earth hedgehog

earth hedgehog

The land-hedgehog (Erinaceus European) is a primitive insectivore mammal of Erinaceidae family, which includes 16 species of hedgehogs. The hedgehog is only present in Europe (native), being introduced in New Zealand. In Portugal is an easy species to find in nature.

Description

Hedgehogs are easily recognizable by their spines, lining the entire body except the face and belly. The hedgehog is about six thousand sharp spikes and about 2 to 3 centimeters, which cover the back and sides of his body. The spines are modified hairs whose mobility is controlled by muscles. The thorns are bristly, brown in color, with more or less dark shades, but the belly is whitish hair.

When it feels threatened, the hedgehog curls up on itself, hiding the unprotected parts of your body such as the belly, the limbs and the head, becoming a "ball with spikes," rather difficult to penetrate. The head easily distinguishes it from the rest of the body, the eyes are large, the ears are relatively small and have a rudimentary tail.

There is no sexual dimorphism, ie, there are no obvious characteristics that differentiate males and females. However, the main difference is that the males have intraabdominal testicles and penis well developed, while the female has a vagina near the anus and have five pairs of nipples: a pair pectoral area, two pairs in the abdominal area and two pairs in the inguinal area.

The body length varies between 20 and 35 centimeters and the tail between 10 and 20 centimeters. The adult animals weighing on average 700 g, this value can vary between 400 and 1200 grams. An animal that does not have at least between 500 and 600 grams will have difficulty surviving dormant. Genetically beings are diploid (2n) with 48 chromosomes.

Reproduction

By having the body covered with thorns, it is hard to think how hedgehogs breed. But the thorns are maneuverable and in the breeding season when the male does a "dance" around the female, this low thorns so that the thorns remain lying on your body, allowing mating.

In Portugal, hedgehogs can mate between January / February and August / September, and most of the times, mate only once a year. The female builds a nest with feathers and straw which will create alone, her brood.

The gestation period lasts 35 days, rising 2 to 6 pups. The cubs are born blind, white and relative weight 10-25 g. The pups are not born with sharp spikes and your body is wrapped in a thick gelatinous. Thus, at birth, the cubs do not hurt the mother. But inside of the spines have a liquid hours after birth, leading to wither they rapidly become spiky and strong. The eye opening occurs after two weeks and the young begin to leave the nest in the third week. The feeding takes about one month. After this period, it creates feeds without any help from parents.

Until the first year of life, mortality is very high (up to 70%). After this year, hedgehogs can live up to five years. Sexual maturity is reached in the first year of life. The offspring from birth, curl up on themselves, as they are left alone in the nest by the mother who needs to feed. Although the young are more vulnerable because their spines are less hard, predators are not the main threat Hedgehogs.

Red panda

Red panda

The red panda or panda-small, also known as fox-of-fire or cat-of-fire (scientific name: Ailurus fulgens, ailurus Greek, cat, and fulgens Latin, bright), is a small mammal arboreal and the only species of the genus Ailurus. It belongs to Ailuridae family, but has been classified in Procyonidae families (raccoons) and Ursidae (bears).

The red panda is native to the mountainous regions of the Himalayas and southern China, and is associated with the temperate forests of altitude and bamboo groves. It has a reddish-brown coloration characteristic, tail long and shaggy and waddling gait due to the shortening of the forelimbs. It is a solitary animal, territorialist and crepuscular and nocturnal. Their food consists mainly of bamboo; however, being omnivorous, you can eat eggs, birds, insects and small mammals.

It is in danger of extinction due to habitat destruction by human expansion, agriculture, livestock and the extraction of natural resources. Poaching is also another important factor contributing to the decrease of the population of pandas. It is a common animal in zoos, mainly from North America and Europe, playing well in captivity.



It is not a bear, not related to the giant panda, it is not a raccoon, and not a line of uncertain affinities. Instead, it is a basal lineage musteloidea with a long history of independence from their close relatives (Mephitidae, Procyonidae and Mustelidae). This long separation from others musteloideos can prove recognition of the lineage of the red panda as a high distinct level taxonomic entity (ie Ailuridae), although increased Ailuridae taxon can not be alone, instructive of his need phylogenetic position to other musteloideos and arctoideos.

fireflies

fireflies

Fireflies or glowworms are common names of insects beetles of Elateridae families, Phengodidae or Lampyridae, notorious for their emissions of phosphorescent light. Their larvae feed mainly on vegetables and other small insects. The most common species in Brazil is Lampyris noctiluca, in which only males are winged.

luminosity

Its bioluminescent organs located in the lower part of the abdominal segments. The luciferin is oxidized by oxygen nuclear, with mediation of the enzyme luciferase, resulting in oxyluciferin losing power, thus making the insect emit light

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ox

ox

The bull / bull or ox (Bos taurus), along with a female, the cow and the young form of the species, called calf, form the cattle, a term which, in a broad sense, gives its name to mammals, ruminants, artiodáctilos with pair of unbranched horns, hollow and permanent, of the genus Bos, which include varieties domesticated by man.

