Tag: nature

Arctic Fox

~ joannerambling ~ 7 Comments

This week we are looking at the Artic Fox, which is also known as the white fox, polar fox, or snow fox, is a small species of fox native to the Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and common throughout the Arctic tundra biome.  

The Arctic tundra biome is a vast, dry, and rocky region that stretches from the Arctic Circle to the polar ice cap, and includes parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, and northern Europe. 

It is well adapted to living in cold environments, and is best known for its thick, warm fur that is also used as camouflage. It has a large and very fluffy tail.  Its body length ranges from 46 to 68 cm (18 to 27 in), with a generally rounded body shape to minimize the escape of body heat.

In the wild some do not live past their first year, but others live for 3 or 4 years in the wild and up to 14 years in captivity.

They prey on many small creatures such as lemmings, voles, ringed seal pups, fish, waterfowl, and seabirds.  It also eats carrion, berries, seaweed, and insects and such.

 They form monogamous pairs usually mate for life and during the breeding season and they stay together to raise their young in complex underground dens. Occasionally, other family members may assist in raising their young.

Their natural predators are golden eagles, artic wolves, polar bears, wolverines, red foxes and grizzly bears.

They must endure great temperature differences between the external environment and their internal core temperature. To prevent heat loss, they curl up tightly tucking its legs and head under its body and behind its furry tail. This position gives the fox the smallest surface area to volume ratio and protects the least insulated areas. Arctic foxes also stay warm by getting out of the wind and residing in their dens. Although the Arctic foxes are active year-round and do not hibernate, they attempt to preserve fat by reducing their locomotor activity. They build up their fat reserves in the autumn, sometimes increasing their body weight by more than 50%. This provides greater insulation during the winter and a source of energy when food is scarce.

The Arctic is home to more than 630,000 Arctic foxes and they are not currently at risk from extinction, but populations are declining. Arctic foxes are well adapted to winter temperatures of -34C. They are born with thick fur and their snout, ears and legs are short to conserve heat.

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.

Red Fox

~ joannerambling ~ 4 Comments

Ok let’s have a look at the red fox which I think may be the most well know of foxes it is in my opinion a handsome looking creature.

It is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia, plus parts of North Africa. 

They have long snouts and red fur across the face, back, sides, and tail. Their throat, chin, and belly are grayish white. Red foxes have black feet and black-tipped ears that are large and pointy. One of the most noticeable characteristics of the red fox is the fluffy, white-tipped tail.

They have been called bold, cunning, and deceitful, particularly in children’s stories. In fact, they are shy, secretive, and nervous by disposition, and they appear to be very intelligent.

They are extraordinarily opportunistic, omnivorous predators. Nonetheless, most studies agree that they feed predominantly on small mammals, particularly rodents (rats, mice, voles and the occasional squirrel) and lagomorphs (rabbits and hares); in rural areas these groups together typically account for about 50% of the diet.

Red foxes are the most widespread wild canid and have the largest natural distribution of any non-human land mammal.

Red foxes can be found in many countries, including, most of Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, northern India, China, and Thailand. They can be found in the northern and eastern United States, north through Canada and Alaska to Baffin Island. In parts of North Africa as well as here in Australia they were introduced to Australia in the 1800s and have spread throughout much of the country. However, it wasn’t till the late 1990’s that they were introduced to Tasmania.

They are hunted for sport and for their pelts. Red foxes are also the primary carrier of rabies in much of their range

Both the male and female red fox, care for their pups, or kits. The mother, or vixen, spends a lot of time grooming and cleaning the cubs. The father brings food to the mother during the first few weeks. The parents take turns hunting and bringing food back to the kits. 

The vixen gives birth to 1–10 or more pups in a den, which is often a burrow abandoned by another animal. The pups are born brown or gray, but usually grow a new red coat by the end of the first month. 

Their dens are usually located on the edges of forests, near fields, or under porches. 

The pups start playing outside the den when they are about a month old. The mother feeds them regurgitated food at first, but eventually brings them live prey to play with and eat. 

The young remain with their parents at least until the fall of the year they were born in. They disperse in the fall once they are fully grown and independent. 

Coyote

~ joannerambling ~ 5 Comments

This week we are looking at the coyote, also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf.

An animal that many of my American friends would be familiar with.

Some people think that they are wolfs and in places where their range overlaps, it may be hard to tell the difference between a coyote and a wolf because of their somewhat similar appearances. But while they do look similar and are closely related, there are several ways to tell them apart. For starters, their size. Wolves are much bigger than coyotes.

In captivity, coyotes can live 13 to 15 years but in the wild, most die before they reach three years of age. The oldest confirmed wild coyote so far in this research was an eleven-year-old alpha female, Coyote.

