dolphins

dolphins

Dolphins or dolphins are cetaceans animals belonging to the family Delphinidae. They are perfectly adapted to live in the aquatic environment, and there are 37 known species of dolphins in the salt water and fresh water. The most common species is the Delphinus Delphinus.

Are privileged swimmers sometimes jump up to five meters above the water, they can swim at a speed of up to 40 km / h and dive to great depths. Their food consists mainly of fish and squid. They can live 20-35 years and give birth to a cub at a time. They live in groups, are social animals, both between them and with other animals and humans.

His great intelligence is the subject of many studies by scientists. In captivity you can train them to perform variety of tasks, some of great complexity. They are extremely playful, because no animal except man, has such a wide range of behaviors that are not directly related to basic biological activities such as feeding and reproduction. They have the extraordinary sense of echolocation or biossonar or orientation echo, which they use to swim through obstacles or to hunt their prey.

predators

Predators of the dolphins are whales, large sharks and mostly the man. Tuna fishermen, often look for dolphins, which also hunt, when it occurs protocoperação. The dolphin is the shoal and fishermen throw nets trapping the fish and let the dolphins feed and then pull the nets. Thus, both species benefit from food. But often the dolphins end up screwing the networks and may die.

The length of the nets, as well as necessary, as well as pollution also increase predation.

feeding

Dolphins are hunters and feed mainly on fish. Many of them hunt in groups and look for large schools of fish. Each species of fish has an annual cycle of movements, and the dolphins follow these shoals and sometimes seem to know where to intercept them, probably they get this information by fish excretions chemical, present in urine and faeces.

Sleep

Dolphins are mammals and by presenting pulmonary respiration must constantly perform hematosis from the oxygen in the atmosphere, this fact forces the dolphins and many other aquatic animals with pulmonary respiration to rise constantly to the surface. One consequence of this condition is sleep based on the principle of alternation of the cerebral hemispheres in which only one brain hemisphere becomes unconscious while the other hemisphere remains conscious, enabling to obtain oxygen from the surface.

sheep

sheep

The sheep (Ovis aries) is a mammal ruminant bovid the subfamily Caprinae. A ram is a male sheep and lambs are juveniles, anhos or lambs.

It is an animal of great economic importance as a source of meat, dairy, wool and leather. Bred in captivity on every continent, the sheep was domesticated in the Bronze Age from Urial (Ovis orientalis), currently living in the mountains of Turkey and Iraq, or other species of goats in the region.

The sheep are almost always created in herds. The management requires care, either because it is a large flock, or being sensitive animals. In colder regions, such as in southern Brazil, care of newborn pups should be intense, since the time of birth coincides with the winter months, when it comes to races that have reproductive seasonality.

In addition to the cold, the creators should look for foxes, wolves and other predators, surrounding females and steal them puppies. Wool, taken in early summer, an important source of income for the creator makes to grow, ensuring the animal its own defense to cold.

Basically, the sheep (female) is a docile animal, and no natural defense mechanism; which must have influenced to in popular culture, being associated with the idea of ​​innocence. In the case of sheep (males) some caution is required with some more aggressive animals, as they can use the stems dangerously.

Description
domestic sheep are relatively small ruminants, usually called wavy coat wool and often with horns forming a lateral spiral. Domestic sheep differ from their wild relatives and ancestors in several respects, having been only neotenic as a result of selective breeding by humans.

Domestication

Domestic sheep are descended from the mouflon-Asian, which is found in the mountains of Turkey to southern Iran. domestication of evidence dating back to 9000 BC in what is Iraq today. The mouflon was considered one of the two ancestors of domestic sheep, after DNA analysis. Although the second ancestor has been identified as the urial and argali were disregarded.  The urial (O. vignei) is found in northeastern Iran to northwestern India, it has a larger number of chromosomes (58) that domestic sheep (54) thus being an ancestor unlikely the sheep, but it intersects with the mouflon. The argali sheep (Ovis ammon) Asia Interior (Tibet, Himalayas, Altai, Tien-Shan and Pamir) has 56 chromosomes and the sheep-the-snow-Siberian snow sheep has 52 chromosomes.

Evidence of the first domestication are found in PPNB Jericho and Zawi Chemi Shanidar. The rolled wool sheep are only found from the Bronze Age. landraces, as the Scottish Soay had to be gouged out (a process called rooing), rather than cut, because the hair was even longer than the soft wool or wool must be collected from the field after falling. The mouflon-European (Ovis musimon) found in Corsica and Sardinia as well as in Crete and the extinct wild-sheep-of-Cyprus are possible descendants of the first domestic sheep that have become wild.

