S00thing

Unbelievable Fish playing football. Ohhh

quick reaction of a big fish 🤷‍♂️

It's rare to see a herd of antelope this large in one place! WOO😯😯

Bossy parrot kicked out poor dog

A rabbit’steeth never stop growing! Instead, they’re gradually worn down as the rabbit chews on grasses, wildflowers and vegetables meaning they never get too lon. Rabbits are amazing athletes they can jump as high as 90 centimetres in one leap. A rabbit’s best feature? Their long ears! Growing up to 10 centimetres in length, rabbits can turn their ears by 180 degrees, keeping a careful listen out for predators. Rabbits have almost 360 degree vision but they are born with their eyes shut Rabbits are very effective baby makers Mother rabbits are pregnant for between28 to 31 days, giving birth to up to14 baby rabbitscalled kittens in a single litter. A baby rabbit is called a kit, a female is called a doe and a male is called a buck.

5 interesting facts about hippopotamus

1. Flamingos get their pink color from their food. Flamingos really are what they eat. Many plants produce natural red, yellow or orange pigments, called carotenoids. Carotenoids give carrots their orange color or turn ripe tomatoes red. They are also found in the microscopic algae that brine shrimp eat. As a flamingo dines on algae and brine shrimp, its body metabolizes the pigments —turning its feathers pink. 2. Flamingos are filter feeders and turn their heads “upside down” to eat. The term filter feeder may conjure images of baleen whales or oyster reefs, but flamingos are filter feeders too. They eat algae, small seeds, tiny crustaceans (like brine shrimp), fly larvae, and other plants and animals that live in shallow waters. When it’s time to eat, a flamingo will place its head upside down in the water with its bill pointed at its feet. It then sweeps its head side-to-side, using its tongue to pump water in and out of its bill. Comb-like plates along the edge of the bill create a filter for water to rush out, while trapping food inside. In warm climates, flamingos keep cool by standing in water. Bird House keepers apply this natural thermoregulation to keep the Zoo’s flock warm in the winter, too. The flamingo pool is heated to 70 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the birds comfortable — even when it’s snowing. 3. A group of flamingos is called a flamboyance. A group of crows is called a murder, and a group of geese is called a gaggle. So, what is a group of flamingos called? A flamboyance! Other collective nouns for flamingos include stand, colony and pat. 4. There are six flamingo species. In addition to Caribbean flamingos, there are lesser, greater, James’s (or Puna), Chilean and Andean flamingos. Greater flamingos are found in parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe. They are the largest and tallest flamingo species. Chilean, Andean, and James’s flamingos are found only in South America. Andean flamingos are the rarest of the six species, with fewer than 40,000 birds. Lesser flamingos are found in parts of Africa and southern Asia. They are the smallest flamingos and the most abundant. There are more than 2 million lesser flamingos brightening skies and shores with their pink plumage. 5. Don’t let your eyes deceive you —a flamingo’s knees don’t bend backward! Flamingo legs actually bend just like human legs. What looks like a flamingo's knee is really its ankle joint. A flamingo’s knees are located higher up the legs, hidden by thebody and feathers. Confused? Think of a flamingo as standing on tiptoe. When the leg bends, it’s the ankle you see hinging. 6. Some flamingos live in extreme environments. Flamingos are typically found in shallow saltwater or brackish waters (where saltwater and freshwater mix). But some flamingo species breed and raise their young inextremelysalty bodies of water, called alkaline or “soda” lakes. The high concentration of carbonate salts in these lakes is so corrosive that it can burn the skin, making the water uninhabitable for most animals. Researchers are still uncovering the unique aspects of a flamingo’s physiology —like tough leg skin —that help it survive such harsh waters. The high salt can still be deadly for some flamingo chicks if salt rings build up on their legs, making it impossible for them to walk. 7. Flamingo parents feed their chicks a liquid they secrete, called crop milk. A flamingo’s “milk” is produced in its crop (part of its throat) and then brought up through its mouth. It may sound icky, but a flamingo’s crop milk is chock-full of healthy proteins and fats. Both parents can produce crop milk to feed a flamingo chick until it is old enough to eat on its own. 8. Yes, flamingos can fly. You may be used to seeing flamingos gathered in large groups on the ground, but they also take flight. Some flamingos will travel to breed, migrate to a new body of water as seasons change, or move to warmer, lower-altitude areas for the winter. If flamingos are traveling long distances, they often go by night. 9. Flamingos can sleep standing on one leg. Flamingos can stand on one foot for long periods of time —even long enough to fall asleep. But, why do they perform this balancing act? Research suggests that flamingosuse more muscle powerwhen standing on two legs, so standing on one leg may be less tiring. Scientists also believe that a one-legged stance may help flamingos stay warm. Birds lose body heat through their limbs.

