Month: December 2016

Porpoises

porpoises

Porpoise Vaquita Baby Plush Soft Toy by Hansa. 31cmL. 6804

1.Dall’s Porpoise

2.Finless Porpoise

3.Harbor Porpoise

4.Spectacled Porpoise

5.Vaquita Porpoise

6.Burmeister’s Porpoise

Dall’s Porpoise

dalls-porpoise

Kevin Smith / Design Pics – Dall’s Porpoises swimming at the surface of the ocean Prince William Sound Whittier Southcentral Alaska USA Winter Photo Print (60.96 x 96.52 cm)

Dall’s porpoises occur throughout the North Pacific Ocean. This species is also found in the adjacent Bering Sea, Sea of Japan, and Okhotsk Sea.

Dall’s porpoises are “high strung,” fast swimming members of the porpoise family and are common in the North Pacific Ocean. They can reach a maximum length of just under 8 feet (2.4 m) and weigh up to 480 pounds (220 kg). Males are slightly larger and thicker than females, which reach lengths of just under 7 feet (2.1 m) long.

Dall’s porpoises have a relatively small, triangular head with little or no beak and a thick, robust body. The flippers are small, round, and located forward on the body. The dorsal fin is positioned in the middle of the back, triangular in shape, and often cant, or angles, forward.

These porpoises are usually found in groups averaging between 2-20 individuals, but have been occasionally seen in larger, loosely associated groups in the hundreds or even thousands of animals. They are known to associate with Pacific white-sided dolphins and short-finned pilot whales. As rapid, gregarious swimmers, they are also attracted to fast moving vessels and commonly bowride.

They feed on small schooling fish (e.g., anchovies, herring, and hake), mid- and deep water fish (e.g., myctophids and smelts), cephalopods (e.g., squid and octopus), and occasionally crabs and shrimp. Feeding usually occurs at night when their prey vertically migrate up toward the surface.

Dall’s porpoises are capable of diving up to 1640 feet (500 m) in order to reach their prey. They have 38-56 very small spade-shaped teeth on each jaw that are useful for grasping. Their brisk surfacing while swimming creates a “rooster tail” of water spray that is a unique characteristic of the species.

Dall’s porpoises become sexually mature at 3.5-8 years of age and give birth to a single calf after 10-12 months, usually between June and September. The calves are generally 3.3 feet (1 m) long. Calves are typically nursed by their mother for less than one year. These cetaceans can live up to 22 years, but their lifespan is generally 15-20 years.

Finless Porpoise

finless-porpoise

Finless porpoise (24×33 inch, 60×82 cm) Silk Poster PJ18-9BF2

Finless porpoises are widely distributed in the coastal waters of Asia, from the Persian Gulf, east and north to Central Japan and as far south as the northern coast of Java and the Strait of Sunda. Finless porpoises are described as a coastal, estuarine or riverine species and they are usually sighted near the coast.

Finless porpoises are slender and have no dorsal fin. In its place along the mid-dorsum is a low dorsal ridge which is covered by thick  skin.

Newborn finless porpoises are mainly black with some grey on the dorsal ridge area. These young porpoises quickly become lighter and after 4 to 6 months attain the uniform light grey colour of adults.

Both male and female finless porpoises grow to lengths greater then 1.55 m. Although there is a great deal of variability between populations of finless porpoises, males become sexually mature at 4.5 – 9 years and females at 3-7 years.

Finless porpoises are opportunistic feeders, consuming a wide variety of fishes, shrimps and cephalopods throughout their range.

Harbor Porpoise

harbor-porpoise

Gold Crown For Keep Calm Love Animals – Gold Crown Keep Calm And Love Harbor Porpoises – 16×16 inch Pillow Case

Harbour porpoises are found in the temperate waters of the northern hemisphere in a nearly circumpolar distribution. They generally inhabit coastal waters with a depth of less than 150 meters, and their common name is derived from their regular appearance in bays and harbours. Many populations of harbour porpoises are migratory.

The harbour porpoise is the most widespread, commonly seen and studied of all porpoises. They are very shy animals and only show their backs and dorsal fin when surfacing the water. One of the harbour porpoises names, the puffing pig, is derived from the noise of its blow when they surface the water for air. The noise makes sounds like a human sneezing or puffing.

Living in cool temperate waters the porpoise has a high metabolic rate, therefore the less choosy they are with their diet, the more successful they will be finding a meal.  Their diet consists of over 20 different species of fish, squid, octopus and shellfish.  Herring, sprat and sandeels make up a large part of the diet among porpoises around the Isle of Mull and the small Isles.  They hunt singly or in small groups, usually including 2 to 10 individuals.  They are quite accomplished divers and when feeding may surface to breathe about four times every 10 to 20 seconds before diving for up to six minutes.  They can reach depths of over 230 metres.

