Antiguan Racer

Alsophis antiguae

The Antiguan Racer is believed to be the rarest snake in the entire world. It is so rare, in fact, that in 1995 there were only 50 left! The Racers grow to lengths of around 1m, prefer to live in shady areas, and are completely harmless to humans.

Unfortunately, humans were farm from harmless toward the Racer population, which dwindled due to human involvement and introduced predators. When colonists arrived on the island of Antigua, they inadvertently brought Black Rats along with them. The Rats multiplied quickly, feeding on crops and Racer eggs, among other things. The farmers, wanting to get rid of the rats, introduced Asian Mongooses. Unfortunately, the Mongooses also fed on Snakes, and not just their eggs. It wasn't long before the Antiguan Racer was completely extinct on the island of Antigua itself. They continued to survive in small numbers on the Mongoose free Great Bird Island.

Though they were free from Mongooses on Great Bird Island, the snakes still had to worry about Rats, natural disasters (like hurricanes and droughts), and a loss of genetic diversity due to inbreeding. In 1995, when the population hit 50 individuals, a successful effort was made to eradicate all Rats from Great Bird.

The population doubled with the loss of the Rats, but it was discovered that the island was too small to sustain a larger snake population. Efforts are ongoing to remove Rats and Mongooses from other offshore islands, so that the snakes can be reintroduced there as well.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Antigua
Size : Length up to 1m

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Order : Squamata
Family : Colubridae -- Genus : Alsophis -- Species : antiguae

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Aquatic Warbler

Acrocephalus paludicola

Today's animal is one of the most threatened Passerine birds in Europe, and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. The species was once widespread and numerous, found in wetland areas throughout the continent. At present, the Warblers are restricted to only a few dozen sites across six countries, and it is estimated that there are less than 12,000 males left.

So why are these once abundant birds now threatened with extinction? It all has to do with their habitat needs. Aquatic Warblers live in very specific marshes and fen mires, and as those areas are taken over by human activity, the Warblers have no where to go. The only breeding populations left are found in Eastern Europe, and luckily there have been efforts made to maintain the habitats that are still viable.

But it isn't just their breeding sites that need protecting-- Aquatic Warblers migrate up to 7,500 miles (12,000km) every year to Sub-Saharan Africa. Their stopover points need protection as well, and so do their wintering grounds. Until recently, no one knew where the birds did their wintering, but a site was discovered in Senegal that houses up to 10,000 birds each year (potentially half the worldwide population). Obviously it will be very important to keep this site preserved as well, and promotional efforts are being made to do so.

So now that conservation measures have been discussed, we can move on to some other facts. Aquatic Warblers have a really fascinating breeding system. From May to July, the males fly about and sing as loudly as they can, trying to attract as many females as possible. They have no parental duties, so they are free to advertise themselves continuously. But don't think that the males are the only ones to have more than one mate! Females will also breed multiples times, and around 60% of all broods are fathered by more than one individual!

Aquatic Warblers are insectivores, though they do sometimes eat fruits as well.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Europe, Asia
Size : Length up to 5in (13cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Acrocephalidae -- Genus : Acrocephalus -- Species : A. paludicola

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American Dipper

Cinclus mexicanus

I confess, when I hear the term "Songbird," I usually think of a bird that lives up in the trees, flitting around eating seeds or insects. But today I learned that there are Songbirds that actually submerge into water for their food! Meet the American Dipper, the only truly aquatic Songbird in North America!

You'll find these birds around fast moving, rocky rivers. Their range runs down the western side of North America, from Alaska all the way down to Mexico. American Dippers are residents, and when it gets cold they move to larger rivers that do not freeze. The also adapt to the cold by having a thick coat of feathers and a low metabolism.

Did you know that American Dippers molt all their wing and tail feathers at once (a simultaneous molt) and cannot fly for a short period of time? Though many waterfowl species do this, most songbirds do not, making the Dippers even more unique (Songbirds molt, but it is a more gradual process).

American Dippers feed on underwater insects and larvae. They have membranes over their eyes that let them see well underwater, and have oily feathers that keep them insulated in the cold streams. When searching for food they will dip their entire body underwater over and over. That dipping motion is what gives them their name. They will also search for prey by walking on the river bottom!

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IUCN Status : L:east Concern
Location : Western North America
Size : Length up to 7in (16cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Cinclidae -- Genus : Cinclus -- Species : C. mexicanus

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Tailless Tenrec

Tenrec ecaudatus

Today's animal is native to Madagascar, and has been introduced to the Mascarene Islands. But happily, unlike some of the other critters we've talked about this week, the Tailless Tenrec is not on the verge of extinction! These interesting little mammals actually have a stable population, no major threats, and a wide range.

So now that we've got conservation status out of the way, what on Earth is a Tenrec?! The answer is... interesting. Tenrecs are members of that weird African Superorder known as Afrotheria. Their hodgepodge of relatives includes Elephants, Manatees, Hyraxes, Aardvarks, and Sengi. Tenrecs themselves look a bit like shrews or opossums, and some species even resemble Hedgehogs. This is due to convergent evolution-- Tenrecs evolved to fill the ecological niches that were normally filled by the aforementioned creatures. They May look alike and act alike, but they aren't actually related!

