Discovering Florida's Endangered Manatee

by Karen Roe

Manatees, which belong to the Sirenia order of mammalians, refer to a a large, gray or black air breathing water mammal. A manatee has some characteristics as a hippopotamus and also named a sea cow. Often, an adult manatee are very big and can be ten-fet long and can weigh between 440 and 1300 pounds. Manatees have a small head with a straight snout having a bristly mustache on the upper lip. Paddle-like forelimbs are used to move through the water.

 

Manatees live in fresh, brackish, or salt water and roam with small herds somewhat like a family. Six to eight hours a day is spent grazing upon seaweed and other marine plants. Their slow metabolism reduces the energy requirements, thus they move slowly through the water. Because of their size, manatees have few natural enemies. Humans are the primary threat to the health and safety of the manatees. After a 12-month gestation period, the female manatee may give birth to a single, pink calf about once every three years. A mother may nurse her calf from her teats located under her pectoral flippers.

 

What is an Endangered Specie?

 

An endangered specie is any plant or animal that is in danger of extinction (dying off). Presently as many as 34,000 plant species and 5,200 animal species around the world are in danger of extinction. Evolution of species accounts for a normal process in extinction, (natural predators and climate changes that the specie cannot adapt to), but most causes of specie extinction are from habitat destruction, pollution, increases in human population, resource consumption, and urban development.

 

A plant or animal must be identified by a criteria put forth by the Endangered Specie Act of 1973.

Before they can be identified, thousands of species become extinct each year.

 

The current global extinction rate is estimated at about 20,000 species per year, exponentially greater than the background extinction rate. Many biologists believe that we are in the middle of the greatest mass extinction episode since the disappearance of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. (Encarta msn.com)

 

Why Protect the Manatees?

 

The extinction of one or more species may affect the ecosystem and cause irreversibly damage. For example, when sea otters near the northern Pacific Rim were hunted almost to extinction in the 19th and early 20th centuries, sea urchin no longer had a major predator. This caused the sea urchin population to increase drastically. Once the sea urchins ate the kelp and other seaweeds, the rich underwater ecosystem became barren. When the U.S Marine Mammal Act of 1972 set forth protective laws, sea otters were reintroduced to the area. The kelp and seaweed forests were restored.

 

Humans depend upon the ecosystems to provide food, water, and clean air, as well as many medicines and products that are provided by biodiversity. It is imperative that we protect and save the lives of endangered plants and animals.

 

Typically manatees are found in the tropical and subtropical waters of North and South America and Africa, and are not native to the coasts of Florida. The Florida manatees are sub-species of the West Indian manatee brought to the coasts of Florida in the 1700s. Then called sea cows, they were kept in netted warm water corrals and raised as a food source. When these mammals were released, many died from water temperatures that were too cool, and from boating collisions. Manatees are herbivores, and eat a variety of sixty or more sea grasses and plants. Conservation efforts are supported by the fact that manatees clear plant-clogged river channels used for irrigation and transportation. Therefore, manatees are protected by local and national legislation in every coastal county in Florida. The State strictly enforces speed restrictions in manatee habitats to protect the rare sea mammals from boating collisions. Still 26% of manatee deaths are caused by collisions with watercrafts.

 

According to Save the Manatee Club, Manatees are currently facing total extinction. In 1996 almost 20% of the world's entire manatee population died. Without intervention, the animal faces a high risk of extinction in the wild in ten or more years (The World Conservation Union, IUCN).

 

The main causes of manatee death are human-related such as harassment, poaching for hides, meat, and blubber oil, entanglement in Flood Gate or Canal Lock; habitat destruction; and deaths caused from fishing line, litter, vandalism, culverts and other man-made structures. Other causes of manatee death are natural causes such as cold water temperatures, stress, red tide, disease, and calving difficulties.

 

Harassment refers to pursuing, chasing, poking, prodding, grabbing, riding, and feeding manatees or giving them water from a hose. This conditions them to take food or water from people. Some people may use this opportunity to feed them dangerous non-food items or harm the manatee in some way. Harassment by boaters, divers, swimmers, and people fishing can force manatees to leave preferred habitat such as warm water refuges. Harassment can also lead to separation of mother and calf. Save the Manatee® Club supports passive observation (observing from a distance) as the only way to interact with manatees and all wildlife.

 

Jim Waymer reports that according to Florida government endangered manatees are dying at the rate of one per day. Marine patrol officer, Dennis Harrah, estimated in June 2000 that only 2,200 remained alive in Florida waters. Harrah has watched for 24 years as the manatees drift toward extinction.

 

Law enforcement has issued 67 citations and 37 warnings for boaters who ignored the manatee zones in Brevard County during the challenge period. Of those numbers, 42 of the citations and 27 of the warnings were issued to county residents who were aware of where the speed zones are located.

 

In spite of fines and penalties harassment by humans continues to be an issue. Hundreds of boaters protested a judge's ruling and the new manatee slow speed ruling by sounding their horns (a form of manatee harassment) while cruising through the Barge Canal which provides access from Merritt Island to the Banana River and the Indian River Lagoon. These boaters felt that the new laws were jeopardizing their safety and violating their rights without actually protecting the manatees.

 

Protection of endangered species is vital to the continued existence of harmony in our environment. There is something every human can do to insure that our planet continues to thrive. The process begins with the help of citizens, but must be enforced by federal, state, and local laws. Every creature on earth has a vital role in the ecosystem, and contributes to the well being of our planet. Consider helping our environment by:

 

Avoiding restricted or protected manatee areas

Never touching or feeding a manatee

Reporting tagged manatee to authorities

Reporting abuse and harassment

 

It takes money, compassion, and a willingness to sacrifice human conveniences to protect and keep endangered species alive. By obeying the protective laws and by donating time and money into this worthy cause, the manatee will survive, and future generations will continue to enjoy interaction with these gentle, affectionate, and harmless sea creatures.

 

Yvonne Perry is a freelance writer and the owner of Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services (WITS). She and her team of ghostwriters are ready to assist you with writing and editing for books, eBooks, Web text, business documents, resumes, bios, articles, and media releases. For more information about writing, networking, publishing, and book promotion, or to sign up for free email delivery of WITS newsletter, please visit http://www.writersinthesky.com New subscribers receive a free eBook Tips for Freelance Writing.

More About Endangered Animals Articles

Zoológico de Curitiba / Zoo of Curitiba

Check out these about endangered animals images:

Zoológico de Curitiba / Zoo of Curitiba

Image by Marcio Cabral de Moura
Leão labendo suas partes íntimas no zoológico de Curitiba, Paraná, Brasil.
O Jardim Zoológico de Curitiba ocupa uma área de 530 mil m² e possui exemplares da fauna de todas as partes do mundo. São leões, tigres, chimpanzés, hipopótamos, girafas, grous, ariranhas e dezenas de outras espécies, num total de mais de 900 animais. As condições ideais de tratamento possibilitam a reprodução em cativeiro de animais como a lontra, o bisão, o lobo-guará, a arara-de-colar e a ararajuba. Na Casa do Acantonamento acontecem aulas de educação ambiental para crianças. Lanchonetes, banheiros, abrigos e um mirante de 40 metros de altura completam a infra-estrutura.
Wikipédia

The lion (Panthera leo) is one of four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger. Wild lions currently exist in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia with a critically endangered remnant population in northwest India, having disappeared from North Africa, the Middle East, and Western Asia in historic times. Until the late Pleistocene, which was about 10,000 years ago, the lion was the most widespread large land mammal after humans. They were found in most of Africa, much of Eurasia from western Europe to India, and in the Americas from the Yukon to Peru.

