BEAVER

The beaver (genus Castor) is a primarily nocturnal, large, semiaquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) (native to North America) and Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) (Eurasia).Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges (homes). They are the second-largest rodent in the world (after the capybara). Their colonies create one or more dams to provide still, deep water to protect against predators, and to float food and building material. The North American beaver population was once more than 60 million, but as of 1988 was 6–12 million. This population decline is the result of extensive hunting for fur, for glands used as medicine and perfume, and because the beavers' harvesting of trees and flooding of waterways may interfere with other land uses.

Eurasian beaver

The Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) was nearly hunted to extinction in Europe, both for fur and for castoreum, a secretion from its scent gland believed to have medicinal properties. However, the beaver is now being re-introduced throughout Europe. Several thousand live on the Elbe and the Rhône and in parts of Scandinavia. A thriving community lives in northeast Poland, and the Eurasian beaver also returned to the Morava River banks in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. They have been reintroduced in Scotland (Knapdale), Bavaria, Austria, Netherlands, Serbia (Zasavica bog), Denmark (West Jutland) and Bulgaria and are spreading to new locations. The beaver became extinct in Great Britain in the sixteenth century: Giraldus Cambrensis reported in 1188 (Itinerarium ii.iii) that it was to be found only in the Teifi in Wales and in one river in Scotland, though his observations are clearly second hand. In 2001, Kent Wildlife Trust successfully introduced a family of beavers at Ham Fen, the last remaining ancient fenland in the county close to the town of Sandwich; these are now established and are breeding. In October 2005, six Eurasian beavers were reintroduced to Britain in Lower Mill Estate in Gloucestershire; in July 2007 a colony of four Eurasian beavers was established at Martin Mere in Lancashire,and a small population of probably Eurasian beavers is being monitored in Devon. A trial re-introduction occurred in Scotland in May 2009. Feasibility studies for a reintroduction to Wales are at an advanced stage and a preliminary study for a reintroduction of beavers to the wild in England has recently been published.

A North American beaver

Surprised by a major snow melt, a beaver had to start its cut all over again

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis), also called the Canadian beaver (which is also the name of a subspecies), American beaver, or simply beaver in North America, is native to Canada, much of the United States and parts of northern Mexico. The chief feature distinguishing 

fiber is the form of the nasal bones of the skull. This species was introduced to the Argentine and Chilean Tierra del Fuego, as well as Finland, France, Poland and Russia.

The North American beaver prefer the (inner) bark of aspen and poplar, but will also take birch, maple, willow, alder, black cherry, red oak, beech, ash, hornbeam and occasionally pine and spruce.They will also eat cattails, water lilies and other aquatic vegetation, especially in the early spring (and contrary to widespread belief,they do not eat fish). These animals are often trapped for their fur. During the early 19th century, trapping eliminated this animal from large portions of its original range.

However, through trap and transfer and habitat conservation it made a nearly complete recovery by the 1940s. Beaver furs were used to make clothing and top-hats. Much of the early exploration of North America was driven by the quest for this animal's fur. Native peoples and early settlers also ate this animal's meat. The current beaver population has been estimated to be 10 to 15 million; one estimate claims that there may at one time have been as many as 90 million.

Habitat

These trees, up to 250 mm (9.8 in) in diameter, were felled by beavers in one night.

The habitat of the beaver is the riparian zone, inclusive of stream bed. The actions of beavers for hundreds of thousands of years  in the Northern Hemisphere have kept these watery systems healthy and in good repair, although a human observing all the downed trees might think that the beavers were doing just the opposite.

The beaver works as a keystone species in an ecosystem by creating wetlands that are used by many other species. Next to humans, no other extant animal appears to do more to shape its landscape. Beavers potentially even impact climate change.

Beavers fell trees for several reasons. They fell large mature trees, usually in strategic locations, to form the basis of a dam, but European beavers tend to use small diameter (<10 cm) trees for this purpose. Beavers fell small trees, especially young second-growth trees, for food.

