Adventures of a Swamp Princess

Koalas

2010-02-23T12:23:00.000-08:00

Although three subspecies have been described, these are arbitrary selections from a cline and are not generally accepted as valid. Following Bergmann's Rule, southern individuals from the cooler climates are larger. A typical Victorian koala (formerly P. cinereus victor) has longer, thicker fur, is a darker, softer grey, often with chocolate-brown highlights on the back and forearms, and has a more prominently light-coloured ventral side and fluffy white ear tufts. Typical and New South Wales koala weights are 12 kg (26 lb) for males and 8.5 kg (19 lb) for females. In tropical and sub-tropical Queensland, however, the koala is smaller (at around 6.5 kg (14 lb) for an average male and just over 5 kg (11 lb) for an average female), a lighter often rather scruffy grey in colour, and has shorter, thinner fur. In Queensland, the koala was previously classified as the subspecies P. cinereus adustus, and the intermediate forms in New South Wales as P. cinereus cinereus. A fourth variation, though not technically a subspecies, is Phascolarctos cinereus aurum, or in English "golden koala," which has a slight golden tinge to the fur as a result of an absence of the melanin pigment that produces albinism in most other mammalian species. The variation from one form to another is continuous and there are substantial differences between individual koalas in any given region such as hair colour. The origins of the koala are unclear, although almost certainly they descended from terrestrial wombat-like animals. Koala fossils are quite rare, but some have been found in northern Australia dating to 20 million years ago. During this time, the northern half of Australia was rainforest. The koala did not specialise in a diet of eucalyptus until the climate cooled and eucalypt forests grew in the place of rainforests. The fossil record indicates that before 50,000 years ago, giant koalas inhabited the southern regions of Australia. The koala fills the same ecological role as the sloth of South Americ

Bats

2010-02-23T12:21:00.001-08:00

Bats are flying mammals in the order Chiroptera (pronounced /kaɪˈrɒptərə/). The forelimbs of bats are webbed and developed as wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums and colugos, glide rather than fly, and only for short distances. Bats do not flap their entire forelimbs, like birds, but instead flap their spread out digits,^[2] which are very long and covered with a thin membrane or patagium. Chiroptera comes from two Greek words, cheir (χειρ) "hand" and pteron (πτερον) "wing."

There are about 1,100 bat species worldwide, which represent about twenty percent of all classified mammal species.^[3] About seventy percent of bats are insectivores. Most of the rest are frugivores, or fruit eaters. A few species feed from animals other than insects. Bats are present throughout most of the world and perform vital ecological roles such as pollinating flowers and dispersing fruit seeds. Many tropical plants depend entirely on bats for the distribution of their seeds.

Bats range in size from Kitti's Hog-nosed Bat measuring 29–33 mm (1.14–1.30 in) in length and 2 g (0.07 oz) in mass,^[4] to the Giant Golden-crowned Flying-fox, which has a wing span of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) and weighs approximately 1.2 kg (3 lb).

Manatees

2010-02-23T11:54:00.000-08:00

On average, manatees swim at about 5 to 8 kilometres per hour (3.1 to 5.0 mph). However, they have been known to swim at up to 30 kilometres per hour (19 mph) in short bursts.Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. They are noted for their friendly nature, up to 4 meter size and paddle-like flippers. The name manatí comes from the Taíno, a pre-Columbian people of the Caribbean, meaning "breast".

Manatees inhabit the shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico (T. manatus, West Indian Manatee), the Amazon Basin (T. inunguis, Amazonian Manatee), and West Africa (T. senegalensis, West African Manatee). A fourth species, the Dwarf Manatee (T. "pygmaeus") was recently proposed for a population found in the Brazilian Amazon,^[7] although some believe it to be an immature Amazon Manatee.^[8]

They enjoy warmer waters and are known to congregate in shallow waters, and frequently migrate through brackish water estuaries to freshwater springs. Manatees cannot survive below 15°C (288 K; 60°F). Their natural source for warmth during winter is warm-spring fed rivers.

2010-02-22T17:41:00.000-08:00

There are actually 2,000 different kinds of snakes, but they all share some common characteristics.

All snakes hunt prey to eat. There are no vegetarians in the snake world, which actually makes your local garden snake quite a beneficial animal. Many garden snakes eat rodents that do love to delve into your vegetation. The snakes which tend to be the problems are those who eat the wrong animals, like pond fish, or beneficial wildlife such as birds or earthworms. Plus, some are downright poisonous, which is a hazard to the gardener as well.
Snakes hunt with their body’s senses. Whether they use their nose, tongues or touch, snakes find their food with a keen sense of smell and ability to feel the body heat of another animal.
Newly born snakes are hunters from their first flick of the tongue. Baby snakes are either born live or hatched from eggs depending on the snake’s species. As reptiles, they need to gather food on their own right away. Younger snakes usually eat worms, insects and smaller reptiles.
Snakes hibernate underground in the winter.
Because they are cold-blooded reptiles, snakes must lie in the sun to keep warm.
All snakes shed their skin as they grow.

