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There are more than 24 rattlesnake species and all of them have that most-famous feature: the rattle! The rattle is found at the tip of the rattlesnake's tail. The snake uses the rattle to warn potential aggressors to back off or to distract prey. The famous rattle noise comes from the sound created when hollow and bony doughnutlike segments in the rattle bang together.

As rattlesnakes age, segments on the end of the rattle wear out and break off. New segments grow when the rattlesnake sheds its skin, or molts. Like other snakes, rattlesnakes don't have ears and can't hear most sounds. They detect movement by sensing vibrations in the ground. Their eyes see well even in low light.

The rattlesnake's triangular head contains a hollow spot between the eyes and nostrils called a pit. This pit is actually a sensory organ that helps the rattlesnake hunt in darkness by detecting body heat.

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Rattlesnakes live in many places and habitats in the Western Hemisphere, from mountains to deserts and plains. There are more than 24 rattlesnake species and all of them have that most-famous feature: the rattle! The rattle is found at the tip of the rattlesnake's tail.

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Thought to be some of the smartest animals on Earth, bottlenose dolphins send messages to one another in many different ways. They squeak, squawk and use body language—leaping as high as 20 feet in the air, snapping their jaws, slapping their tails on the surface of the water, blowing bubbles and ev…

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The Meerkat’s Guide to Desert Life: Adaptation and Strategy

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Giraffes | The Tallest Animals on Earth and Their Incredible Adaptations!

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All About Reindeer or Caribou for Kids: Reindeer Facts and Information for Children - FreeSchool

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Dolphins - What Type of Animal is a Dolphin? | Better Planet Education

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Dolphins - What Type of Animal is a Dolphin? - Many kinds of dolphins and porpoises are sociable animals and live in schools varying in size from a small family group to around 1,000 individuals.

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Structural and Behavioral Adaptations of Snowy Owl

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External Structures of Animals – Elephants

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Fascinating Seahorses: Unique Adaptations, Intriguing Behaviors, and Conservation Challenges.

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Camels| Camel| Camels Adaptation| Adaptation In Camels| Camel Adaptation #adaptation #Camels #Camels

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WWF protects sea turtles from bycatch, illegal trade, and habitat loss through global conservation and advocacy efforts.

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WWF helps protect leatherback, green, and hawksbill turtles in Indonesia, Ecuador, and Fiji—reducing threats and restoring habitats.

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ANIMALS ADAPTATION | How Adaptation In Animals Work? | The Dr Binocs Show | Peekaboo Kidz

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Animal Adaptations - Adaptation and Survival - Animal Adaptations for Kids - Learning Junction

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I’m so fascinated by animals! Today I wanted to talk about Seahorses – a type of fish that live in the shallow waters of oceans and seas around the world. They are known for their unique appearance…

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Seahorses: Facts, Diet, Threats | RoundGlass Sustain | Roundglass | Sustain

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All you need to know about seahorses. Facts, diet, threats and more on these well camouflaged marine fish.

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You'll find seahorses in the world's tropical and temperate coastal waters, swimming upright among seaweed and other plants. Seahorses use their dorsal fins (back fins) to propel slowly forward. To move up and down, seahorses adjust the volume of air in their swim bladders, which is an air pocket inside their bodies.

Tiny, spiny plates cover seahorses' bodies all the way down to their curled, flexible tails. The tail can grasp objects, helpful when seahorses want to anchor themselves to vegetation.

A female seahorse lays dozens, sometimes hundreds, of eggs in a pouch on the male seahorse's abdomen. After seahorse moms make their eggs, they pass them over to the males to carry until the young are released. When it's time to give birth, the dad pumps water through the pouch, releasing hundreds of fry, or baby seahorses, in just a few minutes. Called a brood pouch, it resembles a kangaroo's pouch for carrying young. Seahorses young hatch after up to 45 days in the brood pouch. The baby seahorses, each about the size of a jelly bean, find other baby seahorses and float together in small groups, clinging to each other using their tails. Unlike kangaroos, baby seahorses do not return to the pouch. They must find food and hide from predators as soon as they're born.

Take this fun quiz to see how much you know about seahorses.

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Seahorses are tiny fishes that are named for the shape of their head, which looks like the head of a tiny horse. There are at least 50 species of seahorses. You'll find them in the world's tropical and temperate coastal waters, swimming upright among seaweed and other plants.

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Octopuses are sea animals famous for their rounded bodies, bulging eyes, and eight long arms. They live in all the world's oceans but are especially abundant in warm, tropical waters. Octopuses, like their cousin, the squid, are often considered "monsters of the deep," though some species, or types, occupy relatively shallow waters.

