A-Z Challenge G Noah's Goat

GOAT

GOAT. Goats are one of the earliest domesticated animals, providing humankind with milk, meat, hides, and fiber. They include several species of small, cloven-hoofed ruminants constituting the genus Capra. Similar to other ruminants, including cows and sheep, goats process plant roughage through a fermentation process within their compartmentalized stomachs, and they chew regurgitated, partially digested food known as cud. Unlike other ruminants, goats are agile browsers, preferring to reach upwards for foods such as the leaves, fruit, and bark of small trees rather than grazing on grasses. When the desired foods are unavailable, however, goats will consume any plant material accessible. It is this foraging ability and flexibility of diet that has secured the importance of goats as a food source in the world's subsistence economies.

Domestication

Wild ancestors of modern goats, known as Persian or Bezoar goats (Capra aegagrus ) once roamed from South Asia to Crete. It is believed human goatherding began 10,000 years ago in the Zagros highlands of western Iran, as evidenced through selective slaughter of young males. DNA studies support that domestication began at that time due to the rapid growth of the goat population. Domesticated goats (Capra hircus ) demonstrate remarkable genetic uniformity worldwide. Genetic analysis suggests that goats were a commonly traded in ancient times, which dispersed the population to Europe, Africa, and Asia. Later, they provided a convenient source of milk and meat aboard the ships of European explorers, who introduced goats to the New World.

Breeds

Selective breeding of goats has resulted in animals smaller than their ancestors, and with greater diversity of coat length, texture, and color. Noses are straight or convex; ears vary from negligible external organs to pendulous and droopy. Both males (bucks) and females (does) are horned. Hornless (polled) animals have been bred, though the recessive polled trait is associated with infertility. (Goat horns are frequently removed after they bud to prevent accidents.) One characteristic that has not changed with domestication is goat intelligence, judged superior to that of dogs. Numerous breeds have been developed for meat, milk, and fiber (including angora for mohair, and cashmere), in addition to being bred for hardiness and suitability to specific geographic regions.

Distribution

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that in 2001 close to 693 million goats were kept worldwide, with 95 percent of all stock found in developing countries. This compares to 1.3 billion cattle and 1 billion sheep. Regionally, South Asia has the most goats, with 205 million head, followed by East and Southeast Asia, due largely to the 157 million in China. Other nations with significant goat populations (in descending order) are India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Brazil, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, Mexico, Mongolia, and Somalia.

Official statistics on goat meat and milk greatly underestimate production since many goats are raised for personal family use. Primarily nations with large numbers of animals accounted for the most meat: over one-third of the global supply in 2001 came from China. Other significant producers include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, and Iran. Commercial milk production did not correlate so closely with number of head, however, reflecting cultural differences in dairy food use. In 2001, major producers were India, Bangladesh, and Sudan, followed by Pakistan, Somalia, Spain, Russia, France, and Greece.

Goat Products

Meat. Goat meat has a taste similar to mutton, with a slightly gamy flavor. It is lower in fat than either beef or mutton (due to a fat layer exterior to the muscle rather than marbled through it), and can be drier. The United States Department of Agriculture describes quality goat meat as firm and finely grained. The color can vary between females and males, from light pink to bright red. Kids, defined as under one year old, are often slaughtered at three to five months of age. Their meat is less flavorful and juicy, but more tender than the meat of older goats.

Goat meat is an important protein source in South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. It is consumed regularly in some parts of Latin America, such as the Caribbean, Mexico, and Brazil, and is regionally popular in China, Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. The entire goat is usually consumed. An eviscerated carcass is typically cut, flesh and bone, into cubes for stewing, used in dishes such as curried goat and garlic-flavored caldereta, a Spanish specialty found also in Latin America and the Philippines. Roasted goat is popular worldwide, often considered a special-occasion food. In Saudi Arabia, the cavity is stuffed with rice, fruits, and nuts. Jerked goat leg, heavily seasoned before cooking over allspice wood, is a Jamaican specialty.

Organ meats are eaten, too. Goat's head soup is prepared in most regions where the meat is consumed. The dish is known as isiewu in Nigeria; the eyes are considered a delicacy. In Morocco, kidneys, liver, heart, lung, and pancreas are added to the meat to make goat tagine. In Kyrgyzstan, the testicles are roasted separately over the fire for consumption by men, and washed down with vodka. In the Philippines, paklay is an Ilocano specialty that combines goat intestines with sour fruits, such as unripe pineapple.

