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Erethizontidae

North American Porcupine Porc-pic d'Amrique du nord Puerco espn

Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend them from predators. They are

endemic in both the Old World and the New World. After the capybara and the beaver , Porcupines arethe third largest of the rodents. Most porcupines are about 2536 in (630910 mm) long, with an 810 in(200250 mm) long tail. Weighing between 1235 lb (5.416 kg), they are rounded, large and slow.Porcupines come in various shades of brown, grey, and the unusual white. A porcupine is any of 27species of rodent belonging to the families Erethizontidae or Hystricidae. All defend themselves with hair modified into sharp spines. Porcupines vary in size considerably: Rothschild's Porcupine of South

America weighs less than a kilogram (2.2 lb (1.00 kg)); the African Porcupine can grow to well over 20kg (44 lb). The two families of porcupines are quite different and although both belong to theHystricognathi branch of the vast order Rodentia, they are not closely related. The eleven Old Worldporcupines are almost exclusively terrestrial, tend to be fairly large, and have quills that are grouped inclusters. They are believed to have separated from the other hystricognaths about 30 million years ago,much earlier than the New World porcupines. The twelve New World porcupines are mostly smaller (although the North American Porcupine reaches about 85 cm/33 in in length and 18 kg/40 lb), havetheir quills attached singly rather than grouped in clusters, and are excellent climbers, spending much of their time in trees. The New World porcupines evolved their spines independently (through convergentevolution) and are more closely related to several other families of rodent than they are to the Old Worldporcupines.Porcupines' quills or spines take on various forms, depending on the species, but all are modified hairscoated with thick plates of keratin, and they are embedded in the skin musculature. Old Worldporcupines (Hystricidae) have quills embedded in clusters, whereas in New World porcupines(Erethizontidae) single quills are interspersed with bristles, underfur, and hair. Porcupine quills are assharp as needles, detach very easily, and will remain embedded in an attacker. Unlike needles,however, the quills of New World porcupines have microscopic, backwards-facing barbs on the tip thatcatch on the skin making them difficult and painful to extract, though they must be removed. Quills areabout 75 millimetres (3.0 in) long and 2 millimetres (0.079 in) wide. If a quill becomes lodged in thetissues of a would-be attacker, the barbs act to pull the quill further into the tissues with the normalmuscle movements of the attacker, moving up to several millimeters in a day. Predators have been

known to die as a result of quill penetration and infection. Quills are still capable of penetrating animalsand humans even after death. Quills are released by contact with them or they may drop out when theporcupine shakes them, they are not sprayed out.

Beaver Castor

Beavers are two primarily nocturnal, semi-aquatic species of rodent, one native to North America and one toEurope. They are known for building dams, canals, and lodges (homes). They are the second-largest rodentin the world (after the capybara). Their colonies create one or more dams to provide still, deep water to protectagainst predators, and to float food and building material. The North American population was 60-400 million,but as of 1988, 6-12 million, due to being hunted for fur, for their glands used as medicine and perfume, andbecause their harvesting of trees and flooding of waterways may interfere with other land uses.

Beavers are known for their natural trait of building dams in rivers and streams, and building their homes (known as beaver lodges) in the resulting pond. Beavers also build canals to float buildmaterials that are difficult to haul over land. They use powerful front teeth to cut trees and plants thatthey use for building and for food. They are known for their "danger signal": when startled or frightened, a swimming beaver will rapidly dive while forcefully slapping the water with its broad tail.This creates a loud "slap", audible over large distances above and below water. This noise serves asa warning to beavers in the area. Once a beaver has made this danger signal, nearby beavers diveand may not reemerge for some time. Beavers are slow on land, but good swimmers that can stayunder water for as long as 15 minutes. (Wilson, 1971) Rarely, a frightened beaver attacks a human.
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Beavers do not hybernate, but store sticks and logs underwater to feed on during the winter.Fossil remains of beavers are found in the peat and other superficial deposits of England and thecontinent of Europe; while in the Pleistocene formations of England and Siberia occur remains of agiant extinct beaver, Trogontherium cuvieri, representing a genus by itself. Beavers have webbedhind-feet, and a broad, scaly tail. They have poor eyesight, but keen senses of hearing, smell, andtouch. Beavers continue to grow throughout life. Adult specimens weighing over 25 kg (55 lb) are not

