recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Megamouth Shark

The megamouth shark is a large species, reaching weights of 2700 pounds (1215 kg). However, it is the smallest of the three species of filter-feeding sharks, behind the whale shark and the basking shark. The megamouth shark gets its name from the remarkably large, circular mouth. On an individual approximately 16 feet in length (5 m), the mouth is approximately four feet across (1.3 m). This species has only been observed in the wild a few times, and less than 60 individuals are known by scientists to ever be captured or observed.

Megamouth sharks live from near the surface to as deep as 15,000 feet (4600 m).  Like many species with a deep-sea affinity, scientists believe megamouth sharks only come near the surface at night and spend most of their lives in the dark.  They are filter feeders and swim with their mouths constantly wide open in order to filter out their preferred planktonic prey.  The inside of their mouths are covered with light producing organs that may be used to attract pelagic crustaceans and other potential prey.

Though it is one of the largest sharks in the world, the megamouth shark was only discovered by scientists in 1976.  Even large species may go undiscovered in the large deep sea.  As commercial fisheries keep pushing to deeper depths to target new species to market as food, new discoveries are constantly being made.  The first known megamouth shark was accidentally captured when it became entangled in a sea anchor attached to deep naval equipment near Hawaii.  Since that time, only a relatively few dozen individuals have been captured, including a very small number of juveniles.  With increasing deep-sea fishing operations, the time between captured individuals has recently become shorter.

Megamouth sharks mate via internal fertilization and give live birth to a small number of relatively large young.  Though they give live birth, these sharks do not connect to their young through a placenta.  Instead, during the gestation period, the mother likely provides her young with unfertilized eggs that they actively eat for nourishment.  After they are born, young megamouth sharks immediately become filter feeders.  The megamouth shark is not targeted by commercial fishers, but it is often sold when captured accidentally in fisheries targeting other species.  It is likely naturally very rare, but scientists do not believe that they have sufficient knowledge of this species to determine its conservation status.
Spangled Drongo

The **spangled drongo** (*Dicrurus bracteatus*) is a bird of the family Dicruridae. it is the only drongo to be found in Australia where it can be recognised by its black, iridescent plumage and by its characteristic forked tail. It feeds on insects and small vertebrates, and its comical behaviour has led to the use of the word "drongo" to refer to an "idiot". It has complex and varied calls and is a mimic of the sounds it hears. It arrives in Queensland in late spring and breeds high in an isolated tree, producing three to five young each year.

## Description

Its basically black plumage is iridescent with blue and purple highlights. The most remarkable characteristic of its appearance is its tail, which is described by Morcombe as "long, outcurved and forked" and on first examination looks like its feathers are crossed over - like crossing your fingers.

## Behavior

"Drongo" is Australian slang for "idiot", possibly referring to the bird's uninhibited and sometimes comical behaviour as it swoops and perches in search of insects, small birds and occasionally, small skinks. When it - seasonally - visits urban areas it is easily tamed by throwing small pieces of raw meat into the air, when it will accurately swoop and catch them mid-air.

Whilst this bird is often silent, it sometimes makes astonishingly loud, complex and entertaining calls that may sound like a "sneeze". The spangled drongo is an amazing mimic taking most of its vocabulary from the sounds heard in the vicinity and weaving them into a virtuoso aria.

The spangled drongo is the only drongo to be found in Australia. These birds are altitudinal and latitudinal migrants, and in the high altitude areas around Brisbane in Queensland, they arrive in late spring and leave with their new crop of juveniles in mid-summer. Nests are cup shaped in open spaces, where it is difficult for predators to access without being seen, 75% up the canopy. Each year, they produce 3-5 young.
Muntjac Deer

**Muntjacs**, also known as **barking deer** and **Mastreani deer**, are small deer of the genus *Muntiacus*. Muntjacs are the oldest known deer, thought to have begun appearing 15–35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France, Germany and Poland.

## Description

The present-day species are native to South Asia and can be found in India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the Indonesian islands, Taiwan and Southern China. They are also found in the lower Himalayas (Terai regions of Nepal and Bhutan) and in some areas of Japan (the Boso Peninsula and Ōshima Island). They have been introduced to England.

A large feral population of barking deer exists in England. Reeves's muntjac has been introduced to England, with wild deer descended from escapees from the Woburn Abbey estate around 1925. Muntjac have expanded very rapidly, and are now present in most English counties and have also expanded their range into Wales, although they are less common in the north-west. The British Deer Society coordinated a survey of wild deer in the UK between 2005 and 2007, and they reported that muntjac deer had noticeably expanded their range since the previous census in 2000. It is anticipated that muntjac may soon become the most numerous species of deer in England and may have also crossed the border into Scotland with a couple of specimens even appearing in Northern Ireland in 2009; they have been spotted in the Republic of Ireland in 2010, almost certainly having reached there with some human assistance.

