Sunday, 28 February 2016
Monday, 4 January 2016
Ainu Dog
Ainu Dog Facts
| Name: | Ainu Dog |
| Origin: | Japan |
| Group: | Dog |
| Average Size (H): | 50cm (20in) |
| Average Weight: | 30kg (65lbs) |
| Average Life Span: | 12 years |
| Average Litter Size: | 7 |
| Type: | Working |
| Colour: | Grey, Tan, Brown, White |
| Temperament: | Fearless, determined and loyal |
| Training: | Hard |
| Distinctive Features: | Sharply pointed ears and upturned tail |
Ainu Dog History and Domestication
The Ainu dog is thought to be one of the oldest breeds of dog in the world, first bred by the indigenous Ainu people of Hokkaido, to hunt Salmon, Deer and Bears. Despite being hunter-gatherers that survived in freezing conditions, the Ainu are thought to have kept Dogs from the very beginning and respected them in nearly the same way as other Humans. The Ainu Dog is thought to have descended from medium-sized Dogs that arrived on the island with migrants from the main island around 3,000 years ago. Today, despite it's strong links to the Ainu people, it is more commonly referred to as the Hokkaido-Ken by the native Japanese people. Although the characteristics of the Ainu dog are thought to have changed a little over the years due to cross-breeding, this breed is said to still have a very wild streak.
Ainu Dog Physical Characteristics
The Ainu Dog is a medium sized canine that is well known for it's strength and power. Generally the double coat of thick fur used to keep the Dog warm, is light in colour, with white, grey and fawn being especially common. They are known to have a fearsome expression, due to their small dark, brown eyes, a broad head and a pointed muzzle that is tipped with a black nose. The ears of the Ainu Dog are small and sharply pointed making this breed appear even more alert. The tongue of the Ainu Dog is commonly covered in black spots which is said to suggest a relation to the Chow Chow, a smaller species of domestic Dog that is natively found in neighbouring China.
Ainu Dog Behaviour and Temperament
The Ainu Dog breed is a naturally wild and powerful Dog, making this breed an excellent guard Dog, They are also suspicious and alert and incredibly courageous when needing to protect their owner. The Ainu Dog is well known for it's faithfulness, bravery, and the ability to withstand the cold, among it's other desirable traits. It has an innate sense of direction and can therefore return to it's master no matter how great the distance it has travelled alone. The Ainu Dog is also known to howl, making a similar sound to that of a Wolf, when it believes it has done good by it's keeper. They are incredibly active Dogs and are known to not be suitable for apartment living or in households that contain other animals or young children.
Ainu Dog Breeding
The Ainu Dog was originally bred by the indigenous hunter-gathers to both help them to catch food, but also to protect them from large animals. Since then, the breed has changed slightly from these original Dogs, due to cross-breeding with similar domestic breeds throughout the Far East. Despite it's long history as a working breed, the Ainu Dog ideally now combines the roles of family pet and hunter. Today, Ainu Dogs are most commonly kept for hunting or as guard Dogs due to their alert and incredibly bold nature. On average, the female has around 7 puppies per litter which, like many other canines, are born both blind and with hardly any fur. Within their first month however, the Ainu Dog puppies will be up on their feet and begin to grow fast. The Ainu Dog can live to be 14 years old and is known to have relatively few genetic health issues.
Ainu Dog Interesting Facts and Features
The Ainu Dog has made a name for itself through it's courage nature, known to actually take on very large Bears, a number of times their size, in order to protect their owner. Today, although they can be found in households in parts of Europe and America, the Ainu Dog is most commonly found in Japan, where it remains to be considered a cherished national breed by the Japanese people. The Ainu Dog was officially named the Hokkaido-Ken in 1937, despite it's rich history with the Ainu people.
