Species profile: Polar bear

Hello again, welcome back to animals under threat. Today, we will be covering the largest carnivore in the arctic circle and is considered to be the largest bear species to be alive currently. This species of bear is under threat from loss of sea ice due to global warming, pollution, and human interaction. Give a warm welcome to the Polar bear (Ursus maritimus).

Polar bears are characterized by their white fur, long neck, small head, rounded ears and short tail. Male polar bears are larger than the females as they can weigh up to 410-720 kg or 900-1,600 pounds. Sometimes nicknamed the sea/ice bear, polar bears live throughout the arctic region and travel across ice floes to search for seals. It has not natural predators or rival species and has no fear of humans (Britannica.com, 2019).

diagram by https://www.britannica.com/animal/polar-bear 

Polar bears have adapted to their arctic home with unique adaptions. They have a thick coat of fur which covers a layer of fat that keeps the bear warm. The bear’s fur also grows over their paws which helps protect them against cold surfaces and help the bear’s grip on the ice. Polar bears have black skin under their white fur which absorb the sun’s rays to help keep the bear warm (Nationalgeographic.com, 2019). Polar bears can swim up to a pace of six miles per hour by paddling their front legs and using their back legs as a rudder (Worldwildlife.org, 2019).

polar bear's fur and skin by Jon Aars / Norwegian Polar Institute / WWF-Canon

Female polar bear reaches mature age between 4-5 years old and can start breeding. Pregnant polar bears enter a den that is usually located in a snow drift or slopes in order to give birth. Usually twin cubs are born although there have been cases where only one cub is born or triplets. The cubs feed on their mother milk while the mother fast until she is ready to open the den. They stay near the den as the cubs learn to walk and play while the mother feeds on the vegetation that is around the den. The mother will then lead her cubs out to the sea ice to hunt seals as the cubs observe their mother’s hunting. There has been rare case of cubs that have been adopted by other female polar bears after they have been abandoned. The mother will look after her cubs for 2 and half years leaving them to survive on their own (Wiig et al, 2015).

                                                                         polar and cub by AWeith

As polar bear has no fear of humans, they enter human settlements to find food and exploring the area. This has led to conflict between humans and polar bears as polar bears are shot and killed by humans defending their homes and food (Wilder et al, 2017). Due to the increase in global warming, the sea ice that the bears depend is decreasing which makes it harder from the bears to hunt and have to swim longer leading to drowning. With pollution from human settlement such as plastic bags been found in polar bear stomach leading to death of the animal due to eating the plastic (Regehr et al, 2016).


Next time, we will be covering a species of sea snake that has an unusual name.


References

https://www.britannica.com/animal/polar-bear retrieved 21/12/19

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/p/polar-bear/ retrieved 21/12/19



Regehr, E.V., Laidre, K.L., Akçakaya, H.R., Amstrup, S.C., Atwood, T.C., Lunn, N.J., Obbard, M., Stern, H., Thiemann, G.W. & Wiig, Ø. 2016, "Conservation status of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in relation to projected sea-ice declines", Biology letters, vol. 12, no. 12, pp. 20160556.



https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear retrieved 21/12/19



Wiig, Ø., Amstrup, S., Atwood, T., Laidre, K., Lunn, N., Obbard, M., Regehr, E. & Thiemann, G. 2015. Ursus maritimus . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015



Wilder, J.M., Vongraven, D., Atwood, T., Hansen, B., Jessen, A., Kochnev, A., York, G., Vallender, R., Hedman, D. & Gibbons, M. 2017, "Polar bear attacks on humans: Implications of a changing climate", Wildlife Society Bulletin, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 537-547.



picture references

polar bear skin by Jon Aars / Norwegian Polar Institute / WWF-Canon

polar and cub by By AWeith

Species profile: Blue whale

Hello again, welcome back to animals under threat. Today, we will be covering the largest marine mammal currently alive today. Its current geographical range covers all the oceans in the world and is under threat from whaling. Please welcome the Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus).


Growing over 30 meters in length, the blue whale is currently the largest marine mammal alive today. Feeding on its favourite food, which is krill, the blue whale can weigh up to 200 tonnes (Britannica.com, 2019). Blue whales belong to the baleen whale family which means they have fringed plates that contains finger-like material called baleen. The whale swallows a mouthful of water and its tongue pushes the water through the plates leaving the krill behind (nationalgeographic, 2019).

