Animal A Day!

( Image Source ) Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Primates Suborder : Strepsirrhini Infraorder : Lemuriformes Family : Palaeopropithecidae Genus : Babakotia Species : radofilai Length : Around 4ft (1.2m) Weight : 20-40lbs (9-18kg) Status : Extinct since around 1000CE Babakotia is an interesting species that is referred to as a "Sloth Lemur." They were members of the Lemur infraorder, and lived on Madagascar, but they had numerous traits in common with sloths. Anatomically , Babkotia had elongated arms, curved digits, and mobile ankle and hip joints. They are a great example of convergent evolution, which is when two different types of creature evolve similar traits based upon a similar lifestyle. Babakotia was named after a Malagasy name for the Indri Lemur (or Babakoto), which is a relative of Babakotia. Based on their dentition, Babakotia was an herbivore that fed on leaves with an occasional supplement of seeds and fruit. It is believed...

( Image Source ) Phylum : Arthropoda Subphylum : Myriapoda Class : Arthropleuridea Order : Arthropleurida Family : Arthropleuridae Genus : Arthropleura Length : Up to 8.5ft (2.6m) Status : Extinct for about 280 million years! Arthropleura lived in forests during the Carboniferous Period between 340-280 million years ago. At this time oxygen levels were much higher than they are now, which allowed for insects to reach much larger sizes. Another contribution to their hugeness was a lack of large vertebrate predators. Arthropleura had a long, flat, segmented body with as many as thirty sets of legs. They were distant relatives of the millipedes that we have today, and they have the designation of being the largest land invertebrates of all time! We've found a whole mess of fossilized Arthropleura footprints , as well as many fossils of the animals themselves. Scientists aren't completely sure of Arthropleura's diet, since we don't have full jaws left t...

Captive NHI at the Milwaukee County Zoo Phylum : Chordata Class : Aves Order : Ciconiiformes Family : Threskiornithidae Genus : Geronticus   Species : eremita Length : 27-32in (69-81cm) Weight : 1-1.3kg IUCN Status : Critically Endangered The Northern Bald Ibis, also known as the Waldrapp Ibis, is a bird that once had an extensive distribution across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. These days their numbers are restricted to areas within Syria, Turkey, and Morocco, though tagging has shown that a handful birds migrate into other countries. Overall there are probably less than 700 of these birds in the wild, with around 1,200 involved in captive programs. The population decline of these birds can be attributed to several causes. They have been hunted, their breeding sites have been disturbed, their overall habitat has been lost in many areas, and they have been adversely affected by pesticides. In Turkey in the 1950s , hundreds of these already rare bird...

Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Artiodactyla Family : Giraffidae Genus : Giraffa  Species : camelopardalis Height : Males 18ft (5.5m); Females 13-15ft (4-4.5m) Weight : Males 3,000lbs (1,360kg); Females 1,500lbs (680kg) IUCN Status : Least Concern for the species overall, but the Niger and Rothschild's subspecies are listed as Endangered Giraffes are pretty awesome and unique animals. So unique in fact, that there are only two living species in their entire family- the Okapis and the Giraffes themselves. There are presently nine recognized subspecies of Giraffe, each with its own distribution and coat pattern. But interestingly, new research might demonstrate that some of these subspecies are fragmented enough to be considered their own species. Giraffes have some big distinctions within the animal kingdom. They are the tallest of all land animals, and they also win the prize for the longest tail, which can reach up to 8ft (2.4m) in length! They also...

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading , is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. I'm going to be overhauling the Bibliography section of the site soon, and putting a little more emphasis on all the materials I've been reading. So as a kickoff to all of that I'm going to try out one of these community blog type things. This week I'm finishing up  The Search for the Giant Squid: The Biology and Mythology of the World's Most Elusive Sea Creature  by Richard Ellis. I don't want to get a full review up, since I haven't finished it yet, but so far it's been a really enjoyable book. It covers how the giant squid has affected Mythology and Cryptozoology, its long, shadowy history in the Biological Sciences, and our perception of the animal within our culture in movies and television. I gotta...

( Image Source ) Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Rodentia Family : Chinchillidae Genus : Chinchilla  Species : chinchilla Length : 12-20in (30-50cm) Weight : 400-800g IUCN Status : Critically Endangered You might just recognize today's animal, because they've become quite popular as pets in recent years. Did you know though, that both Short-Tailed and Long-Tailed Chinchillas are critically endangered in the wild? In the past they were hunted extensively for their pelts and for the pet trade, but now captive breeding has helped to alleviate some of the stress on the wild populations. Hunting was also made illegal during the early 20th century. Unfortunately, major damage has been done, with the species being extinct in certain areas. Short-Tailed Chinchillas are medium sized rodents native to the Andes Mountains of South America. They live in colonies that can number up to a hundred individuals, and are most active at dusk and dawn. Short...

Phylum : Chordata Class : Aves Order : Caprimulgiformes Family : Podargidae Genus : Podargus  Species : strigoides Length : 9-21in (22.5-52.5cm) IUCN Status : Least Concern Tawny Frogmouths sure look like Owls, don't they? But they aren't! These birds, native to Australia, are actually more closely related to Nightjars and Whippoorwills . Tawny Frogmouths have a very large range across their home continent, and can be found in a multitude of woodland habitats. Tawny Frogmouths are nocturnal, and nest in trees during they day. They have feathers that camouflage them, and make them difficult to see while on branches. When threatened, the  straighten their bodies so that they resemble part of the tree. Young frogmouths are born in nests built in treeforms. They are covered in white down and will remain int he nest for about 4 weeks. Partners mate for life, and often reuse the same nest year after year. Unlike Owls who hunt with their feet, Taw...