Tag South America

The problem-solving skills of the Striated Caracara

MaNi Leave a comment

The Striated Caracara can solve problems just as much as Cockatoos can, reports the New Scientist magazine in November 2023 about a study at the Messerli Research Institute at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna in Austria. The Johnny Rook Project was conducted in collaboration with the Institute of Marine and Coastal Research at the National University of Mar del Plata in Argentina and the Austral Scientific Research Centre in Ushuaia in Argentina. It was funded by the Austrian Science Fund.

Researchers at the Comparative Cognition Unit at the University of Veterinary Medicine (VetMedUni) Vienna, led by cognitive ecologist Katie Harrington, conducted studies on the problem-solving skills of the Striated Caracara in the Falkland Islands. 

Continue reading “The problem-solving skills of the Striated Caracara” →

RESEARCH: When the weather is too hot, Spiny Lava Lizards spend less time trying to attract a partner 

MaNi Leave a comment

When the weather is too hot, Spiny Lava Lizards spend less time trying to attract a partner, says an article in New Scientist (26 July 2023). In fact, they get less selective – less picky – in the heat. 

Nicola Rossi at the National University of Cordoba in Argentina, and his colleagues, studied the behaviour of the Spiny Lava Lizard (Tropidurus spinulosus), which is a reptile native to South America. 

The researchers tested two groups of Spiny Lava Lizards living in a nature reserve in Argentina. One group lives on a rocky outcrop that receives lots of sunlight with an average temperature of 30 degrees Celsius (86F). The second group lives in a zone with lots of shade trees, where the average temperature is 26.5C (80F). The researchers watched the lizards in the wild for 20 days.

Continue reading “RESEARCH: When the weather is too hot, Spiny Lava Lizards spend less time trying to attract a partner “ →

How long does it take for a sloth to digest its food?

MaNi Leave a comment

How long does it take for a sloth to digest its food?

The Sloth is a mammal in the sub-order Folivora. It is native to the tropical rainforests of Central America and South America. It is arboreal, meaning that it lives in trees. It is also nocturnal, mostly active at night. 

It does not have many teeth; only 4-5 pairs of teeth. It has canine teeth, but no incisor teeth. It eats mainly leaves, so it does not need sharp incisors. Some sloths are omnivorous, eating leaves, insects, fruit, and small dead animals.

Continue reading “How long does it take for a sloth to digest its food?” →

What does the Capuchin monkey use as insect repellent?

MaNi Leave a comment

What does the Capuchin monkey use as insect repellent?

The Capuchin (Sapajus apella) is an arboreal (tree-living) primate in the Cebidae family of monkeys, with a long, thick, prehensile tail.

The Capuchin is diurnal, which means that it is active during the day. It feeds during the day on fruit, as well as small animals that it finds on the ground.

It lives in the rainforests of South America. Rainforests are in hot, humid locations. Mosquitoes, and many other insects, live in rainforests because they like heat and moisture.

Continue reading “What does the Capuchin monkey use as insect repellent?” →

See-through Glass Frog hides its blood

MaNi Leave a comment

People can see the beating heart of the see-through Glass Frog. But, its blood is less visible. Scientists have recently discovered why. The Glass Frog hides its blood in its liver when it sleeps.

The Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium yaku) and the Fleischmann’s Glass Frog (Hyalinobatrachium fleischmanni) live in the tropical, dense Amazonian lowlands of Ecuador. 

The size of a marshmallow, the amphibians are called Glass Frogs because their skin is translucent and transparent (see-through). Jesse Delia at the American Museum of Natural History in New York said to the New Scientist LIFE magazine in 2022, “If it wasn’t for that green skin on their back, you would probably be able to read a newspaper through them.”

Continue reading “See-through Glass Frog hides its blood” →

Discus – Orange Variant

MaNi Leave a comment

The Discus (Symphysodon aequifasciatus Pellegrin) is a freshwater fish in the Cichlidae family of cichlids. It is known as an Orange Variant of the Blue Discus, which is also known as the Brown Discus.

The Discus – Orange Variant is a laterally compressed fish, which means that it is vertically thin. It has a round discus-shape. It is patterned in shades of green, red, orange, brown, and blue.

