Author Archives: Maureen

Marine Dolphins

Category : Intelligent And Playful 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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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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

Category : Intelligent And Playful Dolphins

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

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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

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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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Soaring Mountains

Category : Kingdoms Of Life

mountain

John Hyde / Design Pics – Bald Eagle Soaring Above The Mountain Peaks Of The Juneau Ice Field. Spring In Southeast Alaska. Composite. Photo Print (86.36 x 55.88 cm)

A mountain is a natural elevation of the earth’s surface rising more or less abruptly to a summit and attaining an altitude greater than that of a hill, usually greater than 2000 ft .

There are many famous mountain landforms around the world.  Mount Everest is probably most famous.  Mount McKinley is another famous mountain. There are also famous mountain ranges, which is a group of mountains, like the Appalachian Mountains and the Cascade Mountains.

The planet’s crust is not all of one piece: it is composed of numerous plates, which are steadily moving in relation to one another. This movement is responsible for all manner of phenomena, including earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building.

The most common way a mountain is formed is through plate tectonics.  The Earth has massive plates that float.  These plates can move under and over each other.  When one plate moves under another the plate, the other plate rises up to form a mountain.  After thousands of years, the mountains can get very high.

Did you know that some mountains are actually shrinking?  These mountains are done growing because the plates have stopped moving.  Through a process called erosion, these mountains  actually start to grow smaller.
mount-everest

Facing Up: A Remarkable Journey to the Summit of Mount Everest

Some mountains such as Mount Everest, the world’s highest mountain, is actually still growing!  Right now it about 29,092.  There is a mountain that is actually taller than Mount Everest but 2/3 of it is underwater.  This mountain is called Mauna Kea, which is part of Hawaii.

There are three ways in which mountains are formed, which correspond to the types of mountains in question. These are known as volcanic, fold and block mountains. All of these are the result of plate tectonics, where compressional forces, isostatic uplift and intrusion of igneous matter forces surface rock upward, creating a landform higher than the surrounding features.

Over the course of many million years, these uplifted sections are eroded by the elements – wind, rain, ice and gravity. These gradually wear the surface of the mountains down, cause the surface to be younger than the rocks that form them, and lead to the types of formations and distributions we are familiar with today.

Some of the world’s most famous mountain ranges include the Himalayas, Karakoram Range, and Pamirs in central Asia; the Alps and Urals in Europe; the Atlas Mountains in Africa; the Andes in South America; and the Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, Rocky Mountains, and Appalachians as well as their associated ranges in North America.

Types Of Mountains

types-of-mountains

Motivational – Courage – Maxi Poster – 61 cm x 91.5 cm

The different mountain types are formed in different ways, through tectonic plates crunching into each other, or sliding past one another, or even from magma coming up out of the Earth. The mountains are different in their appearance, and in their formation.

1.Fold Mountains

fold-mountains

Mountain Building: Block 4 (Understanding the Continents)

The most common type of mountain in the world are called fold mountains. When you see vast mountain ranges stretching on for thousands of kilometers, those are fold mountains. Fold mountains are formed when two of the Earth’s tectonic plates collide head on; like two cars crashing together. The edges of each tectonic plate crumple and buckle, and these create the mountains.

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2.Fault-Block Mountains

teton-range-of-wyoming

A Climber’s Guide to the Teton Range

Fault-block mountains (or just “block mountain“) are created when faults or cracks in the Earth’s crust force materials upward. So instead of folding, like the plate collision we get with fold mountains, block mountains break up into chunks and move up or down. Fault-block mountains usually have a steep front side and then a sloping back side.

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3.Dome Mountains

black-hills-of-south-dakota

Black Hills of South Dakota Journal: 150 page lined notebook/diary

Dome mountains are created when a large amount of magma pushes up from below the Earth’s crust, but it never actually reaches the surface and erupts. And then, before it can erupt, the source of the magma goes away and the pushed up rock cools and hardens into a dome shape. Since the dome is higher than its surroundings, erosion works from the top creating a circular mountain range.

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4.Volcanic Mountains

volcanic-mountains

iRocket Indoor Floor Rug/Mat – amazing volcanic eruption (23.6″ x 15.7″, 60cm x 40cm)

Here’s a fairly familiar kind of mountain. Volcanic mountains are created when magma from beneath the Earth makes its way to the surface. When it gets to the surface, the magma erupts as lava, ash, rock and volcanic gases. This material builds up around the volcanic vent, building up a mountain.

