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#asfasciencecelllife

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picture from jrcompton.com

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Pelecaniformes Family: Pelecanidae Genus: Pelecanus Species: P. onocrotalus The Pelecanus onocrotalus, more commonly known as the great white pelican, is a large species of pelican. Their white wings with the black tips can extend from 226 to 360 cm. The males are typically larger than the females and have long beaks that grow in a downward arc while the female’s beak is short and straight. Their strong short legs and webbed feet allow them to propel into the water and still take off with their dinner of fish, crabs, or turles in tow. Great white pelicans are found in warm fresh waters.

These pelicans have breeding grounds across Eurasia, from eastern Mediterranean to Vietnam. Their breeding season is in April or May and they will breed together in large colonies. After the breeding takes place the female will lay 1 to 4 eggs which will hatch a little over a month later. The chicks are completely naked when they hatch, but sprout down soon after. They will fledged after about 2 months and will reach sexual maturity at 3 to 4 years of age. The young are cared for by both parents, being protected from their numerous predators. 

Fun Fact: There is a species of pelican on every continent of the world, except Antarctica.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_white_pelican

https://a-z-animals.com/animals/pelican/

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picture by Havahart

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Mammalia Order:Rodentia Family:Sciuridae Genus:Eutamias Species:E. sibiricus

The Eutamias sibiricus is more commonly known as the Siberian chipmunk. On average, these chipmunks have four white stripes and five dark stripes along their back. This particular species is a little small for the typical ground rodent. It is thought that their small size may be the reason for their short lives which range from 2 to 5 years. The Siberian Chipmunk is native to a large portion of Asia. In the 1960s they were imported from South Korea to Europe. These chipmunks stay in forests and mountains, although they can be found in urban areas with shrubs and trees. In the agricultural lands of Asia, they feed on many kinds of seeds, roots, insects, birds, reptiles, fruit, and fungus.

picture by Warren photographic

There is very little known about the mating of Siberian chipmunks. Their breeding season tends to be mid April and after a 28 to 35 day gestation period, they will have three to eight young. The babies are born blind and naked. They will open their eyes after about a month and with their mother’s help, the young become independent around 8 weeks after birth, although they are not sexually mature for another 8 or 9 months.

Fun Fact: The Siberian chipmunk is the only species of chipmunk that is not found in North America.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siberian_chipmunk#Habitat

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picture from strangeanimals.info

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Formicidae Subfamily: Formicinae Tribe: Lasiini Genus: Myrmecocystus

The myrmecocystus is commonly known as the honey pot ant. The class of honeypot ants are the storage units or the colony. Their abdomen is full of nutrition in liquid form. As the workers bring in food, these ants gorge themselves as their abdomen grows to be about the size of a grape. 

Since these ants are used as a spare food source, they occur mostly in areas where the climate is hot and dry, with little food supply. The mrmecocystus species is primarily found in North America but there are over 30 other species of ants that have been found to take this shape.  Some of theses species can be found in woodlands where the weather is very cool and dry.

picture from antARK

It is only the queen of the colony’s job to reproduce, so none of the honey pot ants take part in the reproduction process. In fact, most of the ants in the colony are sterile females. The queen lays all the eggs and the drones are the few males that mate with the queen and princesses. Instead, the honey pot ants spend the majority of their life deep in the tunnels of the colony waiting to feed others and be fed with  nectar, insects, honeydew, and  plant secretions. They hang upside sown in the tunnels while other ants will stroke their antennae to induce a regurgitation of their tasty liquids. 

Fun Fact: Some species of honey pot ants sacrifice themselves by allowing other ants  to consume them.

picture from wikipedia

http://www.strangeanimals.info/2011/02/honeypot-ants.html

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picture from Garden Know How

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade: Angiosperms

Clade: Monocots

Order: Asparagales

Family: Asphodelaceae

Genus: Aloe

Species: A. Vera

Aloe Vera, which is usually known by its binomial name, is a long spiky green plant with little to no stem. The sides of the leaves are serrated with small white teeth. Aloe is a succulent which means it is filled with a gel that is used for medicinal activities, most commonly with aloe is treating burns.