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Octopuses are sea animals famous for their rounded bodies, bulging eyes, and eight long arms. They live in all the world's oceans but are especially abundant in warm, tropical waters. Octopuses, like their cousin, the squid, are often considered "monsters of the deep," though some species, or types, occupy relatively shallow waters.

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The Fish That Quit Horsing Around | RoundGlass Sustain | Roundglass | Sustain

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Having evolved 25 million years ago, seahorses are unparalleled in their body structure, behaviour and ecology

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All About Dolphins for Kids: Dolphins for Children - FreeSchool

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Although California has a number of rattlesnake species, only four of them are found in San Diego County. While rattlesnakes locally may be found from the coast to the desert, each species varies in color and behavior, depending on their habitat.

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Wild Rattlesnake Facts

Rattlesnake Facts

The length of a rattlesnake's rattle does NOT tell you how old the snake is. Rattlesnakes gain a new rattle segment each time they shed, which may occur more than once in a season, depending on how fast they grow.

Baby rattlesnakes do not have a rattle. They are born with what is called a hard "button". They begin to form their rattle as they grow and shed, forming a new rattle segment each time.

Rattlesnakes have heat-sensing pits under their nostrils, which they use like binocular vision to locate warm-blooded prey.

Rattlesnakes are ovoviviparous, meaning they hold their eggs internally and then give birth to live young.

Rattlesnakes mate in late summer, but females do not give birth until the following fall. Females do not usually travel or hunt during this time, which means they can go over a year without eating!

Rattlesnakes in British Columbia can move relatively great distances over a summer. They have been documented up to four kilometers away from their den sites!

Rattlesnake dens are called hibernaculums

Rattlesnakes are constantly growing a new set of fangs

Biting is a reflex action that can occur even after a snake is dead. Do not touch a rattlesnake, dead or alive

Identification

The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake ( Crotalus oreganus oreganus) is the only rattlesnake found in British Columbia and one of only three remaining rattlesnake species in all of Canada. Rattlesnakes can grow to just over one meter in length and can weigh up to about 900 grams. They range in colour from olive-green to tan, with dark blotches along their backs. The blotches turn into alternating dark and light bands near their tail, which ends in a rattle in adults.

Other snakes such as the non-venomous Great Basin gopher snake ( Pituophis catenifer deserticola) and Western terrestrial garter snake ( Thamnopshis elegans vagrans) are often mistaken for a rattlesnake, and vice versa. While there are fundamental physical differences between the two snake species, they may look similar from a distance or when moving through vegetation. However, only the adult rattlesnake has a rattle. Below are some ways to differentiate the two snakes. Note that many juvenile snakes in BC also have blotches similar to a rattlesnake until they mature (e.g. yellow-bellied racer, Great Basin gopher snake, Western terrestrial garter snake). Visit www.bcreptiles.ca/snakes to learn more about different snakes in BC.

Although the two snakes have similar colouration, gopher snakes tend to be tan in colour (a cream-yellow to grey-yellow) with dark brown-black blotches. Rattlesnakes range in colour from olive-green to tan, with dark blotches along their backs. The blotches on a rattlesnake turn into alternating dark and light (often white) bands near their tail, which ends in a rattle. The blotches on a gopher snake appear to turn into bands towards the tail, but are not necessarily as distinctive as on a rattlesnake. In addition to square-like blotches along the spine, gopher snakes may have blotches along their sides as well.

Gopher snakes have a black 'mask' on their face; the black band stretches across the eyes from each corner of the mouth.

Rattlesnakes have a triangular-shaped head, which is distinct from their neck and the rest of their body. Gopher snakes have a sleek head that is the same width as their neck and their body gradually widens towards the middle of their body.

A gopher snake will mimic a rattlesnake's rattle when feeling threatened. By shaking and vibrating the end of its tail in leaves and dried vegetation, it may convince you it is a rattlesnake. A very scared and threatened gopher snake may also hiss and strike out.

Biology

Rattlesnakes spend all winter in communal dens called hibernaculums. They often share these dens with other snake species from approximately October to April. When they emerge in the spring, they travel from their dens to well-used foraging grounds where they feed primarily on small mammals, before returning to den sites in the fall. Pregnant females, however, remain close to their den site in areas known as 'gestation sites' or 'rookeries' for the entire summer. There they will regulate their body temperature carefully and gestate their young. They mate in late summer, and do not give birth to their live young until the following fall. This means they may go over a year without eating! Due to how energetically costly this process is, females only mate every two to three years.

These animals are extremely sensitive to human encroachment, and unfortunately experience the added pressure of road kill and direct persecution by humans. Rattlesnakes in BC are considered 'threatened' under federal legislation and are 'Blue listed' provincially. It is illegal to harm, kill, or capture a rattlesnake in BC.