Diagram by https://www.britannica.com/animal/blue-whale

Unlike other whale species that live in pods, blue whale prefers to live alone or in pairs. A blue whales call is a low frequency whistle that reaches 188 decibels which is louder than a jet engine. This call is useful for finding a mate in the ocean (wwf.org.au, 2019). Female blue whales carry a calf for a year before it is born. The calf can weigh up to 3 tonnes and 25 feet long when born and feeds on its mother’s milk, gaining 200 pounds every day for its first year (Worldwildlife.org, 2019).

mother and calf by https://au.whales.org/whales-dolphins/species-guide/blue-whale/

picture by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_whale

Blue whales are under threat from whaling, entanglement of nets, pollution and global warming. Baby and juvenile whales are at risk of drowning due to been caught in nets as they are unable to free themselves. Adult whales are at risk from whaling as they are hunted for their meat due to their size. Pollution from plastics has led to the whales dying due to the plastics they ingested cannot be removed. Global warming has increased the temperatures in the water which affects the whale’s food supply as the krill are dying due to the temperature (Clapham et al, 1999).

Next time, we will be covering the largest carnivore in the arctic circle and is considered to be the largest bear species to be alive currently.  

References

Clapham, P.J., Young, S.B. & Brownell, R.L. 1999, "Baleen whales: conservation issues and the status of the most endangered populations", Mammal Review, vol. 29, no. 1, pp. 37-62.

Cooke, J.G. 2018. Balaenoptera musculus . The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T2477A50226195. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T2477A50226195.en.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/b/blue-whale/ retrieved 11/12/19

https://www.britannica.com/animal/blue-whale retrieved 16/12/19

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/blue-whale retrieved 16/12/19

https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/species/blue-whale#gs.mmndbc retrieved by 16/12/19

Picture references

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_whale

https://www.britannica.com/animal/blue-whale

https://au.whales.org/whales-dolphins/species-guide/blue-whale/

Species Profile: Dugong

Hello again, welcome back to animals under threat. Today, we will be covering the Dugong. Once driven close to extinction, the dugong is once again under threat from global warming, poaching and destruction of habitat. Say hello to the Dugong (Dugong dugon).

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/dugong

The dugong is a marine animal that resides in warm coastal areas which contains their prefer choice of food which is seagrass. They are characterized by their large grey coloured body, short flippers, tail that looks similar to a whale’s and board bristled snout (Perrin et al, 2008). Even though they look similar to manatees, there are many differences between them as shown in the diagram below (Britannica.com).

Picture by Britannica.com

Dugongs can weigh up to 230-420 kg and can grow up to 2.2-3.4m in length. They cannot move fast and have no defence against sharks, Orcas and crocodiles with young dugongs hiding behind the mother if danger in present (environment.gov.au, 2019). Older dugongs may have scars across their backs from boat propellers. Dugongs may live in groups or pairs depending where they live as the seagrass beds that they feed on cannot support large groups leading to dugongs moving to find other seagrass beds (australianmuseum.net.au, 2019).

seagrass bed by https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/dugong

The reproductive rate of dugong is low as females invest much of their energy in raising a single calf. Female dugongs don’t bear their first calf until they are at least 6 years old and the calf takes up to 12-14 to be born (Perrin et al, 2008). The calf will stay with the mother for several years and the mother will not have another calf for 2-7 years (australianmuseum.net.au, 2019). Dugongs can live up to 70 years with the oldest recorded at 73 years old.

mother and calf by https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/d/dugong/ 

Dugong swimming by https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/species/dugong#gs.i0mhy2

Dugongs are under threat from poaching, global warming and habitat destruction. Due to their slow speed, hunters have targeted dugongs for their meat, oil, skin and bones. Global warming and habitat destruction have affected the seagrass beds by destroying/polluting which harms the dugongs that fed on it (nationalgeographic.com, 2019).

Next time, we will be covering the largest marine mammal that has ever lived.

References

https://www.britannica.com/animal/dugong-mammal by Thomas O’Shea retrieved 2019.

Perrin, WF, Thewissen, JGM, Würsig, B, & Thewissen, JGM (eds) 2008, Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, Elsevier Science & Technology, San Diego. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [23 November 2019].

https://www.environment.gov.au/marine/marine-species/dugongs retrieved 2019.

https://australianmuseum.net.au/learn/animals/mammals/dugong/ retrieved 2019.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/d/dugong/ retrieved 2019.

