As we salute our country this month, let’s explore 17 interesting facts about our national bird! 

From Fact Animal:

1. Bald eagles are not actually bald

Despite their name, bald eagles have white, well feathered heads. The word bald once meant ‘white-haired’ and this was the name given to the eagle. Young bald eagles often don’t have white feathers on their head either, they are mostly brown. They develop these from around 5-6 years old.

2. They form a species pair with the white-tailed eagle 

A ‘species pair’ means two species are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. While roughly the same size and appearance, the white-tailed eagle is thought to have a somewhat paler brown body plumage and inhabits Eurasia, rather than North America. The pair are thought to have diverged from other sea eagles.

3. They have high pitch, rather underwhelming calls

They have a high pitch giggle-scream, rather than an impressive powerful scream that might be the expectation of a bird of the size and power of the bald eagle. Their rather underwhelming call has historically been dubbed over in some TV shows to make it sound more impressive!

When in groups, they emit these surprisingly high-pitched calls to one another and it is believed these vocalizations are a form of transferal of knowledge regarding the area and abundance of prey.

4. A bald eagle’s wingspan can reach 8ft!

Eagles are generally larger in colder environments, which corresponds with Bergmann’s rule – which is that species are generally smaller closer to the equator. This means the largest bald eagles are generally found in Alaska, and can weigh as much as 7kg with wingspans of 2.4m in length.

5. Bald eagles are notorious thieves

The osprey, a much smaller fish-eating raptor, often shares the same habitat as bald eagles. There are many records of bald eagles following osprey and stealing fish they have caught, either straight from the unfortunate bird or when it lands on a nest or perch.

6. They can reach speeds of 99mph when diving

It’s not often that they dive vertically, but they are capable of reaching extremely high speeds when diving for prey!

7. Bald eagles have vision 4-5 times better than humans

Like most birds of prey, the bald eagle has excellent vision, with sharper vision, a wider field of vision and they can even see UV light. It’s thought they are able to see a tadpole move at over 100m distance. It uses this exceptional sense to locate prey while flying at speed. Bald eagles also have a see-through eyelid called a nictitating membrane, which they can close to protect and clean their eyes, but still see!

8. They can catch animals as large as Canada geese

Though they prefer fish, bald eagles will also hunt animals as large as geese which can grow up to 1m in size, and even foxes!

9. Bald eagles can swim!

Bald eagles will sometimes try to catch fish that are too large to pull out of the water. They will rarely let go of prey once they have gripped onto it. Occasionally they will not be able to pull the fish out of water and will subsequently swim to shore with their catch. They use their wings to perform a breaststroke of sorts! It’s a myth that their talons get ‘locked’, they just refuse to let go!

10. Their nests can measure over 2.5m in diameter!

Bald eagles have some of the largest nests of any North American bird, occasionally measuring over 8ft in diameter and 13ft deep. According to the Guiness World Records, the bald eagle also has the largest nest ever discovered near St Petersburg, Florida in the US in 1963. The nest measured 9 ft 6 in wide and 20 ft deep and weighed more than 4,409 lb.  The size of this eagle and nest size requirements mean that they are very particular when it comes to choosing a nest site.

By far the majority of bald eagle nests are found in large, living tall trees which have strong, thick branches to support the mass of the nest as well as the birds themselves. The nests comprise of hundreds of smaller branches and twigs, often with larger branches around the edge. They usually lay between 1 to 3 eggs with two hatchlings most often surviving up to fledgling stage. Fledged chicks leave the nest at around 10 weeks but will still be cared for by their parents for just over a month.

11. They will sometimes nest on large electricity towers or pylons

Where few nesting sites are available, bald eagles will sometimes use manmade structures as nesting sites.

12. The oldest nest on record was used for over 30 years

If well-built in an ideal tree, bald eagle nests can last for many years. One such nest lasted for 34 years before the tree in which it was built was blown down.

13. Bald eagle chicks will cling onto and move sticks within their nests

Chicks develop the muscles in their feet and legs by playing with the twigs and sticks in their nests and even playing tug of war with their siblings.

