Keel Billed Toucan

            The Keel-billed Toucan also known as Sulphur-breasted Toucan or Rainbow-billed Toucan is a colourful Latin American member of the toucan family. It is the national bird of Belize. Keel-billed Toucans ranges in length from around 17 to 22 inches (42–55 cm). Their large and colourful bill averages around 5-6 in (12–15 cm), about one-third of its length. It typically weighs about 380-500 grams. While the bill seems large and cumbersome, it is in fact a spongy, hollow bone covered in keratin, a very light and hard protein.

            The plumage of the Keel-billed Toucan is mainly black with a yellow neck and chest. Molting occurs once per year. It has blue feet and red feathers at the tip of its tail. The bill is mainly green with a red tip and orange sides. Keel-billed toucans have zygodactyl feet (or feet with toes facing in different directions) - two toes face forward and two face back. Because toucans spend a large portion of time in the trees, this helps the birds to stay on the branches of the trees and hop from one branch to another.

Range

         The Keel-billed Toucan can be found from Southern Mexico to Venezuela and Colombia (Belize; Colombia; Costa Rica; Guatemala; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Venezuela) It roosts in the canopies of tropical, subtropical, and lowland rainforests, up to altitudes of 1,900 m.

Ecology

            The Keel-billed Toucan roosts in holes in trees, often with several other toucans. This can be very cramped, so the birds tuck their tails and beaks under their bodies to conserve space while sleeping. Adding to the lack of space, the bottoms of the holes are often covered with pits from the fruit the toucans have eaten.

            Like many toucans, Keel-billed is a very social bird, rarely seen alone. It travels in small flocks of approximately six to twelve individuals through lowland rainforests; it is a poor flyer, and moves mostly by hopping through trees. It has a family structure within the group. Birds will often "duel" with each other using their bills, and throw fruit into each other's mouths. Keel-billed Toucans live together in these groups, often sharing cramped living quarters of holes in trees.

Status

            This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km.Sq combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population size is very large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern. Listed in The U.S. Wild Bird Act and in CITES - endangered and threatened animals.

Biology

            The diet of Keel-billed Toucans consists mostly of a wide range of fruit,[8] but may also include insects, eggs, and reptiles. The bill, surprisingly dexterous, allows this toucan to utilize a large variety of fruit that might not otherwise be reached. When eating the fruit, it uses its bill to dissect the fruit, and then tosses its head back to swallow the fruit whole.

            A female keel billed toucan lays between 1 and 5 eggs in a hollow tree, which usually hatch within a few weeks. Both the male and female keel billed toucan incubate the eggs and both keel billed toucan parents also feed and look after their keel billed toucan chicks until they are old enough and strong enough to fend for themselves. 

          After hatching, the male and female again take turns feeding the chicks. When the chicks hatch, they have no feathers, and have their eyes closed for approximately 3 weeks. The chicks have adequately formed heel pads, which assist on the pit-covered bottom of the nest. The chicks stay in their nest for approximately eight to nine weeks while their bills develop fully and they are ready to fledge from the nest.

Threat

            This colorful bird is taken from the wild to satisfy demand in the local and international cage bird trade. This exploitation, in combination with the loss and degradation of forest habitat, threatens the survival of the toucans. Forests within the toucan’s range are being lost to uncontrolled human colonization, massive logging concessions, cattle grazing, mining, coca and palm cultivation conservation.

Conservation

            The Keel billed toucan is listed on Appendix III of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), meaning that Colombia has asked other CITES member countries for assistance in controlling the trade. This may regulate legal trade, but measures to control illegal trade are still required, and considered essential for the protection of these toucans.

References

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keel-billed_Toucan

            http://a-z-animals.com/animals/keel-billed-toucan/

            http://whozoo.org/students/jenthu/toucan.html

            http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/birds/printouts/Toucancoloring.shtml

            http://www.anywherecostarica.com/flora-fauna/bird/keel-billed-toucan

            

The Yunnan Snub Nosed Monkey

            The Yunnan snub nosed monkey is the most endangered of China's three snub nosed monkey species. The long, shaggy coat is mainly black on the back, arms and legs and white on the front. White hair is also present on the flanks and this is particularly long on the adult males. The lips are a deep pink, whilst the face is paler and there are yellowish-grey hairs on the shoulders. These monkeys get their common name for their unusual noses; the nasal bones are absent and the nostrils are upturned. Young are born white but become grey over several months.

