Month: December 2010

Grey Rice Rat

The Grey Rice Rat (also known as Marañon Oryzomys) is a rodent that belongs to the tribe Oryzomyini. It was first discovered in 1912, and a year later it was first formerly described by Wilfred Osgood. The limited distribution of the Grey Rice Rat The Grey Rice Rat is a big rice rat with a

Thomas’s Rice Rat

Also known as the Nicaraguan Oryzomys or the Nicaraguan Rice Rat, Thomas’s Rice Rat is a rodent that belongs to the genus Oryzomys. Not much information is known about this species, as only 3 specimens have been recovered since 1904. These specimens were all collected from south-eastern Nicaragua. The yellow dot is where Thomas's Rice

Common House Martin

Also known as the House Martin or Northern House Martin, the Common House Martin is a migratory passerine swallow that breeds in many areas around the world such as Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is one of the 2 martin species that make up the genus Delichon. The Common House Martin can be found in

Goldband fusilier

Also known as the Blacktipped fusilier, the Goldband fusilier belongs to the genus Pterocaesio. This fish is a forager which can be found in tropical reefs, between the latiitudes of 30°N and 27°S and between the longitudes of 40°E to 157°E. In other words, it can be found around reefs in the west Pacific Ocean,

Vespucci’s Rodent

Vespucci’s Rodent is an extinct rodent species that comes from Fernando de Noronha which is in north-eastern Brazil. It is thought that the Italian Explorer, Amerigo Vespucci, saw this rat while he was visiting Fernando de Noronha in 1503. unfortunately, it has become extinct. There were numerous fossils found of this animal which were dated

Southern right whale dolphin

The southern right whale dolphin is a an underwater mammal that can be found in the cool waters of the southern hemisphere. This animal was first published in 1804 by Bernard Germain de Lacepede. Other names for this creature include the Right Whale Dolphin. 2 southern right whale dolphins One of the distinguishing characteristics between

Coues’ Rice Rat

Coues’ Rice Rat or Oryzomys couesi is a semi-aquatic rat that occurs between north-western Colombia, Central America, Mexico, and southern-most Texas. This rat was first scientifically described in 1977 by Edward Alston. Coues' Rice Rat amongst vegetation Coues’ Rice Rat is a large – medium sized rat that can have a head to body length

Majungasaurus

The Majungasaurus or “Mahajanga lizard” is a genus of abelisaurid theropod dinosaurs that lived in modern-day Madagascar. It lived during the end of the Cretaceous Period, which was about 70 – 65 million years ago. Only 1 species of Majungasaurus’ have been identified thus far. The skull of a Majungasaurus The Majungasaurus was a bipedal

Red-backed Fairywren

The Red-backed Fairywren is a passerine bird that is endemic to Australia. It was first scientifically described by the Orinthologist of the National Museum of Victoria, George Mack. A Red-backed Fairywren in Noosa, Queensland There are 2 sub-species that are recognised: Malurus melanocephalus melanocephalus – this is the nominate subspecies of Red-back Fairywrens. It has

Marsh Rice Rat

A semi-aquatic rodent found in North America is the marsh rice rat. This rodent is found on the southern and eastern side of the USA as well as north-east Mexico. It was first discovered in 1816 by John Bachman, but it was only formally scientifically described in 1837. Since then, several sub-species have been described

Oryzomys

The Oryzomys is a genus of semi-aquatic rodents that belong to the Oryzomyini tribe. These rodents live in southern North America to northern South America. There are 8 species of Oryzomys in the world, 2 of which are marsh rice rats which have various ranges, some of which overlap each other. An Oryzomys palustris in

Myxobolus cerebralis

The myxosporean parasite, Myxobolus cerebralis, affects salmonoid fishes such as trout and salmon. This parasite causes a whirling disease in farmed trout and salmon, as well as in wild fish populations. It was first scientifically described from a rainbow trout specimen from Germany over 100 years ago, but this has unfortunately spread around the world

Miniopterus griveaudi

The Miniopterus griveaudi is a bat that was found on the Grande Comore and Anjouan in the Comoros and Madagascar. This bat has a forearm length of about 35 to 38 mm. It is dark brown, but sometimes it is reddish in colour. It has a tragus which is a projection like object inside its

Aylesbury Duck

One of the breeds of domesticated ducks is the Aylesbury duck, which was bred for its appearance and its meat. The origins of this duck is unclear, but raising white ducks became popular in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, England during the 18th century due to demand of the Aylesbury duck’s white feathers for quilts. During the 19th

Lavanify

The Lavanify is a genus of mammals from Madagascar that dates back to the Maastrichtian era in the late Cretaceous period, which was about 71 – 66 million years ago. Only one species is recognised, and is known from just 2 teeth which were collected in the mid-1990’s. This animal is a member of the