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Fauna Of Florida
Florida hosts many types of fauna. From coral reefs of the Florida Keys to the cypress swamps of the Panhandle, the state's diverse habitats are home to a variety of wildlife. Florida is among the top five states in terms of endemic species. There are over 700 terrestrial animals, 200 freshwater fish species, 1,000 marine fish and thousands of terrestrial insects and other invertebrates that inhabit the state. Florida's peninsular geography spans from subtropical to tropical zones, which, combined with its distinctive geology and climate, contribute to habitat diversity and an array of species. The native wildlife that exists in the state are of temperate and tropical origin. Florida once had a large number of species that formerly occupied the state in prehistoric and historic times, but became locally extinct or extirpated; such as the Florida short-faced bear, Florida black wolf, Dire wolf, Dexteria floridana, Florida bog lemming, Long-nosed peccary, Caribbean monk seal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manatee With Calf
Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus ''Trichechus'') are large, fully aquatic, mostly herbivorous marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows. There are three accepted living species of Trichechidae, representing three of the four living species in the order Sirenia: the Amazonian manatee (''Trichechus inunguis''), the West Indian manatee (''Trichechus manatus''), and the West African manatee (''Trichechus senegalensis''). They measure up to long, weigh as much as , and have paddle-like tails. Manatees are herbivores and eat over 60 different freshwater and saltwater plants. Manatees inhabit the shallow, marshy coastal areas and rivers of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon basin, and West Africa. The main causes of death for manatees are human-related issues, such as habitat destruction and human objects. Their slow-moving, curious nature has led to violent collisions with propeller-driven boats and ships. Some manatees have been found with over 50 scars on the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Passenger Pigeon
The passenger pigeon or wild pigeon (''Ectopistes migratorius'') is an extinct species of pigeon that was endemic to North America. Its common name is derived from the French word ''passager'', meaning "passing by", due to the migratory habits of the species. The scientific name also refers to its migratory characteristics. The morphologically similar mourning dove (''Zenaida macroura'') was long thought to be its closest relative, and the two were at times confused, but genetic analysis has shown that the genus '' Patagioenas'' is more closely related to it than the ''Zenaida'' doves. The passenger pigeon was sexually dimorphic in size and coloration. The male was in length, mainly gray on the upperparts, lighter on the underparts, with iridescent bronze feathers on the neck, and black spots on the wings. The female was , and was duller and browner than the male overall. The juvenile was similar to the female, but without iridescence. It mainly inhabited the deciduous fores ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North American Porcupine
The North American porcupine (''Erethizon dorsatum''), also known as the Canadian porcupine, is a large quill-covered rodent in the New World porcupine family. It is the second largest rodent in North America, after the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis''). The porcupine is a caviomorph rodent whose ancestors crossed the Atlantic from Africa to Brazil 30 million years ago, and then migrated to North America during the Great American Interchange after the Isthmus of Panama rose 3 million years ago. Etymology The word "porcupine" comes from the middle or old French word , which means 'thorn pig'. Its roots derive from the Latin words or pig and meaning thorns. Other colloquial names for the animal include quill pig. It is also referred to as the Canadian porcupine or common porcupine. The porcupine's scientific name, ''Erethizon dorsatum'', can be loosely translated as "the animal with the irritating back". Native American terms for it include the Lakota name meaning q ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern Leopard Frog
''Lithobates pipiens''Integrated Taxonomic Information System nternet2012''Lithobates pipiens'' pdated 2012 Sept; cited 2012 Dec 26Available from: www.itis.gov/ or ''Rana pipiens'', commonly known as the northern leopard frog, is a species of leopard frog from the true frog family, native to parts of Canada and the United States. It is the state amphibian of Minnesota and Vermont. Description The northern leopard frog is a fairly large species of frog, reaching about in snout-to-vent length. It varies from green to brown in dorsal color, with large, dark, circular spots on its back, sides, and legs.Northern Leopard Frog ''Rana pipiens'' National Geographic. Retrieved 2015-03-28 Each spot is normally bordered by a lighter ring. A pair of dorsolateral folds starting from ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indigo Snake (species)
The indigo snake (''Drymarchon corais'') is a species of snake of the family Colubridae. This large colubrid snake is nonvenomous. Taxonomy Until recently, all ''Drymarchon'' were classified as subspecies of ''D. corais''. However, North and Central populations are now assigned to different species (''D. melanurus'', ''D. couperi'' and ''D. kolpobasileus''), and ''D. caudomaculatus'' and ''D. margaritae'' are recognised as separate species in South America. Range This snake is found in South America, including Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela as well as Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos .... Diet The species forages on the ground, sometimes climbing low vegetation. It feeds on a variety of prey species including fi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magpie
