Amazing science facts Kingfishers are a group of small to medium-sized, brightly colored birds in the order Coraciiformes.

There are roughly 90 different species of kingfisher in the world.

The majority of species are found in Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America; some species in Europe and North America.

They live along banks of rivers and lakes, forest and open woodland, a few species along seashores or in

deserts.

Most species are sedentary, but about a few species are migratory or partially migratory.

Median life expectancy is 6 to 14 years, depending on species.

Kingfishers are known for their looks: stocky body; long, thick bill; and striking colors and markings. Many kingfisher species are decked out in feathers of bright blue, green, turquoise, red, or gold. Some have splotches, dashes, stripes, or speckles.

The dagger-shaped bill often seems too long or too big for the rest of the bird, but it is well designed for capturing food.

The smallest species of kingfisher is the African pygmy kingfisher (Ispidina lecontei), Interesting animal facts which is around 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) long and weight from 9 to 12 grams (0.3 to 0.4 ounces).

The largest species of kingfisher is laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae), which is up to 46 centimeters (18 inches) long and weight up to 490 grams (17 ounces).

Most kingfisher species are solitary, only pairing up with a mate during breeding season.

They are most active in the morning and evening, but if it’s not too hot, they may also hunt during the afternoon.

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Kingfishers feed on a wide variety of prey. They are most famous for hunting and eating fish, and some species do specialise in catching fish.

Even kingfishers that eat mostly fish also eat other things on occasion, like crabs, crayfish, snails, and frogs. Kingfishers that live in forests, grasslands, and deserts have a different diet, dining on a variety of insects, spiders, reptiles (including snakes), and small mammals, which they catch by spying the prey from a perch and darting out to snap it up.

All kingfishers have excellent vision and can see into the water – even adjusting for refraction, which can make a fish look closer to the surface than it really is.

It has fast and direct flying, but it is also able to hover above the water when it searches and collects food.

Kingfishers are territorial, some species defending their territories vigorously.

Kingfishers have a variety of calls used to announce their territory, warn off other birds, and communicate with a mate and their chicks, such as shrieks, screams, clicks, whistles, chuckles, rattles, and chirps.

They are generally monogamous, although cooperative breeding (more than two birds of the same species provide care in rearing the young from one nest) has been observed in some species.

Kingfishers don’t build nests of sticks or plants. Instead, they nest in burrows that they dig into dirt banks, tree cavities, or old termite mounds. A male and female pair works together to create the burrow, taking turns digging out the soil with their feet. The burrow takes three to seven days to complete. It often slopes upward to avoid flooding and is usually about 1 to 2 meters (3 to 6.5 feet) long, although the record is a 8.5 meters (28 feet) burrow dug by a pair of giant kingfishers.

The burrow ends in a nesting chamber that is about 20 to 30 centimeters (8 to 12 inches) wide and 15 to 17 centimeters (6 to 7 inches) high. This is where the eggs are laid and the chicks raised.

The female lays 2 to 10 (usually 3 to 6) white, unmarked eggs. Both parents take part in the incubation of eggs during a period of 3 to 4 weeks.

The offspring of the kingfisher usually stay with the parents for 3–4 months.

Many young kingfishers drown shortly after leaving the nest due to lack of flying experience.

Because of the high mortality of young, kingfishers usually have two or three broods a year.

The main predators of the kingfisher are birds of prey, foxes, raccoons, cats and snakes.

A number of species are considered threatened by human activities and are in danger of extinction. The majority of these are forest species with limited distribution, particularly insular species. They are threatened by habitat loss caused by forest clearance or degradation and in some cases by introduced species.

The most famous kingfisher is Australia’s laughing kookaburra. It gets its name from its call, which sounds like laughter.

When a common kingfisher dives after a meal, it often submerges completely in the water, folding its wings backward to create a V shape. It can even dive straight through a layer of thin ice to catch a fish below.

Kingfishers like to keep clean and bathe by diving into water and then perching in the sun to dry and preen their feathers. Some use their wings to scrub and scratch the top of their head. They also keep that impressive bill clean by scraping it against a branch until they are satisfied that the bill is in good condition.

