Alligators have been known to exist for 200 million years, since the ages of reptiles. There are currently two well known types: American Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) and Chinese Alligators (Alligator sinsensis). The species name originates from the Spanish term “el lagarto” which means “the lizard” when translated in English. The American Alligator can grow up to 14.5 feet and weigh up to 1,032 pounds while the Chinese Alligator can only grow up to 5 feet and weigh up to 100 pounds.

Did You Know? The sex of alligators is determined by the incubation temperature while they are still in their shells. A temperature of 83°F or lower produce females while a temperature of 93°F or higher produce males.

They also grow rather slowly, only reaching two feet after 2 years.

American alligators are found in the southeastern United States, where they live in freshwater environments such as ponds, marshes, rivers, lakes, and swamps. The largest recorded population of alligators living in the United States is found in Louisiana. The area can hold up to 1 million of these reptiles at a given time. Chinese Alligators are only found near the Yungtze River Valley, the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world after the Nile and the Amazon.

Generally, the larger males tend to be solitary and territorial while the smaller species remain in close proximity to each other. Their main sources of food are smaller animals, although they may sometimes consume larger prey by drowning them and initiating the “death-roll.” The “death-roll” is a technique used by alligators to tear off larger chunks of meat of their prey by spinning convulsively.

In the spring, females lay about 40 eggs at a time and the incubation period is 65 days. The hatchlings use their “egg-tooth” to break open the shell. Alligators stay with their mothers for about 1.5 years until they move on to live on their own.

Did You Know?
The sex of alligators is determined by the incubation temperature while they are still in their shells. A temperature of 83°F or lower produce females while a temperature of 93°F or higher produce males.

With killer whales performing tricks and ‘playing’ with trainers, Florida’s Shamu show at SeaWorld has drawn various tourists to check out the greatest attraction at the park, something that has made the park skyrocket to popularity. On Feb. 24, the Shamu noontime show was the subject of mass hysteria and commotion, but not for the reason it has always been. A shocked audience witnessed the 12,000 lb. orca attack and kill 40 year-old veteran trainer Dawn Brancheau. “He just took off like a bat out of you know what, took off really fast and came back around to the glass, jumped up, and grabbed the trainer by the waist and started shaking her violently,” eyewitness Victoria Biniak said. People in attendance from earlier shows attest to the behavior of the 22-ft orca equating to that of an “ornery child” and languidly following directions.

FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 27, 2010 file photo, a killer whale raises its head out of the water during the first show since an orca killed a trainer at the SeaWorld theme park in Orlando, Fla. The latest killer whale involving Tilikum at SeaWorld attack raises anew the question of whether some animals, especially the biggest ones, have any business being tamed. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, Pool, File)

Apparently, this is not the first time Tilikum has been involved in fits of disturbance. In fact, the whale has been implicated in two other human deaths. The 30 year-old whale was connected with the 1991 death of another trainer in Canada’s Sealand of the Pacific as well as the death of a naked man whose body was discovered floating on the whale’s back in 1999. Tilikum’s attack on Brancheau has been the most recent to join the ranks of other animals either severely injuring or killing trainers and handlers.

These animal attacks have suggested the qualms about captivity and whether or not it is suitable to enforce detainment with all the dangers involved. Many also question the parading of animals around as exploited entertainment. Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist with the Humane Society said, “Orcas are simply too big, too complex, and too intelligent to be adequately accommodated in captivity.” Being that killer whales like Tilikum are sophisticated predators and have significant intelligence, it elicits the matter of large animals not being able to familiarize with a small environment, a fact that can lead to boredom and violent acts.

On the contrary, former SeaWorld head trainer Thad Lacinak says that keeping animals in captivity is necessary for educating people as well as protecting these large animals. He says that, unlike the Discovery Channel, learning about animals includes bringing them to the public, giving a different, more wholesome experience than “observing through a pair of binoculars.” “We know for a fact that people do not learn in static conditions. They learn from these animals when they are entertained by them.

