The beaver is North America's largest rodent. Adults may be 4 feet long and weigh over 60 pounds. A beaver is easy to identify because of its large size, its distinctive webbed hind feet and its large flat tail that resembles the end of a canoe paddle. The tail is nearly hairless and is a dull-black color. The "splat" that the tail makes when slapped on the water is one of the most distinctive of nature's sounds. The beaver's body fur is dark brown on its back and sides, and a light brown on its chest and belly. Its front feet are short and have heavy claws, and possess good dexterity for feeding, grooming, digging and lodge construction. Its hind legs are large and have fully webbed feet which propel it through the water when it is swimming.
Like the muskrat's, the beaver's fur is virtually waterproof, and provides the protection and buoyancy necessary for the animal's extended underwater activities. The beaver's eyes are small in proportion to its body size, allowing moderate vision both under and above water. It has well-developed senses of smell and hearing, and its nose and ears have valvular processes which close tightly under water. There is a similar valvular process in its mouth behind the incisor teeth, which allows the beaver to gnaw while underwater.

The beaver also possesses a specialized digestive system to help it digest tree bark, and a special respiratory adaptation which gives it the capability to remain submerged for nearly 20 minutes. These specialized physiological and morphological adaptations serve both positive and negative functions; they have made the beaver well suited for a specific environment, but have also restricted it to very narrow habitat tolerances.

The beaver has two chisel-like incisors in its upper and lower jaws that grow constantly and are very effective tree cutting tools. These teeth are both self-sharpening and ever-growing, which means the beaver must use them continually to maintain their proper length and sharpness.

Distribution and abundance
In the early and mid l870s, beavers ranged over most of North America, but excessive commercial trapping and human encroachment on its habitat resulted in the beaver being nearly wiped out in the eastern and the southern parts of the country. Their numbers were also reduced in Nebraska, and as a consequence, trapping seasons were closed during the 1940s. Fortunately, there is no shortage of beavers in Nebraska today, and they can be found in virtually all areas of the state.
Habitat and home
In Nebraska, beavers are found along streamcourses and rivers, small lakes and marshes. A beaver may dig a tunnel and form a den in a high stream bank or river bank, but in the standing water of lakes, marshes and backwaters, they most often pile tree limbs and other debris together, making a large, bulky, dome-shaped lodge. Beaver lodges are large structures constructed of wood and mud with at least one exit in deep water. Lodges contain a large bark-lined, above-water chamber which serves as the colony's "activity center." Although lodges are the most visible den sites, bank burrows are by far the most common denning structure in Nebraska. Burrows are usually dug from six to 20 feet into the bank before an above-water chamber is excavated and lined with fresh, shredded bark. On rivers like the Platte, where sandy soil prevents normal excavation, beavers will use the structural support of trees or shrub root systems to construct or maintain a den and burrow system. Over time, beavers will reinforce bank dens with sticks and mud, forming conical lodges called "half houses" at the water's edge.

Habits
The engineering skills possessed by beavers are well known. They are particularly adept at building dams, and may construct them across narrow, flowing waters, such as shallow streams and the channels of larger rivers.
When a beaver cuts a tree, he usually-starts by gnawing a notch at an easy-to-reach height, then goes to the opposite side of the tree and gnaws another a few inches below the first. He continues chewing the bark and wood away from between the two notches until the tree falls. The only way the beaver can control where the tree falls is by the position of the notches he chews in the tree's trunk. In addition to building the dam and lodge, beavers often form waterways so they can float food and building materials from one area to another.

Foods
Beavers are primarily bark-eaters, and ingest the bark of young twigs, and new growth of wood found between the outer bark and the wood of tree branches and trunks. In spring and fall, about half of the beaver's food is made up of woody vegetation. In summer it eats little woody vegetation, but in winter it feeds on it almost exclusively. It also eats corn and other row crops when they are available, as well as various water plants.
As fall approaches, the beaver begins to actively cut trees and shrubs for the colony's food cache. The quantity, quality and availability of this under-ice food supply will determine the condition and survival of the colony.

Reproduction
Beavers reproduce once a year, with mating activity beginning in January when rivers and wetlands are covered with ice. A 107 to 110 day gestation period follows, with an average of three to four young usually born in May. At birth the kits (young beavers) are fully furred, have their eyes open and incisor teeth visible. Kits are seldom seen until they are about one month old, though they are able to swim at birth, and are capable of being weaned in six to eight weeks. Although weaned within three months, the young usually remain with the family unit or colony for up to two years before leaving to establish a colony of their own. Typically, these two-year-olds will disperse, pair, establish territories, and raise their first litters at three years of age. However, under favorable conditions, they will produce their first litters at two years of age. The average lifespan of a beaver in the wild is three to four years. However, it is not uncommon to find eight-year-olds and rare individuals may reach or exceed 15 years of age.

