American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

                                                (Photo by: Daufuskie Island Conservancy)

The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) 

Found mostly in areas of the Southern United States, including Florida, North and South Carolina, and Texas, the American Alligator acts as a powerful apex predator within marshlands, rivers, and lakes. These creatures are ectothermic and "cold-blooded". They are unable to regulate their own body temperature, and are forced to rely on the warm temperatures of their surrounding environments. Like other lizard-like ectotherms, A. mississippiensis will typically bask in sunlight during the day in order to maintain a body temperature of about 80-90ºF (27-32°C).

The American Alligator is considered a "living dinosaur" in some respects, because of its archaic origin. The crocodilian body plan has existed for over 180 million years. This alligator typically weighs in at about 1000 lbs (453 kg), with a total body length of about 10-15 ft (3-4.6 m).These large creatures are also exceptionally talented swimmers, and spend a great portion of time within water.

Alligators often mate in early May during the nighttime hours in shallow waters. Females lay around 30-50 eggs, and place the eggs in nests made of vegetation. After hatching, young alligators are at high risk for predation by surrounding predators such as birds, raccoon, or other alligators. Because of this, they must remain with their mothers for about two years. 


The American Alligator's diet has a tendency to change as the animal ages. Young Alligators, or hatchlings, typically feed on small insects and fish, a variety of crustaceans, and snails. As they reach maturity, A. mississippiensis will feed on turtles, snakes, fish, carrion, and a number of small mammals. On rare occasions, American Alligators have been known to prey upon ungulates such as deer and domestic pets. Attacks upon mindful humans are exceedingly rare. As apex predators, American Alligators maintain the biodiversity of a given habitat. 

Coyote (Canis latrans)

Got some cool shots of a local Coyote on our trail camera!

Parkersburg, West Virginia December 17, 2015, 1:57 am

Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)

Wikipedia

Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)

Tiger Sharks are found in the warm waters of tropical and temperate regions, spending most of their time within murky coastal waters in search of available food sources. It has been noted that young Tiger Sharks tend to feed on various species of fish as well as sea snakes, but as they grow are more likely to feed on sea birds, Dugongs (Dugong dugon), and even sea turtles  (Chelonioidea). Though lethal shark attacks are rare, Tiger Sharks are regarded as the most dangerous shark species to humans, because they hold the highest percentage of lethal attacks to humans compared to any other shark. This is mainly do to the fact that they often congregate in shallow waters and harbors, and typically attack once bumped or threatened. 

Galeocerda cuvier is the largest known shark species, growing up to 20-25 feet (6 to 7.5 meters) in length with an average weight of about 1,900 lbs (900 kg). These sharks have blunt noses, and during their youth, are covered in dark vertical stripes. As they mature, these stripes typically fade. 

Tiger Sharks are harvested for their fins, skin, and livers (which contain high amounts of Vitamin A used for the manufacturing of vitamin oil). These sharks also have low population rates. Both of these factors have unfortunately contributed to a decline in Tiger Shark numbers. They are now listed as near-threatened throughout the world. 

Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

Photo by Roger Barbour (http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/big_brown_bat.htm)

Big Brown Bats are common throughout the Southern Canada, temperate North America, and even South and Central America. These bats prefer forested regions, and are exceptionally tolerant of lower temperatures. This allows them to hibernate in less substantial structures such as barns or churches, while some bats require shelter in highly insulated environments during hibernation. 

Eptesicus fuscus is an insectivorous bat, primarily feeding on beetles, moths, flies, and wasps (just to name a few). While scientists cannot pinpoint a specific number, it is estimated that Big Brown bats are capable of consuming about 1.4 grams to 2.7 grams per hour. 

Big Brown Bats are currently at risk of contracting the deadly fungus,Pseudogymnoascus destructans (Pd), also known as White-Nose Syndrome. This fungus thrives in cold environments where bats tend to hibernate, and is responsible for over 5.7 million bat deaths since 2012. 

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Sources: 

Mulheisen M, Berry K, Myers P. 2000.  “Eptesicus fuscus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. 

African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)

African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus)

The African Wild Dog, also referred to as the African Hunting Dog or African Painted Dog, is a wild canid confined to portions of east and south Africa as well as Tanzania and Mozambique where they roam the deserts, savanna, and plains. They are medium sized dogs with weights ranging from 18-34 kg (~40-75 lbs) and a total body length of about 0.85-1,41 m (~3-5 ft). African Wild Dogs have short uniquely colored coats characterized by yellow, black, grey, and white blotches. Their ears are also exceptionally large and rounded. It is suspected that these large ears help with cooling in warm climates, and aid in recognizing far off vocal signals by pack mates.

As highly social animals, African Wild Dogs typically form packs with around 10-30 individuals. Like wolves (Canis lupus) and other pack animals, African Wild Dogs maintain a strict, ranked social system within the pack (Omega -> Alpha). These canids are considered to be both carnivorous and opportunistic predators. They prefer larger animals such as warthogs (Phacochoerus africanus) and antelope (Antilopinae sp.). Though, like many opportunistic predators, African Wild Dogs will also supplement their diets with rodents, insects, and birds. Though African Wild Dogs do not have many natural predators, animals such as Lions (Panthera leo) and Hyenas (Hyaenidae) have been known to prey upon Lycaon pictus.

Only the alpha pair breed in an African Wild Dog pack. Females can often go into heat at any during the year, and pups are born year round. Litter sizes are usually consist of about 12 pups. After about 12- 14 months, pups typically become independent, and are able to separate from the care of their parents at this time.

The true threats African Wild Dogs face today are habitat loss, over-hunting by humans and diseases such as rabies and distemper. They are currently listed as an endangered species, with only ~3,000-5,500 remaining in the wild.

Helpful Resources: 

http://www.arkive.org/african-wild-dog/lycaon-pictus/

http://a-z-animals.com/animals/african-wild-dog/

http://www.wildafrica.cz/en/animal/african-wild-dog/