Guinea Fowl Frequently Asked Questions Are Guinea Fowls herbivores, carnivores, or omnivores? Guinea Fowls are Omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and other animals. How many eggs does the guinea fowl lay? The guinea fowl usually lay about 20 eggs per year in two clutches. How fast does the guinea fowl fly? The guinea fowl’s flight speed isn’t well-documented, because it prefers the ground. What is the guinea fowl’s wingspan? The guinea fowl has a long wingspan measuring up to 6 feet. When do the guinea fowl leave the nest? The guinea fowl becomes independent after about eight to 12 months. What do guinea fowl eat? The guinea fowl eat roots, tubers, seeds,reptiles, rodents, insects, and fruit. Do guinea fowl need a coop? If you are raising guinea fowl in captivity, then it is a good idea to set up a coop for them. They will quickly acclimate to a coop if you train them from an early age to recognize their new home. Can guinea fowl be kept with chickens? While guinea fowl can be a little more aggressive thanchickens, it is possible to mix them together, especially if raised together from an early age. Are guinea fowls friendly? Guinea fowls are naturally wary birds, but they can grow to become friendly toward people they recognize. Again, for best results, you will want to socialize the birds from an early age. What class do Guinea Fowls belong to? Guinea Fowls belong to the class Aves. What phylum to Guinea Fowls belong to? Guinea Fowls belong to the phylum Chordata. What family do Guinea Fowls belong to? Guinea Fowls belong to the family Numididae. What order do Guinea Fowls belong to? Guinea Fowls belong to the order Galliformes. What type of covering do Guinea Fowls have? Guinea Fowls are covered in Feathers. In what type of habitat do Guinea Fowls live? Guinea Fowls live in forests, deserts, and grasslands. What are some predators of Guinea Fowls? Predators of Guinea Fowls include large mammals and reptiles. What are some distinguishing features of Guinea Fowls? Guinea Fowls have large bodies and bald necks. What is an interesting fact about Guinea Fowls? Guinea Fowls are found in a variety of African habitats! What is the lifespan of a Guinea Fowl? Guinea Fowls can live for 10 to 20 years. How do Guinea Fowls have babies? Guinea Fowls lay eggs.

Great Egret Interesting Facts What type of animal is a great egret? The great egret (Ardea alba) is a large egret great species in the North American region. What class of animal does a great egret belong to? These North American birds, the great egret birds, belong to the class of Aves. How many great egrets are there in the world? There are no records that tell us the exact populations of great egrets. They are listed as of Least Concern as per their conservation status found worldwide; therefore one can assume their populations are quite stable. The scattering of their population is what makes it hard to estimate the exact number. Where does a great egret live? Although the great egrets are originally from North America, they are found almost worldwide. The major range of countries where they are largely found in Asia, southern Europe, Africa, and lastly, America. What is a great egret habitat? The areas where the great egrets can be found are primarily ponds, freshwater lakes, marshes, shores, rivers, lagoons, mudflats, shallow water, and wetlands. As egrets and herons are sea birds, they are found often wherever water is. Sometimes these birds are also seen in brackish waters. Who does great egret live with? Although egrets are solitary birds, great egrets are found in groups that are known as colonies. The colonies of this bird can go to the large range where other egrets and herons are also found residing. One habit of the great egret includes migrating towards the south with the changing seasons, and they are usually found migrating in colonies. How long does a great egret live? The lifespan range of the great egrets can be up to five years of age. According to the records of the National Audubon Society, the oldest great egret lived up to the age of 22 years! How do they reproduce? The breeding range of these egrets is usually the wetlands of the south. The normal behavior of these birds is to breed in colonies. When the breeding season arrives in March to April, both the male and female egrets grow plumes and begin the process of breeding. After the breeding season follows the nesting season and incubation period of eggs, which lasts for some weeks, and the young chicks emerge from eggs after a month or so. When they are still young chicks, they linger at their nesting place for around six weeks while the family takes care of them. What is their conservation status? The conservation status of great egrets is listed as a species of Least Concern. The reason is these birds are found almost worldwide, and as egrets are large, they do not have so many natural predators and threats; therefore populations are quite stable. Great Egret Fun Facts How do they communicate? Great egrets communicate with each other through the use of various vocalizations which they produce from their bill. These sounds include nasal squeals, croaking, clicking sounds, and harsh calls. Apart from the vocals, they also communicate by displaying their wings. How big is a great egret? The range of size of a great egret when it is standing can be around 31-39 in (80-100 cm) in length. These birds are larger than the laughing gulls of South Carolina, which are about 16 in (15.24 cm) in length. How fast can a great egret fly? The speed that a great egret can fly up to is around 25 mph (40 kph), which is rather fast! How much does a great egret weigh? The weight that a great egret bird can reach is up to 1.5-3.3 lb (0.7-1.5 kg) in all. What do they eat? The food that a great egret preys on consists of marine fish and insects. Their diet also consists of small mammals, reptiles, and frogs. These birds usually prey while wading but are also seen swimming towards their food. Are they dangerous? Studies show that great egrets are not dangerous to human beings, but they show some type of aggressive behavior towards one another when they are young or when they defend their space. Woets eat other birds? Great egrets and other egrets are carnivore animals which means their diet is made up of other animals. These birds are seen to feed on marine fish and invertebrates. They can also feed on small birds, reptiles, and mammals. What is the difference between a heron and an egret? The key difference between the heron and the egret is in their height difference. Egrets are smaller in height than herons. Another key difference between them is the color of the legs. The leg color of the egret is usually black with little white, while the heron's legs are in light color.

