Saturday, December 27, 2008
Volcano Rabbit
I'm here to update again. Why is always me? D:
The most serious threats to the Volcano Rabbit are habitat degradation and target shooting. A variety of factors appear to be responsible for the continued degradation of the rabbit's habitat, including forest fires, overgrazing by cattle and sheep, encroachment by development (both from the expansion of Mexico City as well as additional rural settlements near the rabbit's core habitat) and agriculture, over-exploitation of timber and cutting of zacaton grasses for thatch and brush manufacture.
The IUCN/SSC Lagomorph Specialist Group has created an action plan for this rabbit (Fa & Bell, 1990). The plan focuses upon the need to manage the burning and overgrazing of the zacaton habitats and to enforce laws prohibiting the capture, sale and hunting of the animal. Studies are recommended into the geographical range, habitat relationships, population dynamics and life history (Fa & Bell, 1990). In addition, habitat restoration and the establishment of zacaton corridors to link core areas of habitat are needed. Captive breeding colonies exist at Jersey Zoo, UK and Chapultepec Zoo, Mexico City (Olney & Ellis, 1993).
Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volcano_RabbitThanks,
Joel
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Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Philippine Crocodile
Although this species was once found over the whole of the Philippines, it is now critically endangered. In addition to this, very little is known about the natural history or ecology of the species, or its relationship with C. porosus, whose range it overlaps. More surveys are required to determine the present range. Initial population reduction was through commercial exploitation, although the current threat is mainly from removal of suitable habitat for agricultural purposes to satisfy a rapidly expanding human population. There is also very limited governmental support for any conservation measures, and the crocodiles are often killed by the local populace. This situation needs to be changed through awareness programs. Long-term captive breeding and release (through PWRCC, Silliman University and international breeding centres) is judged to be the best course to take at the present time, although it is imperative that a management program is drawn up for the remainder of the wild population (most of which resides in only one protected area). In 1992, there were estimated to be less than 1000 animals in the wild. In 1995, that estimate was revised to be no more than 100 non-hatchlings (note: hatchlings are rarely counted in surveys because their survivorship is so low).
In 2007, a specialist group has been founded by several people within the Philippines, involved in crocodilian conservation. The Crocodile Conservation Society Philippines and the Zoological Institute of HerpaWorld working on Conservation Breeding and Release Programs.
Crocodylus mindorensis was considered locally extinct in part of its former range in Northern Luzon until a live specimen was caught in San Mariano, Isabela in 1999. That individual, nicknamed 'Isabela' by its captors, was given to the care of the Crocodile Rehabilitation Observance and Conservation until it was released in August 2007. The specimen was 1.6 meters long at the time of its release.
This crocodile was featured in National Geographic's Dangerous Encounters hosted by crocodile specialist Dr. Brady Barr. In one of the episodes, Barr was seeking to be the first person to see all species of crocodile in the world, with the Philippine crocodile as the most difficult. Fortunately, he was able to see a Philippine crocodile only about two weeks old.
Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippines_Crocodile#ConservationToodles, Joel
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Monday, December 1, 2008
'bout elephantz...:D
Heyy!!!:DElephants are large land mammals of the order Proboscidea and the family Elephantidae. There are three living species: the African Bush Elephant, the African Forest Elephant and the Asian Elephant (also known as the Indian Elephant). Other species have become extinct since the last ice age, the Mammoths being the best-known of these. They were once classified along with other thick skinned animals in a now invalid order, Pachydermata.
Elephants are the largest land animals. The elephant's gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land animal. At birth it is common for an elephant calf to weigh 120 kilograms (260 lb). They typically live for 50 to 70 years, but the oldest recorded elephant lived for 82 years. The largest elephant ever recorded was shot in Angola in 1956. This male weighed about 12,000 kilograms (26,000 lb),with a shoulder height of 4.2 metres (14 ft), a metre (yard) taller than the average male African elephant. The smallest elephants, about the size of a calf or a large pig, were a prehistoric species that lived on the island of Crete during the Pleistocene epoch.
The elephant has appeared in cultures across the world. They are a symbol of wisdom in Asian cultures and are famed for their memory and intelligence, where they are thought to be on par with cetaceans and hominids. Aristotle once said the elephant was "the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind". The word "elephant" has its origins in the Greek ἐλέφας, meaning "ivory" or "elephant".
Healthy adult elephants have no natural predators, although lions may take calves or weak individuals. They are, however, increasingly threatened by human intrusion and poaching. Once numbering in the millions, the African elephant population has dwindled to between 470,000 and 690,000 individuals. The elephant is now a protected species worldwide, with restrictions in place on capture, domestic use, and trade in products such as ivory.Save animals!!!:Dbuhbye!roro.credits:wikipedia.com
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Giant Pandas
The Giant Panda is an endangered species, threatened by continued habitat loss and by a very low birthrate, both in the wild and in captivity.