In Victorian times, many kingfishers were shot and stuffed to put in glass cases, while their feathers were widely used by milliners to adorn hats.

For the Dusun people of Borneo, the Oriental dwarf kingfisher is considered a bad omen, and warriors who see one on the way to battle should return home. Another Bornean tribe considers the banded kingfisher an omen bird, albeit generally a good omen.

The sacred kingfisher, along with other Pacific kingfishers, was venerated by the Polynesians, who believed it had control over the seas and waves. 

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There are some 2,000 species of sea star living in all the world’s oceans, from tropical habitats to the cold seafloor.

The lifespan of a starfish varies considerably between species. It ranges from 5 to 35 years.

The five-arm varieties are the most common, hence their name, but species with 10, 20, and even 40 arms exist.

They have bony, calcified skin, which protects them from most predators, and many wear striking colorsthat camouflage them or scare off potential attackers.

They can vary widely in size, with the paddle-spined starfish as small as 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) wide and the Midgardia xandros topping 1.38 meters (4.5 feet) across.

Starfish have no brains and no blood. Their nervous system is spread through their arms and their “blood” is actually filtered sea water.

They are found from the intertidal zone down to abyssal depths, 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) below the surface.

Although they are named “starfish“, they are not related to fish at all. Starfish, like sea urchins and sand dollars, do not have backbones, which makes them part of a group called invertebrates.

While they can’t see as well as we do, starfish have an eye spot at the end of each arm. This is a very simple eye that looks like a red spot. The eye doesn’t see much detail, but can sense light and dark.

The underside of the starfish is covered with hundreds of tube feet, which it uses for walking around, for attaching tightly to rocks, and for holding on to prey. To move, each tube foot swings like a leg, lifting up and swinging forward, then planting itself on the ground and pushing back.

Starfish eat in a very strange way. The starfish’s mouth is on the bottom of its body. The mouth is at the middle of the star. A starfish can push its stomach out through its mouth.

The starfish has two stomachs. The cardiac stomach eats the food outside the starfish’s body. When the cardiac stomach comes back into the body, the food in it is transferred to the pyloric stomach. After the tube feet open the shell of its prey, the cardiac stomach is extended into the shell to pull the food inside. The tube feet play an important role in helping the starfish to procure its food. The tube feet are used to open up the oysters or clams. Then the stomach is extended into the shell to pull the food inside.

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They prey on bivalves like mussels and clams, as well as small fish, snails, and barnacles.

Amazingly, sea stars can regenerate lost arms. This is useful if the sea star is threatened by a predator – it can drop an arm, get away and grow a new arm. Sea stars house most of their vital organs in their arms, so some can even regenerate an entirely new sea star from just one arm and a portion of the star’s central disc. It won’t happen too quickly, though. It takes about a year for an arm to grow back.

Although they are able to regenerate detached arms and some detached arms can grow into new starfish, most species reproduce by spreading and fertilizing eggs.

The female starfish is capable is releasing over 2 million eggs at any one time, although the average amount of eggs that the female starfish releases is closer to 1 million. This is important because small portion of the eggs survive to become adult starfish.

The eggs released by the female starfish are then fertilized by the male starfish and the fertilized eggs develop into larvae which are able to swim around. Starfish larvae [pic. below] swim for about three weeks before settling and beginning metamorphosis into the more common appearance of the starfish.

Starfish reproduction typically is heterosexual, but hermaphroditism (reproductive organs of both sexes in one animal) occurs.

Starfish can change their gender when it’s convenient for them and can easily change back to their original sex.

Starfish, despite their crusty exteriors, are vulnerable to predators like crabs, sea otters, sharks, manta rays and other starfish.

Purely marine animals, there are no freshwater sea stars, and only a few live in brackish water (salt water and fresh water mixed together).

Starfish aren’t social creatures, but some species will congregate in large groups during certain times of the year to feed.

Common feature for all starfish is that their body is radially symmetrical (regular arrangement of body parts around a central axis) .

With their appealing symmetrical shape, starfish have played a part in literature, legend, design andpopular culture.

