Of Fearlessness and Audacity: The Honey Badger

     Previously an animal known only by followers of the Big Ten Conference and a bookmarked page to marvel at in your childhood Zoobooks, the honey badger, also known as the ratel, has recently gained viral popularity on the internet for its remarkable absence of fear.

www.youtube.com/v/4r7wHMg5Yjg (Check this out for an example!)

     Although it looks like Pepe Le Pew succeeded in his conquests if he were to pursue a bear instead of a cat, there is much more to this unique mammal. Mellivora capensis is a 5.5-14kg is a omnivorous member of the weasel family characterized by a jet black color and a single wide white longitudinal stripe spanning its back. Their gait is like that of a clumsy fox due to their bulky frame with short limbs bearing long and vicious claws, which are perfect for fast and efficient digging. They prefer a wide range of conditions from dry open plains to lush forests and are found all over Africa, India, and the Arabian Peninsula. A species on decline, this animal faces danger, largely at the hands of humans, resulting in threatened status in some areas and protected and endangered in others. Social patterns indicated that a male in a given area will establish dominance and contribute upwards of 50% paternity of the subsequent generation. The loose skin, strength, and offensive characteristics of the animal including its teeth and fangs contribute to the ability of this animal to fear no master. Also, it has developed a tolerance to most types of natural toxins. This has allowed them to develop a taste for honey and ravage bee nests without regard for the stings that deter most potential predators. It also is notorious for antagonizing venomous snakes, consuming them and their eggs. It also willingly attacks porcupines and small crocodiles, and will not hesitate to feast on a human corpse if it comes across one. The honey badger continues to hold its title as the “World’s Most Fearless Animal”.

References:

Hiskey, Dave. "The World's Most Fearless Creature Is the Honey Badger." Today I Found

       Out RSS. N.p., 9 Aug. 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2014 <http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/08/the-worlds-most-fearless-creature-is-the-honey-badger/>.

"Ratel." African Wildlife Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

<http://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/ratel>.

"The Honey Badger - Associations." The Honey Badger - Associations. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr.

2014. <http://www.honeybadger.com/associations.html>.

Axolotl: The Amazing Walking Fish

     Known to the citizens of Oceania as the “Mexican walking fish”, this bizarre creature looks like a realistic rendition of an artist’s sketch of the transition from aquatic fish to terrestrial reptiles thought to have occurred many moons ago in the process of evolution. This phylogenic “missing link” isn’t photoshopped: it is in fact a member of the order Caudata, meaning it is a salamander just like the ones you would find under a rock in Fowler Woods. Well, not just like it. Many differentiations distinguish organisms the more specific the taxonomy gets. Ambystoma mexicanum is the scientific name of the organism, nonetheless just as difficult to pronounce as its common name, pronounced “Axe-oh-lot-uhl”. Its name stems from the Aztec name for the god of deformation, but can also be translated to “water-dog” from the same language. Its odd features result from the retention of its larval characteristics throughout its adult life. Despite what would be considered by the standards of most species as a defect condemning them to death, the adult axolotl is a perfectly functional organism capable of reproduction. This phenomenon known as “neoteny” is passed down genetically, and is now definitive of the axolotl although it is capable of metamorphosis, spontaneous or hormonally induced. Although there are no issues threatening the individual salamander, the axolotl does face threats to its existence on this planet as a whole. Not only is it listed as an endangered animal by CITES, but its home range is very specific, confined to the lakes and canals in direct proximity of Mexico City. Their endangered status is not aided by their exotic appearance appealing to black market animal traders or their demand as a delicacy. They can grow up to a foot long and can live up to 15 years! They are carnivores that eat small mollusks, worms, insect larvae, and small fish, just like your typical salamander. It also can regenerate limbs. Also, as an aquatic organism, it breathes through gills and to an extent, its skin.

References:

Clare, John P. "Introduction." Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger

Salamander. Caudata.org, 2012. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://www.axolotl.org/>.

"Mexican Axolotls, Mexican Axolotl Pictures, Mexican Axolotl Facts - National Geographic."

