Indian Animals

Slender Banana Slug | Mollusca

2011-07-19T19:06:00.002+05:30

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Mollusca
Class: Gastropada
Order: Stylommatophora
Family:Arionidae
genus: Ariliomax
species: dolichophallus

Common name: slender banana slug

Where they live: Found common on the forest floor.

Uses: Molluscs, especially bivalves such as clams and mussels, have been an important food source since at least the advent of anatomically modern humans and this has often resulted in over-fishing.

Soybean Cyst Nematode | Nemata

2011-07-19T18:22:00.002+05:30

Definition: Two openings, developed nervous system

Description of where it lives: it is distributed throughout the world.

It is found in China, Japan, South America, and Canada

Common Name: Soybean Cyst Nematode

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Nemata
Class: Secernetea
Order: Tylenchida
Family: Heteroderidae
Genus: Heterodera
Species: glycines

Important Facts About Annelida | Grey Worm

2011-07-19T18:02:00.002+05:30

Definition: Two openings for food/waste, circulatory system

Description of where it lives: it is often found in the dirt
of the forest floor.

Common Name: Grey Worm

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Annelida
Class: Clitellata
Order: Opisthopora
Family: Lumbricidae
Genus: Aporrectodea
Species: caliginosa

Important Key Facts About Annelida

There are about 12,400 species of annelid, all of which are vermiform, or soft bodied.

The repition of segments in annelid is called metamerism

Annelid segments are seperated by septa. Septa is defined as "a thin partition or membrane that divides two cavities or soft masses of tissue in an organism."

Most polycheate annelids have seperate sexes. (male and female)

Impala | Aepyceros | Melampus

2010-11-12T18:36:00.003+05:30

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION
COMMON NAME: Impala
KINGDOM: Animalia
PHYLUM: Chordata
CLASS: Mammalia
ORDER: Artiodactyla
FAMILY: Bovidae
GENUS SPECIES: Aepyceros (long, lyre-shaped horns) Melampus (black-footed)

DESCRIPTION: The impala is a medium-sized antelope with a dark brown back fading to a medium brown flank and a white underbelly.
MALE Only the males have horns
SIZE: MALE 58-70 cm (23-28 in.) | FEMALE 58-64 cm (23-25 in.)
WEIGHT: MALE 45.5-79.5 kg (100-175 lb.) | FEMALE Smaller and lighter than males
DIET: Includes grasses, herbs, shrubs, and fruits
GESTATION: Gestation lasts approximately 6-7 months; female typically gives birth to a single offspring
SEXUAL MATURITY: Approximately 13 months, but rarely reproduces before 2 years
LIFE SPAN: 12-17 years
RANGE: Southern and Eastern Africa
HABITAT: Inhabits dry forests, gallery forests, level and mountain country
POPULATION: GLOBAL Unknown
STATUS: IUCN Lower Risk/Conservation Dependent

Impalas are an important food source for many larger predators, especially cheetahs, lions, hyenas, etc. Young impalas may be taken by birds of prey such as Martial eagles.

These animals are probably the most common and most commonly seen antelope in eastern Africa. One subspecies, the black-faced impala is endangered, but both species suffer from over-hunting.

Interesting facts about Seahorse

2010-10-12T19:08:00.002+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Subclass: Neopterygii

Infraclass: Teleostei

Order: Syngnathiformes

Family: Syngnathidae

Subfamily: Hippocampinae

Genus: Hippocampus

Interesting facts about Seahorse

Each eye can move independently.
International protection was provided to seahorses on May 15th, 2004.
Seahorses differ in color, some are orange, red, yellow, green and even grey.
Zebra stripes and spots, are two patterns that seahorses come in.
A herd, is the term a group of seahorses are known as.
Seahorses have an interior skeleton.
Seahorses are unable to curl their tail backwards.
Seahorses belong to the Teleost suborder or bony fish group.
The average lifespan of a seahorse in the wild is estimated to be 1 to 5 years.
Seahorses beat their dorsal fins back and forth to propel themselves through the water in an upright position.
The pectoral fins are used to control steering and turning.
The food that seahorses eat pass into their digestive systems very quickly as they do not have a stomach and teeth. As the digestion procedure in seahorses is so quick they need to constantly eat to live.
Daphnia, cyclops, larvae or mysids are small living things that seahorses feed on.
A seahorse that is two weeks old can consume 3000 to 4000 brine shrimp in a day.
Seahorses have a single mate for life. Every morning, they come together, dance, change their color, twirl around with linked tails and then separate for the rest of the day.
While mating, seahorses utter musical sounds.
Mating is usually done under a full moon.
Seahorses are the only animals in the entire animal kingdom in which the male has babies. The female seahorse deposits the eggs into the male's small pouch, these eggs are then fertilized by the male.
These little creatures are at risk because about twenty-five million of them are being traded around the world, in a span of a year.

Interesting facts about Scallop

2010-10-12T19:06:00.001+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Mollusca

Class: Bivalvia

Order: Ostreoida

Suborder: Pectinina

Superfamily: Pectinoidea

Family: Pectinidae

Interesting facts about Scallop

Has 100 eyes around the edge of the shell. These eyes are probably used to detect shadows of predators such as the starfish.

Interesting facts about Platypus

2010-10-12T19:00:00.000+05:30

Classification of Platypus

Binomial Name: Ornithorhynchus anatinus

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Monotremata

Family: Ornithorhynchidae

Genus: Ornithorhynchus

Species: O. anatinus

Length (males): 50 cm (20 in)

Length (females): 43 cm (17 in)

Weight: 700 g to 2.4 kg (1.54 to 5.3 lb)

Tail: 13 cm (5 in)

Age: Around 12 years

Natural Habitat: Eastern Australia, including Tasmania.

Diet: Carnivorous

Gestation Period: Around 28 days

Number of Eggs: 1-3

Interesting facts about Platypus

Has electric sensors in its bill that can detect 0.05 microvolts. Other receptors in the bill are for touch and temperature detection.
The cochlea of the inner ear is coiled only a quarter of a turn. In man, the cochlea is coiled about 2.7 times.
A platypus swims with its eyes, ears and nostrils shut. It propels forward with the help of its forefeet. The hind feet are used for the purpose of brakes and steering.
When a platypus is on land, it turns back the webs on its front feet, in order to reveal broad nails that help it in walking.
A platypus feeds on flies, small shrimps, worms, insect larvae and small aquatic creatures.
Platypuses locate their prey with the help of electric signals from their bodies, with sensors on their bill.
Platypuses mate in the water. However, the female lays the eggs on land, in a breeding burrow up to 20m long.
The female platypus lays 1 to 3 eggs, which she incubates between her abdomen and tail.
Since the female platypus does not have nipples, its young ones suck milk from patches on the abdomen.
A platypus must consume at least one quarter of its body weight each day. This is why; it spends around 12 hrs every day looking for food.
Platypuses have been classified as "near threatened" by IUCN and are named on its Red List. The main reason for this is their susceptibility to water pollution.
Platypus is one of the few venomous mammals. The male platypus can delivers a poison, causing severe pain to humans, through a spur on its hind foot.
Platypuses live near freshwater rivers or lakes and create burrows for shelter and protection.
A platypus has a flat furry tail that stores fats for the winter season. The tail is also used as a rudder for steering.

Interesting facts about Pigeon

2010-10-12T18:56:00.001+05:30

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Columbiformes

Family: Columbidae

Species: 300

Diet: Seeds, Fruits, Insects, etc.

Natural Habitat: All around the earth, except the driest and coldest regions

Number of Offspring: 2 eggs

Age: 10 - 15 years

Age of Sexual Maturity: As early as 6 months of age

Interesting facts about Pigeon

All domestic pigeons have one common ancestor, which is the Rock Dove Pigeon.
Pigeons are known to survive for almost 10-15 years in their natural habitats. The longest recorded life-span of a pigeon was around 33 years!
Pigeons and doves are known to produce crop milk, which they use to feed their young ones. It contains a highly nutritious amount of protein and fat and is produced by both male and female.
The famous dove of the Noah’s ark was actually a homing pigeon. It has been long since regarded as a symbol of life and is considered to be a religious symbol.
Pigeons have been domesticated since times immemorial and have used to transport small messages across long distances. In fact, famous leaders of the past like Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, etc. have used pigeons to get important messages across long distances.
Pigeons are also bred for racing and can clock upto speeds ranging between 60 - 80 miles per hour. They can fly upto 80 to 600 miles in one single day.
A research recently established that trained pigeons were more than twice as reliable as humans and much swift in spotting red and yellow jackets floating on water and thus could be efficient life-savers.
With eyes mounted laterally on their heads, pigeons can view 340 degrees...everywhere except in back of their heads.
Can detect sounds as low as 0.1 Hz.

Interesting facts about Pig

2010-10-12T18:53:00.000+05:30

Tongue contains 15,000 taste buds. For comparison, the human tongue has 9,000 taste buds.
Pigs were domesticated around 7,000 BC. They were the first animals to ever be used domestically.
A pig can run a 7 minute mile.
The scream of a frightened pig can measure 115 decibels.
A female pig is called a sow, while the male is called boar. The baby of a pig is called piglet.
A full grown pig can drink up to 14 gallons of water a day.
Pigs are also fantastic swimmers, which is quite surprising considering the structure of their bodies.
The most amount of piglets born in a single litter was 34.
Pigs are the only mammals that exist in every part of the world.
Pigs can live up to 15 years they have an acute sense of smell, excellent hearing and eyesight.
Eight major pig breeds are commonly used for breeding in the United States:Berkshire, Duroc, Hampshire, Poland China, Spot, Chester White, Landrance, and Yorkshire.
A pig can’t look up at the sky.
Pigs don’t sweat.
Pigs are often regarded by scientists as being the most intelligent of livestock.

42 Interesting facts about Penguin

2010-10-12T18:44:00.000+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Infraclass:Neognathae

Order: Sphenisciformes

Family: Spheniscidae

Interesting facts about Penguin

Has a flat cornea that allows for clear vision underwater. Penguins can also see into the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum.
They make use of their flippers and head to talk to other penguins.
They feed on fish, cephalopods and krill.
Penguins swallow their food as a whole.
They have a variety of bill shapes.
Giant petrels and leopard seals are enemies of penguins.
They also call, blow and preen.
Penguins are birds that cannot fly.
They are great swimmers and divers.
Their wings work as paddle for swimming.
The torpedo shape of their body helps them swim at high speeds.
They can also waddle on land.
Penguins have two eggs.
They are born with a gland closer to their breaks.
When they saltwater, water passes by and salt is stored in the glands.
When the salt storage completely fills the gland, penguins go to a rock and knock his beak. This allows him to empty the salt content.
Male penguins take care of their chicks.
Parents take turns warming the egg.
Female penguins go for searching foods.
In cold places, males balance eggs on their feet and cover with belly flap to keep them warm.
They usually move within groups.
They eat snow as a source of fresh water.
They take small naps in the water.
Penguins don't fly, they swim.
Penguins lay eggs.
They are warm blooded like humans.
When mothers lose a chick, they steal another mother’s chick.
They are mostly found below the equator.
Penguin chicks have fluffy feathers.
Penguins have short legs and no knees.
They have good arrangement of bones in hand. This makes them flexible.
Their knees and upper legs are covered with feathers.
Their feathers are short, overlapping and tightly packed.
They are often black and white in color.
Some species have yellow feathers.
When the salt storage completely fills the gland, penguins go to a rock and knock his beak. This allows him to empty the salt content.
Male penguins take care of their chicks.
In cold places, males balance eggs on their feet and cover with belly flap to keep them warm.
They bite fiercely to defend themselves and their nests.
Penguins use sign language to communicate with each other.
Penguins use sign language to communicate with each other.
They make use of their flippers and head to talk to other penguins

Interesting facts about Octopus

2010-10-12T18:43:00.000+05:30

Retina contains 20 million photoreceptors.
The eye has a flicker fusion frequency of 70/sec in bright light.
The pupil of the eye is rectangular.
Octopus has chemoreceptors (taste receptors) on the suckers of their tentacles. By tasting this way, an octopus does not have to leave the safety of its home.

Interesting facts about Moth

2010-10-12T18:42:00.001+05:30

Noctuid Moth has a hearing range between 1,000 and 240,000 Hz.
Emperor Moth can detect pheromones up to 5 km. distant.
Silkworm Moth can detect pheromones up to 11 km. distant. This moth can detect pheromones in concentrations as low as 1 molecule of pheromone per 1017 molecules of air. A receptor cell can respond to a single molecule of the pheromone called bombykol and 200 molecules can cause a behavioral response.

Interesting facts about Fly

2010-10-12T18:38:00.000+05:30

Each eye has 3,000 lenses. (Simmons and Young, 1999)
Eye has a flicker fusion rate of 300/sec. Humans have a flicker fusion rate of only 60/sec in bright light and 24/sec in dim light. The flicker fusion rate is the frequency with which the "flicker" of an image cannot be distinguished as an individual event. Like the frame of a movie...if you slowed it down, you would see individual frames. Speed it up and you see a constantly moving image.
The small parasitic fly (Ormia ochracea) can locate sounds within a range of only 2o of the midline. (Mason et al., Nature, 410:686-690, 2001)
Blowflies taste with 3,000 sensory hairs on their feet.

Parexocoetus brachypterus | Two Wing Flying fish

2010-09-23T15:06:00.004+05:30

Two-Wing Flying fish photos | Flying fish facts

Klasifikasi ilmiah

Kerajaan: Animalia

Filum: Chordata

Kelas: Actinopterygii

Ordo: Beloniformes

Famili: Exocoetidae

Parexocoetus brachypterus

Beautiful Flying fish have fins large enough, approximately 30 45 cm. Speed "fly"

it can reach 60 km / h and a distance of 30 to 50 m,

there is even an estimate can reach hundreds of meters, with the help of the waves.

Record for the longest flight of flying fish is 45 seconds.

Fly fishing using aerodynamic body to penetrate the surface of water at high speed and large fins and a strange function like the wings to keep it flying above the waves.

Fly fishing is not really a flying animals, like birds, but only just floated. Flying fish can easily cover the distance up to 200 meters or more and can reach a height sufficient to -unintentionally - perched on the deck-deck ships.

The first reason flying fish that have 40 or more of these species is due to fly to escape or avoid the action of the marine predators like fish mackerel, tuna, swordfish and marlin. However, this fish is also wary of the threat of bird beak above it, in addition to these fish are also being hunted by fishermen in Japan and Barbados for the meal.

Mechanism of how these fish can fly too simple. Initially they will be accelerated in the water until it reaches the speed of 70 km / h assisted by flapping their tails. Once they jump on the water, fins-flippers will expand and take advantage of the wind to gain altitude. Sometimes they thumped his tail to keep the high jump and change direction.

In several species of flying fish wings on the chest also assisted in the rear wing, so the four wings of this kind beratraksi greater in the air. Although his flying ability is not far away, flying fish can fly together, with a unique formation for a distance of up to 400 meters.

Interesting facts about Grasshopper

2010-09-14T15:32:00.000+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Hexapoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Orthoptera

Suborder: Caelifera

Interesting facts about Grasshopper

Has hairs ("sensilla") all over the body to detect air movement.
Can hear up to 50,000 Hz.
They can leap twenty times the length of its body.
Grasshoppers are found everywhere instead of some cold regions near the two poles.
If you pick up a grasshopper, it will spit a brown liquid. This is often known as 'tobacco juice'.
There are 18,000 types of grasshoppers in the world.
Grasshoppers do not have ears. They sense sound with an organ known as tympanum which is present in their knees.
The sound made by grasshoppers is actually the grasshoppers rubbing their hind legs. The sound is made by male grasshoppers and not all types of grasshoppers may produce this sound.

Interesting facts about Frog

2010-09-14T15:22:00.002+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Subclass: Lissamphibia

Order: Anura

Suborders :Archaeobatrachia, Mesobatrachia, Neobatrachia

Interesting facts about Frog

Has an eardrum (tympanic membrane) on the outside of the body behind the eye.
Frogs don’t drink water they absorb it through their skin.
Frog bones form a ring when the frog is hibernating, just like trees do. Scientists can use these rings to figure out the age of a frog.