Picture references

https://www.britannica.com/animal/dugong-mammal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugong

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/dugong

https://www.wwf.org.au/what-we-do/species/dugong#gs.i0mhy2

Species Profile: Tiger Tail Seahorse

Hello again, welcome back to animals under threat. Today, we will be covering a species of seahorse that has gained vulnerable status due to bycatch, coastal development and trades. Please give a warm welcome to the Tiger Tail Seahorse (Hippocampus comes).

Paolo Rossi/Guylian Seahorses of the World 2005 (via Project Seahorse)

The Tiger Tail Seahorse belongs to the family of Syngnathidae which is a family of fish that includes seahorses, pipefishes and seadragons. The colour of this seahorse alternates between yellow and black with the stripes beginning at the belly and continue to the tip of the tail. Unlike most fish, the Tiger Tail Seahorse does not have scales, but bony plates which is arranged in ring throughout the body (Job et al, 2006). They are mostly found with their tail wrapped around a stationary object as they swim very poorly. Tiger Tail seahorse swim by using their rapidly moving dorsal fin and use pectoral fins to steer and use their long snout to suck up small fish/shrimp, coral and plankton (Lin et al, 2016).

Paolo Rossi/Guylian Seahorses of the World 2005 (via Project Seahorse)

https://animalcorner.co.uk/seahorse-anatomy/

Tiger Tail seahorses are mostly found in coastal areas of Southeast Asia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Andaman Island. Their prefer habitat are coral reefs, seagrass beds and macroalgal beds in shallow waters around 10m to the low tide line (Lim, 2015). Seahorses have a unique way of reproduction as they perform a courtship ritual that may last over several days. Male Seahorses carry the eggs in a brood pouch which can contain 1-2000 eggs. When the eggs hatch, the young are released from the pouch and are left to the mercy of predators or ocean currents (Morgan and Vincent, 2007).

https://www.seahorseworlds.com/seahorse-reproduction/

The main threats to the Tiger Tail seahorse are bycatch, coastal development and trades. The seahorses are caught by accident when fishing. Coastal development adds the risk on pollution to the seahorse’s habitat as it damages the reef/seagrass beds/macroalgal beds that the seahorse needs to survive. The pet trade/medicine trade is a big threat as the seahorse is used in traditional medicine and are popular as pets (Lim, 2015).

Seahorse and scorpion skewers by Ginny Freeman 

Next time, we will be covering the dugong as it has come under threat from many factors.

References

Job, S., Buu, D. & Vincent, A. 2006, "Growth and Survival of the Tiger Tail Seahorse, Hippocampus comes", Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, vol. 37, no. 3, pp. 322-327

Lim, A. 2015. Hippocampus comes (errata version published in 2018). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T41008A128958172.

Lin, Q., Fan, S., Zhang, Y., Xu, M., Zhang, H., Yang, Y., Lee, A.P., Woltering, J.M., Ravi, V., Gunter, H.M., Luo, W., Gao, Z., Lim, Z.W., Qin, G., Schneider, R.F., Wang, X., Xiong, P., Li, G., Wang, K., Min, J., Zhang, C., Qiu, Y., Bai, J., He, W., Bian, C., Zhang, X., Shan, D., Qu, H., Sun, Y., Gao, Q., Huang, L., Shi, Q., Meyer, A. & Venkatesh, B. 2016, "The seahorse genome and the evolution of its specialized morphology", Nature, vol. 540, no. 7633, pp. 395-399.

Morgan, S.K. & Vincent, A.C.J. 2007, "The ontogeny of habitat associations in the tropical tiger tail seahorse Hippocampus comes Cantor, 1850", Journal of Fish Biology, vol. 71, no. 3, pp. 701-724

Picture references

https://animalcorner.co.uk/seahorse-anatomy/

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/41008/128958172

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seahorse By Shyamal

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seahorse By ginny freeman from Yokosuka (Kanagawa), Japan

https://www.seahorseworlds.com/seahorse-reproduction/

Species Profile: Nassau Groper

Hello again, welcome back to animals under threat. Today, we will be covering a species of fish that has an unusual name and is under threat from overfishing and habitat alteration. Please, give a warm welcome to the Nassau Grouper (Epinephelus striatus).


