Red Wolf

The Red Wolf is a cousin to the Gray Wolf. The Red Wolf was actually deemed extinct in the wild in 1980. There were, luckily, some Red Wolves were still in captivity, twenty to be exact. Wildlife conservationists increased the number of Red Wolves in captivity to 207, and today there are about 100 living in the wild. A success story, yes, but the factors that caused the Red Wolf to become so endangered are still present today, in that their hunting ground has been severely depleted. Luckily there are wildlife preserves that allow these wolves to live in their natural habitat, though protected from urban sprawl.

It is estimated that red wolves live four years in the wild and up to 14 years in captivity.
Red wolves have several coat colors including black, brown, gray, and yellow. The reddish coats for which they are named was typical of some Texan populations.
As medium-sized canids, red wolves are smaller and more slender than their gray wolf cousins, but larger than coyotes. Adult males weigh 60 to 80 pounds. Females are smaller and weigh 40 to 60 pounds.
Red wolves prefer to live in forests, swamps and coastal prairies. Dens are often located in hollow trees, stream banks and sand knolls.
The red wolf's diet consists primarily of small mammals such as rabbits and rodents but also includes insects, berries and occasionally deer. Shy and secretive, red wolves hunt alone or in small family packs. The red wolf is primarily nocturnal (active at night).
Historically, red wolves ranged throughout the southeastern United States from Pennsylvania to Florida and as far west as Texas. Today, only a few wolves roam free in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge and nearby Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina.

A rare animal called Sao Tome Shrew

The Sao Tome Shrew is on the Critically Endangered list because not only are there few left, their habitat is progressively declining. The population continues to decrease, making these animals rare. Found only Sao Tome Island, a small island that is actually a shield volcano that rises out of the Atlantic Ocean. These little shrews are only about 3 inches long, and have white teeth (other than the standard yellow) and light bellies.

Rare animal-Okapi

Is it a giraffe? Is it a zebra? Is it a ziraffe? A gebra? It’s an Okapi! Ever heard of it? Apparently, the Okapi’s history reaches back to ancient Egypt, where carvings have since been found. In Europe and Africa, prior to the 20th century, there existed legends of an “African unicorn.” Today, that animal is thought to be the Okapi. In 1887, Henry Morton Stanley reported on a type of donkey in the Congo named an “Atti.” Today, THAT animal is thought to be the Okapi as well. Scientists, zoologists, and scholars know a lot more about the animal today. For instance, the fact that it is related to the giraffe, despite it’s zebra-like markings, and the fact that the species Okapia johnstoni is considered a “living fossil,” a creature who seems to be the same species as it’s ancient fossils and has no close living relatives (I guess the giraffe is a VERY distant cousin). There are about 10,000-20,000 alive in the wild, but since this dude is sooooo vintage, he goes on the list.

Tarsiers

Tarsiers are found only in the islands of Southeast Asia. Since Southeast Asia encompasses a wide range of islands – Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and more, that might not seem like these little guys are so rare. When you think about the fact that they used to live in many more regions, it sort of puts in in perspective. They mostly live in Borneo. These little primates are only 4-6 inches tall, but their hind legs are twice the length of their torso. Additionally, their eyes are each the size of their brains. What else makes these adorable little primates so rare? They are the only primates who are completely carnivorous – insectivorous to be exact. They stalk bugs and jump at them. They also eat small animals like birds, bats, lizards, and snakes. Tarsiers are considered Critically Endangered and will likely be on that list for some time. They are, thus far, impossible to breed in captivity.

Peccary and Piglet

A collared peccary and her very young piglet get their photo taken as they pause for a rest in a remote area of northeastern Peru on August 18, 2008.
In addition to counting species and estimating population numbers, camera-trap photos provide scientists with unusual insights into animal behavior, such when different species reproduce.
For instance, scientists could estimate the age of the piglet in this photo and figure out when peccaries usually birth, Kolowski pointed out.
The zoo researcher hopes the Peruvian Amazon Biodiversity Project will allow "people to see the huge diversity of animals that live in the Amazon," as well as make the public aware of some of the threats, such as hunting and habitat loss, that exist for these rare creatures.

Hairy Nosed Wombat

There are two or three species of Hairy nosed wombats, depending on how they're classified. There are only two living species, the Southern Hairy nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons), and the Northern Hairy nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii).

