Polar Bear Interesting Facts And Features

The Polar Bear is a large species of bear that is found inhabiting the ice fields in the Arctic Ocean. It is the biggest species of bear in the world (with the exception of the Kodiak Brown Bears found in Alaska which can reach similar sizes) with males often weighing-in at around 600kg. Thought to be closely related to the Brown Bear, the Polar Bears' name actually means "Sea Bear" as they are known to not just spend a great deal of time close to the coast, but are also strong and capable swimmers that have been spotted up to 100 miles from the closest ice or land. They are however being devastatingly affected by global warming as the ice that they rely so heavily on is disappearing fast and has led to the Polar Bear becoming a strong symbol of the effects of climate change. Polar Bear populations have also fallen across the Arctic Ocean due to hunting, pollution and drilling for oil and gas leading to them being as listed as a threatened species.

Polar Bear Anatomy and Appearance
Adult Polar Bear typically measure more than two meters in length and weigh around half a tonne. Females though are much lighter than their male counterparts that are almost double their weight. Polar Bears are one of the few large mammals found in such hostile conditions and have adapted well to their life on the ice. Their fur is thick and dense and is made up of a warm undercoat with longer guard hairs on top that are clear, hollow tubes that trap warmth from the sun and transmit it directly down to their black skin, which then absorbs the welcome heat. The Polar Bear has a strong and muscular body with broad front paws that help when paddling in the water, and fur on the bottom of it's feet that not only helps to keep them warm but also gives the Polar Bear extra grip when moving about on the ice. They have very long necks in comparison to other bear species which enables their head to remain above the water when swimming. They also have more elongated muzzles and smaller ears than their relatives.

Polar Bear Distribution and Habitat
Polar Bears are found on the icy coasts that surround the North Pole and as far south as Hudson Bay. Around 60% of Polar Bears can be found in northern Canada with the remaining individuals distributed throughout Greenland, Alaska, Svalbard and Russia, where they tend to be found relatively close to the ocean roaming vast distances across the ice fields. Polar Bear populations have fallen drastically throughout their natural range with the biggest threat to this enormous carnivore being global warming. Although Polar Bears are accustomed to seasonal changes in the Arctic Circle, the summer ice melt is happening earlier and more ferociously year by year, meaning that Polar Bears have less time to hunt on the ice before it disappears. Their precarious habitats are also affected severely by Human encroachment in the forms of hunting, growing settlements and the release of chemical pollutants into the water.

Polar Bear Behaviour and Lifestyle
The Polar Bear is a solitary animal that can not only run at speeds of up to 25mph but it's strong ability to swim at 6mph makes it a truly apex predator within it's environment. These semi-aqautic mammals can hunt both on the ice and in the water and have been known to swim vast distances across open ocean in search of food. Polar Bears are able to dive under the water to catch their prey which they do by keeping their eyes open and holding their breath for up to two minutes. On land they tend to hunt using two main techniques: they either stalk then chase their prey or sit waiting next to a breathing hole for up to many hours, before ambushing the Seal as it emerges. Eating Seals is vital to the survival of the Polar Bear as they are able to provide it with a high-energy meal. During the short Arctic summer however, Polar Bears are forced further north as the ice recedes when they have to feed on other animals further inland.

Polar Bear Reproduction and Life Cycles
Polar Bears tend to breed in the spring between April and May with the gestation period then varying considerably (depending on the health of the female) due to a period of delayed implantation. After up to 9 months later the female gives birth to between 1 and 4 cubs in a den which she has dug into the snow or ground. The cubs weigh just over half a kilo when they are newborn and are hairless and cannot see. Females enter their dens towards the end of autumn and don't emerge with their cubs until the harsh winter conditions have turned into spring. Although Polar Bear cubs begin eating solid food when they are around 5 months old, they are not weaned until they are between two and three. Cubs are known to commonly play-fight with other cubs which involves wrestling and chasing, along with baring their teeth and even biting one another but without causing harm. These games are critical for Polar Bear cubs to learn how to fight and therefore defend themselves successfully once they leave their mother and live on their own.

