Indigo Hamlet Fish

Hypoplectrus indigo

Today's animal is a pretty little guy that can be found in the tropical waters of the West Atlantic. Meet the Indigo Hamlet!

There are actually a whole bunch of Hamlet Fish species, all of which belong to the Sea Bass family. I can see the resemblance!

Indigo Hamlets live on Coral Reefs at depths of up to 150ft (45m) and feed on smaller animals like crabs, shrimp, and other fish. They tend to stay near one area of the reef for their entire life and protect it as a home territory.

One really neat fact about eh Indigo Hamlet (and most Hamlets actually) is that they have both male and female genitalia. They perform very intricate and elaborate mating dances, and the fish will take on whichever role is needed! 

Indigo Hamlets can be kept in captivity, but they require larger aquariums due to their territorial nature.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : West Atlantic
Size : Length 5.5in (14cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Serranidae -- Genus : Hypoplectrus -- Species : H. indigo

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Spotted Towhee

Pipilo maculatus

Spotted Towhees are actually large members of the New World Sparrow family, and can be found in the western parts of North America. They have striking red sides, with dark wings and tails that are spotted with white. Males are darker in color than the females

Male Spotted Towhees are very dedicated when it comes to finding a mate. Those who have not yet attracted  females will spend 70-90% of their entire morning singing their little hearts out.  Once they find a mate, only about 5% of their morning time is devoted to song. Due to their scrubland environment, nests are built by the female on the ground using things like pine needles, bark, and grasses. Eggs incubate for only two weeks, and the young are out of the nest when they are only 12 days old!

Spotted Towhees not only nest on the ground, but they feed there as well. They have a very distinctive foraging technique that is referred to as "two-footed scratching." They kick both of their feet back simultaneously to scratch and forage for seeds, insects, and nuts. The sound is actually pretty loud, and the birds are often heard before they are seen.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Western North America
Size : Body Length 8in (21cm), Wingspan 11in (28cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Emberizidae -- Genus : Pipilo -- Species : P. maculatus

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Common Vampire Bat

Desmodus rotundus

Happy Halloween! Could there be any better day to talk about the Vampire Bat?

Bats are the only mammals able to truly fly, and Vampire Bats are the only mammals who feed entirely on the blood of other animals. They feed only at night, using heat sensors to find the best spot to feed from (Horses and Cows are common prey). Because they only consume blood, their teeth are used only to pierce skin, and they are actually so thin and sharp that the prey doesn't always know they've been bitten!

After making the bite, the Vampire Bat will lick up the blood for around 30 minutes. They don't take enough blood to cause harm to the prey, though infections can occur.

Vampire Bats are very social, and live in colonies of up to 150 members. They are remarkably altruistic; if one Bat hasn't gotten enough to eat, other Bats will regurgitate blood for them to feed on. Gross, but incredibly nice, as a Bat can die if it doesn't feed for three days! The regurgitation technique is also used for young pups who are weaning off of milk but are not yet able to hunt on their own.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Central and South America
Size : Body Length 3.5in (9cm), Wingspan 7in (18cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Chiroptera
Family : Phyllostomidae -- Genus : Desmodus -- Species : D. rotundus

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Guinea Turaco

Tauraco persa

The Guinea Turaco is a brightly colored bird with a large head crest found in Central and Western Africa. They are a member of the Turaco family, which contains many other brightly colored species. They feed on flowers, fruits, and buds.

There are some really cool facts about Turacos! For example, did you know that they are the only birds to have true red and green pigmentation? They actually have copper in their feather pigments, which cannot be found in any other animals!

Guinea Turacos form monogamous breeding pairs during the rainy season, and build nests in trees. Two eggs are laid at a time, and both parents care for the young until they mature and leave at around 15 weeks.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : West and Central Africa
Size : Length 17in (43cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order: Cuculiformes
Family : Musophagidae -- Genus : Tauraco -- Species : T. persa

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Oriental Fire-bellied Toad

Bombina orientalis

Oriental Fire-bellied Toads are aquatic amphibians that cane be found in China, Korea, Japan, and parts of southern Russia. They are referred to as Toads not because they belong to the Toad family, but because they have warty, toad-like skin. Isn't animal naming confusing sometimes?

On any normal viewing, the Fire-bellied Toad will appear green with a black mottle pattern. However, once they are threatened they will rise on their hind legs and present their smooth, bright red and black underside to the predator, sometimes doing a near back-flip in the process! The red color warns against the dangerous toxin that the Toad secretes from its skin.

Oriental Fire-bellied Toads are very common throughout most of their range, and they are also kept as pets in captivity. They are very hardy, require only a 10 gallon aquarium, are considered to be suitable for beginning Frog keepers, and can live ten years or more!

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : East Asia
Size : Length 2in (5.5cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Amphibia -- Order : Anura
Family : Bombinatoridae -- Genus : Bombina -- Species : B. orientalis

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Jaguarundi

Puma yagouaroundi

The Jaguarundi is a small, strange looking feline with an elongated body and short legs. One of their alternate common names is "Otter Cat," and it's not much of a stretch to see why. They are also sometimes confused with Tayras!

Jaguarundis have a range that spans from Texas all the way to Argentina, and are most commonly found in open areas. They are solitary cats, and are primarily diurnal, though they sometimes hunt through dawn and dusk as well. Jaguarundis spend most of their time on the ground, though they are able to both climb and swim quite well.

Small mammals, birds, and fish make up the Jaguarundi's diet. They typically hunt by stalking and pouncing, and mothers teach their cubs how to hunt during their first year of life.

Finally, can you guess who the closest relative to the Jaguarundi is? It's not any of the other small cats, nor is it the Jaguar. Despite their massive size difference, Cougars and Jaguarundis are the only two living species in their genus!

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Central and South America
Size : Body Length 30in (77cm), Weight up to 20lbs (9kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae -- Genus : Puma -- Species : P. yagouaroundi

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Oxpecker

B. africanus

There are two species of Oxpecker, the appropriately named Red-Billed (B. erythrorhynchus) and Yellow-Billed (B. africanus). Both are found throughout the open habitats of Sub-Saharan Africa, though the Red-Billed tends to live more on the eastern half of the Continent.

Oxpeckers are named after their primary activity- pecking parasites and dead skin off of various hoofed mammals. Buffalo, Rhinos, Impalas, Giraffes, and an several other species are living buffets for these colorful beaked birds. Domesticated livestock also benefit from the relationship.

B. erythrorhynchus on a Giraffe

Oxpeckers are astounding because they can eat as many as 400 adult ticks in a single day, and up to 150,000 in a year! They can also consume tens of thousands of larvae over the course of the day as well! Their large beaks allow them to eat bigger parasites, and to curb the spread of parasite-borne illnesses. The birds are even being reintroduced to areas where they were once locally extinct, because of the positive effects they can have on keeping things like Heartwater Disease away.

Both species of Oxpecker are gregarious, and they typically breed during the  rainy season. Nests are built in tree cavities and lined with vegetation. 2-5 eggs are laid at a time.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Sub-Saharan Africa
Size : Length up to 8in (21cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Buphagidae -- Genus : Buphagus

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