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As Hurricane Dorian made landfall over North Carolina, Friday, the wild horses on the Outer Banks haven't evacuated, as many of their human neighbors have. In fact for 500 years, the horses have hunkered down and survived countless storms with "butts to the wind," a wildlife group says. "The wild horses are better equipped to handle a hurricane than most of us humans living on the Outer Banks," the Corolla Wild Horse Fund said in a Facebook post. "They go to high ground, under the sturdy live oak trees to ride the storm out." Where is Dorian? Hurricane makes landfall over North Carolina's Cape Hatteras as Category 1 storm According to OBXToday.com, about 100 Colonial Spanish Mustangs live on the beaches of Currituck County and have been for hundreds of years. The Corolla Wild Horse Fund works to protect and conserve the herd in the area. Another group of 100 wild horses are managed by a state park and 50 more by private citizens, the Washington Post reported.

Whitetail Winter – How Deer Survive The Arctic Freeze , It’s the dead of winter. There are no leaves on the trees. There are blankets of snow across much of the country coupled with brutally cold temperatures. It’s a tough world out there right now, for both man and animal. Stepping outside and looking out into the timber, one would wonder how in the world Mother Nature could be so cruel as to deprive the wonderful whitetail of all its food sources. While it seems as if Mother Nature is the taker of life (and in her own defense, she is) she has carefully provided the whitetail with enough to eat to survive the winter. The whitetail deer is an incredible, adaptive species. It only takes being winded by one of these fantastic creatures once, to realize their fantastic sense of smell. The antler growing process continues to fascinate scientists; the velvet antlers are one of the fastest growing tissues known to man. The buck’s ability to recover and regrow these antlers every spring after exhausting themselves during the previous winter and fall is extraordinary. Now, in the middle of the roughest winter Western Virginia has had in the last twenty years, I have developed a new found respect and appreciation for the whitetail deer; and it’s response to harsh winter weather. A huge misconception in the whitetail woods is that the colder the temperature, the more deer move. While this is true for other mammals, this is not the case for deer. Deer simply move less during frigid temperatures to conserve much needed calories which can be the difference between survival and starvation. Nutritious food is scarce during the winter and the deer’s metabolism actually slows down significantly to help retain energy needed to keep the body warm. Deer also tend to move more during the daylight hours during colder temperatures, enabling them to conserve more energy by bedding down through the night and moving during the day when temperatures rise, even if it is just a few degrees. While deer movement comes to a near standstill during cold snaps, where they are spending their time does change. A general rule for finding deer during the winter is to simply follow the sun. This means that South facing slopes, predominantly those facing Southeast will receive the most deer activity. Western facing slopes will receive some activity as well. South facing slopes receive the most sunlight throughout the course of the day thus making these areas warmer and more appealing to deer. Also by receiving more sunlight they produce the most vegetation and browse. Which brings me to the basis of this article, what do deer eat during the winter? To the uninitiated person walking through the woods in January and February, one might wonder how any deer survive the winter. With the acorns gone, food plots exhausted and agricultural crops harvested, it seems that every deer would starve to death. On the contrary, Mother Nature, perfect in her form, provides enough browse to support a deer herd during the winter months. When I think of winter deer browse in my hunting area, the first thing that comes to mind is white cedar, because the browse damage is so apparent. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s been walking through the woods or driving alongside the road only to notice a row of cedars stripped 5 feet off the ground. White cedar is a highly preferred winter whitetail food, not so much because of its nutritious value, but because of its digestibility. A deer instinctively knows what foods are easiest to digest, and what foods to avoid until starvation becomes a realistic possibility. In my readings I discovered that when provided a buffet style feeding program, researchers found that deer actually prefer foods of less nutritional value over those that offer the most. Again, this was because those foods with the most nutritional value may not have been the easiest to digest. This could also be attributed to their decreased metabolism coinciding with the lack of food available. With little food available deer cannot spend important calories breaking down less palatable food to extract better nutrients, when food that is easier to digest is available. Earlier in the article I mentioned that during the winter, deer activity decreases, but they will change where they spend the majority of their time. The same applies to winter food sources. I have found that many favorite foods can be found in the same general locations. Clearcuts or any disturbed area provides excellent browse when all other food is scarce. In one particular area on my hunting property, (about one acre in size) I found nearly 10 different species for deer to browse on during the winter. Red maple, winged sumac, white pine, greenbrier, dogwood, wild grapes, Japanese Honeysuckle, wild rose and American beech all had evidence of browsing, as well as cool season grasses and forbs, growing on the forest floor. I have also found deer to browse on scrub oak buds, as well as other oak saplings. I have never found evidence of deer browsing on hickory buds. Many hunters believe that Mountain Laurel and Rhododendron make good winter deer food. This is not the case, again because they are less palatable than other foods. I have also read several authors documenting that they have found deer that have died of starvation only to find their paunches full of Mountain Laurel or Rhododendron. While it is certainly not possible to create large areas with good deer browse in the dead of winter, you can create deer food with the help of a chainsaw. If you use firewood to heat your home, then you have even greater incentive to feed the deer. Cutting trees and leaving the tops will not only create winter deer food, but you’ll also be creating some ideal bedding cover in the process. Cutting some species of trees for food now, may also create some food in the future. Species such as red maple and yellow-poplar are prolific “stump sprouters,” meaning that when the tree is harvested several shoots and saplings will sprout from the trunk providing excellent browse in the future. The whitetail deer is an extremely adaptive animal. Some argue that in overall terms of athleticism, it earns the gold medal in the Animal Olympics. The fact that it has learned to not only coexist with humans, but thrive alongside them is remarkable. Nevertheless, during the dead of winter when it seems that the species may be living in peril, whitetails have evolved into a finely tuned winter weather machine.

