Stuffed Animals

To begin with the facts about elk, let us study about some of the major aspects of these animals’ life in the wild, which essentially include their diet, behavior, migratory nature, and reproduction.

Diet
These mammals are cud-chewing hoofed mammals, therefore, have four-chambered stomachs. Per day, elk require to feed on about 15-20 pounds of vegetation. And morning and evening are known to be the time when most of these animals can be seen foraging for food. One of the interesting elk facts is, their diet depend on or vary according to the seasons of the year. During the low mercury days (winter), tree barks are on the menu. And when it is hot during the summer months, forbs such as clover, sunflower, milkweed, and tree sprouts (especially Aspen sprouts) make up for the diet. But what is available year around for them is the supply of the native grass. Another important fact about elk is associated with their digestive system. As cited, with the change in the season, the food source changes. So how do these animals cope with such changes in their diet. The credit goes to the microbacteria in the digestive system of the animals. These microorganisms change to adapt themselves to the varied food source.

Behavior
When the mating season kicks off, it is common to hear the bull elk echoes bugling through the mountains. The average size of the (bull) male’s antlers reach up to 4 feet above the head. And these antlers are the ones the male elk make use of in combating against potential rivals in order to attract the attention of females (cows), and to defend other females in the group. Typically, males with bigger antlers, which happen to the matured ones, gain an upper hand in the fight, thus getting to control smaller herds. One interesting technique the bulls put to use for wooing the cows is bathing in their own urine. And they have a special way of doing it too. They dig holes in the ground, fill them with their urine, and roll over. This is what is called the ‘fatal attraction!’

Migration
Coming to another important segment of this article on elk facts, here we would read about how they migrate. Migration is a common phase in the lives of most species of deer, which include the elk too. In early summer, these animals make their way for higher grounds in the mountainous regions. And they spend the late summer in the same region, and it is there that the breeding season takes place. And when the mercury starts dropping, these animals get back together in large single sex-groups (known as gang). They retreat to lower valley pastures, wherein wooded areas and sheltered valleys provide them not only with the required food supply, but also cover from the wind. However, some species of elk do not show any migratory behavior in their lifetime; a common example being the Roosevelt Elk.

Reproduction
The early summer, when the elk move to higher grounds, the cows give birth to their offspring. A single calf delivery is common with every cow, and amazingly within 20 minutes, the new-born becomes ready to stand on its legs. 15 and 16 kilograms (33 and 35 lb) is an average weight of an offspring. One must-know fact about the elk reproduction is, when a cow nears her delivery, she finds herself a place isolated from the main herd, and chooses to stay there until the new-born becomes able enough to escape predators. In the wild, the average lifespan of elk is 10 – 13 years, mainly due to predation. While in captivity, it is 20 years or more. Read the rest of this entry »

Both the male and female seahorses change their partners very rarely. According to studies, it is found that they are monogamous for at least one mating season. It is another rare attribute seen in marine mammals. While studying about seahorse reproduction process, much importance is given to the distended male brooding pouch, where the eggs and developing hatchlings are stored until birth. For your understanding about reproduction in seahorses, refer to the following information.

Competition for Female
When the mating season arrives, the male seahorses are often found competing amongst themselves for the female. They fight, slap to one another with their snout and many a times, wrestle with their tails to win the female attention. At other times, seahorses tend to remain entangled in the nearby vegetation with its tail curled. Owing to their upright posture, it is understandable that they are not very good in swimming. In fact, many of them die due to exertion after swimming for longer hours.

Seahorse Courtship
At the time of courtship, they change their color, move sideways and perform the pre-dawn dance. The female then inserts oviduct to the male’s brooding pouch repeatedly for depositing eggs (more than 1,000 eggs). In between the process, the female tries to relax for a short time, while the male wrings in an attempt to adjust eggs properly. After eggs are impregnated, the female seahorse gets separated from the male, and the protruded oviduct is receded within a few hours. The male seahorse attaches itself to a nearby plant by its tail.

The Pregnant Male
An astonishing fact about seahorse reproduction is, the male partner is the one that gets pregnant, and not the female counterpart. Like other organisms, the male produces sperms and the female produces eggs. However, egg fertilization, nurturing of embryo and hatching occur inside the male’s pouch. Also, it is the male that provides parental care. The gestation period of seahorse lasts for about 21 days, and during this period, the male and the female seahorses greet each other in the morning.

Releasing Babies Read the rest of this entry »

On an average, a male great white shark can grow on to attain a length of 11 – 13ft. The females in this species – on the other hand, are a bit larger with an average length of 14 – 16ft. The average weight in this cartilaginous species is believed to range between 1,500 – 2,400 lbs. The white underside and a gray dorsal area of the great whites show that they resort to counter-shading form of camouflage. This is a unique adaptation in several marine animals wherein the gray dorsal area blends with ocean depths and white underside blends with sunlight thus keeping the animal off the radar of predators and preys alike. The caudal fin tail of the great white helps it clock unbelievable speeds by facilitating quick acceleration. It has two dorsal fins which add to the hydrodynamics of this species. While the first dorsal fin – which is larger of the two, makes sure that the shark doesn’t rollover in course of making its way through the water, the second makes sure that the flow of water over the posterior portion of the shark is smooth. Then there also exist pectoral fins which help the great white maneuver in water, and pelvic fins which help the shark to balance its body.

