Mystery Animal of the Day

With woeful heart, Mama gnome relates this Mystery Animal is endangered and according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, this animal is "believed to have undergone a decline exceeding 50% over the past 30 years (approximately three generations)."

It is one of the smallest marine mammals and one of the cleverest as well for it is quite adept at using rocks to crack open its favorite meal, the sea urchin.

Unlike other marine mammals which have blubber for protection, this animal relies on its very dense fur for warmth and repelling water.

It is also undoubtedly one of the cutest animals Mama gnome had ever seen up close.

If you guessed sea otter as the Mystery Animal, Mama gnome gives you a big hug and invites you to join her in the annual International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 21, 2013.
 
 photo by : Mike Baird

An adult sea otter can grow up to 1.2 to 1.5 m (3 ft 10 in to 4 ft 10 in) in length and weigh from 22 to 45 kg (49 to 99 lb).

Its fur is usually brown but can also range from yellowish brown to almost black.

The sea otter sheds its fur gradually all year allowing the animal to maintain its thick fur which is vital for survival in the cold ocean waters.

The sea otter has a thick, somewhat flat tail which helps propel it in the water.

The otter can swim up to 5.6 mph or 9 km per hour. When it swims underwater it keeps its body long and streamlined and while above water it usually floats on its back quite easily, thanks to the the trapped air in its thick fur, making it very buoyant.

Besides its power of buoyancy and cuteness, sea otters are vital for maintaining kelp forest ecosystems.

Without sea otters, sea urchins population will grow rampant and what is bad about this?

Sea urchins eat the root systems of kelp forests so if the otters are not there to keep them in check, sea urchins will thrive and eventually kill the kelp forests leading to urchin barrens.

Here is a video of sea otters working hard to save our kelp forests.

 

video by: BBC

Sea otters' population is decreasing. They are threatened by oil spills, predators, disease, and conflict with fisheries.

Mama gnome would like to float in the ocean, buoyed up by her gnomish folds, bang on a rock just for the heck of it, and say, please help our sea otters continue to thrive and live in our kelp forests.

Please help in your own human way every day and stay green.

(c) friendlygnome.blogspot.com

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the Mystery Animal of the Day

This animal is known for its stripes.

Of its three species, two are listed as endangered and vulnerable because of threats from hunters and habitat destruction, climate change, and farming.

One subspecies, "the quagga, has been hunted to extinction for meat, hides, and to preserve feed for domesticated stock."

Here is a picture of the extinct quagga:


Photo: F. York, London, Regent's Park ZOO, 1870

If you guessed the Mystery Animal of the Day is the ZEBRA... Mama gnome wants to invite you to the International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 25, 2010.

Please visit Ocean Conservancy to see where you can participate or you can start your own cleanup project and register it at their website.


Zebras are found in Africa. Their habitats vary from Africa's mountains, grasslands and savannas, woodlands, coastal hill, and thorny scrublands.

Zebras "are very adaptable grazers." Their diet include: short or long grasses, shrubs, bark and leaves.

Zebras are "pioneers and will be the first to enter tall or wet pastures. Wildebeests and gazelle follow once the zebras have trampled and clipped the vegetation shorter."

There are three species of zebra:

• the plains zebra
• Grevy's Zebra
• mountain zebra

Here is a picture of a plains zebra in Tanzania.


photo by: Muhammad Mahdi Karim (www.micro2macro.net)

The plains zebras have the more stable population out of the three species. But they are also threatened by poachers, habitat destruction and farming.


Here is a picture of an endangered Grevy's zebra:


photo by Mara 1

The Grevy's zebra is the largest species of zebra. It has large ears and narrower stripes. It is listed endangered by IUCN. The Grevy's zebras are threatened by: hunters who profit from the zebras' skins, habitat destruction and by climate change causing severe drought and the disappearance of their watering holes.


Increased farming land and fencing threaten all zebras, limiting or restricting their access to watering holes.

Here is a picture of a mountain zebra resting in the sun in Louisville Zoo:


photo by: Ltshears - Trisha M Shears

Zebras are also threatened by wars.

