Friday, October 17, 2008

Some Facts About Mountain Lions

Following are some facts regarding mountain lions:

1. Mountain Lion is the most widely distributed big cat in the Americas.

2. Over time it has earned more names than any other animal, including cougar, pi-twal, puma, catamount and many others.

3. Even with its strong physique, the Mountain Lion is like smaller cats in its bodily make-up and is often not included in big cats due to the animal's inability to roar.

4. With its rudder-like tail and sleek physique, Mountain Lions are often said to be related to Cheetahs in their evolution, even as there is a dearth of evidence at the moment to substantiate this theory.

5. Mountain Lions are agile creatures. Their long hind limbs enable them to jump a distance of nearly thirteen metres in one go.

6. Skilled hunters, Mountain Lions are able to prey upon a wide variety of creatures, ranging from small ones like mice to big animals like moose. The most commonly hunted animal though, in majority of regions, remains the deer.

7. Ambush predators, Mountain Lions bring to use their considerable athleticism and momentum to bring down their hunted animals, and afterwards go on to make the kill with a bite on the animal's neck.

8. If they are unable to eat the whole of the hunted animal in one go, the wild cats often hide their kill to return to it later.

9. Even with their great predatory ability, Mountain Lions are not the apex predators in many parts where they reside and face considerable competition from larger animals like Jaguars and Bears.

10. Owing to this competition, these cats have evolved into designing unique survival strategies in many areas, including the ability to climb atop trees and swim distances to go after prey.

11. Despite their huge geographic range and survival skills, Mountain Lion numbers are decreasing in nature owing to loss of habitat and prey species.

12. Conflicts with humans also are behind the lowering of Mountain Lion numbers, who are increasingly under threat from people who keep encroaching into their range.

13. The highest numbers of attacks by the Mountain Lions on people reportedly occur in the notorious 'Cougar Island' in British Columbia where Cougars exist in high population density.

About the author:
The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on cougar facts. Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com






Lion Print Accent Pillow

Lion Print Accent Pillow


Accent sofa or chair with this square toss pillow that has a lion design on the front and back. Lion Print Toss Pillow is 14" square.



















Lion Print Junior Fit Top

Lion Print Junior Fit Top


A lion's face takes center stage on the front of this fitted t-shirt that has contrasting black 3/4 sleeves and neckline. Pair our Lion Print Junior Fitted T-shirt with slacks, a skirt or shirts for a great look! Junior Fit sizes S-XL. This shirt is a fitted junior size and runs small, misses sizes please order 1 or 2 sizes up.












Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Effects of Deer Population Changes in the U.S.

The white tail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is indigenous to the continental United States, southern Canada, Mexico, Central America, northern portions of South America, and some countries in Europe. In many of these countries, deer pose problems such as eating residential vegetation and causing car deer collisions on roadways. For this reason, deer population is often an issue of concern.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there were an estimated half million deer in the United States. By 1930, that number had dropped to approximately 300,000. At a certain point, the species was nearly eradicated all together by hunters. As the result of an outcry by hunters and other conservation groups, individual U.S. states began passing legislation to restrict hunting, particularly of does (female deer). Most of the laws put in place shortened the hunting seasons and reduced bag limits, or how many deer a hunter can kill at one time.

As a species, deer are known reproduce at a rapid pace. A doe grows fully mature in about two and a half years and then produces twins each year for the next 10 plus years. Therefore, one doe can create 20 offspring. In a relatively short period of time, the population growth of deer can be staggering, if left unchecked.

By the year 2005, the population of deer in the United States was estimated in excess of 30 million. In fact, the deer is the state animal of Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, South Carolina and Wisconsin, as well as being listed as the "provincial animal" of Saskatchewan.

Not only is the population up, it also is up significantly in urban areas. Urban areas are highly restrictive of hunting, and as a result, deer have flourished there. Typically, land development increases the animals' available food supply. Old forests do not produce much edible food for deer, usually because the tree branches are too high for deer to reach, and during the cold winter months, low shrubs are eaten very quickly. However, new urban areas with newly planted trees and shrubs can sustain a much higher population of deer. Some suburban areas in the U.S. have reported populations as high as 200 deer per square mile.

eer in urban areas create a number of problems for humans. Gardeners often times find their gardens eradicated after a harsh winter. Deer will eat everything within reach, and they can reach 5 to 7 foot on their hind legs. Deer have been known to eat low hanging tree branches up to 7 foot from the ground. Deer also love acorns, fruits and field corn. Their stomach physiology allows them to eat some things that few other animals can eat, like mushrooms that are poisonous to humans and many other mammals. All of these factors make the deer a menace to urban gardeners as well as agricultural communities deriving their income from field crops.

nother major problem with deer population grown in urban areas is in incidence of car deer collisions. Deer on and around roadways are a serious danger. It has been estimated that deer are responsible for approximately 1.5 million automobile accidents each year in the United States, some of which prove to be deadly for the motorists involved.