That’s just how people learn. They don’t learn when they’re bored. They have a greater appreciation of the animals when they walk out.”  As of now, SeaWorld will keep Tilikum until management decides what they will do with the orca.

Spider monkeys are found in the tropical forests of Central and South America ranging from southern Mexico, to Colombia, to Brazil. They are known for their long limbs and extremely flexible tails, which they mainly use for climbing and balance. Out of the New World monkeys, they are considered the most intelligent for their communication and memorization skills. They are capable of emitting a large range of sounds and postures either for warding off predators or for selecting a potential mate. Their frugivorous diet also drives them to recall a wide variety of plants in which they can consume. When fruit is not available, they will resort to leaves, flowers, insects, honey, and bark.

Did you know? A Colombian spider monkey’s tail contains a hairless tip with tiny skin grooves that is similar to fingerprints.

Colombian spider monkeys form groups of 15 to 25 normally, however during the day they will separate into 2 to 8 monkeys per subgroup. The size of the subgroup depends on food competition and risk of predation. A female monkey will part from her family during puberty rather than a male, who will become dependent and form groups with his other male relatives. The female will form her own close bonds through her offspring.

Spider monkeys are diurnal, meaning that they spend the night sleeping in carefully chosen trees and the day searching for food which is led by the female. The females are responsible for planning what route to take during feeding time. If there are not enough sources for the entire group, the spider monkeys will split up into smaller sub-groups.

Did you know?
A Colombian spider monkey’s tail contains a hairless tip with tiny skin grooves that is similar to fingerprints.

From the Associated Press by Tanalee Smith

ADELAIDE, Australia – Anti-whaling activists on Friday cut short what they called their “most successful” Antarctic campaign against Japanese whalers, citing an engine problem on one of their ships.

There are two weeks left in the three-month whaling season, during which Japan sends its six-vessel whaling fleet into Antarctic waters as part of a research program, an allowed exception to the International Whaling Commission’s 1986 ban on commercial whaling.

Paul Watson, founder of the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd group that confronts the whalers each year, said in a statement Thursday that he had ordered the Bob Barker vessel to stop pursuing the Japanese and set a course for Tasmania. He said the vessel had a fuel valve problem that could cause an engine breakdown.

Watson said his group had had its best season ever, adding that the Japanese had not been able to kill a whale for three weeks thanks to Sea Shepherd’s efforts. The protest vessels had closely tailed the Japanese fleet of harpoon and factory vessels, which generally travel together, since late January.

“We’ve hurt the Japanese whaling fleet more this year than any year before,” Watson said. “This has been our most successful campaign in the six-year history of our interventions in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. We have done the best job possible with the resources available to us, and I am confident that we have prevented the slaughter of hundreds of whales.”

He said the Sea Shepherd’s effort this season “spells financial disaster for Japan’s whaling fleet.”

There was no immediate reaction from Japan.

Japan hunts hundreds of mostly whales in the Antarctic annually, with a maximum quota of 935 minke and 50 finback whales. Whale meat not used for study is sold for consumption in Japan, which critics say is the real reason for the hunts.

During each whaling season, in the southern hemisphere summer, Sea Shepherd activists try to block the whalers from firing harpoons and dangling ropes in the water to try to snarl their ships’ propellers. They also hurl packets of stinking rancid butter at their rivals. The whalers have responded by firing water cannons and sonar devices meant to disorient the activists. Collisions have occurred occasionally.

Earlier this month, activist Peter Bethune of New Zealand jumped aboard one of the Japanese ships with the stated goal of making a citizen’s arrest of the ship’s captain, while handing over a $3 million bill for the destruction of his protest ship last month. He is being held on the ship as it returns to Japan, where he may face charges of intrusion.

Watson said the Sea Shepherd will be arranging a legal defense for Bethune.

From the Associated Press by Tanalee Smith

ADELAIDE, Australia – Anti-whaling activists on Friday cut short what they called their “most successful” Antarctic campaign against Japanese whalers, citing an engine problem on one of their ships.

