands than in any other habitat.

      Some species of butterfly can be found flying at a low level in shady woodland clearings, while others live high among the treetops. Other species of butterfly live along woodland edges, and in areas where people have cleared forests.

    Some of the examples are The Acadian Hairstreak, the Purple hairstreak, the speckled wood and the comma etc. other examples are the White Admiral, large Tortoiseshell, and the silver-washed Fritillary.

What are temperate butterflies?

The word ‘temperate’ is used to describe those are as on Earth where temperature is modest.

       The wide variety of flowers in grassland and woodland clearings means that there are plenty of butterflies.

     The caterpillars of grassland butterflies feed on grass found in meadows, and heath lands. There are many varieties of grassland butterflies. Most popular among them are meadow brown, the Aphrodite, the purple shot copper, the Adonis blue etc. the wall butterfly is another grass feeding species commonly found in Europe, Asia and Africa.

Why is the super family Papilionoidea unique?

The butterfly super family known as Papilionoidea consists of five families. They are named Papilionoidea, pieridae, Lycaenidae, Riodinidae, and Nymphalidae. In other words, all the butterflies except skippers come under this super family.

      The Papilionoidea family members are collectively known as swallowtails. Butterflies in the Pieridae family are whites, orange tips, brimstones and sulphurs. The majority of them are either red or brown or blue in colour.

     The third family, Lycaenidae, is the largest family of all with some 6000 or more species. They are mostly found in tropical areas, but they can be seen in other parts of the world too.

     The fourth sub family Nymphalidae is also very large, like the third subfamily with more than 6000 species.

How are butterflies classified?

Although butterflies are one of the most widely studied insect groups, there is no uniform method to classify them.

        The Symposium of the Royal Entomological Society of London subdivided butterflies into two super-families – the Hesperioidea and the Papilionoidea.

       The first group that is the Hesperioidea has only one family. Skippers as they popularly known, are very good fliers. They are called so because of their ability to fly very fast. They are very similar to moths. Many skippers are dull in colour, like moths. Their larvae feed on a lot of food plants. They rest as pupa in the cocoon, where pieces of dried up leaves are mixed.

What are the physical defense mechanisms commonly employed by butterflies?

Some butterflies have physical defenses. This behavior is common among caterpillars in temperate countries. An example of such a caterpillar is the Nymphalis. If somebody disturbs such caterpillars, they react in unison by lifting their heads up, and thrashing them from side to side to display anger. This method is useful in scaring smaller predators.

      Spines are also an important part of butterflies’ that they use to defend themselves from other wasps and flies. Aposematism or denoting colouration or markings that serves to warn the markings that serves to warn the predators is another good way to frighten away enemies

        The common Mormon of India has female morphs which imitate the unpalatable red-bodies swallowtails, the common rose, and the crimson roes.

Why do some butterflies mimic their neighboring species?

Some butterfly species mimic their neighboring poisonous species to ward off the predators. They often mimic their neighboring species by copying the latter’s colour pattern, along with producing an unpleasant smell and taste.

        Birds and other predators that are familiar with the warning patterns or bright colours of the harmful species mistake these imitator butterflies for their harmful counterparts and go away.

        One such species of butterflies which is good at mimicking is the Ecuador small postman butterfly, which imitates its equally poisonous rainforest neighbor the Ecuador postman butterfly.

What are the main food items of a butterfly?

Butterflies feed primarily on nectar from flowers. They suck nectar and other liquids through a small pipe under their heads. This small pipe is called ‘proboscis’. They sip water from damp patches for hydration, and feed on nectar from flowers to obtain sugar for energy.

       Some butterflies get nourished by pollen, tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, and dissolved minerals in wet sand, or dirt. Butterflies are pollinators for some species of plants.

      Usually, they do not carry as much pollen load as bees. However, they are capable of transporting pollen over a great distance.

       Some butterflies visit only certain flowers, and avoid others. This phenomenon is called flower constancy. Attracted by the salt in human sweat, sometimes butterflies even land on people.

