Crested Partridge

Male Rollulus rouloul

Surprise! It's a theme week! (Or... two weeks-ish). I realized I haven't done one of these in ages and ages, and I was inspired by this years Cost of 12 Days of Christmas. So we're doing the song!

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a Partridge in a pear tree.


Well, we don't really cover plants here, so sorry Pear Tree. Partridge gets all the spotlight today!

Meet the Crested Partridge, a stunning little fellow found in Southeast Asia. The species is sexually dimorphic; males are black with brilliant red crests, while females are green with brown wings.

Female

Crested Partridges can be found in dense, lowland, forested areas. They need lots of cover to survive, as they both feed and nest on the ground. These birds are omnivores that consume fruits, nuts, insects, and snails, and there are even reports of them working with wild pigs, picking up the food bits that the hogs leave behind. They typically forage in pairs or groups, and are monogamous breeders (the fact that they live very social lives makes me sad that only one gets to go in the Pear Tree!). Both of the parents help to care for and feed the chicks, which are precocial.

Crested partridges are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Habitat loss from the logging industry has decreased the numbers in some countries, though many of the birds do live within protected areas.

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IUCN Status : Near Threatened
Location : Southeast Asia
Size : Length up to 10in (25cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Galliformes
Family : Phasianidae -- Genus : Rollulus -- Species : R. rouloul

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Atlantic Tarpon

Atlantic Tarpons are large saltwater fish that live in the coastal waters of the (surprise!) Atlantic Ocean. They live on both sides of the ocean, are are typically found in tropical and subtropical waters, though their range extends into Nova Scotia and southern Argentina.

Megalops atlanticus

Atlantic Tarpon are slow growing fish, and don't reach sexual maturity until age 6 or 7. Males can live to around 30, while females can have lifespans of over 50 years! In those decades the fish can grow rather large. Fish measuring 8ft long and 350lbs have been recorded. As adults, Tarpon use their large size to hunt down and swallow other fish whole.

One really cool feature of the Atlantic Tarpon is that it has a modified swim bladder that allows it to gulp down air. This give the fish an advantage when swimming in waters that are low in oxygen. Studies have also suggested that as juveniles, the Tarpon MUST breathe atmospheric air in order to survive.

The Atlantic Tarpon is the State Saltwater Fish of Alabama. Have I mentioned how much I love the concept of official state animals? Not just the state fish (that's the Largemouth Bass), but the Saltwater Fish. My home state of Wisconsin has eight different official animals, including an official dog, and official "wildlife animal." Love it.

Atlantic Tarpon are also very popular with anglers. This is not only due to their large size, but also due to their fighting spirit when caught on a line. The Tarpon aren't fished commercially, but they do generate a great deal of the money for the sport fishing tourism industry. They are typically released after being caught, but there is some debate regarding the ability of the returned fish to successfully recover from the stress and oxygen depravation.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Atlantic Ocean
Size : Length up to 8.3ft (2.5m), Weight up to 350lbs (161kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Elopiformes
Family : Megalopidae -- Genus : Megalops -- Species : M. atlanticus

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Indian Palm Squirrel

Funambulus palmarum

Indian Palm Squirrels are also sometimes referred to as Three-Striped Palm Squirrels, due to the patterning on their backs. They are found as a native species in India and Sri Lanka, and were intoduced to Australia where they have become quite the nuisance.

Did you know that the Indian Palm Squirrel has it's own Hindu legend? According to the story, a bridge was being built by Lord Rama, and a small squirrel decided to help by carrying small rocks and pebbles, all the while chanting Rama's name. He was so impressed by the contribution of this tiny animal that he stroked her back, leaving stripes where his fingers would've touched.

Indian Palm Squirrels are a very adaptable, and are able to live in a variety of habitats. Unsurprisingly, they have taken to urban areas just as well as wild ones. They eat fruits, nuts, insects, and eggs.

As previously mentioned, Indian Palm Squirrels have become an invasive species in Australia. They consume crops, eat the eggs of native birds, and have few natural predators. It is illegal to import, possess, or sell them within the country.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Indian, Australia (introduced)
Size : Length up to 8in (20cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Rodentia
Family : Sciuridae -- Genus : Funambulus-- Species : F. palmarum

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Giant Koala

Giant Koala Model

Thousands and a millions of years ago, Australia went through a boom of Megafauna. Cow-sized Wombats! Huge Kangaroos! Massive Snakes! There was even a Giant Koala!

Unfortunately... the Giant Koala wasn't really all that giant. Fossils demonstrate that the species was about 1.3 larger, but much heavier and more robust.