Of all cetaceans they have the shortest lifespan.  Capable of reaching up to 20 years, but rarely do, the average life is around ten.  Sexual maturity is reached at three to four years with females gestating for approximately 11 months.  Only one calf is born annually, which means the porpoises reproductive life is extremely short.  Calves are born at around 70 centrimetres long and have a strong bond with their mother.  Males play no part in the upbringing of the offspring.  Weaning can ocur quickly and individuals as young as six months have been known to become independent.  With such a short lifespan and reproductive life harbour porpoises are highly susceptible to sudden decreases in local populations.

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River Dolphins

river-dolphins

Amazon River Dolphin Journal: 150 page lined notebook/diary

1.Baiji, or Yangtze river Dolphin

2.Boto, or Amazon River Dolphin

3.Franciscana or La plata Dolphin

Yangtze river Dolphin

yangtze-river-dolphin

Witness To Extinction: How We Failed to Save the Yangtze River Dolphin

The Baiji (Yangtze) Dolphin is a species that  is found along 1,700km from the Three Gorges to the mouth of the Yangtze River, China.

Classification: This species is the only member of this genus. The Latin, Leipo (‘left behind’) refers to the restricted distribution, whilst vexillifer means ‘to bear a banner’.

Local Names: Chinese River Dolphin; Yangtze Dolphin; Yangtze River Dolphin; Beiji; Pai C’hi; Whitefin Dolphin; Whiteflag Dolphin.

The Baiji has a very long, narrow beak, with abrupt forehead and tiny eyes set high on the sides of the head. The triangular dorsal fin has a blunt peak. They are blue-grey in colour, fading to white below. Maximum length and weight are around 2.5m and 160kg respectively.

Baiji feed upon a variety of fish.Small groups of 3-7 are most common, with occasional groups of 10 being observed. Baiji are wary of boats and difficult to approach.

Amazon River Dolphin

amazon-river-dolphin

Facts About the Amazon River Dolphin (A Picture Book For Kids, Vol 166)

They are known in Peru as “Bufeo Colorado” but the correct name is “Bufeo Rosado,” meaning pink, not red. The Amazon River Dolphin is also known as “boto”.They can be up to 9 feet long or more and usually weigh between 190-285 pounds.Their echo-location ability is excellent.During the rainy season, when the Amazon River floods, they swim amongst the rainforest trees, which are under water.

The Amazon River Dolphin can be pink or gray in color. They are a freshwater dolphin (there are 5 known species in the world) and are the largest of the freshwater dolphins. Loss of habitat has caused them to become an endangered species. Their diet consists of 43 species of 19 families of fish, this is why they have developed three stomachs to digest these bony fish, turtles, etc. They have an unfused vertebra in their spine so they can more their heads from side to side.

Unlike most dolphin species, boto does not have a dorsal fin, but has a ridge on its back.The Amazon River Dolphin is born a dark gray, but gets pinker as it gets older. Scientists are not quite sure why.They often hunt and feed alone, but are sometimes found in groups of 5-8.Baby dolphins are called “calves”.

La plata Dolphin

la-plata-dolphin

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La Plata River Dolphin, also known by the scientific name Pontoporia blainvillei live off the coasts of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina in South America. La Plata dolphins are also called franciscana and Pontoporia blainvillei.

They are very small dolphins: they only grow to be 4 or 5 (less than 2 meters) feet long! They are grayish-brown and have very long beaks. They have many sharp teeth in their beaks that they use to catch fish, shrimp and squid. Every year, a new layer is added to each dolphin’s teeth.

La Plata dolphins are very hard to see in the ocean, so no one knows how many there are in the wild. Very little is known about how these dolphins behave. Sadly, they are often caught in fishermens nets and are killed.

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Marine Dolphins

marine-dolphins

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1.White Beaked Dolphin

2.Short Finned Pilot Whale

3.Risso’s Dolphin

4.Pantropical Dolphin

5.Long-Finned Pilot Whale

6.Orcas (Killer Whale)

