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Lesser Egyptian Gerbil
The lesser Egyptian gerbil (''Gerbillus gerbillus'') is a small species of rodent in the family Muridae. It is native to North Africa and the Sinai Peninsula, where it lives in sandy habitats. It is a common species, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "Least-concern species, least concern". Description This is a small gerbil growing to a head-and-body length of about with a tail of about . The dorsal fur is soft and sleek and a sandy colour, each hair having a grey base and orangish shaft, and a dark tip in some individuals. The ears are large and densely furred and there are white rings around the large eyes and small white patches behind the ears. The flanks are paler than the back, with a white central part to the individual hairs. There is a white patch on the rump just above the tail, and the underparts are white and sharply delineated from the flanks. The feet are long and covered with white hairs of variabl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Guillaume-Antoine Olivier
Guillaume-Antoine Olivier (; 19 January 1756, Les Arcs near Toulon – 1 October 1814, Lyon) was a French entomologist and naturalist. Life Olivier studied medicine in Montpellier, where he became good friends with Pierre Marie Auguste Broussonet. With Jean Guillaume Bruguière and Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, he collaborated in the creation of ''Journal d'Histoire Naturelle'' (1792). Afterwards, he served as a naturalist on a 6-year scientific journey that took him to Asia Minor, Persia, Egypt, Cyprus and Corfu. He returned to France in 1798 with a large collection of natural history specimens from his travels. Later, he was associated with the ''École nationale vétérinaire d'Alfort'', where in 1811, he was appointed professor of zoology. Olivier was a close friend of Johan Christian Fabricius and a patron of Pierre André Latreille. Although primarily an entomologist, Olivier also worked in the scientific field of herpetology, describing several new species of Asian lizards. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arecaceae
The Arecaceae is a family of perennial flowering plants in the monocot order Arecales. Their growth form can be climbers, shrubs, tree-like and stemless plants, all commonly known as palms. Those having a tree-like form are called palm trees. Currently, 181 genera with around 2,600 species are known, most of which are restricted to tropical and subtropical climates. Most palms are distinguished by their large, compound, evergreen leaves, known as fronds, arranged at the top of an unbranched stem. However, palms exhibit an enormous diversity in physical characteristics and inhabit nearly every type of habitat within their range, from rainforests to deserts. Palms are among the best known and most extensively cultivated plant families. They have been important to humans throughout much of history. Many common products and foods are derived from palms. In contemporary times, palms are also widely used in landscaping. In many historical cultures, because of their importance as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gerbillus
''Gerbillus'' is a genus that contains most common and the most diverse Gerbillinae, gerbils. In 2010, after morphological and molecular studies ''Dipodillus'' was ranged as a subgenus of ''Gerbillus'', however some taxonomic authorities continue to separate them. Species Genus ''Gerbillus'' *Subgenus ''Hendecapleura'' **Pleasant gerbil, ''Gerbillus amoenus'' **Brockman's gerbil, ''Gerbillus brockmani'' **Black-tufted gerbil, ''Gerbillus famulus'' **Algerian gerbil, ''Gerbillus garamantis'' **Grobben's gerbil, ''Gerbillus grobbeni'' **Pygmy gerbil, ''Gerbillus henleyi'' **Mauritanian gerbil, ''Gerbillus mauritaniae'' (sometimes considered a separate genus ''Monodia'') **Harrison's gerbil, ''Gerbillus mesopotamiae'' **Darfur gerbil, ''Gerbillus muriculus'' **Balochistan gerbil, ''Gerbillus nanus'' **Large Aden gerbil, ''Gerbillus poecilops'' **Principal gerbil, ''Gerbillus principulus'' **Least gerbil, ''Gerbillus pusillus'' **Sand gerbil, ''Gerbillus syrticus'' **Waters's gerbil, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cerastes Vipera
''Cerastes vipera'', common names Sahara sand viper and Avicenna viper,Mallow D, Ludwig D, Nilson G. 2003. ''True Vipers: Natural History and Toxinology of Old World Vipers''. Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Company. 359 pp. . is a viper species endemic to the deserts of North Africa and the Sinai Peninsula. No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all other vipers, it is venomous. Description Adults average 20–35 cm (8-14 inches) in total length (body + tail), with a maximum total length of 50 cm (1.6 ft). Females are larger than males. Small and stout, it has a broad, triangular head with small eyes set well forward and situated on the junction of the side and the top of the head. Their hunting strategy is unique when compared to that of other viperids because they use a combination of both sit-and-wait ambushing and active hunting. Active hunting is predominantly used in the months right before hibernation to increase energy intake before the lon ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barn Owl
The barn owl (''Tyto alba'') is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds, being found almost everywhere except for the polar and desert regions, Asia north of the Himalayas, most of Indonesia, and some Pacific Islands. It is also known as the common barn owl, to distinguish it from the other species in its family, Tytonidae, which forms one of the two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical owls (''Strigidae''). There are at least three major lineages of barn owl: the western barn owl of Europe, western Asia, and Africa; the eastern barn owl of southeastern Asia and Australasia; and the American barn owl of the Americas. Some taxonomic authorities classify barn owls differently, recognising up to five separate species; and further research needs to be done to resolve the disparate taxonomies. There is considerable variation of size and colour among the approximately 28 subspecies, but most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pale Fox
