As we inch closer to the long weekend (in Canada), I thought we could celebrate by talking about one of my favourite group of animals….the marsupials. Yes, the Fat-Tailed Dunnart is a small, rodent-like marsupial. As you might have guessed, this pouched creature, who happens to be in the same family as the Tasmanian Devil and Quolls, can be found throughout much of Australia. I am not sure if we will be able to make it back from Australia in time for the long weekend, so you may want to bring some extra clothes just in case. Let’s take some time now to learn a little more about our tiny Australian friend.
Smallest Carnivorous Marsupial
As mentioned the Fat-Tailed Dunnart is a marsupial, meaning their babies develop inside of an external pouch. But this mouse-like animal is so much more than just a animal with a front pocket. For starters, they are one of the smallest carnivorous marsupials on the planet, with an average weight around 10-20 grams (0.35 – 0.71 ounces).
Photo by Ian McCann - http://biosnaps.gaiaresources.com.au/
What could these little creatures possibly eat?
Believe it or not, they tend to feast on the much larger animals such as the Kangaroo. No, I am not being serious! These little creatures eat your typical food items such as beetles, spider larvae and of course small reptiles and amphibians. These little marsupials are pretty savvy savers, and would probably make my financial advisor happy. Although they don’t save money (but they could since they have a pocket to keep it in), they do save fat! What?!? Most people I know are trying to get rid of fat. Well, the Fat-Tailed Dunnart prefers to store these fat reserves in their tail….just in case they need it during a food shortage. Smart little animal, aren’t they?
The Ultimate Survivor
The ability to store fat in their tail isn’t the only strategy the Fat-Tailed Dunnart uses to ensure survival in a harsh environment. Their nocturnal behaviour allows them to hunt for food during the much cooler night, while they sleep throughout most of the scorching hot days. When they are awake, they are pretty much looking for their next meal. The Fat-Tailed Dunnart is capable of eating their own body weight worth of food every night. Could you imagine if we did that? Just picture the size of steak we would need to eat!
Even with these adaptations the expected life span for our mouse-like marsupial is anywhere between 15 and 18 months. They may not live very long but I am willing to bet they enjoy every moment of their time down under.
I recently realized that we haven’t taken the time to explore the slithery, snake world in a while. Therefore, I thought we could take a trip to the Southeastern United States to learn about a non-venomous, semi-aquatic snake known simply as the Mud Snake. Interestingly enough, these snakes are sometimes referred to as “Hoop Snakes” due to an age-old myth that they would bite their tails, making a hoop, and roll after people. Obviously, this is false but a part of me wishes this were true because how cool would it be if a snake started rolling after you? I guess we should keep the ball rolling with today’s Wild Fact and jump into a few more details.
Easy to Identify
The Mud Snake is a rather large reptile with the record holder being over 2 m (6.5 feet) long. They are pretty easy to distinguish has their back consists of smooth, glossy, black scales with reddish-pink bars coming up their sides from their stomach. They also have very pointed tails, which they often use to prod their prey. This behaviour has earned them the nick-name, “Stinging Snake”….but, thankfully, they don’t actually sting you.
Photo by Glenn Bartolotti (Wikimedia)
A Dirty Life
As you may have guessed the Mud Snake can be found in muddy areas such as ditches, swamps and the vegetated areas surrounding lakes and ponds. While slithering through these areas, they are typically on the lookout for a variety of prey species, including salamanders, frogs and even fish. If you happen to be an amphibian or fish living in Southeastern United States, I suggest looking over your shoulder right now for a hungry Mud Snake.
In Hiding
Although, this snake is fairly common, we don’t know a great deal about them, as they tend to stay away from humans. I am not sure if this is on purpose or not. It is most likely due to the fact that they are nocturnal and have a tendency to hide in dense vegetation and under debris. If you do capture one of these large snakes, they won’t typically bite you. Although they will prod you with their sharp tail, which does absolutely nothing….other than frustrate the Mud Snake since they have no effective defence mechanism against humans.
