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Whippet

Alternative Name
The Snap Dog
Basic Info

Whippets are generally quiet and gentle dogs, content to spend much of the day sleeping.Because color is considered immaterial in judging whippets, they come in a wide variety of colors and marking patterns, everything from solid black to solid white, with red, fawn, brindle, blue, or cream. All manner of spots and blazes and patches are seen, sometimes all in the same litter. Whippets are a medium-size dog ranging from 25 to 40 lb (11-18 kg), with a maximum height of 22 inches (56 cm).

Health

Given proper nutrition, exercise, and veterinary care, most whippets live for 12 to 15 years. They are generally healthy, and are not prone to the frequent ear infections, skin allergies, or digestive problems that afflict other breeds. Genetic eye defects have been found in the breed, but are still very rare. Because of this threat, the American Whippet Club recommends that all breeders have the eyes checked clear on their breeding stock. Hip dysplasia is not a problem in whippets. Undescended testicles are common in the breed. Whippets, like many sighthounds, are sensitive to barbiturate anaesthetics.

Habitat

N/A

Behavior

Whippets are generally quiet and gentle dogs, content to spend much of the day sleeping. They are not generally aggressive towards other animals, and although especially attached to their owners, they are friendly to visitors. They are not prone to snapping, so they are good with young children. Because of their friendly nature they have often been known to be used in aged care facilities. They may or may not bark when strangers arrive, and are not suited to be guard dogs due to their trusting and unsuspicious nature. They do however tend to attack cats that stray onto their territory. Outside, particularly when they are racing or lure coursing, they demonstrate their superb athletic skills and will pursue their “quarry” (even when it is an artificial lure) with the heart of a lion. Unlike some other breeds, the males are as easy to housebreak, and no more aggressive, than females. Both sexes make excellent pets. Males are sometimes considered to be slightly more loyal and to enjoy repetitive play. Females can be a little more complex and strong-willed, but are equally devoted to their owners. Males tend to be one to two inches taller, and three to six pounds heavier, than females. Whippets are not well adapted for living in a kennel or as outside dogs. Their coats do not provide the insulation to withstand prolonged periods of exposure to the cold. Their natural attachment to people makes them happiest when kept as housepets. They are most at home in the company of their owners, in their lap or lying next to them on the lounge. Whippets are quiet and thus well suited to apartment life, although they do need regular exercise. The chance to run free in open spaces should be made available to the whippet. Care, however, should be taken with Whippets on the street as it is difficult to instil any sort of traffic sense into them. Whippets, as their heritage would suggest (they have been called a “poorman’s greyhound”), are outstanding running dogs and are top competitors in lure coursing, straight racing, and oval track racing. In these events, a temporary track and lure system is set up. The lure is usually a white plastic trash bag. With new methods of motivational obedience training being used, whippets are becoming successful obedience dogs. Many enjoy flyball and agility. The elegance and ease of grooming of the whippet have made it a popular show dog, but to be successful at this sport, you must purchase a puppy who is considered by its breeder to be show quality.

Origin

England

History

These dogs were bred to hunt by sight, coursing game in open areas at high speeds. Although one can find numerous representations of small greyhound-like hounds in art dating back to Roman times, the modern whippet was created by working-class people of northern England by crossing greyhounds with several other breeds, including the Italian Greyhound and a now-extinct long-legged terrier. These small coursing hounds were cheaper to feed and house than greyhounds but were very handy at providing rabbits for the pot. They also were used to provide sport on nonworking days as their owners enjoyed racing them against each other. The modern look of the breed was created by upper-class English dog fanciers, who bought the best-looking whippets and bred them selectively to appear most similar to a miniature greyhound.

Common Foods

pellet dog food

Asian arowana

Alternative Name
N/A
Basic Info

Like all Scleropages, Asian arowanas have long bodies; large pectoral fins; dorsal and anal fins located far back on the body; and a much larger caudal fin than that of their South American relative, the silver arowana, Osteoglossum bicirrhosum. Their scales are large and, in some species, metallic colored. The scales have a distinctive network of raised ribs. These mouthbrooding carnivores have paired barbels on the end of the lower jaw. All Asian arowanas are distinguished from Australian congenerics S. jardinii and S. leichardti by having fewer (21-26) lateral line scales (versus 32-36), longer pectoral and pelvic fins, and a longer anterior snout.