With its multiple arms, the starfish provides a popular metaphor for computer networks, companies and software tools.

Starfish are sometimes eaten in China, Japan and in Micronesia.

The fossil record for starfish is ancient, dating back to the Ordovician around 450 million years ago, but it is rather poor, as starfish tend to disintegrate after death.

The starfish is today considered to be a threatened species of animal mainly due to habitat loss and pollution Swhich are drastically reducing the starfish populations.

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Interesting animal facts the llama is a South American relative of the camel, though the llama does not have a hump.

Llamas appear to have originated from the central plains of North America about 40 million years ago. They migrated to South America about 3 million years ago. At the end of the last ice age between 10,000 and 12,000 llama’s became completely extinct in North America.

Llamas were domesticated by the Incas 4,000 to 5,000 years ago.

Today llamas live throughout the Americas, Europe and Australia as domesticated livestock.

They prefer mountainous terrain whether mountainous deserts or grasslands.

Llamas typically live for 15 to 25 years, with some individuals surviving 30 years or more.

The height of a full-grown, full-size llama is 1.7 to 1.8 meters (5.6 to 5.9 feet) tall at the top of the head, and can weigh between 130 and 200 kilograms (290 and 440 pounds).

Llama’s body is covered with wool which can be black, gray, white or brown, with variety of patterns.

Amazing facts of science they can be divided in two groups according to the length of their fur: short coated called Ccara, and themedium coated called Curaca.

Llamas do not have hooves but their feet have soft, leathery pads and two toes with toenails.

Llama has elongated face, large nostrils and long ears that are slightly curved inwardly characteristically known as “banana” shaped.

Llama’s have an excellent sense of smell, eyesight and hearing.

They can reach speeds up to 56 kilometer (35 miles) per hour.

Llamas are a very gentle, shy and a very curious animal.

They are also intelligent and can learn simple tasks after a few repetitions.

Llamas are very social animals and live with other llamas as a herd.

Llamas communicate with each other through a variety of ear, tail and body postures. They also have a range of vocalisations including soft hums and a shrill alarm call to warn others of danger.

When one llama has an issue with another llama, it will stick its tongue out to express its displeasure. They’ll also spit on other llamas.

Llamas are herbivores. Llamas eat grass, hay, and grain, and as browsers, also like bark and twigs. For treats they love cut up apples and carrots.

They have 3 stomach compartments and they chew their cud. Cud is a mouthful of swallowed food that is regurgitated from the first stomach.

Llamas are very strong and durable animals. They can carry up to 34 kilograms (75 pounds) and walk about 32 kilometers (20 miles) a day carrying that load.

They are willing pack animals but only to a point. An overloaded llama will simply refuse to move. These animals often lie down on the ground and they may spit, hiss, or even kick at their owners until their burden is lessened.

Llamas do not have specific time of mating.

The llama gestation period is around 11.5 months (350 days). Baby llamas are called crias, and mothers usually have just one; twin births are rare. 

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Most births take place between 8 am and noon, during the warmer daylight hours. This may increase cria survival by reducing fatalities due to hypothermia during cold Andean nights.

Crias are up and standing, walking and attempting to suckle within the first hour after birth.

Predators of the llamas are mountain lions and wild dogs. If they are attacked, the male llamas sound off a warning so that the rest of the herd can run away.

Llamas have a domesticated cousin, the alpaca, and wild cousins the guanacos and vicuñas.

Llamas contribute much more than transportation to the human communities in which they live. Leather is made from their hides, and their wool is crafted into ropes, rugs, and fabrics. Llama dung makes great fuel—and fertilizer. In fact, it may have helped the Incans grow corn and survive in the Andes.

According to legend, the Spaniards, who had never seen llamas before, kept asking what they were called (“Cómo se llama?”)—and so the Incans thought “llama” was the Spanish name for the animals. But according to the BBC, this story is “not quite accurate. In fact the expression llama was there before the Spanish arrived. It’s of Quechuan origin and was borrowed by many languages, together with other Quechuan words such as condor or puma.”

