Last post

Hi.. 

So, this is my last post. Writing here was quite fun, I've learned many things about animals I like. I'm sure I'll try to write somewhere else but only in my free time, ergo I won't have to rush with anything. I hope that my hobby someday lead my family to conclusion that I would take really good care about tarantula or snake. I would love to have one on my own.

Take care!

Tiny snake

Although little is known about the habits of the Barbados threadsnake, some scientists hypothesize that its small size combined with its burrowing lifestyle probably compels it to feed on insect larvae, especially those of ants and termites, found in the soil. Female members of the species are egg layers that produce a single large elongated egg. Hatchlings are approximately one-half the size of a full-sized adult. The Barbados thread snake only measures 4 inches long when full grown. This means he won’t be swallowing rodents or other small mammals like most snakes do. It’s unlikely that a smaller snake is to be discovered, since diet could make it impossible for a baby snake to survive. The offspring of a snake smaller than the Barbados thread snake would likely be unable to find anything small enough to fit in its tiny mouth. Due to its small stature, the Barbados thread snake only lays one egg at a time, rather than the large clutches of larger snakes. When hatched, the infant snakes are already 2 inches long, half their adult length. 

Giraffe

The giraffe's chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones, and its distinctive coat patterns. It is classified under the family Giraffidae, along with its closest extant relative, the okapi. Its scattered range extends from Chad in the north to South Africa in the south, and from Niger in the west to Somalia in the east. Giraffes usually inhabit savannahs and woodlands. Their food source is leaves, fruits and flowers of woody plants, primarily acacia species, which they browse at heights most other herbivores cannot reach. They may be preyed on by lions, leopards, spotted hyenas and African wild dogs. Giraffes live in herds of related females and their offspring, or bachelor herds of unrelated adult males, but are gregarious and may gather in large aggregations. Males establish social hierarchies through "necking", which are combat bouts where the neck is used as a weapon. Dominant males gain mating access to females, which bear the sole responsibility for raising the young. The giraffe has intrigued various cultures, both ancient and modern, for its peculiar appearance, and has often been featured in paintings, books, and cartoons. It is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as Vulnerable to extinction, and has been extirpated from many parts of its former range. Giraffes are still found in numerous national parks and game reserves but estimations as of 2016 indicate that there are approximately 97,500 members of Giraffa in the wild. More than 1,600 were kept in zoos in 2010.

Hippopotamus

Common hippos are recognisable by their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths revealing large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, columnar legs and large size; adults average 1,500 kg ((3,310 lb)) and 1,300 kg ((2,870 lb)) for males and females respectively. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running 30 km/h ((19 mph)) over short distances. The common hippopotamus inhabits rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of five to thirty females and young. During the day, they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grasses. While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are not territorial on land. The hippopotamus is among the most dangerous animals in the world as it is highly aggressive and unpredictable. They are threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth.

European earwig

European earwigs spend the day time in cool, dark, inaccessible places such as flowers, fruits, and wood crevices. Active primarily at night, they seek out food ranging from plant matter to small insects. Though they are omnivorous ((eat both meat and plants)), they are considered scavengers rather than predators. Often they consume plant matter, though they have also been known to feed on aphids, spiders, insect eggs, and dead plants and insects, among other things. Their favorite plants include the common crucifer Hedge-mustard, the white clover Trifolium repens, and the dahlia Dahlia variabilis. They also like to feed on molasses, as well as on nonvascular plants, lichens and algae. They prefer meat or sugar to natural plant material even though plants are a major natural food source. European earwigs prefer aphids to plant material such as leaves and fruit slices of apple, cherry and pear. Adults eat more insects than do nymphs. European earwigs survive well in cool, moist habitats and have an optimum mean growth temperature of 75°F ((24°C.)) Their daily abundance in a given year has been linked to factors such as temperature, wind velocity and the prevalence of easterly winds. The development of European earwigs also depends on temperature. Thus, the occurrence of European earwigs can be predicted based on weather parameters. Hibernating adults can tolerate cool temperatures, but their survival is reduced in poorly drained soils such as clay. To avoid excessive moisture, they seek the southern side of well drained slopes. Sometimes they also occupy the hollow stems of flowers where the soil is poorly drained. Their eggs are capable of resisting damage from cold and heat.

