Nature Voyagers

Species  -  Latest posts  /  Genres  -  Latest posts  /  Others  -  Latest posts  /   Mollusca Bobtail squid Bobtail squid (order Sepiolida) are a group of cephalopods closely related to cuttlefish. Bobtail squid tend to have a rounder mantle than cuttlefish and have no cuttlebone. They have eight suckered arms and two tentacles and are generally quite small (typical male mantle length being between 1 and 8 cm (0.39 and 3.15 in)). Sepiolids live in shallow coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean and some parts of the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean as well as in shallow waters on the west coast of the Cape Peninsula off South Africa. Like cuttlefish, they can swim by either using the fins on their mantle or by jet propulsion. They are also known as "dumpling squid" (owing to their rounded mantle) or "stubby squid" Light organ Bobtail squid have a symbiotic relationship with bioluminescent bacteria (Aliivibrio fischeri), which ...

Species  -  Latest posts  /  Genres  -  Latest posts  / Others  -  Latest posts  /   Mollusca Grimpoteuthis (Dumbo Octopus) Grimpoteuthis is a genus of pelagic umbrella octopuses known as the dumbo octopuses. The name "dumbo" originates from their resemblance to the title character of Disney's 1941 film Dumbo, having a prominent ear-like fin which extends from the mantle above each eye. There are 13 species recognized in the genus. Prey include crustaceans, bivalves, worms and copepods. The average life span of various Grimpoteuthis species is 3 to 5 years. Dorsal and ventral aspects of a mature female of G. innominata (73 mm ML) Most species of Grimpoteuthis live at depths of at least 3,000 to 4,000 metres (9,800 to 13,100 ft) with some living up to 7,000 metres (23,000 ft) below sea level, which is the deepest of any known octopus. They are some of the rarest of the Octopoda species though they occur worldwide including in th...

Species  -  Latest posts  /  Genres  -  Latest posts  /  Animals  -  Latest posts  /  Mammals Maned wolf The maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus) is the largest canid of South America. Its markings resemble those of foxes, but it is neither a fox nor a wolf. It is the only species in the genus Chrysocyon (meaning "golden dog"). It is the largest canid in South America, with a weight between 20 and 30 kg, and reaches up to 90 cm at the withers. Its long, thin legs and dense reddish coat give it an unmistakable appearance. The maned wolf is a crepuscular and omnivorous animal adapted to the open environments of the South American savanna, with an important role in the seed dispersal of fruits, especially the wolf apple (Solanum lycocarpum). The maned wolf is a solitary animal. It communicates primarily by scent marking, but also gives a loud call known as "roar-barking". This mammal is found in open and semiopen habitats, especiall...

Species  -  Latest posts  /  Genres  -  Latest posts  /  Animals  -  Latest posts  /  Mammals Explore the Family Tree Uncovering ungulate taxonomy All ungulates are mammals (Class Mammalia) - a group of warm-blooded (endothermic) animals with backbones. Taxonomically, mammals are animals (Kingdom Animalia) and belong to the Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata. Mammals can be distinguished from other animals by the presence of milk-producing skin glands - these mammary glands, for which the Class Mammalia is named, are found in every mammal and nowhere else in the Animal Kingdom. Many other characters are used to diagnose mammals, including the presence of hair, three middle ear bones, and a four-chambered heart. Within the mammals, there are two extant subclasses: the Prototheria, containing only three modern species of egg-laying monotremes (Order Monotremata); and the Theria, or viviparous mammals (those which give birth to...

Species  -  Latest posts  /  Genres  -  Latest posts  /  Animals  -  Latest posts  /  Mammals Order Perissodactyla Perissodactyla, as we know it today, is a small order of hoofed mammals, containing 17 Recent species in three families: Equidae (horses), Tapiridae (tapirs), and Rhinocerotidae (rhinoceroses). Despite being such a small order, the odd-toed ungulates have a wide distribution, being found across the Ethiopian, Palearctic, Oriental, and Neotropical zoogeographic regions. Two species have been domesticated - the horse (Equus caballus) and the donkey (Equus asinus); feral populations of these two species have been established across the globe, (re)expanding this order's influence to the Nearctic and Australasian regions. All modern perissodactyls are large to very large animals, ranging in size from the smallest equids (200 kg) to the largest rhinoceroses (3,500 kg). Despite the broad range in their physical appearance...

Species  -  Latest posts  /  Genres  -  Latest posts  /  Animals  -  Latest posts  /  Mammals The even-toed ungulates are the most successful group of large herbivores on earth today, having outpaced the formerly widespread perissodactyls in the Oligocene. Artiodactyls are indigenous to every zoogeographic region (including several species on Sulawesi and other islands in the Australasian region); they are not native to the continents of Antarctica and Australia, but many species have been introduced into areas outside of their natural range, including Australia, New Guinea, and the islands of Oceania. The approximately 240 ungulate members of this order show incredible diversity in size, form, dietary preferences, and climatic tolerance. This order contains the majority of domesticated mammal species, including cattle, reindeer, camels, pigs, goats, and sheep. Recent molecular evidence has radically reorder the classification ...

Species  -  Latest posts  /  Genres  -  Latest posts  /  Animals  -  Latest posts  /  Mammals The Cervidae first appear as fossils in the early Miocene of Asia, where they expanded into a wide variety of niches (and were thus able to dominate over the bovids which arrived later). During the Miocene, members of this family migrated to North America. After expanding in the Nearctic region, deer crossed to South America during the Pleistocene, when the Panama land bridge formed. Antlers are the defining characteristic of this family: all but one species (Hydropotes inermis) possess these cranial appendages, and they are found in no other animal. Unlike the headgear of other Pecorans, antlers are composed entirely of bone and often have elaborate branching patterns. The antlers grow from an extension (the "pedicel") on the skull's frontal bone, joining to the skull in a suture known as a burr. The sutures holding the antlers to the...