Well guys, this is it.

Our last passion blogs of the semester.

Can you believe it’s almost over?!

First and foremost, I’d like to take a moment to turn this blog post into a cheesy acceptance speech and thank you guys for reading it and commenting every week. I think reading about animals, for me at least, helps de-stress after a long week (or even day!). I think that’s what was so great about the passion blogs–we got a break from all of the technical, complicated work and got to write about something we were genuinely interested in. A lot of the times it was so easy to write (and read!) the passion blog posts, which is a nice refresher from most of the reading we have to do.

As for next semester, I plan to continue the current passion blog I have now. I mean it’ll be pretty hard to run out of animals to discuss, and it’s a really fun topic to write about. Unfortunately, I must switch to Miles 21 for next semester due to scheduling conflicts. 🙁 It’s been real guys.

Once again, thanks for reading. If you want a Hannah’s Passion Blog fix next semester, hit me up on Miles21.

Thanks for the wonderful blogs guys. Have a great break and holiday!

-Han

Now, I know what you’re thinking: “Hannah, you idiot, that’s obviously a sheep and not a goat! Stop lying!” I promise that I’m not lying to you—this fluffy animal is actually a member of the goat family. The origin of the Angora goat dates back to the 12^th and 15^th centuries…BC! They’re even mentioned on Sumerian cuneiform tablets and in the Bible. The “Angora” in the name is derived from Ankara, Turkey, thought to be a big fuzzy-goat breeding and raising hub during the 12^th and 15^th centuries. By 1849, these goats were introduced to the United States, among other countries.

Angora goats live an average of 18 years, growing up to be over 60 pounds (female) or more than 80 pounds (male). They, like any other goat, enjoy munching on any type of foliage, although grain is usually added when young or when a mother is pregnant in order to provide more protein that they cannot get from foraging. The healthier an angora goat’s diet, the healthier the coat will be. Angoras breed from August until January, and babies are usually weaned between 3 and 4 months of age.

They’re dubbed as the most efficient fiber-producing animal and are notorious for their long, luscious (maybe not so luscious) locks of mohair. As a kid (baby goat, not baby human), the mohair is long and silky, but as they age, it becomes more coarse. Males generally develop coarser hair faster than females and also grow hair faster than females. Wethers (castrated male goats) develop coarse hair slower than bucks (uncastrated male goats) because they do not have to “worry” about mating or keeping track of young. These domestic goats are sheared twice a year, and their coats are used to make a wide variety of products, from clothing to blankets to upholstery to curtains…the list goes on and on. Mature female angora goats can shed over 8 pounds of hair a year while males can shed over 12 pounds of hair. Their coats come in a variety of colors, such as tan, red, black, white, or combinations of a color with white. Because of human dependence on the hair and domestication of the animals, angora goats are far from endangered. They thrive at breeding facilities all around the world.

The Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat is only found in one place in the entire world—the Epping Forest National Park in Australia—where only 115 (recorded in 2005) still live in the wild and none live in captivity. They only reside on sandy terrain, another reason why the population is so limited. They dig intricate, 1 meter by 2 meter sandy mounds, most with multiple entrances. Up to ten of these species of wombat can live together in the burrow, but each burrow residence has an equal number of female and male wombats. These burrows contain multiple wombat living quarters inside of them. Females will room together while the males prefer to room solo. These burrows are quite comfortable for wombats, as their depth ensures a constant temperature and humidity level that these nocturnal species prefer.

The Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat can live for up to 23 years in the wild. Baby wombats are generally born during Australia’s rainy season (between November-April). The rainier the season, the more wombat babies born. Like other marsupials, baby wombats spend their first months chilling in mommy wombat’s pouch, generally somewhere between 8 and 9 months. By 12 months, wombat babies are all grown up and ready to venture out on their own.

On average, northern hairy-nosed wombats weigh in at 32 kg (about 70 pounds) and can grow up to a meter in length. These fuzzy (even their noses are covered in fuzz!), grey, chubby-looking creatures have broad heads and short, strong limbs that they use to burrow. They do not feed every day because they have such a low metabolism, but do enjoy foliage and a wide variety of grasses when they do so. Though these guys don’t need to eat every day, it is known that they can spend up to 6 hours a night in winter and 2 hours a day in summer munching away on grass (however, a kangaroo of their size can spend up to 18 hours a day doing the same).