African Wild Dog
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African Tree Toad
African Tree Toad Facts
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Amphibia |
| Order: | Anura |
| Family: | Bufonidae |
| Genus: | Nectophryne |
| Scientific Name: | Nectophryne afra |
| Type: | Amphibian |
| Diet: | Carnivore |
| Size (L): | 2.5cm - 3.8cm (1in - 1.5in) |
| Weight: | 2g - 5g (0.07oz - 0.18oz) |
| Top Speed: | 8km/h (5mph) |
| Life Span: | 3 - 5 years |
| Lifestyle: | Solitary |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Colour: | Brown, Black, White, Tan |
| Skin Type: | Permeable |
| Location: | Central Africa |
| Habitat: | Tropical lowland forest |
| Average Spawn Size: | 100 |
| Prey: | Insects, Worms, Snails |
| Predators: | Fish, Toads, Birds |
| Distinctive Features: | Small body size and webbed feet |
African Tree Toad Classification and Evolution
The African Tree Toad is a small species of Toad found in the forests of Central Africa. Today, little is still known about this tiny amphibian and the constantly decreasing population numbers of the African Tree Toad are making it increasingly difficult for us to learn more about them. There are two known subspecies of the African Tree Toad, which are the African Tree Toad and the Bates' Tree Toad. Both African Tree Toad species are of similar size and colour but tend to differ in the geographical regions they inhabit.
African Tree Toad Anatomy and Appearance
The African Tree Toad is generally dark to light brown in colour, with white patches on it's belly and like other Toad species, the African Tree Toad has specially designed feet which aid it's semi-aquatic and tree climbing lifestyle. The African Tree Toad is a terrestrial animal and uses it' s toes to also help it to hop about on the ground. The toes of the African Tree Toad are long and thin, with sticky, round discs on the tips. These widely spread digits enable this Toad to grip onto a larger surface area. The tiny striped body of the African Tree Toad grows up 3.8cm in length making these animals particularly hard to spot amongst the debris on the forest floor.
African Tree Toad Distribution and Habitat
The African Tree Toad is said to be distributed across it's natural Central African range in countries such as Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Nigeria. Despite this though, there are very few records of this elusive amphibian meaning that much of it's distribution (and indeed population size) is simply presumed. The natural habitat of the African Tree Toad is subtropical or tropical moist, lowland forests and heavily degraded former forest, where there is a plentiful water supply. Today however, the African Tree Toad is generally restricted to taller forests.
African Tree Toad Behaviour and Lifestyle
Like other Toads, the African Tree Toad is a semi-aquatic animal, although it is most commonly found in water when the female is laying her eggs. In a similar way to other tropical Toads, the African Tree Toad spends much of it's life walking, hopping or running about on the ground where it is able to find plenty of food and water. When darkness falls however, the African Tree Toad retreats high into the surrounding vegetation to remain safe during the night from ground-dwelling predators. The colour and markings of their skin, gives the African Tree Toad camouflage amongst the surrounding forest, again giving it extra defence from hungry predators.
African Tree Toad Reproduction and Life Cycles
Little is really known about the reproduction of the African Tree Toad besides the fact that female African Tree Toads are known to lay up to 200 sticky eggs in small bodies of water found in hollow tree cavities. These spawning sites are then guarded by the male African Tree Toad until the tiny eggs hatch into tadpoles. It is unknown what the tadpoles feed on, but once developed, they hop out of their watery nest in the tree and begin hunting for food in the forest. African Tree Toads in captivity usually live until they are three or four years old but nothing is known about their lifespan in the wild.
African Tree Toad Diet and Prey
The African Tree Toad is a carnivorous amphibian that shoots it's long, sticky tongue out of it's mouth at incredible speeds to catch and secure it's prey. This also helps the Toad to hold onto it's catch whilst it is trying to eat it. The African Tree Toad primarily hunts small invertebrates including Insects, Worms and Spiders that scuttle amongst the debris on the forest floor. In a similar way to other Toad species, it is thought that the African Tree Toad sits in silence, waiting for lunch to pass by, before catching it with lighting speed.