Health

The Asian arowanas are listed as endangered by the 2006 IUCN Red List, although it was last evaluated in 1996.[1] International trade in these fishes is controlled under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), under which it was placed on Appendix I, the most restrictive category, in 1975.[10][11] There are twenty three registered CITES breeders in Asia and the specimens they generate can be imported into several nations, although not the United States.

Habitat

Fresh water fish

Behavior

Asian arowanas are prized aquarium fish in some parts of the world, and the various color varieties have differing values to hobbyists. The super red arowana is regarded by many to be of greatest beauty because red is considered an auspicious color, according to some local cultures (see Cultural Beliefs below). Each color variety has variations among different localities. For instance, the gold crossback may have various base colours, including blue, gold, green, turquoise, and purple. Hobbyists consider the highest grade of the gold crossback to be the full gold crossback (frameless gold), which originated from the Sungai Gedong river system.

Origin

Asia

History

These popular aquarium fish have special cultural significance in areas influenced by Chinese culture. The name dragon fish stems from their resemblance to the mythical Chinese dragon. This popularity has had both positive and negative effects on their status as endangered species. All osteoglossids are highly adapted to freshwater and are incapable of surviving in the ocean; therefore, the spread of Asian arowanas throughout the islands of southeast Asia suggests they diverged from other osteoglossids before the continental breakup was complete. Confirmation has come from genetic studies, which have shown that the ancestor of the Asian arowanas diverged from the ancestor of the Australian arowanas, S. jardinii and S. leichardti, about 140 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous period. This divergence took place in the eastern margin of Gondwanaland, with the ancestors of Asian arowanas carried on the Indian subcontinent or smaller landmasses into Asia. The morphological similarity of all six species shows that little evolutionary change has taken place recently for these ancient fish.

Common Foods

Young Silver Arowanas should not be overfed, because according to some hobbyists, they can develop dropeye, a condition in which the eyes are turned downward, as they grow. Arowanas should be offered meaty foods such as insects, shrimp, fish and beef hearts.

Quail - Bobwhite

Alternative Name
Bobwhite Scientific Name: Colinus virginianus
Basic Info

At maturity, a Bobwhite Quail usually measures about ten inches in length. Predominantly, the Bobwhite Quail is a rusty brown color, although its underside may be lighter brown. Often there is gray coloration over the back of the quail. A male Bobwhite Quail has a white throat with a line above each eye. These white lines are striped back to the neck from the eye. Female Bobwhite Quails have the same patterns, but their throats are a light tan color, as are their eye lines.

Health

In order to preserve the Bobwhite Quail, a few preservation techniques have been suggested. One of these involves the leaving of small patches of grain along edge areas in the winter. Habitats may also be created for the Bobwhite Quail by planting woody undergrowth or bramble areas where the quail may shelter. Breeding The Mating season for Bobwhite Quail occurs in the spring and will often last into September. Generally, the males will perform mock combats in order to display for their mates. The male usually scrapes out a depression in old grass to use as the nest. Generally, the eggs require about 23 days to incubate. An average clutch contains about 14 eggs. Usually nesting occurs between June and September. Bobwhite Quail chicks are tiny- about the size of bumblebees! They rely on their parents for food and for warnings of danger. When the chicks are about five weeks old, they will begin to obtain food independently of the parents.

Habitat

N/A

Behavior

The Bobwhite Quail, unlike many animals, actually benefited from early settling of its range when settlers built protected fenced areas and fields of grain over the quail’s range! Before the mating season in begins, Bobwhite Quail live in coveys of about six birds. However, this number may fluctuate between ten and thirty birds. The coveys begin to break up around March as males compete with each other for the females. After the breeding season ends in the fall, coveys are reformed. Usually there is a social order in such coveys, and the Bobwhite Quail remain close together and tend to move and sleep as a single unit. When startled, however, the Bobwhite Quail scatter in all directions. Usually the covey spends the day in search of food, resting during the hottest hours of the day. Bobwhite Quail prefer to live in edge-lands, where one type of habitat meets another. Generally, this may be the border between a wooded area and a grassy expanse.

