Giant Otter The mammal that I have chosen is the giant otter. I was interested in this mammal because I did not know there was such thing as a giant otter. I mostly thought that there were just normal sized otters. Now I’m intrigued to know what the giant otter’s life is about. Where are they from? I will be finding out this information later in my paper. They are nice, but violent creatures. The giant otter species is lutrinae. The lutrinae is a branch of the weasel family Mustelidae. That family also includes martens, minks, polecats, Eurasian and American badgers, honey badgers and wolverines. That’s also why people refer to the giant otter as a “river wolf.” Wolverines attack as much as giant otters do. Giant otters attack their prey as well as wolverines. They seem as nice as a badger, but they are as violent as wolverines. …show more content…
It is not the heaviest otter, it is the second heaviest otter! Giant otters only weigh seventy pounds. They are all different shapes and sizes, but they are all the same giant otters. Even though they are small, they are ferocious. Giant otters shouldn’t be endangered because of how strong they are. The giant otters lifespan in the wild is twelve years and in captivity is twenty-one years. The lifespan of the giant otter is so short out of captivity because even giant otters can become prey to some other animal. They are not all big bones, sometimes they can be frightened or scared of a bigger predator. Their life is longer in captivity because they are protected. Even though they are at like a “prison” as they say it, they are still safe from predators. They can not be harmed as bad as they would be in the wild. They are in this little containment where they are with little otter
The sabertooth cat, also known by its scientific name Smilodon Fatalis, is considered a true form fossil. A fossil is considered a true form fossil when scientists recover fossils of the actual animal or animal part. These bones were oftentimes subjected to physical processes while still on the surface. These processes include heat, cold, wind and rain.
One of the things this company claims is that the killer whales actually live longer in their care. According to the website Sea World of Hurt, this is completely false, killer whales in the wild have a similar life span to humans, they can live from anywhere to 50-100 years. Held captive, these animals hardly live past twenty-five years. In the wild, an orcas dorsal fin is straight, which is the way it should be. In captivity, you will mostly see their dorsal fins flopped over or completely collapsed.
For example, SeaWorld asserts “that while research suggests that some wild killer whales can live as long as 60 to 70 years, their average lifespan is nowhere near that,” (source). In the wild, the average lifespan is 30 for males, 50 for females, and can live up to 80-90 years old. In captivity, in such environments as those at SeaWorld, most orcas die in their teens or 20s and only a handful survive past 25. The annual mortality or death rate for orcas is 2.5 times higher in captivity than it is in the wild. Activists believe that the capture and transport of these animals is extremely cruel, due to the psychological stress caused by the separation of pod members, and the stress caused during transport.
Introduction Sea otters (Enhydra lutris) are marine mammals capable of spending their entire lives in water. Being carnivorous in nature, they feed on sea urchins, crabs, fishes, mussels and clams. They are referred to as keystone species due to their profound impact on marine ecology. The interaction between sea otters, sea urchins and kelp forests has been studied as a model for the impact of predator-prey interactions on community ecology. Sea otters are keystone predators, whose presence has a far-reaching influence on the marine food web by affecting the populations of sea urchins, which indirectly affects the populations of kelp forests & other marine organisms.
Orca whales are the largest members of the dolphin family. Orcas are very curious creatures, they like to sky hop, which is when they poke their heads out of the water and look around, and they can also dive to as much as a hundred feet. These social animals live in pods and stay with them for their whole lives. They are so family oriented that they can may sleep together in a tight circle and have synchronized breathing. Orcas can grow up to thirty-two feet and can weigh nine tons. They typically eat five percent of their body weight and are amazing hunters. The lifespan of an orca in their natural habitat is about fifty years. This lifestyle for them is wonderful because they can swim as far as they want to and are free. Orcas should not be held captive because the capture process is dangerous, it is not good for their health, and their trainers are at risk. Free Willy. Dir Simon Wincer. 1993.Video. Warner Bros Home Video
River otters are some of the most social mustelids and show a greater geographic variability. River otters have both social and solitary systems that vary in each location. They have a complex social system; the American Society of Mammalogists exploring these systems in southeast Minnesota published a study. This study showed that the river otter populations in the study area had clear evidence of space sharing, which indicated that they were not territorial or solitary. Also, the otters that shared space with one another were attracted to one another and were near other otters. Furthermore, the home-range characteristics, static and dynamic interactions, and fidelity were evaluated. It was confirmed that males have a greater home-range
Why can’t we shoot/trap the American River Otter? It is a animal with a very expensive fur. Their fur is the most dense fur on earth, for example, they have about one million hairs per square inch on their fur, which is because they have no blubber to keep themselves warm. Some cool facts about the otter are, that they can live their whole lives without getting out of the water. In other words, it does not get tired of swimming. Some reasons why we want to get rid of them are; the otter has been eating all the fish we like to catch. Some examples are, Crayfish, Salmon, and Trout. Another reason is the Otter has been eating all the water fowl. Some cool waterfowl are, Geese, Ducks, and their eggs. Reason
The animal I chose is a Red fox. The scientific name is Vulpes vulpes. The Red fox is a Mamilia. Did you know that the red fox is actually cousins with the Arctic fox! There really is a lot to know about Red foxes.
