ABCs of Animal World: September 2011

Sunday, September 25, 2011

World’s Most Colorful and Unique Squat Lobsters

There are 870 known species of Squat Lobsters in the world. Squat Lobsters are decapods crustaceans. They are not lobsters at all but are more closely related to hermit crabs and porcelain crabs. They can be found in the different oceans of the world.

Here are some of the most colorful and peculiar species of Squat Lobsters.

1.) Elegant Squat Lobster (Allogalathea elegans)

Elegant Squat Lobsters can be found in the Philippines and neighboring areas. This colorful marine animal is also commonly known as Feather Star Squat Lobster and Crinoid Squat Lobster. It is sometimes kept in marine aquariums.

2.) Munida quadrispina

Munida quadrispina is a brightly-colored species of squat lobster. The specimen on the above picture was photographed at the Vancouver Aquarium in Canada. It belongs to the largest genus of squat lobster called Munida.

3.) Blind Albino Crab (Munidopsis polymorpha)

The Blind Albino Crab on the picture above is taken from Jameos Del Agua, Lanzarote, Canary Islands. It is also known as the Blind Albino Cave Crab is native to the Canaryu Islands. This small, blind and pale squat lobster can be found in lava tubes formed by volcanic eruptions 3,000 years ago in the Jameos Del Agua cave.

4.) Galathea strigosa

Galathea strigosa is the largest squat lobster in the northeast Atlantic. It is edible but not commercially fished. Its carapace can reach 5.3 cm and can attain a length of 9 cm. it is characterized by transverse blue stripes across the body.

5.) Munidopsis serricornis

Munidopsis serricornis is a widely distributed squat lobster species that can be found in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. It grows up to a carapace length of 2 cm.

6.) Galathea intermedia

Galathea intermedia is the smallest species of squat lobster in the North Sea. It only grows at a length of 1.8 cm. It can be found in the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean as far north as Troms, Norway south to Dakar and the Mediterranean Sea. This squat lobster’s whole body is red with a beige stripe along the back, onto the narrow rostrum and bears several "neon blue" spots on the front of the body.

7.) Black Squat Lobster (Galathea squamifera)

The Black Squat Lobster or Montagu's Plated Lobster is a squat lobster of Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. It can grow up to 6.5 cm in length with a 3.2 cm carapace. This squat lobster is nocturnal and feed on small fish.

8.) Eumunida picta

Eumunida picta is abrightly-colored squat lobster species that inhabits reef on the western Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts, USA down to Colombia in South America.

9.) Chirostylus ortmanni

Chirostylus ortmanni is a peculiar-looking squat lobster species with unusual body structure and extremely long legs relative to its body. It belongs to Chirostylus, a genus of squat lobster in the family Chirostylidae.

10.) Yeti Lobster (Kiwa hirsuta)

This peculiar-looking squat lobster is more closely related to crabs and hermit crabs than true lobsters. It is often referred to as the “Furry Lobster” and is commonly known as Yeti Lobster or Yeti Crab. Its most striking feature is the quantity of silky blond setae that covers its claws and thoracic legs.

The animal’s hairy pincers contain filamentous bacteria which the creature uses to detoxify poisonous minerals from the water emitted by the hydrothermal vents where it lives. This carnivore also feeds on bacteria and can be found in the Pacific Ocean.

See also

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Interesting Facts About the Halloween Hermit Crab

Here are some interesting facts about the beautiful and colorful Halloween Hermit Crab - a lovely exotic pet.

1.) Like janitor fish, it is a favorite aquarium pet for its ability to routinely clean algae.

2.) Halloween Hermit Crab is considered the most brightly colored hermit crab in normal aquarium use.

3.) Other common names of this beautiful aquarium pet include Orange Legged Hermit Crab and Striped hermit Crab.

4.) This marine creature of the Indo-Pacific region is commonly found along coral substrates and in the ocean and along sandy areas surrounding reefs.

5.) It can be found also in the Red Sea and is believed to have originated from Hawaii.

6.) This lovely-looking crustacean can grow up to 5.1 cm in length.

7.) This nocturnal animal lives primarily in cone shells.

8.) It is a good aquatic pet because t has a lifespan of up to 10 years.

9.) It is well known for its distinct and vibrant coloration and has been described as an unusual hermit crab.

10.) This hermit crab is characterized by vividly colored walking legs, a red body, and alternating horizontal bright orange and white bands giving it the likeness of the festive colors of Halloween.

11.) The Halloween Hermit Crab is omnivorous and a scavenger, eating nearly anything that appears in its environment, including small animals.