21 Surprising Facts About Chickens More chickens are raised and killed for food than all other land animals combined, but if more people understood the complex nature of these interesting animals, they would probably hesitate before consuming their flesh or eggs. Here are some of our favourite facts about chickens: Chickens can distinguish among more than 100 faces of members of their species – who knew that their memories rival those of elephants? Chickens have full-colour vision, just like we do. And they tell each other about what they see. Chickens communicate with more than 24 vocalisations, each with a distinct meaning, including warning their friends about different types of predators or letting their mothers know whether they’re comfortable. Chickens have pain receptors, enabling them to feel pain and distress. Just imagine their agony, then, when they endure mutilations such as having the ends of their sensitive beaks cut off with an infra-red laser – with no painkillers. Hens defend their young from predators. Next time someone calls you “chicken” as an insult, you know what to tell them! Chickens love to play and will run, jump and sunbathe when given the chance – yet billions of them spend their entire lives in cramped sheds with less floor space than an A4 piece of paper. Chickens dream just like we do. They experience REM (rapid eye movement) during sleep, indicating that their minds may be wandering far from the four walls of the factory farms where they are imprisoned. They slurp grass like spaghetti. Yes, you read that right! Wild chickens lay only approximately 10 to 15 eggs a year during breeding season. The hens who are bred by the egg industry to produce eggs every single day often suffer from painful reproductive disorders and become exhausted after just a few years. Research suggests that chickens are cleverer than toddlers. Hens have exhibited mathematical reasoning, self-control and even structural engineering. Chickens know who’s boss. Just like us, they form social structures, known as “pecking orders”, and all chickens know their place on the ladder. It’s only when they’re packed into sheds on intensive farms with tens of thousands of other birds that their social hierarchy collapses and stress leads to feather-pecking and cannibalism. Chickens originate from tropical rainforests, where they evolved for millions of years, and artificial farm pastures leave hens feeling vulnerable and exposed. Studies show that chickens survive a predator attack 90 per cent of the time while living in their natural environment. Chickens are the closest living relative to theT. rex, though perhaps not quite as scary! Roosters will attempt to woo hens by performing a little dance, called “tidbitting”, involving moving their heads up and down and making a certain type of call. Female hens are also thought to be especially attracted to roosters who have a large wattle! Chickens display object permanence – an understanding that when an object is hidden, it still exists. Even young children don’t have this ability. Mother hens talk to their unborn babies, and they chirp back through their shells. Factory-farmed chicks never meet their parents because they are taken away as soon as they’re laid. They can navigate using the sun, which helps them find food and water and even know what time it is. Many chickens raised for meat or eggs, however, will never even see the sun from their dark, windowless sheds. Chickens love dust baths and become extremely frustrated in factory farms when they aren’t able to clean themselves this way. The bathing helps to ward off parasites as well as maintaining feather insulation. cvive for five to 11 years in their natural environment. Chickens raised for meat are often slaughtered when they’re just 41 days old – for “free-range” birds, this period increases to just 56 days old.

American bison is the largest land animal in North America.

