February 2011

Monday, February 28, 2011

Highland Cattle

True Wild Life | Highland Cattle | Highland cattle (also known as the hairy cow) are an old Scottish breed of cow, bred primarily for their beef. Highland cattle are often bred for cattle shows, and some highland cattle can win many prizes due to the incredible condition of the highland cattle individuals. The highland cattle are famous for their long haired coats which help the hairy cows to cope with the harsh conditions of the Scottish Highlands. The highland cattle inhabit areas of Scotland close to the Arctic circle meaning that the highland cattle have adapted to endure the most uncompromising conditions.

True Wild Life | Heron | The heron is a large species of bird that inhabits wetlands and areas that are close to lakes, ponds and rivers. Some species of heron are also known as egrets and bitterns instead of being called herons. There are 64 different species of heron found inhabiting the wetlands around the world. Herons are commonly found in Europe and North America along with the more temperate regions of Africa, Asia and Australia. Herons are commonly confused with the stalk which is another large species of bird, however the fact that herons fly with their necks in rather than outstretched is on the main differences between herons and stalks.

True Wild Life | Hermit Crab | The hermit crab is a small sized crustacean, that is found in ocean waters worldwide.Despite its snail-like appearance the hermit crab is related to crabs, although they are not that closely related as the hermit crab is not a true crab. There are more than 500 different species of hermit crab found in marine habitats all around the world. Although hermit crabs do venture into deeper waters,they are more commonly found in coastal waters where there is more food and places to hide.

True Wild Life | Hercules Beetle | The Hercules beetle is one of the largest species of beetle in the world, and is natively found in the jungles of South America. The Hercules beetle is the largest and most well known of all of the rhinoceros beetles, a group of large beetles that are closely related to the famous scarab beetle. The Hercules beetle is found throughout the tropical jungles and rainforests of Central and South America, where the Hercules beetle spends the majority of it's time foraging through the leaf-litter on the forest floor in search of something to eat. The fallen debris also helps to hide this enormous insect as it moves about.

True Wild Life | Hedgehog | The hedgehog is thought to be one of the oldest mammals on earth, with estimates dating the hedgehog to around 15 million years ago. It is believed that the hedgehog has changed very little over that period of time. The hedgehog is a small mammal that is predominantly found in Europe, Asia and Africa and the hedgehog has also been artificially introduced to New Zealand.

True Wild Life | Hare | The hare, closely related to the rabbit, is a small mammal found primarily in the Northern hemisphere. Although there are different species of hare found all over the world, the hare is most commonly found in Europe and North America with the Arctic Hare found inhabiting the freezing climates within the Arctic Circle. The hare is one of the fastest of all the smaller animals, with hares being able to move at speeds of around 45mph. The strong hind legs of the hare, combined with the large feet of the hare give the hare the ability to run so quickly. The hare is also able to jump over large distances with great ease.

True Wild Life | Hamster | Hamsters are thought to be originally from the desert lands of east Asia, including hamster species such as the common Syrian hamster and the miniature Russian dwarf hamster. Hamsters in the wild tend to spend most of their time digging and foraging for food. Today, hamsters are commonly kept as pets with the average household hamster getting to around 2 or 3 years old. Hamsters are thought to be easy first pets to keep for children due to the hamsters quite nature, small size and calm temperament.

True Wild Life | Hammerhead Shark | Hammerhead Sharks are appropriately named after their flat shaped heads. Hammerhead sharks are large carnivorous fish that prey on large fish and occasionally hammerhead sharks will hunt small water mammals. Hammerhead sharks are found in the warmer waters of oceans worldwide but hammerhead sharks are particularly found in coastal waters, and along continental shelves. The shallow waters that the hammerhead sharks inhabit allow the hammerhead shark to hunt prey more easily.

True Wild Life | Guppy | The guppy (also known as the millionfish) is a small colourful species of freshwater tropical fish that is found naturally in the rivers and lakes of South America. There are nearly 300 different types of guppy spread throughout Barbados, Brazil, Guyana, Netherlands Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. The guppy is one of the most popular types of aquarium tropical fish in the world as they are small, colourful and easier to keep than many other species of fish. The guppy generally lives from 3 to 5 years old in captivity and slightly less in the wild.

True Wild Life | Guinea Pig | The guinea pig is found in the Andes mountains in South America, were it is used as a stable food source for the local peoples. Todays domestic guinea pig is thought to be a subspecies of the Andes guinea pig and therefore cannot be found in the wild. The guinea pig is a small furry herbivore that rarely grows to more than 30cm in length. The domestic guinea pig can get to around 6 or 7 years old. A wild guinea pig would probably be about 3 or 4.