Lions live for around 10–14 years in the wild, while in captivity they can live over 20 years. In the wild, males seldom live longer than ten years as fights with rivals occasionally cause injuries. They typically inhabit savanna and grassland, although they may take to bush and forest. Lions are unusually social compared to other cats. A pride of lions consists of related females and offspring and a small number of adult males. Groups of female lions typically hunt together, preying mostly on large ungulates. The lion is an apex and keystone predator, although they will scavenge if the opportunity arises. While lions do not typically hunt humans selectively, some have been known to become man-eaters and seek human prey.

The lion is a vulnerable species, having seen a possibly irreversible population decline of 30 to 50 percent over the past two decades in its African range. Lion populations are untenable outside of designated reserves and national parks. Although the cause of the decline is not fully understood, habitat loss and conflicts with humans are currently the greatest causes of concern. Lions have been kept in menageries since Roman times and have been a key species sought for exhibition in zoos the world over since the late eighteenth century. Zoos are cooperating worldwide in breeding programs for the endangered Asiatic subspecies.

Visually, the male lion is highly distinctive and is easily recognized by its mane. The lion, particularly the face of the male, is one of the most widely recognized animal symbols in human culture. Depictions have existed from the Upper Paleolithic period, with carvings and paintings from the Lascaux and Chauvet Caves, through virtually all ancient and medieval cultures where they historically occurred. It has been extensively depicted in literature, in sculptures, in paintings, on national flags, and in contemporary films and literature.
Wikipedia

Ms. Ellie & calf about to cross the road

Image by Arno Meintjes Wildlife
DSC_0716

Endangered Species Slogan T-Shirts

by Karen Roe

T-shirts can say a lot about our beliefs as well as the causes that we fight for.

Some wonderful species of animals are in threat of being hunted to extinction because people see them not as the beautiful and graceful animals that they are but as an easy way to make money. For example elephants are murdered every day for their tusks which can be made into ivory products which brings quite a lot of money on the black market. It is possible however, that if they sedated the elephant they could gently saw the tusks off thus leaving the animal alive instead of slaughtering it for this meaningless purpose.

Many animals are hunted as their bones are thought to contain medicinal properties that can be ground into tonics and sold for a high price even though there is no evidence to suggest this. Tigers are one of these animals that are sought after not only for its bones but also for its skin. Tiger skin rugs can fetch a hefty price for those who do not care that an innocent animal has lost its life so that the person is able to furnish their house with what they perhaps see as lavish animal skins whereas in fact they are merely the rotting remains that have been preserved for display.

It has been said and many people still do believe that animals do not feel pain. However, taken into consideration that humans ourselves are animals, mammals to be exact and that we feel pain when we cut ourselves for example leaves no doubt that other classes of animals are exactly the same. As we feel anxiety and fear so must these poor animals as they are being chased and shot at by heartless humans brandishing rifles.

A t-shirt supporting the non-hunting and trading of animal skins and such could make a bold statement by perhaps the beautiful animal such as a tiger shown in all its majestic beauty and perhaps a design on the back showing its lifeless skin and head as a rug, soulless and empty.

If the ivory trade is something that upsets you more than the above then how about a t-shirt that expresses the de-tusked carcass of an elephant and the lonely infant pushing at its mother to get up and not understanding why she does not move.

Many people do not think of these situations and think only of their own benefit such as those who hunt them or those that use the products of these animals after they have been slaughtered.

If we look through the eyes of a tiger cub as it is left alone while its mother’s lifeless body is dragged into a jeep or an infant elephant left with only its mother’s carcass for company then surely people would see how wrong and even evil this is. Unfortunately though as long as people buy the skins and bones of these endangered animals then they will continue to be slaughtered so therefore must wait for people to see sense and cease buying these products hopefully before it is too late to save them all.

The writer of this article loves wearing funny t shirts and he loves writing anything to do with a funny slogan t shirts.

Nice About Endangered Animals photos

A few nice about endangered animals images I found:

Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park 20

Image by Ken Lund
Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson.


Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States national park system.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Total area in 2002 was 143 square miles (91,327 acres) (370 km²) of which 111 square miles (289 km²) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.

The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months.

The Rincon Mountain District is located at the eastern edge of Tucson, Arizona; the east side of the park was the original National Monument. What is unique about this park is that it starts off in the Sonoran Desert and gradually gives way to a montane coniferous forest of the Rincon Mountains. The highest peak in this range is Mica Mountain, at an elevation of 8,666 feet (2641 m). While this side of the park has fewer Saguaros than its counterpart they remain larger in size, due to higher amounts of rainfall and run off from the Rincon Mountains.

The key feature of this district is its 8.3-mile (13.4 km) loop, which connects its two picnic areas and central trails. Recently after a lengthy road improvement project, and refurbishment of the Visitor Center, the Rincon District is fully open once more.

Hiking on this side of the park is readily accessible to visitors. There are trail heads present at the east end of Speedway and Broadway, but these trail heads are commonly used by horses and get heavy usage on the weekends. Off the park's loop road there are several additional trail heads. Each Visitor Center will supply a map of hiking trails on request.

And at the southern boundary of the park is the Hope Camp Trails which are also commonly used for horses. Access to the Hope Camp Trails is found at the end of Camino Loma Alta, however the road is no longer paved for the last couple hundred yards. This section of the park was added in 1991 when Congress authroized the purchase of 4,011 acres (16.23 km2).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro_National_Park

www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park 34

Image by Ken Lund
Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson.


Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States national park system.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Total area in 2002 was 143 square miles (91,327 acres) (370 km²) of which 111 square miles (289 km²) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.

The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months.

The Rincon Mountain District is located at the eastern edge of Tucson, Arizona; the east side of the park was the original National Monument. What is unique about this park is that it starts off in the Sonoran Desert and gradually gives way to a montane coniferous forest of the Rincon Mountains. The highest peak in this range is Mica Mountain, at an elevation of 8,666 feet (2641 m). While this side of the park has fewer Saguaros than its counterpart they remain larger in size, due to higher amounts of rainfall and run off from the Rincon Mountains.

The key feature of this district is its 8.3-mile (13.4 km) loop, which connects its two picnic areas and central trails. Recently after a lengthy road improvement project, and refurbishment of the Visitor Center, the Rincon District is fully open once more.

Hiking on this side of the park is readily accessible to visitors. There are trail heads present at the east end of Speedway and Broadway, but these trail heads are commonly used by horses and get heavy usage on the weekends. Off the park's loop road there are several additional trail heads. Each Visitor Center will supply a map of hiking trails on request.