Although coyotes have been known to attack humans (and pets) and as such are a potential danger to people, especially children, risks are minimal, and we feel that the majority of attack incidents could be reduced or prevented through modification of human behaviour.

Great horned owls, bald and golden eagles, wolves, and bears all have been known to prey on coyotes. Coyotes are quick to respond to increases or decreases in prey.

Coyotes are social animals that often live in family groups called packs. A pack is usually led by an alpha male and female pair and includes other coyotes such as young from the previous year, or coyotes that have been accepted into the pack. A pack usually consist of between 3 and 7 coyotes.

Coyotes are very vocal and use a variety of calls to communicate, including howls, barks, yips, growls, whines, and whimpers.

They have fewer pups when food is scarce, or they can have large litters when hares are abundant.

However, coyotes can also live alone or in loose pairs. Solitary coyotes are usually young coyotes (six months to two years old) or older individuals who have left packs. Coyotes also sometimes hunt cooperatively with other species, such as badgers or crows.

Red Wolf

~ joannerambling ~ 5 Comments

This week we are looking at the red wolf this is a canine native to the southeastern United States. Its size is intermediate between the coyote and gray wolf.

They have wide heads with broad muzzles, tall, pointed ears and long, slender legs with large feet. Red wolves stand about 26 inches at their shoulder and are about 4 feet long from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. Adult red wolves range in weight from about 45 to 80 pounds.

American red wolves are critically endangered and the most endangered wolf in the world due to poaching, trapping and habitat loss. According to the USFWS, there are less than 20 American red wolves living in the wild in North Carolina. 

They are shy and elusive, however, they top predators. Potential danger lies in their becoming habituated to humans, particularly if people provide them with food.

Their home territory can stretch about 200 miles in diameter.

They live in packs which are family groups that typically have five to eight members, including a breeding pair and their offspring. 

The young stay with the pack until they reach adulthood, when they leave to form their own packs. They are highly social animals that mate for life. They are also great parents and will sometimes care for other wolves’ pups.

The packs travel up to 20 miles per day to hunt for small mammals like rabbits and raccoons, and sometimes deer. Although pack animals the do not hunt in packs.

Wolves howl for many reasons, including to assemble the pack, find a mate, protect their pups, and identify each other. 

As they are considered a top predator, also called an apex predator, and has no known predators except humans. Some competition between coyotes and gray wolves can lead to killing of the red wolf but it is not due to predation.

Grey Wolf

~ joannerambling ~ 6 Comments

This week we are looking at the wolf, also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a canine native to Eurasia and North America. This is the most common wolf in the world.

A Grey wolve is about twice the size of a coyote. They measure up to 6 feet(183cm) in length, including tail, and about 30 inches (80-85cm) in height at the shoulder. Female wolves weigh around 70 – 80 pounds (31-36kg), while males weigh around 95 – 100 pounds, (43-45kg)

The life spans of wild wolves vary dramatically. Although the average lifespan is between 6 and 8 years, many will die sooner, and some can reach 13. Wolves in captivity can live up to 17 years.

Wolves rarely act aggressively toward people, but there have been instances in Alaska and Canada where wolves have attacked people. The first case of wild healthy wolves killing a human in modern North America occurred in Saskatchewan in 2005; a second person was killed in 2010 in Alaska.

Wolves are carnivores—they prefer to eat large-hoofed mammals such as deer, elk, bison, and moose. They also hunt smaller mammals such as beavers, rodents, and hares. Adults can eat 20 pounds of meat in a single meal.

Pups are born in early spring and are cared for by the entire pack. They depend on their mother’s milk for the first month, and then they are gradually weaned and fed regurgitated meat by other pack members. By 7 to 8 months of age, when almost fully grown, the pups begin traveling with the adults.

In a grey wolf pack, it is usually only the male and female alpha who are allowed to breed, the pair mate for life as a way to cement their position as pack leaders, producing a new litter each year and ensuring the stability of the rest of the pack.

Wolves’ vocalizations can be separated into four categories: barking, whimpering, growling, and howling. Sounds created by the wolf may actually be a combination of sounds such as a bark-howl or growl-bark. Barking is used as a warning.

Next week we will look at the Red Wolf.

Dingo

~ joannerambling ~ 5 Comments

Well, here we are at another Monday and time to look at another wild dog, this week it is the Australian Dingo.

Dingoes have a lifespan from as few as 3yrs to usually around 16yrs but some have been known to live for 20yrs.