Beautiful wild Horses running & playing each other

The Cheetah’s Wild Life# Results of a 15 Year Study Published

Tortoises are found worldwide with the most famous tortoise of all, theGiant TortoiseLonesome George who lives on the Galapagos Islands near Ecuador. Tortoises, like their aquatic cousins, the Turtles, have a hard shell which protects their body The top shell is called the carapace (a dorsal section of an exoskeleton or shell) and the bottom is called the plastron (the nearly flat part of the shell structure). The carapace and the plastron are connected by what is called the ‘bridge’. The shell is covered with scutes which are scales that are made of keratin (the same protein that our fingernails are made of). The carapace can help indicate the age of the tortoise by the number of concentric rings, much like the cross-section of a tree. Many tortoises can retract their head, their four limbs and tail into the shell for protection. Tortoises have a beak but no teeth and no external ears, just two small holes on the sides of the head. Tortoises can vary in size from a few centimetres up to two metres in length. Male tortoises tend to have a longer, protruding neck plate than their female relatives. Tortoises tend to be diurnal (active during the day) animals with tendencies to be crepuscular (animals that are primarily active during the twilight), depending on the ambient temperatures. Tortoises are generally reclusive and shy creatures. TORTOISE DIET Most land based tortoises are herbivores, feeding on grazing grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers and certain fruits. Their main diet consists of alfalfa, clover, dandelions and leafy weeds. TORTOISE REPRODUCTION  Female tortoises dig and lay about a dozen eggs in burrows or holes they dig. Hatchlings take approximately 90 – 120 days to incubate from eggs the size of a ping-pong ball. The hatchlings break out of their shells with a front beak. Most hatchlings are born with an embryonic egg sac which serves as a source of food for the first couple of days. Tortoise hatchlings are capable of eating solid food in about 3 – 7 days. TORTOISE LIFE SPAN Tortoises generally have life spans comparable with those of human beings, however, some tortoises have been known to have lived longer than 150 years. TORTOISE HISTORY Tortoises and Turtles have existed since the era of the dinosaurs, some 300 million years ago. Tortoises and Turtles are the only surviving branch of the even more ancient clade Anapsida, which includes groups such as the procolophonoids, millerettids and pareiasaurs. Most of the anapsids became extinct in the late Permian period, with the exception of the procolophonoids and the precursors of the testudines (turtles and tortoises).

Surely you've seen a caterpillar in your lifetime, and you've probably even handled one, but how much do you know about Lepidopteran larvae? These cool facts about caterpillars will give you new respect for what remarkable creatures they are. A Caterpillar Has Just One Job—to Eat During the larval stage, the caterpillar must consume enough to sustain itself through its pupal stage and into adulthood. Without proper nutrition, it may not have the energy to complete its metamorphosis. Malnourished caterpillars may reach adulthood but be unable to produce eggs. Caterpillars can eat an enormous amount during a life cycle stage that typically lasts several weeks. Some consume 27,000 times Search Close Search the site Search here... GO Science, Tech, Math Humanities Languages Resources About Us Contact Us Editorial Guidelines Privacy Policy Ad Science, Tech, Math › Animals & Nature 10 Fascinating Facts About Caterpillars Interesting Behaviors and Traits You Probably Never Knew Share Flipboard Email Monarch caterpillar eating milkweed Adam Skowronski / Flickr / CC BY-ND 2.0 By Debbie Hadley Updated on March 05, 2020 Surely you've seen a caterpillar in your lifetime, and you've probably even handled one, but how much do you know about Lepidopteran larvae? These cool facts about caterpillars will give you new respect for what remarkable creatures they are. A Caterpillar Has Just One Job—to Eat During the larval stage, the caterpillar must consume enough to sustain itself through its pupal stage and into adulthood. Without proper nutrition, it may not have the energy to complete its metamorphosis. Malnourished caterpillars may reach adulthood but be unable to produce eggs. Caterpillars can eat an enormous amount during a life cycle stage that typically lasts several weeks. Some consume 27,000 times their body weight during their lifetime.1 Caterpillars Increase Their Body Mass by as Much as 1,000 Times or More The larval stage of the life cycle is all about growth. Within the span of a few weeks, the caterpillar will grow exponentially.2 Because its cuticle, or skin, is only so pliable, the caterpillar will molt multiple times as it gains size and mass. The stage between molts is called an instar, and most caterpillars go through 5 to 6 instars before pupating.3 No wonder caterpillars consume so much food! A Caterpillar's First Meal Is Usually Its Eggshell In most cases, when a caterpillar ecloses (hatches) from its egg, it will consume the remainder of the shell. The outer layer of the egg, called the chorion, is rich in protein and provides the new larva with a nutritious start.

