Wild Facts

Photo by Muhammad Mahdi Karim

Today’s Wild Fact post is inspired by Chinese Astrology and my birthday.  Yes, today is my birthday and since I was born in 1981 that makes me a Rooster according to Chinese Astrology.  To be honest, I don’t know much (read: anything) about Chinese Astrology but I was looking for an animal to write about today and the Rooster seemed as good as any.  So put on your party hat, grab a piece of birthday cake and enjoy today’s Fact on the Rooster.

Most of us are aware that the Rooster is simply a male chicken.  Ironically I had chicken for dinner tonight.  It isn’t too often that I have feasted on the animal that I am writing about (and thank goodness that wasn’t the case during Parasite Week). I am sure we all have visions of a proud Rooster sitting on a barn or a fence post and crowing as the sun comes up.  Realistically, some Roosters will crow at all hours of the day while others hardly crow at all.  It is largely dependent upon their breed and individual personality. Sort of how some humans talk a lot while others are the strong, silent type.  The image of the Rooster sitting on a fence post is accurate though as many will do this in an attempt to defend their territory.  Do any farmers out there have any Rooster stories they would like to share? Has anyone taught them only to crow at dawn?

The Rooster is a polygamous animal meaning they will mate with many females.  Since it is impossible for the Rooster to guard each individual nest they will often just defend the general territory that his hens are nesting in.  If a predator attempts to enter this area than make no mistake, the Rooster will attack and try to protect his ladies.

A Sussex Rooster - Photo by Andrzej Barabasz

This next paragraph pains me to talk about but let’s discuss the Capons.  This is simply a Rooster that has been castrated.  I find it interesting that the comb and wattle of the Capons cease to grow which gives the head of this poor male chicken a dwarfed look. On the other hand their hackle, saddle and tail feathers will begin to grow unusually long.  Of course the Capons are much more docile than the regular Roosters.  I assume all of these traits are a result of a decrease in hormones.

Rooster Fast Fact - Since this is a birthday blog and all, I figured I would give some insight into the Rooster’s character.  Apparently the Rooster makes excellent detectives, doctors, nurses and psychiatrists as a result of their cautious, perceptive and skeptical mind.  Oh and for the Roosters out there looking for love, you will want to find a Snake, an Ox or a Pig.  I should have used Chinese Astrology for animal ideas a long time ago.

Have a great weekend everyone!  Enjoy your cake and the rest of the party.

After spending the last couple of days talking about unique amphibians I wanted to mix up the Wild Facts today.  My first instinct was to write about a cool insect but thought my readers may not appreciate that today.  I made a compromise and decided to write up a Wild Fact on the Green Bee-Eater also known as the Little Green Bee-Eater. To witness this little green bird we need to make a travel decision.  Do you prefer to go to Africa, Western Arabia or Asia? Personally, I have gone to Africa quite a bit with these Wild Facts so I think I will head out to India today, who is with me?

The Green Bee-Eater is a small bird often found in open forests and grasslands on either continent they reside on. They will usually only grow to about 18 cm (7″) in length but have a wingspan of 30 cm (1 foot).  As you may have guessed they primarily feed on bees. In fact about 80% of their diet is comprised of honeybees.  The rest of their diet consists of other bees or various flying insects. I personally think it would be better if they didn’t eat bees and they were just named that to throw us off.  You know, call it the Green Bee-Eater but this little bird actually eats lions, zebras or some other ridiculous animal.  I know, it is late and I am getting silly!

Green Bee-Eaters Sand Bathing. Photo by J.M. Garg

All right, moving on.  The Little Green Bee-Eater and I have something in common. We are both slow starters in the morning. Yup, this little bird can often be viewed huddling up with other bee-eaters long after sunrise. Something this bee-eater and I don’t have in common is the fact that they like to bathe quite frequently.  They are known to sand bathe, which sounds odd to me but I am not a bird so who knows.  As well, they will mix up their sand baths with a more traditional water bath but do so during flight.  Flying and bathing, now that is a talent! Oh and for the record, I was just kidding about me not bathing.  Believe it or not, I try to bathe or shower at least once a month.