Aloe is found in wild tropical climates all around the world, it can also grow indoors as a potted plant. For aloe vera to grow the soil needs to be sandy and the environment hot. Because aloe is already filled a liquidy substance, too much water could be harmful.

As aloe vera go through asexual reproduction. The plant continues to grow forming small “offsets” at the base of the plant, which then grow longer and expand the plant. These offsets can gently be pulled apart and become their own plant.

Fun Fact: Aloe vera can be used as a mouth wash. Its nutrients block plaque and provide relief for sore gums.

https://garden.org/nga/searchqa/answer/16493/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloe_vera

http://www.healthline.com/health/7-amazing-uses-aloe-vera#fresh-produce3

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picture from aquafind.com

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order:Tetraodontiformes Family: Diodontidae

Genus: Diodon

Species: Hystrix

The porcupine fish, or the diodon hystrix, is often confused with the puffer fish is in fact its own species. This spiky fish is grayish-tan with dark spots and a light underbelly. When the porcupine fish is threatened it intakes water making the spikes stand out. This particular genus of porcupine fish has two distinguishable feature:  two-rooted, movable spines and beak like jaws used to crush their shelled food. Some of these prey include crustaceans and mollusks. Diodon hystrix live in tropical seas, residing inshore and other places that offer shelter such as caves, shipwrecks, and reefs.

Porcupine fish are pelagic, which means the eggs and larvae are distributed into the open ocean. Scientists believe this is why they can be found in so many different places. When the eggs are released it takes about 5 days for them to hatch. It takes a few more days for the yolk covered larvae to resemble a fish. The young eventually move to shallow waters where they become adults, although the exact length of this pelagic stage is unknown.

Fun Fact: A few species of porcupine fish that are found further offshore travel in large schools that can consist of thousands of individuals.

picture taken by weedmandan (flickr)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porcupinefish

http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/index.php?cID=1869

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picture from aboutanimals.com

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Subphylum:Vertebrata Class:Sauropsida Order:Squamata Suborder:Iguania Family:Agamidae Subfamily:Amphibolurinae Genus:Chlamydosaurus Species:C. kingii

The  Chlamydosaurus Kingii, otherwise known as the frilled lizard, gets its name for the large circular frill around the lizard’s neck that expands when threatened. The 20-25 centimeter frill expands when the lizard opens its jaw. It varies from a red, yellow, or orange color with black spots.The rest of the lizard’s body is a dark shade and can reach 3 feet in length. The frilled lizard resides in forestsof  the northern regions of Australia and New Guinea. These lizards are found mainly in trees, although they are known to hunt on ground for insects, small lizards, and small rodents.

picture by Trevor Dennis

Mating season happens in the wet season of Australia and New Guinea which is between September and November. Frilled lizards are polygynous, with the males competing to mate with as many females as possible in one mating season. The females lay one to two clutches of eggs between November and February. Each clutch holds around 12 to 18 eggs. The eggs incubate underground for around 3 months. The hatchlings are completely prenatally independent when the first hatch but stay with their siblings for around a week. Because they are independent, they are born with hunting skills and other natural instincts that are vital to survival.  

Fun Fact: The frilled lizard can live up to 20 years in controlled captivity, but their lifetime in the wild is unknown.

https://www.aboutanimals.com/reptile/frilled-lizard/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlamydosaurus

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picture by John Kennington

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Aves Order:Galliformes Family:Phasianidae Genus:Tympanuchus Species:T. cupido  

The tympanuchus cupido, commonly known as the greater prairie chicken or the pinnated grouse is a large, stocky bird with brown and white spots. The adult males have orange feathers over their eyes. The males also have an orange patch on their neck that will inflate.These greater prairie chickens live up to their name by preferring grassy prairies in North America where they eat seeds, leaves, and insects.

picture from birdorable

The pinnated grouse is a very territorial bird who will defend its ‘booming ground,’ or the location where the males fight for the potential mates. The males inflate their air sacs and walk around with their necks on full display. This display time can last for almost two months with the breeding season beginning in late March through April.  After the mating has happened, the females move a little away from the booming grounds to build their nests and lay around 5 to 17 eggs. About 24 days later the eggs hatch. The chicks fledge in one to four weeks and are completely independent by the twelfth week.

