Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

The Great Horned Owl is a truly great bird-- they are the second largest Owls in the Americas! (Second to the Snowy Owl). These big birds of prey have a body length of over 2ft, and sport two long feather tufts that give them the "horned" name. Males are slightly smaller than females (common in birds of prey), though they do have louder, deeper voices.

Great Horned Owls live in both North and South America, and are found in a variety of different open habitats-- including deserts! Their diverse habitat preference also means that they have a very diverse diet. The Owls will eat rodents, rabbits, insects, reptiles, fish, and even other birds of prey like Peregrine Falcons!

Male and female Great Horned Owls form monogamous pair bonds, often for life. They occupy territories that they defend vigorously, and they will readily kill to protect their offspring-- even members of their own species.

The Owls produce a single brood of offspring each yeah, laying between 1 and 4 eggs. The eggs incubate for close to 40 days, and hatch in the early Spring. While incubating, the female Owl will rarely leave the nest-- her mate will protect the territory and bring her food. After the offspring hatch, he will feed them for a few weeks as well. Young Owls start to fly at about 7 weeks, and will leave their parents in the late Fall or early Winter, when it is time for a new breeding cycle to begin.

Because of their massive range and their relatively stable population, the Great Horned Owls are listed as being of Least Concern.

---

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North and South America
Size : Body length up to 2in (.6m), Wingspan up to 5ft (1.5m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae -- Genus : Bubo -- Species : B. virginianus
Image :  Shudrburg

Read More

Bigeye Tuna

The Bigeye Tuna is a commercially captured fish that also happens to be the most threatened of all the Tuna species. They are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN and appear on several "do not eat" red lists, including the one put out by Greenpeace.

Bigeye Tuna are found in the tropical and temperate oceans of the world. They are large fish, able to grow as long as 6ft and weighing several hundred pounds.

These particular fish are named for their unusually large eyes (compared to other Tuna). They also have deeper bodies than their closest relative, the Yellowtail. Interestingly, but the Bigeye and Yellowtail are referred to as "Ahi."

Overfishing is the biggest threat to the Bigeye Tuna. And lower Tuna numbers affect more than just the fishermen hunting them. Because these fish are so large, they serve as powerful predators in the food chain, and without them the natural balance is thrown off.

---

IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Tropical and Temperate Oceans
Size : Length up to 6.6ft (2m), Weight up to 400lbs (180kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Scombridae -- Genus : Thunnus -- Species : T. obesus
Image :  Robbie Cada

Read More

Northern Tamandua

Tamandua mexicana

Today's animal is the Northern Tamandua, a small Anteater that lives in Central America, as well as in some of the northern areas of South America.

Tropical forests are where these mammals call home, and they have bodies that are well adapted to tree climbing. They have tough footpads and a large central claw that helps them to maintain a good grip while climbing, along with a prehensile tail.

Climbing adaptations aren't the only physical features that stand out on the Northern Tamandua. Like all Anteaters, they have no teeth. Instead, they have a very long long that is coated in a sticky substance that is perfect for picking up insects in large quantities. Ants and Termites are their preferred bugs, and they can eat close to 10,000 in a single day!

Northern Tamanduas do their hunting at night, sniffing out prey with their noses. They are solitary animals, and only come together when it is time to breed. There is no specific mating seasons for these creatures, and females give birth year round.

---

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Central and South America
Size : Length up to 50in (1.3m), Weight up to 12lbs (5.4kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Pilosa
Family : Myrmecophagidae -- Genus : Tamandua -- Species : T. mexicana
Image :  Jacob Barnett

Read More

Desert Cottontail

Sylvilagus audubonii

Also known as the Audubon's Cottontail, the Desert Cottontail is a rabbit that lives in the dry, desert-like habitats of western North American (though they can also be found in some pine forests as well!)

Desert Cottontails typically live in small groups, foraging together for grasses, vegetables, and even cacti. They drink very little water, if any, as they can get all they need from the plants that they eat.

Interestingly, the Desert Cottontail is one of those unusual mammals where the females are larger than the males... if only just barely. Like most rabbits, these guys breed several times a year, though have fewer litters, and fewer offspring per litter, than many of their cousins. A female will normally breed 5 times a year, each time having a gestation period of about 4 weeks. 3 young are usually born at once, and they grow quickly, leaving the nest at 2 weeks and being fully independent at 5 (leaving mom to breed again!)

---

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Western North America
Size : Length up to 17in (43cm), Weight up to 3.3lbs (1.5kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Lagomorpha
Family : Leporidae -- Genus : Sylvilagus -- Species : S. audubonii
Image :  Howcheng

Read More

Great White Pelican

Pelecanus onocrotalus

When we think about birds with massive wingspans, the Albatross comes to mind. But did you know that Pelicans can be just as gigantic? Even though it is the second in average size to the Dalmatian Pelican, the Great White is able to sport a larger wingspan-- close to 12ft!

