Slide 2 Color: They have six-sided shells which range in color from dull yellow, to greenish-tan, to brown and have a high dome. The limbs and head are usually brown or grey in color. Size / Weight Range Range: They weigh 8 to 15 pounds and their approximate height is 4 to 6 inches. The average length of a desert tortoise is about 10 to 14 inches long, although the males do grow slightly longer on average. Hatchlings are only 2 to 2 1/2 inches. A desert tortoise has a unique shape, and can't be mistaken for anything else native to its range, although introduced tortoise species can complicate this. Group: The desert tortoise is considered part of the testudinidae (tortoise) family, but before this in the list of biological classification, …show more content…
The desert tortoise is widely spread across the Mojave desert and Sonoran desert of the southwestern United States and the northwestern part of Mexico, especially the Sinaloan thornscrub, western Arizona, southeastern California, southern Nevada and southwestern Utah. Desert tortoise inhabits areas covered with creosote bushes, rocky canyons, semi-arid grasslands and hillsides. It usually lives on the altitude of 1000 to 3000 feet, but it can survive even on the elevation of 5000 feet. Some even live in Death Valley. No other type of tortoise faces the same kind of extreme conditions due to habitat that the desert tortoise does. The extremely high and low temperatures force the desert tortoise to adapt. To survive in the harsh desert climate, the tortoise estivates (remains underground in its burrow) during the hottest times of the day in the summer and hibernates (sleeps underground in its burrow) through the winter. Tortoises come out in the spring to eat grasses and wildflowers and drink water from the spring rains. They store water within themselves and use it through the dry months while water is not available. In the spring, they socialize and look for
These species of gazelles can live off the dew on leaves. They also get a supply of water from other plants which it eats in its diet. The plants already have water stored in them, so when the sand gazelle eats them, all of the water is going in its body. This adaptation enables this species to live in an area with a shortage of water. One way the Sand Gazelle saves water and keeps hydrated is by shrinking its heart and liver. When it does that, less oxygen is taken in, and so less water is lost. These techniques help the Sand Gazelle adapt to the desert’s climate, weather, and
Habitat: Their habitats are on crops, arable and waste land, gardens. Commonly on footpaths and in
The second grade of primates evolved about 53 million years ago, in Eocene epoch. There are five tarsier species that all live in the islands of Southeast Asia, where they inhabit from tropical forest to backyard gardens (Jurmain, et al, 2011). They are considered to be closely related to lemurs and lorises (prosimian family) for the several traits that they share with Grade I primates while having some anthropoid features as well. However, tarsiers have distinctive characteristics that isolate them from other primates. They are categorized as the smallest creatures among the primate species and they are well known for their enormous eyes which is as large as its brain. They are normally nocturnal insectivores but sometimes carnivorous. They catch insects by jumping at them and as they jump from tree to tree, they even hunt for birds while in motion.
West Indian Manatees have a light and dark grey tone to them. They can grow up to 10ft in length and can weight up to 1,200lbs. Their tail is a paddle shaped and they have two flippers. The tail and flippers help them move around. The Manatees have wrinkles on their head and face. Their nose is a darker gray with whiskers besides them.
The preferred habitat for this species are wet areas such as river bottomlands, floodplains, wet prairies, and marshes. However, relatively drier habitats are often used in summers. They feed primarily on small rodents, but may also consume frogs, other snakes, and nesting birds. Breeding generally occurs during summer or early fall, although it can occur
The fur on these animals differ from red to brown, sometimes grey. They have long wings. Their black ears point forward, and have wrinkled lips and their tails go beyond the third tail membrane; that is where they got their name. A lot of people say that their tails look like a mouse's. Their Kingdom is the Animalia, their Phylum is Chordate. This animal is a Chordate because they have nerve fibers,
In the Taiga biome, the animals living there can survive through the cold and snowy climate of the biome. The Gray Wolf or the Timber Wolf is the top of the food chain and is the largest wild canine. The Gray Wolf lives in the forests of the Taiga Biome and is part of a species of lupus. The River Otter inhabits the swamps, lakes and rivers of the Taiga Biome. The River Otter also inhabits the woods in the Taiga Biome. River Otters are a species of canadensis and are also omnivores so they eat both plants and animals. The Snowshoe Rabbit or also known as the Varying Hare also lives in the forest areas of the Taiga Biome. Snowshoe Rabbit is found mostly in the higher parts of North America and they migrate throughout the midwest United States.
This animal thrives as it is highly adaptable, therefore it is perfect for the harshness of the Mojave Desert. Mojave Food Chain
There is another well-known cactus is the Sonoran Desert, the barrel cactus, which is also the most commonly found cactus in the desert. This kind of cactus can normally grow to a height of 5 to 11 feet. It has a cylinder-shaped body, sometimes it is even bigger than a man. From April through June, the flowers bloom at the top of the plant. Normally, the flower is yellow-green or red, but the color may vary depending on different species. The barrel cactus has numerous ridges going down the sides. These ridges are covered with long sharp spines, which prevent, on one hand, the water loss in the dry heat weather, on the other hand, the thirsty animals in the desert as well as mankind. Like the Saguaro cactus, the barrel cactus is also a source
Dry, hot, and surrounded by an eerily empty desert, two lone sea turtle lie dormant in their shells sizzling
Kemps ridley turtles are found in shallow bays where there are sandy and muddy bottoms. The abundance of crabs and molluscs are also present in their habitat as well (Lutz and Musick pg. 54). Kemps ridley turtles also can be found off west central Florida. They tend to spend time near rocky bottoms within their feeding areas (Wyneken, Lohmann, Musick pg. 255).
Tortoiseshell describes a coat coloring found mostly in female cats. Cats of this color are mottled, with patches of orange or cream and chocolate, black or blue. They are sometimes called torties for short.
The term desert is strongly connected to the image of an extremely harsh environment void of any life. The sand dunes at the Gulf of California would fit this description of a desert biome, but for large parts the Sonoran Desert has a stunning array of different organisms.
Drought, climate change, and human activity has caused the several populations of animals in the Mohave Desert to decrease. I know this because in the article, "Endangered Desert Species Cling to Existence", there are several examples of how creatures are being endangered and why. For examples, Armagosa voles, a rare species in North America, have had their habitats pumped for groundwater by humans and droughts are causing food to be scarce (paragraph 4). Additionally, the Devil's Hole pupfish population has declined due to climate change affecting the heat of their water (paragraph 7). Finally, desert tortoises populations have also come down. Climate changes, particularly droughts, have caused more animals to attack the tortoises and their
In “Can the Desert Tortoises Be Saved?”, author Mackenzie Carro informs readers that the issue of desert tortoises being going extinct is vanishing because scientists are using technology to save their species. In the Mojave Desert in California, ravens have been eating turtles almost to extinction. So scientist Tim Shield has been working on some inventions using technology to help save them. His team has come up with an idea to scare ravens away: A remote control rover. Equipped with cameras, the vehicle chases ravens away from the tortoises. The second method are realistic - looking plastic tortoise shells, which he placed among the desert. Upon the arrival of a raven, sensors inside the shell spray a could smell into the air, with a more