Some of the largest mountains in the world were created this way, including Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii. Other familiar volcanoes are Mt. Fuji in Japan and Mt. Rainier in the US.

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5.Plateau Mountains

tibetan-plateau

Art Print / Poster: James Yu “Tibetan Plateau” – High Quality Picture, Fine Art Poster, 75×50 cm (30×20 inch)

Plateau mountains are actually formed by the Earth’s internal activity; instead, they’re revealed by erosion. They’re created when running water carves deep channels into a region, creating mountains. Over billions of years, the rivers can cut deep into a plateau and make tall mountains. Plateau mountains are usually found near folded mountains.

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Mountain Plants

mountain-plants

Endemic Plants of the Altai Mountain Country (WILDGuides)

Mountain plants have to face the most bewildering contrasts in living conditions of any plants found on Earth. These conditions are unbelievably harsh and impose great challenges to survival in the face of very high winds, extreme cold, wildly fluctuating temperatures, thin rocky soils, snow and ice, and a thin atmosphere that contains very little oxygen but huge amounts of UV radiation.

Because mountain plants grow so slowly, most cannot sprout, mature and produce their own seeds in a single season. For this reason most are perennials, which means that they live for many years, as does a tree, for example. These plants use most of their energy just for survival, and that’s why it can take many years for them to put back enough energy to flower and produce seeds.

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Mountain Animals

mountain-lions

Mama Mountain Lion and her Baby Kitten in the Den Journal: 150 Page Lined Notebook/Diary

Mountains are home to a rich variety of wildlife. Black bears, mule deer, big horn sheep, and mountain lions are the largest of the mountain’s animals.

The mountain lion (Puma concolor) is also known as the cougar, puma, panther, and catamount, and is the largest wildcat in North America. Mountain lions have powerful limbs and can leap as high as 15 feet and as far as 40 feet.

Mountain lions like to prey on deer, though they also eat smaller animals such as coyotes, porcupines, and raccoons. They usually hunt at night or during the hours of dawn and dusk. These cats employ a blend of stealth and power, stalking their prey until an opportunity arrives to pounce, then going for the back of the neck with a fatal bite. They will hide large carcasses and feed on them for several days.

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Fun Facts About Mountains

fun-facts-about-mountains

Jaw-Dropping Geography: Fun Learning Facts About Magnificent Mount Everest: Illustrated Fun Learning For Kids: Volume 1

1.Mountains make up about one-fifth of the world’s landscape, and provide homes to at least one-tenth of the world’s people.

2.Heights of mountains are generally given as heights above sea level.

3.The world’s highest peak on land is Mount Everest in the Himalayas. It is 8,850.1728 m (29,036 ft) tall.

4.Ben Nevis is also the highest mountain in Great Britain.

5.The tallest known mountain in the solar system is Olympus Mons, located on Mars.

6.There are mountains under the surface of the sea!

7.Mountains occur more often in oceans than on land; some islands are the peaks of mountains coming out of the water.

8.About 80 per cent of our planet’s fresh water originates in the mountains.

9.All mountain ecosystems have one major characteristic in common – rapid changes in altitude, climate, soil, and vegetation over very short distances.

10.Plants that may be found on mountains include conifers, oak, chestnut, maple, junipers, stonecrops, campions, mosses, ferns and climbers.

11.The highest 14 mountains in the world are all found in the Himalayas.

12.Because of tectonic plate movement, Everest grows about 4mm a year.

13.Over 6,000 people have now climbed Everest including a 13-year-old American in 2010.

14.Scottish mountains over 3,000ft high are called Munros. British mountains and hills over 150 metres high are called Marilyns.

15.Mountains cover about one-fifth of the world’s land surface, occur in 75 per cent of the world’s countries and provide homes to at least one-tenth of the world’s people.

16.To measure a mountain we use Barometer. Barometer helps to measure the air pressure and at the top of the mountains air pressure is lower than the pressure on the ground. By comparing the two we can calculate how tall a mountain is. Another instrument used to measure Mountain is Theodolite. Lately we use Satellite pictures to Measure Mountains.

17.The mid-Atlantic Ridge is the Worlds longest chain of undersea mountains.

