Flying Squirrel

The flying squirrel is a medium-sized rodent, closely related to the squirrels found in woodlands and across grasslands around the world. Flying squirrels tend to be slightly larger in size than the common squirrel.

Despite the name, flying squirrels cannot actually fly, although they can be airborne for a remarkable length of time. Instead of flying, flying squirrels move through the air by gliding (normally between the trees), with the longest recorded glide of a flying squirrel being nearly 90 meters.

Flying squirrels have a furry, stretchy membrane that stretches between their front and back legs. When the flying squirrel needs to get away quickly, it opens it's arms and legs out and uses the membrane like a parachute. Flying squirrels also have large eyes, and stubby flattened tails.

There are nearly 50 different species of flying squirrel found in forests around the world. Flying squirrels range in size and colour depending on the species of flying squirrel. The largest species of flying squirrel is the Woolly flying squirrel, which is found in Pakistan and the smallest flying squirrel species is the pygmy flying squirrel, found in the jungles of Borneo and Malaysia.

Flying squirrels are omnivorous animals meaning that their diet is based on both plant and animal matter. The flying squirrel is a nocturnal animal, so it forages for food under the cover of night as flying squirrels are not able to easily escape the birds of prey that hunt during the day. Flying squirrels eat nuts, seeds, fruits, berries, insects and bird eggs.

Due to their small size, flying squirrels have numerous natural predators wherever they live in the world. Domestic cats, raccoons, snakes, birds of prey, foxes dogs and coyotes are all primary predators of the flying squirrel.

Flying squirrels are known to breed twice a year, in the early spring and again in the summer. After a gestation period of roughly 40 days, the female flying squirrel gives birth to between 2 and 7 baby flying squirrels, which are blind and naked when they are born. The baby flying squirrels develop fur and open their eyes when they are about a month old. The young flying squirrels begin to glide and forage with their mother when they are roughly 2 months old.

Fly

The fly is one of the most common and well-known insects in the world and the fly is found on every continent with the exception of the innermost polar regions of the Arctic Circle and Antarctica.

There are more than 240,000 different species of fly worldwide but only around half of these have actually been scientifically documented, something the science world wants to look into further.

The insect fly includes bugs like the mosquito, a tiny fly found worldwide that feeds on animal blood. In this way the deadly disease of malaria continues to threaten the lives of those humans bitten by an infected mosquito.

Flies and mosquitoes alike are known pests worldwide, generally connected with dirt, decay and disease as many species of fly are known to carry disease due to their ingestion of animal faeces, and connection with decaying bodies.

Flies are omnivorous animals and will eat almost anything from nectar of plants, to sap and even animal blood. The fly is able to prey on such things at it uncoils it's long, straw-like tongue which then sucks the liquid into the fly's body. The maggots which are the baby flies, are known to feet primarily on decomposing matter such as excrement and flesh.

Due to it's small size and abundance, the fly is preyed upon by a wide variety of predators around the world including amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts, fish that eat flies that land on the surface of the water, reptiles such as lizards and small mammals.

Flies have an extremely short lifespan, only living for about a month. The female fly lays her eggs in decomposing material, both plants and animals, which hatch very quickly. The eggs hatch into fly larvae which are more commonly known as maggots and quickly transform into an adult fly. It is thought that the process from egg to fly takes just under 2 weeks.

Flounder

The flounder is a species of flatfish that is found in the coastal waters of the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Flounder are found hiding on the ocean floor at depths from shallow coral reefs to the deepest trench on Earth.

There are five different species of flounder found in the oceans, and only one of these flounder species (the Japanese flounder) is found in the Northern Pacific Ocean. The summer flounder, the winter flounder and the southern flounder are all found in the western Atlantic Ocean, while the European flounder is found in the colder waters around Northern Europe.

All five flounder species are very similar in appearance but can vary quite dramatically in size. Flounder can vary from 5 to 25 inches in size depending on the species, but all flounder species have a rounded, flattened body shape with a medium-sized flat tail fin.

The colours and markings of the flounder are dependant on the flounder species, although all five flounder species have adapted to life in the sand on the sea floor and they are often coloured to be camouflaged into their silty surroundings.