True Wild Life | Guinea Fowl | The guinea fowl is a large wild bird that is natively found inhabiting a variety of habitats across the African continent. Today, the guinea fowl has been introduced to various countries around the world as it is farmed by humans. The guinea fowl is a ground-nesting bird and spends much of its time scratching around on the ground in search for something to eat. The guinea fowl often has long, dark coloured feathers and a bald neck and head which makes the guinea fowl a very distinctive bird.

True Wild Life | Grizzly Bear | The grizzly bear is a sub-species of the brown bear, also known as the Silvertip Bear. The grizzly bears live in the uplands of western North America, and each female bear produces a litter of young roughly every other year. Grizzly bears can often be seen to congregate together around streams in the salmon season to get the best catch. The grizzly bear is generally a solitary mammal.

True Wild Life | Grey Seal | The grey seal is one of the rarest species of seal in the world with around 40% of the grey seal population inhabiting the cooler waters around the United Kingdom. Grey seals are the biggest land breeding mammal in the United Kingdom, but are superbly adapted for life in the sea. Adult grey seals have 2 layers of thick fur and a thick blubber layer of fat to keep them warm at sea.

True Wild Life | Grey Reef Shark | The grey reef shark is one of the most common species of shark found in the warm waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Grey reef sharks are generally found in the coastal regions and along continental shelves from the Middle East to the islands in the deep Pacific. Grey reef sharks are one of the smaller species of shark with adults reaching a maximum length of around 2m long and baby grey reef sharks being around 50cm long at birth.

True Wild Life | Grey Mouse Lemur | The grey mouse lemur is one of the world's smallest primates, and one of the smallest lemurs on the island of Madagascar. The grey mouse lemur was named after it's size and appearance that resembles that of a mouse (in a similar way to the other mouse lemur species). Although threatened, the grey mouse lemur is considered to be one of the most abundant primates on the island. Like all other lemur species, the grey mouse lemur is native to, and found only on, the island of Madagascar, off the eastern coast of Africa. Grey mouse lemurs inhabit native tropical woodlands and forests where they spend the majority of their lives nesting in the trees. Grey mouse lemurs are usually found perching on thin branches and occupy ranges of up to 5 acres in size.

True Wild Life | Grasshopper | The grasshopper is a medium to large sized insect and the grasshopper is found (close to grass) all over the world. Grasshoppers are best known for their ability to jump incredible heights and distances. Most grasshopper individuals grow to about 2 inches long although larger grasshoppers are found on a fairly regular basis that grow to more than 5 inches in length. The grasshopper has wings meaning it can migrate over long distances when the weather gets too cold.

True Wild Life | Great White Shark | Great white sharks (white shark) are found in coastal waters in every major ocean but the great white shark is most commonly sighted around Australia, South Africa, California and Mexico. The great white shark can grow to more than 8m long and weigh well over 2,000kg. This makes the great white shark the worlds largest predatory fish! The great white shark has been known to attack humans in the water, this is often because the shark mistakes the human for another animal which it normally hunts since sharks do not like the taste of humans.

True Wild Life | Gorilla | Gorillas are the biggest of the worlds primates and live in the forests in select parts of Africa. The gorilla population is sadly much lower than it used to be meaning that gorillas are an endangered species. Gorillas are herbivores, eating vegetation, fruits, shoots, berries and leaves. An adult male gorilla is able to consume up to 27 kg of food everyday. Gorillas are thought to be the most closely related to chimps and humans. It is said that the DNA of gorillas is 98-99% identical to human DNA!!

True Wild Life | Gopher | There are two main species of gopher, the pocket gopher and the Richardsons ground squirrel, both of these species of gopher are found in North America. The gopher is a small squirrel-like rodent which lives in burrows underground. The gopher digs large networks of tunnels and subterranean chambers which are referred to as gopher towns. These gopher towns contain an extensive network of tunnels that often result in the disruption of agriculture and landscapes.

True Wild Life | Goose | A goose is a medium to large sized bird found in Europe, Asia and North America. There are around 29 known species of geese around the world including Canadian geese and Snowy geese. Geese mate and build their nests in order to raise their baby geese (known as goslings) in the north during the warmer summer months and the geese then migrate south in the winter to the warmer climates when the baby geese are strong enough to fly.