Green Bee-Eater Fast Fact – The Green Bee-Eaters nest in tunnels through the sandy banks.  The female will lay 5 eggs which both parents will help incubate.  Once the babies are born both parents as well as other bee-eaters will help raise the little fledglings.

Thanks for checking out today’s Wild Fact!  See you tomorrow with the final fact of the week.

Photograph by Stephen Dalton/Animals Animals—Earth Scenes

Yesterday we had the opportunity to learn about the largest land-dwelling salamander, the Tiger Salamander.  Today we are going to look at one of their close relatives, the Axolotls (pronounced ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl) which spends its adult life in the aquatic form.

The Axolotl is one of the few salamanders that retains its larval features throughout their adult life.  That’s right these adult salamanders actually keep their tadpole-like fin as well as their external gills.   Honestly, how cool is it that these little guys remain forever young?  I guess I can’t really call them “little” since some individuals will grow up to a foot long (30 cm), however, the majority remain around the 6″ (15 cm) mark. Either way they get fairly large for a salamander.

If your curiosity is piqued and you want to check out these aquatic salamanders than we need to take a trip to the lake complex of Xochimilco (pronounced SO-chee-MILL-koh) near Mexico City.  It is in this complex that you will discover a different salamander that spends its entire life in the water.  Well, I guess this isn’t always true since in a few rare cases the Axolotl has been known to mature into the land-dwelling salamander leaving its watery home. But for the most part the Axolotl is more than happy to hang out on the bottom of this lake complex.

Photo by Erzengel

One of the traits they share with their land-dwelling cousin, the Tiger Salamander, is their longevity.  The Axolotl has been known to live up to 15 years in the wild.  Throughout this time they will feed on a variety of aquatic animals such as worms, mollusks, insect larvae and other various crustaceans.  Unfortunately the population of the Axolotl is beginning to dwindle as large fish are introduced into their lakes knocking them off the top of the food chain.  As you can imagine there are problems living so close to a highly populated center such as Mexico City.  As a result of this increasing human population the Xochimilco lake complex is being drained and what isn’t drained is contaminated. To make matters worse the Axolotl is a favourite among the pet trade and roasted Axolotl is considered a delicacy in Mexico.  One population estimate has the number of wild Axolotl around 700-1200 which is down considerably from the 6000 that were estimated in 1998.  It is a very possible reality that the Axolotl will become extinct in the wild if something is not done soon.

If you would like to find out more about the Axolotl or what you can do to help than I suggest checking out EDGE – The Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered website for ways that you can make a difference.

Thanks and have a great day!

Photo by Gary M. Stolz

One of the trends I have noticed while writing these Wild Facts is I really enjoy talking about exotic animals.  This usually means I often forget to comment on some of the cool animals that exist in North America. Well today we are going to look at one of those “boring” North American animals. So get comfortable because we are about to embark on a journey that will take you underground and through the lakes and streams of USA and Canada as we learn about the Tiger Salamander.

The Tiger Salamander is recognized as being the largest land-dwelling salamander in the world.  They can grow up to 35 cm (14″) long and weigh up to 126 g (4.4 oz).  On average these beautiful salamanders are usually about 15-20 cm (6-8″) long.  As you can imagine they get their name from their vertical stripes resembling that of a tiger.  This can be a little misleading though since many Tiger Salamanders don’t have the typical striped pattern.  They come in a range of stripes, blotches and colours with some salamanders having no markings at all. I think those “no marking” salamanders should be charged with false advertising.

I see you!

You may be surprised that you have lived in the States your whole life but have yet to see a Tiger Salamander.  Don’t be too hard on yourself since the adults are rarely seen out in the open.  Tiger Salamanders spend the majority of their life about a half meter (1.5′) below the surface in specially made burrows.  They will remain on land in these burrows until it is time to mate when they will seek out their favourite watering hole.  This burrowing amphibian is a voracious feeder and will emerge at night to feed on many animals such as worms, insects, frogs and occasionally other salamanders. I bet they really enjoy leaving the burrow for a night out on the town.  It is always healthy to have date nights.

