The common kingfisher was first noticed by Carl Linneus. He was the first one to describe it in his 10th edition of ‘Systema Naturae’. The Latin words Alcedo atthis literally translates to kingfisher (Alcedo), while Atthis was a young and beautiful lady from Lesbos, who was also the ancient poet Sappho’s favorite. This species is also known as a Eurasian kingfisher. This bird can be found across Europe, Asia, and North Africa....
A domestic pig is a big, domesticated, even-toed ungulate, that is sometimes also called a hog, swine, or simply a pig, when there is no real need to differentiate it from other pigs. It is classified as either a subspecies of the Eurasian boar or a separate species. A hogs’ size and weight are primarily determined by their breed and a pig’s head is usually long, pointed, and wart-free when compared to other Artiodactyls....
The Dover sole is also referred to as the common sole or the black sole. This is a flatfish species that is typically found in the shallow parts of seas and oceans. Generally captured by a type of fishing called trawling, Dover soles are quite popular as a food fish in many cuisines. This is mainly due to its shape that makes it easy to fillet and because of its unique buttery and versatile taste that can be prepared in many variations....
The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is a common species of the genus Erinaceus. Covered with quill-like spines on their backs, the hedgehog will often roll their body into a ball when threatened. As nocturnal animals, they can be seen out and about most often during the night. These animals can not see very well, but they have heightened auditory and olfactory senses.Hedgehogs hibernate in the winter, but the European hedgehog hibernation is not quite the same as the hibernation of a simple mammal....
Are you fascinated by dwarf hamsters? Then here we have all the information about the gray dwarf hamster. You can bring home your new pet, the hamster, and care for it as a beginner’s pet, as they are not a lot to handle. The species will only need plant-based food to survive, a wheel in its cage to play. You can also bring it out of the cage to play, but you will need to be very careful with them....
The Hawaiian crow, also known as the alala was one of the largest crow species that was found in the dry and mesic forests of the Hawaiian islands.The alala was declared extinct in the wild in 2002 and as of 2014, there were only 115 Hawaiian crows left on the globe, with the majority being studied and researched for breeding purposes in the Hawaiian Research Center in America. The alala was known to be among the loudest crows and they used to travel and hunt in groups....
If there is one tortoise you can be impressed by, then the Impressed Tortoise is definitely one on the list! They are found in many a country, such as Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, China, Malaysia, Thailand, and many more. Due to their limited population, they are intentionally kept in captivity where they can be supplied with adequate food and breeding environments. This is to help them in breeding, with the hope that one day their population problem can be resolved with human intervention....
Today on the planet freshwater is a very limited resource. Freshwater constitutes less than 3% of all water on earth, and the majority of the world’s freshwater is inaccessible to humans. Today let’s learn about an amphibian that is extremely sensitive to pollution and can be encountered only in these wild freshwater streams. They are Giant Japanese Salamanders (Andrias japonicus), the second-largest Salamander in the world. These Japanese Giant Salamanders are native to rivers in southwestern Japan....
Javan rusa deer, also known as Sunda Sambar (Rusa timorensis) belongs to the Cervidae family and genus Rusa. These are native to Timor, Bali, and Java and can be found in the islands of Southeast Asia. They tend to inhabit deciduous forests, grasslands, parklands, shrublands. These deers are known to breed once a year and mating happen around July and August. Sexual maturity is reached at 3-5 years of age. Mostly one fawn is born and rarely two are born....
Are you in love with cats? Keep on reading to know about a fascinating wild cat native to South and Southeast Asia. The Leopard cat looks similar to a domestic cat, and its picture may give you the impression of being someone’s pet. The species is smaller in size compared to the other wild cats, and they have a carnivorous diet like other felines. The leopard cat prefers a forested habitat, but they have also been known for living near the human habitat....
Found around the New World, the members of the genus Aotus are the only monkeys who are known to be active at night and sleep during the day, unlike most other types of monkeys. They are also called owl monkeys because of their small, round, owl-like faces. They have large brown eyes that help to see better in the dark. Interestingly, these monkeys are monogamous. The male members are known to initiate the mating process, and the reciprocal females are known to return their grooming....
The Northern Saw Whet Owl is definitely one of the more interesting birds out there! From their breeding, food, young, family, and habitat in the forest, there is nothing that won’t fascinate you. These moderately sized birds are found in various areas all around North America. They primarily have their habitat in the forests, where they have a family, raise their young, and even have a breeding range in the same location....
The Ornithomimus dinosaur of genus Ornithomimus and family Ornithomimidae lived in the Late Cretaceous period in North America, Mongolia, and Canada. The dinosaur had hollow bones, a small toothless beak, small ostrich-like wings and legs, a long tail, and a skull. Since its beak didn’t have teeth it could only eat soft and small things. The dinosaur diet consisted of insects, fruit, leaves, eggs, lizards, and the meat of small mammals....
If you are a fan of colorful birds, you will love reading about the tall Palawan peacock! It is considered to be one of the most beautiful animals on display with its deeply-hued wings and its strutting stride. However, if you wish to see one of these colorful birds, you will have to travel all the way to the Philippines to the Palawan Islands, which is an archipelago of the small Asian country....
The Redstripe Ribbon snake, Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus as it is scientifically known, belongs to the Colubridae family and genus Thamnophis. It is considered to be a subspecies of the western ribbon snake. The Redstripe Ribbon snake, Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus, is endemic to the Edwards coast in West Texas. These are known to be small to medium in length. It is distinguishable because of the red stripe on the center of the back and hence the name....
During the late Triassic period, a bunch of dinosaurs roamed South America and northern Arizona. One dinosaur among those species is the Revueltosaurus which is a genus of suchian pseudosuchian. These are the early dinosaur genus and there are currently three species of these Triassic dinosaurs. The original Revueltosaurus skeleton was thought to be a monospecific genus of a different dinosaur species, that is ornithischian dinosaurs. Ornithischians share a lot of similarities with this Triassic dinosaur....
The royal antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus) is the world’s smallest West African antelope and is of the family Bovidae. Their coat is reddish-brown. Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish zoologist, first described this species in Systema Naturae in 1758. Only the male royal antelope has horns. These animals are herbivores. The name royal antelope was given to these species due to a statement ’the king of the harts’ by locals described by Willem Bosman, a Dutch West India company merchant....
Sinocalliopteryx is a genus consisting of a single compsognathid dinosaur species, Sinocalliopteryx gigas. This genus was named in 2007 by Ji, Q., S., Ji, Lu J., C, and Yuan and means ’giant Chinese beautiful feather’. It belongs to the clades Dinosauria, Saurischia, and Theropoda, and the family Compsognathidae. It has been estimated by paleontologists that it existed from 129.4 million years ago to the Aptian Age of the Early Cretaceous. The fossil remains of this dinosaur were found in the Yixian Formation, Liaoning Province, China, and consist of a complete skeleton with filamentous structures (protofeathers)....
Three-toed sloths are famous for being one of the world’s slowest moving mammals! Although related to the two-toed sloth, they are actually quite different in many aspects. There are four species of the three-toed sloth (Bradypus), all of which vary in terms of size, gestation period, and physical characteristics. The four species are maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus), brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus), pale-throated sloth (Bradypus tridactylus), and the pygmy three-toed sloth (Bradypus pygmaeus)....
The Tres Marias raccoon is a medium-sized wild species, but in some regions, they enter the urban areas due to various reasons like habitat loss, food scarcity, or maybe when lost. They are fearless in human presence, and even people could not avoid petting these cute little masked bandits due to their adorable looks and funny actions. However, scientists advise not to pet them as they can be aggressive or carriers of disease....