Hamsters: Diet, habits & types Hamsters have stout bodies with short tails and small furry ears. Hamsters are small rodents that are commonly kept as house pets. They are distinguishable from other rodents due to their short tails, stubby legs and small ears. Hamsters have many different colors, including black, grey, brown, white, yellow, red or a mixture of several colors. ump to: Size Habitat Habits and behavior Classification/taxonomy Diet Offspring Conservation status Other facts Additional resources Bibliography Hamsters are small rodents that are commonly kept as house pets. They are distinguishable from other rodents due to their short tails, stubby legs and small ears. Hamsters have many different colors, including black, grey, brown, white, yellow, red or a mixture of several colors. Advertisement HOW BIG ARE HAMSTERS? There are 24 species of hamsters, according to the Universities Federation for Animal Welfare, and these animals come in a wide range of sizes. The European breed can grow as large as 12.5 inches (32 centimeters) long and are some of the biggest varieties of hamsters, according to the journal Biomarkers in Toxicology. The dwarf hamster lives up to its name. These tiny hamsters grow to around 2 to 4 inches (5.5 to 10.5 cm) long, according to AZ animals. The most common pet hamster, the Syrian hamster, also known as the teddy bear hamster or golden hamster, usually grows to about 6 inches (15.24 cm) long. Some hamsters are very social, while others are loners. For example, the Syrian hamster doesn't like living near other hamsters, according to the Hamster Society Singapore. They are very territorial and should never be put in a cage with other hamsters. It will bite the other hamster, and may even kill it. Dwarf hamsters, on the other hand, are social and like to have a friend nearby. Wild hamsters will hibernate if the weather gets cold enough. Hamsters will wake up from their hibernation periodically to eat, according to the journal Hormones and Behavior. If there isn't enough food stored, hamsters will wait to hibernate until their surplus is to their liking Male and female hamsters waste no time when mating with one another. If you put two opposite gender hamsters into a cage together, the female will become pregnant very quickly. Their gestation period lasts 15 to 20 days, according to the Young People’s Trust for the Environment (YPTE). After the birth, the litter is blind until they are two weeks old and at 3 to 4 weeks the young are weaned. Female European hamsters tend to have two to three litters per year, according to the journal Scientific Reports. Hamsters typically live one to two years, but can live up to three years in captivity. Generally, hamsters are ideal house pets because they are gentle and are easy to take care of. They will bite when startled or scared, though. They will also bite if they are awakened during their sleeping time, according to Pets Radar. Since they sleep during the day and humans are awake during the day, this means that biting is more likely. Hamsters have very poor eyesight. Their scent glands on their backs secrete an easily identifiable smell. To find their way around, they leave a trail of scent by rubbing their backs against objects, according to the journal Physiology and Behavior. When a hamster needs to find their way back home, they will use this scent trail as a guide. Hamster's teeth grow continually, according to AZ Animals. Chewing on wood or twigs keeps their teeth short. Without something to chew on, their teeth would grow so long they would injure the roof of the mouth and lips. A mother hamster is very protective. If she fears that her babies are in danger, she will put the babies in her mouth pouches and carry them to safety, according to the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA).

