A Delicate Creature of a Fairyland

The butterfly has such delicate beauty that it might as well be a creature of a fairyland. Its real world, unfortunately, is one of danger from a swarm of predators (birds, other insects, and frogs) and the reign of the butterfly is all-too momentary. Butterflies in their adult stage can live from a week to almost a year, depending on the species. Many live only for a matter of hours. The most popular families of butterflies are those containing the most colorful species, such as the Acraeidae, Danaidae, and Pieridae. To the collector, though, every family is worthy of study and contains at least one species considered a prize in any display of these delicate little creatures.

Butterflies are closely related to moths, both being of the order Lepidoptera. The moths form the majority of this order, it could be said that butterflies simply consist of a small group of families within the order of the moths, but distinguished by differences of features. Butterflies are mainly diurnal, and moths mainly nocturnal. The easiest way of distinguishing Butterflies between Moths is to see them at rest. Butterflies in general close their wings together above the body, whereas moths usually spread their wings out to their sides or roof them down the body. The life cycle of the butterfly is similar to that of some other insects. The females, after mating, lay their eggs, on the leaves of trees or shrubs suited to the particular taste of each species. It then hatches into a larvae (or caterpillar); these guys feed on the leaves, although some of them have more varied diets. After some time larvae will find a special place to turn into a pupa (or chrysalis). While pupating it becomes a butterfly. Eventually, the butterfly then hatches out and lays more eggs.

Butterflies are in danger, and I’m sure you´ve already guessed why. Habitat loss is a major problem, some types of butterflies have nowhere to feed and lay eggs. Fortunately there are some people that help these delicate creatures by planting butterfly gardens with flowers having lots of nectar for butterflies to feed. Some plants are for the butterflies to lays eggs on, the larvae to hatch out and feed on the plant.

Dogs and Cats Abandoned By Heartless Owners

In Cozumel, New Mexico, dogs and cats were abandoned by their heartless owners and dropped off by the gates of the rubbish dump, where they were discarded like pieces of garbage. If it weren’t for a special man called Gabacho, these heartbreaking animals would have little chance of survival. Gabacho himself lives at the dump and has been a guardian angel for countless animals for the past twenty years.

Regrettably, a new company is taking over the dump and will be forcing Gabacho and the 15 dogs and 6 cats that he so dearly cares for to leave the dump. Gabacho will be facing homeless, but he is more concerned about the future of the animals than his own. Unfortunately, the dogs and cats have nowhere to go, not even to the local shelter as it is overcrowded. If they´re left behind at the dump, they will face starvation and disease. IFAW is working hard to save these heartbreaking animals, but they need our help. We can help them by donating today to fund their emergency plan to rescue the dumped dogs and cats of Cozumel. With our donation IFAW will be able to move these dogs and cats to homes where they will be in safe hands and well cared for. Quite simply, our gift can give the animals a second chance they so very much need. IFAW is also asking local officials to find shelter and support for Gabacho, which in my opinion is an outstanding human being. By helping these animals we can become the new guardian angel that these animals so very much need. Have a look at the following video, and judge for yourself…

Britain´s Largest Insect

The European stag beetle (Lucanus Cervus) is renowned as Britain’s largest terrestrial insect. Stag beetles can be found in southern and central Europe, and in Britain they are found in southern and southeast regions of England, where there are wooded parks, gardens and pasture woodland – as long as there is a good supply of rotten wood.
The male stag beetles are easily recognizable due to their long “antler” shaped mandibles. These guys may look frightening to some people, but they are entirely harmless. Their large mandibles are too weak to hurt you. Male stag beetles use their mandibles to fight other males. The females mandibles as not as big, but let me warn you that their mandibles can inflict a painful bite. The size of a male stag beetle can vary a lot, from approx. 3.5cm to 7.5cm in length, whereas the females are somewhat smaller; they can be as small as 2.3cm.
The stag beetle needs damp, rotting wood in order to complete their lifecycle. The larva lives within the rotten wood between 3 to 5 years before pupating. The adult beetle develops inside this pupal case, which remains concealed all throughout winter. The entirely formed adult beetle only emerges at the beginning of the flight season of the following year. However, the adults have a much shorter life than the larva, surviving only between the months of May and August, by the time wintry weather arrives, all the adult beetles have ceased.
Unfortunately, the stag beetle is now rare, mainly due to loss of suitable habitat. In addition to the loss of habitat, taking away of wood from woodland is also a problem, depriving the female beetles of the damp, rotting wood they need for laying their eggs. Changing in weather patterns has also an impact on the stag beetles. Humans are, unfortunately, a direct threat to these unique insects. These insects are attracted to warm surfaces like tarmac and pavements, making them defenseless to being squashed by traffic and feet. They are sometimes killed on purpose by people thinking that they are harmful. The stag beetle is one of the species chosen by the Government to be included in its Biodiversity Action Plan, in other words, it is being given special help to increase its numbers.

The Biggest Anteater

The Giant Anteater is renowned as the largest species of anteater. It can grow up to 2.1 meters long from the tip of its snout until the end of its tail, whereas others species of anteaters are as small as squirrels.

The Giant Anteater which is known to be a solitary animal can be found in Central and South America. They favor tropical forests as well as grasslands. Anteaters are edentate animals, in other words, they have no teeth. They do however; have long tongues that can reach up to 60 cm in length, with a width of merely 12.5 mm. This unusual tongue has a sticky substance during feeding which is used to keep the ants and termites from escaping. Before the anteater starts eating, it must first use its extremely sharp and long front claws to open insect colonies and tree trunks. The anteater must then eat very quickly, by flicking its tongue up to 150 times per minute. It can eat up to 30,000 insects in a single day. Anteaters never destroy a nest, they prefer to return to it and feed again in the future.

Giant Anteaters are not aggressive but they can be fierce. Their long ten centimeters claws can also be used to protect themselves against predators like jaguars and other large cats. Anteaters walk on their knuckles instead of their paws because they do not want to ruin their sharp claws. These animals are covered with stiff and straw-like fur which helps keep them warm, when they fall asleep; they cover their body with their long, bushy tail. Giant Anteaters are known to have a very keen sense of smell, but on the other hand, it is thought to have very poor sight and hearing. Females have a single offspring once a year. The baby spends much of the first part of its life riding on its mother's back, until it is almost half her size.
The giant anteater is presently classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Humans are a big threat to the Giant Anteaters. These unique creatures are killed either by sport, curiosity or through road-kills. Nevertheless, habitat destruction has by far been the Giant Anteaters biggest threat which has lead to creation zones for their protection.