Attack of The Silverfish!

GET TO KNOW A BLOG: The Echinoblog

2009-12-23T14:50:00.005-06:00

Well, the other day, I was going to do a post about one of my favorite marine invertebrates, the Sea Pig (Scotoplanes globosa), but ChrisM so thoroughly and perfectly covered it on his blog, The Echinoblog, which covers Echinoderms, that it renders any further blogging on my part to be utterly meaningless... on this subject.

CHECK OUT THE ARTICLE HERE!

Dawn of the Raccoons!

2009-12-23T11:36:00.002-06:00

RACCOON FACTS:

1. Raccoons are mammals in the family Procyonidae, along with Ringtails, Coatis, and Kinkajous.
2. The word Raccoon comes from an Algonquin (Native American) word, arahkun, which means "One who scratches with their hands".
3. Raccoons will eat all of your sandwiches.

All up in your grill with JUMPING SPIDERS

2009-12-18T12:04:00.004-06:00

I have no memory of where I found these incredible close up pics of Jumping Spider faces (family Salticidae), but they're amazing and I wanted to share them with you. Let me know, if you know who the photographer is.

From WIKIPEDIA:

The jumping spider family (Salticidae) contains more than 500 described genera and about 5,000 described species,^[2] making it the largest family of spiders with about 13% of all species.^[3] Jumping spiders have good vision and use it for hunting and navigating. They are capable of jumping from place to place, secured by a silk tether. Both their book lungs and the tracheal system are well-developed, as they depend on both systems (bimodal breathing).
(Click here to read more...)

"Hair Pencils"? What?

2009-12-18T11:32:00.008-06:00

CORRECTION!!!

So, in my ongoing attempts at blogging a growing interest in Lepidoptery... I GOT SOMETHING WRONG! The worst part is, I actually had learned years ago what the spots on the hindwings of a male Monarch Butterfly are called (Androconial Spots or Androconial Patches), and just plain forgot when I was writing about Monarchs earlier this year. I called them "Hair Pencils", which is a completely different structure, but in my defense, is also a structure used by male Lepidopterans to release scent chemicals, pheremones. Grrrrrrr.

Hair Pencil (image from TYWKIWDBI )

I could write a post about Hair Pencils, but MINNESOTAN over at TYWKIWDBI did a marvelous post on them back in October. CHECK IT OUT HERE

The black Androconial Spots are quite apparent on the hindwings of this male Queen Butterfly (Danaus gilippus).

Dude, its the whole UNIVERSE. You are blowing my mind!

2009-12-18T11:17:00.002-06:00

from the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium:

"The Known Universe takes viewers from the Himalayas through our atmosphere and the inky black of space to the afterglow of the Big Bang. Every star, planet, and quasar seen in the film is possible because of the world's most complete four-dimensional map of the universe, the Digital Universe Atlas that is maintained and updated by astrophysicists at the American Museum of Natural History. The new film, created by the Museum, is part of an exhibition, Visions of the Cosmos: From the Milky Ocean to an Evolving Universe, at the Rubin Museum of Art in Manhattan through May 2010."

I am a bad blogger!

2009-12-18T11:11:00.003-06:00

I haven't been blogging here as much as I should have been lately. You know how life goes. New relationship, blah blah blah lost in love, relationship ends too depressed to blog, blah. Anyways, also if you think I got something wrong:

1. Don't be a snarky ass, I'm a freaking herpetologist, we can't all know everything
2. No, thats it rlly.
3. Here's a picture of an owl enjoying some Brandy and a cigar.

Apiary Love vol. 1: GREEN SWEAT BEES (Agapostemon spp.)

2009-10-01T14:26:00.010-05:00

For my really quite insane friend KYTE.

Agapostemon sp.

As is probably obvious from the name, some Green Sweat Bees of the genus Agapostemon are known to lap sweat from the skin of surprised and annoyed humans. This is not necessarily their favorite ingestible, but human sweat can be an excellent source of salts and other minerals. The entire family Halictidae, in which the GSBs are placed are referred to as Sweat Bees. Like most bee species, Sweat Bees subsist primarily on flower nectar and pollen.

Agapostemon sp.

Bees of this genus are found through out the Americas, and can be metallic green or blue, often with striped abdomens. They mate and raise their young individually , but live in large group nests in the ground with a common entrance gallery. There may be 2 - 25 individual nests with in the colony. Just to be clear though, they do not maintain a colonial social structure (with a queen and workers, as do Honey Bees).

A. splendens

A. splendens

A. splendens up close and interested in your point of view

A. obliquus

A. sericeus

A. sericeus all in your business

A. virescens mating in the common entrance of a group burrow

A. virescens with a heavy pollen load on its hind legs

A. virescens cleaning its antennae after feeding

Current Moth Obsession - Post 3 The family SATURNIIDAE

2009-09-30T15:06:00.006-05:00

Luna moth (Actias luna)

Our friends, the Luna Moths are members of the family Saturniidae, which includes the world's largest moths. Saturniids are usually large moths with large feathery antennae that live for only short periods once they reach the adult stage (most of them lack mouths).

To find out more about this family, check out this WIKI article.

Small Emperor Moth (Saturnia pavonia)

Io moth (Automeris io)

Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis)

Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda)

Rosy Maple Moth relaxing after a night at the club

Citheronia splendens

Citheronia up close and curious about your new IPOD

Current Moth Obsession - Post 2 The Face of the Luna Moth (Actias luna)

2009-09-30T13:57:00.010-05:00

This gorgeous and large moth (up to 4 1/2 in.) is fairly well known by people interested in nature in North America, but we seldom take the time to really look at their little faces. As with most of the Lepidoptera (Moths and Butterflies), most of us tend to gaze at the wings and not look much further. Here's a gallery of Luna Moths, taking a closer look beneath the wings. You will notice a complete lack of a mouth, as Lunas only live for about a week once they metamorphose into adults and therefore don't ever feed... concentrating on reproduction.

This Luna disapproves of your choice of St. Augustine grass. It really isn't enviro-friendly, and the concept of lawns is so gauche.

Moths rely on their extremely sensitive antennae for chemo-reception (smell). Males have larger and more expansive antennae, as exemplified in this photo.

Chemoreception needs to be acute, as moths attract each other (often over great distances) using pheromones released into the air.

As with most moths, Lunas are more active at night, as the large eyes attest. They may still be seen during the day, however.

"Dude, I'm not pointing at you, its just what they do!"

A freshly emerged (from its cocoon) Luna Moth pumps fluid into its wings from its body, so that they may expand to full size and be used for flight. The whole process may take 2-4 hrs.

2 Lunas discuss the newly emerging linguistic trends in social networking sites.

"Dude, this chick totally smells like pachuli (sp?) and cheetos!"

Love is in the air, in the whisper of the wind. Love is in the airrrrrr... or perhaps just the biological imperative to pass on one's genetic code. Who's to say?

Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Current Moth Obsession - Post 1 Moth Blog

2009-09-30T13:52:00.005-05:00

North American Moths

* Really, come on, how many moth blogs are there? She does an exceptional job of covering a vastly under-appreciated group of animals.

The You Might Have to Think about it Enviro Art of JOSH KEYES

2009-09-29T00:21:00.005-05:00

Visit Josh's site HERE.

Random Mammal Photo - A CONGREGATION OF BADGERS

2009-09-18T14:23:00.003-05:00

My friend Nicholas sent me this pic of a Badger party in someone's backyard. The European Badger (Meles meles) is found across most of Europe. Unlike the American Badger (Taxidea taxus), which is an aggressive carnivore, the European Badger is a much more docile and omnivorous (eating plants and animals) creature.

Anuran Spotlight: MEULLER'S TERMITE FROG (Dermatonotus meulleri)

2009-09-18T12:43:00.009-05:00

Meuller's Termite Frog is found in a variety of habitats where water is readily available for at least part of the year in areas of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia.

Like most of the other species in the family Microhylidae (the Narrowmouths), Termite frogs have small mouths on pointy snouts that serve them well in their diet of Termites and Ants.

Another distinctive characteristic of this family is the nuchal fold (neck fold) behind the head. For other members of this family, see Tomato Frogs and Malayan Painted Toads in earlier frog posts.

This is a common frog throughout its range, but is usually seen during rains when they come out in great numbers to breed in temporary and permanent bodies of water.

A frog in the hand beats 2 in the... never mind. This shows us the relative size of a large female. (Do we remember that usually female frogs are larger than males?)

This is a fossorial (burrowing) species, that would rather stay in an listen to some jazz and drink Chiraz than go out and carry on at the club with you.

"I'm not being judgmental. I just don't like Lady Gaga, that's all... what look on my face?"

An under view of the Meuller's. It's okay, they ain't shy.

A close up view of the hind foot of the Termite Frog shows the strong toes for digging. The extended digit of many Microhylids often wiggle when they hunt; possibly to distract or attract their insect prey.

As with many frogs and toads that spend the majority of time buried, Meuller's is an explosive breeder. This means that the entire population in a given area will breed en masse all at the same time, flooding the area with their offspring. This strategy for breeding ensures some safety in numbers for the tadpoles and toadlets.

One of my favorite frogs (the species not this individual) hides among the leaves of a forest floor with an unknown species of the family Ranidae (the True Frogs) after a rain.

5 Small Cat Species I Bet You Ain't Never Heard of Before Neither

2009-09-17T15:31:00.012-05:00

(I'm too distracted to write anything more today. Enjoy the cats.)

1. Pampas Cat (Leopardus pajeros)

Found in the Pampas region of Chile and Argentina.

2. Iriomote Cat (Mayailurus iriomotensis)

Very rare, found only on the small Japanese island of Iriomote.

3. Jaguarundi (Herpailurus yaguaroundi)

Found from SW U.S. to central South America.

4. Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus)

Found throughout SE Asia.

5. Pallas's Cat (Otocolobus manul)

Found in the steppes, grasslands, region of Central Asia.

"Molecular Evidence Supports Key Tenet Of Darwin's Evolution Theory"

2009-09-17T13:39:00.008-05:00

(from http://www.SCIENCEDAILY.com)

"As a model system, the research focused on one specific molecular machine, the TIM complex, which transports proteins into mitochondria. Mitochondria are a compartment of human cells that serve as the energy-producing 'powerhouses'. At a very early stage in evolution, mitochondria were derived from bacteria that lived within the first eukaryotic cells.