Mantis

Mantises are among the insects most widely kept as pets. Because the lifespan of a mantis is only about a year, people who want to keep mantises often breed them. In 2013 at least 31 species were kept and bred in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States. In 1996 at least 50 species were known to be kept in captivity by members of the Mantis Study Group. Typically green or brown and well camouflaged on the plants among which they live, mantis lie in ambush or patiently stalk their quarry. They use their front legs to snare their prey with reflexes so quick that they are difficult to see with the naked eye. Their legs are further equipped with spikes for snaring prey and pinning it in place. By any name, these fascinating insects are formidable predators. They have triangular heads poised on a long "neck," or elongated thorax. Mantids can turn their heads 180 degrees to scan their surroundings with two large compound eyes and three other simple eyes located between them.

Penguin

The largest living species is the emperor penguin: on average, adults are about 3 ft 7 in ((1.1 m)) tall and weigh 77 lb ((35 kg)). The smallest penguin species is the little blue penguin, also known as the fairy penguin, which stands around 16 in ((40 cm)) tall and weighs 2.2 lb ((1 kg)). Among extant penguins, larger penguins inhabit colder regions, while smaller penguins are generally found in temperate climate. Some prehistoric species attained enormous sizes, becoming as tall or as heavy as an adult human. These were not restricted to Antarctic regions. The fastest species is the Gentoo Penguin, which can reach swimming speeds up to 22 mph. Unlike most birds—which lose and replace a few feathers at a time—penguins molt all at once, spending two or three weeks land-bound as they undergo what is called the catastrophic molt. All but two species of penguins breed in large colonies of up to one thousand birds. If a female Emperor Penguin's baby dies, she will often "kidnap" an unrelated chick.

Raccoon

These nocturnal foragers use lightning-quick paws to grab crayfish, frogs, and other aquatic creatures. On land, they pluck mice and insects from their hiding places Raccoons also eat fruit and plants—including those grown in human gardens and farms. These ring-tailed animals are equally opportunistic when it comes to choosing a denning site. They may inhabit a tree hole, fallen log, or a house's attic. Females have one to seven cubs in early summer. The young raccoons often spend the first two months or so of their lives high in a tree hole. Later, mother and children move to the ground when the cubs begin to explore on their own. While most animals use either sight, sound, or smell to hunt, raccoons rely on their sense of touch to locate goodies. Their front paws are incredibly dexterous and contain roughly four times more sensory receptors than their back paws—about the same ratio of human hands to feet. This allows them to differentiate between objects without seeing them, which is crucial when feeding at night. Raccoons can heighten their sense of touch through something called dousing. To humans, this can look like the animals are washing their food, but what they're really doing is wetting their paws to stimulate the nerve endings. Like light to a human's eyes, water on a raccoon's hands gives it more sensory information to work with, allowing it to feel more than it would otherwise.

Komodo dragon

The Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard in the world. These wild dragons typically weigh about 154 pounds ((70 kilograms)), but the largest verified specimen reached a length of 10.3 feet ((3.13 meters)) and weighed 366 pounds ((166 kilograms)). Males tend to grow larger and bulkier than females. The Komodo's bite may be deadly, but not to another Komodo dragon. Those wounded while sparring with each other appear to be unaffected by the bacteria and venom. Scientists are searching for antibodies in Komodo dragon blood that may be responsible. Komodo dragons are efficient eaters, leaving behind only about 12 percent of their prey. As the dominant predators on the handful of islands they inhabit, they will eat almost anything, including carrion, deer, pigs, smaller dragons, and even large water buffalo and humans. When hunting, Komodo dragons rely on camouflage and patience, lying in wait for passing prey. When a victim ambles by, the dragon springs, using its powerful legs, sharp claws and serrated, shark-like teeth to eviscerate its prey. The dragon has venom glands, which are loaded with toxins that lower blood pressure, cause massive bleeding, prevent clotting, and induce shock. They bite down with serrated teeth and pull back with powerful neck muscles. The result: huge gaping wounds. The venom then quickens the loss of blood and sends the prey into shock. Animals that escape the jaws of a Komodo will only feel lucky briefly. Dragons can calmly follow an escapee for miles as the venom takes effect, using their keen sense of smell to hone in on the corpse. A dragon can eat a whopping 80 percent of its body weight in a single feeding. Komodo dragons live about 30 years in the wild. 