18.The word volcano originally comes from the name of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan.

19.Common volcanic gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fluoride and hydrogen sulfide.

20.The UN General Assembly designated 11 December as International Mountain Day in 2003 as an opportunity to create awareness about the importance of mountains to life, and to build partnerships that will bring positive change to the world’s mountains and highlands.

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Pretty Golden Daffodils

Category : Plant Kingdom

pretty-golden-daffodils

Golden Daffodils

Daffodils are one of the earliest flowers to bloom in the spring and are often associated with springtime and rebirth. These trumpet-shaped flowers come in a variety of sizes and colors. Traditional daffodils are sunny yellow, but some varieties are white or pastel yellow and some are even pink or green. This is a great flower that people love to get because it is such a pretty flower.

The daffodil’s primary symbolism is that of new beginnings, rebirth and the coming of spring,

Though their botanic name is narcissus, daffodils are sometimes called jonquils, and in England, because of their long association with Lent, they’re known as the “Lent Lily.”

In Wales, it’s said if you spot the first daffodil of the season, your next 12 months will be filled with wealth, and Chinese legend has it that if a daffodil bulb is forced to bloom during the New Year, it will bring good luck to your home.

The daffodil symbolizes good fortune in the Chinese culture. In fact, it is so esteemed for its ability to bring forth positive things that it is the official symbol of the Chinese New year.

To the Japanese people, the daffodil means mirth and joyousness. In France, the daffodil is a sign of hope.

The Arabians believe the daffodil flower was an aphrodisiac and cure for baldness.

In the United States, the daffodil is the official symbol for the American Cancer Association, symbolizing hope for a cure. It is also the flower for the month of March and the symbol of the 10th wedding anniversary.

Daffodils were brought to Britain by the Romans who thought that the sap from Daffodils had healing powers. Actually the sap contains crystals that can irritate the skin.

The daffodil is native to the Mediterranean regions. Both the Greeks and Romans grew daffodils, but unexplainably abandoned them. They grew wild until 1629 when the English decided to cultivate them again.

Daffodils still grow wild in many European countries. In fact, in some areas of Switzerland and Austria the blooming of the narcissi is celebrated with festivals.

There is a tale from Ancient Greece that talks about a man name Narcissus who loved to look at himself, one day when he was looking at himself in a pool of water, he fell in and drown.

From his grave, a flower grew and it was the Narcissus, which is the more uncommon name for the Daffodil.

This is a flower that represents beauty and you would give this to someone to show that you admire them.

poem

I Wandered Lonely As a Cloud – Poems by William Wordsworth

The daffodil is the National Flower of Wales. It’s bloom coincides with St. David’s Day, a celebration for the patron saint of Wales. Some associate the daffodil’s faithful rebloom with the David’s faithfulness to his people.

William Wordsworth, an English romantic poet, also references daffodils in his poem “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”, painting a picture of a hill full of bright, dancing blooms.

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o’er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

He was known for walking the Lake District at great length, across those vales and hills, and must have seen a great many breathtaking sights along his journeys.

But something made him choose the daffodil. Something about its colour, its form, the appearance of a cluster of daffodils made him choose the daffodil for his poem, which would become not only his best-known work, but among the best-loved pieces of literature in the romantic tradition.

Types Of Daffodils

types-of-daffodils

Maud Astley West – Bulb Gardening 1922 Daffodils Fine Art Print (45.72 x 60.96 cm)

There are at least 25 different species of daffodils, though not all are cultivated to the same extent. Currently there are over 13,000 different hybrid varieties available.

Daffodils are some of the most popular spring-blooming flowers being cultivated.They are extremely easy to grow: the bulbs require very little care after planting.Most types of daffodil are extremely winter hardy, and will grow in a wide range of climates.Unlike some other types of bulbs, deer and rodents don’t eat daffodil bulbs.Colours range from white to yellow, pink, salmon, orange, and red-orange.Several species of daffodils are very sweetly scented.

Some daffodils flower months ahead of others so, by combining early and late varieties, you can have daffodils in bloom from January to May.

1.Trumpet Daffodils

trumpet-daffodils

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Trumpet Daffodils have the “traditional” daffodil form: there is one large blossom per stem and the trumpet is exceptionally long. Specifically: the length of the trumpet is equal to the length of the petals, or longer.