Tiger Salamander Fast Fact – I know it might seem like the Tiger Salamander has a boring life living underground but it is a highly successful life choice.  Surprisingly this particular salamander is capable of living between 10 to 16 years in the wild.  That is pretty impressive for a small amphibian.

Photo by Andrea

It is Sunday night and I am dying of heat here in the Yukon so I thought to help beat the summer sun I would write a post about a true winter bird, the Little Penguin.  But wait!  This particular penguin lives in New Zealand, Australia and some have even been recorded in Chile.  I don’t think those places are nearly cold enough to give me a reprieve from my summer heat. Oh well, we are this far into the fact so we might as well continue.

As you may have guessed the Little Penguin also known as the Fairy Penguin in Australia gets its name from their small size.  This “little” Penguin is about 35 – 50 cm (14-20″) tall and weighs up to 3 kg (6.6 lbs).  Not surprising this penguin provides a great snack to many land-based predators. In an attempt to thwart becoming dessert the Little Penguin will spend the entire year in a large colony.  You know the old “safety in numbers” thing. This makes sense because if I was that small I would surround myself with as many “friends” as possible hoping one of them gets picked off before me.

This little blue penguin is a deadly predator itself.  They may be small but they are still carnivores and like other penguins feed entirely on marine animals.  If they had to choose a favourite then it would probably be krill or other small crustaceans since they make up the majority of their diet. When they are in the mood for something different they will mix up their diet with squid or certain fish species. You gotta love seafood!

Little Penguin

The Little Penguin is much like other penguins in that they usually mate for life.  The female will normally lay two eggs into a self-dug burrow which both parents will incubate over the following month.  Many times only one of the eggs will hatch and will cause the parents to blame each other for ruining the other egg.  Okay, they obviously don’t bicker like that, well I don’t think they do.  Once the baby Penguin is born the parents will feed it and keep it warm for about 3 months. I don’t know what it is about penguins but I find all species to be very fascinating.  I hope you enjoyed today’s Wild Fact.  I am off to enjoy the rest of my day off.  I love long weekends!

Welcome to the last Wild Fact of the week before a 3 day weekend.  Well it is a long weekend if you are living in the Yukon.  Missing the August 1st holiday doesn’t seem so bad anymore. Today we are going to look at a misleading animal called the Raccoon Dog.  It is misleading since it is not even remotely related to the Raccoon, however, they do have a similar appearance.  The Raccoon Dog is actually a small canid native to parts of Eastern Asia, however, you can find them scattered throughout Central and Eastern Europe since they have been introduced for their valuable fur.

The Raccoon Dog is special among the dog species as they are the only canines known to hibernate during the early winter months.  Smartest dogs out there if you ask me. It is important for the Raccoon Dog to put on some weight prior to the cold winter months.  If they haven’t increased their subcutaneous fat by 18-23% or their internal fat by 3-5% then they will most likely perish during the harsh winter.  After all you need something for your body to feed on while you sleep.  Honestly, is that not the best behaviour ever? Pig out all summer on junk food and then lose all that weight while you sleep during the winter.  Personally I think that is the ultimate eating guide right there.

Photo by Jinsuk Kim

The Raccoon Dog may not feed on candy and chips all summer but they do enjoy feasting on insects, rodents, amphibians, reptiles and pretty much anything else they can get their paws on.When bored with all that meat they will compliment their diet with nuts, seeds, fruits, corn and even rifle through your garbage to see what they can find. Hmmm, I suppose they could feed on candy and chips provided you didn’t finish that bag of Zesty Doritos. I guess in this sense they are also like the Raccoon. Surprisingly the Raccoon Dog is an excellent swimmer and as such will also feed on waterfowl, fish and frogs.

Well before we start the long weekend I wanted to finish off the post by pointing out that the Raccoon Dog is very similar in appearance to the fox.  Only they have shorter legs and a shorter tail but the similarities are still there. They upstage the fox by being able to utilize their sharp claws to climb trees rather proficiently.  One more trait similar to the Raccoon.  Are we sure these two animals are not related?