Polar Bear Diet and Prey
The Polar Bear is the largest carnivorous mammal on land and must hunt regularly to ensure that it is well-fed and maintains it's insulating layer of fat to keep it warm. The skins and blubber of Ringed Seals make up the bulk of the Polar Bears' diet as they often leave the remaining meat which provides an important sources of food for other animals such as Arctic Foxes. Although Seals are their primary source of food, Polar Bears also eat birds, berries, fish and Reindeer (particularly during the trickier summer months) along with the occasional Walrus. The carcasses from large marine mammals including Seals, Walruses and even Whales also provide a regular food source for Polar Bears that are said to have such a good sense of smell, that they are able to sniff them out from a considerable distance away. Polar Bears are also known to break into underground Seal dens to hunt the pups inside them.

Polar Bear Predators and Threats
Due to the fact that the Polar Bear is an enormous and ferocious predator, there are no animals that prey on them in their surrounding environment. They tend have the most trouble with other Polar Bears and females will protect their cubs fiercely from males that may be trying to harm them. Humans however, are by far the biggest threat to the dwindling Polar Bear population numbers as they have greedily hunted them from their arrival in the Arctic Ocean in the 1600s until the mid 1970s when international hunting bans fell into place. Along with the receding ice fields that are crucial to the survival of the Polar Bear caused by climate change, they are also heavily affected by drilling for oil and gas, increased shipping activity and rising levels of industrial chemicals that pollute the water. The Polar Bear has a relatively slow rate of reproduction which means that populations are not only shrinking rapidly but they are not growing quickly enough to sustain themselves. Some experts claim that the Polar Bear could be extinct from the wild in the next 30 years.

Polar Bear Interesting Facts and Features
Before the harsh winter conditions have fully arrived, female Polar Bears dig themselves a den in the snow where they hibernate through these hostile months (and where they give birth to their cubs) and only emerge in the spring. These dens are known to be up to forty degrees warmer than the outside but males seem to prefer to be active all year round. Polar Bears have a layer of blubber under their skin which can be up to 4 inches thick and helps to keep them warm. They are in fact so well insulated, that Polar Bears must move slowly for the majority of the time so that they don't overheat. Polar Bears shed their fur in the summer meaning that they seem at their whitest at the beginning of autumn. By the spring however, their coats appear to be more yellow in colour which is something thought to be partially due to the oils found in Seal skins.

Donkeys Is Extremely Loyal And A Good Friend

Donkeys were supposedly domesticated around 5000 years ago in the north east of Africa from the Somali wild ass. The domestication if donkeys soon spread across the globe, with people mainly using the donkeys to help carry heavy loads and transport goods long distances. They are anatomically normal and show normal breeding behavior, so hybrids should be gelded as early as possible to avoid studdy behavior.
The majority of donkeys today still do the same burdening tasks that the donkeys did thousands of years ago, in a similar way to the pack-mules in the Asian mountains that transport burdening goods through the mountain passes.

Despite the obvious similarities between a donkey and a horse, a donkey-horse offspring (mule) will always be infertile, due to a genetic malfunction that occurs when two different species mate. This is also the case when different species of asses interbreed, such as the onager and the Somali wild ass. Even though they are in the same genus taxonomically, the hybrid offspring of two species of ass will have sterile offspring.
Wild donkeys have adapted to living in near desert environments and because of this, donkeys have very hardy immune and digestive systems. This allows the donkey to be able to process and gain nutrition from vegetation that many other species of animal have great difficulty gaining any nutrition from.

There are thought to be more than 44 million donkeys found throughout the world, with around 11 million of these donkeys found in China. Scientists believe that the real number of donkeys could be much higher than this as many donkeys go unaccounted for.

Donkeys are said to have a relatively stubborn temperament but once the owner of the donkey has gained the donkeys trust, the donkey is extremely loyal and a good friend. Donkeys are not truly stubborn; they are very good at taking care of themselves. Their self preservation instincts are strong. They will refuse to proceed if they sense danger or if they are overburdened. They pass this valuable trait on to the mule. Donkeys are also thought to have a calming affect over distressed horses and donkeys are often put into fields with horses as they make great companions for them.
 

The Bengal Tiger Left In The Wild

The Bengal tiger (also known as the Royal Bengal tiger) is a subspecies of tiger, found across the Indian subcontinent. The Bengal tiger is the national animal of Bangladesh and is considered to be the second largest tiger in the world.

