Barn Owl

The barn owl has a white, heart-shaped facial disk, no ear tufts and long legs. The bird appears white from below and golden-brown from above, with black specks all over. The long wings fold beyond the tail and the legs are feathered. The sexes can be distinguished by differences in coloration and weight. Males usually have whiter breasts with fewer and smaller dark specks. Females are typically heavier and have more and larger dark specks. Chicks are covered with down when born, but 8 to 10 weeks later they acquire adult-like plumage.

Barn owls are monogamous (one mate). They are not aggressive toward other barn owls and can nest within a half mile of other pairs. Barn owls are sexually mature at 1 year of age and, because they have a short lifespan, they breed only once or twice. Both natural and human-made sites are used for nesting and they are generally used repeatedly by other barn owls throughout the years. Nest sites include tree cavities, barns, abandoned and occupied buildings, and chimneys. Males use a courtship call to show the female the nest site. Barn owls do not construct a nest; the eggs are laid in a dark space surrounded by pellets. These brownish-black pellets, which are the regurgitated fur and bone fragments of each meal, average about 2 inches in size and are produced twice a day.

The 5-11 eggs (average 4-6) are laid every other day. The female incubates the eggs for 30-34 days, starting when the first egg is laid. Hatching occurs in the same order as the eggs were laid, so a gradation of ages and sizes can be observed in a brood. In times of scarce food, the older and stronger young have a better chance of survival. Stronger, first-hatched nestlings have been observed eating and trampling younger, later-hatched owls. The young are fed by both adults for approximately 2 months. The adult male does most of the hunting and feeding.

The barn owl has exceptionally keen hearing and eyesight, making it a very effective hunter. It can see during the day, but its relatively small eyes (for an owl) are directed forward and are better adapted for night vision. The ears are asymmetrical; one is level with the nostril and the other is higher, nearer the forehead. They are covered with feathered flaps that close for loud noises and open for soft sounds. The barn owl's hearing is so sharp that it can easily hunt for voles and shrews, which are often concealed from view as they travel in runways beneath the grass. A family of 2 adults and 6 young may consume over 1,000 rodents during the 3-month nesting period.

Barn owls make a wide variety of sounds. The most common adult sounds are alarm shrieks, conversational calls (shorter, less intense shrieks), and a rapid squeaking or ticking, which is associated with the pair. The rasping, food-begging call of the young can be heard almost continuously from soon after sunset until just before sunrise. The young also hiss and bill-click when disturbed.

While perched, the barn owl has a habit of lowering its head and swaying from side to side. The bird sleeps so soundly during the day that it is difficult to wake it up until darkness arrives.

Other names for the barn owl are golden owl, white owl, monkey-faced owl and white-breasted barn owl. 

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Owl Photos

Great Grey owl

Burrowing owl 

Barn owl 

 

Barred owl

 

Spotted owl

 

Elf owl 

 

Saw-whet owl 

 

Screech owl

Boreal Owl

Flammulated Owl

 

Ferruginous Pygmy Owl

Great Horned Owl

 

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Arctic Fox

The lush white coat of the arctic fox provides both warmth and camouflage in winter

The arctic fox is an incredibly hardy animal that can survive frigid Arctic temperatures as low as –58°F (-50°C) in the treeless lands where it makes its home. It has furry soles, short ears, and a short muzzle—all-important adaptations to the chilly clime. Arctic foxes live in burrows, and in a blizzard they may tunnel into the snow to create shelter.
Arctic foxes have beautiful white (sometimes blue-gray) coats that act as very effective winter camouflage. The natural hues allow the animal to blend into the tundra's ubiquitous snow and ice. When the seasons change, the fox's coat turns as well, adopting a brown or gray appearance that provides cover among the summer tundra's rocks and plants.
These colorings help foxes to effectively hunt rodents, birds, and even fish. But in winter prey can be scarce on the ground. At such times, arctic foxes will follow the region's premier predator—a polar bear—to eat the leftover scraps from its kills. Foxes will also eat vegetables when they are available.
Like a cat's, this fox's thick tail aids its balance. But for an arctic fox the tail (or "brush") is especially useful as warm cover in cold weather.
Female arctic foxes give birth each spring to a large litter of up to 14 pups.

