Piranha

Natural Wild Life | Piranha | The piranha is a type of freshwater fish found in the rivers of the South American jungles. The piranha can be found in nearly every country in South America and the piranha have been appearing more recently in the south of the USA. The piranha fish has a single row of razor-sharp teeth with the piranha being most commonly known for their taste for blood. The piranha feeds on fish, mammals and birds alike, with the wholes group of piranhas feeding together in a slight frenzy. Despite the carnivorous nature of the piranha, the piranha is actually an omnivore and will eat almost anything that it can find. Piranhas mainly feed on fish, snails, insects and aquatic plants occasionally eating larger mammals and birds that fall into the water.

Despite it's feared nature, the piranha actually has a number of predators in the wild, including humans that hunt the piranha for food. Piranhas are preyed upon by large predators such as river dolphins (known as botos), crocodiles, turtles, birds and larger fish. The piranha is generally around 30cm long but some piranha individuals have been found measuring nearly 80cm. The piranha is said to be more feared by many humans than even a shark. Piranhas are generally found in fast flowing rivers and streams where there is plenty of food for the piranha to eat. The piranhas lives together in large shoals and constantly compete for food. Feeding frenzies will be triggered when there is a shortage of food or blood in the water.

Piranhas tend to breed in pairs in slower water such as lagoons generally during the rainy season around April to May. The mating pair prepare a nest that the female piranha lays clusters of eggs in. The female piranha lays an average of 5,000 eggs and due to the fact that the male piranha and the female piranha defend their protected eggs so effectively, more than 90% often survive and hatch after just a few days. In August 2009 a 35cm piranha was found in a river in Devon, thousands of miles from it's native home. The team that discovered the piranha were utterly bewildered as to what this tropical fish was going in a river in England but later deduced that this piranha must have been kept as a pet and then released due to the fact that it was eating sweetcorn.

Natural Wild Life | Molly | The molly is a small-sized tropical fish that is found naturally in the warm and peaceful rivers of Central America. Today, mollies are extremely popular fish to be kept in the community of an artificial aquarium, all around the world. Mollies are known for their calm and peaceful nature, which along with their brightly coloured bodies, makes them a particular popular choice for freshwater tanks of all shapes and sizes. The male mollies are more slender than the female mollies and have a slightly longer tail fin, making the two sexes easy to tell apart.

Mollies live amongst the plants in a group containing numerous molly individuals, known as a school. Although this works well for the mollies in the wild, the fast-paced breeding of these molly groups can quickly become a problem in artificial tanks. Mollies are omnivorous animals and therefore have diet that is comprised of both plant and animal matter. Mollies primarily eat small invertebrates including insects and bloodworm, along with algae and food particles in the water.

Due to their small size, mollies have numerous natural predators within their environment, with larger fish being the most common predators of the molly. Aquatic birds and even reptiles are also known to hunt them. Unlike many other species of tropical fish, female mollies give birth to live young rather than laying eggs which are very likely to be eaten. Mollies can give birth to up to 100 fry at once, only a couple of weeks after fertilisation occurred.

Shrimp

Natural Wild Life | Shrimp | Shrimp are marine crustaceans that are found on the bottom of the water in nearly every environment around the world. Shrimps are generally tiny in size, with some species of shrimp being so small that many animals cannot see them. There are more than 2,000 different species of shrimp worldwide, all of which are invertebrates which means that shrimp do not have a backbone. Instead, shrimp have a hard exoskeleton (the shell of the shrimp) which is often transparent and colourless making shrimp difficult to see in the water.

The shrimp lives on the river beds and ocean floors around the world, filtering sand and particles in the water. Shrimp are known to stay in schools that contain numerous shrimp individuals, and are able to adapt easily to changes in water conditions. Shrimps are omnivorous animals and therefore ingest and variety of both plant and animal species. Shrimp mainly feed on algae and other plant particles along with tiny fish and plankton in the water. One species of shrimp is known to stun it's prey before eating it by making a loud noise with one of it's claws, that makes a snapping sound through the water.

Due to their small size and abundance, shrimp are naturally prey to numerous predators around the world both in the water and out. Shrimp are eaten by fish, crustaceans such as crabs, sea urchins, starfish, sea -birds such as puffins, whales, dolphins, sharks and humans and many other animal species as well. The female shrimp can lay up to a million eggs at once that only take a couple of weeks to hatch. The tiny shrimp become part of the plankton in the water until they are big enough to big hunting in groups for larger food particles.

The shrimp is very closely related to the prawn and the thing that makes the shrimp and prawn stand out from other species of crustacean is the fact that they are able to swim through the water and although shrimps and prawns are very closely related, there are differences between them. The main difference between a shrimp and a prawn is they have different gill structures. There are different interpretations all around the world as to which species is a shrimp and which is a prawn that are often based on size and the water type where they are found.