A-Z Challenge F Fox

Orientation
Identification. The Fox were a hunting and agricultural society whose name for themselves was "Meskwahki-haki," meaning "Red earths" or "People of the red earth." Their identity is often confused with the Sauk. But even after the development of a close alliance between the two groups in the eighteenth century, the Fox have remained a single, clearly defined group.

Location. In aboriginal times the Fox were located in Present-day southern Michigan or northwestern Ohio. Prior to European contact they were driven by the Iroquois into Wisconsin, where they were located at the time of first direct Contact with Europeans in the mid-seventeenth century. Their territory at that time centered on the Wolf River and spread from Lake Superior south to the Chicago River and from Lake Michigan west to the Mississippi River.

Demography. In 1650 the Fox numbered approximately 2,500, and in the early nineteenth century, between 1,600 and 2,000. By 1867 the Fox population had declined to but 264 persons. In 1932 they numbered 403, and in 1955, 653. In the 1980s the Fox numbered about 1,000, with some 500 on the Sac and Fox Reservation in Tama County, Iowa.

Linguistic Affiliation. The Fox spoke an Algonkian Language, which those in Iowa still speak.


History and Cultural Relations
In the mid to late seventeenth century the establishment of a French trading post at Green Bay drew the Fox to the Wolf River area. Almost from the start, tension and conflict characterized Fox-French relations. This stemmed in part from Fox opposition to the French extending the fur trade to their traditional enemies, the Dakota. In 1712, twenty-five years of continuous warfare were initiated when the Fox who had moved to Detroit and were presumed by the French post there to be planning an assault were attacked by a coalition of tribes organized and incited by the French commander. During this period the Fox were nearly wiped out by warfare and disease. In 1733 they took refuge with the Sauk at Green Bay and soon thereafter both tribes fled to Iowa. Shortly after the cessation of hostilities in 1737 the Fox returned to Wisconsin, but by the late eighteenth century they were living on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River.

Between 1832 and 1842, Fox and Sauk ceded their lands to the United States and moved to a reservation in Kansas. On the Kansas reservation, relations between the two groups were marked by tension, and between 1856 and 1859 the Fox returned to Iowa and settled near Tama. The federal government opposed this move, but was unsuccessful in returning them to Kansas.

The descendants of the Fox have maintained many elements of the traditional culture, including their language and clan-organized ritual activities. An important factor in this process has been tribal ownership of land and resistance to land allotment.


Settlements
In the early nineteenth century, the Fox settlement pattern alternated between large semipermanent villages occupied during the summer planting and fall harvesting seasons and small dispersed camps used during the winter and early spring hunting seasons. The semipermanent villages were located in river bottoms near agricultural fields and moved periodically as firewood resources were depleted. Generally, fewer than twenty dwellings or lodges made up a village, with the lodges aligned in parallel rows along an east-west axis. A typical summer lodge consisted of an elm-bark-covered pole scaffolding measuring forty to sixty feet long and twenty feet wide. Winter camps varied in size from one to a few extended families, with dwellings consisting of dome-shaped, poleframed structures covered with cattail mats. On the 3,476-acre reservation, the Fox now live in scattered modern housing.


Economy
Subsistence and Commercial Activities. The Fox were hunter-farmers whose subsistence focused on deer, bison, maize, squash, beans, and pumpkins. Trapping and hunting for the fur trade became an important part of the economic pattern very soon after European contact. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the seasonal pattern of economic activities included planting crops in May and June and harvesting in the early autumn, after which the summer villages dispersed and the people journeyed to their hunting grounds. Hunts were also carried out during the summer growing season. Midwinter was spent in temporary camps in sheltered river bottoms where the people remained until hunting activities were renewed in the early spring. In April the dispersed families returned to their summer village and initiated a new cycle of agricultural activities.

Since the 1950s, commuting to work in nearby cities has been an important part of the economic pattern of Fox living near Tama, Iowa. Tribal income is derived from renting tribal lands to local farmers.

Industrial Arts. The Fox displayed a typical Woodland pattern, relying on the bow and arrow for hunting and warfare. Clothes were made from deerskin. Aboriginal manufactures were quickly replaced with items obtained from Europeans.

Trade. Apart from furs taken to obtain European trade goods, hides and tallow, a by-product of deer hunting, and lead ore obtained through surface mining were important trade items for the Fox during the historic period.

Division of Labor. Traditionally men hunted, and women were responsible for growing crops and gathering roots, nuts, berries, and animal by-products such as honey and beeswax.

