Spiny lobsters are one of the coastal marine animals that are found in the Pacific southwest to as far as Baja California, Mexico. It is a valuable commercial fishery and in the late 1970’s the fishery business touched its highest point. As it turns out spiny lobsters are less likely to be found in rocky…
The army ant (marabunta) is a collective name applied to more than 200 ant species. Army ants are mainly found in the tropical and temperate regions throughout the North and South America as well as Asia, Australia, and Africa. They are one of the minibeasts that have thrived on our planet for millions of years.…
The brown recluse spider (Loxosceles reclusa) is a venomous spider reaching a length of 6 to 20 mm. The color is dark brown to medium and is also known as violin spider. There is a slight difference in color between the abdomen and cephalothorax. Although the bite is venomous brown recluse spiders are nearly harmless…
The star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata) is a short-bodied small mole found in the extreme southeastern Georgia. It appears to have a snout which the animal uses as a touch organ. There are more than 25,000 minute receptors in the mole’s snout. They have the most bizarre noses in the entire animal kingdom. The star-nosed mole…
The giant octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) is the world’s largest octopus species reaching the size of 71 kg (156 lb). It is also known as North Pacific Giant Octopus. They are mainly found in the North Pacific coasts off the United States. The giant octopus breeds at a depth of 2,000 m. It is thought to…
The brown widow spider (Latrodectus geometricus) is thought to occur in Southern California during the last ten years or so. It continues to expand its territory and is likely to move toward the central California in distant future. The spider is also known as house button spider, grey widow spider, and brown black spider. Brown…
The Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is the largest of all crustaceans. It occurs on muddy or sandy bottoms in water to a depth of 30 – 50 m (100 – 160 ft). The crab is thought to feed on echinoderms, molluscs, crustaceans, and worms. It is also known as takaashigani means ‘tall leg’. Japanese…
The echidna (Tachyglossidae) is a small to medium-sized invertebrate. Along with platypus, it is the world’s only egg-laying mammal. Sometimes echidnas are also called spiny anteaters probably because of their spiny skins. In appearance echidnas seem more like porcupines or hedgehogs. They are found in Australia and New Guinea. Echidna is an interesting animals, lets discover…
Sloths (Megalonychidae) are the medium-sized mammals that occur in the tropical rainforests of the Central and South America. Sloths are unique in their physical appearance and features. Their long limbs and long shaggy coats make them stand out among the rest of the mammalian kingdom. They are almost the size of a large domestic cat.…
The giant squid (Architeuthis) is the largest living invertebrate on the planet. It has probably the largest eyes in the entire animal kingdom. The squid is a bottom-dwelling species and it grows to a tremendous size of 43 feet. It is one of the poorly known oceanic species. The precise distribution is unknown but it…
The brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) is a heavyweight hunter that flies American coastlines in large aerial formations. It is the only pelican species that dives into the sea to catch fish. The bird is a relatively common species as it often visits tourist beaches. The pelican patrols west coast of America from California to as…
The pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) is the largest woodpecker species in the United States. The bird is almost the size of a crow and is often found in the boreal forests of Canada or in the deciduous forests in eastern North America. The physical appearance and the vocalizations are quite unique to this bird. This…
Gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) are the most primitive of the baleen whales. They are twice the size of orcas. Biologists however believe that gray whales get along peacefully with many other marine species. They are not named after their body color because they are not gray—not at least at birth. Gray Whale Facts Anatomy Unlike…
Harris hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus) is a medium-sized bird of prey which is found in much of the southwestern United States, central Argentina, and south to Chile. The bird is threatened in many areas and is also disappeared from its former range including lower Colorado River Valley. Unlike many other birds of prey the Harris hawk…
The emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) is the world’s largest penguin species. Emperor Penguins diet consists of crustaceans and fish. Both parents forage at sea in coordination with each other. It has a varied diet but the diet mainly depends on the location. A survey of 1998 showed that the emperor penguins had 90% of their…
King snake is a nonvenomous species belongs to the genus Lampropeltis and it includes four species and 45 subspecies. The king snakes also make very good pets. So if you are considering to have them as pets then it is better to know them first through these King Snake Facts. Common king snake is one of the…
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a filter feeding shark and it has a cosmopolitan distribution in the tropical and warm temperate waters. It is known to live in the open seas usually avoiding the great depths of water. The whale shark feeds on the coastal sites of the eastern and southern parts of South…