Inhabiting tropical regions, the deer have no seasonal rut, and mating can take place at any time of year; this behaviour is retained by populations introduced to temperate countries. Males have short antlers, which can regrow, but they tend to fight for territory with their "tusks" (downward-pointing canine teeth). The presence of these "tusks" is otherwise unknown in native British wild deer and can be discriminatory when trying to differentiate a muntjac from an immature native deer, although water deer also have visible tusks; however, they are much less widespread.

Muntjac are of great interest in evolutionary studies because of their dramatic chromosome variations and the recent discovery of several new species. The Indian muntjac (*M. muntjak*) is the mammal with the lowest recorded chromosome number: The male has a diploid number of 7, the female only 6 chromosomes. Reeves's muntjac (*M. reevesi*), in comparison, has a diploid number of 46 chromosomes.
Stoat

The stoat is a small sized mammal, closely related to weasels and ferrets. Stoats are also closely related to otters, badgers and wolverines and stoats share similar characteristics with all of these animals. Stoats are found inhabiting a variety of habitats including moorland, woodlands, farms, coastal areas and even mountainous regions across the Northern Hemisphere. Stoats are found across Europe, Asia and North America and stoats are even spotted inside the colder Arctic Circle.

Stoats are relatively small in size ranging from 18cm to 32cm in height and weighing an average of 200 grams. The stoat has an average lifespan of between 4 and 5 years, although some stoat individuals can be much older and others can die at a much younger age. Stoats are solitary animals and are not generally not territorial. The only exceptions for both of these lifestyles are during the breeding season when stoats come together to mate and the female stoats are known to become territorial during this time, probably so that the female stoat is able to protect her young.

The stoat is a carnivorous animal meaning that the diet of the stoat consists only of other animals. Some stoat individuals however, have been known to eat fruit but these cases have all been observed using stoats that are in captivity. Stoats prey on a number of animals including rodents, fish, eggs, insects, small reptiles and amphibians. The stoats favourite meal however is the rabbit despite the fact that the stoat is generally much smaller than a rabbit. It is for this reason that stoats are often introduced to places in order to control rabbit pest problems.

As the stoat is small in size, it is preyed up by a number of larger animals in the wild including foxes, dogs, wild cats and large snakes. The stoat is often able to defend itself against smaller sized predators as the stoat has extremely sharp teeth which can issue a nasty and painful bite.

A female stoat rarely has more than one litter of babies in her short lifetime. Stoats breed in the warmer months of May and June but there is a delayed reaction in the uterus of the female stoat meaning that the embryos don't begin to develop for a number of months. After this time, the baby stoats (known as kits) are born within a month, and the female stoat gives birth to a litter of between 5 and 15 stoat kits.

The stoat kits are nursed by the mother stoat until they are just over a month old and the baby stoats then begin to learn to hunt. The stoat kits are independent when they are much bigger by the time they are 3 months of age. Despite the fact that the stoat is today considered to be a species that is not threatened with extinction, there are concerns regarding the decline in stoat populations due to habitat loss. The stoat has also been hunted by humans over the years mainly for it's fur but also for it's meat.
Stag Beetle

**Stag beetles** are a group of about 1,200 species of beetles in the family **Lucanidae**, presently classified in four subfamilies. Some species grow up to over 12 cm (4.7 in), but most are about 5 cm (2.0 in).

## Description

The stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) is arguably the most spectacular looking beetle in Britain; the male looks like something from a prehistoric age. The giant antler-like mandibles are used in courtship displays, and wrestling with other males. Although rather fearsome in appearance, the mandibles cannot be closed with any force. You are more likely to be nipped sharply by the female stag beetle, a smaller insect than the male that lacks the huge jaws. The stag beetle, superficially, appears black all over but, in certain lights, it can be seen to have dark maroon or brown wing cases. The impressive mandibles also have a reddish sheen to them. The wing cases are glossy; the head and thoraxare a dull black.

## Biology

Despite it being such a large and spectacular insect, surprisingly little is known about the habits of the stag beetle. In 1998 the People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) invited the public to look for the beetles, asking questions about where they were finding them, the type of wood it was found near, was it eating and so-on. The 'Stag Hunt' revealed that the beetles lay their eggs both in rotting log piles and in the roots of an assortment of rotten trees, including oak, apple, ash and cherry. They seem to have a preference for oak, especially those growing along riverbanks. They also prefer warm places on sandy or light soils, and are now mostly reported from urban and suburban gardens. In fact, seventy percent of the beetles reported were found in gardens.

The larvae of the stag beetle live within their rotting logs for up to four years before pupating and emerging as adults at the beginning of the flight season the following year. However, the adults have a much shorter life than the larvae, and only survive for a few months. It used to be thought that adult stag beetles died at the end of the year but, as a result of the survey, it seems some beetles can survive the winter. The main message from the survey was, sadly, that the beetle seems to have declined in numbers greatly, especially in some areas.

