“GREY WOLF” -Original Post Date: Sunday, January 13, 2008
I feel it’s only proper that I begin this new feature with my personal favorite…the Wolf.
The Wolf, a beautiful, (and often misunderstood), creature relative to our domestic dog, live in packs. With a structured heirarchy vital to the packs survival, each member has it’s place within.
Commonly pictured “baying” at the moon, the howling of a wolf serves as a necessary communication between pack members and perhaps other packs, often declaring territory. There have been some experimental means of keeping wolf packs away from farmed sheep herds by playing pre-recorded “howls” in the hopes of fooling the wolves of an occupied territory. This experiment has been met with some success.
Facing a severe decline in population due to hunting, we need to find a way to co-exist with these beautiful creatures.
For my interpretation of the Grey Wolf, visit my website home page at www.pencilpaws.net
“GIRAFFE” -Original Post Date: Sunday, January 20, 2008
The Giraffe, tallest of all mammals stands approximately 18 feet and can weigh up to 4000 pounds.
Giraffes have 7 greatly elongated vertebrae in their neck (like most mammals), and the spotted coat is unique to each giraffe, like a fingerprint is to us.
Giraffes breed every 20-30 months and usually give birth to a calf either walking or standing up. The newborn calf drops six feet to the ground, gets to its feet and begins suckling 15 minutes after its born.
The acute eyesight of the Giraffe coupled with it’s extreme height, enable it to spot predators at a distance. Lions, leopards and hyenas are the Giraffes’ primary predators.
For my interpretation of the Giraffe, visit my website home page,
“BOTTLE-NOSE DOLPHIN” -Original Post Date: Sunday, January 27, 2008
Bottle-Nose Dolphins are a distinctly social species, traveling in groups of 12 or more.
Dolphins use a wide variety of vocalizations which is hypothesized to be a complex language. Each Dolphin appears to have its own distinct whistle which enables it to communicate its identity, whereabouts and condition to other dolphins. They also use “click-like” pulses for echolocation.
The biggest threat Dolphins face today is commercial fishing for tuna. Dolphins school with tuna and sometimes get trapped in these fishing nets.
Be sure to check labels on tuna fish cans carefully and only buy tuna fish that is marked “Dolphin Safe”.
For my interpretation of the Bottle-Nose Dolphin, visit my website home page,
“AFRICAN ELEPHANT” - Original Post Date: Sunday, February 3, 2008
African Elephants are the heaviest land animal and second tallest in the Animal Kingdom..they also have one of the longest lifespans…about 70 years.
Wandering in non-territorial herds, the oldest female is matriarch to a herd of about 9 to 11 elephants. The herd’s well-being is dependent on her guidance. She determines when the herd will eat, rest, bathe or drink.
The social bonds between Elephants are very strong. If faced with danger, the herd will form a protective circle around the young calves while the matriarch adopts a ‘threatening’ pose at the intruder.
African Elephants care for their wounded and show recognition and interest in elephant bones.
For my interpretation of the African Elephant, visit my website home page,
“GRIZZLY BEAR” - Original Post Date: Sunday, February 10, 2008
Grizzly Bears, found in the Rocky Mountain region, are brown bears, easily distinguished because of the long hair on their shoulders and back which are frosted with white giving a “grizzled” appearance.
Extremely strong animals, Brown Bears can kill a cow with one blow, outrun a horse, out swim an Olympian and drag a dead elk uphill.
Brown Bears communicate primarily through smells and sounds. They have an excellent sense of smell and are able to follow the scent of a rotting carcass for more than two miles. Their hearing, however, is on the level of humans and their eyesight is poor.
Brown Bears are unpredictable on temperament and exhibit compulsive behavior. Real danger from attacks, however, are often exaggerated as Brown Bears attempt to avoid human contact and will not attack unless startled with young at close quarters or engrossed in a search for food.
For my interpretation of the Grizzly Bear, visit my website home page,
“MOOSE” - Original Post Date - Sunday, February 17, 2008
Moose are the largest members of the deer family and generally live in forested areas where there is snow cover in the winter months. They are limited to cooler regions because of the their large bodies, inability to sweat, and the heat produced by fermentation in their gut. Temperatures exceeding 27 degrees Celsius cannot be tolerated for long.
Moose are solitary animals, although sometimes two can be found feeding along the same stream. The strongest social bond is between the mother and the calf.
Up to half all moose die within their first year of life. Considered in their prime from 5 to 12 years, they begin to suffer from arthritis, dental diseases and wear, and other factors after 8 years of age.
For my interpretation of the Wildlife of the World, visit my website Home Page,
“JAGUAR” - Original Post Date - Sunday, February 24, 2008
The Jaguar is the largest cat of the Americas. Deriving its name from native Indian word ‘yaguara’, meaning ‘a beast that kills its prey with one bound’, the Jaguar’s power is displayed in its muscular build, deep chest, large head and strong jaws.
This beautiful cat possesses a striking coat of large black rosettes against golden brown fur. Melanistic cats, (an animal dark or black in color that is not normally so, however, markings can still be seen), are relatively common, referred to as ‘black panthers’ in the Americas.
Solitary animals and classified as nocturnal, it is more active around dawn and dusk. They are opportunistic hunters, their diet consisting from domestic cattle to fish. They have the most powerful bite of the ‘big cats’ and are the only cat to regularly kill by piercing the skull.
For my interpretation of the Jaguar, visit my website Home Page,
“AFRICAN LION” - Original Post Date - Sunday, March 8, 2008
The Lion is a large cat with a tawny coat, the male lion being the only cat with a ‘mane’.
Lions breed year round and are usually polygynous. It is estimated that lions copulate three thousand times for every cub that survives over a year.
Female Lions are mainly responsible for the cubs. While nursing their own, they will also nurse the young of a female relative in the pride if the litters are born close together.
Lions have the cognitive ability to recognize individuals and interact with other lions. They rely on visual clues for communication as well as ‘roaring’ to advertise territory, communicate with other pride members and to to demonstrate aggression. Also displaying tactile communication, ‘touching’ is used during greetings between pride members.
For my interpretation of the African Lion, visit my website home page,
“GOLDEN EAGLE” - Original Post Date: March 22, 2008
The Golden Eagle has been regarded from ancient times as a symbol of courage and power because of its large size, superb aerial skills, and the inaccessibility of many of its nest sites.
The nests are large and coarse, built of sticks and twigs. The same nest is used from year to year and as the birds add more sticks, the nest may eventually be as much as 6 ft. in diameter and 5 ft. high.
The female can attain a length of about 3 ft. and have a wingspan of about 7 ft. the males are smaller, as is true for most birds of prey.
For my interpretation of the Golden Eagle, visit my website Home Page,
“HARP SEAL”
The Harp Seal lives in the open sea and are dependent on the ice for breeding and molting. Harp Seals can grow up to two meters in length and from 286 to 352 pounds.
These seals reach sexual maturity at 6 years of age for males; 5 for females. Mating takes place on the ice and they are monogamous for the season. Females give birth to one pup, occasionally to twins.
Harp Seals are solitary animals except during breeding season. Powerful, high-speed swimmers they are capable of moving quickly on ice and can dive to depths of over 900 feet. Their hearing and vision are acute, while their sense of smell is not.
Second only to fur seals in commercial value, they are hunted and the pups are inhumanely clubbed to death, for their fur, oil, and leather. Native people of the north kill 10,000 seals a year for food and fiber.
For my interpretation of the Harp Seal, visit my website Home Page,
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