ant, (family Formicidae), any of approximately 10,000 species ofinsects(orderHymenoptera) that are social in habit and live together in organized colonies. Ants occurworldwidebut are especially common in hot climates. They range in size from about 2 to 25 mm (about 0.08 to 1 inch). Their colour is usually yellow, brown, red, or black. A few genera (e.g.,PheidoleofNorth America) have a metallic lustre. Typically, an ant has a large head and a slender, oval abdomen joined to the thorax, or midsection, by a small waist. In all ants there are either one or two finlike extensions running across the thin waist region. The antennae are always elbowed. There are two sets of jaws: the outer pair is used for carrying objects such as food and for digging, and the inner pair is used for chewing. Some species have a powerful sting at the tip of the abdomen There are generally three castes, or classes, within a colony: queens, males, and workers. Some species live in the nests of other species as parasites. In these species the parasite larvae are given food and nourishment by the host workers. Wheeleriella santschii is a parasite in the nests of Monomorium salomonis, the most common ant of northern Africa. ant Home Science Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates Insects ant insect Alternate titles: Formicidae By The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica • Edit History Follow the trails of leafcutter ants stripping rainforest foliage to cultivate fungus-based food in their nest Follow the trails of leafcutter ants stripping rainforest foliage to cultivate fungus-based food in their nest Leafcutter ants and many other ant species are common in tropical rainforests.↵(48 sec; 8 MB) Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. See all videos for this article ant, (family Formicidae), any of approximately 10,000 species of insects (order Hymenoptera) that are social in habit and live together in organized colonies. Ants occur worldwide but are especially common in hot climates. They range in size from about 2 to 25 mm (about 0.08 to 1 inch). Their colour is usually yellow, brown, red, or black. A few genera (e.g., Pheidole of North America) have a metallic lustre. carpenter ant carpenter ant See all media Key People: E.O. Wilson Charles Henry Turner William Morton Wheeler Related Topics: leafcutter ant fire ant honey ant harvester ant army ant Hear E.O. Wilson talk about his research on how ants find the death of another Hear E.O. Wilson talk about his research on how ants find the death of another E.O. Wilson discussing his research into how ants determine when another ant is dead. © World Science Festival (A Britannica Publishing Partner) See all videos for this article Typically, an ant has a large head and a slender, oval abdomen joined to the thorax, or midsection, by a small waist. In all ants there are either one or two finlike extensions running across the thin waist region. The antennae are always elbowed. There are two sets of jaws: the outer pair is used for carrying objects such as food and for digging, and the inner pair is used for chewing. Some species have a powerful sting at the tip of the abdomen. Green tree python snake (Chondropython viridis) in a rainforest. BRITANNICA QUIZ Creepy Crawlers Quiz Got bugs on the brain? A passion for pests? Test how much you know about insects, snakes, and more. There are generally three castes, or classes, within a colony: queens, males, and workers. Some species live in the nests of other species as parasites. In these species the parasite larvae are given food and nourishment by the host workers. Wheeleriella santschii is a parasite in the nests of Monomorium salomonis, the most common ant of northern Africa. black carpenter ant black carpenter ant Black carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus). Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Most ants live in nests, which may be located in the ground or under a rock or built above ground and made of twigs, sand, or gravel. Carpenter ants (Camponotus) are large black ants common in North America that live in old logs and timbers. Some species live in trees or in the hollow stems of weeds. Tailor, or weaver, ants, found in the tropics of Africa (e.g., Tetramorium), make nests of leaves and similar materials held together with silk secreted by the larvae. Dolichoderus, a genus of ants that are found worldwide, glues together bits of animal feces for its nest. The widely distributed pharaoh ant (Monomarium pharaonis), a small yellowish insect, builds its nest either in houses, when found in cool climates, or outdoors, when it occurs in warm climates. Army ants, of the subfamily Dorylinae, are nomadic and notorious for the destruction of plant and animal life in their path. The army ants of tropical America (Eciton), for example, travel in columns, eating insects and other invertebrates along the way. Periodically, the colony rests for several days while the queen lays her eggs. As the colony travels, the growing larvae are carried along by the workers. Habits of the African driver ant (Dorylus) are similar. The red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), introduced into Alabama from South America, had spread throughout the southern United States by the mid-1970s. It inflicts a painful sting and is considered a pest because of the large soil mounds associated with its nests. In some areas the red imported fire ant has been displaced by the invasive tawny crazy ant (also called hairy crazy ant, Nylanderia fulva), a species known in South America that was first detected in the United States (in Texas) in 2002. The hairy crazy ant is extremely difficult to control and is considered to be a major pest and threat to native species and ecosystems. The life cycle of the ant has four stages, including egg, larva, pupa, and adult, and spans a period of 8 to 10 weeks. The queen spends her life laying eggs. The workers are females and do the work of the colony, with larger individuals functioning as soldiers who defend the colony. At certain times of the year, many species produce winged males and queens that fly into the air, where they mate. The male dies soon afterward, and the fertilized queen establishes a new nest.

Peacock” refers to male animals and “peahen” to females; together, they’re called peafowl. 2. There are three different species of peafowl: the Indian peafowl, green peafowl and Congo peafowl. The missing bird is an Indian peacock. 3. The peacock is the national bird of India. 4. Only Indian peacocks have the famous flashy feather trains and vibrant blue and green plumage. Indian peahens are mostly brown and grey with a few green feathers. Peacocks use their trains to attract mates – the bigger and prettier the train, the more likely a peacock is to attract a mate. 5. Peafowl are omnivores, eating insects, plants and small animals 6. Peacocks grow 90 - 130 cm tall and weigh around four to six kilograms. Peahens are slightly smaller. 7. According to National Geographic, the peacock is one of the largest flying birds if you count the length of its train (around 150 cm, or 60 per cent of a peacock’s body length) and wingspan (140 cm to 160 cm). 8. Peacocks can (sort of) fly – they tend to run and take several small leaps before a big final hop. They can’t stay airborne for very long, but their huge wingspan allows them to flutter quite far. 9. Peacocks have a top running speed of around 16 km/h. 10. Peacocks like to roost in high places, like roofs or trees

