Animals
The Raven
The Raven is North America’s largest perching bird. They are actually referred to as passerine birds, which mean they have distinguished feet that is adapted for perching. The Raven is an Omnivore and known to be very effective hunters that make use of cooperation during hunting. Teams of ravens are known to have been able...
The Moose
The Moose is a mammal that feeds on woody vegetation, aquatic plants and leaves. It weighs up to 800 kilograms, standing at a height of 1.5 to 2 meters at shoulder level. Even with its size the moose could run up to 55 kilometers per hour. The moose is grotesque to look at and at...
Kurdistan Leaf-toed Gecko (Asaccus kurdistanensis)
Class REPTILIA Order SQUAMATA Suborder SAURIA (Gekkota) Family Gekkonidae Name (Scientific) Asaccus kurdistanensis Name (English) Kurdistan leaf-toed gecko This species is endemic to Iran and has been recently described by Rastegar-Pouyani et al in 2006 (Torki and Sharifi 2007). The Ecology and Herpetology Torki Farhang Research Center initiated a program on this species and...
Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus)
Did you know? That there is a strong belief that the condors prey on livestock, so farmers are justified in shooting to protect their flocks? Indeed, the condors are scavengers, feeding on corpses. Thus, they have an important role, and that is to eliminate potential sources of diseases. The Andean Condor is the...
Blue Guacamayito (Spix’s Macaw)
The Blue Macaw is a medium sized parrot with a length of 56 cm. They have a graduated tail that is longer than the body. The plumage is mainly blue, darker on the back, wings and upper tail. The underside of the tail is dark gray, forehead and ear coverts are gray dyed...
Banteng (Bos javanicus)
Did you know? That Banteng has been domesticated in many places, especially on the island of Bali? More than 1.5 million domesticated banteng, which are known as “Bali cattle” are in the islands of Indonesia. These easily hybridize with domestic livestock, and the resulting offspring is usually also fertile. Bali cattle was introduced in...
Tokyo-Born Baby Panda Dies of Pneumonia
A panda born at a zoo in Tokyo last week has died. Ueno Zoo said that the six-day giant panda died of pneumonia. A zoo guard found him not breathing, at the chest of his mother. The baby male, who had not yet been named, died an hour later, despite being subjected to cardiac...
Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus)
Did you know? That Bateleur eagles are among a group of raptors that secrete a clear fluid and salt from their nostrils while eating? This is due to the need for the birds to be used in extrarenal mechanism of secretion of salt to help water reabsorption. The adult Terathopius ecaudatus has a tightrope belly....
Veterinarians Warn Increase of Animal Diseases in Humans
The College of Veterinary of Murcia and the Health Department yesterday, presented an information campaign, in order to prevent the spread of animal diseases to humans, called zoonoses. The campaign stresses on veterinarians to checks on pets regulary, as some pets can carry diseases like rabies or leishmaniasis. The Department of Food Safety and...
Hartmann Zebra (Equus zebra hartmannae)
Did you know? That there are two subspecies of Mountain Zebras in Southern Africa? The Cape Mountain Zebra (Equus zebra zebra) is the smallest of existing zebras and more restricted geographically. It was almost extinct, but was saved through the creation of national parks and wildlife reserves. The Cape Mountain Zebras do not...
Orange-Bellied Parrot (Neophema chrysogaster)
Did you know? That the Orange-bellied Parrot is threatened mainly due to competition for food by bird species, as well as predation introduced by cats and foxes? The Neophema chrysogaster is a small bird with a length of about 20 cm. The adult male Neophema chrysogaster has a graduated tail and has about half the total...
Spotted Turtle (Homopus signatus)
Did you know? That the spotted turtle is the world’s smallest turtle? Adults reach a length of 9.5 cm and a weight of 140 grams only. The spotted turtle is the world’s smallest turtle reaching a maximum carapace length of 11 cm. Females tend to grow larger than males. The shell is compressed dorso-ventrally...