uncommon. Females are as large as or larger than males of the same age, which is uncommonamong mammals.They are the only extant members of the family Castoridae, which contains a single genus, Castor.Genetic research has shown the European and North American beaver populations to be distinctspecies and that hybridization is unlikely. Beavers are closely related to squirrels (Sciuridae),agreeing in certain structural peculiarities of the lower jaw and skull. In the Sciuridae the two mainbones (tibia and fibula) of the lower half of the leg are quite separate, the tail is round and hairy, andthe habitats are arboreal and terrestrial. In the beavers or Castoridae these bones are in close contactat their lower ends, the tail is depressed, expanded and scaly, and their habitats are aquatic.European and American beavers grow to about 2 ft (0.61 m) long (plus 10 in (250 mm) of tail). Theyare essentially aquatic in their habits, never traveling by land unless driven by necessity. They arecrepuscular rather than nocturnal, which means they are active at dawn and dusk, and subsist chieflyon bark and twigs or the roots of water plants. They have been known to eat grasses on the banks of rivers and streams.

Kangaroo Kangourou Cang

A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae. In common use the term is used todescribe the largest species from this family, the Red Kangaroo, the Antilopine Kangaroo,and the Eastern and Western Grey Kangaroo of the Macropus genus. The family alsoincludes many smaller species which include the wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos,pademelons and the Quokka, some 63 living species in all. Kangaroos are endemic to thecontinent of Australia, while the smaller macropods are found in Australia and New Guinea. Ingeneral, larger kangaroos have adapted much better to changes wrought to the Australian

landscape by humans and though many of their smaller cousins are endangered, they areplentiful. They are not farmed to any extent, but wild kangaroos are shot for meat, sport, andto protect grazing land for sheep and cattle. Although there is some controversy, harvestingkangaroos for meat has many environmental and health benefits over sheep or cows grazedfor meat. The kangaroo is an Australian icon: it is featured on the Australian coat of arms, onsome of its currency, and is used by many Australian organisations, including Qantas.Europeans have long regarded kangaroos as strange animals . Early explorers describedthem as creatures that had heads like deer (without antlers), stood upright like men, andhopped like frogs. Combined with the two-headed appearance of a mother kangaroo, this ledmany back home to dismiss them as travellers' tales for quite some time. The first kangarooto be exhibited in the western world was an example shot by John Gore, an officer on CaptainCook's Endeavour in 1770. The animal was shot and its skin and skull transported back toEngland whereupon it was stuffed, by taxidermists who had never seen the animal before anddisplayed to the general public as a curiosity. Kangaroos have large, powerful hind legs, largefeet adapted for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. Like allmarsupials, female kangaroos have a pouch called a marsupium in which joeys completepostnatal development.Kangaroos have few natural predators. The Thylacine, considered by palaeontologists tohave once been a major natural predator of the kangaroo, is now extinct. Other extinctpredators included the Marsupial Lion, Megalania and the Wonambi. However, with the arrivalof humans in Australia at least 50,000 years ago and the introduction of the dingo about5,000 years ago, kangaroos have had to adapt. The mere barking of a dog can set a fullgrown male boomer into a wild frenzy. Wedge tailed Eagles and other raptors usually eat
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kangaroo carrion. Goannas and other carnivorous reptiles also pose a danger to smaller kangaroo species when other food sources are lacking. Along with dingos and other canids,introduced species like foxes and feral cats also pose a threat to kangaroo populations.Kangaroos and wallabies are adept swimmers, and often flee into waterways if presentedwith the option. If pursued into the water, a large kangaroo may use its forepaws to hold thepredator underwater so as to drown it. Another defensive tactic described by witnesses is

catching the attacking dog with the forepaws and disembowelling it with the hind legs.

Striped dolphin Striped dolphinOrder : CetaceaSuborder : OdontocetiFamily : DelphinidaeSpecies : Stenella coeruleoalba

The Striped Dolphin(Stenella coeruleoalba ) is an extensively studied animal. It lives in all theworld's oceans, preferring the temperate and tropical waters (preferring 18-22 degrees celius,although they are spotted in waters ranging from 10 - 26 degrees celsius). They can reach lengthsof up to 2.6 metres and can weigh around 160 kg and can reach 60 years of age.They travel ingroups of more than 100 individuals, feeding on smallfish and squid. Although numerousattempts, these dolphins cannot be kept in captivity, because of refusing to be fed. The total population is estimated to exceed two million individuals.The Euphrosyne dolphin, striped dolphin is listed asConservation Dependent (LR/cd), thefocus of a continuing taxon-specific or habitat-specific conservation programme targeted towardsthe taxon in question, the cessation of which would result in the taxon qualifying for one of the

threatened categories below within a period of five years, on theIUCN Red List of ThreatenedSpeciesNamings for the striped dolphinA young / baby of a striped dolphin is called a 'calf or pup'. The females are called 'cow' andmales 'bull'. A striped dolphin group is called a 'team, school, pod, herd, alliance (male) or party(female)'.

