African Bush Elephant

 

True Wild Life | African Bush Elephant  | The African bush elephant is the largest known land mammal on Earth, with male African bush elephants reaching over 3.5 metres in height and the female African bush elephants around 3 metres. The African bush elephant mainly lives in central and southern Africa in nomadic herds that wander the plains and grasslands of Africa grazing for food and searching for waterholes. The African bush elephant has no natural predators to threaten its survival, mainly due to the African bush elephant's sheer size. African bush elephants can be seen co-inhabiting in the African wilderness with other large mammals and birds, relatively peacefully.

Sadly, due to an increase of outside interest in Africa and its exotic wonders, the African bush elephant population took a devastating decline towards extinction. In 1989 a worldwide elephant ivory hunting ban fell into place, meaning that the African bush elephant population has fortunately begun to recover. The tusks of an African bush elephant can grow to nearly 2.5 meters long and generally weigh between 50 and 100 pounds, which is about the same as a small adult human. The African bush elephant uses these immense tusks for digging for roots in the ground and to strip the bark of trees. The African bush elephant also uses its tusks to defend itself from predators such as lions, and to fight with other male African bush elephants during the mating season.

There are thought to be two species of the African elephant which are the African bush elephant and the African forest elephant. Although these two elephant species are very similar, the African bush elephant is considered to be bigger in size than the African forest elephant. The African forest elephant is thought to also have rounder ears and straighter tusks than the African bush elephant, and it has been also noted that the African bush elephant and the African forest elephant have a different number of toe nails.

African bush elephants have four molar teeth each weighing about 5.0 kg and measuring about 12 inches long. As the front pair of molars in the mouth of the African bush elephant wear down and drop out in pieces, the back pair shift forward and two new molars emerge in the back of the African bush elephant's mouth. African bush elephants replace their teeth six times during their lives but when the African bush elephant is about 40 to 60 years old, the African bush elephant no longer has teeth and will likely die of starvation, which is sadly a common cause of death in the African wilderness.

Females African bush elephants reach sexual maturity (are able to reproduce) after 10 or 11 years, and male African bush elephants often don't reach sexual maturity until they are nearly 20 years old. After a gestation period of up to 2 years, the female African bush elephant gives birth to a single calf (twins have been known but are extremely rare). The African bush elephant calf is nursed for 2 years and will remain with the herd until it is old enough to support itself. It is at this point that the tusks of the African bush elephant calf will be starting to grow.

Today, although recovering, African bush elephant populations are still threatened from increasing levels of illegal poaching and habitat destruction. Deforestation in the African bush elephant's territory means that the African bush elephants lose both their food and shelter making them more vulnerable in the wild. African bush elephants are also constantly threatened by poachers hunting the elephants for their ivory tusks. 

Adelie Penguin

True Wild Life | Adelie Penguin | The Adelie penguin is the smallest and most widely distributed species of penguin in the Southern Ocean and is one of only two species of penguin found on the Antarctic mainland (the other being the much larger Emperor penguin). The Adelie penguin was named in 1840 by French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville who named the penguin for his wife, Adélie. Adelie penguins have adapted well to life in the Antarctic as these migratory birds winter in the northern pack-ice before returning south to the Antarctic coast for the warmer summer months.

The Adelie penguin is one of the most easily identifiable penguin species with a blue-black back and completely white chest and belly. The head and beak of the Adelie penguin are both black, with a distinctive white ring around each eye. The strong, pink feet of the Adelie penguin are tough and bumpy with nails that not only aid the Adelie penguin in climbing the rocky cliffs to reach its nesting grounds, but also help to push them along when they are sliding (rowing) along the ice. Adelie penguins also use their webbed feet along with their small flippers to propel them along when swimming in the cold waters.

The Adelie penguin is one of the southern-most birds in the world as it is found along the Antarctic coastline and on the islands close to it. During the winter months, the Adelie penguins migrate north where they inhabit large platforms of ice and have better access to food. During the warmer summer months, the Adelie penguins return south where they head for the coastal beaches in search of ice-free ground on the rocky slopes where they can build their nests. More than half a million Adelie penguins have formed one of the largest animal colonies in the world on Ross Island, an island formed by the activities of four monstrous volcanoes in the Ross Sea.