Broadleaved trees re-grow as a coppice, providing easy-to-reach stems and leaves for food in subsequent years. Ponds created by beavers can also kill some tree species by drowning, but this creates standing dead wood, which is very important for a wide range of animals and plants

Beaver dam

The same dam four months later, showing enlargement

Beaver dams are created as a protection against predators, such as coyotes, wolves and bears, and to provide easy access to food during winter. Beavers always work at night and are prolific builders, carrying mud and stones with their fore-paws and timber between their teeth. Because of this, destroying a beaver dam without removing the beavers is difficult, especially if the dam is downstream of an active lodge. Beavers can rebuild such primary dams overnight, though they may not defend secondary dams as vigorously. Beavers may create a series of dams along a river.

Water quality and beavers

Beaver ponds, and the wetlands that succeed them, remove sediments and pollutants from waterways, including total suspended solids, total nitrogen, phosphates, carbon and silicates.

The term "beaver fever" is a misnomer coined by the American press in the 1970s, following findings that the parasite Giardia lamblia, which causes Giardiasis, is carried by beavers. However, further research has shown that many animals and birds carry this parasite, and the major source of water contamination is by other humans.Norway has many beaver but has not historically had giardia, and New Zealand has giardia but no beaver. Recent concerns point to domestic animals as a significant vector of giardia, with young calves in dairy herds testing as high as 100% positive for giardia. In addition, fecal coliform and streptococci bacteria excreted into streams by grazing cattle have been shown to be reduced by beaver ponds, where the bacteria are trapped in bottom sediments.

JAVAN RHINOCEROS

                             JAVAN RHINOCEROS 

Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is the most endangered rhino species with barely 40 individuals in the wild.

Javan rhino in the past inhabited almost the whole of Indochina and the islands of Sumatra and Java. The living area Javan rhino has been declining for 1,000 years, but accelerated in the last 100 Javan rhinos now live only in the west Java in Ujung Kulon National Park, the last unit of the Vietnamese Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) died in 2010.

The most important feature of the Javan rhino is just one horn, the smallest of all rhino species. It reaches a length of barely 20 centimeters. Body length Javan rhino ranges from 2 to 4 meters and a height of 1.4 to 1.7 meters. Vietnamese subspecies is, on average, less than Java. Adults weight from 900 to 2300 kg. Javan rhinos have a good hearing and smell, like all other rhino, but has very poor vision. The average life expectancy Javan rhino is 35 years

The natural habitat of the Javan rhino rain forests and mangrove forests. Javan rhinos are single and have their own territory, which amount to 12-20 km² for males and 3-14 km² for females. Territory denote urine and feces. Due to deforestation and habitat destruction, rhinos difficult to find enough territory.

Javan rhino is mainly nocturnal animal, when it feeds on plants. An adult day can eat up to 50 kg of food. Of vital importance for the Javanese rhinos is their salt intake, which is difficult in their present habitat. Due to the lack of land-based sources of salt rhinos in Ujung Kulon National Park seen drinking sea water, which is otherwise unnatural behavior.

Females Javan rhinos are pregnant to 16 months, and the elevation of only one child, who remains with the mother to 2 years.

EAGLES

Eagles are large, powerfully built birds of prey, with a heavy head and beak. Even the smallest eagles, like the booted eagle (Aquila pennata) (which is comparable in size to a common buzzard (Buteo buteo) or red-tailed hawk (B. jamaicensis)), have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight – despite the reduced size of aerodynamic feathers. Most eagles are larger than any other raptors apart from some vultures. The smallest species of eagle is the South Nicobar serpent eagle (Spilornis klossi), at 450 g and 40 cm. The largest species are discussed below. Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong muscular legs, and powerful talons. The beak is typically heavier than that of most other birds of prey. Eagles' eyes are extremely powerful, having up to 3.6 times human acuity for the martial eagle, which enables them to spot potential prey from a very long distance. This keen eyesight is primarily attributed to their extremely large pupils which ensure minimal diffraction (scattering) of the incoming light. The female of all known species of eagles is larger than the male.

Eagles normally build their nests, called eyries, in tall trees or on high cliffs. Many species lay two eggs, but the older, larger chick frequently kills its younger sibling once it has hatched. The dominant chick tends to be a female, as they are bigger than the male. The parents take no action to stop the killing.

Due to the size and power of many eagle species, they are ranked at the top of the food chain as apex predators in the avian world. The type of prey varies by genus. 