Races

Sheep in Lodi, Italy.
See also: List of sheep breeds
There are several breeds of sheep, but they are usually sub-divided into wool breeds, milk breeds and meat breeds, dual purpose breeds.

Farmers develop wool breeds, get quantity and superior quality, the wool length and degree of crimp in the fiber. The main wool breeds are Merino, Rambouillet, Romney, Herdwick and Lincoln. Drysdale is a specific breed to produce wool for carpets.

beef breeds include Suffolk, Hampshire, Dorset, Columbia, Texel, Andryan and Montadale.

wool breeds dual-purpose are created focusing on rapid growth and ease of shearing. An easy care sheep is the Coopworth that has long wool and good quality meat production. Another dual-purpose breed is the Corriedale. In some sometimes used in crosses with the purpose to maximize both outputs, for example, sheep Merino wool provides can be crossed with Suffolk sheep to produce lambs are robust and suitable for the beef market.

Dual purpose breeds is the first subdivision of domestic sheep to be created for meat and leather. They are prolific and highly resistant to diseases and parasites. Dorpers and Kahtahdins are composed breeds of crossbred wool breeds and dual purpose with varying degrees of wool / fur blends. Sheep by true as St. Croix, Barbados Blackbelly, mouflon, Morada Nova, Santa Ines and Royal White lose the protective fiber coating by the summer and autumn. by the Sheep are becoming more popular for their looks do not need shearing.

Portuguese Native breeds

Bordaleira Between Douro and Minho
Campaniça
Churra Algarvia
Churra Badana
Churra of Hot Earth
Churra do Campo
Churra do Minho
Galician Bragançana
Galician Mirandesa
Merina White
Merina Beira Baixa
Merina Preta
Mondegueira
Saloia
Serra da Estrela
Moreover, in the production of sheep in Portugal stands out a list of products with protected designation of origin which was composed in 2012 for 3 references.

economic importance

Global sheep stocks - 2011
(In million head)
 China 170.8
 Australia 106
Flag of Europe.svg European Union (15 countries) 98.7
 India 62.5
Flag of the CIS.svgCEI 64
 Iran 54
 Sudan 48
 New Zealand 40
 Brazil 32.5
 UK 30.2
 South Africa 25.3
 Turkey 25.2
 Pakistan 24.9
 Nigeria 23
Flag of Spain Spain.svg 22.5
All Others 337.3
Total 1,079,7
Source:
FAO
Sheep farming (sheep breeding) is an activity that has occupied farmers since ancient times, because this animal can provide milk, wool, leather and meat. In the sheep XXI century still constitute vital importance to the economies of several countries. The largest producers of sheep (per capita), are in the southern hemisphere, except the People's Republic of China, and include New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.

In the UK the importance of the wool trade was so great that the upper chamber of parliament (the House of Lords) Lord Chancellor sits on a cushion known as woolen bag (woolsack).

Its meat is consumed worldwide. Their milk is used to produce various types of cheese, among the best known are the roquefort. In some parts of the world such as Sardinia, the sheep industry has become the main economic activity.

Even today, flocks investment provides financial returns of up to 400% of their annual cost (including reproductive gains).

snipes

snipes

The snipe (Gallinago paraguaiae) is a species of South American bird, caradriiforme, the family of escolopacídeos. It measures about 30 cm long, having long, straight beak, dark back with yellowish stripes. It is also called by the following common names: crouching, agachadeira, Atim, Semipalmated, berrumeira, beak-rail, skimmer, boll weevil, windbreaker, torch moorhen, moorhen torch sweet, minjolinho, Monjolinho, snipe, common snipe-girl, narcejinha, man and boy.

woodpecker

woodpecker

The woodpecker, also called ipecu, carpenter and itches-stick, is a bird of Piciformes order, Picidae family of small to medium size, with colorful feathers and, in most males with a red crest. His paws have two toes facing forward and two toes facing backward, which helps him to cling to tree trunks. They are very numerous in Brazil. They live in forests where they make their nests by opening a hole in the trunks of trees. They feed mainly on insect larvae, (although some species like the woodpecker yellow belly eat sap) that are inside the tree trunks, extending the cavity where the larvae with their powerful beak and introducing his long tongue and dampened by the salivary glands. The nests are dug in trunks of the highest possible trees for protection from predators. The eggs of 4 to 5 are hatched by the female and the male also for 20 days.

The woodpecker is a small bird, the Picidae family, of which there are around 179 species around the world.

Distributed throughout Brazil, there are 42 species of various colors, sizes and emit different sounds. These sounds are actually cries because the woodpecker does not sing.