Fun Fact: There are one or two dominant males that are responsible for about 90% of breeding.

http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/greater-prairie-chicken

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Greater_Prairie-Chicken/id

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_prairie_chicken

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image from wikimedia

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Arachnida Subclass: Acari Order: Ixodida Family: Ixodidae Genus: Haemaphysalis Species: H. longicornis

The haemaphysalis longicornis is a large specie of tick. It has a big gray purple back with white veins covering it. Protruding from the bubbled body are six legs and a small head. It is sometimes called the rodent tick because they often feed on rodents. Their diet also extends to other mammals like birds, hedgehogs, horses, and humans.

 Ticks are an infestation all over the world, although they usually stick to forested areas and bushes, but in the past few years places in and near Iran have seen a rise of the rodent tick population. Haemaphylis longicornis have to mate on their host in April, but to everybody’s relief they lay their eggs on the ground. They grow to be around three to four millimeters. 

Fun Fact:  Haemaphysalis longicornis are often the source of Lyme disease and spotted fever.

picture from westatic

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haemaphysalis_concinna

http://parasitipedia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2549&Itemid=2826

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picture by Greg Lasley

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Serpentes Family: Colubridae Subfamily: Colubrinae Genus: Thelotornis Species: T. capensis

The thelotornis capensis is commonly known as the twig snake for its brown, twig colored body. They have very slender bodies with a very long tail. The twig snake’s head is lance shaped and flat. They rely on their camouflage coloring to hunt for their prey which consists of  lizards, birds, frogs, and sometimes other snakes. They can hang limp from a branch, much like a vine, waiting for their prey to come by. This is why they are also known as vine snakes. The vine snakes reside in the  African Savannah in moist and dry woodlands.

picture from toxinology

During the breeding season the males fight for the females, inflating their heads when they feel threatened. In the summer, the females lay 4 to 18 long, small eggs. The female usually lays 2 clutches per season. The eggs will hatch after about 2 to 3 months of incubation. When they hatch the young are about 230 to 330 millimeters. These snakes can live up to 10 years.

Fun Fact:  Prey is killed by envenomation, and is swallowed while the snake hangs downwards

http://www.toxinology.com/fusebox.cfm?fuseaction=main.snakes.display&id=SN0133

http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_twig_or_vine_snake.html

picture from CalPhotos

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picture by Landcraft Environment

Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Magnoliids Order: Piperales Family: Aristolochiaceae Genus: Aristolochia Species: A. grandiflora

The aristolochia grandiflora, commonly known as the pelican flower, is a large, heart shaped, solitary flower whose leaves can reach 25 centimeters. The white flower is composed of dark purplish and brown veins. Like all Aristolochiaceae, the pelican flower is separated into three parts, the utricle, tube, and limb.

The pelican flower is originally from the Caribbean and Central America, but has since been introduced to Florida. Each flower opens for approximately two days and closes at night, before dying. When it opens the flower emits a foul smell, similar to rotting flesh, that attracts flies and wasps for pollination and food.

picture from Real Monstrosities

When flies and wasps are attracted to the smell, they fly down the tubular part of the flower to where the reprductive organs are. There are downward facing hairs inside the tube that prevent the bug from escaping. The insect carries pollen from other flowers and release it on the stigma. After this occurs, and the bug is looking for a way out, the stamen releases its own pollen for the fly to carry out once the downward hairs start to wither. After the wasp or fly has left, the flower will die and fall off the stem. More flowers will  grow in its place not long after.

picture from The Garden of Eaden

Fun Fact: The pelican flower gets its name from the odor it emits, because it smells like dead rotting pelican.

http://gardenofeaden.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/the-pelican-flower-aristolochia.html

http://www.realmonstrosities.com/2014/07/pelican-flower.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristolochia_grandiflora