And at the southern boundary of the park is the Hope Camp Trails which are also commonly used for horses. Access to the Hope Camp Trails is found at the end of Camino Loma Alta, however the road is no longer paved for the last couple hundred yards. This section of the park was added in 1991 when Congress authroized the purchase of 4,011 acres (16.23 km2).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro_National_Park

www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park 22

Image by Ken Lund
Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson.


Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States national park system.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Total area in 2002 was 143 square miles (91,327 acres) (370 km²) of which 111 square miles (289 km²) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.

The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months.

The Rincon Mountain District is located at the eastern edge of Tucson, Arizona; the east side of the park was the original National Monument. What is unique about this park is that it starts off in the Sonoran Desert and gradually gives way to a montane coniferous forest of the Rincon Mountains. The highest peak in this range is Mica Mountain, at an elevation of 8,666 feet (2641 m). While this side of the park has fewer Saguaros than its counterpart they remain larger in size, due to higher amounts of rainfall and run off from the Rincon Mountains.

The key feature of this district is its 8.3-mile (13.4 km) loop, which connects its two picnic areas and central trails. Recently after a lengthy road improvement project, and refurbishment of the Visitor Center, the Rincon District is fully open once more.

Hiking on this side of the park is readily accessible to visitors. There are trail heads present at the east end of Speedway and Broadway, but these trail heads are commonly used by horses and get heavy usage on the weekends. Off the park's loop road there are several additional trail heads. Each Visitor Center will supply a map of hiking trails on request.

And at the southern boundary of the park is the Hope Camp Trails which are also commonly used for horses. Access to the Hope Camp Trails is found at the end of Camino Loma Alta, however the road is no longer paved for the last couple hundred yards. This section of the park was added in 1991 when Congress authroized the purchase of 4,011 acres (16.23 km2).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro_National_Park

www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Endangered Species - Elephants

by чãvìnkωhỉtз

Elephants - largest land animal living at present and the downward stream of giant mammals, which include the mammoths are another endangered species on earth. They are existent on this earth for millions of years,. Adults sometimes weigh about six tons.

Two species of the elephants are found: one is the larger and plentiful African Elephants and the other is the smaller and fewer Asian Elephants or the Indian Elephants. The number of the African elephants has rapidly decreased due to ivory trade, which is used for jewelry, carvings, etc. Less than 50,000 Asian elephants are there in the world.

Elephants presently found on earth are the descendants of the "trunked" family of mammals. Elephants help light-dependant plants grow and survive by creating roadways, elephant dung acts as the fertilizer for many plants in the forest, and other wild animals find water in the wells dug by the elephants in search of water. African elephants are found in the sub-Saharan Africa in about 37 countries. They normally inhabit in the dense African rainforests of Central and Western Africa. The Asian elephants are found in the large parts of India, Sri Lanka, Indo-china territory and Indonesia. The trunk of the elephant is the boneless elongation of the upper lip and nose, which is powerful enough to tear a tree as well as pick up hundreds of pounds. There are about forty thousand muscles in it. It can draw about 50 gallons of water into the trunk everyday.

Tusks are found in both the male and the female African elephants, while in the Asian elephants it is found in the males only. The elephant's trunk is long and it is the most important part of the elephant's body.

African elephants have two fingerlike projections at the tip of the trunk, while the Asian elephants have only one such projection.

The trunk of the elephant is very strong and it is very much sensitive also. The tusks, known as the ivory tusks, are the enlarged protruding incisor teeth and have the recorded length of 10 feet. These are used by the elephant as the instruments to dig ground in search of water, salt and roots, to take the bark of trees away, to eat the bark, to move trees and branches to clear the path; and also as a weapon against adversities. Humans use this trunk as a decorative arts, game pieces and musical instruments. The large ears with flaps of the elephants are used to keep the body surface cool in hot days.

Elephants are vegetarian in food habit. Grass, bamboo, twig, bark, roots, fruits, seeds and flowers are among the food list of an elephant. An adult elephant eat 300-600 pound of food in a day. But 60% of the eaten food comes out of the body of the elephant undigested. Among the land animals the elephants have the longest gestation period of 22 months.

Life and existence of this ancient animal is endangered due to loss of habitation, killing of the animal for ivory and meat, especially in the Central Africa. Like the gorillas, elephants are also killed for bush meat trade. Elephants are being slaughtered for their ivory tusks, commercial trade of which is internationally banned. Japan is the main consumer of ivory. To help this species live without the risk of being killed for illegal trade we should avoid ivory and other elephant products, rather we should use various stones, plastic and gems like jade in place of ivory.

We should try to create awareness among our near ones against killing of the entire animal for the tusks and explain how buying products of the tusks help killing of the elephants. We should stretch our hands to help those who are working for the protection and conservation of elephants through raising funds to support them and creating general awareness that ivory and other elephant products are internationally banned; and hence buyers of these products are likely to be fined.

Md. Didarul Alam
Creative and Technical Writer
Lecturer, Centre for Religious Studies, Presbyterian Church of Bangladesh (PCB)
Uttara, Bangladesh

Nice About Endangered Animals photos

Check out these about endangered animals images:

Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park 8 BW

Image by Ken Lund
Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson.


Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States national park system.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Total area in 2002 was 143 square miles (91,327 acres) (370 km²) of which 111 square miles (289 km²) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.

The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months.

The Rincon Mountain District is located at the eastern edge of Tucson, Arizona; the east side of the park was the original National Monument. What is unique about this park is that it starts off in the Sonoran Desert and gradually gives way to a montane coniferous forest of the Rincon Mountains. The highest peak in this range is Mica Mountain, at an elevation of 8,666 feet (2641 m). While this side of the park has fewer Saguaros than its counterpart they remain larger in size, due to higher amounts of rainfall and run off from the Rincon Mountains.

The key feature of this district is its 8.3-mile (13.4 km) loop, which connects its two picnic areas and central trails. Recently after a lengthy road improvement project, and refurbishment of the Visitor Center, the Rincon District is fully open once more.

Hiking on this side of the park is readily accessible to visitors. There are trail heads present at the east end of Speedway and Broadway, but these trail heads are commonly used by horses and get heavy usage on the weekends. Off the park's loop road there are several additional trail heads. Each Visitor Center will supply a map of hiking trails on request.

And at the southern boundary of the park is the Hope Camp Trails which are also commonly used for horses. Access to the Hope Camp Trails is found at the end of Camino Loma Alta, however the road is no longer paved for the last couple hundred yards. This section of the park was added in 1991 when Congress authroized the purchase of 4,011 acres (16.23 km2).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro_National_Park

www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park 7

Image by Ken Lund
Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson.


Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States national park system.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Total area in 2002 was 143 square miles (91,327 acres) (370 km²) of which 111 square miles (289 km²) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.

The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months.

