common loon

The common loon is a species of bird that is most closely related to the duck, mainly due to the ability of the common loon to dive underwater in order to hunt for food.The common loon is found in parts of Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Iceland and Scotland, but common loon have recently been found in other watery parts across Europe and North America.The common loon, like all divers, is a specialist fish-eater, as the common loon catches its prey underwater. The common loon has been seen diving as deep as 200 feet  to get its lunch. The common loon that have a very freshwater diet mainly eat pike, perch, sunfish, trout, and bass. The common loon that have a more salt-water diet feed on rock fish, flounder, sea trout, and herring.The common loon needs a long distance to gain momentum for take-off, and is ungainly on landing. Its clumsiness on land is due to the legs being positioned at the rear of the body of the common loon which is ideal for diving but is not well-suited for assistance the common loon with walking. When the birds land on water, they skim along on their bellies to slow down, rather than on their feet, as the feet of a common loon are set too far back.The common loon has almost completely disappeared from the waters of eastern North America, mainly due to pollution in the water and excess pollutants causing acid rain to occur.

beautiful cat

Cats  seem to date back to around ancient Egyptian times, when they were worshiped and heralded as sacred animals to the Gods in Egypt. The cat has since become an honored and valued member of family homes worldwide.A cats senses are superior amongst the animal world, with exceptional sight, smell and taste, cats are able to subtly sneak up on, and catch their prey with immense success.Despite the cats unbeatable night-vision, a cats eyesight during the day is actually not too dissimilar from a humans! Due to this, cats are more nocturnal hunters looking for smal l rodents and birds.The average domestic cat sleeps for around 18 hours a day and tends to spend their waking time hunting for food. Despite wild cats being solitary animals, the domestic cat is known to enjoy attention from humans and other animals and will often even get on well with some dogs.

Dall sheep animals

The Dall sheep is mammal animals. Also known as thinhorn, dall sheep are the northernmost wild sheep in the world. Their horns take up to 8 years to grow and are composed of keratin, the same material as our fingernails. The age of the sheep can be calculated from the number of growth rings on their horns. Dall sheep spend most of their lives on the jagged slopes of mountains. Their cloven hooves with rough pads help them cling to cliff edges and broken ledges, where they flock to elude predators. In spring and early summer, dall sheep often visit mineral licks to restore the nutrients they lost during the long winter.Habitat Dry mountainous regions and select sub-alpine grass and low shrub terrains; Arctic, Subarctic: most of Alaska, the Yukon Territory, extreme northwest and north-central British Columbia.

Bank Swallow

The Bank Swallow is a small, slender song bird. In its typical adult appearance, the bird is white on the underneath and brown on top of its feather coat, with a dark band running across and extending all the way down to the middle of its chest. It has a small bill and supports long wings of about 25-29 cm which help it during flight. They are usually 12-14 cm in length, and weigh around 10-19 grams. Traditionally, Bank Swallows nest in colonies along the streamside banks of North America, but they can also be found across Europe and Asia. The British name for Bank Swallows is Sand Martin and is commonly used across Britain; other Spanish and French names for the bird are also commonly used in the respective countries.

