The Least Chipmunk, Tamias minimus, is perfectly named! This is a very small chipmunk, weighing only 32 to 50 grams with a total length of 185-216 mm. The Least Chipmunk loves to use its tail and will run with the tail straight up and flicker it back and forth while perching.
Chipmunks can be distinguished from other squirrels by their distinct striping through the eyes. If the striping does not run all the way through the eyes, it is not a chipmunk. Many people confuse the golden-mantled ground squirrel with chipmunks because of the similar stripped pattern. In the eastern United States there is only one dominant species of chipmunk: the Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus). But in the west, there are about 28 different and distinct species of chipmunk! It can be extremely hard to tell the difference, especially when these little critters are moving so fast. But there are subtle differences in color, stripe pattern, size, length, habitat choice, and range.
The Least Chipmunk, like other chipmunks, are diurnal and are active during the day and sleep in their burrows at night. In cold winter months, it will spend its days underground, periodically waking up to feed on stored food. Unlike the Eastern Chipmunk, the Least Chipmunk does not hibernate.
Habitat
The Least Chipmunk, one of the most widespread of all chipmunk species, is most abundantly found in alpine coniferous forests (cone-bearing trees) and tundra, but you may also find the it in aspen woodlands, chaparral scrub and sagebrush desert. Least Chipmunks are found in the western portion of the United States and throughout much of Canada.
Diet
The least chipmunk’s diet, as with most other chipmunks, consists primarily of nuts and seeds that they gather in their very large cheek pouches. But this littlest chipmunk will also eat leaves, grasses, flowers, insects, and fungi.
Ecological Importance
They scatter-hoard, storing seeds all over the place, so they unwittingly help many species of plants sprout in new places.
The Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) is the most common and widespread pinniped in the world. It is found in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans as well as the Baltic and North Seas. It is, however, restricted to coastlines and is almost never seen more than 20 km offshore.
Lifespan – How long do Harbor Seals live?
The lifespan of harbor seals is different between males and females. Female harbor seals have a life expectancy averaging 30 to 35 years. Males on the other hand only live on average 20 to 25 years. It is believed that males endure a great deal more stress during courtship, which may account for their shorter lifespans.
Mating of Harbor Seals
Female Harbor Seals will mate with the largest and most powerfull male harbor seal. Males fight over this position to gain access to females.
What do Harbor Seals eat?
The main food item for harbor seals is fish such as menhaden, anchovy, seabass, herring, mackerel, cod, whiting, and flatfish. But they can be seen eating shrimp, mollusks, and squid. To get their prey, harbor seals will dive underwater for up to 10 minutes. Generally they dive to 60 feet or less but have been recorded reaching depths of almost 1500 feet.
The golden babirusa is a species of old world pig in the family Susidae. Until 2002, all of the babirusas in the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Togian, Sula, and Buru were lumped with this species. Now there are two additional species, the north Sulawesi babirusa (B. celebensis) and Togian Babirusa (B. togeanensis).
The most notable characteristic of the babirusa are the large male tusks. The are formed from the canine teeth. In many individuals the teeth grow up through the skull and curve backwards towards the eyes.
Diet
Babirusas are omnivores, feeding mostly on fruits on the forest floor.
Habitat
Babirusas are found in tropical forests of Indonesia.
Reproductive Habits
Male Babirusa pigs have long teeth with which they “box” with during the mating season. Once a male mates with a female, gestation takes between 120 and 150 days. Unlike other pigs which give birth to large litters, the babirusa gives birth to one or two piglets in a small nest.
The Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is a medium-sized chipmunk found in the eastern United States and Canada. This chipmunk is easily distinguished from other chipmunks in the genus Tamias because of its unique stripping. The back in this chipmunk has very few alternating black and white stripes. Instead it consists of a greyish strip with a light black stripe in the center.
Interesting Facts
Like most other chipmunks, males and females share seperate territories. They only get together for a short time in the spring to mate.
The Dugong is a large aquatic Sirenian in the family Dugongidae. It is one of four living species of marine mammals in the Order Sirenia. The Dugong has a large range from Egypt to Australia and most of the Indo-Pacific.
