NILE CROCODILE

Nile crocodiles are one of the largest crocodiles in the world. Once a prey falls within their range it’s very hard to escape from their jaws of death. Crocodiles are called as ancient reptiles. Nile crocodiles always try to attack any animal that is seen in their river bank. Every year when the migrating herds of animals cross the river banks in search of vegetation these crocodiles will get the opportunity for a very big feast. Although they are fierce looking creatures their maternal instincts are strong. Mothers take their newly hatched babies very gently in the mouth to release them to the water. It will take about fifteen years for a baby crocodile to get big enough to tackle a wildebeest. During the first stages of their life insects constitute their major diet. Adult male crocodiles are sometimes known to eat the newly hatched baby crocodiles from their nest.Should you wish to learn more, Phoenix College offers online courses in zoology, embryology, veterinary medicine, and other related disciplines.

THAT FRIENDLY FIGHT

A friendly fight can sometimes turn to a serious violent fight. These things are likely to happen in any ones life. I had a fight with one of my friends in a beach some days before. It was very much like a friendly fight before I got a nasty blow on my stomach unintentionally from him. The pain of that blow forced me to give him a slap on his face and immediately the situation got worse. Soon the rest of our friends intervened in the matter and that prevented both of us from getting badly injured. After the fight I felt really bad and I came back to my home. It’s always a sad feeling when friends fight each other for no reason. After thinking a lot about the matter at my home I realized that if I could resist beating him after I got that unintentional blow at that time, then the situation would not have been that much worse. That night I called him in his telephone and we talked a lot consoling each other. So now I am very happy to inform you that we are good friends again.

MY MOLLY FISH

One of the female black molly fishes in my aquarium gave birth today. Surprisingly, there are more than forty babies. This is the first time that a molly fish in my aquarium giving birth to over forty babies. She was heavily pregnant last night and I expected her to deliver soon. So I carefully separated her from the rest of the fishes to a small planted tank. Most of the baby fishes are pure black in color and some of them are having white spots. Mollies usually give birth to bigger babies compared to other livebearers and my black molly is also not different. She has been in my aquarium for more than two and a half years and within this time she had given birth many times.

WILD BOAR

Wild boar hunting is enjoyed as a great sport in many parts of Britain. About three hundred years ago these boars were extinct in Britain. After that they were reintroduced from many other countries. But now they are again facing the threat of extinction in Britain due to over hunting. Wild boars belong to the pig family and are very aggressive in nature. Hunters usually head off to hunting riding their horses and accompanied by a large number of dogs. The duty of the dogs is to chase the boars and attack them. After exhausting the boars the dogs move off keeping a safe distance from the boar, this allows the hunter to shoot the boar. Wild boars have been blamed for destroying agricultural fields and spreading many diseases. In some cases the hunted boars are just offered as food to the dogs and such hunters have no special reason for hunting them other than as a sport. They are also hunted for meat by many hunters. Adult wild boars are known to kill tigers and wolves in self defense. They have been also known to kill many hunters who failed to shoot them at the right time during the hunt. These animals are really endangered in many parts of the world.

MONTH OF RAMADAN

Its two days since the month of Ramadan has started. Like all years before I am going to be fully dedicated to god this month. I feel a little lazy to wake up early in the morning to have my food after which the fasting starts. The last two days fasting was not much tiresome, may be because I didn’t go out for any work. I hope I could go regularly for the late evening prayers this time also. My whole family except my grandmother is going to fast for this month. My grandma can’t fast as she is too old and weak to do it. After the late evening prayers I used to be with my friends in the mosque. These prayers are called as tarawhee. It’s really a different feeling avoiding food, water and many desires from dawn until dusk for a month.

