Lilac-breasted Roller

Coracias caudatus

Today's animal was recommended to me on the Suggestions page, and I'm so glad it was! What a beautiful bird! (Hint: I love getting suggestions!)

Lilac-breasted Rollers belong to the same genus as the Blue-bellied Rollers that we learned about last month. They also share a very similar range, spanning across sub-Saharan Africa and the southern Arabian Peninsula. They inhabit open woodlands, grasslands, and acacia country, and are typically a sedentary species.

All Rollers are named for their stunning courtship flights, and the Lilac-breasted is no exception! The males quickly fly to a height of around 10m, and then dive with closed wings in a rocking, rolling motion. I hunted around for a video of this, but came up empty. Any leads?

At any rate, if the male is impressive enough he has found himself a mate. Lilac-breasted Rollers are monogamous and typically live in pairs, though small flocks are also seen. They lay 2-4 eggs at a time in nests build within pre-excavated tree holes (thanks Woodpeckers!) Juveniles are fully feathered after only 3 weeks, but they are a greyish brown color and won't receive their full colors till they are adults.

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Africa
Size : Body Length around 14in (36cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Coraciiformes
Family : Coraciidae -- Genus : Coracias -- Species : C. caudatus

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!

Binturong

The Binturong ( Arctictis binturong ) also has an equally awesome alternate common name, the Bearcat! However, it really isn't much of a bear OR a cat. While it is true that it is part of the Feliforma suborder, it is not a member of family Felidae. Binturongs are a part of their own family, Viverridae, which is shared with Civets, Linsangs, and Genets. There are six subspecies of Binturong, all of which have slight differences based upon location and habitat. Binturongs range in body size from 60-100cm in length, (not including their tail which has roughly the same length) and weigh between 20 and 30lbs. Binturongs are nocturnal animals native to the rain forests of South East Asia. The species range spans through several countries including China, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. They are tree dwelling mammals, and have fully prehensile tails that basically double their body length and can be used to cling to the trees or to grasp food. Binturongs are phe

Animal A Day!

Search This Blog