'Our cells literally are chimeras of a "host" cell and these intracellular bacteria. Yet bacteria don't have TIM complexes – to understand where the TIM complex came from we simply applied scientific reasoning and looked at a modern-day bacterium akin to the organism that gave rise to mitochondria.' Professor Lithgow said.

The group looked at the bacterium Caulobacter crescentus and found bacterial proteins related to the components of the mitochondrial TIM complex. They then showed that these bacterial proteins are not found as part of protein transport machines.

'François Jacob described evolution as a tinkerer, cobbling together proteins of one function to yield more complex machines capable of new functions.' Professor Lithgow said..."

(Read entire article)
............................................................................................................................

Michael Behe (Biochemist)
The most scientifically credible proponent of Design over Evolution

To find out more about what has been one of the stronger arguments against Darwinian evolution; that being that the molecular structures within cells (especially protein "machines") are too complex and specific to be a product of evolution... click here to read about the earnest but flawed work of Dr. Michael Behe. I think his idea of an "irreducible complexity" of cell structures overlooked the probabilities discussed in the above article...

(click on this image, it's really cool in detail)

...not to mention that the following fields and developments within and across various fields of science point to Darwinian evolution as an accurate description of the state of life on Earth:

1. Geologic Stratigraphy
2. Plate Techtonics
3. Comparative Embryology of Vertebrates
4. We can actually see it at work with some species, like fruit flies.
5. We have done it with selective breeding of domestic animals.
6. The Fossil Record (which goes along with our understanding of rock layers, Stratigraphy)
7. Comparative Anatomy and Physiology
8. Geographical Distribution of animals
9. We also have made recent advances in fields like the evolution of the Terrestrial Atmosphere through time, Paleoclimatology, and Microbial Fossils.

* I was a bit lazy here, and just linked to Wiki articles, but we can spend more time on these 9 items later. :)

Websites of Interest: ARCTIC OCEAN DIVERSITY

2009-09-14T02:35:00.007-05:00

"Arctic Ocean Biodiversity: An international program examining the diversity of marine life in the Arctic, from the sea ice to the deep seafloor.

http://www.arcodiv.org/index.html

"Arctic Ocean Biodiversity (PDF) is a Census of Marine Life project aimed at coordinating research efforts examining the diversity in each of the major three realms: sea ice, water column and sea floor, including fish, mammals & birds. This program will consolidate what is known and fill remaining gaps in our knowledge: it is lead for the Arctic Ocean diversity cluster within the International Polar Year.

The Arctic Ocean is unique. It is the most extreme ocean in regard to the seasonality of light and its year-round existing ice cover. Arctic seas hold a multitude of unique life forms highly adapted in their life history, ecology and physiology to the extreme and seasonal conditions of this environment. Knowledge of what lives in the Arctic Ocean is limited due to the logistical challenges imposed by its multiyear ice and inhospitable climate.

The Arctic Ocean is the region where the impacts of climate change are strongest expressed. On-going climate warming and reduction in sea ice makes the effort to identify the diversity of its life an urgent issue. Species level information is essential to discussions on climate change or human impact. These effects can only be detected through long-term monitoring of key species, communities and processes. The availability of solid baseline data is crucial."

Antarctic Rotifer (Philodina gregaria)

Marbled Eelpout (Lycodes raridens)

Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas)

BARNABY WARD'S Pretty Girls with Mollosks

2009-09-12T17:11:00.002-05:00

See more of Barnaby's work at SOMEFIELD.COM

Dream beasts of the eternal desert

2009-09-10T13:21:00.005-05:00

unknown scorpion species

Hey! Did you know that when scorpions are illuminated with solely ultraviolet light that their exoskeletons glow an eerie blue or green? Well, they do.

BLIND VELVET WORM (Tasmanipatus anopthalmus) listed as ENDANGERED

2009-09-10T12:20:00.006-05:00

"Another Tasmanian, this rare and remarkable all-white blind velvet worm Tasmanipatus anopthalmus is the latest animal to be listed by the federal government (of Australia) as endangered. It has been recognised as a threatened species in its home state since the early"

- from http://www.abc.net.au/science/

The Blind Velvet Worm faces problems from destruction of its forest habitat for agriculture, such as plantation farming. The fire regime in its habitat has also lead to population decline, as years of misguided fire suppression have lead to fires that are actually more intense and frequent now than the inhabitants of these forests can cope with.

For more info about Velvet Worms, see my earlier post.

Another image of Bose-Einstein Condensate

2009-09-10T12:16:00.003-05:00

BOSE-EINSTEIN CONDENSATE

2009-09-09T15:04:00.004-05:00

In 1924, Albert Einstein and Satyendra Nath Bose predicted the "Bose-Einstein condensate," sometimes referred to as the fifth state of matter.

In the gas phase, the Bose-Einstein condensate remained an unverified theoretical prediction for many years. Finally in 1995, Wolfgang Ketterle and his team of graduate students produced such a condensate experimentally. A Bose-Einstein condensate is "colder" than a solid. It may occur when atoms have very similar (or the same) quantum levels, at temperatures very close to absolute zero (-273 °C)...

"Condensates" are extremely low-temperature fluids which contain properties and exhibit behaviors that are currently not completely understood, such as spontaneously flowing out of their containers. The effect is the consequence of quantum mechanics, which states that since continuous spectral regions can typically be neglected, systems can almost always acquire energy only in discrete steps. If a system is at such a low temperature that it is in the lowest energy state, it is no longer possible for it to reduce its energy, not even by friction. Without friction, the fluid will easily overcome gravity because of adhesion between the fluid and the container wall, and it will take up the most favorable position (all around the container).^[4]

Bose–Einstein condensation is an exotic quantum phenomenon that was observed in dilute atomic gases for the first time in 1995, and is now the subject of intense theoretical and experimental study.^[5]

- from Wikipedia: Bose-Einstein Condensate

Ophidian Spotlight: WAGLER'S VIPER (Tropidolaemus wagleri)

2009-09-06T18:42:00.007-05:00

For EMMA WOLF...

This gorgeous nocturnal and arboreal (tree dwelling) pit viper (the family of venomous snakes with heat sensing pits on the face) is found in the forests of SE Asia, in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.

A captive Wagler's Viper uses its tongue to smell its surroundings, as all snakes do, using the Jacobson's Organ (a scent organ) in the roof of the mouth. Therefore, remember to wear deodorant around them, you dirty Euro-Trash!

They are also referred to as Temple Vipers, because of their abundance near some Buddhist temples in Malaysia, where they are allowed to pass in the temples and are even sometimes handled.

The belief amongst many zookeepers and snake enthusiasts for a long time was that they were mildly venomous and never bit, because of the practice of handling amongst some Buddhist monks. It turns out that the monks in Malaysia would often sew their mouths shut or defang them... although it is true that this species can often be lethargic and docile.

The Wagler's does in fact have a strong Hemotoxic (acting on the blood and blood vessels) venom, that it uses to prey upon small arboreal animals, like birds, frogs, lizards, and rodents. It is an ambush predator, staying very still for hours to days waiting for prey to come by, when it suddenly and quickly strikes.

Although venom is used for defense as well with Vipers and Pit Vipers, bites inflicted for defense usually inject less venom than those intended to subdue prey. Notice the slit/cat-like pupil that is indicative of the Pit Vipers.

There is some geographic variation in the color and pattern of this species (you will notice the variation by looking back on previous pics), but much of the variation is random and not at all geographic. There is also a sexual dimorphism, difference in body form between the sexes, as with most snakes, the females get larger than the males.

The original Latin name for this species, Lachesis wagleri. Today the genus name Lachesis is used only for The Bushmasters, a group of large neotropical (found in the tropical regions of the Americas) pit vipers.

What do you mean, "why aren't you smilin?"? This IS my smile!

Random Herp Photo - MAN WITH TUATARA AND EGGS

2009-09-04T16:44:00.004-05:00

A biologist in NZ holds an adult TUATARA (Sphenodon punctatus) along with its eggs, both part of a captive breeding program in place to save these highly endangered animals.

Tuatara facts:

1. Although they resemble lizards, the 3 species of Tuatara are part of an ancient ORDER of Reptiles known as the Rhynchocephalia. The other orders of CLASS Reptilia are Crocodylia (Crocs and Alligaors), Testudinata (Turtles), and Squamata (Lizards and Snakes).

2. Tuataras are endemic (found only there) to New Zealand.

3. Tuataras are critically endangered animals, having been wiped off the 2 main islands of NZ by introduced animals and destruction of habitat.

MORE INFO ABOUT TUATARAS ON MY PREVIOUS BLOG POST.

EPIGENETICS

2009-09-04T13:59:00.005-05:00

"In biology, the term epigenetics refers to changes in phenotype (appearance) or gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in the underlying DNA sequence, hence the name epi- (Greek: over; above) -genetics. These changes may remain through cell divisions for the remainder of the cell's life and may also last for multiple generations. However, there is no change in the underlying DNA sequence of the organism;^[1] instead, non-genetic factors cause the organism's genes to behave (or "express themselves") differently."

- from Wikipedia: Epigenetics.

Basically, epigenetic factors like molecular structures suppressing or activating sections of DNA by pressing on them or pulling them out a bit can cause the genetic code to cause the body to react in certain ways. Things like smoking, activity level (exercise), diet and various environmental factors can affect this.

:)

Another installment in our ENDLESS PARADE OF TURTLES! (for Luka)

2009-09-03T13:57:00.007-05:00

SPOTTED POND TURTLE (Geoclemys hamiltonii)

These rather handsome devils are found in northern India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

Also referred to as the Black Pond or Asian Spotted Pond Turtle

The adults reach a length of 14 inches.

The PLASTRON (under shell) of an adult Spotted

This older male ponders the implications of crayfish, snail, or small frog for dinner. Hmmmm, what goes best with a 1956 Chateau Le Quaquaqua?

They inhabit slow or still bodies of fresh water with ample aquatic vegetation.

