Double-striped Thick-knee

Burhinua bistriatus

Meet the Double-striped Thick-knee, a wading bird native to South and Central America. During the day it is very difficult to spot them, as they have striped, patterned plumage that allows them to blend in will with tall grasses.

Night time however, is a slightly different story. They are nocturnal creatures, and make very loud vocalizations. So even though you may not seen them in the dark, you'll probably hear them!

Double-striped Thick-knees feed on insects, worms, and small reptiles and rodents. They are generally monogamous birds, and each pair will raise 2 precocial chicks each breeding season.

At present, the Double-striped Thick-knee has a large enough range and population size to be listed as Least Concern. The population is currently on a stable trend, and there may be as many as 5,000,000 birds out there!

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : South America
Size : Body Length up to 20in (50cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Charadriiformes
Family: Burhinidae -- Genus : Burhinus -- Species : B. bistriatus
Image : Steve Garvie

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