Giant Panda

2010-02-18T09:13:00.000-08:00

The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca, literally meaning "cat-foot black-and-white") is a bear^[2] native to central-western and south western China.^[3] It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the Giant Panda's diet is 99% bamboo.^[4] Other parts of its diet include honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, and bananas when available.

The Giant Panda lives in a few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in Sichuan province, but also in the Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Due to farming, deforestation, and other development, the Giant Panda has been driven out of the lowland areas where it once lived.

The Giant Panda is a conservation reliant endangered species.^[3] A 2007 report shows 239 Giant Pandas living in captivity inside China and another 27 outside the country.^[5] Wild population estimates vary; one estimate shows that there are about 1,590 individuals living in the wild, ^[5] while a 2006 study via DNA analysis estimated that this figure could be as high as 2,000 to 3,000.^[6] Some reports also show that the number of Giant Pandas in the wild is on the rise.^[7]^[8] However, the IUCN does not believe there is enough certainty yet to reclassify the species from Endangered to Vulnerable.^[1]

While the dragon has historically served as China's national emblem, in recent decades the Giant Panda has also served as an emblem for the country. Its image appears on a large number of modern Chinese commemorative silver, gold, and platinum coins. Though the Giant Panda is often assumed to be docile, it has been known to attack humans, presumably out of irritation rather than predation.^[9]^[10]^[11]

2010-02-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

Whale (origin old English hwael)^[1] is the common name for any large fishlike marine mammal of the order Cetacea which have forelimbs modified as fins, a tail with horizontal flukes and nasal openings on top of the head.^[1] The term whale is sometimes used to refer to all cetaceans, but in more common usage generally excludes the members of the Delphinoidea superfamily, such as dolphins and porpoises.^[2] These smaller species belong to the suborder Odontoceti (toothed whales), which also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga whale. The suborder Mysticeti (baleen whales), are filter feeders that feed on small organisms caught by straining seawater through a comblike structure found in the mouth called baleen. This suborder contains four families and fourteen species including, amongst others, the blue whale, the humpback whale the bowhead whale and the minke whales. The Blue whale is the largest animal known to have ever existed.

For centuries, whales have been hunted for meat and as a source of raw materials. By the middle of the 20th century, however, industrial whaling had left many species seriously endangered, and whaling was ended in all but a few countries. Several organizations have been founded to try to eliminate hunting of whales and other threats to their survival.^[3]^[4]

Tigers

2010-02-15T16:58:00.000-08:00

	The Bengal tiger is native to the Indian subcontinent.
•	The Amur tiger is mainly found in Manchuria by the Amur River.
•	The south Chinese tiger is native to south central China, slightly northward from the Indo-Chinese tiger
•	The Indo-Chinese tiger has a southeastern distribution in China.
•	Indonesia is where the Sumatran tiger is found.
•	The Javan and Balinese tigers are now extinct but were native to Bali and Java in Indonesia respectively.
•	The Caspian tiger, now extinct, was historically found in Turkey through central and west Asia.

It is difficult to identify a pregnant tigress because they do not begin to show a bulge until the last 10 to 12 days of pregnancy.

The tigress spends the last few days of her pregnancy searching for a safe birthing place that provides enough cover to conceal the newborn cubs and has adequate prey.

2009-01-22T14:01:00.000-08:00

It has been a long time I know but I have a site I need you to check out.You can donate to help save girl Elephants. http://www.tappedintoelephants.com/asp/index.php There is a Elecam so you can watch what they do every day.Somtimes they are not in site. okay see you later

Spotted Skunk

2008-10-20T10:56:00.001-07:00

Spotted skunks protect themselves by spraying a strong and unpleasant scent. Two glands on the sides of the anus release the odorous oil through nipples. When threatened, the skunk turns its body into a U-shape with the head and anus facing the attacker. Muscles around the nipples of the scent gland aim them, giving the skunk great accuracy on targets up to 15 feet away. As a warning before spraying, the skunk stamps its front feet, raises its tail, and hisses. They may warn with a unique "hand stand"—the back vertical and the tail waving.

giraffe

2008-10-13T10:55:00.000-07:00

The giraffe is Africa's tallest mammal, reaching full heights of more than 5m. The attractive marking is made up of irregular patches, in varying shades of brown, on a cream or buff background.

Males are larger and darker than females, have thicker horns and have a lump on the forehead. The horn tips are bald in males and old females while hairy in younger females.