Interesting facts about Humans | Homo sapiens

2010-09-07T17:32:00.002+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Family: Hominidae

Subfamily: Homininae

Tribe: Hominini

Genus: Homo

Species: H. sapiens

Trinomial name: Homo sapiens

115 Interesting facts about humans

If you are right handed, you will tend to chew your food on your right side. If you are left handed, you will tend to chew your food on your left side.
If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. For when a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off.
Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.
Your tongue is germ free only if it is pink. If it is white there is a thin film of bacteria on it.
The pupil of the eye expands as much as 45 percent when a person looks at something pleasing.
The average person who stops smoking requires one hour less sleep a night.
Laughing lowers levels of stress hormones and strengthens the immune system. Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15 to 100 times a day.
The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear.
Men’s shirts have the buttons on the right, but women’s shirts have the buttons on the left.
The color blue has a calming effect. It causes the brain to release calming hormones.
Every time you sneeze some of your brain cells die.
Your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart.
When you blush, the lining of your stomach also turns red.
The attachment of the human skin to muscles is what causes dimples.
The sound you hear when you crack your knuckles is actually the sound of nitrogen gas bubbles bursting.
Human hair and fingernails continue to grow after death.
It takes about 20 seconds for a red blood cell to circle the whole body.
The only part of the body that has no blood supply is the cornea in the eye. It takes in oxygen directly from the air.
Every day 200 million couples make love, 400,000 babies are born, and 140,000 people die.
Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.
The average person laughs 13 times a day.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
Whip makes a cracking sound because its tip moves faster than the speed of sound.
The human heart creates enough pressure while pumping to squirt blood 30 feet!!
People with higher number of moles tend to live longer than people with lesser number of moles.
Humans were first infected with the HIV virus in the 1930s.
Thinking about your muscles can make you stronger.
We are about 1 cm taller in the morning than in the evening. Layers of cartilage in the joints gets compressed during the day.
There are approx. 550 hairs in the eyebrow.
The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue.
The life span of a taste bud is 10 days.
The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.
The largest known kidney stone weighed 1.36 kilograms.
Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.
Kidney stones come in any color--from yellow to brown.
Babies are born without kneecaps. They appear when the child is 2-6 years of age.
Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second!
The average human produces 10,000 gallons of saliva in a lifetime.
If you ate too many carrots you would turn orange.
The force of 1 billion people jumping at the same time is equal to 500 tons of TNT.
A baby is born every seven seconds.
You can tell if a skunk is about if you smell only .000000000000071 ounce of its spray.
You breathe about 10 million times a year.
The colder the room you sleep in, the better the chances are that you'll have a bad dream.
The foot is the most common body part bitten by insects.
The most common time for a wake up call is 7 a.m.
The typical person goes to the bathroom 6 times a day.
The fastest growing nail is on the middle finger.
The most sensitive finger on the human hand is the index finger.
The human body weighs 40 times more than the brain.
After eating too much, your hearing is less sharp.
A person swallows approx. 295 times while eating dinner.
Your urine will turn bright yellow if you eat too much asparagus.
There are more people alive today than have ever died.
The human body is better suited to two four-hour sleep cycles than one eight-hour one.
A man's beard contains between 7000 and 15,000 hairs.
A beard grows an average of 140mm a year
A hair is 70 per cent easier to cut when soaked in warm water for two minutes
Women's hair is about half the diameter of men's hair
During an average lifetime, a man will spend 3,350 hours removing 8.4 meters of stubble
4.5 million people have their health 'adversely affected' by air pollutants each year.
4 million children die each year from inhaling smoke from indoor cooking fires that burn wood and Dung
4 million people die annually from diarrhea infections, caused by poor sanitary conditions
The hardest bone in the human body is the jawbone.
Your Hand Can Have A Mind On Its Own
You Could Remove A Large Part of Your Internal Organs and Survive
The Strong Contraction of Your Heart Creates Enough Pressure To Squirt Blood As Far As 30 Feet
You Can Still Have An Erection After Death
Heart Attacks Are More Likely To Happen On Monday
Three Hundred Million Cells Die In Your Body Every Minute
Babies Have More Bones Than You Do
Your Hair Is Almost Indestructible
You Can Survive Without Food But Not Without Sleep
If stomachs did not have a lining of mucus, your stomach would digest itself.
There are 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body.
It takes about 60 seconds for a human blood cell to make a complete circuit of the body.
The average person will shed 40 pounds of skin in his/her lifetime.
1/15th of a pint of blood is pumped with every heartbeat.
Humans share 98.4% of our DNA with chimps. In comparison, we share 70% of our DNA with a slug.
The lightest baby to survive weighed a mere 283 grams.
On average, women say 7,000 words per day while men manage just over 2,000 words.
The human brain uses 20% of the body’s energy but is only 2% of the body’s weight.
On average, humans lose 40-100 strands of hair per day.
A sneeze can exceed the speed of 100mph.
A cough can reach the speed of 60mph.
The average person will drink about 16,000 gallons of water in his/her lifetime.
It takes 17 muscles to smile while taking 43 muscles to frown.
The human brain is composed of 75% water.
Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.
More germs are transferred while shaking hands compared to kissing.
There are approximately 550 hairs in a person’s eyebrow.
The strongest muscle in the human body is the tongue.
The number of eye blinks varies greatly from about 29 blinks each minute if you are talking to someone to only 4 blinks each minute if you are reading.
The average human blinks 25 times per minute.
A nail takes around 6 months to grow from base to the tip.
Each second 10,000,000 cells die and are replaced in your body.
Your liver performs over 500 functions in your body.
The average person spends 1/3 of their lifetime sleeping.
Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.
Your right lung takes in more air than your left one does.
The tooth is the only part of the human body that can’t repair itself.
One human hair can support 3kg.
Humans are the only animals that cry tears and blush.
It takes the interaction of 72 different muscles to produce human speech.
If the normal one hundred thousand hairs on a head were woven into a rope, it could support a weight of more than twelve tons.
The fingernail grows about 1.5 inches per year.
The total amount of skin covering an adult human weighs 6 lbs.
The average person flexes the joints in their fingers 24 million times during a lifetime.
Each person inhales about seven quarts of air every minute.
On average, we breathe between 12 and 18 times a minute.
The average guy will grow about 27 feet of hair out of his face during his lifetime.
Approximately 1 out of 25 people suffers from asthma.
The average man sweats 2 1/2 quarts every day.
One out of every hundred American citizens is color blind.
A human heart beats 100,000 times a day.

Falcon | Falco berigora | Falco peregrinus

2010-09-07T17:18:00.001+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Falconiformes

FAMILY: Falconidae

GENUS SPECIES: Falco peregrinus / Falco berigora

Amazing Facts about Falcon

Can see a 10 cm. object from a distance of 1.5 km.
Visual acuity is 2.6 times better than human.
Can see sharp images even when diving at 100 miles/hr.
Falcon's scientific name comes from the Latin word, "Falco Peregrinus" which means wandering falcon, traveler, or foreigner.
There are 39 species of falcon - the Peregrine is one of five commonly found in Canada. There are 3 subspecies of Peregrines ~ American, Artic and Peale's.
5 types of falcons live in the U.S. ~ gyrfalcon, peregrine, merlin, American kestrel, and prairie falcon
Peregrines are the most well known of the falcons.
Some like to migrate south to Latin America in the winter. They can migrate as far as 10,000 miles ~ farther than other birds.
Peregrines can live up to 17 years.
The female is called a falcon, the male is called a tiercel.
They vary in size depending on where they live ~ the biggest are in Alaska.
Their wings are thin and pointed, and span about 40 inches.
Slim birds with a small head. The male is about 1/3 the size of the female. Their bodies average 15 - 21 inches long and weigh about 2 pounds. The female will weigh about 10.6 ounces more than the male.
Adult Peregrines have blue-gray wings, backs, and heads, with white undersides marked with black bars going across the chest. There faces are white under their chin. They have large, dark eyes and very sharp beaks and yellow talons (feet).
Peregrines make a "kek-kek-kek" noise, especially when angry or aggressive.
They have very good eye sight ~ they can spot a meal up to a mile away.
They are raptors (Latin meaning "to seize") - birds of prey / carnivores - and eat other birds ~ sparrows, starlings, gulls, ducks, and their favorite, pigeons. In fact, during WWII they were often shot in England to keep them from eating the pigeons that were carrying important messages to the forces.
Falcons are the swiftest birds of prey and are very muscular. In level flight the travel about 50 kilometers (31 miles) an hour. In a dive, called a "stoop" they reach speeds over 300 kilometers (186.33 miles) an hour!
They have a unique way of hunting for food ~ they dive at their prey so fast that they overtake it by surprise, catching it in mid-air, and the speed kills the prey instantly. They are diurnal - they hunt during the day. The capture takes less than 2 minutes!
An adult eats about 70 grams (2 1/4 oz.) of food a day ~ that equals about 2 blackbirds.
In the city it has been observed that falcons don't like to land on the ground ~ even if their meal falls to the ground, they won't go get it. In fact, they don't usually fly lower than the level of their nest.
They are at the top of the food chain, so adult peregrines have no natural predators. They do however, face many threats from humans ~ use of pesticides, altering of landscape and habitats, egg collecting, hunting, and taking of the young for falconry. Baby falcons (eyases) are a tasty meal for owls, racoons, and mountail cats.

Elephant | Loxodonta africana | Elephas maximus indicus

2010-09-07T17:12:00.002+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Proboscidea

Family: Elephantidae

Genus: Elephas

Species: E. maximus

Subspecies: E. m. indicus

Trinomial name : Elephas maximus indicus / Loxodonta africana

Elephants are mammals, and the largest land animals alive today

Amazing Facts about Elephants

Has hearing range between 1 and 20,000 Hz. The very low frequency sounds are in the "infrasound" range.
Humans cannot hear sounds in the infrasound range.
Elephant Facts ... Did You know ?
Elephants stomp when they walk.
Elephants sleep standing up.
Sometimes baby elephants lie down to sleep.
Elephants bathe. Sometimes the spray dirt on themselves to get the parasites off. Sometimes they bathe in mud
Elephants live in herds.
They cool off by fanning their ears. This cools the blood in their ears. That blood goes to the rest of their body and cools off the elephant.
They poop 80 pounds in one day.
Elephants weigh 10,000 pounds. It would take 250 students to add up to 10,000 pounds.
They collect food with their trunks.
Only grown up ladies and their babies live in the herds.
The daddy elephants leave the herd when they are 12 years old.
They fight with their tusks.
They eat grass and bark.
During the wet season they eat things low to the ground.
During the dry season they use their trunk to gather food from trees and bushes.
They suck up water into their trunks and shoot it into their mouths.
Elephants need lots of room to roam and eat. (Some of us think that this must mean they are not happy in the zoo or in the circus.)
They can run 24mph for short distances.

Amazing Facts about Eagle

2010-09-07T16:57:00.001+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Falconiformes ( or Accipitriformes)

Family: Accipitridae

Eagles are large birds of prey which are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species (the Bald and Golden Eagles) can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in Central and South America, and three in Australia.

Amazing Facts about Eagle

Eyeball length = 35 mm (human eyeball length = 24 mm)
Visual acuity is 2.0 to 3.6 times better (depending on the type of eagel) than that of humans.
Bald Eagles are not really bald. Their head is actually covered with white feathers. The white feathers on their head comes when they are 5 or 6 years old. Baby eagles are partially covered with down, but when they leave the nest, they have dark feathers all over. The female can be one third larger than the male. They have wide long wings that help them stay in the air. A Bald Eagles wing span is normally 8 feet.
Usually they live near the sea. They only live in trees 75 feet or higher. Bald Eagles add to their nest over and over. Sometimes it can take a pair of eagles as long as six weeks to build their nest for the first time. The eyrie is the large nest made of sticks and lined with twigs and green grass. The heaviest nest ever found is 1 ton. (That's 2000 pounds!)
They mate for life. The female may lay from one to three eggs and raises one brood (group) a year. If these eggs are destroyed the female may lay more eggs. It takes four weeks for an eagle egg to hatch. Eaglets grow slowly and need a large amount of food.
Bald Eagles normally eat fish. Sometimes they will eat snakes and smaller birds. They have long sharp beaks and curved talons to help hold prey. They can fly with 8 pounds of food. Bald Eagles help man by catching rodents and rabbits that destroy grain fields.
Eagles have great eyesight that helps them see for one to one and a half miles away. (Thus the term eagles eye) They can dive at 100 miles per hour. Their eyesight and diving ability help them catch food.

Amazing facts about EarthwormsEarthworm | Lumbricus terrestris

2010-09-07T16:23:00.002+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Annelida

Class: Clitellata

tOrder: Haplotaxida

Suborder: Lumbricina

Families: 18

Number of Hearts: 9

Size: Up to 14 in (35 cm)

Weight: Up to 11.2 g (0.39 oz)

Natural Habitat: Throughout the world

Diet: Herbivorous

Lumbricus terrestris

Interesting & Amazing facts about Earthworms

Earthworms can survive only in moist soil. However, too much moisture is also not good for them.
Rototilling of the soil can be harmful to earthworms.
Earthworms are hermaphrodites i.e. a single individual has both female and male organs.
An earthworm can replace or replicate lost segments. However, the extent of this ability depends upon the species as well as the amount of damage.
Even though earthworms are hermaphrodites, they need to mate with another worm to produce offspring.
Earthworms do not have eyes, but are extremely light sensitive.
An earthworm can consume as much as one third of its body weight in a single day.
Earthworms usually come out of the dirt after excessive rain storms, since the soil becomes too moist for them to survive.
Earthworms can be found in almost every type of soil. At the same time, their number greatly increases with the improvement in the health of the soil.
An earthworm does not have lungs. Rather, it breathes through its skin.
There are basically four types of earthworms - Nightcrawlers, Garden Worms, Manure Worms and Red Worms.
After digestion, earthworms produce excrement that is about the same size as a pin head.
In times of drought, an earthworm can dig deep into its burrow, which can be as deep as six feet.
Entire body covered with chemoreceptors (taste receptors).

Amazing Facts about Dragonfly

2010-09-07T13:17:00.002+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Odonata
Suborder: Epiprocta
Infraorder: Anisoptera

Amazing Facts about Dragonfly

Eye contains 30,000 lenses.
A bee flaps its wings about 300 times per second, but a dragonfly flaps its wings at only about 30 beats per second. (fact, dragonflies have two sets of wings so they don’t have to beat them as much to fly.)
A dragonfly is a very strong and good flyer, and can fly at speeds of up to 36 miles per hour. (fact, but not all dragonflies are that fast – one was clocked at this speed in Australia)
Dragonflies are known as snake doctors because they can bring dead snakes back to life. (myth)
There were huge dinosaur dragonflies that lived 300 million years ago. (fact – the largest fossil found had a 2 ½ foot wingspan, and currently there are dragonflies in Costa Rica that measure 7 ½ inches across the wings.)
Dragonflies have huge stingers and some people are allergic to their stings and can die. (myth – the thing that looks like a stinger on a dragonfly is actually called a clasper and the male dragonfly uses it to hold onto the female when they are mating.)
There are about 5,000 different species of dragonflies all over the world except in Antarctica. 450 of the species can be found in the United States and about 80 species in British Columbia. (fact, most of the 5,000 species are found in remote, tropical areas.)
A dragonfly’s eyes have about 30,000 lenses and a dragonfly can see all the way around it, but they don’t see details very well. (fact, a human eye only has one lens and sees better than a dragonfly, but only to the front and side of them.)
From the time a dragonfly egg hatches, it can live anywhere from six months to six years, but only about two months as an actual dragonfly. (fact, most of the time spent is as a nymph in the water before the dragonfly’s metamorphosis into a full grown dragonfly.)
In the old days, dragonflies would seek out bad kids and sew their mouths together with their claspers while they slept. Dragonflies were known as the devil’s darning needles. (myth – dragonflies don’t have pockets to carry the thread to the beds of sleeping wicked children.)
A dragonfly’s scientific name is Odonta, which comes from the words “tooth-jawed” because the entomologist (insect scientist), Johann Christian Fabricius, who named them studied the dragonflies’ mouths in order to distinguish the different species. Now their wings are studied as well to classify dragonflies. (fact – other names for dragonflies around the world are water dipper in England, old glassy in China, and the ancient Celts called dragonflies big needle of wings.)

Common species

Southern hemisphere
Common Spreadwing Lestes plagiatus
Common Threadtail Elattoneura glauca
Goldtail Allocnemis leucosticta
Swamp Bluet Africallagma glaucum
Pinhey's Whisp Agriocnemis pinheyi
Black-tailed Bluet Azuragrion nigridorsum
Common Citril Ceriagrion glabrum
Yellow-faced Sprite Pseudagrion citricola
Gambel's Sprite Pseudagrion gamblesi
Hagen's Sprite Pseudagrion hageni
Hamon's Sprite Pseudagrion hamoni
Kersten's Sprite Pseudagrion kersteni
Masai Sprite Pseudagrion massaicum
Pseudagrina\atal Sprite Pseudagrion spernatum
Orange Emperor Anax speratus
Common Thorntail Ceratogomphus pictus
jack Notogomphus praetorius
Paragomphus cog panorpoides and Acisoma trifidum
Banded Groundling Brachythemis leucosticta
Broad Scarlet Crocothemis erythraea
Little Scarlet Crocothemis sang
Blck Percher Diplacodes lefebvrii
Black-tailed Skisciothemis farinosa
Two-striped Skimmer Orthetrum caffrum
Epaulet Skimmer Orthetrum chrysostigma
Julia Skimmer Orthetrum julia
Palpopleura p\ithemis arteriosa
Dropwing Trithemis furva
Kirby's Dropwing Trithemis kirbyi
Jaunty Dropwing Trithemis stictica

Northern hemisphere
Broad-bodied ChaserEmperor, Anax imperator
Keeled Skimmer, Orthetrum coerulescens
Black-tailed Skimmer, Orthetrum cancellatum
Common Whitetail, Libellula lydia
Migrant Hawker, Aeshna mixta
Azure Hawker, Aeshna caerulea
Southern Hawker, Aeshna cyanea
Norfolk Hawker, Aeshna isosceles
Common Hawker, Aeshna juncea
Red-veined Darter, Sympetrum fonscolombii
Common Darter, Sympetrum striolatum
Vagrant Darter, Sympetrum vulgatum
Yellow-winged Darter, Sympetrum flaveolum
Broad-bodied Chaser, Libellula depressa
Four-spotted Chaser, Libellula quadrimaculata
Scarce Chaser, Libellula fulva
Green Darner, Anax junius
Downy Emerald, Cordulia aenea
Blue-eyed Darner, Aeshna multicolor
Roseate Skimmer, Orthemis ferruginea
Widow Skimmer, Libellula luctuosa
Great Pondhawk, Erythemis vesiculosa
Comet Darner, Anax longipes
Banded Pennant, Celithemis fasciata
Somatochlora margarita, Somatochlora margarita

Amazing Facts about Dolphin

2010-09-07T13:05:00.002+05:30

Suborder Odontoceti, toothed whales

Family Delphinidae, oceanic dolphins

Genus Delphinus

Long-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus capensis

Short-Beaked Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis

Genus Tursiops

Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops truncatus

Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, Tursiops aduncus

Genus Lissodelphis

Northern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissodelphis borealis

Southern Rightwhale Dolphin, Lissodelphis peronii

Genus Sotalia

Tucuxi, Sotalia fluviatilis

Costero, Sotalia guianensis

Genus Sousa

Indo-Pacific Hump-backed Dolphin, Sousa chinensis

Chinese White Dolphin (the Chinese variant), Sousa chinensis chinensis

Atlantic Humpbacked Dolphin, Sousa teuszii

Genus Stenella

Atlantic Spotted Dolphin, Stenella frontalis

Clymene Dolphin, Stenella clymene

Pantropical Spotted Dolphin, Stenella attenuata

Spinner Dolphin, Stenella longirostris

Striped Dolphin, Stenella coeruleoalba

Genus Steno

Rough-Toothed Dolphin, Steno bredanensis

Genus Cephalorhynchus

Chilean Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus eutropia

Commerson's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus commersonii

Heaviside's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus heavisidii

Hector's Dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori

Genus Grampus

Risso's Dolphin, Grampus griseus

Genus Lagenodelphis

Fraser's Dolphin, Lagenodelphis hosei

Genus Lagenorhynchus

Atlantic White-Sided Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus acutus

Dusky Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obscurus

Hourglass Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus cruciger

Pacific White-Sided Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus obliquidens

Peale's Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus australis

White-Beaked Dolphin, Lagenorhynchus albirostris

Genus Orcaella

Australian Snubfin Dolphin, Orcaella heinsohni

Irrawaddy Dolphin, Orcaella brevirostris

Genus Peponocephala

Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephala electra

Genus Orcinus

Killer Whale (Orca), Orcinus orca

Genus Feresa

Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuata

Genus Pseudorca

False Killer Whale, Pseudorca crassidens

Genus Globicephala

Long-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melas

Short-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus

Genus Australodelphis

Australodelphis mirus

Family Platanistidae

Ganges and Indus River Dolphin, Platanista gangetica with two subspecies

Ganges River Dolphin (or Susu), Platanista gangetica gangetica

Indus River Dolphin (or Bhulan), Platanista gangetica minor

Family Iniidae

Amazon River Dolphin (or Boto), Inia geoffrensis

Family Lipotidae

Baiji (or Chinese River Dolphin), Lipotes vexillifer (possibly extinct, since December 2006)

Family Pontoporiidae

La Plata Dolphin (or Franciscana), Pontoporia blainvillei

Six species in the family Delphinidae are commonly called "whales" but genetically are dolphins. They are sometimes called blackfish.