The Rincon Mountain District is located at the eastern edge of Tucson, Arizona; the east side of the park was the original National Monument. What is unique about this park is that it starts off in the Sonoran Desert and gradually gives way to a montane coniferous forest of the Rincon Mountains. The highest peak in this range is Mica Mountain, at an elevation of 8,666 feet (2641 m). While this side of the park has fewer Saguaros than its counterpart they remain larger in size, due to higher amounts of rainfall and run off from the Rincon Mountains.

The key feature of this district is its 8.3-mile (13.4 km) loop, which connects its two picnic areas and central trails. Recently after a lengthy road improvement project, and refurbishment of the Visitor Center, the Rincon District is fully open once more.

Hiking on this side of the park is readily accessible to visitors. There are trail heads present at the east end of Speedway and Broadway, but these trail heads are commonly used by horses and get heavy usage on the weekends. Off the park's loop road there are several additional trail heads. Each Visitor Center will supply a map of hiking trails on request.

And at the southern boundary of the park is the Hope Camp Trails which are also commonly used for horses. Access to the Hope Camp Trails is found at the end of Camino Loma Alta, however the road is no longer paved for the last couple hundred yards. This section of the park was added in 1991 when Congress authroized the purchase of 4,011 acres (16.23 km2).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro_National_Park

www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Peeking

Image by minxlj
This beautiful creature is Chandra, a female Sumatran tiger (Panthera tigris sumatrae), one of the rarest species on our planet (IUCN Red List category: Critically Endangered)

She was born in 2007 and housed in Edinburgh Zoo from 2008 as part of the European Endangered Species Programme (EEP) with her brother Tibor. I watched them quietly for about 30 minutes, very grateful for a quiet day in the Zoo and no other visitors stood with me! Chandra peeked out from her 'hide' watching her brother.

www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/animals/individuals/SumatranTiger...

Nice Names For Animals photos

Some cool names for animals images:

July 27, 2006: Bat-horse

Image by Matt McGee
Love the mask! This is a horse the kids have named Snowy, for the sole reason that the first time they saw her it was in the winter when it was snowing ... and she was out playing in it. We pass this horse just about every time we head into Richland or Kennewick. She had a baby about two years ago, which the kids promptly named Snowflake.

Part of my 1/365 project: 1 photo per day for 365 days.

animals i know

Image by buttersweet
1. flower & friend, 2. lollipop, 3. you need pink ears, 4. koko = have i got beautiful eyes?, 5. i know i'm cute, 6. Jackson, 7. sigh, 8. Daisy, 9. kitty no name

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

L-O-V-E....Wat AruN..So MucH...

Image by Thai Jasmine (Smile..smile...Smile..)
**************************************
EXPLORE : November 24, 2008 # 192
(Highest position)
**************************************

I will be forever thankful BABY....
For every dream you made come true...
For all the LOVE I found in YOU...

May the lovely feeling holding your hand tight...
Flying with YOU to the eternal height...
Not just for today nor tomorrow...
But along the years and forever...

Have a sweet Saturday and beautiful dream tonight...
I will always send you nice sunshine, sweet smile and warm love from Thailand, my Dearest...

Ich liebe dich..I LOVE YOU now and forever...
J-A-S-M-I-N-E..

***************************************************************************************************************

DATA : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Arun

WAT ARUN..

History of the Temple...

The temple was built in the days of Thailand's ancient capital of Ayutthaya and originally known as Wat Makok (The Olive Temple). In the ensuing era when Thonburi was capital,changed the name to Wat Chaeng.

The Wat had a brief period as host of the Emerald Buddha, which was moved to Wat Phra Kaew in 1784. The later King Rama II. changed the name to Wat Arunratchatharam. He restored the temple and enlarged the central prang. The work was finished by King Rama III. King Rama IV gave the temple the present name Wat Arunratchawararam. As a sign of changing times, Wat Arun officially ordained its first westerner in 2005. Sean Patrick from America.

Architecture...

The outstanding feature of Wat Arun is its central prang (Khmer-style tower). Steep steps lead to the two terraces. The height is reported by different sources as between 66,80 m and 86 m. The corners are surrounded by 4 smaller satellite prangs. The prangs are decorated by seashells and bits of porcelain which had previously been used as ballast by boats coming to Bangkok from China. Around the base of the prangs are various figures of ancient Chinese soldiers and animals. Over the second terrace are four statues of the Hindu god Indra riding on Erawan.

At the riverside are 6 pavilions (sala) in Chinese style. The pavilions are made of green granite and contain landing bridges. Next to the prangs is the Ordination Hall with the Niramitr Buddha image supposedly designed by King Rama II. The front entrance of the Ordination Hall has a roof with a central spire, decorated in coloured ceramic and stuccowork sheated in coloured china. There are 2 demons, or temple guardian figures in front.

*****************************************************************************************************************

Wat Arunratchawararam Ratchaworamahavihara, Bangkok, Thailand...

Endangered Komodo Dragons Become Killers

The famous Komodo dragons, the heaviest living lizard on the planet, often grows up to 10 feet in length. They have shark-type teeth and poisonous venom that can kill a human being within hours of receiving a bite. These living fossils can run up to eleven mph in short bursts.

For decades villagers have dwelt peacefully alongside the world's largest lizard, until the dragons commenced to attack.

The tales spread quickly across the smattering of tropical islands in southeastern Indonesia, the only place the endangered reptiles can still be seen in the wild. Experts say Komodo dragon attacks are still rare. Since 2007 a young boy and a fisherman have been killed and one person died in 2000. A minimum of 8 people have been badly hurt in the last ten years. All incidents involved an unprovoked attack.

A dragon slithered up the stairs of his wooden hut in Komodo National Park and went for 46-year-old park ranger, Main, who was doing paperwork. It attacked his ankles which were dangling beneath the desk. When Main tried to pry open the beast's powerful jaws, it locked its teeth into his hand.

The dragon's saliva is crammed with over 50 different strains of bacteria. When it attacks it goes on a frenzied biting spree that releases life-threatening venom.

Pointing to his jagged gashes, sewn up with 55 stitches and still swollen three months later, Main said," I thought I wouldn't survive... I've spent half my life working with Komodos and have never seen anything like it. Luckily, my friends heard my screams and got me to hospital in time."

The villagers claim that the dragons are hungry and more aggressive towards people, because their food is being poached, though park officials are quick to dispute this. Heru Rudiharto, a biologist and reptile expert said "Though poaching is illegal, the sheer size of the park and a shortage of rangers make it almost impossible to patrol".

"We used to give them the bones and skin of deer," say the local fishermen. Many villagers accuse the 1994 law that ban villagers from feeding the dragons.

However tame these living reptiles may appear to be, lazing under trees and steering at the ocean from white-sandy beaches, they are strong, fast and deadly. Rudiharto says "The giant lizards have always been dangerous".

A dragon can eat 70 percent of its own body weight in just one feeding.
There is a steady population of about 3,000 to 5,000 Komodo dragons on the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Gila Motang, and Flores, in Indonesia. However, a shortage of egg-laying females, human encroachment, poaching, and natural disasters has pushed the species to endangered status.

