Kraken

We now move from a creature of magic and purity... to one of horrible watery death. The Kraken! The Kraken is a large sea monster said to live in the cold waters of the North Sea. Though it is from Scandinavian areas, the Kraken does not appear in Norse mythology (though other similar sea beasts do show up there). Other mythologies are rife with tales of sea creatures, including those of Scylla and Ceto from the Greek tradition, however, these tend to be more fish/serpent like. But we'll get to appearances later.

Sea Monster (Kraken?) Attacking Ship
Pierre Denys de Montfort, ca. 1810

Krakens share something in common with the Unicorns... they both have some base in actual, natural history. The term "Kraken" appears in several scientific texts, including Erik Pontoppidan's 1755 Natural History of Norway, and again in Linnaeus's first edition of Systema Naturae. In Systema, the Kraken is classified as a cephalopod, though this information was removed from later editions. Interestingly, Linnaeus was not all that far off, since a major inspiration for the Kraken was most likely the Giant Squid. Though earlier Krakens sometimes had crab-like qualities, since the 18th century the Kraken has often been depicted as a large squid or octopus, especially so after the 19th century confirmation of Giant Squids.

So where is the watery death I had so previously mentioned? Stories have been passed along for hundreds of years about creatures so long that they resembled islands. The Kraken was said to be so large that it could wrap its tentacles around an entire ship and crush and capsize it. Of course the largest squids and octopuses ever found would not be capable of doing such things, but the myth and allure of the Kraken lives on. The Kraken has influenced poetry, books, and movies, and with the fishing up of new and more bizarre sea creatures, the legend and the questions of "what is really down there?" won't be going away any time soon.

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Unicorn

Well, we've finally made it to Animal #100! So let's start out this themed week with one of the most recognizable of all mythical creatures: The Unicorn. Variations of the Unicorn appear in the histories and mythologies of civilizations spanning from China to Mesopotamia to Greece. Images of horned horse-like creatures can be found in the cave paintings at Lascaux, written reports of Unicorns date back to at leas the 4th century BC. In short, for hundreds, even thousands of years, Unicorns have captured the interest and imaginations of people around the world.

"The Unicorn in Captivity"
Netherlands, ca. 1500
The Cloisters, New York

There are many variations of the Unicorn, but regardless of the name and culture, they all carry the characteristic horn. It is also common for them to possess cloven hooves, a lion's tail, and a goat-like beard. They carry a variety of traits and powers, depending on the culture. In China, the Qilin is a horned creature that brings good luck and prosperity. The Medieval Unicorn is a creature that represents purity and chastity, and which carries magical properties in its horn. Unicorns became symbols for both Christ and the nobility. References to a horned creature called Re-em are found in the Bible, and many of these passages later translated that word to Unicorn. Unicorns are found in paintings and tapestries, and many of these artworks depict the Unicorns with their heads resting the the laps of young maidens. This is a not so subtle nod to the belief that only a virgin could tame a Unicorn.

And what of the Narwhal? One legend holds that the Unicorns were too slow to make it on to Noah's Ark, and thus were left behind at the mercy of the sea... and they became Narwhals. While science demonstrates that Narwhals existed far, far before when the flood story would've occurred, Narwhal horns, which are long and spiraled, may have been inspiration for some of the medieval Unicorn legends. For hundreds of years royalty would pay exorbitant sums to acquire these horns, and they adorn thrones and crown jewels today. Other real-life creatures, including Rhinos, Oryx, and even Deer, may have also contributed to the Unicorn story.

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Whale Shark

You know what? Just for the heck of it, let's do one more shark. Because sharks are awesome! So I'm going to talk about the largest living species of shark, the Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus).

Image from AquaViews

Whale Sharks are 40-65 feet long, but don't think of them as gigantic, fearsome man-eaters. They are truly gentle giants who tend to be completely indifferent to divers. (though getting accidentally whacked by their tails can cause serious injury) Much like the large Baleen Whales, What Sharks prefer to eat plankton and other small fish. They feed by sucking in large quantities of water, and then expelling it through their gills, keeping their tiny meals inside their mouths with help from filters. They can filter 6,000 liters an hour.

Physically, whale sharks have some interesting features. Their body sports a distinctive checkerboard pattern, and their eyes are very small and placed on the sides of the head. Their teeth are tiny (especially for a fish so large) are are placed in 300 rows. Though they appear to have nothing to do with their feed habits. The Whale Sharks' body is also covered with tiny denticles, which are common to most shark species, and play a role in being hydrodynamic.