Importance
The huge market for beaver felt was one of the main incentives that prompted the exploration and settlement of the west. Today beavers have both positive and negative economic values. The positive values center on the income generated by the harvest of beaver for their meat and fur, and the related recreational value. From 1942-86, nearly 400,000 beavers were taken by fur harvesters in Nebraska. Harvest totals from 1981-89 indicate an average annual harvest of 14,850 beavers valued at $255,000.
Beavers are also important in the management of river and wetland habitats. Their construction of dams and the subsequent formation of pools create habitat for a large number of highly beneficial wildlife species.

Python (snake)

Python (snake), common name for any member of a family of nonvenomous snakes of the python family. Many species of pythons are large and muscular and kill their prey by squeezing, or constricting, until the animal suffocates. Although most pythons feed on small mammals, some large species can kill and swallow small pigs and goats. They have rarely killed humans. Pythons range from about 1 to 10 m (about 3 to 33 ft) long and weigh up to 140 kg (up to 300 lb). They are primitive snakes that, like boas, still show signs of their lizard ancestry, including two tiny hind limbs, usually better developed in the male. The female lays 15 to 100 eggs, varying with size and species, and broods them until they hatch. Pythons are sometimes found in or near water.

About 20 to 25 species of pythons exist, found in the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific islands. The reticulated python of Southeast Asia is among the largest snakes, reaching a length of 10 m (33 ft). Other well-known pythons are the 7.5-m (25-ft) Indian python, a favorite of snake handlers; the 6.5-m (23-ft) African rock python, and the 1.5-m (5-ft) ball, or royal, python of equatorial Africa, which coils into a ball when molested.

Scientific classification: Pythons make up the family Pythonidae. The reticulated python is classified as Python reticulatus, the Indian python as Python molurus, the African rock python as Python sebae, and the ball python as Python regius.

Mongoose-

Mongoose
The mongoose lives in savannah woodlands, hiding in hollow trees and termite hills. There are several species common in Kenya. Their sizes range from the tiny dwarf mongoose only one foot long, to the large gray mongoose, up to 4 feet long. The dwarf mongoose is reddish brown with a short tail. They live in dry savannah moving in packs of up to 15 hunting for small rodents, reptiles, and birds. The large gray mongoose is found in forests and along lakes and swamps. Another large species is the white-tailed mongoose, measuring 40 inches long. Its found in habitats ranging from forest to plains. The banded mongoose shown above is the most sociable, commonly seen traveling in groups up to several dozen at time. They can be found in Tsavo, Amboseli and Maasai Mara.

Crocodiles are cold blooded and regulate their body temperature by moving in and out of water depending on temperature and the time of day. During the hottest part of the day they stay in the water to keep their body temperature down. Morning and evening they warm themselves in the sun on rocks. While in the water, they can stay submerged up to an hour. Although their mouths appear imposing, they don't actually chew their food. Instead they clamp on to their prey and twist back and forth using their strength to rip their victims apart. Then they swallow their food whole. Crocodiles can be found in many of the rivers, lakes and swamps including the Uaso River in Samburu, Mzima Springs in Tsavo, the Mara and Tana rivers, and Lake Turkana.

Lemurs

Physical Description: The lemur is a kind of primate, which means it is related to apes and humans. You would never know it from the way it looks though! There are many kinds of lemurs, but most have long, pointy noses, which contribute to their excellent sense of smell. Each type of lemur looks very different. They vary color from reddish brown to gray, and come in all different sizes, too. The smallest lemur, the pygmy mouse lemur, weighs only one ounce. But the biggest lemurs, the Indri and Diademed Sifaka lemurs, can weigh up o fifteen pounds, which is about as much as a big cat.

Communication: Lemurs use their sense of smell to communicate with each other. These primates have scent glands on their bottoms and on their feet that leave odors on surfaces they cross. When other lemurs pass by, they smell those odors and can tell that another lemur has been there. Lemurs have big, bushy tails that they wave in the air as another form of communication. These big tails also help lemurs balance when they leap from tree to tree.

Habits: Most lemurs are arboreal, which means they spend most of their time in trees and bushes. They have a good grip for hanging on to branches. Only the Ringtail lemur spends most of its time on the ground. Usually lemurs that are awake during the day live in groups. Besides using scent glands and tails to communicate, they also make noises. Nocturnal lemurs, that are active at night, tend to live alone.