Dr Wendy Stenberg-Tendys and her husband are CEO's and founders of YouMe Support Foundation, providing high school education grants for children who are without hope. You can help in this really great project by taking a few minutes to check out the Sponsor a Student program at (http://youmesupport.org). It will change the life of some really needy kids in the South Pacific.

Desert Ecology Trail, Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park 6

Check out these about endangered animals images:

Desert Ecology Trail, Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park 6

Image by Ken Lund
Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson.

www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States national park system.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Total area in 2002 was 143 square miles (91,327 acres) (370 km²) of which 111 square miles (289 km²) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.

The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months.

The Rincon Mountain District is located at the eastern edge of Tucson, Arizona; the east side of the park was the original National Monument. What is unique about this park is that it starts off in the Sonoran Desert and gradually gives way to a montane coniferous forest of the Rincon Mountains. The highest peak in this range is Mica Mountain, at an elevation of 8,666 feet (2641 m). While this side of the park has fewer Saguaros than its counterpart they remain larger in size, due to higher amounts of rainfall and run off from the Rincon Mountains.

The key feature of this district is its 8.3-mile (13.4 km) loop, which connects its two picnic areas and central trails. Recently after a lengthy road improvement project, and refurbishment of the Visitor Center, the Rincon District is fully open once more.

Hiking on this side of the park is readily accessible to visitors. There are trail heads present at the east end of Speedway and Broadway, but these trail heads are commonly used by horses and get heavy usage on the weekends. Off the park's loop road there are several additional trail heads. Each Visitor Center will supply a map of hiking trails on request.

And at the southern boundary of the park is the Hope Camp Trails which are also commonly used for horses. Access to the Hope Camp Trails is found at the end of Camino Loma Alta, however the road is no longer paved for the last couple hundred yards. This section of the park was added in 1991 when Congress authroized the purchase of 4,011 acres (16.23 km2).

The East Unit is open to camping, but camping is confined to backcountry sites, the shortest hike to one is 5.9 miles (9.5 km) to Douglas Springs Campground. Fees for campsites are .00 a night. While there are not spots for RV’s overnight in the park, Colossal Cave Mountain Park which is ten miles (16 km) down Old Spanish Trail from the park can provide such space.

Be aware that dogs are allowed on the trails, but must be on a leash at all times. Bicycles are confined to the loop road and the Cactus Forest Trail.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro_National_Park

The Sonoran Desert (sometimes called the Gila Desert after the Gila River or the Low Desert in opposition to the higher Mojave Desert) is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, with an area of 311,000 km² (120,000 mi²). The desert contains a variety of unique plants and animals, such as the saguaro cactus. On January 17, 2001, 2,008 km² (496,337 acres) of the Sonoran Desert was set aside as the Sonoran Desert National Monument for the purpose of enhancing resource protection.[1]

The Sonoran Desert wraps around the northern end of the Gulf of California, from northeastern Baja California through southeastern California and southwestern Arizona to western Sonora. It is bounded on the west by the Peninsular Ranges, which separate it from the California chaparral and woodlands and Baja California desert ecoregions of the Pacific slope. To the north, the Sonoran Desert transitions to the cold-winter Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau deserts. To the east, the deserts transition to the coniferous Arizona Mountains forests and Sierra Madre Occidental forests at higher elevations. The Sonoran-Sinaloan transition subtropical dry forest marks the transition from the Sonoran Desert to the tropical dry forests of Sinaloa.

The desert's sub-regions include the Colorado Desert and Yuma Desert. In the 1957 publication, Vegetation of the Sonoran Desert, Forrest Shreve divided the Sonoran Desert into seven regions according to characteristic vegetation: Lower Colorado Valley, Arizona Upland, Plains of Sonora, Foothills of Sonora, Central Gulf Coast, Vizcaino Region, and Magdalena Region. (see An Overview of the Sonoran Desert, external link below). Many ecologists now consider Shreve's Vizcaino and Magdalena regions, which lie on the western side of the Baja California Peninsula, to be a separate ecoregion, the Baja California desert.

The Sonoran Desert includes 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, 100+ reptile species, 30 native fish species, and more than 2000 native plant species. The Sonoran Desert area southwest of Tucson and near the Mexican border is vital habitat for the only population of Jaguars living within the United States.

Many plants not only survive the harsh conditions of the Sonoran Desert, but they actually thrive. Many have evolved to have specialized adaptations to the desert climate. The Sonoran Desert's biseasonal rainfall pattern results in more plant species than in the other North America deserts. The Sonoran Desert includes such plants from the agave family, palm family, cactus family, legume family, and many others.


Sonoran Desert near Tucson, AZ in DecemberThe Sonoran is the only place in the world where the famous saguaro cactus grows in the wild. Cholla, beavertail, hedgehog, fishhook, prickly pear, night blooming cereus, and organ pipe are other species of cactus found here. Cactus provide food and homes to many desert mammals and birds, with showy flowers in reds, pinks, yellows, and whites blooming most commonly from late March through June, depending on the species and seasonal temperatures.

Creosote bush and bur sage dominate valley floors. Indigo bush, Mormon tea, and mesquite are other shrubs that may be found. Wildflowers include desert sand verbena, desert sunflower, and evening primroses. Ascending from the valley up bajadas, various subtrees such as palo verde, ironwood, desert willow, and crucifixion thorn are common, as well as multi-stemmed ocotillo. Shrubs found at higher elevations include whitethorn acacia, fairy duster, and jojoba. In the desert subdivisions found on Baja California, cardon cactus, elephant tree, and boojum tree occur.[2] the California Fan Palm is also found in parts of the Sonoran Desert including areas of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park.[3]

The Sonoran Desert is home to seventeen aboriginal American cultures[citation needed].

The largest city in the Sonoran Desert is Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., with a 2006 metropolitan population of about 4.2 million. [4] This metropolitan area in central Arizona is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. In the North Phoenix area, desert is losing ground to development at a rate of approximately 4,000 m2 (1 acre ) per hour.[5] The next largest cities are Tucson, in southern Arizona, U.S.A., with a metro area population of around 1 million,[4] and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, whose municipality also has a population of around 900,000. The municipality of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico has a population of around 700,000.[6][7]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoran_Desert

Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park 63

Image by Ken Lund
Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson.

www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States national park system.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Total area in 2002 was 143 square miles (91,327 acres) (370 km²) of which 111 square miles (289 km²) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.

The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months.

The Rincon Mountain District is located at the eastern edge of Tucson, Arizona; the east side of the park was the original National Monument. What is unique about this park is that it starts off in the Sonoran Desert and gradually gives way to a montane coniferous forest of the Rincon Mountains. The highest peak in this range is Mica Mountain, at an elevation of 8,666 feet (2641 m). While this side of the park has fewer Saguaros than its counterpart they remain larger in size, due to higher amounts of rainfall and run off from the Rincon Mountains.

The key feature of this district is its 8.3-mile (13.4 km) loop, which connects its two picnic areas and central trails. Recently after a lengthy road improvement project, and refurbishment of the Visitor Center, the Rincon District is fully open once more.

