Blue Tigers?

Although most of us are familiar with white tigers, a rare color morph of the Bengal tiger, documented sightings of Maltese or “blue” tigers have also been reported throughout history.

Artist's rendering of what a Maltese tiger might look like.

As with domestic cats, the Maltese name refers to a “blue” fur coloration that is actually slate grey. Sightings of Maltese tigers have occurred numerous times throughout the 20th century in both the Fujian Province of China and Korea. It is assumed that these blue tigers were most closely related to the now critically endangered South China tiger. If they still exist, Maltese tigers may be some of the rarest animals on earth.

The Greenland Shark

The Greenland shark isn’t the type of predator that often gets mentioned on TV shows or dramatized in movies. However, this giant, slow-moving resident of the North Atlantic may deserve the spotlight every once in a while for its potentially record-setting size and lifespan.

Photo: Discovery

Also known as sleeper sharks, the largest Greenland shark ever recorded was 21 feet long. However, it is believed that these sharks can exceed 24 feet in length. If this is the case, the Greenland shark would be the largest predatory shark in the world, even surpassing the great white; only filter-feeding basking sharks and whale sharks are larger.

Part of the reason this shark is so difficult to study is because of the extreme depths at which it lives. Greenland sharks have been recorded at depths of more than 7000 feet, and usually only come to the surface near ice floes in the winter.

Greenland sharks are thought to be ambush predators, pinning and consuming a large variety of bottom-dwelling fish and crustaceans. They are also known to be scavengers, and like many sharks will eat just about anything, living or not, that they can find. Despite their size, Greenland sharks are notoriously sluggish by nature and are not considered dangerous to humans.

The exact lifespan of the Greenland shark is uncertain. However, scientists have determined that they grow at an extremely slow rate of less than one centimeter per year. If this is the case, fully grown adults specimens may be well over 200 years old, making this shark the longest-lived vertebrate on the planet.

Skimmers - Expert Fish Hunters

Skimmers are tern-like seabirds that comprise the Rynchopidae family, and are named as such because of their particular feeding habits.

Skimmers are unique in that their large beaks are longer on the bottom than on the top. This allows them to hunt by flying just above the water with the lower half of their beaks partially submerged. Any small fish that isn’t able to dart out of the way gets quickly snapped into the skimmer’s mouth and becomes lunch.

There are three known species of skimmers; the black skimmer of North and South America, the African skimmer, and the Indian skimmer of southern Asia.

Backyard Nature - The Ringtail

Though nocturnal and not regularly seen, the ringtail is a relatively common animal throughout the southwestern United States and most of Mexico. This small mammal is named for the 14-16 black and white stripes that ring its tail; a tail that may exceed the animal’s body length.

Often referred to as a ring-tailed cat, miner’s cat, or civet cat, ringtails actually belong to the raccoon family and are not closely related to felines. Smaller than housecats, most ringtails have body lengths of less than sixteen inches and weigh no more than three pounds. The ringtail’s lithe body, long tail and 180-degree rotating ankles allow it to quickly move through rocky and tight terrain, even performing cartwheels and ricochet moves to change direction or negotiate obstacles.

Ringtails are extremely solitary animals and usually only socialize for mating purposes. They spend nighttime hours hunting and foraging for an omnivorous diet that includes berries, fruits, mice, insects, and birds. Their ability as mouse hunters combined with their tame nature led many miners in the nineteenth century to domesticate ringtails to rid cabins of vermin, hence the “miner’s cat” nickname.

The ringtail is currently the state mammal of Arizona.

High-Flying Spinner Dolphins

Though not as recognizable as their larger bottlenose cousins, spinner dolphins are one of the most playful and entertaining to watch of all dolphin species.

There are four recognized subspecies of spinner dolphins inhabiting tropical and subtropical oceans throughout the world. At only 50-200lbs fully grown, spinner dolphins are quite small, but make up for their lack of size with amazing athletic ability. The species gets its name from its ability to leap out of the water and perform up to five and a half longitudinal spins in mid-air.

Hawaiian spinner dolphins usually live in pods of up to 200 individuals, with some in the Costa Rican region living in groups of 1,000 or more. Most spinner dolphins are nocturnal feeders and travel offshore each evening to hunt a variety of fish, squid and crustaceans. During the daylight hours the pod will return to the warm, shallow waters near the coast to play and rest. Although spinner dolphins are quite friendly towards people, tourists are often asked not to disturb resting groups during the day.

The Turkey Vulture

One of the most common large birds in many parts of North America, the majestically-soaring turkey vulture is rarely as appreciated as eagles, hawks, or even the closely-related California condor.