The growth in deer population is not all bad, however. In the United States, deer are regularly hunted for sport, and an entire industry has developed around that pastime. Retail outlets specializing in sportsmen's products have entire sections of their stores devoted to deer hunting paraphernalia. In fact, the whitetail deer is considered to be the most popular game in the United States, with approximately 11 million hunters chasing it each year.


About the author:

Ellen Bell works for Home Products n' More, a company dedicated to providing high quality products for your home, garden, and auto. Home Products n' More offers an electronic deer whistle and a deer whistle for cars to reduce the risk of a car deer collision. Visit us at http://www.deer-whistle.com/ Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com








Deer Camo T-Shirt

Deer Camo T-Shirt


A 9 point buck stands out among the green camoflauge pattern on the front of this t-shirt by The Mountain.












African Elephant Facts

How much does an Elephant weigh? The average large Elephant bull reaches a weight of 5.5 tons. Some males can be as heavy as 6.5 tons. The females average about 3.5 to 4 tons.

How old do Elephant get?

The age will vary from one area to the next. In South Africa they normally reach 60-65 years. In Kenya & Tanzania about 70-75 years. The world record oldest Elephant reached an age of 86 years.

The reason why there is such an age difference in the different countries is due to the type of vegetation that the Elephants are eating. The softer the vegetation is, the longer the lifespan of the animal. Excluding the tusks, an Elephant has 8 teeth in its’ mouth, 4 molars on the top and 4 on the bottom. They eat on average 18 hours a day so eventually the teeth start cracking and fall out. A new set of teeth will then replace the old set.

An Elephant goes through 6 sets of teeth in a lifetime and at the age of about 47 years the last set will push through. Once the last set of teeth have fallen out Elephant starts rubbing the vegetation between its’ gums to try break it down. The condition of the animal deteriorates as it can’t chew its’ food properly to get enough nutrition and eventually dies. The Elephants in Kenya & Tanzania feed mainly on grass, which is their favourite food. The grass is soft on the teeth, so the Elephants last set of teeth last quite a long time.

The elephants in South Africa also prefer grass but in the winter period when there less grass to eat they then start feeding more on leaves, roots and the bark of trees. This vegetation is a lot harder on the teeth so the last set of teeth don’t last as long as the Elephants in Kenya/Tanzania. How much do Elephant eat in a day?A large Elephant bull will eat as much a 200 kg of food a day. Only 40% of that is digested as they have a very weak digestive system. They will eat on average 18 hours a day.

How many muscles in an Elephants Trunk?

o one knows for 100% how many muscles there are. I have heard two figures, one of 40 0000 and another of 140 000 muscles. With so many muscles so close together it makes it difficult to count. What might look like 1 muscle could be a small group of muscles. So the correct answer would be "the elephant has thousands of muscles in the trunk".

How long is the Elephants gestation period?

The female is pregnant for 22 months. The newborn calf suckles for 18 months and even as long as 2 years. The reason for such a long weaning period is because of the many thousands of muscles that they have in their trunks, making it very difficult for the calf to control. As the calf learns how to use its trunk, it will start feeding more off vegetation and become less dependent on its mother’s milk.

About the author:
I am an ex-game ranger from South Africa. I have a blog filled with information of all sorts of wildlife in Africa. I also talk about all my encounters with dangerous game while doing bush walks. For a taste of Africa visit my Blog at http://www.safari-stories.iblog.co.za Article Source: http://www.Free-Articles-Zone.com






Elephant Family T-Shirt

Elephant Family T-Shirt


Three elephants keep each other company on the front of this black cotton t-shirt. By The Mountain®. Unisex sizes M-XXL.












