By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=James_Lynn_Johnson]James Lynn Johnson
Snapping Turtles are powerful, enduring and beautiful creatures that have been around for millions of years. Their evolution occurred earlier than most other turtles and their rugged design has not changed since. While the common snapping turtle has a wide distribution and strong numbers, in northern regions of the United States there can be as few as 1-5 snappers per hectacre. Numbers in the southern United States can be more promising and have as many as 65 snapping turtles per hectacre. The alligator snapping turtle, on the other hand, is considered threatened and is protected by law in many states. The snapping turtle in fact, can lay clutches of 20-50 eggs, but only about 133 of every 1,300 eggs survive to leave the nest. Out of those 133 hatchlings, just 1 will survive to adulthood. Most eggs and hatchlings fall victim to predation within the first 3 years of life, if not before they even hatch. What some groups do is protect the nests and capture hatchlings as they climb out. These hatchlings can then be raised for about 3 years and released to the wild or just transported to the nearest body of water safely.
The hardest part of conserving and studying snapping turtle nests is, by far, finding a nest. Snapping turtles lay eggs on dry land, away from flood planes. Often this is about 100-500 meters away from the female's usual habitat, but sometimes it can be up to a mile away. Quite often we see these turtle nests in odd places such as front lawns, man-made mulch hiking trails, gravel on the shoulder of roads, and even loose gravel driveways. Between lawn mowers, foot traffic, and car tires, these turtles are not stacking the odds of survival in their favor. I personally have raised snapping turtle hatchlings that I have found trying to cross 3 or 4 roads to get to a water source that would seem to be a 2 day marathon for the little guy.
Locating a snapping turtle nest
Knowing when: Snapping turtles dig their nest and lay eggs in May and June. If you are stalking for a nest, you should start in early May. (We'll explain in a bit) If you are scouting for a nest, you can do this through July and August.
Scouting for a nest: This is the hardest and most unsuccessful method of finding a nest. This involves pacing the perimeter of a section of a pond or lake, starting at about 40 yards out and incrementally moving farther away from the water. Doing a thorough sweep of a section of land, be on the lookout for a circle, about 10 inches in diameter, of loose, tilled up dirt. This can be on high ground in grassy spots, leafy spots, mulch, sometimes slightly recessed. See how this can be difficult? It can be anywhere up to a mile away from water.
Stalking for a nest: This is time consuming, but can be relaxing and highly effective. Right as the snapping turtles are getting ready to begin nesting, simply sit back in your lawn chair and your binoculars and observe rel=nofollow [http://eturtlefacts.com]turtle behavior at a pond or lake. Spending your evenings observing turtles leaving the water to go on land, you can stay a good distance away and watch the turtle dig the nest. If you can, stick around and see if she begins laying the eggs because sometimes they just dig nests to test out the spot. If it is a backyard pond, ideally you can even get some cameras pointing out the back porch for some of the time you can't be there observing.
Once you know the nesting location, do not dig up the nest unless you are highly skilled at taking care of turtle eggs. The embryos attach to the top side of the egg shell and rolling them over will kill them. Not to mention having to incubate the eggs even if you do successfully transport them. The safest way to capture the hatchlings is to make a fine mesh box that you can set over the nest without disturbing it. Starting in mid August, begin checking the mesh cage once or twice a day, everyday. If a few hatchlings emerge, remove them and place the mesh box back over the nest until you are certain that all viable eggs have hatched.
Providing turtle facts and [http://eturtlefacts.com/tortoise-facts]tortoise facts for education and conservation.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Locating-Snapping-Turtle-Nests-For-Education-And-Conservation&id=6726190] Locating Snapping Turtle Nests For Education And Conservation
Friday, December 30, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Astonishing Facts About Sharks
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Masha_Silko]Masha Silko
The majority of people think of a shark as a violent huge predator with super sharp teeth ranging the ocean in search of food. But in fact there are more than 400 very different species. Nine hundred meters below the ocean surface lives the smallest shark: Dwarf Lanternshark. It grows to a maximum of 17 centimeters. So probably such image of a hunter in a constant search of food is the result of Hollywood movies and especially Steven Spielberg's "Jaws".
A creature of many contradictions, a shark does not have a single bone in it's body, instead it has a skeleton made of cartilage. Sharks keenest sense - is smell. Their olfactory ability is well known. It can detect one drop of blood in a million drops of water (100 liters) and can smell blood 0.4 km away. They have very good color vision and directional hearing. Digestion process can take a long period of time as the food moves from the mouth to a 'J' shaped stomach, where it is stored and initial digestion occurs. Most of the sharks live for about 25 years. In general, they swim at a speed of 8 kilometers per hour but when feeding or attacking, thy reach up to 19 kilometers per hour.
Contrary to the common idea that sharks are instinct-driven animals, studies showed that many species have social and problem-solving skills.
Sharks behavior is increasingly becoming a matter of deep investigation for many researches. Most sharks are harmless to people. Out of 400 shark species, only two dozen are in any way really dangerous to us. Scientists though still don't know for sure why sharks sometimes attack humans. One of the theories is that sharks may mistake the sound of swimming humans for that of injured fish. The most studied sharks are Lemon sharks as they are able to survive in captivity and are in the list of the most aggressive towards human sharks. There were 22 reports of Lemon sharks attacks since 1850. Luckily none of them were fatal.
