Prussian Carp

Carassius gibelio

If you look closely, and use some imagination when it comes to color, you might just recognize today's animal.

You see, the Prussian Carp, which actually originated in Siberia and not Germany, is the wild ancestor to our domesticated Goldfish. Around 1,000 years ago these fish were selectively bred in China to become the colorful aquarium fish that are so prevalent around the world. Like their domestic progeny, Prussian Carp have also spread from their native habitat, and can now be found in rivers and ponds across Europe and Asia.

Prussian Carp are medium sized members of their family, measuring up to 1.5ft long and weighing up to 6lbs.  They have an omnivorous diet, feeding off of plant matter as well as various small invertebrates.

As adults, the Prussian Carp have a grey, greenish color. But when they are younger they tend to be more golden, which  is where the inspiration for the domestication may have some from.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Asia, Europe
Size : Length up to 18in (45cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Cypriniformes
Family : Cyprinidae -- Genus : Carassius -- Species : C. gibelio

Brown-throated Sloth

Bradypus variegatus

There are four species of Three-toed Sloth in the world, and the Brown-throated Sloth is the most common of the bunch. They can be found in different forested areas of Central and South America, typically living at elevations below 4,000ft.

Brown-throated Sloths can walk on the ground (kind of...), and they can even swim, but they spend almost all of their time up in the trees. They sleep as much as 18 hours a day, though 14-16 is more common. They are active the rest of the time, feeding and moving and protecting their territory, but only in 2-3 hour bursts.

The home range for a Brown-throated Sloth is pretty small-- only around a dozen acres. In this range they will move from tree to tree, feeding slowly on different leaves and fruits. Their metabolism is so slow that it can take a month to digest a single meal! In fact, the Sloths will usually only descend from their arboreal homes in order to go to the bathroom. This happens only once every eight days!

Brown-throated Sloth

Brown-throated Sloths have some interesting anatomical features, including their hair-- each follicle has multiple cracks on the surface. These cracks are the prefect places for algae to grow. The algae get a nice host to live on, and the Sloths get some extra camouflage. But the algae aren't the only passengers that the sloth has. A species of moth, Cryptoses choloepi lives in the Sloth fur and lays its eggs in the Sloth's dung.

Other strange anatomy facts? Brown-throated Sloths have 10 cervical vertebrae, and can rotate their necks 270 degrees. They also have a lot of trouble regulating their body temperature due in part to their small hearts and lack of muscle mass. This is why Sloths are only found in tropical warm areas.

Females sloths will make loud vocalizations in order to attract a mate. A male will come to her, and she will usually mate with the first one to show up. After copulation the male leaves, and the female goes through the 5-8 month gestation period alone. They give birth either on the ground or in trees, and the young sloth will cling to its mother's underside for up to 5 months. They wean quickly but stick around for much longer to learn important Sloth skills from mom, including motor skills and which leaves are best to eat.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : South and Central America
Size : Length up to 31in (80cm), Weight up to 14lbs (6.3kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Pilosa
Family : Bradypodidae -- Genus : Bradypus -- Species : B. variegatus

Common House Mosquito

Culex pipiens

We learn about all sorts of creatures on Animal a Day. Sometimes they are majestic Leopards, sometimes they are beautiful Birds-of-Paradise.... and sometimes they are tiny little disease carriers that everyone hates.

I'm sure you've met Culex pipiens before; he is usually referred to as the Common House Mosquito. These tiny insects cane be found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, and are usually the most common Mosquitos in suburban and urban areas (yes, there are actually many different species of Mosquito).

I'm sure this is no surprise to you, but Common House Mosquitos feed on blood. Bird blood is their favorite drink, but humans and other mammals also appear on the menu. However, all those bites can be attributed to the females-- males actually do not feed on blood at all. They do not have biting mouth parts, and feed instead on plant nectar.

Common House Mosquitos have a short breeding cycle and can reproduce quickly and in very large numbers. A female can lay up to 350 eggs at once, depositing them in stagnant or polluted water. Those eggs hatch after only 2 days, and the larvae pupate and become adults after only a week or two.

Females at the end of the warm season have very important jobs to do, since the propagation of their species rests entirely on them. Normal Mosquitos only live about 2 weeks as adults, but late Summer females have to last for months! They mate and then build up fat reserves and find warm places to hang out (like basements). Their metabolism slows down considerably, and when spring rolls around they seek out food and then lay their eggs.

Their huge population caused by the fast breeding cycle makes Common House Mosquitos especially dangerous. They serve as vectors that transmit diseases from birds to mammals. Diseases like West Nile and SLE can easily get passed from bird to bird, and from bird to mammal, and eradicating these conditions is near impossible because of the sheer number of Mosquitos that carry the diseases with them. These diseases can be fatal to humans. Last year in the United States there were 712 cases of West Nile, and 43 deaths. Using Mosquito repellent and eliminating breeding locations is especially important during the summer months.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : Northern Hemisphere
Size : Body Length up to 7mm.

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Diptera
Family : Culicidae -- Genus : Culex-- Species : C. pipiens