Tuesday, October 14, 2008

A home For Dairy Cows

Did you know that since 1969, the United States has lost 85 percent of its dairy farms. And did you know that since 1969, Wisconsin has lost nearly 70 percent of its dairy farms?” I lived away from my hometown in west central Wisconsin for 15 years. When I returned in the mid 1990s, I expected to be living in a farming community again. Instead, I discovered that many of the small family dairy farms like the one where I grew up had disappeared" said LeAnn R. Ralph, author of the books Christmas in Dairy land (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm) (August 2003) and Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam (October 2004). Figures from the Census of Agriculture and from the American Farm Bureau Federation indicate that in 1969 more than a half a million dairy farms operated in the United States, but by the year 2000, only 83,000 dairy farms remained. And according to statistics from the U.S. Census of Agriculture, during the last three decades of the twentieth century, Wisconsin went from 66,000 dairy farms down to 20,000 dairy farms.” That’s why I decided to write stories about growing up on a dairy farm. Our farm was home-steadied by my Norwegian great-grandfather in the late 1800s, but small family farms are a thing of the past. They have pretty much disappeared from the landscape," Ralph said.” My dad milked 20 cows and knew all of them by name. Nowadays the trend is toward corporate farms that milk hundreds of cows," she said. Ralph’s new book, Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam (192 pages; $13.95; ISBN 1-59113-592-3) is a collection of 20 true stories that took place on her family's farm 40 years ago. Story titles include "Taking the Bull by the Horns," "Spring Cleaning," "A Different Sort of Cow," "Dad's Favorite Recipe," "Popsicle Blues," "On Top of the World," and "Better Butter.” According to Midwest Book Review, Ralph's first book, Christmas In Dairy land: True Stories From A Wisconsin Farm "is a heartwarming anthology of true anecdotes of rural life on a Wisconsin dairy farm.

Even though Wisconsin is still known as America's Dairy land, life on a family homestead is fast being replaced by corporate agribusiness, and the memories treasured in Christmas In Dairy land are quickly becoming unique milestones of an era needing to be preserved in thought and print for the sake of future generations. Christmas In Dairy land is simply wonderful reading and is a 'must' for all Wisconsin public library collections.” Ralph earned a Bachelor of Arts in English with a writing emphasis from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and also earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from UW-Whitewater. She worked as a newspaper reporter for nine years and also has taught English at a boys' boarding school. She is the editor of the Wisconsin Regional Writer (the quarterly publication of the Wisconsin Regional Writers' Assoc.). Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam and Christmas in Dairy land (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm) are available through Barnes & Noble.

Did you find this article useful? For more useful tips and hints, points to ponder and keep in mind, techniques, and insights pertaining to animals, do please browse for more information at our websites.http://www.freearticlesdirectory.co.uk/www.infozabout.comhttp://www.freearticlesdirectory.co.uk/www.animals.infozabout.com






Childrens Cow Umbrella

Childrens Cow Umbrella


Childrens Cow Umbrella



















Cow Tree Hugger

Cow Tree Hugger


Cow Tree Hugger













Sunday, October 12, 2008

Blue Giraffe Sticky Notes Set



Blue Giraffe Sticky Notes Set

Blue Giraffe Sticky Notes Set


Keep these self-sticking paper pads, decorated with giraffes, close at hand for important notes and reminders. Set of ten 50-sheet pads. A Whales & Friends® exclusive!












Friday, October 10, 2008

Personalized Youth Animal Alphabet pj's



Personalized Youth

Personalized Youth "Animal Alphabet" Lounge Set


Kids are sure to love hanging out in this cotton animal alphabet lounging set that includes pants with elasticized waist band for a comfy fit and a tee shirt decorated with an animal that's name begins with the same first letter as your child's does. Sizes 6/8, 10/12 & 14/16. Please specify name and gender for personalization. Personalized Youth Animal Alphabet Lounge Wear Set is A Whales and Friends® exclusive!












Thursday, October 9, 2008

Red Horses Dress


Red Horses Dress

Red Horses Dress


This red cotton kint, short-sleeved polo-style dress with an embroidered horses applique will make an oh-so-comfortable addition to your wardrobe and is great for casual days on-the-go.












Deer control

Animal Away Repellent

If you have mature plants that are being devoured by deer
-- it's time to take action! Deer Repellents can be very effective and easy
to use.

Deer will almost always stay away from plants that offend
two or more senses. Therefore, if a plant tastes and smells offensive deer
will avoid the general area it's planted in. Deer resistant
gardener use's this knowledge to their advantage.


Yardiac.com recommends using two deer deterrents together
(one that offends the sense of smell and one that offends the sense of taste)
they will render your tasty plant repulsive to deer.


The best combination we have found is:



Tree Guard or Hot Pepper Wax
used in conjunction with Coyote
Urine
.



Using two
products will activate the sense of smell and taste and encourage the deer to
move on to more attractive foliage (hopefully not your neighbors) You can
learn more about or purchase these products at Yardiac.com's animal
repellent department
.