National Geographic. National Geographic, n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/axolotl/>.

Lionfish: The Unwelcomed Guest

Everybody knows someone whom they don’t particularly enjoy being around. In the Marine world, specifically the eastern coast of the U.S., this unwelcomed guest is the Lionfish. You may ask what does this fish do to make everyone hate them? Well for starters, this alien fish is highly toxic and likes to kill smaller fish and invertebrates. They are starting to become a major problem in the eastern U.S. because they are indigenous to the Indo-Pacific region and have few predators here. Therefore, nothing is keeping their numbers under control (besides humans). Allow me to explain their toxicity. The Lionfish has spines that it uses to sting its prey. When it strikes its prey, acetylcholine and a neuromuscular toxin are released. This can cause tremendous pain, respiratory distress, and even paralysis. (Lionfish Biology Factsheet). Because of these things they are considered one of the world’s greatest conservation issues (sort of a “Most Wanted” list­­). Basically these are some bad dudes!

            The research article, “Invasive Lionfish Drive Atlantic Coral Reef Fish Decline”, gives a great insight into what effects the Lionfish are having on the indigenous fish in the Atlantic and Caribbean. There are numerous invasive species found throughout the U.S., but the article tells us that the Lionfish invasion is of “unparalleled speed and magnitude” (Green). In other words, we aren’t dealing with your average, run-of-the-mill, invasive species. In fact, the research done by Green et al., which was performed off of New Providence Island, Bahamas in nine different coral reefs showed that “40% of the total predator biomass” was comprised of the lionfish. That is a tremendous amount when you think about how much the predatory biomass comprised of lionfish should be (zero: they shouldn’t live there). Perhaps an even more shocking statistic is that in just two years there was a “65% decline in the biomass” of the 42 fish species in the Atlantic that fall victim to the lionfish. The lionfish were present in the Atlantic prior to 2008 when the later report was performed. Therefore it is fair to assume that the total decline is greater than just 65%.

The graph above gives a good depiction of the native fish species biomass between 2008 and 2010. As you can see, the small-bodies prey had about 65% decline in biomass as mentioned, and the large-bodied competitors and non-competitors alike had a decline. Only the small-bodied non-prey species have benefited from the lionfish. This is probably because of less competition with other small-bodied fish and less predation by the large-bodied fish.

            It appears that the lionfish is causing an underwater apocalypse and by this point your probably asking yourself if this is any hope? Well to be quite frank with you, we don’t know. The research article warns that the fish will have the same impact elsewhere in the Atlantic when it reaches the more northern waters. Additionally, when small-bodied prey become scarce they could go after the young from the large-bodied fish. All of these species of fish have their own niche and duty in the ocean and such a drastic reduction in biomass could be truly detrimental to the ocean. This is especially true when over-fishing, disease, toxins and other threats are impacting these species as well. Green et al. state that “given the geographic extent of the invasion, complete eradication of lionfish from the Atlantic appears unlikely”, but it could be possible to keep them out of important nursery sites and protected areas. Some regions are actually giving prizes and money to people to catch these bad guys.

            The fate of the oceans and lionfish is still yet to be determined, but with any luck their numbers will be controlled. For if not, their impact will be tremendous.

References:

Corbis. Unknown in the Amercias 30 years ago, lionfish have multiplied at a rate that is almost unheard of in marine history. Picture. Visuals Unlimited. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/invasion-of-the-lionfish-131647135/?no-ist

Green, Stephanie J., John L. Akins, Aleksandra Malijkovic and Isabelle M. Cote. “Invasive Lionfish Drive Atlantic Coral Reef Fish Declines.” PLoSOne 10.1371 (2012):Web.