7.Hourglass Dolphin

8.Heaviside’s Dolphin

9.False Killer Whale

10.Commerson’s Dolphin

11.Bottlenose Dolphin

12.Striped Dolphin

13.Peale’s Dolphin

14.Pygmy Killer Whale

15.Melon-Headed Whale

16.Irrawaddy Dolphin

17.Hector’s Dolphin

18.Frasier’s Dolphin

19.Dusky Dolphin

20.Clymene Dolphin

21.Black Dolphin

22.Southern Right-Whale Dolphin

23.Rough Toothed Dolphin

24.Short Beaked Common Dolphin

25.Pacific White-Sided Dolphin

26.Northern Right-Whale Dolphin

27.Long-Snouted Spinner Dolphin

28.Long-Beaked Common Dolphin

29.Indo-Pacific Hump-Back

30.Atlantic White Sided Dolphin

31.Atlantic Hump-Backed Dolphin

32.Atlantic Spotted Dolphin

White Beaked Dolphin

white-beaked-dolphin

Photographic Print of Long-beaked common dolphin (Delphinus capensis) leaping near White Island

This species is endemic to the temperate and sub-arctic waters of the North Atlantic as far north as the White Sea and occasionally as far south as the Spanish coast. It is common off the Norwegian coast and in the North Sea and is often found in the Baltic Sea as well. Less are found in the northwest Atlantic but there are abundant populations off Labrador and they are found as far south as Cape Cod.

The white-beaked dolphin grows up to 3.1 metres and is sturdy and plump-looking. The body is mostly black or grey with a pale saddle behind the dorsal fin and white bands on the flanks. The belly is white and although called the white-beaked dolphin the beak is sometimes grey or even darker. The dorsal fin is prominent and falcate and is placed mid-way down the body. The pectoral fins are short and wide and it has a prominently keeled peduncle (the area between the dorsal fin and the tail).

White-beaked dolphins are typically seen in groups of 5 to 50 and occasionally in schools of several hundred. They are attracted by boats and often bow ride. They are very acrobatic and have a distinctive “rooster tail splash” when swimming fast. White-beaked dolphins are often seen in mixed groups with white-sided dolphins and they also associate with feeding fin whales and humpback whales. They are not well-adapted to ice formation and often get trapped in groups by new ice.

In eastern Canada the white-beaked dolphins are sometimes known as “squid-hounds”, but they also eat a wide range of fish, ranging from small schooling fish such as common herring to larger bottom-dwelling fish such as cod, whiting and haddock. They are also known to eat molluscs, octopus and some crustaceans.

Orcas (Killer Whale)

orcas-killer-whale

Orca – Killer Whale: Extraordinary Animal Photos & Facinating Fun Facts For Kids (Weird & Wonderful Animals)

Orcas are one of the most wide-ranging mammals on earth. They are seen more often in cooler waters, especially polar regions. They are usually found within at least 500 miles of the shore. They tend to prefer deep water but can be found in shallow bays and estuaries. Orcas are occasionally sighted in the Hebrides – sightings hotspots are the Isles of Coll and Tiree, west of Canna, the East coast of Lewis and the Sound of Harris. Many reported sightings appear to be of the same pod of about 8 animals. Adults can be individually identified by the distinctive nicks and markings on their dorsal fins.

Orcas (or killer whales) are actually part of the dolphin family. They have jet-black, brilliant white and grey markings making them quite distinctive. They have a white belly, a large white patch on the side of the head and a grey saddle patch. The adult male’s dorsal fin is huge at up to 1.8 metres making them easy to identify. Females and young males however can sometimes be mistaken for Risso’s dolphins, False Killer whales or Dall’s porpoise from a distance.

These animals are very intelligent and because of this can be very inquisitive and approachable. However, they rarely bow-ride but instead can often be seen breaching, spy-hopping (just the nose coming out of the water), flipper splashing and lobtailing (slapping their tail-fin down on the water). Powerful swimmers, they can reach speeds of 55km per hour.

In the Hebrides, killer whales are known to spend a whole day with a boat, delighting the passengers. Despite the name “killer whale” they do not harm humans in the wild and agression within a pod is rare. The life span of a wild orca is up to 60 years for males and 90 years for females – this is drastically reduced in captivity.

An opportunistic and voracious feeder, the orca is one of the ocean’s top predators, with a varied diet of fish, octopus and squid, as well as birds, seals and other cetaceans. In the Hebrides orcas have occasionally been spotted chasing and taking seal pups from beaches. They often hunt co-operatively, especially when pursuing marine mammal prey.

Bottlenose Dolphin

bottlenose-dolphin

On a Rising Tide: A Photographic Celebration of Britain’s Largest Bottlenose Dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins are found world-wide in tropical and temperate waters, inshore and offshore. Scottish bottlenoses are at the northernmost extreme of the species’ range, and are seen throughout the entire Hebridean area. They are usually seen close inshore, hugging the coastline around headlands and bays. Hebridean sightings hotspots are the Isles of Mull (in particular the Sound of Mull), Iona , Coll, Tiree, and Barra – there are believed to be resident populations inhabiting these waters year-round.