Orange Horned Toucan Stands Alone Looking For Female Company , Toucan, (family Ramphastidae), the common name given to numerous species of tropical American forest birds known for their large and strikingly coloured bills. The term toucan—derived from tucano, a native Brazilian term for the bird—is used in the common name of about 15 species (Ramphastos and Andigena), and the aracaris and toucanets are very similar smaller birds of the same family that are also considered toucans, bringing the total number of species to about 35. The largest toucans, up to 60 cm (24 inches) long, are Ramphastos species. An example common in zoos is the red-breasted (also called green-billed) toucan (R. dicolorus) of Amazonia. Another common zoo resident is the keel-billed toucan (R. sulfuratus), which is about 50 cm (20 inches) long. It is mainly black with lemon yellow on the face, throat, and chest, bright red under the tail, and multicoloured markings on the bill. Toucan bills can be one-third of the bird’s total length. Though the bill appears unwieldy, even heavy, it is composed of extremely lightweight bone covered with keratin—the same material as human fingernails. The common names of several species, such as the chestnut-mandibled toucan, the fiery-billed aracari, and the yellow-ridged toucan, describe their beaks, which are often brightly coloured in pastel shades of green, red, white, and yellow. This coloration is probably used by the birds for species recognition, as many toucans have similar body patterns and coloration—mainly black with a bold breast colour. The bill is also believed to have a frightening effect on other birds, including hawks. The wings of toucans are short and rounded, and the tail is usually long; these traits, along with the large bill, make toucans ungainly fliers. In feeding, the toucan obtains food with the saw-edged bill and must toss back its head before swallowing. Although toucans are often considered to be primarily fruit eaters, most species consume a wide variety of food, including insects, snakes, frogs, and occasionally even small mammals. Toucans are also predators on the contents of songbird nests, consuming both eggs and nestlings. In foraging, toucans form large associations of two or more species that search for fruiting trees. Toucans are among the noisiest of forest birds; their repertoire includes loud barks, bugling calls, and harsh croaks. Larger species perch high in the canopy and utter loud calls that are accompanied by ritualized movements of the head and bill. The vocalizations act as rallying calls that attract groups of birds to good foraging sites. These sounds also seem to function in species recognition, as similar species of toucans that live in the same habitat have unmistakably different calls. Toucans tend to roost somewhat gregariously in treetop bands. They nest high in tree holes but do not excavate their own cavities. Instead, they find old woodpecker nests or natural holes formed by loss of tree branches. Two to four glossy white eggs are deposited in an unlined cavity, where they are incubated in shifts by both parents. Incubation lasts from 16 days to six weeks or more in some species. The naked hatchlings have large pads on their heels and require at least three weeks before their eyes open. They lack the large bill but grow it nearly to completion during their time in the nest. After about 45 days the nestlings begin life on their own. Family groups may remain together for a long time, as small flocks are often seen throughout the year. Toucans are nonmigratory, but the mountain toucans (Andigena) move seasonally up and down the Andes Mountains in search of fruit. Like manakins of the forest understory, toucans contribute to the maintenance of tropical forest diversity because they consume and disperse seeds of many plant species. About 35 species of toucans belonging to six genera constitute the family Ramphastidae, but recent DNA evidence suggests that the New World barbets should also be included in this family. Toucans and barbets are related to woodpeckers; all are piciforms, whose members possess two rearward- and two forward-pointing toes. Although toucans superficially resemble hornbills of the Old World, the two groups are unrelated and belong to different orders.