Melon-headed Whale, Peponocephala electra

Killer Whale (Orca), Orcinus orca

Wolphin Kawili'Kai at the Sea Life Park in Hawaii.

Pygmy Killer Whale, Feresa attenuata

Wolphin Kawili'Kai at the Sea Life Park in Hawaii.

False Killer Whale, Pseudorca crassidens

Long-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala melas

Short-finned Pilot Whale, Globicephala macrorhynchus

Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in seventeen genera. They vary in size from 1.2 m (4 ft) and 40 kg (90 lb) (Maui's Dolphin), up to 9.5 m (30 ft) and 10 tonnes (9.8 LT; 11 ST) (the Orca or Killer Whale). They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating fish and squid. The family Delphinidae is the largest in the Cetacean order, and relatively recent: dolphins evolved about ten million years ago, during the Miocene. Dolphins are among the most intelligent animals and their often friendly appearance and seemingly playful attitude have made them popular in human culture

Amazing Facts about Dolphin

Like bats, dolphins use echolocation for movement and locating objects.
Can hear frequencies up to at least 100,000 Hz.
dolphins are mammals? They give birth to live young and nurse them with milk.
dolphins have to come up to the surface to breathe? Most dolphins surface every few minutes, but they can stay under water for up to 15 minutes. A dolphin breathes through the blowhole on top of its head.
dolphins evolved from land animals? The land ancestor of the dolphin lived about 50 million years ago and looked a little like a wolf. This animal hunted in shallow waters and by and by adapted itself to life in water: the forelegs became flippers, the hindlegs disappeared and the fluke evolved, the fur disappeared and the nostrils moved to the top of the head.
dolphins use echolocation to navigate and to find food? Dolphins send out clicks that are returned from other objects in the water (just like an echo). This way a dolphin can locate food, other dolphins, predators or rocks.
dolphins live in families? These families are usually led by a female dolphin. The dolphins in a family help each other, for example when raising their young. When travelling or hunting, several families might join together to make a larger group, a school of dolphins.
the largest dolphin is the orca? It can reach up to ten metres in length. For more information on this dolphin, read our text about orcas.
… dolphins have a thick layer of fat beneath their skin? This layer of fat is called blubber. As dolphins have no fur, they need the blubber to keep warm. Dolphins in colder waters usually have a thicker layer of fat than dolphins in warm waters.
dolphins are endangered? Humans are the greatest threat to dolphins: environmental pollution, habitat destruction and overfishing are the main reasons why so many dolphin species are endangered. Lots of dolphins get stuck in fishing nets and in some countries, dolphins are deliberately killed because they eat the fish that the fishermen want to catch. If we do not do anything about it, dolphins might soon be extinct.
not all dolphins live in seawater? There are some species that live in fresh water: the river dolphins. Unfortunately, river dolphins are critically endangered and it is even feared that one species, the baiji, has already died out.
you can help to protect dolphins? Educate yourself about these animals and tell others about them. Care more about our environment and start to recycle more things. Raise money for an organisation that helps to support dolphins.

Amazing Facts about Dog

2010-09-07T12:59:00.001+05:30

109 Amazing Facts about Dog

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Canidae

Genus: Canis

Species: C. lupus

Subspecies: C. l. familiaris

Trinomial name : Canis lupus familiaris

Amazing Facts about Dog

Has olfactory membrane up to 150 sq. cm.
Can hear sound as high as 40,000 Hz.
Dogs have social and impulsive internal structures that are similar to those of human being's, and this allows us to understand their behavior.
Many dog owners treat their dogs the wrong way as if they were children when the truth is that dogs are a completely different species.
All dogs have a strong need to be around others whether it is humans or other animals and if they are isolated from social contact, they can start escaping from the house or their behavior changes in search of attention from the owner.
A dog's sense of smell is about thirty seven times stronger than ahuman's.
The areas of the brain that process the signals that come from the dogs nose are much bigger in size and complex than those same areas in the human mind.
Fearful dogs tend to have problems capturing and communicating messages to other dogs and this often times leads to a fight.
When a dog wags his tail it means the dog is excited. This does not mean though, that the dog is trying to be friendly, and it is important to learn how to interpret the rest of the dog's body language before getting close to a dog that is wagging his tail.
Some signals dogs do such as inclining themselves and bending their front legs are seen in all dogs around the world. These types of universal signals do not need to be learned because dogs everywhere understand them.
Dogs that are well trained learn to adjust their behavior in order to be accepted by other dogs.
Compared to children, dogs have less capacity to understand the sounds and signs and it is very difficult for them to learn words like "Sit", "Heel" etc.
It is a myth that dogs are color blind. They can actually see in color, just not as vividly as humans. It is akin to our vision at dusk.
Dogs DO have better low-light vision than humans because of a special light-reflecting layer behind their retinas
A German Shepherd guide dog led her blind companion the entire 2100 mile Applachian Trail
If never spayed or neutered, a female dog, her mate, and their puppies could product over 66,000 dogs in 6 years!
Dogs’ only sweat glands are between their paw pads
Like human babies, Chihuahuas are born with a soft spot in their skull which closes with age
The breed Lundehune has 6 toes and can close its ears
Teddy Roosevelt’s dog, Pete, ripped a French ambassador’s pants off at the White House
President Lyndon Johnson had two beagles named Him and Her
Franklin Roosevelt spent $15,000 for a destroyer to pick up his Scottie in the Aleutian Islands
In Roman times, mastiffs donned light armor and were sent after mounted knights
The Russians trained dogs during WWII to run suicide missions with mines strapped to their backs
A dog’s mouth exerts 150-200 pounds of pressure per square inch with some dogs exerting up to 450 pounds per squre inch.
A one year old dog is as mature, physically, as a 15 year old human
The U.S. has the highest dog population in the world
France has the 2nd highest
The average city dog lives 3 years longer than a country dog
87% of dog owners say their dog curls up beside them or at their feet while they watch T.V.
Dogs can be trained to detect epileptic seizures
15 people die in the U.S. every year from dog bites
In 2002 alone, more people in the U.S. were killed by dogs than by sharks in the past 100 years
Gidget is the name of the Taco Bell dog
Newfoundlands are great swimmers because of their webbed feet
Basset Hounds cannot swim
Greyhounds are the fastest dogs on earth, with speeds of up to 45 miles per hour
Bingo is the name of the dog on the side of the Cracker Jack box
The bible mentions dogs 14 times
Three dogs survived the sinking of the Titanic – a Newfoundland, a Pomeranian, and a Pekingese
The Labrador Retriever is the #1 favorite breed in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
Obesity is the #1 health problem among dogs
An estimated 1,000,000 dogs in the U.S. have been named as the primary beneficiaries in their owner’s will
An American Animal Hospital Assoc. poll found that 33% of dog owners admit to talking to their dogs on the phone and leaving answering machine messages for them while away
Dog’s nose prints are as unique as a human’s finger prints and can be used to accurately identify them
At the end of the Beatles’ song “A Day in the Life”, a high-pitched dog whistle was recorded by Paul McCartney for his sheepdog
70% of people sign their pet’s name on greeting and holiday cards
58% put pets in family and holiday portraits
There are only 350 Cisky Terriers in the world – perhaps the rarest breed
The phrase “raining cats and dogs” originated in 17th century England when it is believed that many cats and dogs drowned during heavy periods of rain.
Dogs have no sense of “time”
Humans have kept dogs as pets for over 12,000 years
The largest breed of dog is the Irish Wolfhound
The world’s smallest dog breed is the Chihuahua
The St. Bernard is the heaviest
Only dogs and humans have prostates
But dogs do not have an appendix
Every dog on earth likely descended from a species knows as the Tomarctus – a creature that roamed the earth over 15 million years ago
The oldest known breed is likely the Saluki – originally trained by Egyptians to help them track game.
In 1957, Laika became the first living being in space via an earth satellite while JFK’s terrir, Charlie, father 4 puppies with Laika’s daughter
An African wolf dog known as the basenji is the only dog in the world that cannot bark
There are 703 breeds of purebred dogs
Dachshunds were originally bred for fighting badgers
The world’s smartest dogs are thought to be (1) the border collie, (2) the poodle, and (3) the golden retriever while the dumbest dog is believed to be the Afghan hound
A dog’s smell is more than 100,000 times stronger than that of a human’s which they need because their eyesight is not as keen as a human’s.
Dogs judge objects first by their movement, then by their brightness, and lastly by their shape
Chocolate contains a substance known as theobromine (similar to caffeine) which can kill dogs or at the very least make them violently ill
George Washington had thirty six dogs – all foxhounds – with one named Sweetlips
All dogs are identical in anatomy – 321 bones and 42 permanent teeth
Smaller breeds mature faster than larger breeds
Female dogs are only ready to mate – “in heat” – twice a year for a total of roughly 20 days
Puppies sleep ninety percent of the day for their first few weeks
Rin Tin Tin was the first Hollywood dog star and he really signed his movie contracts – all 22 of them – with a pawprint
The Wizard of Oz’s Toto was played by a female Cairn Terrier named Terry
Up until the late 1800’s, Collies were known as Scottish Sheepdogs
Dogs have two times as many muscles to move their ears as people
The longer a dog’s nose, the more effective it’s internal cooling system
An elderly woman was saved by her 12 pound Yorkshire Terrier who fought off an 80 pound Akita and survived with only 9 stitches
U.S. Customs dogs “Rocky” and “Barco” were so good at patrolling the border that Mexican drug lords put a $300,000 bounty on their heads
Dogs are all direct descendants of wolves
Wolves and dogs can mate to produce fertal offspring
Female wolves have been known to travel great distances to regurgitate full meals for their hungry pups
Cerberus was the tri-headed dog that guarded the underworld in Greek mythology
Female dogs bear their young for 60 days before they’re born
Dogs’ sense of hearing is more than ten times more acute than a human’s
Humans can detect sounds at 20,000 times per second, while dogs can sense frequencies of 30,000 times per second.
The earliest dog fossil dates back to nearly 10,000 B.C.
Bloodhounds are prized their ability to single out and identify a number of scents simultaneously
Dalmatian puppies are born completely white.
The Ancient Chinese carried Pekingese puppies in the sleeves of their robes
Boxers are so named because of their manner of playing with their front paws
All breeds of dog have been found to attack livestock – from 3 month old puppies, all the way up to thirteen year old poodles
A dog’s heart beats up to 120 times per minute, or 50% faster than the average human heartbeat of 80 times per minute
The oldest dog on record – a Queensland “Heeler” named Bluey – was 29 years, 5 months old
Davy Crockett had a dog named Sport
Dogs were first domesticated by cavemen
Dogs live 15 years on average
Many foot disorders inn dogs are simply an issue of long toenails
More than 5,000,000 puppies are born in the U.S. every year
More than 1 in 3 American families own a dog
Average body temperature for a dog is 101.2 degrees
The Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts both offer merit badges in dog care
Dogs are natural pack animals
They are naturally submissive to any creature with higher pack status – human or canine
Dogs instinctively require the pack leader’s approval
Dogs with little human contact in the first three months typically don’t make good pets
The Chihuahua was named after the state in Mexico where they were discovered
After birth, puppies’ eyes do not fully open until they’re about 12 days old
Their vision is not fully developed until after the 1st month

Amazing Facts about Cricket | Gryllus Assimilis

2010-09-07T12:51:00.001+05:30

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Ensifera
Superfamily: Grylloidea
Family: Gryllidae

Gryllus assimilis

Amazing Facts about Cricket

Can hear using their legs; sound waves vibrate a thin membrane on the cricket's front legs.
They have a good vision and hearing.
Their compound eyes enable them to see in several directions simultaneously. These are said to foretell good luck.
They have very small wings and these lie across the back.
Along with time their legs have been developed to jump at great heights. The size varies from ½ to 1 inch. One of the species is smaller then ¼ inch.
The common house cricket is not bigger than the ½ inch range.
The field cricket is on an average 1 inch in length. The lifespan of a cricket is less than one year.

Amazing Facts about Crab | Liocarcinus vernalis

2010-09-07T12:38:00.003+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Crustacea

Class: Malacostraca

Order: Decapoda

Suborder: Pleocyemata

Infraorder: Brachyura

Liocarcinus vernalis

Amazing Facts about Crab

Has hairs on claws and other parts of the body to detect water current and vibration.
Many crabs have their eyes on the end of stalks.

Amazing Facts about Cockroach | Periplaneta americana

2010-09-03T12:02:00.002+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Subclass: Pterygota

Infraclass: Neoptera

Superorder: Dictyoptera

Order: Blattaria

Amazing Facts and Information about Cockroach

Can detect movement as small as 2,000 times the diameter of a hydrogen atom.

Cockroaches (or simply "roaches") are insects of the order Blattaria. The name derives from the Greek and Latin names for the insect.

There are about 4,500 species of cockroach, of which 30 species are associated with human habitations and about four species are well known as pests.

Amazing Facts about Chameleon

2010-09-03T11:56:00.002+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Suborder: Lacertilia

Infraorder: Iguania

Family: Chamaeleonidae

Amazing Facts about Chameleon

The eyes of the chameleon can move independently. Therefore, it can see in two different directions at the same time.

Chameleons (family Chamaeleonidae) are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a prehensile tail, crests or horns on their distinctively shaped heads, and the ability of some to change color. Uniquely adapted for climbing and visual hunting, the approximately 160 species of chameleon range from Africa, Madagascar, Spain and Portugal, across south Asia, to Sri Lanka, have been introduced to Hawaii, California and Florida, and are found in warm habitats that vary from rain forest to desert conditions.

Amazing Facts about Cat

2010-09-03T11:52:00.001+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Family: Felidae

Genus: Felis

Species: F. catus

Binomial name: Felis catus

Amazing Facts about Cat

Has hearing range between 100 and 60,000 Hz.
Olfactory membrane about 14 sq. cm. For comparison, humans have an olfactory membrane of about 4 sq. cm

Amazing Facts about Buzzard

2010-09-03T11:47:00.002+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Accipitriformes

Family: Accipitridae

Genus: Buteo

Species: B. buteo

Binomial name: Buteo buteo

Amazing Facts and Information about Buzzard:

Retina has 1 million photoreceptors per sq. mm.

Can see small rodents from a height of 15,000 ft.

Amazing Facts about butterfly

2010-09-03T11:35:00.003+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Lepidoptera

(unranked): Rhopalocera/ Subgroups

Superfamily Hedyloidea: Hedylidae

Superfamily Hesperioidea: Hesperiidae

Superfamily Papilionoidea: Papilionidae/ Pieridae/ Nymphalidae/ Lycaenidae/ Riodinidae

A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts, egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. Butterflies comprise the true butterflies (superfamily Papilionoidea), the skippers (superfamily Hesperioidea) and the moth-butterflies (superfamily Hedyloidea). All the many other families within the Lepidoptera are referred to as moths.

Butterflies exhibit polymorphism, mimicry and aposematism. Some, like the Monarch, will migrate over long distances. Some butterflies have evolved symbiotic and parasitic relationships with social insects such as ants. Some species are pests because in their larval stages they can damage domestic crops or trees; however, some species are agents of pollination of some plants, and caterpillars of a few butterflies (e.g., Harvesters) eat harmful insects. Culturally, butterflies are a popular motif in the visual and literary arts.

Amazing Facts and Information about butterfly

Has chemoreceptors (taste receptors) on its feet.

The butterfly has hairs on its wings to detect changes in air pressure.

Using vision, the butterfly Colias can distinguish two points separated by as little as 30 microns.

(Humans can distinuguish two points separated by 100 microns.)

Amazing Facts and Information about Bees

2010-09-02T15:42:00.003+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hymenoptera

Suborder: Apocrita

Superfamily: Apoidea

(unranked): Anthophila

Families:

Andrenidae

Apidae

Colletidae

Dasypodaidae

Halictidae

Megachilidae

Meganomiidae

Melittidae

Stenotritidae

Amazing Facts and Information Bees

Can see light between wavelengths 300 nm and 650 nm.
Have chemoreceptors (taste receptors) on their jaws, forelimbs and antennae.
Worker honey bees have 5,500 lenses ("ommatidia") in each eye.
Worker honey bees have a ring of iron oxide ("magnetite") in their abdomens that may be used to detect magnetic fields.
They may use this ability to detect changes in the earth's magnetic field and use it for navigation.
Can see polarized light.