Deer hate hot and spicy foods



After one little nibble of a plant coated with hot pepper wax they will
definitely say, “No thank you!” when it comes time for seconds. Hot pepper
wax combines hot cayenne pepper extract in a food-grade wax. Unlike some
solutions, the wax will not wash off of your plants for several weeks.


Applying hot pepper wax to the surfaces of your plants & hanging dispensers
filled with Coyote
Urine is possibly the most effective method of protecting your plants from
deer browsing. Why do predator urine and hot pepper wax work best when used
together? Most deer deterrents work on the premise of “offending” one of the
deer’s five senses: sight, taste, smell, hearing or touch. Predator urine
works on the sense of smell, while hot pepper wax works on the sense of taste.
Using these two products together you are not just offending one sense but
two.


Say Bye to Bambi enter the Deer
Repellent Department Here










Twilight Escapade Deer T-shirt

Twilight Escapade Deer T-shirt


Two deer stand alert at the edge of a snow covered forest on the front of this dark blue tie dyed t-shirt by The Mountain.












Monday, October 6, 2008

Training Young Colts- First Steps

Horses are a social animal, smart and generally eager to please their owner. They are not, however, born that way. A great deal of time, energy and patience goes into training a horse. Generally, the younger the colt the easier it will be to train him.

FIRST STEPS IN TRAINING YOUR COLT
Trust. Your colt must trust you. Go out and play with him, pet and groom him, get him used to you. Reward him with a treat when he comes up to you.
Halter. When he is used to you then you can halter him. Put the halter on and off a few times. Let him smell it, see it and learn that it won't hurt him.
Tie him up. When you have the halter on, tie him up. Tie him short so he can't hang himself up in the lead. Let him pull back and get used to the idea of being tied. Leave him standing tied for half an hour - it won't hurt him. Keep a close eye on him while he is tied.
Leading. When he understands the idea of being tied you can begin leading him around. Give a gentle tug - never a sharp jerk - and get him moving forward. When he steps forward give him slack as his reward but keep moving forward. If he refuses to step forward then use a rope looped behind his butt and pull gently until he steps forward then immediately let up on the butt rope. You could also lead him to the side until he takes a step.
Pet and groom your colt. Make sure you touch your colt all over. Play with his ears and muzzle, rub him over his rump and down the legs, stand on both sides of him. Walk towards him from different directions. Your goal here is to get the colt used to people coming at him from every direction and touching him everywhere.
Pick up the colt's feet. Start working with his feet. Pick up his feet. Be careful he doesn't kick or bite you and don't let him put his foot down until you release it.
Teach you colt some manners. Now's the time to set the rules. Biting, pushing and kicking are not allowed. A smack and a sharp word will let him know you won't tolerate any of that. They catch on fast.
When you have him tied start with the blanket. Let your colt see, smell and feel the blanket then put it on his back. Flop it across his neck and over his rump. Get him used to the feel of it.
When you have him comfortable with the blanket then start throwing it. Toss it at him gently and be prepared for the colt to jump. He will see the blanket coming in his peripheral vision and it will startle him. Be patient and talk your horse. Get him used to the blanket hitting him in the feet, around the head and over his back and rump.
Wave your hat or jacket around, play with a rope. Get your colt used to activity going on around him.These steps may seem like small insignificant things but they are what make the horse. Do a good job teaching your colt the basics and you will have a sound horse to ride.

WHAT YOUR COLT HAS LEARNED
To stand tied.
To be led.
To be handled.
Manners.
To have something on his back.
Not to startle when something comes at him.The last three steps are very important. You don't want to ride a horse that will go wild at the sight of bags flapping in the fence or birds flying out from under him. A startled jump - if that - and a quick recovery is what you're looking for.Patience is a virtue and every animal learns at a different rate but keep at it. Gain the trust of your colt and he will be eager to please you.Remember your colt is little and like a child he doesn't always want to go to school. He will argue with the teacher, play tricks and forget everything right before the test. Sometimes you will be able to work long and hard and other days you'll have to break early for recess. Be patient - some of what you are teaching him will stick!

Published: 2006-11-29 Author: Pam Stushnoff
About the author or the publisher
Source: ArticlesGratuits.com - Free Articles

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Walking Sticks




Animal Tracks Walking Stick

Animal Tracks Walking Stick


Animal Tracks Walking Stick












Elephant behaviour

Elephants are very social animals. Elephants travel in herds, containing about 6 to 30 individuals. The herd is made up of the oldest female (the matriach), females and their offspring.

