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Blank Park Zoo
Blank Park Zoo is a 49-acre zoological park on the south side of Des Moines, Iowa, United States, near historic Fort Des Moines. It is a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and is the only accredited zoo in Iowa. The mission of the Blank Park Zoo is to inspire an appreciation of the natural world through conservation, education, research, and recreation. History In 1963, A.H. Blank donated $150,000 for the construction of a children's zoo on decommissioned Fort Des Moines property. The Des Moines Children’s Zoo was officially opened on May 8, 1966. It was originally designed around nursery rhymes and included a castle with moat, replica of Noah's Ark, petting zoo and miniature railroad. Over the next 16 years the city failed to make improvements to the zoo, and it was on the verge of closing until in 1981 a group of civic-minded business leaders formed the Blank Park Zoo Foundation to help save the zoo. The foundation's number-one goal was to provide financ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Des Moines
Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857. It is located on, and named after, the Des Moines River, which likely was adapted from the early French name, ''Rivière des Moines,'' meaning "River of the Monks". The city's population was 214,133 as of the 2020 census. The six-county metropolitan area is ranked 83rd in terms of population in the United States with 699,292 residents according to the 2019 estimate by the United States Census Bureau, and is the largest metropolitan area fully located within the state. Des Moines is a major center of the US insurance industry and has a sizable financial services and publishing business base. The city was credited as the "number one spot for U.S. insurance companies" in a ''Business Wire'' arti ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gouldian Finch
The Gouldian finch (''Chloebia gouldiae''), also known as the Lady Gouldian finch, Gould's finch or the rainbow finch, is a colourful passerine bird that is native to Australia. Taxonomy The Gouldian finch was described by British ornithological artist John Gould in 1844 as ''Amadina gouldiae'', in honour of his deceased wife Elizabeth. The specimens were sent to him by Benjamin Bynoe although they had been described some years before by Jacques Bernard Hombron and Honoré Jacquinot. It is also known as the rainbow finch, Gould's finch, or the Lady Gouldian finch and sometimes just Gould. The Gouldian finch is sister to the parrotfinches in the genus '' Erythrura''. Description Both sexes are brightly coloured with black, green, yellow, and red markings. The females tend to be less brightly coloured. One major difference between the sexes is that the male's chest is purple, while the female's is a lighter mauve. Gouldian finches are about 125–140 mm long. Gouldian f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clown Triggerfish
The clown triggerfish (''Balistoides conspicillum''), also known as the bigspotted triggerfish, is a demersal marine fish belonging to the family Balistidae, or commonly called triggerfish. Description The clown triggerfish is a fish which grows up to 50 cm (19.7 inches).Lieske & Myers,''Coral reef fishes'',Princeton University Press, 2009, Its body has a stocky appearance, oval shape and compressed laterally. The head is large and represents approximately one third of the body length. The mouth is small, terminal and has strong teeth. The first dorsal fin is composed of three spines, one of which is longer and stronger. It is erectile and hidden in a dorsal furrow. This set of dorsal spines composed a trigger system which is a characteristic from the family Balistidae. The second dorsal fin is similar in shape and size to the anal fin which is symmetrically opposed to it. The pelvic fin is reduced to a ventral protrusion. The background coloration is black. Half of inf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sea Anemone
Sea anemones are a group of predation, predatory marine invertebrates of the order (biology), order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the ''Anemone'', a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Hexacorallia. As cnidarians, sea anemones are related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones, and ''hydra (genus), Hydra''. Unlike jellyfish, sea anemones do not have a Jellyfish#Life history and behavior, medusa stage in their life cycle. A typical sea anemone is a single polyp (zoology), polyp attached to a hard surface by its base, but some species live in soft sediment, and a few float near the surface of the water. The polyp has a columnar trunk topped by an oral disc with a ring of tentacles and a central mouth. The tentacles can be retracted inside the body cavity or expanded to catch passing prey. They are armed with cnidocytes (stinging cells). In many species, additional n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coral
Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. A coral "group" is a colony of very many genetically identical polyps. Each polyp is a sac-like animal typically only a few millimeters in diameter and a few centimeters in height. A set of tentacles surround a central mouth opening. Each polyp excretes an exoskeleton near the base. Over many generations, the colony thus creates a skeleton characteristic of the species which can measure up to several meters in size. Individual colonies grow by asexual reproduction of polyps. Corals also breed sexually by spawning: polyps of the same species release gametes simultaneously overnight, often around a full moon. Fertilized eggs form planulae, a mobile early form of the coral polyp which, when m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silver Arowana
