Animal A Day!

Fanged Frog A few weeks back stories began popping up about new species of Fanged Frogs found on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Nine of the thirteen species located there had not been previously known to science. These thirteen species, found within the genus Limnonectes , were able to evolve in amazing ways in order to fill specific niches on the island. This is due to the fact that they face no competition from frog species found in other areas. But before we get into some of those adaptations, what is the deal with those fangs? Well you see, they aren’t actually teeth at all, but bony protrusions that extend up from the jaw. Because these species have only just been discovered, scientists aren’t completely sure about their purpose. One theory is that they help the frogs to catch fast moving aquatic prey. The rationale for this is that the frogs that have the largest fangs are the ones that feed on fish and tadpoles. Fanged Frog guarding Jelly-Like Eggs Intere...

Corvus albus African Pied Crows are medium sized Corvids (Crows and Ravens) that hail from sub-Saharan Africa. They are distinguishable from many other crows by the bright white feathers that cover the neck and chest. They are highly adaptable birds, and can found in a variety of habitats. Like other Crows and Ravens, African Pied Crows are quite intelligent, and can be taughts to perform all kinds of tricks and tasks in captivity. In the wild they are very social birds, and live in small groups. They will even work together to mob prey from much larger birds of prey ! African pied Crows can be kept as pets, but they take a great deal of care to be properly raised. (Interestingly, native Crows and Ravens cannot be kept in the UNited States, but foreign birds like the Pied Crow can) Their high intelligence and craftiness means they can become destructive if not given proper socialization and enrichment. They are extremely active and require a good deal of space to stay ha...

Geochelone sulcata After the Galapagos and Aldabra Tortoises, the African Spurred Tortoise takes the title as third largest in the world. These land giants dwell in drier regions of central and northern Africa where they subsist on a diet of fruits and vegetables. During the driest times of the year, the Tortoises build burrows and enter states similar to hibernation in order to keep from dehydration. Breeding occurs during rainier parts of the year, and males will fight for the right to breed with females. During the copulation itself, females will be unable to move due to the weight of the male Tortoises. About two months after mating the female will dig a large nest and deposit 15-30 eggs into. They will incubate for an additional 8 months before the 2" hatchlings emerge. It will take the Tortoises fifteen years to reach sexual maturity. But, like their large Tortoise cousins, they can live over 100 years. African Spurred Tortoises ha...

Perodicticus potto Meet the Potto! This interesting looking mammal is a member of the Primate order, and lives in the Equatorial Rainforests of Africa. They are the largest member of the Loris Family. Males and females look alike and they have some neat little adaptations that help them to thrive in arboreal habitats. For one, they have highly flexible ankle and wrist joints. They also have opposable thumbs and vestigial index fingers that allow them to get better grips. Pottos also have special blood vessels in their limbs that allow them to keep their tight grips for longer periods of time. Pottos also have a strange bit of anatomy whose full purpose we aren't 100% sure of. They have bony projections on their neck vertebrae that form a sort of shield. These bones are covered by a very sensitive layer of skin, which means the purpose may be for social reason, and it may also help to protect the Potto from predators. When threatened, Pot...

Trogoderma granarium There has been quite the tizzy recently over these tiny insects, and for very good reason. The Khapra Beetle is one of the most dangerous invasive species in the entire world! A specimen in larval form was found in a grain shipment that entered Chicago from India. That larvae was enough to reject the entire shipment; these guys are that bad. The last time the Unted States saw a major outbreak,  in 1953 , it took 13 years and several million dollars to eradicate. So what is it that makes these guys so frightening? Well, their favorite foods are dry, low-moisture grains. This, coupled with their small size, the fact that they can live for long periods of time without food, and are resistant to many insecticides, adds up to some serious trouble. If the Khapra Beetle gets into a stored grain supply, it can lead to massive damage, and they are incredibly difficult to get rid of. They are considered to be one of the  worst grain pests  on the...

