Muskellunge

The majestic Muskellunge is the largest member of the Pike family and can be found in North America, most notably in the Great Lakes area. This huge toothy animal is the state fish of Wisconsin, and it is there that the largest Musky was caught, weighing in at 69lbs, 11oz.

Esox masquinongy

Muskies are stealthy, solitary predators. They lurk about, almost motionless, and then strike at passing prey. They them impale the creature on their sharp pointy teeth, before turning them and swallowing. Interestingly, a Muskellunge is only able to grow to a size that reflects the size of available prey. If it lives in a location with other large fish, it can grow much longer than a Musky in an area with only very small fish to eat.

Muskellunge will eat just about anything. Ducks, rats, frogs, fish, even other, smaller muskies. Adult Muskellunge are preyed upon by large birds of prey and humans. Speaking of people, these fish are very desirable to fishermen. This is due to their large size, their elusive nature, and the overall challenge in trying to catch and reel one in.

There are a handful of Musky subspecies, and there are also hybrids like the Tiger Muskellunge, which are the byproduct of spawning between Muskellunge and Northern Pike. These sterile fish are sometimes stocked in bodies of water for sport fishing purposes.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : North America

Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m), Weight up to 65lbs (30kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Esociformes
Family : Esocidae -- Genus : Esox -- Species : E. masquinongy

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Gastric-Brooding Frog

Gastric-Brooding Frog regurgitating her young

There were once two species of Gastric-Brooding Frog; two remarkable creatures with a unique trait that went extinct as recently as the 1980s. At the time of their disappearance both species had very limited ranges in Queensland, Australia. The exact cause of their extinction is not completely understood, but habitat loss, disease, and illness most assuredly played their parts. The last Gastric-Brooding Frog was seen in 1981, and unsuccessful searches have been carried out to locate them since them.

What makes Gastric-Brooding Frogs so special is that they were the only Frogs in the entire world that incubated their eggs inside the mother's stomach. That's right, after laying her eggs, and having them fertilized by a male, the female frog swallows them all. During the 6 to 7 week incubation period the female does not eat. This is what keeps her from completely digesting her offspring.

Also amazing is the fact that the offspring go through a complete metamorphosis at this time. They never live as Tadpoles in the outside world, having moved through that process in the mother's stomach. When she regurgitates them, the young frogs hop away on their own and have no further contact with their parent.

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IUCN Status : Extinct

Location : Australia

Size : Length up to 2in (5cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Myobatrachidae -- Genus : Rheobatrachus -- Species : R. silus, R. vitellinus

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Yak

Domestic Yak

Yaks are an interesting animal to cover. Why? Because, like the Bactrian Camel, they are both wild and domesticated. Native to the high Himalayan Mountains, Yaks were domesticated around 3,000 of years ago, and these individuals make up a vast bulk of the overall population. The wild Yaks are becoming quite rare. Their population is decreasing and there are estimated to be around 10,000 remaining.

Domesticated Yaks are huge animals, with the largest males weighing close to 2,000lbs. Interestingly, the name "Yak" comes from a Tibetan word that refers to only males of the species, but its since come to be used for both sexes. Yaks are used for meat, milk, transportation, hair, and hides. Their dung is even used as fuel, which is fantastic in a high altitude area void of trees.

Yaks have some pretty cool physical attributes. For example, they have red blood cells that are half the size of those found in cattle... but they have 3 times as many. This helps them to carry oxygen easier in at high elevations. They also have very broad hooves that make traversing rough terrain a simple undertaking. Yaks need to travel far and wide to find food, as vegetation is quite scarce.

There are around 12 million domesticated Yaks found around the world, but a huge majority of those live on the Tibetan Plateau. Wild Yaks face threats of illegal hunting and habitat loss.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable

Location : Central Asia

Size : Height up to 6.5ft (2m), Weight up to 1,800lbs (800kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Bos -- Species : B. grunniens

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Fainting Goat

I feel like I've been covering a lot of domesticated animal breeds lately, but oh well, there are just so many interesting ones out there!

Fainting Goats

The Fainting Goat is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting of them all. This small breed of goat is characterized by a congenital genetic condition called myotonia congenita. When they get scared or startled their muscles completely tense up for as long as 20 seconds, which often causes them to fall over. Young goats are more prone to falling, while older individuals typically figure out ways to keep themselves upright. For a more detailed and scientific explanation on myotonia congenita and Fainting Goats, read this excellent article.