Population

            Only 17 groups with a total population of less than 1,700 animals have survived in northwest Yunnan and neighbouring regions in the Autonomous Prefecture of Tibet.

Status

            Classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List 2007, and listed on Appendix I of CITES.

Range

            Found in the Yun ling Mountains in south-western China, around 13 isolated sub-populations exist in north-western Yunnan Province and south-eastern Tibet.

Habitat

            Yunnan snub nosed monkeys are found at a higher altitude than any other primate, with the exception of man. They inhabit coniferous forest, which is found between 3,000 and 4,500 meters above sea level and experiences frost for around 280 days of the year; snow to a depth of over one meter.

Biology

            Very little is known about these elusive monkeys, and the first comprehensive study of their ecology and behaviour only took place in the 1990s. Unusually for langur monkeys (which normally feed on leaves), the diet of the Yunnan snub nosed monkey is composed primarily of lichens, such as those of the genus Bryotia. Lichen is an abundant and easy to digest food source but it is relatively poor nutritionally; this unusual diet has led to other aspects of behaviour that are unique among tree dwelling primates. For example, large groups of up to 300 individuals have been observed, probably as a result of low food competition between members. These troops appear to be made up of small family groups consisting of an adult male, three to five females and their offspring, although the whole troop will tend to travel and rest together.

            Reliance on lichen, which can take between 10 to 15 years to regenerate, has also caused these monkeys to have a more wandering way of life. A troop will cover around 1,500 meters in one day and their home range reaches as much as 25 square kilometres. The birth rate is also low for this species; scientists estimate that a female gives birth about once every three years.

Threat

            Numbers of Yunnan snub nosed monkeys have declined principally in response to habitat loss and hunting pressure. The human population in this remote corner of China has exploded in recent decades and forests are being cleared, both for timber and to make way for agriculture. The populations of snub-nosed monkeys that remain are isolated in fragments of the former forest. Hunting of this primate was banned in China in 1975, but lack of funds and staff means that this law is hard to enforce, and hunting persists. Monkeys are also accidentally trapped in snares set out for other wildlife.

Conservation

            The Government of China banned the hunting of snub-nosed monkeys in 1975, although this has proven difficult to enforce. Around half the population of the Yunnan snub nosed monkey occurs within protected reserves such as Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve where wardens are trying to work closely with the local people to secure the future of this species. In 1998, a national logging ban on all remaining old-growth forests came into force, which will help to preserve some of the monkey's precious habitat. Yunnan snub nosed monkeys are a vital part of the mountain ecosystem, preventing the accumulation of lichen in these ancient forests of the foothills of the Himalayas.

References

            http://www.animalinfo.org/species/primate/rhinbiet.htm

            http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Black_Snub-nosed_Monkey

            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snub-nosed_monkey

            http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/11/snub-nosed-monkey

Beluga Whale

The snow-white beluga whale is one of the most distinctive of all cetaceans (a group that includes dolphins, whales and porpoises). The stocky body ends in a particularly small head, and adults develop their striking white colouring as they mature. Beluga whales lack a dorsal fin; their genus name Delphinapterus means 'dolphin-without-a-wing', but there is a ridge of toughened skin along the back that tends to be more pronounced in mature males.

Unlike most cetaceans, beluga whales have an extremely flexible neck and can turn their head almost 90 degrees to the side. Their lips are also flexible and can form a variety of facial expressions. They have a very thick layer of blubber which may be up to 15 centimetres thick that provides insulation in the freezing arctic waters. 

Beluga whales use a wide range of vocalisations such as clicks, grunts, squeals, screeches and whistles. These sounds can be heard through the hulls of ships and the beluga whale was nicknamed the 'sea canary' by early Arctic sailors.

