Thalassomedon

Thalassomedon hanningtoni

Thalassomedon is one crazy looking sea reptile! These members of the Plesiosaur order lived 95 million years ago and have necks that make up half of their overall body length and contain 62 vertebrae!

Thalassomdeon means "Sea Lord," and while they weren't the most frightening creature of the late Cretaceous (I'm looking at you Mosasaur) they certainly looked to be great ambush hunters.

The eyes of the Thalassomedon were very large and were located on the tops of their heads. They used those large eyes and long skinny necks to ambush schools of fish that were swimming above them. Interestingly, it is unlikely that the Thalassomedon could stick its head far above water; air does not support the weight the same way that water does.

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Status : Extinct for 95 million years
Location : North America
Size : Body Length around 40ft (12m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : †Plesiosauria
Family : †Elasmosauridae -- Genus : †Thalassomedon -- Species : †T. hanningtoni

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African Wildcat

Felis silvestris lybica

Most people understand that dogs were domesticated from Grey Wolves, but the ancestry of the domestic cat isn't as widely known. Enter the African Wildcat, a Wildcat subspecies that is responsible for all of the housecats we have today!

There are several different Wildcats around the world, spanning across Europe, Asia, and Africa. Though they are all genetically similar, and they all look a heck of a lot like domesticated cats, it is one particular African subspecies (F. s. lybica) that ended up being domesticated by Middle Eastern civilizations around 10,000 years ago.

African Wildcats live throughout the African continent, as well as on the Arabian Peninsula and near the Caspian Sea. There are actually over a dozen subspecies on the continent aside from the domestic ancestor. They live in most habitats, including deserts, forests, and savannas.

The African Wildcat is, unsurprisingly, a carnivore. They hunt by pouncing, and go after small mammals, reptiles, birds, and amphibians. Hunting is done primarily at dawn and dusk. The are solitary animals for the most part, except when a  female is raising a litter of kittens.

The entire Wildcat species is listed as being of Least Concern, but they do face some conservation challenges. The most prominent of these is hybridization; many of the African Wildcats interbreed with domestic cats, resulting in very few genetically pure populations.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Africa
Size : Body Length around 30in (76cm), Weight up to 14lbs (6.5kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae -- Genus : Felis -- Species : F. silvestris -- Subspecies : F. s. lybica, others

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Gaboon Viper

Bitis gabonica

The Gaboon Viper of Sub-Saharan Africa has a couple of important distinctions. Is has the highest venom yield among its family members, the longest fangs (up to 2in!), and the largest weight.

Gaboon Vipers hunt at night in forested areas. Their scale patterning makes for excellent camouflage among the leaves. They hunt small mammals, birds, and amphibians by waiting quietly and then ambushing with their deadly fangs and venom.

Female Gaboon Vipers only breed once every 2-3 years, but when they do they can have as many as 60 offspring at once! And these are not eggs, the young snakes enter the world via live birth! One interesting fact I found is that these snakes are rarely bred by zoos. There is so much breeding going on in the pet industry that zoos and aquariums are asked to take in confiscated animals.

Yes, some people actually do keep these venomous snakes as pets! A man who lives in my county was bit by one of his Gaboon Vipers last year, and bites can be fatal in humans (he lived). The venom attacks the blood vessels and causes internal bleeding, swelling, and intense pain.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Africa
Size : Length around 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Viperidae -- Genus : Bitis -- Species : B. gabonica

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Pygmy Hog

Porcula salvania

Meet the Pygmy Hog, a tiny little pig found only in Assam, India. They are the smallest members of the pig family. Pygmy Hogs are now a critically endangered species, and it is estimated that there are only 150 left in the wild.

Pygmy Hogs have had a confusing taxonomic history. They were first described back in 1847, and were placed into a brand new genus. But then it was decided that they were actually closely related to the European Wild Boars, and were moved into the genus Sus, which contains several extant species. It wasn't until 2007 that genetic testing confirmed that the original taxonomic placement was correct.

Pygmy Hogs live in areas with tall grasses, which they use to build small sleeping nests while they wander about for food (roots, grasses, insects). Females even build little nests in which to give birth! Once born, the infant hogs will stay hidden in these nests for about a week.

