Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Asian Small-clawed Otter - Aonyx cinereus

So, I have decided the next few posts will be about Otters. There will be three more in total, each will focus on a different species...

The first species is also the most social of all otters: the Asian Small-clawed. They form large extended family groups with one "alpha" pair. This behaviour is most commonly seen in the wolf packs. Sometimes up to 20 individuals can live together in a group! However, usually there are only up to 12. In these groups the young learn everything they need to know to survive, usually being looked after by their mother.


Friday, March 25, 2011

Otter - Lutrinae

From Asian rivers to the European coast, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, this cute member of the weasel family lives in just about every place on Earth. This nearly world-wide distribution has created a complex classification for the many species of Otter living on Earth. There are 13 species generally placed into two main categories: sea otters or river otters. Here are all the species of otters along with their status on the conservation scale.

1. Giant Otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)
Status: Endangered


Friday, March 04, 2011

Great White Shark - Carcharodon carcharias

The largest living predatory shark in the world lives in coastal waters in every single ocean. This shark is commonly known as the Great White. Since the first sitings of sharks the fear of seeing the terrifying fin break the surface of the water has grown. For the Great White, that fear escalated exponentially after the release of the movie "Jaws." The movie depicted an enormous Great White living solely off human flesh. Afterward, the slaughtering of this amazing animal began to rise. Now, this shark is on the Endangered Species List as Vulnerable because of their low numbers.

Great White Range

Monday, February 28, 2011

Giant Panda - Ailuropoda melanoleuca

In a bamboo forest, on a small mountain range in China lives one of the most recognizable animals in the world... The Giant Panda. The black eye patches, black ears, and black and white body are forever carved into our hearts. Although brought back from the brink of extinction, there are still only about 2-3 thousand of these peaceful giants left in the wild (range shown below).


Giant Panda Range

The 9 main types of Bears (main suborders)

1. Pandas