Turtle on a desk shows us the distinctive 3 keels on the CARAPACE (upper shell).

This baby Spotted was hatched as part of a breeding program in northern India. The distribution of these turtles is very spotty across their range, and it is suspected that they may be endangered.

BABY TURTLE PARTY!!! I'll bring the chopped up beef heart and live earth worms, you bring the buckets... baby turtles and water will be provided by the hall.

Die... or not!

2009-09-03T13:08:00.001-05:00

If you don't get it then go read about Schrodinger's Cat here.

Salamander Spotlight: RINGED SALAMANDER (Ambystoma annulatum)

2009-09-02T12:36:00.008-05:00

Ringed Salamanders reach a length of up to 7 slimy inches.

The range of the Ringed, occurring in forested areas in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountain ranges of MO, AK, and eastern OK.

If you can't figure out where this species gets its common name, I'll just sit here and sigh while you try to think... what seriously? JUST LOOK AT THE #@%*! THING! Oh wait, you're messing with me, aren't you?

A. annulatum often takes cover in subterranean burrows and under heavy leaf litter to keep from drying out. They are seldom seen, but when they are encountered it's usually after heavy rains, when they emerge to breed.

Annulatum has the distinctive short round nose and large eyes of the family Ambystomatidae, the Mole Salamanders (including Tiger, Spotted, and Marbled Salamanders); so called because of the burrowing habits of many of its members.

The larva (or tadpole) of the Ringed Salamander. This species breeds in the fall, in temporary pools formed from heavy rains. The breeding congregations can include 10's to 100's of individuals.

A bucket of Ringed Salamanders gathered for my friend Mark. Don't eat them all at once!

Back from summer haitus!

2009-09-02T12:04:00.003-05:00

Various Animal Heads, Phillip Elliott

We took a well deserved summer break from blogging after:

1. Blog burnout
2. Utterly devastating heartbreak
3. A busy busy summer full of unspeakable acts

... but now we're back and ready for more Natural History.

Some Changes:

1. A little art and music
2. We now accept comments!
(moderated, cause this is a family show)
3. I might try to do more botany posts (maybe).

POISONOUS PRIMATES ATTACK!!! ...or maybe not attack so much as stare at you in dismay.

2009-05-18T15:57:00.008-05:00

This post is dedcated to my friend Nicholas, who has developed an intense and abiding love for Slow Lorises, rivaled only by his love for Glitter Body Paint.

Slow Lorises (Nycticebus sp.)

You may know these animals, because videos of adorable pet Slow Lorises have become somewhat popular on sites like Youtube and Vimeo (See HERE). This slow moving (as the name suggests), nocturnal primate (as the big eyes suggest) is found in the forests of Eastern and Southeast Asia, where they feed on a variety of small animals. Though they may not look like like primates (the group monkeys and apes are in), they are indeed primates. Lorises are in a group called the Prosimians, which are the most primitive group of primates including Lorises, Lemurs, Tarsiers, and Bush Babies. Let's take a look at the 3 species of Slow Loris...

The Greater or Sunda Slow Loris (N. coucang)

Lorises are opportunistic predators, picking up whatever small animals they happen to find while climbing through the trees.

Their feet are adapted well to an arboreal existence. The grip of a Loris on branches can be extremely strong.

This Sunda is really quite amused with your banal interpretation of Dada imagery in current youth oriented popular culture.

Slow Lorises have a poison gland on the inside of the elbow, which the mother may sometimes rub on her babies to make them unpalatable to predators. They may also lick the gland, thus mixing the poison with their saliva, giving them a venomous bite.

Bengal Slow Loris (N. bengalensis)

This Bengal Slow Loris, which is considered a vulnerable species by conservation scientists due to habitat destruction and over hunting for traditional medicine, hangs on a vine at the Frou Frou Club... and thinks your ensemble is ABSOLUTELY DIVINE!

A baby Bengal Slow Loris that was born into a zoo as a part of a captive breeding program, Programs like this may be the last chance for many endangered species.

Pygmy Slow Loris (N. pygmaeus)

"NOOOOOO???!!! He said WHAT? NO... HE... DIDN'T?!
Well, I'd tell him he need to stop comin round my job if i was you!"

The Pygmy, the smallest of the Slow Lorises, has become a sought after animal in the exotic pet trade. Most of your amusing videos are of the adorable Pygmy Slow Loris.

"No honest, i was just reaching for a Cheeto, I SWEAR!"

Pygmy Slow Lorises, like this incredibly precious baby, were greatly depleted in number during the vicious imperialist aggressions in Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos... and the Freemasons have yet to publicly apologize to them for it.

IN THE PARK - Caterpillars

2009-05-14T17:34:00.009-05:00

male

SPICEBUSH SWALLOWTAIL (Papilio troilus)

Though Spicebush Swallowtails have been plentiful in the park, we haven't really seen many of their caterpillars in the park. The host plants for their caterpillars are Spicebush, Sassafras, Bays, and Camphor Tree. We haven't had of these plants in the park. With the addition of a pair of young Camphor Trees (Cinnamomum camphora) last year, we were happy to find multiple caterpillars this Spring behind the house.

female

Camphor, a plant not native to North America, native to East Asia, is a host plant in residential areas, where it is often a landscape or garden plant.

Spicebush Swallowtails usually lay their eggs on the bottom of the leaves of their host plants.

The young, freshly hatched caterpillars resemble bird droppings, which is a trait found amongst a few species of Swallowtail butterfly.

As the caterpillar grows, it loses the bird dropping appearance and usually turns green with large false eye spots, somewhat resembling a small snake.

The caterpillars are often found in refuges made by curling the edges of the leaves of their host plants with sticky silk.

The caterpillar may less commonly also be yellow or orange.

Like most Swallowtail caterpillars, they have an Osmeterium, as scent gland that resembles a snake tongue or horns, and releases an chemical odor reportedly repellent to other insects, a strong mix of Turpenes.

the chrysalis, which is usually held against vegetation by a line of silk

Though usually brown in color, the chrysalis may also be green or yellow.

an adult Spicebush nectaring at flowers

THE MOST BIGGEST AMPHIBIANS IN THE WHOLE WORLD!!!

2009-05-06T17:06:00.015-05:00

This post is in memoriam of my late friend Mark Doten, who died the way he lived his life... for the salamanders.

JAPANESE GIANT SALAMANDERS (Andrias japonicus)

The Japanese Giant is endemic (found only there) to Japan, where is inhabits clear slow moving mountain streams, and feeds on a variety of small aquatic animals.

At a length of up to 1.5 m (~5 ft.), Japonicus is the 2nd largest salamander (or amphibian for that matter) in the world.

The paddle like tail belies the strictly aquatic life of the Giant Salamander. The folds on skin on the side of the body increase the skin surface available to absorb more oxygen from already oxygen poor waters.

Japanese Giants are nocturnal animals who remain in hiding during the day. They have small eyes and poor sight, and use other senses to find their way.

A series of nodules or raised bumps on the head help them detect the most minute movements in the water, which aid in both prey capture and the avoidance of potential predators.

Despite their sensory capabilities, they are slow and sluggish animals with slow metabolic rates... which enabled this frightening mountain beast to capture one.

They are a concern for scientists, as they have become Threatened in the wild from habitat degradation and overcollection for food locally.

No, I can definitely tell you had work done. I look great , really!

CHINESE GIANT SALAMANDER (Andrias davidianus)

At up to 1.8 m (~6 ft.), the Chinese Giant Salamander is the largest amphibian species in the world.

Though they can achieve lengths up to 6 feet, they rarely do.

The Chinese Giant is very closely related to the Japanese Giant Salamander; having similar diet, habitat type, metabolic rates and sensory traits. Similarly, the female lays eggs in an underwater den, and the male protects the eggs until the young hatch.

The Chinese Giant is even more threatened than the Japanese Giant, and is actually considered Critically Endangered, due to habitat degradation and destruction, as well as over collection for food and traditional Chinese medicine.

Although there is an international effort to breed them in captivity, there has been difficulty in getting them to do so in significant numbers to aid in the recovery of their populations... and these guys aren't helping with their awful taste in music. Dude, she's not gonna get in the mood with Ace of Base playing!
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The genus name Andrius, which means "image of man", was coined by European scientists because the man who originally named a fossil of a close relative of this salamander (A. schleuchzeri) believed that he had found an ancient human fossil. It was later recognized as being not only human, but quite salamander. Later, European scientists learned of the Chinese and Japanese Giant Salamanders and realized they were closely related, enough to be int he same genus.

Sexual Dimorphism in 5 North American Blackbirds (family ICTERIDAE)

2009-03-24T16:26:00.010-06:00

... because I like Blackbirds, that's why!

Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus)

Male

Female

Yellow Headed Blackbird (X. xanthocephalus)

Male

female

Boat-tailed Grackle (Quiscalus major)

Male on Mexican Sabal Palm (Sabal mexicanus)

Female

Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater)

male

Female

Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula)

Male with Mulberries

Female

Male and female Baltimore Oriole

RANDOM ANURAN SPOTLIGHT no. 2

2009-03-20T15:43:00.019-06:00

A series of posts on random and awesome anuran species for those that love Amphibians.

Colorado River Toad (Bufo alvarius)

Nothing says love, like the grimace of an enormous toad. The Co. River Toad is best known for its potent skin excretions, which have been used by Native Americans as a hallucinogenic substance in cultural and religious ceremonies for hundreds of years.

Also known as the Sonoran Desert Toad, these toads are found in and around water sources in the Sonoran Desert region in Southern Arizona, SE Calif, and SW New Mexico.

This is a sizable toad, that can reach up to 7 inches in length and achieve a hefty girth. As with most frog species, the females are larger.

Notice the sizable paratoid glands (poison producing glands found behind the eyes) that are found in most toad species.

What 're YOU lookin at vato? Like all species of anuran (frogs and toads), they are carnivorous... eating any animals small enough to grab (with their mouth) and swallow.

Breeding takes place in temporary pools formed by the considerable summer rains.

The brownish tadpole will take about 1 month to metamorphose into an adult.

Fringed Leaf Frog (Cruziohyla craspedopus)

The Fringed Leaf Frog is found the rainforests of Western Amazonia; in Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Columbia, and Bolivia.