Since they live in low areas mostly around rivers, streams, ocean coasts or reservoirs, the territories they are found in are vertical cliffs or banks. Here they nest in colonies which include up to 20,000 nests. In the past, Bank Swallow bird was commonly found around natural bluffs or on the streamside. However, with the seemingly increased eroding, the Bank Swallows have re-located their colonies to more man-made sites like quarries made out of sand or gravel, or road cuts. These locations offer the same support as a vertical cliff and allow for stability of their nests. As you can see in bank swallow pictures, these nests are very carefully made and placed. Each nest is made in such a way that it forms a chamber. The male member uses his small, cone shaped bill along with feet and wings to dig burrows which are perpendicular to the ground level and go about 25 inches into the side of the banks. These burrows eventually lead to the nest chamber, as the male widens them upwards and from both sides in such a way that constant temperatures can be maintained inside the burrow. Then the female member builds the nest by constructing a mat of straw, grasses, leaves, or rootlets that she collects from around the banks. This mat is 1 inch thick and 5 inches in diameter to offer support and firmness. Since the Bank Swallows make nests in large colonies, they do it around fairly loose soils so that it is easy to burrow in. Similarly, these areas are located near water bodies so that there is vertical space for the birds to fly. It is one of the interesting bank swallow facts that every individual chooses a colony first, then a nest location within that colony area. Interestingly, it is the male that digs the burrow before it has a mate. It is only then that a female hovers itself over the burrow she chooses and then mates with the male in that nest site. The Bank Swallows carefully choose a location that is in the upper third part of the bank so that few ground predators can attack them. They mostly eat insects like bees, wasps, ants, butterflies or moths. Since they live near water, it is easy for the Bank Swallows to catch food. They fly at a height of about 50 ft above open water or ground and catch insects, and then feed either singly or with large groups from their colonies. Bank Swallows have a set of distinctive behavior that instantly distinguishes them from other such bird species. These include the seemingly different pattern of flying with shallow, fluttery wing beats. They glide for 2 seconds but have a less twisty and straighter flight than other Swallows. Bank Swallows are 

Dragonfly

Insect. Dragonflies first lived 300 million years ago, and predate dinosaurs by more than 100 million years and birds by some 150 million. They had wingspans up to 61 centimeters 24 inches. Dragonflies spend only a very short part of their lives as flying insects. Instead they live as nymphs  for up to four years, shedding their skin as much as fifteen times, finally maturing into adults who will survive only a few months. They can fly up to 97 kilometers 60 miles per hour and are able to make lightning stops and starts, and instant right-angle turns. Insect. Dragonflies first lived 300 million years ago, and predate dinosaurs by more than 100 million years and birds by some 150 million. They had wingspans up to 61 centimeters 24 inches. Dragonflies spend only a very short part of their lives as flying insects. Instead they live as nymphs wingless, immature form for up to four years, shedding their skin as much as fifteen times, finally maturing into adults who will survive only a few months. They can fly up to 97 kilometers 60 miles per hour and are able to make lightning stops and starts, and instant right-angle turns.

Buzzard birds

Buzzard, or Turkey Vulture, a large American bird that lives in a wide range of habitats, including grasslands, forests, and deserts. The buzzard is a carrion scavenger, feeding chiefly on the remains of dead animals. The adult bird is about 30 inches (76 cm) long with a wingspread of 6 feet (1.8 m). It has a slightly hooked beak, a bare, bright red head, and grayish-black plumage.The buzzard lays its eggs in a depression in the ground. The two, or sometimes three, creamy white eggs are speckled in brown or lavender. The young buzzards, when hatched, are covered with white down. Buzzards are graceful in flight, soaring at great heights and moving their wings only to adjust to changing air currents. They fly by day, seeking carrion. Buzzards locate carrion both by sight and smell. (Unlike most other birds, buzzards have a well-developed sense of smell.)The buzzard's range extends from southern Canada to the southern tip of South America. Those in the northern parts of this range usually migrate south in autumn.

Wallabv.

Mammal. The rock wallaby is a small kangaroo. There are 15 species of rock wallaby. They live exclusively on rocky terrain and can leap up to 4 meters (13 feet) but cannot climb trees. During hot weather, they spend most of the day in the shade, searching for grass in the early morning and evening. On cooler days, they spend much of their time eating. Wallabies communicate a warning to others by thumping once or twice on the ground with their feet. A female wallaby can produce two different kinds of milk at the same time, one for her baby and another, richer blend, for her older offspring

Dashain in Nepal

Dashain is the longest and the most important festival of Nepal. Generally Dashain falls in late September to mid October, right after the monsoon season in Nepal. Dashain gets many different nick names as Dasara, Bada Dashain, Vijaya Dashain, Durga Puja, all of which mean the same thing, Dashain, a day of Victory over Demons.According to the legend, the bloodthirsty Goddess, Durga conquered evils on the Dashain day. Huge amount of animal sacrifices take place during the festival in temples and in home to please the Goddess Durga. Some people may take such animal sacrifices negatively but they might forget how they came by their meat on their plate! There are lots of western countries consuming mass amount of meat, animals are slaughtered in factories by the hundreds and thousands. The final day of the festival is known as `Tika', a day on which the elder ones give `Tika' to the younger ones and to other relatives who come for their blessings.