Lovebird

Social and affectionate, the name comes from the parrots' strong, monogamous ((form of relationship in which an idndividual has only one partner during their lifetime)) pair bonding and long periods which paired birds spend sitting together. Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat fruit, vegetables, grasses and seeds. They are 5 to 7 inches ((13 to 17 cm)) in lenght, up to 9 inches ((24 cm)) in wingspan with 4 inches ((9 cm)) for a single wing and 1.5 to 2 oz ((40 to 60 g)) in weight. They are among the smallest parrots, characterized by a stocky build, a short blunt tail, and a relatively large, sharp beak. Wildtype lovebirds are mostly green with a variety of colours on their upper body, depending on the species. Most lovebird species are native to the continent of Africa; the exception is the Madagascar ((grey-headed)) lovebird, which is native to the island of Madagascar. If a mate dies or gets separated from the flock, its companion exhibits erratic behavior that some have likened to depression. Birds kept as pets often don't like being alone and will exhibit similar behavior in captivity. Although they are a type of parrot, and they do have the ability to mimic human speech, Lovebirds are not among those species that most would consider talking birds. This is because they very rarely decide to speak, and if they do choose to mimic a sound, more often than not they repeat simple noises such as whistles or household sounds such as doorbells and microwaves. It is not known why some Lovebirds are more prone to mimicking speech than others, but it is widely believed that those who do learn to talk are taught from a very young age.

Peafowl

Peafowl is a common name for three species of birds in the genera Pavo and Afropavo of the Phasianidae family, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl as peahens. The two Asiatic species are the blue or Indian peafowl originally of the Indian subcontinent, and the green peafowl of Southeast Asia; the one African species is the Congo peafowl, native only to the Congo Basin. Male peafowl are known for their piercing calls and their extravagant plumage. The latter is especially prominent in the Asiatic species, which have an eye-spotted "tail" or "train" of covert feathers, which they display as part of a courtship ritual. The Indian peacock has iridescent blue and green plumage, mostly metallic blue and green, but the green peacock has green and bronze body feathers. In both species, females are as big as males, but lack the train and the head ornament. The peacock "tail", known as a "train", consists not of tail quill feathers, but highly elongated upper tail coverts. These feathers are marked with eyespots, best seen when a peacock fans his tail. Both sexes of all species have a crest atop the head. The Indian peahen has a mixture of dull grey, brown, and green in her plumage. The female also displays her plumage to ward off female competition or signal danger to her young. Green peafowl differ from Indian peafowl in that the male has green and gold plumage and black wings with a sheen of blue. Unlike Indian peafowl, the green peahen is similar to the male, only having shorter upper tail coverts, a more coppery neck, and overall less iridescence. The Congo peacock male does not display his covert feathers, but uses his actual tail feathers during courtship displays. These feathers are much shorter than those of the Indian and green species, and the ocelli are much less pronounced. Females of the Indian and African species are dull grey and/or brown. Chicks of both sexes in all the species are cryptically coloured. They vary between yellow and tawny, usually with patches of darker brown or light tan and "dirty white" ivory.

Blobfish

It inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of mainland Australia and Tasmania, as well as the waters of New Zealand. Blobfish are typically shorter than 30 cm ((12 in)). They live at depths between 600 and 1,200 m ((2,000 and 3,900 ft)) where the pressure is 60 to 120 times as great as at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient for maintaining buoyancy. Instead, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. Its relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats in front of it such as deep-ocean crustaceans. Blobfish are often caught as bycatch in bottom trawling nets. The popular impression of the blobfish as bulbous and gelatinous is partially an artifact of the decompression damage done to specimens when they are brought to the surface from the extreme depths in which they live. Their diet consists of small crustaceans like crabs, sea urchins, and shellfish. These goodies are sucked into the blobfish’s mouth as it floats along. Lacking both bones and teeth, they do not actively hunt. In fact, their extremely low muscle mass doesn’t allow for much movement at all. Besides eating, conserving energy is the blobfish’s main job. The female lays thousands of small pink eggs on the seafloor. Either the female or male blobfish will sit on the eggs to protect them from predators.

Vulture

Vultures in south Asia, mainly in India and Nepal, have declined dramatically since the early 1990s. It has been found that this decline was caused by residues of the veterinary drug Diclofenac in animal carcasses.The government of India has taken very late cognizance of this fact and has banned the drug for animals. However, it may take decades for vultures to come back to their earlier population level, if they ever do: without vultures to pick corpses clean, rabies-carrying dogs have multiplied, feeding on the carrion, and age-old practices like the sky burials of the Parsees are coming to an end, permanently reducing the supply of corpses.The same problem is also seen in Nepal where government has taken some late steps to conserve remaining vultures. Similarly, in Central Africa there has also been efforts to conserve the remaining vultures and bring their population numbers back up. This is largely due to the bushmeat trade, "it is estimated > 1 billion kg of wild animal meat is traded" and vultures take up a large percentage of this bushmeat due to their demand in the fetish market. The substantial drop in vulture populations in the continent of Africa is also said to be the result of both intentional and unintentional poisoning, with one study finding it to be the cause of 61% of the vulture deaths recorded.

