Chinese Mountain Cat

Felis silvestris bieti

The Chinese Mountain Cat is a very elusive feline. In fact, they are so hard to find that they were the very last cats to be discovered by science! Even then, most of what we knew was taken from skins, and it wasn't until 2007 that the first photograph was taken of one in the wild! They were once considered to be their own separate species, but genetic testing in recent years has led to reclassification.

This subspecies of Wildcat is endemic to China, where it can be found at high elevation grasslands, coniferous forests, and shrublands. They are active at night, and hunt for small animals like Birds, Pikas, and other Rodents.

It should come as no surprise that the Chinese Mountain Cat is a vulnerable subspecies with a small population size. Estimates state that only around 10,000 mature individuals remain. The intentional poisoning of Pikas has a lot to do with the Cat's decline. The Pika population goes down, lowering the Mountain Cat's food supply, and the cats themselves can become poisoned and die as well. Chinese Mountain Cats are listed in CITES II, and are protected in their native country, though the protection isn't as enforced as it is in other animals.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : China
Size : Body length up to 33in (84cm), Weight up to 9lbs (20kg)

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

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Dwarf Crocodile

Osteolaemus tetraspis

Meet the smallest living Crocodile, the appropriately named Dwarf Crocodile! These guys top out at lengths of only 5ft, which is pretty minuscule when you compare them to their larger Nile cousins. Those guys can grow to 16ft or more!

Dwarf Crocodiles are found in tropical west and central Africa. They live in ponds, swamps, and marshes, where they are most active during the nighttime hours.

When it comes to their personality and behavior, Dwarf Crocodiles are pretty timid and slow moving, but that doesn't mean they aren't still effective predators! They feed on all sorts of invertebrates and vertebrates alike, and will also consume carrion when available.

Mother Dwarf Crocodiles are very attentive parents. They build mounds out of decaying vegetation, which generate the heat needed to incubate the eggs. She will guard the mound until the eggs hatch, and then watch over her offspring for up to a year, as their small size makes them very vulnerable to predation.

Unfortunately, Dwarf Crocodiles are listed as Vulnerable. They aren't as well studied as their larger cousins, so the exact population status isn't as understood. It appears that hunting and deforestation are contributing to their decline.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Africa
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Order : Crocodilia
Family : Crocodylidae -- Genus : Osteolaemus -- Species : O. tetraspis

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Eight-spotted Forester

Meet the Eight-spotted Forester, a small moth found in the eastern United States and in parts of eastern Canada. As adults, they have dark black bodies and eight white or yellow spots across their wings, giving them their common name.

Alypia octomaculata

Larvae

Location has everything to do with the lifespans and generations of the Eight-spotted Forester. Only one generation is produced each year in the north, with adults flying from April to June. Two generations are more common in the south. Adults don't live through the winter months, but the pupa do! They bunker down in the soil or in wood crevasses when it gets cold.

Eight-spotted Forester larvae come from eggs that are often laid upon Grape or Virginia Creeper plants. Once the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on those plants (adults feed on nectar). The young Moths are just as boldly patterned as the adults are, with bright orange bands interspersed with smaller black and white ones.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Eastern United States, Canada
Size : Wingspan up to 1.2in (3.7cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Noctuidae -- Genus : Alypia -- Species : A. octomaculata

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Eastern Long-necked Turtle

Chelodina longicollis

It's easy to see where this animal gets its name-- the Eastern Long-necked Turtle has a neck that can be nearly as long as their carapace! These necks are so long that they aren't pulled directly back into the carapace. They bend in sideways.

These Australian natives have flat carapaces that grow to around 8in in length and are colored in shades that range from black to brown to green. Their undersides (plastrons) are cream colored with very distinctive black lines.

You can find these Turtles living in slow moving freshwater streams and ponds. They have powerful webbed feet that allow them to dig and swim with ease, and they spend a good deal of time basking on rocks and logs. In the wild Long-necked Turtles are 100% carnivorous, feeding on insects, mollusks, tadpoles, fish, and other small creatures. When the Turtles themselves feel threatened, they secrete a stinky fluid from their musk glands. This gives them one of their other common names-- "Stinker."

Eastern Long-necked Turtles can be kept as pets, but they require a good deal of space, as well as a long commitment. These guys can live for decades!