African Tree Toad Predators and Threats
Due to its small size, the African Tree Toad is believed to have numerous predators within it's warm and wet, woodland environment. Fish, Birds, Lizards, Snakes, rodents and other, larger amphibians like Frogs and Toads are all thought to be common predators of the African Tree Toad. The largest assumed threat to the African Tree Toad is habitat loss in the form of deforestation and, to a lesser extent, both air and water pollution in their natural habitats. Little is known however about the direct affects of habitat loss on the species as a whole.
African Tree Toad Interesting Facts and Features
Very little is known about the African Tree Toad, as only a handful of records exist throughout it's very limited range, and there are in fact no records that confirm it's existence through much of it's so-called natural habitat. It is simply just assumed that the African Tree Toad exists in these areas.
African Tree Toad Relationship with Humans
Although having been studied on a small scale by people, relatively little is still known about this tiny Toad. They have however been known to be involved in the exotic pet trade. The small size of the African Tree Toad makes them very hard to spot in their native habitats meaning that the affect of Human activity on the Toads in these areas is still unknown. Deforestation through much of their natural range, along with growing industry causing rising levels of pollution, are thought to be causing the African Tree Toad population to decline.
African Tree Toad Conservation Status and Life Today
Today, the African tree toad is rarely seen in the African forests but it has been classified as a species that is of Least Concern of becoming extinct in the near future. This is however, based on their presumably wide distribution throughout Central Africa, despite the fact that they are only known to actually exist in a handful of these areas. It is widely assumed that the African Tree Toad populations are in decline.
African Penguin
African Penguin Facts
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Sphenisciformes |
| Family: | Spheniscidae |
| Genus: | Spheniscus |
| Scientific Name: | Spheniscus demersus |
| Common Name: | African Penguin |
| Other Name(s): | Jackass Penguin |
| Group: | Bird |
| Number Of Species: | 1 |
| Location: | south-west African coast |
| Habitat: | Rocky Ocean Islands |
| Colour: | Black, White, Grey |
| Skin Type: | Feathers |
| Size (H): | 60cm - 68cm (24in - 27in) |
| Weight: | 2kg - 5kg (4.4lbs - 11lbs) |
| Top Speed: | 20kph (12.4mph) |
| Diet: | Carnivore |
| Prey: | Fish, Squid, Crustaceans |
| Predators: | Sharks, Fur Seals, Gulls |
| Lifestyle: | Diurnal |
| Group Behaviour: | Colony |
| Water Type: | Salt |
| Life Span: | 10 - 15 years |
| Age Of Sexual Maturity: | 3 - 4 years |
| Incubation Period: | 40 days |
| Average Clutch Size: | 2 |
| Name Of Young: | Chick |
| Age Of Fledging: | 3 - 5 months |
| Conservation Status: | Endangered |
| Estimated Population Size: | 140,000 |
| Biggest Threat: | Habitat disruption |
| Most Distinctive Feature: | Pink glands above their eyes |
| Fun Fact: | The only penguin species in Africa! |
African Penguin Classification and Evolution
The African Penguin is a small to medium sized Penguin species that is found along the coast of South Africa and on a number of it's surrounding islands. The African Penguin is thought to be most closely related to the Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins found in southern South America, and the Galapagos Penguin found in the Pacific Ocean near the Equator. The African Penguin was named for the fact that it is the only species of Penguin that is found breeding on the African Coast, and it is believed to be one of the first Penguin species to be discovered by humans.
African Penguin Anatomy and Appearance
The African Penguin is a fairly distinctive species of penguin with clean black and white markings and a sharply pointed black beak. The African Penguin also has black feet and a number of dot-like markings flecked across it's white chest which are said to be as unique to the individual Penguin as a Human finger print is, along with a narrow black band. The male African Penguin is generally slightly larger than their female counterparts but both are fairly similar in appearance. One of the African Penguin's most distinctive features is that they have pink glands above their eyes which help them to cope with the temperate climates. The hotter the African Penguin gets, the more blood is sent to these glands so it may be cooled by the surrounding air, which in turn, makes these glands more pink.