Elephant shrew

Elephant shrews mainly eat insects, spiders, centipedes, millipedes, and earthworms. An elephant shrew uses its nose to find prey and uses its tongue to flick small food into its mouth, much like an anteater. Eating large prey can pose a challenge; an elephant shrew struggling with an earthworm must first pin its prey to the ground with a forefoot. Then, turning its head to one side, it chews pieces off with its cheek teeth, much like a dog chewing a bone. This is a sloppy process, and many small pieces of worm drop to the ground; these are simply flicked up with the tongue. Some elephant shrews also feed on small amounts of plant matter, especially new leaves, seeds, and small fruits. The species as a whole is widely distributed throughout Africa, excluding western Africa and the Sahara region, but despite their wide distribution range, sightings are still rare. The four-toed elephant shrew is one of the most widespread of the species, occurring from Central and Eastern Africa to the Northeastern corner of South Africa. The four species of giant elephant shrew prefer to live in forests, closed-canopy woodlands, and thickets, usually with a floor densely covered by leaf litter. The checkered elephant shrew is found in Central Africa; the golden-rumped elephant shrew is endemic to Kenya; the grey-faced shrew is confined to two forests in Tanzania, and the black and rufous elephant shrew is found in East Africa. Smaller elephant shrew species can be found in the uplands of southern, eastern, and northwestern Africa, in dry forests, scrub, savannas, and open country covered by sparse shrubs of grass.

Tasmanian devil

Tasmanian devils have a notoriously cantankerous disposition and will fly into a maniacal rage when threatened by a predator, fighting for a mate, or defending a meal. Early European settlers dubbed it a “devil” after witnessing such displays, which include teeth-baring, lunging, and an array of spine-chilling guttural growls. Tasmanian devils are strictly carnivorous, surviving on small prey such as snakes, birds, fish, and insects and frequently feasting communally on carrion. They are at their most rowdy when jockeying for position on a large carcass. Like other marsupials, when they are well fed, their tails swell with stored fat. Devils are solitary and nocturnal, spending their days alone in hollow logs, caves, or burrows, and emerging at night to feed. They use their long whiskers and excellent sense of smell and sight to avoid predators and locate prey and carrion. They'll eat pretty much anything they can get their teeth on, and when they do find food, they are voracious, consuming everything—including hair, organs, and bones. 

Meerkat

Meerkat ((aka suricate)) just as humans can identify our friends’ and family’s voices over the phone, a 2011 study showed that meerkats can distinguish between the calls of different members of their clan.

While most of the gang is out foraging and hunting for food—or standing guard—one male or female, adolescent or young adult stays behind in the burrow to “babysit” any pups. This is not an official job—whichever adult is least hungry is put on pup-sitting duty—but the other meerkats do reward their sitter with food at the end of the day.

Although they are social and even affectionate within their clan, meerkats are highly territorial and will engage in violent, all-out turf wars with neighboring gangs. The fights are waged as a collective, with each gang posturing and attempting to intimidate the opposition first. If this fails, the fight will be brief but deadly—less than half all adult meerkats survive any given year. Also, a Meerkat mother will bring its pups live bugs and teach them how to kill the prey.

Hyena

Though many people compare hyenas to dogs, they are actually much more like cats. In fact, they are members of the suborder Feliformia, which is a classification for cat-like carnivores. The spotted hyena is the largest species, and it grows to 4 to 5.9 feet ((1.2 to 1.8 meters)) long and 2.5 to 2.6 feet ((77 to 81 centimeters)) tall from paw to shoulder. They weigh 88 to 190 lbs. ((40 to 86 kg)).

Brown hyenas are the second largest, ranging from 51 to 63 inches ((130 to 160 cm)) long and weighing 75 to 160 lbs. ((34 to 72.6 kg)). Brown hyenas can be distinguished from other hyenas by the long, shaggy hair, which is dark brown or black on the body and tan on the shoulders and neck. Hair on the neck grows to about 12 inches ((30.5 cm)), in contrast to the short hair on the legs, face and ears. The tail is short and bushy. The forelegs, which are horizontally striped, are much longer and more massively built than the hind legs, giving the brown hyena the appearance of always climbing a hill.