Rattlesnakes are passive predators, often waiting for prey to find them. They locate prey by sensing the prey's body heat through their facial heat pits. Once prey is located, a rattlesnake strikes quickly and injects the prey with venom through its long, hollow fangs. Their prey includes shrews, deer mice, voles, pocket gophers, wood rats, marmots, squirrels, the occasional bird, and rarely, other snakes.

Behaviour

The rattlesnake is a member of the pit viper family and although it is venomous, it is generally shy and non-aggressive. If cornered, however, rattlesnakes will rattle their tails vigorously while forming an aggressive coil with the head raised and the neck. Striking is a last resort, usually employed if cornered by a predator or occasionally when suddenly stepped on.

Range and Habitat

Rattlesnakes in BC are found in the province's dry south-central interior valleys. They live in a variety of habitats, from open forests to riparian areas. Often you will find them among sage brush and antelope brush in shrub-steppe habitat. They overwinter in communal dens (called hibernacula), often with other snake species. These can be usually be found in south-west facing talus slopes and rock slides.

Map Source:

COSEWIC. 2015. COSEWIC assessment and status report on the Western Rattlesnake Crotalus oreganus in Canada. Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Ottawa.

Reporting Rattlesnakes

If you encounter a rattlesnake and you would like to add this information to the Province's database for conservation research, please use the form located here:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/plants-animals-ecosystems/wildlife/wildlife-data-information/submit-wildlife-data-information

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Rattlesnake Snapshot Wild Facts Safety Conflict Reduction Resources Rattlesnake Snapshot The Northern Pacific Rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus oreganus) is the only rattlesnake found in BC and one of only three remaining rattlesnake species in Canada. They are generally found in the ... Read More

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Southern Lingnan series: Chinese white dolphin

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Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin - Whale and Dolphin Conservation

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Sousa chinensis species guide - Found in tropical waters, the colour of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin varies across its range from white or pink to grey.

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The Adventures of Scuba Jack-LEARN TO READ!

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Killer Whale Facts: The Ocean's Most Feared Predator

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Common Name:

Orca (Killer Whale)

Scientific Name:

Orcinus orca

Average Life Span In The Wild:

50 to 80 years

Size relative to a bus:

What are orcas?

Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators. They're immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring. Smart and social, orcas make a wide variety of communicative sounds, and each pod has distinctive noises that its members will recognize even at a distance. They use echolocation to communicate and hunt, making sounds that travel underwater until they encounter objects, then bounce back, revealing their location, size, and shape.

( Learn more about the unique culture of killer whales.)

Hunting and diet

Though they often frequent cold, coastal waters, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator. They're at the top of the food chain and have very diverse diets, feasting on fish, penguins, and marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches long. They are known to grab seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds.

Orcas hunt in deadly pods, family groups of up to 40 individuals. There appear to be both resident and transient pod populations of orcas. These different groups may prey on different animals and use different techniques to catch them. Resident pods tend to prefer fish, while transient pods target marine mammals. All pods use effective, cooperative hunting techniques that some liken to the behavior of wolf packs.

Reproduction

Orcas are protective of their young, and other adolescent females often assist the mother in caring for them.

( Learn more about how grandmother orcas care for their children's offspring.)

Mothers give birth every three to ten years, after a 17-month pregnancy. They give birth to one baby at a time, which may nurse for up to two years. In most cases, the bond between juvenile and mother will eventually weaken, and the young orca will go its own way, but in some pods, the juvenile may stay with the pod it was born into its entire life.

Orcas in captivity

Orcas are highly intelligent, social mammals that have long been a part of marine park entertainment, performing shows for audiences. However, it's become increasingly clear that orcas do not thrive in captivity.

They have evolved to swim up to 40 miles a day, foraging for food and exercising. They dive 100 to 500 feet, several times a day, every day. Whether they're born in the wild or in captivity, all orcas born have the same innate drive to swim far and dive deep. Artificial enclosures in captivity cannon offer that kind of range to orcas, contributing to boredom and stress. Orcas have been seen to develop stereotypies, also known as zoochosis-repetitive patterns of activity that have no obvious function, which range from self-mutilation to rocking and swaying. Usually related to stress and inappropriate habitats, stereotypic behavior has been documented in orcas in scientific research since the late 1980s.

In the wild, orcas live in tight-knit family groups that share a sophisticated, unique culture that is passed down through generations, research has shown. In captivity, orcas are kept in artificial social groups. Captive-born orcas are often transferred between facilities, breaking up social relationships. The stress of social disruption is compounded by the fact that orcas in captivity don't have the ability to escape conflict with other orcas, or to engage in natural swimming behaviors in pools.

In 2013, the documentary film Blackfish laid bare the psychological toll of captivity, through the story of a wild-caught orca named Tilikum who had killed two trainers at SeaWorld Orlando. The film included testimony from former SeaWorld trainers and cetacean specialists, who argued that Tilikum's stress directly led to his aggression towards humans.

