Animal A Day!

Tremarctos ornatus The Andean Bear is the only Bear species native to South America. It is also sometimes referred to as the Spectacled Bear, due to the lines and light coloration on on their faces than can sometimes resemble eyeglasses. One really fascinating thing about Andean Bears is that they are the sole surviving member of their subfamily, Tremarctinae. Once upon a time that same subfamily contained the now extint genera of gigantic Short Faced Bears ! Crazy to think that the relatively small Andean Bear is most closely related to some of the largest Bears to have ever lived! Though interestingly, even with their small size, they are one of the largest South American land animals, after the Tapirs. Andean Bears are shy and live solitary lifestyles outside of the mating season. They tend to live up in the higher altitudes, and will come down sometimes to search for food. Though many farmers fear them as livestock predators, and consider them to be agricultural pests, And...

Male Fairy Bluebird Female Fairy Bluebird The Fairy Bluebird, or Asian Fairy Bluebird, is a brightly colored Passerine bird native to tropical area of south and southeast Asia. They are the largest members of their family. As with many tropical bird species, Fairy Bluebirds are colored differently based on sex. In this case, the male is black with vibrant blue feathers on the head and neck. The females are blue all over, but are a more muted color. Fairy Bluebirds are gregarious, and live in flocks of up to 30 birds . They feed on both fruits and insects, and have a special fondness for figs. During the breeding season males will attract females using a series of calls. The pairs then build their nests together, which are small and cup shaped. Two eggs are typically laid at a time, and both parents help to feed the nearly helpless young. IUCN Status :  Least Concern Location :   South Asia ...

Last year for my birthday I wrote about one of my favorite animals, the intensely awesome and unforgettable American Badger. I figured this year (wow, it's been a year?) I'd write about another Badger, the ferocious and epic Honey Badger. Mellivora capensis Do not let this name fool you! Honey Badgers are anything but sweet. Also known as Ratels, these large Mustelids can be found in Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia. They are known for their incredible courage, fearlessness , and tenacity. Just Google Honey badger, seriously. The entire first page of results is essentially websites and videos about how much butt they kick  (the video in that link includes profanity, but is nonetheless hilarious). Honey Badgers get their name because they enjoy eating Bee larve. They have an interesting relationship with a bird known as the Honey Guide . The bird leads the Badger to the hive, then waits to get an easy meal once the Badger has gotten its fill. The Badgers have a...

Buteo jamaicensis If you live in North or Central America, today's bird might be a familiar sight. The Red-tailed hawk is one of the most widespread raptors on the Continent, and has adapted to live in just about every type of open habitat there is. They are commonly seen perched up on telephone poles and other high objects, so that they can scan downwards for prey. There are fourteen separate subspecies of the Hawk, spreading from Alaska to Panama to the Caribbean Islands. Red-tailed Hawks  are monogamous and mate for life. During the courting process males will do steep swoops downward before pulling up and flying up just as fast. Once a few of these circuits have been completed they approach the females. Oftentimes the pair will then clasp talons and down a downward plummet before separating just above ground. After choosing to pair up both partners will help to construct the nest, which can be 6.5ft (2m) tall! It's no wonde...

Killer Whales, or Orcas, are actually Dolphins. The same is true for False Killer Whales. They are one of the largest members of the Delphinidae family, and males can grow as long as 20ft. Pseudorca crassidens Though they share part of a common name and some physical similarities, False Killer Whales and Killer Whales really aren't that closely related. They belong to separate genera. False Killer Whales have rounded heads with no beaks, tall dorsal fins, and dark coloration. They live in groups that can number into the dozens, and sometimes intermingle with other dolphins, like Bottlenoses. They feed mainly on cephalopods and large fish, using echolocation to locate and capture prey. One rather interesting fact about False Killer Whales is that the world first learned of them from fossils. Live identification didn't occur until 15 years later ! As you might guess, they aren't an exceptionally common species, though they can be found in temperate and tropical ocean...

Pseudopleuronectes americanus The Winter Flounder is one of a handful of Flounder species, strange looking ocean dwellers that have both eyes on the same side of their head. This particular species can grow as long as two feet, and live up to 20 years! Winter Flounders are found in the western North Atlantic, and get their name from the time of year in which they typically spawn . They can be differentiated from one of their closest relatives, the Summer Flounder, by the fact that both their eyes are on their right side, and because they have no teeth. Winter Flounder feed on fish eggs and small invertebrates. Winter Flounder take part in a short migration every year, moving from offshore feeding grounds to inshore spawning areas. Females can lay as many as 1.5 million eggs, and numbers even higher than that have been reported! Interestingly, the young Winter Flounder is born with an each on each side of its head. At around 5-6 weeks the left eye will begin to move over, an...

Euchoreutes nas The Long-eared Jerboa is a really crazy looking little rodent, mostly because its titular ears are actually 1/3 larger than its head. They have one of the largest ear to head ratios of any mammal! It also, like other members of its family, has very long hind legs and a long tail that help them to move about and give them traction in desert habitats . Long-eared Jerboas are both the only member of thier genus, and the only member of their Subfamily, making them genetically distinct among rodents. However, their small size and nocturnal habits have made them very difficult to locate and study. In fact, they were only first caught on camera in 2007 ! We don't know a whole lot about this tiny creature, unfortunately. But we do know that they are nocturnal, spend the daytime in burrows, and are herbivores. Habitat loss and human disturbance are thought to pose a risk to the Long-eared Jerboas, but they can now be found in many protected areas, and their are no ...