Mountain Quail

Oreortyx pictus

The Mountain Quail is the largest Quail in the United States. They have a very striking appearance, with brown faces, gray bodies, and bold brown and white banding on the underside. Both males and females sport the iconic head plume, though it is more pronounced in the males.

Ground foraging is the Quails' method of feeding. They are an omnivorous species that consumes nuts, seeds, and the occasional insect. Juveniles and adult females tend to eat more insects than adult males, and young males will become more and more herbivorous as they age.

Mountain Quails are monogamous, and both parents incubate and care for the brood of 10-12. Chicks are precocial, meaning that they are up and about following their parents very soon after birth. Mountain Quails live in very small groups (called Coveys) that typically number fewer than 10 adult birds.

Due to their small Covey sizes and elusive behavior, it is difficult to determine exactly how many Mountain Quails are out there. We do know that habitat loss has been a contributor to population decline, as numbers have continued to shrink even in the states that have banned their hunting. Despite some of these local declines, the large range of the Mountain Quail has kept them listed as being of Least Concern.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America, west of the Rocky Mountains
Size : Weighs up to 9oz (255g), Length 12in (30cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Galliformes
Family : Odontophoridae -- Genus : Oreortyx-- Species : O. pictus

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Burton's Legless Lizard

Burton's Legless Lizard

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Squamata
Family : Pygopodidae
Genus : Lialis
Species : L. burtonis

Body Length : 12in (30cm)

IUCN Status : Not Listed

As the name may suggest, Burton's Legless Lizard is a Lizard... without legs. It lives in Australia and New Guinea, and the species is quite common and widespread. They are often a brownish-gray color, though they can come in many other shades as well, giving the species a wide range of color. Overall though, Burton's Legless Lizards can best be identified by their extremely pointy snout.

One interesting tidbit about this species is that, like snakes, they have the ability to unhinge their jaw in order to swallow very large food. Burton's Legless Lizard feed primarily on other reptiles, like small snakes and geckos. They kill prey by grabbing it and holding on tight around the chest, causing suffocation.

Did you know that if you look close enough, you can see two tiny little skin flaps near where the Lizard's leg should be? These are in fact the remains of their hind legs, which have over time shrunk down into tiny, almost unnoticeable nubs.

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Andean Condor

Female Andean Condor

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Disputed
Family : Cathartidae
Genus : Vultur
Species : V. gryphus

Weight : Up to 33lbs (15kg)
Wingspan : 10ft (3m)

IUCN Status : Near Threatened

Andean Condors are the largest raptors in the world, as well as the largest flying birds on the continent of South America. They are so large that they need strong wind currents to keep them soaring, since the amount of energy required to keep their massive wings flapping would be difficult to maintain. A good draft can mean that the Condor only needs to flap its wings once per hour!

These birds are natively found in the both the Andes mountains, and along the entire western coast of South America. Unfortunately, the species is in danger, and has a decreasing wild population due to human persecution. There are only a few thousand in the wild, though reintroduction efforts have been underway in several countries.

Andean Condor in Flight

Andean Condors are scavengers, and their bald head reflects that feeding style. The lack of feathers makes it easier for them to stay clean while digging around in corpses. They also have strong, hooked beaks that allow them to tear into flesh. Andean Condors have excellent eyesight that lets them easily spot meals while soaring about. Did you know that they can also consume as much as 15lbs (7kg) of meat in a single feeding?

There are some distinctions between the male and female condors. Males are larger and have combs on the top of their heads, as well as a neck wattle that is used to attract a mate. Andean Condors mate for life, and can live well over 50 years.

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Brookfield Zoo

I made my first trip over to the Brookfield Zoo yesterday, and had at the great fortune to stumble upon several species that I'd never seen in person before.

...Unfortunately it was about 85 degrees out, which was unseasonably warm for Chicago, so most of the animals were pretty lethargic, but it was a fun time nonetheless.

Some pictures and highlights below the cut

African Wild Dogs

They had ten adorable puppies born last Thanksgiving. Once grown, these rare hunting dogs will be sent off to other institutions where their genes can best serve the Species Survival Plan

Wombats

Apparently Wombats look like they are dead while they are sleeping. They were in this exact position when I checked back on them 4 hours later. No wonder the zoo has to put up signs assuring visitors that they are, in fact, sleeping.

