Wandering Albatross

The Wandering Albatross is one of many Albatross species found within the family Diomedeidae. What makes them special? They have the largest wingspan, with a tip to tip range of up to eleven feet! They are a circumpolar species, and can be found flying over the southern oceans.

Wandering Albatrosses are truly remarkable birds. Their narrow wings allow them to utilize the ocean winds and glide with very little effort for hours and hours. They can even lock their wings into a position for an extended period of time, which reduces further energy expenditure. Wandering Albatrosses spend most of their lives at sea, feeding off of fish, cephalopods, and crustaceans. They will sometimes come to rest in the water, but floating in such a position puts them in danger of being prey upon themselves.

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Every other year the Wandering Albatrosses come ashore in colonies in order to breed and care for their young. Pairs mate for life, which can be an exceptionally long time with a lifespan of over fifty years. The Albatrosses return to the same beaches they were born at, mate in November, and then lay a single egg which hatches around March. The young chicks take an additional eight to nine months to fledge, and will themselves return to breed when they are seven or eight years old.

Wandering Albatrosses are a vulnerable species, with an estimated 27,600 mature birds.

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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

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