 There seems to be some dispute as to whether the average Hairy-nosed wombat is smaller or larger than the average Common or Bare-nosed wombat. Northern hairy nosed wombats tend to be larger than Southern hairy nosed wombats. When full-grown, head and body length is 75 to 102 cm (29 to 40 inches), with a tail of 2.5 to 6 cm (1 to 2.4 inches). Weight ranges from 18 to 40 kg (40 to 88 pounds).
As might be expected, the Hairy-nosed wombat's nose is hairy--covered with fur. This fur is soft and short, usually white or brown. The nose itself is soft and somewhat like a pig's. The fur that covers the wombat's body is fine and silky, softer than the Bare-nosed wombat's, and has a well-developed underfur.
Coloration is silver-grey, black, or brown. The brown can vary from very dark to very light, and possible even white on occasion. The color variations of the Northern hairy-nosed wombat seems to be wider than that of its Southern cousin. The fur often has light or dark patches or is streaked. The neck and underbelly are usually white or grey. Like the Bare-nosed wombat, the Hairy-nosed wombat's true color is often masked by the color of the dirt in which they've been digging.
The Hairy nosed wombat's head is more angular, and nose much broader, than the Bare-nosed wombat's. The Hairy nosed wombat's ears are larger, longer, and more pointed. Additionally, the back is not as sloped as a Bare-nosed wombat.
The upper lip of a Hairy-nosed wombat is cleft which allows them to eat vegetation very close to the ground.

Together with researchers of bears

Industrial chemicals are being transported from the industrialized world to the Arctic via air and sea currents. Here, the cocktail of environmental toxins is absorbed by the sea's food chains, of which the polar bear is the top predator.

Together with researchers from LIFE -- the Faculty of Life Sciences and Aarhus University, Christian Sonne has undertaken the first meta study of ten years of research conducted up until 2010 into the effects of contaminants on the health of the species. At the same time, he has analysed tissue and bone samples from about 100 east Greenlandic polar bears.

Christian Sonne and his colleagues from LIFE -- the Faculty of Life Sciences have previously conducted controlled experiments on the effects of environmental toxins on Arctic foxes and Greenlandic sled dogs. Both species top the Arctic food chain and are genetically and developmentally closely related to the polar bear.

The experiments showed that the damage seen in the polar bears was also evident in the groups of Arctic foxes and dogs which were fed environmental toxins, but not in the control groups.
The accumulated industrial chemicals cause diseases in the polar bears which do not lead to their immediate deaths. On the other hand, the toxins damage the bones and organs of the polar bears, their immune systems and not least their reproductive systems. However, the harm suffered by the population of polar bears in eastern Greenland is not yet fully understood," says Christian Sonne.

Oldest Fossil Rodents in South America Discovered

The remains -- teeth -- showed these mouse- and rat-size animals are most closely related to African rodents, confirming the hypothesis that early rodents of South America had origins in Africa, said Darin Croft, an anatomy professor at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and member of the research team.

This discovery supports the contention that rodents landed in the north and spread south. The rodents are from the suborder Caviomorpha, the group that includes living rodents such as guinea pigs, chinchillas, and New World porcupines. The oldest fossils from this group are only about 32 million years old in central Chile and about 30 million years old in Patagonia, Argentina,. Taken all together, the pattern contradicts the theory of a northward expansion deduced from the fossil record 20 years ago.Kummel mentions fossils along the Ucayali, a major tributary of the Amazon, but the team found no evidence that anyone had investigated them.
During three trips from 2008 to 2010, Antoine's group found the fossils in a portion of the riverbank exposed when the water level is low.The geology along the river showed that layers of rock, including the fossil layer, had been pushed up in a rainbow-shaped fold, called an anticline.

The layers that had once been above or below the fossils turned from horizontal to nearly vertical. Instead of digging down to the past, the scientists walked downstream from the fossil layer to go back in time, upstream to go forward in time.Ash found among silt particles 47 meters forward in time was dated at 41 million years ago using argon-argon radioactive dating, providing the minimum age of the fossils.

Natural and artificial selection were not expected to act on similar classes of genes

With more than 400 distinct breeds, dogs come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, fur-styles, and temperaments. The curly-haired toy poodle, small enough to sit in a teacup, barely looks or acts like the smooth-coated Great Dane tall enough to peer like a periscope out of a car's sunroof. Not so apparent are breed differences in how the dogs' bodies function and their susceptibility to various diseases. Although domestication of dogs began over 14,000 years ago, according to Dr. Joshua Akey, University of Washington (UW) assistant professor of genome sciences, the spectacular diversity among breeds is thought to have originated during the past few centuries through intense artificial selection of and strict breeding for desired characteristics.

Akey is the lead author of the effort to map canine genome regions that show signs of recent selection and that contain genes that are prime candidates for further investigation. Those genes are being examined for their possible roles in the most conspicuous variations among dog breeds: size, coat color and texture, behavior, physiology, and skeleton structure.The researchers performed the largest genome-wide scan to date for targets of selection in purebred dogs. The genomes came from 275 unrelated dogs representing 10 breeds that were very unlike each other. The breeds were: Beagle, Border Collie, Brittany, Dachshund, German Shepherd, Greyhound, Jack Russell Terrier, Labrador Retriever, Shar-Pei, and Standard Poodle.The study was conducted, the researchers said, because the canine genome, the product of centuries of strong selection, contains many important lessons about the genetic architecture of physical and behavioral variations and the mechanisms of rapid, short-term evolution.