How do butterflies defend themselves from their enemies?

Butterflies protect themselves from predators through the plants to protect themselves from enemies. This has led to the evolution of bright colours in unpalatable butterflies.

      Camouflage is another technique that butterflies use to escape from their enemies. Camouflage is the technique of blending with the colour of the surrounding to hide from enemies.

      We all might have seen butterflies that look like the leaf of a tree, or a twig in a branch. Such varieties as the oak leaf butterfly and autumn leaf butterfly use this camouflage technique.

     Some others have deimat-ic behavior, such as waving their front ends marked with eyespots as if they were snakes.

What is the flight style of a butterfly?

Butterflies are very good fliers. They have two pairs of large wings covered with scales. Their wings are attached to the thorax. Veins support the wings, and ensure the blood supply.

      Butterflies can fly only if their body temperature is above sudden landings. Speed varies among butterfly species. Poisonous varieties are slower than non-poisonous varieties.

Why is it said that the bodies of butterflies help them to adapt better?

Butterflies use their antennae to sense the air for wind and scents. The antennae contain sensory organs known as sensilae.

       The shape, colour, and structure of the antennae vary from species to species, even though their function remains the same. Butterflies that belong to the family Hesperidia have their antenna tip; modified into a narrow, hook like projection. These butterflies are popularly known as skippers.

     Butterflies taste their food with the help of sensory cells called chemoreceptors, located on their feet.

     Many butterflies use chemical signals, called pheromones. Vision is well developed in butterflies, and most species are sensitive to the ultraviolet spectrum.

    Some species of butterflies have colour vision. Some have organs of hearing, and some others make stimulatory and clocking sounds.

What are the main food items of a butterfly?

Butterflies feed primarily on nectar from flowers. They suck nectar and other liquids through a small pipe under their heads. This small pipe is called ‘proboscis’. They sip water from damp patches for hydration, and feed on nectar from flowers to obtain sugar for energy.

       Some butterflies get nourished by pollen, tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, and dissolved minerals in wet sand, or dirt. Butterflies are pollinators for some species of plants.

      Usually, they do not carry as much pollen load as bees. However, they are capable of transporting pollen over a great distance.

       Some butterflies visit only certain flowers, and avoid others. This phenomenon is called flower constancy. Attracted by the salt in human sweat, sometimes butterflies even land on people.

How does a pupa emerge into a butterfly?

The transformation of a pupa into a butterfly has always been a wonder to mankind. At the end of its lifecycle, the butterfly cracks open the pupa and come out. But a newly emerged butterfly cannot fly away soon as it comes out. It needs to wait for almost an hour to grow its wings.

     During this time, it is extremely vulnerable to predators, since it cannot fly. The pupal wings undergo rapid cell divisions, and absorb a great deal of nutrients. Once it has grown wings, a new butterfly flies to a plant, or any other food source, for its first meal. Thus, the life of an adult butterfly begins

Why is the pupa-stage important in the life-cycle of a butterfly?

The pupa-stage is the third phase in the life-cycle of a butterfly. It is in this phase that a pupa gets transformed into a butterfly. A butterfly pupa is commonly known as a chrysalis, and it is often found on the underside of a leaf, or in other concealed locations. Even though the pupa seems lifeless on the surface, amazing changes in fact take place inside the pupal skin. During this stage, the pupa is more vulnerable to predators, as it cannot move.

       Hence, the pupae camouflage themselves with the colour and texture of their surroundings to prevent detection by enemies.

    The span of time that a pupa spends in this stage varies from weeks to months, depending upon its species. There are other types of pupae which are very bright in colour. Most of these pupae are usually poisonous.

What is the caterpillar stage?

The caterpillar stage is one of the most important stages in a butterfly’s life. This stage is also known as the feeding stage.

     Caterpillars, consume plant leaves and spend practically all of their times in searching for, and eating food. Although most caterpillars are herbivorous, a few species are carnivorous, like the Spalgis epius butterfly which eats scale insects.