The Nassau Grouper is a fish that grows to over a meter in length and weighs around 25kg. It belongs to the Serranidae family that is commonly refer to as the grouper family. Depend on its environment, this fish can come to a variety of colours (Sadovy et al, 2018). They mostly live in the Caribbean Sea and adjacent water and it was once had large populations in the Bahamas. Its preferred method of hunting is to wait and ambush their prey and swallow them whole (Oceana, 2019).

Picture by Oceana website

Nassau Gropers prefer to live in reefs, rocks and ledges where they can easily find prey and bred. Nassau Gropers live to around 29 years and mature sexually at the age of 4-5 years old. During breeding season, the Nassau Groper leaves the reef that live in to travel to spawning areas. These spawning areas are not well known as they tend to be anywhere.

Current known habitat of Nassau Groper by Fisheries.noaa.gov

When it is time to bred, females will release their eggs first, then the male follows and releases his sperm. Any fertilized eggs will hatch 2-4 days after floating away to other areas and will feed on zooplankton until they reach 1-2 months and move to seagrass areas. When they get larger, they move to reefs in order to survive (Fisheries, 2019).

Picture by Enric Sala

The Nassau Groper is under threat from overfishing and habitat alteration. The coral that the groper depends on for cover and shelter is currently been damaged by global warming. This means that the Nassau Groper cannot camouflage to ambush prey (Sadovy et al, 2018). Overfishing of the Nassau Groper during breeding season has led to adult morality and increase risk of genetic loss (Oceana, 2019).

Next time, we will be covering a species of seahorse that is at risk of bycatch, coastal development and trades.

References

Sadovy, Y., Aguilar-Perera, A. & Sosa-Cordero, E. 2018. Epinephelus striatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T7862A46909843.

https://oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-fishes/nassau-grouper retrieved 19/11/19

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/nassau-grouper retrieved 19/11/19

picture references

https://oceana.org/marine-life/ocean-fishes/nassau-grouper retrieved 19/11/19

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/nassau-grouper

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/7862/46909843 by Enric Sala

Species Profile: Smoky Mouse

Hello again, welcome back to animals under threat. Today, we will be covering a species of mouse from Australia that is currently under threat from human influence. Please give a warm welcome to the Smoky mouse (Pseduomys fumeus).


The Smoky mouse is a small mouse that is similar in size to a small rat. Most adult smoky mouses weigh between 38-68 grams with the body length been around 90mm. The Smoky mouse tail can be around 140mm long and pinkish. The fur of this species can be pale-gray/bluish-grey with a grey/white belly and dark hairs around the eyes (environment.nsw.gov.au, 2019). The geographic range of this species is difficult to determine as detection of said species is low, however majority of the smoky mouse have been found in south-eastern Australia (Woinarski, J. & Burbidge, A.A. 2016). They have been recorded to be seen in Victoria, NSW and Australian Capital Territory.

Smoky mouse by Parks Victoria.

Smoky mouse does not have a preferred vegetation community as they have been found in coastal areas to sub-alpine areas. They feed on seeds and fruit from shrubs but will also feed on small insects such as moths (environment.gov.au, 2019). This species may live in pairs, large communal groups with one male and five females or they may live by themselves. Females give birth to one/two litters in spring with the number of pups born ranging from 1-4 (environment.nsw.gov.au, 2019).

picture by Peter Menkhorst and Linda Broome retrieved 19/11/19

The Smoky mouse is under threat from human influences. Predation from introduced species such as the Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), wild dogs (Canis lupus dingo), and feral Domestic Cats (Felis catus) have led to a decline in Smoky mouse population. Changes in flora from fire regimes has also change the Smoky mouse’s diet leading them to find other source of flora to feed on (Woinarski, J. & Burbidge, A.A. 2016).

Next time, we will be covering a species of fish with an unusual name.

References

https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10686 retrieved 19/11/19

Woinarski, J. & Burbidge, A.A. 2016. Pseudomys fumeus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T18550A22398566. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T18550A22398566.en. Downloaded on 19 November 2019.

https://www.environment.gov.au/resource/smoky-mouse-pseudomys-fumeus PDF retrieved 19/11/19

picture references

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/15/smoky-mouse-could-go-extinct-without-us-looking-say-victorian-scientists

https://www.environment.gov.au/resource/smoky-mouse-pseudomys-fumeus picture by Peter Menkhorst and Linda Broome retrieved 19/11/19

Species Profile: Hector's Dolphin

Hello again, welcome back to animals under threat. Today, we will be covering a species of dolphin that is classed as one of the smallest dolphin species in the world. Please give a warm welcome to Hector's Dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori).