Flounder are carnivorous and highly predatory animals. The flounder hides on the sand on the sea floor waiting for potential prey, which the flounder ambushes once it has been spotted. Flounder prey on a variety of bottom-dwelling marine species including small fish, shrimp and crabs.

Due to the secretive nature and good camouflage of the flounder, it rarely spotted by predators. Large fish, sharks, eels, humans, and marine mammals all prey on the flounder when it can be spotted.

Rather than laying her eggs onto an inanimate object or the leaf of a plant, female flounders release them into the water at the time time as the male flounders release their sperm (this form of fertilisation is known as spawning). Once the eggs have been fertilised, the flounder fry begin emerging from them in just a couple of weeks.

Flat Coat Retriever

A retriever is a type of gun dog that retrieves game for a hunter. Generally gun-dogs are divided into three major classifications: retrievers, flushing spaniels, and pointing breeds.

Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey and return them to the hunter without damage. Although spaniels and some pointing breeds routinely retrieve game, and many retrievers are skilled in finding game, retrievers are distinguished in that non-slip retrieval is their primary function.

As a result, retriever breeds are bred for soft mouths and a great willingness to please, learn, and obey. A soft mouth refers to the willingness of the dog to carry game in its mouth without biting into it. Hard mouth is a serious fault in a hunting dog and is one that is very difficult to correct. A hard-mouthed dog renders game unpresentable or at worst inedible.

Flamingo

The flamingo is a large colourful bird found both in South America and Africa. The flamingo is also found in the warmer areas of southern Europe and western Asia.

The flamingo stays in flocks of up to around 200 birds and feeds on fish in stiller rivers and lakes. The flamingo usually gets to about 30 years old although it is not uncommon for some flamingos to get to 50 years old.

Most species of flamingo are a pinky/orange colour, some however can be white, black or even blue. The colour of the flamingo comes from the flamingo eating a type of algae that then turns the flamingo into the bright pink bird that we are so familiar with.

The flamingo is often seen on the banks of the lake standing on one leg. The flamingo is actually sleeping when it is on one leg but the strange thing is, that only half of the flamingo is actually asleep - the half that contains the leg still standing remains active. The flamingo then swaps over so that the remaining side can get some rest and the side that was sleeping becomes active again.

There are six different species of flamingo found around the world. The different flamingo species are the greater flamingo which is the most widespread species of flamingo found in Africa, Southern Europe and Southern Asia. The lesser flamingo is the most numerous species of flamingo and is found in Africa and Northern India. The Chilean flamingo is a large species of flamingo that is found in South America. The James's flamingo is a small and delicate species of flamingo that is found in the Andes mountains in Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. The Andean flamingo is closely related to the James's flamingo and is also found in the Andes mountains in Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. The American flamingo is a large species of flamingo that is found in the Caribbean islands and the Galapagos islands.

Flamingos use their large, oddly shaped beaks to filter shrimp out of the water. The flamingo uses it's strangely shaped upside-down beak to separate mud and food in the water. The mouth of the flamingo is covered in little hairs called lamellae which assist in the filtering of water and the flamingo also has a rough tongue which the flamingo also uses to help it to filter food out of the water.

Although flamingos only nest once a year, flamingo colonies are known to breed at any time of the year. A flamingo reaches sexual maturity (which means the flamingo is able to breed) when the flamingo is between 3 and 6 years old. Flamingos build their nests out of mud, stones and feathers and do so about 6 weeks before they lay their eggs. Flamingos tend to lay just one egg that hatches after a 30 day incubation period. Both the mother flamingo and the father flamingo are known to help to raise the flamingo chick.

Flamingos have relatively few predators in the wild but this is dependent on the area in which the flamingo inhabits. Human hunters, wild dogs and crocodiles are the main predators of the flamingo, along with eagles that prey upon the flamingo eggs and vulnerable flamingo chicks.