    During this stage, caterpillars are very active, so they need food and oxygen to grow and remain alive. Caterpillars mature through a series of developmental stages known as instars. They do not have lungs like mammals. Hence they breathe in air through tiny holes called spiracles, at the sides of their bodies.

       They get a sense of direction due to the sense organ in their head.

Why do butterflies lay a lot of eggs?

Butterflies lay almost a thousand eggs, but only a few of them survive. Most female butterflies lay eggs on leaves.

     A few of them release their eggs while flying. One such example is the grass feeding butterflies. Some species lay one egg at a time, others lay eggs in a small clusters, while others lay hundreds at a time.

     First, the female butterflies choose the correct food plant for their caterpillars. Then they walk on the leaves carefully, to make sure it belongs to the right plant species. The newly laid eggs are yellowish-white in colour. The eggs are protected by a hard-ridged outer layer of shell, called the chorion. This is lined with a coating of wax, which prevents the egg from drying out before the larva has had time to fully develop.

    The egg stage lasts a few weeks in most butterflies, but eggs laid close to winter, go through a resting stage, and the hatching may take place only in spring

Why do we find butterflies so interesting?

The butterfly has a wonderful life cycle which has four different stages. From an egg, it becomes a caterpillar, then a pupa, and finally, a butterfly.

       Butterflies in their first stage look completely different from the final stage. Fully grown butterflies lay eggs on the food plant. Their larvae, also known as caterpillars, feed from these plants. They may eat once or twice their own weight in leaves each day. The caterpillars grow very fast. They may shed their skins four or five times.

        When they become fully developed, they enter the third stage in their life cycle, called pupa. It’s a state of complete rest. Different types of caterpillars pupate in different ways. Some rest in their cocoons, which they make using thread from their mouths. Others hide in hollow parts of trees. The pupa stage may last from weeks to months.

      It is during this pupa stage, that the caterpillar grows into a beautiful butterfly. When it comes out, it will be wet. After its wings have expanded and dries, it flies away immediately.

      Some types of butterflies in the tropical areas have several generations in a year, while others have a single generation. In some cold regions, it takes them several years to complete their whole life cycle

What are the differences between butterflies and dragonflies?

Even though both butterflies and dragonflies are insects, both of them belong to different orders. Butterflies belong to the order Lepidoptera and dragonflies belong to the order Odonata.

      Butterflies and dragonflies differ in their life cycles. They also differ in their choices of habitat, diet, and morphology. Butterflies can be found in various environments ranging from rainforests to mountains.

      Dragonflies like to be around moist areas such as wetlands, ponds, streams, and lakes. Butterflies will uncoil their proboscis or feeding tube and drink nectar from flowers, whereas dragonflies much prefer flying insects like bees.

          Dragonflies have two pairs of wings that are transparent, straight, and have few veins. But the wings of butterflies are scaly

What makes butterflies different from other insects?

Butterflies are insects that belong to an order named Lepidoptera, which includes moths too.

      Even though butterflies belong to the ‘insect’ category, they are significantly different from other insects. All insects have three main divisions to their bodies: head, thorax, and abdomen. Insects have their skeleton around the bodies, not inside them, like the mammals.

      Structurally, butterflies are like all other insects, but their most important difference is the scale covering on wings and body. Unlike other insects, they also have the ability to coil up their feeding tube, or proboscis. All insects have six legs attached to the thorax, although some butterflies have shortened front legs.

     The world’s most abundant creatures are the insects, whose known species outnumber all other animals and the plants combined.

Why are butterflies known as flying flowers?

Butterflies are known as flying flowers because of their colorful bodies and wings.

     They come under the category of ‘insect’. A butterfly has six legs, four wings, and two antennae.

      The thin, delicate lines that make them colorful are called scales. Most butterflies are harmless. You can find butterflies every-where in the world, except Antarctica. Butterflies are also an important part of nature because they make the flowers bloom by cross pollination. Cross pollination means, pollinating a flower or plant with pollen from another flower or plant.