Hector’s dolphin belongs to the Genus Cephalorhynchus which consist of four species which are Hector’s dolphin, Heaviside's dolphin, Chilean dolphin and Commerson's dolphin. They have the most restricted distribution of any dolphin, whale or porpoise species and resided in the waters around New Zealand. They are characterized by their colouration with the back/sides been a light grey, dorsal fin/flippers/ and flukes are black, throat and belly are white and black crescent shaped band across the head behind the blowhole (Reeves et al, 2013).

Picture by James Shook and map by Rudolph

Hector’s dolphin has a unique shaped dorsal fin as it is rounded compared to regular dolphin dorsal fin are curved. They feed mostly on fish such as yellow-eyed mullet, sprat and pilchard but also feed on squid if available (Miller et al, 2013). Hector’s dolphins live in small pods that contain 7-8 members (Brager, 1999).

Pictures of Hector’s dolphin with pod mate in background and caught in net by Stephen Dawson / WWF-Canon.

Hector’s dolphin is under threat from gillnets, pollution, collisions with boats, habitat modification and diseases. Majority of the dolphins are dying from drowning by net entanglement as they are unable to free themselves from the nets (Reeves et al, 2013). Coast development, oil/gas exploration and sand mining are causing changes in the dolphin’s habitat leading to pollution entering the water and making the dolphin’s sick (Worldwildlife, 2019). Toxoplasma gondii is a disease that caused by a parasitic one-celled eukaryote which can cause Toxoplasmosis. This can affect the dolphin’s body condition and can lead to death (Roe et al, 2013).

Next time, we will be covering a mouse species from Australia and its species name is Latin for Smoky.

References

Brager, S. 1999, "Association patterns in three populations of Hector's dolphin, Cephalorhynchus hectori", Canadian journal of zoology, vol. 77, no. 1, pp. 13-18.

Miller, E., Lalas, C., Dawson, S., Ratz, H. & Slooten, E. 2013;2012;, "Hector's dolphin diet: The species, sizes and relative importance of prey eaten by Cephalorhynchus hectori, investigated using stomach content analysis", Marine Mammal Science, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 606-628.

Reeves, R.R., Dawson, S.M., Jefferson, T.A., Karczmarski, L., Laidre, K., O’Corry-Crowe, G., Rojas-Bracho, L., Secchi, E.R., Slooten, E., Smith, B.D., Wang, J.Y. & Zhou, K. 2013.

Roe, W.D., Howe, L., Baker, E.J., Burrows, L. & Hunter, S.A. 2013, "An atypical genotype of Toxoplasma gondii as a cause of mortality in Hector's dolphins (Cephalorhynchus hectori)", Veterinary Parasitology, vol. 192, no. 1-3, pp. 67-74.

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/hector-s-dolphin retrieved 17/08/2019

Picture reference

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/4162/44199757

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector%27s_dolphin

https://www.worldwildlife.org/media?species_id=hector-s-dolphin

Species Profile: Honeypot Ant and Carpenter ant

Hello again, welcome back to animals under threat. Today, we will be covering a species of ant that have specialized workers that gorged themselves on food that is provided by other worker ants causing their abdomens to swell and they become living larders. Say hello to the Honeypot ant.

The honeypot ant is a name used for specialized workers ants that have large abdomens. As this is used in many ant species, this blog post will be covering the ant species Camponotus inflatus or carpenter ants. Carpenter ants belong to the genus Camponotus which is the most diverse group of ants in Australia. They are characterized by their light-coloured feet, black coloured body and hairs covering the lower and anterior part of the head and the rest of the body. (Antwiki, 2019). The mandible of the carpenter ants contains six teeth which helps the ant break down desert flowers and small insects that is needed to feed the larders (antark, 2019).

Side view of Carpenter ant by Antwiki and Honeypot ant by Hans Boessem.