Great White Pelicans live near shallow bodies of freshwater, and most of the birds are migratory. During the summers they live in slightly cooler parts of Europe and Asia, and during the winter they move to northern Africa, the Middle East, and south Asia. There are a few resident populations as well, and those are found in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Great White Pelican lives its entire life in a large group. They feed, breed, and migrate in colonies. Unsurprisingly with a bill that large, these birds are excellent fishermen, which is good because each birds needs to eat about 3lbs of fish every day. They actually spend very little time hunting every day, and are normally finished by late morning. The Pelicans spend most of their time bathing, preening, and monitoring their territory.

Though the Great White Pelicans are currently listed as being of Least Concern, some populations are declining and Europe. Also, the birds are being forced to move farther and farther away to do their hunting, as human overfishing is affecting their stocks. Humans also hunt the Pelicans themselves-- their pouches are used for tobacco bags, and their skin and meat is also valued.

---

IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Europe, Africa, and Asia
Size : Wingspan up to 11.5ft (3.5m), Weight up to 33lbs (15kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Pelecaniformes
Family : Pelecanidae -- Genus : Pelecanus -- Species : P. onocrotalus
Image :  Andrew Massyn

Read More

Boa Constrictor

Boa constrictor

There are many Boas, and many snakes that are of the constricting variety, but today's animal is the Boa Constrictor. In fact, it is one of those rare living animals that have the exact same English-language common name as their scientific name. Yes, its official name is Boa constrictor!

These snakes are found in Central and South America, where they live in a variety of different habitats. While rainforests are the preferred hang-out spot, they can also be found in more open, semi-arid locations as well.

Boa Constrictors are large snakes, able to grow 13ft in length and weigh upwards of 60lbs! Their coloration varies by location, and there are several different subspecies that can be identified by their shades and patterns.

In general, Boa Constrictors are solitary-- only meeting up to mate. Fertilization happens internally and the females give birth to live young.

Did you know that one of the Boa Constrictor's favorite meals is Bat? They will snap the flying mammals right out of the air and kill them with constriction. Other common prey? Rodents, lizards, birds, and opossums. They locate their meals using heat pits in their heads, and can swallow animals much larger than their heads by unhinging their jaws.

Some subspecies and local Boa Constrictor populations are threatened. They are hunted for their skins and meat, and are taken for the exotic pet industry.

---

IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : South and Central America
Size : Length up to 13ft (4m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Boidae -- Genus : Boa-- Species : B. constrictor
Image :  Belizian

Read More

Emperor Penguin

It's pretty chilly outside right now (-14F!), but that is nothing compared to the cold temperatures that today's animals endure all the time!

The Emperor Penguin is the largest of all the Penguins, standing up to 4ft tall and weighing nearly 100lbs. It lives only in Antarctica, and regularly experiences wind chills of over worse than -75! These flightless birds actually spend their winters in frigid, windy, open areas, and even breed on the freezing, exposed ice plains. Why? Because they are safe there. Dangers lurk near the water for juveniles, so the Emperor Penguins march as far as 50 miles inland in order to be the only lifeforms around.

The male and female Penguins meet up each breeding season (usually April-May) and pair off. They are monogamous each season, and some pairs return to each other year after year, but only a small percentage. After laying her egg, the female carefully transfers it to her mate, who warms it on top of his feet. She then makes her way back to the sea for two months in order to fill up on food for herself and her offspring.

While the females are gone, the males incubate their eggs for 64 days, and keep warm by walking in a large circular huddle. They take turns warming up on the inside of the huddle and marching on its blisteringly cold fringes. If the egg is exposed during this time (or during transfer from the mother to father), the chick will almost always die, as it cannot withstand cold exposure for long.

The chicks hatch shortly before the females return, and the fathers feed them with a substance that they create in their esophagi. When mom gets home, she calls out for her mate and child, finding them in a crowd of hundreds or thousands by their voice alone. She then takes over parenting duties while the father leaves to feed. This parent-swapping cycle happens a few times before the ice starts to break up and the chicks fledge in summer. The adults and the juveniles then spend their "warm" summer months hunting fish, crustaceans, and squid-- they can even dive down as far as 1,800ft to do so!

Emperor Penguins were recently placed as "Near Threatened" on the IUCN Red List, due to climate change affecting their food supply and habitat. The population appears to be stable at around 550,000 individuals.

---

IUCN Status : Near Threatened
Location : Antarctica
Size : Height up to 4ft (48in), Weight up to 100lbs (45kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Sphenisciformes
Family : Spheniscidae -- Genus : Aptenodytes-- Species : A. forsteri
Image :  Hannes Grobe

Read More