Category Animal World

Is the Alaskan moose a deer?

If you like Rudolf the red-nosed reindeer, you may like his bigger cousin – the Alaskan moose. The moose, or elk as it is known in Europe, is the largest member of the deer family. It stands at almost 7 feet tall and weighs close to 650 kg – almost double the size of a reindeer.

Its imposing height is accentuated by enormous, regal antlers that can span 6 feet from tip to tip. Moose shed their antlers in the winter and grow a new pair in the spring. Every year their antlers grow bigger and more impressive. For the male moose, antlers are a sign of dominance and also help protect its eyes during fights or displays.

The moose is a browser that will eat willows, aspen twigs, woody plants and bark from trees and shrubs. In fact, the name moose comes from the Algonquin (indigenous people of Canada) term meaning “eater of twigs”. Did you know that the moose can store more than 45 kgs of food in its stomach? How’s that for food hoarding?

Even though they look enormous and unwieldy, these animals are graceful on land and water. They are capable of running at 56 km/h and can swim at nearly 10 km/h. They need to be nimble on their feet, as moose hunting is a sport in Alaska. Every year nearly 7,000 moose are killed during autumn and winter with guns as well as bows by local residents. They are also hunted by wolves and bears.

Surprisingly however, the moose is listed under ‘Least Concern’ in the IUCN List. In fact, moose populations are actually increasing in many ranges. GO moose!

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Which is the tallest animal?

No prizes for guessing the tallest animal in the world. The giraffe – with its incredible long neck – is quite literally ‘head and shoulders’ above the rest.

If you thought LeBron James, the famous basketball player was tall, think again. Male giraffes grow up to 14 feet in height. The legs of a giraffe alone are 6 feet long. This means that a basketball player would be able to walk easily under a giraffe! Additionally its neck also measures an additional 6 feet. If you can picture two LeBron James’ standing one upon the other – that’s how tall a giraffe is!

They can run at speeds of 56 km/h, but these sleepy-eyed giants are peaceful by nature. They spend their days browsing on acacia leaves, tall shrubs and hanging fruits. They use their long blue tongues to pluck off leaves and buds from trees. They do not eat short grasses. Can you guess why?                                                                  

This is because bending its head is not an easy job for the giraffe. It will only drink water once in a few days due to this. It must spread its legs and bend its long neck down to get at the water which makes it vulnerable to predators. However, it’s not just being vulnerable from predator that makes drinking water a tricky business for the giraffe. Its body must also regulate its blood pressure so that the act of bending does not cause its head to explode. Why? Keep reading…

A giraffe’s heart has to pump blood so that it reaches its brain – which is very far away! For this, the giraffe’s heart (which weighs about 11 kg) has to pump a powerful beat to keep sending blood into the brain. Consequently a giraffe’s blood pressure is very high – nearly twice as high as a human’s.

With such a high blood pressure when the giraffe lowers its head the sudden change in blood pressure would cause its head to explode! The giraffe prevents this by regulating the blood flow into its brain (and heart) while lowering its head and lifting it back up again with the help of ‘elastic’ veins and thick heart muscles. These unique adaptations have been studied by NASA to design space suits. Looks like science still has a long way to go to catch up with nature!

These incredible and gentle animals are threatened by poaching, climate change and habitat loss. They are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List but are already extinct in many countries in Africa.

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How is the emperor penguin a survivor?

If there was an award for survival of an animal in an extreme environment, it would certainly go to the emperor penguin. These birds spend their entire life in the Antarctic, facing chill winds as cold as minus 60 degree centigrade and blizzards blowing at 200 km/h!

The emperor penguin is a distinctive bird. It has a black head and back, pale yellow breast and ear patches and a white belly. Considered the tallest and heaviest of all penguin species, an adult bird is about 4 feet tall and weighs between 23 and 45 kg.

Emperor penguins are very social and live in large groups. These groups are cohesive and supportive and individuals help each other to stay warm in the brutal Antarctic winters. The whole group will huddle in a big circle, with the outer members of the circle moving inwards periodically to ensure that no penguin is exposed to the cold for too long. How’s that for teamwork?

Emperor penguins trek 50-120 km over the open ice to breeding colonies which can contain up to several thousand individuals. Penguins stay with the same partner for life. Females lay a single egg, which is handed over to the male. The mother then goes to the sea to feed. The father will incubate the egg in a special ‘brood pouch’ near his feet for 65 days. He will lose about 40 percent of his body weight during this time. The mother returns just before the chick hatches and feeds it with regurgitated fish from the sea. The father then goes to the sea to feed. In this way the parents take turns foraging at sea and caring for their chick. The lifespan of an emperor penguin is typically around 20 years in the wild.

