Giant River Otter

The giant river otter (Pteronura brasilienssis), also known as the South American otter, is a species of otter found only in South America. It is rated as 'Endangered' by the IUCN.

Physical Features
The giant river otter is the longest member of the weasel family (Mustelidae).  Their body length ranges from 5 feet to 6 feet.  They can weigh about 25 kg to 34 kg making them one of the largest of the weasel family, second only to the sea otter.  Females are smaller than males.  They swim with the help of their strong tail and flexible bodies.  Giant river otters can close their ears and nostrils when underwater.  Their water repellent fur keeps them warm and dry while their webbed feet help them to swim.  They have brown and glossy fur which appears to be black when wet.  These otters can have a white or creamy throat and nose.

Diet

Giant river otter feeding

The main constituent element of a giant river otter's diet is fish.  These otters eat about three to four kilograms of food each day.  They either hunt alone or in groups.  Giant river otters even eat crustaceans, snakes and other river creatures.  When they hunt in groups, they have to make sure that sufficient amount of prey is caught in order to meet the requirements of each individual.

Distribution and Habitat
The giant river otter used to be distributed over most of tropical South America till the south of Argentina, but now is restricted to some rivers and creeks of Rio de la Plata, Amazon and Orinoco river systems.  They may even live in swamps, especially in forested areas.

Behavior
The giant river otter lives in family groups mostly in the water.  They are very vocal animals, making either whistling noises or barks.  They are diurnal

Breeding
Females come ashore to give birth.  They retreat into dens and have litters of 1 to 5 young ones each year after a gestation period of 65 to 70 days.  The young ones live in the den for a month or so and grow very fast.  Within nine to ten months, it is not easy to differentiate between the mother and the child.  These otters mature at the age of 2 years and live for more than 14 years in captivity.  Their life expectancy in wild is almost the same.

Conservation Status
The giant river otter once was widespread throughout the tropical freshwater areas of South America but now has decreased greatly.  There are only a few thousand of these river otters remaining in wild.  They are the rarest species of otter.  Their numbers have decreased due to hunting and destruction of habitat.

Pic 1 was taken by my sister
Source of pic 2

Squirrel Monkey

The squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus) is a species of New World monkey found in South America.  It is a lesser primate.

Physical Features
The squirrel monkey is very small, growing about 12 inches to 15 inches (29 cm to 38 cm) excluding the tail ( about 42 cm).  It weighs about 550 g to 1300 g.  They have golden or orange hands and olive green fur.  Their face is white colour while their muzzle is black.  Squirrel monkeys have white ears and throats while their mouth is black.

Distribution and Habitat
The squirrel monkey lives in the tropical forests of South America.  They sometimes live on elevations of 6500 feet (2000 m).

Behaviour
Squirrel monkeys are diunrnal, they are active during mornings.  They are not solitary; they travel in groups of about 30 to 40 individuals.  Squirrel monkeys make chirping, squeaking or purring noises.

Life Cycle and Diet
Squirrel monkeys reproduce about 1 young every year after a 170 day gestation period.  A squirrel monkey may live for 30 years in captivity.  Females mature at the age of 3 years while males mature at the age of 5 years.  They mainly feed on fruits, nuts and insects.  

Population
Squirrel monkeys are very abundant and are found in large numbers.  They were previously threatened by pet trade but are now protected.  They may be threatened by habitat destruction in the near future.

This pic was taken by my sister.

Coast Horned Lizard

The coast horned lizard ( Phrynosoma coronatum) is a species of horned lizard found in the eastern part of North America. 

Physical Features
The coast horned lizard measures up to 10 cm ( 4 inches) excluding its tail, making it relatively larger than some of the other horned lizards.  These lizards have a flat, oval shaped body that has sharp spines around the edges.  These lizards are less rounded than other horned lizards.  Spiny scales are also present over its back.  The skin of these lizards appear to be rough but are actually smooth in most of the places.  The coast horned lizard has a crown of horns or a coronet on its head.  The central two spines, referred to as the horns, are the longest.  The color of a coast horned lizard can vary from yellow to beige which helps it to camouflage with the surrounding.

