Tag: conservation

Turtles

~ joannerambling ~ Leave a comment

This week we are looking at turtles, did you know they are cold blooded reptiles, which is why they are often seen basking in the sun.

Some feel they seem ancient and mysterious as well as strangely comforting. This may have something to do with the fact that they have been around for more than 220 million years, what the hell that means they were around during the time of the dinosaurs.

Their slow, steady way of life hides a surprising amount of diversity and evolutionary brilliance.

Their shells are part of the skeleton which means they can’t leave it and it grows with them.

There are three main species, sea turtles, freshwater turtles and tortoises, they often live a long time some giant tortoises can live over 150 years.

Sea Turtles are graceful ocean wanderers that migrate thousands of kilometres. Females return to the exact beach where they hatched to lay eggs, sadly many species of sea turtles are endangered due to fishing nets, pollution, and habitat loss. Examples are the Green Turtle, Logerhead, Hawksbill.

Then there are Freshwater Turtles, which are found in rivers, lakes and wetlands, with some of the most unique species being found in Australia. Examples are the Murry River Turtle, Mary River Turtle which has punk-rock algae hair.

Lastly, we have tortoises which are land dwelling, slow moving, long living with thick domed shells. They are herbivores a famous one is Jonathan who holds the recorded for being the longest living.

All turtles lay eggs on land, even sea turtles with hatchlings relying on moonlight to guide them to the ocean, sex is determined by temperature warmer nest produce more females.

They may not be fast, but they’re far from simple, as Sea turtles navigate using Earth’s magnetic field, Freshwater turtles recognise individual humans and some species communicate through low‑frequency sounds.

They play essential roles in ecosystems with sea turtles keep seagrass meadows healthy, freshwater turtles clean waterways by scavenging and tortoises shape landscapes by grazing and digging.

Fennec Fox

~ joannerambling ~ 4 Comments

First up there is a new post  over here:

http://jamfn.blogspot.com/2024/12/goodbye-2024.html

Hi everyone, how many of you have heard of the fennec fox?

I had noy heard of it till I was researching foxes for these posts. 

The fennec fox is a small fox native to the deserts of North Africa, ranging from Western Sahara and Mauritania to the Sinai Peninsula. Its most distinctive feature is its unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat and listen for underground prey.

The fennec is the smallest fox species, standing about 20cms or 8 inches tall and weighing up to 1.3kgs or 3 pounds.

In the wild, fennec foxes eat insects—particularly grasshoppers and locusts—as well as small rodents, lizards, birds and their eggs. They will also consume roots, fruits and leaves, which help them to hydrate.

In captivity should consist of a mix of meat and vegetables, and include supplements to ensure they get enough taurine, they should be eating 90% meat and insects, such as waxworms, morioworms, locusts and such. The meat should be low in retinol (vitamin A) and contain enough calcium and taurine. 

The other 10% should be vegetables and fruit, such as diced melons, berries, and leafy greens. Avoid fruits and vegetables that are high in carbohydrates or belong to the nightshade family, such as tomatoes and aubergines.

They can live up to 14 years in captivity and about 10 years in the wild. 

They typically give birth to one litter of pups per year, with between two and five young in a litter.

The female does not allow the male to interact with the kits until they are 5 to 6 weeks old. Parent-raised offspring are weaned by 8 to 10 weeks of age. Carrying, grooming, and nursing of the young continue until this time. Wild fennec foxes stay with their family until they are at least 1 year old.

In general, male fennec foxes tend to be slightly larger and heavier than females.

The primary threat to fennec foxes is human interference. They are commonly trapped for exhibition or sale to tourists, and there have been limited instances of human settlements encroaching on fennec populations. Native populations in the Sahara region also hunt fennec foxes. They are preyed upon by the Pharaoh eagle-owl; both adults and pups may possibly fall prey to jackals and striped hyenas.

They are currently listed as a species of least concern, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. While there are no major threats to the desert-dwelling wild populations, habitat loss still occurs in their native range.