The silver arowana (''Osteoglossum bicirrhosum'') is a South American freshwater bony fish of the family Osteoglossidae. Silver arowanas are sometimes kept in aquariums, but they are predatory and require a very large tank. The generic name ''Osteoglossum'' means "bone-tongued" and the specific name ''bicirrhosum'' means "two barbels" (from the Greek language). Range and habitat This South American species is native to the Amazon, Essequibo and Oyapock basins. It is absent from the Rio Negro basin, except the Branco River, which is inhabited by both silver and black arowanas. The silver arowana occurs in both black- and whitewater habitats, including flooded forests. Description This fish has relatively large scales, a long body, and a tapered tail, with the dorsal and anal fins extending all the way to the small caudal fin, with which they are nearly fused. Its maximum total length is typically considered to be , but there are reports of individuals up to . Unlike the black ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Redtail Catfish
The redtail catfish, ''Phractocephalus hemioliopterus'', is a pimelodid (long-whiskered) catfish. In Venezuela, it is known as cajaro, and in Brazil, it is known as pirarara, stemming from the Tupi language words ''pirá'' and ''arara''. It is the only extant species of the genus ''Phractocephalus''. This fish is common in the aquarium trade, although its massive adult size makes it unsuitable for all but the largest aquariums. They feed on fish, crustaceans and fallen fruits. They are not evaluated by IUCN. Fossil species Although the redtail catfish is the only living representative of this genus, there are other members that date back to the upper Miocene, and are only known from fossil remains. '' P. nassi'' was described in 2003, from the Urumaco Formation at Urumaco, Venezuela. Another fossil species, '' P. acreornatus,'' is known from the Solimões Formation, Acre, Brazil. This genus has a minimum age of about 13.5 million years. Description ''Phractocephalus hemi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tambaqui
The tambaqui (''Colossoma macropomum'') is a large species of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae. It is native to tropical South America, but kept in aquaculture and introduced elsewhere. It is also known by the names black pacu, black-finned pacu, giant pacu, cachama, gamitana, and sometimes as pacu (a name used for several other related species). The tambaqui is currently the only member of ''Colossoma'', but the '' Piaractus'' species were also included in this genus in the past. Distribution The tambaqui is native to freshwater habitats in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of tropical South America. In nutrient-rich whitewater rivers such as the Madeira, Juruá, Putumayo (Içá) and Purus it ranges throughout, all the way up to their headwaters.Araujo-Lima, C.A.R.M.; and M.L. Ruffino (2003). Migratory Fishes of the Brazilian Amazon. Pp. 233—302 in: Carolsfeld, J.; B. Harvey; C. Ross; and A. Baer (editors). Migratory Fishes of South America. In nutrient-poor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Golden-headed Lion Tamarin
The golden-headed lion tamarin (''Leontopithecus chrysomelas''), also the golden-headed tamarin, is a lion tamarin endemic to Brazil. It is found only in the lowland and premontane tropical forest fragments in the state of Bahia, and therefore is considered to be an endangered species. It lives at heights of . Its preferred habitat is within mature forest, but with habitat destruction this is not always the case. Several sources seem to have different information on the number of individuals within a group, and the type of social system that may be apparent. The golden-headed lion tamarin lives within group sizes ranging from 2 to 11 individuals, with the average size ranging from 4 to 7.Baker AJ, Bales K, Dietz JM. (2002). Mating system and group dynamics in lion tamarins. In: Kleiman DG, Rylands AB, editors. ''Lion Tamarins: biology and conservation.'' Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution Press. p 188-212. According to various sources, the group may consist of two adult males, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mountain Bamboo Partridge
The mountain bamboo partridge (''Bambusicola fytchii'') is a species of bird in the family Phasianidae. It is found in Bangladesh, Tibet, India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The binomial commemorates Major-General Albert Fytche. Their plumage is a mix of browns, cream and grey. They have distinctive black and white eye stripes and their breast and abdomen is pale with brown speckles. Mountain bamboo partridges live close to water in bamboo scrub forest, tall grassland and degraded forest areas with bamboo groves. They remain under shrub cover for much of the day, moving into the open in the early morning and late evening to feed. They will only fly when threatened, returning to cover quickly. Breeding occurs in the summer months between March and September. The nest is a simple scraped out dip in the ground lined with grass. The female incubates the eggs for 18 to 19 days. The male meanwhile stays close to the nest and feeds the female and, once hatched, the chicks. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Speckled Mousebird
The speckled mousebird (''Colius striatus'') is the largest species of mousebird, as well as one of the most common. It is found throughout most of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa. Taxonomy The speckled mousebird was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's ''Systema Naturae''. He placed it with the mousebirds in the genus ''Colius'' and coined the binomial name ''Colius striatus''. Gmelin based his description on the "Coliou rayé" that had been described in 1778 by the French polymath Comte de Buffon from a specimen that had been collected near the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. Seventeen subspecies are recognised: * ''C. s. nigricollis'' Vieillot, 1817 – Ghana and Nigeria to southwest Central African Republic and south to west Angola and southwest DR Congo * ''C. s. leucophthalmus'' Chapin, 1921 – north DR Congo, southeast Central African Republic and southwest Sudan * ''C. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
