Madagascar Tree Boa

Sanzinia madagascarensis

Madagascar Tree Boas are snakes that are endemic to the African island that gives them their name. They actually come in two different color variations, based on their location. In the east, the snakes are grey and green, while in the western parts they are yellow and brown. Two colors, but the same species!

Though the word "tree" also appears in their common name, these snakes are only arboreal while they are hunting. They do so at night, seeking out prey int he pitch black thanks to hit sensitives pits in their mouths. Once they find and capture their prey, they constrict it with their powerful body muscles, leading to a restricted blood flow, heart failure, then death.

All Boas are constrictors, and are non venomous. Another trait that this Snake shares with it's family members? It gives birth to live young. After a six month pregnancy the female snakes give birth to around a dozen foot-long offspring.

Currently the Madagascar Tree Boas are listed as being of Least Concern, but habitat loss has been drastically reducing their historical habitat range. A great deal of their current range is now protected, and they are also being bred in captivity.

---

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Madagascar
Size : Length up to 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Boidae -- Genus : Sanzinia-- Species : S. madagascariensis

Image : Axel Strauss

Read More

Australasian Gannet

Morus serrator

Meet the Autralasian Gannet, a large white, black, and yellow seabird that lives around Australia, New Zealand, and a handful of other nearby islands. They breed in massive coastal colonies, with the largest groups forming in New Zealand. Groups of more than 10,000 pairs can be found at three different locations!

Australasian Gannets form pair bonds that can last for several breeding seasons, and sometimes they last for life. These birds perform elaborate displays to attract mates, including dancing, head bobby, and presenting seaweed to one another. Once a mate is found, the birds with continue to perform, often through bill tapping, in order to greet their mate and strengthen pair bonds.

Females guard the nesting site while the males go out for building materials. Seaweed is a major component. Only one egg will be laid at a time, and both parents help to incubate it for 6 weeks until the helpless chick is hatched. Gannets are pretty long-lived for a seabird. They can reach just shy of 40 years, and won't breed for the first time until they are 5-7.

---

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Australia, New Zealand
Size : Length up to 6in (15cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Suliformes
Family : Sulidae -- Genus : Morus -- Species : M. serrator

Image : Merops

Read More

Hawaiian Butterflyfish

Today's animal goes by two different names, depending on who you ask. Either it is the Hawaiian Butterflyfish (named for its location), or it is Tinker's Butterflyfish (named for the man who discovered it). So choose which one you like!

Speaking of likeable things, these colorful fish are very sought after in captive aquariums. They are said to be hardy and adapt well to new environments, but they usually sell for extremely high prices. As with all captive fish, they should only be purchased from responsible providers!

In the wild, Hawaiian Butterfly fish like to live near steep slopes and the coral reefs that are found on them. They can be found as far down as 450ft. And though 'Hawaii' is in their name, they are also found in the nearby Marshall Islands as well. The Butteflyfish feed on a variety of of different planktons, and when it comes to breeding they will actually pair off, and can be seen swimming together.

---

IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Pacific Ocean
Size : Length up to 6in (15cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Chaetodontidae -- Genus : Chaetodon-- Species : C. tinkeri

Image : Klaus Stiefel

Read More

Barosaurus

80 different Dinosaurs were discovered by Othniel Charles Marsh during the "Bone Wars" and Barosaurus was one of them.

This relative to the more famous Diplodocus lived during the Upper Jurassic, between 155 and 145 millions years go. Its fossils were first uncovered by Marsh in 1889, and parts have been found in various western American states.

Barosaurus was a very long Dinosaur-- adults could reach more than 80 feet from head to tail, and weight upwards of 40,000lbs. Their necks alone stretched to 30ft! That's almost two giraffes!

The neck of a Barasaurus raises some questions about how this Dinosaur's circulatory system worked. If they held their neck straight up it would require an abnormally massive heart to pump blood all the way to the brain. There are theories that Barosaurus either had secondary heart-like structures in its neck, to help move the blood upwards, or they kept their necks parallel to the ground. However, it is difficult to prove either theory-- soft tissue does not exist for these creatures, and the fossilized vertebrae suggest that the Sauropod did stand with its neck stretching upwards. Either way, very interesting things to think about!