Magpies are birds of the Corvidae family. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent creatures, and is one of the few non-mammal species able to recognize itself in a mirror test. They are particularly well known for their songs and were once popular as cagebirds. In addition to other members of the genus '' Pica'', corvids considered as magpies are in the genera '' Cissa'', ''Urocissa'', and ''Cyanopica''. Magpies of the genus ''Pica'' are generally found in temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and western North America, with populations also present in Tibet and high-elevation areas of Kashmir. Magpies of the genus ''Cyanopica'' are found in East Asia and the Iberian Peninsula. The birds called magpies in Australia are, however, not related to the magpies in the rest of the world. Name References dating back to Old English call the bird a "p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern Short-tailed Shrew
The northern short-tailed shrew (''Blarina brevicauda'') is the largest shrew in the genus ''Blarina'', and occurs in the northeastern region of North America. It is a semifossorial, highly active, and voracious insectivore and is present in a variety of habitats like broadleaved and pine forests among shrubs and hedges as well as grassy river banks. It is notable in that it is one of the few venomous mammals. The specific epithet, ''brevicauda'', is a combination of the Latin ''brevis'' and ''cauda'', meaning "short tail". Taxonomy ''B. brevicauda'' is a red-toothed shrew, one of three or four species (depending on the authority) in the genus ''Blarina''. It was formerly considered to be a sister subspecies of the southern short-tailed shrew (''B. carolinensis''). The species has been divided into 11 subspecies based on morphological characteristics, which are grouped into two semispecies: ''B. b. brevicauda'' and ''B. b. talpoides''; these groupings were mirrored by a molec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Island Raccoon
The term island raccoons is used as a generic term for four endangered and one (or two) extinct subspecies or species of raccoon (''Procyon'') endemic on small Mexican and Caribbean islands, such as Cozumel and Guadeloupe. Other subspecies of raccoon living on islands, like that of the common raccoon (''Procyon lotor'') native to the Florida Keys, are generally not included under this term, since it was established at a time when all five (or six) "island raccoons" were considered distinct species. The five (or six) populations are: * Bahamian raccoon (''Procyon lotor maynardi''): subspecies of the common raccoon endemic on New Providence Island in the Bahamas * Barbados raccoon (''Procyon lotor gloveralleni''): extinct subspecies of the common raccoon endemic on Barbados until 1964 * Cozumel raccoon (''Procyon pygmaeus''): species endemic on Cozumel * Guadeloupe raccoon (''Procyon lotor minor''): subspecies of the common raccoon endemic on the two main islands Basse-Terre Island a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
California Condor
The California condor (''Gymnogyps californianus'') is a New World vulture and the largest North American land bird. It became extinct in the wild in 1987 when all remaining wild individuals were captured, but has since been reintroduced to northern Arizona and southern Utah (including the Grand Canyon area and Zion National Park), the coastal mountains of California, and northern Baja California in Mexico. Although four other fossil members are known, it is the only surviving member of the genus ''Gymnogyps''. The species is listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as Critically Endangered, and similarly considered ''Critically Imperiled'' by NatureServe. The plumage is black with patches of white on the underside of the wings; the head is largely bald, with skin color ranging from gray on young birds to yellow and bright orange on breeding adults. Its wingspan is the widest of any North American bird, and its weight of up to nearly equals that of th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chadwick Beach Cotton Mouse
The Chadwick Beach cotton mouse (''Peromyscus gossypinus restrictus'') is a presumably extinct subspecies of the cotton mouse. It was confined to a small area on the Manasota Key Peninsula in Florida. Description It was smaller and paler than the nominate subspecies. The total length was 172 mm, the tail length 72.5 mm, the hind foot length 22.3 mm, the ear length 22.3 mm, and largest skull length was 27.6 mm. The zygomatic breadth was 13.9 mm, the preorbital breadth was 4.4 mm, the nasal length was 10.9 mm, and the length of the teeth in the maxilla was 3.9 mm. The upper parts were pink cinnamon, with a rufous hue in the middle of the back. The under parts were white with a pale pink buff wash on the chest. The tail was brown above and buff below. The dorsal stripe in the middle of the back was smaller than in the nominate race. Distribution The mouse was primarily found in the Chadwick Beach area at Englewood in Sarasota County an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pallid Beach Mouse
The pallid beach mouse or Ponce de Leon beach mouse (''Peromyscus polionotus decoloratus''), is an extinct subspecies of the oldfield mouse that was endemic to Florida in the United States. Distribution It was known from two locations in Florida: Ponce Park, Volusia County and Bulow, Flagler County. Description The average pallid beach mouse was 4 to 8 cm in length. This subspecies burrowed into dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ... for protection. Extinction The exact cause of extinction is unknown, but it is presumed to have been from a combination of habitat destruction due to property development, competition with invasive rodents, and predation from feral cats. References Peromyscus Rodent extinctions since 1500 Extinct rodents Extinct ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