Though the species is Critically Endangered, there is hope for the future. A captive bred population was released into the reserve in 2002, and there are plans for additional reintroductions.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : India
Size : Height up to 1ft (30cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Suidae -- Genus : Porcula -- Species : P. salvania

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Golden Parakeet

Guaruba guarouba

The Golden Parakeet is a gorgeous yellow Parrot with dark green flight feathers. These vibrant birds are endemic to Brazil, and live in only a handful of regions.

There is little definitively information about the wild Golden Parakeets, as they are rare and have only recently been the subject of scientific study. We do know that fruits, seeds, and nuts make up most of their diets. They also seem to live in small flocks, and breed during the December-April wet season. Nests are sometimes communal, meaning that multiple females will lay eggs within the same nest. When the chicks hatch, all of the flock adults help to care for the young.

Sadly, Golden Parakeets are becoming incredibly rare in the wild, and are now listed as Endangered. It is estimated that there less than 2,500 left in the wild, and that number continues to drop. Deforestation has been a major contributor to their decline; the construction of roads and dams has drastically altered their habitats. The birds are also illegally captured for the pet trade; their bright colors make them highly sought after.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Brazil
Size : Length up to 13in (34cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Psittaciformes
Family : Psittacidae -- Genus : Guaruba-- Species : G. guarouba

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Odontochelys

Odontochelys semitestacea

Odontochelys is an extinct animal that was only just recently discovered (2008). It is pretty darn remarkable find, and represents the earliest Turtle that we know about.. it dates back to the Early Triassic over 220 million years ago!

Odontochelys is a transitional reptile. It shares many characteristics with modern turtles, but also demonstrates traits found in earlier reptiles. It has a plastron, which is the under part of a turtle's shell, but it has no carapace! It also has a turtle-like beak, but there are teeth inside it!

The find is helping scientists figure out how turtles evolved. The previous-oldest-fossil already had a carapace, so discovering a species without one gives clues as to where the shell actually came from. One theory is that shells came from the fusion of osteoderms, which are bony plates of armor in the skin. But Odontochelys has no osteoderms, yet it still has a plastron.

The other theory, which is now looking better, is that the plastron grew first (presumably to protect the aquatic turtles from underside attacks). Once the plastron was in place the turtles eventually evolved extensions from their ribs and backbone that fused together to form a full shell. However, it will be difficult to determine for sure until more transitional fossils are uncovered.

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Status : Extinct for around 220 Millions Years
Location : China
Size : Length up to 9.5in (24cm), Weight up to 4.5lbs (2kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Order : Testudines
Family : †Odontochelyidae -- Genus : †Odontochelys-- Species : †O. semitestacea

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Dingo

Dingoes

Today is the 5th birthday of my parents' dog. Not bad for a little guy who almost died of an auto-immune disorder a few years ago. Did you know dogs can have blood transfusions? Well, you do now!

Anyway, we have no idea what that dog is. He's medium sized and orange with a weird husky-like tail. We've just always called him a Dingo. So today, for his birthday, we're going to learn about the actual Dingoes of Australia.

The subspecies Canis lupus dingo actually refers to more than just Australian Dingoes. New Guinea Singing Dogs, Thai Dogs, along with a handful of other types are also classified under that subspecies. But today let's stick to just the Dingoes.

Dingoes first arrived in Australia from Asia around 4,000 years ago. Because there was still a significant amount of water to cross to get there, it is believed that the original Aborigines brought the semi-domesticated dogs with them. Once they arrived on the continent, the dogs spread quickly. Fossils have been found throughout Australia that date back 3,500 years. Dingoes were first described by science in 1699, when they lived both with Aboriginal populations, and as wild packs.

Dingoes sometimes live as solitary animals, and sometimes in small packs of around 10 members. They are very opportunistic, and will feed on both plants and animals. The population greatly expanded once European Settlers arrived with their livestock, as the dogs now had a massive new food source.

Dingo Pups

Because they prey so readily on sheep, Dingoes are considered a nuisance in many areas. There have even been fences erected to keep the dogs away. They also get a lot of blame for damaging Australia's native animal populations. Some believe that the Dingo is partly responsible for the extinction of the Thylacine, or Tasmanian Wolf, since they competed for food and space.

Dingoes are both persecuted protected, depending on the location. Genetically pure Dingoes are becoming very rare, since they will interbreed with domestic dogs, and efforts are being made to keep the pure Dingoes and the hybrids separate. Dingoes are also occasionally kept as pets, though I wouldn't recommend it.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Australia
Size : Height up to 2ft (60cm), Weight up to 44lbs (20kg)

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

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