Distribution and Habitat
The coast horned lizard is found in the western parts of North America.  They have a very small range.  They are found in Baja California and California's Scaramento Valley.  The coast horned lizard can be found in forest clearings and scrub land.

Diet
The coast horned lizard mainly feeds on small insects and other invertebrates.  The main constituents of their diet are ants.

Behavior
The coast horned lizard is diurnal; they are active during the morning.  They spend all their time on land.

Population 
The coast horned lizard is common but can be easily overlooked.

Source of pic 1  

Red Fan Parrot

 The red fan parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus) is a species of New World parrot found in South America (the term New World is given to animals which are located in the Americas).  This parrot is rated as 'Least Concern' by the IUCN.

Physical Features

The ruffed feathers of a red fan parrot

The red fan parrot is known for its dark red feathers which is located around its head.  These feathers have a lining blue on the edges.  The red fan parrot is 14 inches (35 cm) long including the tail.  It weighs only about 225g.  Both males and female have similar plumage.  This parrot is also known as the hawk headed parrot as it resembles a hawk when perched on a tree.  This resemblance is due to its eyes.  When the red fan parrot is alarmed or excited, it raises its feathers to display its magnificent fan.  Adults have yellow eyes and a gray beak as well as gray legs.  Juveniles have brown eyes and a lighter colored beak.

Distribution and Habitat

This bird is found in the northern part of South America.  Most of the population is found in the Amazonian Rainforest.  It is specifically found in Guiana and Brazil.  It lives in rainforests, grasslands and woodlands.

Diet

The red fan parrot feeds on the fruits found in the canopy of a rainforest.

Behavior

The red fan parrot reveals its beautiful feathers when it is alarmed.  It is seen in pairs or groups which rarely exceed 20 individuals.  This parrot is often seen swaying side to side and while making a whining noise. 

Breeding

The red fan parrot normally breeds in December or January.  After mating, they occupy abandoned nests.  The eggs require an incubation period of  25 days.  The males protect the females during incubation.  The females lay about 3 eggs every year.  The average life expectancy of a red fan parrot is 40 years. 

Conservation

The population of this parrot is decreasing due to trading purposes.  It is kept as a pet by many people.  It is not yet threatened but will soon be threatened if it is not conserved. 

Source of pic 1 and pic 2

Sperm Whale

The sperm whale (physeter catodon) is a species of toothed whale found in all the oceans in the world. 

Physical Features

Dorsal fin of a sperm whale

The sperm whale is the largest species of toothed whale.  The length of males range from 45 feet to 65 feet.  Females are much smaller than males.  They grow about 40 feet long.  Males can weigh a maximum of 67 tons while they regularly weigh about 50 tons.  Females only weigh about 17 tons.  Sperm whales have a dark grey coloration and are distinguished by their large, square shaped head.  Sperm whales have the largest brains of any animal on the planet.  They get their name from the oily fluid found in their head known as spermaceti.  Scientists still do not know the function of this fluid.
Sperm whales have a small, hump like dorsal fin and have white patches on its belly.  They 
have small flippers.

Distribution and Habitat
Sperm whales are found in all oceans around the world.  They are known to live in deep waters.  Females stay in warm waters with their calves while males go to cooler oceans for feeding purposes.  Sperm whales are found about 3,280 feet under the sea.  Even though nobody knows the exact function of the spermaceti fluid, it is said that it turns in wax in cooler regions and helps sperm whales dive deeper and rise.

Diet
Sperm whales mainly eat different species of molluscs like octopus, squid and cuttle fish.  Other than these, it will sometimes eat fish.  Like all big whales, they consume a large amount of food everyday.  Normally, they will eat about 1,000 kilograms of fish and squid each day.

