THE MEERKAT
(Suricata suricatta)
The meerkat , otherwise known as the suricate, is a small, furry member of the Mongoose family (Herpestidae) that can stand upright. The creatures have round, fluffy bellies with smaller, more slender limbs. Their snouts are small and pointed, coming to a sharp tip at the animal’s black nose. It lives in the African Savanna grasslands in groups of twenty five to fifty. These groups are called mobs or manors. The female meerkat gives birth to two to five pups at a time, which are born hairless and unable to see. The life expectancy for these pups is about twelve to fourteen years. The creatures live in close-knit webs of intertwining tunnels located underground in the sandy, Savanna soil. The tunnels or burrows serve many purposes including keeping the animals cool and protecting them from predators.
Predators of the meerkat include eagles and hawks, who can easily scoop up the tiny fellows, who weigh only two pounds. This danger requires at least one meerkat to be kept on “watch duty” at all times. This is quite the sacrifice, for the meerkat keeping watch is almost universally killed and eaten. However, the unfortunate meerkat will have already signaled an alarm to the rest of its manor before it is caught, thereby protecting its family and relatives and, in turn, fulfilling its only true purpose in life – passing on its genes.
Meerkats are incredibly selfless creatures, looking out for the wellbeing of the whole manor even if it means surrendering their own personal survival. A crying pup instantly attracts the immediate attention of any adult member of the group, who will see that the pup is taken care of even if it means sacrificing a meal. In addition, grown female meerkats will ta...
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The Eastern chipmunk is a small rodent of the Sciuridae family. This chipmunk is closely related to the red and grey fox, the flying squirrel, and the woodchuck. Its Taxonomic name is Tamias Striatus. The word Tamias, Means collector or keeper and Striatus refers to its bold stripes and coloring.
1.A lot of people are misinformed, have misconceptions, or might not have any idea at all about what these animals are about. The ferret family, which includes weasels, mink, polecats, martins, skunks, badgers, otters, wolverines, and the endangered black-footed ferret. Early Greek literature suggests that unlike its cousins, the ferret has been domesticated for approximately two to three thousand years.
A wolf pack is, at its foundation, simply a family, with the parents (alphas) guiding the activities of the group. Hence, it is easy to believe that dogs are able to bond with human families, especially when the alphas are already parents. The parents view the dog as one of their children, one who remains dependent and will never leave or criticize them (Rogers 1), and in the same manner, the dog views the human parents as if they were his actual parents and as a result, loves and trusts them with his life gladly following them, not once questioning their decisions or actions. For these reasons, humans have found release in the company of dogs because dogs do not judge. By way of example, Sigmund Freud was notably a bad singer and as a result, never sang in public, however he often hummed an aria while petting his dog (Rogers 2). In the presence of dogs, our need to self-censor our words and actions vanishes (Rogers 2). Ultimately, dogs and human beings are able to form such strong emotional bonds through love and
Lemurs are known to be not only the most endangered mammal, but possibly the most endangered vertebrates on the planet. According to IUCN’s Red list of Threatened species, it is reported that “23 of the species are now considered 'critically endangered,' 52 are 'endangered,' and 19 are 'vulnerable'” (Andrainarivo). Simpona lemurs are one of the most endangered species of lemurs. In total there are approximately less than 250 mature Simpona lemurs in the wild as of 2013 (Andrainarivo). The Simpona lemur is only found in a small mountainous area of northeastern Madagascar. Of the many endangered species of lemurs in Madagascar, the Simpona is one of the three most critically endangered. Not only are they one of the top three critically endangered species of lemurs, but are known to be one of the top 25 mo...
Commonly referred to as the African serval or serval cats, the species Leptailurus serval is a medium sized feline native to the continent of Africa. Although it is widley spread throughout subsaharran, they have become extinct in some locations due to human predation. These elegant creatures are known for its remarkable resemblance of a cheetah with a beautiful fur coat that has spotted markings and long thing legs. Another distinguishable feature of the serval are its large round ears that face forward on top of their heads. These features help the serval hunt for prey giving it a relatively high success rate of about 50%.