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2.Large-Cupped Daffodils

large-cupped-daffodils

Cottage Garden Bulbs: Narcissi ICE FOLLIES Bulbs- Large Cupped Narcissi/Daffodil RHS – Spring Flowering – FREE UK P & P (15)

This is by far the most popular of all the daffodil varieties. Over 40% of all daffodil varieties cultivated are Long Cup Daffodils. Their popularity is well deserved.

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3.Double Daffodils

double-daffodils

Millthorpe Plant Centre – 10 Narcissus Replete – Pink Double Daffodil – Size 12/14 – Spring flowering bulb – FREE DELIVERY!!!

The term double means that extra petals are present. Sometimes a daffodil will have a doubled trumpet; sometimes it will have doubled petals (i.e. perianth segments), and sometimes doubles of both. As a result, Double Daffodils may resemble carnations or even gardenias rather than daffodils. Needless to say, this can look  impressive.

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4.Jonquilla Daffodils

jonquilla-daffodils

Plants4Less Daffodil ‘Silver Chimes’ narcissus jonquilla 12 bulbs

The daffodils of this group are noted primarily for their scent: the most fragrant daffodils of the Narcissus genus are found in this division.

These daffodils are also floriferous; in other words, they normally produce more than one flower per stem. On average, a Jonquilla Daffodil will have two to six blossoms per stalk.

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5.Miniature Daffodils

miniature-daffodils

50 Mixed Miniature Daffodil/Narcissus Bulbs Dwarf Special Mixture Perennial

Miniature Daffodils are diminutive versions of standard daffodils. They have been selected or cultivated from existing species or varieties, and retain the basic form, blooming habits, colours, and the hardiness of these standard varieties.

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6.Poeticus Daffodils

poeticus-daffodils

GARTHWAITE NURSERIES : – 20 Pheasant Eye Poeticus Daffodil/Narcissus Bulbs (Extremely Fragrant) Hardy Late Spring Garden Perennial

All of the daffodils in this division have large white petals with small, dainty cups in contrasting colours (such as golden yellow or lime green).

They all naturalize beautifully (naturalize = come back year after year and slowly multiply). Some Poeticus Daffodils are known to have been growing in the same garden, with very little care, for generations!

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7.Small-Cupped Daffodils

small-cupped-daffodils

GARTHWAITE NURSERIES 25Kg Edward Buxton Small-Cupped Daffodil/Narcissus Bulbs Yellow/Orange Perennial

As the name implies, these daffodils have cups (i.e. trumpets) that are relatively small and shallow. Specifically, Short Cup Daffodils are defined as having a cup whose length is equal to or less than one third the height of the surrounding petals.

This group of daffodils is noted for their brilliant colours: the cups can be snow white, golden yellow, lime green, salmon, coral, orange, or vermillion red. They are a wonderful addition to any cut flower arrangement.

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8.Split-Corona Daffodils

split

JULIA’S GARDEN-20 WHITE BUTTERFLY DAFFODIL -NARCISSUS PAPILLON BLANC-SPLIT CORONA SELECT CHOICE-SPRING FLOWERING BULBS

The blossoms in this division have a very unusual form. The term corona in the title refers to the cup (or trumpet) of the daffodil.

The cup is split for at least one-half its length, creating an open, up-facing blossom, instead of the typical trumpet. As a result, many of the flowers look more like a Hibiscus than they do a daffodil.

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9.Tazetta Daffodils

tazetta-daffodils

Narcissus tazetta ‘Minnow’ (Scented Minature Daffodil) – Pack of 20 Bulbs

Tazettas are floriferous or bunch flowering daffodils: they produce several blossoms per stem, at a minimum three or four. However, clusters of eighteen or even twenty are not rare.

They are particularly good for planting in the warmer zones.

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10.Triandrus Daffodils

triandrus-daffodils

Narcissus triandrus ‘Thalia’ (Scented Daffodil) – Pack of 20 Bulbs

Triandrus Daffodils are normally floriferous; that is, they have more than one blossom per stem. The blossoms are somewhat pendant; i.e. the heads nod or droop slightly. As well, the petals are slightly reflexed (swept-back). With all of these features, Triandrus Daffodils are often said to resemble fuschias.