12.) It feeds on live and dead animal material, including detritus and filamentous algae.

13.) If a Halloween Hermit Crab’s shell is too small, it may attack a snail for a larger shell.

14.) The Halloween Hermit Crab can eat quickly.

15.) This marine pet can eat any left-over food that settles along the bottom, sifts through the sand which aerates the aquarium substrate.

Note:

*Precaution: It has the tendency to attack and kill fish and other invertebrate in the tank.

*Remember to feed them with clams, mussels, shrimps and scallop.

See also

World’s Most Colorful But Venomous Snakes II

The colorful and bright coloration of these creatures are indications that they are dangerous and deadly. Their bites are considerably fatal.

Mangrove Pit Viper (Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus)

The colorful Mangrove Pit Viper is a beauty to behold but should not be touch or handled because it is dangerously deadly. This venomous snake is also commonly known as Shore Pit Viper and can be found in India and Southeast Asia. It can grow up to 90 cm. other common names are Mangrove Viper, Purple-spotted Pit Viper and Shore Pitviper.

Banded Krait (Bungarus fasciatus)

The Banded Krait is a pretty and colorful but venomous sea snake. The most dangerous and most venomous are sea snakes so beware of them although most are shy and docile. The Banded Krait can be found Bangladesh, South China and Southeast Asia. It is the largest species of krait and can grow up to 2.12 meters in length. Its venom contains a neurotoxin and can cause respiratory failure. There are few authenticated records of human beings having been bitten.

Green Bush Viper (Atheris squamigera)

Green Bush Viper comes in 3 color pattern. They are like puppies that come in different colors. It is also commonly called Variable Bush Viper and Leaf Viper. This venomous snake is native to west and central Africa. This deadly snake can grow up to 60 cm in length and often kept in captivity despite the danger it brings.

Two-striped Forest Pitviper (Bothriopsis bilineata smaragdinus)

The Two-striped Forest Pitviper is a colorful snake that inhabits the northern and western Amazon region of South Africa. Most bites of this venomous arboreal snake are to the face, upper body, including hands and arms.

Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus)

Summer color

The Inland Taipan is not very colorful but it is unique for its ability to change color as the season change. The above photo shows its summer color. This very deadly snake is also known as the Small Scaled Snake and Fierce Snake. It is endemic to Australia and is regarded as the world’s most venomous land snake. Its venom consists of Taipoxin and protease enzymes.

Black-speckled Palm-pitviper (Bothriechis nigroviridis)

The Black-speckled Palm-pitviper, or Speckled Palm Viper, is a lovely-looking but venomous snake. It can be found in the mountains of Panama and Costa Rica. It can attain a length of 93.7 centimeters. Fatalities have been reported, with the bite symptoms including intense pain, nausea and asphyxia.

Bamboo Viper (Trimeresurus gramineus)

The brightly-colored Bamboo Viper or Indian Tree Viper is a venomous snake that can be found only in southern India. This reptile can grow up to a length of up to 76 cm or 2.5 ft.

Waglers Viper (Tropidolaemus wagleri)

The Wagler's Pit Viper or Temple Viper is a venomous snake endemic to Southeast Asia. This deadly snake can grow up to 75 cm. Its venom is strong hemotoxin and is potentially fatal to humans.

Western Green Mamba (Dendroaspis viridis)

The Western Green Mamba or West African Green Mamba is a relatively long snake with thin body. This colorful venomous snake can be found in West Africa, Cote d’Ivoire and Liberia.

See also

The World’s Most Colorful Snake

World’s Most Venomous Snakes

World’s Most Colorful Venomous Snakes

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Interesting Facts About the Red King Crab

Here are some notably interesting facts about one of the most commercially important species of king crab – the Red King Crab.

1.) A Red King Crab can grow a leg span of 1.8 meters or 5 ft 11 inches.

2.) This huge arthropod was named after the color it turns when it is cooked rather than the color of a living animal.

3.) A live Red King Crab is more Burgundy in color.

4.) The Red King Crab is endemic to the Bering Sea – a sea located between Russia and Alaska, USA.

5.) This large crustacean was introduced artificially by the Soviet Union into the Murmansk Fjord, Barents Sea, during the 1960s to provide new, valuable catch for Soviet fishermen.

6.) Red King Crabs in the Barents Sea have become invasive species and its population is increasing tremendously.

7.) This is causing great concern to local environmentalists and local fishermen as the crab eats everything it comes across and is spreading very rapidly.

8.) This king crab species is the most coveted of the commercially-sold king crabs worldwide.

9.) The Red King Crab is the most expensive per unit weight.