The dingo is an ancient lineage of dog found in Australia, however, compared with the skull of the dog, the dingo possesses a longer muzzle, longer carnassial teeth, longer and more slender canine teeth, larger auditory bullae, a flatter cranium with a larger sagittal crest, and larger nuchal lines.

The dingo’s three main coat colourations are light ginger or tan, black and tan, or creamy white. The skull is wedge-shaped and appears large in proportion to the body.

The dingo is closely related to the New Guinea singing dog. The oldest remains of dingoes in Australia are around 3,500 years old.

A dingo pack usually consists of a mated pair, their offspring from the current year, and sometimes offspring from the previous year.

Dingoes do not bark like a dog but howl, chortle, yelp, whine, growl, chatter, snort, cough and purr.

Dingoes are largely terrestrial carnivores they have a broad diet including fresh meat, fish, eggs and carrion they occasionally eat plants and fruits. They’re opportunistic hunters but will also scavenge food. The bulk of their diet is made up of meat: they eat kangaroos, wallabies, feral pigs, wombats, small mammals (rabbits, rodents), birds and lizards.

Their strong jaw and large canines permit the dingo to procure and machinate rather tough prey, allowing them to tear meat from carcasses and crush bones to obtain calcium and fat.

Dingoes have a strict social hierarchy and regularly mate for life. Female dingoes have one annual breeding cycle, March to June. The dingo pack helps with the rearing of pups which are weaned at about 2 months, at which time the pups may be abandoned or can stay with the parents for up to a year. Dingo pups are fully grown by 7 months.

They are primarily killed by humans, crocodiles, and sometimes by other canid species, such as jackals and domestic dogs. They are also killed by Dingoes from other packs. Pups may be taken by large birds of prey.

They are highly intelligent and intuitive animals that have a high capacity to solve problems and plan.

With this high intelligence and foresight comes a strong sense of self-awareness and independence.

Puma

~ joannerambling ~ 2 Comments

This week’s big cat is the puma which is also known as the cougar, panther or mountain lion that can be found in Cananda, North America and parts of South America. Although they are not considered big cats

The puma has a small has a small, broad head with small round ears and long hind legs and a tail with a black tip, it has a powerful body.

An adult puma may have either a grey or reddish-yellow in colour, it’s fur is fawn-grey tipped with reddish-brown or greyish in colour. It has no spots which is one of the main differences between a puma and a jaguar. They can also be black in colour.

While on the hunt, the puma uses the strength of its powerful back legs to lunge at its prey with a simple leap while it is still running. They like to keep under cover while stalking its prey, when it pounces it will grip its preys neck breaking the neck or dragging it to the ground.

They like to hunt alone by day or night and will hide its food in dense undergrowth returning to it over several days. Large prey like elk may provide food for over a week. It can also attack cows and horses; this is the main reason man hunts them.

They can’t roar. They instead produce low-pitched hisses, growls, purrs, as well as chirps and whistles, many of which are comparable to those of domestic cats.

Pumas are rarely dangerous for humans, though attacks are more common in human-dominated landscapes. For that reason, there are more attacks in the United States than in Patagonia, where pumas tend to live in wild, unspoiled places. Attacks on pets and livestock (for instance sheep) might happen in some areas.

Lynx & Ocelot

~ joannerambling ~ 2 Comments

Not all big cats are as big as Lions, Tigers or Leopards the Lynx and the Ocelot are much smaller, but they are still awesome.  

Both of these cats are good hunters, and both are in danger of extinction. 

The Lynx can be found in parts of Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. They prefer to stay in forests or in rocky brush-covered places. They prefer to sleep in caves or hollow trees and will climb trees and lie on the branches.

They hunt mainly at night feeding on rabbits and other small animals, although if hungry they may kill a fox or deer.

The Lynx’s fur grows long all over its body it is light grey or greyish brown and has a silky feel. It is spotted and striped, they have stubby tails and long turfs of hair on their pointed ears. They also have huge feet which are covered in thick fur, they can act like snowshoes and help it run swiftly over snow.

Now look at the Ocelot which has varies reddish-yellow to smoky-pearl in colour, it’s body is covered with black spots of different sizes. The ones on its legs and feet are like dots while other parts of the body have shell-shaped spots. It also has a pink nose and large translucent eyes.

The ocelot is also known as the leopard or tiger cat of the USA, it lives in an area ranging from Texas to Argentina.  It likes to eat mice, rabbits, snakes, lizards, birds, monkeys and young deer.

They have been hunted for their fur but now there are laws to stop it.

They will fight fiercely, sometimes to the death, in territorial disputes. Like most felines, they are solitary, usually meeting only to mate. However, during the day they rest in trees or other dense foliage and will occasionally share their spot with another ocelot of the same gender.