Thursday, July 15, 2010

The Rhododendron Bush

Rhododendron is the name of a group of trees and shrubs that belong to the heath family. The name means rose tree. The group includes several species which are known for the beauty of their flowers and for their evergreen leaves. One of the best known is the great rhododendron which is also called great laurel and rosebay. It grows widely in the Allegheny Mountains. There, the interlocking branches form almost impassable thickets. This rhododendron rarely grows higher than 35 feet. Its white or rose-colored flowers grow in a large cluster.

Another species, the mountain rosebay, is a common shrub in Virginia. It produces brilliant, lilac-purple flowers. Other species are found in the Pacific Coast region. Some magnificent rhododendrons grow in the mountain regions of Indian. The leaves of most rhododendrons are poisonous.

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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The Rhesus Monkey

Rhesus monkey is a monkey noted for its usefulness in medical and behavioral research. It is also one of the most popular monkeys exhibited in zoos. Research on the rhesus monkey led to the discovery of the RH factor, a substance in the red blood cells of most human beings. Scientists named the substance for the animal.

The rhesus monkey lives in many regions of southern and southeastern Asia, from Afghanistan in the west to Thailand and southern China in the east. It measures from 18 to 25 inches tall. Rhesus monkeys weigh from 9 to 22 pounds and have dull yellow to brown fur. They live both on the ground and in trees in groups of about 5 to more than 100 animals. Rhesus monkeys inhabit a variety of surroundings, including deserts, farm areas, forests, mountains, and swamps. These monkeys also live in villages and in crowded bazaars of large cities. Their food includes buds, fruit, insects, leaves, roots, and various crops.

Many Hindus once regarded rhesus monkeys as sacred. But religious tolerance of the animals has declined because rhesus monkeys destroy crops and other property. Many scientists have called for conservation effort to protect rhesus monkeys. Large numbers have been trapped for use in research and in zoos, and people are occupying more and more land inhabited by the monkeys.

Until 1978, India was the chief exporter of rhesus monkeys. However, India stopped exporting them that year. As a result, there is a growing need in the United States for rhesus monkey breeding colonies

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The South American Rhea

Rhea is a large South American bird that cannot fly. It looks like a small ostrich, and it is often called the South American ostrich. However, it has three toes on each foot, while the ostrich has two. The rhea also has larger wings and more feathers on its neck and head than the ostrich. The common rhea stands about 5 feet tall and weighs about 50 pounds.

Rheas live on the plains of southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. They usually live in flocks of from 5 to 30 birds, generally in brush-covered land near water where they can bathe and swim. They eat leaves, roots, and insects. Rheas have unusual nesting habits. The male scrapes a shallow hole in the ground and lines it with dry grass. Then he leads several hens to the nest, and each hen lays an egg. This process may be repeated several times, and a nest may contain up to 30 eggs. The male rhea sits on the eggs until they hatch. He also cares for the young birds.

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Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Triggerfishes

Triggerfish is a type of colorful fish that lives in coastal waters of warm and tropical seas. Most triggerfish are less than 1 1/2 feet long and have a roundish body with flattened sides.

The first three spines of a triggerfish's dorsal fin are specialized. The fish uses these spines to enlarge its body when threatened. The first spine is long and strong. It can be locked in place by the second, smaller spine, which lifts up and acts as a "trigger." When frightened, the fish hides in a crack or crevice and locks its spine. The fish then cannot be removed by predators. It returns to its normal size by releasing its second spine.

Triggerfish are closely related to filefish. There are about 120 species of triggerfish and filefish that live along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Three species of triggerfish live along the mainland Pacific Coast. The state fish of Hawaii, the Humuhumunkunukuapuaa, is a triggerfish.

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Hawthorn Plants

Hawthorn, also called thorn apple, is the name of more than 600 species of thorny shrubs or small trees that bear fragrant flowers. Hawthorns are native to North America, Europe, and northern Africa. Their blossoms are white or rarely, pink or red. The English hawthorn is noted for its beauty in May, when it blooms. The English countryside then becomes white with hawthorn blossoms. Hawthorns are deciduous - that is, they lose their leaves each autumn. The leaves change to scarlet, bronze-red, or yellow before they are shed. The fruit, called a haw, is fleshy with a paper like core. It is red to red-orange and looks like a small apple. For this reason, the hawthorn is sometimes called red haw or scarlet haw. The fruit ripens from September to October.

The downy hawthorn is a type of hawthorn found in the United States. This small tree has crooked, spreading branches and white blossoms. The orange-scarlet haws ripen late in the summer but fall soon after they mature. Another American hawthorn, the cockspur, sometimes grows 25 feet tall. Its red fruit remains on the tree from fall through winter.

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The Ocelot

Ocelot is a medium-sized animal of the cat family. It is known as the leopard cat or tiger cat of America. It is 3 1/2 to 4 feet long including the tail, which is 15 inches long. The ocelot stands 16 to 18 inches high at the shoulder. The ocelot lives in an area ranging from southeastern Arizona and southern Texas to Paraguay in South America. It spends most of its life on the ground, but often hunts in forest trees and is an agile climber. It eats mice, wood rats, rabbits, snakes, lizards, birds, young deer, and monkeys. In the tropics a favorite food is agoutis. If taken young, the ocelot can be tamed and makes an excellent pet.

The ground tint of the ocelot fur varies greatly in different animals, from reddish-yellow to smoky-pearl. Black spots vary in size from dots of the legs and feet to large shell-shaped spots on other parts of the body. The ocelot has a pink nose and large translucent eyes.

Ocelots have been widely hunted for their fur, and their number has decreased sharply. Laws that prohibit the hunting of ocelots have been hard to enforce.

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Chickasaw Indians

Chickasaw Indians are a tribe that originally lived in the Southern United States. Their territory included northern Mississippi, northwestern Alabama, and western Tennessee and Kentucky. In the 1830's the US government relocated the tribe in what is now Oklahoma.

The Chickasaw lived in several villages of small, one-room log cabins. Each village was headed by a chief. The people supported themselves by farming, fishing, hunting, and trading with neighboring tribes.

The Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto was th first white person to come into contact with the Chickasaw. He and his group spent the winter of 1540 - 1541 in one of their villages while searching for gold. Before leaving, de Soto demanded that some of the Chickasaw join him to help carry supplies. The Indians became angry and attacked de Soto's expedition, killing about 12 of his men.

The Chickasaw were fierce warriors. They helped Great Britain fight France and Spain for control of what is now the Southeastern United States. They also supported the British during the Revolutionary War. During the civil war, the tribe fought for the Confederacy.

In 1837, the government moved the Chickasaw west to the Indian Territory to make room for additional white settlement in the South. The forced march of the Indians to their new territory became known as the Trail of Tears because thousands of Indians died on the way. In 1907, the Chickasaw Territory became part of the new state of Oklahoma.

Today, about 5,300 people of the Chickasaw descent make their homes in Oklahoma. A tribal government elected by the Chickasaw helps provide for the general welfare of the tribe.

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