The Bengal tiger is the most numerous species of tiger in Asia and is found in dense forests and mangrove swamps and jungles throughout India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, although the Bengal tiger's range today is much smaller than it once was.

The Bengal tiger is considered to be the second largest species of tiger, although recent reports suggest that the Bengal tiger is on average, larger than the Siberian tiger. The Bengal tiger has a yellow or light orange coat, with black or dark brown stripes and a white belly.

The white tiger is a Bengal tiger that has mutated genes, meaning that it is white in colour with black stripes. Black tigers are known to have black fur with lighter coloured stripes but are even rarer than the white tiger.
The Bengal tiger is a dominant and carnivorous predator, hunting its prey by stalking it until the Bengal tiger has the opportunity to catch it off guard. Bengal tigers primarily hunt larger mammals including deer, wild boar, cattle and goats.

Due to the size and power of the Bengal tiger, it has no natural predators in its native environment. Humans that hunt the Bengal tiger and habitat loss are the only threats to the Bengal tiger.

Bengal tigers live in India and are sometimes called Indian tigers. They are the most common tiger and number about half of all wild tigers. Over many centuries they have become an important part of Indian tradition and lore.

Tigers live alone and aggress
ively scent-mark large territories to keep their rivals away. They are powerful nocturnal hunters that travel many miles to find buffalo, deer, wild pigs, and other large mammals. Tigers use their distinctive coats as camouflage (no two have exactly the same stripes). They lie in wait and creep close enough to attack their victims with a quick spring and a fatal pounce. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds (27 kilograms) in one night, though they usually eat less.

Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans; however, a few do become dangerous maneaters. These animals are often sick and unable to hunt normally, or live in an area where their traditional prey has vanished.

Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs, which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old and remain with their mothers for two to three years, when they disperse to find their own territory.

After a gestation period of 3 to 4 months, the female Bengal tiger gives birth to up to 5 cubs. Newborn Bengal tiger cubs weigh about 1 kg (2 lb) and are blind and helpless. The mother feeds them milk for about 2 months and then the Bengal tiger cubs are introduced to meat. Bengal tiger cubs depend on their mother for the first 18 months and then they start hunting on their own.

Today, due to habitat loss caused by deforestation, and hunting by human poachers, the Bengal tiger is considered to be an endangered species. Despite being the most common of all the tiger species, there are thought to be around 2,000 Bengal tigers left in the wild.

Abyssinian Cat History And Domestication

The Abyssinian Cat is thought to be one of the oldest breeds of domestic Cat in the world, as the first domestication of the Abyssinian Cat occurred in Ancient Egyptian times. It is thought that Abyssinian Cats were bought and sold on the banks of the River Nile by traders, where the African Wild Cats (the ancestors of all domestic Cats) lived in their native habitats. Abyssinian Cats are most easily identified by their "ticked" fur which gives their coat a mottled appearance.

Abyssinian Physical Characteristics

The Abyssinian Cat has a more wild looking appearance when compared to many breeds of domestic Cat in modern times. The Abyssinian Cat has large ears (meaning it has fantastic hearing) on top of it's broad head, and the large almond-shaped eyes of the Abyssinian are still distinctive to this breed today. The Abyssinian Cat is a medium sized Cat with a long and muscular yet slender body and a relatively short tail. Although today, the Abyssinian can be found in a variety of different colours from blue to lilac to red, the dense, silky fur of the Abyssinian was originally silver or fawn in colour.

Abyssinian Behaviour and Temperament

The Abyssinian Cat is known to be extremely intelligent and playful and is thought to be one of the most active breeds of domestic Cat as the Abyssinian seems to find it almost impossible to sit still. Abyssinian Cats are known to be extremely loyal and obedient felines making them easy to train in the house. The Abyssinian Cat is as wild in temperament as it is in appearance and enjoys to have a lot of attention as well as to keep active, which also tends make these Cats naturally good hunters.

Abyssinian Breeding

Today, most species of modern day domestic Cat are thought to have descended from, or be close descendants of, the Abyssinian Cats which were brought to England from Northern Africa in the 19th century. The Abyssinian Cat is thought to have been one of the first species of Wild Cat to have been domesticated by Humans, and is therefore one of the first wild animals to be treated like a household pet. The Abyssinian is now one of the most popular domestic Cat breeds in the USA and was thought to have been first exhibited in Crystal Palace in 1871 and the first official listing of the Abyssinian Cat breed was in 1882.