The Tailless Tenrec is the largest of the land-dwelling Tenrecs. They actually do have tails, despite the name, though the tails are very, very short. They look a bit like a Shrew crossed with a Hedgehog, and the younger Tenrecs even have spines to protect them while they grow up (adults have long, coarse hairs).

The Tailless Tenrec is one of the largest insectivores in the world. They detect prey with their long whiskers (they are nocturnal), and capture it with their mouths. Aside from insects, they do also feed on small vertebrates and plants.

You will only really see these Tenrecs in groups during a  few times each year-- during the breeding season when males attract mates, and after the young are born when females are taking care of their offspring. They are very solitary otherwise. Tailless Tenrecs can have massive litter sizes-- up to 32! The young are helpless for the first week or so, but they grow fast and will be on their own after about 5 weeks. They reach sexual maturity around 6 months of age.

Tailless Tenrecs communicate in a number of different ways. When threatened, the ridge of hair on their back rises up. They also hiss, squeal, and even scream!

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IUCN Status : L:east Concern
Location : Madagascar, Mascarene Islands
Size : Length up to 15in (39cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Afrosoricida
Family : Tenrecidae -- Genus : Tenrec -- Species : T. ecaudatus

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Wattle-necked Softshell Turtle

Palea steindachneri

Wow, this week is becoming an unofficial Mascarene Islands theme week, and sort of by accident too! I came across today's animal while browsing around a site that listed the reptiles and amphibians of Hawaii. I zeroed in on a Softshell Turtle, as they are very interesting looking creatures... and what do you know, they've been introduced to Mauritius!

And though I found the animal in a Hawaiian context, they aren't native Hawaiians. The Wattle-necked Softshell Turtles are actually native to Vietnam and southern China, and were introduced to islands elsewhere. Interestingly, most of what we know of their biology and behavior comes from those Hawaiian individuals.

Wattle-necked Softshell Turtles belong to an entire family of Softshell Turtles, Trionychidae, but they are the only species in their genus. Like their cousins, they have flat shells covered with leathery skin rather than bony scutes. They also have long, retractable necks that have wattle clusters around the base (hence the name).

Unfortunately, like many other Softshell Turtles, the Wattle-necked Softshell Turtle is Endangered. This is due in part to their desirability in the food trade in Asia. Captive breeding farms have been set up to keep the wild Turtles from being hunted. But those farms may actually be hurting the Turtles, as they make the food more popular. The introduced populations in Hawaii and Mauritius may some day be the only populations left.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Southeast Asia, Hawaii, Mauritius
Size : Length up to 10in (25cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Testudines
Family : Trionychidae -- Genus : Palea -- Species : P. steindachneri

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Réunion Kestrel

Falco duboisi

A few days ago we learned about an entire genus of Tortoises that went extinct from the Mascarene Islands in early 19th century. Today's animal didn't make it that long-- the Réunion Kestrel was gone before 1700.

It is a similar sad story, with the arrival of man prompting a fast decline... But the exact cause of the extinction is still a bit of a mystery. European colonization was in full swing by the mid 17th century, and the last time one of these birds was recorded as being alive was in 1672. A few may have hung in there for a while longer, but by 1700 they were considered extinct. Persecution probably played a part in their decline, but if there were other factors, they remain unknown.

Everything we know about the Réunion Kestrel comes from fossils and a few notes written by in the 1670s. They probably lived throughout the island, inhabiting open areas. They probably fed on smaller birds, as other Kestrels do, and may have taken domestic chickens (prompting some of that persecution). Unfortunately, little else is known about their behavior and lifestyle, as they were only known to science for a few short years before completely disappearing.

Réunion Kestrels are the only Kestrels to have gone extinct. Interestingly, the nearby island of Mauritius has its own extant Kestrel species, though it is listed as Vulnerable.

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IUCN Status : Extinct
Location : Reunion Island
Size : Length up to 14in (36cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Falconiformes
Family : Falconidae -- Genus : Falco -- Species : F. duboisi

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Giant Water Bug

Lethocerus sp.

Today we'll be talking about an entire taxonomic family-- Belostomitidae. Insects within this group are more commonly referred to as Giant Water Bugs. There are around 160 different species, organized into nine different genera.

The "Giant" name is certainly apt, as some members (especially those in the genus Lethocerus) can reach lengths of several inches. Even the smallest group members are a few centimeters in length.

Giant Water Bugs can be found all over the world, and are most concentrated in the Americas and in South Asia and Australia. All of the insects, regardless of continent, live in ponds and other shallow bodies of water. They spend most of their time in the water, but they must surface for air, as they do require it to breathe. Respiration takes place thanks to two appendages that extend from the abdomen. Speaking of abdomens, the eggs of two of the genera, Abedus and Belostoma, are deposited on the backs of the males, who carry them around for a week or two until they hatch!

Giant Water Bugs are amazingly little predators. They ambush hunt other bugs, small crustaceans, and even fish, birds, and amphibians! They strike, biting down with their powerful mandible and injecting a digestive saliva that liquefies the insides of their prey. Once that process has taken place, the Water Bugs can slurp up their meals. These bites can be very, very painful to humans, but are not dangerous overall.

Final fun fact of the day-- Giant Water Bugs are considered a culinary delicacy in some parts of the world. They are eaten both raw and prepared!

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Worldwide
Size : Length up to 12cm

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Hemiptera
Family : Belostomatidae

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