Zebra Shark

Natural Wild Life | Zebra Shark | The zebra shark is a medium-sized species of shark, that is found in the warmer coastal waters and around tropical coral reefs. Zebra sharks are most commonly found in the Indian and South Pacific oceans. Zebra sharks can grow to nearly 3 meters in length and can get to be 30 years old in the wild. Zebra sharks that are kept in captivity generally do not exceed 15 years of age. Zebra sharks can be identified by the yellow spots that are present on the back of the zebra shark.

Zebra sharks have a long, flattened body which helps them to remain unnoticed on the seabed. The zebra shark also has a long tail which allows it to be more agile in the water. Zebra sharks move their tails from side to side when they swim, in an eel-like manner. Zebra sharks are omnivorous animals but tend to have a more meat-based diet. Zebra sharks feed on small fish, crabs, shrimp, snails and other small invertebrates along with squid and sea snakes which they forage for in the coral reefs.

Due to their relatively large size, zebra sharks have few natural predators as they are fairly dominant predators in their environment. Larger species of shark such as tiger sharks and bull sharks are the main predators of the zebra shark, along with humans who hunt them for their meat and fins. The female zebra shark lays an average of ten large eggs which hatch after an incubation period of around 5 months. The baby zebra sharks are nearly half a meter long when they first hatch.

Tang

Natural Wild Life | Tang | The tang is a small to medium sized fish that is found in the warmer coastal waters of the tropics. Tangs are well know for their bright colours and are closely related to surgeon fish and unicorn fish. There are 80 known species of tang, that inhabit the tropical waters of the southern hemisphere, including the largest species of the tang group, the white margin unicorn fish that has been known to grow over a meter long.

Tang are found around shallow coral reefs where there is an abundance of food and plenty of places to hide from approaching predators. The tang is named after the razor-sharp scalpel (also known as tang) at the base of their tails. When the tang feels threatened, it hides in a crevice in the coral or rocks and anchors itself in using this scalpel. The scalpel at the base of the tang's tail can also be used to defend itself if it is caught. Although the tang is an omnivorous animal, it has a predominantly vegetarian diet. Tang mainly feed on algae and other plants around the coral reefs as well as picking the larger food particles out of the plankton in the water. Later species of tang also feed on small invertebrates and fish. Due to the tang's love of algae, tang can often be seen with sea turtles as they swim along with them cleaning the algae off their shells.

Due to it's small size, the tang has many predators in it's shallow ocean environment including larger fish, eels, sharks, crustaceans and large invertebrates such as jellyfish. Tang are also preyed upon by human who mainly catch them to keep in artificial aquariums. Tangs are known to breed all year round in the tropical regions, beginning with a male tang securing himself a temporary breeding territory that includes a pair or group of female tang. The female tang release an average of 40,000 eggs into the water which are then fertilised by the male tang. The baby tang are known as fry and hatch in less than a week. Tangs however are reported to breed as well when in captivity.

The tang is one of the most popular species of marine fish to be kept in tanks and aquariums around the world. People are charmed by the peaceful and gentle nature of the tang, along with it's bright colours and the fact that tangs can live for a long time (average is between 12 and 15 years), especially compared to other species of marine fish of a similar size. Tang are not recommended to be kept in small aquariums as tang have the potential to get pretty big. The most common type of tang kept in salt-water aquariums are the yellow tang and the bright blue regal tang but despite the fact that the tang is popular fish to keep they need to be well looked after and have specific water conditions maintained.

Tetra

Natural Wild Life | Tetra | The tetra is a small and colourful fish native to the freshwater rivers and streams of South America and Africa. The tetra is one of the most well known and popular freshwater tropical fish kept in tanks and aquariums all around the world. There are around 150 known species of the tetra fish native to the clearwater streams and slow-moving rivers of both Africa South America. There are more than 100 different species of the tetra in Africa alone and even more in South America. The two groups of fish are classified as the characidaes (the tetra of South America) and the alestiidaes (the tetra of Africa).

Tetras are very commonly found in aquariums around the world and due to the hardiness of the tetra, they are easy fish to keep. The neon tetra is among the most commonly bred commercial species of tetra out of all of the tetra species. The tetra is an omnivorous animal eating a mixture of both plant and animal matter. The tetra primarily feeds on algae and brine shrimp and picks out the larger food particles that are part of the plankton in the water. Tetras also eat small invertebrates such as worms. Due to their small size, tetras are prey to many predators in their watery world. Larger fish, eels, crustaceans and invertebrates all prey on the tiny tetra which is often easy to spot due to it's brightly coloured body. When a tetra feels it is in in danger, it will often try to find something to hide in or travel into water that is slightly darker so that the tetra is harder to spot.