The Giant Panda has been a target for poaching by locals since ancient times, and by foreigners since it was introduced to the West. Starting in the 1930s, foreigners were unable to poach Giant Pandas in China because of the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Chinese Civil War, but pandas remained a source of soft furs for the locals. The population boom in China after 1949 created stress on the pandas' habitat, and the subsequent famines led to the increased hunting of wildlife, including pandas. During the Cultural Revolution, all studies and conservation activities on the pandas were stopped. After the Chinese economic reform, demand for panda skins from Hong Kong and Japan led to illegal poaching for the black market, acts generally ignored by the local officials at the time.Though the Wolong National Nature Reserve was set up by the PRC government in 1958 to save the declining panda population, few advances in the conservation of pandas were made, due to inexperience and insufficient knowledge of ecology. Many believed that the best way to save the pandas was to cage them. As a result, pandas were caged at any sign of decline, and suffered from terrible conditions. Because of pollution and destruction of their natural habitat, along with segregation due to caging, reproduction of wild pandas was severely limited. In the 1990s, however, several laws (including gun control and the removal of resident humans from the reserves) helped the chances of survival for pandas. With these renewed efforts and improved conservation methods, wild pandas have started to increase in numbers in some areas, even though they still are classified as a rare species.
In 2006, scientists reported that the number of pandas living in the wild may have been underestimated at about 1,000. Previous population surveys had used conventional methods to estimate the size of the wild panda population, but using a new method that analyzes DNA from panda droppings, scientists believe that the wild panda population may be as large as 3,000. Although the species is still endangered, it is thought that the conservation efforts are working. As of 2006, there were 40 panda reserves in China, compared to just 13 reserves two decades ago.
The Giant Panda is among the world's most adored and protected rare animals, and is one of the few in the world whose natural inhabitant status was able to gain a UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. The Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries, located in the southwest Sichuan province and covering 7 natural reserves, were inscribed onto the World Heritage List in 2006.
Posted by: Jojo (♫Joel♫)
Credits:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panda#Conservation
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Saturday, November 29, 2008
New Blog Author:Joel...
Heyy guys!!!:Dthere's a new blog author!!!Mr Lee Xin Jie Joel!!!*applauds*haha.lol!!!:D.....he will also be the last blog author.....:Dp/s:coco,allow him.......to be a part of our blog....and this blog will be in the siblings' hands!!!:D
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Friday, November 28, 2008
'Bout some animals.....:D love em' loadzzz.....
Heyy guyz!!!Manatees:They live in the warm gulf waters of waters.Referred as sea cows.Gentle creatures,ffriendly with Humans.Have flippers(forelimbs)with 3 to 4 nails each.Have wrinkled face with whiskers on the snout.It's closest land relative:The Elephant.3m long,362-544kg......0.0life expectancy:35-37yrsHerbivores.Give birth every 3 years.Communicate thru squeeky vocal sounds.true native Floridians.Rhinos:Scientific name:Ceratotherium Simum.Endangered.Save 'em D:Only predator:Poachers.....sadd D:Hunted for their huge hornz.Hornz are made from thickly matted hair,called keratin.Keratin is the same material from which our fingernails are made of.Adults reach 1.75m(- or +)2,300kg.Gestation period:18mths.Have 3 toes.Life expectancy:35-40yrs.Poor eyeight.Keen sense of hearing and smell.Herbivores.Deposit their dung at places called middens.Yucks!White rhinos are larger than black ones.White rhinos live in grasslands or savnnahs whilst black ones live dense vegetation areas.Gorillas:
3 species:
1)Western Gorilla2)Eastern Gorilla3)Mountain Gorilla.
Mostly live in troops.
eastern ones live in central africans lowlands and mountain rainforests of Congo.
western ones live in cameroon and central african republic.
gorilla's DNA is 97.5% identical to humans.
Have longer arms than legs.
Each one has different noseprins.
Use their knuckles whle they are "crawling".
At th age of 13, some adults(males)develop silver-colored hair on their backs and are called silverbacks, and are known to take the decisions in the troop.
Blackbacks leave the troop at the age of 11(only males)
Are more active in the day.
The giant crest on top of their heads are called Saggital crest.Nests are made of thin branches with loads of leaves.Credits:The Slate Foundationbuhbye!roro....
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adorable zebras hugging.
if the killing continues, the number of zebras in the world will decrease...
no more cute pictures! D:
SAVE THEM! :D
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