Photo by JJ Harrison (http://www.noodlesnacks.com/)
While walking in downtown Ottawa this past weekend, I ran across a man with 3 or 4 colourful “parrot-like” birds. I am assuming this is what has caused me to gravitate towards the Rosella, an Australian Parrot species, for today’s Wild Fact. This beautifully coloured bird was originally referred to as the “Rosehill Parakeet” by early settlers. Eventually the name was changed to “Rosehiller” before being changing again to the Rosella. Who knows what this bird will be called in a few years! In order to catch a glimpse of these stunning birds, we will need to take a trip to the coastal mountains or plains of Australia. Alternatively, you can see a few intruded species hanging out on the nearby island of New Zealand.
An Eye for Fashion
As you can tell from the photos, the Rosella has a colourful appearance, like most parrot species. These colours will typically vary depending on the species of Rosella but I can guarantee they all look amazing. No matter what species you are looking at, they will all have distinctive cheek patches, which can vary in colour from white to yellow to blue. You have to admit, these cheek patches add a little flare to the Rosella’s wardrobe.
Puddle Jumper
Like many birds, this parrot species generally feeds on fruit and seeds, which they grasp in their feet. When they are not on the lookout for food, the Rosella enjoys other activities such as splashing around in puddles. I am not making this up….for some reason, this parrot enjoy jumping in puddles, both in the wild and in captivity. I guess this bird is just young at heart.
Photo by Sammy Sam (Wikimedia)
A Helpful Partner
Similar to other parrots, this particular species also prefers nesting in tree cavities, high above the ground. But before the nesting and egg laying, the male has to court his female partner with a very simple (but classy) dance. His moves usually include moving their tail from side to side and they add in a little head bobbing to really get the females heart pounding. Come to think of it, I think my dance moves are very similar to the Rosella. If the male is successful with his dance, he will stay with his female partner during the incubation process. While the female is sitting on the eggs, the male will happily feed her, and his generosity even continues for a little while after the eggs of hatched. Isn’t he a sweetheart?
The male bird knows that if he wants to live a long and happy life, he had better keep his partner happy .
Today’s featured animal, the Greater Bulldog Bat, has to be one of the most remarkable bat species on the planet. This large bat, also known as the Fisherman Bat, is a type of fishing bat found throughout Latin America. As you might expect, they are called the Fisherman Bat for a reason…..they are one of the few bat species in the world that feeds primarily on fish. That’s right, a bat that catches fish. We will find out how this accomplish this feat soon enough but first, lets learn a little more about their appearance.
A Face Only A Mother Could Love
The Greater Bulldog Bat has a few interesting features on their face. For starters, their upper lip is divided by a skin flap while the bottom lip has a wart that extends all the way down to their chin. When you combine these characteristics, today’s featured bat, has the uncanny resemblance to that of a Bulldog, hence their name. The wingspan of the Greater Bulldog Bat is about 1 m (3 feet) across, with their 3rd digit making up about 65% of the wing. Believe it or not, the wing is actually longer than the head and body of our Flying Bulldog. Not only can they use these wings to fly but the Greater Bulldog Bat is a capable swimmer, which comes in handy when you are a fisherman.
Click for Photo Source
The Perfect Fishing Hole
So how does this bat catch fish? Well, they typically fly high into the air circling like a vulture. From this viewpoint, they are able to use their echolocation to detect any movements in the water below. When the fish start surfacing to catch their food, the bat will swoop down for a closer look. When it is time to eat, they will skim the surface of the water and pluck the little fishy from its home, using their large hind feet. If there is a particularly good fishing spot, the Greater Bulldog Bat will skip over the flying high part and just skim the top of the pond. This behaviour is known as raking and tends to be quite effective for our large fish-eating bat.
I think this is one of those behaviours that you need to see for yourself. The short video clip below shows how this bat catches fish and also outlines the potential dangers that await for the hungry bat.
Pretty intense video, eh? It just goes to show that every day in the wild is a battle for survival.