The main feature of the woodpecker is its beak very hard, long, straight and sharp, a real hammer, which makes possible their food. It feeds mainly larvae living and destroy the interior of trees and insects found in the bark of the trunk, that is, the woodpecker has a fundamental role in controlling insects and larvae that could infest other trees. Some species also feed on fruits, ants and bee larvae, termites and wasps, which gets destroying their nests.

Biologists and ornithologists believe that the woodpecker hammering know where, where are larvae or insects by their great hearing ability, ie it is able to hear, according to these professionals, the noise of their potential victims.

To capture their prey within the tree, the woodpecker "hammering" the trunk with its beak, opening small holes and exploring with its long cylindrical tongue, sticky, and the tapered flexible tip. Your language can become five times larger than its beak. Reach to 100 beats per minute. Therefore, the woodpeckers neck muscle is very strong. To protect them from all this chatter, his skull has a greater thickness than the other birds. To stay upright, the woodpecker has very strong legs.

This bird is solitary, and are only gregarious in the breeding season when the male attracts the female giving strong blows on the trunks. The couple formed builds the nest, preferably in tall trees (to protect themselves from predators) and dead (because it is easier to make the hole for the nest). Very clever, the woodpecker digging the hole for the bottom nest up, forming an ascending corridor to protect the nest from rain and wind.

Each litter averages three small white eggs. Male and female hatch the eggs interchangeably, and the male helps the female with feeding the puppies after the birth of the same.

The cubs are blind and naked at birth, and even before enxergaram already play to beat the nozzle. Usually they leave the nest after five weeks.

pika or Ochotona

pika or Ochotona

Ochotona is a genus of Ochotonidae family mammals. In the vernacular nomenclature they are called pikas, hares-assobiadoras, lágomis and coneys.

Taxonomy

The Ochotona genus was divided into three subgenres based on molecular analysis: Pika, including northern species, Ochotona, the species of the steppes, and Conothoa, the species of the mountains. In 2009, a new molecular study showed that O. pusilla did not belong to the subgenus Ochotona. In 2014, officially proposed the creation of a fourth subgenus, the Lagotona for the species O. pusilla.

The Mammals Species of the World in 2005, included 30 species in the genus. In 2007, O. scorodumovi Skalon, 1935 was recognized as a distinct species of alpine O. However, in 2008, the species name was corrected to mantschurica O. Thomas, 1909, due to priority in the description. In 2012, two taxa described based on phenotypic variation of the coat, O. gaoligongensis Wang, Gong & Duan, 1988 and O. Nigritia Gong, Y.-x. Wang, Z.-h. Li & S.-q. Li, 2000 were reviewed and included as synonyms of O. forresti Thomas, 1923. In 2014, a new reassessment considered O. muliensis Pen & Feng, 1962 synonym of O. gloveri Thomas, 1922 and O. himalayana Feng 1973 synonymous O. roylei Ogilby, 1839, and also considered the name O. huangensis Matschie, 1908 synonym of O. dauurica Pallas, 1776, through the use syrinx O. Thomas, 1911 to the taxon in question. The revision of the genus occurred in 2014, considered the existence of 28 species.

ticks

ticks

A tick, tick or boring is an arthropod of the order of mites, classified in the Ixodidae or Argasidae families. Ectoparasites are bloodsuking, responsible for the transmission of numerous diseases. Fossil records suggest their existence for at least 90 million years, with more than 800 types.

Location

It is widespread throughout the earth in the field and in the city, as the main reason for his action is the human or animal whose blood feeds and is therefore considered hematófago and one of the main vectors of many diseases caused by viruses , bacteria, protozoa and rickettsiae, which transmit diseases to humans and animals.

Some species from 0.25 mm diameter. They live in clumps of grass on the ground, among the woods in wet or dry climates.

Ticks usually have the oval, and when fasting are plans in the dorsal-ventral direction, but after feeding are convex and even spherical.

Its shell is composed of chitin in the form of an exoskeleton, and tough and strong in relation to its thinness.