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Komodo Dragon

With its sheer strength and deadly, bacteria-ridden saliva, the Komodo dragon is the top predator in its range

Komodo dragons have thrived in the harsh climate of Indonesia's Lesser Sunda Islands for millions of years, although amazingly, their existence was unknown to humans until about 100 years ago.
Reaching 10 feet (3 meters) in length and more than 300 pounds (136 kilograms), Komodo dragons are the heaviest lizards on Earth. They have long, flat heads with rounded snouts, scaly skin, bowed legs, and huge, muscular tails.
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.
Animals that escape the jaws of a Komodo will only feel lucky briefly. Dragon saliva teems with over 50 strains of bacteria, and within 24 hours, the stricken creature usually dies of blood poisoning. Dragons calmly follow an escapee for miles as the bacteria 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.
There is a stable population of about 3,000 to 5,000 Komodo dragons on the islands of Komodo, Gila Motang, Rinca, and Flores. However, a dearth of egg-laying females, poaching, human encroachment, and natural disasters has driven the species to endangered status.

Komodo dragons can run up to 11 mph (18 kph) in short bursts.

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Great Horned Owl

The most common owl in North and South America, the great horned owl has adapted to a wide variety of habitats and climates.

The great horned owl is the most common owl of the Americas, easily recognizable because of the feather tufts on its head. These "plumicorns" resemble horns or, to some, catlike ears.
Great horned owls are adaptable birds and live from the Arctic to South America. They are at home in suburbia as well as in woods and farmlands. Northern populations migrate in winter, but most live permanently in more temperate climes.
The birds nest in tree holes, stumps, caves, or in the abandoned nests of other large birds. Monogamous pairs have one to five eggs (two is typical), both the male and female incubate, and the male also hunts for food. Owls are powerful birds and fiercely protective parents. They have even been known to attack humans who wander too close to their young.
Like other owls, these birds have an incredible digestive system. They sometimes swallow their prey whole and later regurgitate pellets composed of bone, fur, and the other unwanted parts of their meal. Owls are efficient nighttime hunters that strike from above, and use their powerful talons to kill and carry animals several times heavier than themselves. Owls prey on a huge variety of creatures, including raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, domestic birds, falcons, and other owls. They regularly eat skunks, and may be the only animal with such an appetite. They sometimes hunt for smaller game by standing or walking along the ground. Owls have even been known to prey upon unlucky cats and dogs.
Great horned owls are largely nocturnal so they can be difficult to spot. But in the dark after sunset, or just before dawn, they can often be heard vocalizing with their well known series of "Hoo H'hoos!"

The male great horned owl is smaller than the female and has a much lower-pitched call.

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Komodo Dragon's Bite Is "Weaker Than a House Cat's"

 

The world's largest living lizard, the fearsome Komodo dragon, has a bite weaker than a house cat's, researchers say. Though known for killing prey much larger than itself, the Komodo relies on its razor-sharp teeth, strong neck muscles, and "space frame" skull to subdue its prey, according to a new study.

Using computer models, researchers from Australia's University of New South Wales analyzed a Komodo specimen from the Australian Museum in Sydney.
Measuring the forces and composition of the lizard's skull, the researchers found that its jaw is not designed for crushing.
"The bite is really quite incredibly weak for such a big lizard—less than you'd expect from the average house cat," said Stephen Wroe, an author of the study, which was recently published in the Journal of Anatomy.
If a Komodo actually tried to crush prey with its jaws, like crocodiles do, "it would break its own skull," he said.
The Komodo dragon, a type of monitor lizard, can grow up to 10 feet (3 meters) long and is native to the Indonesian islands that include Komodo and Flores
Listed as a vulnerable species by the World Conservation Union, about 4,000 to 5,000 Komodos remain in the wild.

Still a Precision Killing Machine
Despite its flimsy bite, the researchers said, the Komodo has other physical traits in its favor that make it an able predator.
"What's really interesting is that it has a lightweight skull and weak jaw, but it has optimized the way the skull structure and material is arranged," Wroe said.
Likening the lizard's skull to the design of a bridge, Wroe said its "space frame" structure "uses minimal amounts of material to resist forces."

 

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Giant Shrimplike Predator Was a Weakling After All

 Anomalocaris canadensis trolls the seafloor in an illustration.