Land Tenure. When they settled near Tama, Iowa, in 1857, the Fox purchased 80 acres of land; since that time additional land purchases have brought tribal holdings to 3,476 acres.

A-Z Challenge E Noah's Elephants

Habitat loss is one of the key threats facing elephants. Many climate change projections indicate that key portions of elephants’ habitat will become significantly hotter and drier, resulting in poorer foraging conditions and threatening calf survival. Increasing conflict with human populations taking over more and more elephant habitat and poaching for ivory are additional threats that are placing the elephant’s future at risk.
Defenders of Wildlife is working through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) to maintain a ban on the sale of ivory as well as on regulations that govern worldwide elephant protection.
Of the two species, African elephants are divided into two subspecies (savannah and forest), while the Asian elephant is divided into four subspecies (Sri Lankan, Indian, Sumatran and Borneo). Asian elephants have been very important to Asian culture for thousands of years – they have been domesticated and are used for religious festivals, transportation and to move heavy objects.

A-Z Challenge D Noahs Fire spewing dragons

All the hue and cry about the repercussions of China’s activities are dissolved in the face of the effects that China has to bear back home. Its appetite is increasing not only because of the rapid growth of the economy but also because Chinese growth is concentrated in industries which require a lot of raw materials. Moreover, over the past few years, there has been a marked shift from light to heavy industries in the country. Therefore, for each unit of output, more raw materials are required. This, in turn, is accentuating China’s already grim pollution problem. Also, heavy industries require huge amounts of power. Steel making, for instance, uses up to 16 per cent of the total power in the economy against a total of 10 per cent used by households. These factors are acting as drags for the economy. Pollution costs borne by the society in the form of increased medical expenses, loss of productivity due to thousands of premature deaths and lower crop yield together make up for 10 per cent of the GDP of the Chinese economy. Authorities are struggling to ensure clean air for the athletes slated to participate in the Olympics in Beijing this summer. China needs to self evaluate its policies to see where it is headed. The efforts to temper the economic growth, to avoid over heating of the economy and to follow a path of sustainable development have to be evaluated and approached again. Otherwise, China will spiral into a less prosperous, a more unstable and a completely unsustainable place.

A-Z Challenge C Noah's Cats

 Conservation -- I would think that everyone who knows wildcats would agree or concede that the most important cat fact is conservation. The wild cats are under threat from human expansion that results in greatly increased commercial activity that destroys wildcat habitat and drives poaching.
The Bengal tiger is being decimated by both and particularly the latter for its body parts. The Siberian tiger may have a population of 400-500  but its population in terms of breeding ability (and therefore survivability) is the equivalent of 14 individuals. When a population of wild animals reaches a threshold its days of survival in the wild are numbered.
The Iberian Lynx may well be the first wildcat since the saber tooth tiger to go extinct in the wild some 10,000 years ago. Its population is incredible low at about 250 individuals. Their survival is jeopardised by human hunting directly and indirectly.
 Cat Care taking -- The fact that many cat "owners" fail to ensure that their cats are neutered, a regrettably necessity in the modern world, causes untold misery to the domestic cat population and leads indirectly to the mass slaughter of unwanted and abandoned cats that sometimes become feral cats.
So, although there are many wonderful caretakers there are still too many irresponsible cat owners. Within the actions of irresponsible cat owners I include the declawing of cats. One thought comes to mind in respect of this procedure: a lack of respect for the cat and an arrogant attitude by humankind. Expectation management concerning cat care taking cures almost all known cat behavior problems. What do I mean? Please read this.
 No more new breeds -- There are over 100 cat breeds. Many are on the fringes. There are incidentally more dog breeds. I would say with some confidence that saturation level has been reached with respect to the number of cat breeds. Why? It is no longer possible to create a breed that is healthy and which can be sufficiently distinguished from an existing breed. Everything has a beginning, middle and end. This is the end of the expansion in cat breed numbers.
One consequence that comes to mind is that people who have thought about declawing their cat but resisted and bought a cat scratching post instead might then decide to have their cat declawed thinking that it is impossible to get their cat to scratch in the right place.

I hope people who have decided against declawing try again and purchase a large scratching post and put it where cats might mark territory as if they were wild cats. These places are normally in prominent locations within the cat's home range. An example might be near the back door if the cat is allowed to go out. When my cat goes outside he scratches trees. These are solid objects that don't move. Of course cats also scratch horizontally but in this post I am referring to the classic scratching post.