The bottlenose dolphin is a stocky dolphin with a short beak. Scottish bottlenoses are somewhat special, being larger than their cousins worldwide. The colour is variable – usually dark brown or grey on the back, white on the belly and light grey on the flanks, with no distinctive markings. They are identifiable at sea by their large, dark dorsal fin and apparently uniform colouring.

Bottlenose dolphins live in small groups of up to 10 individuals (inshore) and typically up to 25 offshore. Occasionally, lone individuals (usually males) choose an inshore area to call home, often following fishing boats and swimmers.

These dolphins are usually fairly slow swimmers, traveling at about 4 km per hour, but can reach speeds of over 50 km per hour for brief periods. Famously inquisitive, active and playful, they are often seen bow-riding, and leaping high into the air.

They are sociable animals, assisting one another and hunting co-operatively to herd schools of fish to the surface of the water. They have 18- 26 pairs of conical teeth in each jaw, which are used to catch a wide variety of fish, squid and cuttlefish.

Black Dolphin

black-dolphin

Securit Silhouette DOLPHIN Wall Chalkboard, Includes One Liquid Chalk Marker, Black, FB-DOLPHIN

The black dolphin is found only in Chilean waters between Valparaiso and s. Isla Navarine, just north of Cape Horn, . The most easterly sighting was in the Strat of Magellan, just east of First Narrows .There is very little overlap between the range of the black dolphin and that of the Commerson’s dolphin, but they have been seen together in the Strait of Magellan, the Beagle Channel, and Cape Horn.

The black dolphin in many ways resembles the Heaviside’s dolphin, with a small adult size of around 1.4 meters, a low, rounded dorsal fin, and dark coloration. It has a white throat and belly, a white spot behind the flipper, and a dark line on the sides running from the cranial to the caudal end. When in the water, it is described as tan, brown, lead-colored, or gray. Out of the water, it is found to be nearly black on most parts and pure white on other parts. After death, the color darkens quickly, especially if the specimen is left in the sun.

Very little is known about the black dolphin’s behaviour. It is generally not blatant or aggressive, and does not breach often. Individuals are often seen with groups of feeding sea birds. The northern stock is far more gregarious than the southern stock. While in the southern part of the range, individuals are wary of boats and very difficult to approach, those in the northern areas do occasionally approach boats and bow ride. In addition, groups in the north are much larger, sometimes reaching as many as 4,000 individuals.

Atlantic White Sided Dolphin

atlantic-white-sided-dolphin

White-Sided Dolphins (Checkerboard Animal Library: Dolphins Set I)

The Atlantic white-sided dolphin is found in the cold waters of the North Atlantic Ocean from the tip of Greenland and around the North Cape in the north to Cape Cod and the mouth of the Mediterranean in the south. It tends to migrate in winter along with the movement of cooler waters southwards and in summer moves north. It appears to be found mostly in areas with a high seafloor relief.

Growing up to 3 metres, the Atlantic white-sided dolphin is a sturdy dolphin with a small head and a short, inconspicuous beak. The beak is clearly differentiated. The dorsal fin is mid-way down the back and is large and falcate.

The flippers are short and the tail fluke has a marked median notch. The entire dorsal surface, including the upper jaw, head and dorsal fin, is dark grey or black. The belly and throat are white and the flippers and fluke dark. Along the side, below the dorsal fin is a white flash behind which is a narrow bright yellow patch extending almost to the tail.

In the western Atlantic groups of 50 to 60 dolphins are typical and sometimes up to several hundred, but off Europe they are usually found in groups of less than 10 individuals. There appears to be some segregation in the schooling with some groups made up of juveniles. Mixed schools of white-sided and white-beaked dolphins have been observed and they are also found in association with feeding fin and humpback whales.

Atlantic white-sided dolphins are probably not deep divers with most dives being recorded as less than a minute in duration. Their major prey species are herring, small mackerel, cod, hake and several species of squid. However they also consume many other prey such as bottom dwelling fish and sand lances. They are sometimes seen co-operatively surrounding schooling fish near the surface.

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Dolphin Body Signals

dolphin-body-signals

The Smile Of A Dolphin: Remarkable Accounts Of Animal Emotions

Dolphins produce two kinds of vocal signals: pure tones and pulsed sounds.

Pure tones can take the form of whistles , chirps and screams.Scientists refer to these as ‘frequently modulated sounds’, which means that the pitch of the sound changes with time – rising and falling.

Scientists  have leaned that dolphins are amazing vocal mimics – able to reproduce manmade whistle structures with precise accuracy. Dolphins produce whistles during social situations, when separated from friends, when excited, when happy and when panicked.