Hiking on this side of the park is readily accessible to visitors. There are trail heads present at the east end of Speedway and Broadway, but these trail heads are commonly used by horses and get heavy usage on the weekends. Off the park's loop road there are several additional trail heads. Each Visitor Center will supply a map of hiking trails on request.

And at the southern boundary of the park is the Hope Camp Trails which are also commonly used for horses. Access to the Hope Camp Trails is found at the end of Camino Loma Alta, however the road is no longer paved for the last couple hundred yards. This section of the park was added in 1991 when Congress authroized the purchase of 4,011 acres (16.23 km2).

The East Unit is open to camping, but camping is confined to backcountry sites, the shortest hike to one is 5.9 miles (9.5 km) to Douglas Springs Campground. Fees for campsites are .00 a night. While there are not spots for RV’s overnight in the park, Colossal Cave Mountain Park which is ten miles (16 km) down Old Spanish Trail from the park can provide such space.

Be aware that dogs are allowed on the trails, but must be on a leash at all times. Bicycles are confined to the loop road and the Cactus Forest Trail.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro_National_Park

The Sonoran Desert (sometimes called the Gila Desert after the Gila River or the Low Desert in opposition to the higher Mojave Desert) is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, with an area of 311,000 km² (120,000 mi²). The desert contains a variety of unique plants and animals, such as the saguaro cactus. On January 17, 2001, 2,008 km² (496,337 acres) of the Sonoran Desert was set aside as the Sonoran Desert National Monument for the purpose of enhancing resource protection.[1]

The Sonoran Desert wraps around the northern end of the Gulf of California, from northeastern Baja California through southeastern California and southwestern Arizona to western Sonora. It is bounded on the west by the Peninsular Ranges, which separate it from the California chaparral and woodlands and Baja California desert ecoregions of the Pacific slope. To the north, the Sonoran Desert transitions to the cold-winter Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau deserts. To the east, the deserts transition to the coniferous Arizona Mountains forests and Sierra Madre Occidental forests at higher elevations. The Sonoran-Sinaloan transition subtropical dry forest marks the transition from the Sonoran Desert to the tropical dry forests of Sinaloa.

The desert's sub-regions include the Colorado Desert and Yuma Desert. In the 1957 publication, Vegetation of the Sonoran Desert, Forrest Shreve divided the Sonoran Desert into seven regions according to characteristic vegetation: Lower Colorado Valley, Arizona Upland, Plains of Sonora, Foothills of Sonora, Central Gulf Coast, Vizcaino Region, and Magdalena Region. (see An Overview of the Sonoran Desert, external link below). Many ecologists now consider Shreve's Vizcaino and Magdalena regions, which lie on the western side of the Baja California Peninsula, to be a separate ecoregion, the Baja California desert.

The Sonoran Desert includes 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, 100+ reptile species, 30 native fish species, and more than 2000 native plant species. The Sonoran Desert area southwest of Tucson and near the Mexican border is vital habitat for the only population of Jaguars living within the United States.

Many plants not only survive the harsh conditions of the Sonoran Desert, but they actually thrive. Many have evolved to have specialized adaptations to the desert climate. The Sonoran Desert's biseasonal rainfall pattern results in more plant species than in the other North America deserts. The Sonoran Desert includes such plants from the agave family, palm family, cactus family, legume family, and many others.


Sonoran Desert near Tucson, AZ in DecemberThe Sonoran is the only place in the world where the famous saguaro cactus grows in the wild. Cholla, beavertail, hedgehog, fishhook, prickly pear, night blooming cereus, and organ pipe are other species of cactus found here. Cactus provide food and homes to many desert mammals and birds, with showy flowers in reds, pinks, yellows, and whites blooming most commonly from late March through June, depending on the species and seasonal temperatures.

Creosote bush and bur sage dominate valley floors. Indigo bush, Mormon tea, and mesquite are other shrubs that may be found. Wildflowers include desert sand verbena, desert sunflower, and evening primroses. Ascending from the valley up bajadas, various subtrees such as palo verde, ironwood, desert willow, and crucifixion thorn are common, as well as multi-stemmed ocotillo. Shrubs found at higher elevations include whitethorn acacia, fairy duster, and jojoba. In the desert subdivisions found on Baja California, cardon cactus, elephant tree, and boojum tree occur.[2] the California Fan Palm is also found in parts of the Sonoran Desert including areas of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park.[3]

The Sonoran Desert is home to seventeen aboriginal American cultures[citation needed].

The largest city in the Sonoran Desert is Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., with a 2006 metropolitan population of about 4.2 million. [4] This metropolitan area in central Arizona is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. In the North Phoenix area, desert is losing ground to development at a rate of approximately 4,000 m2 (1 acre ) per hour.[5] The next largest cities are Tucson, in southern Arizona, U.S.A., with a metro area population of around 1 million,[4] and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, whose municipality also has a population of around 900,000. The municipality of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico has a population of around 700,000.[6][7]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoran_Desert

Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park 59

Image by Ken Lund
Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson.

www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States national park system.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Total area in 2002 was 143 square miles (91,327 acres) (370 km²) of which 111 square miles (289 km²) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.

The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months.

The Rincon Mountain District is located at the eastern edge of Tucson, Arizona; the east side of the park was the original National Monument. What is unique about this park is that it starts off in the Sonoran Desert and gradually gives way to a montane coniferous forest of the Rincon Mountains. The highest peak in this range is Mica Mountain, at an elevation of 8,666 feet (2641 m). While this side of the park has fewer Saguaros than its counterpart they remain larger in size, due to higher amounts of rainfall and run off from the Rincon Mountains.

The key feature of this district is its 8.3-mile (13.4 km) loop, which connects its two picnic areas and central trails. Recently after a lengthy road improvement project, and refurbishment of the Visitor Center, the Rincon District is fully open once more.

Hiking on this side of the park is readily accessible to visitors. There are trail heads present at the east end of Speedway and Broadway, but these trail heads are commonly used by horses and get heavy usage on the weekends. Off the park's loop road there are several additional trail heads. Each Visitor Center will supply a map of hiking trails on request.

And at the southern boundary of the park is the Hope Camp Trails which are also commonly used for horses. Access to the Hope Camp Trails is found at the end of Camino Loma Alta, however the road is no longer paved for the last couple hundred yards. This section of the park was added in 1991 when Congress authroized the purchase of 4,011 acres (16.23 km2).

The East Unit is open to camping, but camping is confined to backcountry sites, the shortest hike to one is 5.9 miles (9.5 km) to Douglas Springs Campground. Fees for campsites are .00 a night. While there are not spots for RV’s overnight in the park, Colossal Cave Mountain Park which is ten miles (16 km) down Old Spanish Trail from the park can provide such space.