## Range and Habitat

The stag beetle is nothing like as common as it used to be, but is still widespread in southern England, especially the Thames valley, north Essex, south Hampshire and West Sussex. It also occurs fairly frequently in the Severn valley and coastal areas of the south-west. Elsewhere in Britain it is extremely rare or even extinct. This beetle is found throughout Europe, and East Asia as far as Japan, although it is rare or declining in some countries. Stag beetles are found in gardens, wooded parks and pasture woodland; anywhere where there is a good supply of dead wood.
Common Seahorse

Seahorses are truly unique, and not just because of their unusual equine shape. Unlike most other fish, they are monogamous and mate for life. Rarer still, they are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young. Found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world, these upright-swimming relatives of the pipefish can range in size from 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) to 14 inches (35 centimeters) long.

Male seahorses are equipped with a brood pouch on their ventral, or front-facing, side. When mating, the female deposits her eggs into his pouch, and the male fertilizes them internally. He carries the eggs in his pouch until they hatch, then releases fully formed, miniature seahorses into the water. Because of their body shape, seahorses are rather inept swimmers and can easily die of exhaustion when caught in storm-roiled seas. They propel themselves by using a small fin on their back that flutters up to 35 times per second. Even smaller pectoral fins located near the back of the head are used for steering.

They anchor themselves with their prehensile tails to sea grasses and corals, using their elongated snouts to suck in plankton and small crustaceans that drift by. Voracious eaters, they graze continually and can consume 3,000 or more brine shrimp per day. Population data for most of the world’s 35 seahorse species is sparse. However, worldwide coastal habitat depletion, pollution, and rampant harvesting, mainly for use in Asian traditional medicine, have made several species vulnerable to extinction.
Musky Rat-Kangaroo

The **musky rat-kangaroo** (*Hypsiprymnodon moschatus*) is a marsupial species found only in the rainforests of northeast Australia. Although some scientists place this species as a subfamily (**Hypsiprymnodontinae**) of the family Potoroidae, the most recent classification places it in the familyHypsiprymnodontidae with prehistoric rat-kangaroos. The generic name combines the Ancient Greek *hyps-* (‘high’), *prymnos* (πρυμνός ‘hindmost’), and *odōn* (‘teeth’). Its specific name, *moschātus*, is scientific Latin for ‘musk’.

It is the smallest macropod that is quadrupedal and only diurnal. The musky rat-kangaroo is about 21 to 34 cm long with a 6.5- to 12.3-cm-long hairless tail, weighs between 332 and 680 g, and eats fallen fruit and large seeds, as well as small invertebrates. It moves by extending its body and then bringing both of its hind legs forward, and uses an opposable digit on the hind foot to climb trees.

## Living Fossil

The rat-kangaroo has a number of unusual traits that are seen as linking it to more primitive marsupial ancestors. For example, it has reptile-like scales on its feet and tail, engages in a more primitive hopping behavior than most of its kangaroo cousins, and 5 toes on each foot.
Kodiak Bear

The **Kodiak bear** (*Ursus arctos middendorffi*), also known as the **Kodiak brown bear** or the **Alaskan grizzly bear**, inhabits the islands of the Kodiak Archipelago in southwest Alaska. Its Alutiiq name is *taquka-aq*. It is the largest brown bear and one of the two largest bears, the other being the Polar Bear.

Taxonomist C.H. Merriam was first to recognize Kodiak bears as unique and the only subspecies of the brown bear, and he named the species "*Ursus middendorffi*" in honor of the celebrated Baltic naturalist Dr. A. Th. von Middendorff. Subsequent taxonomic work merged all North American brown bears into a single species (*Ursus arctos*). Genetic samples from bears on Kodiak have shown that they are related to brown bears on the Alaska Peninsula and Kamchatka, Russia, and all brown bears roughly north of the US. Kodiak bears have been genetically isolated since at least the last ice age (10,000 to 12,000 years ago) and very little genetic diversity exists within the population. Although the current population is healthy and productive, and has shown no overt adverse signs of inbreeding, it may be more susceptible to new diseases or parasites than other, more diverse brown bear populations.

Kodiak bears reach sexual maturity at age five, but most sows are over nine years old when they successfully wean their first litter. The average time between litters is four years. Sows continue to produce cubs throughout their lives, but their productivity diminishes after they are 20 years old. Mating season for Kodiak bears is during May and June. They are serially monogamous (having one partner at a time), staying together from two days to two weeks. As soon as the egg is fertilized and divides a few times, it enters a state of suspended animation until autumn when it finally implants on the uterine wall and begins to grow again. Cubs are born in the den during January or February. Weighing less than a pound (<450 g) at birth with little hair and closed eyes, they suckle for several months, emerging from the den in May or June, weighing 15–20 pounds (6.8–9.1 kilograms). Typical litter sizes on Kodiak are two or three cubs, with a long-term average of 2.4 cubs per litter. However, Kodiak bears have six functional nipples and litters up to six cubs have been reported. Sows are sometimes seen with five or six cubs in tow, probably due to adopting cubs from other litters. Most cubs stay with their mothers for three years. Almost half of the cubs die before they leave, with cannibalism by adult males being one of the major causes of death.