True Wild Life | Golden Oriole | The golden oriole (also known as the Eurasian oriole), is a small species of bird found throughout Europe and western Asia. The golden oriole's name is thought to have arisen during the 18th century after the classical Latin word meaning gold. Although almost indistinguishable in appearance, some believe that the golden orioles found in Europe, are actually a separate sub-species to those found in Asia. They are also known to be the only member of the oriole family that breeds in the more temperate regions of the northern hemisphere.

Goat

True Wild Life | Goat | Goats originated from the mountainous areas of west Asia and eastern Europe, grazing on hillsides and plains. Modern day common goats are known as domesticated goats and are thought to be very closely related to a sheep. For thousands of years goats have been used for their meat, hair, milk and skins. In some countries goats are also used to help with carrying heavy loads.

True Wild Life | Glass Lizard | The glass lizard (also known as the glass snake and the jointed snake) are a group of reptiles that resemble snakes, but are actually lizards. Although most species of glass lizard have no legs, their head shape and the fact that they have movable eyelids and external ear openings identify them as lizards. Glass lizards are found all around the world although, the greatest number of species in the genus are native to Asia, from India to China and the Indonesian islands. At least one species, the Moroccan glass lizard, comes from North Africa, and several species live in the south-eastern United States including the barrier islands off the Atlantic coast of Florida. The glass lizard is also found in abundance in Eastern North Carolina as far as 40 miles from Atlantic Ocean.

True Wild Life | Giraffe | Giraffes are found in parts of Africa and are the tallest mammals on Earth standing at an average of 6 metres tall. The giraffe is able to reach twigs and leaves at the top of trees that other animals cannot get to thanks to the vast length of the neck of the giraffe. The giraffe is thought to be related to cattle and deer, and inhabit plains, grasslands and wooded areas. Giraffes can spend long periods of time in hot, dry lands as the giraffe is able to drink enormous quantities of water when they come across it.

True Wild Life | Gharial | The gharial is a large-sized reptile found in the murky waters of Northern India and the surrounding countries. The gharial is closely related to other large reptiles including caimans and alligators, although the salt-water crocodile is believed to be the gharial's closest relative. The gharial is most commonly found in the calmer areas of the deep, fast-flowing rivers of the North Indian subcontinent. The gharial spends most of its time in the water as it is not well suited for a life on the land, due to its short legs.

True Wild Life | Gibbon | The gibbon is a small sized ape, found inhabiting the dense jungles and tropical rainforests across south-east Asia. Gibbons belong to the lesser ape family which are closely related to the great apes (chimpanzees, orang-utans, bonobos, gorillas and humans). Gibbons are small and lightweight monkeys that grow to around 90cm tall and weigh just 7kg. The lightweight body of the gibbons means that the gibbon is able to move around in and leap between the trees.

True Wild Life | Giant Clam | The giant clam is the largest immobile mollusc in the world, with the occasional giant clam individual reaching nearly 6ft in length. Once the giant clam has settled somewhere the giant clam remains there for the rest of its life. Giant clams are founded anchored to the coral reefs in the warm, tropical waters of the Indian and South Pacific oceans, where giant clams spend the majority of their time feeding on the abundant variety of food that a coral reef has to offer.

Gerbil

True Wild Life | Gerbil | Gerbils are naturally found in the sandy plains of Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The gerbil was originally known as a desert rat until they were commercially introduced to North America and bred as pets. The gerbil is a small rodent, similar in many ways to by the mouse and the hamster. Gerbils have a long tail like a mouse which the gerbil is able to shed should the tail get trapped. This self defense mechanism allows the gerbil to escape predators, leaving them with just a tail.

True Wild Life | Geoffroy's Tamarin | The Geoffroy's tamarin is a small species of monkey found in the forests of South America. The Geoffroy's tamarin is also known as the Red-crested tamarin or the Rufous-naped tamarin, and is thought to be closely related to the cottontop tamarin. The Geoffroy's tamarin is found in the tropical forests of Panama and Colombia in South America, where the Geoffroy's tamarin spends the majority of it's life in the trees. The Geoffroy's tamarin is more commonly found on the Pacific coast rather than the Atlantic.

True Wild Life | Gentoo Penguin | The gentoo penguin is a medium-sized species of penguin that is found on the rocky islands of the sub-Antarctic Ocean. Gentoo penguins are most easily distinguished by the white "bonnet-like" marking across the top of their heads, and are most closely related to the Adelie and Chinstrap penguins which belong to the same group. The gentoo penguin breeds on many sub-Antarctic islands, with the main colonies found on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the Kerguelen Islands. Smaller populations of the gentoo penguin are also found on Macquarie Island, Heard Islands, South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. The total breeding population of the gentoo penguin is estimated to be over 300,000 pairs.