Carpenter ants build their nest in hot areas, mostly around the edges of deserts. Before the rain season, the living larders or repletes are fed until their abdomen are swollen and they are unable to move. Their abdomens look similar to honey which gives them the nickname “Honeypot ant” (Shattuck ,1999). When it is the wet season and food is scarce, worker ants tap the head of the replete and the replete regurgitates food for the workers. This continues until the wet season is over or the replete runs out of food (Nature, 1881).

Carpenter ants are under threat from climate change and be used in food industry. Many of the desert flowers that the ants feed on depend on the wet season which are becoming shorter due longer dry seasons. The replete “honeypot ant” have been harvested for dishes in the food industry as they are considered to be delicacy (Ecological Management & Restoration, 2012).

Next time we will be covering a species of dolphin that is the smallest dolphin in the world.

References

https://antark.net/ant-species/honey-pot-ant-myrmecocystus-mexicanus/ retrieved 29/7/2019

http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Camponotus_inflatus retrieved 29/7/2019

"Edible insects and management of country", 2012, Ecological Management & Restoration, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 97-99.

"Observations on Ants, Bees, and Wasps 1", 1881, Nature, vol. 23, no. 585, pp. 255-258.

Shattuck, S.O. 1999, Australian ants: their biology and identification, CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.

Picture references

https://www.ausemade.com.au/fauna-flora/fauna/insecta/hymenoptera/formicidae/formicinae/camponotus/honey-ant.htm (Honeypot ant)

http://www.antwiki.org/wiki/Camponotus_inflatus

Species Profile: Giant Panda

Hello again, welcome back to animals under threat. Today, we will be covering a species of bear that is native to South China and has a unique diet. Give a warm welcome to the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca).

The Giant Panda belongs to the Genus Ailuropoda and is the only current living relative of that genus. There are two sub species of Ailuropoda, one been Ailuropoda m. melanoleuca which is the well known black and white panda and A. m. qinlingensis or Qinling panda which is brown and white. This blog post will be covering the Ailuropoda m. melanoleuca. This panda is well known due to its black and white markings making appear cute and its gentle behaviour (Swaisgood et al. 2016). Pandas mostly feed on bamboo in the forests but can also eat meat, fish and eggs due to their ursine teeth (panda, 2003).

Giant Panda (left) by J. Patrick Fischer and Qinling Panda (right) by AilieHM 

Pandas spend majority of their day foraging for bamboo shoots as they are easier to eat than the bamboo leaves. Pandas will migrate to other areas in search of food during winter season and will enter villages/towns to feed on garbage. Female pandas give birth to twins although only one usually survive to adulthood as the mother will raise the stronger twin and leaves the weaker one to starve. The male panda does not help with the rearing of the cubs (Lindburg & Baragona, 2004).

Baby Pandas by Joshua Doubek.

Habitat restriction and degradation are major threats to the pandas as the forest they depend on is been cleared for agriculture and timber/firewood, leaving less areas for pandas to live/migrate to. The loss of forest also affects the bamboo which the panda needs to survive.

Next time, we will be covering a species of ant that are called living larders.

References

Lindburg, D.G. & Baragona, K. 2004, Giant Pandas - Biology and Conservation, 1st edn, University of California Press, Berkeley.

panda. (2003). In The MacMillan encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Aylesbury, UK: Market House Books Ltd.

Swaisgood, R., Wang, D. & Wei, F. 2016. Ailuropoda melanoleuca (errata version published in 2017). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016: e.T712A121745669. Downloaded on 26 July 2019.

Picture references

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_panda

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qinling_panda

Species Profile: Desert Rain Frog

Hello again, welcome back to animals under threat. Today, we will be covering a species of frog that resides in the sandy beach between the sea and sand dunes of Namibia and South Africa. This little frog in currently under threat from habitat loss and lack of knowledge about its behaviour. Please give a warm welcome to this little guy and his cute war cry, the Desert Rain Frog (Breviceps macrops).

The Desert rain frog is a member of the family Brevicipitidae or “rain frogs” that resided in Eastern and Southern Africa. This species of frog is characterized by its brown/yellow plump body, bulging eyes, short snout and limbs, spade-like feet and webbed toes. Its underside is transparent which the internal organs can be seen (AmphibiaWeb, 2019). The Desert rain frog is a fossorial which means that it has adapted to burrowing and surviving underground and also burying itself in sand dunes with low laying vegetation (IUCN, 2017).