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photo by Doug Allen

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Mammalia Order:Carnivora Family:Phocidae Genus: Cystophora Species: C. cristata

The cystophora cristata are bluish gray seals with dark spots covering their body. They are commonly known as the hooded seal due to the large, red sack that extends from their noses to their foreheads on the adult males.The males inflate the sack to demonstrate their aggression, being one of the more aggressive species of seals. The hooded seal dives for its food, living off of crustaceans, krill, cod, redfish, and other various sea creatures. They reside on the coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, ranging from North America, Canada, Greenland, and other northern European countries. During breeding season they have been found to migrate as far as Alaska.

photo by the Sea Mammal Research Unit

The hooded seals breeding period usually spans from April to June. During breeding season, the male hooded seal uses its inflating sack as a warning to any other males who may be competition. The males are also known to have several mates in one mating season. The pups are born unusually well developed and are weaned just after four days. Being very independent animals, the mother leaves the pup alone not long after where it will remain, teaching itself to forage and fish.

photo by Mark Hammill

Fun Fact: The hooded seals have been largely hunted for centuries for their oil and leather, but in World War II there was high demand because of the attractiveness of their blue black coat.

Links: 

http://www.arkive.org/hooded-seal/cystophora-cristata/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooded_seal#Breeding_and_life_cycle

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooded_seal#Breeding_and_life_cycle

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photo from https://ferrebeekeeper.wordpress.com/2016/02/

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates Family: Atelidae Genus: Alouatta

The alouatta belzebul is just one of the nine different species of howler monkeys on the planet. One trait that distinguishes this species from others, are their reddish hands, feet, and part of their tail, giving them the name red handed howler. Howler monkeys are some of the tallest monkeys in South America, even though they weigh very little. The howler monkey’s inflated throat contributes to their loud calls that give them their name. These monkeys live in the Amazonian and Atlantic forests that are separated by drier areas.

Howler monkeys spend much of their time sleeping and grooming each other, picking off bugs which are part of their diet. Alouatta belzebul are omnivore, so aside from the bugs they pick off each other, their diet also consists of fruits and other plants found in the forest.

photo by Diana Rebman

Red handed howler monkeys are polygynous and are year round breeders. The loud hows from the appropriately named monkeys are due to the males challenging each other instead of a physical fight. This is also how a male howler can obtain a dominant role in the group. Until then, they do not reproduce. The females have a gestation period of around 187 days and only produce one offspring each time. The babies will be carried by their mother and nurse until they are 10 months old and when they are a little older will leave the troop to form a new one. The monkeys are completely mature by five, but can continue to live until they are twenty.

Fun Fact: A howler monkey’s call can be heard from miles away.

http://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Alouatta_belzebul/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-handed_howler

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picture by Toni Frallicciardi

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Cnidaria Class:Hydrozoa Order:Siphonophora Family:Physaliidae Genus:Physalia Species: P. physalis

The physalia physalis is e known to most as the Portuguese man of war. This dramatically named sea creature has a clear pinkish bubble that floats innocently on top of the water while long threatening tentacles lurk below. It is given its name due to these venomous tentacles which have often a fatal sting. The Portuguese man of war uses it sting to paralyze its prey, usually consisting of fish and plankton. This killer organism haunts the waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian ocean. 

Portuguese man of wars usually reproduce in the fall when the male gametes are released into the ocean and fuse with the eggs of another colony. They can also reproduce asexually by budding. The larvae develops very quickly into small floating forms.

Fun Fact:  The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore, an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together.

picture by Mr. Reid

picture by nashworld

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o'_war#Predators_and_prey

http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/MarineInvertebrateZoology/Physaliaphysalis.html

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picture by Lewis Scharpf

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Aves Order:Strigiformes Family:Strigidae Genus:Bubo Species B. virginianus

The bubo virginianus flocks the Americas with its large body that is camouflaged with various brown feathers.. With its large feather tufts on the top of the owl’s head, it i commonly known as the great horned owl. The great horned owl can be found anywhere in both the United States and Canada, along with many South American countries.