True Wild Life | Gar | The gar (also known as the garpike) is an elongated species of fish, generally found in freshwater habitats across North and Central America. Despite their similar appearance, the gar is not to be confused with the marine garfish or needlefish that is a common sight throughout the tropical reefs of south-east Asia. There are seven different species of gar found on the American continent where they can be found in fresh or brackish water habitats such as lakes and reservoirs, and in the larger slow-moving rivers. The gar is most commonly found in eastern parts of North America, Central America and also on a number of the Caribbean islands.

True Wild Life | Galapagos Penguin | The Galapagos penguin is the third smallest species of penguin in the world and is the most distinctive as it lives further north than any other penguin species. The Galapagos penguin is thought to be most closely to the African penguin and the Humboldt penguin found along the coast of Peru and Chile. While ninety percent of the world's Galapagos penguins live among the western islands of Fernandina and Isabela, they can also be seen on Santiago, Bartolome, northern Santa Cruz, and Floreana. The northern tip of Isla Isabella crosses the equator, meaning that these animals occasionally visit the northern hemisphere, and are the only species of penguin to do so.

True Wild Life | Frog | Frogs are amphibians, creatures that inhabit both land and water environments equally successfully. There are thought to be around 5,000 different species of frog around the world. Frogs are well known for their coiled, sticky tongue which they project out of their mouths to catch insects. Frogs are also well known for being able to breathe through their skin as well as their lungs.

True Wild Life | Frilled Lizard | The frilled lizard is a large species of lizard natively found in the jungles of Australia and its surrounding islands. The frilled lizard is known by a number of names including the frill-necked lizard and the frilled dragon. The frilled lizard is an arboreal animal meaning that it spends the majority of its life in the trees. Frilled lizards can be found in humid climates such as tropical jungles and forests, across Australia and Papua New Guinea.

True Wild Life | Fox | The fox is a scavenger carnivours dog, generally found in urban city areas in the northern Hemisphere. The fox is a nocturnal mammal, meaning that the fox only goes out a night to hunt for prey. Wild foxes tend live for around 6-7 years, but some foxes have been known to be older than 13 in captivity. The wild fox hunts for the mouse and other small mammals and birds, but foxes appear to enjoy all species of insect.

True Wild Life | Fossa | The fossa is a cat-like carnivorous predator native to the largest African island of Madagascar. The fossa is the largest predator on Madagascar and therefore has no real natural predators apart from the human and the occasional crocodile that swims astray. The fossa tends be less than a meter in length with the tail of the fossa being about that the same length as the body of the fossa. However, in recent years fossils of the now extinct giant fossa has been uncovered in the jungles of Madagascar, the biggest giant fossa fossil measured nearly six meters in length and was thought to have weighed around 17 kg!

True Wild Life | Fly | The fly is one of the most common and well-known insects in the world and the fly is found on every continent with the exception of the innermost polar regions of the Arctic Circle and Antarctica. There are more than 240,000 different species of fly worldwide but only around half of these have actually been scientifically documented, something the science world wants to look into further.

True Wild Life | Flounder | The flounder is a species of flatfish that is found in the coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Flounder are found hiding on the ocean floor at depths from shallow coral reefs to the deepest trench on Earth. There are five different species of flounder found in the oceans, and only one of these flounder species (the Japanese flounder) is found in the Northern Pacific Ocean. The summer flounder, the winter flounder and the southern flounder are all found in the western Atlantic Ocean, while the European flounder is found in the colder waters around Northern Europe.

True Wild Life | Fishing Cat | The fishing cat is a medium-sized feline, natively found throughout the countries of south-east Asia, and is most closely related to the smaller leopard cat. The fishing cat is found inhabiting coastal wetlands, swamps and mangroves from eastern Pakistan right down to the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Java. Fishing cats are also commonly found living close to lakes, rivers and streams.

True Wild Life | Fish | Fish are found in every ocean, lake, river and stream in all corners of the globe, in many sizes, colours and species. Most fish (depending on size) tend to eat plankton in the water, insects and smaller fish.