mouse

The mouse is a small rodent that is spread widely throughout nearly every country. The mouse is found in all corners of the globe, including parts of Antarctica.Many people today like to keep the mouse as pets because of the small size and quiet temperament of the mouse. The mouse is also used a lot in scientific research though the mouse is not an easy animal to examine.The mouse is often easy prey around the world for small mammals, birds and reptiles. Due to this the mouse generally does not live for much longer than a few months in the wild, mainly because the mouse is small easy prey for many mammals and birds. The mouse though has been known to get up to a few years old when kept as a pet.
                                      Mice can be harmful pests at times, through damaging and eating crops and spreading diseases through their parasites and feces. It is because of the pest problems caused by mice, that domestic cats are thought to have been introduced into common households.The gestation period in female mice is less than a month, and the female mouse has an average litter size of about six baby mice, although the mouse litter size is commonly higher than six. The baby mice are known as pups and these mice pups are born with no hair and with their eyes and ears closed. Mouse babies are weaned when they are around three weeks old.There are nearly 40 different known species of mouse found throughout the world. The different mouse species range in size and colour that is generally dependent on their environment.

The buffy headed Marmoset

The Buffy-headed Marmoset was discovered by Thomas in 1903. This species is endemic to Brazil. It is currently (2003) listed as an endangered species. It inhabits a small area of South-east Brazil between the Doce and Paraiba rivers.The Buffy-headed Marmoset weighs on average around 400 grams. They have a dark mask around their eyes and nose. They have black hair down the centre of their chest, and the underparts are buffy.They are also known by the common name of White-eared Marmoset, and sometimes called the White-eared Monkey or Buffy-headed Monkey.An unusual feature about this particular species is its diet. Unlike most marmosets, the Buffy-headed Marmoset eats plant gums as a source of carbohydrates instead of fruit (Ferrari & Mendes 1991). With this unique feature, it enables the Buffy-headed Marmoset to colonise areas where fruit is scared, other Marmosets would not be capable of this.The gestation period for the Buffy-headed Marmoset is around 140 to 148 days. The litter can range between 1 to 4 new born marmosets. This particular species of marmoset is monogamous, maintaining a partner for life.

Mammal. Caracals are also called desert lynx because of their resemblance to lynx. They can survive for long periods without water, obtaining moisture from their prey. “Karakal” is Turkish for “black ears.” Their ears are larger than most other cats, and they are topped by long, black tufts of fur. Caracals are agile tree-climbers, and will sometimes store the remains of their prey in the forks of trees or bushes. They are known for their bird-catching abilities. Their strong legs and big paws enable them to jump up and knock birds out of the air.

Redfish

The Redfish is notorious as a bottom feeding animal.  However, it can also be seen on the surface, feeding on schools of fingerling baitfish.  It prefers shallow grass beds and and structures where small fish and crustaceans are abundant.  There was a drastic decline in Red Drum populations in the late sixties and early seventies.  Through conservation efforts the species has once again reached abundant levels.  The first hatchery established to restock the Redfish population was here in Texas near Port O'Conner.  In 1983, they released 2.3 million fingerlings into the San Antonio Bay.  This is an amazing sport fish to pursue. The only three truly unique feature this animal possesses is its prominent spot or multiple spots on the dorsal edge of the tail fin.  It does have strong jaws and the ability to grind its food, aiding in the consumption of mollusks and crustaceans .  Its unique behavioral feature is that this fish likes to dig its nose into the sandy ocean bottoms, allowing its tail to splash the top of the water, known as "tailing".  The Texas Wild exhibit has on display 5 Redfish.  They are typically a schooling fish which allows them to be more efficient during feeding.  Typically Redfish like to corral their prey into the shallows and feed in waves.This is a feisty, fun fish to pursue on regular fishing tackle or a fly rod.  They are amazing fighters.  Due to continued conservation efforts, the Redfish is continuing its resurgence in the wild.  The exhibit at the Ft. Worth Zoo contains five fish in varying stages of maturity.  The immature fish typically contain four or five spots on their tail section whereas the mature fish typically have only one.

