The Arctic Wolf inhabits the northern part of Greenland, the Canadian Arctic and parts of Alaska. They have lived in North America  for more than two million years. When they find a den, they make a couple of chambers for food and young. Arctic wolves live on the islands of the Canadian Arctic, and the north coast of Greenland, roughly north of 70° North latitude. The Arctic Wolf is the only subspecies of the Gray Wolf that still can be found over the whole of its original range, largely because, in their natural habitat, they rarely encounter humans.

Like all wolves, Arctic Wolves hunt in packs, preying mainly on Caribou and Muskoxen, but also Arctic Hares, seals, ptarmigan and lemmings, and smaller animals such as waterfowl. To eat rodents  they must pick up their scent and find the entrance to their tiny dens to flush them out. Wolves almost never attack humans. Due to the scarcity of prey, they roam large areas, up to 2,600 km2 , and follow migrating caribou south during the winter. They are not fast runners, instead relying on stamina to take down prey

]]> http://www.pluspets.net/arctic-wolf/feed/ 0 http://www.pluspets.net/safari-south-africa/ http://www.pluspets.net/safari-south-africa/#comments Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:25:04 +0000 Plus Pets http://www.pluspets.net/?p=1302 These photos were taken in the Kruger National Park and the nearby nature reserve in South Africa Eden photographer animalist Cameron Spencer. Kruger National Park – one of the largest reserves in South Africa, has spread on the territory of 19,000 sq. It is part of a large park Limpopo. Eden covers an area of 8498 hectares, on which there is a huge diversity of animal and bird worlds.

1. Out of the darkness of the African night, the road appears the king of beasts, his piercing eyes full of purpose and power. This moment was captured wildlife photographer Hannes Lochner as part of his album of black and white photo of the African Kalahari desert. (HANNES LOCHNER / BARCROFT MEDIA)

2. Hannes Lochner made this album for two years. These photographs provide a unique perspective on wildlife of one of the most beautiful and mysterious regions of the world. “Kalahari – very dramatic and wonderful place to shoot wildlife,” – says 38-year-old photographer. (HANNES LOCHNER / BARCROFT MEDIA

3. Self-taught photographer turned pro just four years ago. Lochner and pictures of all different styles, but black and white photographs have always been in his heart a special place. (HANNES LOCHNER / BARCROFT MEDIA)

4. Hannes Lochner. (HANNES LOCHNER / BARCROFT MEDIA)

5. “I always try to get as much emotion from the animals. In black and white photographs for me a lot more emotion. You see in their eyes. And even more. ” (HANNES LOCHNER / BARCROFT MEDIA)

6. Kalahari Desert is part of the huge sand basin of the River Orange to Angola, Namibia in the west and east of Zimbabwe. On an area 350 000 sq. miles live San Bushmen, who lived in the desert for 20 000 years. (HANNES LOCHNER / BARCROFT MEDIA)

7. Although officially called the Kalahari desert in its territory has a large variety of wild animals due to frequent rains in the winter and spring. (HANNES LOCHNER / BARCROFT MEDIA)

8. Srednemaksimalnaya temperature – plus 29 °, and sredneminimalnaya – plus 12 °, evaporation 3 thousand mm. (HANNES LOCHNER / BARCROFT MEDIA)

9. ?? ?????????? ??????? ????????? ?????????? ???????? – ?????? ?????????? ? ????. ????? ??????? ????????, ????, ????? ? ??????. (HANNES LOCHNER/ BARCROFT MEDIA)

10. Although probably the most interesting animal species in the desert – surikaty. (HANNES LOCHNER / BARCROFT MEDIA)

Pilot Whales are jet black or a very dark grey color. The dorsal fin is set forward on the back and sweeps back. The newborn whale’s dorsal fin is flexible at birth so as to facilitate the birthing process. The body is elongated but stocky and narrows abruptly toward the tail fin.Males are less gracile in form than the females. Differences between long and short-finned pilot whales are quite subtle, and where their distributions overlap it is generally not possible to tell the species apart at sea. On land specimens may be distinguished by the length of flipper, the number of teeth and the shape of the skull: the Short-finned has a more bulbous head particularly in older males; the Long-finned is squarer, and the forehead is more likely to overhang the mouth. G. macrorhynchus was described, from skeletal materials only, by John Edward Gray in 1846. He presumed from the skeleton that the whale had a large beak.