Scientists have discovered that family groups appear to reliably produce distinct categories of whistles and other calls that are stable across time, and that appear to be taught to new members of the group. These calls are so distinct that researchers are able to distinguish different family groups just by listening to their calls.

Dolphins appear to be able to produce their own signature whistle quite reliably, but also the signature whistle of their friends. Isolated or lost dolphins appear to frantically produce signature whistles, apparently calling out to their friends.

It should be noted however that there are a number of dolphin species which do not in fact produce any whistles whatsoever. These species are thought to communicate vocally using only pulsed sounds,

Unlike whistles, pulsed sounds are brief sounds (called clicks) that occur in rapid succession at regular intervals. A series of clicks together is called a ‘click train’. By listening to the information coming back in the click echoes, dolphins can get a mental image of objects in their environment.

Burst pulses occur when dolphins release clicks so rapidly that it is not believed that they are able to gain any sonar information from the returning click echoes.Dolphins of many species release bursts pulses when they are excited or angry, and burst pulses are thought to convey information about a dolphin’s emotional state.

Burst pulses can be extremely loud, and dolphins may use them during aggressive encounters – possibly to hurt the ‘ears’ of other dolphins. Burst pulse sounds are often seen in social situation where males are herding female dolphins, where burst pulses are directed at the genital region of the fleeing females. They have also been observed when a mother emits a loud burst pulses directed at a misbehaving calf.

Different kinds of burst pulse sounds used during aggressive encounters have been given names like ‘squawks’ and ‘barks’ – these click trains are often produced so rapidly that to the human ear, they sound like a continuous sounds, but in reality that are a series of tightly packed clicks.

Dolphins also produce a number of non-vocal sounds that they use for communication.

Tail slaps (or lob tailing): Dolphins often hit the surface of the water with their tail (flukes), producing a very loud booming sound that can transmit great distances in the water. Often a tailslap is a sign of aggression, but this need not always be the case. Tail slaps may mean many things in many situations – for example, a signal that it is time to leave the area. It may simply be a means of getting the attention of friends who are some distance away. Some dolphins and whales also slap their tails as a means of hunting fish – stunning the fish with a powerful blow.

Flipper slaps: Just like they would do with their tails, dolphins slap their flippers (that is, their pectoral fins) to sound. They may slap their flippers on the surface of the water, or onto their own body (e.g., their belly). This likely produces a similar effect to the tail slap.

Jaw claps and jaw pops: Dolphins can produce extremely loud sounds by rapidly clamping their jaws together. This behavior bangs their teeth together, producing an acoustic signal that transmits large distances. Jaw claps are generally understood to be an aggressive signal, used as a threat. But jaw clapping also occurs during play – the difference between real aggression and play aggression is often very subtle, just like in the case of humans.

Chuffs: Dolphins exhale rapidly, and you can often hear the sound of an exhaling dolphin if you happen to by nearby when they break the surface. Dolphins may also exhale rapidly through their blowhole as a communicative signal, producing a loud sound called a ‘chuff’ – a chuff is another signal thought to denote aggression.

Bubbles: Dolphins often blow bubble streams and bubble clouds in a variety of social situations, and while these are primarily visual signals, the production of a large bubble cloud also produces a distinctive noise that can likely be heard over short distances.

Body coloration, spots and stripes: Many species of dolphins have evolved complicated body markings that communicate information. For example, Atlantic spotted dolphins slowly develop spots as they age, with adult dolphins being covered in mottled spot patterns – this quickly conveys information about a dolphin’s age. Many color patterns – like counter-shading and the distinctive black and white markings of orcas – are likely used for camouflage or to help when hunting prey species. However, some of the markings also help species to quickly tell the difference between animals belonging to the same or different species.

Postures:  Dolphins produce a number of visual signals. They can signal other dolphins with body postures – for example, by forming their body into an S-shape posture they convey anger or aggression. Some scientists speculate that this S posture is in fact an imitation of the S shaped posture assumed by sharks – something that also conveys aggressions for sharks. So in essence, dolphins may be pretending to be an angry shark. During aggressive encounters, dolphins will also flare out their pec fins in an attempt to make themselves look larger, and open up their jaws – a threat signal.

Gestures: Dolphins of course do not have arms or hands, and yet they produce a number of subtle movements that could be understood to be meaningful gestures. For example, a dolphin shaking its head back and forth rapidly, an open jaw, or dipping its head during a frontal approach is often a sign of aggressions. Looking or swimming away, as well as flinching may be a sign of submission.

