The Basenji

The Basenji is alert, affectionate, energetic, and curious. It loves to play and makes a good pet, as long as it is handled regularly from an early age and the owners are very patient. It is very intelligent. It can be reserved with strangers.

The Basenji is somewhat aloof, but can also form strong bonds with people. It should not be trusted with noncanine pets. It is usually patient, but does best with older considerate children. The Basenji dislikes wet weather. The breed likes to climb and can easily get over chain wire fences. (NOTE: NOT all Basenjis climb--it depends on the individual.)

Basenjis are very clever at getting their own way. The Basenji has the unique properties of not barking (it makes a low, liquid ululation instead) and cleaning itself like a cat. It can be described as speedy, frisky, tireless at play, and teasing the owner into play. Most Basenji problems usually involve a mismatch between owner and pet. The owners mistake the adjective quiet to mean inactive instead of noiseless, thus, they become harassed by an active, though relatively silent, dog.

(source:google/http://a-z-animals.com/)

The barracuda

The barracuda is a large species of fish found in the warmer, coastal regions of the world's oceans. There are more than 20 different species of barracuda that range in size from less than 50cm to nearly 2 meters in length.

The barracuda is widely spread across the oceans but is more commonly found in the more tropical regions where there is an abundance of food. Although barracudas can be found in the deep ocean, they tend to prefer coastal habitats along continental shelves and close to coral reefs.

Despite the difference in size and colour between barracuda species, all species of barracuda have a similar elongated appearance, and pointed head with powerful jaws, containing rows of sharp fang-like teeth used for eating larger prey.

The barracuda is known to be an aggressive and dominant predator, often relying on the surprise tactic in order to catch it's prey. Barracudas are also able to swim at over 40 km/h in short bursts which they do to overtake prey that may be trying to swim away.

The barracuda is an opportunistic predator, feeding only on other animals in the surrounding water. The carnivorous barracuda primarily feeds on smaller species of fish, marine invertebrates, crustaceans and squid, which the barracuda usually ambushes with tremendous power.

Due to the fact that barracudas can grow into very large sized fish, the barracuda has few natural predators in the ocean besides sharks and killer whales. Humans are also one of the barracuda's main predators as they are hunted and eaten all around the world.

Although little is really known about the reproduction of the barracuda, female barracuda are known to spawn during the spring. The female barracuda releases her eggs into the water which are then fertilised externally. As with many fish species, once spawned, the barracuda mother has no interest in caring for her young.

Today, due to it's aggressive nature, the barracuda is one of the most dominant predators within it's coastal environments and has even been known to act aggressively towards humans diving or snorkelling in the water.

(source:google/http://a-z-animals.com/)

The barnacle

The barnacle is a hardy animal that is found in or very closely to sea water. Although it is frequently confused for a mollusc because of its hard outer shell, it is actually a crustacean, closely related to crabs and lobsters.

Barnacles are most often seen as roughly circular sessile invertebrates (which means that they cannot move on their own), and are permanently attached to the substrate they live on. In their juvenile form they are free-floating, but eventually they attach themselves to any nearby rock, shell, or other object and stay there for the rest of their lives. Their shells are composed of calcite.

Barnacles are often seen on crabs, whales, boats, rocks and on the shells of sea turtles. Although some species of barnacle are parasitic, most barnacle species are harmless, because they are filter feeders and do not interfere with an animal's normal diet and do not harm that animal that they live on in any way. Many species of barnacle are so harmless that in fact, an animal that is covered in them, may not even notice!

There are more than 1,000 known species of barnacle that inhabit shallow and tidal waters around the world. Although many species of barnacle are very small, some can grow to as large as 7cm and even bigger barnacles can often be seen. Barnacles typically live for between 5 and 10 years, but some of the larger species are known to be much older.

Barnacles attach themselves to animals when they are very young and in the larvae stage of their lives. Once the baby barnacle has effectively glued itself to something hard, a thin layer of flesh wraps around the barnacle and an outer shell is produced. Once the barnacle has an outer shell, it is protected from the elements and all kinds of predators. As soon as the baby barnacle has fixed itself onto something, it is generally there for the rest of it's life.