"Recent civil wars in Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Uganda have caused dramatic declines in all wildlife populations, including those of plains zebra. It is now extinct in Burundi. Civil war in Angola during much of the past 25 years has devastated its wildlife populations, including its once-abundant plains zebra, and destroyed the national parks administration and infrastructure."


Here is a video of a Grevy's zebra:


video from: BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome would like to don her striped camouflage, hide behind tall grasses and stun poachers and hunters who hunt down these beautiful animals with wild braying, neighing and whinnying.

Please help save our Mystery Animal of the Day, the endangered zebras, and go green.
(c) 2010, Jenaelha, Friendly gnome's blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the

Mystery Animal of the Day

It is "the rarest member of the bear family and among the world’s most threatened animals."

This animal has distinct black patches over its eyes, ears and body.

It possesses dangerous levels of cuteness, making anyone susceptible to its charm.

Anyone who looks at it is prone to saying, "Awwww...So cute."



If you guess the Mystery Animal is Giant Panda, Mama gnome wants to give you a giant panda bear hug.

Here is a 7 month old Panda cub from the Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China

photo from: Sheila Lau

Do you not see the overwhelming power of its cuteness?

The Giant Panda has been the World Wild Fund for Nature's symbol since WWF was established in 1961.

Because of habitat loss from logging and farming,the panda's territory has shrunk to a few mountain ranges in south China. A long time ago when it was a greener Earth, this bear once roamed as far as Myanmar and Vietnam.

IUCN categorizes it as endangered. IUCN reports: "Results from the most recent survey, coordinated by the State Forestry Administration (SFA) of China and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), indicated a total population of ~1600 individuals."

The Giant Panda's diet is 99% bamboo. According to this report, the panda consumes as much as twenty to thirty pounds of bamboo a day. Apparently, the panda's round face and rotund body is adaptation to its mainly vegetarian diet and resulting low metabolism.

Mama gnome recognizes increased kinship with the panda for she herself has similar adaptations of a round face and rotund body from mostly peanut butter diet. Granted, she is not as cute as this animal, but the rotund part she has down pat.

Unlike other temperate bears, the Giant Panda does not hibernate. During winter, it moves down to lower elevations to find bamboo and take cover in crevices, trees and caves.

Pandas are protected by the Chinese government and efforts continue to increase their numbers. The State Forestry Administration (SFA) of China and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) work together to improve the panda's population and habitat.

Forest reserves for this animal were started in 1963. In 1990 there were 13 panda reserves. There are now over 50 panda reserves according to the WWF.

Yet the Giant Panda continues to be endangered because of deforestation, habitat loss and fragmentation, and poaching.


And here is the Giant Panda in action. Prepare yourself.



video from BBCWorldwide

Mama gnome now feels like rolling around, munching on leaves, staking her territory against poachers and illegal loggers.

If she meets any such unseemly humans she will radiate panda cuteness on them to ultra power intensity and the hapless humans will run away, run away in shame...

Mama gnome hopes you've enjoyed learning about the Giant Panda.

Please visit her garden soon for the next Mystery Animal of the Day.

In the meantime, munch on edible leaves, stake your claim on Mother Earth and go Green!

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents the

Mystery Animal of the Day

It is the most endangered cat species in the world. It has leopard-like spots on its gray or light-brown coat.

IUCN reports only about 84-143 of these cats remain in scattered pockets in Spain and Portugal.

If your guess is the IBERIAN LYNX, Mama gnome would like to shake your hand and say,
"you have the signs of becoming a true environmentalist."


photo by: (c)"Programa de Conservación Ex-situ del Lince Ibérico www.lynxexsitu.es"


The Iberian Lynx has four sets of whiskers. Two on its ears and two on the chin. They use these whiskers to sense for prey.

Their main prey is the European Rabbit. With the Iberian Lynx's habitat severely diminished or destroyed and the rabbit population drastically reduced, the Iberian Lynx is critically endangered.

Sadly SOS Lynx reports,

"...if this species died out, it would be the first feline extinction since the Smilodon 10,000 years ago."