Kodiak bears that have recently left their mothers, at ages 3–5 years, have high mortality rates with only 56% of males and 89% of females surviving. Most young female bears stay within or near their mother’s home range, while most males move farther away. Most adult sows die of natural causes (56%), while most adult male bears are killed by hunters (91%). The oldest known boar in the wild was 27 years old, and the oldest sow was 35.

## Gallery

Kodiak with SalmonBeach Brawl!Mother and CubKodiak in TreeKodiak Family Greeting
Salmon Shark

A formidable hunter, the salmon shark *(Lamna ditropis)* is sometimes mistaken for the white shark (*Carcharodon carcharias*), but can be distinguished by its shorter snout and the dusky blotches that mark the white abdomen of adults. The rest of the salmon shark’s stocky, spindle-shaped body is dark bluish-grey or blackish, with white blotches around the base of the pectoral fins. The first dorsal fin is large, while the second dorsal and anal fins are tiny and are able to pivot. Its crescent-shaped tail gives it impressive propulsion through the water, while its large, well-developed eyes enable it to spot potential prey, and its large, blade-like teeth are well suited to gripping slippery fish.

## Biology

Occurring singly or in schools of several individuals, salmon sharks are long distance, high-speed predators, occasionally seen at or near the surface in some areas. They can maintain their body temperature well above that of the surrounding cold water of the North Pacific, and may have the highest body temperature of any shark. This allows them to maintain warm swimming muscles and internal organs, so they can still hunt effectively in cool waters.

The salmon shark is considered to be one of the main predators of the Pacific Salmon as well as Sockeye Salmon and its voracious feeding on this fish has earned it its common name. However, it is an opportunistic feeder that consumes a wide variety of fish that also includes (amongst many others) herring, sardines, pollock, Alaska cod, lanternfishes and mackerel. It also feeds on some squid and is sometimes attracted to by-catch dumped back into the ocean by shrimp trawlers.

After spending the summer in the north of their range, the salmon shark migrates south to breed. In the western North Pacific they migrate to Japanese waters whereas in the eastern North Pacific, the salmon shark breeds off the coast of Oregon and California, USA. The young are born in spring after a gestation period of around nine months. The salmon shark is ovoviviparous, and oophagy (when the growing embryos eat unfertilized eggs to gain nutrients) has been recorded in this shark. Most litters contain between two and five young. Male salmon sharks are thought to mature at about five years and live to at least 27 years; females reach maturity at eight to ten years and are known to live to at least 20 years.

## Range and Habitat

The salmon shark occurs in the North Pacific Ocean. From Japan, North Korea, South Korea and the Pacific coast of Russia, its distribution extends east to the Pacific coast of the U.S.A., Canada, and probably Mexico. The salmon shark is a coastal and oceanic shark, inhabiting waters between 2.5 and 24 degrees Celsius, generally from the surface down to depths around 152 metres, although one individual has been recorded at 255 meters.
Seals

Seals are mammals they live in North America they like to be in artic they eat fish and squid they also hunt penguins they have enemies called polar bears they hunt them in the ice they are grey white or brown or spotty ones they from in a cartoon like Mickey Mouse clubhouse like Pluto’s playmate and patchwork pals seal do you think baby seals are cute
Sea Lion

***Sea Lions*** are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short, thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they comprise the family **Otariidae**, eared seals, which contains six extant and one extinct species (the *Japanese Sea Lion*) in five genera.
Mudskipper

Mudskippers are quite literally *walking fish* and the imagery they give us is a good indication of the evolutionary steps that brought us out of the oceans. They rand in size from 4 to 12 inches long. There are various different species of mudskipper but they are all similar. The eyes move independently and can see in all directions either on land or in the water.

Unlike most fish, mudskippers spend much of their life out of water. How do they do it? Mudskippers are fish and so they have gills. Once out of the water, their gills begin to dry out and stick together, so mudskippers have a special cavity behind their ears where sea water is stored. As they rotate their eyes, pressure is applied to that cavity and this reoxygenates the stored water, lubricates the gill flaps and restores the gills to their normal function.

**Scientific Name:**
Periophthalmus barbarus or Periopthalmus koelreuteri. Mudskippers belong to the largest family of marine fish, the *Gobiidae*.

**The eyes have it**
Mudskipper eyes are remarkable! These amphibian-like fish have large eyes mounted on top of their heads. This allows for a fantastic panoramic view. The eyes are protected by a clear layer of skin. Since they have no tear ducts to keep their eyes moist, they alternately roll their eyes backwards into their sockets!

**A fish that walks?**
Mudskippers have highly modified large pectoral (front) fins which are used like legs. Instead of swimming like most fish, mudskippers use their pectoral fins to walk on land and under the water.

**Habitat:**
(Indo-pacific, West Africa, Japanese coasts, Australia, Philippines and the Polynesian islands). They inhabit both land and underwater areas. They remain on swampy land, lagoons, and river estuaries. They spend three quarters of its time on land, returning to the water to take water into its storage gills. They perch on mangrove roots and root-branches.

**Diet:**
Insects, sandworms, small crustaceans (all found in mangrove swamps). They will eat other small creatures if provided with them (such as crickets, their staple food in zoos).