As a nice sunny weekend is upon us, I thought it would be good to learn about an animal we will be seeing plenty of in the very near future. Of course, I am talking about the pesky Horse Fly. No matter where you live in the world, you will most likely see at least one of these this summer. Okay, maybe not, if you live in Antarctica but I willing to bet you don’t live that far south. Other names for the Horse Fly that you may be more familiar with include: Gadflies, Breeze Flies, March Flies, Zimbs, Clegs or my personal favourite, Bull Dog Flies. Let’s get a head start on the summer season by learning a little more about these pests.
Mean Ol’ Females
The Horse Fly is considered to be one of the largest true flies in the world. As you might expect from such a large fly, they are capable of inflicting a very painful bite, mainly due to the fact that they are using their powerful mandibles (mouthparts) like knives as they slice through your skin. All this just to get a portion of your blood. Luckily, the Horse Fly feeds on pollen and nectar throughout most of the year. It is only during mating season that the females require a nice tasty blood meal. Incidentally, as with most animal species, the males are nicer and as such incapable of biting humans.
Photo by Alvesgaspar (Wikimedia)
Beware the Wasp
Believe it or not the Horse Fly needs to be on the look out for predators. Sure they have the common insect predators such as birds and reptiles but they are also vulnerable to other insects such as the Sand Wasp and Horse Guard Wasp. You wouldn’t think that a wasp would be able to take down such a large fly. It just goes to show that you can never underestimate nature.
Horse Fly Fast Fact
Believe it or not there are over 3000 species of Horse Flies scattered throughout the planet. There are roughly 300+ species in North America alone. No matter what species of Horse Fly you are dealing with…you can bet the female is going to be a lot meaner than the gentle male.
You may have never heard of the Babirusa before but I guarantee you will be sharing today’s Wild Fact with your friends. This is because the Babirusa is capable of doing something that is incredibly unique. What is it? Well, you are going to have to wait for at least one or two more paragraphs to find out. This member of the pig family has an odd and sporadic distribution throughout a few islands in Indonesia. Researchers believe their bizarre distribution is a result of the Babirusa being offered as gifts to native royalty. Nothing says “thanks for having us” like introducing an invasive species into a delicate ecosystem!
The Teething Process
All right, I am too excited to talk about the unique teeth of the male Babirusa. As you can see from the picture above, they have incredibly long canine teeth that protrude out from their mouth. In fact, they have two sets of long canine teeth, an upper and a lower set, with the upper set being the most unique. Most animals with long canines just let them stick out the side of their mouth. The Babirusa takes a different approach as their upper teeth will grow through their snout from the inside, outwards. And you thought getting your first tooth was painful!
Result of Overgrown Canines - Click for Photo Source
A Threat to Themselves
If the Babirusa isn’t careful, these unique upper canines will result in their demise. There have been many specimens that have let their upper canines grow too long, causing them to curl back and pierce their skull. Typically, this isn’t a desired fate. The worst part is, these upper canines don’t serve any real function as their position makes it impossible to use them for foraging or defence. It is believed that these large canines are simply used as a status symbol to show rank amongst other Babirusa. Just one more example of a guy going to extreme lengths to impress the ladies.
The Biggest Threat
Although the Babirusa is capable of accidentally killing themselves, their biggest threat is of the human variety. Poaching and habitat destruction have caused this pig species to be listed as endangered. The Government in Indonesia has made it illegal to hunt the Babirusa but that doesn’t seem to deter the inhabitants from collecting this “delicacy”. With any luck this interesting pig species will be able to survive the onslaught of poachers and habitat destruction as they are truly an unique animal species.
Today’s featured animal is a small shrew-like marsupial that can be found occupying open forests or swampy areas throughout Tasmania. Yes, we are taking a long trip to the southern portion of Australia. I guarantee it will be worth it though since this area is beautiful and the Swamp Antechinus is one interesting little rodent. This particular marsupial is also known as the Little Tasmanian Marsupial Mouse and just happens to be related to a few other cool animals such as the Quoll and the ever popular, Tasmanian Devil. I can imagine their family reunions get a little scary when you have a cute little mouse-like creature hanging out with a vicious, fearless devil. I guess every family has at least one of these though.
