The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who seek them
Animal Kingdom
Seabirds
Oct 20th
Only about 3 per cent of the estimated 8600 known bird species are described as seabirds, but they are nonetheless found from pole to pole. They are a major component in many marine ecosystems. Seabirds developed from several different groups of land birds, so have widely differing styles of feeding and flight, and endurance capabilities at sea.
However, they have common characteristics that define them as seabirds: they rest ashore and return to the land to lay eggs; they have webbed feet used for landing on water and swimming; and they feed on fishes, squid, bottom invertebrates and plankton. All are voracious feeders, as flying and swimming expend a great deal of energy. Seabirds are divided into 5 groups: penguins, tubenoses, pelicans and cormorants, gulls and terns, and shore birds. More >
Bears
Oct 2nd
The bear family includes the world’s largest terrestrial carnivore, the brown bear, which can stand up to 11 feet (3.5m) tall. Bears have a heavy build, a large skull, thick legs, and a short tail. They are found throughout Eurasia and North America, and in parts of North Africa and South America, mainly in forests. Unlike most carnivores, bears rely heavily on vegetation as a food source.
Bears are either large or medium-sized, and males are up to 20 per cent larger than the females. Although the giant panda is one notable exception, most bears have a black, brown, or white coat, and many feature a white or yellow mark on the chest. Despite the fact that they have a keen sense of smell, bears’ sight and hearing are less well-developed, and this is reflected in their large snout and small eyes and ears. More >
Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)
Oct 2nd
The gray wolf is the largest wild member of the canid family and the ancestor of the domestic dog. Once the world’s most widely ranging carnivore, its distribution has since been restricted by widespread human persecution and habitat destruction.
An intelligent and social animal, its survival and great success as a predator is dependent on its organization into packs – family groups that commonly consist of 8-12 wolves. Packs patrol territories, covering very wide areas, which they maintain by scent markings. More >
Gorilla
Sep 23rd
These are the lifestyle apes, to whom comfort is all-important: gorillas spend more time on the ground than other apes; they are the only apes that have never been seen using tools; and they are almost exclusively vegetarian. Each family group is dominated by a large silverback: he decides when it is time to move and eats the choicest morsels, regardless of who found them. But when threatened this normally gentle giant will defend his impish offspring with his life. More >
Brown Bears – Ursus arctos
Sep 11th
Often called the largest land carnivores, brown bears (known as grizzlies if more than 100 miles from the coast) are in fact omnivores: they range from tidal flats to mountaintops in search of anything edible, be it clams or berries. In spring they graze for house on tides sedges and grasses.
When the salmon begin to run in summer, grizzles gorge themselves, gaining 20 per cent of their body weight. A smaller bear weighed by biologists on the Alaska Peninsula actually doubled its body weight. More >