My opinion is that:
a large scratching post that replicates to a certain extent a tree placed in a prominent location that would be the cat's boundary of his or her home range or on a "trail" and to start the process of encouraging to scratch a scratching post while the cat is a kitten...will result in success. Or at least there will be a good chance of success if these three guidelines are put into place. Patience, gentle encouragement and the judicious use of catnip will also help.
There are a number good alternatives to declawing:

1) Scratching posts/pads DO work!
 Cats need a variety of angles of scratching pads: vertical as well as horizontal and positions in between. A friend of mine has attached carpeting along the inside of a doorway for his large cats. I constructed a tent shaped scratching post out of 3 pieces of wood and 2 hinges and a latch-hook (so that I can fold it up and transport it) with the carpeting on the two outside surfaces of the inverted V and along the base inside the V. There are a myriad of types of the horizontal scratching pads or you can make your own. My 3 cats use all three types.
You can encourage cats to start using one by rubbing catnip into the surface.
There are also a variety of materials: sisal, carpeting (many kinds), corrugated cardboard. Your cat might like one kind but not another just as they can be fussy about the litter you use in their cat box.

2) Another alternative to declawing is "Soft Paws" and "Kitty Caps" available at vets offices and pet supply stores. These are small caps that are put on the shortened claws. I have never used them but I have heard from people how have done so very successfully.

3) If you really want a declawed cat, go to your local animal refuge league or animal rescue and tell them that you would like to adopt a cat that has already been declawed. Where I volunteer, we will not adopt out a clawed cat to anyone who even THINKS they will declaw their cat. We get declawed cats at our ARL (frequently because their behavior has become aggressive or antisocial after declawing) and match them up with people who want/or plan to have their cat declawed. We will not adopt out a clawed cat to anyone who even THINKS they will declaw their cat and to all other adopters we offer to take back a cat who they think may need to be declawed after they take him/her home.

A-Z Challenge "B" Noah's Ark Alphabet Three Bluebirds on a branch

Bluebirds are a member of the Thrush family.  They are related to the American Robin.  There are three types living in North America.

Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) are a little larger than a Sparrow, around 6 to 7 inches.  The head, wings, and tail are blue.  The belly is white, the breast, and back are rusty red.  In some birds the back will be partially blue.

 Western Bluebird


The Mountain Bluebird (Sialia currocoides) is almost all blue with a whitish belly. The females in all types have duller colors. In the Mountain bluebird it is dull brownish with a touch of blue on the wings, rump, and tail. Mountain Bluebird

The Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) looks the same except it has a rusty throat.

Bluebird Song

The Eastern bluebird makes a note that sounds like tru-ly, and the song is soft gurgling notes.
The Western bluebird sounds like pew.
Mountain bluebirds have a chru sound and a song that is a low warble.



Below are some tips for starting your own Bluebird trail or attracting these little birds to you backyard.
I will sometimes use birdhouse and other times use nest box to mean the same thing.

Location - Location.

Bluebirds like open spaces with short vegetation, and lots of insects.  This could be gulf courses, parks or a field on the edge of a wooded area. A large lawn is fine.  They nest naturally in dead tree cavities, and abandoned woodpecker holes.  The birds do not make their own nest cavities.  They rely on natural or manmade cavities such as birdhouses to build nests in.  Try placing your birdhouses where there are some nearby trees or shrubs for them to perch on.  They are tolerant of humans, and do not mind nesting around them.

Many Bluebird trails will go on for miles.  The boxes are generally spaced around 300 feet apart.  The reason for the spacing is bluebirds are territorial when breeding.
You can also put up a house or two in your back yard to attract them.
There are many styles of birdhouses or nest boxes.

Placement & Mounting
You can place your nest boxes on a pole, fence, post or attach it to a tree.  Keep in mind that there are many predators.  Cats, dogs, squirrels, and snakes all pose a danger.
Try to place your boxes where nesting materials such as soft grasses, and pine needles are available.  Some people put out containers with these materials for the birds.
birdhouse Mount it so the hole faces away from the prevailing wind, preferably out of the direct sun. About five feet above the ground is good.

Other Visitors

Do not be surprised to find other birds such as chickadees or wrens in your birdhouse.  Sparrows can be a problem for bluebirds.  They may destroy the eggs and kill the young.  If you see sparrows building a nest you can remove the material before they finish.