This frog is rarely seen, because it spend most of its time high in the trees where few people venture.

The pattern and "fringes" on the edges of the treefrogs limbs help it to blend in with the moss dappled surfaces of the trees and leaves they live on

The arboreal frogs only descend to the ground when cavities in fallen logs fill with water during the breeding season, where they lay their eggs.

Holy Cross or Crusifix Frog/Toad (Notaden benettii)

Crucifix Toads are found in arid areas of Eastern Australia. The name comes from the quite discernible cross pattern on the back. Although, I'm not sure how religious they are. You might think that the bright colors are to warn off predators, because of some powerful skin toxin...

However, in the case of Notaden, they defend themselves with a very sticky glue like skin secretion that gums up the mouths and fur/feathers of would be predators. The males will also glue themselves to the backs of the females temporarily for mating.

Though, in this close up picture it may seem an enormous frog, The Crucifix Toad reaches a length of only 2.5 in(male)/2.7 in(female). Their small mouths are perfect for a diet of ants and termites.

A small male calls to prospective mates. As with most anurans, it is the males that sing or call to the females. The females are believed to judge fitness as a mate, initially, on the quality of the song.

Mating usually occurs during the rainy season, when the frogs emerge from their subterranean burrows (where they have been encased in cocoons made from hardened skin secretions, to keep from losing body water).

These tiny froglets hop around in the shallows of the temporary desert pool where their parents deposited them as fertilized eggs. These pools are the main source for breeding and tadpole deposition for anurans that live in arid zones.

Side Note:

For many Anurans, that are in families other than the True Frogs (Ranidae) or True Toads (Bufonidae), you may see either the word "frog" or "toad" used for it. This can be arbitrary, based on evolutionary relationships with the aforementioned families, or based simply on appearance. Many people tend to call shorter, fatter, and/or anurans, "toad", while referring to more stream lined smoother anurans as "frog". Some people refer more terrestrial species as toads, while referring to more aquatic species as frogs. Often different people will refer to the same species by different labels. (ie. Crucifix Frog or Crucifix Toad)

Malayan Painted Toad or Malayan Painted Frog (Kaloula pulchra)?

Depends who you ask. They're fairly terrestrial and in the family Microhylidae (the Smallmouth Toads/Frogs), which is evolutionarily close to the True Toads, so I'm going with "toad" on this one.

RANDOM ANURAN SPOTLIGHT no. 1

2009-03-16T16:27:00.011-06:00

The beginning of a series of posts on various species in the Order ANURA, the frogs and toads...

Yellow Spotted or Boulenger's Tree Toad (Pedostibes hosii)

As the name suggests, Pedostibes climbs into trees. This is not normal behavior for the usually land based toads. Notice the enlarged adhesive toe discs for better grip.

Someone is not amused with your fake British accent.

As with many members of the True Toad family (Bufonidae), The Yellow Spotted has prominent cranial ridges and tuberculous (bumpy or warty) skin.

Throughout its range in Southeast Asia, this toad can vary in color from green with yellow spots to orange or brown.

Let's get it on Froggies! The smaller and more drably colored male amplexes (amplexus - the breeding embrace of anurans) the female in this laboratory container.

One of the elusive tadpoles of P. hosii in an aquarium in Borneo

Tomato Frog (Discophis antongilii)

The Tomato Frog is endemic (only found there) to Madagascar (as are 99.6 % of the frogs in Madagascar), where it is found in a variety of habitats near water.

Punks step up to get beat down! The Tomato makes a threat posture, lifting itself up and inflating. If seized it can release a mildly poisonous and sticky solution from its skin.

As with all frogs, when swallowing they must use the backs of the eyes to help push down food, a this Tomato Frog does. Anurans do not have the same esophageal muscles we do to aid in downing food, usually small invertebrates.

As with many of the Malagasy (from Madagascar) fauna (animals), they are listed as near threatened from habitat destruction.

Amplexus shows us a comparison of the male and female, both in size and pattern. The male is on top, and will not release sperm until the female releases her eggs in water. Fertilization is usually external for Anurans.

Coronated or Crowned Treefrog (Anotheca spinosa)

THEY GIVES US THE PRECIOUS!!! This entirely arboreal species of frog emerges from its lair.

The spike like projections found on the head that give the frog its name

The juvenile frogs lack the crown.

Crowned Treefrogs are found in Cloud Forests (montane rainforests) in the lower half of Central America (from Costa Rica to Panama).

The adults mate in tree cavities and bamboo sections filled with water, thus not even coming down form the trees to reproduce, as many arboreal anurans do.

GALLERY OF EXTINCTED ANIMALS no. 4 - Birds Birds Birds

2009-03-06T16:57:00.003-06:00

A continuing study in animals lost forever...

Heath Hen (Tympanuchus cupido cupido)

The Heath Hen was the 1st endangered bird that post-European settlement Americans made a concerted effort to save from extinction. Ultimately, they failed. The last birds on the Mainland U.S. were gone by 1870, and the last of the species died on Martha's Vineyard in 1932. A couple of centuries of over-hunting for meat and several unforeseen calamities during the years of conservation brought their numbers too low to recover.

This illustration depicts males calling and displaying their cheek pouches and ear plumes, much as the other species of Prairie Chicken in the U.S. do. They would gather at leks, areas where multiple males display for prospective mates.

They were actually quite common in the Colonial Era, and were commonly eaten until conservation measures were taken in the early 20th Century. Heathies were considered poor quality meat, but were readily available in their range from New England to Virginia.

A view of the erected ear plumes and orange cheek patches (which would be inflated during display).

During the years of conservation on Martha's Vineyard, disasters such as intense wildfires, poachers, severe weather, and inexplicable increases in Goshawks befell the birds in their preserves.

There is still some discussion as to whether the Heath Hen should be considered a distinct species or a subspecies of one of the other 2 species, the Lesser and Greater Prairie Chickens.

Kona Grosbeak or Kona Finch (Chloridops kona)

The Kona Finch is a bird that was not well known by people. There is only one written observation of the bird's habits, by naturalist Scott Barchard Wilson in the early 1890's, and the native people of the Kona Coast of Hawaii Island weren't familiar with them at all. They seemed to be already fairly rare, when Europeans first encountered them, and their elusive habits in the mountainous terrain in the area didn't help. No one is really sure why they went extinct. The last one was seen in 1894.

Kona Finches had thick cracking beaks, to aid in opening the heavy seeds they ate. Wilson's description of the bird was of a fairly sluggish inactive animal, that seldom sang.

There exist no photos, nor well preserved mounts of the birds. Can you spot what's wrong with this picture? Hint, read the above picture caption. This artist was probably confusing the bird with one mentioned in the next caption.

The Kona and 2 other closely related birds in the Kona Coast area, the Greater Koa and Lesser Koa Finch, went extinct in the 1890's from unknown causes. The Kona Grosbeak was the smallest of the 3.

Greater Koa Finch (Rhodacanthis palmeri), last seen 1896, sometimes indulged in caterpillars, as well as their usual diet of seeds. This was the noisiest of the 3 birds. They fed mostly on the seeds of Koa trees, thus the name. Notice the sexual dimorphism, the adult males having reddish plumage.

Lesser Koa Finch (Rhodacanthis flaviceps), last seen 1891, was in habit quite like the Greater Koa Finch, only a bit smaller and not as sexually dimorphic.

Labrador Duck (Camptorhynchus labradorius)

The Labrador is the only DUCK to go extinct in, and the first BIRD known to go extinct in North America since European settlement. The causes for the loss of this animal are not well understood, and probably fairly complex. The Last one was seen in 1858 in NY State.

The Labrador Duck was often referred to as the "Skunk Duck", because of its coloration. They were also referred to as the "Pied Duck", as were 2 other birds off of the NE U.S. and Atlantic Canada, which makes historical investigations of the bird difficult.

The female was less dramatically colored.

The shovel like bill was well formed for dislodging and seizing shellfish (Bivalves, like muscles and clams), which were the main part of its diet. Its believed that the dramatic decline in North Atlantic shellfish populations in the mid 1800's (due to over-harvesting by humans) was a major cause contributing to extinction.

Sad museum specimens are the only way you'll ever see one in person.

Because of their foul taste and speed of putrification of the flesh, meat seeking and recreational hunters didn't often go after them.

Another possible source of the species decline may have been hunting for the millinery trade, or the trade in feathers for the lady's hat industry.

The eggs, as well, were sought after, and may have been over-harvested, leading to decline.

Because the Labrador went extinct before much scientific study of the species could occur, little is known of its habits and breeding ecology.

Another of John James Audubon's studies of North American birds, as with most of his beautiful plates, these were rendered from birds he shot, then painted , often in location in the wild.

GALLERY OF EXTINCTED ANIMALS no. 3 - Birds again!

2009-03-06T16:34:00.001-06:00

A continuing study in animals lost forever, due to human causes or within the historical memory of current humans. This post is dedicated to Wolf.

The Dodo (Raphus cucullatus)

There really is no more emblematic a case of extinction than the Dodo. This now famous extinct bird was found on the African island of Mauritius, until over-hunting nest predation by introduced dogs, rats, and other animals introduced from Europe wiped them from existence. The date of extinction is debatable, but the last reasonable sighting of the bird was in 1693 (only 112 years after the 1st Europeans saw the birds).

This creature was a classic example of island isolation leading to form and habit that would lend the species to easy exploitation once humans (as was often the case, Europeans) and other outside species showed up.

The birds had evolved on an island without large predators. They were relatively slow, flightless, lacked fear of humans and other animals, and nested in easily found nests on the ground.

Although the Dodo is often depicted as stupid, fat, and sluggish, this is a misrepresentation. Most of the illustrations of the bird showing them as fat are of overfed captive birds, wild birds were more fit. They were also fairly active for their size, and no more or less intelligent than closely related birds.

The Dodo was a large flightless relative of pigeons and doves, and probably evolved from large flight capable doves from either the Indian Subcontinent or SE Asia. They remained in Mauritius undisturbed by permanent human settlement until the arrival of the Portuguese in the 16th Century.