African Penguin Distribution and Habitat
The African Penguin is found on the south-western coast of Africa, living in 27 colonies on 24 islands between Namibia and Algoa Bay, near Port Elizabeth, South Africa, with the largest colony found on Dyer Island, near Kleinbaai. African Penguins are most densely distributed around the cold, nutrient rich waters of the Benguela Current where there is a plentiful supply of food. Although they spend much of their time at sea, African Penguins gather in nesting sites on rocky islands where they spend their days in sheltered burrows to avoid the hot sun. They are one of the only Penguin species to be found in non-freezing conditions and cope with this by burrowing, emerging at dusk and dawn, and using the pink glands above their eyes to cool the blood down.
African Penguin Behaviour and Lifestyle
Like many other Penguin species, African Penguins are incredibly sociable birds, with adults forming pair bonds that last for life (as long as 10 years). African Penguins can often be seen grooming one another, which is not only practical for cleaning purposes, but also for removing parasites and even just rearranging feathers, constantly strengthening the social bond between the pair. Their courtship displays are often very noisy as the male and female Penguin call to each other using a series of donkey-like sounds. African Penguins are also known to submit to a spot of bathing only a few meters from the shore, which they are thought to do quite regularly to both clean and to cool themselves down in the heat.
African Penguin Reproduction and Life Cycles
African Penguins begin to breed at the average age of four, when a male and female will pair up, and tend to breed together for the rest of their lives. The female African Penguin either digs herself a burrow or finds a dip beneath a rock or bush, in which she lays two eggs. The eggs are incubated by both parents for up to 40 days, when only one of the eggs will usually hatch. The African Penguin chicks are fed and kept warm by their parents constantly until they are a month old when they begin to be left on their own, forming crèches with other chicks for protection from predators. They tend to remain with their parents until they are between 3 and 5 months old, when they will leave the colony (this is dependant though on the supply and quality of food in the area). The chicks return to the colony after a couple of years to moult into their adult plumage. African Penguins generally live for between 10 and 15 years.
African Penguin Diet and Prey
The African Penguin is a carnivorous animal that, like all other Penguin species, survives on a diet that is only comprised of marine organisms. Shoaling fish including Anchovies, Sardines, Horse Mackerel and Round Herrings make up the bulk of the African Penguin's diet, along with the occasional Squid or Crustacean when normal food is in short supply. The streamlined body of the African Penguin allows it to move through the water like a rocket, capable of reaching a top speed of around 20 kph when hunting for food. African Penguins catch their prey by diving into the ocean depths for around 2 minutes at a time. Although they normally go to depths of around 30 meters, it is not uncommon for them to be found hunting more than 100 meters beneath the water's surface.
African Penguin Predators and Threats
The African Penguin's smaller size means that it has many predators both in the water and also on dry land. Their marine predators are primarily Sharks and Cape Fur Seals, but the biggest threat to them on land is not just to the adult Penguins, but more the vulnerable eggs and chicks. Kelp Gulls and Scared Ibises prey on them from the air and Mongooses, Snakes, and Leopards have been observed hunting them on ground. The African Penguin has also been severely affected by Human activity in their native regions, with populations thought to have taken a drastic decline, mainly due to the exploitation of their eggs for food when they were first discovered. They are also severely affected by the disruption of their natural habitats.
African Penguin Interesting Facts and Features
Penguins have more feathers than any other bird, which act as a waterproof layer keeping their skin dry. African Penguins moult once a year which they do back in their colonies. The whole process lasts for about 20 days, in which time, the African Penguins cannot swim or eat, and can lose almost half of their body weight. African Penguins are known to spend long periods of time fishing out at sea, and depending on the area, can travel between 30 and 110 km in one trip. However, those African Penguins who have chicks to feed, will rarely go that far, catching food closer to the shore, and as quickly as possible. The African Penguin is also known as the Jackass penguin, due to the donkey-like call that they make during their courtship rituals.
