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Saturday, May 28, 2011

The Beuty Of The Tree Frog

Beuty Of Animlas | The Beuty Of The Tree Frog | The tree frog is a small species of frog that spends its life in the trees. True tree frogs are found inhabiting the forests and jungles in the warmer regions all over the world. Tree frogs are best known for their distinctive disc-shaped toes on the end of each leg. The rounded toes of the tree frog, gives its feet more suction and therefore better grip when moving around in the trees.
 

There are four main species of tree frog which vary in size from just a few to more than 10 centimetres in length. The European tree frog is found in meadows and shrublands across eastern Europe but is considered endangered in western Europe. The Common tree frog is the smallest of the tree frog species and is found in a variety of habitats across south-east Asia.
 

The Cuban tree frog is the largest of the four tree frog species ans is natively found in Cuba and its surrounding islands, but has been introduced to parts of Florida, the Caribbean and Hawaii. The Red-Eyed tree frog is the most distinctive of the tree frog species and is native to the jungles of Central America. The Red-Eyed tree frog has a long narrow body and hind legs which point outwards, along with its characteristic red eyes.


As with other frogs and toads, tree frog are generally carnivorous animals, feeding primarily on insects, worms and spiders. The large Cuban tree frog will eat anything that will fit in its mouth including lizards, snakes, small mammals and even other frogs. Due to their small size, the tree frog has numerous predators wherever it lives in the world. Birds, mammals and reptiles of all shapes and sizes prey on the tree frog and the tree frog is also known to be a tasty tree for large fish.
 
During the mating season, tree frogs make loud croak-like calls to one another in order to attract a mate. The female tree frog lays her eggs on a leaf above the water, which develop into tadpoles in just a few days when they fall into the water below. The metamorphic process from tadpole to adult tree frog can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months.

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The Beuty Of The Toucan Bird

Beuty Of Animlas | The Beuty Of The Toucan Bird | The toucan is a medium-sized bird native to the rain forests of central and South America and the Caribbean. There are more than 40 different species of toucan that inhabit the South American jungles today. The toucan is best known for it's large colourful beak that despite it's large size, is surprisingly light due to the fact that it is made of a substance called keratin (the same substance that makes up the nails and hair of many animals including humans) . The toucan's beak measures around half the toucans body length and is used for mating, feeding and defence purposes. The toucan's bill however, is not particularly strong and so it is used more to intimidate predators rather than to fight them off.

The toucan only has small wings as it dwells in forests and therefore do not need to travel large distances. The toucan's wingspan is roughly the same length as the toucans body. Although the toucan is able to fly, the toucan is not very good at flying and cannot be in the air for very long. Instead of using their wings to get around, the toucan hops between the tree branches using it curved toes and sharp claws to get a good grip on the narrow surface that it holds on to. 
 
Toucans are omnivorous birds and feed on a mixture of plants and animals. Toucans eat fruits, berries, nuts and seeds along with eggs, insects and small mammals and reptiles. The primary source of food for the toucan is the fruit which grows on the trees where the toucan lives.

 
Toucans have a number of predators in the South American jungle including humans, large birds of prey and wild cats. Weasels, snakes and rats tend to prey more on the eggs of the toucan rather than the toucan itself (many small animals are generally intimidated by the toucan's large bill). Although toucans are generally solitary when feeding, toucans often live in small groups of around 6 or 7 birds. The bright colours of the toucan gives the toucan camouflage in the colourful rainforest canopy. However, due to their bright colours, toucans are often captured and sold as pets with toucans being popular animals in the exotic pet trade.

Toucans build their nest in trees in lay around 3 eggs. When the toucan chicks hatch, both the male toucan and the female toucan help to feed them and protect them from predators. The toucan chicks are born with small beaks that don't reach their full size for at least a few months.
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The Beuty Of The Baboon

Beuty Of Animlas | The Beuty Of The Baboon | True Wild Life | Baboon | Baboons are medium sized primates found in Africa, and are best known for their bright behinds! The two most common species of baboon in east Africa are the olive baboon and the yellow baboon. The baboon is generally found in more forested areas but is also commonly known to wander the African plains. Baboons grow from 0.5 to 1.2m depending on the species, but weigh only around 30kg. The olive baboon tends to grow to a slightly larger size than the yellow baboon. Baboons are also mainly ground dwelling monkeys meaning that they have a more varied habitat than most other primates.