Andean Condor

This particular bird was one of the most entertaining stops on my visit. It apparently is quite fond of mouse tails, as it kept hopping from mouse corpse to mouse corpse, ripping off the tail and occasionally diving into some innards.

Przewalski's Horse

I've been fascinated by these horses for as long as I can remember. They are the last remaining true wild horses on the planet, and were extinct in the wild until very recent reintroductions efforts returned herds to protected areas.

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Caracal

Caracal

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae
Genus : Caracal
Species : C. caracal

Height : 18in (46cm)
Weight : Males up to 40lbs (18kg), Females up to 25lbs (11kg)

IUCN Status : Least Concern

Caracals are small, reddish-brown cats found in dry scrub and grassland areas of Africa and Asia. They are named for the Turkish word "Karahkulak," which means "Black Ear." This Moniker refers to their long, black, tasseled ears. It's still debated what those tassels are for, but they might help the Caracals to hear prey better, or to communicate with one another.

There is still some debate about where exactly Caracals should go in the cat family tree. They were long considered close relatives of the Lynxes, due to the eat tufts, but there are now some who think they are closer to Servals. Caracals are still sometimes called "Desert Lynxes."

Caracal

Caracals have never been domesticated, but they have been tamed. In Iran and India, young Caracals were taught to hunt alongside humans, and respond to commands. Cheetahs have also taken on similar roles.

Birds watch out! Caracals are excellent hunters, and can jump as high as 10 ft (3m) in the air in order to bring down their prey. The aforementioned tamed Caracals would be used in contests to see how many birds the cats could take down in a single try. 10 birds at a time was not unheard of.

Overall, Caracals are not a threatened species, though certain localized populations are becoming scarce. They will hunt and kill livestock, which has led to many farmers shooting at them.

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Jaragua Sphaero

Jaragua Sphaero

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Squamata
Family : Gekkonidae
Genus : Sphaerodactylus
Species : S. ariasae

Length : 16mm

IUCN Status : Not Listed

Did you know that the Jaragua Sphaero, also known as the Dwarf Gecko, is perhaps the smallest bird, mammal, or reptile ever discovered! As you can see from the picture, the Jaragua Saphaero can comfortably curl up on a coin!

These tiny little guys were discovered in the Dominican Republic by biologists Blair Hedges and Richard Thomas in 2001. They are only found in Jaragua National Park. The Jaragua Saphaero lives in relatively dry areas, but ones that also have moist leaves so that they don't dehydrate.

The species name, ariasae, is in honor of Yvonna Arias, who is the leader of Grupo Jaragua, a Dominican conservation organization. The Jaragua Sphaero and many other island species are under threat due to habitat loss. Conservation organizations are working hard to keep these species safe.

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Roborovski Hamster

Roborovski Hamsters

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Mammalia
Order : Rodentia
Family : Cricetidae
Genus : Phodopus
Species : P. roborovskii

Length : up to 3in (7.5cm)

IUCN Status : Least Concern

You might recognize this tiny rodent from your local pet store, but Roborovski Hamsters are actually native to the desert and steppe regions of Russia, Mongolia, China, and Kazakhstan. Their small size (they are the smallest Hamsters) and efficient use of water has allowed them to live in these harsh, dry environments. They are also sometimes appropriately referred to as the Desert Hamster.

Roborovski Hamsters were first described by a Lt. Roborovski during an 1894 expedition. They were not fully studied until 1903, and were not really imported anywhere until the 1970s. In fact, these Hamsters didn't even appear in America until 1998!

White Faced Roborovski

While most captive hamsters are fed a vegetarian diet, wild Robos are actually omnivores, and occasionally eat insects and other bits of meat that they can find. They are crepuscular animals, and spend a great deal of time in underground burrows that they dig as far as 6 feet down!

Roborovski Hamsters can live up to three years in captivity, and have been bred to come in three different color variations - Agout (or wild), White Faced, and Platinum. They are relatively easy to breed; they reach sexual maturity at 6-8 weeks and a female can produce a litter every 4 weeks! Males can actually be kept with females after they give birth, as they will help care for the young. However, the females can become pregnant again almost immediately, so unless you want a massive colony of Hamsters, it is probably best to keep them apart. Interestingly, it seems that the Hamsters will actually stop breeding altogether once their colony reaches a specific size.

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