Scientific classification and interesting facts about bats

2010-09-02T15:16:00.002+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Infraclass: Eutheria

Super-order: Laurasiatheria

Order: Chiroptera

Family: 18 families

Genus: 180 genera

Species: Around 1100

24 Amazing Facts and Information on Bats

Bats are the only mammal that can actually fly and make up the second largest order of mammals in the world.
A little brown bat (myotis) can eat up to 1000 mosquitoes in one hour.
A mother bat can locate her pup (baby) out of millions in a roost, by tracking down its scent and sound.
African heart-nosed bats can hear the footsteps of a beetle walking on sand, from a distance of more than six feet.
Agricultural plants like bananas, bread-fruit, mangoes, cashews, dates and figs rely on bats for pollination and seed dispersal.
Bats are extremely clean animals and groom themselves almost on a constant basis.
Bats give birth to only one baby in a year, making them one of the slowest reproducing mammals on earth for their size.
Bats seldom transmit disease to other animals or even humans.
During winter hibernation, Red Bats can withstand body temperatures as low as 23 degrees.
Frog eating bats differentiate between edible and poisonous frogs by listening to the mating calls of male frogs.
Giant flying foxes, which are native to Indonesia, have a wingspan of nearly six feet.
Many species of bats roost together in large groups, known as colonies.
Most of the bats have very good eyesight. They also have excellent echolocation skills.
Most of these bat species are so small that they would easily fit in the palm of your hand.
Some of the bats migrate to warmer climates during the winter, while the others hibernate.
Studies have indicated that the Old World fruit bats and flying foxes might have descended from early primates.
The bumblebee bat of Thailand is the smallest mammal in the world.
The droppings of bats in caves support whole ecosystems of unique organisms, including bacteria.
Honduran white bat is completely white in color, with the exception of yellow nose and ears.
The tiny woolly bats of West Africa live in the large webs of colonial spiders.
Vampire bats are one of the few mammals who risk their own lives to share food with the less fortunate roost-mates.
When hibernating, little brown bats can reduce their heart rate to 20 beats per min and even can stop breathing altogether, for 48 min at a stretch.Can detect warmth of an animal from about 16 cm away using its "nose-leaf".
Bats can also find food (insects) up to 18 ft. away and get information about the type of insect using their sense of echolocation.
Can hear frequencies between 3,000 and 120,000 Hz.

Types of Ants Species

2010-09-02T15:10:00.001+05:30

Types of Ants Species

Army Ants : The queens of the african army ant (driver ant), are the largest ants
in the world. It can be over an inch long

Fire Ants: Fire ants are stinging ants of which there are over 280 species worldwide.

Pharaoh Ants : Up to 300,000 workers with multiple queens will nest in wall and cabinet voids, behind baseboards.

Crazy Ants : Crazy ants get their name from their habit of running about very erratically with no apparent sense of direction.

Weaver Ants : Weaver ants (genus Oecophylla) are known for their communication and nest building behaviour.

Slave Maker Ants : Some ants will raid the colonies of other ants

Jack Jumper Ants : The jack jumper ant, hopper ant or jumper ant is a species of bulldog ant.

Bullet Ants : Paraponera is a genus of ant consisting of a single species, the so-called bullet ant.

Lemon Ants : species of ant that is notable for the creation of Devil's gardens.

Argentine Ant : The Argentine ant is a tiny dark ant native to northern Argentina.

Carpenter Ants : Carpenter ant workers are 1/4 inch long. The queen can be up to 3/4 inch.

Little Black Ants : A very small, black ant closely related to the Pharaoh ant.

Honey Pot Ants : A very small, black ant closely related to the Pharaoh ant.

Yellow Citronella Ants : They are found mostly in New England and the Midwest.

Big Head Ants : Big-headed ants are most often confused with fire ants.

Leaf Cutter Ants : They feed on a specialized fungus that grows only in the underground chambers of the ants nest.

Bulldog Ants : These ant were once found worldwide but is now restricted to Australia.

Gliding Ants : Gliding ants are arboreal ants of several different genera that are able to control the direction.

Atta laevigata: Atta laevigata is one of about a dozen species of leafcutter ants in the genus Atta

Thief Ant: thief ants, get their names because they often raid other ants nests.

Scientific classification and Facts About Ants

2010-09-02T14:53:00.001+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Hymenoptera

Suborder: Apocrita

Superfamily: Vespoidea

Family: Formicidae

Some Facts About Ants

There are more than 12,000 species of ants all over the world.

An ant can lift 20 times its own body weight.

Some queen ants can live for many years and have millions of babies!

Ants don’t have ears. Ants "hear" by feeling vibrations in the ground through their feet.

When ants fight, it is usually to the death!

Can detect small movement through 5 cm of earth.

Can see polarized light.

When foraging, ants leave a pheromone trail so that they know where they’ve been,

Queen ants have wings, which they shed when they start a new nest.

Ants don’t have lungs. Oxygen enters through tiny holes all over the body and carbon dioxide leaves through the same holes.

When the queen of the colony dies, the colony can only survive a few months.

Queens are rarely replaced and the workers are not able to reproduce.

About Ants

They are social insects, which means they live in large colonies or groups. Depending on the species, ant colonies can consist of millions of ants.

There are three kinds of ants in a colony: The queen, the female workers, and males. The queen and the males have wings, while the workers don’t have wings. The queen is the only ant that can lay eggs. The male ant’s job is to mate with future queen ants and they do not live very long afterwards. Once the queen grows to adulthood, she spends the rest of her life laying eggs! Depending on the species, a colony may have one queen or many queens.

Ant colonies also have soldier ants that protect the queen, defend the colony, gather or kill food, and attack enemy colonies in search for food and nesting space. If they defeat another ant colony, they take away eggs of the defeated ant colony. When the eggs hatch, the new ants become the "slave" ants for the colony. Some jobs of the colony include taking care of the eggs and babies, gathering food for the colony and building the anthills or mounds.

Elephants are Smart

2010-09-01T19:00:00.001+05:30

Elephants have the largest brain, nearly 11 pounds on average of any mammal that ever walked the earth.

Do they use that gray matter to the fullest? Intelligence is hard to quantify in humans or animals,

but the encephalization quotient (EQ), a ratio of an animal’s observed brain size to the expected brain size given the animal’s mass,

correlates well with an ability to navigate novel challenges and obstacles. The average elephant EQ is 1.88. (Humans range from 7.33 to 7.69, chimpanzees average 2.45, pigs 0.27.) Intelligence and memory are thought to go hand in hand,

suggesting that elephant memories, while not infallible, are quite good.

Parrots Understand

2010-09-01T18:59:00.001+05:30

Parrot speech is commonly regarded as the brainless squawking of a feathered voice recorder.

But studies over the past 30 years continually show that parrots engage in much more than mere mimicry.

Our avian friends can solve certain linguistic processing tasks as deftly as 4-6 year-old children.

Parrots appear to grasp concepts like “same” and “different”, “bigger” and “smaller”, “none” and numbers.

Perhaps most interestingly, they can combine labels and phrases in novel ways.

A January 2007 study in Language Sciences suggests using patterns of parrot speech learning to develop artificial speech skills in robots.

Fish can Swap Sex Organs

2010-09-01T18:57:00.000+05:30

Many Fish Swap Sex Organs

With so many land creatures to wonder at, it’s easy to forget that some of the weirdest activities take place deep in the ocean.

The strange practice of hermaphroditism is more common among species of fish than within any other group of vertebrates.

Some fish change sex in response to hormonal cycle or environmental changes.

Others simultaneously possess both male and female sex organs.

Birds Can Recognize Landmarks

2010-09-01T18:56:00.000+05:30

Birds Recognize Landmarks

Can you imagine a road trip vacation without missed exits, stubborn drivers or map-folding disasters?
Of course noteyou’re not a bird. Pigeons can fly thousands of miles to find the same roosting spot with no navigational difficulties.
Some species of birds, like the Arctic tern, make a 25,000 mile round-trip journey every year.
Many species use built-in ferromagnets to detect their orientation with respect to the Earth’s magnetic field.
A November 2006 study published in Animal Behaviour suggests that pigeons also use familiar landmarks on the ground below to help find their way home

An Elephant’s Daily Poop

2010-09-01T18:43:00.003+05:30

An Elephant’s Daily Poop

It’s not surprising to learn that elephants poop a lot; however, the actual amount of dung excreted by an adult elephant on a daily basis is shocking.

The average elephant squeezes out about 220 pounds of excrement every single day.

That’s about the same poundage as a newborn elephant, which generally weighs in at between 170 – 250 pounds.

Woodpeckers Are Soft-Headed

2010-09-01T18:39:00.001+05:30

Woodpeckers Are Soft-Headed

Woodpeckers bash their heads against wood about 20 pecks every second,
so you’d think they’d need heads made of steel to survive. Instead, the reality is that woodpecker heads are relatively soft.
Each bird is born with a soft, sponge-like mass behind its beak that absorbs the shock created by pecking.

A Wolf’s Howl Does Not Echo

2010-09-01T18:36:00.002+05:30

A Wolf’s Howl Does Not Echo

Wolves hunt in coordinated packs, so long-distance communication is critical to a successful kill.
However, wolves hunt in mountainous areas, so their howling is left vulnerable to echoes that can distort their ability to communicate.
To combat this, wolves howl at a frequency that will not echo. This allows them to confirm the exact location of their hunting partners,
which helps them to ambush unsuspecting prey.

Male Lions Mate 672 Times Per Week

2010-09-01T18:31:00.002+05:30

Male Lions Mate 672 Times Per Week

When a lion gets in the mood, there is nearly nothing that can stand in the way.

During mating season, a male lion mounts a female once every fifteen minutes for a full week straight.

This amounts to around 672 raucous episodes. Although, this feat is remarkably impressive,

it appears to take a substantial toll as lions take as much as a two-year hiatus between mating seasons.

Headless Cockroach Can Live Up To Nine Days

2010-09-01T18:27:00.001+05:30

Most people are familiar with the notion that cockroach are hearty, durable pests.

Anyone who has ever been plagued by a roach problem knows just how resilient these grotesque little creatures can be.

If you’ve ever seen roaches scatter at the flick of a late night light switch, you also know that these nasty little vermin have an amazing propensity toward copulation.

Yet, many are surprised at just how adept cockroach are at survival and reproduction.

Roaches are able to live up to nine days without a head because their brains are located deep within their body cavities.

A headless cockroach continues to mate with other fertile roaches until eventually succumbing to starvation.

Some Animals Interesting Facts

2010-09-01T18:25:00.001+05:30

Frogs have an ear drum on the outside of their head.
Sea otters always float on their backs when they eat.
Polar bears look white, but they actually have black skin.
Snakes always keep their eyes open, even when they are asleep.
Crickets have ears on their front legs.
Aardvarks can hear and smell termites and ants.
Cobras are able to kill with a bite as soon as they are born.
Flamingos have knees that can bend backward.
The pistol shrimp catches its prey by surprising it with a loud banging noise made with its claws.
Some species of Australian social spiders eat their mother when food becomes scarce.

49 Really Amazing Animals Interesting Facts

2010-09-01T18:22:00.000+05:30

The typical hen lays 19 dozen eggs a year.
The ostrich has a 46-foot long small intestine.
A scallop has 35 blue eyes.
A swan is the only bird with a penis
The left leg of a chicken in more tender than the right one.
The only dog that doesn't have a pink tongue is the chow.
Dogs and humans are the only animals with prostates.
The giraffe has the highest blood pressure of any animal.
Zebras can't see the color orange.Just one cow gives off enough harmful methane gas in a single day to fill around 400 liter bottles.
Cows can have regional accents
A domestic cat can frighten a black bear to climb a tree.
Bonobos are the only non human primates that engage in oral sex, tongue kissing, and face-to-face genital sex.
In a fight between a polar bear and a lion, the polar bear would win.
US Secret Service sniffer dogs are put up in five-star hotels during overseas presidential visits.
Dolphins sleep with one eye open.
Bulls are color blind.
Pigs can cover a mile in 7.5 minutes when running at top speed.
The shell constitutes 12 percent of an egg's weight.
A squid has 10 tentacles.
A snail's reproductive organs are in its head.
When a horned toad is angry, it squirts blood from its eyes.
There are more insects in ten square feet of a rain forest than there are people in Manhattan.
It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but not downstairs.
The smartest dogs are the Jack Russell Terrier and Scottish Border collie. Dumbest: Afgan hound.
A rat can go without water longer than a camel can.
The fat molecules in goat milk are 5 times smaller than those found in cow milk. It takes 20 minutes for the stomach to breakdown as opposed to the hour that it takes to break down cow milk.
A cow's only sweat glands are in its nose.
Mosquitoes have 47 teeth.
The Poison Arrow frog has enough poison to kill 2,200 people.
Emus can't walk backwards.
A group of unicorns is called a blessing.
A group of kangaroos is called a mob.
A group of owls is called a parliament.
A group of ravens is called a murder.
A group of bears is called a sleuth.
Twelve or more cows is called a flink.
A baby oyster is called a spat.
Some fleas have split penises like a Y shape
An elephant can be pregnant for up to 2 years
Chickens can't swallow while they are upside down.
The average garden-variety caterpillar has 248 muscles in its head.
A goldfish has a memory span of 3 seconds.
A mule won't sink in quicksand but a donkey will.
More people are killed annually by donkeys than in airplane crashes.
Animal breeders in Russia once claimed to have bred sheep with blue wool.
Penguins are the only bird that can leap into the air like porpoises.
India has 50 million monkeys.
By some unknown means, an iguana can end its own life.
Americans spend around $3 billion for cat and dog food a year.

Arabian Horse

2010-08-31T18:45:00.000+05:30

The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is one of the oldest horse breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses that resemble modern Arabians dating back 4,500 years. Throughout history, Arabian horses spread around the world by both war and trade, used to improve other breeds by adding speed, refinement, endurance, and strong bone. Today, Arabian bloodlines are found in almost every modern breed of riding horse.

Somewhere in the deserts of the Middle East, centuries ago, a breed of horse came into being. This was the Arabian horse. It belonged to a tribe called the Bedouins who lived along the banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. They are one of the oldest human-developed breeds in the world and well known for their stamina, intelligence excellent endurance and spirit.

The characteristic features of an Arabian horse make it stand above the other breeds. They have a broad forehead, large eyes, a small nose with large nostrils, and beautiful wedge-shaped heads. Its neck is slim and arched, its tail is high-carried with strong bones and it has good feet with beautiful strong hooves.

For the people who followed the Islamic religion, it was considered as a gift given by Allah, to be worshipped. Revered and cherished The Prophet instructed his followers to look after the Arabians and treat them with kindness and pay special attention to the female horses as they would ensure the continuity of the breed.

The color of the Arabians hair coat was usually gray, black, and roan or chestnut .But the skin under their hair coat was always black, as the Black skin protected it from the hot desert sun.
There are many legends and myths about Arabian horses. It is believed that the prophet Mohamed once let loose many horses that were with him near a place where water was seen .As the horses neared the water the Prophet blew the war bugle which indicated the horses to return. Hearing the bugle only five horses returned which proved how loyal they were to their master that despite their own need they chose service. Thus this is how the Arabian breed came into existence.

Others say that the breed began as a result of the gift given by Queen of Sheba to King Solomon. Due to the severe climate the wanderers had to share food and water, and sometimes even their tents with their horses in order to protect them as well as give them shelter. Due to this close relationship with humans this breed became highly intelligent, good-natured, very keen as well as quick learner.

The Prophet Mohammed had a very large say in spreading the influence of the horse throughout the world. They have been used by great personalities such as Napoleon, and George Washington. The Arabian horses were generally used for war, as well as were treated as a medium of transport in the early times. But now due to their ability to adapt themselves thoroughly they compete in many fields and have made the breed among the top ten in the world. Arabian horses are now found worldwide, including Canada, the United States, Australia, Europe, Brazil, as well as well as the Middle East.

Rottweilers Most Dangerous Dog Breed

2010-08-31T18:36:00.001+05:30

Rottweilers are known to be very aggressive dogs because of their keen territorial instincts. That's why they make great guard dogs.

Weight: 100-130 lbs.

Origin: Germany

The Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" (German: Rottweiler Metzgerhund) because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market

The Rottweiler has a muscular, massive, powerful body. The head is broad with a rounded forehead. The muzzle is well-developed. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The wide nose is black. The lips are black and inside the mouth dark. The medium sized eyes are dark and almond-shaped. The ears are triangular, carried forward. The tail is customarily docked. Note: docking tails is illegal in most parts of Europe. Rear dewclaws are often removed. The chest is broad and deep. The coat is short, hard and thick. It is black with rust to mahogany markings on the cheeks and muzzle, paws and legs. A red color with brown markings also exists. There is a deficiency in the hair gene making the coloring a lighter red.

German Rottweiler vs. American Rottweiler - some claim there are variations of Rotties, the German Rottweiler and the American Rottweiler. German Rotties are said to be shorter, stockier and have a bigger blockier head, and American Rotties are said to be taller and leggier without as blocky a head. Others claim a Rottweiler is a Rottweiler and there is no such thing as a German Rottie. Some who have stated this argument have said, "a German Rottweiler is one born in Germany and an American Rottweiler is born in America." In any case, there are breeders breeding for the German Rottweiler look, which goes outside the AKC standard, while others are breeding for the American Rottweiler look, sticking to, or closer to, the AKC standard.

German Shepherds Most Dangerous Dog Breed

2010-08-31T18:34:00.000+05:30

These dogs are intelligent and very alert. They are highly used by local authorities such as the police K-9 unit. German shepherds are known to be fearless and confident dogs.

Weight

Male 30–40 kilograms (66–88 lb)

Female 22–32 kilograms (49–71 lb)

Height

Male 60–65 centimetres (24–26 in)

Female 53–60 centimetres (21–24 in)

The German Shepherd Dog is a breed of large-sized dog that originated in Germany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding group, the German Shepherd is a working dog developed originally for herding sheep.

The German Shepherd Dog is well proportioned and very strong. The GSD has a sturdy, muscular, slightly elongated body with a light, solid bone structure. The head should be in proportion to its body, and the forehead a little rounded. The nose is most often black however, blue or liver still do sometimes occur, but is considered a fault and can not be shown. The teeth meet in a strong scissors bite. The dark eyes are almond-shaped, and never protruding. The ears are wide at the base, pointed, upright, and turned forward. The ears of puppies under six months may droop slightly. The bushy tail reaches almost to its hocks and hangs down when the dog is at rest. The front legs and shoulders are muscular and the thighs are thick and sturdy. The round feet have very hard soles. There are three varieties of the German Shepherd: rough-coated, long rough-coated, and the long-haired. The coat most often comes in black with tan, sable or all black, but also can come in blue, liver and white, but those colors are considered a fault according to most standards. White is not an acceptable color for the German Shepherd, however they are now being recognized as a separate breed, called the American White Shepherd. A piebald color has also occured in a single GSD bloodline which are now being called Panda Shepherds. A Panda is 35% white, the remainder of color is black and tan, and has no white German Shepherds in its ancestry.