Bluebird Territory

Males will establish a territory of two to five acres.  In early March or April he will try to attract a female with his sweet song.  In courtship he will raise, and quiver one or both wings, and often feed her morsels of food.  After she chooses the nesting spot she will lay one egg a day until there are 3 to 5 in the clutch.  In 12 to 14 days the eggs will hatch, and both adults will feed the young ones.  The young birds will fledge or develop the feathers to fly in 15 to 20 days.

Monitoring and cleaning

It's a good idea to check birdhouses once a week.  Many people keep records such as the date eggs were laid, and hatched.  The number for a season, as well as the date and number of young birds can be recorded.  The adults will return after you examine the nest.  After the nestlings have fledged, remove the old nest so the birds will start over. After breeding season you should bag the nest, and throw it away. Check to see if the nest has insects.  If you find insects get rotenone powder to dust the box with.  If the birds start building a new nest before you remove the old one just leave it alone.

Create a Habitat in Your Backyard

Two things that will attract birds to your backyard are food, and plenty of water.  You can also plant fruit, and berry trees.  Add herbaceous flower beds to this, and you will have an attractive habitat.

Bird Feeders

A Bluebird's main diet is insects.  They also eat berries, sunflower seeds, nutmeats, and other foods.  There are many styles of bird feeders.  Use feeders that will not attract larger birds, and do not put them too close to the nest box.  Like other birds that eat insects, Bluebirds will be attracted to suet feeders.

A-Z Challenge "A"

Fact: Alligators in the wild are believed to live 35 - 50 years. In captivity their lifespan may be significantly longer, perhaps 60-80 years. Currently, there are no scientific methods of analyzing an alligators age while it is alive.

Myth: Alligators can grow to enormous proportions, over 20 feet in length and weighing a ton or more.

Fact: The longest recorded length for an alligator is 19' 2'. This animal was trapped in the early 1900's in the State of Louisiana. Most wild alligators do not get above 13 feet in length, and may weigh 600 pounds or more.

Myth: Crocodiles and alligators open their jaws differently. The jaws of the crocodile are hinged to open the top jaw, while alligators open their bottom.

Fact: Alligators and crocodiles jaws are hinged the same. Both animals hinge their jaws on the bottom, the top jaw is simply an extension of the skull.

Myth: Alligators are immune to the bite of poisonous snakes.

Fact: Alligators are not immune to snake poison. However, they do have extremely tough skin, and an armored back protected by bony plates called scutes. It is possible that this protection may prevent a
snake's fangs from penetrating the skin.

Myth: Only the tail of the alligator is edible.

Fact: Although the tail of the alligator is considered the prime cut, all the meat of the alligator is edible.

Myth: Alligators are slow moving animals when they are out of the water.

Fact: Alligators can run at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour. However that speed can only be maintained for a very short distance.

The alligator is an amazing reptile, having survived almost unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. Having been hunted almost to the brink of extinction, this reptile has made an amazing comeback in recent years, inhabiting almost every body of water in Florida. The alligator is a very important part of our
wildlife heritage, and plays an extremely important part in Florida's ecosystem. During the dry season, alligators create "gator holes" which may be the only source of water around. This provides sustenance not only to the wildlife of the area, but to the alligator as well. Alligators also feed upon the "trash fish" such as gars, which are natural predators of young game fish like bass. The alligator is now considered to be a renewable resource, and is an important part in Florida's growing aquaculture industry.

The relationship between alligators and man dates back thousands of years. The first human residents of Florida hunted the alligator for its hide and meat. The teeth of an alligator were believed to be a magical ward against snakebites, as alligators were thought to be immune to the bite of poisonous snakes. The leather was used by the natives to make all types of leather items, even musical instruments such as drums.

When the Spaniards first arrived in Florida, they were amazed at this large reptile calling it "el lagarto" (the lizard). It is from this early Spanish term that we derived the name alligator. This fearsome reptile can grow to an extremely large size, and wild alligators of 13 feet or more are not uncommon. Fortunately, alligators in the wild do exhibit a natural fear of man. If left alone, an alligator would much rather stay away from humans than attack them. In the State of Florida it is illegal to feed a wild alligator, as doing so tends to make the animal associate humans with food and it loses its natural fear of man.

But attacks on humans do occur, and there have been several fatal alligator attacks in Florida. Many of these attacks involve small children or swimmers, however most attacks can be attributed to human error. One of the most important rules is should you see an alligator in the wild...Leave It Alone. Alligators are not to be feared, but they are to be respected. Capable of reaching lengths over 13feet and weighing over 600 pounds, alligators have a crushing power of 3,000 psi in their jaws. Despite their appearance, alligators are extremely quick and agile. They are capable of amazingly fast bursts of speed, if only for a short distance. It has been said that an alligator can outrun a horse for a distance of 30 feet.

