Archive for September, 2011
The Butterfly Fish Care
Butterfly fish belong to the Chaetodontidae family of fish. These fish are found in the reefs of the Indian Ocean, as well as in the warmer zones of the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. The shape of the butterfly fish is unique and is disk shaped. There are a number of sub species of butterfly fish. Banner fish and the coral fish, for example, are included in the family of butterfly fish.
The size of the butterfly fish is around 7 to 9 inches. The species of fish called African butterfly fish is however, smaller in size. They are approximately 4 inches in size. These fish are known for their dull as well bright color. The pattern on the fish is similar to that on butterfly wings. Multicolored stripes, swirls, etc. are often seen on the bodies of these fish. It is known to have splashes of white, yellow, red, orange, blue, and black color on the scales. The look of these fish often attracts a number of fish lovers. However, it is important to know about butterfly fish care before one gets it as a pet.
How to Care for Butterfly Fish?
The butterfly fish are normally good community fish. However, there can be times, when they may become intolerant. They are normally intolerant towards the surface swimming fish. Butterfly fish are known to nip the fins, which is why butterfly fish care is important. At the same time, if they are kept with small fish, they may eat the small ones. It is best to keep them in the company of fish, which are known to either swim at the bottom of the tank or in the middle of it. This will ensure there is harmony in the aquarium. It is important to make some hiding place for the fish along with the swimming areas.
One of the important points in caring for butterfly fish is getting the right type of fish tank for them. It is best to keep them in saltwater aquariums, which are shallow. The aquariums should be about 6 to 8 inches deep. It is best to keep them in aquariums, which are more in length and width as opposed to depth. This will ensure they have more surface area to swim. The temperature suitable for butterfly fish is between 77 to 82 degree Fahrenheit. The pH of water needs to be balanced at 6.5 to 7.0. Read the rest of this entry »
Greater Prairie Chicken Habitat Requirements
Greater prairie chickens are native to North America. Habitat loss caused a great decline in the number of Greater Prairie chickens and almost pushed them towards extinction. Gradually the number of these birds increased as efforts are taken to protect them from extinction. Greater Prairie chickens which goes by the binomial name (Tympanuchus cupido) belongs to the grouse family and is well-known for its mating ritual.
Great Prairie chickens are medium-sized birds. They have round black feathers with white stripes running across it. They have a short and round tail that stands erect, pointing upward. Males have a yellow patch around their neck, which they inflate while performing the courtship ritual. Females are smaller and lighter than males and they lack the yellow comb and the patch around their neck. The birds from grouse family are around 6.5 kg and are 31 to 95 cm in length. Heath Hen (extinct) , the Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) and Attwater’s Prairie Chicken are three of the subspecies that are grouped under Tympanuchus cupido. Tall grass prairies or agricultural land are the areas where these birds find comfort for displaying courtship, nesting and brooding. However, the type of habitat changes and are always ranging to vast grassy fields.
Habitat Requirements for Greater Prairie Chicken
Greater prairie choose their dwelling place as per their needs. These mainly consists of wetlands, croplands, oak stands and short grasses. Therefore, let us take a look at how the habitat changes as per their requirements.
Lekking Ground
The mating pattern of the grouse family birds is referred to as lekking. The area they choose to perform the ritual is termed as the lekking ground. Males of these species create a small territory where they perform their competitive mating ritual. The males form a small territory and periodically display their wonderful courtship. The females then come to the lekking site and selects the dominant and desirable males to proceed with the ritual.
As the birds want to make their best impression, the lekking grounds are mostly low vegetation lands. Greater Prairie chickens also use grazed hill tops, burned land, wet meadows, cultivated land needle grass fields. The Great Prairie chickens use undisturbed lands that are away from traffic and roads. Read the rest of this entry »
Interactions between Children and Cats
The presence of one or several cats in one’s home may be a very good thing for the development of one’s children. Cats can be something more than mere companions. When children interact with pets, they can learn valuable lessons of altruism, but they also have the chance to practice things such as patience and respect.
Children should be encouraged to take utmost care of the family’s pets. This may teach them how to become responsible for themselves, the others, their actions. It’s also good for children to learn at an early age how to look after another small being such as a cute, playful pet. Karen Lee Stevens, the founder of the All for Animals Association and the creator of Compassion for Critters animal protection program, says that children should take care of their pets, but still gives certain warnings in this respect. She says that regardless of their best intentions, children should not be allowed to take all by themselves care of their pets. Thus, parents must teach their children by the power of the example, how to feed their pets properly, how to play with them, handle pets, how to treat them in general. Otherwise, parents might have unpleasant surprises.
Children, in their innocence and due to the richness of their imagination, can get dangerous ideas about how to handle a pet. And of course, cats make no exception to this imminent danger. Because of that, parents must know that they are the ones who are ultimately responsible for the cat’s well-being, not their children. By acknowledging this simple fact, both cats and children can avoid being traumatized by each other.
Mieshelle Nagelschneider, another cat behavior expert, also agrees with these previously mentioned ideas. She says that by buying a cat, parents must take up the responsibility of looking after it when children fail to do that in a proper manner. Also, she stresses the idea that parents must be perfectly aware of their children’s level of responsibility before buying them a cat or any other living creature to play with and look after. Read the rest of this entry »