Environment Animals

liam_13

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 18, 2009
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For anyone with an interest in animals.

To discuss conservation issues, TV shows (like the Wild Africa one starting Wednesday 8.30 on SBS I think??), favourite animals, and anything else relating to animals.

Start off with asking what is your favourite animal? Can be any type, from mammal to insect. Can also be endangered, prevalent, feral, domesticated etc.

I have 3 favourites.
-Polar bear - I think these are really awesome animals. Mother will fight to the death to protect their young from male polar bears, who from their small mating opportunities, often kill cubs so the mothers aren't distracted and therefore are able to meat. Would love to visit the Arctic, to see the largest land carnivore and also the largest bear.
Unfortunately it is classified as vulnerable, I think there is 16 subpopulations of polar bears, and half are declining, while the rest are only plateauing.

The tiger (specifically Bengal or Indian tiger) - Pretty majestic creature, with many misconceptions and also atrocities committed by humans against it. Actually stay away from humans (as do snakes and plenty of other 'scary' animals), and the ones that attack humans do it because they are sick and unable to hunt natural prey, have no other available food source due to humans taking the habitat, or because humans are threatening it. Seems like a good enough reason to me.
Have a fearsome roar, I have not yet been lucky enough to hear one roar but apparently the sound can travel 2km! (I have heard a lion roar at a zoo, was cool). Would not want to get into a fight with one, just over 200kg of pure muscle.
I like the tiger because of it's colour and that two never have the same stripe pattern. Most species are critically endangered, which is extremely unfortunate.

African Lion - King of the jungle. Their mane looks awesome. Love the laziness (and human characteristic ;) ) of the male lion, while the lioness goes and hunts, the lion lays around and gets the reputation for being KOTJ. I don't know a whole lot about lions, other than that they are extremely big and powerful, but it's definitely a keen area of interest of mine, and something that I am looking to research into further.
 
Eagles - particularly the Bateleur Eagle.

OMG-Trivia-06-14-11.jpg

Bears (meh on polar bears. Prefer others, like kodiak, etc.)
kodiakbear.bmp


I also like the Spinifex Hopping Mouse. No idea why, but I have been interested in them since I did a project on them in grade 1 :p

2777957326_36be43b8b0.jpg


Good thread :thumbsu: Animals are awesome.
 

liam_13

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 18, 2009
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Rats, crows, preying mantises, eagles and wombats.

Fascinating choices. Any reason for preying mantises? Find it cool with camouflage etc?? Or just a cool creature?

I don't like rats, creep me out. Not particularly fond of scavengers (crows, hyenas, vultures etc). They seem dirty.

Gave me an idea though. I don't like rats because of the movie 'The Witches' and that they were carriers of disease in the black plague (I think??, or was it just infestation of them?). I don't like scavengers because of the Lion Kings portrayal of hyenas, crazy, frothing animals. All 3 things I learnt/saw at a relatively young age. Then add to my comments below, and Igloos, and it really does seem some of us (I reckon most) carry on ideas and beliefs from our childhood. School and disney = bad :p

Eagles - particularly the Bateleur Eagle.

OMG-Trivia-06-14-11.jpg

Bears (meh on polar bears. Prefer others, like kodiak, etc.)
kodiakbear.bmp


I also like the Spinifex Hopping Mouse. No idea why, but I have been interested in them since I did a project on them in grade 1 :p

2777957326_36be43b8b0.jpg


Good thread :thumbsu: Animals are awesome.

Thank you, and yes they are. Never really heard of the spinifex hopping mouse, I've always been scared of rats so have never really looked into rodents. (Just google searched them, apparently they have solid urine! Now that's some interesting reading imo)

I guess with my interest in polar bears is a bit like yours with the mouse, in that I did a project on them when I was younger and was pretty interested in it all. I also want to visit Antarctica, so like ice/snow animals, so even though they are Arctic animals still have an interest in them. Wish we had large land carnivores like lions and bears in Australia...