Neutered male cat Waits Owner order , Understanding your cat can take time. Cats have a complex set of behaviours that can leave even the most experienced cat owner baffled. However, the one question that can be answered with some certainty is how long on average a cat can live. Cats may not really have nine lives, but factors such as diet, healthcare and environment can have an impact on how long a cat can live. Neutered cats tend to live longer because neutering prevents reproductive diseases and neutered cats are less likely to roam. While dependent on many things, including luck, some domestic cats can live to up to 20 years old. During their life they will go through six key life stages which may help owners understand certain health/behavioural problems that could arise and things to keep an eye on. This is the best stage to introduce your cat to lots of new things such as other pets, household noises, being brushed and handled, as well as familiarising them with children. You’ll see them go through their most rapid growth spurt during this time. This is also a good time to neuter your pet to stop unwanted litters. Junior (six months – two years) Your cat will reach full size during this period of time and will have reached sexual maturity. It is important to play appropriately with your pet as this will teach them how to play nicely with people. This means ensuring not to play rough and tumble games with your cat; instead, use toys to engage with them. Playing with your hands can encourage biting and scratching, which may seem cute when they’re a kitten, but remember that they soon grow up and the bites and scratches will get harder. Prime (three – six years) As the name of this phase suggests, your cat will be at its prime in life during these years. While they are young and healthy it’s still important to ensure that your cat remains up to date on their vaccinations and health checks to help prevent any diseases or illnesses. Mature (seven – 10 years) At this age your cat will be the human equivalent of someone in their mid-forties to mid-fifties. This means that you may notice your pet starting to slow down and they are more likely to put on some weight. It’s important to carefully monitor their food consumption so that they are having the right amount for their level of activity. If you are unsure as to whether your cat is overweight or unsure on how to cut back on meal times, please speak to your vet.

Amazing Africa Animals In Wilderness , Antelope, any of numerous Old World grazing and browsing hoofed mammals belonging to the family Bovidae (order Artiodactyla). Antelopes account for over two-thirds of the approximately 135 species of hollow-horned ruminants (cud chewers) in the family Bovidae, which also includes cattle, sheep, and goats. One antelope, the Indian blackbuck, bears the Latin name Antilope cervicapra; nevertheless, antelope is not a taxonomic name but a catchall term for an astonishing variety of ruminating ungulates ranging in size from the diminutive royal antelope (2 kg [4 pounds]) to the giant eland (800 kg [1,800 pounds]). (The North American pronghorn antelope looks and acts much like a gazelle but belongs in a separate family, the Antilocapridae.) Africa, with some 71 species, is the continent of antelopes. Only 14 species inhabit the entire continent of Asia, and all but three of them are members of the gazelle tribe (Antilopini). As in all of Bovidae, all male antelopes have horns, which range from the short spikes of duikers to the corkscrew horns (more than 160 cm [63 inches] long) of the greater kudu. Two-thirds of female antelopes bear horns; they are invariably thinner and usually shorter than those of the male. In gregarious species in which both sexes regularly associate in mixed herds, the horns are similarly shaped, and in female oryxes and elands they are often longer. Antelopes have adapted to many different ecological niches and so vary in their size, shape, locomotion, diet, social organization, and antipredator strategy. Despite the diversity of adaptations, one important generalization can be made: there is a marked difference between antelopes of closed habitats and those of open habitats. The former (e.g., duikers, reedbucks, and bushbucks) are mostly small to medium-sized animals adapted for movement through undergrowth, with overdeveloped hindquarters, a rounded back, and short legs. This conformation is adapted to quick starts and a bounding, dodging run, which is how cover-dependent antelopes whose first line of defense is concealment try to escape predators that chance to find them. Their coloration is camouflaging. They are solitary, living alone or in mated pairs on home ranges defended as territories, and they are browsers of foliage rather than grazers of grass. By contrast, antelopes of open habitats are mostly medium to large grass eaters. They are built for speed, having level backs with long, equally developed limbs (or with higher shoulders, as in the hartebeest tribe). Their coloration is revealing. They have a gregarious social organization and a mating system based on male territoriality (except in the kudu tribe).

It looks like a Wild Horse is jealous when the male is busy with mating. She shows here feelings and try to get attention between the Herd Of Horses Around Them .