Peale's dolphinPicture has been licensed under a GFDLOriginal source : Transferred from en.wikipedia; Transfer was stated to be made byUser:PurpleHz. (Original text : self-made)Author : Original uploader was FDrummondH at en.wikipedia (Original text : Frank Holden)Permission : GNU Free Documentation LicensePeale's dolphinOrder : CetaceaSuborder : Odontoceti
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Family : DelphinidaeSpecies : Lagenorhynchus australis The Blackchin dolphin, peale's dolphin is listed asData Deficient (DD), inadequate informationto make a direct, or indirect, assessment of its risk of extinction, on theIUCN Red List of

Threatened SpeciesNamings for the PealeA young / baby of a Peale is called a 'calf or pup'. The females are called 'cow' and males 'bull'.A Peale group is called a 'team, school, pod, herd, alliance (male) or party (female)'.CountriesArgentina, Chileand Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)HabitatsEpipelagic (0-200m), Macroalgal / Kelp, Marine Neritic, Marine Oceanicand PelagicFacts about the Peale's dolphinDescription & Fascinating FactsPeale's dolphin, Lagenorhynchus australis, is small cetaceanwith a stocky body and a very small beak. (Full text)Blackchin Dolphin or Lagenorhynchus australis is listed on the IUCN Red list (1996) as DataDeficient . (Full text)The Peale's Dolphin (Lagenorhynchus australis) is a robust and large dolphin.For example, Peale's dolphin (Lagenorhynchus australis) is native to cold waters of the Atlanticand Pacific off the southern part of South America.Physical description Peale's Dolphin is of typical size in its family - about 1m in length at birthand 2. (Full text)Peale's Dolphin is of typical size in its family - about 1m in length at birth and 2. (Full text)Lifespan-- The Peale's dolphin is dark grey or black. (Full text)The Peale's dolphin is known to ride the bow waves of large vessels and may swim alongsidesmaller ones. (Full text)4 Conservation 5 References Physical description Peale's Dolphin is of typical size in its family -about 1m in length at birth and 2.Peale's dolphin is native to cold waters of the Atlantic and Pacific off the southern part of SouthAmerica. (Full text)Recognition at sea: Peale's Dolphins are most likely to be confused with the similar DuskyDolphin.Recognition at Sea: Peale's dolphins are most likely to be confused with the similar Duskydolphin. (Full text)Peale's dolphins are grayish black above and white below. (Full text)Adult Peale's dolphins are dark gray to black in color with lighter shading on the flanks. (Fulltext)Peale's dolphins are greyish black above and white below.Biology and Behaviour Habitat: Peale's dolphins are often seen near the coast, and so are easilyobserved. (Full text)Peales Dolphins are subject to entanglement in gillnets set near shore, but the scale of incidental mortality is not considered large in any area of their range.

Blue whaleBlue whale
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Order : CetaceaSuborder : MysticetiFamily : BalaenopteridaeSpecies : Balaenoptera musculus The blue whale( Balaenoptera musculus ) was hunted almost to extinction until hunting wasoutlawed in 1966, and today humans still disturb these beautiful underwater giants. With theincrease of the noise from ships and military sonar, blue whales have a hard time communicatingwith each other. Read about it on National Geographic. Furthermore, they are threatened byillegal whaling, pollution and fishing nets. The world population is estimated between 3,000 and4,000 (source). They are considered an endangered species. Yesterday i saw an episode of Genographic Project on National Geographic, about the evolution on whales. According to theGenographic project, all cetaceans descended from awolf -like creature. But a littlesearchongoogle shows a lot of different views, including thehippopotamus. Did you know adult bluewhales are about the same size as a boeing 737 ?

