Animal A Day!

Townsend's Big-eared Bat Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Chiroptera Family : Vespertilionidae Genus : Corynorhinus Species : C. townsendii  Body Length : 4in (10cm) Wingspand : 11in (28cm) IUCN Status : Least Concern The ears of a Townsend's Big-eared Bat can grow as long as 2.5cm, which is astounding considering that that is 25% of their body length! These flying mammals can be found throughout western North America, ranging from southern Canada down into Mexico. Townsend's Big-eared bats are phenomenal fliers, and feed almost exclusively on moths that they pick off of trees. Echolocation and low frequency sounds play a major role in their hunting and bat-to-bat communication . They are able to receive sound thanks to their massive ears, that they can swivel about to focus in on moving targets. Young bats also make unique chirping calls that their mothers use to locate them. Mating takes place in the fall, and fertilization is delayed until t...

Black Softshell Turtle Phylum : Chordata Class : Reptilia Order : Testudines Family : Trionychidae Genus : Aspideretes? Species : A. nigricans IUCN Status : Extinct in the wild Like the Yangtze Soft-shell Turtle , the Black Softshell Turtle is also extremely rare, so rare that they are listed as being extinct in the wild. There are between 150-300 living in a man-made pond at the Hazrat Sultan Bayazid Bastami Shrine in Chittagong, Bangladesh, and it is believed that there is one other small population in Assam, India. The Turtles at the shrine are protected , and cannot be killed or harvested. It is believed that the Turtles are actually connected to the saint. Pilgrims offer food to the turtles, and females nest in protected, walled off areas. They lay up to 40 eggs at a time which take around 100 days to hatch. Not much else is known about these turtles and their historical habitats or wild behaviors. They were already living near exclusively in the shrine when they...

Pearl scale Goldfish Phylum : Chordata Class : Actinopterygii Order : Cypriniformes Family : Cyprinidae Genus : Carassius Species : C. auratus auratus Length : Up to 12in (30cm) IUCN Status : Not Listed Did you know that  Goldfish were one of the first fish species to be domesticated? It happened nearly 1,500 years ago in China , where they took rather plain looking Asian Carp and bred them down. They spread to Japan in the 15th century, and were in Europe by the late 17th. Domesticated Goldfish can now be found all around the world! There are dozens of different Goldfish varieties , coming in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Orange, black, white, and speckled are all common colors. Tail shape is also highly variable, with some being short and blunt and others growing quite long and flowing. Shubunkin Goldfish Did you know that there is a reason why Goldfish nibble at tiny bits of food all day? This is because they don't actually have a stomach in which to sto...

Winter Coat Ermine Phylum : Chordata Class : Mammalia Order : Carnivora Family : Mustelidae Genus : Mustela Species : M. erminea Length : 13in (33cm) IUCN Status : Least Concern Ermines (also known as Stoats) can be found natively throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They are one of those curious creatures that possesses the ability to change color with the season. In summer, they are brown with lighter undersides, but in the winter they are almost completely white! Ermines are skilled predators that consume mostly birds and small mammals. Ermine's don't live particularly long, in fact, their average life expectancy in the wild is only a year or two! Because of this, females are sexually mature at the age of only two months, which is remarkable since young are born blind and helpless . Interestingly, males take a year or two to sexually mature, meaning they often only live through one mating season. Summer Coat Ermine The win...

Kleinmann's Tortoise Phylum : Chordata Class : Sauropsida Order : Testudines Family : Testudinidae Genus : Testudo Species : T. kleinmanni Length : 4.5in (11.5cm) IUCN Status : Critically Endangered Kleinmann's Tortoises are also referred to as Egyptian Tortoises, though sadly they are completely extinct in Egypt. Small populations still live in desert and semi-arid areas of Libya and a few other nearby areas. When we last visited the world of the Tortoises, we looked at the Speckled Padloper Tortoise , the smallest tortoise in the world. Kleinmann's Tortoises are the smallest Tortoises in the Northern Hemisphere, and the second smallest overall in the world.. They are easy to identify due to their small size, high carapaces, and dull yellow shells. They also have two very distinct dark triangular marks on their plastrons. Kleinmann's Tortoises have seen their populations fragmented due to habitat loss. Their small size has also made them incredibly ...

Male Green Peafowl Phylum : Chordata Class : Aves Order : Galliformes Family : Phasianidae Genus : Pavo Species : P. muticus Length : 3.5ft (1.1m)  Weight : 11lbs (5.5g) IUCN Status : Endangered The Green Peafowl is a rather large gamefowl found in South East Asia. They are far more rare than the Blue (or Indian) Peafowl, which is commonly kept in captivity.Green Peafowl are known for their upright posture and brilliant green necks. One of the big differences between the Green and Blue Peafowl is that male and female Greens look alike , with the exception of the males' long tails. Females are a tad more dull in color, but they are a far cry from the drab, camouflaging brown of the female Blue Peafowls. Female Green Peafowl Female Green Peafowl live in small groups together, along with juveniles. During the breeding season they are courted by the males who fan out their massive, colorful tails. Pairs do not form lasting bonds, and after the mating season the...

Barn Owl Phylum : Chordata Class : Aves Order : Strigiformes Family : Tytonidae Genus : Tyto Species : T. alba Length : 15in (38cm) Wingspan : 43in (110cm) IUCN Status : Least Concern Did you know that the Common Barn Owl is one of the most widespread of all bird species? They are found on every single continent except Antarctica, as well as on a whole mess of different islands. They live in pretty much any type of habitat, though open woodland areas with hollow trees to roost in are preferred. Common Barn Owls also go by a huge number of other names , including White Owl, Church Owl, and Monkey-Faced Owl. There are also over two dozen different subspecies that vary in size, color, and location. Overall though, the species is known for their white, heart shaped faces. Common Barn Owls are masters of rodent hunting, so much so that their breeding seasons can be dictated by an overabundance of prey. They hunt by flying low and slowly, and then swooping down and grab...