 
Baboons generally get to about 30 years old but can get to older ages if domesticated. Baboons are the most friendly known monkey towards humans in the east of Africa, but have made a name for themselves as agricultural pests. Baboons live together in troops with only one dominant male baboon for every troop. The other up to 50 remaining baboons are females and baby baboons, that are either female or males that are not old enough to survive without the baboon troops help.

 
The baboon is a terrestrial and ground dwelling animal and baboons are found in open savannah, open woodland and hills across Africa. The baboon's diet is omnivorous, but mostly vegetarian yet baboons eat insects and the baboon occasionally preys on fish, shellfish, hares, birds, monkeys and small antelopes. Baboons are forager animals and baboons are active at irregular times throughout both the day and night. Baboons can raid human dwellings and in South Africa baboons have been also known to prey on human livestock like sheep and goats.

The baboon's main predators are human beings and the leopard, although the baboon is not easy prey for a leopard and large male baboons will often confront the leopard by flashing their eyelids and showing their teeth by yawning. Baboons have also been seen making gestures, and chasing after the intruder/predator.
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Friday, May 27, 2011

The Antelopes

Beuty Of Animlas | Of The Antelopes The eland is the largest of Kenya's antelope. Some weigh up to a ton and measure six feet tall. As large as they are, they can still jump six feet in the air. They can be distinguished by their tufted dewlap hanging down from the neck.  The greater kudu weighs around 600 pounds and is distinguished by its long spiral horns, over four feet long. Kudus have excellent hearing with ears that can turn in any direction. Long hair grows on their front from the throat down to the chest. They have six to eight white stripes on the flanks over a gray background. 
 
The lesser kudu is a smaller version with up to fifteen stripes, and lacks the hair on its throat seen on greater kudus. Waterbucks also have long horns over two feet with a glossy brown coat. Usually seen in small herds, a single bull may be accompanied by several cows and calves. They are identified easily by the strong musky smell they give off. The bongo is a broad, chestnut color antelope with vertical white stripes down its flanks. Their lifespan is about 12 years and they live in pairs. Bongos are rarely seen, due to their nocturnal behavior and mountain habitat. 
The topi is a common species in the Maasai Mara. They are known for standing watch on rocks and termite hills, guarding their territory. Dark patches mark their face, legs, thighs and hips. These large, reddish brown antelopes are a prime source of food for the savannah predators. Hartebeest can also be found on the plains. Although there are several species, only the Coke's hartebeest is common. 
 
Its characterized by humped shoulders with short horns. Males often move in groups togethor, while dominant males may have several females. Grant's gazelles can be seen moving about the open areas in groups of up to thirty. They roam constantly during the day, apparently oblivious to the intense heat. They are typically less than three feet in height and live up to 12 years, capable of living through long periods of drought. Thomson's gazelles are similar, only slightly smaller. 
 
The only noticeable difference from the Grant's gazelle is the white markings on its rump end below the tail. Abundant in the plains, the Thomson's gazelle moves in herds, often with other animals. Hunted by all the predators, they can jump to great heights from a standstill.  The impala is another prime source of food. Living in herds, impalas are common in Southern Kenya. They stand around 3 feet tall, distinguished by a white rump with black streaks on either side. It survives by leaping and changing course rapidly. 

Their jumps can be over ten feet high and 30 feet long. The bushbuck lives up to its name by hiding in forests and thick underbrush. Its about 3 feet tall with white markings and a short, bushy tail. It's markings provide camouflage from the leopard, which also frequents these areas. Reedbucks get there name from their habit of spending days laying in tall grasses or reeds for cover. They are only seen out as dawn or dusk. Reebucks are two and a half feet tall with a sandy color and a white belly. Below the ears is a unique bare spot. Spotting a reedbuck can be difficult, since they are shy and easily frightened. 