Agree with both of you, I also like eagles. I guess they really are kings of the skies, so they are a bit like lions.
 

nicky

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I've become very fond of kelpies since babysitting a beautiful kelpie named 'yoshi' a few weeks ago. I fell in love with her, they're such lovely natured dogs. I've always had small dogs, i prefer kelpies now.

220px-AustrKelpieBlackTan1_wb.jpg


My neighbourss cats (2 of them) enjoy hanging out at my place (except when yoshi's around). I'm very fond of one of them in particular - i think it's a bengal..

bengal-cat-standing.jpg


Frogs are great for obvious reasons

coolest-2dcolored-2dfrogs04-small.jpg


I've always really liked cows too
 
Fascinating choices. Any reason for preying mantises? Find it cool with camouflage etc?? Or just a cool creature?

They just look awesome... and look more 'alien' than most other insects. Always been fascinated with them ever since I saw them as a little kid, looking at me with that craning head.

Gave me an idea though. I don't like rats because of the movie 'The Witches' and that they were carriers of disease in the black plague (I think??, or was it just infestation of them?).

Every animal carried the plague, pretty much... well warm blooded ones anyway. Fleas would jump from animal to animal, especially when the animal died from the plague, they were the major carriers. Animals such as rats were simply vectors, there were just a lot around at the time because humanity killed their natural predators (cats and snakes) because they were "the devil".

I like rats because they're a cunning, intelligent and relatively successful species that have flourished despite man's best attempts to control them. I admire that. And I have kept a few of them as pets. They make awesome pets, and there are a lot of exaggerated myths about them because people would rather believe horror movies rather than find out for themselves. They're no worse than a squirrel, but they get a better rap because of a fluffy tail. Anyway here's something that might alleviate some of that dislike:

[YOUTUBE]FzMX9GkAg4Q[/YOUTUBE]

I don't like scavengers because of the Lion Kings portrayal of hyenas, crazy, frothing animals. All 3 things I learnt/saw at a relatively young age. Then add to my comments below, and Igloos, and it really does seem some of us (I reckon most) carry on ideas and beliefs from our childhood. School and disney = bad :p

I tend to outgrow most of these things, once I knew more about these animals. I like crows in particular because they're so intelligent - it's fascinating how they can problem solve:

[YOUTUBE]cpgCQj-sgqk[/YOUTUBE]

So yeah, if an animal shows a lot of intelligence and cunning, chances are I'll like that animal.
 

volcboy

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Jul 15, 2005
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Octopus' have always captured my imagination aswell
mid-Moving_Octopus_Vulgaris_2005-01-14.ogg.jpg

I'm a huge fan of the cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish, nautilus) for numerous reasons.

They're intelligent, like this Mimic Octopus and other modern cephalopods
[youtube]t-LTWFnGmeg[/youtube]

They are unique and cool-looking like the nautilus, with its buoyant, many chambered shell with its Fibonacci spiral.
ammonite_nautilus.jpg


Straight-shelled nautiloids are a major component of the fossil record back to Cambrian times (500 million years ago)

Giant squid are also cool - they have only been glimpsed alive in the wild, but evidence of their existence includes huge tentacle scars on the faces of sperm whales
A_piece_of_sperm_whale_skin_with_Giant_Squid_sucker_scars.JPG


I get upset when I see people eating these amazing, intelligent creatures
 

liam_13

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 18, 2009
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I tend to outgrow most of these things, once I knew more about these animals. I like crows in particular because they're so intelligent - it's fascinating how they can problem solve:


So yeah, if an animal shows a lot of intelligence and cunning, chances are I'll like that animal.

What an informative post :thumbsu: I learnt heaps of things, who would have thought??

Actually really keen to learn more about crows now, they can use tools better than I can.

And I guess that's a pretty damn good reason to like animals, I'm basically the opposite where I like the raw power and size of an animal.

Holy Foley!, I'll watch the video later when I have some time. Looks cool though.
 

theboxmike

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Jun 16, 2008
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liger03.jpg


The Liger

The biggest Liger ever (non obese) reached a weight of over 904lb! (that's reaching bear territory). On average they are also around 10ft long!