The llama is the national symbol of Peru and appears on many tourist products as well as coins and stamps.

In animal totems, the llama is said to bring energies of hard work, responsibility and endurance.

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The Allis Shad Fish (Alosa alosa (Linnaeus)) and the Twaite Shad Fish (Alosa fallax (Lacepede)), are both members of the herring family, Clupeidae. Interesting animal facts, this species of fish form a large group of pelagic fishes found in seas throughout the world except the Antarctic. A majority of them are marine fish, however, some enter fresh water to spawn.

Allis and Twaite Shad fish are the only two members of the herring family found in fresh water in the UK. Both resemble large herring (adults can be over 2 kilograms in weight) and were formerly eaten in Britain before numbers declined and the fisheries collapsed.

The Allis Shad fish has a dark back and a blackish spot on the shoulder. It has no lateral line, there are from 72 so 86 scales from gills to sail – and numerous fine gillrakers (from 60 to 120) visible on lifting the gill-covers.

The year-old fish – which has a row of dark blotches on the upper part of each side of the body – emigrates to the sea. The maximum length is 2.5 feet – maximum weight about 8 lbs.

The Twaite Shad fish is more common than the Allis Shad – with the same appearance and habits – though much smaller. Even when adult it retains a row of dark spots on the upper part of the body. There is no lateral line, the scales are smaller and firmer (58 to 66 in a row from gills to tail) – and gillrakers are short and stiff – numbering from 30 to 45; these characteristics distinguish the Twaite from the Allis Shad. Check out amazing facts of science to learn more about this species

In the middle of the 19th Century, Shad fish were as valuable as salmon and in the estuary of the River Severn, Shad fish made up about one-third of all catches. Both allis and twaite shad have declined across Europe and they are now absent from many rivers where they once flourished and supported thriving fisheries. They are still caught and eaten in parts of France and some other European countries.

The Allis Shad fish has suffered considerably from pollution, over-fishing and river obstructions and is now a rare fish over most of its range. Although previously believed to spawn in some British rivers, such as the River Severn, they have been caught only rarely in recent years. There are now no known spawning sites for this species in Britain.

Because of this decline, the Allis Shad fish is now given considerable legal protection. It is listed in annexes IIa and Va of the Habitats Directive, Appendix III of the Bern Convention, Schedule V of the UK Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981) and as a Priority Species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. 

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The domestic pig amazing science facts is farmed for its meat called pork. Products made of pork include sausage, bacon and ham. The head of a pig can be used to make head cheese. Head Cheese is not a cheese, but rather a sort of meat known as a ‘terrine’ of meat from the head of a calf or pig (sometimes a sheep or cow) that would not otherwise be considered appealing.

A ‘terrine’ is a substance meat is prepared in, mainly game and venison. If pressed and chilled and turned out in slices, it becomes a pate.

Head Cheese may also include meat from the feet and heart. It is usually eaten cold or at room temperature as a luncheon meat. It is sometimes also known as soucemeat, particularly if pickled with vinegar.

Liver, chitterlings and other offal from pigs are also widely used for food. In industrialized nations, domestic pigs farming has shifted away from the traditional pig farm to large-scale intensive pig farms where meat can be mass-produced. This has resulted in lower production costs, however, more significant animal welfare concerns. In developing nations and some parts of developed nations, the domestic pig is frequently raised outdoors in yards.

In some cases pigs review journal are even raised in open fields where they are allowed to forage; they are watched by swineherds, essentially shepherds for pigs.

Domestic Pigs As Pets

Pigs are known to be intelligent animals and have been found to be more trainable than dogs or cats. Asian pot-bellied pigs, a smaller subspecies of the domestic pig, have made popular house pets in the United States beginning in the latter half of the 20th century.

Regular domestic farmyard pigs have also been known to be kept indoors, but due to their large size and destructive tendencies, they typically need to be moved into an outdoor pen as they grow older.

Most pigs also have an extreme fear of being picked up, however, they will usually calm down once placed back on the floor.