Fishing cat

Fishing Cat Classification and Evolution
The Fishing Cat is a small to medium sized feline that is natively found throughout a number of countries in south-east Asia. Unlike other cat species found around the world (with the notable exception of the Jaguar) the Fishing Cat spends most of it's life in areas of dense vegetation close to water and is an excellent swimmer. However, despite it's water-loving lifestyle, the Fishing Cat is not particularly specially adapted to it's semi-aquatic lifestyle with small teeth that are not well designed for holding onto slippery prey and only slight webbing between the toes on it's front paws to help it to negotiate the slippery banks. Although the Fishing Cat is known to still be locally common in certain areas, the global population is severely under threat as it is thought that nearly 50% of their specific wetland habitats are under threat from increasing levels of Human activity throughout much of it's natural range.

Fishing Cat Anatomy and Appearance
The Fishing Cat has a stocky and powerful body that is quite long in comparison to it's short legs. Their short and coarse coat of fur is olive-grey in colour and patterned with solid black spots that run the length of it's body and often turn into black lines along the spine. The Fishing Cat has a short and flattened tail that is marked with black rings and can be used by the animal when swimming as it works in a similar way to a rudder on a boat, steering the Fishing Cat in the right direction through the water. Their small feet are slightly webbed but not any more so than many other feline species, but one of the biggest differences between the Fishing Cat and it's relatives is that their claws are not fully retractable with the tips still sticking out slightly from the protective sheath of skin on their toes (most felines are able to completely retract their claws to prevent them from becoming blunt when they are not in use). Fishing Cats have quite broad heads in relation to their body with small, rounded ears that are black on the back and have a distinctive white spot in the centre.

Fishing Cat Distribution and Habitat
The Fishing Cat is natively found throughout a number of countries in south-east Asia including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam along with the Indonesian Islands of Java and Sumatra. Although the Fishing Cat appears to have a wide geographical range, due to the fact that they prefer dense, wetland habitats they are only found in certain regions throughout these countries. Ideally, the Fishing Cat inhabits wetland areas where there is plenty of dense vegetation to provide cover both from predators but also to hide from potential prey, and can be found in a variety of aquatic regions that include mangrove swamps, rivers, lakes, marshes, reed beds and areas of forest close to streams. They are however, severely threatened throughout much of their natural range as wetlands are drained for agriculture or often polluted by industry in the area. It is thought that 98% of the globally significant wetlands throughout south-east Asia are under threat and could even disappear completely.

Fishing Cat Behaviour and Lifestyle
The Fishing Cat is a nocturnal and solitary hunter that rests amongst dense vegetation during the day before heading to the water at night to find food. They are incredibly strong and capable swimmers and have been known to swim vast distances often in pursuit of a fish trying to get away. Fishing Cats are largely territorial animals that occupy home ranges of up to 22 square kilometres (although the range of a female is often much less), with that of a male Fishing Cat overlapping the patches occupied by a number of females in the area. Fishing Cats are known to be relatively adaptable animals and in certain areas are even known to live around city suburbs with little vegetation and close to Human settlements. Their incredibly elusive and nocturnal lifestyle means that they are often hard to spot but are susceptible to being trapped, poisoned or accidentally caught in snares that are set-up to catch other forest animals, such as Deer.

Fishing Cat Reproduction and Life Cycles
Although little is really known about their breeding or social behaviour in the wild, mating is thought to take place in January and February when a female Fishing Cat will call to males in the area, indicating that she is ready to mate. After a gestation period that lasts for between 60 and 70 days, she gives to birth to 1 - 4 kittens that weigh about 150 grams and are born blind. Fishing Cat kittens develop relatively slowly at first putting on an average of 11 grams in weight a day and don't open their eyes until they are just over two weeks old. At around 50 days old the kittens are able to start eating meat but are not weaned for at least another couple of months. Fishing Cats reach their adult size and are able to breed by the time they are nine months old and become completely independent of their mother about a month later when they leave to establish a territory of their own. Although it is thought that it is just the female who rears her young in the wild, captive males have been observed helping her to raise their offspring.