The Long-finned Pilot Whale has traditionally been hunted by whalers by the process of “driving” – where many fishermen and boats gather in a semicircle behind a pod of whales, that has been sighted close to shore, and slowly drive them towards a bay. When close enough stones attached to lines from the boats are thrown into the water behind the whales, driving them towards the beach where they become stranded and are slaughtered. This practice was common in both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Currently only the Faroe Islands operates such a cull. Statistics have been kept for the drives in the Faroe Islands for centuries, and in the 1980s around 1,500 individuals were killed each year in this manner, declining in the 1990s to under a thousand.

]]> http://www.pluspets.net/pilot-whale-scary-magnificent/feed/ 0 http://www.pluspets.net/birds-fly/ http://www.pluspets.net/birds-fly/#comments Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:00:07 +0000 Plus Pets http://www.pluspets.net/?p=1173 Flightless birds are birds which lack the ability to fly, relying instead on their ability to run or swim, and are thought to have evolved from their flying ancestors.There are about forty species in existence today, the best known being the ostrich, emu, cassowary, rhea, kiwi, and penguin. It’s believed by some that most flightless birds  evolved in the absence of predators on islands, and lost the power of flight because they had few enemies — although this is likely not the case for the ratites; the ostrich, emu and cassowary, as all have claws on their feet to use as a weapon against predators.

Ostrich

Ostrich from the Louisville Zoo, with lovely blue eyes

Feet

These feet likely belong to an emu or rhea.

Ostrich Chase

A male ostrich chases after one of the females in his harem.

Baby Ostrich

This young ostrich was photographed in the zoo of Basel, Switzerland.

Ostriches

Ostriches, Villa de Leyva, Colombia

Kiwi

The kiwi is the sole survivor of an ancient order of birds, including the now extinct moas of New Zealand. Kiwi eggs are proportionately larger, compared with the size of the adult female, than the eggs of any other bird. Ostriches share the order Struthioniformes with the emu, kiwi, and other ratites—in this picture I tried to link these two flightless birds by showing a kiwi on an ostrich egg, as both were either endangered or once endangered species and we should take good care of them.

Emu

One of the largest birds in the world

Walking Ostrich

Ostrich near Sossusvlei, Namibia

Ostrich

Ostrich on the beach at the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa

Yellow-Eyed Penguin

I was on the southernmost tip of South New Zealand Island where I found this guy just walking around.

Photograph by Anthony Antenucci

]]> http://www.pluspets.net/birds-fly/feed/ 0 http://www.pluspets.net/animal-record-breakers/ http://www.pluspets.net/animal-record-breakers/#comments Sat, 24 Jul 2010 13:54:46 +0000 Plus Pets http://www.pluspets.net/?p=1130 Here is some really interesting animal record breakers. Take a look, it might be interesting to you.

African Elephant

For thousands of years, humans have utilized the brute strength of African and Asian elephants for everything from war to transportation. An elephant’s trunk alone contains around 100,000 muscles and can lift up to 600 pounds (270 kilograms).

Rhinoceros Beetle

Compared to an elephant, the rhinoceros beetle looks minuscule. But ounce for ounce, this insect is considered the world’s strongest creature Rhinoceros beetles, which get their name from the hornlike structure on a male’s head, are capable of carrying up to 850 times their own body weight. A human with this relative strength would be able to lift some 65 tons (59 metric tons).