Range

Beluga whales are found in Arctic waters around northern Russia, North America, Greenland and the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. Most populations migrate north in the spring, then south in the autumn once ice starts to form

Habitat

The beluga whale inhabits cold arctic waters, usually near to the ice edge. Summer is spent in shallow bays and estuaries, whereas in winter, the beluga whale occurs in areas of loose pack ice, where wind and ocean currents keep cracks for breathing holes open.

Biology

The beluga whale is a highly social animal, and in the summer months thousands of individuals can be seen gathered in estuaries. At this time, females with calves will often come together, whilst males form large bachelor groups. Also, in summer months, large numbers of beluga whales gather in estuaries to moult. They rub themselves on the gravel bed and shed the yellow, withered skin of the previous year to once again become gleaming white. 

Beluga whales are able to dive to depths of over 1,000 metres, but spend most of their time on the surface of the water swimming slowly. During winter months it may be necessary for individuals to create breathing holes in the ice, which they can do with their heavy head. The flippers are capable of a wide-range of movement and enable the beluga whale to manoeuvre effectively. 

The beluga whale feeds on a wide variety of fish, bottom-dwelling invertebrates and worms. Most of the prey is found on the seabed and it is thought that the highly flexible lips may be used to suck prey into the mouth. Sounds can be used to detect prey; the enlarged melon is an electro-receptor for sounds that are sent out from the nasal passages. Killer whales and polar bears are major predators of beluga whales, which are particularly vulnerable if trapped by ice.

Female beluga whales become sexually mature at around five years of age, and they give birth to a single calf after a gestation period that lasts just over a year. Mother and calf have an extremely strong bond, swimming very closely together, and the calf will continue to feed on its mother’s milk until well into its second year. These whales are thought to live for up to 50 years.

Threat

Beluga whales have traditionally been hunted for their blubber for many centuries, but only with the advent of commercial whaling did the harvest become unsustainable. This species is particularly vulnerable to such exploitation, due to its high fidelity for certain migratory routes. 

However, perhaps the most pertinent threat to the beluga whale today is habitat deterioration in the form of industrial development and pollution of coastal habitats. Some beluga whale populations are declining principally as a result of pollution. Beluga whales in the St Lawrence River Estuary, for example, accumulate so many toxins that deformed calves are now prevalent and dead individuals are treated as toxic waste. 

A further identified threat to the beluga whale is global climate change. While this species is not thought to be directly threatened by changes in weather patterns or global warming, reductions in sea ice cover will provide access to the Arctic for ships and other vessels, which were previously absent from the region. Formerly pristine areas that have long served as refuges for the beluga whale will become more navigable, with numbers of vessel sailing through the Arctic for gas and oil exploration, commercial shipping and fishing increasing. With the increase in ship traffic, ship strikes are likely to become an increasingly significant cause of beluga whale injury and death. 

In addition, beluga whales detect and respond to the presence of large ships over great distances of up to 50 kilometres. Industrial noise, for example from ships, seismic surveys and offshore drilling, likely disrupts beluga whale behaviour and may impair their ability to communicate and forage efficiently. Industrialisation and urbanisation of the Arctic is also bound to exacerbate the problem of pollution. 

Climate change is also likely to lead to a loss of sea ice and increased ocean temperatures. This may affect the distribution, composition and productivity of beluga whale prey species, affecting the beluga whale’s ability to find prey. Furthermore, as weather patterns become more unpredictable and extreme, it is possible that the beluga whale will become more susceptible to ice entrapment. Such unfortunate events have always occurred, but it is feared that the frequency and scale of the mortality from ice entrapment will increase as the climate changes.

Conservation

Today the widespread hunting of beluga whales is prohibited under the International Moratorium on Commercial Whaling; however, small quotas are permitted to local people who depend upon annual harvests for food. The Alaska and Inuvialuit Beluga Whale Committee was established in 1988 and encourages dialogue between native hunters, conservationists and government representatives as well as carrying out stock and hunting assessment of the Alaskan and Canadian populations of beluga whales. Some protection from industrial development is being provided at locations where these whales commonly occur, but careful monitoring of existing stocks will be needed to secure the future of this attractive cetacean.