Origin: Germany

Huskies Most Dangerous Dog Breed

2010-08-31T18:29:00.002+05:30

Very energetic and intelligent dogs. Not considered a good guard dog because of its personality characteristics and gentle temperament. A 2000 study of dog bites resulting in human fatalities in the U.S. found fifteen such fatalities (6% of the total) were caused by "husky-type" dogs between 1979 and 1997.

Husky is a general term for several breeds of dogs used as sled dogs. Huskies were originally used as sled dogs in northern regions but are now also kept as pets. The word "husky" is a corruption of the derogative term "Eskie", also given to the Esquimaux tribes that came into contact with Europeans who made early expeditions into their lands. The most common huskies are the Siberian Husky and the Alaskan Husky.

The Siberian Husky is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family. It is recognizable by its thickly furred double coat, sickle tail, erect triangular ears, and distinctive markings

Siberian Huskies are strong, compact, working sled dogs. The medium sized head is in proportion to the body, with a muzzle that is equal in length to the skull, with a well defined stop. The color of the nose depends upon the color of the dog's coat. It is black in gray, tan or black dogs, liver in copper dogs and flesh-colored in pure white dogs. The medium sized, oval shaped eyes are moderately spaced and come in blue, brown, amber, or any combination thereof. Eyes can be half blue and half brown, (parti-eyed) or can have one blue eye and one brown eye (bi-eyed). The erect ears are triangular in shape, set high up on the head. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The tail is carried over the back in a sickle curve, not curved to either side when the dog is excited. The large "snow shoe" feet have hair between the toes to help keep them warm and for gripping on ice. Dewclaws are sometimes removed. The medium length, double coat is thick and can withstand temperatures as low as -58 degrees to -76 degrees F ( -50 degrees to -60 degrees C). Coat colors include all from black to pure white, with or without markings on the head. The face mask and underbody are usually white, and the remaining coat any color. Examples of common colors are black and white, red and white, brown, gray and white, silver, wolf -gray, sable and white, red-orange with black tips, dark gray and white. Pie-bald is a very common coat pattern.

Weight: 44-66 lbs.
Origin: Alaska

Alaskan Malamutes Most Dangerous Dog Breed

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Alaskan Malamutes

These dogs are very energetic and active. If they are bored, they can become destructive. That's why this dog needs lots of exercise to be happy.

Weight: 75-100 lbs.
Origin: Nordic

Doberman Pinschers Most Dangerous Dog Breed

2010-08-31T18:21:00.001+05:30

Dobermans are great guard dogs for their alertness, intelligence and loyalty. They can be agressive dogs when provoked. The typical pet Doberman attacks only if it believes that it, its property, or its family are in danger.

The Doberman Pinscher is a medium sized, squarely built dog with a compact muscular body. The head is long and when viewed from the side looks like a blunt wedge. The top of the skull is flat, and turns into the muzzle with a slight stop. The color of the nose depends on the color of the dog's coat, black on black dogs, dark brown on red dogs, dark gray on blue dogs, dark tan on fawn dogs and pink on white dogs. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The color of the almond shaped eyes is various shades of brown, depending on the coat color of the dog. The ears are usually cropped to stand erect (cut at the age of about 12 weeks). The pup's ears have to be taped for a couple of months to make them stand up. A lot of breeders are starting to leave the pup's ears natural. If left natural they develop ears somewhat like a hound. The tail is usually docked at the age of 3 days. If the tail is not docked it grows a tail somewhat like a hound. Note: cropping ears and docking tails is illegal in Europe. The chest is broad and the legs are perfectly straight. Dewclaws are sometimes removed. The short, hard, thick coat lies flat. Sometimes there is an invisible gray undercoat on the neck. The coat comes in black, black with tan markings, blue-gray, red, fawn and white. When markings appear they are above each eye, on the muzzle, throat, forechest, legs, feet and on the tail. There is also a solid white color. While white markings are considered a fault in some clubs, in others it is accepted.

Weight Male 35-45 Kg (75 to 100 lbs)
Female 30-40 Kg (60 to 90 lbs)
Height Male 68.5 cm (27.5")
Female 63.5 cm (25.5")

Origin: Germany

Chow Chow Most Dangerous Dog Breed

2010-08-31T18:16:00.002+05:30

Chow Chow
These dogs can be aggressive if poorly bred. The Chow Chow may appear to be independent and aloof for much of the day but needs constant reinforcement.

The Chow Chow is a large, stocky dog. The two most distinctive features of the Chow Chow are its blue-black tongue and its almost straight hind legs, which makes it walk rather stilted. The head is large and broad with a flat skull. The muzzle is broad and deep. There is a huge ruff behind the head, which gives it a lion like appearance. The black nose is large with well open nostrils. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The small, erect ears are triangular in shape and round at the tip. The almond-shaped eyes are deep-set and dark in color. The chest is broad and deep. The tail is set high carried very close to the back. Dewclaws are sometimes removed. The profuse, dense, furry coat comes in two varieties, smooth coat and rough coat. The most common colors are solid red, black, blue, cinnamon and cream, but it can also come in tan, gray, or a rare white. The coat sometimes has lighter or darker shades, but is never parti-colored.

Weight

Male 55 to 70 pounds(25 to 32 kilograms)

Female 45 to 60 pounds (20 to 27 kilograms)

Height

Male 19–22 in (48–56 cm)

Female 18–20 in (46–51 cm)

Origin: China

Presa Canario Most Dangerous Dog Breed

2010-08-31T18:13:00.001+05:30

Presa Canario

Originally bred to guard and fight with cattle, an attack by this dog has been described as hopeless for the victim. They are a guardian breed with man-stopping ability, incredible power and a complete lack of fear.

The Presa Canario has a powerful, square head that is nearly as wide as it is long. The muzzle is broad. The chest is deep and broad. The rump is slightly raised. This breed has thick skin, dense bones and powerful muscles and a massive head with a large jaw. The ears are usually cropped. Colors include fawn and various brindles, white markings are sometimes seen.

Weight: 80-115 lbs.

Origin: Canary Islands

Boxer Most Dangerous Dog Breed

2010-08-31T18:08:00.002+05:30

Unlike their name suggest, these dogs are not typically aggressive by nature. They are bright, energetic and playful breed. Boxers have been known to be "headstrong", which makes it a bit difficult to train them but with positive reinforcement techniques, Boxers often respond much better.

Weight

Male 65–99 lb (29–45 kg)

Female 50–60 lb (23–27 kg)

Height

Male 22-25 ins. (56-63 cms.)

Female 21-23.5 ins. (53-60 cms..

Origin: Germany

FCI Official Name Boxer

Country of Origin: Germany

Classification FCI: Group 2 - Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid breeds - Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and other breeds. Section 2.1 - Molossoid breeds, mastiff type.

Utilization: Companion, Guard and Working Dog.

AKC Classification: Working Group

Personality: Intelligent, playful, fun-loving, even-tempered, affectionate, very devoted to its owner. The Boxer is weary of strangers and makes an excellent protection dog. When threatened, they exhibit fearless courage that would deter most intruders. They are highly adaptive to the home environment and will not claim all your spare time.

Size: Medium

Height: 21-25 inches at shoulders

Weight: 55-60 lbs;

Colors: Fawn or brindle : Fawn comes in various shades from light fawn to dark deer red but the most attractive shades are in the middle range (red fawn). Black mask. The brindle variety : fawn background of varying shades has dark or black stripes running parallel to ribs. Stripes must contrast distinctly to ground color. White markings should not be discarded.

Average Litter Size: 6

Life Span: 10-12 years

Grooming Requirements: A quick brushing will be sufficient.

Shedding: Moderate

Social skills: Gets along with familiar dogs quite well, but can be aggressive toward strange dogs.

Suitability for Children: The well-bred Boxer is gentle, fun loving and patient with children. He may be wary of unfamiliar children.

Exercise Needs: Very high. The Boxer needs plenty of daily exercise (2 hours daily would be ideal for this high energy dog).

Train Ability: Easy to train but can be stubborn

Dalmatians: Most Dangerous Dog Breed

2010-08-31T18:05:00.001+05:30

Dalmatians are very protective dogs and can be aggressive towards humans. They are very active and need lots of exercise. They have very sensitive natures and an excellent memory. This bred is famed for their intelligence, indepedence, and survival instincts.

Weight Male 35–65 pounds (16–29 kg)
Female 35–50 pounds (16–23 kg)
Height Male 20–25 inches (51–63 cm)
Female 19–24 inches (48–61 cm)

Origin: Yugoslavia

Classification of American Pit Bull | Most Dangerous Dog Breed

2010-08-31T17:57:00.002+05:30

Pit bull is a term commonly used to describe several breeds of dog in the molosser family.

Classification:

Kingdom - Animalia

Phylum - Chordata

Class - Mammalia

Order - Carnivora

Family - Canidae

Genus - Canis

Species - lupus

A pit bull is a fearless dog that will take on any opponent. They will lock their jaws onto the prey until it's dead. Pit bulls have a reputation of mauling people to death and they are highly sought for dog fighting.

Weight: 55-65 lbs.
Origin: United States

Dogs most often make wonderful pets, however in certain circumstances, any type of dog can be dangerous. Even friendly dogs, can inflict great harm in the wrong circumstance.

The term can refer to dogs that were known as "bull terriers" prior to the development of the modern Bull terrier in the early 20th century.

Research has been conducted into human fatalities related to pit bull type dogs, due to a number of well-publicized incidents. These incidents resulted in breed-specific legislation being enacted in several jurisdictions. This, in turn, has led to an increase in rates of liability insurance, and in some instances has led to airlines placing restrictions on air travel for pit bulls, though in some instances restrictions are in place for the dogs' own well-being.

Snakes : Encyclopedia

2010-08-31T17:51:00.003+05:30

Snakes : Encyclopedia

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum:Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes

Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales. Many species of snakes have skulls with many more joints than their lizard ancestors, enabling them to swallow prey much larger than their heads with their highly mobile jaws. In order to accommodate their narrow bodies, snakes' paired organs (such as kidneys) appear one in front of the other instead of side by side, and most have only one functional lung. Some species retain a pelvic girdle with a pair of vestigial claws on either side of the cloaca.

Living snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica and on most islands. Fifteen families are currently recognized comprising 456 genera and over 2,900 species. They range in size from the tiny, 10 cm long thread snake to pythons and anacondas of up to in length. The recently discovered fossil Titanoboa was long. Snakes are thought to have evolved from either burrowing or aquatic lizards during the Cretaceous period. The diversity of modern snakes appeared during the Paleocene period.

Most species are non-venomous and those that have venom use it primarily to kill and subdue prey rather than for self-defense. Some possess venom potent enough to cause painful injury or death to humans. Non-venomous snakes either swallow prey alive or kill by constriction.

The Wild Boar: Most Dangerous Animal | Sus scrofa

2010-08-31T17:35:00.002+05:30

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Suidae
Genus: Sus
Species: S. scrofa
Binomial name: Sus scrofa

The Wild Boar Lives in all around the world

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a species of pig, Wild boar are native across much of Northern and Central Europe, the Mediterranean Region (including North Africa's Atlas Mountains) and much of Asia as far south as Indonesia. Populations have also been artificially introduced in some parts of the world, most notably the Americas and Australasia; principally for hunting. Elsewhere, populations have also become established after escapes of wild boar from captivity

Wild boars live in groups containing around 20 animals. They eat almost anything they come across, including grass, nuts, berries, carrion, roots, tubers, refuse, insects, small reptiles and even young deer and lambs. The animals are pretty big and can weight around 150-200 kg.

If surprised or cornered, a boar can and will defend itself and its young with intense vigor. The male lowers its head, charges and then slashes upward with his tusks. The female, whose tusks are not visible, charges with her head up, mouth wide, and bites. Such attacks are not often fatal to humans, but may result in severe trauma, dismemberment, or blood loss. The roars get very aggressive only when wounded and then they are most likely to kill.

Anaconda The Giant Snake | Eunectes murinus

2010-08-26T15:43:00.005+05:30

Anaconda snakes

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Suborder: Serpentes

Family: Boidae

Subfamily: Boinae

Genus: Eunectes

Species: E. murinus

Binomial name: Eunectes murinus

The name anaconda comes from the language of Sri Lanka, and refers to another snake entirely.

The anaconda is considered to be the largest snake in the world today. They can easily reach lengths of over 25 feet. The females are generally larger than the males. The anaconda may vary in color, from deep green, with black oval patching on its back to brownish color.

ANACONDA, common name for a large South American snake of the boa family. The anaconda or water boa is one of the largest and most powerful snakes in the world, and the largest in the western hemisphere. It kills its prey by constriction, or squeezing. The reptile is found in the rivers of the Guianas and Brazil. The female anaconda gives birth to living young.

The Anaconda is the heaviest snake, but it may or may not be the longest. The Reticulated python rivals the Anaconda for the longest snake. A 20-foot Anaconda will weigh more than a 33-foot python. The Anaconda can weigh 550 pounds or more, but will usually top out at a few hundred pounds. These snakes can measure more than 12 inches in diameter. The female typically outweighs the males.

The Green Anaconda is dark green in color with black oval patches on its back. This drab pattern blends the snake in well with the wet, dense vegetations of its habitat. The sides have similar spots with yellow centers.

The Yellow Anaconda is true to its name and is mostly yellow with similar black spots. The scales of the yellow and black underside of the lower tail on these Anacondas have a particular pattern which is unique to each snake. It’s a form of identification, like a human fingerprint.

Anacondas like to spend most of their time in the water. When they are out of the water for any lengthy period of time they become prey for a multitude of ticks.

All the snake is well known both for it's size and because it is very dangerous and is one of the most dangerous animal that lives in the Amazon Rainforest.

This animals eat all like monkey,cats,largest Fish,largest Crocodile,other snakes and much more animals

One anaconda did not eat for over a year. Anacondas give birth to live young. After mating she will hold her young for about 6 months, and then have a litter of from 25-40 babies. They are about 2 feet long when born; they are also, because of their small size prey for other animals. Within hours after their birth they can swim, hunt and take care of themselves. Anacondas can live to be over 35 years old.

Facts about Animals Heart

2010-07-27T11:42:00.000+05:30

Facts about Animals Heart

The heart of a blue whale is as big as a car.

Scientists have re-created the heart of a rat and it even started beating!

Pythons grow bigger hearts at mealtimes.

A blue whale's heart beats six times a minute (next to a human's 70 times)

A manatee's heart rate slows down by half during a long dive.

A giraffe depends on it's powerful heart that weighs up to 12kg so that it can fight the force of gravity up that long neck to the head.

Frogs and lizards have three chambers whereas birds and mammals have four.

The human heart beats roughly 35 million times a year.

Octopuses have three hearts.

Dogs have a larger heart to body mass ratio than all other mammals.

Canis lupus familiaris | Pomeranian dog

2010-06-17T15:03:00.003+05:30

Common Name: Pomeranian, Dwarf Spitz, Toy German Spitz, Pom, Zwergspitz
Family: Canidae

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: C. lupus
Subspecies: C. l. familiaris
Trinomial name: Canis lupus familiaris

Origins: A miniature Pomeranian from 1915. The forerunners of today's Pomeranian breed were large working dogs from the Arctic regions. These dogs are commonly known as the Wolfspitz or Spitz type, which is German for "sharp point" which was the term originally used by Count Eberhard zu Sayn in the 16th Century as a reference to the features of the dog's nose and muzzle. The Pomeranian is considered to be descended from the German Spitz.

Pomeranians are lively, smart, independent, and strong-willed. If properly socialized, they can usually get along well with other pets. They catch on quickly when training, and can learn lots of tricks. When selecting a Pomeranian, pay special attention to the condition of its eyes and teeth. It is also advisable to check bloodlines for hereditary problems.

Breed Type
The Pomeranian is a toy breed, and is intended to be a house pet. The Pomeranian is rather sensitive to heat, so it does best in fairly cool climates.

Background
The Pomeranian's origins go back to sled dogs from Greenland and Lapland. Selective breeding by English breeders reduced the breed's size. The Pomeranian is known for being very popular among royalty. It can be found in a wide variety of colors.

Description
Pomeranians are very small and fluffy. They have a fox-like face, usually dark eyes, and pointed ears. They are most commonly solid colored, but some are parti-colored. Their average height is 7-12 inches, and they usually weigh between 3 and 7 pounds.

Care and Feeding
Pomeranians do best on a diet of dry food due to the likelihood of tooth and gum problems. Foods containing fish, beef, and wheat are recommended. Giving the dog teeth cleaning chews is also a good idea. Pomeranians need frequent brushing. They can be cleaned with dry shampoo as needed. Their eyes and ears need special attention, and should be cleaned each day. It's also important to take good care of their teeth, brushing them at least once a week.

Pomeranians need annual checkups to keep them healthy.

Vaccinations should be given as follows:
6-8 weeks: Distemper, Leptospirosis, Hepatitis, Parainfluenza, Parvo, and Corona virus (DHLPPC)
10-12 weeks: Second DHLPPC
14-16 weeks: Third DHLPPC and rabies
Annually: DHLPPC and rabies booster

Poms shed heavily, so frequent vacuuming is a must. It's also best not to leave blankets and pillows lying around on the furniture, because your Pomeranian can curl up under them for a nap and potentially be sat on.

Social Behaviors
Pomeranians can do well with other pets, as long as they are familiar with them. They are independent, yet they make wonderful companions for adults, the elderly, and older children. They tend to get nervous around young children.

Overall health
The average life expectancy of a Pomeranian is 12 to 16 years. A well bred dog on a good diet with appropriate exercise will have few health problems, and if kept trim and fit a Pomeranian is a sturdy little dog.

Handling and Training
When training a Pomeranian, being firm is the key to success. They have minds of their own, and trainers must let them know who is boss. They can learn to do tricks, and they usually respond well to crate training. They also make great show dogs.