Froghopper

The froghopper, or spittle bug, leaps into the record books as the insect world’s greatest jumper. This tiny insect reaches a mere 0.2 inches (6 millimeters) in length but can catapult itself up to 28 inches (70 centimeters) into the air. A human with this ability would be able to clear a 690-foot-tall (210-meter-tall) skyscraper.

Impala

The impala, an African antelope with long, slender legs and muscular thighs, also gets high marks for its leaping abilities. When frightened, an impala will spring into action, bounding up to 33 feet (10 meters) and soaring some 10 feet (3 meters) in the air. This skill is apparently more than just defensive. Impalas have been observed jumping around just to amuse themselves.

Bar-Tailed Godwit

In 2007, a bar-tailed godwit made the longest nonstop bird migration ever recorded. In nine days, it flew 7,145 miles (11,500 kilometers) from its breeding ground in Alaska to New Zealand without stopping for food or drink. By the end of the epic journey, the bird had lost more than 50 percent of its body weight.

Sooty Shearwater

The annual journey of the sooty shearwater bird rivals that of the bar-tailed godwit. These marathon migrators traverse nearly 40,000 miles (64,000 kilometers) each year, from New Zealand to the Northern Hemisphere, in search of food.

Great White Shark

In 2005, a great white shark entered the record books by completing the longest shark migration ever recorded. Named Nicole by researchers, the shark made a 12,400-mile (20,000-kilometer) marathon circuit from Africa to Australia. The journey, which lasted nine months, also included the fastest return migration of any known marine animal.Tracking systems showed that Nicole spent a lot of the time near the surface, leading some scientists to believe that sharks use celestial cues to navigate.

Sailfish

Officially the world’s fastest fish, sailfish can reach speeds of 68 miles an hour (109 kilometers an hour) in short bursts. They often hunt in groups and use their quickness and impressive dorsal fins to herd schools of sardines or anchovies.

Cheetah

The cheetah, holder of the animal kingdom’s land speed record, can run at more than 60 miles an hour (96 kilometers an hour) and can reach its top speed in just three seconds. These champion sprinters rely on long, muscular legs to propel their lithe bodies. But cheetahs expend a tremendous amount of energy during a chase and can only run all out for about 900 feet (274 meters).

T. Rex

Scientists have long debated the speed and agility of this prehistoric giant. While some propose that T rex.  was capable of nothing more than a leisurely jog, other investigations have shown that the six-ton (5.4-metric-ton) predator could possibly have outrun an Olympic sprinter, reaching a top speed of 18 miles an hour (29 kilometers an hour).

Peregrine Falcon

The peregrine falcon holds the title of the animal kingdom’s fastest flier. Using a dive-bomb hunting technique called a stoop, this raptor attacks prey—usually a pigeon or dove—at speeds of up to 200 miles an hour (322 kilometers an hour). It seizes its victim in midair with its sharp talons, then takes it to the ground to eat.

Source: National Geographic

Red Pandas

An arboreal mammal, the red panda is just a little bigger than a domestic cat and features on the top of almost every list of the top 10 cutest animals in the world. It has reddish brown fur and a shaggy tail. Surviving mainly on a diet of bamboo, the Red Panda also feeds on eggs, birds, insects and other smaller mammals. It is native to Himalayan temperate forests, found in Nepal, India, Myanmar, Bhutan and China. There are only about 2,500 Red Pandas found in the wild according to some official figures, but there are optimistic numbers touching 20,000 according to other estimates. Classified as vulnerable on the list of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the Red Panda has two recognized sub species. According to a study conducted in 2006, there are almost 800 Red Pandas living in captivity.

Sea Otters

Found in the areas near northern and eastern North Pacific Ocean, these marine mammals are definitely among the cutest animals in the world. Sea otters belonging to the weasel family are one of the heaviest among weasels, but they are among the smallest marine mammals. Although it can live on land, it is basically an aquatic animal with a very thick coat of fur that acts as its natural protection. The diet of sea otters generally comprises of sea urchins, mollusks, fishes and members of the crustacean family. Hunted for their fur, between 1741 and 1911, the population of sea otters fell to about 2000 but has improved in the recent past. It is still classified as an endangered animal though.