Who needs to be that fast and agile, when you eat fruit that falls to the ground and have no predators. Flightlessness and large size is a recurring theme for birds that evolve on islands without large mammalian predators.

The Walghvogel (Wallowing Bird) , as the Dutch originally called it, stood up to a meter tall and could weigh about 50 lbs.

Though their meat was not considered very palatable, they were easily overtaken and killed, and so they were, in great numbers by sailors and settlers. The variety of human introduced animals that plagued them were dogs, cats, rats, pigs, and even monkeys. They didn't stand a chance.

There is somewhat of a debate over the origin of the name, Dodo... ranging from several Dutch terms, a Portuguese term for "fool", and the noise the bird made (a "doo-doooo" pigeon like coo).

Ivory-billed Woodpecker (Campephilus principalis)

Is it extinct? Though the bird was last conclusively seen in Louisiana in 1944, many sightings, possibly credible and not, have been made up to the present time. This is the bird, that won't die, at least not in people's imaginations. There are credible and believable accounts of the bird appearing up until 1972, but the trail had gone cold after that... and it was assumed they were gone. In 2004, however, photos of a large woodpecker resembling an Ivory-billed was taken in an Arkansas swamp, instigating an intense scientific search, which so far has yet to produce conclusive evidence that Ivory Bills still live.

The birds used to range widely through the deep forests of the American Southeast, preferring swampy hardwood and pine forests. The extensive deforestation of this area was the major cause of their decline and possible extinction.

A pair works together to feed the young in their nest cavity in a Louisiana forest in the 1930's.

Many ornithologists (scientists who study birds) have been hunting for the possibly extant birds for decades.

The bird closely resembles the not extincted Pileated Woodpecker, but has a whitish bill, white wing edges, and the females have all black and white heads. The general similarity in appearance though, has lead to doubts about most sightings since 1944.

Many sightings of the bird believed to be extinct have been made over the decades by professionals and enthusiasts alike. When driving through an area of forest near the Pearl River in Mississippi in 1998, I saw a bird that greatly matched the description of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker... in fairly poor light and of course without any photo documentation.

Several grainy photos and suggestive, but not clearly conclusive call recordings, were made of the bird in 2004-2005 in an Arkansas swamp. This has lead to an extensive hunt by the National Audubon Society, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and governmental agencies for the bird in that area. So far, it has yet to come up with clear photos, indisputable recordings, or a specimen, although several convincing (to some) grainy photos and recordings have been made.

These loud and quite visible birds were rare, due to habitat loss and degradation, by the early 1900s. After the end of the American Civil War, the forests of the Southeast were logged heavily up until the present time. It's safe to say that we have probably lost 90 percent of the Southeastern forests.

This classic print from John James Audubon shows the male (red crest) and the female (black crest) together.

The hunt for the birds continues in earnest in the swamps of Arkansas. There really is a massive amount of information and evidence, and the best compilation of information on the undertaking is found here... The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology (who are decidedly convinced that Ivory-billed Woodpeckers still live).

New In The Park - Caterpillars

2009-03-05T10:12:00.009-06:00

Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)

Well, its been a relatively mild winter here in Houston, with few really cold periods. The cold snaps we had, though fairly cold for the region, didn't last for more than a few days at a time. This and the the current warm February and March weather has lead to early wildflower bloom and butterflies laying eggs weeks early. We already have Monarchs on the Milkweed and Gulf Fritillaries on the Passion Vines.

Something I noticed a few days ago were a few Black Swallowtail caterpillars on the Dill and Fennel plants in the park's herb garden. This isn't that common an occurrence in our park, regardelss of the early appearance, so its quite a pleasant surprise.

A close up view of 2 polyxenes caterpillars on one plant. The mother only lays 1 or 2 eggs on each larval host plant.

The Black Swallowtail caterpillar can extend its osmeterium when threatened. Only the Swallowtail caterpillars (there are man varieties of Swallowtail) have these. The osmeterium releases unpleasant odors when extended, and may help to visually shock a predator.

2 Caterpillars on the flower stalk of a Dill plant (Anethum graveolens)

Black Swallowtail caterpillars are always found on plants in the Carrot Family (Apiaceae), like this Green Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) in someone's garden.

The chrysalis of a Black Swallowtail, which are much harder to find than the caterpillars.

Adult Papilio polyxenes mating

The very tiny egg of the Black on the leaflet of an Italian Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)

Endangered Rhinos pt. 1 - Sumatran

2009-03-02T17:27:00.012-06:00

Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis)

Of the 5 species of living Rhino, the Sumatran is smallest (standing at up to just under 5 ft at the shoulder). The Sumatran is one of the so called Armoured or Plated rhinos, called so because of the overlapping "plates" of thick skin that resemble armor... along with the Javan and Indian Rhinos. This species is now critically endangered, having been hunted intensively for their horns (which have use in Chinese medicine). Although they once ranged widely through SE Asia, they are now only found in isolated populations in forests on Java, Borneo and the peninsula of Malaysia.

Unlike the Indian and African species, this rhino may be fairly hairy. Like all other rhino species, they have poor eyesight, and rely more on their excellent senses of smell and hearing.

This animal is now considered Critically Endangered, and only about 300 are known to remain in the wild.

Like African species, the Sumatran has 2 nose horns, unlike its Asian compatriots, the Indian and Javan Rhinos.

Sumatran Rhinos are fairly solitary animals which browse on variety of plants materials, like green leaves and fruit.

A mother and calf cool off in a refreshing mud pond. Mud wallowing also helps to smother and remove skin parasites. Although they can seem sluggish in the heat of the day, wallowing in shallow water and mud holes, These small rhinos can be quite agile and active. They can cover large areas in a day, climb slopes well, and can gallop fairly swiftly.

Someone can be a little standoffish when they got they baby around. PILAS ESE! Females usually only bare one calf, and are VERY protective.

The Sumatran is the most vocal of the rhinos, making 3 distinct kinds of calls. This one may be vocalizing that y'all bout ta get y'all wig split!

(despite the jokes and the reputations of other species, this species is not particularly aggressive, but should still be given some space)

A worker at a Sumatran zoo feeds an adult. Breeding programs at zoos, where the animals can be protected from poachers, may be an important part of saving the species.

A worker at the Cincinnati Zoo feeds a young baby rhino, who is curious about the camera.

"Borneo Rhinocerus"

The subspecies (or race) of Sumatran Rhino that lives on the Island of Borneo is referred to as the Bornean or Borneo Rhinoceros, and is now rarely seen.

There are only 25 individuals left in the wild, as far as scientists know.

The Bornean is the smallest of the 2 living Sumatran subspecies the other (the Northern Sumatran, which lived in India and Bangladesh, is now extinct)

Night time, motion activated cameras are a useful tool for studying rare animals, that live in dense forest. They are most active in the early morning and just before sunset.

(crepuscular - animals that are active in twilight periods, dawn and dusk)

The only know survivors live in the Southern province of Borneo, known as Sabah, which is part of Malaysia

Sexual Dimorphism

2009-02-18T16:53:00.017-06:00

A fluffed out male Superb Bird of Paradise courts a female.

Sexual Dimorphism is the term that describes species of animal in which the male and female have a difference in form and/or appearance. Not all species have differences between male and female. Let's have a look at some animals that display this dimorphism, in various modes.

1. Orange Barred Sulphur (Phoebus philea) - Color and Markings

The male Orange barred with bright yellow background and orange markings.

The female has several brown/black spots and no orange marks on the forewing.

A male feeds on a Turk's Cap. The Orange-barred are found from the Southern United States to South America.

2. Yellow & Black Garden Spider (Argiopes aurantia) - Markings, Color, and Size

The female Argiopes is larger and more brightly colored. Animals that lay eggs, where the males do not combat for female or territory, often have much larger females.

The male is smaller and much more drably colored.

Only the females make a web, and the males hang around waiting for chances to steal food and mate with the female. This is wide ranging spider found through out North America and Europe.

* While we associate males with greater size and strength, this is not the case with many animals. Females achieve larger size amongst most varieties of hawks, frogs, turtles, snakes, and spiders.

3. Golden Toads EXTINCT (Bufo periglenes) - Size and Coloration/Markings

The smaller bright orange male mounts/amplexes the yellow black and red mottled female. Species in which the male must attract the female often have more brightly or elaborately colored males.

Golden Toads were found in the cloud forests of Costa Rica, they were last seen in 1989.

4. Eastern Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris) - Color and Markings

The male is more brightly colored, and slightly larger with a more robust head.

A view of the male in breeding season.

The colors also intensify when in direct sun light. Found in the central United States.

6. Scarlet Tanager (Piranga rubra) - Color and Markings

The brightly colored male.

The female has more subdued colors. Scarlets nest in the Eastern U.S. and migrate to Central America for the winter.

7. American Bison (Bison bison) - Size and coloration

A view of the smaller all brown female nuzzling the larger male, who has shaggier black face and head fur. Prairie areas of North America.

Males also have larger horns. Animals whose males fight over females and territory, have larger males. Horned animals usually have males with larger horns, and most animals with antlers have females with no antlers at all.

8. Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) - Size and Coloration

The larger and stronger male has more brightly colored facial, rump and genital markings. Males also have considerably larger canine teeth, for fighting and defense.

The smaller and less brightly colored female is on the right.

Here we see a female with 2 young. Mandrills are baboons that live in the rain forests of Western Africa.

Herpetological Breeding Congregations

2009-02-18T11:22:00.010-06:00

Let's have a look at some Reptiles and Amphibians that breed in groups.

California Newts (Taricha torosa)

The typical method of mating amongst California Newts involves the male amplexing (grasping the female for mating in a kind of hug). He then rubs his nose on her chin, and if she accepts, he then releases her, and deposits a sperm packet on the bottom of the pond or stream where they have come to reproduce. She takes the sperm packet up into her cloaca, fertilizes the eggs, then shortly after lays them (in small masses) on objects in the water.

In areas where there are more males then females, competition for females can be quite intense.

When there are MANY more males than females, these large breeding congregations occur. These breeding masses are usually seen in small streams that flow into ponds.

Taricha torosa egg mass

The closely related Rough Skinned Newt (T. granulosa) has a similar breeding regime, and occasionally gathers in breeding groups, as well.

