Case Study Arctic Ground Squirrels

They only mate during the months of November and December. These months are the Atlantic rain forests’ dry season. The gestation can go from six to eleven months. In this gestation period, one sloth offspring is developed.

The size and shape of the pelvis gives clues to how an animal may reproduce.

Unlike many other rodents the flying squirrel does not hibernate. Instead they group together during the winter and cold month’s to maintain warmth. Northern flying squirrels usually communicate with a soft low chirp but also cluck just like other squirrels when distressed. These squirrels also use scent and touch to communicate with one another; utilizing their excellent senses of hearing, smell, vision, and touch to correspond with the signals they emanate. “A major food source for the squirrels are mycorrhizal fungi (truffles) of many different species, though they also eat lichens, mushrooms, all mast-crop nuts, tree sap, insects, carrion, bird eggs and nestlings, buds and flowers. The squirrels are special in that they can find truffles by olfaction, which is the use of smell. They also seem to use clues such as the presence of wood debris, indicating a decaying log, and spatial memory of locations where truffles were found in the past. The northern flying squirrel is also known to stash food for when food supplies are lower such as in the winter. These caches can be in cavities in trees, as well as in the squirrels' nest, or even within the ground. Lichens and seeds are the commonly stored items” (9). Yet in this relationship the most important functions of this squirrel are to provide food for the owls, and in addition, to greatly

Judson contributes to onefs understanding of sex among different organisms in that she makes difficult concepts simple to comprehend. Although she uses scientific terminology, she limits it so that anyone can understand the technical information she shares. Judson also describes the types of environments in which each species and

Ground sloths are a diverse group of extinct sloths, in the mammalian superorder Xenarthra. The term "ground sloth" is used as a reference for all extinct sloths because of the large size of the earliest forms discovered, as opposed to the extant "tree sloths." However, this is a historical convention and should not imply that all extinct sloths were strictly terrestrial in nature.[1] Their most recent survivors lived in the Antilles, where it has been proposed they may have survived until 1550 BCE;[2] however, radiocarbon dating suggests an age of between 2819 and 2660 BCE for the last known occurrence of Megalocnus in Cuba.[3] Ground sloths had been extinct on the mainland of North and South America for 10,000 years or more.[4] Their later

Ground squirrels can be found in usually dry open areas most particularly in grazed rangelands, pastures, or grain fields (Salmon, 2016). They usually avoid areas such as the dense woods or thick chaparral. These animals are herbivorous and their diet is consisted of plants, seeds, grains, and nuts depending on the season (Salmon, 2016). These include green grasses, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, as well as fruit trees like apples, peaches, and oranges. They can adapt to their environment by using a burrow system where the dig 2-4 feet beneath the ground and there they sleep, rest, store food, and above all protect themselves from potential predators (Salmon,

The hormonal differences in males and females include levels of oxytocin, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and vasopressin. Oxytocin is more functionally present in females, which assists them with bonding and maintaining relationships. The level of female hormones, estrogen and

Rattlesnakes are even known to move around during extended warm periods during winter months, especially if they hole up in a stump or other location that can be warmed easily by sunshine. Snakes do not actually hibernate, rather they become less active during cold weather. It is called

Groundhog Day occurs on February 2nd each year. Groundhogs in North America come out of their burrows and look for their shadows. Legend has it that if a groundhog sees his shadow; winter will stay for 6 more weeks. If no shadow is seen, then there will be an early spring.

Many researcher reported sexual maturity traits that affecting egg production are : age at sexual maturity, egg weight at sexual maturity and bodyweight at sexual maturity [63-66]. Cherry and Morris [6] stated that restricted growth delays physiological development, measured in terms of bone and feather growth, behavior and sexual maturity. The potential for further growth remains until development of the ovary has commenced, at which point sexual development takes priority and the capacity for further growth appears to be lost. Post-mortem examination of birds at sexual maturity and at the conclusion of lay confirms that internal organization of ova is affected by growth to sexual maturity [6]. In egg type and poultry breeder too early or late onset of sexual maturity were never been expected and affecting total egg number or production thus always been avoided from economical perspective [67]. Too early of onset maturity will lead to smaller egg size, more egg number but less total egg weight during production periods due to smaller pullet body weight and frame size, while late onset of sexual maturity will lead to bigger egg size

The rainforest is able to meet the needs of sloths because of its stable climate. Park (1992) claims that “the rainforest climate has two main distinguishing features - relatively constant temperatures, and heavy rainfall” (p.6). The climate in the rainforest does not change much. Sloths do not keep their body temperatures. Sloths have even been built to live its life in a tree. Like long arms and curved feet to hang from trees.“Temperatures remain fairly [mild], between sixty-eight

In class, we watched a film that informed us about the growing irregularities in male reproduction and the possible environmental changes that are associated with it. These changes are not only affecting humans but also several land and aquatic species. Using several experimentations and observations, scientists aim to trace the effect of estrogenic compounds in the environment on males. If we are not able to determine the cause and stop it, the process and its modifications on the male reproductive system may eventually result in male sterility.

TSD species have various patterns of sex ratios compared to incubation period. Sex hormones can be based only on genetics or it can be based on the combination of sex hormones and environmental factors. Temperature dependent sex determination is a a non-genetic factor that influences gender.

Horses are polyestrous, seasonal breeders with mid-summer foaling and mating seasons in late spring. Breeding occurs when the mare experiences photoperiod, which is the exposure to daylight within a 24 hour period. As a result, the mare becomes receptive, and the stallion becomes more dominate. Testosterone increases which promotes increased reproductive behavior, spermatogenesis, and libido. Thus, photoperiod, reproductive behavior, and spermatogenesis influences fertility and sexual behavior of the stallion.

the sperm are categorized as masculine and feminine. Finally, it seems that the end goal of