Pseudocarcinus gigas Tasmanian Giant Crabs are some of the largest crabs in the world. While they aren't as long-limbed at the Japanese Spider Crabs, they are incredibly heavy . These massive crustaceans can weigh over 20lbs (9kg) and sport a large claw that is 17in (43cm) long! As the name suggests, Tasmanian Giant Crabs can be found off the coast of Tasmania and southern Australia. They live at depths of between 20 and 600m, but are most common in the 200m area. They are long lived and slow growing. Females of the species are actually decent parents, as far as invertebrates go. They will carry their eggs with them for up to fourth months. What's pretty spectacular is that their can be almost 2 million eggs! Since the early 20th century, Tasmanian Giant Crabs had been caught  up as a byproduct of Lobster fishing. In 1992 it became possible to fish for the Giant Crabs directly, and the industry has been carefully monitored and regulated . These careful acti...

Skates are cartilaginous fish that look similar to Rays, which are probably more widely known. The Barndoor Skate, today’s animal, can be found in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean, swimming from the coasts of Canada all the way down to North Carolina. They are one of the largest Skates in this area of the ocean. Dipturus laevis You can identify a Barndoor Skate by its sharp angles, pointed snout, and reddish brown spotted dorsal side. They have very long lived and slow to grow. These fish don’t reach sexual maturity until the age of 11 !  Barndoor Skates are not picky when it comes to their food. They are exceptional predators, and will eat just about any type of small, benthic dwelling creature. This includes Crustaceans, Cephalopods, Fish, Mollusks, and Worms!  Barndoor Skates have commercial value to humans, though they are not typically fished intentionally, and are often a bycatch. Their parts are used for bait, fish meal, and for pet food. The meat off their...

Male Common Pheasant Though the Common (or Ring-Necked) Pheasant is the State Bird of South Dakota, it is not actually native to North America. Common Pheasants actually originated in Asia, and have been introduced all over the world. Pheasants were brought to the British Isles as long ago as 1,000 CE, and have been in the United States since the 1850s. There are actually over 30 different subspecies of Common Pheasant, divided geographically. They are, as a species, the most common Pheasant on earth. Even though they are quite abundant, wild populations are sometimes supplemented with captive bred birds for hunting purposes . Female Because they are a common, introduced species, Common Pheasants can be found in all sorts of habitats. In their native lands they are most often seen in open grasslands and agricultural areas. They are omnivorous, eating plants, seeds, nuts, fruits, and insects. Common Pheasants are very sexually dimorphic. The males have much longe...

Did you know that there are over 850 species of Tarantula, spread across a dozen subfamilies and nearly 100 different genera. That is a lot of spiders! Because covering hundreds of spiders that like around the world is a pretty daunting task, today we’ll just learn about those critters that reside in the genus Aphonopelma, the North American Tarantulas. Narrowing down to one genus still leaves up with around 90 species, but many of those are poorly studied and we know little about them. There are also many problems with the taxonomy and what we know about specific species identification and distribution. What we do know is that just about every species of Tarantula in North America belongs in this grouping, along with many from Central America. There are about four dozen in the United States alone. We also know that like the Tarantulas in Africa, South America, and other parts of the world, members of genus Aphonopelma do not spin webs. They actually hunt down ...

Though the name might suggest that they are denizens of the swaps, Swap Wallabies also live in forests and upland areas of Eastern Australia. They are the only members of their genus, Wallabia . Wallabia bicolor Swamp Wallabies are nocturnal, solitary marsupials. They are mostly-browsing herbivores that eat a huge variety of plants, including grasses, shrubs, and bark. They can live up to 15 years, and reach sexual maturity after only 15 months. Like all Marsupials, they give birth to very tiny, underdeveloped young. Swamp Wallabies have only one Joey at a time, which is born after a gestation period of about five weeks.  They remain in the pouch for eight or nine months, and will often remain with the mother until they themselves reach sexual maturity. Swamp Wallabies are unique in that their gestation period is longer than their estrus cycle. Some farmers consider Swamp Wallabies to be threats, because they feed on crops. Hunting and habitat loss have h...