14. Immature eagles live a nomadic existence until they find a mate

Once young bald eagles have left their parents, they spend much of their time flying across large ranges, seemingly learning about the different habitats that occur in that range.

15. The bald eagle closely resembles the African fish eagle

Though they are found on different continents, both eagles bare remarkable similarities. Both occupy a similar ecological niche and have similar coloration. However the African fish eagle is somewhat smaller, is a lighter brown color and has a black tip to its beak.

16. One of the founding fathers of the USA, Benjamin Franklin, would have preferred the wild turkey as the national bird

People often wrongly believed that bald eagles were cowardly animals as well as prolific thieves of other birds. Even Benjamin Franklin thought the bald eagle was a poor choice as the national bird.

17. They are an endangered species success story!

In 1963 researchers estimated there were just 400 pairs of bald eagles in the US. Thanks to years of protection and a complete ban on the insecticide ‘DDT’, there are now more than 300,000 bald eagles in the lower 48 states, and the species is no longer endangered. 

SOURCE: FACT ANIMAL

From: SPRUCEPETS.COM:

Thanks to their fluffy, curled-back ears, American Curls are one of the most easily identifiable cat breeds today. As their coats can come in a wide variety of colors and patterns, and their hair can be either short or long, it’s the unique ears of American Curls that make them stand out among other cat breeds. Today, their backwards-curled ears are a desirable trait among breeders, but they were originally the product of a natural (and harmless) genetic mutation first identified in the United States during the 1980s.

But it’s not only their curled ears that make these cats so special. Sometimes nicknamed the “Peter Pan cat,” these felines retain kitten-like natures into adulthood, and love to play, investigate, climb, and keep a close eye on their owners. They are very affectionate and easily accept children and other pets, making them an ideal family cat.

Breed Overview

Personality: Playful, friendly, affectionate, inquisitive, and easy going

Weight: Males weigh between 7 and 10 pounds, while females weigh less than 8 pounds.

Length: 18 to 20 inches

Coat Length: Short haired or long haired

Coat Colors: Any possible feline color, including black, white, gray, brown, cream, or red

Coat Patterns: Any possible feline pattern, including solid, bi-color, tabby, tortoiseshell, tuxedo, and calico

Eye Color: Any possible feline color, including amber, aqua, blue, copper, green, gold, hazel, odd-eyed, orange, yellow

Life expectancy: Typically 10 to 18 years

Hypoallergenic: No

Origin: United States

American Curl Characteristics

American Curls are friendly, affectionate, and active cats that are often said to have a somewhat “doglike” attachment to their owners. They like to gently poke and prod their humans with their paws and will often follow their favorite family members from room to room around the house. They are exceptionally intelligent cats as well. Some have been known to figure out how to flick light switches on and off, and many learn how to open and close doors and cupboards.

They typically retain a kitten-like playfulness throughout their entire lives and love to play with toys, climb and explore furniture and cat trees, investigate anything new brought into the home, and even play fetch. However, once playtime is over, your American Curl is likely to cuddle up on your lap, give you some affectionate head bumps, and spend some time in peaceful companionship.

It’s important to note, however, that American Curls don’t like to be left alone for too long—so you might have to consider whether your schedule can accommodate several hours of attention and playtime each day.

These friendly felines aren’t too large when fully grown, although they are somewhat muscular for their small-to-medium size. They generally reach maturity by one to two years of age. American Curls aren’t especially talkative cats, tending towards quiet trills rather than loud meows. A sociable cat, most American Curls take readily to children and other pets in the home, especially if they offer extra opportunities for play and fun.

Appearance

Surprisingly, American Curls are not born with their most distinctive feature. Kittens are born with typical straight ears. However, within the first couple of days, the ears roll up into tight little buds. At around six weeks of age, the kitten’s ears slowly begin to unfurl, reaching full curvature by the time the kitten is four months old. The breed standards call for an ear curl that is between 90 and 180 degrees at full maturity.

American Curls are not especially large cats, with males being no more than 10 pounds and females less than 8 pounds as adults. They are a moderately muscled cat with a well-proportioned body. The coat can be long-haired or short-haired, but either way, there is not much undercoat, meaning these cats don’t shed as much as some other breeds. However, they are not hypoallergenic.