Like all species of penguin, the Adelie penguin is a highly sociable animal, gathering in large groups known as colonies, which often number thousands of penguin individuals. Although Adelie penguins are not known to be terribly territorial, it is not uncommon for adults to become aggressive over nesting sites, and have even been known to steal rocks from the nests of their neighbours. Adelie penguins are also known to hunt in groups as it is thought to reduce the risk of being eaten by hungry predators. Adelie penguins are constantly interacting with one another, with body language and specific eye movements thought to be the most common forms of communication.

Adelie penguins return to their breeding grounds during the Antarctic summer months of November and December. Their soft feet are well designed for walking on land making the trek to it's nesting ground much easier as the penguin fasts during this time. Adelie penguin pairs mate for life in large colonies, with females laying two eggs a couple of days apart into a nest built from rocks. Both the male and female take it in turns to incubate their eggs while the other goes off to feed, for up to 10 days at a time. The Adelie penguin chicks have an egg-tooth which is a bump on the top of their beaks, which helps them to break out of the egg. Once hatched, the parents still take it in turns to look after their young while the other goes off to gather food. After about a month, the chicks congregate in groups called crèches and are able to fend for themselves at sea when they are between 2 and 3 months old.

Adelie penguins are strong and capable swimmers, obtaining all of their food from the sea. These penguins primarily feed on krill which are found throughout the Antarctic ocean, as well as molluscs, squid and small fish. The record of fossilised eggshell accumulated in the Adelie penguin colonies over the last 38,000 years reveals a sudden change from a fish-based diet to krill that started two hundred years ago. This is thought to be due to the decline of the Antarctic Fur Seal in the late 1700s and Baleen whales in the twentieth century. The reduction of competition from these predators has resulted in there being an abundance of krill, which the Adelie penguins are now able to exploit as an easier source of food.

Adult Adelie penguins have no land based predators due to the uncompromising conditions that they inhabit. In the water however, the biggest threat to the Adelie penguin is the leopard seal, which is one of the southern-most species of seal and a dominant predator in the Southern Ocean. These penguins have learnt to avoid these predators by swimming in large groups and not walking on thin ice. The killer whale is the other main predator of the Adelie penguin, although they normally hunt larger species of penguin further north. South Polar Skuas are known to prey on the Adelie penguin's eggs if left unguarded, along with chicks that have strayed from a group.

Adelie penguins inhabit one of the coldest environments on Earth and so have a thick layer of fat under their skin helping to keep them warm. Their feathers help to insulate them and provide a waterproof layer for extra protection. The Adelie penguin is a highly efficient hunter and is able to eat up to 2kg of food per day, with a breeding colony thought to consume around 9,000 tonnes of food over 24 hours. The flippers of the Adelie penguin make them fantastic at swimming and they can dive to depths of 175 meters in search of food. Adelie penguins do not have teeth as such but instead have tooth-shaped barbs on their tongue and on the roof of their mouths. These barbs do not exist for chewing but instead assist the penguin to swallow slippery prey.

A visit to the Adelie penguin colonies has long since been on the programme for tourists to the Antarctic, who marvel at the vast numbers of them nesting on the beaches and hunting in the surrounding waters. This has meant that Adelie penguins are one of the most well-known of all penguin species today. Early explorers however, also hunted the penguins both for their meat and their eggs in order to survive in such uncompromising conditions.

Despite having been confined to living on coastal Antarctica, Adelie penguins are one of the most common and widespread penguins in the southern hemisphere. With more than 2.5 million breeding pairs found throughout southern Antarctica, the Adelie penguin has adapted well to it's polar habitat. Scientists have also been known to use Adelie penguin nesting patterns as indicators of climate change, noticing that they are able to nest on beaches that were previously covered in ice. The Adelie penguin is listed as Least Concern.

Lemming

True Wild Life | Lemming | The lemming is a tiny rodent that is found in or near the Arctic Circle and are thought to be related to voles and muskrats. The smallest species of lemming is the wood lemming measuring around 8 cm. The Norwegian lemming is roughly three times the size of a wood lemming and is one of the largest species of lemming. Lemmings do not hibernate and instead endure the tough Arctic winters, with the lemming having special protection from the cold from its thick fur. The lemmings spend the winter searching for bulbs and shoots that are often buried beneath the snow. Lemmings are surprisingly solitary animals, only coming together to mate then separating again. Wild lemmings are thought to never get older than a couple of years due the harsh conditions in their natural habitat and the small and very edible size of the lemming. The lemming is easy prey for most meat-eating mammals and birds.