Life Cycle
Sperm whales have a gestation period of about 14-16 months.  Females have a calf every 5 years.Females gain maturity at about 10 years of age while males mature at an age of 20 years.  The average lifespan of a sperm whale ranges from 60-70 years.

Conservation Status
The IUCN rates this whale as 'Vulnerable'.  There are an estimated of 1 million individuals approximately.  There has been whale poaching in few areas.

Source of pic 1 and pic 2     

Big Four Snakes of Asia

The Big Four snakes of Asia are the snakes which inflict the most snake bites in Asia, especially in the southern parts.  The Big Four includes:

• The saw-scaled viper
• The russell's viper
• The Indian cobra
• The common krait

                                                     1. The saw scaled viper

                                                                           

The saw scaled viper (Echis carinatus) is considered to be one of the most aggressive snake in the world.  They are from the family of vipers (Viperidae).  These snakes are quite small.  Their length ranges from 30 cm (11 inches) to 65 cm (25 inches).  Saw scaled vipers are found in the Indian subcontinent (Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh), Middle-East Asia and Central Asia.

                                                       2.  The russell's viper

                                                                          

The russell's viper (Daboia russelii) is a species of viper.  It causes the most deaths by any snake in Asia.  The word 'Daboia' means hidden or a lurker in Hindi.  A russell viper ambushes its prey.  Its skin allows it to camouflage with the background.  These snakes produce neurotoxin which affects the nervous system, causing paralysis.  Russell's vipers are found in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Cambodia and parts of Indonesia.

                                                           

                                                         3. The Indian cobra

The Indian cobra (Naja naja) is a species of cobra and belongs to the Elapidae family. The Indian cobra is also known as the spectacled cobra. It got its name from the shape on its hood. The hood has two oceli that is connected by a curved line. This shape looks like spectacles. The Indian cobra is mainly found in the Indian subcontinent. These snakes rarely exceed the lengths of 8 or 8.5 feet. An average spectacled cobra is 6 feet long.

                                                        4. The common krait

                                                                       
The common krait (Bungarus caeruleus) is an elapid found in the Indian subcontinent. It is also known as the Indian krait or the blue krait. It has a body that is blue, black or brown. They ahve white bands on their body. Common kraits are considered to be 15 times more venomous than cobras. They are one of the most deadliest snakes in the world.

Source of pic 1, pic 2, pic 3 and pic 4

Fisher

The fisher (Martes pennanti) is a species of mammal from the mustelid family. It resembles many species of marten but it is slightly larger. Its name is derived from many languages, one of them being Latin. They are rated as 'Least Concern' by the IUCN.

Physical Features
The fisher is a cat-sized animal with lustrous fur. The underside of its body have white or light brown patches. Like most species from the mustelid family, the coloration of the fur depends on seasons and gender. Fishers greatly vary in size. The length of their body ranges from 16 inches to 30 inches (40.6cm to 76.2cm) excluding the tail. The average length of their tail is 14 inches to 17 inches (35.5cm to 43.1cm). Males are normally bigger than females. Males weigh about 4.5 kilograms while females weigh about 2 kilograms. Sometimes males can weigh 9 kilograms but it is very rare.

Diet

The fisher is mainly carnivore, but will feed on anything. Their diet mainly consists of the snowshoe hare, porcupines and other small rodents. They are solitary hunters. Therefore, they will only feed on animals that are smaller or equal to its size. Fishers also eat fruits, nuts, mushrooms, small mammals, birds, insects and eggs. Pieces of deer and moose have also been found in the stomach of these animals.

Distribution and Habitat

The fisher is found in Northern US and Canada. Their range extends till the mountainous regions. Fishers prefer to live in forest and swamp woodlands.

Breeding
After a gestation period of 352 days, a female fisher will give birth to a litter of 1 to 5 pups per year after the spring season. Females mature at the age of 1 year while males mature at the age of 2. The live for 10 years in captivity and wild.

Conservation Status

The fisher is rated as 'Least Concern' by the IUCN. There are several thousands of individuals in North America. Fishers are protected in some US states.

Source of pic 1