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.

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

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

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

Tasmanian Devil - Sarcophilus harisii

The Tasmanian Devil is an animal not very well understood. On the Island it calls home, many people swerve their cars simply to hit and kill it. Although the tasmanian devil may seem very ferocious and dangerous, it's "bark" is definitely worse than it's bite. You see, they inherited their common name from the sounds they make when in danger or when feeding (see clip below).

Koala - Phascolarctos cinereus

Everyone knows a little about, or has at least seen a picture of, a koala bear. Although, it is not actually a part of the bear family, it is no less adorable. It's soft fluffy grey fur, big eyes, and cute face makes it a lovable creature to most people. So, as you may have guessed the first animal I will cover is the Koala.

Take a moment...

What to do?

I was pushed by my peers to start one of these blogs and couldn't find anything I would really love to write about. Until I realized that I didn't have to write about my boring days, or post poems/short stories I have made (let's face it, I am not good at those). And not being able to formulate my opinions well forces me to opt out of that one. So instead, I decided I would start writing about something I love, something I know won't take up too much of my time from all the school work I have to do as a Biology student. I will be writing about all the amazing things I see in the animal kingdom. Small tidbits of information that get stuck inside my head, like the Fossa is the largest carnivore in Madagascar, or that the most endangered mammal is actually a type of dolphin (less than 12 left). Here is where I will come to write down the things I want to remember, and stuff I find interesting. And perhaps it will help others realize all the amazing animals we have around us.