Flatfish

Flatfish: Pleuronectiformes

Looks

Flatfish are round, sandy-coloured fish with both eyes on one side of the head. Babies are born with an eye on either side of their head. The second eye migrates to the other side while the fish is still developing—that way they can get a good view of the water above without one side of the face being mushed into the sand. Some flatfish have both eyes on the right side, some on the left. On the side with the eye, most species have darker skin, and on the eyeless side, their skin is pale. They use camouflage to escape from enemies: and indeed, it seems to work very well!  They blend in with the sandy bottom of the sea or rock pools. (See Habitat)

Feeding

Flatfish eat mostly crustaceans, polychaetes, small fish, and fish spawn. 

Habitat

Most flatfish live in seawater. It is not decided officially whether they can live in fresh water, though there have been sightings all over the place of flatfish in freshwater pools.

Breeding

Female flatfishes lay eggs, sometimes more than a million, that she releases into the water for the male to fertilize. The eggs hatch after a few days into long, spiny plankton-like larvae, with eyes on both sides of the head. As they develop the eye moves across the head to the other side (see Looks) and their body grows rounder. The larvae have spines to protect them in the early stages, and a gas-filled swim bladder to help them stay stabilized in the water, both of which they lose as they grow into adults. They sink to the bottom and lie with the eyeless side on the sand.

When just hatched, the larvae are less than 1.3 centimeters (that’s ¹/₂ inch) long!

See here for information on a swim bladder:

Link to Wikipedia

Lifespan

Varies according to species.

Dover Sole: 58 years male, 53 years female

Starry flounder: 24 years

English Sole: 22 years

Sand Sole: 10 years

Arabian Camels

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There are two types of camel, the dromedary (Arabian camel, such as the one in this post, with one hump) and the Bactrian (with two humps).

Interesting Facts:

Camels are able to go for many, many days with little — or no —food or water. They can even go thirsty for weeks!

Did you know camels, using their fat-storing humps, can travel up to 100 desert miles (that’s 161 kilometers) without water?

Camels can drink up to 135 litres of water in one sitting! (fourteen minutes)

Looks

Camels are large mammals with long, curving necks and long legs. Their most distinguishing feature is the lump on their backs, called a ‘hump,’ which is not used for storing water (as many people falsely believe) but instead, fat. Many people traveling through the desert choose camels for their preferred transport, because their long eyelashes, sealable nostrils and ability to store water for a long time in their three stomachs make them the perfect sand vehicle. Camels use their wide-spread, flat-toed feet to balance on top of the sand, and their thick coats protect them from driving sand.

Feeding

Camels’ parted lips make it easy to munch the small desert plants and cacti that make up their diets.  However, if they get hungry enough, they will eat many surprising things, such as leather, fish, bones, and even their owner’s tent!

Also, the lining of their mouth is so tough and thick that thorns cannot hurt them if they gobble up a thorny twig. 

Camels don’t sweat often, either, and the water that saves can be conserved for a long, long time. Their urine is as thick as syrup, too, because all the fluid in camel’s bodies are being used for its survival. All in all, camels are the ultimate desert contraption.

History

These camels have been used for transport for about 3,500 years. They can bear large loads on their back, for up to 25 miles (or 40 kilometers) a day! People’s wealth is sometimes judged on how many camels they own.

In the present day, most camels are domestic animals, trained for carrying loads across the desert, but there are still feral camels wandering the dunes in America, Queensland, and other places in Australia today.

Habitat

Arabian camels have been brought to Australia, but they are usually found in southwestern Asia and northern Africa.

Breeding

Female camels’ gestation period is about nine to eleven months, and usually have one baby (called a calf) at a time. A year after their birth, the baby camels are weaned.

Baird's Tapirs

Tapirus bairdii

Fossil remains show that today’s tapirs are very similar to the prehistoric versions that lived in the forests more than 25 million years ago!

Looks

Tapirs, closely related to rhinos, look like pigs, with a small tail, large head and a strong, sturdy body. They can weigh up to 250 kg. (That’s as heavy as four human adults!)

When the Baird's tapir is attacked by its species’ main rival, the jaguar, it does the heroic thing—biting and kicking, then dashing off fast into the undergrowth.

The Baird’s tapir has a short bristly mane down its neck, and lives from Mexico down to northern South America. Like hippos, it enjoys swimming, and usually sticks close to the water.

Habitat

Tapirs make their homes mostly in woods and forests, traveling through the thick undergrowth using the well-trampled and worn paths which have been used by many tapirs to move through the forest. They are mainly nocturnal, but can be found out in the forest at all times.

These tapirs are solitary animals—however, they can be found in feeding groups with other tapirs. Mother and young often stay together as well.

Breeding

The incubation, or gestation, period is up to 390-400 days. The young are patterned with white stripes and spots to blend in with the shade of the forest. Once born, they are weaned after one year.