The African elephant is the largest living land mammal, one of the most impressive animals on earth. Of all its specialized features, the muscular trunk is the most notable it serves as a nose, a hand, an extra foot, a signalling device and a tool for gathering food, siphoning water, dusting, digging and a variety of other functions. Not only does the long trunk permit the elephant to reach as high as 23 feet, but it can also perform movements as delicate as picking berries or caressing a companion. It is capable, of powerful twisting and coiling movements used for tearing down trees or fighting. The trunk of the African elephant has two finger-like structures at its tip, as opposed to just one on the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus).
The tusks, another noticeable feature, are greatly extended incisors (elephants have no canine teeth); about one-third of their total length lies hidden inside the skull. The largest tusk ever recorded weighed 214 pounds and was 138 inches long. Tusks of this size are not found on elephants in Africa today, as over the years hunters and poachers have taken animals with the largest tusks. Because tusk size is an inherited characteristic, it is rare to find one now that would weigh more than 100 pounds.

Both male and female African elephants have tusks, although only males in the Asiatic species have them. The growing of the Tusks for many elephant is the sign of the whole body growth.

Elephants are "right- or left-tusked," using the favoured tusk more often as a tool, thus, shortening it from constant wear. Tusks will differ in size, shape and direction; researchers use them (and the elephant's ears) to identify individuals.

Elephants can live in nearly any habitat that has adequate quantities of food and water. Their ideal habitat consists of plentiful grass and browse.

An elephant spends about 16 hours of the day to eating and about threes to five hours to drinking, bathing, dusting, wallowing, playing and resting. As an elephant only digests some 40 percent of what it eats, it needs great amounts of vegetation (approximately 5 percent of its body weight per day) and about 30 to 50 gallons of water. A young elephant must learn how to draw water up into its trunk and then pour it into its mouth. Elephants eat an extremely varied vegetarian diet, including grass, leaves, twigs, bark, fruit and seedpods. The fibrous content of their food and the great quantities consumed makes for large volumes of dung.

African elephants are distinguished from Asian elephants in several ways, the most noticeable being their ears. Africans' ears are much larger and are shaped like the continent of their origin. The African is typically larger than the Asian and has a concave back. Both African males and females have external tusks and are usually less hairy than their Asian cousins.

African elephants have traditionally been classified as a single species containing two different subspecies, namely the savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana ) and the forest elephant (Loxodonta africana cyclotis), under the new two species classification the savannas elephant refers to as the largest of all elephants as well as the all land animals in the world standing up to 4 m (13 ft) at the shoulder and weighing approximately 7,000 kg (7.7 tons). The average male stands about 3 m (10 ft) tall at the shoulder and weighs about 5500–6000 kg (6.1–6.6 tons), the female being much smaller. Most often, Savanna Elephants are found in open grasslands, marshes, and lakeshores. They range over much of the savannas zone south of the Sahara.
The other suggested species is the Forest Elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis). Compared with the Savannas Elephant, its ears are usually smaller and rounder, and its tusks thinner and straighter and not directed outwards as much.
The Forest Elephant can weigh up to 4,500 kg (10,000 lb) and stand about 3 m (10 ft) tall.

At the age of 14 years the males will leave the herd and group together with other males of the same age or older. When the group comes across a female, also called cow, the male of the highest rank is selected as the one to breedA female is ready to breed at the age of 12, at which she is in an oestrus period. When in an oestrus period the female breeds with visiting males. After a period of 18 months, the female will give birth to a single offspring. The offspring can weigh up to 27 lbs. The offspring feeds off its mother for 3 years until it is able to feed itself.

When it comes to taking care of the offspring, the mother is the main caretaker. When it comes to defend the offspring from predators or other bullying the entire herd pitches in to keep the young safe. Every offspring is essential to the power of the herd, since they mates once in every year. The female elephant give birth to a new offspring 5 year later after caring of the past offspring. The young elephant will learn by watching and copy from the act of the others.

It will learn how to eat and drink with its trunk, and what to do and not to do. Tusks of the young elephant begins to erupt at 16 months but do not show externally until 30 months; when its tusks are 5 or 6 inches long, they begin to disturb the mother and she weans it. Once weaned usually at age 4 or 5, the calf still remains in the maternal group.
The average life span of an elephant is between 60 and 70 years.

For more information on visiting Tanzania contact Wild Things
For more information on visiting Tanzania's mountains contact Mountain Kingdom