10.) This commercially important marine animal is most commonly caught in the Bering Sea and Norton Sound, Alaska.

11.) It is one of the most preferred crabs for consumption but it is extremely difficult to catch.

12.) The Red King Crabs are declining steadily in their native Far East coastal waters for unclear reasons.

13.) Since its introduction it has spread westwards along the Norwegian coast and also northwards, having reached the island group of Svalbard.

14.) The species keeps on advancing southwards along the coast of Norway and some scientists think they are advancing at about 50 km a year.

15.) Despite the rapid growing population of Red King Crabs, only 259 Norwegian fishermen are allowed to catch it, and they see the king crab as a blessing, as it is an expensive delicacy.

16.) Alaskan crab fishing is very dangerous, and the fatality rate among the fishermen is about 90 times the fatality rate of the average worker.

17.) It is suggested that, on average, one crab fisherman dies weekly during the seasons

18.) If you want to try some king crab recipes just visit this site.

See also

Monday, September 19, 2011

Amazing Photographs of Group of Animals

Here’s a collection of wonderful photos of groups of animals.

An Army of Crab

A Colony of Royal Penguin

A Shoal of Surgeonfish

Snow Goose Gaggle

A School of Anchovies

A Herd of Goats

A Colony of Penguin

A Bunch of Reindeer

A Colony of Emperor Penguin

A Bloom of Jellyfish

A Colony of Adelie Penguin

A Herd of Wildebeest in the Wild

A Swarm of Ladybug

A Murder of Common Raven

A Troop of Baboon

A Flutter of Monarch Butterflies

A Colony of Bee

An Army of Ant

A Flock of Bird

A Swarm of Herring

See also

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Unique and Weird Rodents in the World

There are hundred different species of rodents from all over the world. Take a look at the freakiest and weirdest rodent species on the planet.

1.) North American Porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)

The North American Porcupine is a large odd-looking rodent slightly smaller than the Beaver. It is also known as Canadian Porcupine or Common Porcupine.

2.) Pacarana (Dinomys branickii)

The Pacarana is cool-looking but rare and slow-moving nocturnal rodent found only in tropical forests of the Andes Mountains. It has a chunky body and is large for a rodent, weighing up to 15 kg and measuring up to 79 cm length, excluding its thick, furry tail.

3.) Northern Viscacha (Lagidium peruanum)

The Northern Viscacha is an awesome-looking rodent species with very long furry tail that makes it look adorable. It can be found in Chile and Peru in South America. It can be found too in Bolivia.

4.) Capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris)

The unique-looking Capybara has a heavy, barrel-shaped body and short head with reddish-brown fur on the upper part of its body that turns yellowish-brown underneath. It can grow up to 130 cm or 4.3 ft in length and can attain a weight of up to 105.4 kg or 232 lb.This animal is preyed upon by Green Anacondas.

5.) Bi-colored-spined Porcupine (Coendou bicolor)

The Bi-colored-spined Porcupine is a weird-looking rodent endemic to Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. The body of the South American rodent is covered with dense spines that make it looks weird. The color is pale yellow at the base and black-tipped, and significantly darker on the mid-back. Its tail is free of spines.

6.) Prehensile-tailed Hutia (Mysateles prehensilis)

The Prehensile-tailed Hutia is a unique-looking rodent species native to Cuba. It is a threatened species.

7.) Desmarest's Hutia (Capromys pilorides)

Desmarest's Hutia is the largest hutia species growing up to 60 cm. It is endemic to Cuba hence it is also known as the Cuban Hutia. These animals were traditionally hunted for food. In a few places they were raised in barns and used as a minor stock animal. It is now illegal to hunt or kill hutias without a permit.

8.) Jamaican Coney (Geocapromys brownii)

The Jamaican Coney is a pretty terrestrial land mammal found in the rocky, forested areas of Jamaica. It is also known as the Jamaican Hutia and is native to the island and is the only extant native land mammal on Jamaica besides bats.

9.) Southern Viscacha (Lagidium viscacia)

The attractive-looking Southern Viscacha, scientifically named Lagidium viscacia, is a rodent species native to the South American countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru.

10.) Patagonian Mara (Dolichotis patagonum)

The Patagonian Mara is a large rodent which is also known as the Patagonian Cavy or Patagonian Hare. It is an herbivore that resembles a rabbit and can be found in Argentina and parts of Patagonia.

11.) Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata)

The Central American Agouti is a handsome-looking rodent Native to Central America from Chiapas, Yucatan Peninsula to Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela.

See also

The Most Beautifully and Uniquely Colored Mammals in the World

World’s Most Venomous Mammals

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