So where did Fainting Goats come from, and what is their purpose? The first goats with symptoms of M.C. were brought to Tennessee from Nova Scotia in the 1880s, and the herd grew from there. They ended up becoming so successful because of their small size, high reproductive rate, less escape-prone temperament, and use as a meat animal. Fainting Goats continue to grow in popularity, both for their meat purposes, and as novelty pets.

Fainting Goats are typically small, but are a highly variable breed. They can come in almost any color, can have both short and long hair, and can range in size between 60 and 160lbs!

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Status : Domesticated

Location : Originated in North America

Size : Height up to 25in (64cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Capra -- Species : C. aegagrus -- Subspecies : C. a. hircus

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Red Pierrot

Talicada nyseus

The Red Pierrot Butterfly has a favorite food, the Kalanchoe plant. These tiny little South Asian insects live in areas where these plants are abundant, because it is on them that they lay their eggs and feed while in the larval stage. As adults, the Red Pierrots also feed on herb flowers for nectar.

Red Pirrots are quite beautiful, especially when you look at the patterns on the undersides of the wings. The topsides are dark in color, almost black. The bottoms on the other hand, are white with black spots, with beautiful orange and black edging.

Adults aren't the strongest fliers, and are usually found fluttering near the ground. They lay their eggs on the underside of Kalanchoe leaves, and when the caterpillars hatch that bore down into the lives, living between the layers for protection. They will exit the leave in order to create the pupa.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed

Location : South Asia

Size : Wingspan 3cm

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Lycaenidae -- Genus : Talicada -- Species : T. nyseus

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Tibetan Mastiff

Tibetan Mastiff

This past March, a red Tibetan Mastiff was purchased for 10,000,000 Chinese Yuan, which is equivalent to about $1.5million dollars! Hong Dong, who was bought by a Chinese coal baron, is one of the most expensive dog in the entire world! But what is it that made that dog so valuable, especially when specimens of the breed typically sell  for far, far less in the western world?

Tibetan Mastiffs are a very old breed, and many in their native lands believe that they are holy creatures. Red is an especially lucky color, which is part of the reason for Hong Dong's extravagant asking price. (The article also states that owning these huge dogs has become a new status symbol for the wealthy elite)

When I say old breed, I mean old breed. Records of large dogs began to appear in the region over 3,000 years ago. Unfortunately, the full details of the breed's history are shrouded in mystery, as they were kept in isolation for so long. Europeans did not stumble upon the breed until the 1800s, and the first standard was adopted in the 1930s.

Tibetan Mastiffs can now be found outside of central Asia, but they remain rare. This intelligent and independent breed was, and still is, used for property and personal guardianship. Not surprising since they can weigh over 150lbs (68kg).

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Status : Domesticated

Location : Originally from Central Asia

Size : Height around 28in (72cm), Weight around 160lbs (73kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Canidae -- Genus : Canis -- Species : C. lupus -- Subspecies : C. l. familiaris

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Southern Rockhopper Penguin

Southern Rockhopper Penguins on the Falkland Islands

Meet the colorfully adorned Southern Rockhopper Penguin. These birds of the Antarctic waters are known for their bright yellow head feathers, spiky plumage, massive colony sizes, and aggressive personalities.

Once upon a time, all Rockhopper Peguins were considered to be members of one single species. But that time has come and gone and these crazy head-feathered birds have now been reclassified into three separate species. The smaller of these species is today's Southern Rockhopper.

Molting Chicks

The Southern Rockhopper also has its own distinct subspecies. One is found on the Falkland Islands, and on islands off of Argentina and Chile. The other is found in the far southern Indian Ocean, reaching from South Africa all the way to New Zealand. Whichever island they live on, these penguins are known to live in massive groups. During the breeding season one colony can contain over 100,000 nests!

Southern Rockhopper Penguins typically mate for life, and most couple will return to the exact same nesting site year after year. Interestingly, they usually lay two eggs at a time, the first being far smaller than the second. While this first eggs is capable of hatching, it is normally lost and only one chick will survive.

The Falkland Islands was once home to over 2 Million breeding pairs. Unfortunately, their numbers have since dropped to around 300,000. Overall, commercial fishing and other factors have led to a 30% drop in the Southern Rockhopper Population.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable

Location : Antarctic Water

Size : Body length up to 24in (60cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Sphenisciformes
Family : Spheniscidae -- Genus : Eudyptes -- Species : E. chrysocome

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