It is also mentioned that orcas have a lifespan of twenty-five to thirty years. In reality, that is their lifespan in captivity. In the wild, male orcas can live up to sixty to seventy years and female orcas can live anywhere from eighty to more than one hundred years. This shows how SeaWorld fails to treat their animals
One of the most well-known urban legends told is the story of Bigfoot. Much of the research has shown that there are several names assigned to the mammoth ape. According to Napier (1973), Bigfoot would be the creature found mostly in Northwest America, Sasquatch would be a creature named in British Colombia, the 49th parallel in the north-west states of America and Northern California, and the Abominable Snowman, or the Yeti would be the creature named in the Himalayas. Of course, “Wild Man” and “Savage” have also been names used to identify the creature. There’s been thousands of sightings across the world, but there have also been many misidentifications where those who think they have seen Bigfoot have really just seen an ordinary animal or person. Arment (2006) states an individual’s perception may color the eyewitness account. Such misidentifications include: hermits, fugitives, refugees, bears, gorillas, and simply people making up stories or rumors. In addition to sightings, there have been photos, videos, movies, and TV shows that strongly indicates the possibility of the existence of this creature. Though there is much evidence from sightings, myths, and recordings that Bigfoot exists, there is also much proof that it could all be a hoax. Incorrect sightings have led skeptics to argue over the existence of this being stating Bigfoot is really just a fable. So one has to ask oneself, does Bigfoot really exist or is it just another urban legend?
Origin - The Maine Coon is a natural breed, however currently the actual origin of the Main Coon is still underway. The "myth" of the Maine Coon coming about from the mating of raccoon and domestic cat is amongst the most popular. Although this is genetically and scientifically impossible to achieve, it first came about to be believed due to its unique brown raccoon-like markings and big bushy tail. "Maine Shags" were the name given to those that had markings any other color besides the brown coat. Theory of Maine Coons coming about from Viking's bringing these animals over into North America has been one of many popular theories. However, the most common theory is that of Marie Antoinette. Many believe when she tried to escape to North America, but did not succeed, she had left her long-haired cat on board, which then came to North America and bred
Orcas, or killer whales are majestic giants of the sea. They are actually the largest type of dolphin. They have long black bodies with distinct white patches near their eyes. A killer whale can be up to 32 feet or more in length, and weigh up to 12,000 pounds. Females are a bit smaller, but live longer (Gorman). The name “killer whale” apparently came not because it is a vicious whale, but because it preys on whales. They do not have any natural predators, and they are considered the “top dog” of the ocean. Not even the great white shark stands a chance against these superb killers. “Unlike sharks, killer whales are cautious hunters, sometimes spending hours harassing a 1,000-pound sea lion so it can easily be drowned” (Francis). Orcas use many hunting tactics that are unique to their species, which is what makes them invincible.
sea otters are from the kingdom animalia. Sea otters are stouter and have large rib cages, smaller tails and muzzle than other species of otters. Yet sea otters posses the fine, dense fur coats characteristic of the Mustelidae. Their forefeet are small and dexterous with retractile claws and the flipper like hind feet are broad and webbed. Sea otters once was abundant along most coastal North pacific ocean. That was before fur traders hunted them for their thick ice, luxurious pelts. By the year 1900, sea otters were nearly extinct . Protected since 1911, alaska sea otters have made a comeback. There lifespan is 10-15 years. Great white sharks are the primary predator of sea otters and occasionally eaten by coyote so the predators that the
Sikes, Roberts. and William L. Gannon. "Guidelines of the American Society of Mammalogists for the Use of Wild Mammals in Research." Journal of Mammalogy 92.1 (Feb. 2011): 235-253. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2011.
The Orca is irrefutably one of the most fascinating animals in the ocean. Killer whales, or Orca, are aquatic mammals which live in almost every ocean on Earth. Their black and white color pattern makes them one of the most easily recognized animals on Earth, and their intelligence and strength makes them apex predators. Though the killer whale sounds like an aggressive animal, Orcas are very social and are very sensible in what they kill.