One of Earth's Exotic Animals Explored #3

               Exotic  Animal in the Deep Dark Green Bush

The Creature

This interesting snake is called an Atheris also known as the Bush Snake. It is a very venomous snake. An adult snake can reach up to 3 inches long from head to tail. The species keep their rectangular head shape to help show their distinctiveness. This species of snakes come in a variety of different colors.

Food
They also  prey upon a variety of small amphibians, lizards, rodents, birds, and even other snakes, The prey is typically ambushed in a hanging position.

The habitat

Typically inhabit rain forests and places where human activity is limited.

Interesting facts

This type of species is considered on the endangered list for being over killed.

Not much is known about their venom expect that its hemotoxic.

Source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheris

One of Earth's Exotic Animals Explored #2

Exotic Animal in the Deep Dark  Blue World

The Creature

This majestic creature known as the Goblin Shark as known as a living fossil. Is a very rare breed of shark that lives in the deep blue see.. It is only related to the family of the Mitsukurinidae. The lineage of 125 million years old. The shark is 10 and 13 ft long when it is fully grown. Its jaws inside its mouth fold out and its razor sharp teeth are then displayed in a different manner.

Food
What this interesting shark eats is teleost fishes, cephalopods and crustaceans which is near the bottom of the sea floor and in the middle of the water column.





The habitat
They typically live around upper continental slopes, submarine canyons and the sea mounts through out the world at depths greater then 330ft, such adults are found deeper then the juveniles.



Interesting facts
-The shark is a very slow swimmer.
-When the shark typically catches its prey it extends its jaws and points out its teeth then begins to perform a sucking motion to impale its prey with it's teeth.
-The shark is considered an endangered animal and if caught is fined, unless you are a deep see fisherman then you have to release it immediately.(The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)).

One of Earth's Exotic Animals Explored

Have you ever stopped and thought about what all could be living on this Earth at this very moment that you have probably never                                                   seen before?  

The Creature

       I searched the web for some type of exotic specimen to show and talk about for today's blog topic. What I found was a creature named Glaucus Atlanticus "commonly known as the sea swallow, blue angel, blue glaucus, blue dragon, blue sea slug and blue ocean slug". Here is some information I found out about them on the web.

Food

   What these little guys eat is  hydrozoans (a group of animals in the same phylum as jellyfish)(" Glaucus Atlanticus",1) including the especially the highly poisonous Portuguese Man-O’-War. when ever you pick up the sea slug you might end up receiving a very painful sting, from the cnidarian venom the slug stores in its skin. Since this creature can store the poison in its tentacles hands for their own defense purposes.

The characteristics

They up to 3 centimeters in length.

Have 6 long finger like shapes on their fines.

They are blue bodies, with a gray stripe running through their back with 2 black stripes on either side.

The colors help provide a type of protective defense to help camouflage in the water, while protecting them from ultra violet lights.

Habitat and Behavior

         Live around the ocean mainly around Tropical climates. Such as  regions of East and South Coast of South Africa, European waters, the east coast of Australia and Mozambique.

The Glaucus Atlanticus typically moves around by drifting upside down on the ocean's current and breeze of the wind. Their swimming abilities are extremely slow.





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References

unknown, Glaucus Atlanticus,http://eol.org/pages/451180/details,
elo encyclopedia of life,Jul.,1, 2011,web., Feb,13,15