Activities
Pomeranians need regular exercise, but not as much of it as larger breeds. Short daily walks and regular play sessions should take care of their activity needs.

Breeding/Reproduction
When considering a mate for a Pomeranian, it is important to research the potential mate's bloodline. Pomeranians are susceptible to a number of hereditary problems. Females sometimes need Cesarean sections when giving birth, especially if they are very small.

Centruroides vittatus | Striped bark scorpion

2010-06-11T12:25:00.003+05:30

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Chelicerata

Class: Arachnida

Order: Scorpiones

Family: Buthidae

Genus: Centruroides

Species: C. vittatus

Binomial name : Centruroides vittatus

Background: The striped bark scorpion (Centruroides vittatus) is an extremely common scorpion found throughout the midsection of the United States and northern Mexico; indeed, it is perhaps the most frequently encountered scorpion in the U.S.. The Common Striped Scorpion, Centruroides vittatus, is widely distributed throughout the southwestern United States. It is a member of the Bark Scorpion group (Centruroides spp.) and is the primary scorpion that infests homes in Texas and Oklahoma. Scorpions will sting if disturbed. While the sting is not generally dangerous it is painful and is followed by local swelling and discoloration.

Description: The Striped Scorpion gets its name from two parallel longitudinal dark stripes on the top of its abdomen. This scorpion, about 3 inches long when mature, has four pairs of legs and a five segment posterior terminating at the sting. The scorpion hides during the day under loose bark, rocks, leaves, and tools left in the yard or any place that provides shelter, moisture and potential prey. In areas infested with scorpions, special care must be taken when moving objects on the ground. They are known to infest homes and commercial facilities, living in attics, walls, and crawl spaces. Scorpions are predators only, feeding primarily on insects or other

arachnids, coming out to hunt at night. Scorpions have very poor vision, primarily depending on a sense of feel for movement and hunting. Feeling is accomplished using feathery comb-like organs called pectines, located on the underside of a scorpion’s body between the last pair of legs. These pectines are used to determine what kind of surface the scorpions are on, in detecting low impulse vibrations, and for chemoreception.

Heterometrus Spinifer | Giant Forest Scorpion

2010-06-11T11:51:00.004+05:30

Common names : Giant Forest Scorpion, Giant Blue Scorpion, Asian Forest Scorpion

Classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Arachnida

Order: Scorpiones

Family: Scorpionidae

Genus: Heterometrus

Species: Heterometrus spinifer

Heterometrus spinifer is a large, black scorpion native to Thailand and Malaysia. It is known in the pet trade as the Giant Forest Scorpion or the Asian Forest Scorpion (in addition to other regional names) and is often confused with other species of Heterometrus. As its common names imply, it can be found in moist forest habitat where it hides away by day under logs or rocks. It is often kept as a pet, although it cannot be handled without risk since it tends to be aggressive. Its sting is painful but not deadly to humans. While many deadly scorpions have venoms that selectively target neuronal ion channels - H. spinifer venom does not. H. spinifer is easy to keep in captivity. Temperature should be kept between 75 to 90 degrees F. with a high level of humidity. It feeds mainly on insects but will eat any small animal it can subdue. It should be provided with water in a shallow dish, so it can drink. This species should not be confused with the Emperor Scorpion.

The Malaysian Forest Scorpions or Asian Forest Scorpion is hardy, quiet, and easy to care for. It is also impressive to look at. But unlike the Emperor Scorpion it is not handleable. It is quite defensive and will readily sting when it feels cornered or in danger. At a glance these large, shiny black scorpions are often mistaken for the commonly kept Emperor Scorpion. However, the Asian Forest Scorpion is similar to the Emperor Scorpion only in looks and not in behavior. They are very aggressive and unlike the Emperor Scorpion, this species is not as likely to settle down in captivity. It can be distinguished from the Emperor in that it is slightly more elongated and its pedipalps and claws are larger and more elongated.

Heterometrus Spinifer Female Video:

Hadogenes troglodytes | Flat Rock Scorpion | South African Flat Rock Scorpion

2010-06-11T11:44:00.003+05:30

Flat Rock Scorpion or South African Flat Rock Scorpion

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Chelicerata

Class: Arachnida

Order: Scorpiones

Family: Hemiscorpiidae

Genus: Hadogenes

Species: H. troglodytes

Binomial name: Hadogenes troglodytes

Description: Flat rock scorpions are native to South Africa. The majority of the sixteen species of this scorpion live there. These scorpions are large averaging seven inches. They have large strong flat pincers well adapted for grabbing prey in cracks. When you first lay eyes on these scorpions they appear so flat it looks like they have been squashed.

Range Most of southern Africa.

Type Terrestrial.

Diet Babies eat pinhead crickets, and other small insects. Adults feed on crickets, large insects, and an occasional pinkie mouse.

Full Grown Size : 5.5 to 7.5 inches.

Growth Slow speed.

Temperature 75 to 85° F.

Humidity 70 to 75%. Adults may drink from a shallow, wide water dish.

Temperament Semi-aggressive and nervous.

Housing Babies can live in a clear plastic deli-container with air holes. Adults can live in a 5 to 10-gallon tank. Floor space is more important than height.

Substrate 3 to 4 inches of sand, peat moss, or potting soil.

Decor No decorations are really needed, but you can add rocks, or cork bark.

Other Names: South African Flat Rock Scorpion.

Care and Feeding: In the wild, Flat Rock Scorpions feed almost exclusively on mollusks, but in captivity will switch fairly well to crickets and other insects including wax worms and mealworms.

Pandinus imperator | imperial scorpion | emperor scorpion

2010-06-04T17:01:00.002+05:30

The emperor scorpion or imperial scorpion (Pandinus imperator) is a species of scorpion native to Africa. The emperor is one of the largest species of scorpion in the world, with adults averaging about 8 inches (20 cm) in length. However, some species of forest scorpions are its equal and one scorpion, Heterometrus swammerdami, holds the record for being the world's largest scorpion at 9 inches (23 cm) in length. Their life span usually ranges from 5–8 years when held in captivity,
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Scorpionidae
Genus: Pandinus
Species: P. imperator
Binomial name: Pandinus imperator
Common Name: imperial scorpion

Diseases: The only disease known so far is cancer or ovarian fibroids. It's a genetic problem involving one generation to the most female sex scorpions causing death. It takes place after the fifth molt (from 15 cm. Pelipalpos to the tail). The disease begins with a small bump on the back or tail of the scorpion. The development of this varies between the first 2 months of moulting up to 3 years after the same.

Distribution: Emperor Scorpions are widely distributed through West Africa in Guinea, Liberia, Togo, Ghana, Chad, Benin, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and in the Congo region.
Social Behavior/Activities: Typically scorpions are loners, but the Emperor Scorpion is a bit of an exception. The young will stay with their mothers and even as adults they can be kept in groups of three or more. They can get into occasional scraps, and it is usually over a cricket. So be sure they are given enough food. It also helps to provide more hiding places than you have scorpions.

Hadrurus spadix | black-back scorpion | Desert Hairy Scorpion

2010-06-04T16:48:00.004+05:30

Hadrurus spadix is a big (around 15 centimeters / 5.51 inches) scorpion native to the southern deserts of North America. It is a burrowing scorpion which spends a lot of time digging in the sand and enlarging its burrow. A similar species is the Giant desert hairy scorpion.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Chelicerata
Class: Arachnida
Order: Scorpiones
Family: Caraboctonidae
Genus: Hadrurus
Species: H. spadix
Binomial name: Hadrurus spadix

Common Name: black-back scorpion, Desert Hairy Scorpion

Behavior:
Commonly known as the black-back scorpion, it can be differentiated from the giant desert hairy scorpion by its completely black prosoma or Cephalothorax. This scorpion is quite nervous and can display aggressiveness towards its keeper. It should not be kept communally, as fights and cannibalism are frequent. The toxicity of its venom is usually deemed to be low, though its sting can be quite painful. This scorpion and its close relative Hadrurus arizonensis make good pets for a beginner, as they are quite large, very active and typically eat a lot.

Hadrurus Spadix Video

Pogona vitticeps | Bearded Dragon | agamid lizard

2010-06-04T16:34:00.001+05:30

Pogona vitticeps, is a species of agamid lizard occurring in a wide range of arid to semi-arid regions of Australia. This species is very popularly kept as a pet and exhibited in zoos.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder:Lacertilia
Family: Agamidae
Genus: Pogona
Species: P. vitticeps
Binomial name : Pogona vitticeps
Common Name: Bearded Dragon

Description : Adults of this species usually grow to be about 2 feet in length, with the tail accounting for over half of the total body length. Females are typically smaller than the males, have smaller heads, thinner legs and tails and wider bodies. Bearded dragons come in a wide variety of colors, including brown, grey, reddish-brown, red, yellow, white and orange. They are capable of undergoing very slight changes in the shade of their color to help regulate temperature.

Ecology and behavior : This dragon is native to the semi-arid woodland, arid woodland, and rocky desert regions of Central Australia. They are skilled climbers, and often spend just as much time perching on tree limbs, fence-posts, and in bushes as they do on the ground. They spend the morning and early evening sunning themselves on an exposed branch or rock, and retreat to shady areas or underground burrows during the hottest parts of the afternoon.

10 Most Intelligent Animals in world | on Earth

2010-06-02T15:10:00.003+05:30

1. Great Apes

The 98% genes of the great apes are same as human, the smartest species is chimpanzee. They can also recognise themselves in the mirror, they can make tool (e.g. stone to cut food), use tool (e.g. painting). Like human, they can kiss, snuggle, tickle, laugh, can count very trainable and have language

2. Monkey

Monkey can imitate humans behaviour without training and if well-trained, they can behave like humans (e.g) drink from bottle and ride bicycle). Like human, they have egoism, vain, pride and strong relationship. If two monkeys were fighting, the relatives of one monkey will threaten the relatives of the other monkey.

3. Dolphin

Dolphin is the smartest aquatic animals, they can recognise themselves in the mirror. Very trainable and can hold and use tool with their teeth for painting. They use whistling sound to communicate with best communication system among animals.

4. Whale

They can find their relatives separated miles away in the sea for unknown reason but they have their own language to communicate, can call each other and have a strong friendships in a group. Whales can “sing” with their sound and can make many different “songs” in a good tone.

5. Elephant

Elephant can recognise themselves in the mirror, very altruistic. Among other animals, elephant has they’re own “death ritual”. They use their trunk to take a bath, drink, get food, play, even use tool (e.g. painting). They can mimic sounds, few human words and can understand the meaning if they’re well-trained.

6. Parrot

Parrot can mimic human words, understand the meanings, can remember many words and make sentences. Well-trained, can count up to 6 and can identify many objects. They can answer simple questions and can use tools with their beak (e.g.painting).

7. Dog

The man’s best friend, very trainable, sociable to humans, can understand commands and obedience. Can identify and remember animal or human faces they’ve met, they can recognise radio, television, etc. Dogs can be sensitive, jealous and they won’t forget someone hurting them in their entire life.

8. Cat

Trainable, can recognize radio, television, they can even check traffic before crossing the street. They’re smart enough to get attention (meow, rub near ankle, follow you, sit on your lap, etc.). Cats can hear and recognise their owner’s footstep or stranger’s footstep.

9. Rat

Once they’ve experienced rat trap, they wont get trap anymore. They have a strong social relationship, maybe stress even die after their partner died. Like dogs, can be trained to sniff out land mines and bombs.

10. Pigeon

They have a great memory that can recognise themselves in the mirror, can remember hundreds of different images/photos and learn routes to their home from long distances.

How Many Animal Species Inhabit Our Planet

2010-06-02T13:18:00.000+05:30

Birds

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Birds (Class Aves) are a diverse group of vertebrates that evolved from reptiles during the Mesazoic Era about 150 million years ago. Today, an estimated 300 billion birds belonging to more than 9000 species inhabit virtually every terrestrial habitat on the planet (Gill 1990). There are even many species of birds that are at home in the water as skilled swimmers and divers. Birds range in size from the massive Ostrich (Struthio camelus) to the minute Bee Hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae). They have diversified into a wide variety of forms:

"From a fundamental anatomy evolved huge, flightless ground birds such as ostriches; small, agile erching birds such as chickadees; nocturnal hunters such as owls; aquatic divers such as penguins; aerial masters such as albatrosses; and shoreline waders such as herons." (Gill 1990, 13)

Birds possess distinct characteristics that make them one of the most distinguishable group of vertebrates. The following characteristics are unique to birds:

* feathers - provide insulation and enable flight; feathers are modifications of a bird's epidermis (outer skin)
* bills - birds do not possess teeth or the heavy jawbones seen in other vertebrates; instead, birds have a pair of toothless mandibles covered with a horny sheath of keratin (also called ramphotheca).
* furcula - also known as the 'wishbone', the furcula is a bone located in the bird's chest that prevents compression of the chest cavity during the downstroke of a wingbeat.

Birds also exhibit the following characteristics:

* Fused bones in pelvis, feet, hands, and head
* Lightweight bones (bones that are either hollow or spongy/strutted)
* No teeth or maxillary bones of the jaw (reduces anterior weight)
* Endothermic
* Possess a four-chambered heart and in general exhibit high metabolic rates
* Produce large, richly provisioned external eggs
* Adept navigational abilities in many species
* Extraordinary communication and song production

Classification:

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Aves
The Class Aves contains the following subgroups:
o Order: Anseriformes (ducks, geese, screamers, swans, and waterfowl)
o Order: Apodiformes (hummingbirds and swifts)
o Order: Apterygiformes (kiwis)
o Order: Caprimulgiformes (nightbirds)
o Order: Casuariiformes (emus, cassowaires)
o Order: Charadriiformes (shorebirds and relatives)
o Order: Ciconiiformes (storks, herons, egrets, ibises, spoonbills, and relatives)
o Order: Coliiformes (mousebirds and colies)
o Order: Columbiformes (pigeons and doves)
o Order: Coraciiformes (kingfishers)
o Order: Craciformes (megapodes, curassows)
o Order: Cuculiformes (cuckoos, hoatzin, relatives, and turacoss)
o Order: Falconiformes (birds of prey)
o Order: Galliformes (chickens, fowls)
o Order: Gaviiformes (loons)
o Order: Gruiformes (coots, cranes, and railss)
o Order: Passeriformes (songbirds)
o Order: Pelecaniformes (pelicans and relatives)
o Order: Phoenicopteriformes (flamingos)
o Order: Piciformes (woodpeckers)
o Order: Podicipediformes (grebess)
o Order: Procellariiformes (tube-nosed seabirds)
o Order: Psittaciformes (parrots)
o Order: Rheiformes (rheas)
o Order: Sphenisciformes (penguin)
o Order: Strigiformes (owls)
o Order: Struthioniformes (kiwis, ostriches)
o Order: Tinamiformes (tinamous)
o Order: Trogoniformes (trogons)
o Order: Turniciformes (buttonquail)

Mammals

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Mammals (Class Mammalia) belong to a group of vertebrates that includes approximately 5,400 extant species. Mammals display a remarkable array of adaptations that enable them to inhabit a wide range of habitats. Mammals range in size from the minute Bumblebee Bat which measures a mere three centimeters in length, to the magnificent blue whale, which can measure 33 metres head to tail—at such immense dimension, it is undoubtedly the largest animal alive today.

Hair is a defining characteristic of mammals: no other organisms possess true hair and all mammals have hair covering at least part of their body at some time during their life. Hair grows from skin cells known as follicles. The hair shaft is made of a protein called keratin. Hair serves numerous functions.

When present as a thick covering over the animal's body (known as pelage), it provides insulation. The pelage of most mammals is a mosaic of different kinds of individual hairs (such as guard hairs, barbs, bristles, awns, underfur, wool, fur, and velli; each of these has a different structure and serves a slightly different purpose).

The adaptive benefits of mammalian hair are numerous. Hair provides insulation from extreme cold, enabling mammals to inhabit some of the harshest habitats on Earth. It also provides mammals with protection for their skin from abrasions and damaging UV rays. Many mammals have pelage that displays cryptic coloration, which helps to conceal them from predators (or in some cases prey).

Another characteristic unique to mammals is the presence of mammary glands. Mammary glands, like hair, are a uniquely mammalian trait. Though present in both males and females, mammary glands only fully develop in females. Mammary glands consist of ducts and glandular tissues that secrete milk through nipples. Young mammals obtain milk from their mother by feeding from her nipples. The milk provides the young with much needed protein, sugars, fat, vitamins, and salts.

A third characteristic unique to mammals is the presence of the presence of three middle ear bones. These ear bones (the malleus, incus, and stapes) transform sound vibrations into neural impulses.

Mammals are also characterized by having a diaphram, a four-chambered heart, and a large cereberal cortex. Additionally, some mammals hibernate during time periods when resources are scarce, such as during the winter season.
Classification:

* Kindom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Mammalia
The Class Mammalia includes the following subgroups:
o Order: Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates)
o Order: Carnivora (carnivores)
o Order: Cetacea (cetaceans)
o Order: Chiroptera (bats)
o Order: Dermoptera (flying lemurs)
o Order: Hyracoidea (hyraxes)
o Order: Insectivora (insectivores)
o Order: Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares, and pikas)
o Order: Macroscelidea (elephant shrews)
o Order: Marsupialia (marsupials)
o Order: Montremata (monotremes)
o Order: Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates)
o Order: Pholidota (pangolins)
o Order: Pinnipedia (seals and sea lions)
o Order: Primates (primates)
o Order: Proboscidae (elephants)
o Order: Rodentia (rodents)
o Order: Scandentia (tree shrews)
o Order: Sirenia (dugong and manatees)
o Order: Tubulidentata (aardvark)
o Order: Xenarthra (anteaters and relatives)

Reptiles

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Reptiles (Class Reptilia) are cold-blooded vertebrates that diverged from ancestral amphibians about 340 million years ago. There are two characteristics that distinguished early reptiles from amphibians and enabled them to colonize terrestrial habitats more extensively than their ancestors, scales and the ability to lay hard-shelled amniotic eggs. Scales protect reptiles from abrasion and loss of body moisture. Hard-shelled eggs provide a protective environment in which the embryo can develop.