Polar Bears

These white furred bears native to the Arctic circle are at their cutest, when they are cubs. Its diet is primarily carnivorous and it is the largest land mammal weighing in the range of 700 – 1500 pounds, that preys on other animal. The body of this wild animal has adapted to the cold climes with a fur that protects them from extreme temperatures. They are called maritime bears as well because though born on land, they prefer spending time in the water. Another regular on the list of cutest animals in the world, polar bears are also classified as vulnerable, especially due to poaching in the past and the current threat due to global warming. According to the IUCN, “If climatic trends continue, polar bears may become extirpated from most of their range within 100 years.”

Giant Panda

Another member of the Panda family makes it to the list of the cutest animals in the world. A large bear mostly found in China, it is differentiated by the large black patches around its eyes, ears and all over the body. The staple of its diet is bamboo, but it also feeds on honey, fish, yams, bananas, etc. Giant Panda bears are classified as endangered with just about 3000 individuals living in the wild and about 250 in captivity as zoo animals.

Dolphin

Marine mammals, dolphins are very close relatives of both, whales and porpoises. There are about forty species of dolphins found all over the world, generally in shallower sea waters. Dolphins are mainly carnivorous in nature and feed on fish and squid. Dolphins are widely known to be extremely intelligent and playful. Dolphins generally have a very strong eyesight and hearing abilities with the capacity to make out sounds at frequencies that are ten times more than the limit of human hearing.

]]> http://www.pluspets.net/fearless-photographer/feed/ 0 http://www.pluspets.net/kamchatka-bears/ http://www.pluspets.net/kamchatka-bears/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 00:12:29 +0000 Plus Pets http://www.pluspets.net/?p=1066 The Kamchatka Brown Bear , also known as the Far Eastern Brown Bear, is a subspecies  of brown bear, native to the Anadyrsky District, the Kamchatka Peninsula, Karaginskiy Island, the Kuril Islands, the coastal strip west of the Sea of Okhotsk southward to the Stanovoy Range and the Shantar Islands. Outside the former Soviet Union, the subspecies occurs in Saint Lawrence Island in the Bering sea.  It is closely related to brown bears in Alaska and northwest North America, and is thought to be the ancestor of the Kodiak bear.

It is a very large subspecies, the largest in Eurasia,  with a body length of 2.4 metres, to 3 metres tall on hind legs and a weight of 650 kg or more. It is nearly the size of the Kodiak Bear The skull is broader than that of the Ussuri Brown Bear,  and compared to that of the Kodiak bear, the breadth of the skull is much greater in proportion to its length, the anterior narial opening is much shorter, and the molars differ in relative size and form[4]: The greatest skull length for males is 40.3-43.6 cm and 25.8-27.7 cm wide. The skulls of females measure 37.2-38.6 cm in length and 21.6-24.2 cm in width. Fur colour is predominantly dark brown with a violet tint. Light coloured individuals are rarely encountered.

In the summer period, they feed on blueberries, crowberries, humpback salmon and salmon trout. In autumn, they eat nuts from nut-pines and mountain ash, and fish. In times of famine, they eat dead fish or marine mammals, berries and graminoid vegetation

Kamchatka brown bears are generally not dangerous to humans, and only 1% of encounters result in attack.  The first Europeans who went to Kamchatka in the 19th century, although surprised by the number and size of bears there, observed that they were relatively harmless compared to their Siberian counterparts.  However, in July 2008, a platinum  mining compound in the Olyotorsky district of northern Kamchatka was besieged by a group of 30 bears who kiled two guards and prevented workers from leaving their homes.

Kamchatka brown bears are among the most prized trophies for the Russian hunting industry. In 2005, the Kamchatka Department of Wildlife Management issued 500 hunting permits. Clients paid up to $10,000 to hunt bears. Thus, the economic impacts from recreational hunting of Kamchatka brown bears are significant