Lionfish Biology Fact Sheet. NOAA, 31 May 2011. Web. 30 march 2014. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/stories/lionfish/factsheet.html 

Osprey: A Tale of Perseverance

In all its majesty, it soars over the marsh. Suddenly its bright yellow eyes notice lunch swimming below, an unlucky fish. Within a split second it folds its wings back and prepares for a dive. A few seconds more and splash. The Osprey briefly disappears into the water only to emerge with a 12 inch fish locked into its specialized talons. That’s right; the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) is the best fisherman you will ever meet, averaging a mere 12 minutes per hunt (all about birds). Although this fascinating bird of prey seems to be “king of the air”, it has undergone many adversities in the past 60 years.

You see, there used to be this pesticide, DDT, which was commonly used. However, DDT (and other contaminants) was proven to lower productivity of the Osprey and it weakened their shells, as you would expect this greatly decreased the Osprey’s population. In fact, a study by K.E. Clark et al estimated that the pre-DDT population in New Jersey was between 350-400 pairs and in 1975 it plummeted to only 66 pairs (Clark)! I’m getting ahead of myself though. Before I tell you about the hardships encountered by the Osprey, you must first have a respect for them. I don’t know to what extents you would go to for a chance at breeding, but the Osprey seems to have no limits. Over the winter months (non-breeding), the Osprey is found typically in Central and South America and as far north as the southeastern U.S. However, come spring time these birds migrate north, inhabiting most of Canada and the east coast of the U.S. for the summer. They travel thousands of miles twice a year for a chance at breeding and to raise their young in hospitable habitats. For an adult Osprey nearing old age, (15-20 years) it will have traveled up to 160,000 miles in its lifetime just to breed (all about birds)! You can see how egg shell thinning by DDT is such a big deal! Now you understand the level of investment the Osprey puts into their offspring.

In Pamela C. Toschik’s article, “Effects of Contaminant Exposure on Reproductive Success of Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Nesting in Delaware River and Bay, USA” eggs were collected from 39 nests to look for various contaminants. All of the study’s together had at least one young Osprey fledge in 66-75% of the nests. They concluded that “contaminant concentrations were predictive of hatching success” and thus it is still a major stress for the productivity of Osprey (Toschik). Since contaminations are still such a major concern, researchers like Robert A. Grover are using the Osprey as an “sentinel species”, a species to get a broad idea of what the contaminants can do to other species. In an article by Grover he states that the Osprey is a perfect organism to study because contaminates effect the birds immune system, reproduction, behavior, and anatomically through bird defects. Thus, it is a good model species to get a better understanding of broad effects of chemical contaminants on Avian (bird) species. The study did show that populations have recovered nearly everywhere (even in some of the most polluted era) from the initial DDT destruction (Grove).

            Now that you have an understanding for the level of perseverance displayed by the Osprey you cannot help but have respect for these birds. Although they have undergone many hardships, they have rebounded. Although contamination is still a major concern for the Osprey and many animals, we now know how important it is to limit the contaminants and keep our waters clean.

References

1. Clark, K.E., et al. “Changes in Contaminant Levels in New Jersey Osprey Eggs and Prey, 1989 to 1998” Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 40 (2001): 277-284. Web. http://www.pdcbank.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/literature/osprey-contaminant-levels_1989-1998.pdf

2. Grove, Robert A., et al. “Osprey: Worldwide Sentinel Species for Assessing and Monitoring Environmental Contamination in Rivers, Lakes, Reservoirs, and Estuaries.” Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health 12b (2009): 25-44. Web. http://www.pdcbank.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/ensp/pdf/literature/osprey-contaminant-levels_1989-1998.pdf

3. Toschik, Pamela C., et al. “Effects of Contaminant Exposure on Reproductive Success of Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) Nesting in Delaware River and Bay, USA.” Environmental Toxicology and Chemsitry 24.3 (2005): 29. Web.

4. All About Birds. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, N.D. Web. 16 March 2014.

5. Kruitbosch, Scott. “Osprey at sandy beach.” Photograph. Long Island Sound Study. Osprey Makes Comeback, n.d. Web. 16 March 2014.

6. BBC. “Ospreys Catching Fish-The Animal’s Guide to Britain, Episode 1 Preview-BBC Two”. Video. YouTube. YouTube, 13 April 2011. Web. 16 March 2014.