The Haliaeetus and Ichthyophaga eagles prefer to capture fish, though the species in the former often capture various animals, especially other water birds, and are powerful kleptoparasites of other birds. The snake and serpent eagles of the genera Circaetus, Terathopius, and Spilornis predominantly prey on the great diversity of snakes found in the tropics of Africa and Asia. The eagles of the genus Aquila are often the top birds of prey in open habitats, taking almost any medium-sized vertebrate they can catch. Where Aquila eagles are absent, other eagles, such as the buteonine black-chested buzzard-eagle of South America, may assume the position of top raptorial predator in open areas. Many other eagles, including the species-rich Spizaetus genus, live predominantly in woodlands and forest. These eagles often target various arboreal or ground-dwelling mammals and birds, which are often unsuspectingly ambushed in such dense, knotty environments. Hunting techniques differ among the species and genera, with some individual eagles having engaged in quite varied techniques based their environment and prey at any given time. Most eagles grab prey without landing and take flight with it so the prey can be carried to a perch and torn apart.

The bald eagle is noted for having flown with the heaviest load verified to be carried by any flying bird, since one eagle flew with a 6.8 kg (15 lb) mule deer fawn.^[8] However, a few eagles may target prey considerably heavier than themselves; such prey is too heavy to fly with, thus it is either eaten at the site of the kill or taken in pieces back to a perch or nest. Goldenand crowned eagles have killed ungulates weighing up to 30 kg (66 lb) and a martial eagle even killed a 37 kg (82 lb)duiker, 7–8 times heavier than the preying eagle. Authors on birds David Allen Sibley, Pete Dunne, and Clay Sutton described the behavioral difference between hunting eagles and other birds of prey thus (in this case the bald and golden eagles as compared to other North American raptors):

They have at least one singular characteristic. It has been observed that most birds of prey look back over their shoulders before striking prey (or shortly thereafter); predation is after all a two-edged sword. All hawks seem to have this habit, from the smallest kestrel to the largest Ferruginous – but not the Eagles.

Among the eagles are some of the largest birds of prey: only the condors and some of the Old World vultures are markedly larger. It is regularly debated which should be considered the largest species of eagle. They could be measured variously in total length, body mass, or wingspan. Different lifestyle needs among various eagles result in variable measurements from species to species. For example, many forest-dwelling eagles, including the very large harpy and Philippine eagles, have relatively short wingspans, a feature necessary for being able to maneuver in quick, short bursts through dense forested habitats. Eagles in the genus Aquila, though found almost strictly in open country, are superlative soarers, and have relatively long wings for their size.

These lists of the top five eagles are based on weight, length, and wingspan, respectively. Unless otherwise noted by reference, the figures listed are the median reported for each measurement in the guide Raptors of the World in which only measurements that could be personally verified by the authors were listed.

HIPPOPOTAMUS

H I P P O P O T A M U S

Range map of hippopotamus. Historic range is in red while current range is in green

The common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), or hippo, is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extantspecies in the family Hippopotamidae, the other being the pygmy hippopotamus(Choeropsis liberiensis or Hexaprotodon liberiensis). The name comes from theancient Greek for "river horse" (ἱπποπόταμος). After the elephant andrhinoceros, the common hippopotamus is the third-largest type of land mammaland the heaviest extant artiodactyl. Despite their physical resemblance to pigsand other terrestrial even-toed ungulates, the closest living relatives of the Hippopotamidae are cetaceans (whales, porpoises, etc.) from which they diverged about 55 million years ago. The common ancestor of whales and hippos split from other even-toed ungulates around 60 million years ago. The earliest known hippopotamus fossils, belonging to the genus Kenyapotamus in Africa, date to around 16 million years ago.

Common hippos are recognisable by their barrel-shaped torsos, wide-opening mouths revealing large canine tusks, nearly hairless bodies, columnar-like legs and large size; adults average 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) and 1,300 kg (2,900 lb) for males and females respectively, making them the largest species of land mammal after the 3 species of elephants and the white and Indian rhinoceros. Despite its stocky shape and short legs, it is capable of running 30 km/h (19 mph) over short distances. The hippopotamus is a highly aggressive and unpredictable animal and is ranked among the most dangerous animals in Africa. Nevertheless, they are still threatened by habitat loss and poaching for their meat and ivory canine teeth.