As estimated, around 100 million sharks are being killed annually, primarily for their fins. According to CNN "There are creatures more predacious than sharks: Humans." Shark fin soup is a delicacy for the wealthy people on special occasions and it has been part of Chinese culture for centuries. According to Peter Knights, director of WildAid International "These are ecosystems that have evolved over millions and millions of years. As soon as you start to take out an important part of it, it's like a brick wall, you take out bricks [and] eventually it's going to collapse."
Oceans undoubtedly depend on sharks as they help to manage it's ecosystem. Sharks have been swimming in the world's oceans for more than 400 million years, but nowadays due to commercial fishing some species are in danger of extinction. Sharks became the unfortunate victim of man-hungry stereotype the world created for them. But in fact what the society should really fear is a world without rel=nofollow [http://species.com/content/smart-sharks]sharks
Masha Silko a writer for [http://www.species.com]Species.com, the natural science website that covers the world's species, animals, plans, and environmental issues.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Astonishing-Facts-About-Sharks&id=6746193] Astonishing Facts About Sharks
The majority of people think of a shark as a violent huge predator with super sharp teeth ranging the ocean in search of food. But in fact there are more than 400 very different species. Nine hundred meters below the ocean surface lives the smallest shark: Dwarf Lanternshark. It grows to a maximum of 17 centimeters. So probably such image of a hunter in a constant search of food is the result of Hollywood movies and especially Steven Spielberg's "Jaws".
A creature of many contradictions, a shark does not have a single bone in it's body, instead it has a skeleton made of cartilage. Sharks keenest sense - is smell. Their olfactory ability is well known. It can detect one drop of blood in a million drops of water (100 liters) and can smell blood 0.4 km away. They have very good color vision and directional hearing. Digestion process can take a long period of time as the food moves from the mouth to a 'J' shaped stomach, where it is stored and initial digestion occurs. Most of the sharks live for about 25 years. In general, they swim at a speed of 8 kilometers per hour but when feeding or attacking, thy reach up to 19 kilometers per hour.
Contrary to the common idea that sharks are instinct-driven animals, studies showed that many species have social and problem-solving skills.
Sharks behavior is increasingly becoming a matter of deep investigation for many researches. Most sharks are harmless to people. Out of 400 shark species, only two dozen are in any way really dangerous to us. Scientists though still don't know for sure why sharks sometimes attack humans. One of the theories is that sharks may mistake the sound of swimming humans for that of injured fish. The most studied sharks are Lemon sharks as they are able to survive in captivity and are in the list of the most aggressive towards human sharks. There were 22 reports of Lemon sharks attacks since 1850. Luckily none of them were fatal.
As estimated, around 100 million sharks are being killed annually, primarily for their fins. According to CNN "There are creatures more predacious than sharks: Humans." Shark fin soup is a delicacy for the wealthy people on special occasions and it has been part of Chinese culture for centuries. According to Peter Knights, director of WildAid International "These are ecosystems that have evolved over millions and millions of years. As soon as you start to take out an important part of it, it's like a brick wall, you take out bricks [and] eventually it's going to collapse."
Oceans undoubtedly depend on sharks as they help to manage it's ecosystem. Sharks have been swimming in the world's oceans for more than 400 million years, but nowadays due to commercial fishing some species are in danger of extinction. Sharks became the unfortunate victim of man-hungry stereotype the world created for them. But in fact what the society should really fear is a world without rel=nofollow [http://species.com/content/smart-sharks]sharks
Masha Silko a writer for [http://www.species.com]Species.com, the natural science website that covers the world's species, animals, plans, and environmental issues.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Astonishing-Facts-About-Sharks&id=6746193] Astonishing Facts About Sharks
Monday, December 26, 2011
18 Great Facts About Bees That You May Not Know About
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Christian_Phillips]Christian Phillips
1. Did you know that male drone bees do not work at all, and in fact the only work they do is to mate?
2. Did you know that in fact drones do not even have a sting?
3. The bees that do the work in a bee colony are the female workers.
4. A queen will mate with up to 17 drone bees over a two day period during her mating flights.
5. In any one day, a queen can lay over 2000 eggs and she is the only one in the colony who can do so.
6. After she has mated she stores the sperm from the drone bees in her spermatheca and does not attempt to mate again in her lifetime.
7. They will tend to construct their hives either in the ground or high above in trees or on roofs, the only bees who do not do this are carpenter bees who instead make their homes in untreated wood and timber.
8. The average speed of a bee is 15 mph.
9. In order to make a pound of honey, it has been calculated that 556 bees will need to visit one million flowers to make this at all possible.
10. Did you know that It takes an astonishing 1110 stings to kill a human?
11. In order to communicate with each other, Honey bees dance for each other to let each other know what is going on.
12. Did you know that They are also extremely scrupulous about keeping their hives as clean as possible?
13. Of all the crops that we consume, bees are responsible for pollinating a third of them making them the highest pollinators of all insects.
14. The average colony contains 60000 bees which can be a frightening sight and why people resort to bee control out of fear.