  Kenya has several species of antelopes only a few feet tall or less. Dik-diks are seen in pairs or small groups among the trees and thickets. They are shy and stand just over a foot tall with a gray-brown color. Only the male has horns. Oribis stand two feet tall and have a reddish-brown fur. The oribi is capable of leaping straight up in the air to see over the bushes. Klipspringers are also great jumpers. Measuring 20 to 22 inches tall their fur is a yellowish-brown color. The fur is stiff and cushions them from rocks when they land. These tiny antelope are only found in the hills. 
  Perhaps most unique of the antelopes is the gerenuk. It stands around 3 feet tall, but their necks are unusually long making it easier for them to feed on desert bushes. They have learned to stand on their hind legs, reaching the leaves higher up on trees. Putting their heads down, the gerenuk can run very fast. 
 
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The Beuty Of The Lion

Beuty Of Animlas | The Beuty Of The  Lion | The lion is the largest of the cat families in Kenya. A male can weigh over 600 pounds.  Although the lion is a very powerful animal, it reserves most of its strength for hunting. Lion hunt in groups by stalking then chasing down their prey at speeds up to 40 miles per hour. 
 
They leap on the prey's back, dragging it to the ground. Once down, they latch on to the throat until the animal finally gives up. Zebra, wildebeest, and gazelles are all targeted by lions.
 
When not hunting, the lion spends its day resting.  While on safari, lion are most often spotted lounging in the grass or high rocks surveying their territory. The lion lives in prides, numbering up to thirty with the majority being females and young. 
 
 
A pride can have a range of over 500 square miles. Lions are found in much of Kenya, including Amboseli, Maasai Mara, Nairobi National Park, Samburu and Tsavo West. 
 
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The Beuty Of The Elephant

Beuty Of Animlas | The Beuty Of The Elephant | Elephants are known for their keen sense of smell and hearing, compensating for their poor eyesight.  Even though they are the largest and most powerful land mammal, they are gentle and peaceful. Females live in family units. Young males are driven from the family when they reach puberty to live in bachelor herds.

Adult males live alone joining family units only to mate. African elephants weigh between 3 and 6 tons and measure 10 feet to the shoulders. The lifespan of an elephant lasts between 50 and 70 years. 
 
Elephants are vegetarians, feeding on grass, foilage, fruit, branches and twigs. Its massive body requires 200 to 600 pounds of food per day and around 50 gallons of water.  Herds can cover distances of over 50 miles a day, but never move far from water. Both male and female African elephants have tusks. 
 
These tusks can weigh 50 to 100 pounds or more and continue to grow throughout the elephants lifetime. The tusks are used as tools for carrying and clearing. The teeth are used to grind their food. When the elephant loses all its teeth, it can no longer feed and starves to death. The trunk has a multitude of functions. It is used for drinking and eating, washing, carrying, scent, and communicating with other elephants.

During pregnancy, the mother carries her baby almost two years before delivery. At that time, the birth takes place in privacy attended by two other females. A newborn elephant can weigh up to 300 pounds and stand close to 3 feet tall. 
 
The young are aggresively defended. Elephants are widely distributed throughout Kenya. They can be seen in Amboseli, the Aberdares, Maasai Mara, Meru National Park, Mount Kenya, Samburu and Tsavo. 

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Thursday, May 26, 2011

The Beuty OF The Zebra

Beuty Of Animlas | The Beuty Of The  Zebra Zebras live together on the African plains in large herds often with or close to other herbivorous mammals such as antelope and wildebeest. Along with the wildebeest , the zebra takes part in the annual great migration following the rains across Africa. Herbivores do this in order to get the best grazing as the grass is at its best after the rain has passed over it. The female zebra usually gives birth to just one zebra foal after a 12 month gestation period. Female zebras have been known to give birth to zebra twins but it is a fairly fair occurrence. Zebra foals are able to stand and run about just hours after birth and remain close the mother zebra until they are big enough to look out for themselves.
 
