Monday, October 27, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Some Facts Regarding Cheetahs
1. Cheetahs are the fastest of all land mammals.
2. Cheetahs are in fact capable of generating great bursts of speed, reaching from zero to hundred kilometers per hour in under three seconds.
3. Often considered as the smallest of the big cats, Cheetahs are distinct since they can only purr and not roar like the other great cats.
4. Another unique feature of the Cheetah is presence of semi-retractable claws that enable them to maintain their grip on earth in high speed pursuits.
5. Cheetahs also have distinguishing markings on their cheeks, resembling 'tears', that reflect sunlight and enable the cat to see clearly for long distances during a chase.
6.Essentially built for the kill, Cheetahs have long streamlined bodies and a rudder like tail, that assist the cat in its movement and balance during quick turns in a chase.
7. Yet other adaptations exist that have enabled the Cheetah to evolve into great hunters. These include big heart, lungs and adrenals and wide nostrils - all assisting the felid in making cardiorespiratory adjustments for their stressful charge.
8. Owing to the significant effort that Cheetahs put in their hunting approach, they tire easily. Their body temperature reaches very high levels following their sprint and thus they must rest afterwards. It is at this point in time that they are most vulnerable and often lose their hard-earned kills to other opportunistic predators.
9. Due to competition, Cheetahs hunt during day instead of night and eat quickly after taking down the prey.
10. Cheetahs normally prey upon gazelles, springboks and impalas, employing the throat bite to crush the victim's windpipe. With a success rate of nearly fifty percent, Cheetahs are amongst the most industrious of all hunting felines.
11. Cheetahs have a defined social structure, with females leading a solitary life after rearing of the cubs and males often bonding and hunting in groups to lead a territorial existence.
12. Even though Cheetahs have a large litter size, lack of genetic variability and conflicts with larger predators including lions, leopards and hyenas mean that only a fraction of Cheetah cubs reach adulthood.
13. Unique from leopards and jaguars due to the presence of spots instead of rosettes, and a lighter body, Cheetahs are placed into a separate genus for taxonomic purposes, Acinonyx Jubatus.
About the author:
The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on cheetah facts. Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/11353
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
What do you call a deer with no eyes? No idea!
"It was early in the day so we decided to take off into the Lost Coast trails." He smiled and talked for a while about his family's love for nature. "We stopped a couple of times and mooched around. When the kids got hungry, we ate the food we'd bought along. It was all cool until I came round a redwood and hit a deer head on. We just sat there, stunned with airbags pinning us to our seats, a dead deer hanging off the hood and wreckage everywhere." He seemed calm talking about it now. Back then, it was different. "We climbed out of the car and tried calling for roadside assistance, but there was no signal. We were stranded in a wilderness, miles from anywhere.
Guess that was the most frightening thing — being alone. We put up a warning round the tree so no one would plow into the wreck, then set off walking. It was about an hour before another vehicle showed up. They were local and knew a farm with a landline. Folks were really kind that day. Perhaps it was the kids who were all shook up. They got everyone on our side."The police came fairly quickly. A wreck on those unpaved roads is a real hazard. The tow truck had further to come. By then, Jack had contacted the auto insurance company so everything was on track for the rescue. He had a rental car policy but no local garage had cars to rent. So the family piled into a truck owned by a neighbor who took them down to Westport where they got a new set of wheels. "It took a few days for the wreck to be shipped down to the body shop in Frisco. Not a surprise given where we'd abandoned it. The insurance agent was great help and got the claims department going. I guess we got to hear all the deer jokes but it was all sorted out in the end. Next time though, we'll stay on the 101."
About the author:
David Mayer is a professional contributor to sites like http://www.allstatescarinsurance.com/ and covers a wide range of topics, specifically car insurance. To learn more, visit http://www.allstatescarinsurance.com/what-do-you-call-a-deer-with-no-eyes-no-idea.html today. Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
China's Giant Panda
Giant Pandas are large, like most bears, but they typically have thick black and white fur with a short tail. The areas around a giant pandas eyes, ears, legs and shoulders and are black, while rest of their body is covered in white fur. The bears have very good eyesight. They also have strong jaws and teeth so that they can chew tough foods like bamboo shoots. Giant pandas have a special bones in their hand that works like an opposable thumb to aid in holding their food.
The pandas are native to only about six small locations in China. They live in the high mountainous areas near the center and southwest of China, among forests full of bamboo.
The weather is mostly cloudy, rainy and misty throughout the year. The famous Chengdu Breeding Giant Panda Research is found on the mountain of Fu Tou. Giant pandas are considered carnivores, but the bears diet in the wild consists of almost all bamboo. It is by far the favorite food of a giant panda. However, bamboo is very low in nutrition, meaning a giant pand will need to eat for 10 to 14 hours a day.
The bears are very shy and prefer to live alone. The females and males only see eachother about twice a year, in the late spring or early summer seasons to breed. A few months later, the female bear will usually give birth to just one or maybe two cubs in a den she has dug in the ground. Usually, only one of the bear cubswill live to maturity. They are very small and helpless when they are born, and cannot see. The newborn pandas are pink with almost no fur on their bodies. The mother panda nurses her nurse for about six months. At about one year old, the panda cubs will be able to live on their own. On average, a giant pandas can live to be between 17 and 20 years in the wild.
Just a little over a hundred years ago there wer thousands of giant pandas in China, but their population has steadily declined because of the destruction of the forests to make way for new homes and businesses. Thankfully, pandas are protected by law and cannot be hunted. They can also live at safe places such as the the Wolong Nature Reserve.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Say Goodbye to Moles and Voles
Say Goodbye to Moles and Voles Forever!
Getting rid of moles and voles can be a difficult task! However by
following a few simple steps it can be done.
If you are looking for a quick removal of the pesky
vagrants use the Yardiac.com Whole
control. This concentrate is sprayed directly into the areas where
armadillos, moles, voles, gophers, and other burrowing animals are digging.
It is not a poison and will not hurt any animals. Whole Control will leave a
residual in the ground which tastes awful. As invaders dig, they will come
in contact with the bad tasting soil and quickly decide the bad taste is too
strong and prompt them to find food elsewhere.
For a more permanent control we recommend using
the Yardiac.com Mole
and Vole Eradication Program. It requires using all three of
the following products in combination.
1) Whole Control Spray -- Effective immediately
2) Vole Block -- Provides a long term underground barrier
3) Milky Spore--Gets rid of the grubs that moles love to eat for up to 15 years!
To learn more or to purchase the Yardiac.com
Mole & Vole Control program click here