Lung Fish

Have you seen a sleeping fish? How about a fish that can survive in the air? The Dipnoi are a group of sarcopterygiian fish, or are commonly known as the lungfish. Their "lung" is a modified swim bladder, which in most fish is used for buoyancy in swimming, but in the lungfish , the swim bladder is not only used for buoyancy, but also for absorbing oxygen and removes wastes.

During the drought in Africa and South America, the lungfish are able to survive when their pools dry up by burrowing into the mud and sealing themselves within a mucous-lined burrow. This is called aestivation. At this time, they breathe air through their swim bladder instead of through their gills, and they reduce their metabolic rate dramatically in order to last through the drought without having to eat. Strangely, these fish will even drown if they are kept underwater and are not allowed to breathe air!

Evidence suggests that in recent years only small numbers of young lungfish are growing-up into adult fish. In addition, changes to the quality and extent of breeding habitat are reducing the likelihood of successful spawning. Two of the key problems affecting the lungfish are the flooding of suitable spawning sites and physical barriers that block the adult lungfish from moving to the remaining breeding sites. While the waters of dams and weirs provide feeding habitat for the species, they rarely provide the shallow water and dense cover of water plants like ribbonweed which the lungfish need for successful spawning. In addition, dams and weirs do not provide suitable nursery habitat for the species as the young also require a cover of water plants.

Because of the long life span of the lungfish (with some research suggesting that the fish may live up to 100 years) the lack of breeding success may not become evident in the adult population for many years. It is estimated that there has been a 26 per cent loss or reduction in the amount of breeding and nursery habitat for the Lungfish. As a result, the adult breeding population is likely to decline substantianally within the next three generations. In addition, exotic and translocated native fishes, such as the exotic Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambica) are believed to prey on lungfish eggs and young and compete with adults for breeding habitat.

Red Panda

So, you've heard of that highly endangered bear species that's only found in Beijing. But, have you come accross with another species with the similar name that are also at the verge of extinction? The Red Panda is a shy, long-tailed mammal that lives in cold, high-altitude mountain forests in Nepal, Burma and central China. Also known as the Lesser Panda, it is the size of a house cat. This endangered species is more closely related to raccoons than to Giant Pandas. They are most active in the early morning and late afternoon spending most of the day resting in trees conserving their energy as their bamboo diet has a low energy content.

Although classed as a carnivore, their diets are mainly bamboo shoots, grass and fruit with the occasional egg, insect or small animals. In captivity Red Pandas can live up to 14 years but it is not known how long they live in the wild. They reach sexual maturity at around a year old.

Here are some interesting facts:

• The Chinese name for red panda is hunho or firefox, due to their colour and similar size to a fox.

• Like giant pandas, red pandas have an extra 'thumb' which is simply an enlarged bone.

• Claws are sharp and partly retractable.

• A red panda can consume up to 45 percent of its own body weight daily eating approximately 200,000 bamboo leaves daily.

• The origin of the name "panda" is the Nepalese word "nigalya ponya", which has the meaning of "eater of bamboo

• The red panda was first discovered in 1821, 48 years before the giant pandas were found in 1869.

Habitat destruction is the main threat to the red panda. China and Nepal have rapidly growing human populations and their need for timber, fuel and grazing land causes widespread losses of forested land that supports bamboo undergrowth. Even in national parks and reserves, livestock grazing and timber extraction are destroying bamboo at an alarming rate. Young pandas are killed by domestic and feral dogs, while poachers hunt them for the fur and pet trades. While bamboo flowerings, which cause large areas of bamboo to die, have been a cause of concern, man-made factors are a greater concern for the long-term survival of the species.

Christmas Island Red Crabs

Christmas Island Red Crabs - video powered by Metacafe


If you've heard of Christmas Island (an island in the Indian Ocean and part of Australia) where the climate is tropical and seems like a rainforest, then you've probably heard about the millions of land crabs that live there. Of the 14 species of land crabs on Christmas Island, the most noticeable is the red crab. Not all red crabs are red. There are the occasional orange ones and the rare purple crabs. An adult shell can grow to 11.6 cm (4.5 inches) across. Their claws are usually about the same size, although females have smaller claws than males. From claw tip to claw tip, these guys are about the size of a dinner plate.