A shrimplike creature thought to be Earth's first great predator was actually more of a worm-eating wuss, scientists say.
Anomalocaris canadensis glided along the seafloor about 500 million years ago, during Earth's Cambrian period. Nearly three feet (one meter) long, the shelled, bulging-eyed animal was giant compared to the other organisms living at the time.
Its unusual, O-shaped mouth was composed of 32 overlapping plates and protected by two spiky prongs that hung down from its face.
Scientists had assumed the well-armored mouth could crush and feed on other hard-shelled organisms. For instance, the ancient beast was thought to feast on organisms such as trilobites, segmented invertebrates that also lived on the seafloor.
But paleontologist James "Whitey" Hagadorn, of the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, and his team may have quashed this theory using a 3-D computer model of the creature's mouth.
"We're basically saying that Anomalocaris may not have been the king of the jungle," Hagadorn said.
"That doesn't mean it's not a really cool fossil ... but all the popular animations and videos that show it ferociously swimming through the oceans and ripping apart hapless trilobites may need to be reevaluated."
Weak Jaws Couldn't Crack a Shrimp
The computer model of Anomalocaris' mouth showed it was not capable of cracking the soft shell of a modern shrimp—let alone the harder shells of most trilobite species.
In fact, it couldn't even fully close its mouth, according to the new research, which Hagadorn presented this week at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver.
So while Anomalocaris may have been able to suck up very small or freshly molted— and thus soft—trilobites, "it had no chance in heck of biting through about 95 percent of trilobite shells. Its mouth would have broken first," Hagadorn said.
(Related: "Komodo Dragon's Bite Is 'Weaker Than a House Cat's.'")
He added that supporting evidence for the model's results can be seen in the fossils themselves. For example, the team also studied more than 400 fossilized Anomalocaris mouth parts and could not find any signs of chips or scratches, which would be expected if the creatures had been continually pulverizing hard shells.
Furthermore, there is no evidence from fossilized stomach contents or feces that Anomalocaris ate anything hard.
Instead of trilobites, Anomalocaris likely fed on something soft, Hagadorn said.
"One hypothesis is that it was eating soft worms, or maybe plankt

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Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)

The platypus is found in eastern Australia. They live aside freshwater rivers or lakes, and create burrows for shelter and protection. They are active mainly at nighttime hours, and use their webbed feet for swimming. When swimming the platypus has its eyes shut. They swim underwater for 2 minutes, before returning to the surface for oxygen. They can however stay underwater for up to 10 minutes, and due to their natural buoyancy, they need to be underneath another object to do this.

The Platypus has a wooly furred coat and range from 30cm to 45cms in length and the tail about 10 to 15 cms. The wooly furred coat actually has three different layers. The first layer keeps the animal warm, by trapping air, the second layer which provides an insulating coat for the animal, and lastly the third layer of long flat hairs to detect objects close by. These creatures weight on average between 1 to 2.4 kilograms. They have an average lifespan of 12 years.

This lifespan may be shortly diminished, as the platypuses biggest threats are snakes, goannas, rats and foxes. Another big threat to the platypus is man, via waterway pollution or land clearing.

Platypuses feed on insect larvae, worms or other freshwater insects. They do so mainly at night, by the use of their bill. They turn up mud on the bottom of the lake or river, and with the help of their electroreceptors located on the bill, find many insects and freshwater insects. They store their findings in special pouches behind their bill, and are consumed upon returning to the surface.

Amazing Fact: Platypuses can consume their own body weight in food in a 24 hour period!

Male platypus are larger than the female. They reproduct by mating which occurs once a year, between June - October. The female lays between 2 - 4 eggs and incubates these for a two week period. When a young platypus is born, they feed from milk from the mother. The mother secretes this milk from large glands under the skin, the young platypus feed from this milk which ends up on the mothers fur.

If you thought this was a cute and cuddly Australian animal, well, you are only half correct. The male platypi have a hollow spur about 15 milimetres in length on the inside of both hind legs. This in turn is connected to a venom gland, and the platypus uses this spur to defend itself against predators. 

Amazing Fact: The male platypus has venom strong enough to can kill a small dog, or cause excruciating pain among humans.

Since only the male platypus has this venomous spur, and the gland peaks during mating season, many suggest it is normally used in aggressive encounters between other male platypus.

A baby platypus is not called a puggle, which seems to be a common misconception. There is no official name for a baby platypus, but a common suggested name is "platypup".

