Arctic Fox

Winter Coat

We received our first snowfall of the year just recently, which made me think of all the amazing animals who are adapted to life in absolutely frigid temperatures. The Arctic Fox (Alpoex lagopus) is just one of those creatures. Able to live at temperatures of -58 degrees Fahrenheit, they are animals well suited to the Arctic expanses.

One of the most well known features of the Arctic Fox is its ability to change color depending on the season. In the summer, when the snowfall had abated and the ground is dark, they take on coat that ranges from grey to brown. In the winter, they are a startling white. This adaptation allows the Foxes to camouflage themselves at all times of the year. Arctic Foxes also have short legs, ears, and noses, which leave them less exposed to the elements. Their long, bushy tail is also used for warmth and coverage.

Summer Coat

Arctic Foxes are nomadic creatures. They move around from place to place in search of food, which consists of birds, mammals, and even fish. Lemmings are a major source of food for the Foxes, and the population trends of both species tend to mirror one another. One rather interesting fact is that they will sometimes follow Polar Bears, in order to feed off of their scraps and even their feces.

Every spring, 6-12 young are born in a den built by the mother. Both parents feed and care for the kits, and they remain together during the summer months before going off on their own.

Read More

Atlantic Bluefin Tuna

The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is found in the areas of the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean. They are reach absolutely gigantic sizes, with specimens easily reaching six feet in lengths and weighing upwards of 550lbs. Even larger individuals are not uncommon. They largest ever caught weighed in at nearly 1,500 lbs! They achieve those sizes because of their voracious appetites. They will eat smaller fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and even plankton and kelp.

(Image Source)

Atlantic Bluefins have a striking color pattern, with a metallic blue on their top side, and a whiter shade underneath. This serves to camouflage them from both directions. They swim in large schools, oftentimes intermingling with other fish species that are of a similar size. Their bodies are built for both speed and endurance, and they can reach speeds of 60mph while chasing prey.

One of the most interesting tidbits about this fish is that it is actually warmblooded, a trait that is rather rare among fish species. This allows them to move quite comfortably between cold feeding waters and much warmer spawning grounds in the Gulf of Mexico and the Mediterranean Sea.. Atlantic Bluefins are a highly migratory species, and can travel the length of the ocean multiple times yearly.

Human fishing since the 1970s has most notably caused a decline in the species. Commercial fishing has greatly reduced the number of fish, and now conservation efforts are being made to keep the species from going extinct in certain areas of its range. The fish are especially popular in Japan, selling for tens of thousands of dollars per animal. The most ever paid for one of these giants was $180,000.

Read More

Scheltopusik

The Scheltopusik, also known as the European Glass Lizard, looks like a snake, but is not. Though it has no legs and moves like a snake, its ear openings, eyelids, and ventral scales identify it as a lizard. It is one of many species of legless or reduced-legged lizards that are found all over the world.

(Image Source)

The Scheltopusik (Pseudopus apodus) looks a lot like a large, cream-colored worm (it's common name comes from a Russian word meaning yellow-bellied). It can grow to some pretty big lengths, with specimens measured at 100-130cm. A large portion of their body is made up of a tail, which can detach as a defense mechanism. They sometimes do have their hind legs, but they are very small and are essentially worthless.

They make their home in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, in primarily open, dry areas. There, the Scheltpousik hunts a variety of different animals, including rodents, snails, and insects. Females lay up to a dozen eggs at a time, which she guards until hatching. They can live up to fifty years.

Read More

Siamang

Siamangs are the largest of the Gibbons, apes of the family Hylobatidae that live in tropical environments of the Eastern Hemisphere. Siamangs can measure a meter from head to rump, and weigh up to 30lbs. They can be found in the rainforests of Malaysia and Indonesia.

(Image Source)

Siamangs are black in color, and have a sac on their throats that allows them to greatly amplify sound. They are able to produce the loudest sounds of any Gibbon. There is slight sexual dimorphism, with males being larger than the females. Like all apes, Siamangs do not have tails, and their bodies are more upright oriented.