15. Honey bees will look to visit 50 to 100 flowers during one nectar collection trip when they go out looking to bring it back to their nest.
16. In hives in the United Kingdom, they produce 6000 tonnes of honey each and every year.
17. Honey has some amazing life giving qualities that help other creatures to keep sustained.
18. Did you know that Honey never goes off? In fact a jar of 2000 year old honey in an Egyptian tomb was found by explorers on an expedition and it was said to taste delicious.
Find out more about Bees, [http://www.beeextermination.org]Bee extermination and [http://www.carpenterbeesextermination.net]Carpenter bees to help you deal with any bee problem in your home.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?18-Great-Facts-About-Bees-That-You-May-Not-Know-About&id=6752927] 18 Great Facts About Bees That You May Not Know About
1. Did you know that male drone bees do not work at all, and in fact the only work they do is to mate?
2. Did you know that in fact drones do not even have a sting?
3. The bees that do the work in a bee colony are the female workers.
4. A queen will mate with up to 17 drone bees over a two day period during her mating flights.
5. In any one day, a queen can lay over 2000 eggs and she is the only one in the colony who can do so.
6. After she has mated she stores the sperm from the drone bees in her spermatheca and does not attempt to mate again in her lifetime.
7. They will tend to construct their hives either in the ground or high above in trees or on roofs, the only bees who do not do this are carpenter bees who instead make their homes in untreated wood and timber.
8. The average speed of a bee is 15 mph.
9. In order to make a pound of honey, it has been calculated that 556 bees will need to visit one million flowers to make this at all possible.
10. Did you know that It takes an astonishing 1110 stings to kill a human?
11. In order to communicate with each other, Honey bees dance for each other to let each other know what is going on.
12. Did you know that They are also extremely scrupulous about keeping their hives as clean as possible?
13. Of all the crops that we consume, bees are responsible for pollinating a third of them making them the highest pollinators of all insects.
14. The average colony contains 60000 bees which can be a frightening sight and why people resort to bee control out of fear.
15. Honey bees will look to visit 50 to 100 flowers during one nectar collection trip when they go out looking to bring it back to their nest.
16. In hives in the United Kingdom, they produce 6000 tonnes of honey each and every year.
17. Honey has some amazing life giving qualities that help other creatures to keep sustained.
18. Did you know that Honey never goes off? In fact a jar of 2000 year old honey in an Egyptian tomb was found by explorers on an expedition and it was said to taste delicious.
Find out more about Bees, [http://www.beeextermination.org]Bee extermination and [http://www.carpenterbeesextermination.net]Carpenter bees to help you deal with any bee problem in your home.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?18-Great-Facts-About-Bees-That-You-May-Not-Know-About&id=6752927] 18 Great Facts About Bees That You May Not Know About
Saturday, December 24, 2011
It's False! 4 Common Myths About Birds
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Cassidy_Frost]Cassidy Frost
Remember when you were a kid how your mom told you, "Don't pick up the baby bird that fell out of the tree to put it back in the nest or it's mom will abandon it. Because birds are afraid of human scent." That's not true. Most birds don't have a very good sense of smell and could not detect human scent. Although, before handling the baby bird it would be best to determine if the bird is a nestling or a fledgling. Nestlings are featherless and fuzzy, and putting them back in the nest would indeed be helpful, because they are too young to be out of the nest. Fledglings have feathers and are old enough to leave the nest, and fledglings often spend several days on the ground as they learn to fly. It is best you don't carry them off to your house to care for them, because its parents are often nearby even if you don't see them. And they can take much better care of their offspring than you can.
You probably have also heard it said that, "you shouldn't feed the birds because your bird feeder should run out of food, the birds will come to depend on you could starve." That is about as true as you starving if the local McDonald's leaves your town. Although, if you are going out of town in extreme cold weather, a sudden disappearance of food, could be a hardship to them. May not be a bad idea to have someone fill your bird feeder while you are away if you leave town during icy and snowy weather.
Which leads to the concern "if I leave out my hummingbird feeder too long in the fall will I prevent the hummers from migrating like they should for the cold weather?" No need to worry. Hummingbirds know when to migrate due to hormonal changes in their body. These hormonal changes are triggered by the shortening length of daylight. The days getting shorter causes the hummingbirds to migrate. Leaving your bird feeders out too long in the fall will not cause the birds to miss their opportunity to migrate because they accidentally hung around too long.
We have often been cautioned not to throw rice at a newly married couples because a bird may swoop down and eat it. And as rice expands in water the bird will blow up. This is not at all true. Mary Jo Cheeseman, a rice expert at the USA Rice Federation says many birds such as migrating ducks and geese depend on rice fields each year to fatten up to have enough strength to migrate to their nesting grounds. "It's a myth. There is no reason why birds, including small song birds, can't eat rice," said Ned Johnson, a professor of biology at Berkeley. Johnson often gives lectures on feeding of birds.