Synchronous behavior: Dolphins have an unusual ability to imitate the behavior of other dolphins, as well as humans. In the wild it is thought that mirroring the behavior of your dolphin friends is a signal to other dolphins that  you are in a close relationship with your partners.

Aerial Displays:  These displays can be viewed both from above and below the water, and may be used to convey information about the direction of travel, location of food or general excitement levels. They may also serve to reinforce social bonds, and may also be effective in herding fish. Some have speculated that impressive aerial displays may also occur during contests – where individuals try to out-do each other.

Object Carrying: Males will collect objects and often swim out of the water holding the rocks or sticks in the air before slowly sinking back into the water. These object carrying displays may signal to the females that she has a hunky, strong male on her hands that is worth mating with.

One of the most important modes of signaling in a dolphin’s world is the use of touch. Dolphins have skin that is quite sensitive to even the lightest touch – much like the skins of human beings.

Dolphins are know to rub their bodies up against each other, but also to engage in intricate rubbing behaviors using the pectoral fins. Dolphins will rub their fins into the fins of other dolphins, engaging in a behavior that looks a lot like holding hands. They will also rub the bodies of their friends, moving their fins rapidly over the face, flank or genital region, producing what is likely to be a pleasurable sensation.

But not all contact behavior is friendly. During aggressive encounters, dolphins can body slam each other, butt heads and ram each other with their rostrums. They also smack each other with their powerful flukes, and have even been observed leaping out of the water  and slamming into each other while airborne. With sensitive skin, these kinds of aggressive contacts surely must hurt, and these are clearly aggressive signals.

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Elephant’s Memory

Category : Majestic Elephant

elephants-memory
Elephant Memories: Thirteen Years in the Life of an Elephant Family

Elephants have excellent long-term memory and are capable of remembering experiences for long periods of time. Research has shown that elephants are able to recognize other herd members decades after they have last interacted with them.

Extensive observations have confirmed that elephants indeed remember injuries and hold grudges against their abusers.Elephants remember trainers or keepers who mistreated them even after years of separation.If an elephant had a bad experience with a human it will remember and become angry if it sees the human again later in life.

An elephant’s memory is the key to its survival and this is why it has to be so powerful. Elephants use their memory to keep out strangers from their clan. If an unknown approaches an elephant clan, they will all stand together until the matriarch decides if the unknown person, animal or thing is a threat to the clan.

Elephants also recognize members of their group by remembering urine smells. Elephants can remember urine smells of up to 30 of their relatives. This “talent” allows elephants to keep track of other members of their herd.

Elephants are amongst the few wild animals to form strong social bonds of companionship, friendship and family. They are capable of recognising not only their own mothers, calves and siblings but also their grandmothers, aunts, cousins and nieces – and sometimes even fathers. They know elephants they’ve mated and interacted with in the past, and have been observed to form particular friendships with unrelated elephants.

Some people believe that elephants’ memories are what have allowed them to be some of the longest living animals. Elephants are known for their longevity. They can live as long as humans. The oldest recorded elephant lived to be 86 years old.

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Asian Elephant

Category : Majestic Elephants

asian-elephant

Wildlife Collection – Baby Asian Elephant Beautifully Hand Painted Figure

Asian elephants are the continent’s largest terrestrial mammals. They can reach 6.4m in length and 3m at the shoulder, and weigh as much as 5 tonnes.

They are smaller than African elephants and have proportionally smaller ears, which they keep in constant motion in order to cool themselves. They also have a single ‘finger’ on the upper lip of their trunks as opposed to African elephants, which have a second one on the lower tip.

Their skin ranges from dark grey to brown, with patches of pink on the forehead, the ears, the base of the trunk and the chest.

A significant number of male Asian elephants are tuskless. The percentage of males with ivory varies from just 5% in Sri Lanka to aound 90% in southern India – possibly reflecting the intensity of past ivory hunting.

There are three subspecies of Asian elephant – the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan. The Indian has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent. The Sri Lankan is physically the largest of the subspecies, and also the darkest in colour. The Sumatran is the smallest.

Asian elephants are extremely sociable, forming groups of six to seven related females that are led by the oldest female, the matriarch. Like African elephants, these groups occasionally join others to form herds, although these associations are relatively transient.

Asian elephant skin is gray in color. Some parts of their skin sometimes lack color, especially on and around the ears, forehead and trunk. This de-pigmentation is believed to be controlled by genetics, nutrition and habitat, and generally develops as the elephant ages. Brownish to reddish hair covers the bodies of young elephants. The amount of hair reduces with age, and the color darkens.