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Growing Daffodils

Daffodils grow perennially from bulbs. In temperate climates they flower among the earliest blooms in spring. Daffodils often grow in large clusters, covering lawns and even entire hillsides with yellow.

Depth, as a general rule, needs to be thrice the height. This means large bulbs should have a depth of 6 to 8 inches, a medium size 3-6 inches and a smaller size 2-3 inches. Always remember that the load of soil proves helpful in protecting the bulbs from breaking too easily and in keeping them upright for a longer duration.

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Interesting Daffodil Facts

growing-daffodils

Daffodil: The remarkable story of the world’s most popular spring flower

1.Daffodil has leafless stem with one to 20 blooms on the top. It can reach 6 to 20 inches in height, depending on the variety.

2.Daffodils develop from the bulb which stores all nutrients required for successful development of the stem and flowers. Spring flowering bulbs are planted in the autumn. Cold period during the winter ensures proper development of root.

3.Besides from bulbs, daffodils can be propagated via seeds. Seeds are black, rounded and covered with protective hard coat.

4.They are one of the rare species of plants that are able to successfully grow through the snow.

5.Leaves and bulb contain toxic alkaloid called lycorine. This substance keeps predators (except certain types of insects) on a safe distance.

6.Due to toxic sap in the stem, daffodil should not be kept in the vase with other plants (it is harmful for them).

7.Florists can develop allergic reaction on the skin called “daffodil itch” after preparing floral arrangements made of daffodils.

8.Narciclasine is a substance isolated from bulb, which (according to some medical studies) has potential to treat breast cancer.

9.Keepers of poultry believe that daffodils prevent hens from laying eggs, and they avoid planting of daffodils on their farms.

10.Bunch of daffodils offered as a gift ensures happiness and represents good fortune, while single daffodil predicts misfortune.

11.More daffodils are planted than any other perennial ornamental plant. Britain is the major grower of daffodils for both flowers and bulbs, which are also grown commercially in the Netherlands, United States, Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

12.Wild daffodils were picked in great numbers in Britain in the past, and in the 1930s there was even a ‘Daffodil Special’ train service run by the Great Western Railway to take Londoners to the Gloucestershire-Herefordshire border to admire and buy the flowers.

13.Traditionally daffodils have been used to induce vomiting and as a poultice for burns and wounds. Unsupervised ingestion has proved fatal.

14.Modern uses include extracting galantamine from the bulbs to treat Alzheimer’s disease, research at the University of Copenhagen to use daffodil compounds as a treatment for depression and a Chinese study suggests daffodil compounds can kill off certain cancer cells (such as leukaemia)

15.The daffodil today is synonymous with the battle against cancer but 100 years ago Irishwomen used it as a symbol in their battle for votes while a militant fringe of Irish feminists fund-raised for rifles for their male counterparts in the Irish Volunteers.

Every year, colourful lapels all around Ireland raise important awareness and funds for the Irish Cancer Society. The first Daffodil Day for cancer awareness was held in Canada in 1957 and the event has run annually in Ireland since 1988.

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Please email momo19@naturekingdoms.com or leave your comments below.

 

 

 

Majestic Elephants

Category : Animal Kingdom

majestic-elephants

Bilderdepot24 Canvas Print – Wall Art “Kilimanjaro Mount and its majestic Elephants” (Africa) 19.7 inch x 15.8 inch – Quality canvas on large wooden frame, gallery wrapped, directly from the manufacturer. 100% made in Germany!

Weighing up to eight tons, elephants are the largest land animals on earth, they have astonishing strength and are gentle in nature,The elephant is so majestic that it has been considered as a vehicle for kings.

When Alexander the Great invaded India in 325 B.C. , he came to realise the symbolic might of the elephant. As he battled with King Porus ( King Puru from his actual name Purushottam = the noblest of all men ) and defeated him, Alexander himself faced a defeat of his own. This was as he encoutered Porus the person.

There are many stories. One of them is where Porus’ elephant displays his compassion for his master. At the famous battle of Hydaspes in July 326 B.C. , where Porus faced defeat from Alexander and injury from the numerous arrows, it was his elephant who saved his life.

First, by leaving the battlefield away from the surge of these arrows into relative safety, and then gently lowering the King on the ground so as not to cause him further pain. And thereafter, carefully dislodging the hurtful arrows from his master’s body.