Nothing Beats a Pouch
So what makes the Swamp Antechinus unique? There a few characteristic that makes this creature very interesting but I think the fact that such a small rodent can be a marsupial is pretty cool. Remember that being a marsupial means you give birth to your little “joeys” and then they hop inside your pouch where they will finish growing. Typically the Swamp Antechinus will give birth to 6-8 joeys every year with a gestation period of up to 32 days, which may seem pretty short but you trying carrying 8 kids in a pouch for a month.
Distribution Map - Photo by Chermundy (Wikimedia)
Make Full Use of Your Time
Unfortunately for this rodent, they don’t have a whole lot of time to spend on this beautiful planet of ours. Generally the females will not live into a second year, while the males hardly make it past mating season (May-August). As you can imagine, they have to take full advantage of their short time on earth. This may be why the Swamp Antechinus is mostly nocturnal but also comes out during the day to forage. I guess they figure that they will have plenty of time to sleep later so they might as well enjoy all 24 hours of the day.
The Tasmania Saviour
Surprisingly, this rodent actually has a stable population, despite their short life-span. The reasoning behind this is the habitat protection these little creatures are receiving in Tasmania. Unfortunately, the same thing can’t be said for the rodents living on the mainland in southern Australia. As the habitat gets destroyed, their population is decreasing quite rapidly. Hopefully, the Tasmania population will continue to thrive in order to keep this species around for a very long time.
If you Google today’s animal, you will most likely come up with a city in Alberta. But on Wild Facts, we are strictly looking at one of the largest deer species in the world, the Red Deer. It probably would have made a lot of sense if this ungulate could actually be found around the Canadian city, however, the Red Deer prefers the other side of the pond. More specifically they can be found in Europe, Asia and even Africa – the only deer species found on the African continent. Similarly, they have been introduced to other regions including Australia, New Zealand and Argentina.
One Big Deer
As mentioned, the Red Deer is one of the largest deer species in the world weighing between 120 and 240 kg (260 – 530 pounds), with large antlers that are capable of growing as much as 2.5 cm (1 inch) every day. Could you imagine if our hair grew this quickly? By the end of the month your hair would be over 2 feet long and you would have to spend a small fortune on hair cuts. Luckily for the Red Deer, they are able to simply drop off their antlers, which usually occurs towards the end of winter.
Photo by Harvey Milligan (Wikimedia)
One Big Meal
Even though the Red Deer is quite large, they still have to be on the lookout for even larger predators. What could possibly take down a 530 pound animal? Well, there are a few species, depending on the continent. For instance, in Europe, they need to be worried about wolves and brown bears with the calves being preyed on by the Eurasian Lynx and Wild Boar. Meanwhile, the species living in Asia have to be on the lookout for the ever deadly, Leopard. Oh and no matter where they are living, humans tend to be a major predator of the Red Deer.
Defensive Minded
Sure, the Red Deer has predators but they also have a pretty decent defence mechanism. Remember those fast growing antlers? Well, those make for a great weapon that predators need to be aware of. As well, both males and females have a pretty good front kick that is capable of injuring a would be attacker. When the males lose their antlers at the end of winter, they will often form bachelor groups. These groups allow for added protection as it is much more difficult to take down a herd of deer compared to chasing down an individual.
Obviously, this herding technique doesn’t prevent humans from shooting the deer but evolution is only able to work so quickly. Maybe in a few more years, these deer will have adapted a new defence mechanism to deal with those pesky people.
