Creature of the Month
PLEASE NOTE! CREATURE OF THE MONTH WILL RETURN IN SEPTEMBER
Dear Readers,
In this section, a new amazing wild creature is introduced every month. May’s spot is reserved for a peculiar creature with a skull-shaped marking on the thorax, the Death’s-head Hawkmoth.
May 2010 – Death’s-head Hawkmoth
If you remember the serial murderer from the movie Silence of the Lambs, you might recall this sinister looking little moth being the trademark of the killer. In reality, this moth is though just a harmless little creature. It’s a little bigger than most moths, and can have a wingspan of almost 5 inches. If you are lucky enough to see one in wild (lives mainly in Africa), be prepared for a loud squeak it lets out when disturbed.
Even though the Death’s-head Hawkmoth looks sinister and even scary, its numbers have been decreasing. Even the skull on the thorax cannot scare off the insecticides sprayed by humans.
April 2010 – The Horseshoe Crab
This amazing creature has been around 350 million years and survived ice ages, asteroids and other forces of nature that wiped out even the dinosaurs. It has seen more of the evolution of the world than almost any other species in the history of our planet. It is a true survivor and a miracle of nature with almost unparalleled magnitude.
The interesting fact is that horseshoe crab has become absolutely indispensable for people. In fact every one of us has probably benefited from this humble creature that has for so long taken for granted and been over-harvested for fish bait. For example, all IV drugs in the US are tested on horseshoe crab blood before they are put in use on humans; it is a FDA regulation. Unfortunately, horseshoe crab numbers have declined significantly from the early 1990’s, and there is much more we need to do for this spectacular animal that helps ourselves to live better lives. It would be simply foolish to let this benficial and harmless creature to fall victim to habitat loss and over-harvesting.
March 2010 – The Napoleon Fish
The Napoleon fish is one of the largest inhabitants of our coral reefs and can be easily identified by its size and the prominent hump on its forehead. Males can reach a length of 7 feet and weight up to 420 pounds.
In addition to its huge size, this gentle giant has one surprising secret weapon in its arsenal: it can change its sex. Thus the fish is born as one sex and transforms into the other sex in its later life.
Despite of its size and majestic bearing, the numbers of the Napoleon fish have been declining. Fish trade, destructive fishing techniques (e.g. sodium cyanide and dynamite) and habitat loss are just some of the reasons for the gradual disappearance of this amazing creature.
Fortunately, several bans have been recently put in place to restrict the fishing, sale and export of the Napoleon fish. Hopefully these actions lead to a growing number of Napoleons swimming in our oceans.
February 2010 – The Tarsier
This unusual and rare mammal lives in the forests of Southeast Asian islands (including the Philippines, Sulawesi, Borneo and Sumatra) and spends its entire life in trees, catching insects and worms in the dark tropical night. During the day it rests in hollows deep inside the thick forest vegetation, waiting for the return of the protection of the starry veil of darkness.
The average adult tarsier is small enough to fit in the human hand. Because of its small size and adorable looks, tarsiers are sometimes taken as pets and sold for trade. However, tarsiers don’t survive well in captivity and they have been known to injure or even kill themselves when put in small cages and removed from their natural habitat. Tarsiers are also threatened in their natural environment due to clearing of their forest home for farmland and roads.
It would be truly a tragedy if one more amazing species such as the tarsier would be lost to human expansion and careless use of nature’s resources. Once a species is gone it’s gone. People can create amazing machines and works of art, but we will never be able to create a living wonder such as the tarsier.
January 2010 – The Ocean Sunfish
This odd-looking wonder of nature lives in tropical and temperate waters around the world and can reach thousands of pounds in weight and several feet in length and height. The name sunfish comes from the fish’s habit of lying atop of the ocean surface, like it would be sunbathing. In some countries the ocean sunfish is also called a “swimming head” or “head alone”, because it looks like the fish only consists of a head, instead of having the longer body shape normally associated with fish.
The ocean sunfish is a gentle giant and poses no threat to people. It docilely travels the world’s oceans and eats a lot of jellyfish to keep its large body growing. People don’t yet know much about the behavior and purpose of this magnificent creature, but having this incredibly unusual looking fish swimming in our oceans is truly an asset to all of us.
December 2009 – The Leafy Sea Dragon
This beautiful creature is a close kin to seahorses and it inhabits the temperate waters of southern Australia. It uses its magnificent body as a camouflage against predators and often manages to avoid its enemies by mimicking the swaying movements of floating seaweed and kelp. The camouflage also helps it to catch small shrimp and other pray that come too close to this plant-like creature moving inconspicuously with the ocean current.
The leafy sea dragon is unfortunately a very fragile creature and susceptible to storms, pollution and industrial runoff. Careless divers also regrettably collect them because of their resemblance to the mythical dragon. The leafy sea dragon is currently considered as near threatened species and protected by the Australian government.
Let’s make sure that also future generations will be able to admire this amazing creature in its natural ocean home!
November 2009 – The Cuttlefish
This mysterious creature is a master of disguise and an intelligent escape artist. It cruises the oceans by using a jet propulsion technique and outsmarts predators by spewing ink from its streamlined body. Most amazingly, this wonder of nature can change its color to mimic the surrounding environment.
The cuttlefish is a great example of nature’s ingenious designs. Imagine if we would be able to create similar color-changing effects in our world. We could e.g. drive a car that would be able to change color depending on our moods and wishes. There are so many things we can still learn from nature. We just need to look carefully what this great planet has to offer and respect all the creatures living in our oceans and forests.