A Few Staff Animal Photos

Here at The Jungle Store we have a great love for all animals, ok maybe not spiders, and that means we love taking photos of animals. Here are a few photos our staff have taken from their trips all over the country.

This photo was taken at Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary located in Hot Springs, South Dakota. The sanctuary is home to over 600 wild mustangs which have been named America's Luckiest Wild Horses. They offer a variety of tours that can last from two hours to three days, you can even reserve a cabin.

These photos were taken at the Albuquerque BioPark Aquarium in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The aquarium is part of the Biopark which includes a zoo and botanical garden right next to the Rio Grande.

These photos were taken at the Kansas City Zoo located in Kansas City, Missouri. The zoo opened in 1909 and is now spread across 202 acres. In the fall of 2013 the Kansas City Zoo opened its penguin plaza with interactive learning stations and panoramic viewing windows. The zoo is also planning to add a tiger trail, orangutan canopy and giraffe feeding station in the years to come.

Clownfish and Sea Anemones - A Working Relationship

Clownfish are a prized addition to most any collector’s aquarium, as their bright colors are quite beautiful. However, in the wilds of the open ocean these small fish have little in the way of natural defenses, and there are plenty of hungry predators that would love to have them for lunch. What’s a clownfish to do? Find a much bigger best friend!

Clownfish share a symbiotic mutual relationship with sea anemones, predatory animals closely related to corals and jellyfish. The sea anemone inhabits coral reefs and uses its stinging tentacles to paralyze prey and enemy alike. Using fast-acting toxins for both offense and defense makes the anemone seem rather a self-sufficient creature, yet it harbors, even welcomes, the small tropical clownfish to take up residence among its tentacles.

The clownfish not only gets a wonderful living defense system from the anemone, but also an occasional meal from the scraps of fish the anemone fails to ingest. This relationship works both ways as the anemone will snack on any scraps the clownfish drops as well. The action of the clownfish also stirs up fresh water currents and moves them over the sedentary anemone.

So, how does the anemone know not to sting? There are a few different theories. One is that the anemone doesn't know, but that the mucus coating of the clownfish protects it from the anemone's toxins. This is possible because clownfish that have had this mucus wiped off of them have been stung and killed by their previous hosts. Another theory states that the chemical content of the mucus coating prevents the anemone from recognizing the clownfish as a food source, and therefore the anemone fails to react to the little fish's presence.

Dancing with the Clownfish

You may recognize the clown anemonefish or clownfish because of its bright orange color and three white stripes. Or you might recognize it from the movie Finding Nemo. This clownfish is named after the sea anemones in which it inhabits. A layer of mucus surrounding the fish’s skin protects them from the anemones’ poisonous sting. To become comfortable amongst the anemones, the clownfish performs a ritualistic dance with an anemone before deciding to live there. In exchange for protection and food scraps, the clownfish scares off intruders and removes unwanted parasites.

Bonus Fact: All clownfish are born male. They can change sexes; however, they only do when they want to become the dominant female of the group because the change is irreversible.