Asian elephants have one small projection at the end of their trunk called a “finger,” which aids with precision. Elephants use their trunks to take up water and squirt it into their mouths. The trunk is capable of performing many other functions as well, including: feeding, snorkeling, dusting, smelling, sifting, sorting, touching, sound production/communication, lifting, pushing, defense and offense. It can hold about 2 gallons (7.57 liters) of water. With their trunks, elephants “know” their world: their senses of smell and touch being very important.

Asian elephants are found in isolated pockets of India and Southeast Asia, including Sumatra and Borneo. Asian elephants were formerly widely distributed south of the Himalayas, throughout Southeast Asia and in China as far north as the Yangtze River.

Asian elephants are considered forest animals; however, they have been observed to prefer zones that include intermittent open grassy glades. These zones contain transition areas with a great variety of species of plants between grass and forest, not available in dense woodlands. These zones also provide quick escape from the sun. Elephants are adaptable and can live in a variety of environments.

Asian elephants are herbivores. An elephant spends about three-quarters of each day eating or moving toward a food or water source. Feeding is not continuous, with three principal feeding bouts in the early morning, afternoon and night.

Elephants tend to rest and nap during the hottest hours of the day. They feed primarily on grasses, but also consume large amounts of browse: leaves, roots, vines, twigs, shoots and bark as well as fruit. Cultivated crops such as bananas and sugar cane are also a favored food. Foraging herds can be very destructive to cropland or forest because they are capable of pushing down large trees in order to gather their foliage and bark.

The longevity record for an Asian elephant in captivity is 86 years. There is not enough consistent data available on wild Asian elephants to accurately estimate their life span; however, it is thought that Asian elephants typically live into their mid- to late 50s.

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AFRICAN ELEPHANT

Category : Majestic Elephants

african-elephant

UNIQUEBELLA Ready to hang canvas pictures, African wildlife elephants painting printed on Canvas STRETCHED And mounted For Wall Art Home Decoration 30 x 20 inches

The African elephant is the largest of the two species left in the world. They have extremely large ears and both the males and the females grow tusks. They can be more than 12 feet tall and weight about 14,000 pounds. There are some sub species out there that are smaller with a height of about 9 feet and weighing approximately 7,500 pounds.

The African elephant is the king among the giants on land. No other land animal comes close to the size of these creatures. It would take 165 full-grown men to make up the same weight as the world’s record African elephant.

The noise of an elephant digesting its food (when its tummy’s growling) can be heard up to 600ft/183m away. Elephants actually have control over their digestive processes because they are able to stop the sounds of digestion when they sense danger.

The presence of African elephants helps to maintain suitable habitats for many other species. In central African forests, up to 30 percent of tree species may require elephants to help with dispersal and germination. They play a pivotal role in shaping their habitat because of the enormous impact they have on factors ranging from fresh water to forest cover.

Other animals, including humans,depend on the openings elephants create in the forest and brush and in the waterholes they dig.

Elephant dung(droppings) is important to the environment as well. Baboons and birds pick through dung for undigested seeds and nuts, and dung beetles reproduce in these deposits. The nutrient-rich manure replenishes depleted soils so

that humans can have a nutrient rich soil to plant crops in.

Elephant Droppings are also a vehicle for seed dispersal. Some seeds will not germinate unless they have passed through an elephant’s digestive system.

There once was a time that the African elephant roamed most all of the African Continent. It was estimated that around 7-10 million elephants existed in the 1930’s. Today that number is a shocking 300,000 individuals and still declining at a rapid pace. Demand for ivory, combined with habitat loss from human settlement, has led to a dramatic decline in elephant populations.

With statistics like this the African elephant is doomed for extinction in 15-20 years, unless we can put a stop to these illegal activities through education and alternative ways of providing  income in communities that assist in the ivory trade.  Ivory has become more valuable than gold. In fact, ivory has been called “white gold”.

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Elephant Body Signals

Category : Majestic Elephants

elephant-body-signals

The Language of Elephants by Joshua Scott

Elephants use their heads, eyes, mouth, ears, tusks, trunk, tail, feet and even their whole body to signal messages to one another and to other species. For example, a threatening or dominant elephant signals her status by appearing larger, carrying her head high above her shoulders and spreading her ears, while a subordinate elephant carries his head low and his ears back. A frightened or excited elephant raises her tail and chin. A socially excited elephant lifts and rapidly flaps her ears and widens her eyes.

Tails: Just like a dog, when an elephant’s tail is swishing from side to side swatting away flies, it is happy. As soon as the tail goes stiff, normally held out to one side, it means that the elephant is anxious. At this point it may even start to run from you, normally swivelling over its shoulder to keep an eye on you as it tries to get away.