Dingoes are these guys’ worst enemy, along with forest fires that wipe out their food supply, drought, and their extremely low population. However, Australian efforts are working on conservation and identification plans to replenish this species of wombat.

Aww, it’s a little piggy! Not quite–the collared peccary may look like a pig, but it is classified in a completely different species of mammal. These guys can be found meandering around North, Central, and South American deserts, forests, and grasslands. But good luck finding them! These creatures are very solitary, and often stay more hidden during the day than at night in order to protect themselves. However, some of these animals have gotten used to sharing their habitat with humans (though still try to stay secluded), and will even supplement their diet of fruit, foliage, and small vertebrates/invertebrates with cultivated crops and flowers.

The collared peccary ranges in sizes, and can be anywhere between 20-24 inches, 3-5 feet long, and 35-60 pounds heavy. They tend to stay in groups of about 6-9 members and enjoy sleeping in burrows under trees. The “collar” in “Collared Peccary” comes from the white ring of hair around the coarse, grey coat on their neck. They have big, sharp tusks and a musk gland  in order to protect themselves. Because of the musk gland, located on top of their back near their hind end, you can generally smell these animals before you see them. Be warned too–if you ever see a collared peccary, try to not scare it! It will charge you and release its musk–much like a skunk–in order to scare away potential predators.

Females mature earlier than males, and babies can be born any time of year, though generally more are seen during a rainier year. The gestation period of a collared peccary lasts about 145 days, and collared peccaries can have up to four babies in a litter at a time. Unlike most of the animals I document, this species has a relatively stable population level, despite the fact that they used to be hunted for their hides. On average, collared peccaries live for about 10 years.

I know I promised you guys blogs on more exotic or rare animals, but I’m really missing my horse this week so I am writing about him.

My horse Baron is a Thoroughbred. Thoroughbreds are notorious for being lean, high strung, and fast. Aside from the racing discipline, they can be found in virtually every other discipline, from roping to eventing and everything in between. Though they can be very high strung, this versatile breed was bred to perform, which is why it is finds success in many different disciplines.

Thoroughbreds are descendants from Arabian horses, a compact, hot-tempered breed (originated from—you guessed—it Arabia)and were introduced around the 3^rd century in England. Thoroughbreds are classified as a “hot-blooded” or “hot” horse, meaning they generally have a very high-strung temperament. They have long, slender legs, delicate heads, short backs, and broad chests. They average around 16 hands (1 hand = 4 inches) tall (measured at a point at the base of the neck called the wither). On average, this light-weight breed weighs 1000 pounds (I know, that doesn’t seem very light-weight!). Thoroughbreds can be found in generally any typical color, such as gray, bay, and chestnut. Since the breed was introduced, any registered, racing Thoroughbred is tattooed on their inner upper lip and recorded in the Jockey Club General Stud Book. The tattoos, a combination of numbers and letters, are a form of identification similar to a serial number that can be used to trace all records of the horse. Of course, this is only if the Thoroughbred ever raced, and not all Thoroughbreds race anymore. (But Baron did!) Every Thoroughbred in the northern hemisphere has a birthday on January 1 to make age more convenient for racing records and entry, but actual birth dates can be found on the horses record as well. In the southern hemisphere, Thoroughbreds turn a year older on August 1.

Baron is a bit different than most Thoroughbreds. He is still very playful (and fast!) at age 21, but his body type isn’t as lean as most. He raced when he was little and then did a variety of disciplines until I got him. He’s a prime example of a versatile Thoroughbred—he is very willing to try any discipline I ask him to do, and he is usually pretty successful at it. Of course, every type of horse, and animal for that matter, regardless of breed, has its own personality and characteristics. My blog only serves as a generalization of such species.

Thanks for reading all about my horse! 🙂

Meet Baron

The bandicoot is a nocturnal species of marsupial native to rainforests, swamps, and woodlands of Australia. These small rat-resembling animals are actually more closely related to rabbits, and are characterized by a long nose, large ears, long tail, a short body, and fuzzy brown, black, white, or gray hair. Like kangaroos, the bandicoot has strong hind legs that make it suitable for springing into the air. Male bandicoots are generally twice the size of females, but a bandicoot is usually only 11-31 inches long and only weight at most 3.5 pounds. During the day, they hide away in dense vegetation to avoid their numerous predators. They are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals, and especially enjoy digging for insects, small (even smaller!) rodents, or nibbling on nuts and berries.