AMPHIBIANSSouthern Leopard Frog Rana sphenocephala(Rana utricularia)

Family: Ranidae, True Frogsview all from this family Description 2-5" (5.1-12.7 cm). Slender and narrow-headed; green to brown, with largedark spots between light-colored dorsolateral ridges - ridges continuous to groin. Light

stripe along upper jaw; typically, a light spot in center of eardrum.Subspecies Florida Leopard Frog (R. s. sphenocephala), northern Florida to FloridaKeys.Southern Leopard Frog (R. s. utricularia), eastern seaboard from s. New York to c.Texas, north to c. Illinois and Indiana.Some authorities do not recognize the Florida population as a separate subspecies.Voice Series of short throaty croaks. Males call while afloat or from land.Breeding Year-round in southern areas, March to June in northern areas. Egg massesare laid in shallow water.Habitat Any freshwater location. Wanders among moist vegetation in the summer,returns to freshwater ponds and streams and brackish marshes rest of year.

Range From s. New York to the Florida Keys, west to Texas and e. Oklahoma, north toec. Kansas.Discussion The most ubiquitous frog of the eastern states. Primarily nocturnal. Duringthe day, it hides in grass or sedges or sunny banks. To elude a predator - such as araccoon or waterbird - this frog dives into the water, makes a sharp turn while stillsubmerged, and surfaces amid vegetation at the water's edge; meanwhile the predator continues to search in the direction of the original dive. This is the species mostfrequently hunted for frogs' legs by youngsters in the Southeast.
http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Cetacea/Balaenopteridae/Balaenoptera/Balaenoptera-musculus.htmlhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/06/0619_020619_TVwhale.htmlhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/06/0619_020619_TVwhale.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_whale#Population_and_whalinghttp://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Carnivora/Canidae/Canis/Canis-lupus.htmlhttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22whales+descended+from%22&btnG=Google+Searchhttp://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Artiodactyla/Hippopotamidae/Hippopotamus/Hippopotamus-amphibius.htmlhttp://www.enature.com/fieldguides/view_default.asp?curGroupID=7&curFamilyID=607http://www.enature.com/ecard/ecard_create.asp?imageID=19043http://www.enature.com/wildlifelists/wildlifelist_addSpecies.asp?speciesID=4307http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Cetacea/Balaenopteridae/Balaenoptera/Balaenoptera-musculus.htmlhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/06/0619_020619_TVwhale.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_whale#Population_and_whalinghttp://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Carnivora/Canidae/Canis/Canis-lupus.htmlhttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22whales+descended+from%22&btnG=Google+Searchhttp://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Artiodactyla/Hippopotamidae/Hippopotamus/Hippopotamus-amphibius.htmlhttp://www.enature.com/fieldguides/view_default.asp?curGroupID=7&curFamilyID=607


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American Bullfrog Rana catesbeiana

Family: Ranidae, True Frogsview all from this family Description 3 1/2-8" (9-20.3 cm). The largest frog in North America. Green to yellow above witrandom mottling of darker gray. Large external eardrum; hind feet fully webbed except for last jof longest toe. No dorsolateral ridges. Belly cream to white, may be mottled with gray.Voice Deep-pitched jug o'rum call can be heard for more than a quarter mile on quietmornings.Breeding Northern areas, May to July; southern, February to October. Egg masses are attached tsubmerged vegetation. Tadpoles are large, 4-6 3/4" (10.2-17.2 cm), olive-green, and may takealmost 2 years to transform.Habitat Aquatic. Prefers ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams large enough to avoid crowding

and with sufficient vegetation to provide easy cover.Range Eastern and central United States; also New Brunswick and parts of Nova Scotia.Extensively introduced in the West.Discussion Nocturnal. Less aquatic than the Pig Frog, it is usually found on the bank at water'sedge. When frightened, it will as soon flee into nearby vegetation as take to the water. Largespecimens have been known to catch and swallow small birds and young snakes; its usual dietincludes insects, crayfish, other frogs, and minnows. Attempts to commercially harvest frogs' leghave prompted many introductions of the American Bullfrog outside its natural range.

Southern Toad, Bufo terrestris

The Southern Toad is a medium sized toad reaching lengths around 3 inches or more. This toad caneasily be distinguished from other toads in the southeast by the shape of its cranial crests. Theseform knobs in the area between the eyes (see diagram), and when seen from the right direction theygive the impression that the toad has horns. These knobs are not well developed, however, on youngspecimens. Their coloration varies from brick red to brown or light gray. Sometimes there is a lightline down the middle of the back which usually becomes diffuse toward the back. Males havethroats that are darker than the rest of the underside.

Southern Toads breed from March to October in temporary pools and floodedmeadows, and can be heard caling on warm, humid nights. Eggs hatch in 1-3days and the tadpoles take 1-2 months to develop into toadlets
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