African Foam Nest Treefrog (Chiromantis xerampelina)

Also known as African Gray Treefrogs, they mate in congregations in trees with branches overhanging seasonal bodies water. The group whips up a lather of foam made of skin secretions and sperm, into which the eggs are deposited.

These groups can vary in number.

Frogs within the mass may pair off or pile on in groups. With so many eggs and sperm mixing together in the foam nest, the paternity of any individual frog is unsure.

The outside of the foam nest hardens, with the eggs developing in the wet frothy inside.

When the tadpoles have hatched, and then reached a certain size, they wriggle vigorously. This action dissolves the hard shell in spots, and the tadpoles drip out into the pond below.

Red-sided Garter Snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis)

The Red-sided Garter ranges over the Central U.S. and Central and Western Canada.

In parts of their range, especially in Canada, they hibernate in caves and hollows in large numbers.

When they emerge in Spring, the males come out first, followed by the females days later.

The largest breeding congregations are known from historic sites, which may have been used for hundreds of years, in Manitoba (a province of Canada).

Unlike our previous 2 animals in the post, both amphibians, these reptiles fertilize the eggs internally (the males placing the sperm into the female directly). Therefore, despite the great competition for the larger females, only one male fertilizes a female. She then slithers off, and eventually gives live birth, as garter snakes do.

Gallery of Extincted Animals no. 2 - MAMMALS

2009-01-27T13:53:00.018-06:00

Part 2 of an ongoing menagerie of animals that are gone forever... due to human causes.

Bali Tiger (Panthera tigris balica)

The Bali Tiger, a subspecies of Tiger, was last seen on Bali in 1937. As with many island animals, increasing development of their forest habitats and over hunting finally did them in. Although these pressures had existed for a long time. They became more intense after Dutch colonization, when big game hunting trips were popular. The closely related Javan Tiger is also extinct.

The Bali Tiger was the smallest of the Tiger sub-species. There was a cultural ambivalence towards the Tiger in Bali, as it was seen as both sacred and detrimental to live stock.

The black bars on the forehead were one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Bali Tiger.

Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus)

Not a tiger at all, but a predatory marsupial (like a kangaroo or wombat) the size of a Collie, the Tasmanian Tiger prowled the forests of the Australian island of Tasmania. The last individual spotted conclusively in the wild was in 1930, and the last know living specimen died in the Hobart Zoo in 1936. Seen as a threat to livestock, intensive hunting (encouraged by government bounties), introduced dogs, and disease finally conspired to end them.

Also called a Thylacine, they had gone extinct 1000s of years before on mainland Australia.

The gorgeous stripes that earned them the erroneous moniker, "tiger"

Although the last known living tiger died in a zoo in 1936, people continue to report sightings in the wilderness of Tasmania.

A famous picture of the last specimen, "Benjamin", yawning in 1933.

Although, this last specimen is referred to as "Benjamin", there is doubt that it was a male.

The topic of the Thylacine's impact on livestock is still debated, as many scientists contend that wild dogs took many of the sheep and chickens that Thylacines were said to have killed.

A pack of Thylacine cubs in an Australian zoo. This was one of only 2 species of marsupial in which the male possessed a pouch.

Some of the remaining mounted specimens don't do the Thylacine justice.

A museum mount and skeleton. There is actually work underway in some institutions to clone a Tasmanian Tiger from DNA on some of these specimens.

A view of the skull shows a tooth structure and arrangement unlike placental (non-marsupial, like cats, wolves, weasels) predators.

Quagga (Equus quagga)

The 1st species of Zebra scientifically described by Europeans, was also the only one to go extinct. By the 1870's they had been hunted out of existence in the wild of the arid Grasslands of South Africa, where they were found. The last known specimen died in a Dutch zoo in 1883.

The Quagga was named for the call it makes, which sounds very much like "quagga".

This museum specimen, one of only 23 in the world, of a Quagga foal shows the distinctive pattern of the Quagga... brown and white stripes that fade to solid brown.

The only known pictures are of a female, taken in 1870, at the London Zoo.

What an awful enclosure. Zoos have come a long way since 1870.

Quaggas were hunted for meat, pelt, and as competitors for the grazing plants upon which livestock feed.

For the longest time, the relationship between Quagga and other Zebra species was not well understood. After DNA from pelts and mounted specimens was analyzed, it was found to be very closely related to the common and widespread Plains Zebra. The 2 species split from each other around 200,000 years ago.

Stellar's Sea Cow (Hydrodamalis gigas)

This 8 meter, 10 ton relative of the Manatee was once found throughout the North Pacific Ocean. By 1741, upon the first known sighting of the animals by Europeans, they were only found in the Asian coastal areas of the Bering Sea. Their numbers and range had been severely limited already by the activities of the first peoples to arrive in the area. The arrival of Europeans greatly accelerated their decline, and by 1768 they were all gone, forever.

The Sea Cow was a slow moving animal that could neither come ashore, nor submerge to escape danger. They ate various varieties of kelp, and were most often found around kelp forests. They proved easy prey for native peoples who hunted them for meat, fat, and their thick black gray skins, which they used to make boats.

The more efficient and less restrained hunting methods of Europeans (who hunted them for meat, skin and fat for cooking and heating oil) proved too great a challenge for the Stellar's.

27 years after discovery by Europeans, they were extinct.

A skeleton in the American Museum of Natural Science in NYC, next to that of a smaller West Indian Manatee

The massive frame of this animal made it difficult to escape hunters.

The Sea Cow did not have differentiated teeth as we do, but 2 large bony plates that ground their food to be swallowed. They were sloppy eaters... wherever sea cows were found, one could find the stems and floats of kelp littering the beach.

Caribbean Monk Seal or West Indian Monk Seal (Monachus tropicalis)

This small brown seal was the only seal to live in the Caribbean Sea and The Gulf Of Mexico in human history, and the only known seal to have gone extinct from human causes. Though the last confirmed sighting of the animal was on a small coral atoll 210 miles of the coast of Nicaragua, the United States government finally declared them EXTINCT in 2008, after years of official searching.

Caribbean Monks were sluggish, unaggressive, and curious. This all aided in the ease of hunting the animals, who were over hunted for meat and fat for oil.

They were one of the animals killed and eaten by Christopher Columbus's expedition.

Found raising their young on sandy and rocky coasts throughout the region, the last one seen in the U.S. was in 1932 off the coast of Texas.

Sea Mink (Neovison macrodon)

Like the inland species of Mink, the Sea Mink was an aquatic predatory member of the weasel family. Unlike that variety, it was hunted to extinction for its pelt by the mid 1800's. It was also almost twice the length, with a somewhat rougher muskier scented coat, and found in coastal waters off of New England and Atlantic Canada.

No photos of Sea Mink exist, just written accounts, a few artists renderings, and many bones found in Native American midden sites along its historic range.

The Sea Mink was hunted to extinction, most likely by 1860, by European fur hunters.

The only member of the weasel family (Mustelidae) known to have gone extinct in human history.

GALLERY OF EXTINCTED ANIMALS no. 1 - Birds

2009-01-26T13:48:00.024-06:00

Museum vouchers of Passenger Pigeon (top) and Carolina Parakeet (bottom)

Part 1 of an ongoing menagerie of animals that are gone forever. When we say EXTINCT, that does in fact mean that the entire species (or specific taxonomic group) has died out. One would not say that an individual or local population has become extinct. All that we now have of these creatures are old pictures, artistic renderings, collections specimens, and grainy footage. Lest we forget, let's have another look. (Yes i know extincted isn't a word, shut up!)

LAYSAN RAIL (Porzana palmeri)

The Layasan Rail went extinct on its home island of Laysan in 1923 (in the Hawaiian Islands) after introduced rabbits had obliterated all of the island's vegetation. The lack of nesting material and cover did them in. They went for really reals extinct, in 1944, after a U.S. naval vessel crashed into Midway Island (where they had been introduced) releasing rats onto the island. The rats' predation on the eggs and young finally did them in.

A print of the Rail with it's fuzz black young. Both parents cared for the eggs and young.

The Laysan Rail was flightless and only 6 in. from beak tip to tail tip.

The nests were made in grass tussocks surrounding the island's lagoon.

Foraging for food, and contemplating mortality.

Last, maybe only, film taken of the Laysan Rail

CAROLINA PARAKEET (Conuropsis carolinensis)

Hey! No seriously, HEY, did you know that the Eastern U.S. had its own parrot at one time? That's right, up until 1918, there was a native parrot roaming around much of the East. Eventually though, a complex web of circumstances (the trade in bird feathers for women's hats, destruction of Hardwood Forests, possibly the introduction of the European Honeybee, and destruction of nests by farmers) lead to their eradication.

One of the few specimens left, in a Museum in Weisbaden, Germany. Can you believe we lost (destroyed) something this beautiful?

Audubon's (kind of) famous illustration of the Carolina. They lived in old growth forests along rivers from the east coast into the midwest.

Mark Catesby's classic illustration. The parakeet fed on a wide variety of seeds, fruits, and grains (including human crops, MEOWCH!).

What? Oh yeah, I didn't think you said anything, sorry.

The last of the wild Carolinas were killed off in 1904 in Florida, while the last captive (and the last we know of at all) died at the Cincinatti Zoo in 1918.

ELEPHANT BIRDS (family Aepyornithidae)

The Elephant Birds were enormous flightless birds in the Genus Aepyornis. They lived on Madagascar until, at least, the 1500's, when human settlers arrived. It's believed that the combination of over-collection of eggs for food and the introduction of dogs and rats lead to the bird's extinction. And so, the world's largest bird disappeared into imagination.

All drawings and renderings that we have are based on skeletons and folk tales, as no Westerner has ever seen one whole or alive.

A scale drawing of bird and human

Models are the only way to get a real perspective of their size now.

Museum specimen of Elephant Bird skeleton and egg

The color and distribution of the feathers... we have to guess at these characteristics.

There were possibly 4 species of Aepyornis, or it's possible that we have just found 4 different geographical and/or age variants of one species, the universally accepted Aepyornis maximus.