 

Sergeant - Major Fish

The Sergeant Major Fish can grow up  which is a relatively large damsel fish.  It is not suprising to see this bright beautiful fish grow to 6 or 7 inches in total length.  It's generally lively colored and laterally compressed with upper body being yellow, occassionally with shades of blue.  The lower body of the fish is white with shades of gray.  These black vertical stripes narrows towards the belly, with a dark spot at the base of the pectoral fin.  They have a small terminal mouth, a single nasal opening on each side of the head and a single continuous dorsal fin.
This species is a coral reef fish that is found in many reefs in the Atlantic Ocean.  They are common in tropical and subtropical shallows all over the world.  This fish adopted its name sergeant major because of the five black bars that resemble the insignia of that rank in the military services.  The Sergeant Major fish scientific name is Abudefduf saxatilis.  This scientific name stands for Abudefduf - father, saxa - living among rocks, tilus - tile-like in color.  The reason it is called father is because it is aggressive and bossy to the other inhabitants of a reef. The Sergeant Major fish really doesn't have any special adaptions except for its aggressiveness and  determining sexes - if male or female species. 
During the months of April - August mating occurs and territories are established for reproduction.  This is when  the male is extremely territorial .  Also, during mating the male of the species becomes deep blue (note the blue fish in the photo below).  Other than waiting for mating season it is really hard to determine males from females and vice versa.  Many damsel fish change sex over their lifetimes, beginning as male, and then as they grow, become female.

Alligator Gar

         
An adult alligator gar can reach lengths of up to eight feet and can weigh in excess of 302 pounds. It has a long and slender body which is covered in bony scales. Its anal and dorsal fins are located rearward and are nearly opposite of each other. It has a long snout which consists of two rows of sharp teeth, making it easy to tell it apart from the other gars. Its colors range from brown to olive on the top portion of its body, to lighter colors on the underside.Lepisosteus is a Greek term meaning "bony scale", and spatula is the Latin word for "spoon". The most noticable part of the gars body is the elongated snout. This menacing looking fixture contains two rows of teeth which are used in shredding their victims. Its prime source for food is catfish if available; if not they are not shy of chomping down on almost anything. This fish is often referred to as a "trash fish", because of its choice of brackish water and its willingness to try to eat just about anything. The alligator gar, however, is a dominant species in its habitat, for no other creature can tackle its size.  An alligator gar's buoyancy bladder is connected directly to its throat, giving it the ability to breathe air above the surface of the water. Because of this benefit, the gar has a dangerous habit of basking near the surface. This is a danger because of the ease in which bowhunters can catch this interesting fish.I have had some experience with this fish, for I have caught a few myself (the smaller ones of course). One of these even had part of a license plate and a sliver of a soda can caught in its jaws, setting an example of this animal's sharp bite and willingness to eat, or at least attempt to eat, just about anything. As evil as they might look at first sight though, they are quite fascinating to watch. They will sit near the surface for long periods of time giving the viewer a chance to see the entire animal.