Welcome back to another fun and exciting week of Wild Facts. I hope all of you enjoyed your weekend and are ready to learn about an animal with only 3 toes. Yes, we all get to travel to the southeastern United States to find the Three-Toed Amphiuma. There are two other species of Amphiuma, which are all very similar with the exception of their toes. Believe it or not, there is a One-Toed Amphiuma and a Two-Toed Amphiuma to go along with our featured Three-Toed salamander. I don’t know about you but I am still amazed that the Amphiuma family is split up by the number of toes each species has. It boggles my mind!
The Congo Snake
These aquatic creatures re also referred to as the Congo Eel or Congo Snake, which is incorrect since they are salamanders but you can see how they received these common names. The Three-Toed Amphiuma does look a little like an eel or a snake while they are swimming through their watery habitat, mainly ponds, rivers, streams or canals. Besides looking like a slithery serpent, the Three-Toed Amphiuma has very small eyes with one gills slit on each side of their head, which should help distinguish them from a snake….if their feet weren’t enough to help make this distinction .
Click For Photo Source
Opportunistic Feeders
This aquatic salamander is a very opportunistic feeder that will feast on anything it can get their three toes on. This includes worms, snails, fish, frogs and even small snakes. The Three-Toed Amphiuma is somewhat popular among the pet trade, however, their diverse feeding habits makes it very difficult to find a roommate for them. Although, there isn’t a concern for the population as a whole, we do need to be careful with the number of these aquatic salamanders being removed from their natural home and sold in the pet trade.
Three-Toed Amphiuma Fun Facts
Did you know the Amphiuma has one of the largest amounts of DNA amongst the living world? It is true. In fact, they have roughly 25% more DNA that humans, which is pretty impressive. Even with all this DNA, they still didn’t produce any eyelids or tongues for themselves (or more toes for that matter), so you have to wonder what is all this genetic material being used for?
Did you know there are only 234 days left until Christmas? I thought we could start our preparations early this year by learning how to decorate a Christmas tree. And what better way to teach this lesson than to learn about an animal commonly known as the Christmas Tree Worm. Sure their real name is Spirobranchus giantess but that is just too difficult to say so we will stick with their common name. These little worms can be found in tropical oceans throughout the world, which seems funny to me since I think of a cold, snowy day when you say Christmas.
Time to Decorate
Looking at these colourful worms, it is fairly easy to tell how they received their common name. Each worm has two “crowns”, which look an awful lot like a brightly coloured Christmas tree. Believe it or not, these “trees” are actually highly specialized mouth and respiratory appendages (yes, they do both). So if you are a micro-organism, you have to be careful when you go to put the presents under the tree. Each spiral of the Christmas Tree is composed of feather-like tentacles, which not only capture their micro-organism prey but it also moves it to their mouth.
Photo by Nick Hobgood (Wikimedia)
Lazy or Smart?
You never have to worry about being chased down by a Christmas Tree Worm. These animals are considered to be sedentary (they don’t really move). They will usually bore a hole into a nice piece of coral before excreting a calcareous tube. This hard tube offers shelter and protection to our little holiday loving worm. Now their only purpose in life is to sit and wait for micro-organisms to swim into their feathery Christmas tree rings. And here I thought the Sloth was lazy, but they have nothing on these colourful worms.
Taking Down the Christmas Tree
Remember when I said that the Christmas Tree Worm doesn’t really move? Well, that isn’t exactly true. Sure they don’t pack their moving van and head out to another piece of coral but they will retract their feather-like appendages if they are startled. They have no problems taking down their Christmas tree and putting it into their home deep inside the living coral. If you would like to see this first hand, then I suggest watching the very well done video below:
Pretty cool animals, right? Luckily, their population is healthy, so as long as we keep the coral living, we will always have the pleasure of seeing this beautiful sea creatures.
Welcome to my ongoing project to provide you with 1000 Animal Facts. Every week-day I will provide a new and interesting animal fact counting down from 1000. My goal is to hopefully educate the young and old alike about the interesting adaptations of the animal kingdom. As well, I am hoping people will gain a greater appreciation of the animals we share earth with. If you have any questions, please feel free to use the Contact form or leave a comment.
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