Welcome to Animal Cognizance

Monday, March 25, 2013

Hummingbird Photograph Layout

These great photographs are for viewing and identification purposes. Many of the photos I find have no reliable link so I am asking viewers to please add a comment and link if they know who took any of the photos. Photos will be removed at artists request. In the meantime enjoy today's post.

Rufous Hummingbird

Albino Ruby Throated Hummingbird - Photos by Marlin Shank

Sword Billed Hummingbird

Swallow-Tailed Hummingbird

Fiery-Throated Hummingbird


Long-Tailed Sylph

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Critically Endangered Animal Species 2013 Part 3 Continued

Javan Rhino

STATUS
Critically Endangered
~~~~~~
POPULATION
As few as 35

SCIENTIFIC NAME
Rhinoceros sondaicus

HEIGHT
4.6-5.8 feet

WEIGHT
1,984 - 5,071 pounds

HABITATS
Tropical forests

Javan rhinos are the most threatened of the five rhino species, with as few as 35 individuals surviving in Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia.

You can help by adopting a Rhino like the one below

Adopt me to help save my species

Leatherback Turtle

STATUS
Critically Endangered
~~~~~
SCIENTIFIC NAME
Dermochelys coriacea

WEIGHT
up to 1500 pounds

LENGTH
up to 7 feet

HABITATS
Oceans

Threats to this species include - Over harvesting and illegal trade along with habitat loss.

You can help by adopting a turtle like the one below


Adopt me to help save my species

Mountain Gorilla

STATUS
Critically Endangered
~~~~~~
POPULATION
880

SCIENTIFIC NAME
Gorilla beringei beringei

HEIGHT
4 to 5 ½ feet when standing on two feet

WEIGHT
up to 440 lbs

Their numbers are slowly increasing but they are still critically endangered
Threats to the Mountain Gorilla includes - War, habitat loss, disease, poaching and charcoal making

You can help by adopting a gorilla like the one below

Adopt me to help save my species

Amazon.com Widgets

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Animal Fans

I came across the most interesting and fun item that is sure to make those upcoming hot days of summer a breeze. These adorable fans are not limited to just one type of animal. I found everything from birds and pets to sea critters and wild animals. There are also pretty pulls for the end of your ceiling fan chain of different animals.I came across the most interesting and fun item that is sure to make those upcoming hot days of summer a breeze. These adorable fans are not limited to just one type of animal. I found everything from birds and pets to sea critters and wild animals. There are also pretty pulls for the end of your ceiling fan chain of different animals.

Critically Endangered Animal Species 2013 Continued

Cross River Gorilla

Photograph thanks to WWF

STATUS

Critically Endangered

~~~~~

POPULATION

200 to 300 individuals

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Gorilla gorilla diehli

HEIGHT

4 to 5 ½ feet when standing on two feet

WEIGHT

up to 440 pounds

from WWF

The population risks inbreeding and a loss of genetic diversity because there are so few Cross River gorillas and they live in groups that interact infrequently if at all.

Where these endangered animals live it is illegal to hunt Gorillas but the wildlife laws are lax. The killing of just one of the few remaining can be detrimental in this already small population.

Cameroon and Nigeria

One way to help the plight of these animals

Hawkbill Turtle

STATUS

Critically Endangered

~~~~~

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Eretmochelys imbricata

WEIGHT

90-150 pounds

LENGTH

less than 3 feet

HABITATS

Oceans

Threats

FISHERIES BYCATCH

Hawksbills are particularly susceptible to entanglement in gill nets and accidental capture on fishing hooks. Marine turtles need to reach the surface to breathe, and therefore many drown once caught. Known as bycatch, this is a serious threat to hawksbill turtles. As fishing activity expands, this threat is more of a problem.

ILLEGAL TRADE

One way you can help the plight of these animals

Saola

STATUS

Critically Endangered

~~~~~

POPULATION

Unknown

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Pseudoryx nghetinhensis

HEIGHT

Average 33 inches at the shoulder

WEIGHT

176-220 lbs

HABITATS

Evergreen forests with little or no dry season

South China Tiger

South China tigers - the reminder that the threat against the world's tiger is an urgent one.

The only living South China tigers are found in zoos and in South Africa.

There are plans with the hopes of reintroducing captive-bred tigers back into the wild.

They were hunted as pests and their habitat was destroyed

South China Tiger

TOO LATE :(

STATUS

Critically Endangered

~~~~~

POPULATION

believed to be extinct in the wild

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Panthera tigris amoyensis

HABITATS

Southeast China-Hainan Moist Forests

This list saddens me I will add more soon. Visit the World Wildlife Fund for more information.

Amazon.com Widgets

Monday, March 11, 2013

2013 Endangered Animals, Amur Leopard, Black Rhino

This is a truly horrifying list of natures near extinct wild animals. The horrifying part is that man is the reason for the animals being on this list. Instead of natural selection as a way to kill off a species man has taken it upon himself to single-handedly wipe the planet free of all animals not beneficial to his daily needs and greedy wants.These are only those animals that are listed as CRITICAL by the WWF, World Wildlife Fund. Not to be confused with the World Wrestling Federation. This post contains only facts and links to WWF for donations and / or the purchase of adopting their cute stuffed animals.

Photo credit: konjure / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Amur Leopard

Photographs thanks to WWF
STATUS
Critically Endangered
~~~~
POPULATION
Around 30 individuals

SCIENTIFIC NAME
Panthera pardus orientalis

WEIGHT
70 -105 pounds

HABITATS
Temperate, Broadleaf, and Mixed Forests

It is usual for leopards living in the savannas of Africa but beautiful and rare the Amur Leopard has adapted to the Russian Far East. Similar to other leopards, the Amur leopard can run at speeds of up to 37 miles per hour. This incredible animal has been reported to leap more than 19 feet horizontally and up to 10 feet vertically.

Black Rhino

Photograph thanks to WWF

STATUS
Critically Endangered
~~~~~~
POPULATION
4,848

SCIENTIFIC NAME
Diceros bicornis

HEIGHT
5.2 feet

WEIGHT
1,760 -3,080 pounds

HABITATS
Tropical and Subtropical Grasslands, Savannas, Deserts and Xeric Shrubland

as per WWF

1961
"DOOMED." That was the front page headline of the UK newspaper, the Daily Mirror, in 1961, accompanied by a full-page photo of two African rhinos. The article said that rhinos were "doomed to disappear from the face of the earth due to man's folly, greed, neglect".
2013
Record Number of Rhinos Killed in South Africa
Poaching statistics released by the South African government reveal 668 rhinos were slaughtered-a 50% increase over 2011 and a staggering 5000% increase since 2007.

Poached Horn Anyone ?

Photo credit: VonShawn / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

The rhinos horns are being poached for many different reason. To increase longevity and increase sexual appetite to curing cancer. The horns are made of keritin, the same as our fingernails and have no medicial or magical properties.

To be continued ....