If you have a fear of being surrounded by small animals like spiders or rats, Christmas Island in December is the place to overcome this fear. At the first rains of the wet season in December, about 120 million crabs come out of hiding and start heading towards the ocean. To get there, they have to pass through town, across roads, through jungles and down a cliff. People find crabs all over their lawns, on their driveways and even in their houses.

The crabs that survive the week long trip to the ocean dip themselves in the water and then head into the closest woods where they will mate with females. After mating, the females hang out in the woods for two weeks while the males make the same journey back to the forest. Two weeks later the females lay about 100,000 eggs each, in the water. After a month, baby crabs about the size of a fingernail come out of the water and start the same journey their parents made through town and into the forest.

There are so many baby crabs making the tripback to the forest, they look like a giant red blanket, except the blanket is moving quickly. The crabs travel more than 300 feet an hour trying to prevent dehydration in the scorching sun. Locals help them out by scooping up buckets full of crabs from roads and blocked drains. By sundown most of the babies have completed the treacherous journey. Three to four years later the crabs join the mass migration and keep doing it for the rest of their lives, about 10 years.

If you're a local, millions of crabs on your lawn, in your house and covering the roads wouldn't make you blink an eye. It's just something that happens every year. Surprisingly none of the Christmas Island residents want to get rid of the crabs. They actually consider it a privilege to witness or assist this great natural event. You might also think people would put a few in a pot for dinner. Not so. Red crabs aren't the kind of crabs you get at a seafood restaurant. Their meat are made up of 96% water and aren't edible.

Even if you can't eat them, it's definitely worth dropping by Christmas Island in December or January to watch a blanket of Red crabs migrate to the ocean and back - just be sure to wear boots.

In Memoriam of Steve Irwin (1962 - 2006)

Fourth of September. A grave day for the Irwin family. On this heart-renching day of year 2006, Steve Irwin, the "Crocodile Hunter" of Animal Planet had his heart pierced by a stingray and stung to his death. The famous and beloved Animal Planet Conversationist was trying to teach us about these amazing creatures when the tragic moment happened. It's rather unfortunate that there have only been 17 recorded stingray fatalities worldwide. Steve was the 18th.


Steve Irwin - video powered by Metacafe

The crocodile hunter was also owner of theAustralia Zoo. The zoo was opened by his parents back during 1970. It was called the the "Beerwah Reptile Park" then. Starting the park was a huge gamble and money was very, very scarce. Dad was the ultimate builder and innovator, Mum was brilliant at budgeting and thrift. So together the Irwin family worked long and hard to eke out an existence.

Steve grew up to be a boy of the crocs. If you have seen him on tv, he would most of the time feeding and playing with his crocodile mates, commenting "What a beauty!" now and then whenever he sees one. His love for animals doesn't stop there. Throughout furthur episodes, he can be seen tugging and hugging a wombat, irritating a venomous snake, kissing a tiger, and the list goes on.

It seems like yesterday Steve was filming another episode of his famous tv program. With one fatal stung, and now he is gone, forever. Though his body and soul has yet to be seen again, he will always be remembered in our hearts, as the beloved crocodile hunter.

Cherish the Creatures

Welcome to my blog. My name is Aileen and have always been mesmerized by the creations of mother nature. After gaining some knowledge through the Internet and some real life documentaries, I couldn't resist the urge of blogging about some of the most wonderful species on earth.

Forgotten and forsaken, many creatures are taken for granted in our fast-growing continents. The truth is, although these beautiful creatures may not possess brains as large and complex like us humans do, they are often bourned with skills and natural instincts that are far more advance than us.

Pollutions and illegal poaching are possibly the most concerned problems of conservationists today. Because the human population is so big, a single step mistaken by a group could end up with a deadly circumstance. Thus, leading to the extinction of various species on earth.

While some lived to see the sun rise again, others are just swept clean from the face of Earth. Cherishing what the world still holds breathing, I am more than honoured to dig for information about creatures we often took for granted and share it with your readers who possess the same thoughts and feelings as I do. A single hand won't sound a clap, but I hope many hands will storm to the protection of God's astounding creations.