Part of the reason the turkey vulture never gets its due may have to do with its looks. The bird gets its name from its bald head and dark plumage resembling that of a wild turkey. However, once this vulture spreads its six foot wings and begins soaring, it’s obvious this is no turkey.

Often incorrectly referred to as buzzards, which is actually a European term for many buteo species of hawks, turkey vultures can be found throughout South America, Central America, and southern parts of the United States year-round; in warmer months they may live as far north as Canada. They primarily live in large roosts of up to several hundred birds and prefer open country over heavily forested areas.

Turkey vultures are scavengers that feed almost exclusively on carrion. By removing and consuming animal carcasses, they perform an important role in local ecosystems by reducing the spread of disease.

Turkey vultures are sometimes unjustly blamed for killing newborn cattle. In reality, this is usually the work of the black vulture, a similarly-sized bird that sometimes does roost with turkey vultures.

Though not currently endangered or threatened, the turkey vulture is protected under Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Killing or possessing a turkey vulture can result in a $15,000 fine and six months in prison.

Scientists to Clone Wooly Mammoth

One of the best known and most studied prehistoric mammals; the wooly mammoth was an enormous elephant-like land animal that existed from roughly 150,000 years ago until 1700 BC.

Warmer temperatures in eastern Russia have recently allowed scientists to unearth several well-preserved mammoths, including one containing preserved bone marrow. It may be possible for scientists to extract the DNA from this marrow and combine it with that from an elephant, allowing them to clone the mammoth.

Discovery News reports that Russian and Japanese scientists plan to clone a mammoth within five years. If they are successful, the result would likely be pretty controversial. After all, most of us are familiar with the story of Jurassic Park!

The Christmas Bird Count

Every year from mid-December to early January thousands of ornithologists, conservationists and bird-lovers across the Western Hemisphere take place in the annual Christmas Bird Count.

Started by the National Audubon Society in 1900 as an alternative to winter bird hunting, the Christmas Bird Count has grown significantly since it began, regularly drawing over 50,000 participants worldwide. The process is quite simple; observers are assigned to a “count circle” 15 miles in diameter along with other participants from their area. Over a period of 24 hours the group will follow an assigned route and count as many birds as they see, noting species.

Female cardinal in winter.

Although this “bird census” isn’t completely accurate, it does provide valuable information about migration and the winter ranges of various types of birds, not to mention some fantastic nature-watching opportunities. Participation is open to all. To find out when a Christmas Bird Count is happening in your area, visit the National Audubon Society.

The Peccary - Not a Pig

The peccary is known by a lot of names; javelina, musk hog, skunk pig and Mexican hog being just a few. And while these desert-dwelling North and Central American mammals may resemble wild hogs or razorbacks, they actually represent their own family of animals separate from the Suidae family pigs belong to, which originated in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Photo: Photo Bee 1

There are four species of peccary, with the most common species, the collared peccary, being found as far north as the Southwestern United States. Peccaries are usually 3-4 feet long and weigh 40-80lbs. Like pigs, peccaries are omnivores and feed on a wide variety of small animals, grass, fruit and cacti. They have fairly large tusks that sharpen themselves when the mouth is opened and closed that can be used as a weapon.

Most peccaries are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day, and live in groups of six to nine members. Like pigs, peccaries are unable to sweat or pant to cool off, so they spend the hottest part of the day near water sources or relaxing in the shade. The peccary gets its “skunk pig” nickname from the oil glands on its rump which secrete a strong, distinctive smell.

Though peccaries do face natural threats from jaguars and coyotes, they are very capable of using their tusks to defend themselves. Residents in urban areas are warned not to feed peccaries as this can lead to them losing their fear of humans and possibly becoming aggressive towards people.

The Macaroni Penguin

Though you might be thinking pasta, the macaroni penguin received its name for a very different reason. The bird’s bright yellow crest reminded British sailors in the early 1800s of a flamboyant style popular in England at the time called maccaronism. Individuals who adopted this style were often referred to as macaronis; and thus the name stuck.

 

 

Photo: Jerzy Strzelecki

Macaroni penguins are thought to be the most abundant species of penguin on earth, with an estimated breeding population of over eleven million pairs. They can be found in and around the southern tip of South America, northern Antarctica and many chains of islands stretching east to South Africa.

Photo: Jerzy Strzelecki

Macaroni penguins are closely related to royal penguins. They are very social animals that often live in colonies of up to 100,000 individuals. Macaroni penguins primarily feed on Antarctic krill during the breeding season, but also hunt a wide variety of other crustaceans, squid and fish. Though still very numerous, macaroni penguins are now classified as vulnerable due to population decline over the last thirty years.