**Walking:**
They walk and hop around in muddy environments and on roots. Their two large pectoral articulated fins are shaped like small legs. Their two dorsal fins are developed and ideal for wiggling on the land and for moving inside river sludge. Their tail also provides some motionary force.

**Eyes:**
They can retract their eyes into their eye sockets, rolling them backwards to moisten them - the same action lubricates their gill flaps and allows them to breathe.

**Breathing:**
A species of mudskipper, *Periophthalmus vulgaris*, has particularly evolved versions of the mudskipper's breathing apparatus: Breathing sacs bounded in a highly folded thin layer of cells. This epithelium is flush with blood vessels. This is a simple version of mammalian lungs. They absorb oxygen from these chambers into their blood. They use their gills to breathe air - but keep their gills wet by wiping them with their fins.
Paradise Tree Snake

The Paradise Tree Snake is considered by some to be rare, however in Singapore it is commonly encountered in a variety of habitats including mangrove, secondary forest, and parks and gardens. This is a back-fanged colubrid with weak venom sufficiently powerful to immobilise its small prey, which comprises mainly tree-dwelling lizards. The species is active by day.

It is an adept climber, and a favoured haunt is the crown of coconut palms. As with other members of the *Chrysopelea* genus it has the remarkable ability to glide from tree to tree : it achieves this by flattening the body so that the ventral surface becomes concave, and then projecting itself into the air from a high branch whilst making sinuous snake-like movements.

The body is slender, and the tail long. Typical patterning is an attractive arrangement of dark-edged yellow scales, however some specimens have red patterning along the dorsal surface. The species ranges from parts of Burma and  Southern Thailand through Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore to Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi) and parts of the Philippines.
Northern Treeshrew

The Northern treeshrew is a brown colored mammal with short, furless ears and a large, wet nose. By its appearance, the Northern treeshrew reminds “Scrat” from the movie Ice Age. This animal is very similar to long nosed squirrels as well as some of the earliest mammals. Its eyes are large, dark and lashless. The Northern treeshrews exhibit short and inconspicuous whiskers. Their long, bushy tail is curved upwards. These animals are excellent climbers due to the sharp nails and naked pads on their feet.

## Distribution

This species has a rather large natural range across south-eastern Asia, stretching from India and southwestern China to Malaysia, Borneo and the Philippines. The Northern treeshrews generally occupy moist, tropical and subtropical forests, although they can also occur in scrublands as well as oil palm and coconut plantations.

## Habits and Lifestyle

In spite of the common name of this species, the Northern treeshrews are more terrestrial than arboreal. The life of these animals is full of dangers. Although generally diurnal, the Northern treeshrews are practically active during both day and night. They usually forage and rest once every hour during the 24-hour day. The Northern treeshrews escape predators due to using different routes and always being on the move. They have a monogamous mating system, where each of the mates has its own territory, defending it from individuals of its gender. Mates have overlapping home ranges. The Northern treeshrews are extremely nervous and aggressive, meanwhile curious creatures.

## Diet

As omnivorous animals, the Northern tree shrews feed upon a wide variety of food, although their diet generally consists of insects and fruits, being supplemented by occasional vegetation.

## Mating Habits

As monogamous animals, the Northern tree shrews form long-lasting relationships, mating for life. Instead of having a specific mating season, these animals breed throughout the year. Gestation period lasts for 41 - 45 days, yielding 1 - 5 hairless babies. Although the young are born altricial and with closed eyes and ears, the female gives birth and raise its offspring in a separate nest, where the babies live alone. The mother lives in a different nest, making short visits of a few minutes to nurse her young. The ears open at 10 days old, while the eyes open at 20 days of age. During the first 35 days of their lives, young tree shrews feed upon maternal milk, after which they are weaned. The age of sexual maturity is 2 months old, although most young leave their mother at 50 - 60 days old. These animals are able to produce offspring of their own at 4 - 5 months old.
Sockeye Salmon

The name sockeye comes from a poor attempt to translate the word *suk-kegh* from British Columbia's native Coast Salish language. Suk-kegh means red fish. The sockeye, also called red or blueback salmon, is among the smaller of the seven Pacific salmon species, but their succulent, bright-orange meat is prized above all others. They range in size from 24 to 33 inches (60 to 84 centimeters) in length and weigh between 5 and 15 pounds (2.3 to 7 kilograms).

Like all other Pacific salmon, they are born in fresh water. However, sockeye require a lake nearby to rear in. Once hatched, juvenile sockeyes will stay in their natal habitat for up to three years, more than any other salmon. They then journey out to sea, where they grow rapidly, feeding mainly on zooplankton. They stay in the ocean for one to four years.