When it comes to color, anything goes. American Curls can be any color or coat pattern that occurs naturally in felines. That means your cat can be calico, solid black, red tabby, “tuxedo,” solid gray, tortoiseshell, or any other combination of colors and patterns. The same is true of eye color; if it occurs naturally in felines, it is acceptable in an American Curl.

The skin on an American Curl’s nose and paw pads should complement the color of its fur, but there is no one required color.

SOURCE: SPRUCEPETS.COM

Father’s Day is coming up this month, and I wanted to look at some pretty involved animal dads.

From: WILDLIFEINFORMER.COM:

In the animal kingdom, the level of parental care varies greatly from species to species. Some animals, like many egg laying (scientifically known as oviparous) animals do not invest any energy into caring for their young. Some mothers will nurse and look after their offspring for months after giving birth. And some offspring are looked after by both their mother and father! In this article we will introduce some of the best animal dads.

Producing offspring increases an animal’s fitness through passing on one’s genes. In the animal world, passing on your genes is crucial and is of the utmost importance! Most animals that produce only a few offspring at a time, like mammals, typically invest more energy into caring for their young in hopes that this will result in their young growing up to be healthy and strong.

But there are a few other types of animals that provide a great deal of care when raising young!

11 Best animal dads:

In most cases the parenting duties fall on the female, while the father goes on to mate with other females in an attempt to spread his genes as often and as widely as he can. But reproduction and parental care is a costly affair, which is why some animals take a shared approach to caring for their young.

Human dads aren’t the only great fathers, and this list proves just that!

1. Common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

The Common marmoset is a small primate native to East-Central Brazil. These monkeys form small, but tight knit family groups. Interestingly enough, Common marmoset fathers almost act as a midwife during the birth of their offspring and help to clean up the afterbirth. Following the birth, the fathers will help to feed and carry their young and help raise them up.

2. Seahorses (Hippocampus spp.)

Male Seahorses take fatherhood to the next level. While nearly all female animals are responsible for giving birth, it is actually the male Seahorses that carry and then birth their babies. Following mating, females will transfer eggs to the male where he will fertilize them and carry them until they are developed enough to be born.

3. Emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri)

Emperor penguins, the largest species of penguin make incredible fathers! The female only lays a single egg in a breeding season, making it extra important that the egg is well taken care of. The male will incubate the egg for the entire duration, about two months while the mother heads to the ocean to forage for food. Following hatching, the parents split their parenting duties.

4. Gorilla (Gorilla gorilla)

The king of the jungle, the gorilla is an excellent father figure for young gorillas. Male gorillas tend to lead social groups of up to 30 other gorillas, however there is typically only one adult male per troop. This alpha male is in charge of protecting their troop as well as teaching the young how to socialize with other gorillas.

5. Piping plover (Charadrius melodus)

Piping plovers are small, endangered shorebirds that split their parenting duties nearly 50/50. Both parents will take turns sitting on the eggs during incubation while the other parent goes to feed. Males will even create a distraction by acting like they are injured, called a broken wing display to distract potential predators away from their nest or chicks. Male killdeer, a similar species, will also take turns sitting on the eggs and participating in helping to raise the young.

6. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes)

Red fox fathers are both loving and strict. They will bring food to the den after the mother gives birth so that the mother can stay in the den with their kits. Once the kits get to be a bit older, the father will play and run with them. He will also stop bringing food to the den and will instead hide it nearby to teach his young how to find their own food!

7. Golden lion tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia)

The bond between a baby Golden lion tamarin and father is a tight one! After just a couple of weeks, the babies will be clung to their father’s backs nearly 24/7, only being passed back to their mother every few hours to nurse. One they are weaned, the father helps to find food for their babies and will even hand-feed them.

8. Greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)

Greater flamingos have co-parenting down to a science. Both parents are involved in building the nest by pushing up mounds in the mud. The female lays a single egg and then they both take turns incubating the egg. The father also helps to feed it’s chick with it’s crop milk, which is a nutrient-rich fluid excreted from the esophagus.