Reptiles includes snakes, amphisbaenians, lizards, alligators, caimans, crocodiles, tortoises, turtles, and tuataras. There are over 7900 species of reptiles. Since reptiles do not produce their own body heat (they are cold-blooded, also known as ectothermic), they modify their activity and behavior to best adapt to changing environmental temperatures.

When air temperatures are low (night, early morning, evening) a reptile, for example a lizard, often seeks shelter. As the temperature increases in the morning, the lizard might bask in the sunlight to increase its body temperature. It may then be active for several hours, seeking shelter if afternoon heat is too extreme (Source: Burnie and Wilson 364).
Classification:

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Reptilia
The Class Reptilia contains the following subgroups:
o Order: Testudines (tortoises and turtles)
o Order: Squamata (amphisbaenians, snakes, and lizards)
o Order: Crocodilia (crocodiles, alligators, and caimans)

Where to See:
Reptiles have worldwide distribution and inhabit a wide range of environments including marine, terrestrial, and freshwater aquatic habitats.

Amphibians

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Amphibians are a group of tetrapod vertebrates that include modern-day frogs and toads, caecilians, and newts and salamanders. The first amphibians evolved from lobe-finned fishes approximately 370 million years ago during the Devonian Period. The world of those early amphibians was quite different than it is today.
There were no birds, no mammals, and no reptiles on land (or in the water for that matter). There were only invertebrates and an assortment of prehistoric plants. It was a silent place, void of birdsong and lacking the growl of predators. The land lay wide open to amphibians and those with the evolutionary tenacity to set forth from the shallow shores began a new and important stage in the history of life on our planet. Several types of fishes had developed lungs. Among those lung-bearing fishes were the lobe-finned fish and the lungfishes.
The Crossopterygians, a group of primative lobe-finned fish are believed to be the ancestors of amphibians. They evolved several key features that enabled them to colonize land:

* a more rigid skeleton that would support the animal's body weight on land
* nostrils
* leg bones

Early amphibians included creatures such as Diplocaulus, Ophiderpeton, Adelospondylus, Diplocaulus, and Pelodosotis.
Most lineages of amphibians never fully severed their ties with aquatic habitats. A majority of amphibian species return to the water to breed and some species remain entirely aquatic throughout their entire life cycle. Most amphibians go through a complex metamorphosis process as they grow to adulthood.
The life cycles of amphibians reflects their evolutionary history of bridging land and water. Most amphibians lay their eggs in freshwater. A few species tolerate brackish water and some species lay their eggs on land. Extraordinarily, some species even carry their eggs inside their body. Although life cycles of amphibians vary from species to species, they all share the following three basic stages of development: egg, larva, adult.
Amphibian eggs do not have a hardened shells which means amphibians are not amniotes like reptiles, birds, and mammals. Instead, amphibian eggs consist of a gelatinous envelope that must remain moist to survive. Eggs hatch to release tiny larvae which later undergo a metamorphosis into the adult form.
Many amphibians can absorb oxygen directly into their bloodstream through their skin and are also able to expell carbon dioxide waste back into the air. The skin of amphibians lacks scales and hair. It is smooth and sometimes moist, making it quite permeable to gases and water. This permeability is thought to make amphibians particularly vulnerable to toxins in air and water such as herbicides, pesticides, and pollutants. Amphibians have been sharp decline throughout many areas worldwide. This is thought to be an early warning sign of a troubled environment.
Classification:

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum Chordata
* Class Amphibia
* Subclass Lissamphibia
The Subclass Lissamphibia contains the following subgroups:
o Order: Caudata (newts and salamanders)
o Order: Gymnophiona (caecilians)
o Order: Anura (frogs and toads)

Invertebrates are animals that lack a backbone

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Definition: Invertebrates are animals that lack a backbone. Invertebrates account for more than 97% of all species alive today. They include animal groups such as sponges, cnidarians, flatworms, molluscs, arthropods, insects, segmented worms, and echinoderms as well as many other lesser-known groups of animals.

Animals that have backbones, and are therefore not invertebrates, are called vertebrates. Vertebrates include amphibians, birds, mammals, fishes, and reptiles.

The first animals to have evolved were invertebrates. Fossil evidence of invertebrates dates back to the late Precambrian, 600 million years ago. Invertebrates evolved from single-celled microorganisms.

Since invertebrates do not have bones, a bony skeleton, or a backbone, they must instead gain structural support for their bodies in different ways. For example, sea anemones have a hydrostatic skeleton that produces support via sheets of muscles and an internal cavity filled with fluid. Other invertebrates such as insects and crustaceans have a hard outer shell or exoskeleton.

Some species of invertebrates form large colonies. Colonies are groups of animals of the same species that remain together throughout most of their life cycle. Members of a colony are often closely related and benefit from living together by dividing up the work of obtaining food, protecting themselves, and reproducing. Invertebrate colonies are most common in marine habitats where the members of the colony are often physically joined. Marine invertebrate colonies include corals, hydrozoans, Portuguese man-of-war, and sea squirts. Invertebrate colonies that occur on land have individuals that are separated. The best known terrestrial colonial invertebrates are the social insects—bees, ants, termites, and wasps.

10 Facts About Animals | Amphibians, Birds, Insects, Fishes, Mammals and Reptiles

2010-06-02T13:02:00.001+05:30

10 Facts About Animals

Animals are one of the basic groups of life on Earth. All animals share a set of fundamental characteristics—they move, they feed on other organisms, they're multicellular and they reproduce sexually. Animals belong to the Kingdom Animalia, a group also known as the Metazoa. Animals include organisms such as amphibians, birds, fishes, invertebrates, mammals, and reptiles. The first animals evolved about 600 million years ago during the late Precambrian.

1. Animals are divided into six basic groups which include amphibians, birds, fishes, invertebrates, mammals and reptiles.

Invertebrates were the first animals to evolve. Fossil evidence of invertebrates dates back to the late Precambrian, 600 million years ago.

Fishes were among the first vertebrates to evolve. The earliest known fishes were the ostracoderms, a now-extinct group of jawless fish that appeared in the Cambrian Period. Fish later evolved jaws and diversified into a number of lineages including cartilaginous fish, ray-finned fish and lobe-finned fish.

Amphibians (Class Amphibia) were the first vertebrates to make the move from life in water to life on land. Despite their early colonization of terrestrial habitats, most lineages of amphibians have never fully severed their ties with aquatic habitats. Amphibians include newts and salamanders, frogs and toads, and caecilians.

Reptiles (Class Reptilia) are cold-blooded vertebrates that diverged from ancestral amphibians about 340 million years ago during the Carboniferous Period. Reptiles include turtles, squamates, crocodiles, and tuataras. There are about 8,000 species of reptiles alive today.

Mammals (Class Mammalia) are vertebrates that evolved from therapsid reptiles during the Jurassic Period about 200 million years ago. There are approximately 5,400 species of mammals alive today. Some of the better-known mammal groups include carnivores, rodents, elephants, marsupials, rabbits, bats, primates, seals, anteaters, cetaceans, odd-toed ungulates, and even-toed ungulates.

Birds (Class Aves) evolved from reptiles during the Mesozoic Era about 150 million years ago. Birds have a number of characteristics that sets them apart from other vertebrates such as feathers, bills, and a furcula.

2. There are between 3 and 30 million species of animals.

Scientists estimate that there are in the ballpark of 3 and 30 million species of animals alive today. Of those species, about 97% are invertebrates and 3% are vertebrates. The insects are the most numerous of all animal groups, with 1 to 29 million species. In addition to insects, invertebrate animals include about 100,000 species of molluscs, 75,000 species of arachnids, 10,000 species of sponges, and more than 20,000 nematotes. Vertebrate animals include 8,000 reptiles, 10,000 birds, 23,000 fish, and 5,000 mammal species.

3. The first animals appeared approximately 600 million years ago during the late Precambrian.

The oldest evidence of life, fossilized stromatolites unearthed from Bolivia, is about 3.8 billion years old. It wasn't until the late Precambrian that the first animals appear in the fossil record. Among the earliest animals are those known as the Ediacara biota, an assortment of tubular and frond-shaped creatures that lived between 635 and 543 million years ago. The Ediacara fossils appear to have vanished by the end of the Precambrian.

4. Early animals diversified during the Cambrian Explosion.

The Cambrian Explosion (570 to 530 million years ago) refers to an unprecedented and unsurpassed period of evolutionary innovation in the history of our planet. During the Cambrian Explosion, early organisms evolved into many different, more complex forms. During this time period, nearly all of the basic metazoan body plans that persist today were established.

5. Animals are multicellular eukaryotes.

All animals have bodies that consist of multiple cells—they are multicellular. In addition to being multicellular, animals are also eukaryotes—their bodies are composed of eukaryotic cells. Eukaryotic cells are complex cells that have membrane-bound nuclei and organelles. The DNA in a eukaryotic cell is linear and organized into chromosomes. With the exception of the sponges, animal cells are organized into tissues that perform different functions. Animal tissues include connective tissue, muscle tissue, epithelial tissue, and nervous tissue.

6. Most animals are capable of movement.

Unlike plants, which are fixed to the substrate in which they grow, most animals are motile (capable of movement). One exception is the sponges, which are considered to be sedentary for most of their life cycle, although it has been shown that some species can move at a very slow rate (a few millimeters per day).

7. Animals rely on other organisms for food.

All animals are heterotrophs which means they cannot produce their own food. Instead, they must ingest plants and other organisms as a way to get the carbon and energy they need to live.

8. Animals undergo sexual reproduction at some point in their life cycle.

Most animals undergo sexual reproduction at some point during their life cycle. Sexual reproduction is a process that combines the genetic material of parent organisms to form the genetic material of offspring. Sexual reproduction augments genetic diversity within a population.

9. Animal cells are held together by a matrix that contains collagen.

Animal cells are embedded in an extracellular matrix that consists of collagen and glycoproteins. Collagen is a protein found exclusively in animals. It is the primary protein of which connective tissue is constructed.

10. The largest animal alive today is the blue whale.

The blue whale is the largest animal alive today and is perhaps the largest animal ever to have lived. It weighs in the range of 110 to 160 tonnes and grows to lengths of between 20 and 30 meters. But blue whales break more than just size records. They produce vocalizations at volumes in excess of 180 decibels, earning them the title of the loudest animal on the planet.

BLACKNAPED HARE | Lepus nigricollic F. Cuvier

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BLACKNAPED HARE
Only one species of hare is found in Kerala. The Induan hare or blacknaped hare is seen in natural forests and plantations. Pellets of spherical shape are the best indirect evidence left by these animals. Generally found in grasslands and rocky patches in forest areas. Difficult to sight at day time . Stony patches are preferred by the species and nibbling can be seen on young shoots of plants.

Scientific name : Lepus nigricollic F. Cuvier

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Lagomorpha
Family: Leporidae
Genus: Lepus
Species: L. nigricollis

Local names : Muyal, Cheviyan.

Habitat : All habitats except wet evergreen.

Distribution : Distributed all over Kerala.

Indirect evidences : Pellets and feeding sings.

Faecal matters : Pellets are round and spherical in shape and greenish in colour.

Size : 2 to 2.5 cm.
Where to look : Active at night and frequents open lands with grass for feeding.

ELEPHANT | Elephas maximus

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ELEPHANT
Scientific name : Elephas maximus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae
Genus: Elephas
Species: E. maximus
Local name : Aana.

Habitat : All habitats namely evergreen, semi evergreen, moist deciduous, dry deciduous forests, grass lands and plantations.

Distribution : All over Kerala in the forest areas.
Indirect evidences : Dung, foot prints, calls, feeding signs, smell, tracks and rubbing marks n the tree trunks.

Dung : Boli are seen in heaps which can be identified easily. Rain or sunshine may change the appearance of the dung.

Size :Diameter may vary from 4 cm to 18 cm.

Foot prints : Foot prints can be used even to estimate the height of elephants. Double the circumference of the front foot will be the shoulder height of an elephant. Number of foot prints also indicate whether the animals are solitary or in herd.

Calls and sounds : Presence of elephants can be detected from a distance fro the feeding sounds and the noise of ear flapping.

Where to look for elephants : All over the forest especially areas with water and reed breaks or bamboo.

THE INDIAN PORCUPINE | Hystrix indica

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THE INDIAN PORCUPINE
This nocturnal rodent is distributed throughout Kerala. Presence of this animal can be easily detected from the quills or faecal pellets.

Scientific name : Hystrix indica

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Hystricidae
Genus: Hystrix
Subgenus: Hystrix
Species: H. indica

Local name : Mullan panni.

Habitats : All habitats.

Distribution : Present in most of the wildlife sanctuaries. Common in Parabikulam, Chinnar, Chimmony, Peppara and in Silent Valley National Park and Periyar Tiger Reserve.

Indirect evidences : Droppings, quills, diggings, remains of gnawed bone portions by the animal near the entrance of the caves and tracks. Dragging marks produced by the quills can be seen on the ground.

Faecal matters : Blackish in colour, normally on rocks and open ground. Diameter of each pellet varies from 11 mm to 12 mm.

Quills : Fallen quills can be seen on the areas where the porcupines frequent.

Habits : Active only at night.

Where to look for the indirect evidences : Found in all the forest areas and gnawing can be seen on the bark of trees.

THE GAUR | INDIAN BISON | Bos gaurus H. Smith

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THE GAUR OR INDIAN BISON
Occur in forest areas where grasslands and water are available in plenty. They are frequently sighted in, open marshy areas. Dung and foot prints are the best indirect signs which will help in the identification of these animals

Scientific name :Bos gaurus

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Bovinae
Genus: Bos
Species: B. gaurus
Binomial name: Bos gaurus

Local names : Kattu poth, Katti,Kattu madu.
Habitat : All habitats.

Distribution : All over Kerala. Frequently seen in Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary and Periyar Tiger Reserve.

Indirect evidences : Dung, feeding signs and hoof marks.

Faecal matters : Dung is similar to cattle but occupy larger areas due to the large quantity and have Tiger liquid.

Hoof marks : Hoof marks are found near the water holes and marshy areas. Tracks created by frequent walking of herds also can be taken as an indication of the species.

Where to look for gaur : Open areas with grass and water; Plantatipns, with grass as the under growth.

THE SAMBAR | Cervus unicolor

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THE SAMBAR
Largest deer found in India, abundant in wildlife sanctuaries and also in the Reserve Forests of Kerala. Seen in herds of four or five animals. But lager herds of up to 50 have been reported from Periyar and Parambikulam. Only the makes have the antlers and are shed annually. If the area is disturbed by human pressure, we will have to depend on indirect signs for recording the presence of sambar.Pellets and hoof marks are the best indirect signs.

Scientific name : Cervus unicolor

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Suborder: Ruminantia
Family: Cervidae
Subfamily: Cervinae
Genus: Rusa
Species: R. unicolor
Binomial name: Rusa unicolor

Local names : Mlavu, Kadaman, Kalaman.

Habitat : All habitats in hill areas, evergreen, semi evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests.
Distribution : Widely distributed. Seen in all forest areas in Kerala. Frequent in Parambikulam, Chinnar wildlife sanctuaries and Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Indirect evidences : Pellets, hoof marks, feeding signs, shed antlers, rubbing on trees, alarm calls and remains of kills. The alarm calla of the animal when chased is typical and echo’s the whole forest.
Faecal matters : Pellets are found in groups. Sambar has the biggest sized pellets compared to other deer species in Kerala. Pellets are elongated in shape with colour varying from back to green. Texture of the pellet is rough. Mean pellet length is 10.5 mm and mean diameter 10.6 mm. Hoof marks are seen near water holes and on the river banks.

THE NILGIRI TAHR | Hemitragus hylocrius

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THE NILGIRI TAHR
Among the two tahr species occurring in india, the Nilgiri tahr is endemic to Western Ghats and is seen in the hill ranges at an elevation from 600 m to 2,000 m. This highly endangered animal is found in isolated hillocks all over the Western Ghats. The largest population of tahr is found in Eravikulam National park where it can be easily seen. Best indirect signs are the pellets.

Scientific name : Hemitragus hylocrius

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Bovidae
Subfamily: Caprinae
Genus: Nilgiritragus
Ropiquet & Hassanin, 2005
Species: N. hylocrius
Binomial name: Nilgiritragus hylocrius

Local names : Varayadu, Kattadu

Habitat : High elevation areas with grassland shoal forests.

Distribution : Found in Eravikulam National Park and Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary and in many isolated hillocks all over Kerala.

Indirect evidences : Pellets and hoof marks.

Faecal matters : Mean pellet length is 11.19 mm, mean diameter 7.49 mm and mean weight is 29.9 gm. Similar to that of deer but slightly spherical. Colour varying from grayish to green. Texture of the pellets is smooth compared to deer species.

Size : Length of the pellets is one to one and half times more than the width.

Where to look for the animal : Cliffs with grass.

THE CHITAL | Axis axis Erxleben | SPOTTED DEER

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THE CHITAL OR SPOTTED DEER
Occur in open areas mostly in dry zones of the state. It is not found in the southern part of the State strating from Periyar Tiger Reserve. Common in Parambikulam, Wayanad, Chinnar and in Peechi – Vazhani wildlife sanctuaries. Seen in groups of up to 50 animals.

Scientific name : Axis axis Erxeleben
Domain: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Theria
Infraclassis: Eutheria
Ordo: Artiodactyla
Subordo: Ruminantia
Familia: Cervidae
Subfamilia: Cervinae
Genus: Axis
Species: Axis axis

Local names : Pulliman, Maan.

Habitat : Dry open area with grasslands and moist and dry deciduous forests.

Distribution : All the forest areas of Kerala north of Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Indirect evidences : Pellets, hoof prints, shed antlers, feeding signs, antler rubbing marks on tree, alarm calls and remains of body parts fed by carnivores.

Faecal matters : Spotted deer pellets are smaller in size than that of sambar and rough in texture. Colour varies from black to green. Mean length of the pellets is 13.43 mm and mean diameter 8.86 mm.

Hoof marks : Similar to sambar but small in size.

Where to look for the indirect evidences : Open areas with grass.

THE MUNTJAK OR BARKING DEER | Muntiacus muntjak

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THE MUNTJAK OR BARKING DEER
Difficult to sight because of its cryptic and silent behavior and is usually solitary. Calls are very distinct and similar to the barking of domestic dogs and hence the name.