Elephants form deep family bonds and live in tight family groups called herds. Each herd is comprised of related females ,males leave the herd between the ages of 12- 15 and is led by a matriarch who is often the the oldest and the largest female. .

Elephants have the longest gestation period of any mammal (22 months) and only have calves every 4-5 years. Once the calf is born, there is an immediate bond, the baby stays with its mother for years and is cared for by all the females in the herd.

Elephants are herbivores and consume “hundreds of pounds of plant matter” each day.Elephants eat grasses, roots, fruit and bark. They use their tusks to pull the bark from trees and dig roots out of the ground.

In order to support their dietary needs, elephants require extensive amounts of food, water and space.

elephant-ears

Elephant Mug with 3D Ears and Trunk! Coffee Cup Lucky Elephant

Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth. They have characteristic long noses, or trunks; large, floppy ears; and wide, thick legs.

The elephant’s trunk is an extension of the upper lip and nose. It functions for grasping, breathing, feeding, dusting, smelling, drinking, lifting, sound production/communication, defense/protection, and sensing.

The trunk contains an estimated 100,000 muscles and tendons in the trunk, giving it extreme flexibility and strength. Elephant trunks are capable of expanding, contracting, and moving in a diverse array of directions.

Elephants can reach vegetation as high as 57 m (19 ft.) by rearing up onto their hind legs and extending their trunk.

The size of elephant ears is proportionate to its geographic distribution. The closer to the equator the elephant resides, the larger the ears, allowing more heat to dissipate from the body.

Elephant ears are about one-sixth the size of its entire body and primarily function as a cooling mechanism. The ears contain extensive networks of tiny blood vessels, which are visible at the outer margins, where the skin is only about one to two mm (0.04 – 0.08 in.) thick. The warm blood cools as it circulates through the vessels in the ear, due to the thin layer of skin that separates it from the outside air. The cooler blood then circulates back into the body, helping reduce the overall body temperature of the elephant.

Elephants use their ears to funnel in sound waves from the environment, contributing to their keen sense of hearing.

Elephants have sparse hair distributed unevenly on their body, with the most noticeable concentrations around the eyes, ear openings, chin, and tail.

Young elephants are hairier than adults and their hair is reddish-brown in color. As they mature, the amount of hair is reduced and becomes darker.

There are two species of elephant. The Asian elephant and the African elephant live on separate continents and have many unique features. There are several subspecies that belong to one or the other of these two main species, though there is disagreement over just how many subspecies there are.

African elephants are the larger of the two species. They grow 8.2 to 13 feet (2.5 to 4 meters) from shoulder to toe and weigh 5,000 to 14,000 lbs.

Asian elephants can grow up to 6.6 to 9.8 feet (2 to 3 m) from shoulder to toe and weigh up to 2.25 to 5.5 tons (2,041 to 4,990 kg).

African elephants live closest to the equator and have the largest ears, followed by the Asian elephants. The now extinct woolly mammoth, lived near the North Pole, and had the smallest ears.

Both African and Asian elephants have a total of 26 teeth including two upper incisors (tusks), 12 premolars (non-permanent teeth similar to baby teeth), and 12 molars. Asian elephants have smaller tusks than those of African elephants and females have smaller tusks than males.

Similar to humans, elephants may be “left or right-handed,” meaning there is a preference to use one tusk over the other. As a result, one tusk may be more worn than the other.

Elephants have the largest brain of any land mammal, weighing between 4.5 to 5.5 kg (10-12 lb.).

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.

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Elephant Body Signals

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.

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Elephant Breeds

elephant-breeds

Big Grey Elephant Huge Mammal Matte/Glossy Poster A3 (42cm x 30cm) | Wellcoda

It is estimated that there were once more than 350 species of elephants in the world. Today we only have two of them left – the Asian and the African species.

AFRICAN ELEPHANT

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.

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 Asian Elephant

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.

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Fun Facts About Elephants

fun-facts-about-elephants

Fantastic Facts About Elephants: Illustrated Fun Learning For Kids

1.Only one mammal can’t jump — the elephant.

2.The average weight for an elephant heart is about 27 to 46 pounds!

3.Elephants have a highly developed brain and the largest of all the land mammals. The brain is 3 or 4 times larger than that of humans although smaller as a proportion of body weight.