9. Pouched frog (Assa darlingtoni)

While amphibians don’t get much recognition for being good fathers, the pouched frog is the exception! These frogs, like many other animals found in Australia have a pouch that they use to carry their young in. The mother lays her eggs, and both parents will guard the eggs. Once the eggs hatch and morph into tadpoles, the father will carry them in his pouch while they continue to develop.

10. Gray wolves (Canis lupus)

Wolves are apex predators that form packs that are headed by one male that pairs up with one of the females in the pack. This male will watch over his mate and pups by standing guard outside of their den. Gray wolf fathers will also bring back food to their young and even regurgitate it for the young pups. Alpha males are very territorial and will protect their territory to ward off any other unwelcome males or potential threats.

11. Lions (Panthera leo)

While male lions have a reputation of being lazy, which can be true in some cases, they are actually quite dedicated fathers when it comes to protecting their cubs. Lions form groups called a pride that tend to only have one adult male, the alpha male and several females and his many offspring. Father lions will go to great lengths to not only protect his cubs, but the entire pride from other male lions or any threats.

SOURCE: WILDLIFEINFORMER.COM

1. Ferrets are illegal in some areas of the United States.

Before you adopt or purchase a ferret, you should check out your local laws. Pet ferrets are prohibited in California, Hawaii, and New York City. While veterinarians in these locations will still treat sick ferrets, the adoption or purchase of new ferrets is not allowed. If you live in one of these areas, it’s best to consider getting another type of pet.

2. Ferrets have a strong, musky odor, even when they’re de-scented.

Ferrets have scent glands near the base of their tails that produce a potent, musky-smelling oil. For many pet ferrets, these glands are surgically removed during the process of “de-scenting” when the animals are very young—before they are sold. Ferrets that retain these glands smell so musky that most people would never want them as pets. However, even after they are de-scented, ferrets will still retain a milder musky odor that some people find unpleasant. So, if you are sensitive to odor, and you’re considering a ferret as a pet, you might want to spend some time around one to be sure you can tolerate the smell before you bring a ferret home.

3. Ferrets love company.

Ferrets are social creatures that typically live in groups or colonies in the wild. Because they love company, pet ferrets generally look for human family members or other ferrets to hang out with. It’s much more fun to play when you have friends to play with. Consequently, many ferret owners end up owning more than one ferret. On rare occasions, two ferrets might not get along. So, if you get more than one ferret, you’ll need to supervise their interactions for several days to ensure they get along before you can safely leave them alone together. To minimize competition between ferrets, each one should have equal access to food, toys, hiding spots, and sleeping areas so that they’re less likely to fight over resources.

4. Ferrets need to run!

Ferrets love to curl up and sleep, particularly if they can find a warm place to nap, but when they’re not napping, they also love to run, jump, climb, and hide. Ferrets also love toys. Young ferrets, in particular, enjoying skittering across the floor and chasing toys. Exercise for ferrets is key, or they will overeat from boredom and become obese. So, if you’re going to own a ferret, plan on lots of out-of-cage time for them to run around.

5. Ferrets chew EVERYTHING.

Ferrets are called ferrets because they literally “ferret out” everything. They chew on, dig up, and pull out nearly every object they encounter—especially when they’re young and very curious. Objects made of foam, rubber, or cloth, including furniture and shoes, are special favorites. Ferrets notoriously steal everything they can get their mouths on and store their treasures in closets, under beds, or anywhere they can hide them. This mischievous behavior can lead to significant health problems, since foreign objects they inadvertently swallow can get stuck in their gastrointestinal (GI) tracts and cause life-threatening obstructions that require surgical treatment. So, if you decide to get a pet ferret, you’ll need to commit to ferret-proofing your home. That means picking up everything from the floor, creating a ferret-proofed area that’s free of tempting things to chew on, and supervising your new pet whenever he or she is out of the cage.