SOS Lynx is a nonprofit organization dedicated to help save the Iberian Lynx. Please visit their website for more information.


video from: chriscarrfilm

Mama gnome feels like brushing her whiskers, ehemm, brushing her hair I mean.

And pouncing on terrible humans who are ruthlessly cutting down trees in the Iberian Lynx's territory.

Raw-raarrr!!!

To help the Iberian Lynx:

• please visit SOS Lynx
• find ways to cut down use of paper or paper products
• recycle paper
• try to use paper or paper products made from post-consumer waste
  

Be one with the Iberian Lynx, clean your whiskers and Go Green.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama gnome presents: MYSTERY ANIMAL OF THE DAY

It's the largest eagle in the world.

With a wingspan reaching over 2 meters or 7 feet.

And a height of over a meter or 3 feet ( about as tall as youngest gnomelet)

It's been described as resembling a griffin.

It's found in only one country in the world.

IUCN lists it as critically endangered with less than 200 birds left.

It is sadly the most endangered eagle in the world.

If your guess is the Philippine Eagle, Mama gnome claps her hands together and guffaws.

And she says, "Please give the gift of trees in honor of this majestic bird."



Photo by: Klaus Nigge/National Geographic


The Philippine Eagle is also called the Great Philippine Eagle, Haribon, or Monkey-eating Eagle.

Mama gnome just stares at the picture above and marvels at this magnificent bird.

With blue-gray eyes and brown feathers on its nape formed like a crest.

"These feathers give it the appearance of possessing a lion's mane, which in turn resembles the mythical griffin."

Its diet includes: reptiles, birds, monkeys, flying lemurs and Asian Palm Civets.

The Philippine Eagle mates for life and they produce a single young only every two or three years.

It's beyond Mama gnome's sadness to report how these eagles are disappearing as Mama gnome types these words... and these words... and these words...

After the stage of critically endangered, the next stage is EXTINCT.

It's not you "get one more chance" stage.

And not, "Oh, maybe one last final chance to save them" stage.

NO, the next one is,
as elder gnomelet says, "Extinct, that means they're gone. THEY'RE...NO...LONGER...ALIVE."

Yes. She said it with dramatic pauses just as I indicated.

According to this report:

"Indeed, with deforestation rates in the Philippines among the highest in the world (more than 90 percent of primary forest may have been lost to logging and development)..."

Ninety percent lost? Um, that leaves maybe 10 percent.

Are you kidding? Is that just someone's backyard?

What can we do as gnomes and humans?

• Inform yourself
  


• Volunteer
  


• Donate



• Write letters to your local and national government



• Plant trees



• Give the gift of trees



• Boycott businesses that perform or promote illegal deforestation and logging.


• Support green businesses


• Visit Haribon Foundation



• Visit Birdlife International

And here is the majestic PHILIPPINE EAGLE:




video by Wild Chronicles

Mama gnome now feels like fluffing her hair up like a lion's mane and snatching up fiendish illegal logger humans. CAWWW! CAWWW! CAWWW!

Oops...I think that's a crow. Not Eagle.

Umm, you get the picture.

Please come visit Mama gnome's little garden soon to find out about the next

MYSTERY ANIMAL OF THE DAY...

(c) 2009 Jenaelha Friendly Gnome's Blog

Mystery Animal of the Day

Mama Gnome presents Mystery Animal of the Day.

Guess what animal this is:

It's toothless, nocturnal and covered with scales.
It is a mammal and a good swimmer.
It is likened to a walking artichoke or pine cone.

It is endangered.




If your answer is PANGOLIN, you win a trillion points and a pat on the back from Mama gnome.


Pangolin image from : http://letopis.kulichki.net/2001/image2001/pangolin.jpg


Pangolins are toothless anteaters. They curl up into a ball when threatened. Similar to skunks they can spray noxious smells to defend themselves. They are found in Africa and Asia.

Pangolins are hunted down for their meat and scales even though laws are in place against this.

Here's a video of a pangolin searching for food.



Here's another interesting video.




Mama gnome hopes you've enjoyed learning a little bit about the pangolin.

Tune in again to find out what will be the next Mystery Animal of the Day.

(c) 2009 Jenaelha, Friendly Gnome's Blog