Did you know?

Orcas pass their unique behaviors, like dialects, hunting strategies, and social dynamics, from generation to generation.
- National Geographic

To catch their prey, pods or orcas will engage in intricate and coordinate hunting maneuvers, forcing a group of fish to the water's surface.
- National Geographic

These hunters are so fierce, they can successfully kill a blue whale, the largest animal on Earth.
- National Geographic

Two South African orcas, Port and Starboard, have been observed removing sharks' livers with near surgical precision.
- National Geographic

Orcas are just one of a handful of mammals that go through menopause. Scientists think grandmother orcas may have evolved this trait to help raise their "grandcalves."
- National Geographic

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Common Name: Orca (Killer Whale) Scientific Name: Orcinus orca Average Life Span In The Wild: 50 to 80 years Size relative to a bus: Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators. They're immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring.

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The " mimicking miracle octopus " earns its weighty name. This new-to-science cephalopod, found in shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific, is a master impersonator, taking on the appearance and behavior of venomous or bad-tasting creatures to foil would-be predators.

What's most unusual is the range of the mimic octopus's repertoire: Most animal mimics impersonate just one animal-the mimic octopus impersonates several, and can switch between them rapidly.

Protection When Feeding

Like other mimics, the octopus changes its coloring to disguise itself. More unusually, it can also contort its body to take on the appearance and behavior of several animals, including the lionfish, jellyfish, sea snake, a shrimp, a crab, and others.

To mimic the sea snake, for example, the octopus tucks into a hole, sticking just two arms out (that display black bands) and rippling them in opposite directions, mimicking a snake's movement. Even more remarkably, the cephalopod only takes the form of a sea snake when bothered by damselfish-who are preyed on by sea snakes.

The need for mimicry as protection may come from when and how the mimic octopus feeds. It forages in broad daylight, foraging on open sand flats, where it's exposed and vulnerable, for crustaceans and fish. At night, it hides in a burrow.

Reproduction

During mating, the males hold onto the females and use their mating arm, called a hectocotylus, to insert a sperm sac, called a spermatophore, into the main body, or the mantle, of the female. The sac is placed in a holding area for a few months later when the female lays its eggs, which have been fertilized by the sperm in the packet on their way out of the female's body. The male dies a few months after mating and the female dies a short time after laying eggs.

The mimic octopus was discovered in 1998 off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia. Most sightings have come from that country, though it's been spotted as far afield as the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

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The " mimicking miracle octopus " earns its weighty name. This new-to-science cephalopod, found in shallow waters of the Indo-Pacific, is a master impersonator, taking on the appearance and behavior of venomous or bad-tasting creatures to foil would-be predators.

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Common Name:

Common Octopus

Scientific Name:

Octopus vulgaris

Average Life Span In The Wild:

1 to 2 years

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

The common octopus would be unique for its appearance alone, with its massive bulbous head, large eyes, and eight distinctive arms. But by far the most striking characteristic of the octopus is the wide array of techniques it uses to avoid or thwart attackers.

Camouflage

Its first-and most amazing-line of defense is its ability to hide in plain sight. Using a network of pigment cells and specialized muscles in its skin, this invertebrate can almost instantaneously match the colors, patterns, and even textures of its surroundings. Predators such as sharks, eels, and dolphins swim by without even noticing it.

Ink

When discovered, an octopus will release a cloud of black ink to obscure its attacker's view, giving it time to swim away. The ink even contains a substance that dulls a predator's sense of smell, making the fleeing octopus harder to track.

Evasive Behavior

Fast swimmers, they can jet forward by expelling water through their mantles. And their soft bodies can squeeze into impossibly small cracks and crevices where predators can't follow. The octopus can also squeeze through any hole that's not smaller than its beak, the only hard part of its body.

If all else fails, an octopus can lose an arm to escape a predator's grasp and regrow it later with no permanent damage. They also have beaklike jaws that can deliver a nasty bite, and venomous saliva, used mainly for subduing prey.

Range, Size, and Diet

Considered the most intelligent of all invertebrates, the common octopus is found in the tropical and temperate waters of the world's oceans. They can grow to about 4.3 feet in length and weigh up to 22 pounds, although averages are much smaller. They prey on crabs, crayfish, and mollusks, and will sometimes use their ink to disorient their victims before attacking.

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Common Name: Common Octopus Scientific Name: Octopus vulgaris Average Life Span In The Wild: 1 to 2 years Size relative to a 6-ft man: The common octopus would be unique for its appearance alone, with its massive bulbous head, large eyes, and eight distinctive arms. But by far the most striking characteristic of the octopus is the wide array of techniques it uses to avoid or thwart attackers.