1. Madagascar is the only place lemurs naturally call home. Located 250 miles off the east coast of Africa is the island of Madagascar, the 4th largest island in the world, and the only habitat for wild lemurs in the world. Madagascar is one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots! While a large proportion of its wildlife found nowhere else, much of Madagascar’s wildlife is also threatened by human actions. Interestingly, some lemur species—the brown lemur and mongoose lemur—were introduced by humans and now live on the Comoros islands, a volcanic group of islands located off the north west coast of Madagascar (1). 2. There are over 100 species of lemur, in all shapes and sizes. With an estimated 112 species, lemurs come in all shapes and sizes. The smallest, Madame berthe’s mouse lemur, has an average body weight of 30g, and the largest, the indri, weighs about 6-9.5kg (that’s about the size of a human child!). The number of lemur species changes often due to new discoveries and genetic testing, leading to the scientific classification of new species! The indri is the largest of the living lemurs, however subfossil records show extinct lemurs as large as 85kg! Most notably, Archaeoindris fontoynontii is an extinct giant lemur that belonged to the “sloth lemur” family. It was thought to be the size of a gorilla! (2). 3. Lemurs have a female-dominant society. Who rules the world? Well, in lemur society the females rule! At the center of lemur society is a female leader who rises to the occasion of directing a social group. This happens quite rarely in mammals, where male dominance generally stands. Lemur females show signs of dominance in the way they mark their territories within the group. Another fact is that female lemurs snatch food away from the males, kick them out of sleeping spots, and show actual physical aggression (3, 4, 5). 4. As crucial seed dispersers, lemurs are “creators of the forests”. Lemurs help maintain forest diversity, structure, and dynamics through the movement of seeds! Yes, some lemur species play a significant role in their ecosystem by being seed dispersers. But what does this mean? Being a seed disperser means they help seeds and/or pollen move from one area to another. Ruffed lemurs, like the black and white ruffed lemur, is a good example of a lemur that acts as a key seed disperser. Individual lemurs can get pollen or seeds stuck on their fur as they search for fruits and nectar. Then, they pass this pollen and seeds on to other flowers. Sometimes seeds even get dispersed to new areas when lemurs eat fruit; the seeds pass through their digestive system and are excreted in their poop! Many of Madagascar’s flowering plants and tree species depend highly on lemur species, such as the ruffed lemurs, to disperse their seeds (6). 5. Besides humans, lemurs are one of the only primates that have blue eyes. Female blue-eyed black lemur. Female blue-eyed black lemur. Photo: Melanie Seiler. Primates have a variety of eye shapes and colors, but blue irises are rare in mammals. Other than humans, the only primates with naturally occurring blue eyes are the blue-eyed black lemurs, sometimes called Sclater’s lemurs. The blue-eyed black lemur is one of the most threatened lemur species, listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of threatened species (6). Lemur Conservation Network member AEECL supports conservation efforts for the blue-eyed black lemur both in their natural habitat and in zoos! 6. Lemurs self-medicate, and some get high off of millipedes. Who needs a pharmacy when you live in the forest?! Some lemur species use the forest to self medicate, acting as their own personal pharmacy. Red-fronted brown lemurs eat millipedes to get rid of gastrointestinal parasites, such as worms. It is thought that the toxins within the millipedes kill the parasites that set up home in the lemurs’ guts (7). 7. Some lemurs sing a capella. Others communicatewith stink!  An indri sitting in a tree in Madagascar. Photo: Travis Steffens. In the rainforests of east Madagascar you will often hear the songs of the indri. Indri are the talented a capella group of the animal kingdom, with both the males and females singing, and often in sync with each other. The reason that indris sing can vary based on location and the animal hearing it. One reason is to mark its territory and let others know ‘Hey, this is my space. Find your own!’ (8). Ring-tailed lemurs also communicate and mark their territory in a unique way. They have scent glands on their wrists and chest, which are particularly useful during the breeding season. A male will mix secretions from his wrist and chest glands to mark his territory, and lift his tail to prepare for a ‘stink fight’ against a rival. The dispute ends only when one gives up as they waft the strong smells into each other’s faces with their tails! (9) 8. Lemurs are the world’s oldest living primates. A fact that few people know is that lemurs are considered the world’s oldest primates! The story of lemurs begins over 70 million years ago, long before humans. This was a world when lemur-like animals, the planet’s first primates, roamed Africa along with the dinosaurs. Scientists think that around 65 million years ago, lemurs rafted across the Indian Ocean to the island of Madagascar on floating vegetation. Over the next tens of millions of years, the lemurs evolved and diversified on Madagascar to the 112 species that we see today. 9. Lemurs are celebrated around the world at the end of October for the World Lemur Festival! World Lemur Dayis the last Friday of October every year, and the World Lemur Festival is celebrated the week before! Use this day to learn all about lemurs and Madagascar, share about lemurs with your friends and family, and learn how you can help save them from extinction! 10. Protecting lemurs benefits the Malagasy people. The protection of lemurs also benefits the Malagasy people. For one, as seed dispersers, lemurs help forests grow, and many local people depend on forests for resources. And, tourists visiting Madagascar to see lemurs in the wild boosts the local economy. Because Madagascar is one of the world’s financially poorest countries, it is especially important to support Malagasy people. By improving the country’s local and national economies, ecotourism can help Malagasy people thrive in coexistence with nature. Madagascar’s government has prioritized tourism by increasing funding to promote the island as an ecotourism destination.