Range & Habitat: All lemurs are found only in Madagascar (an island off the coast of Africa), and the neighboring Comores Islands. But on these islands, lemurs live in a variety of habitats. Some live in moist, tropical rainforests, while others live in dry desert areas.

Reproduction and Rearing: When lemurs are born, they are carried in their mothers' mouths until they are old enough to hang on to her fur by themselves. Most lemurs live for about eighteen years.

Diet: Lemurs usually have a vegetarian diet, consisting of leaves and fruit, although they will occassionally eat insects or smaller animals.

Status: Out of the fifty different kinds of lemurs, ten of those types are critically endangered, seven are endangered, and nineteen are considered vulnerable.

Conservation & Ecology: Lemurs play an important role in the ecology of Madagascar and the Comores Islands, because they disperse seeds from the fruit they eat. These seeds can then grow into new plants, which is important because the forests of Madagascar are being destroyed at a very high rate.

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JIM LAYHOE [email protected]

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FUCK GIRLS

PLATYPUS
The Platypus is an extremely different Mammal found in Eastern Australia

TOXIC SPUR
The male Platypus has a sharp, hollow, horny spur about 15 millimetres long on the inside of both hind leg ankles. This is connected to a venom gland which produces a very strong toxin. The spur can be used in defence against predators (the venom can cause excruciating pain in humans and is strong enough to kill a dog.) but the fact that it is restricted to the male - and that the gland reaches its greatest development in the mating season - suggests that it is normally employed in aggressive encounters between males.

HABITS
The shy Platypus is found only in eastern Australia, where they live on the edges of rivers and freshwater lakes where burrows can be dug. Platypus are most active for several hours after dusk and before dawn. During the day, a Platypus rests in a burrow in the bank of a river or lake, but it may spend some hours near the entrance to the burrow, basking in the sun and grooming its dense fur. Platypus are renound for their excellence in the water as both a diver and swimmer bed they are strong swimmers

SWIMMING
Whilst underwater the Platypus has its eyes and ears shut and, being buoyant, it must continuously swim downwards with its webbed forefeet to remain submerged. Webbing on the front feet extends well beyond the claws, forming large paddles for swimming. The hindfeet of the Platypus are also webbed but are employed in steering or braking - not in propulsion., Platypus can swim underwater for two minutes, but may 'rest' underneath a submerged object for up to 10 minutes. Dense fur fibres trap a layer of air next to the skin, giving excellent insulation for an animal that spends up to 12 hours each day in water as cold as 0 degrees Celsius.

DESCRIPTION
The Platypus has a bill that resembles a duck's bill but is actually an elongated snout covered with soft, moist, leathery skin and sensitive nerve endings. The body of the platypus is 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 in) long; the flattened tail measures 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in) in length. The feet are webbed. The body and tail are covered with a thick, soft, woolly layer of fur, from which long, flat hairs protrude. The platypus has three layers of fur: 1. an inside layer to trap air and keep the animal warm 2. a middle layer which works like a wet suit 3. an outer layer to feel if it is close to objects A Platypus grows to a maximum weight of 1 to 2.4 kg (2.2 to 5.3 lb). The Platypus is known to live for at least 12 years in the wild
Here is an interesting link to some great pictures of Platypi

FEEDING
The Platypus usally feeds at night on aquatic insect larvae, shrimps and worms by dabbling in mud or silt on the bottom of rivers and freshwater lakes with its sensitive, flexible, duck-like snout, aided by . electroreceptors (electronic sense) on its bill These are stored in the cheek pouches and will be chewed after returning to the surface. The Platypus can eat their own body weight in food in one night

MONOTRENS
Monotremes are a sub family of Mammals and there are only 2 animals that belong to this sub family Platypus and Echidnas. monotremes lay eggs rather than giving birth to their young.

REPRODUCTION
Platypus males are larger than females. Mating occurs once a year, beginning in late June in the warmer northern parts and in October in the southern part. The female usually lays two eggs ( thesoft leathery egg resembles a reptiles egg) but may lay up to four and incubates these against her abdomen
(by clasping them with its tail)for about two weeks in a blocked-off nest at the end of a long breeding burrow. The young animals have no fur when they hatch. The female has no teats. Milk is produced in large glands under her skin which oozes out onto a patch of fur and the young Platypus sucks it up.

delts

Hyena

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I. DESCRIPTION:

This is the largest of the three hyena species. Male weight is 123-138 lb, height 32-34 inches; female weight is 147-165 lb, height 34-35 inches. They have a sturdy build, long neck, high shoulders, and long muscular legs, with the forelegs longer than hind legs and four toes on each foot with non-retractile claws. The head is massive with rounded ears and robust teeth adapted for chewing bones. The coat is rough, comparatively short, and ranges in color from reddish-brown to tan, growing lighter and less spotted with age. Spots are black and rounded. Tail tip, muzzle and lower parts of limbs are dark brown. A slight mane may be present on neck and shoulder. Uses an ambling walk or a tireless lope, and can gallop up to 31 miles an hour for a couple of miles (top speed 37 mph). Has at least 11 different, intergrading calls, ranging from groans, grunts, growls and squeals to lowing and whooping.

II. GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE AND HABITAT:

Africa south of the Sahara except rain forests and true desert, up to 13,000 feet.

III. DIET:

More carnivorous than other hyenas. Eats vertebrates of all kinds, especially hoofed mammals; seldom eats invertebrates, fruits, or vegetables. Most hunting and foraging is done at night and alone, but clan members sometimes set off in packs to hunt specific quarry, such as zebra.

IV. LIFE CYCLE/SOCIAL STRUCTURE:

Lives in large clans and defends territory if high density. Territory is marked with scent from anal glands and dung. A hyena clan is a stable community of related females, among which unrelated males reside for varying periods. Within the clan there is a separate dominance hierarchy for each sex. The highest-ranking females and her descendants are dominant over all other animals. Although all resident males have been observed to court females, only the highest ranking male usually mates. Spotted hyenas differ from other social carnivores in that: clan members compete more and cooperate less; females are bigger than males and dominate them; females compete for rank and food and even close relatives do not cross-suckle offspring; cubs are raised in communal dens, but seldom are provisioned or guarded by clan members; and males play no parental role, with only a privileged few permitted anywhere near dens. After a gestation of 4 months, two young are born in a burrow (usually an abandoned aardvark den). The long gestation results in incisors and canines present, eyes open (but unseeing), and forelegs capable of strong, directed movement. Beginning only hours after birth, siblings of like sex battle for dominance, using the neckbite/shake technique of fighting adults. The one that wins keeps the other from nursing until it weakens and dies. The surviving male grows faster and is likelier to achieve reproductive dominance; the surviving female eliminates a rival for dominance in her natal clan. Two to six weeks after whelping, young are transported to the communal den. Young depend entirely on milk for about 8 months and are not weaned until 12 to 16 months old. Maturation is at three years, females later than males. Female offspring remain in their natal clan; males leave at around two years. Life span in captivity as long as 35 years.

V. SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS:

Large amounts of androgens during fetal development cause a hypertrophied clitoris capable of elongation and erection and a fused labia forming a false scrotum. The vagina has merged with the urethra to form a common urogenital tract that makes a sharp bend and exits through the peniform clitoris. At puberty, the urethral opening splits. Copulation and birth are complicated because of this anatomy. With its powerful teeth and jaws and its efficient digestion, the spotted hyena can utilize virtually everything on a carcass except the rumen contents and horn bosses. Even desiccated carcasses yield protein and minerals during lean times.

VI. INTERPRETIVE INFORMATION:

The high, cackling giggle typically given by a hyena being chased expresses intense fear or excitement, and gives the name "laughing hyena". Hyenas go through elaborate greeting ceremonies involving a lengthy genital inspection. This probably is an appeasement gesture to restrict aggression since the subordinate usually lifts a leg and offers itself for inspection first. The hyena's reputation as a skulking, craven coward is not justified. Perfect opportunists, hyenas will take whatever entails the least effort and risk, but hunger will also drive a hyena to run down and kill unaided a large healthy bull wildebeest. Hyenas often lose their kills to lions, but sometimes several hyenas can bluff female or immature lions out of their kills. They also take kills from other predators. Most numerous of the large African predators since its behavior allows it to function as a solitary scavenger and predator of small animals or as a group-living hunter of ungulates.

VII. OUR ANIMALS:

Several acquired from an on-going research project at UC Berkeley. The project started in 1985 with 20 cubs and is being conducted by the Departments of Endocrinology, Psychology, and Medicine.

VIII. STATUS IN WILD:

In the twentieth century, Crocuta has been considered a predator of livestock and game and has been hunted, trapped, and poisoned over much of its range and has been eliminated in parts of East and South Africa. The population of the spotted hyena has decreased, but it is not considered endangered as the other two species are.

Also... I'd like to see a death match tournament between animals to see which is the most bad-ass.

some grudge matches could be:

bengal tiger vs. kimodo dragon
crocodile vs. kodiak grizzly bear
wolverine vs. three toed sloth (for those of you who just want to see a lot of blood)
pit bull vs. giant anaconda

I'm sure there are other good ones, too.

Special Bill's mom Vs An Elephant