Ostrich Birds

Ostriches are raised for their lean red meat. These ostriches are seen at a commercial farm.Standing up to 9 feet  tall with lanky legs, massive bodies, huge overbites and eyes the size of a child's fist, an ostrich looks like an avian punch line. These birds are no laughing matter, though. They're the largest birds alive, and they can kill a lion with one swift kick.
The ostrich is different from almost all other birds. They belong to a family of birds called ratites, which includes emus and rheas as well, and they are easy to tell apart from other winged creatures. For one thing, these birds can't fly.The ostrich is different from almost all other birds. They belong to a family of birds called ratites, which includes emus and rheas as well, and they are easy to tell apart from other winged creatures. For one thing, these birds can't fly.As strange as it seems for a bird to be flightless, it makes sense if you consider flight as a way to escape predators. Ostriches don't need that particular escape route because they can sprint at up to 43 miles per hour  and run long distances at more than 30 mph  . They're the fastest animal on two legs. Their speed is even more impressive when you consider they can weigh up to 400 pounds (181 kg) [source: USDA]. While they don't fly, their wings aren't useless: They serve to balance the ostrich while it runs and act as rudders to quickly change direction at top speed. Male ostriches also use their huge wingspan to attract females in mating season.
Ostriches live mostly in desolate desert climates, so they have to be pretty flexible in their diet. They'll eat almost anything: plants, lizards, seeds, locusts and stones are common parts of their diet (yes, stones -- they help to crush up the other stuff they eat). One rancher has reported his ostriches swallowing tennis balls -- and a kitten [source: NWF]. On farms, ostriches' small and nonpicky appetite makes them a good investment. They grow faster than cattle on much less food. They reproduce more often than cows, and they sell for a lot more because their meat is considered a delicacy, at least in the United States. In Europe and South Africa, it's actually pretty common fare.Why's their meat so special? For one thing, while ostrich meat is poultry, it's red, not white like most other birds. And this red meat, which looks and tastes much like beef, is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol than not only beef, but also white meats like chicken and turkey. All ratites have red meat. It has to do with their muscles. On the next page, we'll find out what meat actually is and what makes ostrich meat red instead of white.

Cheetah Animals

The cheetah is Mammal animals . The cheetah is very large and  world's fastest land animal, the cheetah can go from 0 to 65 km (40 mi) per hour in three strides, with a single stride covering 7-8 meters (23-26 feet). Cheetahs can reach full speed 110 km (70 mi) per hour in seconds. They are the only cats who have nonretractile claws. This gives them better traction, and helps maintain their footing while they run. Cheetahs are one of the few big cats who can purr. They also make other unusual sounds such as chirping, yelping, and bleating. Females live alone except when they are raising cubs. Males live in coalitions of two to five members.The cheetah has unusually low genetic variability. This is accompanied by a very low sperm count, motility, and deformed flagella.[8] Skin grafts between unrelated cheetahs illustrate the former point, in that there is no rejection of the donor skin. It is thought that the species went through a prolonged period of inbreeding following a genetic bottleneck during the last ice age. This suggests that genetic monomorphism did not prevent the cheetah from flourishing across two continents for thousands of years.The cheetah likely evolved in Africa during the Miocene epoch (26 million to 7.5 million years ago), before migrating to Asia. Recent research has placed the last common ancestor of all existing populations as living in Asia 11 million years ago, which may lead to revision and refinement of existing ideas about cheetah evolution.The now-extinct species include: Acinonyx pardinensis (Pliocene epoch), much larger than the modern cheetah and found in Europe, India, and China; Acinonyx intermedius (mid-Pleistocene period), found over the same range. The extinct genus Miracinonyx was extremely cheetah-like, but recent DNA analysis has shown that Miracinonyx inexpectatus, Miracinonyx studeri, and Miracinonyx trumani (early to late Pleistocene epoch), found in North America and called the "North American cheetah" are not true cheetahs, instead being close relatives to the cougar.

Pancake tortoises

Pancake tortoises are small and flat with a thin, flexible shell. The shell is normally 6 to 7 inches long and an inch or so high. On the legs, they have bigger scales with points that project downward and outward. Usually the shell has radiating dark lines on the carapace (upper part of the shell). The plastron (bottom part of shell) is also pale yellow but with dark brown seams and light yellow rays. Juveniles have pale yellow top shells with black seams and yellow rays. Some may have brown spots on their back. The carapace of juveniles is more domed than that of adults.Males can be distinguished from females by their larger and longer tails; However they are smaller than the females and have less distinctive patterns on their shell.
Pancake tortoises live in colonies but the colonies are usually isolated from each other.  Within one habitat they coexist and many individuals may share the same crevice amicably. Males may fight during the breeding season in January and February.