Behaviour
Giraffe are most active in the early morning and late afternoon but also feed at night in bright moonlight.

However, unlike many of Africa's wild animals that "disappear" under shady trees during the heat of the day, giraffe continue browsing and because of their size, can be spotted throughout daylight hours.

Giraffe will drink if water is available, but can survive without it. The forelegs are straddled and the knees bent in order to get the head down low enough. While drinking they are very vulnerable and will not drink if suspicious of danger.

Females, calves and juveniles occur in herds of about 10 with only very loose social ties, and a flexible membership. Young males may form small bachelor groups. Mature bulls are nearly always alone, except when they join a female herd for mating. Young males spar by neck wrestling, twisting their necks together and trying to push the opponent off balance.

Reproduction
The giraffe is the only ruminant with gestation longer than a year and a single calf weighing 100kg is born after a gestation of 457days.

Giraffe reach sexual maturity in four to six years. Social bonds between mother and calf persist beyond weaning, until the birth of her next offspring. Calves suffer heavy predation; first year mortality can be over 40%.

Sounds
Giraffe are usually silent. They bellow, grunt or snort when alarmed, as when confronted by lions, and can also moo in distress.

Seals

2008-09-30T13:45:00.003-07:00

Harp seals spend relatively little time on land and prefer to swim in the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans. These sleek swimmers cruise the chilly waters and feed on fish and crustaceans. They can remain submerged for up to 15 minutes. Harp seals are sometimes called saddleback seals because of the dark, saddlelike marking on the back and sides of their light yellow or gray bodies.

Both sexes return each year to breeding grounds in Newfoundland, the Greenland Sea, and the White Sea. On this turf males fight for their mates, battling with sharp teeth and powerful flippers.

When the mating ends, females gather in groups to give birth. Young harp seals are born on the ice, and mothers identify their own offspring from the multitudes by their smell. The young seals are famous for their snowy white coats. This fluffy fur is highly valued and has drawn hunters to the Newfoundland breeding grounds for two centuries. During the past several decades these grounds have become the scene of a human conflict between sealers and outraged environmentalists and animal rights activists. Modern hunts are better regulated than in the past, but the harp seal remains perhaps the most commercially important seal, with hundreds of thousands killed each year.

Polar bears

2008-09-19T16:24:00.002-07:00

Polar bears are among the largest predators in the world. They range in color from pure white after a molt to a yellowish shade resulting from solar oxidation or staining by oil from seal blubber. Their skin, nose and lips are black in color. Polar bears’ long neck and narrow skull aid in streamlining the animal in water, and their large, flat and oar-like front feet make them strong swimmers. Their fur is thicker than any other bears’ even covering their feet, for warmth and traction on ice. Polar bears also have a thick layer of blubber which provides buoyancy and insulation.

Zebra

2008-09-09T09:46:00.001-07:00

A zebra stripe pattern helps to distinguish between the animals in the photo. The skin of the animal is black, even under the white hair. The animals actually look fat, short legged and dumpy. These horses are fed on grasses and sedges; though they will also eat bark, leaves, buds, fruits and roots.

Wolves

2008-09-04T11:54:00.000-07:00

Wolves eat meat but they eat more then that they eat earthworms,berries and grass hoppers. Wolves live in deserts forest and woods. Sorry there is not so much information i can not find much. bye

My day

2008-09-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

My day was great I talked to my boyfriend. I went and watched tv. I had a friend do my hair. It is sooo cute. My other friend come over with kittens. They are so cute I want to keep one.

2008-09-03T07:11:00.001-07:00

Snake neck turtles live in freshwater. They eat insects,worms,tadpoles,frogs and small fish. In early summer the female lays between 2 and 10 eggs. Cool turtles I have never heard of.

Lions

2008-09-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to write about lions. Lions are large cats that live on grassy plains in Africa and some live in grasslands of India. Lions can grow up to six feet long and up to 420 pounds.Lions can live up to 15 years in the wild.Lions are more active at night.

this is cool information about lions

My day

2008-09-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

I had a good day I went swimming with my sister and had a blast. I went to tkd for leader ship it was awesome. I twisted my leg trying to do a kick. I'm okay it hurt for a little bit. I am going to watch tv now. talk to you tomorrow bye

Hi

2008-09-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

I am going to right about animals and about my day. hope you like my blog :)

Introduction

2008-09-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

This is the first post in the journal of a swamp princess. Now, she doesn't really live in a swamp. She is quite a princess though. A special princess.

You see this princess loves clothes almost as much as she loves fun. She understands the practicality of a good hair tie as much as a great pair of hiking boots. She looks fab in a bikini and can totally kick anyone's butt who ticks her off.

Yep. A Swamp Princess. There is no one like her on the planet. This is her journal.