Cassidy Frost http://www.TheTinklingWindChime.com offers a wide variety of stylish garden decor, from practical to whimsical. If you are looking for wind chimes, garden flags, Birdhouses, and [http://www.thetinklingwindchime.com/page/448747664]Birdbaths, we have what you are looking for! Join us in creating a year round safe haven in your garden for our feathered friends.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Its-False!-4-Common-Myths-About-Birds&id=6745104] It's False! 4 Common Myths About Birds
Remember when you were a kid how your mom told you, "Don't pick up the baby bird that fell out of the tree to put it back in the nest or it's mom will abandon it. Because birds are afraid of human scent." That's not true. Most birds don't have a very good sense of smell and could not detect human scent. Although, before handling the baby bird it would be best to determine if the bird is a nestling or a fledgling. Nestlings are featherless and fuzzy, and putting them back in the nest would indeed be helpful, because they are too young to be out of the nest. Fledglings have feathers and are old enough to leave the nest, and fledglings often spend several days on the ground as they learn to fly. It is best you don't carry them off to your house to care for them, because its parents are often nearby even if you don't see them. And they can take much better care of their offspring than you can.
You probably have also heard it said that, "you shouldn't feed the birds because your bird feeder should run out of food, the birds will come to depend on you could starve." That is about as true as you starving if the local McDonald's leaves your town. Although, if you are going out of town in extreme cold weather, a sudden disappearance of food, could be a hardship to them. May not be a bad idea to have someone fill your bird feeder while you are away if you leave town during icy and snowy weather.
Which leads to the concern "if I leave out my hummingbird feeder too long in the fall will I prevent the hummers from migrating like they should for the cold weather?" No need to worry. Hummingbirds know when to migrate due to hormonal changes in their body. These hormonal changes are triggered by the shortening length of daylight. The days getting shorter causes the hummingbirds to migrate. Leaving your bird feeders out too long in the fall will not cause the birds to miss their opportunity to migrate because they accidentally hung around too long.
We have often been cautioned not to throw rice at a newly married couples because a bird may swoop down and eat it. And as rice expands in water the bird will blow up. This is not at all true. Mary Jo Cheeseman, a rice expert at the USA Rice Federation says many birds such as migrating ducks and geese depend on rice fields each year to fatten up to have enough strength to migrate to their nesting grounds. "It's a myth. There is no reason why birds, including small song birds, can't eat rice," said Ned Johnson, a professor of biology at Berkeley. Johnson often gives lectures on feeding of birds.
Cassidy Frost http://www.TheTinklingWindChime.com offers a wide variety of stylish garden decor, from practical to whimsical. If you are looking for wind chimes, garden flags, Birdhouses, and [http://www.thetinklingwindchime.com/page/448747664]Birdbaths, we have what you are looking for! Join us in creating a year round safe haven in your garden for our feathered friends.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Its-False!-4-Common-Myths-About-Birds&id=6745104] It's False! 4 Common Myths About Birds
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Garden Bird Food and Feeding Tips
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Matthew_K_Venn]Matthew K Venn
Snowdrops sprinkle the hedgerows and a few brave daffodils proudly nod their bright yellow heads. You can hear the sound of birdsong -it seems like spring is here!
Winter can be a difficult time for birds, even if the weather seems mild, they have to eat enough food, in the short daylight hours, to build up vital energy reserves needed to survive the night.
With lighter mornings and lengthening days their birdsong fills the air, singing either to defend their territory or to attract a mate. A female often chooses a mate who sings the best because it's a sign of fitness and strength. He's likely to be well fed, have a good territory and well able to help raise a family. But singing is hard work and uses up precious fat reserves so many species sing less once they have attracted their female partner. Spare a thought for a bird that sings on late into the season, he probably hasn't been able to find a mate.
Once paired, they have a home to make. Although birds may only spend a few days of the year building nests they are certainly action packed days! A Long-tailed tit can fly 600-700 miles collecting various materials and use up to 2,000 feathers in each nest! This all takes about 3 weeks because the nest is an intricate ball of moss, spiders' webs, hair, feathers and lichen.
You may spot the signs that nest building is on going. Help by leaving out plant trimmings, moss from the lawn and hair or fur from grooming the family pet. Many birds like to use mud in the building of their nests so if it's a dry spring try and make sure there's a muddy puddle handy. Spiders are another source of nest building material - whilst spiders themselves are a suitable food for adult birds and chicks, their sticky cobwebs are essential for nest building too. The birds will be quite furtive about approaching their chosen nest site but if you watch closely you may discover their secret hideaway.
You can encourage nesting in your garden by putting up nest boxes. It's best to fix them into position early, even before Christmas, so they become a familiar part of the territory and may even be used for shelter during the winter months.
Once the nestling's emerge the pace will pick up and you just won't be able to keep up with their demands for food - every time you check the feeders will need re-filling! The babies or nestling's are often fed different foods to the parents. The adults search for suitable foods, insects, spiders and caterpillars, journeying back and forth to the nest. Different species handle this in different ways. Take the Blue Tit, both the male and female feed their young, making up to 1,000 trips a day between them, bringing one item at a time, whereas the House Martin parents return only a few times each day often carrying at least 50 insects at a time.
The workload is immense. For example a newly hatched Great Tit chick will weigh just over a gramme. After two weeks his weight will have increased to around 15 times more than at hatching. What a help to the adults to know they can make a quick stop at your feeders for a meal.