The findings, the researchers said, "provide a detailed glimpse into the genetic legacy of centuries of breeding practices." The 155 regions of the genome that appear to have been influenced by selective breeding contain 1,630 known or predicted protein-coding genes. The researchers tried to obtain a broad overview of the molecular functions of these genes. The were surprised to discover that genes involved in immunity and defense were overrepresented in the 155 regions, a phenomenon also discovered in genome analysis of selection in natural populations. Natural and artificial selection were not expected to act on similar classes of genes, the researchers noted, but immune-related genes may be frequent targets of selection because of their critical role in defending against ever-changing infections.

The researchers honed in on a particular genome region in the Shar-Pei. Many of these dogs have excessive wrinkles, but some are smooth. The degree of skin folding correlates with levels of certain molecules whose production may be governed by a gene in this region. Rare mutations in this same gene also cause severe skin wrinkling in people. Tiny genetic variations in this gene seemed linked to whether a Shar-Pei would be smooth or wrinkled, and a rare genetic mutation was found in the Shar-Pei but not in other dogs.

Yorkshire terrier Dog

Jack, a 12-year-old Yorkshire terrier, was lethargic and gasping for air when he arrived at the University of Missouri Veterinary Hospital. His tongue and gums were a bluish-purple. But, just one day following an innovative procedure, Jack bounced back to his former youthful exuberance. Jack was suffering from tracheal collapse. Tracheal collapse occurs when the cartilage comprising the c-shaped rings of the trachea collapse, leaving dogs to breathe through a trachea that resembles a narrowed or closed straw.

Standard treatment involves medical management with lifestyle changes and drugs aimed at minimizing the consequences of a smaller airway. For many dogs, medical management ultimately ceases to work."This condition is very common in toy breeds, but not all dogs with this condition have such severe symptoms," Reinero said. "We start with medical management, but because this is a degenerative disease, further measures aresometimes necessary. The procedure that Jack received is generally considered a last-ditch effort. It takes a great deal of planning and precision. But its success can be seen -- and heard -- almost immediately."

The life-giving treatment Jack received was performed at the MU Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, the only facility in Missouri known to offer the particular procedure that allowed Jack to breathe again so quickly. The MU College of Veterinary Medicine's success in the placement of these stents can be attributed to the teaching hospital's high-tech equipment and a full team of skilled veterinary medicine specialists, including board certified internists, anesthesiologists, radiologists and veterinary students."

When Jack first came to us, he was wheezing and coughing, and we had to carry him around because of his condition," said Heather Wise, a fourth-year veterinary medical student. "At his follow up, we didn't even hear him coming down the hall for his appointment."Jack's two-week follow-up examination showed remarkable results. The team found that his oral membranes had returned to a healthy pink color and his tracheal and lung sounds were normal. The radiographs show the tracheal areas once absent of air are now propped fully open with the stent.

New York Natural Heritage Program

These comprehensive factsheets about individual rare species and natural community types are designed to help land managers, decision-makers, planners, scientists, consultants, students, and the interested public better understand the biodiversity that characterizes New York. Conservation Guides include information on biology, identification, habitat, distribution, conservation, and management. Guides for many of New York's rare species and natural community types have been completed and are updated periodically, and more are continually being added to the Guides website. Follow the link provided in the box at the right of this page entitled NYNHP Conservation Guides.

Environmental Resource Mapper - This interactive mapping application can show you the general areas where rare animals, rare plants, and rare and significant natural communities (such as forests, wetlands, and other habitat types) have been documented by the NY Natural Heritage Program. The Environmental Resource Mapper also displays locations of New York regulated freshwater wetlands and of protected streams, rivers, and lakes. These maps are intended as one source of information for landowners, land managers, citizens, local officials, and project sponsors engaged in land use decision making, conservation, or environmental assessment.

The NY Natural Heritage Program actively surveys rare animal species of all vertebrate groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish) and selected rare species from the invertebrate groups of butterflies and moths, beetles, dragonflies and damselflies, mayflies, and freshwater bivalve mollusks. In addition, the program collects data on significant animal concentration areas including bat hibernacula; anadromous fish; waterfowl; raptors; and nesting areas of terns, herons, and gulls.

This map shows the currently known distribution of rare animals in New York. As no comprehensive surveys of the state have been conducted, there are surely more rare animal populations than are shown.

