Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Hybrid Animals - Zebroids

Hybrid Animals - Zebroids

A Zebroid is the collective name for any zebra hybrids, and comes about when a male zebra is crossed with a female animal from the equidae family. These hybrids never occur in nature, and many zebroids can be born with a form of dwarfism and are almost always infertile. There are many different animals that would fall under the Zebroid group, including the Zorse (Zebra and a horse), Zonkey (zebra and donkey) and the zoni (zebra and pony). These remarkable animals usually have the build of the female animal, and the stripes of the male zebra, although the stripes never cover their whole bodies, and is usually limited to the feet and legs, or can be found in patches over the animals body

Hybrid Animals - Blood parrot cichlid

Hybrid Animals

Blood parrot cichlid

The blood parrot cichlid is a cichlid hybrid. It was created in Taiwan around 1986, and are produced by cross breeding a Midas cichlid with a Redhead cichlid or a Red devil cichlid. There is some controversy in the ethics when it comes to creating blood parrot cichlids, as they have several anatomical deformities, such as their mouth, which is only a small vertical opening and causes some to have difficulty feeding. Blood parrot cichlids are usually bright orange, but their color can vary to include red and yellow. Female blood parrots are usually fertile, whereas males are usually infertile, but there have been cases of successful breeding.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Mississippi Kite

Mississippi Kite
A graceful flier, this kite is agile enough to catch dragonflies on the wing!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Red-Ruffed Lemur

Red-Ruffed Lemur


This endangered lemur species lives only in northeastern Madagascar. It eats fruit, nectar, leaves, and seeds, helping to pollinate flowers when it feeds on nectar and spreads pollen that has stuck to its long nose. 

Friday, April 1, 2011

Sloth Bear adult and cub

Sloth Bear adult and cub
These reclusive Asian bears are the only bears to carry young on their backs.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Red-Crowned Crane

Red-Crowned Crane

There are two main breeding populations of this endangered crane, which mates for life. The smaller population breeds and winters on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. The larger northeast China/southeastern Russia population, numbering about 1,200 birds, winters in two or three subpopulations—both coasts of North Korea, the Demilitarized Zone, and the Jiangsu region of central China.

Asian Elephants

Asian Elephants

Born in November 2001, Kandula is the Zoo's youngest and only male Asian elephant. When he is full grown, he may weigh 11,000 pounds and be ten feet tall.