The pancake tortoise is adapted to fitting into tight crevices. Even larger individuals are less than 2 inches high. The shell is so thin and flexible that the plastron moves in and out when the animal breathes. Since the tortoise ould easily be torn apart by predators, it relies on its speed and flexibility to escape from dangerous situations. With the reduced weight of the shell, it can move much more quickly than other species.It was once thought that it could puff its body up with air to wedge itself in place, but this has been found not to be true. Instead, it orients its spiky legs outward so that it is almost impossible to dislodge. Also this animal can also climb vertically. Because they are so light they can turn themselves over with ease if they fall on their backs.
In the wild breeding is in January-February with nesting in July-August.They lay eggs that are about two inches long. The eggs can incubated at about 30 degrees Celsius for 140 to 190 days. Combat between males prior to breeding can lead to better reproductive success.  In captivity breeding can be any time of the year. Captive animals can live 25 years and perhaps longer.

Secretary birds

The secretary bird is light gray with black wingtips, tail, and thighs. The head has a crest of long feathers, the legs and tail are long, and the facial skin is red and yellow.Secretary birds form life-long breeding pairs. They build their nests at the tops of trees. Two to three eggs are incubated for 45 days.Secretary birds are either solitary or found with a mate.Secretary birds kill their prey by stomping on it with their long legs.The only sound made by secretary birds is a croaking noise during mating displays.

Laughing Fun

Named for its fun and distinctive call, the laughing gull will put a smile on any birder's face. These hooded gulls can be difficult to identify properly, however, because there are several similar species and immature plumages that can be tricky to tell apart.These are monogamous birds and colonial nesters, often sharing nesting colonies of up to 50,000 birds. Both parents work together to create a shallow scrape nest on the ground or in low vegetation, sparsely lined with grass or sticks. Eggs are a buff-olive color with brown spotting or splotches, and 2-4 eggs per brood is most common. Only one brood is laid each year.
While these are not backyard birds, laughing gulls can be attracted to birders on the beach if food is offered. They can be aggressive, however, diving for food tossed in the air or taking food directly from the hand, and it is not recommended; local laws may also prohibit feeding birds. Otherwise, these are approachable birds and birders can easily get good views.In the 1800s, egg poaching and plume hunting severely threatened these gulls, but today their numbers are strong and they are in no danger, though proper beach bird safety should always be observed near nesting gulls so as not to disturb brooding adults or harm chicks. Laughing gulls can occasionally be a threat to other nesting shorebirds, since they are opportunistic feeders and will eat eggs or chicks.

Rabbit animals

 The rabbit is a popular pet particularly with young children due to the rabbits calm and quiet nature. Rabbits are natures lawnmowers and can eat grass all day long. It is vital that pet rabbits eat enough grass as the grass is not only good for them, but also helps to keep the teeth of the rabbit healthy. Rabbit teeth grow constantly and if the rabbit is not able to gnaw on things to keep them down, then their teeth can grow extremely long which causes pain and often death to the rabbit.The average rabbit lives to about 8 years old when kept as a pet, but many wild rabbits do not live as long due to the fact that the rabbit is prey to many predators including cats, dogs and humans. Rabbits are also prone to myxomatosis, a disease that causes the rabbit to rapidly develop tumors which quickly results in death. Pet rabbits should be vaccinated against the disease every 6 months to a year which prevents the disease from becoming fatal should the rabbit catch it.

    Pet rabbits kept indoors are referred to as house rabbits. House rabbits typically have an indoor pen or cage and a rabbit-safe place to run and exercise, such as an exercise pen, living room or family room. Rabbits can be trained to use a litter box and some can learn to come when called. Domestic rabbits that do not live indoors can also often serve as companions for their owners, typically living in an easily accessible hutch outside the home. Some pet rabbits live in outside hutches during the day for the benefit of fresh air and natural daylight and are brought inside at night.