Two fishermen found a leatherback

The front-right flipper was damaged due to the entanglement, however it was indeed functional and our surgeon, Dr. Doug Mader, was able to save the flipper. The front-left flipper however, was entirely absent and was treated as an amputation. The second challenge was to find an appropriate tank to house the 600-pound turtle. The Hospital was only two days from completing the construction of two brand-new 30,000 gallon emergency tanks when Schaft arrived. Either of which would have been perfect. Leatherbacks, being pelagic swimmers, require very large tanks, so large in fact, that very few leatherbacks have ever been successfully rehabilitated in captivity.The Turtle Hospital recently admitted our first leatherback sea turtle to the facility.

The giant leatherback maxed-out our scale; weighing in at over 600 pounds and nearly 7 feet long. He was by far the largest patient the hospital has ever treated. Two fishermen found the leatherback with it’s right-front flipper entangled in the buoy line of a lobster trap. Sharks were spotted circling the turtle as the fishermen approached, and they noticed it was missing it’s left-front flipper entirely. Upon realizing this very rare animal required urgent care, they called the Turtle Hospital. The fishermen protected the turtle in it’s inescapably perilous condition until staff arrived to help heave the massive creature into the boat.The leatherback sea turtle is a pelagic swimmer, which means it is usually found only in deep, open water – usually beyond the continental shelf.

The waters of the Florida Keys are relatively shallow and are only rarely frequented by leatherbacks. Schaft the leatherback came in on Sue’s last day at the Turtle Hospital. Sue is now applying the knowledge and experience she gained here at the Turtle Hospital to a new venture.The first challenge was to address the animal’s injuries.  Without the ideal tank, we enlisted the help of our friends at The Dolphin Research Center about 10 miles north on Grassy Key. Once there, we placed Schaft into a very large pool with the aid of a forklift. Once gently placed into the massive tank, Schaft was monitored on 24-hour watch.

The huge Wels catfish

Unlike traditional behavior seen in schools of fish, the catfish in the aggregations did not all point in the same direction and sometimes came into contact with their neighbors. Researchers were not able to determine the reason for this behavior, though they ruled out reproduction, foraging, and safety from predators. Many different types of animals come together to form vast groups -- insect swarms, mammal herds, or bird flocks, for example. Researchers in France added another example to the list, reported October 5 in the online journal PLoS ONE: the huge Wels catfish, the world's third largest and Europe's largest fresh-water fish. Researchers observed these fish in the Rhone River from May 2009 to Feb. 2011 and found that they formed dense groups of 15 to 44 individuals, corresponding to an estimated total biomass of up to 1132 kilograms with a biomass density of 14 to 40 kilograms per square meter.

The species originates from Eastern Europe and is not native to the Rhone, so the researchers were curious what effect these large aggregations may have on the local ecosystem. They calculate that the groups of fish could excrete extremely large amount of phosphorus and nitrogen in their waste, creating potentially the highest biogeochemical hotspots reported in freshwater ecosystems.

According to the authors, "our study is unique in identifying unexpected ecological impacts of alien species. Our findings will be ground breaking news for many scientific fields including conservation biology, ecosystem ecology and behavioral ecology and anyone interested in biological invasion and the potential ecological impacts of alien species. Therefore, we believe that our manuscript will stimulate further research and discussion in these fields."

The damsel in distress may very well

Since there's an ongoing plot, Anime characters actually grow up and may even produce the next generation for the series. Anime fans tend to get into the characters a lot deeper because of the characters' depth and charm. Consider Naruto; viewers see him growing up from an infant to a young powerful ninja, the way he relates to people, the way he learns new techniques, and the way he evolves visually. That is one of the chief reasons for popularities of anime over plain cartoons. For, clarity, the term 'cartoon' in this article shall be referring to the animated programs.

Recently, however, a new term has been coined: Anime. And the distinction between these two has caused much confusion. Strictly speaking though, there should be no distinction between anime and cartoon. Anime is a term used by the Japanese to refer to animated cartoons, from their own country and from others as well.In cartoons, there's a protagonist, an antagonist, and a damsel in distress. Their roles are well-defined and clear and the characters always act according to their roles. In anime, however, the damsel in distress may very well become the antagonist, leaving the protagonist in distress. There's no knowing what to expect in anime. Anime characters, a lot of times, are developed overtime through trials and growth, while cartoon characters remain the same from when the show started. (Of course, there are exceptions such as Spiderman.) 

Somehow, though, the world started using the term anime in reference to Japanese cartoons exclusively. Japanese animation was once called japanimation, but this term was aptly discarded when the term 'Anime' was put into use.Some say that they see absolutely no difference between the two, even going so far as to classify both cartoons and anime as 'childish' because of the nature of how they are presented, much to the woe of anime fans. Technically, there's no official difference and they are somewhat correct. But you only have to watch a single episode of any anime series and you'll see that anime is far more than your usual slapstick comedy man-tripping-on-a-banana-peal early morning cartoons. There is a real and profound difference between the two besides their spellings: Anime is so much more than 'just a cartoon'.