Be aware that dogs are allowed on the trails, but must be on a leash at all times. Bicycles are confined to the loop road and the Cactus Forest Trail.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro_National_Park

The Sonoran Desert (sometimes called the Gila Desert after the Gila River or the Low Desert in opposition to the higher Mojave Desert) is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, with an area of 311,000 km² (120,000 mi²). The desert contains a variety of unique plants and animals, such as the saguaro cactus. On January 17, 2001, 2,008 km² (496,337 acres) of the Sonoran Desert was set aside as the Sonoran Desert National Monument for the purpose of enhancing resource protection.[1]

The Sonoran Desert wraps around the northern end of the Gulf of California, from northeastern Baja California through southeastern California and southwestern Arizona to western Sonora. It is bounded on the west by the Peninsular Ranges, which separate it from the California chaparral and woodlands and Baja California desert ecoregions of the Pacific slope. To the north, the Sonoran Desert transitions to the cold-winter Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau deserts. To the east, the deserts transition to the coniferous Arizona Mountains forests and Sierra Madre Occidental forests at higher elevations. The Sonoran-Sinaloan transition subtropical dry forest marks the transition from the Sonoran Desert to the tropical dry forests of Sinaloa.

The desert's sub-regions include the Colorado Desert and Yuma Desert. In the 1957 publication, Vegetation of the Sonoran Desert, Forrest Shreve divided the Sonoran Desert into seven regions according to characteristic vegetation: Lower Colorado Valley, Arizona Upland, Plains of Sonora, Foothills of Sonora, Central Gulf Coast, Vizcaino Region, and Magdalena Region. (see An Overview of the Sonoran Desert, external link below). Many ecologists now consider Shreve's Vizcaino and Magdalena regions, which lie on the western side of the Baja California Peninsula, to be a separate ecoregion, the Baja California desert.

The Sonoran Desert includes 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, 100+ reptile species, 30 native fish species, and more than 2000 native plant species. The Sonoran Desert area southwest of Tucson and near the Mexican border is vital habitat for the only population of Jaguars living within the United States.

Many plants not only survive the harsh conditions of the Sonoran Desert, but they actually thrive. Many have evolved to have specialized adaptations to the desert climate. The Sonoran Desert's biseasonal rainfall pattern results in more plant species than in the other North America deserts. The Sonoran Desert includes such plants from the agave family, palm family, cactus family, legume family, and many others.


Sonoran Desert near Tucson, AZ in DecemberThe Sonoran is the only place in the world where the famous saguaro cactus grows in the wild. Cholla, beavertail, hedgehog, fishhook, prickly pear, night blooming cereus, and organ pipe are other species of cactus found here. Cactus provide food and homes to many desert mammals and birds, with showy flowers in reds, pinks, yellows, and whites blooming most commonly from late March through June, depending on the species and seasonal temperatures.

Creosote bush and bur sage dominate valley floors. Indigo bush, Mormon tea, and mesquite are other shrubs that may be found. Wildflowers include desert sand verbena, desert sunflower, and evening primroses. Ascending from the valley up bajadas, various subtrees such as palo verde, ironwood, desert willow, and crucifixion thorn are common, as well as multi-stemmed ocotillo. Shrubs found at higher elevations include whitethorn acacia, fairy duster, and jojoba. In the desert subdivisions found on Baja California, cardon cactus, elephant tree, and boojum tree occur.[2] the California Fan Palm is also found in parts of the Sonoran Desert including areas of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park.[3]

The Sonoran Desert is home to seventeen aboriginal American cultures[citation needed].

The largest city in the Sonoran Desert is Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., with a 2006 metropolitan population of about 4.2 million. [4] This metropolitan area in central Arizona is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. In the North Phoenix area, desert is losing ground to development at a rate of approximately 4,000 m2 (1 acre ) per hour.[5] The next largest cities are Tucson, in southern Arizona, U.S.A., with a metro area population of around 1 million,[4] and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, whose municipality also has a population of around 900,000. The municipality of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico has a population of around 700,000.[6][7]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoran_Desert

Endangered Rare Crocodile Was Found in Florida

An endangered rare crocodile, one of the animal's reptilian cousins was found near the community pond in Florida woman’s backyard in St. Petersburg, Florida, shocking residents of a gated community over the weekend.

In fact, alligators are a common sight in parts of Florida with about 1,500 crocodiles, mostly found in the Florida Keys area, some 300 miles south of St. Petersburg. However, crocodiles are too seldom to be found in some areas like St. Petersburg that an official didn’t initially believe what Shondra Farner said about spotting the endangered rare crocodile near the community pond in her backyard. "He said, 'No, ma'am, you have an alligator,' and I said, 'No, I know the difference.'" she said. "That big boy was just about 8 feet from our patio… It's terribly scary looking. And fast." His eyes are set differently, but his tail is the giveaway, because they have these very high peaks on the tail.” Before, Shondra Farner saw crocodiles on a trip to Costa Rica and recognized the animal's narrower, more triangular snout. American alligators not only have wider, more rounded snouts but they also don't like the brackish and salt waters that crocs can live in. What was sitting on their back lawn was no alligator.

Because endangered crocodiles cannot be killed, experts had the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission set up a cage trap filled with beef loin with the aim of capturing the giant reptile. If this eight-foot was the same endangered crocodile that was seen south of St. Petersburg in 2008, it surely has been living on the ducks in the water in order to survive. Moreover, officials are planning to implant a magnet into the animal to disorient it before releasing it into Tampa Bay to prevent it from returning to neighborhoods. Still, she warned everyone not to feed or touch these alligators or crocodiles and to keep pets away from them.

A rare eight-foot crocodile was spotted laying on the bank of a lake in a gated community in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Alligators are a common sight in parts of Florida

There are about 1,500 crocodiles, mostly found in the Florida Keys area but they are seldom to be found in St. Petersburg

 

Crocodiles in Florida

 

Related links:

1,000-kg, 6.4-meter Saltwater Crocodile Caught in Philippines (Photos)

Amazing Images of American Alligators by Todd Winner

Largest Rare Gibbon Community Found in Vietnam

Studying materials on education, Eric Giguere prefers reading and writing. In his spare time, Eric often joins literature clubs to share his interest with others

More About Endangered Animals Articles

Africa's Endangered Wildlife Species

by чãvìnkωhỉtз

Africa's dazzling natural beauty has lured millions of people across the globe to its shores and captured the hearts of everyone that has visited. It is home to thousands of animal species but no thanks to habitat destruction, poaching and the thriving fur, trade Africa's wildlife are slowly but most definitely becoming extinct.

Scientists believe that the figures regarding endangered animals will increase dramatically in the next twenty years. This means that the next generation and those to follow, will not be fortunate enough to see critically endangered animals like the tiger and the black rhino in the flesh, because our animal species are all dying out at a rapid speed.

Every animal has a certain, niche environment in which they co-exist with a healthy and balanced ecosystem. If the balance between predator and prey is not in proportion, then populations may either diminish or expand. This factor will sometimes lead to premature extinction of a certain animal species. It has been proven that habitat destruction is the most important factor that is causing the extinction of many animal species. Without a decent, flourishing environment to live in animal life cannot exist.

With thousands of Africa's wildlife just vanishing off the face of the earth each year, we have compiled a list of the most endangered animals in Africa and where you can still go to see them in their natural habitats:

The Black Rhino

The black rhino is the most endangered animal in Africa and is ranked "critically endangered" due to extreme hunting and poaching due to the extreme demand for rhino horn in the world. At the moment there are quite a few Game Reserves that are still dedicated to saving the black rhino and although the numbers are falling fast, they are still there.