The common hippopotamus is semiaquatic, inhabiting rivers, lakes andmangrove swamps, where territorial bulls preside over a stretch of river and groups of five to 30 females and young. During the day, they remain cool by staying in the water or mud; reproduction and childbirth both occur in water. They emerge at dusk to graze on grasses. While hippopotamuses rest near each other in the water, grazing is a solitary activity and hippos are notterritorial on land.

Kangaroo

K A N G A R O O

The kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus: thered kangaroo, antilopine kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, and western grey kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to Australia. The Australian government estimates that 34.3 million kangaroos lived within the commercial harvest areas of Australia in 2011, up from 25.1 million one year earlier.

As with the terms "wallaroo" and "wallaby", "kangaroo" refers to a polyphyleticgrouping of species. All three refer to members of the same taxonomic family, Macropodidae, and are distinguished according to size. The largest species in the family are called "kangaroos" and the smallest are generally called "wallabies". The term "wallaroos", a portmanteau, refers to species of an intermediate size. There is also the tree-kangaroo, another genus of macropod, which inhabits the tropical rainforests of New Guinea, far northeastern Queensland and some of the islands in the region.

Kangaroos have large, powerful hind legs, large feet adapted for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. Like most marsupials, female kangaroos have a pouch called a marsupium in which joeys complete postnatal development.

The large kangaroos have adapted much better than the smaller macropods to land clearing for pastoral agriculture and habitat changes brought to the Australian landscape by humans. Many of the smaller species are rare and endangered, while kangaroos are relatively plentiful.

The kangaroo is an unofficial symbol of Australia and appears as an emblem on the Australian coat of arms and on some of its currency and is used by some of Australia's well known organisations, including Qantas and the Royal Australian Air Force. The kangaroo is important to both Australian culture and the national image, and consequently there are numerous popular culture references.

Wild kangaroos are shot for meat, leather hides, and to protect grazing land.Although controversial, harvesting kangaroo meat has some environmental advantages to limit over-grazing and the meat has perceived health benefits for human consumption compared with traditional meats due to the low level of fat on kangaroos.

SNOW LEOPARD

SNOW LEOPARD

Together with the clouded leopard is a middle ground between the big cats and smaller species ,due to the fact that snow leopards do not roar,although they have cartilaginous bone,which is considered to be to big cats roar. 

Snow leopards have a soft and thick gray fur with blood spots and black patches in which they are known. In the winter it becomes white. The tail is thick and paws are covered with dense hair as insulation against the cold and snow. The lifespan of snow leopards is between 15 to 18, while in captivity up to 20 years.

This cat is characterized by proportionally long tail of forsaken cat who helps to maintain balance during jumps on uneven ground. Tail also covers the nose and mouth during very cold conditions. The legs are short and strong, with broad paws and claws. Snow Leopard can jump 14-15 feet into the distance. The head is large with strong hind skull bones that hold the powerful jaw muscles. Large fangs inflicts lethal bite.

Body length is 100-130 centimeters, plus a tail that is about 90 inches long. Weight depends on gender and nutritional status. Males weigh 30 to 80 pounds, while females are smaller and heavier than 30 to 60 pounds.

Life habitat include steppes, spacious Clancy and worth Vysoke mountains. In the summer, the snow leopard habitat at an altitude of 6,000 meters, while in winter it comes down to the forest at about 2,000 meters above sea level. The area where they live these cats of about 1,230,000 square kilometers includes highlands 12 Asian countries: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Tibet in China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

The total population of snow leopards in the wild is between 3,500 and 7,000. Another 600-700 specimens living in zoos around the world.

Snow Leopard

Snow leopards live in the area which can vary considerably in size. For example, in Nepal, where prey is abundant, the territory occupied a small area (30-65 km), while in Mongolia, where the prey scarce, the snow leopard is necessary to over 1,000 km² in order to survive. 

At the market in Kabul, Afghanistan, for the wonderful snow leopard gets all over a thousand dollars, of course, on the black market. In this impoverished country, to solve the

problems of many families. On the other hand, in Nepal, China and Bhutan, highly praised the leopard bones, teeth and internal organs that are used in folk medicine.

Snow leopards are endangered cat whose fur is extremely expensive on the black market. During the 1960s, the total population of snow leopards has decreased to 1,000 individuals. Fortunately, the species has since recovered slightly. In captivity snow leopards successfully reproduce.