Pagad, Shyama. "Sciurus Carolinensis (mammal)." Issg.org. IUCN/SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), 17 Oct. 2005. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Kendall, Jodi. (n.d.) Wild at Home: Exotic Anmals as Pets. National Geographic. Retrieved March 5th 2014, from http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/animal-intervention/articles/wild-at-home-exotic-animals-as-pets/
What comes to mind when one thinks of the word ‘puppy’? It is probable describe a puppy as a lovable, adorable, and cuddly companion. However, one might also identify the animal as a menace and a liability or even as a delicious source of food. Why does this single word hold so many meanings? One’s past experiences and biases influences these conflicting views and attitudes. For instance, an individual’s fond view of puppies may exist because they were raised with puppies and consequently grew affectionate toward the animals. On the contrary, if another individual has not bonded with puppies as pets, then they will share the latter point of view. In the short story “Puppy” by George Saunders, the multiple characters view single events and objects with contrasting perceptions. Therefore, instead of painting a precise picture of the characters and the plot, the story expresses several views regarding the morals of the characters, the motivations of their actions, and the meaning of the events that take place. In “Puppy”, George Saunders explores the theory that perception is not an elementary, universal definition of an object or idea, but a complex interpretation that is influenced by one’s unique and varying past experiences and opinions. The complexity of perception is evident in one the story’s narrator’s, Marie’s, vantage point.
The last criterion might be the reason why NGOs are interested in promoting play behavior as an indicator of positive welfare. Play behavior is more likely to be expressed when animals are healthy and well-fed, and less likely when they are subjected to stressful conditions [9,10]. For instance, play behavior is observed less in malnourished piglets [11,12] and also in bad weather conditions [13]. Play behavior may indicate a state of good welfare, because once the primary needs of the animals are satisfied, the motivation for playing might be higher.
The loss of habitat over time for the Florida panther has caused problems with dispersal and inbreeding within smaller populations. Inbreeding within these smaller patches of land, has resulted in congenital birth defects such as heart conditions and abnormal tails resulting in shorter life spans and high infant mortality within the panther populations (Facemire et al. 1993). In an effort to ameliorate inbreeding, a subspecies of puma from Australia (P. c. stanleyana) was introduced into South FL and has increased current panther counts from 60 in the 1990s to 130 individuals in 2001 (Johnson et al. 2010). In addition to inbreeding, panthers also suffer from exposure to environmental contaminants from agriculture and/or from consuming wildlife (raccoons) containing mercury and androgen crippling chemi...
Arluke, A. (1994). Managing emotions in an animal shelter (pp. 145-165). Animals and human society.
Atelerix albiventris, also commonly known as the four-toed hedgehog, is a fascinating organism with a plethora of intriguing characteristics. The hierarchical classification of this organism is as follows: Kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Mammalia, order Insectivora, family Erinaceidae, genus Atelerix, and species albiventris. In the genus Atelerix, there are four other species. The members of this genus include the four-toed hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris), the Somali Hedgehog (Atelerix sclateri), the Southern African Hedgehog (Atelerix frontalis), and the North African hedgehog (Atelerix algirus) (Santana 2010).The two distinctive features of the class Mammalia are the presence of hair and mammary glands. The function of hair is to serve as an insulator while the mammary glands enable females to produce nutritious, calorie-rich milk and nurse their young. Members of the order Insectivora are insect-eating mammals that have a long snout and either covered in fur or spines. Insectivores are seen as primitive mammals because they lack certain advanced characteristics seen in complex mammals, such as the primates. Instead of a ridged brain they have a smooth brain and instead of two separate openings for the genitals and anus, they have a cloaca, which serves as the opening for both the urinary and reproductive tracts. Furthermore, three commonly known mammals in this order Insectivora are the hedgehog, mole, and the. The genus Atelerix contains the African hedgehogs, which are distinguishable spines covering their bodies, a white fur belly, and typically are between six to eight inches in length (Vaughan 1972)
" Society & Animals 18.2 (2010): 183-203. Academic Search Premier -. EBSCO. Web. The Web. The Web.
Abuse in any setting can have effects that may not be visible on the outside, but rather, lie deep within. Animals, especially house pets are easily imprinted on and often times know no other life than the home that they live in. Establishing rules and boundaries in the household is important, but when these rules are disobeyed (such as establishing where the ‘bathroom’ is), knowing how to properly reprimand the animal is key. Proper discipline results in a well-behaved animal, but being unnecessarily hostile towards the animal can result in a series of emotional problems that can make training the animal even harder. An excess of fear is a sign of the psychological effects of abuse. Once fear is instilled in an animal, issues regarding behavior can start to arise. Even in an environment that is meant to serve the purpose of emulating a wild animal’s habitat, psychological damage will most likely occur. For example, taking a baby orca from it’s pod and putting it in a small enclosu...
Otherwise known as saiga tatarica originally lived in the Eurasian steppe. They also lived in North America. Today they are only found in Russia and Kazakhstan. Normally their height is 0.6 - 0.8 meters at the shoulder and weighs 36 - 63 kilograms (79- 139 Pounds). Their lifespan is 6 to 10 years. They are in Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Family: Bovidae. They form large herds in grasslands, steppes, and semidesserts.