Poli's Stellate Barnacle

Chthamalus stellatus

Did you know that Barnacles, those weird bumpy things that attach themselves to rocks, are not only animals, but they are Crustaceans just like Crabs and Lobsters? Let's learn about one species today!

These Barnacles, named for Italian biologist Giuseppe Saverio Poli, can be found in Southern Europe and off the coasts of England and Ireland. They attach themselves to rocks and other firm objects in inter-tidal zones. Once attached, the Barnacles don't really go anywhere. They feed by reaching their tiny legs out from their shell and latching on to plankton and debris.

Poli's Stellate Barnacles have chalky-white shells that have kite-shaped openings as juveniles, and oval openings as adults. Underneath that shell, their tissue is bright blue with black and orange markings. The Barnacles are usually cone-shaped, but they become more tubular in crowded areas. They grow to a size of around 14mm, but the size is dependent on their habitat and food supply.

One thing I found particularly interesting is that all Poli's Stellate Barnacles are hermaphrodites. If isolated, the Barnacles can actually self reproduce, though in most cases they will take on a male or female role. "Male" Barnacles have very long sexual organs that they can use to search for "Females" in the nearby area. Keep in mind that this whole time the Barnacle itself remains latched on to a surface, and does not otherwise move. "Females" keep their fertilized eggs inside their shell with them until they hatch, and there can be up to 4,000 eggs at a time!

After hatching, the larvae are free-swimming and go through several molts until they hit their Cyprid stage. At this point in their life they are completely unable to feed, and must find a rock or something else to latch on to in order to metamorphose into their final shelled adult form. These Barnacles can live up to 5 years, and reach full maturity after around 10 months.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Europe
Size : Diameter up to 14mm

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Subphylum : Crustacea -- Class : Maxillopoda
Order : Sessilia -- Family : Chthamalidae -- Genus : Chthamalus -- Species : C. stellatus

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Swan Goose

Anser cygnoides

The Swan Goose is a very large Goose that breeds in China, Russia, and Mongolia, with some small populations also being found in surrounding countries. They breed in wetland areas of the steppe and taiga, and during the winter they migrate to more coastal areas. Though they are waterfowl, these Geese aren't often found in the water-- they graze on dry land. They feed on sedges and berries, typically at night, with their diet shifting each season to accommodate what is available.

Swan Geese are the ancestors of two different Domesticated species-- the Chinese Goose and the African Goose. Most other Geese trace their lines back to the Greylag Goose which is native to most of Europe and Asia. Swan Geese are the second largest Geese in their genus, just behind the Greylag.

Unfortunately, Swan Geese are listed as Vulnerable. Though their domestic descendants can be found around the world, they themselves are threatened by unsustainable hunting and habitat loss. It is estimated that there around around 90,000 left, though the population is on a fast decline.

Their wetland breeding areas are being  used for development and agriculture, so the birds are being forced into very small ranges. The major downside to these small breeding ranges is that a single localized natural disaster can completely wipe out a huge portion of the population. The birds are protected in several areas of Russia, Mongolia, and Korea, but there is much more to be done to keep these Geese from going extinct.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Asia
Size : Length around 3ft (.9m), Weight up to 7.7lbs (3.5kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Anseriformes
Family : Anatidae -- Genus : Anser -- Species : A. cygnoides

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Bagheera kiplingi

Bagheera kiplingi

Today's animal is rather unusual-- it has an almost exclusively herbivorous diet, which makes it very unique among the 40,000 different spider species out there!

Bagheera kiplingi was only first discovered in 2008. It is a species of jumping spider that is native to Central America. Like other Jumping Spdiers, it possesses large eyes and the ability to leap large distances (as far as 50 times their body size). Unlike its cousins, however, it does not hunt its food.

B. kiplingi has figured out a way to steal nutritious protein and fat-rich nubs from Acacia trees. These nubs, called Beltian Bodies, are formed due to a symbiotic relationship between the Acacia tree and Ants. The Spiders ignore the Ants that guard the Bodies, and feed almost exclusively on the nubs. I say "almost exclusively" because the Spiders do sometimes feed on the Ant larvae as well, but it is a very small percentage of their diet.

B. kiplingi exhibits sexual dimorphism-- the males have a dark greenish cephalothorax, while the female's is reddish brown. Females also have much larger abdomens.

And for those who were curious, Bagheera kiplingi is named after the Panther in Kipling's The Jungle Book and Kipling himself. The Genus named was derived back in 1896 by George and Elizabeth Peckham. They named a handful of other genera after Kipling characters as well.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Central America
Size : Length around 2cm

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Arachnida -- Order : Araneae
Family : Salticidae -- Genus : Bagheera -- Species : B. kiplingi

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Netherland Dwarf

Netherland Dwarf

I'm heading over to the Wisconsin State Fair today, and for those of you who have not had the pleasure, the fair is known for three things: Every type of food imaginable.... on a stick. Pig races. Animals. Lots and lots of animals. While the horses, cows, and other large livestock usually get all the glory, I've always been a fan of the Rabbits and Poultry building. You get to see all kinds of different breeds, from the common to the completely unusual. Today we'll be learning all about one of the more popular Rabbits- the Netherland Dwarf.