Sea-going sockeyes have silver flanks with black speckles and a bluish top, giving them their "blueback" name. However, as they return upriver to their spawning grounds, their bodies turn bright red and their heads take on a greenish color. Breeding-age males have a distinctive look, developing a humped back and hooked jaws filled with tiny, easily visible teeth. Males and females both die within a few weeks after spawning. Sockeyes are the third most abundant of the species of Pacific salmons and are a keystone in the North American commercial fisheries.
Solitary Eagle

The **solitary eagle** or **montane solitary eagle** (*Buteogallus solitarius*) is a large Neotropical eagle. It is also known as the **black solitary eagle**.

## Appearance

The adult Solitary Eagle is uniformly dark gray, often appearing black, with white markings on the tail. It is 63–76 cm (25 to 30 inches) long, weighs 3 kg (6.6 lbs), and has a 152–188 cm (60 to 74 inch) wingspan. It appears very similar to the Common Black Hawk and Great Black Hawk, but is much larger and has significantly broader wings, extending nearly to the tip of the tail. The exceptionally broad wings are one of the prime distinguishing characteristics of this species. The juvenile is mottled brown and tan, with markings around the eyes. It otherwise resembles the adult.

## Range and Habitat

The Solitary Eagle is native to Mexico and Central and South America. It is found in mountainous or hilly forests. The frequent reports from lowlands are usually misidentifications of another species, usually the Common Black Hawk; no reports from lowlands have been confirmed. It is rare in all areas of its range and poorly known.

## Relationships

Recent DNA studies have shown that the solitary eagle is closely related to the black-hawks.
Rockhopper Penguin

Rockhopper penguins are distinguished by the irreverent crest of spiky yellow and black feathers that adorns their head. Biologists left little ambiguity about this species’ preferred habitat when assigning its name. Rockhoppers are found bounding—rather than waddling, as most other penguins do—among the craggy, windswept shorelines of the islands north of Antarctica, from Chile to New Zealand.

Rockhoppers are distinguished from other crested penguins by their smaller size and by having only a thin yellow superscilium. The feather plumes are yellow, not orange as in Macaroni Penguin, and thinner than in the remaining Eudyptes species. The red eye is distinctive. Southern Rockhopper Penguins differ from their Northern counterparts in having a narrower supercilium and shorter plumes, which reach just over the black throat. Their vocalisations are also different. The eastern form mainly differs from the nominate subspecies in having a pink line of fleshy skin along the lower mandible which is black in the nominate subspecies. Immature birds have only a narrow supercilium and a pale mottled grey chin. Identification of juveniles is difficult. Shape of the supercilium, bill shape, body size and underwing pattern can aid identification. Separation of juvenile Southern and Northern Rockhopper Penguins in the field is probably impossible.

These gregarious marine birds are among the world's smallest penguins, standing about 20 inches (50 centimeters) tall. They have blood-red eyes, a red-orange beak, and pink webbed feet. During annual breeding times, rockhoppers gather in vast, noisy colonies, often numbering in the hundreds of thousands, to construct burrows in the tall tussock grasses near shore. They return to the same breeding ground, and often to the same nest, each year, and usually seek out their previous year's mate. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs, aggressively pecking at anything, big or small, that may stray too close. Rockhoppers ply the frigid waters of their range using strong, narrow, flipper-like wings for propulsion. They usually stick to the shallows, but are capable of diving up to 330 feet (100 meters) in pursuit of fish, crustaceans, squid, and krill.

These penguins are among the most numerous on the planet, but their population is in rapid decline. Colonies on the Falkland Islands were once the largest anywhere, but commercial overfishing, pollution, and other factors have cut the penguins' numbers by 90 percent. Breeding colonies on other islands are in trouble as well, and some estimates say rockhopper penguins have declined by more than 30 percent over the past 30 years. They are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, and if declines continue, they are likely to be uplisted to endangered in the near future.

## Gallery

Rockhopper Penguin at St. Louis ZooThe Pebble and the Penguin
Nubian Ibex

The **Nubian ibex** (*Capra nubiana*) is a desert-dwelling goat species found in mountainous areas of Algeria, Israel, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Yemen, Lebanon and Sudan. It is generally considered to be a subspecies of the Alpine ibex (*Capra ibex*), but is sometimes considered specifically distinct (*Capra nubiana*). The wild population is estimated at 1,200 individuals.

## Description

Nubian ibexes stand around 65–75 cm (2.1-2.6 ft) tall at the shoulder and weigh around 50 kilograms (110 lb). Nubian ibexes are a light tan color, with a underbelly; in males there is also a dark brown stripe down the back. Nubian ibexes have long thin horns which extend up and then backwards and down. In males these reach around a metre in length while in females they are much smaller (around 30 cm or 12 in).

## Ecology

Nubian ibexes live in rough dry mountainous terrain where they eat mainly grasses and leaves and are preyed upon by leopards, eagles and bearded vultures. Nubian ibexes are social and herds tend to consist of females, young, and males up to the age of about three years. The males are solitary or form more transitory bands of up to eight individuals. During the breeding season males join the female-based herds for the six to eight week rut. Large males then do battle with much clashing of horns.