Tetras live in schools of many tetra individuals, sometimes in the hundreds, in order to help to protect each other and to find food. Tetras kept in tanks should be kept with at least 6 or 7 other tetras. Male tetras tend to be smaller in size than the female tetras. Tetras breed in pairs that spawn together for about a year. Female tetras lay an average of 130 eggs usually on a leaf in the water, which are then fertilised by the male tetra. The baby tetra are called fry and hatch within a couple of days.

Mayfly

Natural Wild Life | Mayfly | Mayflies are insects which belong to the Order Ephemeroptera. The mayfly is medium-sized insect that is found in a variety of habitats all around the world. The mayfly is one of the most short-lived animals in the world and is most closely related to dragonflies and damselflies. There are 2,500 known species of mayfly generally found close to water, all around the world with over 600 species of mayfly natively found in North America. Mayflies are extremely sensitive to pollution and can therefore only be found close to water that is of a high quality.

Mayflies have long narrow bodies and large wings, with a second set of smaller hind wings behind them (in a similar way to butterflies and moths). This allows the mayfly to have greater agility and power when it is in the air. Adult mayflies tend to be herbivorous only really surviving on algae although there are a number of known mayfly species that prey on other insects. The adult mayfly has a very short lifespan which can be anywhere from to half an hour to a few weeks long.

The adult mayflies have a number of predators out of the water including amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts, small reptiles, birds and even rodents and mammals. However, the aquatic longer-lived mayfly nymphs too have predators including fish and amphibians. The female mayfly can lays thousands of eggs at time which she does so into the water. The mayfly nymph are aquatic and hatch in the water where they can take anywhere from a few months to more than a year to transform into an adult mayfly and head into the air.

Grouse

Natural Wild Life | Grouse | Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. The grouse is a heavily-built bird that is found in the cold, forested areas of the Northern Hemisphere. The grouse is most closely related to other game birds including chickens, peasants and turkeys and, although not commonly farmed commercially, the grouse is hunted by humans in its natural habitat. The grouse inhabits both hot and cold environments, and can be found in a variety of habitats like forests, moorland, shrub-land and close to rural farms.

In order to survive the bitter Northern winters, the grouse has feathered legs and toes which not only help to keep the grouse warm, but they also give the grouse more grip and stability when it is walking around in the snow. Despite inhabiting areas that often fall within the Arctic Circle, thousands of grouse are hunted as game each year by humans. The grouse population numbers are not drastically effected however as they often lay a large number of eggs so the grouse population is able to increase at a fast rate.

The grouse is an omnivorous animal meaning that it eats both plants and other animals. Despite this though, plant matter makes up the majority of the grouse's diet as the grouse eats grasses, fruits, nuts, berries, shoots, seeds and flowers, along with insects and even rodents. Due to its stocky build and the fact that the grouse is one of the few animals able to exist within the Arctic Circle, that grouse is preyed upon by a number of native predators. Wildcats including lynx, foxes, wolves and large birds of prey all prey upon the grouse, alongside human hunters. Female grouse nests in a dip in the ground, following an elaborate mating display by the male grouse. The female grouse can lay up to 12 eggs at a time which hatch after a month of incubation.

Water Dragon

Natural Wild Life | Water Dragon | The water dragon is a large species of lizard native to the forests and jungles of Asia and Australia. Water dragons are arboreal animals meaning that they spend most of their time in the trees, often close to a large body of water. There are two different species of water dragon, which are the Australian water dragon and the Asian water dragon. The Australian water dragon is the smaller of the two water dragon species and is found on the east coast of Australia. Australian water dragons have powerful legs and sharp claws which help them to climb trees more effectively.

The Asian water dragon is the larger and more colourful of the two water dragon species and is found in forests and jungles throughout India, China, Laos, Vietnam, Burma and Thailand. The Asian water dragon also has a third eye (known as the pineal gland), which is thought to be able to detect difference in light. Although water dragons are generally tree-dwelling animals, they also spend a great deal of time in or very close to the water. Water dragons are strong and capable swimmers and often leap into the water from the branches high above in order to escape approaching danger.

Like many other lizard species, water dragons are omnivorous animals eating a variety of plant and animal species. Water dragons primarily prey upon small animals such as lizards, frogs and rodents, insects and fish which they catch will there long tongue. Due to their relatively large size, water dragons have limited predators within their natural environment, although this is entirely dependent on where the area which the water dragon inhabits. Snakes, large birds and carnivorous mammals are the primary predators of the water dragon.