And then comes my favorite time of all when the fledglings are coaxed to the feeding station. It's a tentative start with much wobbling about as they wait to be fed. The next step is the landing and perching technique that they have to perfect - this looks particularly difficult to master. I've witnessed some very ungainly landings and quite a few missed branches, which has had me in stitches!
Once they have mastered these skills, rel=nofollow [http://www.ernest-charles.com/shop/Heavy_Duty_Feeders.html]Bird Feeders and Bird Tables are even more crowded with young and old queueing up and overflowing onto the ground beneath - but unusually this doesn't necessarily mean more squabbles - it seems everyone is so intent on feeding that they'll put off fighting over territories and Bird Food for another day. [http://www.ernest-charles.com]Wild Bird Food and Bird Feeders
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Garden-Bird-Food-and-Feeding-Tips&id=6751322] Garden Bird Food and Feeding Tips
Snowdrops sprinkle the hedgerows and a few brave daffodils proudly nod their bright yellow heads. You can hear the sound of birdsong -it seems like spring is here!
Winter can be a difficult time for birds, even if the weather seems mild, they have to eat enough food, in the short daylight hours, to build up vital energy reserves needed to survive the night.
With lighter mornings and lengthening days their birdsong fills the air, singing either to defend their territory or to attract a mate. A female often chooses a mate who sings the best because it's a sign of fitness and strength. He's likely to be well fed, have a good territory and well able to help raise a family. But singing is hard work and uses up precious fat reserves so many species sing less once they have attracted their female partner. Spare a thought for a bird that sings on late into the season, he probably hasn't been able to find a mate.
Once paired, they have a home to make. Although birds may only spend a few days of the year building nests they are certainly action packed days! A Long-tailed tit can fly 600-700 miles collecting various materials and use up to 2,000 feathers in each nest! This all takes about 3 weeks because the nest is an intricate ball of moss, spiders' webs, hair, feathers and lichen.
You may spot the signs that nest building is on going. Help by leaving out plant trimmings, moss from the lawn and hair or fur from grooming the family pet. Many birds like to use mud in the building of their nests so if it's a dry spring try and make sure there's a muddy puddle handy. Spiders are another source of nest building material - whilst spiders themselves are a suitable food for adult birds and chicks, their sticky cobwebs are essential for nest building too. The birds will be quite furtive about approaching their chosen nest site but if you watch closely you may discover their secret hideaway.
You can encourage nesting in your garden by putting up nest boxes. It's best to fix them into position early, even before Christmas, so they become a familiar part of the territory and may even be used for shelter during the winter months.
Once the nestling's emerge the pace will pick up and you just won't be able to keep up with their demands for food - every time you check the feeders will need re-filling! The babies or nestling's are often fed different foods to the parents. The adults search for suitable foods, insects, spiders and caterpillars, journeying back and forth to the nest. Different species handle this in different ways. Take the Blue Tit, both the male and female feed their young, making up to 1,000 trips a day between them, bringing one item at a time, whereas the House Martin parents return only a few times each day often carrying at least 50 insects at a time.
The workload is immense. For example a newly hatched Great Tit chick will weigh just over a gramme. After two weeks his weight will have increased to around 15 times more than at hatching. What a help to the adults to know they can make a quick stop at your feeders for a meal.
And then comes my favorite time of all when the fledglings are coaxed to the feeding station. It's a tentative start with much wobbling about as they wait to be fed. The next step is the landing and perching technique that they have to perfect - this looks particularly difficult to master. I've witnessed some very ungainly landings and quite a few missed branches, which has had me in stitches!
Once they have mastered these skills, rel=nofollow [http://www.ernest-charles.com/shop/Heavy_Duty_Feeders.html]Bird Feeders and Bird Tables are even more crowded with young and old queueing up and overflowing onto the ground beneath - but unusually this doesn't necessarily mean more squabbles - it seems everyone is so intent on feeding that they'll put off fighting over territories and Bird Food for another day. [http://www.ernest-charles.com]Wild Bird Food and Bird Feeders
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Garden-Bird-Food-and-Feeding-Tips&id=6751322] Garden Bird Food and Feeding Tips
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Two Impressive Animals Of The Galapagos
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Terry_Philips]Terry Philips
The Galapagos Islands lie over 1,000km off the coast of South America's Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, almost exactly on the equator. Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835 on his voyage in The HMS Beagle. The islands' nature proved to be of great importance in the development of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.
Three ocean currents converge at the islands and there is ongoing volcanic and seismic activity; these factors along with the islands' isolation led to the unusual animal life that can be seen on the islands.
What it is, the marine reserve and the islands are known as a 'living museum and showcase of evolution.' The islands' natural residents are world famous for being fearless of humans, thanks to their long history of evolution in absolute isolation from humanity. For this reason the Galapagos are possibly the world's most popular destination for nature lovers seeking to spot some of the islands' best known residents.
Galapagos Tortoise
This is the largest living tortoise and is the most recognised symbol of the Galapagos Islands. The tortoises can weigh more than 250kg and their shells can measure 150cm; they are slow moving and have a life span of over 150 years.
These creatures are herbivores and live on a diet of fruit, leaves, grasses, vines and cactus. Tortoises that feed on high growing cacti have curved shells to enable their longer neck to reach the food whereas tortoises feeding on ground vegetation have dome shells.