Fishing Cat Diet and Prey
The Fishing Cat is a carnivorous animal that only hunts and consumes other animals in order to acquire all of the nutrients that it needs to survive. As it's name suggests, aquatic animals make up the bulk of the Fishing Cat's diet with more than 70% of the food thought to be fish, followed by molluscs, frogs, snails and snakes that are found in or close to the water. Fishing Cats are also known to hunt small mammals such as mice on land and will even target larger prey like civets, dogs and livestock in areas close to settlements. Fishing Cats catch their prey in a couple of different ways but tend to dive into the water once a fish has been spotted before catching it in it's mouth (they are even known to dive into quite deep water and can surface under aquatic birds to catch them). The other method they use involves them sitting at the water's edge either on the bank or a rock and using their paw, they lightly tap the surface in a way that mimics an insect to attract fish. Once it is close enough the Fishing Cat then scoops the fish out of the water using it's paw and flicks it onto dry land before eating it.

Fishing Cat Predators and Threats
Due to the powerful build and aquatic nature of the Fishing Cat they are thought to have very few (if any) real natural predators in the wild. However, the Fishing Cat is often found in areas where they share their habitats with larger carnivorous mammals such as tigers and bears which could be of threat to them. People are the biggest threat to the Fishing Cat as they have not only destroyed much of their unique wetland homes with increasing levels of industrial and commercial activity but they have also been known to hunt Fishing Cats over the years for their meat and fur. Despite now being a protected animal species, large seizures of Fishing Cat skins at local markets still occur which indicates that poachers are still decimating populations, particularly in certain areas. Another problem for Fishing Cats caused by Humans is the fact that in areas close to growing settlements, locals are often overfishing in the nearby lakes and rivers which means that the food available for the Fishing Cats is also declining fast.

Fishing Cat Interesting Facts and Features
The Fishing Cat was first described scientifically by Bennet in 1833 and was given it's scientific name with the last past meaning "civet-like". Although they are not closely related at all, the Fishing Cat has a long, stocky body with short legs and a short tail which makes it look remarkably similar to these small carnivores. Although Fishing Cats tend to be most commonly found in a variety of watery lowland habitats, they are also known to inhabit areas at elevations of up to 5,000 ft depending on the waterways in the area (a small population is actually found in parts of the Himalayas). The Fishing Cat is classed as part of the Leopard Leopard Cat lineage which means that it's ancestors would have evolved around 6 million years ago. Other members of this feline group include the Leopard Leopard Cat itself, the Pallas Cat and the Flat-Headed Cat, to which the Fishing Cat is most closely related.

Fishing Cat Relationship with Humans
Due to the fact that the Fishing Cat is seldom seen in the wild as they are nocturnal and their preferred habitats would have been quite inaccessible to people for some time, until the middle of the last century they were locally common throughout much of their native regions. However, the hunting of them by people for their meat and fur has obliterated populations in many areas and even today, they are still illegally killed in their hundreds to sell their skins onto the black market. The biggest problem facing the Fishing Cat though, is the drastically increasing levels of Human activity in their natural environments that is severely affecting not just the Fishing Cats, but also the incredibly unique and bio-diverse wetland habitats in which they live. Water draining for agriculture and to make way for roads, growing Human settlements and high levels of industry that pollutes the water with toxic substances has reduced their once vast natural range by nearly 50%.

Fishing Cat Conservation Status and Life Today
Today, the Fishing Cat is listed by the IUCN as an animal species that is Endangered in it's natural environment and could therefore be threatened with extinction in the not too distant future. The biggest threat to the Fishing Cat is habitat loss with many of their remaining pockets of wetland homes now considered to be protected areas (illegal activity in these areas though is still contributing to the loss of species in these regions). Conservation projects have been set up in a number of areas to protect both the Fishing Cats and their unique wetland habitats and the hunting and trade in the species is now illegal. Poaching however, still continues with skins still being seized from markets in the far east.

Fish

Fish are found in every ocean, lake, river and stream in all corners of the globe, in many sizes, colours and species. Most fish (depending on size) tend to eat plankton in the water, insects and smaller fish.

Fish respire through gills in the sides of their heads, allowing the fish to breath underwater. Fish return to the water surface for air at varying intervals. The electric eel fish can go for up to 10 minutes without resurfacing for air.

Due to the bright colours of fish, and the fact that fish are extremely peaceful animals, many people today now keep all kinds of fish in tanks and ponds.