The Field Vole (Microtus agrestis) animal facts is also known as the Short-tailed Vole. The Field Vole is one of the most common small rodents in the countrysides of Britain and Europe. It is found throughout the British mainland, however, it is not resident in Ireland, the Isle of Man or Northern Isles.

As an important food source for owls and some other predators, their population peaks and falls in a 3 – 5 year cycle. It is very similar to the Bank vole (Clethrionomys glareolus), however, the latter has red-brown fur, a longer tail and more prominent ears than the field vole.

There is an Orkney vole (Microtus arvalis), found only on the Orkney Islands in Scotland and the Channel Island of Guernsey. It is like the field vole however, it is deeper brown in colour and is a little longer and heavier.

The Field Vole pre-breeding season population is estimated to be in excess of 75 million.

Field Vole Description

The Field Vole has a head and body length of 8 – 13 centimetres, its tail is around one third of its body length. A field voles weight can vary greatly from 14 – 50 grams. They have a mouse-like nose, but it is slightly blunter. Field Voles are covered in fur which is yellow/brown to greyish in colour. Their underparts are white and they have small eyes.

Field Vole Habitats

Field voles inhabit grassland, meadows and marshland. They prefer mainly open, grassy habitats with dense ground cover. They particularly like overgrown fields with damp tussocky grass. Field voles are also found on moors and in hedgerows. They are usually absent from cropped arable land.

Field voles food is primarily succulent grass stems and green leaves, however, roots, bulbs and bark are also eaten, particularly in winter when fresh vegetation is hard to find.

Field Vole Behaviour

Field voles are active by day and night. They can be aggressive and each one has its own small territory which it fiercely defends from other voles. They fight noisily, uttering loud squeaks and angry chattering noises. Each vole makes runways among the grass stems, usually centred on a tussock where it nests.

Although Field voles dig burrows, they usually build nests above ground at the base of grass stems, sometimes protected by a stone or log. They make small underground cavities in which grass is stored for the winter.

Field voles are one of the most numerous British mammals and because they are heavy breeders, populations in a favourable habitat often increase their populations to thousands and is known as a ‘vole plague’. When this happens, competition for space and food and increased aggression leads to less successful breeding, with the result of a population decline.

The fluctuations in populations usually occur in 3 – 5 year cycles, as aforementioned. Some predator populations also increase as the vole populations increase. Field voles are the main food of barn owls, forming 90 percent of their diet. A shortage of voles has an effect on the number of young barn owls reared. Other predators include foxes, stoats, weasels, kestrels and snakes.

Field Vole Reproduction

Field voles breed during March to October, however, they may continue breeding into December. Females produce 4 – 6 young after a gestation period of 18 – 20 days. Young voles are born in a nest of dry grass, usually hidden in a thick grassy tussock. Males can breed at 40 days of age, females at 28 days. They are therefore able to produce 2 – 7 litters of 4 – 6 young per year. The young have grown their fur by 10 days old and are weaned at around 16 days. The life span of a field vole is around 2 years.

Field Vole Conservation Status

Field voles are common and widespread and are therefore not considered to be an endangered species.

Chipmunks are lively little creatures that are found mostly in North and West America with one species (Asia’s Tamias sibiricus) native to Eurasia. Chipmunks are kept as popular and entertaining pets.

Chipmunk Description

Chipmunks vary in size and colour depending on species. Their size ranges from 7 – 8 inches in length and 32 – 50 grams in weight in the smallest chipmunks to 11 inches in length and 125 grams in weight in larger chipmunks.

Chipmunks coats range from reddish brown to grey in colour with contrasting dark or light stripes on the side of their faces and across their backs and tails. They have white fur on their underparts and their tail is brown, with varied shades of black near the tip. Chipmunks have large, glossy eyes and characteristic bushy tails measuring 2 – 5 inches which have made them a favourite character with animators.

Chipmunks have small but prominent ears which face forwards, small eyes set on the sides of their heads and a pointed muzzle. Although a chipmunks mouth is small, their cheek pouches can expand up to 3 times the size of their head. The chipmunk digs with its front paws, which have four sharp claws on each. The dirt is pushed to the surface, and then carried away in the animals cheeks.