With 11 sub-species still living on the islands, there used to be 15 sub-species. It is believed that the tortoises arrived on the island by floating on a piece of wood along the Pacific Coast. A similar large tortoise lives on the South American mainland that is related to the Galapagos Tortoise.
Since 1969, there have been strictly protected measures established by the Charles Darwin Research Station to help endangered tortoises within the Galapagos National Park. A project of tortoise rearing has been started by the Charles Darwin Research Station and they collect the tortoise eggs and raise the young until they are capable of defending themselves about predators because if they don't then they will be threatened. This project has turned things around and have now got 10 of the 11 endangered species to guarded levels.
Galapagos Pink Land Iguana
An Iguana is a large lizard; the islands are home to both the Marine Iguana and the Land Iguana. The Pink Iguana has rose coloured scales with black stripes along its body and is thought to be a hybrid of both species of Iguana. This particular species was first spotted in the islands in 1986 but was not classified as a separate species until 2009.
There are physical differences between the species, the Pink Iguanas have flat head scales, whereas land iguanas have a thick fatty crest on the back of the neck with small conical scales.
"Volcan Wolf", the volcano in the north on the island of Isabela, is the only place that this Iguana can be found and is recognised by a stripy pink body. There are thought to be around 100 living species and because of this, urgent action needs to be taken to prevent its extinction.
When looking for your [http://vayaadventures.com/destinations/machu-picchu-galapagos]Machu Picchu and Galapagos tours you need to know what you want to see and how you're going to see it. Always use a recommended travel operator when considering your visit to [http://vayaadventures.com/destinations/machu-picchu-galapagos]Galapagos and Peru.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Two-Impressive-Animals-Of-The-Galapagos&id=6757122] Two Impressive Animals Of The Galapagos
The Galapagos Islands lie over 1,000km off the coast of South America's Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, almost exactly on the equator. Charles Darwin visited the islands in 1835 on his voyage in The HMS Beagle. The islands' nature proved to be of great importance in the development of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.
Three ocean currents converge at the islands and there is ongoing volcanic and seismic activity; these factors along with the islands' isolation led to the unusual animal life that can be seen on the islands.
What it is, the marine reserve and the islands are known as a 'living museum and showcase of evolution.' The islands' natural residents are world famous for being fearless of humans, thanks to their long history of evolution in absolute isolation from humanity. For this reason the Galapagos are possibly the world's most popular destination for nature lovers seeking to spot some of the islands' best known residents.
Galapagos Tortoise
This is the largest living tortoise and is the most recognised symbol of the Galapagos Islands. The tortoises can weigh more than 250kg and their shells can measure 150cm; they are slow moving and have a life span of over 150 years.
These creatures are herbivores and live on a diet of fruit, leaves, grasses, vines and cactus. Tortoises that feed on high growing cacti have curved shells to enable their longer neck to reach the food whereas tortoises feeding on ground vegetation have dome shells.
With 11 sub-species still living on the islands, there used to be 15 sub-species. It is believed that the tortoises arrived on the island by floating on a piece of wood along the Pacific Coast. A similar large tortoise lives on the South American mainland that is related to the Galapagos Tortoise.
Since 1969, there have been strictly protected measures established by the Charles Darwin Research Station to help endangered tortoises within the Galapagos National Park. A project of tortoise rearing has been started by the Charles Darwin Research Station and they collect the tortoise eggs and raise the young until they are capable of defending themselves about predators because if they don't then they will be threatened. This project has turned things around and have now got 10 of the 11 endangered species to guarded levels.
Galapagos Pink Land Iguana
An Iguana is a large lizard; the islands are home to both the Marine Iguana and the Land Iguana. The Pink Iguana has rose coloured scales with black stripes along its body and is thought to be a hybrid of both species of Iguana. This particular species was first spotted in the islands in 1986 but was not classified as a separate species until 2009.
There are physical differences between the species, the Pink Iguanas have flat head scales, whereas land iguanas have a thick fatty crest on the back of the neck with small conical scales.
"Volcan Wolf", the volcano in the north on the island of Isabela, is the only place that this Iguana can be found and is recognised by a stripy pink body. There are thought to be around 100 living species and because of this, urgent action needs to be taken to prevent its extinction.
When looking for your [http://vayaadventures.com/destinations/machu-picchu-galapagos]Machu Picchu and Galapagos tours you need to know what you want to see and how you're going to see it. Always use a recommended travel operator when considering your visit to [http://vayaadventures.com/destinations/machu-picchu-galapagos]Galapagos and Peru.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Two-Impressive-Animals-Of-The-Galapagos&id=6757122] Two Impressive Animals Of The Galapagos
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Living Dinosaurs
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Lindsay_F_Mineo]Lindsay F Mineo
You can just look at some animals and know that dinosaurs were very real (well, if fossils haven't persuaded you). Take this crocodile in Australia: at 18 feet long (ish... I don't think anyone has gotten close enough to measure him), Brutus is a monster by anyone's standards. Tourists to Australia's Northern Territory pay money for a crocodile boat tour for a chance to see one of these giants up close, and this particular group got a great experience. This photo went through a ridiculous amount of skepticism but it appeared in Time magazine's pictures of the year for 2011, and that's good enough for me. It helps that Photoshop experts also think it's real, there's video of Mr. Brutus, and you can apparently see the reflection of the monster croc in one of the boat passenger's sunglasses, not to mention anyone can go to Australia's Northern Territory, buy this same crocodile boat tour, and have a pretty decent chance of seeing their star character for themselves, but I figure Time magazine has a handle on which images are faked and which are real.