True Wild Life | Fire-Bellied Toad | The fire-bellied toad is small to medium-sized species of toad that is found naturally across mainland Europe and northern and central Asia. The fire-bellied toad is most commonly known for the brightly-coloured markings on its body, which are predominantly found on the underside of the fire-bellied toad. The fire-bellied toad is found close to water in a variety of different habitats. Forest, woodland, temperate rainforests, marshlands, swamps and even farmland, often provides the perfect home for the fire-bellied toad. The fire-bellied toad also spends a great deal of time in water from tiny freshwater, mountain streams to large slow-flowing rivers and lakes.

True Wild Life | Fin Whale | The fin whale is a large marine mammal that is found throughout ocean waters worldwide. The fin whale is the second largest whale in the world behind the blue whale, and also the second largest animal on Earth (obviously after the blue whale again). The fin whale has a long and slender body which can grow to lengths of more than 20 meters. The body of the fin whale is generally blue or grey in colour and slighter lighter on the underside of the fin whale.

True Wild Life | Ferret | The ferret is a domestic animal thought to be native to Europe. The ferret is thought to be a subspecies of polecat and the ferret has the same long shaped body as a polecat and a weasel. The ferret is thought to have been domesticated around 2,500 years ago, which is roughly the same time that a number of animals such as the donkey and goat were put to domestic use. The ferret is used to help farmers hunt out rabbits and the ferret does this by crawling into the rabbit burrows, with the ferret using its incredibly shaped flexible body to its advantage as a ferret is often small than many rabbits. The rabbit is scared out of the burrow by the invading ferret and uses one of the many burrow exits to get away from the ferret intruder.

True Wild Life | Fennec Fox | The fennec fox is a small species of canine found in the dry, sandy regions of the African Sahara Desert. The fennec fox is most well known for it's large ears which can be half as long as the body of the fennec fox. The fennec fox is the smallest fox in the world, with fennec fox individuals ranging from 24 cm to 41 cm in length. The fennec fox also has a remarkably long tail which ranges in length from 18 cm to 31 cm depending on the size of the fennec fox individual.

True Wild Life | Falcon | Falcons are medium sized birds of prey found all across the world although falcons tend to prefer the more temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Falcons are best known for their ruthlessness and their incredible flying abilities. Falcons have tapered wings that allow the falcon to change direction extremely quickly especially when compared to other birds. Falcons have been recorded diving at speeds of up to 200mph, meaning they are the fastest creatures on the planet!

Emu

True Wild Life | Emu | The emu is the largest bird native to Australia and the second largest bird in the world, behind the ostrich. The emu is most commonly found in wooded areas but emus are common all over Australia. Studies show that emus seem to avoid dense forests and largely populated areas, as this means that the emu can be more aware of it's surroundings. Although the emu does prefer to be in woodland or shrub land where there is plenty to eat as well as cover, they like to know exactly what is around them.

True Wild Life | Emperor Tamarin | The Emperor tamarin is a small species of monkey found in the forests of South America. The Emperor tamarin was named because of it's elegant white moustache, which is thought to resemble that of German emperor Wilhelm II. There are two subspecies of Emperor tamarin found in the south west Amazon Basin. The bearded emperor tamarin inhabits the rainforests throughout Brazil and Peru, and the black-chinned emperor tamarin that actually has no beard and is distributed throughout the rainforests of Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia.

True Wild Life | Emperor Penguin | The emperor penguin is the largest species of penguin in the world with the average emperor penguin growing to around 120cm tall. The emperor penguin is most well known for the bright yellow patch of feathers found on the emperor penguin's chest. The emperor penguin is found in the deep Antarctic with the emperor penguin rarely venturing too far north. The emperor penguins live on the compact ice and small islands around the South Pole and spend much of their time hunting in the surrounding freezing water.

True Wild Life | Elephant Shrew | The elephant shrew is a small-sized mammal that is found exclusively in Africa. The elephant shrew is also known as the jumping shrew, as elephant shrews can hop like rabbits using their long back legs. Elephant shrews can be found inhabiting forests, jungles, grasslands and dense woodland all across Africa. There are nearly 20 different species of elephant shrew, all of which vary in both colour and size.

True Wild Life | Elephant Seal | There are two types of elephant seal found in the worlds oceans. The northern elephant seal is found in the Northern Hemisphere in the Pacific Ocean near to the coast of Mexico, Canada and the USA. The southern elephant seal is found in the southern hemisphere on the coast of Argentina, South Africa and New Zealand. The elephant seal is the largest species of seal in the world with the average male elephant seal growing to around 5 m long. The female elephant seals are generally quite a bit smaller than the male elephant seals, and the female elephant seals therefore grow to around 3m.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

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