Great White Shark’s Jaws and Teeth
It wouldn’t be much surprising if the first thing to cross your mind when we talk about the anatomy of the great whites happen to be their jaws. The notoriety that this species has gained over the course of time can be attributed to this very anatomical feature along with the 3000 odd double-sided serrated edged teeth that lie within its mouth. The upper jaw of a great white shark is not fused with the lower jaw as in case of humans, and that makes it possible for this animal to open its mouth wider than one can imagine. The great white grabs its prey by its lower jaw, before protruding its upper jaw and snaps its prey in a flash of lightning. While the teeth of a great white are sharp enough, the muscles which facilitate the movement of jaw are also very powerful and these anatomical features make it easier for the great white to cut right through a seal as we mentioned before. Their jaws begin developing in the very first month of their life. Their amazing ability to replace a lost tooth within 24 hours is yet another interesting fact about the great white shark that you need to be aware of.

Sensory Devices of the Great White Shark
Armed with light-sensing rods and color-sensitive cones, the eyes of a great white shark have a crucial role to play when it comes to hunting in the dark depths of the oceans. These sensory devices help the species see at a distance of up to 50ft with great ease. Similarly, the scent glands on their snout help them trace chemical scents from a distance of quarter mile. The great white can also track electromagnetic fields – which are produced as a result of muscle contraction during locomotion, with a specialized organ referred to as Ampullae of Lorenzini located on their snout. The fluid-filled ears of this species also work as sensory devices for the great white as any vibration in the water in the vicinity, causes ripples in the fluid in their ears and helps them trace the movement in their surroundings.

Internal Anatomy of the Great White Shark Read the rest of this entry »

Dominant Behavior of Dogs
★ Demanding
★ Stubbornness
★ Begging
★ Jumping or pouncing
★ Pushiness
★ Biting
★ Overpowering the weak dogs
★ Turning aggressive when eating food
★ Leading the way while taken on a walk or sometimes refusing to walk
★ Disobeying the commands
★ Dominant stance
★ Submissive stance (walking with head and shoulders down)

These are some of the common dog behaviors that are prevalent in different dog breeds. It includes lot of efforts in teaching the dog how to walk as per the owner’s will. Therefore, the temperament and the behavior plays an important role during such training sessions. In case you are the dog owner and want to know how to train a dog to walk beside you, follow these dog walking tips.

Dog Training
Basic training of the dog must begin when it’s just a pup. When a pup goes through obedience training, it begins to understand the various commands and attempts to obey them. Either the owner or a professional dog trainer can plan effective puppy training sessions. Training a dog is a long process and must be pursued very thoroughly. Level of training must change, while the pup is growing up. During the process of growing up, dogs are likely to pick up certain bad habits out of their dominating instincts. It is the time to be more careful, as overload of training can turn the dogs reluctant towards their master. Once the dog begins to obey all the basic commands, teaching the walk would become an easy task for you.

Walk on a Leash
This is the first step towards teaching your dog how to walk when it is taken into different environment. During this time, it would want to explore the new place and tends to lead the master. At times, it may get out of control and even drag the owner or the trainer. When you take your dog on a walk it is likely to encounter other dog breeds too. This might trigger the instinct of overpowering other dogs through barking or running after them. Read the rest of this entry »

Both of these wingless insects have the ability to bite and feed on human blood and blood of other warm-blooded animals. So, what is the difference between fleas and bed bugs? Well, except for the fact that both are small ectoparasites and flightless, there is no distinctive similarity between these nasty critters. Taxonomically, the fleas are not even a distant relative of bed bugs. Following is a brief info for your understanding on how to differentiate fleas from bed bugs.

Fleas vs Bed Bugs: Taxonomy
There are several types of fleas which are grouped according to their respective host organisms (cat fleas, dog fleas and human fleas). All of them are categorized under the taxonomic order Siphonaptera, and the scientific name differs for each type. Regarding bed bugs classification, their taxonomic order is Hemiptera and genus is Cimex. The common name ‘bed bug’ is coined with reference to their commonly inhabited site.

Fleas vs Bed Bugs: Description
Fleas are very small, hardly 3.3 mm in size and dark colored. If you get a chance to observe them with a magnifying glass, you will notice that they have exceptionally long hind legs, an adaptation for jumping over a long distance. On the other hand, adult bed bugs are oval in shape, flat (before sucking blood meal) and reddish brown in color. They are visible to our naked eyes, about 5 mm in length.

Fleas vs Bed Bugs: Hiding Places
Fleas are prevalent in bedding, carpets, pet enclosures and other areas, where they readily get their prospective hosts. Almost similar to fleas, bed bugs are mostly found in dark places, especially in bed frames, cracks of bed (if any), mattresses and places where people usually sleep. Though they are not purely nocturnal, these bugs tend to come out in the dark and bite humans for feeding.

Fleas vs Bed Bugs: Reproduction
Within 1-1½ days after having blood meal, the female fleas lay several number of eggs (about 50). But, egg laying is not possible until and unless they suck blood from the hosts. The eggs hatch to larvae, then pupate and become adult fleas. On the other hand, life cycle of a bed bug consists of 6 stages in total. The whitish colored eggs after hatching undergo 5 molts before they become adults.

Fleas vs Bed Bugs: Feeding
The mouth parts of fleas are adapted is such a way that they can pierce the host’s skin and draw blood. At the time of feeding, fleas introduce saliva to the host through a tube like structure, and suck blood to about 15 times of their body weight. Bed bugs suck blood in the same way as fleas, i.e. by delivering saliva and drawing blood. In a single feeding, they can suck human blood to about 6 times of their own body weight.

Fleas vs Bed Bugs: Bites
You can distinguish flea bites from bed bug bites by examining the skin symptoms. Of course, both bites result in itching, irritation and small raised skin bumps. A flea bites randomly on exposed skin areas, whereas a bed bug bites in a specific manner, mostly in a linear pattern. In flea bites, a punctured spot is found in the middle of the skin bumps, while it is absent in case of bed bug bites. Learn more on flea bites vs bed bug bites. Read the rest of this entry »