The Quagga was a subspecies of the Plains Zebra that went into extinction in the year 1883. This animal had the zebra stripes only on the front part of the body, which would fade and become wider in the middle of the body, and the hindquarter was brown (no stripes). The last wild quagga was probably shot in the late 1870s, and it was on 12th August 12, 1883, that the last specimen in captivity, a mare, of the died at the Artis Magistra Zoo in Amsterdam.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
The Quagga
The Quagga was a subspecies of the Plains Zebra that went into extinction in the year 1883. This animal had the zebra stripes only on the front part of the body, which would fade and become wider in the middle of the body, and the hindquarter was brown (no stripes). The last wild quagga was probably shot in the late 1870s, and it was on 12th August 12, 1883, that the last specimen in captivity, a mare, of the died at the Artis Magistra Zoo in Amsterdam.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The American Avocet
| Classification: | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Charadriiformes |
| Family: | Charadriidae |
| Genus: | Recurvirostra |
| Species: | Recurvirostra americana |
Description:
A large black and white wader with a pinkish head and neck. It has a very slender black upturned bill, very long pale blue legs and the front toes are webbed. The call is a kleep, kleep, sound, repeated several times.
Remarks:
The American Avocet breeds in southern and central Alberta, east of the Rockies and south of Edmonton and Beaverhill Lake. In the nineteenth century specimens were found as far north as Lesser Slave Lake and Fort Chipewyan.
Avocets arrive in Alberta early in May, and gather in flocks of up to one hundred birds. Noisy courtship activities will take place in these loose colonies, and nests will be made by the end of the month. The nest is a depression in the ground usually on dried-out mud shores or islands of shallow lakes or sloughs. Several nesting pairs may be found very close together and two female may even share one nest, and will take turns in the incubation of the eggs. The eggs are dark olive to light brown spotted with dark brown and lavender. 3 to 5 eggs will be layed by each female so the nest may contain up to 8 to 10 eggs.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Tiger Salamander
Tiger Salamander Ambystoma mavortiumBrief Description:
Larger than long-toed salamander; toes relatively short; great deal of color variation.
Habitat:
Moist areas and near water; fossorial; often use pocket gopher burrows; overwintering underground as adult form and in water as larval or neotenic form.
Feeding:
Predatory; feeding mostly on invertebrates; also tadpoles and small fish.
Reproduction:
Spawning in spring in temporary ponds or waterbodies without large fish; no amplexus; fertilization via spermatophore; neotenic forms may be seen in permanent prairie ponds.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The Black-Crowned Night Heron
Classification: Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Ciconiiformes
Family: Ardeidae
Genus: Nycticorax
Species: Nycticorax nycticorax
Description:
The black-crowned night heron has a typical heron profile, but with a stouter bill, neck, and legs. The bill to tail length of adults are between 58 to 72 cm. The adults have a greenish black sheen on the crown and back. The forehead, face, neck, and under parts are grayish white. There are two to four slender long white feathers extending back from the head. The bill is black, the iris red, and the legs and feet are yellow to reddish.
Remarks:
The Black-crowned night heron were first observed in Alberta near Strathmore during the summer of 1958. Since that time they have been seen as far north as the Edmonton area.
Marshes, mud flats or the edges of lakes that are overgrown with rushes and cattails are the haunts of this stocky heron. As the name implies this heron is active at night. During the day it is more inclined to roost in trees or can be found sunning on a rock or fence-post. It feeds largely on fish but will take frogs, crayfish and even small rodents.
The black-crowned night heron nests in colonies and makes a nest of sticks usually in trees, occasionally in bushes and rarely on the ground. The nest can contain 3 to 5 pale bluish green eggs. Incubation takes between 24 to 26 days. There is one brood a year.
Monday, October 19, 2009
The Deer Mouse
Classification:Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Peromyscus
Species: Peromyscus maniculatus
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Muridae
Genus: Peromyscus
Species: Peromyscus maniculatus
Description:
The deer mouse is a small, white-footed mouse with large dark eyes and long whiskers. The tail is relatively long and sharply bicolored, white beneath and dark above. The soft fur of the deer mouse varies in colour from a golden brown to a pale grey on the back, while the underparts are white, including the underside of the tail. The ears are large, round, and are covered with fine hairs; and can be described as "Mickey Mouse" like. Deer mice have four toes on the forefeet and five toes on the hind feet. Adult deer mice weigh from 10-35g. with external measurements averaging 170 mm for total length, 81 mm for the tail, 20 mm for the hind foot, with the ear measuring between 12-20mm.