CHOICE OF FISHES FOR AN AQUARIUM

The type of fishes that you choose for your aquarium is a very important matter before setting an aquarium. Most beginners don’t have a clear idea about the type of fishes which lives well with their aquarium. It’s always good to start with less expensive fishes. If you go with expensive fishes, as beginners you may not know whether they are comfortable with your aquarium or whether they are having any signs of weakness and so if the fishes die because of inadequate care then it will be a big loss of money for you. When you choose fancy goldfishes for your aquarium you should ensure that there are no other small fishes in your tank which have the habit of disturbing these fishes. Some fishes like barbs and mollies which are relatively small in size have the habit of irritating and nipping the fins of fishes having long flowing fins. These small fishes always get attracted to the striking colors and long fins of goldfishes and so they may keep on nipping their fins which may eventually turn to the death of these goldfishes. Also if you are having swordtail fishes then it’s good to have a proper covering on top of your aquarium because swordtails are excellent jumpers. Angel fishes are very efficient in stalking and so if you put them in a community tank then other baby fishes are likely to be eaten by them even if those baby fishes hide between aquatic plants. Catfishes like sucker catfishes feed on the excretory wastes of other fishes and so you can use them as natural cleaners. Aquatic fishes like guppies, mollies, platies and swordtails are the best fishes if you are a beginner because they are easy to care and are relatively inexpensive.

LIVING IN A PRIDE

Wild animals which live as a group get some significant advantages compared to other animals. Being in a pride lions doesn’t face any big threats. When a solitary hunter like a cheetah or a tiger gets injured it won’t be able to hunt and will most probably starve to death if the injury won’t get healed within some days. But when a lion within a pride gets injured, it will be allowed to take a share from the kill made by the other members and so it won t have any problems filling its stomach. When lions hunt they act as one and that’s why they are able to kill huge sized prey animals. Lions are even known to bring down adult elephants. Lionesses within a particular pride will be closely related and so the cubs in the pride will be allowed to suckle from all the mothers in the pride. The dominant male lion which is the leader of the pride don’t take part in the hunting process most often. He may seem to be lazy, but it’s when the tranquility of the pride breaks that the male lion shows his real strength. He is the one who protects the entire pride from other intruder lions and he is the one who kills hyenas which are the biggest enemies of lions. A good pride will always be well fed and the cubs in the pride will have a high chance in reaching adulthood. It’s because of this team work that the lions are the most dominant and powerful predators

SWORDTAIL FISHES

Swordtail fishes are one of the most loved aquatic fishes. They are called swordtails because of the sword like extension of the tail found in male swordtails. However females have normal tails. They are excellent community fishes and are found in wide range of colors like red,green,white,purple ,black etc.other varieties like pineapple swordtails,hifin swordtails are also available. Blood red swordtail fishes are really exciting to watch because of their eye capturing coloration.Lyretail swordtails having double sword like structures on their tail and hifin swordtails having long fins have high commercial value. Swordtail fishes love planted aquarium and they enjoy being in a large group. When you keep three or four in a small tank one male usually becomes dominant among the other males and he can really hurt the others, by maintaining a large number the aggression gets shared. Male swordtails use their sword like tails to attract mates and also to fight with other males. They really love eating tubifex worms and flake foods. Platy fishes are closely related to swordtails and are known to mate with swordtails. Swordtails are generally easy to care and are excellent fishes for beginners

FANTAILS

I bought a pair of fantail pigeons yesterday. Both of them are pure white in color and are stunning to watch. I have a wooden cage for them and they seem to be very satisfied with their new home. I wish I could breed many fantail pigeons with this pair and I am really enjoying watching them every time. It will take some time before they get used to the new conditions and I am sure that slowly and steadily we will be in good company. The female pigeon seems to have a good appetite; she is taking food as much as I give her. The male always moves close to her and he is very watchful of his mate. They should be given good care since they are very different from ordinary pigeons