What makes the species really interesting is that they happened to live side by side with modern Koalas. They were not their ancestors, but rather their genus sharing cousins. This brings up questions regarding where Koalas actually came from, as for a long time they were considered to be descendants of the Giant Koalas. So far the fossil record hasn't provided the full picture (which is common, as there are very exact conditions that must be met for something to fossilize).

Unfortunately, we do not know what caused the extinction of the Giant Koala. But with modern Koalas facing a similar fate, we may see history tragically  repeat itself.

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Status : Extinct for 50,000 years
Location : Australia
Size : Weight around 30lbs (13kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Infraclass : Marsupialia
Order : Diprotodontia -- Family : Phascolarctidae -- Genus : Phascolarctos -- Species : P. stirtoni

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Queen Alexandra's Birdwing

Male (top) and Female (bottom)

Meet the largest Butterfly in the entire world- the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing. We learned about a different Birdwing species not too long ago, so you may already be aware that the members of the genus tend to grow really large, and this Butterfly is the largest of them all.

The Wingspan of the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing can grow to as large as a foot, and the females are the larger sex (males grow only to around half the size!). The sexes actually look quite different from one another. Females have broad, rounded, brown and white marked wings. Males have narrower wings that are dark, but are flecked with iridescent blues and greens.

Females of the species will lay around 27 eggs in their lifetime, depositing them on Aristolochia schlechteri  vines. Upon hatching the larvae feed on their own eggshell, and then move on to the plant. The plants produce an acid that causes the Larvae and adult Butterflies to become poisonous to predators. As adults, Queen Alexandra's Birdwings feed on the nectar of plants that are large enough to allow them to perch.

The species named after the wife of England's King Edward VII, who was ruling at the time of discovery back in 1907. They are rare Butterflies, and can only be found in the rainforests of northern Papua New Guinea. Their habitat is being reduced as a result of agricultural pursuits in the Oil Palm industry. Queen Alexandra's Birdwings are listed as Endangered by the IUCN and their international trade is banned by CITES Appendix I. Unfortunately, their large size and rarity allows them to sell for large prices on the black market, which drives further poaching.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : New Guinea
Size : Wingspan 12.2in (31cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Papilionidae -- Genus : Ornithoptera -- Species : O. alexandrae

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Miniature Horse

Miniature Horse

The term "Miniature Horse" is often thought of as more of a designation than a breed, though in the last few decades a few organizations have popped up to make Miniature Horses an actual, standardized breed that is separate from other small equines like Falabellas and Ponies.

Miniature Horses were developed from all sorts of different horse and pony breeds, both large and small. Shetlands and Dartmoors are among those ponies that can be found in their history. There is some argument over whether Miniatures are Ponies or small Horses. The definition of a Pony is a horse under 14 hands (56in). As Miniatures are under 34-38in (depending on registry), they fall within this category. However,  if you look at the basic body shape of many Miniatures, the proportions are more horse-like. Different organizations prefer different looks, as there is no universal standard.

Guide Horse

Miniature Horses serve many different purposes. They are companion animals, they can be ridden by children, and they can compete in shows relating to things like jumping and obstacle maneuvering. They can even be trained to pull carts!

Did you know that some Miniature Horses are being used as guide animals? They can be trained to assist visually impaired individuals due to their focus, excellent vision, calm attitudes, and great memory. One additional plus is that they are able to live 25-35 years, much longer than a dog, which makes their training more cost effective. The practice has only been around since 1999, but it has been growing over the years. (My favorite feature is that the horses wear tiny tennis shoes, so that they don't slip while walking on tiled surfaces)

And just for good measure, watch some foals!

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Status : Domesticated
Location : Worldwide
Size : Height up to 38in (97cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Perissodactyla
Family : Equidae -- Genus : Equus-- Species : E. ferus -- Subspecies : E. f. caballus

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Red-Billed Streamertail

So yesterday we learned about the National Bird of Singapore, a Sunbird that has many characteristics of the New World Hummingbirds. So today let's learn about a Hummingbird that also happens to have a National Bird designation!

Meet the Red-Billed Streamertail, also known as the Doctor Bird. It is endemic to the island of Jamaica, and is the country's National Bird. They are even found on stamps!

Female

Male Trochilus polytmus

As a Hummingbird, the Streamertails are small little guys. The males' tail feathers are actually longer than the rest of their bodies! As with many birds, males and females have different appearances. Males have the name-inspiring tails, red bills, and bright green bodies. The name "Doctor Bird" is also a reference to the tails, as they resemble old fashioned coat tails. Females have no streamers, dark bills, and greyish, brownish green coloration.

Red-Billed Streamertails feed on nectar and small insects, and live in a variety of habitats throughout the island. They are common and widespread, and are in no immediate danger as a species.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Jamaica
Size : Length 7in (15cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Apodiformes
Family : Trochilidae -- Genus : Trochilus -- Species : T. polytmus

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