 

Picture of Desert rain frog (above) by Alan Channing and Desert rain frog camouflaged (below) by Amphibianfacts.

This species of frog’s life development is interesting because unlike other frogs which lay eggs and they hatch into tadpoles, Desert rain frogs emerge from their eggs as juvenile frogs (Channing and Wahlberg, 2011). One parent keeps watch over the eggs while they are developing in the burrow. Desert rain frogs look for animal dung at dusk and night to find beetles to feed on (Amphibianfacts, 2019). This species, when threatened make a unique sound as a war cry to scare off rivals or predators. However, this war cry sound is similar to a squeaky toy (AmphibiaWeb). A video below from BBC shows the frog using its war cry.

Desert rain frogs are under threat to loss of habitat as much of the sand dune which they rely is due to coastal opencast diamond mining. Construction of roads, urban development and agricultural uses is also a factor to loss of habitat (IUCN, 2017). Lack of studies on this species has led to problems on a long-term management plan for the frog and its environment.

Next time, we will be covering a species of bear that has a unique diet and is popular in China.

References

Alan Channing & Kirsty Wahlberg (2011) Distribution and conservation status of the desert rain frog Breviceps macrops, African Journal of Herpetology, 60:2, 101-112, DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2011.608383

https://www.amphibianfact.com/desert-rain-frog.asp retrieved on 2/07/2019

AmphibiaWeb. 2019. <http://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 1 Jul 2019.

IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group & South African Frog Re-assessment Group (SA-FRoG) 2017. Breviceps macrops. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T3070A2794989. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T3070A2794989.en. Downloaded on 02 July 2019.

Picture and video references

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/3070/2794989

https://www.amphibianfact.com/desert-rain-frog.asp

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBxn56l9WcU

Species Profile: Asian Elephant

Hello again, welcome back to animals under threat. Today, we will be covering an elephant species that is currently under threat from poaching and forest fragmentation. Please give a warm welcome to the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).

The Asian elephant is currently the largest living land animal in Asia and is the only surviving species of the genus Elephas. There are currently less than 50,000 Asian elephants left in the world and is considered to be an important cultural icon in Asia. Asian elephants are similar to the African elephant with the exception of their ears which are smaller and both females and males have smaller or no tusks (Worldwildlife, 2019). They play an important part in the environment as they create gaps in the vegetation they eat, this allows new plants to grow. They also eat and transport seeds across to new areas. (Taronga, 2019).

Photo of herd of females (Above) by Ajay A Desai and tusked male (Below) by Yathin S Krishnappa.

Female Asian elephants live in small herds that are led by the oldest female which is called the matriarch. Matriarchs protect and lead the herd to new areas for feeding or water. Many of the herd’s females are related to each as sisters or aunties. Females are highly protective of baby elephants and won’t hesitate to attack anything that can be a threat to them. This can include predators, other elephants and humans (animalplant.com, 2019). Below is a map that shows red areas as current elephant living areas and pink was previous distribution of Asian elephants.

 

Mother and calf By Nigel Swales and map by Sémhur. 

Asian elephants have been hunted by poachers for their meat, skin and ivory. The skin has been used in Chinese medicine and the manufacturing of ornamental beads. The ivory is used in the making of items such as flasks, plates, and knives. Deforestation is another problem for the elephants as the forest they depend on for food and shelter is been using for furniture (Choudhury et al, 2008).

Next time, we will be covering a species a frog that lives in sand dunes and is considered to be the world’s cutest frog because of its war cry.

References

Choudhury, A., Lahiri Choudhury, D.K., Desai, A., Duckworth, J.W., Easa, P.S., Johnsingh, A.J.T., Fernando, P., Hedges, S., Gunawardena, M., Kurt, F., Karanth, U., Lister, A., Menon, V., Riddle, H., Rübel, A. & Wikramanayake, E. (IUCN SSC Asian Elephant Specialist Group) 2008. Elephas maximus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2008: e.T7140A12828813. Downloaded on 28 June 2019.

http://www.animalplanet.com/wild-animals/endangered-species/asian-elephant/ retrieved on 29/06/2019

https://taronga.org.au/animals/asian-elephant retrieved on 29/06/2019

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/asian-elephant retrieved on 29/06/2019

Picture references

https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/7140/12828813

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_elephant