The Duckbill Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) or duck-billed platypus is often just referred to as the platypus since it is the only living platypus species today. It is one of only 5 species of egg laying mammals known as monotremes. This odd-looking mammal was discovered in Australia when colonizers arrived from Europe. They were perplexed at this beaver-tailed, duck-billed, otter-footed, hairy, egg-laying mammal. Not only does it appear to be a mix of many different animals, but it is also one of the few venomous mammals.
Where does the platypus live?
The platypus is found in eastern Australia from Tasmania north to the Queensland tropics.
Humans have spent centuries living with pigs. Possibly before humans decided to settle down into an agricultural lifestyle, the pig made its home with us. Today, the domesticated version of the wild European boar has hundreds of varieties. Because of this variety, some scientists even considered the domesticated pig to be its own species (Sus domesticus). Yet, we’ll simply take the traditional approach in this treatment, defining the domestic pig as a subspecies of the wild boar: Sus scrofus domesticus.
In this overview of the domestic pig we’ll highlight some of the more unique and interesting facts about this charismatic barnyard animal. We’ll review some of the most common breeds found on farms across the world. Finally, we’ll show some of the studies that have been done on pig intelligence.
Pig Terminology
There are many names for the pig, including swine, hogs, oinkers, and suids. What names are appropriate to call a pig and what aren’t? Here is a quick overview of some of the pig terminology.
Piglets : Any suckling pig
Gilt: A virgin female pig
Shoat: A juvenile male pig
Boar: Any male pig that’s not a piglet
Barrow: Male pig castrated at an early age
Sow: Mature female pig
Stag: Male pig castrated at a later age
Drift: A herd of domestic pigs
Sounder: Not used here, but it’s a group of wild pigs
Farrow: A group of piglets
Domestic Pig Range
While most wild animals will have a map of the areas they are found, domestic animals rarely have a range map. Instead, we found a map that details where pig production is the highest in the world. In the US there are approximately 60 million pigs in farms at any given time. The other large producers are Europe and China. The following map shows this graphically.
Pig Intelligence
Fairy tails and poets give pigs the reputation for being one of the smarter animals on the farm. You may have even heard some people testify that pigs are smarter than dogs. We compiled a list of some of the most recent research about pig intelligence here.
Candace Croney (Oregon State) discovered that pigs have the ability to respond to an action with an object. In other words you could say push the ball into the ground. Or pick up the ball. Dogs can’t do that.
Suzanne Held (Bristol University) found that pigs are one-trial learners. If they push a lever once and food comes out, they’ve learned it on that single try.
Stanley Curts (Univ. Illinois) found that pigs can actually play video games. By using their snouts they were able to move the direction of objects on a computer screen. The ability for an animal to perform one action that distantly effects another action is a pretty advanced cognitive skill.
Stanley is also trying to teach pigs a rudimentary language so as to communicate to pigs. He hopes that pigs will be able to tell us when they’re stressed and when they’re happy, etc.
Mike Mendel (Bristol Univ) is exploring the ability of pigs to read other pig’s minds. In other words one pig can interpret what a another pig is thinking based on their actions. In his tests he put three pigs in a row. The pig in the middle could see the other two. They then showed food to one pig but not the others. When they opened the gates the middle pig would always follow the pig that had seen the food.
Ian Sneddon (Queen’s Univ. Belfast) found that pigs learn better in a stimulated environment. Just like human infants learn better when they’re stimulated as infants and not kept in empty rooms, pigs are the same way. Big surprise?
Donald Boom discovered that pigs are self aware when looking at a mirror and can find food by using the mirror’s reflection. Only monkeys, elephants, humans, and a gray parrot have shown the capability to use mirrors.
Pig Breeds
According to the Field Guide to Pigs, there are well over 500 breeds of pigs in the world. The following section identifies the most common ones you might find on a farm.
Yorkshire
Also called the large white, this white pig, with ears held upright, is the most widely exported pig in the world! Mature adults can reach well over 1,000 pounds. It is known for it’s pork since it has the least amount of back fat of any of the major breeds.
Chester White
The chester white is an all white pig with medium floppy ears. It should have no spots on it’s body. Originally, the chester white was developed in the US in Chester country, Pennsylvania. It’s basically a mix of some now extinct breeds.