African Penguin Relationship with Humans
It is widely believed that African Penguins were one of the first Penguin species to come into contact with Humans, due to the fact that they are found on the temperate South African coast rather than in the heart of Antarctica. This however, does not seem to have worked to the bird's advantage as their eggs were stolen for food (slowing the rate of reproduction), and the guano used in nest building was harvested for fertiliser. Today, other threats face the African Penguin including competition for food from commercial fishing and oil pollution in the water. Only a small handful of nesting sites can be accessed by tourists, but the Penguin's nervous nature of people means that these areas have to be strictly monitored.
African Penguin Conservation Status and Life Today
Today, the African Penguin is considered to be a vulnerable animal and has been listed as being Endangered by the IUCN. It is thought that today's African Penguin population of around 70,000 breeding pairs, is less than 10% of the population that existed in 1900. By the 1950s, the African Penguin population had halved, and it had then halved again by 1980. There is an approximate 2% decline in the African Penguin population every year, mainly due to the Human consumption of their eggs, competition for food and habitat disruption.
African Palm Civet
African Palm Civet Facts
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Carnivora |
| Family: | Nandiniidae |
| Genus: | Nandinia |
| Scientific Name: | Nandinia binotata |
| Common Name: | African Palm Civet |
| Other Name(s): | Two-Spotted Palm Civet |
| Group: | Mammal |
| Number Of Species: | 1 |
| Location: | eastern Africa |
| Habitat: | Tropical rainforest |
| Colour: | Black, White, Grey, Yellow, Brown, Tan |
| Skin Type: | Fur |
| Size (H): | 43cm - 71cm (17in - 28in) |
| Weight: | 1.4kg - 4.5kg (3lbs - 10lbs) |
| Diet: | Omnivore |
| Prey: | Rodents, Snakes, Frogs |
| Predators: | Lions, Snakes, Leopards |
| Lifestyle: | Crepuscular |
| Group Behaviour: | Solitary |
| Life Span: | 15 - 20 years |
| Age Of Sexual Maturity: | 2 - 3 years |
| Gestation Period: | 64 days |
| Average Litter Size: | 2 |
| Name Of Young: | Pup |
| Age Of Weaning: | 2 months |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |
| Estimated Population Size: | Locally abundant |
| Biggest Threat: | Habitat loss |
| Most Distinctive Feature: | Snout with sharp, pointed teeth |
| Fun Fact: | Solitary but gathers in groups! |
African Palm Civet Classification and Evolution
The African Palm Civet (also commonly known as the Two-Spotted Palm Civet) is a species of Civet natively found in the tropical jungles of eastern and central Africa. Unlike the other Civet species which are all very closely related to one another, the African Palm Civet is in a genetic group of it's own, making it the most distinctive among the Civet species. The African Palm Civet is widespread throughout a number of habitats with an abundance in numbers in certain areas. The African Palm Civet is a great opportunist and is thought to be the most common forest-dwelling small carnivore in all of Africa.
African Palm Civet Anatomy and Appearance
Despite their Cat-like appearance and behaviours, the African Palm Civet is not a feline at all but are in fact more closely related to other small carnivores including Genets, Weasels and Mongooses. One of the African Palm Civets most distinctive features are their brown to light-tan to yellow coloured thick fur, which is mottled with a series of darker brown spots. The fur is darker on the top half of it's body and allows the civet to be more easily camouflaged amongst the trees. The muzzle of the African Palm Civet is sharply pointed as with other Civet species, and it has strong and muscular yet relatively short limbs. They have small, rounded ears and yellow-green eyes with slit shaped pupils.
African Palm Civet Distribution and Habitat
The African Palm Civet is found inhabiting the tropical jungles and forest across much of eastern African and is even found parts of central and western Africa, where it's native habitats still exist. Today it's range extends from southern Sudan to Guinea, throughout Angola and into eastern Zimbabwe. African Palm Civets have proved to be extremely adaptable animals and are found in a wide variety of habitats from deciduous forests and lowland rainforests, to river and savanna woodlands. The African Palm Civet however is being threatened in much of it's natural range due to deforestation causing destruction to or total loss of many of their historical regions.