There are two weeks left in the three-month whaling season, during which Japan sends its six-vessel whaling fleet into Antarctic waters as part of a research program, an allowed exception to the International Whaling Commission’s 1986 ban on commercial whaling.

Paul Watson, founder of the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd group that confronts the whalers each year, said in a statement Thursday that he had ordered the Bob Barker vessel to stop pursuing the Japanese and set a course for Tasmania. He said the vessel had a fuel valve problem that could cause an engine breakdown.

Watson said his group had had its best season ever, adding that the Japanese had not been able to kill a whale for three weeks thanks to Sea Shepherd’s efforts. The protest vessels had closely tailed the Japanese fleet of harpoon and factory vessels, which generally travel together, since late January.

“We’ve hurt the Japanese whaling fleet more this year than any year before,” Watson said. “This has been our most successful campaign in the six-year history of our interventions in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary. We have done the best job possible with the resources available to us, and I am confident that we have prevented the slaughter of hundreds of whales.”

He said the Sea Shepherd’s effort this season “spells financial disaster for Japan’s whaling fleet.”

There was no immediate reaction from Japan.

Japan hunts hundreds of mostly whales in the Antarctic annually, with a maximum quota of 935 minke and 50 finback whales. Whale meat not used for study is sold for consumption in Japan, which critics say is the real reason for the hunts.

During each whaling season, in the southern hemisphere summer, Sea Shepherd activists try to block the whalers from firing harpoons and dangling ropes in the water to try to snarl their ships’ propellers. They also hurl packets of stinking rancid butter at their rivals. The whalers have responded by firing water cannons and sonar devices meant to disorient the activists. Collisions have occurred occasionally.

Earlier this month, activist Peter Bethune of New Zealand jumped aboard one of the Japanese ships with the stated goal of making a citizen’s arrest of the ship’s captain, while handing over a $3 million bill for the destruction of his protest ship last month. He is being held on the ship as it returns to Japan, where he may face charges of intrusion.

Watson said the Sea Shepherd will be arranging a legal defense for Bethune.

From the associated press

SALT LAKE CITY – Fossils of a previously undiscovered species of dinosaur have been found in slabs of Utah sandstone that were so hard that explosives had to be used to free some of the remains, scientists said Tuesday. The bones found at Dinosaur National Monument belonged to a type of sauropod — long-necked plant-eaters that were said to be the largest animal ever to roam land.

The discovery included two complete skulls from other types of sauropods — an extremely rare find, scientists said.

The fossils offer fresh insight into lives of dinosaurs some 105 million years ago, including the evolution of sauropod teeth, which reveal eating habits and other information, said Dan Chure, a paleontologist at the monument that straddles the Utah-Colorado border.

“You can hardly overstate the significance of these fossils,” he said.

Of the 120 or so known species of sauropods, complete skulls have been found for just eight. That’s mostly because their skulls were made of thin, fragile bones bound by soft tissue that were easily destroyed after death.

“This is absolutely No. 1 in terms of projects I’ve had the opportunity to work on,” said Brooks Britt, a Brigham Young University paleontologist who co-authored a study on the fossils along with University of Michigan researchers .

The new species is called Abydosaurus mcintoshi. Researchers say it’s part of the larger brachiosaurus family, hulking four-legged vegetarians that include sauropods.

The findings are being published this week in the peer-reviewed science journal Naturwissenschaften.

The bones came from a quarry known as DNM 16. It was discovered in 1977, but intensive excavations didn’t get started until the late 1990s.

The skulls were found in 2005. Tantalized researchers, though, were stymied by rocks around the bones that were so hard that workers were unable to break through, even with use of a jackhammers and concrete saws.

Last year, a blasting crew from Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado spent three days at the quarry detonating handset explosives that loosened the rock but didn’t damage the bones. That allowed scientists to pluck out other fossils, including leg bones, shoulder blades and other parts.

Paleontologists believe they have the remains of at least four dinosaurs at the site. All appear to be juveniles and were likely around 25 feet long, Britt said.

“We don’t know how much bigger they could get,” Britt said.