Thanks for reading and enjoy your weekend everyone!

Good news everyone!  The week of parasites is over and we are back to cute and cuddly Wild Facts.  I personally went out and found one of the cutest animals that we have yet to learn about just for you.  For the record, I still think the parasites were pretty cool.  Moving onto today’s animal, the Senegal Galago, also known as a Bush Baby. As you can probably tell by looking at them they are a nocturnal primate.  Well you may not have been able to tell that they are nocturnal but definitely a primate. Although, the large eyes provide excellent night vision and I am going to go out on a limb and say you noticed the eyes.

The Senegal Bushbaby can be found south of the Sahara Desert which is in Africa for my non-geographically inclined friends.  We are unclear how the term “Bushbaby” came to fruition but it is most likely due to either their appearance or the sharp cries that they make. These small primates have an average size of just 13 cm or 5 inches.  It is funny how small, furry things are cute while microscopic, blood-sucking, tongue replacing parasites are appalling.  I just don’t get it!

Bushbaby - www.junglewalk.com

The Senegal Galago has long, thick and wooly fur which is usually silvery gray to brown in colour. Like their eyes, their ears are large and contain four ridges that allow them to bend back and wrinkle individual parts of their ears.  How about that for a party trick? As you would expect this adaptation provides them with increased hearing in all directions.  Other unique features of this crazy little bushbaby are the thickened pads on the end of their fingers and toes and their second tongue.  I know you are excited about the second tongue but first let’s quickly discuss the thickened pads which are just flat discs of thickened skin that aid the bushbaby in climbing.  Okay, okay onto the second tongue.  Yes, the Senegal Galago has a cartilaginous protuberance underneath their real tongue.  This “second tongue” is used in conjunction with their front teeth for grooming.  Even bushbabies know good hygiene is important.

That just about does it for today’s Wild Fact and like I promised the bushbaby was cute, cuddly and doesn’t take advantage of other unsuspecting animals.  Well it might but not in a parasitic way. Have a great day folks and I will see you tomorrow for another fuzzy animal.

You may be relieved to learn that today is the last of our Parasitic Wild Facts.  I know you will be disappointed to see an end of these weird little worms and crustaceans that mess with their hosts.  Today’s parasite is just as interesting and unique as the rest.  We are going to learn about the Green-Banded Broodsac which, much like the Liver Fluke we learned about last week, likes to use snails as their intermediate host or middle-man if you will.  Everyone seems to be out to get those poor little snails.  They are going to develop a complex.

Snail - Notice the large green, pulsating tentacles

Occasionally an Amber Snail will have giant extended eye stalks that seem to have green, moving lateral stripes.  As you may have guessed this is a result of our friendly little Green-Banded Broodsac parasites.  The journey of this parasite begins as eggs in the droppings of birds (again, assuming the journey starts with the eggs).  The clueless snail thinks he has just struck gold and begins to feed on the bird droppings.  Naturally, the parasite then begins to hatch inside of the snail and infects their main digestive gland.  While in this gland the parasite will change into something called cercaries and will begin to produce sporocytes which are simply long tubes composed of hundreds of these cercaries. These sporocytes will extend into the snails tentacles and will begin to pulsate.  So why do these parasites go through all of this trouble?  Generally in nature bright green, pulsating movement is not necessarily the best camouflage.  That’s right my friends this parasite is actually trying to attract the attention of a bird.  As they should the bird will see this snail sticking out like a sore thumb and swoop down to eat.  It sort of reminds me of an alien calling for their mother ship.   Once the parasite is in the birds digestive tract they will change from cercaries to adults, lay eggs and the whole process starts over again.  I still find it absolutely incredible how manipulative parasites can be.

I hope you enjoyed our unique theme of Wild Facts.  We will be back to normal broadcasting tomorrow.  Have a great day!