Netherland Dwarf

The Netherland Dwarf originated in its namesake country during the early 20th century. They were the result of crosses between small wild rabbits and smaller polish breeds. The first Dwarfs were aggressive, and took after their wild relatives more than their domesticated ones. It wasn't until the past few decades that selective breeding was able to produce more gentile traits. However, there are still some skittish Rabbits out there, a carryover of their early days.

Netherlands Dwarfs are popular due to their small size, and the easier ownership requirements that go along with it. They need much smaller cages, less food, and do not need to live in pairs or groups like some small mammals do. They can be littler box trained, but success will vary on the individual.

Another reason why this breed is so popular? They retain infant-like looks as adults! They also come in just about every color imaginable. Because they are so small, they are kept as pets almost exclusively, as they aren't large enough for fur or meat usage.

Netherland Dwarfs are often crossed with other Rabbit Breeds to create smaller pets, and they have actually help to found several other breeds as well. The Jersey Woolly, Mini-Rex, and Holland Lop are all results of Dwarf crosses with other breeds.

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Status : Domesticated
Location : Netherlands
Size : Weigtha round 3.5lbs (1.6kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Lagomorpha
Family : Leporidae -- Genus : Oryctolagus -- Species : O. cuniculus

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Green Violetear

Colibri thalassinus

Violetears are Hummingbirds that belong to the Colibri genus. All are found in South and Central America, occupying different ranges and altitudes. All are named for the bright violet color patches that run backwards from their eyes.

The Green Violetear is one of those species, and is named for their vibrant metallic green feathers. Males and females look mostly alike, and the only sexual dimorphism comes in the violet patch size (larger in males).

You can find this particular species in the highlands and cloud forests of Central and South America, and they are sometimes even found in the Southern United States. They are rarely seen at altitudes of less than 1,600ft (500m) and are usually found at the 4,000-7,500ft range (1,200-2,300m). Green Violetears are solitary birds, though groups will sometimes gather at a specific feeding tree, sipping on nectar (they eat small insects as well).

When it comes to their reproductive habits, all that we know comes from a few observations. Females will approach a group of males, and they will chase her. Once one male catches her, the rest give up. The couple will fly side by side for some time, before descending to the ground and mating. Males then have no further involvement in the process. Females build their nests, lay their eggs, and incubate the eggs on their own. The two chicks hatch after 17 days, and fledge at around 4 weeks.

Green Violetears are listed as being of Least Concern, and there are no current conservation programs overseeing their management.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Central and South America
Size : Length around 12cm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Apodiformes
Family : Trochilidae -- Genus : Colibri -- Species : C. thalassinus

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Trakehner

Trakehner Horse

I've been watching a lot of Olympics coverage lately, and this morning was the start of the team Dressage competition. Without writing an essay, Dressage is an Equestrian Sport where a horse and rider perform a series of moves within an arena. "Horse Ballet" is a term sometimes used, and it's not far off. The horses perform very practiced moves, and there is a huge amount of training involved in the discipline. The sport even dates back hundreds of years.

Most horses involved in Dressage are "Warmbloods," including today's breed. The Trakehner's roots date back to 1732, when Fredrick William I of Prussia established a stud farm at Trakehnen. These early representatives of the breed were stockier than their modern counterparts, but that all changed in the 1800s when Thoroughbred and Arabian blood was added to the line. The result was ultimately a large, intelligent, stable horse with great endurance that could be used for both farm work, and for cavalry purposes.

Trakehner doing Dressage

Trakehners continued to be bred in East Prussia until World War II, when approaching Russian forces forced an evacuation. The breed was reduced to only 600 broodmares and 50 stallions. Trakehners have since rebounded, and their governance in Germany is overseen by the federal government, including the Trakehner Verband. Pureblooded Trakehners are often branded with the emblem of their national association.

The Trakehner stands between 16 and 17 hands tall, and had strong hindquarters and a springy "flaoting trot" gait. Today they are used for farm more than just military and farm work, and they excel at a number of Equestrian sports, including Jumping and Dressage. The breed is often used to refine other Warmblood breeds. Because Trakehners have Arabian and Thoroughbred blood, breeding them to other Warmbloods allows for the traits of those "Hotblood" breeds to enter the gene pool, but without the need for risky direct crosses.

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Status : Domesticated
Location : Originated in Prussia
Size : Height up to 16hands

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

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St. Lucia Racer

Liophis ornatus

Yesterday we talked about about a snake that is Critically Endangered, and considered "the rarest snake in the world". Today we'll learn about a snake that might be able to vie for that title-- it was considered extinct for nearly 75 years before being recently rediscovered.

The St. Lucia Racer, another snake endemic to a Caribbean Island, was actually declared extinct back in 1936. Its decline was also due to the introduction of Rats and Mongooses to the island. There was a potential sighting in the 1970s, but everyone throught that the small island snakes were gone. Only a few weeks ago (early July, 2012), news stories began to report that the Racer had been found again on a small, 30 acre island. There are at least 11 individuals on the site, though there may be more.

All of the newly rediscovered snakes were micro-chipped and re-released. There is most assuredly inbreeding within the population, but the full extent of their lack of genetic diversity wot be known for a few more months.

Like the Antiguan Racer we learned about yesterday, the St. Lucia Racer is a small snake. It measures less than 1m in length. It is also said to be very docile with humans, and it eats small frogs and lizards.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : St. Lucia
Size : Length around 1m

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Order : Squamata
Family : Colubridae -- Genus : Liophis -- Species : L. ornatus

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