Humpback Whale (Megaptera Novaeangliae)

The unique tail ... of a humpback whale!

Humpback whales are a species of baleen whale.  They are recognized by their odd form of head, which  is knobby.  Adults alone weigh 79000 pounds, while babies weigh about 2 short tons. Mating season occurs all year, with females having a gestation period of about  a year.  To let a female know about mating, a male whale will wail and sing continuously for a few hours. When whales are born, they are only as long as their mother's head, about 20 feet.

Humpback life expectancy is about 45-100 years. Once, in Inuit Alaska, a bowhead whale was found alive and thought to be 211 years old.  They live individually or in small groups containing maybe three  whales. Both male and female whales vocalize, but only the male can produce the rich song that makes the humpback famous.

Flea ( Siphoneptera )

Flea .... or Siphoneptera!

Fleas are pesky insects with no wings, and are usually dark in color so as to blend into things.  They usually reside in dark woods, or on animal fur.  They have long legs that help them get onto animals, and tube like mouths for sucking blood. A flea can jump 200 times its body length, and despite it's size, can do a lot of damage to a human or animal.

The flea goes through four transformation stages, starting when the female lays her eggs. Adult fleas must feed on blood before they lay eggs. The four stages, starting from baby, are: egg, larva, pups, and imago. The eggs are usually laid in batches of 20, and are hatched in 2 weeks tops.

The flea has been thought to have been descended from the fly, because of similarities in looks. But in any case, whether fleas came from flies or not, they are dangerous bugs, both for animals, and for humans. ( Note: always check your pet if he/she has been outside. They could have ticks or fleas. Fleas will usually go into places near the tail and under the collar.)

Tetradontidae

Tetradontidae

Tetradontidae, otherwise known as puffer fish, have a very different way of defending themselves.  They are very slow creatures, therefore very easy prey. However, what sharks and other predators might not see coming is a whole ton of pointy spikes. If the predator does manage to eat the fish, he will be killed from poison let off by the fish.

Reproduction takes place on the surface of the water. Eggs are laid, looking like translucent spheres. These strange fish have been around for over 138 million years.  Puffer-fish are dangerous to humans if their poison stickles are not severed correctly. They are found in South America, Asia, and Africa.

Hammerhead Shark ( Eusphyra )

Hammerhead shark.... or eusphyra!

The heads of these sharks look like hammers, therefore giving them their name: Hammerhead.  The shape of their head enhances their vision, making them dangerous to prey, usually fish and smaller sharks. Reproduction happens once a year only. The male will continuously bite the female shark till she gets the message. When the young sharks, sometimes called pups, are born, they do not receive any help at all from their parents. Litter range from 10-15 pups usually.

Surprisingly, only three out of nine known species of hammerhead sharks are dangerous to humans. The species that are dangerous are the scalloped, great, and smooth hammerheads. To native Hawaiians, hammerhead sharks are gods of the sea, protectors of humans, and cleaners of the sea.

Pig ( sus )

Pig ... or sus!

What's pink, rolls in mud, and snorts? A pig!  A pig's head will  typically be  larger than usual,  with a long snout with a flat nose. The flat nose is for sifting through dirt to find food. Pigs may be omnivores, but tend to prefer vegetation. In the wild, they scrounge for flowers, weeds, and grasses to eat, while in captivity are fed a soy mixture with vitamins.


When a pig is raised on a farm, it usually means it becomes food, shoes, and brushes for the farmer. When a pig gets old and fat, the farmer will kill it, and use the meat for breakfast, the skin for leather, and the bristles for a brush. Who knew a pig could be so useful?

Pigs can be harmful to humans, and I don't mean eating them out of house and home. Pigs carry several diseases that can be easily transmitted to humans, including: trichinosis, Taenia solium, cysticercosis, and brucellosis. Pig mating season is every 21 days, as that is the amount of time before the female goes into heat. Pigs can be found all over the world.


For those of you who play NVR  Fantasy Football, here are a few football related facts:
A football is sometimes known as a pigskin, by name. Another little fact: The Washington Redskins are sometimes called the hogs.

European Polecat ( Mustela Putorious )

European Polecat ... or mustela putorious!



What do you call cats that sit on poles? Polecats!  Despite their name, the last thing a polecat resembles is a cat. Sure, they are both furry, but a polecat resembles a weasel. Polecats will use abandoned fox or badger holes to house in, instead of making their own. Polecats usually will hang around rabbit burrows, as rabbits are a main food.


Everyone has enemies, polecats included. Just a few of these animals are dangerous to a polecat:
Fox
Wild cats
House cats

Polecats are also in danger because of humans. Hunters kill them for fur, but polecats are not endangered. Unlike weasels, polecats can be tamed, and are easily bred in captivity. In the rural parts of the British Isles, legend has it that polecats chew ears off of sheep,stun men, kill people, and more outrageous things. Polecats may chew ears off rabbits, but they do not chew ears off of sheep!


Polecats can be found in Europe, the British Isles, and various places in France. During mating season, a male polecat will drag a female around by the neck to communicate to her. The female polecat stays pregnant for only 40 days, and litters will be born about May. Kits weigh about 9 grams at birth and are born blind. After 2 months, the kits leave their parents.

Chicken ( gallus gallus domesticus )

Chicken ... or gallus gallus domesticus!

Chickens eat both vegetation and meat.  They will eat rats, mice, lizards, and other rodents. They are animals that live in a flock.They have a way of keeping things under way. This is called the pecking order. Chickens will eat almost anything, even chicken. The pecking order determines which hens will get more food, and which ones will get their feathers plucked out. Mostly, only the hens will peck.

The rooster's job is to keep the hens in order. He is distinguished by his large red comb. He decides which hen gets food by dancing in a circle around them, which the hens brain responds to. He also will pick up food and drop it near other hens. A pecking order is when a higher hen pecks some feathers off a lower hen, and so on.

Hens will lay eggs. Sometimes the eggs will be picked to be sold, and sometimes the hen will get babies.

The Pecking order:
Rooster
Chicken
Chicken
Pecked Chicken