Types of parasitism 

Ticks family Argasidae not normally remain adhered to the host for extended periods; They spend the majority of time in the environment (hidden in crevices in animal shelters, for example) and the host only seek to feed, usually when they sleep. These ticks are notable for being able to fast for prolonged periods, often more than a year, waiting for the opportunity to feed. Already the family Ixodidae ticks remain
long periods on their hosts. Here, there are two main types of parasitism:

 Ticks of a host, as the tick ox Boophilus microplus, adhere to the host while still in the larval stage, a few days after hatching eggs; after starting parasitism, they grow up with aspect "engorged" perform seedlings reaching adulthood. After the females were fed (engorged) with blood, females fall on the ground and looking for a place to hold protected egg laying. Females produce thousands of eggs dying then.
 Ticks two hosts, where the larval and nymphal stages occur in the same host, but the adult stage a different host.
 Ticks three hosts, as the horse cajennense Amblyomma: These ticks fall to the ground to make the seedlings, rising on a new host then.

pigs

pigs

Pork is the common name given to different species of mammals bunodontes, artiodactyls, non-ruminants to which it belongs the domestic pig. A set of pigs is called stick.

Domesticated pigs are used as pets, or set up to end the slaughter.

Characteristics

They have 44 teeth, of which, curved canines and elongated lower incisors, forming a shovel; short legs with four fingers coated hulls, triangular profile head and cartilaginous snout. Originates from the wild boar, but existing almost everywhere as a pet, and their meat is highly appreciated.

The gestational age of the nuts is 112 days or so, after giving birth to between six and twelve pups, which are called piglets or bácoros. A free pig can live about 12 years.

ounce of death after relay of the Olympic Torch

ounce of death after relay of the Olympic Torch

  

The death of Juma, the jaguar who attended the ceremony during the Olympic torch relay by Manaus, yesterday (20), has caused commotion on social networks. The jaguar was shot down with a pistol shot in the War Training Center in Selva (Cigs), shortly after being displayed at the event and try to escape from the place.

Petition on the Internet, a group calls for justice for the death of the animal. "Juma was taken from their habitat to serve as allegory" for the Olympics event, says the petition. Mobilizing viralizou on social networks and has already collected more than 35,000 signatures to the end of the afternoon (21). With #Juma hastag, thousands of Brazilians lament the death of the jaguar, endangered species.

The Institute of Environmental Protection of Amazonas (Ipaam) notified the Amazon Military Command (CMA) for the death of the cat. According to the organization, the jaguar could not be displayed at events without authorization from environmental agencies. In a statement, says Ipaam awaiting explanations of the circumstances of the accident. The CMA can be fined $ 5 thousand.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the jaguar had to be slaughtered after escaping from the zoo of the military unit. The animal came to receive tranquilizers, but still attacked a soldier. The pistol shot against the animal was a security procedure, according to the military.

"As a safety procedure, aiming to protect the physical integrity of the military and grooms team, was held a pistol shot the animal, who died," said the CMA in a statement. The War Instruction Center Jungle opened administrative proceedings to investigate the case.

The Cigs zoo has about nine jaguars, which are considered mascots of military groups that operate in the Amazon jungle. Some of them live in captivity since puppies and trained, are often used in official events, parades and holidays.

According to Colonel Luis Gustavo Evelyn, head of Social Communication of the CMA, the zoo of the institution is a wild animal maintainer referenced by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama).

"We get these ounces, which are captured by Ibama, they are often blind, abused. The Cigs receive these animals, which are treated properly by professionals. "

(How can they do this to a poor jaguar that was taken from nature and taken to a zoo and then be dead, this world that we live one day will never be called planet Earth, imagine if it was you instead of that ounce nobody would like) (discançe Juma in peace).

Elephant and his ears

Elephant and his ears

Large elephant ears are also important for the temperature regulation. The ears of an elephant are made of very thin material stretched over cartilage and a vast network of blood vessels. On hot days, elephants constantly shaking ears, creating a gentle breeze. This air cools the blood vessels on the surface, and the coolest blood then flows through the rest of the animal's body. The blood that enters the animal's ears can be cooled to about 6 degrees Celsius before returning to the body. The differences between the ears of African and Asian elephants can be explained, in part, by their geographical distribution. African elephants are closer to the equator, where the weather is warmer. Therefore, they have bigger ears. Asians live farther north, in cooler climates, and thus have smaller ears.

The ears are also used for intimidation and by males during courtship. If an elephant wants to intimidate a rival or predator, extends the ears look bigger and more imposing. During the time of breeding, the males emit an odor from a gland located between the eyes. Joyce Poole, a well-known researcher on the elephants, proposed the theory that males shake their ears to spread this "elephantine perfume" to great distances

Note

Latest posts on elephants!!!

Elephant and his paw

Elephant and his paw

The feet of an elephant are nearly round. African elephants have three nails on each hind foot, and four on each front foot. Indian elephants have four nails on each hind foot and five on each front. Underneath the feet bones there is a gelatinous layer which acts as an air cushion or damper. For this reason, an elephant can stand for long periods of time without tiring. In fact, African elephants rarely lie, except when they are sick or crippled. Indian elephants, in contrast, lie down frequently. Under the elephant's weight the foot swells, but it deflates when the weight is removed. An elephant can sink into the mud, but can pull the legs easily because their feet downsize when raised.