AQUATIC PLANTS

It’s very important to set some plants in an aquarium. Aquatic plants offer the fishes with food and oxygen. To maintain the plants in a healthy state its best to keep the aquarium in a place where there is adequate light. Like all plants aquatic plants take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen. So in some aquariums carbon dioxide pumps are used to provide them with adequate carbon dioxide. When an aquarium is well planted newly born baby fishes will have plenty of hiding places and this will save them from being eaten by other fishes. Planting aquatic plants in a glass tank adds to the beauty of an aquarium greatly. Live bearing aquatic fishes love planted aquariums while fishes like gold fishes and carps eat these plants in large amounts so in presence of these fishes some aquatic plants may be harmed. Many fishes lay their eggs on the leaves of these plants and so if you want your fishes to lay eggs your aquarium should be properly planted.

HYENA

Hyenas are one of the most cunning and excellent opportunists in the wild. A hyena spots weakness in a prey animal earlier than any other predator does. They never miss a chance for an easy meal and will try any means to fill their stomach including stealing other predator’s kill. There is a great hatred between lions and hyenas, with team work hyenas can be a big threat to lions. Their jaws are designed for superior crushing strength and can completely feed on a carcass including the toughest bones. So they are one of the nature’s greatest cleaners. A pack of hyenas will be led by a dominant female called the matriarch. The matriarch and her offspring will have high privileges in the pack. Male lions kill hyenas whenever they get an opportunity and hyenas also attack lions when they have the advantage. Hyenas are highly adaptable since they can hunt and scavenge. Hyenas are sometimes called laughing animals because of the laugh like strange sounds that they make.

GUPPY

Guppies are one of the most popular aquarium fishes. They are known for the brilliant coloration of male guppies. Females are less attractive and usually grow to larger size than males. They are excellent fishes for beginners and most people enjoy breeding them since they give birth to over 20 babies in every 3 to 4 weeks. They are found in a wide range of colors and varieties and through selective breeding magnificent varieties of guppies are being produced. There is an international association for guppy breeders called the international fancy guppy association. These small fishes are really loved by most aquarists and many small children take it as a hobby breeding guppies. Its best to keep these fishes as a group and with a 20 L aquarium about 10 guppies can be kept easily. It’s best to keep lesser number of males as compared to females. Guppies eat a variety of foods like flakes and worms. They really love eating live tubifex worms and that’s the best food if you want your guppies to grow faster. Guppies can be released in small ponds and wells where mosquitoes are likely to breed, so that the guppies will eat all the mosquito larvae.

CAPE BUFFALO

African buffaloes are also known as cape buffaloes. Their massive size and aggressive nature makes it very hard for predators to hunt them. Other than lions they don’t have any big enemies. Lions usually hunt them together as it is not possible for a single lion to bring down an adult buffalo. They are known to be extremely unpredictable which makes them very different from their Asian counterparts. They kill more people in Africa than any other animal does and because of this aggressive nature these buffaloes cannot be domesticated. Cape buffaloes move as a well packed herd with a dominant male leading the herd and the calves will be shielded by the adults. Lions usually hunt them by separating the herd and isolating one of them. Even if they become separated during hunts they organize soon and will try to rescue a member that has been caught. They have been known to inflict fatal injuries to lions, which makes it very risky for any predator to hunt them.

ENDANGERED

There are many animals in our world which are facing the threat of extinction. The cheetah is one among them. Destruction of natural habitat is the main cause for the decline of population of many animals. But in the cheetah’s case other wild animals are also a big cause for the threats they are facing. Lions kill cheetah cubs without hesitation whenever they find them. Other predators like hyenas also hunt cheetah cubs if possible.Although the cheetah is the fastest land animal it is very inferior to most of the big cats and other predators in terms of physical strength. A full grown cheetah can never defend its cubs against a lioness and if within range even adult cheetahs are easily killed by lions. This seemingly cruel act may be because the lions don’t want any competition in hunting for prey. Most of the cheetah hunts are successful because of their superior speed but the prey that they killed can be easily snatched away by lions or hyenas. Efforts are done by many organizations like raising them in captivity, protecting them against poachers etc to improve their population.