The skulls — including one that’s complete and intact and another that’s complete but in pieces — offer new clues about how sauropods ate their food.

“They didn’t chew it. They just grabbed it and swallowed it,” Britt said.

Early sauropods had wide teeth. Later versions had narrow, pencil-like teeth. The abydosaurus teeth are in-between, which will help scientists trace how their eating techniques and diet evolved.

“Abydosaurus is the right dinosaur at the right time to answer some of these questions,” University of Michigan researcher John Whitlock said in a statement.

The find may offer the most complete view yet of certain sauropods roaming North America from the Lower Cretaceous period spanning roughly 145 million to 99 million years ago, said Jim Kirkland, Utah’s state paleontologist, who was not involved in the discovery announced Tuesday.

From the Associated Press

BALTIMORE – An owl is on the loose and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore will have to delay its season opening because of damage from two heavy snowstorms.
Zoo officials say they have at least $1.5 million in losses from historic storms across the Mid-Atlantic.
An aviary for Maryland birds was a total loss, the African aviary was heavily damaged and more than 60 trees or large limbs fell.
A long-eared owl from the damaged aviary is still on the loose.
The zoo was scheduled to reopen March 1 after its winter break. But zoo President Donald Hutchinson says the opening will have to be postponed at least two weeks and more snow could push the opening back further.
He says missing a month could cut revenue substantially for the zoo already struggling with financial difficulties.

From the Associated Press
SYDNEY – Australia’s prime minister on Friday set a November deadline for Japan to stop its research whaling program that kills hundreds of whales a year in Antarctic waters, or else face legal action.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Australia would prefer to use diplomatic means to persuade Japan to end its hunt.

“If that fails, then we will initiate court action before the commencement of the whaling season in November 2010,” he told the Seven Network. “That’s the bottom line and we’re very clear to the Japanese, that’s what we intend to do.”

Australia, a staunch anti-whaling nation, has threatened international legal action against Japan before. Two years ago, it sent a ship to Antarctic waters to follow the Japanese whaling fleet and collect videos and photographs it said might be used as evidence in an international forum. So far, the threats have not been followed up.

Japan hunts hundreds of mostly minke whales — which are not an endangered species — in Antarctic waters each year under its whaling research program, an allowed exception to the International Whaling Commission ’s 1986 ban on commercial whaling. Whale meat not used for study is sold for consumption in Japan, which critics say is the real reason for the hunts.

Rudd’s threat came on the eve of a visit to Australia by Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada . Whaling is expected to be a key topic of conversation when Okada meets with Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith this weekend.

On Wednesday, a group of conservationists clashed with Japanese whalers in the Antarctic Ocean, the most recent in a string of increasingly aggressive confrontations between U.S.-based activist group Sea Shepherd and the whaling fleet.

Sea Shepherd activists threw bottles of butyric acid at Japanese whalers and blasted their ship with paint, while the Japanese returned fire with water cannons. No one was injured, but Japan condemned the conservationists’ actions as dangerous and violent. Sea Shepherd officials said they are simply doing what is necessary to protect whales.

Sea Shepherd has long used butyric acid, produced from rancid butter, in their annual fight to stop the whalers and maintain the substance is nontoxic.

Earlier this month, Japan claimed three crew members on one of its whaling vessels suffered face and eye injuries from an acid attack.

On Monday, Sea Shepherd activist Peter Bethune jumped aboard the Shonan Maru 2 from a Jet Ski with the stated goal of making a citizen’s arrest of the ship’s captain and presenting him with a $3 million bill for the destruction of the Ady Gil .

He was taken into custody by the whalers and will face charges in Japan of trespassing and assault.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said officials had spoken with Bethune by telephone on Thursday and were assured he was being treated properly. Bethune indicated he was happy to remain on board the Shonan Maru II and return to Japan with the vessel, McCully said.

On Feb. 6, Sea Shepherd’s ship the Bob Barker and a Japanese harpoon boat collided, causing minor damage to both vessels. And in January, a Japanese whaler struck Sea Shepherd’s high-tech speedboat Ady Gil, which sank a day later. No one was seriously injured in those incidents.