In the picture you can see Mr. Brutus is missing his right leg, which locals say is because he got into a fight with a shark (Brutus is a saltwater crocodile). Nonetheless he's still getting some serious air as he leaps for whatever meat the tour guide is dangling. This seems akin to shark diving, something I'm actually very interested in doing someday when I have the expendable cash for a flight out to South Africa, although somehow a steel cage in the water seems safer than a tin boat on top of the water...
Saltwater crocodiles are the largest species of crocodiles and the largest of all reptiles, and the largest accurately recorded croc was just over 20 feet long with unverified reports of crocs reaching 23 feet long. All I can say is I'm adding saltwater crocodile to the list of animals I don't want to meet in they're natural habitats, a list which includes hippos and Indian gaur at the top. It's nearly impossible to look at a creature such as a saltwater crocodile without being reminded that dinosaurs once roamed this whole planet. Crocodiles (and cayman, alligators, iguana and all other lizards), sharks and ostriches (to be fair, all birds are more or less remnants of dinosaurs) all remind me of the animals that once were. And when you look at it that way, these guys are the kings of the animal kingdom, a title we usually reserve for ourselves... or the roaches, if we're being funny. These living reptiles and birds survived whatever killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, proved they can adapt no matter what, and will most likely not be harmed by anything us mere humans can do.
This way of thinking solidifies the idea that us humans will be the only thing disappearing from our planet because of our own actions. We might take a few species with us, but mammals will still exist, new species will evolve and reptiles will continue to rule our world. We should be taking care of our planet so we can continue living on it, not necessarily because we care about other animals living on it.
Lindsay writes her [http://miniaturemastodon.com/]animal loving blog Miniature Mastadon and, right up until her senior year of high school, was going to work with animals. After changing courses and getting a degree in writing, she ended up working in a zoo for a little more than a year. Being face to face with rhinos, giraffes, ostriches, gaur and even super close to an elephant herd (faves) dawned the realization that she can't quite ignore the need to be involved in some way. The Miniature Mastadon is an outlet to write about [http://miniaturemastodon.com/]animal news, triumphs, discoveries, and even some sadness. All discussion, thoughts, questions and stories are most fully welcome so come chime in!
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Living-Dinosaurs&id=6758696] Living Dinosaurs
You can just look at some animals and know that dinosaurs were very real (well, if fossils haven't persuaded you). Take this crocodile in Australia: at 18 feet long (ish... I don't think anyone has gotten close enough to measure him), Brutus is a monster by anyone's standards. Tourists to Australia's Northern Territory pay money for a crocodile boat tour for a chance to see one of these giants up close, and this particular group got a great experience. This photo went through a ridiculous amount of skepticism but it appeared in Time magazine's pictures of the year for 2011, and that's good enough for me. It helps that Photoshop experts also think it's real, there's video of Mr. Brutus, and you can apparently see the reflection of the monster croc in one of the boat passenger's sunglasses, not to mention anyone can go to Australia's Northern Territory, buy this same crocodile boat tour, and have a pretty decent chance of seeing their star character for themselves, but I figure Time magazine has a handle on which images are faked and which are real.
In the picture you can see Mr. Brutus is missing his right leg, which locals say is because he got into a fight with a shark (Brutus is a saltwater crocodile). Nonetheless he's still getting some serious air as he leaps for whatever meat the tour guide is dangling. This seems akin to shark diving, something I'm actually very interested in doing someday when I have the expendable cash for a flight out to South Africa, although somehow a steel cage in the water seems safer than a tin boat on top of the water...
Saltwater crocodiles are the largest species of crocodiles and the largest of all reptiles, and the largest accurately recorded croc was just over 20 feet long with unverified reports of crocs reaching 23 feet long. All I can say is I'm adding saltwater crocodile to the list of animals I don't want to meet in they're natural habitats, a list which includes hippos and Indian gaur at the top. It's nearly impossible to look at a creature such as a saltwater crocodile without being reminded that dinosaurs once roamed this whole planet. Crocodiles (and cayman, alligators, iguana and all other lizards), sharks and ostriches (to be fair, all birds are more or less remnants of dinosaurs) all remind me of the animals that once were. And when you look at it that way, these guys are the kings of the animal kingdom, a title we usually reserve for ourselves... or the roaches, if we're being funny. These living reptiles and birds survived whatever killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, proved they can adapt no matter what, and will most likely not be harmed by anything us mere humans can do.
This way of thinking solidifies the idea that us humans will be the only thing disappearing from our planet because of our own actions. We might take a few species with us, but mammals will still exist, new species will evolve and reptiles will continue to rule our world. We should be taking care of our planet so we can continue living on it, not necessarily because we care about other animals living on it.