Feeding

Baird’s tapirs’ diets consist of leaves and berries, which they snatch from trees and bushes with their long elephant-like nose. They are herbivores.

They are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ on the endangered chart, and are in danger of becoming extinct. This is mostly due to human hunting and habitat loss.

Three-spined Stickleback

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Looks

Sticklebacks are small fish only a few inches long, with spiky fins running down their back. Interestingly, Sticklebacks have no scales. Some species, however, have armour plates to protect them. Three-spined Stickleback females are light blue-green with a pale pinkish underbelly, and the males of this species are the same, but with a silver belly instead of pink.

Habitat

These little fish live mostly in the ocean. Some also make their homes in freshwater lakes. Long ago, after the ice age, glaciers and ice melted, allowing the Sticklebacks to make homes in the freshwater lakes and streams. In there, the predators were faster but not as strong, so the freshwater Sticklebacks evolved to suit their new territory’s needs. The freshwater species have no spines or armour plating, and are faster and more agile than their cousins in the sea.

The ocean Sticklebacks live only in the Northern Hemisphere, prefering coastal, slow-flowing water with marshes and bays.

Feeding

Sticklebacks’ diets consist of small crustaceans and the lavae of fish.

Breeding

(Three-spined Stickleback—other species have a similar way of breeding)

First, the male fish creates a bird-like nest out of vegetation. Then he attracts a female and invites her inside. The female Stickleback will lay a clutch of about 100-150 eggs. Afterwards, the male guards the nest, driving away other males and protecting the eggs until they hatch.

Lifespan

(Three-spined)

These small fish live for about 3 years.

White-faced Herons

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Once I had my friend over and we were just about to go out the door when I spotted the most beautiful bird. It was tall, grey, with a long thick beak and white face. It was a white-faced heron, hunting for lizards in my garden. Today, we saw that it had visited us again. It was leaning over the pond, where our fish were lurking. We were worried that it would gobble them up. What were we to do? we wondered. Luckily, we didn't see the heron eat any fish. Except for a little black wriggly thing in its beak. Still, I would like to share with you the wonders of these amazing birds...

Habitat
Wetlands, shrub and shallow watery places.

Feeding
Small reptiles, fish, frogs, and others.

Breeding
White-faced heron breeding usually occurs in spring. The pair build the nest together, a shallow bowl of sticks. They make it on high leafy branches. Their breeding plumage consists of long plumes on the neck, back, and head. The females lay 3 to 5 light blue eggs in the nest, and normally one clutch is laid every year. After about 25 days, the eggs hatch and the mother and father guard the babies for 3 to 4 weeks and the chicks are ready to fledge after 40 days. The chicks are fed upon by owls, kookaburras, magpies and others.

Lifespan
About or over 70 years.

(If you want to learn more about white-faced herons and see some awesome pictures, click here!)

Thorny Devils

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The thorny devil is known by a variety of different names, such as the thorny dragon, thorny lizard, mountain devil, and moloch. Did you know that it is the only animal in the genus Moloch?

Looks

Thorny devils are a small, grey brown desert lizard covered with spiky armour. On the back of their necks is a “false head.” They display this to enemies by tipping their actual head. Its spikes protect it against its predators and help it to camouflage, also collecting dew in the ridges and moving the water to the mouth using grooves between the spikes. Their colours change, lighter in hotter weather and dark in cold. In all, the thorny devil is a cleverly created creature.

Habitat

These lizards live in the scrubland and desert areas throughout central Australia, and therefore it makes use of the spinifex clumps common in the regions.

Feeding

Thorny devils mostly eat ants. They eat many, many of them in a single day. It can drink in water from any part of its body.

Breeding

In the breeding season, September to December, Females lay three to ten eggs in a burrow. After three or four months, the eggs hatch. At only a couple days old, the babies have dig their way out of the sand and into the world.

Predators

Birds, goannas, and humans. Buzzards hunt these lizards for prey.

Lifetime

About 20 years. At 3 years old Thorny Devils reach maturity.

Thorny Devils are endangered animals. Humans have been protecting their nests by putting wire around them, keeping enemies away from the newborn lizards.

Watch this great video about these cool lizards!

King Birds of Paradise

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The King bird of Paradise is said to be the most vividly coloured of its species.

Looks

Male King birds of Paradise are small birds, with scarlet bodies and white underparts.  Males have blue feet and long, green-tipped curled tail wires. The females, however, are not nearly as striking, with dull brown feathers and barred underparts, though they have the same bright feet as the males. 

Breeding

The courtship of the male is an elaborate display of feather fluffing and tail swinging. Some may compete at display grounds called elks.

Once they have mated, the pair makes the nest together and cares for the chicks. The incubation period of the eggs is 17 to 21 days. After 17 to 30 days the chicks are ready to leave the nest.

Feeding

The King bird of Paradise eats mostly fruit and insects.

Habitat

These birds live in lowland forests in New Guinea, as well as on close by islands.