Terminology

The ox is the male of the species "Bos taurus" (Bovidae family), and also used in the vernacular name of the individual belonging to cattle.

The cow is the female of this species and the bull is the male with reproductive fitness (uncastrated). It is a mammal, and artiodactyl ruminant. Their horns are different because horns are bony, do not have skin like the horns are wide, hollow, unbranched and permanent.

subspecies

It has two subspecies, namely Bos taurus (taurine cattle of European origin) and Bos indicus (zebu cattle, of Asian origin). The crosses between individuals of both divisions is common both in breeding programs for livestock, as in properties where the ride is natural and without any control. These hybrids are widely used to match the productivity of taurine cattle with the hardiness and adaptability to tropical means of zebu cattle

history

Domestic cattle descended from aurochs in Europe and gaur in Asia. Their domestication began more than 5 000 and 6000 years ago. The domesticated cattle had several service roads for humans: as pack animals (as well as goat and horses) and the production of milk and meat in life / leather after death. livestock for food was unusual, the meat of the animal was consumed only if he died or did not have more utilities.

Today, cattle are the main extras in the meat production industry. The meat production chain is in many lines of business, departing from the manufacture of feed and of qualified vocational education (veterinarians, animal scientists and agronomists) to the consulting companies in foreign trade systems.

In Brazil, the cattle started as soon as the first sugar mills were established in the first half of the sixteenth century. They served to supply milk and meat people that were established in the area of ​​influence of each device. Since grazing areas for livestock competed with the cane plantations, farmers were increasingly heading inland. Along the way were being established small settlements which later became towns and cities.

praise god

praise god

The Mantis God or horse-of-God are insects of the order Mantodea. There are about 2400 species of Mantis God, most of them in tropical and subtropical environment. Its popular name stems from the fact that when you are resting, the insect resembles a praying person. The Mantis God are relatively large insects, triangular head, narrow chest with pronotum and abdomen well developed. They are aggressive predators that hunt mainly flies and aphids. Hunting is done in general in ambush, facilitated by camouflage capabilities of the Mantis God. Since they have no poison, Mantis God have their front legs that are raptatórias, or modified as claws to hold the prey while it is consumed. Their greed leads to be considered warmly welcomed by lovers of gardening and organic farming, since in the absence of pesticides, are an important factor in controlling garden pests. In North America it occurs only three species of Mantis God, two of which introduced in the early twentieth century to the same effect.

The flight of Mantis God is something impressive. Refers to flying a fighter jet. It also has the ability to dodge attacks bats in flight running dives.
The Mantis God is a very revered animal in China, and including Kung Fu styles based on their movements.

Mating

It is common after mating - which runs around the autumn - the female devouring the male. After the fact, the female lays between 10 to 400 eggs in a hard capsule deposits on the floor, flat or wrapped in a sheet. In some species, the female remains near the capsule and protects against predators, particularly some wasp species. After hatching, the Mantis God is born as a nymph, which is at all equal to the adult except in the absence of wings and mature reproductive organs.

boyfriend

boyfriend

Boyfriend is the common name used to designate the fish Pseudopercis numida family of pinguipedídeos, salty tropical waters. It feeds on crustaceans and small fish. It is found throughout the Brazilian coast, living in sandy bottom of deep water. Reaches up to a meter long.

According to the website of the International Association of Sport Fishing, the world record in the fishing of this species (referred to as Boyfriend sandperch in English) is 20.2 kg (44 lb 8 oz), by Eduardo Baumeier, on March 7, 1998, in Rio de Janeiro.

caracal

caracal

The caracal (Caracal caracal) or lynx of the desert is a family of carnivorous felines inhabitant of Africa and Asia Minor. Despite its appearance resembles that of a lynx, the wild cat is a close relative of the serval.

The caracal can get to measure more than 90 cm and weigh more than 18 kg. It has long legs and a slender appearance. The coat color can range from reddish gray to dark yellow, though even know cases of individuals all black; and it is proper for him to camouflage. A wild caracal live about 12 years, but in captivity can reach 17 years. How is an easy beast to tame, it is used in hunting in countries such as Iran and India.

Natural habitat

The caracal is distributed by Africa and the Southeast Asia. Their habitat is typically steppes and deserts, but also appears in forests or savannas.

Feeding

The most popular of the caracal prey are rodents (including daimões), hares, poultry and other domestic animals. Sometimes you may even attack gazelles, small antelopes and also young ostriches.

Can you give vertical jumps of 3 meters and "down" birds in flight with his paw.