African Palm Civet Behaviour and Lifestyle
The African Palm Civet is a solitary animal that leads a crepuscular lifestyle, meaning that it only emerges for a few hours at dawn and dusk in order to hunt for food. They are primarily tree-dwelling creatures that spend most of the day and night hours resting in the safety and shelter of the trees. Despite being generally very solitary creatures, the African Palm Civet has been known to gather in groups of up to 15 members when food is in abundance. African Palm Civets have two sets of scent glands that secret strong-smelling substances. Found between the third and forth toes on each foot, and on the lower part of their abdomen, these glandular secretions are primarily for marking territories and are involved in mating.
African Palm Civet Reproduction and Life Cycles
African Palm Civets are able to breed twice a year in May and October during the rainy seasons, when there is more food available. The female African Palm Civet usually gives birth to up to 4 young after a gestation period that lasts for a couple of months. The babies are weaned by their mother until they are strong enough to fend for themselves when they are usually around 60 days old. The female's mammary glands produce a orange-yellow liquid which stains both her tummy and the babies fur the same colour. This is thought to discourage males that are either looking for a mate or who want to harm her young. African Palm Civets can live for up to 15 years, although few rarely get to be this old in the wild.
African Palm Civet Diet and Prey
The African Palm Civet is an omnivorous animal, and like other species of Civet, it survives on a diet comprised of both plants and other animals. Despite this, pineapples and other fruits make up the majority of it's diet. Small animals such as Rodents, Lizards, Birds and Frogs are also hunted by the African Palm Civet, along with insects. African Palm Civets feed by holding their prey in their hands and bite it powerfully a number of times to kill it, before then swallowing it whole. The long, sturdy tail is thought to be used as a brace when the Civet is balancing only on it's hind legs, and along with the thick-skinned pads on the bottom of it's feet, stabilises the African Palm Civet on the branch while its eating.
African Palm Civet Predators and Threats
Despite being a secretive yet relatively ferocious predator, the African Palm Civet is actually preyed upon by a number of predators within their natural environment. Although they do spend most of their lives in the trees, African Palm Civets come down to the ground to look for food fairly often, and will even venture outside of the forest if prey is in short supply. Large predatory Cats are the most common predators of the African Palm Civet including Lions, and Leopards that are able to hunt the Civet in the trees. Reptiles such as large Snakes and Crocodiles also hunt the African Palm Civet if given the chance. One of the biggest threats to the African Palm Civet today though is the loss of much of it's natural habitat, mainly due to deforestation.
African Palm Civet Interesting Facts and Features
The musk secreted by the glands close to the African Palm Civet's reproductive organs has been collected by Humans for hundreds of years. In it's concentrated form, the smell is said to be quite offensive to people, but much more pleasant once diluted. It was this scent that became one of the ingredients in some of the most expensive perfumes in the world. African Palm Civet females are known to produce milk from the exact number of teats as they have young, to ensure that each of their offspring has enough milk to drink and individuals are not so easily excluded during feeding time. Although it is not so common today, African Palm Civets were once commonly hunted as bushmeat in certain parts of the continent.
African Palm Civet Relationship with Humans
Farmers that live in the native habitats of the African Palm Civet view these animals very much as pests, as they are commonly known to raid poultry coops in order to get an easy meal. They are extremely persistent and abundant carnivores, which added to their secretiveness, has meant that they have caused great damage to livestock numbers in the past. Humans though have been a bigger threat to the African Palm Civet for years as they were hunted and trapped for their meat, scent and thick fur coat which is used to make traditional ceremonial garments. The destruction of the African Palm Civet's natural environment by people is thought to be the biggest threat to the species today.
African Palm Civet Conservation Status and Life Today
The African Palm Civet has been listed as an animal that is at lower risk and therefore of Least Concern of becoming extinct in the wild in the immediate future. They are known to be widely distributed, found in a variety of habitats and population numbers are also in abundance in certain areas. Today, the African Palm Civet is under threat from deforestation and has been subjected to the drastic loss of much of its natural habitat. The main reason for such extensive deforestation in these areas is either for logging or to clear the land to make way for palm oil plantations.
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