The emperor penguin is severely affected by climate change and is listed under ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN’s Red List.

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Where can we find bison?

Two surviving species of bison are found in America and Europe. They are called the American bison and the European bison. The American bison, also known as the buffalo or the plains buffalo, is native to North America. The European bison, also called ‘wisent’, is native to Europe.

The American bison lives in the Great Plains (USA) and can weigh between 400 and 1,270 kg. The wisent lives in woodlands and is taller than the American bison but less heavily built. It can weigh between 800 and 1000 kg.

Before settlers took over the land, millions of bison roamed free in North America. By the late 1800’s bison were hunted almost to the edge of extinction. Today, due to conservation efforts, the bison population is slowly showing signs of recovery in North America.

The European bison became extinct in most parts of Europe during the Middle ages. A small population existed in the Caucasus Mountains and over the years, due to captive breeding programmes, was reintroduced into the wild. Today, the European bison is found in Poland, Germany, France, Lithuania and Switzerland. The largest population is found in Poland.

Bison are nomadic grazers that feed on grass, herbs, twigs and leaves. Even though they look heavy, they are agile and fast, and can reach speeds of 65 km/h. They spend the warmer part of the day resting or rolling in mud and taking dust baths! Bison calves are red in colour and are sometimes called ‘red dogs’ in America due to this. Bison are unpredictable and can stampede upon the least provocation. It is best to give them space and respect their boundaries.

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Is the hippopotamus as harmless as it looks?

In the wild, the hippopotamus is the proverbial bully. These out-sized waddlers may look cute and cuddly, but are in fact the most ferocious, unpredictable creatures you could ever encounter! Weighing between 1,210 and 3,000 kg and growing to around 1.52 metres tall and 5 metres long, they have very few natural predators, except humans.

Hippos are native to Africa and spend most of their time in muddy rivers, lakes and mangrove swamps. They do this to escape the hot African sun and to keep their skin moist. In fact, the word hippopotamus means ‘river horse’ in Greek. They are mainly herbivores who eat grass, leaves, fruits and aquatic plants.

Hippos have the dubious distinction of being the world’s deadliest large land animal. They are fiercely territorial in the water and will attack anyone who invades their space, including apex water predators like the crocodile. Did you know that hippos are responsible for nearly 500 deaths in Africa every year! Even elephants and lions steer clear of hippos when they are in the water.

Their main defence is their deadly chomp! With one of the strongest bite forces of all land animals 1825 psi (pounds per square inch), the hippo is certainly an adversary to beware of. Together with its impressive jaw which opens nearly 180 degrees and giant canines that grow to a length of 46 centimetres, the hippo can easily break a man in two if it wants to.

Did you know that hippos are the only animals in nature to produce their own sunscreen! They sweat an oily, red pigment that protects their skin from the UV rays and also prevents bacterial infection.

Hippos are threatened by humans and habitat loss. They are classified as ‘Vulnerable’ in the IUCN Red List.

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What makes the gaur unique?

The gaur, also called the Indian bison, is the largest bovine species in the world and the tallest species of wild cattle.

It is native to South and Southeast Asia. It is a strong and massively built animal that grows to a height of 1.50 to 2.20 metres and weighs up to 1500 kg.

The gaur is found mostly in India in the Western Ghats in evergreen, tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests.

Its horns grow laterally from its face and form a wide hollow on the top of its head. Males or bulls are larger than females or cows, with an intimidating dorsal ridge and a heavy dewlap (loose fold of skin below the neck). The slightly raised back gives it a somewhat belligerent appearance! Adults are blue-eyed and dark brown in colour and the lower halves of their legs are pristine white.

The gaur eats leaves, stems, grass, seeds and flowers of various plants. They also like to eat the barks of certain trees. Peak feeding occurs between 6 am and 8 am, while afternoons are spent resting in the shade of trees.

This intimidating and magnificent animal is bold and fearless. It does not fear any animal or human. The adult gaur bull has very few natural predators. Even the mighty tiger is known to give this animal a wide berth! There are many instances of gaur chasing away tigers by charging towards them. In case of an attack, bigger gaur will surround weaker calves and face off with the predator. When the gaur assumes this battle position, very few tigers will continue the attack.

It is an endangered species protected under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act of 1972. Major threats are bovine diseases from domesticated cattle who often share grazing grounds with the gaur due to encroachment by humans.

Picture Credit : Google