Barnacles are filter feeders (also known as suspension feeders) that feed on food particles that they strain out of the water. The shell of the barnacle is made up of a number of plates (usually 6), with feathery leg-like appendages that draw water into their shell so that they can feed.

Barnacles have numerous predators, particularly when they are babies and floating around in the water looking for something to attach themselves to. As the barnacle larvae are so tiny, they float around with the plankton in the water. Once the barnacle is older and has it's tough outer shell, few predators can actually eat it. Humans are known to eat goose barnacles (the only edible species of barnacle) in parts of Europe like Spain and Portugal.

Most species of barnacles are hermaphroditic which means that they have both male and female reproductive organs. Although it is possible for barnacles to self-fertilise their eggs, it seems to be very rare so the eggs produced by one barnacle are usually fertilised by another barnacle. It takes more than 6 months for the barnacle larvae to start developing into the hardier adult barnacles.

Barnacles are thought to be one of the oldest surviving creatures on the planet as they are believed to date back millions of years. Although there will have been some adaptations, the barnacle is thought to have changed very little over that time.

Despite the rising levels of pollution and changes in the water, barnacles are thought to be one of the few animals that are not greatly affected. The barnacle slides two of it's six plates across to let water in when it is feeding and then closes them again which prevents the barnacle from being too exposed to dirty water.

(source:google/http://a-z-animals.com/)

The Barn owls

Barn owls are one of the most widely distributed birds found everywhere around the world apart from the polar and desert regions. Although this is the case, the barn owl population is more predominant in the Southern Hemisphere due to better climate conditions for the barn owl.

Barn owls tend to measure between 25 and 40cm tall and adult barn owls can have a wingspan of up to 110cm long. The wing span of the barn owl is however dependent on the species of barn owl so some owls may be smaller, where other species of barn owl may be much bigger.

Surprisingly, these common barn owls do not make the hoot sound that can often be heard at night. Instead the owls produce a high-pitched scream and can also hiss in a similar way to a cat or snake if the barn owl feels threatened.

Barns owls can be most commonly seen in the open countryside and along river banks, fields and even the verges on the side of the road. Barn owls are nocturnal animals meaning that typically barn owls rest during the light day time hours and emerge at dusk to begin a night of hunting.

Barn owls most commonly hunt small mammals such as mice, voles and rats but barn owls also hunt fish close to the surface of the water and smaller birds in the tree tops and even in the air. Barn owls swallow their prey whole and then bring back up (regurgitate) the indigestible parts such as bones in the form of a small pellet.

Barn owls are well suited to their nocturnal lifestyle. The large eyes of the barn owl enable the barn owl to have fantastic eyesight even in the darkness of night, but barn owls also have incredibly accurate hearing. The ears of the barn owl are set with one higher than the other giving the barn owl better hearing in general but it also means that when the barn owl is hunting for prey, it can use one ear to detect noise on the ground below and the other ear is used to detect noise from the air and trees above.

Female barn owls lay a clutch of up to 7 eggs in the warm months of spring. The female barn owl nests in a hollow tree or rock, and the barn owl eggs usually hatch after about a month. The male barn owl is known to help feed the barn owl chicks and the barn owl chicks are able to fly by the time they are 12 weeks old.

Although the barn owl, is not considered to be a threatened species of animal, the barn owl population numbers have severely decreased over the years due to pollution and habitat loss as the barn owls are finding it harder and harder in some areas to find food. Despite this being true, the barn owl population in the UK is thought to be increasing again.

There are more than 30 different species of barn owl found across Europe, Africa, Asia and parts of Australia and the Americas. All barn owl species have a similar appearance but can differ great in both size and colour.

(source:google/http://a-z-animals.com/)

The Chameleon

The chameleon is a very distinctive and well-known species of lizard, due to the large eyes and curled tail of the chameleon. Chameleons are found throughout jungle and desert alike, in Africa,Asia and parts of SouthernEurope and chameleons have also been introduced to parts of North America.