Abyssinian Interesting Facts and FeaturesIn Ancient Egypt, the Abyssinian Cat was seen as a sign from the Ancient Egyptian Gods and was therefore thought to be a sacred animal with legend deeming that the Abyssinian was the "Child of the Gods" and it was therefore worshipped on the banks of the Nile. This meant that the Egyptian people believed that the Abyssinian Cats were extremely special animals and they therefore looked after their Cats very well, with Abyssinian Cats often being depicted as sacred beings in Ancient Egyptian art and legend.

Pug Dogs Are Amazing And Lovable Small Friend

Pug dogs are amazing. This adorable, playful and lovable small dog was created to be your best friend! Companionship is their great gift. They love nothing more than to be with their owner. They greet you at the door like you’ve been away for years and there is no one more interesting to them than you. Pug dogs never tire of showing their affection and trying to get their owner’s attention. They love you! They’re happy to be with you! Does this sound like a dog you’d like to own? That’s great because this website is designed to give you a little glimpse into the world of the Pug. We fully admit to being very partial to this breed of dog. But, then, so are a lot of people.

Pugs consistently rank in the top 20 of all dog breeds in the United States. The traits of this dog make them extremely popular. Lately, they’ve been hovering between 12th and 14th place in the popularity polls. We would love to see them in the top ten. Actually, Pugs are among the top ten breeds in many U.S. cities from coast to coast. They’re number ten in New York City and Los Angeles and rank number nine in Chicago, Washington D.C., Austin and Milwaukee.

Pugs are the seventh in popularity in Boston, Philadelphia, Providence, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. They’re sixth in Baltimore but do you know where they rank highest? Portland, Oregon where the Pug is the 4th most popular breed! All of this, by the way is based on the registration statistics provided by the American Kennel Club.

Pug dogs are the largest dog in the Toy Group and their unique facial structure that makes them so cute can also cause them some problems you should be aware of. Pugs are called a brachycephalic breed. The structure of the head makes them have a flat face and it is this structure that can cause some respiratory problems. Reverse Sneezing , for example, is very common in this breed. Fortunately, it is a relatively harmless condition although it can give an owner cause for concern because it can sound rather scary. Health Care for Pug Dogs is a section on this website and we offer some information on veterinarian care and alternative health care as well as a discussion on some health issues including the far too common pudgy Pug.

Pugs love to eat. Let’s correct that – Pug really love to eat. It seems this little creature is constantly hungry. We cover a broad range of topics from dog food and nutrition to the proper storage for your Pug’s food as well as the right amount to give your starving little friend. While it’s tempting to keep responding to the Oscar winning performances that take place in your kitchen every day, we also tell you the benefits of having a healthy Pug. We also cover the benefits of training and having a well behaved pet. Pug dogs are intelligent and respond very well to commands.

While it sounds a little stern to emphasize training, there’s nothing as impressive as a dog who obeys their master and behaves well in all situations. We cover some of the training principles in a section on training and behavior but we cover this under a section called Pug Activities as well.

Many owners and Pugs bond during training sessions and some of these sessions can be quite enjoyable. If you’re considering entering your Pug into a show or competition, information on this is an absolute necessity. Step one in creating a Pug worthy of entering a competition is in the behavior department. There are obedience competitions and even dancing competitions for you and your Pug. All of this is covered in our Pug Activities section. There’s even a special section on making your Pug a Canine Good Citizen which an official designation of the American Kennel Club. It’s a first rate program designed for both dog and owner and merits your consideration.

There’s a lot to learn about this little dog and hopefully this website will be a good introduction to the world of Pug dogs. If you’re interested in capturing your little friend in some great poses we even have a section on dog photography. If there’s something else that you’d like to see please contact us.

We love to hear stories about Pugs and their owners and, if there’s something interesting you have to share, you’ll have a very attentive audience. Pug dogs are popular around the world. Of special note are the Rescue organizations that work diligently to get these cute little dogs out of dangerous situations. We salute the many people who give of their time and resources to make our world a better place for Pugs.