Eyes: An elephant’s eyes can tell you an incredible amount. Just think of humans, when we are stressed, excited or scared our eyes open wider. This is part of the reaction to the release of adrenaline in our bodies and better enables us to handle the perceived threat. This is exactly the same for elephants. If an elephant approaches you with lazy, almost half closed eyes and its tailing swishing slowly from side to side, it is a good sign this animal is very relaxed.

Ears:  The elephant is merely cooling itself down when its ears are flapping. It has huge, fat veins that run beneath the thin skin of the ear and as they flap their ears against the wind, they cool the blood and therefore their overall body temperature. The time to be weary is when an elephant turns and faces you head on, with its ears extended and held out at its sides (normally with its head held high and trunk and tusks raised). The elephant is trying to make itself look bigger and intimidate you.

Rumbling:  Most of the noises elephants emit are at frequencies we can’t even hear. However, this comforting, low rumbling sound we are lucky enough to hear is the elephants communicating with each other, so sit quietly and enjoy it.

Trumpet: This is generally not a good sign and usually signals distress. Even if it is just a youngster trumpeting, who doesn’t pose a threat to you, the trumpet will usually summon its mother in a matter of seconds who will more than likely blame you for its child’s temper tantrum.

Head shake: This is when an elephant picks its head up high and throws it back down in an arc, creating a big noise as its ears slap against its body and a billow of dust pours off its head. It is intimidating and that’s exactly why the elephant does it. If the elephants does this and moves off, then you are safe to continue watching the herd, however if it does this in conjunction with wide eyes, turns to approach you with ears extended, back arched and tusks held high then it is in your best interest to heed that elephant’s warning.

Verbal communication between elephants is surprisingly common, compared to many other mammals. They make a wide variety of gurgling noises in the backs of their throats, and of course can also produce a loud ‘trumpeting’ sound via their trunks. These are usually warnings, either that danger is approaching or that the trumpeting elephant is getting ready to charge its perceived assailant.

Softer noises are used soothingly or affectionately between elephants, most often from a mother to her calves when they are exhibiting signs of distress.

Like all mammals, elephants communicate a great deal through body language. Affection is often expressed by intertwining or ‘hugging’ trunks, usually between close relatives and friends who have travelled in the same herd for a long time.

A female elephant will signal her acceptance of a potential mate by rubbing her body full against his, and much tactile communication takes place with the prehensile ends of an elephant’s trunk – they use these to comfort and reassure each other, to greet friends, and to acknowledge the feat of a labouring mother or the presence of new calves.

When a member of the herd is close to death, the whole herd will stop moving and stay resting in one small area for a time. Once the elderly or sick elephant passes, they will stay on for a few more days – gathering semi-frequently around the corpse, and seeming to keen and grieve for their deceased companion.

If a travelling herd comes upon a dead elephant while making their journey, they will all gather around him or her – even if she was clearly a complete stranger to them – and take a few moments of silence before moving on, generally touching the body with their trunks as though they are making a show of reverence.

Elephants are highly social animals. Touching each other is an especially important form of social contact.In the wild, elephants live in complex multi-tiered societies. Each individual has some close companions and a wide network of other acquaintances.

As in all social species, growing up in a social group enables the young to learn how to use the proper social signals in each context. Even though the need for social contact is innate, many of the specific sounds, gestures and other social signals require learning.

In captivity, many calves are reared without full contact with a social group. In several countries, it is still common to wean calves from their mothers at an early age, already at one to three years.

In many cases, the weaned calf is therefter kept without opportunities to touch other elephants. In such an environment, the social skills of the calf remain to some extent impaired, as it has not had an opportunity to learn the wide repertoire of social signals used by elephants.The well-being of captive elephants would be remarkably improved if the calves are allowed to remain in social contacts with their mothers.

elephants-are-highly-social-animals

Tell Me Why: Elephants Have Trunks And Other Questions About Animals

The trunk has a central role in elephant-to-elephant interactions. They caress each other’s foreheads and temples with the trunk tip, wrap their trunks around each other’s heads, intertwine trunks and so on. Trunk interaction is therefore also an important part of human-elephant contact. Gently stroking the trunk is one of the best ways to help an elephant relax.

It is important to bear in mind that in the elephant world, caressing and touching each other is for familiar individuals only. Many elephants feel uncomfortable in close proximity with unfamiliar people, and even more uncomfortable if these try to touch – regardless of how much the person in question loves elephants. In most cases, the best way to show one’s love for an elephant is to allow the elephant keep a comfortable distance from the unfamiliar person who, from the elephant’s point of view, is a stranger.

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