4.Elephants have a slow pulse rate of 27. For a canary it is 1000!

5. An elephant’s skin is an inch thick.

6.Elephants have poor eyesight but an amazing sense of smell.

7. At the age of 16, an elephant can reproduce, but rarely has more than four children throughout her lifetime. At birth, an elephant calf weighs about 230 lbs!

8.Elephants have the longest pregnancy of all the animals. It takes a female 22 months from conception to give birth.

9.Elephants purr like cats do, as a means of communication.

10. Elephants prefer one tusk over the other, just as people are either left or right-handed.

11.Tusks are an elephant’s incisor teeth. They are used for defense, digging for water, and lifting things.

12.Elephants have four molars, one on the top and one on the bottom on both sides of the mouth. One molar can weigh about five pounds and is the size of a brick!

13.The elephant trunk has more than 40,000 muscles in it.

14.Elephants waive their trunks up in the air and from side to side to smell better.

15.The elephant’s trunk is able to sense the size, shape and temperature of an object. An elephant uses its trunk to lift food and suck up water then pour it into its mouth.

16.Elephants cry, play, have incredible memories, and laugh.

17.Elephants can swim – they use their trunk to breathe like a snorkel in deep water.

18.Elephant feet are covered in a soft padding that help uphold their weight, prevent them from slipping, and dull any sound. Therefore elephants can walk almost silently!

19. Elephants use their feet to listen, they can pick up sub-sonic rumblings made by other elephants, through vibrations in the ground. Elephants are observed listening by putting trunks on the ground and carefully positioning their feet.

20. Elephants are highly sensitive and caring animals. if a baby elephant complains, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it. Elephants express grief, compassion, self-awareness, altruism and play.

21. Elephants have greeting ceremonies when a friend that has been away for some time returns to the group.

22. Elephants have large, thin ears. Their ears are made up of a complex network of blood vessels which regulate an elephant’s temperature. Blood is circulated through their ears to cool them down in hot climates.

23. An elephant is capable of hearing sound waves well below our human hearing limitation. The far reaching use of high pressure infrasound opens the elephant’s spatial experience far beyond our limited capabilities.

24. Elephants are social creatures. They sometimes “hug” by wrapping their trunks together in displays of greeting and affection.

25.Elephants pay homage to the bones of their dead, gently touching the skulls and tusks with their trunks and feet. when an elephant walks past a place that a loved one has died, he/she will stop dead still; a silent and empty pause that can last several minutes.

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Intelligent And Playful Dolphins

Category : Aquatic World

dolphin-calender

Dolphins Calendar 2017: 16 Month Calendar

Dolphins are well known for their agility and playful behavior, making them a favorite of wildlife watchers. Many species will leap out of the water, spy-hop (rise vertically out of the water to view their surroundings) and follow ships, often synchronizing their movements with one another. Scientists believe that dolphins conserve energy by swimming alongside ships, a practice known as bow-riding.

Dolphins live in social groups of five to several hundred. They use echolocation to find prey and often hunt together by surrounding a school of fish, trapping them and taking turns swimming through the school and catching fish. Dolphins will also follow seabirds, other whales and fishing boats to feed opportunistically on the fish they scare up or discard.

Dolphins have several highly developed forms of communication. They have a “signature whistle” which allows other individuals to recognise them.Dolphins are incredibly social animals. They live in groups and cooperate with each other to get food and in raising offspring (calves).A dolphin calf nurses for up to two years. Calves stay with the mothers anywhere from three to eight years.

Because dolphins are mammals, they need to come to the surface of the water to breathe. Unlike land mammals that breathe and eat through their mouths, dolphins have separate holes for each task. Dolphins eat through their mouths and breathe through their blowholes. This prevents the dolphin from sucking up water into the lungs when hunting, reducing the risk of drowning.

Dolphins have acute eyesight both in and out of the water. They hear frequencies 10 times the upper limit of adult humans. Their sense of touch is well-developed, but they have no sense of smell.

Most dolphins are small, measuring less than 3 metres (10 feet) in length, and have spindle-shaped bodies, beaklike snouts (rostrums), and simple needlelike teeth.

Dolphins are capable of living in either fresh or salt water. Distributed worldwide in all oceans and seas except the Caspian and Aral seas, they range from equatorial to subpolar waters and also can be found in many major river systems.