The theory that older lemmings consciously jump off cliffs in large numbers in order to let the younger lemming generations have full access to food and shelter etc is a myth. This may have originated from the mass migration of the Scandinavian lemming when food becomes scarce, that run in their hundreds through the surrounding terrain in search of food, with a few unlucky individuals finding their way off cliffs. There are nearly 30 different species of lemming found around the Arctic Circle, from Alaska to Siberia. Although many different species of lemming have been recognised, all lemming species are pretty much the same apart from where they live and so the lemming species tend to differ most from one another based on what the lemmings can find to eat.

Lemmings have small, stout bodies and short limbs, ears and tail in order to allow the lemming to conserve heat more easily in the bitter Arctic winters. Lemmings also have sharp little teeth which helps the lemmings to gnaw through tangles of roots. Female lemmings give birth to the baby lemmings after a gestation period of around three weeks. Baby lemmings are born in burrows under the snow which helps to keep the baby lemmings warm and away from the Arctic winter. The mother lemming gives birth to around 7 baby lemmings and feeds the baby lemmings on her milk until they are big enough and strong enough to start looking for food by themselves. The food that lemmings eat is not very nutritious, so lemmings must eat lots of it. Lemmings spend around 6 hours a day searching for food and have breaks in between hunting, during which the lemmings rest. Lemmings reside in burrows beneath the snow to keep them warm and safe from predators that lurk on the surface of the snow.

Lemur

True Wild Life | Lemur | The lemurs is a primate native to the island of Madagascar, a large island off the south east coast of Africa. There are approximately 10 different species of lemur inhabiting the island where the lemurs spend most of their time in the trees. Lemurs are best known for their large, round reflective eyes and their wailing screams. Lemurs also have furry, pointed ears and long tails, with lemurs often being compared to both monkeys and squirrels. The lemur will eat most small things from berries, nuts and leaves to insects and spiders and therefore the lemur has an omnivorous diet. Lemurs get most of their food from the surrounding trees but lemurs will occasionally forage for grub on the forest floor if they have no luck in the branches.

The black and white ruffed lemur, the russet mouse lemur, the woolly lemur, the aye aye and the ring tail lemur are among the most common species of lemur found in Madagascar, although the Aye Aye is considered to be a species of lemur very different from the rest, mainly due to the long middle fingers of the aye aye which it uses to get food out of holes. There are four main types of lemur containing nearly 100 different lemur subspecies between them. The biggest threat to the lemur is deforestation, with around 90% of the Madagascan jungle having been destroyed. This means that the lemur populations are declining rapidly as the lemur has fewer trees to make its home in.

The apex predator of Madagascar, the fossa, is also a big threat to the lemur, as lemurs are one of the favourite meals of a fossa. The lemur has fast reactions and is very agile which allows it to try to escape the fossa, but the fossa is a very stubborn and lightening quick animal, so the lemur generally becomes dinner. The most commonly known species of lemur is the ring-tailed lemur. with this lemur being very distinctive by the black and white ring markings on the lemurs tail. The ring-tailed lemur has a grey coloured fur and white tufts on its ears. Lemurs are small-medium sized primates with adult lemurs growing to a maximum of around 70 cm tall (plus their long tail which is often nearly as long as the body of the lemur). Lemurs also have sharp claws on their feet which enable the lemur to hold onto tree branches, particularly useful when the lemur is trying to escape from a hungry fossa!

Lemurs are one of the few animals that live in a matriarchal society, which means that the female lemurs have more control over the group than the male lemurs. These lemur groups however, behave in a very similar way to other primates as they feed and groom each other, as well as sleeping close to one another. It is not known why lemurs exhibit this rare form of social structure.

Grouse

True Wild Life | Grouse | The grouse is a heavily-built bird that is found in the cold, forested areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The grouse is most closely related to other game birds including chickens, peasants and turkeys and, although not commonly farmed commercially, the grouse is hunted by humans in its natural habitat. The grouse inhabits both hot and cold environments, and can be found in a variety of habitats like forests, moorland, shrub-land and close to rural farms.

 

In order to survive the bitter Northern winters, the grouse has feathered legs and toes which not only help to keep the grouse warm, but they also give the grouse more grip and stability when it is walking around in the snow. Despite inhabiting areas that often fall within the Arctic Circle, thousands of grouse are hunted as game each year by humans. The grouse population numbers are not drastically effected however as they often lay a large number of eggs so the grouse population is able to increase at a fast rate.