Chipmunks are generally seen scampering through the undergrowth of a variety of environments from scrublands, alpine forests to shrubby deserts. Chipmunks construct complex burrows which can measure 3 – 4 metres in length. These burrows have several entrances, tunnels and chambers for sleeping which are kept very clean. Shells and faeces are stored in refuse tunnels. sleeping areas are enlarged and filled with shredded leaves to make a comfortable bed. Food is normally stored in the lowest tunnels, to keep it cool and fresh. Some species of chipmunk make their homes in logs, bushes are abandoned nests.

Chipmunk Diet

Chipmunks have a varied omnivorous diet mainly consisting of nuts, fruits, seeds, berries, grains, birds eggs, small frogs, fungi, insects and worms. Food is stuffed into their large cheek pouches and carried back to store in their dens. Lots of food is gathered and placed in their burrows at the beginning of autumn to store for the winter.

Some species of chipmunk make many caches of food. These two behaviours are referred to as ‘larder hoarding’ and ‘scatter hoarding’. Larder hoarders usually remain in their nests until spring. Chipmunks generally gather food on the ground in areas with underbrush, rocks and logs, where they can hide from predators like hawks, foxes, coyotes, weasels, and snakes. They will climb trees to collect acorns and hazel nuts, however, they are not as agile as their cousins, the squirrel.

Chipmunks fulfil several important functions in forest ecosystems. Their activities which include harvesting and hoarding tree seeds play a crucial role in seedling establishment. Chipmunks also play an important role as prey for various predatory mammals and birds, however, they are also opportunistic predators themselves, particularly with regards to bird eggs and nestlings.

Chipmunks that reside in urban areas have been known to take handouts from humans, however, human food is not stored, it is just enjoyed as a novelty.

Chipmunk Behaviour

Chipmunks are very lively and very fast. They have a bird-like chip which is used when danger is sensed or as a mating call for female chipmunks. Other communications include gestures such as waving their tails enabling them to communicate effectively with others of their species. Chipmunks are solitary animals and male and female do not pair until breeding season. Although chipmunks hibernate from late autumn until early spring, they do not store fat, instead they slowly gnaw away at their supplies throughout the winter, waking every 2 weeks or so to eat.

Chipmunk Reproduction

Chipmunk breeding season occurs in early spring and then again in early summer. Litters of 4 – 5 young are produced after a gestation period of 30 days. Western chipmunks only breed once a year. Young are born in burrows where they remain for about 6 weeks. Within 2 weeks of emerging from their burrows they become independent and begin to gather their own stores of food for the winter ahead. Chipmunks are social animals, and both the male and female raise their young. Chipmunks have a life span of 2 – 7 years in the wild.

Chipmunk Conservation Status

Although chipmunks are vulnerable to forest fragmentation, they are not currently threatened. However, the Palmers chipmunk (Tamias palmeri) is considered a vulnerable species.

Chipmunk Species

Allens Chipmunk Tamias senex Alpine Chipmunk Tamias alpinus Bullers Chipmunk Tamias bulleri California Chipmunk Tamias obscurus Cliff Chipmunk Tamias dorsalis Colorado Chipmunk Tamias quadrivittatus Durango Chipmunk Tamias durangae Eastern Chipmunk Tamias striatus Grey-collared Chipmunk Tamias cinereicollis Grey-footed Chipmunk Tamias canipes Hopi Chipmunk Tamias rufus Least Chipmunk Tamias minimus Lodgepole Chipmunk Tamias speciosus Long-eared Chipmunk Tamias quadrimaculatus Merriams Chipmunk Tamias merriami Palmers Chipmunk Tamias palmeri Panamint Chipmunk Tamias panamintinus Red-tailed Chipmunk Tamias ruficaudus Siberian Chipmunk Tamias sibiricus Siskiyou Chipmunk Tamias siskiyou Sonoma Chipmunk Tamias sonomae Townsends Chipmunk Tamias townsendii Uinta Chipmunk Tamias umbrinus Yellow-cheeked Chipmunk Tamias ochrogenys Yellow-pine Chipmunk Tamias amoenus

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