Spotted Eagle Ray

Aetobatus narinari

The Spotted Eagle Ray can be found swimming in coastal tropical waters around the world. Sometimes they even swim upstream into estuaries! These large Rays live in groups thaw swim close to the surface of the water. They can even leap out completely if they are threatened!

Spotted Eagle Rays are considered to be one of the most beautiful Rays. They have very angular wings and an amazing spotted pattern that covers the entire dorsal area. Their skin is smooth and does not posses the denticles that are sometimes found in Rays. Spotted Eagle Rays also have incredibly long tails, which have venomous spines on them. When you include their tail length, these Rays can measure as long as 16.5ft (5m)!

Eagle Rays get their name from their beak-like mouths. They have have a single row of flat teeth in their upper and lower jaws, and these help them to open and crush shellfish. They also consume cephalopods, crustaceans, and fish.

Spotted Eagle Rays are listed as Near Threatened because they live in close proximity to a wide range of fishing gear. The fact that they have very small litter sizes and tend to live in large groups also makes it easy for populations to swiftly decline and rebound slowly.

IUCN Status : Near Threatened

Location : Tropical Oceans

Size : Wingspan up to 10ft (3m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Chondrichthyes -- Order : Myliobatiformes
Family : Myliobatidae -- Genus : Aetobatus -- Species : A. narinari

Comments

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km) from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status : Not Listed Location : Cent

Animal A Day!

Search This Blog