The title of this Wild Fact should have been enough to keep you reading but I have to tell you up front that this post will highlight some of the most bizarre behaviour I have ever witnessed.  You are all in for a treat as we discover the Tongue-Eating Louse.  We might think this is incredibly interesting but I can guarantee you that the Rose Snapper, a type of fish, does not agree with us.

This parasite is a crustacean that tends to be about 3-4 cm (1.2-1.6″) long and is the only known parasite that actually replaces an organ.  Yes, that is correct, I said “replaces an organ”.  You can probably guess from their name which organ they replace.  When this parasite finds a Rose Snapper that they like they will attach themselves to the base of the fishes tongue.  At this point the parasitic crustacean will clamp down on the tongue and start drawing blood away from it using their claws.  Eventually the tongue will just wither away since it is being deprived of blood.

Tongue-Eating Louse

Once the pesky fish tongue is out of the way the parasitic louse will attach itself to the remaining tongue muscles and the fish can actually use the louse as a functioning tongue. Come on!  Tell me you are not impressed with this little parasite right now?  This has to be the most bizarre but fascinating thing I have heard of in a very long time.  This parasite will live out the rest of their life as the tongue of a fish where they will feed on the host’s blood or on the fish mucus.  I know, I too was hoping that the tongue would eat the same prey items as the fish.  Imagine how confused the fish would be if its tongue was stealing all of its food? This really sounds like it has the makings for a B-Rated horror movie.

That is the end of another parasitic Wild Fact which means tomorrow will be the last one dedicated to these weird little animals.

The parasite is highlighted in the circle. Photo by Hans Hillewaert

I hope all of you had a great weekend and managed to enjoy the fleeting days of summer (or winter if you live in the southern hemisphere).  In case you forgot, this weeks Wild Facts will be dedicated to parasites.  The previous two that we looked at were more of your typical “worm-like” parasites.  Today we are going to discover a barnacle that infects crabs.  Yes, you read that right.  A barnacle like the ones you see on the side of a big ship.  Unfortunately, this parasite looks nothing like the barnacles you find on a ship though (see picture below for proof).  They are classed as barnacles since they have similar larval forms as other barnacles. This particular one doesn’t even have a common name (as far as I can tell) and is referred to by their scientific name, Sacculina carcini. For the purpose of this Wild Fact, I am going to call it a Barnaclesite.

This Barnaclesite will just hang out in the water until they catch the scent of a wandering crab.  At this point they will ride the water until they land on the armour of the poor unsuspecting crab.  After successfully landing on the crab the Barnaclesite will crawl around until it finds a hole in their armour.  This spot is usually on their arm where the hair of the crab protrudes from.  Now that they found a chink in the armor the parasite will inject a long, hollow tube into the crab and deposit a blob-like substance comprised of a few cells.  The barnacle will then shed most of their body and will spend out the rest of their life in the form of a microscopic slug.

Microscopic view of the "Barnaclesite"

This slug which I will now refer to as a “Slugasite” will settle down in the crab’s underside where it forms a large bulb in the crab’s shell. As the parasite grows the bulb will also grow and can now be considered a knob like structure on the underbelly of the crab. Poor little crab! Interestingly enough each female parasite will usually carry two males along with her so they will constantly breed and produce new baby parasites.  Yuck!

This is the really fascinating part.  The crab becomes a mindless zombie and will stop growing as well as moulting. All of this energy is directed to the parasite. This next part is genius on the parasites part.  Remember that knob that the slugasite formed?  Well it just so happens to be sitting in the exact same location as a healthy crab’s brood pouch.  Normally the crab would keep their babies in this pouch and would constantly groom them so algae and fungi couldn’t grow (because having those parasites would be gross!).  An infected crab though treats this parasitic knob like it’s baby.  They will groom it and even help disperse the parasitic larvae by waving its claws to send the parasites through the water column.  How depressing and messed up is this for the poor crab?  By the way, that larvae she helped disperse will hang out and start the whole process over on another unsuspecting crab.

Well that just about does it for today’s Parasitic Wild Fact.  Stay tuned for another interesting fact tomorrow.