#876: Zebra Loach

The Zebra Loach is endangered in the wild, but readily available in the pet trade. He is a freshwater loach, native to the Western Ghats of India. A bottom-feeder, he hunts for invertebrates in the substrate, and has a particular fondness of snails, which make him popular with aquarists. If kept singly or in pairs, he can become reclusive and stressed; it is recommended to keep at least five. As with many popular pet species, poaching is a problem and Zebra Loach do not readily breed in the captivity. Commercial aquarists breed them with the use of hormones.

#875: Zebrafish

The Zebrafish is a small minnow, native to the Himalaya regions. He has also found some popularity in the pet trade. He was the first vertebrate to be cloned, and has amazing regenerative properties. He is used in heart research and has also been genetically modified to be fluorescent, branded as a GloFish.

#853: X-ray Tetra

The X-Ray Tetra is named for his translucent skin, which allows his backbone to be clearly visible. He is naturally found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins and is somewhat tolerant of brackish water.
He follows an omnivorous diet of plants and animal matter. He is generally peaceable among other species and sociable among his own. This, combined with his unique appearance, makes him popular in the pet industry. However, he is small in size and can fall prey to larger fish and amphibians.

#780: Umbrella Cockatoo

The Umbrella Cockatoo is endemic to Indonesia. Here he inhabits lowland tropical rainforest, feeding on nuts, berries, fruit and the occasional insect. Like all cockatoos, he is intelligent and curious, and highly social. This, combined with his affectionate nature, makes him popular as a pet. Every year, hundreds of birds are taken from their natural habitat and smuggled out of the country. He is also suffering from habitat loss.

#760: Timneh Parrot

The Timneh Parrot is closely related to the African Gray Parrot and until 2012 was regarded as a subspecies. He is slightly smaller, and has more of a maroon tinge to his feathers. Like the African Gray he is intelligent and vocal, and a superb mimic. This has earned him favour in the pet trade, and with the African Gray on the decline (entire populations have been extirpated due to poaching), it is likely he will be the next target. His natural habitat is dense forest.

I know I've said this before, but parrots do not make good pets. Unlike cats and dogs, parrots have not been domesticated; many are either wild-caught or have recent ancestors that are wild-caught. They are social and demanding and need a lot of care and attention. In some cases, demand exceeds the captive-born supply, and poaching is rampant. African Grays are disappearing fast, the Timneh is likely to be next. Being long-lived and intelligent, if you own a parrot, you will need to think of what will happen if you outlive it. They get jealous easily and tend to fixate on one person. Captive born birds that are bonded or imprinted to humans are unlikely to breed. Rescue facilities in the US are full-to-bursting with parrots that have been surrendered because they're too noisy, too needy, too emotionally screwed up, to remain with their human "mate". It's heart-breaking. If you do want a parrot - consider adopting one of those.

#753: Terrapin

Terrapin is the name given to several species of small turtle, such as this Diamondback Turtle. Like the dove and the egret, terrapin is a name more of convenience than serving a taxonomical purpose. Due to their small size, they have become fairly popular in the pet industry and Diamondbacks are farmed as food. Diamondbacks are almost entirely aquatic, coming ashore only to breed. Although most Terrapins favour freshwater, the Diamondback lives in the marine environment, although she stays close to shore. To obtain fresh water, she sips rainwater from the surface, or catches it as it falls.

Creature Feature #442: Macaw

The Macaw are large brightly coloured parrots from South America. Many species, like this Scarlet Macaw, inhabit the rainforests, but other species (like the Spix Macaw) favour dry forest. They are characterised by their long tails and bare faces. The facial feather pattern is as unique as a fingerprint. His diet is vegetarian, including nuts and seeds. These he cracks open with his powerful bill. He also frequently visits clay licks, breaking off chunks of clay. This is thought to add sodium to his diet. Many species are kept as pets, and wild populations are threatened by poaching and deforestation.

I intend to do more on the Spix Macaw, one of my favourites (Blu!) at a later date.

The Scarlet Macaw is classified as "Least Concern".