The elephant is a good swimmer, but can not trot, jump or gallop. It has two floors: the walk and a faster while sharing characteristics with the race. When walking, the legs act as pendulums, with the hips and shoulders up and down when the foot is placed on the floor. The faster rate does not correspond to the usual definition of the race because the elephants always have at least one leg is on the ground. Since both hind legs or the front are in the air at the same time, this step is similar to the front and rear legs run at a time.

Walking the normal pace an elephant walking about 3 to 6 km / h but can reach 40 km / h in the race.

elephant tusks

elephant tusks

The tusks of an elephant are the second upper incisors. Tusks grow continuously; the fangs of an average adult grow approximately 15 cm per year. Tusks are used to dig for water, salt or roots; to remove the bark of trees to eat the bark; to dig the tree adansonia to withdraw its pulp; and to move trees and branches when a path is created. Furthermore, they are used to mark the trees to demarcate the territory and occasionally as weapons.

Like humans who are typically handed, elephants are either left or right hand. The dominant attached, called the master prey is generally shorter and more rounded tip because of the use. Both males and females of African elephants have large tusks that can reach over 3 m in length and weigh more than 90 kg. In the Asian species, only the males have large tusks. Asian females have tusks that are either too small or are simply non-existent. Asian males can have tusks as long as African males, but are usually thinner and lighter; the prey registered heaviest ever weighed 39 kg. The prey both species and consists primarily of calcium phosphate in the form of apatite. As a living tissue is relatively soft (compared with other minerals such as rock), and the prey, also called ivory, is appreciated by artists for its esculturabilidade. The elephant ivory demand has been one of the reasons for the dramatic decline of the world's elephant population.

Some extinct relatives of elephants had also trapped in the lower jaw, as Gomphotherium, or only in the lower jaw, as Deinotherium.

elephant trunk

Elephant trunk

The proboscis, or trunk, is a fusion nose and upper lip, elongated and specialized to become the most important and versatile appendage of an elephant. The tip of the proboscis of African elephants are equipped with two protuberances resembling fingers while Asian elephants have only one of these. According to biologists, the elephant's trunk may have about forty thousand individual muscles, which is sensitive enough to pick up a single blade of grass, but at the same time strong enough to rip the branches of a tree. Some sources indicate that the correct number of muscles in the trunk of an elephant is closer to one hundred thousand.

Most herbivorous (plant-eating, such as elephant) have teeth adapted to cut and tear plants. However, with the exception of the very young or infirm, elephants always use their trunks to pluck the food and take it to the mouth. They graze grass or run up the trees to pick up leaves, fruits or whole branches. If the desired food is too high, the elephant wraps his trunk in the trunk or branch and shake until the food is released or, sometimes, simply completely drops the tree.

The trunk is also used for drinking. Elephants suck water through the trunk (up to fourteen liters at a time) and then pour it into the mouth. Elephants also inhale water to dump on the body while bathing. On this layer of water, the animal then dumps dirt and mud to serve as a sunscreen. If anything, the trunk can also serve as a breathing tube.

This appendix is ​​also an important part of social interactions. known elephants-greet wrapping their trunks, like a shake of hands. They also use it while playing, to stroke during the cutting or interactions between mother and children, and shows of force - one raised trunk can be a warning sign or threat, while a fallen trunk can be a sign of submission. Elephants can defend themselves effectively slamming the trunk intruders or grabbing them and throwing them into the air.

The trunk also serves to give the elephant a very keen sense of smell. Raising the trunk in the air and moving it from one side to the other, like a periscope, the elephant can determine the location of friends, enemies or food supplies.

elephants

elephants

Elephant is the generic and popular term for which they are called members of the Elephantidae family, a group of proboscídeos elefantídeos mammals, large, of which there are three species in the world today, two African (Loxodonta sp.) And Asian (Elephas sp .). There are still mammoths (Mammuthus sp.), Now extinct. Until recently, it was believed that there were only two living species of elephants, the African elephant and the Asian Elephant, a smaller species. However, recent DNA studies suggest that there were actually two species of African elephant: Loxodonta africana, the savannah, and Loxodonta cyclotis, who lives in the woods. Elephants are the largest land animals of today, with a mass between 4 to 6 tons and measuring on average four meters high, can lift up to 10,000 kg. Its most distinctive features are the ivory tusks.

Note:

I'll talk more about the characteristics of the elephant more forward to not get too big.