Bandicoots like to chirp, squeak, and snort like piglets. Though these little mammals are very talkative, they are generally very solitary, interacting mainly to mate. These little guys are very territorial, prepared to snarl and chase any intruder.

Female bandicoots have a gestation period of only 12 days—the shortest time span of any animal—and can potentially give birth ever 7-8 weeks. Typically, though, a bandicoot only mates 2 or 3 times per year. A characteristic of a bandicoot, like any other marsupial, is a pouch on a female, used to carry and care for the young. Unlike other marsupials, however, these pouches open backwards as to prevent dirt from getting all over the baby while the mother digs for food. The babies spend an average of 54 days in the pouch until they begin to venture out on their own feet. Bandicoots mature at 4 months of age. Though this seems very young, the average lifespan of a bandicoot is only three years.

7 species of bandicoot are critically endangered due to various reasons, most notably climate change, various predators, and dwindling habitat.

Don’t confuse it with this guy!

The Indri lemur, also known as the Babakoto in many regions, is one of the largest known lemurs in the world. Weighting up to 20 pounds and growing up to 2 ½ feet tall, these lemurs can be found on the Madagascar Islands. Oddly enough though, these huge lemurs have some of the shortest tails of the lemur species. Their sharp claws and strong limbs are used to cling into place and jump vertically through the air.

These teddy-bear resembling animals are usually found with black, brown, and reddish coats with red and/or white accents. Like all lemurs, their coloring depends upon the region they live in and provides camouflage from predators. Indri Lemurs feed primarily off of leaves and twigs, occasionally splurging for nectar, nuts, and fruit if they come across it.

These lemurs can sing! Their sound, which can last up to 3 minutes, starts as a roar, develops into more pleasant song, and finishes with a high pitched squeal. Adult lemurs make these noises collectively, resembling a choir group of lemurs.

Indri lemur habitats are very limited, yet when you find one, you find many along with it. Babakoto embody family; they find a partner and mate for life, and typically live in clans of many generations that share deep bonds. Daddy Babakoto even help Mommy Babakoto raise their young. Though these lemurs live in such close communities, Babakoto are critically endangered. Indri lemurs don’t mature until about age 7, and, once mature, only mate every 2 or 3 years. They carry their young between 120 and 150 days, usually giving birth in the late spring. This occasional breeding is clearly not beneficial for any endangered species, which is another big reason why these lemurs are so rare. Some cultures view these lemurs as good luck charms; however, some cultures lead guided hunts to trap the lemurs.

I’m sure you all have heard of or have some idea of what a hedgehog is. (Do you know that it is illegal to own one in Pennsylvania?) But what about the tenrec?

The tenrec is a tiny little mammal native to Madagascar and the Comoro’s islands. It is quite easy to mistake it for a hedgehog; however, these animals inhabit complete opposite sides of the globe and will never been seen at the same place in the wild. While both the hedgehog and the tenrec have little spines on their coats as a defense mechanism, tenrecs are a bit smaller than the hedgehog, and they also have tiny little tails.

When a little tenrec feels threatened, it will curl up into a ball, raise its spines, and vibrate them to make a rasping sound to ward off any potential threats. If this method does not work, however, a tenrec will jump up and charge its predator, ready to attack with its strong little jaw. Don’t let their size fool you!

Tenrecs are insectivores, and they enjoy mealworms or even cat food as a delicacy (in captivity of course). However, these little guys are very picky; they prefer to eat different meals every day, meaning if the tenrec has mealworms for dinner on Monday, he’s got to have cat food or something else on Tuesday. In the hot season, they estivate—a state of somewhat hibernation—for 2-3 months.

Female tenrecs carry their young between 60-70 days and only raise one or two litters per year. After giving birth, the mommy tenrec must be left alone or else she will eat her young. Because tenrecs breed so sparsely, population both in the wild and in captivity is very limited.

Tenrecs supposedly make good pets (but not in the state of Pennsylvania!), and if you take good care of your little tenrec, it can live for up to 10 years.