From the Associated Press by Tanalee Smith

ADELAIDE, Australia – An anti-whaling activist from New Zealand is in custody on a Japanese vessel and will be taken to Japan to face charges after secretly boarding the ship as part of a protest, officials said Tuesday.

Peter Bethune, a member of the U.S.-based Sea Shepherd activist group, jumped aboard the Shonan Maru 2 from a Jet Ski on Monday with the stated goal of making a citizen’s arrest of the ship’s captain and presenting him with a $3 million bill for the destruction of a protest ship last month.

The Japanese government has decided to bring Bethune to Japan for questioning, Fisheries Agency official Osamu Ishikawa said. He will be charged with trespassing and assault and tried under Japanese law, Ishikawa said.

He said officials were working out the details of how to transport Bethune to Japan — whether to keep him on the vessel, which will be at sea for a few more weeks, or to drop him off in a port call and fly him back.

The brazen boarding was the latest escalation of a campaign by Sea Shepherd to hamper Japanese whaling activities.

Japan’s Institute of Cetacean Research, which sponsors the whale hunt, said Bethune used a knife to cut the vessel’s protective net to enable his boarding and that he told whalers he then threw the knife into the sea. The crew treated him for a cut on his thumb he received while boarding, the institute said.

Under Japanese law, intruding on a Japanese vessel without legitimate reasons can bring a prison term of up to three years and a fine up to 100,000 yen (US$1,100).

Bethune was being held in a room by himself with guards posted outside, Fisheries Ministry official Toshinori Uoya said.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully said it seemed Bethune’s intention was to be detained aboard the whaling ship, but his country nevertheless had an obligation to try to help him and was seeking cooperation from Japanese diplomats.

McCully met Japan’s ambassador Tuesday, and New Zealand’s top diplomat in Japan met senior officials there Monday.

Sea Shepherd said Bethune demanded the cost of replacing the Ady Gil, an activist ship he captained that was destroyed in a collision with the Shonan Maru 2 last month, and the surrender of the whaling ship’s captain on attempted murder charges.

The Ady Gil sank after the collision, though there were only minor injuries.

Japan has six whaling ships in Antarctic waters under its scientific whaling program, an allowed exception to the International Whaling Commission’s 1986 ban on commercial whaling. It hunts hundreds of mostly minke whales, which are not an endangered species. Whale meat not used for study is sold for consumption in Japan, which critics say is the real reason for the hunts.

The Sea Shepherd sends vessels to confront the fleet each year, trying to block the whalers from firing harpoons and dangling ropes in the water to try to snarl the Japanese ships’ propellers. The whalers have responded by firing water cannons and sonar devices meant to disorient the activists.

Toco Toucans are by far the largest birds in the toucan family, containing massive hollow multicolored bills. They mostly reside in Central and South America. The airy, honeycombed, bone structure allows them to easily carry weight while they maneuver their heads around to catch their prey or collect fruit. Toco Toucans are mainly identified by their black feathered bodies, white throat and chest, and red undertail feathers.

Their eyes consist of thin blue rings around their outer edge, which in turn, are surrounded by rings of orange bare skin. Toucans’ diets consist of fruit, insects, frogs, small reptiles, and small birds. They are considered poor flyers, alternating between gliding and short rapid flaps, due to their small rounded wings.

One of the main functions of toucans’ bills, especially for males, is to attract females. Before mating, they will often perform a fruit toss as a mating ritual. Females will search for a tree to lay their eggs after several days. The nesting chambers of toucans are never lined, however, the eggs usually rest upon a few chips of rock and regurgitated seeds of multiple sizes. Both parents will contribute to the incubation of their offspring usually switching every hour. After 16 days of incubation offspring will hatch blind and featherless. They are fed fruit by both parents until they are about 8 weeks old when they are able to care for themselves.

Did You Know?

A Toucan’s bill is made of keratin, the same structural material that makes up our fingernails. Also, their tongues are completely flat and may reach a length of 6 inches.