Water dragons hibernate during the cooler winters and begin breeding when they emerge in the spring. The female water dragon digs a burrow in the ground where she lays up to 18 eggs, and then buries them. The water dragon young hatch within a few months and remain close to the nest until they become bigger and more adventurous.

Bat

Natural Wild Life | Bat | Bats are flying mammals in the order Chiroptera. Bats are found all around the world and there are hundreds of different species of bat, living in caves and forests, particularly in the Southern Hemisphere. The bumblebee bat found in the jungles of Thailand, is the smallest mammal in the world and weighs less than a penny! Bats hunt at night using their exceptional sight to pick out their prey, generally insects, frogs and small rodents. The size of bat varies with the species, but some bats can have a wingspan of over 2 meters, like the Indonesian giant flying fox! Smaller bat species can be as little as only 2 cm.

The Niah Caves in the Malaysian state of Sarawak, on the tropical island of Borneo, is particularly famous for the sightings of thousands of bats. Oddly enough the enormous quantities of the bat's dung (known as guano), is one of the things that draws so many people towards bats!

Some species of bat are known to fly at extreme heights, sometimes up to 2 miles above the ground! The bats senses are so fine tuned that it is thought that some bats can hear footsteps 6 miles away. Bats have a slight sixth sense known as echolocation. This means that the bat creates a series of supersonic sounds, which the bat then uses to locate prey by the sounds that are reflected back to them.

Unlike most species of animal, bats are found in any environment around the world excluding the polar regions. Despite what myths you may have heard, only three species of bat feed on animal blood and they all live in the deep jungles of South America, not Transylvania.

Beaver

Natural Wild Life | Beaver | The beaver (genus Castor) is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Beavers are most well known for their distinctive home-building that can be seen in rivers and streams. The beavers dam is built from twigs, sticks, leaves and mud and are surprisingly strong. Here the beavers can catch their fish and swim in the water. Beavers are nocturnal animals existing in the forests of Europe and North America (the Canadian beaver is the most common beaver). Beavers use their large, flat shaped tails, to help with dam building and it also allows the beavers to swim at speeds of up to 30 knots per hour.

The beaver's significance is acknowledged in Canada by the fact that there is a Canadian Beaver on one of their coins. The beaver colonies create one or more dams in the beaver colonies' habitat to provide still, deep water to protect the beavers against predators. The beavers also use the deep water created using beaver dams and to float food and building materials along the river. In 1988 the North American beaver population was 60-400 million. Recent studies have estimated there are now around 6-12 million beavers found in the wild. The decline in beaver populations is due to the beavers being hunted for their fur and for the beaver's glands that are used as medicine and perfume. The beaver is also hunted because the beavers harvesting of trees and the beavers flooding of waterways may interfere with other human land uses.

Beavers are known for their danger signal which the beaver makes when the beaver is startled or frightened. A swimming beaver will rapidly dive while forcefully slapping the water with its broad tail. This means that the beaver creates a loud slapping noise, which can be heard over large distances above and below water. This beaver warning noise serves as a warning to beavers in the area. Once a beaver has made this danger signal, nearby beavers dive and may not come back up for some time. Beavers are slow on land, but the beavers are good swimmers that can stay under water for as long as 15 minutes at a time. In the winter the beaver does not hibernate but instead stores sticks and logs underwater that the beaver can then feed on through the cold winter.

Fly

Natural Wild Life | Fly | True flies are insects of the order Diptera. The fly is one of the most common and well-known insects in the world and the fly is found on every continent with the exception of the innermost polar regions of the Arctic Circle and Antarctica. There are more than 240,000 different species of fly worldwide but only around half of these have actually been scientifically documented, something the science world wants to look into further.

The insect fly includes bugs like the mosquito, a tiny fly found worldwide that feeds on animal blood. In this way the deadly disease of malaria continues to threaten the lives of those humans bitten by an infected mosquito. Flies and mosquitoes alike are known pests worldwide, generally connected with dirt, decay and disease as many species of fly are known to carry disease due to their ingestion of animal faeces, and connection with decaying bodies. Flies are omnivorous animals and will eat almost anything from nectar of plants, to sap and even animal blood. The fly is able to prey on such things at it uncoils it's long, straw-like tongue which then sucks the liquid into the fly's body. 

 

The maggots which are the baby flies, are known to feet primarily on decomposing matter such as excrement and flesh. Due to it's small size and abundance, the fly is preyed upon by a wide variety of predators around the world including amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts, fish that eat flies that land on the surface of the water, reptiles such as lizards and small mammals. Flies have an extremely short lifespan, only living for about a month. The female fly lays her eggs in decomposing material, both plants and animals, which hatch very quickly. The eggs hatch into fly larvae which are more commonly known as maggots and quickly transform into an adult fly. It is thought that the process from egg to fly takes just under 2 weeks.