Continue reading “Discus – Orange Variant” →

Yellow-Spotted River Turtle

MaNi Leave a comment

The Yellow-Spotted River Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) is a freshwater reptile in the Podocnemididae family of river turtles. It is also known as the Yellow-Headed Sideneck Turtle.

The Yellow-Spotted River Turtle has a black or brown oval-shaped carapace (upper shell). It has yellow spots on the side of its head. The spots fade with age. It has a side neck – it bends its head to fit under its shell instead of sticking its head in and out of its shell.

Continue reading “Yellow-Spotted River Turtle” →

Golden Lion Tamarin Baby

MaNi Leave a comment

The Golden Lion Tamarin mother at the Paris Zoo has a new baby, about one month old, born in April 2022. The mother is pregnant for 120 days before giving birth to 1-2 young.  

For the first month after birth, the baby will stay continually with its mother. By week five, the baby will begin to explore its surroundings while staying close to its mother. After four months, the baby will be a juvenile, and will become more social and playful with other young tamarins. 

Continue reading “Golden Lion Tamarin Baby” →

Golden-Handed Tamarin

MaNi Leave a comment

The Golden-Handed Tamarin (Saguinus midas) is a primate mammal in the Callitrichidae family of marmoset monkeys. It is also known as the Red-Handed Tamarin and the Midas Tamarin. 

The Golden-Handed Tamarin is dark-brown or black with golden-orange hair on its hands and feet. Its face is hairless. It has large, black C-shaped ears. It has large, round, black eyes. It has sharp claws that enable it to climb trees. Its thumb is not opposable. 

Continue reading “Golden-Handed Tamarin” →

CREATURE FEATURE: Bush Dog

MaNi Leave a comment

The Bush Dog (Speothos venaticus) is a rare canine mammal in the Canidae family of dogs. It is most closely related to the Maned Wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) or the African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus). 

The Bush Dog has soft, long, brown-tan fur with a lighter reddish colour on its head, neck, back, and tail. It has a bushy tail. It has short legs. It has a short snout (nose) and small ears. It has 38 teeth. It has partially webbed toes, which enables it to swim. 

Continue reading “CREATURE FEATURE: Bush Dog” →

Tadpole of the Phantasmal Poison Frog

MaNi Leave a comment

The Phantasmal Poison Frog (Epipedobates tricolor) is an endangered amphibian in the Dendrobatidae family of Poison Dart Frogs. 

The Phantasmal Poison Frog begins its life as an egg. The adult female frog is oviparous, laying eggs. The female lays 10-30 eggs, which hatch after about 14 days. The male cares for the eggs. 

The eggs hatch into tadpoles, and the male carries them on his back and takes them to a river or stream. 

Continue reading “Tadpole of the Phantasmal Poison Frog” →

What is the difference between the European Hare and the Patagonian Mara?

MaNi Leave a comment

What is the difference between the European Hare (Lepus europaeus) and the Patagonian Mara (Dolichotis patagonum)?

The European Hare is a lagomorph, specifically a leporid mammal, related to rabbits. It is also known as the Brown Hare. The Patagonian Mara is a large rodent. It is also known as the Patagonian Hare or the Patagonian Cavy, but it is not a hare and it is not related to hares or rabbits. The Patagonian Mara is a cavid, related to the guinea pig. 

Continue reading “What is the difference between the European Hare and the Patagonian Mara?” →

Resettlement of Burrowing Owls in Southern California

MaNi Leave a comment

In Southern California, urban developers built over the burrows of the local Western Burrowing Owls, destroying their habitats.

The Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) is a small, long-legged bird in the Strigidae family of owls. It measures 19-28 centimetres (7-11 inches) tall, with a wingspan of 50-61 centimetres (20-24 inches). It is native to North America and South America. It prefers grasslands, rangelands, agricultural areas, deserts and other open dry areas. 

Unlike most nocturnal (night) owls, the Burrowing Owl is diurnal, active during the day. 

It nests in burrows underground that a prairie dog or a squirrel has dug into the soil. It also nests in other shallow, underground structures.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance collaborated with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to relocate the Burrowing Owls that had lost their homes when humans began building in the area. 

Continue reading “Resettlement of Burrowing Owls in Southern California” →