The striped hyena is 39 to 45 inches ((100 to 115 cm)) long and 26 to 30 in ((66 to 75 cm)) tall from paw to shoulder. Their tails add another 12 to 16 in ((30 to 40 cm)) and they weigh from 57 to 90 lbs. ((26 to 41 kg)). Striped hyenas have long hair that is gray to straw-colored. Their muzzle is black, and there are black stripes on the head, torso and legs. 

Aardwolves are the smallest species of hyena. They weigh from 17.6 to 30.8 lbs. ((8 to 14 kg)), and their length ranges from 33 to 41 inches ((85 to 105 cm)) — and about one-fourth of that is the tail.

Lycaon pictus

African wild dog ((a.k.a. Lycaon)) is the largest of its family in Africa. It's a highly social animal, living in packs with separate dominance hierarchies for males and females and they have a hypercarnivorous diet ((more than 70% of their food is meat)). The species is a specialised hunter of antelopes, which it catches by chasing them to exhaustion. The African wild dog is mostly found in savanna zones, generally avoiding forested areas. They have an extremely powerful bite with specialised molars for shearing meat and breaking bone and have exceptionally keen senses of sight, smell and particularly hearing. They have a unique social hierarchy - At first pups are fed by the dogs regurgitating fresh meat after returning from a hunt, but once old enough, they are taken to the kill and given first choice over the spoils. The other dogs patiently wait on the side lines, standing guard until their turn to feed. They almost never fight amongst themselves over food due to this ranking system. When a dog becomes ill, injured or elderly restricting or even incapacitating their effectiveness as a hunter, the rest of the pack cares for and feeds them. Recently the alpha female of a pack in Botswana lost one of her forelegs during a hunt. For any other predator, this would be a death sentence. However, she remained the alpha female for a few years afterwards continuing to breed and raise pups while being looked after by the pack. Also, the 80% success rate in wild dog hunts can be attributed mainly to the coordinated nature of the pack. Communication is key and the dogs constantly let one another know both their location and that of the prey. Their high intelligence and teamwork allows them to adapt to changing scenarios during a hunt.

The Maned Wolf

This mammal is found in open and semiopen habitats, especially grasslands with scattered bushes and trees, in south, central-west, and southeastern Brazil, northern Argentina, Bolivia east and north of the Andes, and far southeastern Peru. It is very rare in Uruguay, possibly being displaced completely through loss of habitat. Unlike other large canids ((such as the gray wolf, the African hunting dog, or the dhole)), the maned wolf does not form packs. It hunts alone, usually between sundown and midnight. Maned wolves rotate their large ears to listen for prey animals in the grass. They tap the ground with a front foot to flush out the prey and pounce to catch it. They kill prey by biting on the neck or back, and shaking the prey violently if necessary. Monogamous pairs may defend a shared territory around 30 km2, although outside of mating, the individuals may meet only rarely. The territory is crisscrossed by paths that they create as they patrol at night. Several adults may congregate in the presence of a plentiful food source, for example, a fire-cleared patch of grassland that would leave small vertebrate prey exposed while foraging. Generally, the maned wolf is shy and flees when alarmed, so it poses little direct threat to humans. Popularly, the maned wolf is thought to have the potential of being a chicken thief. 

Savannah Cat

Savannah Cats are a spotted domestic cat breed started in the 1980's. Developed to give the impression of grandeur and dignity of a wildcat with a cheetah type appearance, expressive eyes highlighted by dark tear stains, vibrant coat colors, solid contrasting black spots, huge sonar-like ears and long legs. Since 2006 they have held the Guinness Book World Record for the world's tallest domestic cat. They live about 15-20 years, weight 12-25 pounds ((5 - 11 kg)) High Intelligence combined with being naturally curious gets them into mischief. Due to high intelligence, curiosity and high energy needs, they are best suited with active owners. Adult F1 Savannah Cat is about 18 inches high ((45.7 cm!)). They are very expensive, F1 cat cost about $20,000. Genarations lower than F3 can be bought for $1,000-$3,000. A Savannah cat has a short to medium-length coath with a slightly coarse texture that can be brown-spotted tabby, silver-spotted tabby, black and black smoke. Kittens born with rosetted, marble, pointed, blue, cinnamon, chocolate, lilac or other dilute colors make great pets but can’t be shown. They really like playing in water and being in high places. The Savannah cat descends from a  breeding between a male serval and a female Siamese cat. A relatively young breed, the Savannah cat dates to April 7, 1986, when the first kitten from the above cross was born. The kitten and the breed were called Savannah. It was some years before there were significant numbers of the cats. The International Cat Association began registering Savannahs in 2001. The breed achieved championship status in 2012.