Nubian ibexes are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day and rest during the night. On 16 March 1959, the British established the Yob Wildlife Reserve in northern Eritrea specifically to protect significant populations of Nubian ibex in the area.
Swell Shark

The **swell shark** (*Cephaloscyllium ventriosum*) is a catshark in the family Scyliorhinidae. It is found in the subtropical eastern Pacific Ocean between central California and to southern Mexico, with an additional population off the coast of Chile. As a defense, the swell shark is able to expand to approximately double its regular size by swallowing water.

Swell sharks are typically around 90 cm in length, with a maximum length of 110 cm. They have flat, broad heads with large gold eyes that have nictitating eyelids. Swell sharks have a yellow-brown coloration, with brown and white spots. They spots cover their underside, but are not present on their fins. Usually the younger sharks are lighter in color than the adults. The gills of a swell shark are usually very small and tight. Every swell shark has around 55–60 teeth. Teeth typically have three smooth cusps, but can have as many as five cusps. The middle cusp is the longest.

When discovered in 1880, the swell shark was first described as *Scyllium ventriosum*, but was later changed to *Cephaloscyllium ventriosum*. The genus name comes from the Greek word *kephale*, which means "head", and *skylla*, which means a certain kind of shark. The species name comes from the latin word *ventrĭōsus*, which means "large-bellied". The species name refers to its ability to enlarge itself by taking in water.

The swell shark is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean, from the central California coast to southern Mexico. There is an additional population off the coast of Chile. It can be found between the depths of 5 m and 457 m, but is most common between 5 m and 37 m. Swell sharks are often found over algae-covered rocky bottoms where it hides in crevices during the day.
Red-Tailed Black Cockatoo

This is the first cockatoo to be illustrated by Sydney Parkinson, Joseph Banks' draughtsman on the Endeavour, while the Endeavour was being repaired in the Endeavour River.

## Identification

The Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is mostly glossy black and has an erectile crest which forms an obvious helmet when raised and pushed forward. The male is glossy black with bright red panels in its tail. The female has generally duller plumage and has yellow spots on head, neck and wings. Her underbody is barred a pale orange-yellow and her tail has orange-yellow panels, barred black. This cockatoo is also called the Banksian, Black, Great-billed or Red-tailed Cockatoo or Banks' Black-Cockatoo.

## Habitat

The Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo is found in a range of environments, but it is found mostly in Eucalyptus forests or woodlands and often in adjacent areas of woodlands or shrublands, especially if they have experienced fire recently. It can also be found in grasslands and farmlands.

## Distribution

There are five subspecies of Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo occurring in eight discrete populations. Combining these, this species is found from the Pilbara and Kimberleys in Western Australia in a broad swath through the Top End, much of Queensland through to the region of the New South Wales border. It is then found from there down along the Darling River. The species also occurs in three geographically separate regions in each of: south-west Victoria/south-east South Australia; the south-west to west of Western Australia; central Australia in southern Northern Territory and northern South Australia.

### **Seasonality**

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos are described as dispersive, meaning that they move away from where they were born to where they breed and that they may breed in separate locations. They also appear to move around in response to seasonal food availability.

## Feeding and Diet

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo generally feed in flocks but sometimes in twos or threes. They mainly eat seeds but also fruit, berries, nectar, flowers and sometimes insects and larvae. Seeds especially favoured are those of eucalypts, casuarinas, acacias and banksias.

## Breeding Behaviors

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos nest in tree hollows, which can be in a trunk, end of a dead branch or in a stump. Red-tailed Black-Cockatoos enter the nest hollow tail first. They usually choose eucalypts but will nest in Melaleucas, and they usually nest up high. The nest is lined with wood dust or fragments. The female incubates the eggs while the male feeds her.
Saddle-Back Tamarin

The **saddle-back tamarins** are squirrel-sized New World monkeys from the family Callitrichidae in the genus ***Leontocebus***. They were split from the tamarin genus *Saguinus* based on genetic data and on the fact that saddle-back tamarins are sympatric with members of *Saguinus* to a greater extent than would be expected from two members of the same genus.
Sea Anemone

The ornately colored sea anemone (uh-NEM-uh-nee) is named after the equally flashy terrestrial anemone flower. A close relative of coral and jellyfish, anemones are stinging polyps that spend most of their time attached to rocks on the sea bottom or on coral reefs waiting for fish to pass close enough to get ensnared in their venom-filled tentacles. Their bodies are composed of an adhesive pedal disc, or foot, a cylindrical body, and an array of tentacles surrounding a central mouth. The tentacles are triggered by the slightest touch, firing a harpoon-like filament into their victim and injecting a paralyzing neurotoxin. The helpless prey is then guided into the mouth by the tentacles.

There are more than 1,000 sea anemone species found throughout the world’s oceans at various depths, although the largest and most varied occur in coastal tropical waters. They run the full spectrum of colors and can be as small as half an inch (1.25 centimeters) or as large as 6 feet (1.8 meters) across.

