Happy Holidays

AaD is taking a holiday break. See you all back in January!

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Common Minke Whale

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

The Common Minke Whale is one of the most abundant whale species on the planet-- there are believed to be around 800,000 of them! They also happen to be the smallest of the Rorquals (baleen whales with throat grooves), and reach only 30ft in length.

Common Minke Whales are found in ocean waters worldwide. They usually swim alone, though sometimes pairs or very small groups are observed. Their small size helps to identify them, as does their slim, sleek body, cloudy-grey skin, white fin bands, and double blowhole.

Like all Baleen Whales, the Common Minke feeds on very small fish and invertebrates, filtering their prey through the baleen plates that hang in their mouths.

Because of their abundance, Minke Whales are common targets for human interaction. They are frequent stars of whale watching tours, but they are also hunted by whalers as well. In the past, Minke Whales were not popular whaling targets because of their small size. However, most larger Baleen Whales are now protected, and the Minke Whales have been thriving in their absence. As a result, countries like Norway and Japan take hundreds of the whales each year. The population is believed to be stable overall, but stocks in certain areas are dwindling.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Oceans worldwide
Size : Length around 30ft (9m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Cetacea
Family : Balaenopteridae -- Genus : Balaenoptera-- Species : B. acutorostrata
Images : Rui prieto

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Dromedary Camel

Camelus dromedarius

Did you know that the Dromedary Camel was domesticated 4,000 years ago? There are around 13 million of these beasts of burden living around the world-- most notably in Africa, the Middle East, and in the deserts of Australia.

Most of these camels are either living as domesticated creatures, or they are surviving in feral populations. Australia, for example, had several thousand camels imported during the late 19th and early 20th century. Today there are nearly a million living in feral groups across the dry western half of the continent. These feral groups live in herds of around 20 individuals, though much larger packs have also been observed. The Camels feed on whatever vegetation they can find, including prickly, thorny plants.

Dromedary Camels are well suited to desert life. Their single hump can store up to 80lbs of fat, which converts to energy when food or water is unavailable. They are masters of co
nserving their energy, and can travel over 100 miles without any extra water! And when they do drink, they drink very fast-- Dromedary Camels can take in 10 gallons of water in as many minutes! Other desert adaptations include their long, double-rowed eyelashes (perfect for keeping sand out), closeable nostril holes, and thick feet with pads that can spread to provide traction and stability over uneven surfaces.

A Dromedary Camel can live to be 40 or 50 years old, and they reach sexual maturity by the age of 4. Young Camels are born without their humps, because they haven't consumed enough extra fuel to fill it with fat.

As adults, the Dromedary Camels are creatures that serves many purposes. They are excellent pack animals, they can pull plows and carts, and they can carry passengers. They also provide milk, meat, and fibers.

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Status : Domesticated
Location : Africa, Asia, Australia
Size : Height up to 7ft (2.1m), Weight up to 1,500lbs (680kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Camelidae -- Genus : Camelus-- Species : C. dromedarius
Images : Public Domain, Witoki

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Seven-arm Octopus

Haliphron atlanticus

The Seven-arm Octopus has a misleading name. They do actually have eight arms, like all Octopuses do, it's just that one of the arms (the hectocotylus, used for egg fertilization) is often curled up on the males' bodies, making it difficult to see. Females of the species do that have that issue.

Seven-arm Octopuses live in both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. It was believed to live only in the former until about fifteen years ago, when one was caught off the coast of New Zealand. Interestingly, these creatures have also been found at both the sea floor AND near the surface, which is unusual for Octopuses.

The species is also notable because they are quite large. In fact, they are the largest Octopuses in the world, and can measure over 11ft in length!

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Size : Length up to 11ft (3.5m)
Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Cephalopoda -- Order : Octopoda
Family : Alloposidae -- Genus : Haliphron -- Species : H. atlanticus
Images : RL Hudson

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Four-horned Antelope

Tetracerus quadricornis

The Four-horned Antelope is named for the four permanent horns that are found on the males' skulls. That trait actually makes them unique among living mammals. yes, there are some breeds of sheep that have multiples horns, but those are not guaranteed. The male Four-horned Antelope always has that number!

These Antelope are also interesting because of their small size-- they stand less than 2ft tall, which makes them the smallest Bovids in Asia.

When it comes to behavior, the Four-horned Antelope is a solitary creature that feeds on fruits, leaves, and flowers. Males and females remain apart until the breeding season, where the sexes will perform courtship rituals like kneeling and strutting in order to select mates. The gestation period lasts about 8 months, after which one or two young are born. The offspring remain with their mother for about a year, and reach sexual maturity themselves at about 2 years of age.

The species is found in only two countries, India and Nepal, and they are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Their unique horns make them popular hunting targets, and habitat loss has been dimishing their habitat. At present there are around 10,000 individuals left in the wild.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : South Asia
Size : Height up to 2ft (60cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Tetracerus -- Species : T. quadricornis
Images : Kalyan Varma

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Bonelli's Eagle

Aquila fasciata

The Bonelli's Eagle is named for 19th century Italian Ornithologist Franco Andrea Bonelli. It is a large bird, with a body length of around 2ft, and can be found in southern Europe, southern Asia, and throughout most of Africa.

These Eagles are identified by their brown upper-parts, dark-streaked white under-sides, and by the black band at the end of their tail. Adults and juveniles can be told apart by that band-- Juveniles don't have it. Another way to know a Bonelli's Eagle is near? Their call! They make a klu-klu-klu-klee sound while near the nest.

Bonelli's Eagles prefer to live in areas that are neither too open, nor too dense with trees. They typically hunt from trees, swooping down on ground-dwelling prey when spotted. Birds and Lagomorphs are their most common targets.

Did you know that many species of Eagle build multiple nests at a time? The Bonelli's Eagle is one of those species. Pairs mate for life, and will build as many as six nests within their territory. And these are no small nests either-- they can be more than 2m across and 1.5m deep, and the pair will maintain and add to them every year. One theory for the multiple nests is that the birds will have someone else to go should their current nest become unusable.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Europe, Africa, Asia
Size : Length up to 2ft (60cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Accipitriformes
Family : Accipitridae -- Genus : Aquila -- Species : A. fasciata
Images : Paco Gomez

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Anomalocaris

Anomalocaris

Anomalocaris is the name of a genus that lived during the Cambrian period... over half a billion years ago!

These ancient relatives to the arthropods of old swam in the seas that covered the planet. Their fossils have been found in places that are (now) as far apart as Canada, China, and Australia.

Anomalocaris grew up to 3ft in length, and had a segmented body that allowed it to swim using an undulating motion. They also had complex, stalked eyes, and two arms covered in barbs that extended from the mouth. The mouth itself was circular, and may have been able to crush hard-bodied prey like Trilobites.

The interesting anatomical features of Anomalocaris made it difficult to identify for many, many years. Different body parts were found independent from one another, and were actually attributed to several different animals, including Jellyfish and Crustaceans. While the first fossils were discovered in 1892, it took until 1985 for scientists to realize all of those fossils belonged to the same animal!

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Status : Extinct, lived during the Cambrian ~500 million years ago
Location : Worldwide
Size : Length up to 1m
Classification : Class : †Dinocaridida -- Order : †Radiodonta
Family : †Anomalocarididae -- Genus : †Anomalocaris
Images : Worldlesstech

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