Creature Feature #435: Lovebird

Lovebirds are small parrots native to Africa, with one species found in Madagascar. These charming birds gather in small flocks, foraging on fruit, vegetables, grass and seeds.   Pairs form longterm monogamous bonds within the flock, and will perch together. There are nine species and various colour mutations. The female peach-faced lovebird gathers nesting material by tucking it into her rump feathers to carry it to the nesting cavity, Lovebirds are popular in the aviculture industry and feral populations can be found in several US cities.

Creature Feature #199: Elephantnose Fish

The Elephantnose Fish is a freshwater fish of Africa named for the long, sensitive extension of his mouth, which somewhat resembles an elephant's trunk. This organ is covered in electrosensors, which he uses to locate food as his eyesight is rather poor, although he can see resonably well in low light levels. He generates a weak electric field via muscle contractions to sense his surroundings. His brain is the largest in proportion to body weight of any vertebrate. Fairly common in the pet trade, he mixes well with other fish but can be territorial with others of his kind.

Creature Feature #155: Degu

The Degu is a small rodent who makes her home in the semi-arid regions of Chile. She is related to the Chinchilla and the Cavy (guinea pig). A very social creature, living in a communually dug system of burrows. She is even known to share her nest and babies with other females. Much of her day is spent on the surface, where she scrambles amongst the rocks in search of tasty plant matter. The colony keep in contact with one another using an array of vocal signals. Due to her inability to process free sugars, the Degu has been used in studies of diabetes. She has also been used to study the effects of separation anxiety (Degu pups separated too long from their mother develop something akin to ADHD) and Alzheimers.

Creature Feature #131: Cowfish

The Cowfish is a species of Boxfish, named for her two long "horns", found in both genders. She can grow up to 50cm and makes her home in coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific region. A solitary bottom-feeder, she blows jets of water into the sandy floor to expose invertebrates and other tasty treats. She is a slow swimmer, and easily caught by hand wherein she emits a grunting noise. If she becomes threatened or extremely stressed, she can exude a deadly toxin - ostracitoxin - which is fatal to other Boxfish. Despite these traits and her territorial nature, she is finding popularity amongst the tropical fish trade.

Creature Feature #115: Cockroach

Cockroaches are insects of the Order Blattaria and there are over 4,500 species ranging in size from 3mm to 80 mm. Commonly regarded as a pest - of all these species, only 30 are associated with human habitations. They are in fact an ancient Order, with fossils dating back to before the dinosaurs. Extremely adaptable, they have a cosmopolitan distribution, only avoiding the polar regions and high elevation.  These extremely hardy insects can withstand extended periods without food, and will live for a while after decaptitation. Some species can survive underwater for extended periods, withstand freezing. Their diet is particularly versatile and they will eat almost anything they can gain nutrients from - including the glue off postage stamps. Their ability to withstand radiation is somewhat over-exaggerated, however.

This pictured species is a Harlequin Cockroach. He is, due to his attractive colouration, one of the cockroaches that have found their way into the pet trade. He is fast and a skilful climber. When threatened, he can release a chemical that smells like pear droplets. This chemical, amyl acetate, has been used as a solvent and is also an agent in the prepration of penicillin.

Creature Feature #113: Cockatoo

The Cockatoo Family consists of 21 species. These charismatic parrots are distributed in Australia and the surrounding islands, with the Ducorp's Cockatoo (pictured here) endemic to the Solomons Islands. Cockatoo are characterised by their crests and sharp, curved bills. The crest is a means of indicating emotion and is raised when the bird is excited or aggressive. The long beak is used to crack open seeds and hard woody cones that are inaccesible to other animals. In some parts of Australia the Cockatoo has become an agricultural pest and has been aggressively dominating other bird species within its range. Like all parrots, cockatoo are intelligent and have become a popular house pet.

 The archetypal cockatoo is white, but some species also come in pink and black. You shall see some of the other ones later in this series.

 This Ducorps' Cockatoo was commissioned for Kerry Myers.
If you wish to commission your own "Creature Feature", please visit my Etsy shop: The Art of LemurKat