The zebra is best known for the black and white striping pattern unique to each of the 3 species of zebra . Within a species, the pattern of the stripes is unique to each individual zebra, like with a human's fingerprint. There is some evidence that zebras recognize herdmates by their patterns. The plains zebra grows to around 1.5m high and about 2 m long. The Grevy can be much taller, some up to 15 hh. The average zebra weighs around 300kg, which is a similar weight to a horse.

There are 3 species of zebra, all three zebra species are found in Africa. The mountain zebra is sadly an endangered species and there are only a few left in the wild. The Hartman subspecies has a distinct dewlap on the throat. The striping pattern of a mountain zebra is similar to that of a plains zebra, but it has a unique gridiron pattern on the top of the rump. You would think that the zebra's stripes would make the zebra vulnerable to predators as it would be difficult to hide itself. If the zebra has to run away, the zebra's stripes actually help it to blend in with the rest of the fleeing herd, visually confusing predators who are trying to zero in on one specific animal.


One extinct subspecies of the Plains zebra, which was once found in great numbers in South Africa's Cape Province was the quagga. The quagga was distinguished from other zebras by having the usual zebra stripes on the front part of the body only. The stripes on the quagga gradually fade so its rear was only chestnut. The only quagga to have ever been photographed alive was a mare at the Zoological Society of London's Zoo in Regent's Park in 1870. She was 28 at the time and died a year or two later. Only after she died did zoologists realize she was the very last of her kind. The zebra is a common target for large carnivorous animals that are found in the zebra's habitat. The predators of the zebra include the lion, hyena and the crocodile along with other large mammals such as cheetahs and leopards that tend to hunt the smaller and more vulnerable members of the zebra herd. The zebra's defenses include its very powerful kick, which can break the jaw of a lion. It also has an explosive takeoff and can sprint at good speed for a short distance.

It has been known for zebras to occasionally mate with donkeys and horses resulting in a zonkey foal. This is thought to happen extremely rarely in the wild and the zonkey is infertile meaning that it cannot produce offspring of its own. There has also been a documented case of a Grevy zebra mating with a Grant zebra in the wild, producing an interspecies zebra hybrid. The conformation is intermediate between the two. It has Grevy pinstripes arranged in a Grantlike pattern. Like other interspecies hybrids it is sterile.

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The Beuty Of The Wrasse Fish

Beuty Of Animlas | The Beuty Of The Wrasse Fish | The wrasse is a typically small species of fish, found in the coastal waters of the world's major oceans. The Cleaner wrasse is the most commonly known wrasse species as it is often seen alongside other marine animals, including sharks. There are more than 500 different species of Wrasse found in the shallower coastal waters and coral reefs, of the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. Wrasse most commonly inhabit areas that have an abundance of both food and places to hide, making coral reefs and rocky shores the perfect home for the wrasse.

Cleaner wrasse are the most well-known wrasse species as they are often seen going into the mouths of large marine animals in order remove the dead material inside. Cleaner wrasse feed on dead tissues, scales and parasites that lurk inside the mouth of the larger animal, and few are actually eaten by the predator that they are assisting. Wrasse come in a variety of colours and sizes depending on the species of wrasse. Wrasse tend to be relatively small in size, with many species of wrasse being less than 20 cm in length. One species of wrasse however is enormous in comparison, growing to more than 2 meters long.

 
Wrasse are carnivorous animals that have thick lips with a row of teeth that usually face outwards. The mouth of the wrasse is protractile which means that it is capable of extending forwards. Wrasse feeds on a number of small invertebrates, small fish and food particles in the water. Wrasse are also known to follow large predatory fish, eating the trail of left-overs that it leaves behind it. Due to their small size, wrasse have numerous predators in their natural environment including larger fish, such as lionfish, dogfish and barracuda and wrasse are even eaten by some smaller species of shark.

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