Lindsay writes her [http://miniaturemastodon.com/]animal loving blog Miniature Mastadon and, right up until her senior year of high school, was going to work with animals. After changing courses and getting a degree in writing, she ended up working in a zoo for a little more than a year. Being face to face with rhinos, giraffes, ostriches, gaur and even super close to an elephant herd (faves) dawned the realization that she can't quite ignore the need to be involved in some way. The Miniature Mastadon is an outlet to write about [http://miniaturemastodon.com/]animal news, triumphs, discoveries, and even some sadness. All discussion, thoughts, questions and stories are most fully welcome so come chime in!
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Living-Dinosaurs&id=6758696] Living Dinosaurs
Friday, December 16, 2011
Poaching In Africa Is Still Prevalent
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=John_Gordon_Alexander]John Gordon Alexander
In 2011 alone there have been 23 black and white Rhinos killed due to poaching in both Zimbabwe's National Parks and private reserves. In response to this there have been 37 arrests of suspected poachers and illegal ivory dealers. With the lucrative Asian and Middle Eastern market present it's no surprise that poaching still exists in Zimbabwe. With poverty at its highest level in Zimbabwe people living on the outskirts of National Parks and animal reserves have the temptation to poach a Rhino and sell the ivory on to a dealer to make some quick money for himself and his family. There are very few job opportunities in Zimbabwe so in many cases it's a 'needs, must' scenario.
Efforts are being made by the wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe by devising new ways to tackle this on going problem. A solution to the problem lies in the Rhino's horn, so horn removal projects have been implemented across the country in aid of saving the Rhinos. By removing these magnificent creatures horns, poachers will have no value in taking a Rhino's life and may therefore leave them alone. The ivory will then stay with the authorities who will keep it under lock and key away from the poachers. Another method being implemented is poisoning the horn of the Rhino, not in an attempt to harm the animal but to poison the poacher and the ivory dealers once they get their hands on the tusk. Both these methods could prove to be a resounding success as it will make life a lot trickier for both the poachers and the ivory dealers.
In other African nations, poaching is still an issue but not to the extent of Zimbabwe. Many other countries including Kenya and Tanzania have employed more fully trained rangers to patrol National Parks in search of poachers, laying traps and snares to catch them. Kenya also hopes to purchase another 14 light aircraft to patrol National Parks and suspected poaching sites which will enable them to respond much more swiftly than they would be able to on foot. Ultimately to quell this problem there needs to be a more forceful ban imposed in Asia and the Middle East to cut off the buyers. As long as there is demand for the ivory I'm afraid there will always be people trying to supply them whatever the cost. Until that day comes the only thing authorities in Africa can do is to be vigilant and keep coming up with new ideas on how to catch poachers and ivory dealers.
Are you looking for an African adventure? If you are looking for top of the line [http://www.africatravelresource.com]African safari, or perhaps a high end [http://www.africatravelresource.com/botswana-safari/]Botswana Safari? then we are the people to come to.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Poaching-In-Africa-Is-Still-Prevalent&id=6752410] Poaching In Africa Is Still Prevalent
In 2011 alone there have been 23 black and white Rhinos killed due to poaching in both Zimbabwe's National Parks and private reserves. In response to this there have been 37 arrests of suspected poachers and illegal ivory dealers. With the lucrative Asian and Middle Eastern market present it's no surprise that poaching still exists in Zimbabwe. With poverty at its highest level in Zimbabwe people living on the outskirts of National Parks and animal reserves have the temptation to poach a Rhino and sell the ivory on to a dealer to make some quick money for himself and his family. There are very few job opportunities in Zimbabwe so in many cases it's a 'needs, must' scenario.
Efforts are being made by the wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe by devising new ways to tackle this on going problem. A solution to the problem lies in the Rhino's horn, so horn removal projects have been implemented across the country in aid of saving the Rhinos. By removing these magnificent creatures horns, poachers will have no value in taking a Rhino's life and may therefore leave them alone. The ivory will then stay with the authorities who will keep it under lock and key away from the poachers. Another method being implemented is poisoning the horn of the Rhino, not in an attempt to harm the animal but to poison the poacher and the ivory dealers once they get their hands on the tusk. Both these methods could prove to be a resounding success as it will make life a lot trickier for both the poachers and the ivory dealers.
In other African nations, poaching is still an issue but not to the extent of Zimbabwe. Many other countries including Kenya and Tanzania have employed more fully trained rangers to patrol National Parks in search of poachers, laying traps and snares to catch them. Kenya also hopes to purchase another 14 light aircraft to patrol National Parks and suspected poaching sites which will enable them to respond much more swiftly than they would be able to on foot. Ultimately to quell this problem there needs to be a more forceful ban imposed in Asia and the Middle East to cut off the buyers. As long as there is demand for the ivory I'm afraid there will always be people trying to supply them whatever the cost. Until that day comes the only thing authorities in Africa can do is to be vigilant and keep coming up with new ideas on how to catch poachers and ivory dealers.
Are you looking for an African adventure? If you are looking for top of the line [http://www.africatravelresource.com]African safari, or perhaps a high end [http://www.africatravelresource.com/botswana-safari/]Botswana Safari? then we are the people to come to.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Poaching-In-Africa-Is-Still-Prevalent&id=6752410] Poaching In Africa Is Still Prevalent
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