When on the ground, Siamangs are more or less bipedal. When in the trees however (which is about 80% of the time) they move by brachiation, which is hand over hand swinging. During this movement, they are able to carry things with their feet. Their arm span can be as large as 1.5m.

One of the most interesting facts about the Siamang is that it is a species that forms monogamous bonds. This is rare for an ape. They live in family groups comprised of that pair and up to four children. They forage for food together (mostly leaves and fruits, but sometimes insects and birds) and groom each other. Siamangs have a gestation period of 7.5 months, and the young are born quite helpless. They will not be weaned for two years and after that they continue to stay with the parents for a bit longer.

Read More

Antarctic Krill

Antarctic Krill (Euphausia superba) are the largest of all the krill, small, semi-transparent crustaceans that can be found the world over. They grow up to two inches long, and have a slight hint on red on their backs.

It is estimated that there are over 500 million tonnes of Krill in the ocean, and that that biomass is the most for any multi-celled creature on the entire planet. They swim in dense swarms that can contain 10,000-30,000 individuals per square meter.

(Image Source)

Antarctic Krill feed on phytoplankton, which is abundant due to updrafts of nutrients from the cold waters. Phytoplankton feed from nutrients and the sun, and Krill feed on them, meaning they lose very little energy as they are so close to the source on the chain. This make Krill a desirable meal for larger animals because they too will lose very little energy. Baleen Whales feed almost exclusively on Krill, scooping up these swarms in a mouthful. Good thing female Krill lay up to 10,000 eggs at a time!

Unfortunately, Antarctic Krill numbers, and the numbers of other Krill species, have dropped nearly 80% since the 1970s. Increased Carbon Dioxide levels have already proven to be a huge detriment to the species. A continued downward trend could have drastic implications for the large marine animals that depend on them for food.

Read More

European Starling

(Image Source)

Outside of my building there is a flock of birds. There are hundreds, if not thousands of them. They hide in a huge tree, making horrible, scary noises that can be heard from blocks away. And they make it impossible to park on that side of the street for all of the warm weather months. Meet the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), one of the most "successful" invasive species in North America.

There are over 200 million of these birds, and they are one of the most numerous species on the entire continent... and they are all descended from a hundred or so birds brought here in 1890 by a man named Eugene Schieffelin. You see, Schieffelin felt that North America should have all of the birds that are found in the works of Shakespeare. Thanks Henry IV, Part I, and bravo Mr. Schieffelin. Within 75 years they covering the continent, though their genetic diversity is quite low.

Starlings compete for nests with native species, (though luckily most have been holding their own against them) destroy crops, and are carrier of a handful of harmful diseases that affect humans, including Histoplasmosis. Starlings also like to roost near Airports, which has caused numerous problems, including a crash that resulted in the death of 62 people.

(Image Source)

Let's move away from the negatives now and just get into a few facts about the species itself. European Starlings are highly gregarious birds, flocking together in roosts that number up to over a million. When these groups travel, it forms a large black blob shape that is actually pretty interesting to look at. They will eat almost anything, from plants and berries, to vertebrates and invertebrates. The Starlings are also exceptionally vocal, and can mimic around twenty calls from other birds and animals.

Read More

Squid Worm

Image by Laurence Madin
(Image Source)

Two miles deep, down in the waters between Indonesia and the Philippines, there lives and animal so unusual that on first glance, no one knew what it was. Was it a squid? Was it a worm? What is this thing? After a few years of study, we now know. It is, in fact, a Squid Worm, a member of the earthworm and tube worm filled Annelid phylum.

Squid Worms (Teuthidodrilus samae) are interesting because they are remarkably abundant, and are relatively large for a deep sea creature. They measure about four inches in length. The name comes from the ten tentacles that protrude outward from the head. The Squid Worm also has iridescent bristles that run down the length of their body, aiding in movement. They feed off of plankton and small floating debris.

Another notable fact about the Squid Worm is that it might be a transitional species; and animal that stradles the line between species that reside on the sea floor, and those that swim openly. Such transitional species are important in understanding evolutionary history.

Read More