The pale fox (''Vulpes pallida'') is a species of fox found in the band of African Sahel from Senegal in the west to Sudan in the east. It is one of the least studied of all canid species, in part due to its remote habitat and its sandy coat that blends in well with the desert-like terrain. Subspecies There are five recognized subspecies: * ''Vulpes pallida pallida'' * ''Vulpes pallida cyrenaica'' * ''Vulpes pallida edwardsi'' * ''Vulpes pallida harterti'' * ''Vulpes pallida oertzeni'' Description The pale fox is a small fox, with a long body and relatively short legs and an narrow muzzle. The fur is quite thin, with a pale sandy colour that turns white towards the abdomen. The back is often speckled with a blackish or a rufous colouration, with a darker mid-dorsal line. The flanks are paler than the dorsal pelage, blending into buffy-white underparts, and the legs are rufous. It has a pale face, an elongated muzzle with relatively long whiskers, and a dark ring surrounding th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Predation
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the host) and parasitoidism (which always does, eventually). It is distinct from scavenging on dead prey, though many predators also scavenge; it overlaps with herbivory, as seed predators and destructive frugivores are predators. Predators may actively search for or pursue prey or wait for it, often concealed. When prey is detected, the predator assesses whether to attack it. This may involve ambush or pursuit predation, sometimes after stalking the prey. If the attack is successful, the predator kills the prey, removes any inedible parts like the shell or spines, and eats it. Predators are adapted and often highly specialized for hunting, with acute senses such as vision, hearing, or smell. Many predatory animals, both vertebrate and inv ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fecundity
Fecundity is defined in two ways; in human demography, it is the potential for reproduction of a recorded population as opposed to a sole organism, while in population biology, it is considered similar to fertility, the natural capability to produce offspring, measured by the number of gametes (eggs), seed set, or asexual propagules. Superfecundity refers to an organism's ability to store another organism's sperm (after copulation) and fertilize its own eggs from that store after a period of time, essentially making it appear as though fertilization occurred without sperm (i.e. parthenogenesis). Human demography Human demography considers only human fecundity, at its culturally differing rates, while population biology studies all organisms. The term ''fecundity'' in population biology is often used to describe the rate of offspring production after one time step (often annual). In this sense, fecundity may include both birth rates and survival of young to that time step. Whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lesser Egyptian Jerboa
The lesser jerboa (''Jaculus jaculus'') is a small rodent of Africa and the Middle East. Its diet consists mainly of seeds and grasses. Description A small rodent, it is sometimes likened to a tiny kangaroo due to its incredibly large hind legs, and hopping form of locomotion. The lesser Egyptian jerboa has three toes on each of its hind feet and a very long tail, used for balance when jumping. It has large eyes and ears and a rather stubby snout, and its coat is a pale or dark sandy colour with a paler underside. Biology The lesser Egyptian jerboa is a strictly nocturnal species, feeding on seeds, insects, succulent parts of desert grasses, and fungi (desert truffles ''Terfezia'' species), which it detects using its acute sense of smell. Amazingly, it does not need to drink in order to survive the arid desert conditions, relying on its food to provide it with all its water needs. The lesser Egyptian jerboa can travel long distances in search of food, up to ten kilometres a da ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greater Egyptian Gerbil
The greater Egyptian gerbil (''Gerbillus pyramidum'') is a small rodent in the family Muridae. It is native to northern Africa where it inhabits sandy deserts, semi-arid areas and oases. It is a common species, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern". Description The greater Egyptian gerbil has a head-and-body length of about and a tail of about . The dorsal fur is some shade of orange or light brown, the individual hairs having grey bases and orange or brown shafts. There is often a mid-dorsal dark streak. The underparts are white, as are some facial markings around the eyes and ears, and a variably-sized patch on the rump. The feet are white, with the soles of the hind feet being clad with hair. The tail is often tipped with a dark tuft of hairs. 2n = 38. Distribution and habitat The greater Egyptian gerbil is native to much of North Africa. Its range extends from Mauritania and Mali eastwards throug ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sundevall's Jird
Sundevall's jird (''Meriones crassus'') is a species of rodent in the family of Muridae. It is found in Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Pakistan, Morocco, Niger, Palestine, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, Western Sahara, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and possibly Mali. Its natural habitat is hot desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...s. Description Sundevall's jird is a medium-sized gerbilline rodent with an average mass of about 100 g (3.53 oz).Khokhlova, Irina S., et al.Is the Feeding and Reproductive Performance of the Flea, Xenopsylla ramesis, Affected by the Gender of Its rodent Host, Meriones crassus? ''Journal of Experimental Biology'' 212 (2009): 1429-35. Print. They can range in sizes depen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anderson's Gerbil
Anderson's gerbil (''Gerbillus andersoni'') is a species of rodent distributed from Tunisia to Israel. Their habitats and diets are similar to other gerbils. The gestation period is 20–22 days and the average litter size is four or five. The IUCN formerly listed the junior synonym ''Gerbillus allenbyi'' as vulnerable. Physical description Anderson's gerbil is a medium-sized rodent with a tail that is long compared to the rest of its body. This rodent has dense fur with a tan color along with some reddish tint on the upper part of the body with a white underbelly. The ears of the gerbil are very large with a dark fur color. The ears of this animal is distinctive in that it does not have the white patch behind the ear as others of the genus Gerbillus. Typical of the species in Gerbillus, Anderson's gerbil has large eyes with a black ring around them. There is a distinct white patch that appears above each of the eyes. The gerbil has long hind limbs while the front limbs a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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