Jaguar. The jaguar (/ˈdʒæɡwɑr/ or UK /ˈdʒæɡjuː.ər/), Panthera onca, is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southwestern United States and Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina. Apart from a known and possibly breeding population in Arizona (southeast of Tucson), the cat has largely been extirpated from the United States since the early 20th century. The jaguar is a near threatened species and its numbers are declining.
Threats include loss and fragmentation of habitat. While international trade in jaguars or their parts is prohibited, the cat is still frequently killed by humans, particularly in conflicts with ranchers and farmers in South America. Etymology Taxonomy and evolution Asian ancestry Geographical variation Biology and behavior. Snake. Most species are nonvenomous and those that have venom use it primarily to kill and subdue prey rather than for self-defense. Some possess venom potent enough to cause painful injury or death to humans. Nonvenomous snakes either swallow prey alive or kill by constriction.
Etymology The English word snake comes from Old English snaca, itself from Proto-Germanic *snak-an- (cf. Evolution The fossil record of snakes is relatively poor because snake skeletons are typically small and fragile, making fossilization uncommon. Based on comparative anatomy, there is consensus that snakes descended from lizards.[5]:11[12] Pythons and boas—primitive groups among modern snakes—have vestigial hind limbs: tiny, clawed digits known as anal spurs, which are used to grasp during mating.[5]:11[13] The Leptotyphlopidae and Typhlopidae groups also possess remnants of the pelvic girdle, sometimes appearing as horny projections when visible. Modern snakes greatly diversified during the Paleocene.
Origins Taxonomy. Bird of prey. Birds of prey, also known as raptors, hunt and feed on other animals. The term "raptor" is derived from the Latin word rapere (meaning to seize or take by force).[1] These birds are characterized by keen vision that allows them to detect prey during flight and powerful talons and beaks. In most cases, the females are larger than the males. Because of their predatory nature, they face distinct conservation concerns. Definition[edit] Classification by ancestry[edit] Strigidae: (typical owls)Tytonidae: (barn and bay owls). The observation that otherwise unrelated bird groups may perform similar ecological roles and bear striking morphological similarities to one another is explained by the concept of convergent evolution. Common names[edit] The common names for various birds of prey are based on structure, but many of the traditional names do not reflect the evolutionary relationships between the groups.
Variations in shape and size See also[edit] References[edit] Jump up ^ Brown, Leslie (1997). How to build a survival shelter. Being a “survivor” has captured the imagination of millions of TV watchers. But a survivor is much more than a TV fantasy. A survivor is someone prepared to live—and live as healthfully as possible—when life far from home doesn’t go exactly as planned. Being prepared to survive in the outdoors starts with knowing what to be prepared for. You can live days without water and weeks without food. People who don’t survive in the outdoors most often die from losing their body heat, not necessarily from starvation or dehydration.
You need to be able to start a fire. And perhaps most importantly, you need to be able to build a shelter to stave off wind, rain and snow, and to keep your body heat trapped where it belongs: near your body. Here are the keys to taking shelter in the wilderness: Your first line of defense against the elements is the “shelter” you choose to wear. Choosing the best place to build a survival shelter is important. 1. 2. 3. 4.
Related How to Build an Igloo. The Lost Treehouse Tribes of the Rainforest. How to build a survival shelter.