Scientific name : Muntiacus muntjak

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Suborder: Ruminantia
Family: Cervidae
Subfamily: Muntiacinae
Genus: Muntiacus

Local names : Kezhaman, Kezhayad.

Habitat : All habitats. Common in moist and dry deciduous forests.

Distribution : All over Kerala. Reported from most of the sanctuaries. Present in Periyar Tiger Reserve, Wayanad, Parambikulam, Chimmony, Peppara and Chinnar wildlife sanctuaries.

Indirect evidences : Pellets, hoof marks, calls, remains of kill.

Faecal matters : Pellets are small in size compared to sambar and spotted deer. Colour varies from black to green.

Size : Mean pellet length is 8.2 mm and mean diameter is 5.88 mm.
Hoof marks : Length of the hoof marks is around 3.5 cm and breadth 2.5 cm. Hoof prints are smaller in size than that of sambar and spotted deer.

Calls and sound : Calls are very distinct and similar to barking of dogs

THE INDIAN CHEVROTAIN | MOUSE DEER | Tragulus meminna

2010-06-02T01:09:00.001+05:30

THE INDIAN CHEVROTAIN OR MOUSE DEER
Nocturnal, solitary and moves in areas with undergrowth. Rare and difficult to sight due to the camouflaging colouration. The only way to identify the presence of the species is by looking at the pellets and occational hoof marks.

Scientific name : Tragulus meminna

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Tragulidae
Genus: Moschiola
Species: M. indica
Binomial name: Moschiola indica

Local names : Kooran, Kooraman.

Habitat : Wet evergreen and deciduous forests.

Distribution : All over Kerala. Reported from Silent Valley National Park, Parambikulam, Chimmony and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuaries and Periyar Tiger Reserve.

Indirect evidences : Pellets and hoof marks.

Faecal matters : Small pellets.

Foot prints : Very small and difficult to detect in the field. Similar to the marks made with two small sticks on the ground.

INDIAN PANGOLIN | Manis crassicaudata Gray

2010-06-02T01:08:00.001+05:30

INDIAN PANGOLIN

Scientific name : Manis crassicaudata Gray

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Pholidota
Family: Manidae
Genus: Manis
Species: M. crassicaudata
Binomial name: Manis crassicaudata

Local names : Urumbutheeni, Eenampaechi.

Habitat : Moist and dry deciduous forests and dry village side.

Distribution : All over Kerala.

Indirect evidences : Burrows and walking signs on the ground.

Burrows : In the ground, usually under a rock or heavy stone.

Where to look for the animals : Dry area with rocky patches, where there is enough ant or termite mounds.

THE MALABAR GIANT SQUIRREL | Ratufa indica

2010-06-02T01:07:00.004+05:30

THE MALABAR GIANT SQUIRREL
Seen in all the protected areas especially Periyar Tiger Reserve, Wayanad and Parambikulam Wildlife Sanct uaries and Silent Valley National Park. Dreys are very prominent, found on lofty trees and customarily built on top of the tree branches.
Scientific name: Ratufa indica

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Sciuridae
Genus: Ratufa
Species: R. indica
Binomial name : Ratufa indica

Local name : Malayannan

Habitats : All habitats, except plantations.

Distribution : All over Kerala.

Indirect evidences : Calls, remains of seeds on the ground and dreys on trees. Remains of fruits and nuts are found on the ground after feeding.

Nests : Build dreys using leaves and twigs.

Calls : “Chle…chle… chle…“ Very loud shrill calls which are audible over long distances. Produces loud calls when a bird of prey is sighted above the sky.
Where to look for indirect signs : Fruiting trees. In disturbed areas, it may stay on tree holes during the day time and freeze on the branches after sighting humans.

THE INDIAN WILD BOAR | Sus scrofa Linnaeus

2010-06-02T01:07:00.003+05:30

THE INDIAN WILD BOAR

Scientific name : Sus scrofa Linnaeus

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Suidae
Genus: Sus
Species: S. scrofa
Binomial name : Sus scrofa

Local names :, Kattu panni Panni.

Habitat : Evergreen, semi evergreen and moist and dry deciduous forests and also in cultivated lands.

Distribution : All over Kerala.

Indirect evidences : Hoof marks, digging signs and nests made of leaf and twigs. When wild boar leaves an area after feeding it appears like a ploughed field.

Faecal matters : Found in the forest areas and is round or elongated in shape.

Colour : Brownish to black in colour.

Size : Diameter 2.3 to 2.4 cm.

Foot prints : Width of hoof marks may vary between 3.6 to 5.5 cm and length differ from 3.1 to 6.2 cm.

Nests : Made of leaf and twigs on the ground and will look like a small mount of leaf litter.

Where to look for the indirect evidences : Open areas in forest and also near cultivations near the forest.

THE GRIZZLED GIANT SQUIRREL | Ratufa macroura

2010-06-02T01:05:00.000+05:30

THE GRIZZLED GIANT SQUIRREL
This is an endangered giant squirrel reported in Kerala only from Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki District. Frequently seen in the riverine belt of Chinnar and Pambar river. As in the case of Malabar giant squirrel, the dreys and calls are the best indirect signs. Only about 150 anials are reported to occur in Chinnar.
Scientific name : Ratufa macroura
Local names : Puliyannan, Chambal annan.
Habitat : Riverine forests in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Distribution : Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary in Idukki District.
Indirect evidences : Nests, calls and remains of seeds on the ground.
Dreys : Made of leaves and twigs on top of the trees.
Calls : Similar to Malabar giant squirrel. Produces a shrill sound.
Where to look : Riverine belt all along the Chinnar, Athioda and Pambar rivers in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

TIGER | Panthera tigris

2010-06-02T01:03:00.002+05:30

TIGER
Direct sighting is rare but pug marks can be often seen near the waterholes, lack shore, stream side and on the forest roads.
Scientific name : Panthera tigris

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: P. tigris
Binomial name: Panthera tigris

Local names : Kaduva, Puli, Varayan puli.

Habitat : Evergreen forest, moist deciduous forest, dry deciduous forest and shoal grass lands.

Distribution : Distributed all over Kerala in the forests.

Indirect evidences : Pug marks, scats, kill and claw marks on trees.

Faecal matters : Scats will be larger in size compared to that of leopard. Usually with hairs and bones of prey animals and with foul smell when it is fresh. Often difficult to distinguish with that of a leopard unless confirmed by the presence of pug marks nearby.

Colour : Black to grey.

Size (Diameter) : Size ranges from 35 mm to 44 mm.

Pug marks : Bigger than the leopard pug mark. The pug mark of a tiger cub is always with that of an adult tiger. This often helps to identify a leopard from the tiger. Sex of the tiger can be distinguished by looking at the shape of the pug mark. If the length and breadth measurements shows a square shape it will be of a male tiger and a rectangle shape, indicates a female.

Kills : kill are characterized with an intact stomach. The remaining portoin of the prey after feeding id left in the same place and return for the meat the next day. But, some times kills are dragged and hidden under vegetation. The mode if fedding from the rear of the prey has given the tiger the title ‘the ugly feeder’.

Claw marks : Very rare but can be seen on the bark of trees.
Where to look for the indirect evidences: Pug marks are found in dusty Soils near the forest road in the mud on the side of rivulets or water holes.

THE LEOPARD | PANTHER | Panthera pardus

2010-06-02T01:01:00.001+05:30

THE LEOPARD OR PANTHER
Leopards are found in the forests of Kerala and in the outskirts of villages. Occasionally strays to the home steads and preys on cattle also. Is Kerala, it is frequently sighted in Wayanad, Parambikulam and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuaries

Scientific name : Panthera pardus

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Panthera
Species: P. pardus
Binomial name: Panthera pardus

Local names : Pulli puli,Puli, Nari.

Habitat : Evergreen, moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests.

Distribution : Distributed all over Kerala.

Indirect evidences : Pug marks, scats, kills and claw marks on trees.

Scats : Scat will be at a point in single piles. Blackish grey in colour. The colour will turn into white, when exposed to sun . Smells heavily and hairs and bones of prey species are seen in the scats. Difficult to distinguish from a tiger scat unless confirmed by the pug marks nearby. About 8 mm to 11 mm in diameter.

Pugmarks : Smaller than that of tiger.

Size: Length may vary from 6 cm to 10 cm and breadth from 5 cm to 9 cm . Width of paw will be around 4 cm to 6 cm.

Kills : After feeding , the remains of the prey are kept on tree tops. Prey animals include arboreal animals also. Often prey on dogs when they come near villages, a unique behavior which is not found in tigers.

Claw marks : Very rare but can be noticed on the bark of trees.
Where to look for the indirect evidences: Same as that of tiger.

THE SMALL INDIAN CIVET | Viuerricula indica | Viverricula indica

2010-06-02T01:00:00.004+05:30

THE SMALL INDIAN CIVET

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Viverridae
Subfamily: Viverrinae
Genus: Viverricula
Species: V. indica
Binomial name: Viverricula indica

Scientific name : Viverricula indica

Local names : Veruku, Meru, Cheruveruku, Kodimeru, Poomeru.

Habitat : Country side, villages and forests.

Distribution : Distributed all over Kerala.

Indirect evidences : Scat and pug marks.

Faecal matters : Contains plant seeds and is often watery.

Colour : Black to brownish in colour.

Size : Length may vary from 3.00 to 4.6 cm. drippings are seen on rock or on long in the forest.

Pug marks : A small pad and four finger prints can be seen clearly.

Size : Width may vary from 3.00 cm to 3.6 cm.

Where to look for the indirect evidences : Near the fruiting trees when the fruits ripens. Active at dusk and dawn. Pug marks are clear near the river sides.

JUNGLE CAT | Felis chaus Guldenstaedt

2010-06-02T01:00:00.003+05:30

JUNGLE CAT
Cryptic animals and difficult to sight directly. Indirect signs can be seen frequently in the forests and in the outskirts of villages.

Scientific name :Felis chaus Gueldenstaedtii

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Genus: Felis
Species: F. chaus
Binomial name: Felis chaus

Local name : Kattu poocha.

Habitat : Prefers dry open forest areas with grassland and scrub jungle and near forest villages.

Indirect evidences : Pug marks and scats.

Distribution : No detailed data available, but reported from most of the wildlife sanctuaries in Kerala.

Faecal matters Colour : Grey to black.

Size : 13 mm to 17 mm.

Pugmark Size : Smaller than that of leopard with a width of about 2 to 3 cm.

Habit : Often come to villages for poultry.

Where to look for the indirect evidences : Near the forest roads, tree holes and under the culverts.

THE COMMON PALM CIVET OR TODDY CAT | Paradoxurus hermaphrodites

2010-06-02T00:58:00.000+05:30

THE COMMON PALM CIVET OR TODDY CAT
Common in the villages and country side and feed on fruits and seeds. The only indirect evidences of this nocturnal animal are the faecal matter and pug marks.
Scientific name : Paradoxurus hermaphrodites
Local names : Marappatti, Pazhamunni, Marameu, Panameru, Kallukudian meru.
Habitat : Villages , forest areas and coffee plantation.
Distribution : Distributed all over Kerala.
Indirect evidences : Scat, pug marks.
Scat : Grayish to brown in colour, seeds of fruits consumed can be seen in the scat.
Size : 19 mm to 20 mm.
Where to look for the indirect evidences : Found in the upstairs of old house. Occasionally drinks toddy from the coconut palms and can be located near the fruiting trees.

JACKAL | Canis aureus Linnaeus

2010-06-02T00:56:00.001+05:30

JACKAL | Canis aureus Linnaeus
Found in villages and around the abandoned places. Pug marks and scats are similar to dogs.

Scientific name : Canis aureus Linnaeus

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Canidae
Genus: Canis
Species: C. aureus
Binomial name: Canis aureus

Local names : Kurukkan, Kurunari, Oolan.

Habitat : In and around villages and in all forest types.

Distribution : Distributed all over Kerala.

Indirect evidences : Scats, pug marks and calls.

Scat : Black in colour.

Size : 8 to 10 mm.

Foot prints : Similar to that of dogs and 4 to 5 cm in width.

Call and sound : Howling at dusk.

Habit : Mainly a scavenger but prey upon small mammals, poultry and even invertebrates. Catches fowls and goats from the villages.

Where to look for the animal : Small rocky bushes and thickets near the outskirts of cities and villages.

BONNET MACAQUE | Macaca radiate

2010-05-11T23:16:00.001+05:30

THE BONNET MACAQUE

The is a common diurnal monkey found in Kerala., occurring both in the forests and villages . The troop size may range from 10 to 20 individuals.

Scientific name : Macaca radiate

Local names : Vellamanthi , Nadan kurangu, Mocha, Vellakurnagu.

Habitat : Moist and dry deciduous forest, semi and wet evergreen forest, edges and country side.

Distribution : Distribution all over Kerala. Commonly found in Parambikulam. Wayanad, Idukki and Chimmony wildlife sanctuaries.

Indirect evidences : Faecal matters, discarded leaf portions on the ground , parts of fruits dropped after feeding, calls, foot prints on the ground and banging sound of tree branches when they jump swiftly.

Faecal matters Colour : Grayish to black and smooth in texture. Similar to humans in shape and found on rocky patches or on the ground.

Foot prints : Foot prints are traceable near the river banks.

Calls : Sounds like “ Kra…Kra…Kra…” is produced by all the individuals in a troop. Gives out a shrill warning call by all the members simultaneously, when a bird of prey soar over the sky, or when predators are sighted.

SLENDER LORIS | Loris tardigradus

2010-05-11T23:13:00.002+05:30

THE SLENDER LORIS

The only nocturnal primate in Western Ghats. Usually move fast when encountered. Reported from many of the wildlife sanctuaries, but found to be common in certain pockets of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and parts of Trichur District.

Scientific name : Loris tardigradus

Local name : Kutti thevangu.

Habitat : Deciduous, bamboo and thorn forsts.

Distribution :No correct information is available. However, it has been reported from all over Kerala.

Indirect evidences : Indirect evidences cannot be traced easily and hence hardly dependable. Have a low whistling call audible to 30-40 m.

THE NILGIRI LANGUR | Presbytis johnii

2010-05-11T23:03:00.004+05:30

THE NILGIRI LANGUR

Diurnal and seen in all the habitat types in Kerala. The territorial call of the male “ Hoo-hoo-hoo” can

Be heard from distance in early morning and evening.

Scientific name : Presbytis johnii

Local name : Karim kurangu, kari manthi.

Habitat : Wet evergreen, semi –evergreen and deciduous forest.

Distribution : All over Kerala in the forested areas from an elevation of 90 m above MSL.

Indirect evidences: Droppings, discarded leaf and fruit parts on the ground and calls.

Droppings : Similar to hanuman langur but difficult to locate in the forest areas. Being the more abundant, foot paths and rocks along streams. More often look like cow dung,with no invertebrates and usually flattened on the substrate.

Colour : Grey, green or black.

Foot prints : Foot prints are not traceable in the wild since these monkeys seldom come down .

Calls : “Hoo…hoo…hoo…” Distinct calls heard from a distances will help us to identify these monkeys. Produces of a shrill sound by all the members of a troop whenever a bird of prey soars over the canopy., or when a predator is sighted.

THE HANUMAN LANGUR | Presbytis entellus

2010-05-05T21:00:00.002+05:30

HANUMAN LANGUR

This diurnal monkey is found in the dry tracts in Nilambur and ,Wayand and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuaries. Distinct call are made by these monkey. Difficult to distinguish based on indirect evidences. Sound of teeth grinding and whooping calls of males are audible.

Scientific name : Presbytis entellus

Local names : Hanuman kurangu , Vekkali, Vellamanthi and Moolikurangu.

Habitat : Dry deciduous forest and scrub forests.

Distribution : Found in chinnar and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuaries in Kerala and parts of Nilambur. Thenmala and in sacred groves of North Kerala.

Indirect evidences : Droppings, calls, discarded leaf, fruit parts and foot prints on the ground. Rejected fruit portions of Garcinia gummi-gutta, are usuall seen in Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary,when these monkeys leave an area after feeding.

Faecal matters : Found on the ground or on rocks under the roosting tree /place. Droppings Contain mostly leaves unlike bonnet monkeys and with no insect parts.

Colour : Brownish grey, shape is similar to bonnet macaque.

Calls and sound :” Whoop…Whoop…Whoop…”.

Foot prints : Foot prints can be located near the water course where these monkeys Inhabit. Difficult to identify from other primates based on the foot prints Because the foot prints may look similar.

THE LION - TAILED MACAQUE

2010-05-05T20:53:00.003+05:30

THE LION-TAILED MACAQUE

This macaque is diurnal, endemic to the evergreen forests of Western ghats and is the most endangered among all the primates found in Kerala. Their subdued ‘’Coo-Coo-Coo’’ call is very distinct from that of the other black monkey,the Nilgiri langur. They occur in troops of 10 to 20 animals. Freshly discarded fruits of Cullenia exarillata with feeding signs more often indicate the presence of this monkey in the vicinity.

Scientific name: Macaca silenus

Local names : Simhavalan kurangu , Shingalan, Moolian.

Habiat : Wet evergreen forest.

Distribution : Seen in the wet evergreen forests in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In Kerala it occurs in Silent valley National park, Shenduruny Wildlife Sanctuary, New Amarambalam, Muthikulam, Parambikulam, Sholayar,Periyar Tiger Reserve, Aralam, Ranni, Nelliampathy and Neyyar.

Indirect evidences : Discarded parts of fruits, calls, sound of moving branches and faecal matters reveal the presence of these monkeys. It is difficult to find foot prints. Rarely comes to ground and foot prints will be confused with that of bonnet macaque.Discarded food parts can be indistinguishable from other arboreal mammals e. g. Nilgiri langur, bonnet macaque and Malabar giant squirrel, except perhaps for some specific food species e. g. Cullenia sp. and Diospyros.

Dropping : Similar to bonnet macaque, but difficult to locate in the evergreen forests.

Colour : Grayish to black in colour.

Calls : ‘’Coo…Coo…Coo…’’ contact calls are frequent. These calls are very reliable, audible and can be herd up to 75-100 m.