Alternate titles: parrakeet parakeet, also spelledParrakeet, any of numerous seed-eating parrots of small size, slender build, and long,taperingtail. In this sense the name is given to some 115speciesin 30 genera of the subfamily Psittacinae (family Psittacidae) and has influenced another parrot name,lorikeet(seeparrot). To indicate size only, the name is sometimes extended to little parrots with short, blunt tails, as thehanging parrots, or bat parrotlets,Loriculusspecies, popular cage birds in their native area, India to Malaya and the Philippines. The most popularcaged parakeetis thebudgerigar, or shell parakeet (Melopsittacus undulatus;seephotograph). Mistakenly calledlovebird, this 19-cm (7.5-inch) parakeet has hundreds of colour mutations from the green and yellow basic stock; but cheek spots and close barring on the upper parts usually persist. Sexes look alike but may differ seasonally in colour of the cere, the bare skin at the base of the bill. Budgerigars are seed eaters; in the wild, they form large flocks in Australia’s grasslands. They breed colonially, in tree holes, laying six to eight eggs twice a year. Most budgerigars are hardy, surviving for 5 to 10 years.

BASIC DESCRIPTION The House Finch is a recent introduction from western into eastern North America (and Hawaii), but it has received a warmer reception than other arrivals like the European Starling and House Sparrow. That’s partly due to the cheerful red head and breast of males, and to the bird’s long, twittering song, which can now be heard in most of the neighborhoods of the continent. If you haven’t seen one recently, chances are you can find one at the next bird feeder you come across. Find This Bird You can find House Finches by looking around settled habitats, such as city parks, urban centers, residential backyards, farms, and forest edges. Gregarious and social, House Finches are found in noisy groups that are hard to miss if present. Look for House Finches feeding on the ground or at bird feeders, or perching high in nearby trees. COOL FACTS The House Finch was originally a bird of the western United States and Mexico. In 1940 a small number of finches were turned loose on Long Island, New York, after failed attempts to sell them as cage birds (“Hollywood finches”). They quickly started breeding and spread across almost all of the eastern United States and southern Canada within the next 50 years. House Finches were introduced to Oahu from San Francisco sometime before 1870. They had become abundant on all the major Hawaiian Islands by 1901. The red of a male House Finch comes from pigments contained in its food during molt (birds can’t make bright red or yellow colors directly). So the more pigment in the food, the redder the male. This is why people sometimes see orange or yellowish male House Finches. Females prefer to mate with the reddest male they can find, perhaps raising the chances they get a capable mate who can do his part in feeding the nestlings. House Finches feed their nestlings exclusively plant foods, a fairly rare occurrence in the bird world. Many birds that are vegetarians as adults still find animal foods to keep their fast-growing young supplied with protein. The oldest known House Finch was a female, and at least 11 years, 7 months old when she was recaptured and rereleased during banding operations in New York in 1985, the same state where she had been banded in 1973.

There aremore than 3,000 species of snakes on the planetand they’re found everywhere except in Antarctica, Iceland, Ireland, Greenland, and New Zealand. About 600 species are venomous, and only about 200—seven percent—are able to kill or significantly wound a human. Nonvenomous snakes, which range from harmless garter snakes tothe not-so-harmless python, dispatch their victims by swallowing them alive orconstricting them to death. Whether they kill by striking with venom or squeezing,nearly all snakes eat their food whole, in sometimes astoundingly large portions. Almost all snakes are covered in scales and as reptiles,they’re cold bloodedand must regulate their body temperature externally. Scales serve several purposes: They trap moisture in arid climates and reduce friction as the snake moves. There have been several species of snakes discovered that are mostly scaleless, but even those have scales on their bellies. How snakes hunt How snakes hunt Snakes also have forked tongues, which they flick in different directions to smell their surroundings. That lets them know when danger—or food—is nearby Snakes have several other ways to detect a snack. Openings called pit holes in front of their eyes sense the heat given off by warm-blooded prey. And bones in their lower jaws pick up vibrations from rodents and other scurrying animals. When they do capture prey, snakes can eat animals up to three times bigger than their head is wide because their lower jaws unhinge from their upper jaws. Once in a snake’s mouth, the prey is held in place by teeth that face inward, trapping it there. Habits About once a month snakes shed their skin, a process called ecdysis that makes room for growth and gets rid of parasites. They rub against a tree branch or other object, then slither out of their skin head first, leaving it discarded inside-out. Most snakes lay eggs, but some species—like sea snakes—give live birth to young. Very few snakes pay any attention to their eggs, with the exception of pythons, which incubate their eggs. There are roughly a hundred snake species listed by the IUCN Red List as endangered, typically due to habitat loss from development.Here’s a fact to makeophidiophobesfeel uneasy:Five species of snakes can fly.

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