Since the bubo virginianus lives in a lot off different climates, it will eat just about anything that will fit in its mouth. The great horned owl hunts at night, using its large talons and silent wings to swoop down and take its prey by surprise. Owls cannot digest all of their food, so instead the hair and bones form together in clumps and coughed out by the owl. These clumps are called owl pellets.

Great horned owls will court each other usually from October to December, using dead prey to earn the female’s affection. These owls have been known to mate for life and even go through the courting process on a minor level every season to keep the ‘romance.’ Once the mates have been chosen, they will typically  nest in tree hollows since they don’t build their own nests.. In their nests they lay anywhere from one to five eggs, though two is the average. The eggs are incubated mainly by the female, while the male provides the food, for 28 to 37 days.

After the baby owls hatch, it takes about 6 weeks before they gain the feathers to start flying. Although, it takes another 4 to 6 weeks before they are able to fly competently. Depending on the amount of food, the young owls will leave the nest at this time as well.

Fun Fact: The male great horned owl is smaller than the female.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_horned_owl

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/great-horned-owl/

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/great_horned_owl/lifehistory

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Picture by John Wick

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Aves Subclass:Neornithes Infraclass:Neognatha Superorder:Galloanserae Order:Galliformes Family:Phasianidae Subfamily:Tetraoninae Genus:Centrocercus Species: C. urophasianus

The Centrocercus urophasianus is a very large, extravagant bird that is commonly known as the greater sage grouse.  The adults sport large pointed feathers on their back. Like most animals, the males have very colorful fronts as well as two yellowish sacs on their chests, while the females are smaller and more grey and brown.

picture by Gerrit Vyn

Sage Grouses usually reside in flat grasslands or meadows in mainly the north western parts of the United States as well as a small part of Canada. they are a permanent residence species which means they don’t travel very far. When they do travel a short distance it is to their breeding grounds.

When the large birds are at their breeding grounds, the males inflate their chest sacs and strut around trying to impress a female.

picture by Nick Athanas

Out of the lek, or pack, only about two of the males end up breeding do to the fact that the lek is made up of mmostly females. Once the breeding is finished the females leave for the nesting grounds which can be anywhere with open ground and surrounded by a little brush. The usual egg clutch size ranges from six to eight and will incubate for almost a month. It only takes about a month for the chicks to be able to fly and within another 5 to 8 weeks they go through their first molt.

photo by Gerrit Vyn

The adult male grouse eats a massive amount of food that mainly consists of sage brush. These animals do not have strong gizzards so they have to limit their diet to soft plants. Although the adults mainly stick to plants, the chicks eat small ants life ants and beetles in there first week or so of their life.

Fun Fact: Greater Sage Grouses are the largest grouse in North America.

Links: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_sage-grouse#Adults

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/wilderness-resources/stories/can-energy-companies-save-the-sage-grouse

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picture by Patrick Jaskula

Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Cnidaria Class:Scyphozoa Order:Rhizostomae Family:Mastigiidae Genus: Phyllorhiza  Species: P. Punctata

The phyllorhiza punctata which is more commonly known as the floating bell or the white-spotted jellyfish gets its names from its bell shaped body that is sprinkled with white spots. The creatively named jellyfish is native to the warm water coasts of Australia all the way to Japan, but have also spread across the Pacific Ocean.

The adult male jellyfish release their sperm into the water where the females gather it in their mouth which is also where she holds the eggs. After the eggs are fertilized into larvae they leave their mother and float to rest on the ocean floor where polyps form. Phyllorhiza punctatas can stay in the poly stage for up to five years. After the polyp stage the jellyfish move on to the medusa stage which is their adult stage and their main food source is zooplankton which causes problems for other species who also rely on plankton for nutrition.

Fun Fact: The white spotted jellyfish is an invasive species, unnaturally living near the Gulf of Mexico.

links: http://nationalgeographic.org/media/white-spotted-jellies/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllorhiza_punctata#Ecology