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Australia
Size : Carapace length around 8in (20cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Order : Testudines
Family : Chelidae -- Genus : Chelodina -- Species : C. longicollis

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Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox

Acerodon jubatus

The Giant Golden-crowned Flying Fox (also known as the Golden-capped Fruit Bat) is one of the largest bat species in the entire world... but it is also one of the most threatened. These monstrous bats are found only on a handful of islands in the Philippines, and they are in grave danger due to poaching and deforestation.

Giant Golden-crowned Flying Foxes (that is a mouthful!) are named for a patch of golden colored hair found on the tops of their heads. The rest of the body ranges in color from brown to black. The "Giant" title comes from their incredible size-- they can have wingspans that measure over 5 ft! Don't worry about that huge size though, these bats are gentle giants. Their favorite food is Fig, and they also eat several other fruit and plant types. They even help to plant the forests since they deposit seeds with their droppings.

These Bats can be found exclusively on nine different Philippines islands, though that number could drop to even fewer locations-- they have already gone extinct on several smaller islands. They live at low elevations, in areas that are uninhabited by humans. When they were more abundant, the Golden-crowned Flying Foxes could be found in combined colonies with the Large Flying Foxes, and these groups could number near 100,000. At present, the largest colonies measure around 5,000.

The species is on the decline, but a number of different programs have been put into place to keep it going. They live in a few protected areas, are under study, and a captive breeding program is underway. However, enforcement in some of the protected areas is very light, allowing poaching to continue.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Philippines
Size : Wingspan up to 5.5ft (1.7m), Weight up to 2.6lbs (1.3kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Chiroptera
Family : Pteropodidae -- Genus : Acerodon -- Species : A. jubatus

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Common Bronzewing

Phaps chalcoptera

The Common Bronzewing is a medium sized species of Pigeon that is found throughout Australia. They live in a wide range of habitats, usually near sources of water,  and can be found just about anywhere that isn't a dense rainforest or a dry desert.

The common name from the species comes from their brightly colored wings. Both males and females sport patches of blue, green, red, and (of course) bronze, on them (though the females are a bit less shiny). These colors stand out when compared to greyish-brown feathers found on the rest of their bodies. The birds also have small white lines under their eyes, and juveniles posses the same coloration, only more dull.

Common Bronzewings are very adaptable birds. As already mentioned, they live in a huge range of habitats and temperature ranges. They also live in all sorts of differently size social groups. Some birds around found alone, others travel in pairs, while others move in small flocks. They are also adaptable when it comes to feeding, taking different kinds of available seeds and grasses while foraging on the ground.

One final example of their adaptability concerns their reproductive habits. They don't have a set breeding season, and will reproduce during any time of the year as long as there are suitable conditions. Males put on a bowing courtship display, displaying their shiny feathers to the females. The pair will build a very flimsy-looking nest, and two eggs are laid at a time. The parents share incubation duties (which is a very short 14-16 day time period) and they both feed and care for the chicks, which are fed "Pigeon Milk" from their parents' crops.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Australia
Size : Length up to 14in (36cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Columbiformes
Family : Columbidae -- Genus : Phaps -- Species : P. chalcoptera

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Plotosus Catfish

Plotosus lineatus

Today let's talk about the Plotosus genus, which is made up of nine different species of Eel-Catfish. All nine species can be found in proximity to the Indian Ocean, ranging from Madagascar all the way over to New Guinea. They are typically found in salt water areas, though some do swim up streams and freshwater rivers. One of the species, P. lineatus, is the only Catfish found in Coral Reefs!

These Eel-Catfish are named for their long, slender, eel-like bodies, but from there they vary in appearance. Some have stripes, some are solidly colored, and others have gradient patterns. They even very in size, witht he largest (P. canius) measuring around 1.5m, while some of the others (like P. lineatus) are only about a foot. All species, especially as juveniles, prefer to swim in schools, rather than alone. Some of these groups can number into the hundreds. The schools feeds by trawling the bottom with their barbels, and by stirring up small invertebrates in the substrate.

Eight of the nine Plotosus species are venomous. They have spines on their dorsal and pectoral fins that can be incredibly dangerous. Though it is rare, these stings can be fatal for humans.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Indian Ocean
Size : Length between 14-60in (34-150cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Siluriformes
Family : Plotosidae -- Genus : Plotosus

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