Landrace
This pig is completely white (or slightly pinkish) and exceptionally long. It actually has more ribs than other pigs (17 in total) and is known for its bacon-producing ability. It has lean meat, fast growth, and is very sturdy. The Danes were the first to create this breed, and it has spread throughout the world.
Gloucestershire Old Spot
This breed is often known as GOS. This pig has white hair and black spots. Sometimes there is just one spot on either flank, and sometimes there are multiple spots on the pig. The ears are floppy. This breed is almost entirely a bacon breed. Today it is somewhat rare with only about 100 breeders.
Poland China
The Poland China is from neither Poland or China. Instead it comes from Warren County in Ohio. A Polish man made the breed popular, though. This pig has white socks, a white snout, and a white tail. The ears usually hang well over the eyes. It has a quiet disposition and a rugged constitution. Males can easily get to 900 pounds. The largest Poland China, however, weighed a whopping 2,552 pounds.
Large Black
The large black is used for lean pork. It has large ears that generally cover the face. Its fine hair is black and covers black skin underneath. Because of the increased pigment in the skin, this breed is favored for outdoor rearing. It also has a gentle disposition and produces large litters. Males can reach 700 pounds.
The Common Warthog is also known as the African Lens-Pig. It lives primarily in grasslands, savannas, and woodlands in sub-Saharan Africa. Common Warthog populations are estimated to be about 250,000 wild individuals. There are no current threats to this species.
Desmodus rotundus is known as the Common Vampire Bat. It is one of three species of vampire bats. These bats prey upon the blood of cattle, horses, pigs, humans, large birds, and other large animals. Contrary to popular belief, vampire bats do not suck the blood from their prey. Instead they make an incision in their victims and then lap up the blood from the wound.
Like the black bear, the brown bear or grizzly bear once inhabited wide regions of the American landscape. Grizzly bears can live in a wide range of habitats including tundra, coniferous and hardwood forests, and sub-alpine mountain areas. However, extensive undisturbed areas of land are necessary for grizzly bear survival. Four hundred years of human expansion has displaced grizzlies into the remote northwestern regions of the continent. Most grizzly bears live in Alaska and Canada. In the lower 48 states, isolated populations survive in parts of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and Washington.
Description
Some grizzly bears are the size of big black bears, while others may be as large as medium-sized polar bears. Because of their salmon-rich diet, coastal grizzly bears grow larger than their inland counterparts and can easily weigh over 1000 pounds. Grizzly bear fur ranges in color from buff to dark brown. Coats are often white-tipped, especially on the back, resulting in a frosted, or grizzled, appearance.
Humans are less tolerant of grizzly bears than black bears, primarily due to the aggressive-defensive behavior they exhibit toward humans. The evolution of aggressive behavior in grizzly bears may be tied to their habitat. When grizzly bears spread out from forests into treeless areas such as tundra and grasslands, they gained new food sources. Whereas female black bears often protect their cubs by having them climb trees, female grizzly bears with cubs compensate for their lack of cover by responding to perceived threats with real or bluff attacks.
Diet
Grizzly bears are omnivores, primarily eating vegetation such as roots, bulbs, berries, grasses, and sedges. Grizzly bears’ prominent shoulder muscles, along with their long, front claws, are adaptations for digging up plant roots. They also eat insects and fish. Like black bears and polar bears, grizzly bears can be attracted to human food sources such as garbage and pet food. In some areas, grizzly bears prey on caribou, moose, and elk.
Like black bears, grizzly bears dramatically increase their food consumption in preparation for winter hibernation. Both sexes dig dens as winter approaches. Grizzly bears often position these dens at the bases of trees. A common misconception is that bears den to avoid cold weather. Denning is believed to be a survival adaptation that allows bears to survive times of limited food availability.
Threats to Population
Habitat destruction is the primary threat to grizzly bear survival. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service seeks to restore grizzly bear populations in suitable habitat in isolated northwest regions of the lower 48 states. Grizzly bear hunting is illegal in the lower 48 states. Unfortunately, hunters seeking black bears occasionally kill grizzly bears by mistake.