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The Amazing Ants (with video)

Ants eat almost anything, but prefer sweet foods. When ants find food, they lay down a chemical trail, called a pheromone, so that other ants can find their way from the nest to the food source. The Dalmatie ant cooks its food by chewing it into patties and baking them in the sun.
Ants can carry 5 to 20 times their body weight, and will work together in small or large groups to move heavier things. When they come across potholes, they smooth out the track by filling the holes with their bodies, accellerating the delivery of their goodies back to the nest.
It is estimated that there are about one quadrillion (1,000,000,000,000,000) ants in the world. The biggest ant colony was found on the Ishikari Coast of Hokkaido: 306 million ants and 1 million queens lived in 45,000 interconnected nests over an area of 2.7 square kilometres (1,7 square miles).
Most of the 11,000 ant species are ferocious, except for the Messor Aciculatus ant, which rarely fights. The Formica yessensis ant attacks other insects, but does not fight with ants of the same species, even if they come from a different ant nest.
Ant lifespan
The study of ants is called myrmecology. In a book based on two decades of revolutionary research, a Stanford professor maintains that the ant queen is not in charge: there are no leaders in an ant colony. Worker ants live for only a few weeks but some ant species workers live up to 5 years. Ant queens live for about 6 years with some species of ant queens living for 25 years and more.
Gakken’s ant pages explains that ants are found all over the world except on Antarctica, Greenland, Iceland, some parts of Polynesia, and a few other remote islands in the Atlantic and Indian oceans

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Facts about cats

Whether your kitty meows or roars, it is a descendant of the Felis silvestris species, which is divided into the African wildcat, European wildcat and Steppe wildcat.
The smallest of the descendants is the rusty-spotted cat found in Sri Lanka. It is about half the size of the domestic cat.
The largest is the tiger. The male Siberian or Amur Tiger has a total body length in excess of 3m (10 ft) and weighs up to 300kg (660 lb).
The lion is the king of the cats. It stands out from the other cats, not just in its distinctive appearance but also in being the only felid that lives in organized social groups. Adult male lions weigh up to 225kg (500 lb) and grow up to 3m (10 ft) in body length.
The fastest cat, the cheetah, is also the fastest land animal. It can reach 95 km/h (60 mph) over short distances. Unlike other big cats it does not roar – it makes high pitched yelps, barks and chirruping sounds. And like your kitty, it does purr.

Meow!
Domestic cats purr at about 26 cycles per second, the same frequency as an idling diesel engine. A domestic cat hears frequencies up to about 65 kHz, humans up to 20 kHz. Its sense of smell is about 14 times stronger than that of humans.
In the rear of a cat’s eye is a light-reflecting layer called the tapetum lucidum, which causes cats’ eyes to glow at night. This reflecting layer absorbs light 6 times more effectively than human eyes do, allowing a cat to see better than humans at night.
There are more than 3000 types of domestic cats, but only 8% are pedigree. And, unlike other cats, they are found all over the world… in abundance. In the US, there are more cats than dogs, and people annually spend more on cat food than on baby food.
Domestic cats – or any other cats – do not have nine lives. They also do not always land on their feet. It is said that a cat that falls out of a 20-story building has a better chance of surviving than when falling out of a 7-story building because it takes a cat at least 7 stories to co-ordinate itself to land on its feet.
Cats step with both left legs, then both right legs when they walk or run. The only other animals to do this are the giraffe, camel and the maned wolf.
The tails of wild cats almost never lift higher than their backs.
Cats cannot see directly below their heads that is why they do not see the food when you put it under their nose. Keep this in mind when you’re feeding your kitty.

African wildcat – the Felis silvestris species from which domestic cats are descendants.

Meow or roar, the cat is a hunter

All cats are direct descendants of the wildcat – even your kitty. This is Simba, a purebred Maine Coon from Germany.

Of the 36 species of wild cats, the tiger is the largest, weighing up to 300kg (660 lb).

King of the beasts – respected and famous even before there were movies.

The cheetah – the fastest land animal. It also is the only cat that cannot retract its claws.

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Chupacabra Science: How Evolution Made a Mythical Monster

Tales of a mysterious monster that sucks the blood of livestock have exploded in Mexico, the U.S. Southwest, and even China since the mid-1990s, when the chupacabra, or chupacabras, was first reported in Puerto Rico (map).

Now, just in time for Halloween, scientists say they can explain the stories with the help of evolutionary theory.

Flesh-and-blood chupacabras have allegedly been found as recently as June—making the monsters eminently more accessible for study than, say, the Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot. (See "Bigfoot Hoax: 'Body' Is Rubber Suit.")
In almost all these cases, the monsters have turned out to be coyotes suffering from very severe cases of mange, a painful, potentially fatal skin disease that can cause the animals' hair to fall out and skin to shrivel, among other symptoms. (Related: "'Balding' Bears: Mangy Mystery in Florida.")

For some scientists, this explanation for supposed chupacabras is sufficient. "I don't think we need to look any further or to think that there's yet some other explanation for these observations," said Barry OConnor, a University of Michigan entomologist who has studied Sarcoptes scabiei, the parasite that causes mange.

