Friday, August 3, 2012
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse
Many animated films have taken animals, placing them in human situations to give them a better appeal to audiences, particularly children. One such movie would be Shark Tale, which features the star-studded voice cast of Will Smith, Angelina Jolie, Jack Black, Renée Zellweger, Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese. The movie tells the story of Oscar, an underachieving fish posing as a shark slayer. He ends up being chased by the marine mob, composed of the sharks, because he allegedly killed the mob leader’s son. He finds a way to clear things out and even makes friends with the sharks. The movie dazzled audience, showing how colorful coral reefs are with hundreds of deferent species of fishes and other aquatic animals.
Some fish have actually adopted and mimicked how the bluestreak cleaner wrasse moves so that they can come closer and tear off small bits of flesh and skin from bigger fish. Some also look very similar to the cleaner as a way for them to use these bigger fishes to protect themselves from natural predators.
One odd thing about bluestreak cleaner wrasse is their gender. The species actually start off as females, staying in groups of 6 to 8 fish with usually one lone male specimen in the group. When the male specimen dies, a strong and able female changes sex in a process called sequential hermaphroditism. They can grow to about four inches long and have a common lifespan of four years.
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse Video
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Bengal Tiger
We Bought a Zoo, released in 2011, is a comedy drama film based on the memoir of the same name by Benjamin Mee, the film’s central character. Cameron Crowe directs the movie, with Matt Damon starring as the main character. The movie tells the story of how widowed Benjamin Mee and his kids decide to move in into a new home, which just so happens to come with a broken down zoo. In an effort to keep the zoo from closing permanently and the animals having to be sent away and put down, the Mee family along with the zoo staff work hand in hand to prepare the zoo for public viewing and learn about taking care of the animals along the way.
One of the most notable animals living in the zoo is a tiger named Spar, an aging big cat who Benjamin desperately tries to save from being euthanized.
Tigers are actually the largest cats in the animal kingdom—a distinction many think belongs to the lion. A certain subspecies, the Bengal tiger, is known for its size and weight. Bengal tigers are Bangladesh’s and India’s national animal and have become a symbol of these countries. These tigers are natives of the Bengal areas in South Asia. There are more Bengal tigers alive, in captivity and in the wild, compared to other subspecies. They have an estimated population of 1,550 to 1,909 in India, about 124 to 229 in Nepal, 67 to 81 in Bhutan, and 440 in Bangladesh.
In 2010, the Bengal tiger has been marked by the IUCN as one of the most rapidly disappearing endangered species in the world. In an effort to preserve the species, numerous nature reserves and conservation centers have been supporting the breeding of these animals. These cats come in an orange-yellow coat with black stipe markings, but are also known to have white coat and black stripes. This is a gene mutation, resulting in white tigers that not only look different, but are larger than normal-colored tigers.
Bengal tigers are of course, carnivorous animals that prefer to wander off alone and hunt alone. They can be social when around other tigers, but they do not travel in groups. They prefer to hunt and live unaccompanied.
Bengal Tiger Video
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Thoroughbreds
At least two films and one book have adapted the story of Seabiscuit, a Thoroughbred who started out as a dark horse in the world of horseracing, eventually becoming one of its most prolific icons. The 2003 movie Seabiscuit, is by far the most successful, earning critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for best career. Seabiscuit started out with an unimpressive career, but grew to become an unlikely champion and a shining beacon of hope during the Great Depression.
Thoroughbreds have only been around for about 200 years, making them a relatively new breed, at least in the world of horses. What makes them amazing, aside from their galloping ability, is that each and every Thoroughbred in existence traces its direct lineage to three legendary Arabian stallions imported from the Middle East into England. The tree horses are the Godolhpin Arabian, the Darley Arabian, and the Byerley Turk.
With the popularity of horseracing, Thoroughbreds have emerged as highly valued animals, with each one easily fetching a five-digit price tag—and that’s just for the ordinary Thoroughbred. A horse that has won races will fetch an even higher sum.
If you’ve heard of the Kentucky Derby before, you may have wondered why the state plays a central role in horseracing. Back in the day when Thoroughbreds were imported into the Americas by settlers in the 1700s, many of them settled in Kentucky, a state known for its wide pastures of bluegrass, which the Thoroughbreds thrived on. Today, Kentucky is the undisputed Thoroughbred capital of the US.
Thoroughbreds are known for their athleticism, versatility and elegance. Not only are they born to race, they’re also excellent as dressage horses and eventers.
Thoroughbreds Video
Royal Canin
Royal Canin was first established in 1968 in the small village of Aimargues, located in the Camargue region of southern France. The brand started out as an idea by founder and veterinarian Jean Cathary, who sought to create food specially formulated for recurrent eczema in dogs, which he linked to adverse reactions to certain foods.
Since its early years, Royal Canin has always made sure to align itself with the needs of dog breeders looking for complete and nutritious dry dog food. The success of the brand’s dry foods has drive Royal Canin to constantly develop new dog foods using the latest equipment and breakthroughs in pet food research and development.
Royal Canin has stood out for being a premium brand of dog food formulated to meet what the company calls the “4 Major Parameters of Dog Health Nutrition.” These are age, activity level, physiological state and breed/size. Interestingly enough, other dog food makers have followed Royal Canin’s suit and have taken the same approach to formulating their own food products for both cats and dogs.
Today, the Royal Canin brand is recognized for taking a new, holistic approach to dog health and nutrition by offering specifically formulated pet foods aimed at specific dog and cat breeds.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