Whales sharks are slow swimmers, but they are migratory. They live in tropical waters across the planet where plankton levels are highest. Whale Sharks are usually solitary creatures, but groups of up to 100 have been spotted. They are ovoviviparous, and it is thought that they can give birth to up to 300 young at a time. The life expectancy of one of these wonderful sharks could be near 100 years. Whale Sharks are hunted in a handful of places, and they are currently listed as vulnerable.

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Common Eland

Taurotragus oryx is the largest species of antelope in Africa. They are sexually dimorphic, with males capable of weighing over 900kg, and females topping out at 600kg. However, the females win out in horn length. Both sexes have horns, but the females' are longer and more slender, while the males' are short and thick. Common Eland are found in Southern Africa, and are capable of living in a pretty wide variety of environments.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

Interestingly, the trade-off for being the largest antelope is to be the slowest antelope as well. They rarely reach speeds greater than 25mph. However, they do have some remarkable jumping skills (especially for their weight) and can leap 10 feet from a standing start. In other interesting features related to legs, Common Elands have strange joints and tendons in their front legs. When they walk there is a clicking sound. This feature has not been widely researched, but it is suspected that it may have something to do with male territoriality.

Eland live in large herds, usually numbering around 60-75 individuals, though herds in the hundreds have also been witnessed. They have a pretty complex social structure, with three separate group types observed. There are Female Groups, which are predictably full of females. These groups travel large distances. The Male Groups, in contrast, are sedentary. Lastly, there are Nursery Groups, which are made up of females with offspring, calves, and not quite mature adults. As calves age, their mothers leave to rejoin Female Groups. Eventually, the young Eland will be old enough to move on to a different group as well. Eland can live 15-25 years in the wild.

Elands have

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Goblin Shark

Once again, sorry about the post delay, it's been a really hectic day! (and just goes to show that I should go back to my old method of having back-up posts ready for days like this) I'm still in a sharky mood, so today is another personal favorite of mine, the Goblin Shark.

Image from National Geographic

Goblin Sharks are extremely rare, and only about 45 have ever been caught. That is because these interesting looking fellows prefer to live on the sea floor on outer continental shelves. The average water depth of those discovered was between about 900 and 3,000 feet. Goblin Sharks have been found off the coasts of South Africa, Portugal, Australia, and a handful of other places. The first Goblin Shark ever seen was found in Japan, and the man who discovered it called the creature Tenguzame, after Tengu, a goblin-like creature of myth.

As already stated, Goblin Sharks are rare and have had very little interaction with humans. We know next to nothing about their social behavior and reproductive habits, though dietary information is available. If you couldn't tell from the photograph, Goblin Sharks have a very large, protruding snout. This snout, also known as a rostrum, is electrosensitive, and helps the shark to detect prey in their dark habitats. They sit and wait, undetected, for potential meals to swim by, notice them, and close in. In regards to other anatomical features, Goblin Sharks have undeveloped lower caudal (tail) fins, flabby bodies, and are a grayish-pink color. Scientists believe their flabbiness allows them to float at a constant level in the water without the need to move.

Goblin Sharks are the only living members of the family Mitsukurinidae. Though they can grow to over 10 feet in length, they are not dangerous to humans since they live so deep down in the water.

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Slight delay

Due to an unexpected call in to work, todays animal will be a bit delayed. Look back tonight for another sweet shark!

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Thresher Shark

Shark Week 2010 starts today, so in honor of that fine tradition I'm going to talk about one of my favorite sharks, the ever so strange looking Thresher Shark. Alopius vulpinas can be found in ocean waters worldwide, though they are most abundant in temperate zones. It is typically a pelagic species, meaning that it inhabits the open sea, though they will occasionally travel to coastal waters. Thresher Sharks are also referred to as Fox Sharks, which lines up with their species name vulpinas, a derivation of the Latin word for fox.

Image from Flickr

Thresher Sharks are pretty easy to pick out. They have an upper caudal (tail) fin that can make up 50% of their overall body length. They usually grow to between 10 and 15 feet. Their tail is used to assist in hunting. The diet of a Thresher Shark consists mostly of fish that they round up and stun with their tails. They have even been known to kill they prey by whipping their tails. Thresher Sharks also eat cephalopods and crustaceans. Thresher Sharks are very strong swimmers, and are capable of leaping completely out of the water.

I get to use one of my favorite words to describe the reproductive habits of the Thresher Sharks. They are ovoviviparous! This means that they lay eggs, but they are laid inside the mothers body, and incubated there. The young pups, usually between 4 and 6 in number, are then born live into the open sea.

There are other members of genus Alopius besides vulpinas, and all of the species are listed as vulnerable. Fishing net entanglement and a slow livespan have led to decreasing numbers in recent years.

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