Some anemones, like their coral cousins, establish symbiotic relationships with green algae. In exchange for providing the algae safe harbor and exposure to sunlight, the anemone receives oxygen and sugar, the bi-products of the algae's photosynthesis. They form another, more famous symbiotic alliance with clownfish, which are protected by a mucus layer that makes them immune to the anemone's sting. Clownfish live within the anemone’s tentacles, getting protection from predators, and the anemone snacks on the scraps from the clownfish’s meals.
Muskrat

Muskrats are small rodents with types of fur that they live in Europe or North America they eat plants and cheese they look like beavers they don’t belong in a cartoon like the little lodgers or the milky and shake show the one of buzz and tell like mr nutria and he’s a muskrat do you know muskrats are a lot brown
Southern Stingray

The **Southern Stingray** (*Dasyatis Americana*) is adapted for life on the sea bed. The flattened, diamond-shaped body has sharp corners, making it more angular than the discs of other rays. The top of the body varies between olive brown and green in adults, dark grey in juveniles, whilst the underside is predominantly white. The wing-like pectoral fins are used to propel the stingray across the ocean bottom, whilst the slender tail possesses a long, serrated and poisonous spine at the base, used for defense. These spines are not fatal to humans, but are incredibly painful if stepped on. The eyes are situated on top of the head of the southern stingray, along with small openings called spiracles. The location of the spiracles enables the stingray to take in water whilst lying on the seabed, or when partially buried in sediment. Water enters the spiracles and leaves through the gill openings, bypassing the mouth which is on the underside.
Meerkat

The **meerkat** or **suricate** (*Suricata suricatta*) is a small carnivoran belonging to the mongoose family (Herpestidae). It is the only member of the genus ***Suricata***. Meerkats live in all parts of the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, in much of the Namib Desert in Namibia and southwestern Angola, and in South Africa. A group of meerkats is called a "mob", "gang" or "clan". A meerkat clan often contains about 20 meerkats, but some super-families have 50 or more members. In captivity, meerkats have an average life span of 12–14 years, and about half this in the wild. They often stand on their rear legs and gaze alertly over the southern African plains. Mothers can even nurse their young while standing.

Meerkats (also called suricates) work together in numbers. A few will typically serve as lookouts, watching the skies for birds of prey, such as hawks and eagles, that can snatch them from the ground. A sharp, shrill call is the signal for all to take cover. While a few individuals guard the group, the rest busy themselves foraging for the foods that make up their varied diet. Meerkats will eat insects, lizards, birds, and fruit. When hunting small game, they work together and communicate with purring sounds. Meerkats are good hunters and are sometimes tamed for use as rodent-catchers.

Meerkats are small burrowing animals, living in large underground networks with multiple entrances which they leave only during the day, except to avoid the heat of the afternoon. They are very social, living in colonies. Animals in the same group groom each other regularly. The alpha pair often scent-mark subordinates of the group to express their authority. There may be up to 30 meerkats in a group. Meerkat groups utilize several different burrows and move from one to another. Each burrow is an extensive tunnel-and-room system that remains cool even under the broiling African sun. Females give birth to two to four young each year in one of the group's burrows. Fathers and siblings help to raise meerkat young, teaching them to play and forage and alerting them to the ever present danger from above. Young meerkats are so fearful of predatory birds that even airplanes will send them diving for cover.

## Gallery

What are you looking at?2 Meerkats HuggingJust Lounging AroundMeerkat showing its FangsMother with Kits2 Meerkats at the San Diego ZooA Meerkat FamilyEvan Almighty Meerkats.jpgThe Lion King
Moon Jellyfish

Though the moon jelly lives throughout the epipelagic zone, it is most commonly found near the coast and in upwelling areas, where its prey occurs in higher concentrations. This species is not a very strong swimmer, so they are often found on beaches after strong storms or tides that push them onshore. Along with other jellies, moon jellies are the favorite prey of some open ocean predators, like the ocean sunfish and the leatherback turtle. They have very little nutritional value, however, so the predators that specialize on them must eat hundreds and hundreds of these jellies in order to maintain their required energy levels.

Like many jellies, moon jellies have an interesting life cycle that includes a combination of sexual and asexual reproduction. Sexually mature moon jellies are the animals we see swimming around the open ocean (known as medusae), with which we are most familiar. The distinct horseshoe-shaped structures at the top of the medusa’s bell are the gonads. These adults reproduce via external fertilization, where females release eggs and males release sperm into the water column. Once the egg is fertilized, a larva hatches and lives in the pelagic environment for some time. As it grows, the larva searches for a suitable place in shallow water and eventually attaches to the sea floor where it grows into an upside down medusa known as a polyp. During the polyp phase, an individual asexually buds off several clones of itself that swim away as medusae and eventually grow into sexually mature moon jellies. This alternation of sexual and asexual reproduction may be a means of quickly increasing numbers while preserving the importance of mixing genes with other individuals.

Scientists believe that moon jellies and other jellies thrive in areas that are particularly affected by human activity. Overfishing, ocean warming, and pollution are all factors that reduce moon jellies’ predators and competitors and increase their prey. These results provide a more favorable environment for this species. As people continue to increase our ocean activities, the Moon Jelly may become one of the more successful species in the open ocean.