BETTA

The Siamese fighting fish which is also called as Betta is always known for its brilliant coloration and long fins. They are found in many colors and varieties. As the name suggests male bettas are fierce fighters. A betta seems to be very calm when he lives with other types of fishes in an aquarium. But it’s when you put two males together in a tank that he shows his real fighting nature. A fight between two male bettas will only end with one’s death. A male betta may be a deadly fighter, but he is a good father too, because after spawning with a female he is the one who protects the eggs. A male betta usually likes to live a solitary life. They are easy to keep since a male betta requires only a small container of water and these fishes can live even in poor oxygen conditions. Many people enjoy their fights and making these fishes fight is taken as a sport in some countries.

LIGER

A liger is the offspring of a male lion and female tiger. Ligers can be bred only in captivity since lions and tigers live in different regions in the wild. A liger is much larger than both of its parents. , actually the liger is the largest cat in the world. Most of them weigh more than 500 kilos. From the image itself we can understand how massive this cat is. They have the color almost similar to a lion with light stripes in its body. Ligers would be stunning if they are released in the wild. But its character, that is whether it lives socially as its father or as a solitary hunter like its mother is unknown. Also because of its massive size a liger will find it very hard to generate good speed and as a result most of their hunts will end in failure. So scientists believe that ligers can live only in captivity.

LIVEBEARERS

Live bearers are fishes that give birth to fully developed free swimming babies.Platies, swordtails, guppies and mollies are some of the common colorful live bearing aquatic fishes. They are ideal fishes for beginners. Many aquarists enjoy breeding them and even small children can raise them easily. An interesting fact about live bearers is that it’s very hard to stop them from breeding. They give birth in every 3 to 4 weeks, but the parents won’t take any role in caring for their babies and may even try to eat them. So it’s best to keep these fishes in a well planted aquarium. These small fishes are very active and are always wonderful to watch. Anyone with a small tank can easily raise them. Since the males of these fishes always chase females trying to mate, it’s best to keep lesser number of males as compared to females. Otherwise they won’t give the females any rest. Female live bearers are capable of giving birth 3 or 4 times even after a single mating.

BLACK MAMBA

We all know that snakes are venomous and deadly. Normally snakes attack humans to save their lives. There is a snake in Africa called as black mamba. It’s one of Africa’s most feared and dangerous snakes. Most Africans have many stories to tell about black mambas. Can u imagine a snake which chases u and attack? These black mambas are known for that. They are really aggressive when threatened and will straightly go for the attack. There are many strange stories related to black mambas like getting into houses and attacking each and everyone in the house, chasing people for long distances and so on. But there are no solid evidences for all these things. They have been blamed for many deaths in Africa .Anyway, I had never seen a black mamba and if I get an opportunity to see one, I would like to check whether they have this strange behavior.

My ride

It’s always enjoyable to ride a motorbike through highway roads, especially when the climate is cold and with light showers. At the same time roads can also be slippery with rain. . I like bike riding very much. Once when I was riding my bike through the highway a dog suddenly jumped across my way and before I could apply brake the bike hit the dog and I lost my balance completely. Luckily I was not injured. First I thought, that was the end of the poor dog. But the dog just got up after the encounter and ran to the other side of the road and then I saw him watching me from a fair distance. May be he was wondering whether I was injured. I was really surprised because even after hitting it with good speed the dog didn’t seem to have even the slightest pain.

RHINO

A rhinoceros is often called as rhino. These huge animals seem to be calm in nature, but they are extremely unpredictable and are known to charge at anything without provocation. As adults lions are rarely known to bring down rhinos. It’s always really funny to watch elephants and rhinos quarrel each other when they come close in search of vegetation and water. Once I even saw a small rhino trying to be aggressive against an elephant. Normally young rhinos are quite in nature, but this one was like a fire bull.