Game Reserves in the KwaZulu Natal and Swaziland region, the Masai Mara Reserves and Kenya's Amboseli are the only places that you will have a good chance of spotting a black rhino. If some methods aren't taken into action to save the black rhino then Africa would be forced to remove this animal from The Big Five, as it will no longer exist anywhere in the world.

The African Elephant

The African elephant is another member of The Big Five that is slowly dying out. But even though endangered, there are some African parks where there is an influx of elephants and their numbers sometimes need to be controlled. Elephants can weigh over six tonnes and eat about 250kg a day, which results in extreme pressure on their environment. They are smart animals and are able to communicate with each other using sounds that humans cannot hear. You can see the African elephant in most game parks in South Africa.

The Mountain Zebra

Today the zebra is only found in a few Game Reserves; the Kruger National Park is where most people go to see the zebra. Other kinds of zebra like the Burchell's zebra and the Greyy zebra are more common and are found all over Southern Africa; you can distinguish the Mountain zebra from the res by their lack of "shadow stripes," which are faint stripes that run in between the black stripes, and their grid-like striped pattern just above their tails. The Mountain zebra gets along well with the wildebeest, elephant and impala and often mix with these species in Game Reserves.

The Cheetah

The Cheetah is renowned in the rest of the world as the fastest animal on earth, exceeding speeds of over 100 km/h. These endangered big cats can only be seen at the Kruger National Park in South Africa and at Etosha in Namibia to name but two. They are not very big animals and their sleek, slender build makes them easy to tell apart from a leopard. Because of the cheetah being a relatively small cat in comparison to other wild cats, their young are often preyed on by other big felines, and they are usually shot by farmers who fear for their livestock. Their petite body mass also counts against them as they have to compete with other predators for sustenance and these factors all play a role in the battling survival of the cheetah.

Chimpanzees

These cute primates live in groups of 120 and are not as critically endangered but their numbers are dwindling as a result of poaching and their natural habitat being threatened by deforestation. Chimpanzees live off mostly fruit and plants, and they find comfort in the shady areas of forests. With the increase of wildfires each year and the cutting down of trees for artificial purposes, the chimpanzees legacy is at stake. There are still a few chimps in Western Tanzania in Game Parks like Mahale Mountains National Park where you are able to see them in their natural habitat.

One other critically endangered animal is the Tiger. There are only 200 of them left in South Africa and that's only in captivity. They have completely died out in the wild and Game Reserves are battling to keep them alive and thriving but 200 is too small a number to be able to save the tiger from dying out. The harsh reality is that the next generation and generations after that will not be able to see a real tiger in its natural habitat. There are a few Game Reserves in Southern Africa that you can visit to see the big cats, so don't surpass this opportunity. Spend time with the endangered species of Africa, it might just be your last chance to see these beautiful creatures in alive and breathing and it will definitely be a memory you'd want to cherish forever.

The Asian Tiger

One other critically endangered animal is the Tiger. Although not a native African animal, much has been done in Africa, specifically South Africa to help prevent the downfall of this beautiful animal. There are only 200 Tigers in South Africa, all in captivity and Game Reserves are battling to keep them alive and thriving. But this is too small a number to be able to save them entirely from dying out.

The harsh reality is that the next generation and generations after that will not be able to see a real tiger in its natural habitat. So don't surpass this opportunity to visit one of these big cats while we still can. Spend time with the endangered species of Africa, it might just be your last chance to see these beautiful creatures alive and breathing and it will definitely be a memory you'd want to cherish forever.

Excape Tours and Travel is a world-class inbound tour operator, specializing in personalised safaris, travel itineraries and accommodation in Cape Town.

Delicatessen Endangered in Africa

The current hunting in Africa of endangered mammals makes up 30 to 80 percent of the overall incoming funds and also protein intake of rural communities in West and Central Africa. This controversial theme, have called too many conservation groups and authorities to start a negotiation with local communities to introduce laws about hunting and trade practices, but isn't easy at all.

This wild meat is called Bush meat, it comes from species include elephants and great apes, the situation may drastically change the environment in the near future, that's why people has to start conscience about it. Also there are too many commercial and illegal issues about the meat of wild animals that are causing widespread local extinctions.

People from all over the world visit Africa to enjoy its safaris, one of the tourist attractions are to eat bush meat, which is sold as a delicacy; there are too many travel companies who are notice about this concern and also start to collaborate intending to communicate the big environmental problem behind it. Although in this trade are many illegal actions involve, now is the time to take action and save these endangered species.

Africa Safaris are start to transmit conscious efforts in the different forms like, information programs about how good tourism practices will contribute to conserving the environment; It's the first step to support many other actions of people involved. Likewise, African Safari parks concept brings money, provide job's for local communities and also guarantee that tourist will see the best of Africa's animals in a safe environment.

Dagmar Votterl
Safaris Journalist

Endangered Animal You Can Spot During The Tanzania Safari

by Karen Roe

A safari in Tanzania could bring back the excitement in your vacation. Tanzania safari is a new way to explore the world, if you are tired of traditional holidays lying in a chair by the pool. Here really appreciate the wild life, if you want to go near the animals and want to know about them which you see in the zoo that is best chance for visiting them. If you go to Tanzania there will be no moment of boredom, so much to see and lots to do there. This is a total motivation of the senses, thus taking your mind away from worldly responsibilities and the closeness of nature. You must begin, of course, to admire the fauna. A safari is a completely new and rental agreement here is total relaxation by doing nothing.

You will have the chance to be very close to such a live breathing wild dangerous animal that will certainly get your blood boiling. Through the Tanzania safari you can lean about the habitat and history of the dangers animals which you see on the on documentaries and since some of these animals are in declining numbers all over the world but it give the exclusive chance to encounter wild that are very dangerous animals and can go to close to see them. Lions are very dangerous and their large size and aggressive demeanour poses a threat to cattle and smaller stock. They are one of the flagship animals for the country and are very valuable for Tanzania's tourism and research. They are also praying on zebras, hartebeest and bongos.  Large carnivores in Tanzania have reduced populations but they are still very dangerous for farmers and livestock.

Another endangered animal you can spot during the safari is the cheetah – the fastest animal on earth. These beautiful creatures are diminishing in numbers and the lost of their habitat is the number one reason for that. Spotted hyenas are also one of the in dangers of extinction and at the same time particularly dangerous animals to be seen in conservation. Being on this safari you can get across a praying hyena. They can be seen in almost every Tanzania Park and are sometimes blamed for decreasing population in some rhino families.

Wild African dogs are also among the animals that experiences a huge contraction to their geographical range, but there are some populations that started to recover on their own and you can meet some of them along your exciting journey.

You should go on a safari in Tanzania, familiar with the endangered animals and what can be done to save them, and know their world!

Travel Experiences of Namibia Safari has made Sue Mitchell to write in details about the race discussed topicslike Tanzania Safari