There are thought to be more than 160 different species of chameleon that range from just an inch to more than a couple of feet in size. The tiny pygmy leaf chameleon, found in the jungles of Madagascar, is the smallest species of chameleon with some males measuring less than 3 cm long.

The largest species of chameleon, the Malagasy giant chameleon, is also natively found in the jungles of Madagascar and can grow to nearly 70 cm in length. Parson's chameleon, also found in Madagascar can grow to around 65 cm in length.

Some species of chameleon, although not all, are able to change the colour of their skin in order to be camouflaged into their surroundings. These colour changes in the chameleon's skin colour can include colours such as pink, blue, red, orange, green, black, brown, light blue, yellow and turquoise, all so that the chameleon can blend in more easily.

The chameleon has exceptional eyesight for a reptile as the structure of the chameleon's eye, allows the chameleon to have complete 360 degree vision around it's body. This special adaptation, allows the chameleon to be able to hunt prey and spot predators more effectively.

The chameleon is generally an omnivorous animal, although some chameleon species are known to have a more carnivorous diet, and other chameleon species prefer to be vegetarians. A chameleon will generally eat anything though including berries, leaves, fruits, insects, worms, snails and some of the larger chameleon species will also hunt small reptiles.

Due to the generally small size of the chameleon, they are often a prime target for hungry predators (when the chameleon can be seen that is). Other tree dwelling animals such as snakes and birds are the most common predators of the chameleon, along with some mammals.

In order to bury to her eggs to keep them safe and warm, the female chameleon firsts digs a hole in the forest floor in which to bury them. The hole can be from 10 to 30 cm deep, but the depth of the hole generally depends on the chameleon species.

The female chameleon then lays a clutch of around 20 eggs, although the exact number of eggs can vary from just one to nearly 100. The chameleon eggs take from 4-12 months to hatch, depending on the chameleon species.

Today many chameleon species are considered to be threatened with extinction, and other chameleon species are even considered to to endangered. The declining chameleon numbers are most likely due to habitat changes such as pollution and deforestation.

( Source: http://a-z-animals.com/animals/chameleon/ )

The Barb

Barb are a small sized group of fish that are naturally found in the freshwater rivers and lakes across the southern hemisphere. There are over 2,000 known species of barb in the world inhabiting the frehswater regions of Asia, Africa and South America.

The barb fish is often referred to as a freshwater shark, due to the fact that barb are one of the few species of freshwater fish to have rows of teeth in their mouths. Despite their small size, barbs are known to be ferocious hunters and are dominant predators in the world of small fish in their natural environment. Barb do only prey upon the fish that are smaller than them, but also on medium sized fish that can sometimes be double the size of the barb.

Due to their small size and bright colours barb are commonly kept in household aquariums worldwide. The most common barb kept in aquariums are the cherry barb (pink/red in colour) and the tiger barb (silver body with thick, black stripes and red fin on it's belly) .

Barb are known to be relatively hardy fish and can easily adapt to changes in the water including changes in pH levels and temperate. It is known that barbs can successfully inhabit unheated tanks, and although this has proved to be successful in many cases, it is not recommended as barb are naturally found in warmer tropical waters.

Due to their aggressive and dominant nature, it is not ideal to keep barbs in artificial tanks with smaller species of tropical fish. At the same time, barb will also hunt medium sized fish if there is a lack of food, and so are best kept on their own (just barbs) or with much larger species of fish.

Barbs are known to lay numerous eggs in order for a few to hatch successfully. The baby barb are called fry and generally hatch within a few days of being laid. Like their hardy barb parents, the barb fry are able to adapt well to changes in their surroundings.

Barbs are opportunists and will therefore eat almost anything that they can find. Although barbs prefer a predominantly meat based diet that includes smaller fish, insects and bloodworm, barb are also known to eat aquatic plants particularly those that are softer and therefore easier to ingest. The exact diet of the barb however, depends on the species and the region in which it inhabits.

(source:google/http://a-z-animals.com/)

The Cesky Fousek

The cesky fousek is a hunting dog able to adapt to any sort of terrain. Even though blustering when confronted with game he remains very easy to manage and affectionate towards his owner.

( Source: http://a-z-animals.com/animals/cesky-fousek/ )