The deer mouse is a small, white-footed mouse with large dark eyes and long whiskers. The tail is relatively long and sharply bicolored, white beneath and dark above. The soft fur of the deer mouse varies in colour from a golden brown to a pale grey on the back, while the underparts are white, including the underside of the tail. The ears are large, round, and are covered with fine hairs; and can be described as "Mickey Mouse" like. Deer mice have four toes on the forefeet and five toes on the hind feet. Adult deer mice weigh from 10-35g. with external measurements averaging 170 mm for total length, 81 mm for the tail, 20 mm for the hind foot, with the ear measuring between 12-20mm.
Meaning of name:
Peromyscus - little pouched mouse (may also be from Latin: Pero = pointed)
maniculatus - small-handed
maniculatus - small-handed
Remarks:
The deer mouse is found throughout Alberta and indeed can be found all over North America. It can be found in forests, prairies, and deserts, but is not found where the ground is continually wet. Deer mice do not usually occur in urban areas. Their natural habitat is in rural and semi-rural areas, where they inhabit fields, pastures, and various types of vegetation found around homes and outbuildings. The deer mouse builds a spherical nest by shredding materials such as bark, grass, hair, string, and the fluff from cattails into a soft, warm bed with one main entrance. The nesting site can be found anywhere there is a cavity or opening such as under rocks or wood piles, or in empty bird's nests. Deer mice drop their scats and urinate in and around the nest site. Because of this there should always be a concern about Hantavirus when ever the deer mouse is found in sheds, attics, feed bins, or other enclosed spaces were people may breath the dust from the nest.
Breeding starts very late in the winter and young are then born in April, they have many litters each from 2 to 9. On average, the deer mouse has about four litters each year. The gestation period varies from 22 to 27 days, averaging about 24 days. Litter size ranges from one to nine, averaging about four. At birth the young are blind, pink, and hairless and weigh from 1.1 to 2.3 g. The male while not present at birth, does return to assists in the care of the young. Sexual maturity is reached before the young lose their "blue" juvenile pelage, and females born early in the year may themselves produce young by late summer or early fall.
The deer mouse is found throughout Alberta and indeed can be found all over North America. It can be found in forests, prairies, and deserts, but is not found where the ground is continually wet. Deer mice do not usually occur in urban areas. Their natural habitat is in rural and semi-rural areas, where they inhabit fields, pastures, and various types of vegetation found around homes and outbuildings. The deer mouse builds a spherical nest by shredding materials such as bark, grass, hair, string, and the fluff from cattails into a soft, warm bed with one main entrance. The nesting site can be found anywhere there is a cavity or opening such as under rocks or wood piles, or in empty bird's nests. Deer mice drop their scats and urinate in and around the nest site. Because of this there should always be a concern about Hantavirus when ever the deer mouse is found in sheds, attics, feed bins, or other enclosed spaces were people may breath the dust from the nest.
Breeding starts very late in the winter and young are then born in April, they have many litters each from 2 to 9. On average, the deer mouse has about four litters each year. The gestation period varies from 22 to 27 days, averaging about 24 days. Litter size ranges from one to nine, averaging about four. At birth the young are blind, pink, and hairless and weigh from 1.1 to 2.3 g. The male while not present at birth, does return to assists in the care of the young. Sexual maturity is reached before the young lose their "blue" juvenile pelage, and females born early in the year may themselves produce young by late summer or early fall.
The deer mouse is omnivorous, and feeds on seeds, plant greens, berries, nuts, mushrooms, insects, and carrion. They will also gnaw on bones or antlers for the calcium.
Deer mice in turn are an important food source for many carnivores, like weasels, foxes, skunks, minks, raccoons, bears, coyotes, and wolves. Owls and snakes are also important predators.
Deer mice in turn are an important food source for many carnivores, like weasels, foxes, skunks, minks, raccoons, bears, coyotes, and wolves. Owls and snakes are also important predators.
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