 

The grouse is an omnivorous animal meaning that it eats both plants and other animals. Despite this though, plant matter makes up the majority of the grouse's diet as the grouse eats grasses, fruits, nuts, berries, shoots, seeds and flowers, along with insects and even rodents. Due to its stocky build and the fact that the grouse is one of the few animals able to exist within the Arctic Circle, that grouse is preyed upon by a number of native predators. Wildcats including lynx, foxes, wolves and large birds of prey all prey upon the grouse, alongside human hunters. Female grouse nests in a dip in the ground, following an elaborate mating display by the male grouse. The female grouse can lay up to 12 eggs at a time which hatch after a month of incubation.

Killer Whale

 

True Wild Life | Killer Whale | Killer Whales (orca) are found in all the worlds oceans both hot and cold from the freezing waters of the North and South poles to tropical seas. The killer whale is the biggest member of the dolphin family, and there are about 5 different species of killer whale in the oceans. Killer whales hunt in groups called pods that normally contain from 6 to 40 killer whales. The killer whales hunt larger fish, seal and sea lion and often sea birds and mammals. Killer whales are sadly hunted worldwide for their meat and whale blubber, which is used as an old form of fuel. Due to whaling bans in recent years, the killer whale population can begin to recover again.

The killer whale is a dominant hunter but gets it name from the amount of meat it eats rather than having an aggressive temperament. Some killer whales are known to be relatively acrobatic naturally, although the majority are trained in zoos and aquariums. The killer whale has a top speed of around 30 miles an hour but can travel at 26 mph for long periods of time. It is common for killer whale to swim more than 50 miles without stopping. Killer whales are large, stocky animals that have a large dorsal fin, with the black and white markings of the killer whale being their most distinctive feature. Male killer whales are bigger than female killer whales with male killer whales growing to around 8 meters in length. Female killer whales are slightly smaller than the male killer whales with the female killer whales growing to around 7 meters in length.

Killer whales today are considered to be an endangered species due to habitat loss and hunting from humans. Although killer whales are not generally seen as a great threat to humans, there have been a number of instances, particularly in marine parks, where the killer whale has attacked its trainer. The killer whale is often referred to as the wolf of the sea, as killer whales are dominant predators and hunt in packs in a similar way to wolves on land. Typically, an average killer whale will eat over 200 kg of food every day which includes over 20 different species of marine mammal and more than 30 different species of large fish.

As with their dolphin cousins, killer whales are extremely vocal animals and communicate between one another using clicks and whistles in a process known as echolocation. Killer whales are known to at their most vocal and noisy when the killer whales are hunting and the killer whales are much calmer and quieter when they are resting. Killer whales are known to use different sounds when the killer whales are participating in different activities. Female killer whales give birth to one baby killer whale roughly once every five years. Female killer whales do not reach sexual maturity until they are about 15 years old, and the gestation period is thought be roughly 18 months long. Baby killer whales are born with a yellowish tint to the white parts of the baby killer whales skin, which fades into the brilliant white colour as the baby killer whale gets older. Mother killer whales look after their calves for the first couple of years of life. Baby killer whales feed only on their mothers milk until they are about a year old, when the baby killer whale will begin to solid food.

Killer whales can live until they are 60 years old but this is thought to depend strongly on the will of the killer whale. By means of comparison, killer whales that are kept in captivity will often not live longer than 25 years but in the wild killer whales live for much longer.

Lobster

True Wild Life | Lobster | The lobster is a large crustacean and like the crab is similar to shrimp and prawns. The lobster is one of the largest types of crustacean with some lobster species known to get to weigh over 20 kg. Lobsters live on rocky, sandy, or muddy bottoms close to the shoreline to beyond the edge of the continental shelf as the lobster prefers the shallower ocean water. The lobster is generally found to live by itself, where the lobster hides in crevices and in burrows under rocks.

Lobsters have been known to get to 100 years old, sometimes older and the lobster continues to grow in size throughout the lobsters life. It is this that allows some adult lobsters to grow to enormous sizes. Lobsters tend to move slowly by walking along the bottom of the sea floor. However, when the lobster is in danger and the lobster needs to get away, the lobster is able to swim backwards quickly by curling and uncurling its abdomen.

Lobsters come in a variety of colors including red, blue, green, purple, and yellow. Lobster has become one of the most luxurious types of seafood for humans throughout the world and the lobster population has therefore severely declined.