---

Status : Extinct 145 million years
Location : North America
Size : Full length up to 85ft (26m), Weight up to 44,000lbs (20 metric tons)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Clade : Dinosauria -- Suborder : †Sauropodomorpha
Family : †Diplodocidae -- Genus : †Barosaurus -- Species : † B. lentus

Image : Debivort, Ryan Somma

Read More

Golden Jackal

Canis aureus

Meet the Golden Jackal, one of the most widespread dog species on the planet!

Jackals are usually associated with the Continent of Africa, but did you know they live in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia as well?  There are a dozen different subspecies of this canine, which is a closer relative to Grey Wolves than it is to the Black-backed and Side-striped Jackals.

Golden Jackals are amazing at adapting to their surroundings. They can live in just about any habitat (except exceptionally snowy areas) and they eat a wide variety of foods. Carrion, fruits, birds, reptiles, antelope, and insects are just a few of the different things that these dogs will consume, depending on their location and the time of year.

Their social structure also varies as much as their location and diet. Some live in only small pair groups, while others have more extended families. The territory that they keep depends on location as well. Some groups have a very small range, while others will mark off a spot that encompasses 12 square km.

Because of their large range and their adaptability, Golden Jackals have a long history with humans. They appear in the folklore and mythology of many different cultures, for example. Anubis, the Egyptian god of embalming, has the head of a Jackal. Other Jackals appear in stories from India, where they are depicted as cunning and intelligent creatures. Golden Jackals also have had run-ins with livestock, and have been hunted for sport, and for their fur.

---

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Africa, Europe, and Asia
Size : Body length around 47in (125cm) , weight up to 35lbs (16kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Canidae -- Genus : Canis-- Species : C. aureus

Image : D. Gordon E. Robertson, , Thimindu

Read More

Northern Bat

Eptesicus nilssonii

Today's animal, the Northern Bat, has a tremendous range. These winged mammals are found throughout northern Europe and Asia, stretching from England all the way over to Japan!

Since they come from cold northern climates, these bats have furry bodies with short ears. They hibernate during the very coldest months, roosting either alone or in very small groups.

In fact, these bats aren't super-social at all, unlike many bat species that can be found in massive colonies. Males are almost always solitary during the summer, while females form little colonies that number a few dozen at the most.

Northern Bats are carnivores, and they hunt insects while in flight. They use echolocation-- sending out sound pulses to locate and identify prey. They hunt primarily at night, though some daylight hunts will occur when the days are especially long in the most northern regions.

---

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Europe and Asia
Size : Body length around 8cm, Wingpan up to 28cm

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Chiroptera
Family : Vespertilionidae -- Genus : Eptesicus-- Species : E. nilssonii

Image : Magne Flaten

Read More

Banana Slug

Ariolimax spp.

There are three different species that are known as Banana Slugs, and all belong to the genus Ariolimax. All three also happen to live near the Pacific Coast of North America, inhabiting the rainy coniferous forests that run from Alaska to California.

Banana Slugs get their name from their bright yellow color, though yellow is not the only color they come in. Some are green, others are brown, and some even have dark spots (sounds like the various stages of a ripening banana to me!) One of the species, the Pacific Banana Slug, is the second largest slug in the world, and can grow as long as 10 inches.

These slugs live on the forest floors, moving slowly as slugs do. In a minute they can cover almost half a foot of distance! They consume all kinds of detritus and decomposing matter, and by doing so help to fertilize their environment.

Banana Slugs aren't just important contributors to their environment-- they are a college mascot too! In 1986 the University of California, Santa Cruz selected the slug, which can be found in nearby forests, to be its official mascot. Sammy the Slug represents them to this day!

---

IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Pacific Coast of North America
Size : Length up to 10in (25cm)

Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Gastropoda
Family : Ariolimacidae -- Genus : Ariolimax

Image : National Park Service

Read More