A model Elephant Bird egg (left), Ostrich egg (lower right and largest bird today), and Hummingbird egg (upper right)

"Could I ride one?"
"Sir, please step away form the enclosure... SIR!!!"

GREAT AUK (Pinguinis impennis)

This large relative of the Puffin swam the waters of the North Atlantic, until the last one was seen in New Foundland in 1852. It had previously been accepted that the last pair had been killed by hunters/sociopaths (seriously, read the account if you can find it), incubating their egg in 1844 on an island off the coast of Iceland. They had been hunted for centuries, but the intensity of hunting (for down, meat , and eggs) in the 1800's was too much for the Great Auk.

The Great Auk was actually the first bird referred to as a "Penguin".

Also called the Garefowl, form Old Norse for "Spear Bird" (referring to the beak).

As with many of the birds in this family (the Alcids - Puffins, Murres, Auks, etc.) they ate fish.

This Leipzig Museum specimen hasn't eaten in awhile.

This London Museum specimen is seriously not impressed with that sweater.

They stood up to 3 feet tall, and weighed up to ~11 lbs. Truly THE GREATEST AUK OF THEM ALL!!! Ahem, yeah.

Although quite quick and agile in the water, they were ungainly on land. This coupled with their lack of fear of humans/predators (they didn't have many on their breeding islands) made them easy targets for hunters (who just killed too many).

Another potential problem that lead to extinction was the low birth rate of the Great Auk, as they only laid one large egg per year. If the nest is destroyed, well... that's it! And so it was.

PASSENGER PIGEON (Ectopistes migratorius)

What was once, perhaps, the most numerous vertebrate land animal in the world, existing in the billions... is now extinct. AND IT'S YOUR FAULT!!! Okay maybe not, but it was humans that hunted them for meat and oil (from fat) to the point where they could no longer maintain their numbers.

Pretty pigeons don't get exceptions.

Their nesting colonies were miles long, and they existed in those colonies in the millions. When hunters had decimated their numbers below a size in which the Pigeons were comfortable nesting, they simply stopped reproducing in adequate numbers in the wild (as they some how needed GREAT numbers to fell protected from predators perhaps).

They were so numerous, that when they passed over in flocks, they could blacken the sky for hours. During migration, flocks a mile wide and almost 300 miles long could be seen.

Imagine the feces!

John James Audubon's print of the Passenger Pigeon.

They were of course considered a major pest by some farmers. Think of millions of birds descending on your wheat fields.

A print of the female (left), male (center), and juvenile male (right).

A specimen in the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto.

The last know live Passenger Pigeon, Martha, died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914.

The Passenger Pigeon nested in huge groups in forests through the Eastern U.S.

One of the last babies

I'm sorry, a what? - TREE KANGAROOS

2009-01-26T10:25:00.005-06:00

Baby MATSCHIE'S TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus matschiei)

Did you even know there was such a thing as a Tree Kangaroo? Well there is, and they live in the northern tropical forests of Australia and on some of the islands of the Australasian Archipelago (places like Papua New Guinea). Our friends are a little ungainly in the trees. If I were to show you one out of habitat, you might not be able to figure that this was an arboreal animal. However, despite our judgment of their grace, they are well adapted enough to make a life in the trees. This is one of those cases of an animal not ideally adapted to its niche (it could have better legs and feet and tail for a life in the trees), but making what it has work for the life it has come to. Clumsy and awkward and utterly adorable; they have come to manners and habits that get through their homes well enough to survive. This is one of the animals that often enters the debates about evolution, because... come on, if you were to design an animal for tree life, you'd have done a better job.

GOODFELLOW'S TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus goodfellowi)

BENNETT'S TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus bennettianus)

LUMHOLTZ'S TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus lumholtzi)

GRIZZLED TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus inustus)

TENKILE or SCOTT'S TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus scottae)
Critically Endangered

DINGISO (Dendrolagus mbaiso)
Recently discovered by Western Science

MATSCHIE'S TREE KANGAROO (Dendrolagus matschiei)

Tentacular Spectacular : CUTTLEFISH

2009-01-21T12:57:00.004-06:00

We take a turn with the Cephalopods (the group including squids and octopi). The most intelligent group invertebrates, these Molluscs are easily recognized by their multiple tentacles. This group of the Cephalopods, the Cuttlefish (order Sepiidae) is not as well known as their relatives the squid and octopus. They are predatory on smaller sea creatures, squirt ink, and only live (at most) for 2 years. Here's a gallery of some of my favorite. Enjoy!

Sepia officionalis

FLAMBOYANT CUTTLEFISH (Metasepia pfefferi)

PAJAMA SQUID (Sepioloidea lineolata)... really a cuttlefish!

OTHERS

Sepia latimanus

Sepia latimanus

Sepia pharaonis

Sepia apama

Sepia apama

Sepia apama

Fur Patrol: The Red Panda

2009-01-19T17:03:00.013-06:00

Red Pandas (Ailurus fulgens) used to be grouped with the Giant Panda in the Raccoon Family (Procyonidae), but due to DNA studies... neither is now considered to be in that family. The Red or Lesser Panda is now considered to be in it's own distinct family (Ailuridae), closely related to Racoons and Weasels (family Mustelidae). This may all seem like semantic quibbling, but how animals are categorized is supposed to suggest evolutionary relationships. Classifying them separately tells us that they broke off from the evolutionary line , which they share with these other animals, farther back and have been isolated from them longer than the other members that are still considered in that group.

Reds are found in the Himalayan areas of Eastern Asia, where they reside in montane forests.

Red Pandas are skillful climbers, and spend much of their time in trees.

There are 2 subspecies: Western Red Panda (A. f. fulgens) with the lighter colors (like this one) and Styan's Red Panda (A. f. styani) with bolder markings and larger size

Reds are crepuscular (active mostly at dawn and dusk), and take naps during the day.

Extensive grooming is regular part of the Red Panda's day.

The main part of a red's diet is plants, especially bamboo.

Although plant material is the main part of their diet, they will often eat eggs and small animals, as well.

They are considered a VULNERABLE species, due to habitat loss and fragmentation.

And thus, history had been made...

Baby Panda practices a little rope a dope with his fight coach.

Newborn Reds will stay with their parents (in the wild) until the next litter of pups are born the following summer.

Terrestrial Planarians

2009-01-19T10:51:00.003-06:00

You may have noticed, that I'm fond of slimy creatures. Here we have a group of oft overlooked slimy friends...the Terrestrial Flatworms or Land Planarians. They are in the Phylum Platyhelminthes, along with Aquatic Planaria, Tapeworms, and flukes. The Terricola live in moist and humid environs around the world, as they dry out rather easily.

They feed mostly on other small invertebrates, like Earthworms and snails. One of their more endearing qualities is the habit of exuding mucous to stay moist and on which they glide, as well as aiding in capture and digestion of prey. Some of the tropical species of Land Planarians can be fairly gaudy, as we'll see in the photos below. So, lets check out a collection of our slithery friends that lack an anus, a circulatory system, a respiratory system, a skeleton, and facial hair. Enjoy.

Geoplana burmeisteri

Geoplana ladislavi

Polycladus gayi

Bipalium sp., introduced into Europe and the U.S.
from China and SE Asia through potted plants

Bipalium kewense, introduced from China
now considered a pest as it preys on
native Earthworm species.

Bipalium sp. feeding on an Earthworm

Terrestrial Gastropods

2009-01-19T10:31:00.003-06:00

Random Terrestrial Gastropods (Snails) from an old post on another blog...

Rosy Wolf Snails (Euglandina rosea) mating

Wolf snails are voracious snail eaters, even to the point of cannibalism. This species of Wolf Snail is native to the southeastern United States.

Wolf Snail eating Asian Tramp Snail

African Giant Snails (Achatina fulica)

African Giant Snails are introduced pests in many part of the world, damaging crops and gardens. They were once a major problem in Florida but were eventually brought under control.

Banana Slug (Ariolimax sp.)

There are 3 species ( A. californicus, A. columbianus, A. dolichophallus) of Banana Slug that live in the Pacific North West of the United States and in Southern British Columbia, Canada.

The rest of the pictures are shells from various species of tree snails from tropical countries around the world.

VELVET WORMS (Onychophora)

2009-01-18T02:01:00.004-06:00

Velvet Worms, which are the occupants of the phylum Onychophora, are one of my favorite animals. Why? Um, good question. I have to admit to having a very visceral aesthetic response to wildlife. Those things that would seem loathsome or disgusting to others, those things that remind one of prehistory and primordial Earth, they seem to grip my psyche.

The Velvet Worms are found mostly in moist humid forest habitats in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions...mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. They are all carnivorous, and subdue their prey (small invertebrates) with a sticky white resin which they release from appendages near the head, known as oral papillae. They are not true worms, in that they have legs, which end in small chitinous claws. Their skin is covered with small bumps that contain sub dermal chitinous scales which give them a velvety texture and water repellent qualities. They are mostly live bearing, and the female is inseminated when the male passes his sperm packet, the spermatophore, into the female's genital opening with either his legs or facial appendages.

Hmmm, that was dry, well whatever. Enjoy the pictures.

Here are some nice links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velvet_worms http://www.amonline.net.au/factsheets/velvet_worms.htm http://www.onychophora.com/http://www.ots.ac.cr/tropiweb/attachments/onicof/photos/photos.htm http://www.earthlife.net/inverts/onychophora.html

GIANT ISOPODS

2009-01-16T17:27:00.005-06:00

THIS is the Deep Sea or Giant Isopod (Bathynomus giganteus). There seems to be a bit of a following growing for them in the net, as evidenced by this album, a tribute to them. Bathynomus is a deep benthic (bottom dwelling) carnivorous scavenger, which is found mostly in the colder seas of the North Atlantic.

Isopods are crustaceans that live in marine, aquatic, and terrestrial habitats. The best known Isopods are the terrestrial Pill Bugs, aka Roly Polies, Sow Bugs, and Wood Lice. Those of you who spend time near the shore may have also noticed the Sea Lice (or Sea Roaches) that scurry upon dock pilings and jetty rocks. They are, all of them, gill breathers, even the terrestrial varieties (which keep a chamber of water where their gills are housed).