Origin

United States

History

Bobwhite Quail began to flourish with the early settling of the Americas, but the trend will not continue if humans continue to destroy the natural habitat of these birds! Their numbers are also often checked by harsh winter conditions. Bobwhite Quail are generally seen in the wild in the Midwest and Southern United States as well as parts of Mexico. As game birds, they were often trapped rather than hunted. Today, hunters with dogs usually hunt Bobwhite Quail. Enthusiasts, scientists, and photographers also love finding and observing these birds in their natural habitats. The Bobwhite Quail receives its name from the male’s mating call, which sounds like the syllables “Ah-bob-white”.

Common Foods

Bobwhite Quail feed on seeds, insects and vegetation. Their diet may include berries, corn, soybeans, grasses and clover, in addition to insects and seeds, which they obtain by scratching at the ground.

Zebra

Alternative Name
N/A
Basic Info

In body form all equids are quite similar. They are specialized for running and for grazing on siliceous grasses, which rapidly wear down the teeth. Species can be differentiated, however, on the basis of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the skull, tooth morphology and length and robustness of the metapodials (foot bones). There are also variations in size, color, color patterning, hoof size and shape, mane length, presence or absence of a forelock, tail hair length and distribution, number and size of chestnuts and vocalizations

Health

N/A

Habitat

land

Behavior

One reason all equids are vulnerable in the face of hunting pressures and habitat loss is that they reproduce slowly. Gestation lasts eleven to thirteen months, depending upon the species, and almost always only one foal I dropped each season. Most researchers, however, report that mares foal only every other year. Sexual maturity occurs at age two in females and age three to five in males. Life span can extend twenty or more years

Origin

Africa

History

Close relatives of the horse persist in the wild today in several parts of the Old World. Taxonomic interpretations vary, but most experts place them all in the genus Equus. The handsome striped equids of Africa fall into three distinct species: Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi), the plains or Burchell’s zebra (Equus burchelli =Equus quagga), and the mountain zebra (Equus zebra). Of these, the Grevy’s zebra is most distinct. Taxonomically it is placed in the subgenus Dolichohippus, whereas the plains and mountain zebras are placed in the subgenus Hippotigris. The continued survival of most of these fascinating and spectacular species is threatened. Despite the establishment of sanctuaries, many populations are faced with diminishing ranges and decreasing numbers.

Common Foods

Alternative Name
N/A
Basic Info

The Toyger is a breed of striped domestic cat. The Toyger is descended from Bengal cat stock crossed with domestic cats. The aim of this cross was to produce a striped ‘toy tiger’. It was recognised for ‘Registration only’ by The International Cat Association in the early 1990s. There are several breeders in the United States and one breeder in the UK working to develop the breed The Toyger is a designer cat. It is designed and bred with the demands of modern apartment life as a human companion foremost in mind. Glittered, pelted, dramatic pattern appeals to both the high-tech glamour and nature-loving, wild dreams of city-caught people while the laid back, easily trained character of these cats make them a joy to live with.

Health

Certainly general health and longevity must be of top concern to breeders and pet owners alike. Toygers are generally robust and healthy. Although it is too early in the breed to see much difference from most domestics, active lifespan seems to be similar to most random breds at about 10 to 15 years with several of the few retired early TGs born in the last ’80s still going strong.

Habitat

N/A

Behavior

Loving, intellegent, laid-back but active and alert. Highly trainable. Gets along well with other animals and children. Some lines like other cats better than other lines at this time. Some lines are noisy at this time.

Origin

United States

History

The Toyger is a breed in development. Recognized by TICA for Registration Only early in the 1990’s, Preliminary New Breed in 2000 and lovely even now, the goals for the breed are long term and the prospect even more exciting! Several of the features proposed have never before been recognized as possible in a domestic cat. Progress is slow but steady in all areas from companionability to appearance. The Toyger will be showing in its new TICA status of Advanced New Breed May 2006.

Common Foods

cat food, milk