I want one :p (as a cub of course).
 
Sep 27, 2008
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Hard to go past pandas, they are just so f***ing adorable and they know it too.

panda-on-slide.jpg
panda-push-370x550.jpg

080518-pandas-hmed2-3p.grid-6x2.jpg
lazy_panda_on_a_tree_stump.jpg


Went to see the pandas at the San Diego Zoo but one of them was giving birth to a baby so they were off limits to the public, was not happy as that was the main reason I went there.
 
I've become very fond of kelpies since babysitting a beautiful kelpie named 'yoshi' a few weeks ago. I fell in love with her, they're such lovely natured dogs. I've always had small dogs, i prefer kelpies now.

220px-AustrKelpieBlackTan1_wb.jpg


My neighbourss cats (2 of them) enjoy hanging out at my place (except when yoshi's around). I'm very fond of one of them in particular - i think it's a bengal..

bengal-cat-standing.jpg
cool cat l want to steal it :) l have 2 cats and 2 dogs at home.l want a pig or 2 but cant have in residential area.
 

tb_fanboy

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I think I'm like alot of people when I say I live the powerful beast animals.
Grizzly bears would be the most beast if you couldn't just play dead.
Salt water crocodiles always have a fearsome reputation as do big great whites and Tiger sharks. Definitely prefer Hyenas over lions and love the rivalry.
I have a question- ONE animal, you are in it's domain, which animal would you least want to be up against?

For me it's a great white. Salty close second but I'd freak if I saw a shark swimming at me. Swim towards it to scare it away-yeah that would be easy:D
internet_hoax.jpg

Sorry for the shot bear pic, but afaik this is the biggest bear caught. Some experts says it's a real photo, some beg to differ
 
Aug 11, 2006
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Will Derail thread

Panda's are the stupidest creature in the history of forever, a very good reason they go extinct, its hard for them to breed, the male penis is soo small it hardly impregnates females, if they ever have twins they just abandon one to die.

The Octopus is where it's at

[YOUTUBE]Q36_8s5z6S8[/YOUTUBE]

There used to be a resident Octopus at the Melbourne Aquerium which would routinely break out, go and kill a crab in another tank and get back into its tank while the place was closed.

Plus they have two hearts, brilliant puzzle solvers (can open Jars) and can taste through touch
 
I think I'm like alot of people when I say I live the powerful beast animals.
Grizzly bears would be the most beast if you couldn't just play dead.
Salt water crocodiles always have a fearsome reputation as do big great whites and Tiger sharks. Definitely prefer Hyenas over lions and love the rivalry.
I have a question- ONE animal, you are in it's domain, which animal would you least want to be up against?

For me it's a great white. Salty close second but I'd freak if I saw a shark swimming at me. Swim towards it to scare it away-yeah that would be easy:D
internet_hoax.jpg

Sorry for the shot bear pic, but afaik this is the biggest bear caught. Some experts says it's a real photo, some beg to differ

In regard to your question, definitely some sort of cliff dwelling bird. Imagine just being in a nest on a ledge on the side of a cliff. Nowhere to go while some huge bird rips your face to pieces.
 
Sep 27, 2008
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Will Derail thread

Panda's are the stupidest creature in the history of forever, a very good reason they go extinct, its hard for them to breed, the male penis is soo small it hardly impregnates females, if they ever have twins they just abandon one to die.

Their stupidity is all part of their charm, they are like the dumb clowns of the animal world. Although I'm not sure I would want to be in a cage with one as they could probably rip you to pieces if they wanted to.
 
Sep 28, 2009
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volcboy said:
Giant squid are also cool - they have only been glimpsed alive in the wild, but evidence of their existence includes huge tentacle scars on the faces of sperm whales
I have always been fascinated by giant squid.

[YOUTUBE]PuAwSJhLUDU[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]K-ZJXFzSjdA[/YOUTUBE]

Too bad there isnt more footage of these things.
 
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