Anyways, Giant Isopods are awesome, because they're one of those animals that looks as if it were designed for cinema rather than the product of nature. Well, enjoy the pictures.

Salamander Spotlight #3: The Living Families of CAUDATA

2009-01-12T13:09:00.036-06:00

Emperor Newt (Tylototriton shanjing) - SE Asia
family Salamandridae

As part of my ongoing mania over salamanders (Order Caudata), I thought it might be worth showing a cursory gallery of the families of salamanders. Before we do though, 3 facts:

- The main Biodiversity Hotspot for salamanders in the world is in the South Eastern United States, especially the area of the Southern Appalachians.

- Again, salamanders (which are Amphibians) are not lizards (which are Reptiles).

- Salamanders are the only group of vertebrates that can regenerate lost limbs.

.........................................................................................................

Family Cryptobranchidae - Giant Salamanders

Hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) - Eastern United States

Japanese Giant Salamander (Andrias japonicus)

Chinese Giant Salamander (A. davidianus)

Family Hynobiidae - Asiatic Salamanders

Oita Salamander (Hynobius dunni) - Japan

Siberian Salamander (Salamandrella keyserlingii)

Family Ambystomatidae - Mole Salamanders

Marbled Salamander (Ambystoma opacum) - Eastern U.S.

California Tiger Salamander (A. californiense)

Northwestern Salamander (A. gracile) - NW U.S.

Axolotl or Ajolote (A. mexicanum) - Mexico

Family Dicamptodonidae - Pacific Giant Salamanders

Pacific Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon tenebrosus)

California Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon ensatus)

juvenile Cope's Giant Salamander (Dicamptodon copei)

Family Aphiumidae - Amphiumas

Three-toed Amphiuma (Amphiuma tridactylum)

Two-toed Amphiuma (A. means)

One-toed Amphiuma (A. pholeter)

Family Plethodontidae - Lungless Salamanders

Yonahlossee Salamander (Plethodon yohnahlossee) - Ea. U.S.

Cave Salamander (Eurycea lucifuga) - Ea. & Cen. U.S.

Northern Red Salamander (Pseudotriton ruber) - Ea. U.S.
feeding on insect

Grotto Salamander (Typhlotriton spelaeus) - Ea. U.S.

Yellow-blotched Ensatina (Ensatina enscholtzii croceater) - California

Bolitoglossa striatula - Central America

Bolitoglossa sp. - Guatamala

Texas Blind Cave Salamander (Typhlomolge rathbuni)

Family Proteidae - Waterdogs and Mudpuppies

Common Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) - NE U.S.

Gulf Coast Waterdog (N. beyeri) - SE U.S.

Olm (Proteus anguinis) - Southern Europe

Family Rhyacotritonidae - Torrent Salamanders

Cascade Torrent Salamander (Rhyacotriton cascadae) - NW U.S.

NW United States

Family Salamandridae - Newts

Oregon Newt (Taricha torosa)

Peninsula Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens piaropicola) - Florida

Red Spotted Newt (N. v. viridescens)
Red Eft stage (middle stage juvenile)

Marbled Newts (Triturus marmoratus) - France and Spain

Japanese Firebelly Newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster)

Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra) - Europe

Imperial Cave Salamander (Speleomantes imperialis) - Italy

Family Sirenidae - Sirens

Lesser Siren (Siren intermedia) - Ea. U.S.

Southeastern U.S.

Southeastern U.S.

Salamander Spotlight #2 - What?

2009-01-12T11:02:00.002-06:00

WHAT IS A SALAMANDER?

Barred Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum mavortium)

If you look around, a lot of people use the word "salamander" for animals, which often, are not actually salamanders. This begs the question then, "what is a salamander?" Let's start off with the idea that THEY ARE NOT LIZARDS! Now we can proceed...

They are Amphibians (not Reptiles):

- Slimy skin, without scales
- No teeth, nor claws
- Eggs without shells, laid in water
- Young are Larvae (tadpoles) and undergo metamorphosis into adult reproductive form
- Ectothermic ("cold blooded")
- none are Marine (salt water)

Egg Mass of Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum)

Larva of Marbled Salamander (A. opacum)

Salamanders:

- Order Urodela ( or CAUDATA)
- Salamander larvae have external gills, which most lose during metamorphosis.
- Some adults have lungs, and some breathe only through the skin and mouth lining. Some retain their external gills through adulthood (utilizing oxygen from both air and water).
- Some have lizard like bodies, and some are rather eel like (lacking all 4 limbs).
- Adults are usually Carnivorous.

Texas Blind Cave Salamander (Typhlomolge rathbuni)

Okay, so I forgot to include a Cuckoo (Mangrove Cuckoo)

2009-01-08T16:55:00.007-06:00

There is one more cuckoo I forgot to put in the previous bird post...

Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor)

As the name implies, Mangrove Cuckoos are found in Mangrove swamps along the Gulf Coast and Southern Coast of Florida. Mangroves are trees that grow in salt water along sea cosats in tropical areas.

One of the distinguishing characters of the Mangrove Cuckoo is the roguish black mask.

"Gah gah gah gah gah gah gah gah...", ahem, excuse me.

This Mangrove displays the other distinguishing mark of the species, its buffy underparts.

They are found in through Latin America and the Carribean, but in the U.S. they are endemic (or only found) to Florida.

When you let me go, I'm going to PLUCK YOUR EYES OUT!!!

Salamander Spotlight #1 - LESSER SIREN (Siren intermedia)

2009-01-07T12:33:00.008-06:00

* This post is for my friend Mark, whose dedication to troubled salamanders is well known in herpetological psychology circles.

The Lesser Siren is a completely aquatic salamander, that retains its external gills through adulthood. They feed on a variety of aquatic invertebrates and small vertebrates.

The long slender body of the Siren has led to names like "Mud Eel". The Siren, unlike eels, do have a pair of small front legs, but no hind legs.

Sirens are widely distributed through the Eastern U.S. and Northern Mexico, yet are seldom seen. They prefer to dwell in the muddy bottoms and tangles of dense aquatic vegetation of small bodies of fresh water.

Siren intermedia wuv you!!! It is believed that their love for each other can be quite violent though, as courtship related abrasions and injuries are sometimes observed. They may also be rather vehement in the defense of their eggs, as the female stays with them until hatching.

An unfortunate Lesser Siren falling prey to a Great Blue Heron

A researcher carefully studies slimy sirens, which can actually deliver nasty bites with their sharp bony untoothed jaws. Lesser Sirens may reach up to about a foot long.

The hatchling larval Siren hiding in floating water plants is only half an inch in length, and display rather more fanciful external gills.

A Look at the Cuckoos of The United States

2009-01-07T12:30:00.004-06:00

In the US we have 6 native species of Cuckoo (Order CUCULIFORMES, family Cuculidae). Unlike Old World Cuckoos, most of our species do not practice brood parasitism (laying one's egg in another species nest, so that the other bird will raise the young). Lets have a look at this active group of birds

Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus)

Found throughout the Southwestern and south central U.S. in mostly arid and scrubby habitat

Roadrunners spend a great deal of time on the ground, but may perch in low branches.

Roadrunners do not, in fact, make a "meep meep" call, but instead make a descending dove like coo.

The Greater Roadrunner is the state bird of New Mexico, there is also a Mexican species called the Lesser Roadrunner. They are related closely to several species of Ground Cuckoos found through out Latin America.

Roadrunners are rather expressive birds, using the long tail and crest in body language. They are about 2 feet long.

They prey mostly on small reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and large invertebrates.

It is not uncommon to find Roadrunners tackling dangerous prey, like this Western Diamondback Rattlesnake.

Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus)

The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is found throughout the Eastern and Central parts of the U.S.

Historically referred to as the Rain Crow in the SE U.S.

The distinctive yellow eye ring and yellow lower bill of the adult

Another distinguishing marker is the spotted undertail of the adult

Insects make up the greatest part of their diet.

Yellow-billed Cuckoos will raise their own young in their own nests (as seen here), but sometimes may lay their eggs in the nests of Black-billed Cuckoos or other Yellow-bills.

Black-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus erythropthalmus)

The fully black bill and red eye ring distinctive of the adult Black-bill

Black-billed Cuckoos are found throughout the Northeastern and North Central parts of the U.S.

The tail is not boldly patterned as that of the Yellow-billed and Mangrove Cuckoos.

Like their aforementioned relative, they feed mainly on insects and their larvae.

Black-billed Cuckoos are known to rarely lay their eggs in the nests of other Black-billed.

Mangrove Cuckoo (Coccyzus minor)

Blogger is acting up, so I'll have to add these pictures later.

Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris)

The Groove-billed Ani is a neotropical bird, found through Central and South America, that only comes into the United States in the Rio Grande Valley and the Gulf Coast (in winter) of Texas.

The Groove-billed is about a foot long as an adult.

Anis prefer open areas, where they feed on a variety of insects, fruits, and seeds.

One of the distinctive marks or the Groove-billed... the, uh, grooves in the bill, which are only visible close up.

Anis are gregarious birds, and live in groups of breeding pairs. The group shares a nest, where all the eggs are laid, and they all take part in the rearing of the young.

Sunning on cold mornings is a common activity amongst the Anis.

A Groove-billed Ani suns itself on a Prickly Pear cactus in South Texas.

Smooth-billed Ani (Crotophaga ani)

Smooth-billed Anis are tropical birds, distributed throughout The Caribbean Islands, Central and South America. They are only found in the United States in Southern Florida, where their numbers have greatly declined.

The Smooth-billed has a larger, usually ungrooved, bill than the very similar looking Groove-billed Ani.

Preferring open areas, like farmers fields and open scrub, Smooth-billed Anis have actually benefited from the deforestation in Latin America.

As with other Anis, they eat a wide variety of plant and small animal items. They often feed on the ground, and actually run quite well.

Just like the Groove-billed, they often sun themselves to warm up and possibly to help drive away parasites. This activity is sometimes called "sun anting", because of the similar activity of some birds who spread their wings and feathers in the presence of ants (which remove parasites from the birds).

Also like the Groove-billed in their shared nests, in which they all incubate the eggs and raise the young as a group. They often gather in rather large noisy congregations.