There are forty species of dolphins and they vary greatly in size.  The smallest of the dolphin species, Maui’s dolphin, is around 4 feet long- or as tall as a 9 year old kid – and weighs around 90 lbs. The largest member of the dolphin family is the killer whale, which can grow to 30 feet long. Dolphins feed on fish and squid. They swallow fish whole, despite having 100 teeth in their mouths. The teeth are used to grasp prey. An adult dolphin may consume 30 pounds of fish or more in a single day.

The common and bottlenose dolphins are widely distributed in warm and temperate seas. They are swift swimmers; the bottlenose can attain speeds of nearly 30 km/hr (18.5 mph) in short bursts, and common dolphins are even faster.They are superb divers and have been known to dive as deep as 1,000 feet.

Known for their playful behavior, dolphins are highly intelligent. They are as smart as apes, and the evolution of their larger brains is surprisingly similar to humans.Dolphins are altruistic animals. They are known to stay and help injured individuals, even helping them to the surface to breath. Their compassion also extends across the species-barrier. There are many accounts of dolphins helping humans and even whales.

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.

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Dolphin Species

There are three different types of dolphins, marine dolphins, river dolphins and  porpoises. Some you would never think were part of the dolphin family like the “Killer Whale or Orca”.

A.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.

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B.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.

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C.Porpoises

porpoises

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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.

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Dolphin Habitats

dolphin-habitats

Marine Protected Areas for Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises: A World Handbook for Cetacean Habitat Conservation and Planning

Dolphins are found living in bodies of water around the world.Most of them live in saltwater but they can also live in freshwater locations. Only a handful of the species though are known to thrive in freshwater regions. They tend to stick to the shallow areas of the water found along the continental shelves. The types of dolphins you will find depend on the species though in terms of the location.

Dolphins tend to like areas that have warmer temperatures too. However, sometimes they are found in colder water due to the need for food.Studies show that the habitat of the dolphin is quite diversified due to environmental factors and food accessibility.

Migration is a big part of life for all dolphins. They have to move where there is food so the amount of migrating they will do can vary. Some of them have been observed in a very small area all the time due to plenty of food being found there. The migration can be for a short period of time or until food resources have started to be replenished.

This is also why some locations where there used to be dolphins either have very few or they haven’t been seen for a while. They aren’t going to be returning to locations where the habitat is too polluted or there isn’t enough food for them to survive. Even changes to the water temperatures can be reasons for them no longer to return to locations they once called home.It is believed that global warming plays a vital role in the migration for dolphins as it affects their supply of food.

The dolphin can be very vulnerable to problems in their environment. For example pollution due to the sensitivity of their skin. Loss of habitat is also a problem due to the fact that so many humans have now taken to enjoying a variety of water related activities in these same locations.

In the wild, dolphins face many manmade threats to their well-being.  There are direct threats from countries that still permit the hunting of dolphins for food or their capture for entertainment.  But there are even greater threats from indirect sources like industrial fishing where dolphins are caught in large numbers as bycatch.

Feeding wild dolphins disrupts their social groups which threatens their ability to survive in the wild. Young dolphins do not survive if their mothers compete with them for hand-outs and don’t teach them to forage.

The “Flipper myth” of a friendly wild dolphin has given us the wrong idea. Flipper was actually a trained, captive dolphin who did not bite the hand that fed him. However, truly wild dolphins will bite when they are angry, frustrated or afraid. When people try to swim with wild dolphins, the dolphins are disturbed. Dolphins who have become career moochers can get pushy, aggressive and threatening when they don’t get the hand-out they expect.

Whales and dolphins may travel considerable distances but they have key areas which are critical to them, as ongoing ‘homes’ or for seasonal breeding or feeding grounds. If we protect these areas well, the chances of survival for whole populations improve.A marine reserve usually has the highest level of protection. This can mean no commercial fishing or industrial use of the area.

We urgently need to create effective marine protected areas and reserves – safe havens that help to preserve the habitat critical for whales and dolphins in all the oceans of the world.

To protect them from the dangers of pollution, fishing nets, hunting, live-capture and to safeguard the places that they call home – before more of these vulnerable and endangered populations disappear from our planet.We can make sure that those who represent us in government make the right policies, to have areas where dolphins and whales are truly safe.

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