6. Ferrets eat meat.

Wild ferrets are carnivores that hunt for and consume rodents and rabbits. Their GI tracts have evolved to digest animal protein and not vegetable matter. While a pet ferret should also be eating meat, their intestinal tract is not adapted to consuming raw meat in the same way as their wild counterparts. In fact, pet ferrets can develop severe intestinal infection with toxic bacteria such as Salmonella. Pet ferrets should be fed commercially formulated, high-protein/moderate-fat/low-carbohydrate diets that contain all the nutrients that ferrets require. These diets have also been prepared to eliminate potentially harmful bacteria. Several kibble diets are available for pet ferrets, and they generally love them. Before diets were developed specifically for ferrets, many people fed their pet ferrets cat food. In general, it’s preferable to use commercially available ferret food over cat food because ferret-specific diets meet the nutritional needs of ferrets more closely.

7. Ferrets need annual veterinary checkups.

Ferrets can live to be 6-9 years old or more, so it’s important to provide consistent, preventative veterinary care. They should see their veterinarian annually and then semi-annually as they age. By examining ferrets every year, veterinarians may diagnose and treat conditions earlier and may help ferrets live longer, happier lives. After 3 years of age, ferrets also should have annual blood tests to help ensure that their blood sugar levels and kidney and liver functions are normal. After 5 years of age, ferrets should be checked every six months, since by this age, they have often developed more than one of the conditions they commonly encounter as they age. 

8. Ferrets often develop certain diseases as they age.

Ferrets sold in pet stores in the United States are typically from one of two very large breeding facilities, and consequently, they are extremely inbred. Inbreeding, unfortunately, increases the chances for developing certain diseases, including adrenal gland tumors and pancreatic tumors called insulinomas. These illnesses can occur in ferrets as young as a year of age. Older ferrets commonly develop heart disease and other types of cancer. If you’re planning on getting a ferret, you should expect that at some point, your ferret will develop one or more of these conditions and will require veterinary treatment.

9. Ferrets need shots.

Ferrets can contract and pass on rabies. Therefore, in many of the states in which they are legal as pets, ferrets are required by law to be vaccinated for rabies at 4-5 months of age and then annually after that. Ferrets are also very susceptible to the deadly canine distemper virus that commonly affects dogs, but it’s preventable through vaccination. There is a ferret-specific distemper virus vaccine that should be administered initially in a series of three shots (three weeks apart), starting at 2 months of age, and then annually after that. Very rarely, ferrets can develop diarrhea, vomiting, or collapse after receiving either the rabies or distemper vaccine. For this reason, ferrets that receive vaccines should wait at the veterinary hospital for 15 minutes after receiving their shots to ensure they’re not having a reaction. Ferrets that suffer from vaccine reactions should not be revaccinated in the future if their reaction is severe. Even if pet ferrets are kept indoors, they should receive annual booster vaccines against both rabies and distemper viruses for life. This is because their owners can track distemper virus inside their homes on their shoes, and pet ferrets might also have contact with wildlife, like bats, which can carry the deadly rabies virus.

10. Ferrets need flea and heartworm disease preventative.

Just like cats and dogs, ferrets are susceptible to flea infestation and deadly heartworm infection. This is true even for ferrets kept indoors, as fleas can come in from outside, especially if there are dogs and cats in the home. Mosquitos can also make their way indoors and transmit heartworm disease to indoor ferrets. Ferret-savvy veterinarians can prescribe flea and heartworm preventatives that are safe for use in ferrets, as not all flea and heartworm products are appropriate for ferrets.

11. Ferrets get hairballs.

Ferrets shed a lot of hair, particularly when the weather gets warm, and like cats, they may ingest this hair as they lick and groom themselves. This means that—like cats—ferrets can produce hairballs too. If they ingest a large amount of hair, it can stick together in their intestines and cause a potentially life-threatening obstruction. Ferrets with adrenal gland tumors commonly lose lots of hair as a result of hormones secreted by their tumors, and this often predisposes them to hairball development. To help prevent hairballs from forming, ferrets should be brushed at least once a week with a narrow-toothed hair comb meant for brushing either a ferret or a cat. If a ferret is shedding excessively, hairball laxatives made for either ferrets or cats can help hair pass through the GI tract more easily. These can be given by mouth once or twice a week. Talk with your veterinarian to find out more if you are worried about hairballs in your ferret.

SOURCE: PETMD.COM