Likewise, wildlife-disease specialist Kevin Keel has seen images of an alleged chupacabra corpse and clearly recognized it as a coyote, but said he could imagine how others might not.

"It still looks like a coyote, just a really sorry excuse for a coyote," said Keel, of the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia.

"I wouldn't think it's a chupacabras if I saw it in the woods, but then I've been looking at coyotes and foxes with mange for a while. A layperson, however, might be confused as to its identity."

Chupacabra Evolution

Sarcoptes scabiei also causes the itchy rash known as scabies in humans. In humans and nonhuman animals alike, the mite burrows under the skin of its host and secretes eggs and waste material, which trigger an inflammatory response from the immune system.

In humans, scabies—the allergic reaction to the mites' waste—is usually just a minor annoyance. But mange can be life threatening for canines such as coyotes, which haven't evolved especially effective reactions to Sarcoptes infection.

The University of Michigan's OConnor speculates that the mite passed from humans to domestic dogs, and then on to coyotes, foxes, and wolves in the wild.

His research suggests that the reason for the dramatically different responses is that humans and other primates have lived with the Sarcoptes mite for much of their evolutionary history, while other animals have not.

"Primates are the original hosts" of the mite, OConnor said. "Our evolutionary history with the mites help us to keep [scabies] in check so that it doesn't get out of hand like it does when it gets into [other] animals."

In other words, humans have evolved to the point where our immune systems can neutralize the infection before the infection neutralizes us. (Related: "Future Humans: Four Ways We May, or May Not, Evolve.")

The mites too have been evolving, suggested the University of Georgia's Keel. The parasite has had time to optimize its attack on humans so as not to kill us, which would eliminate our usefulness to the mites, he said.

In nonhuman animals, Sarcoptes hasn't figured out that balance yet. In coyotes, for example, the reaction can be so severe that it causes hair to fall out and blood vessels to constrict, adding to a general fatigue and even exhaustion.

"Goatsucker" Explained?

Since chupacabras are likely mangy coyotes, this explains why the creatures are often reported attacking livestock.

"Animals with mange are often quite debilitated," OConnor said. "And if they're having a hard time catching their normal prey, they might choose livestock, because it's easier."

As for the blood-sucking part of the chupacabra legend, that may just be make believe or exaggeration.

"I think that's pure myth," OConnor said.

(Related: "Vampire Moth Discovered—Evolution at Work.")

"Evolution" of a Legend

Loren Coleman, director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine, agreed that many chupacabra sightings—especially the more recent ones—could be explained away as appearances by mangy coyotes, dogs, and coyote-dog hybrids, or coydogs.

"It's certainly a good explanation," Coleman said, "but it doesn't mean it explains the whole legend."

For example, the more than 200 original chupacabra reports from Puerto Rico in 1995 described a decidedly uncanine creature.

"In 1995 chupacabras was understood to be a bipedal creature that was three feet [about a meter] tall and covered in short gray hair, with spikes out of its back," Coleman said.

But, as if in a game of telephone, the description of the chupacabra began to change in the late 1990s due to mistakes and mistranslations in news reports, he said.

By 2000 the original chupacabra had been largely replaced by the new, canine one. What was seen as a bipedal creature now stalks livestock on all fours.

"It was actually a big mistake," Coleman said.

"Because of the whole confusion—with most of the media reporting chupacabras now as dogs or coyotes with mange—you really don't even hear any good reports from Puerto Rico or Brazil anymore like you did in the early days. Those reports have disappeared and the reports of canids with mange have increased."

First Chupacabras: Monkeys or Movie Madness?

So what explains the original chupacabra myth?

One possibility, Coleman said, is that people imagined things after watching or hearing about an alien-horror film that opened in Puerto Rico in the summer of 1995.

"If you look at the date when the movie Species opened in Puerto Rico, you will see that it overlaps with the first explosion of reports there," he said.

"Then compare the images of [actor] Natasha Henstridge's creature character, Sil [picture], and you will see the unmistakable spikes out the back that match those of the first images of the chupacabras in 1995."

Another theory is that the Puerto Rico creatures were an escaped troop of rhesus monkeys on the island, which often stand up on their hind legs.

"There was a population of rhesus monkeys being used in blood experiments in Puerto Rico at the time, and that troop could have got loose," Coleman said.

"It could be something that simple, or it could be something much more interesting, because we know that new animals are being discovered all the time."

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