Alligators are now protected by both state and federal regulations. It is illegal to hunt or trap a wild alligator without a permit. The Florida Fish and Game Commission oversees several management
programs for the alligator. One of these is the nuisance alligator program, where alligators deemed to be dangerous to man or domestic animals are removed by private trappers. Should you have any questions or complaints about alligators in your area, consult your local Fish and Game Commission.

Feeding Habits

Alligators are carnivorous reptiles whose primary feeding time is at night. Small alligators will eat snails, frogs, insects, and small fish. Larger gators will eat fish, turtles, snakes, waterfowl, small mammals, and even smaller alligators. Examinations of alligators' stomachs have even found such objects as stones, sticks, cans, fishing lures and other assorted items.

Alligators swallow their food whole. The teeth of an alligator are conical shaped and are made for grabbing and holding, not for cutting. When dealing with larger prey, an alligator may shake its head or spin its body in order to tear off a piece small enough to swallow. They have also been known to hold food in their mouth until it deteriorates to the point they can swallow it.

Alligators have a specialized valve in their throat called a glottis that enables the gator to capture its prey underwater. However, in order to swallow its food and thus keep itself from drowning, an alligator must
lift its head out of the water.



Reproduction

The sexual maturity of the alligator is dependent more upon the size of the animal than its age. An alligator is generally considered sexually mature when it reaches a length of six feet or more. Dependent upon
environmental factors, a wild alligator may attain this length in about ten to twelve years. In a controlled captive environment, sexual maturity may occur in a much shorter time span.

The alligators breeding season begins in April, during which time the courtship rituals begin. The courtship rituals of the alligator are quite complex, involving touching, rubbing, the blowing of bubbles and some
vocalizations. The actual mating takes place in open water, and involves a coitus method not unlike most animals. Alligators are not monogamous, one male may service up to ten or more females in his territory. Male alligators are territorial animals during the breeding season, and will defend their area against other male intruders.

After mating, the female alligator moves into the marshy areas and shoreline where she will begin to construct a nest;. Using her back feet, the female will scratch together a mound of sticks, mud and
vegetation. Into this mound she will deposit her eggs, and it is the breakdown of the nesting material that helps keep the eggs warm. Female alligators begin to lay their eggs in late June and early July. Alligators tend to lay about 40-45 eggs on the average, however, the rate of fertility varies with the age of the female.

The incubation period of the eggs is 65 days. During this time the female alligator guards her nest against intruders. Raccoons for example, are notorious nest raiders, and have been known to completely destroy a nest. The eggs begin to hatch in August through September, during which time the baby alligators make-high pitched grunting noises to alert the mother gator. The female alligator will then uncover the nest releasing the babies, and some females have even been known to carry their young to the water.

The young alligators are known as hatchlings, and are about 6-8 inches at birth. After birth, the hatchling alligators form groups called "pods" and may stay in the same vicinity of their nesting site for several years. Until the next breeding season begins, the female alligator will remain near her brood, defending them against predators. The first few years of a hatchlings life are the most dangerous, as anything that can eat a small alligator will! Snakes, wading birds, osprey, raccoons, otters, large bass, garfish, even larger alligators will feed upon the young alligator. Once the alligator reaches about 4 feet, its only real predator is man.

Habitat

The American Alligator (Alligator Mississipiensis) is found only in the southeastern part of the United States, from the Carolina's, down to Florida and over to Texas. The Chinese Alligator (Alligator Sinensis) is very rare and can only be found in the Yangtze River Basin in China.

Alligators inhabit primarily fresh water to brackish water areas, although they can occasionally be found in salt water. However, alligators lack the salt-extracting glands of crocodiles and are unable to survive in salt water for extended periods of time.

The alligator is found only in the southeastern United States and in China. Alligators have a short, blunt and rounded snout. Adults tend to be a grayish black in color while the young can be more colorful with
yellow or white highlights on a black body. The Chinese alligator is quite small, only attaining a length of 6 feet. The American Alligator however is quite large, with a record length of 19' 2". Fortunately, the American Alligator is not considered to be a man-eater. In the wild, alligators tend to exhibit a natural fear of man.

Caimans are found primarily in Central and South America. There are many types of Carmina, the most "popular" being the spectacled caiman (Carmina Sclerops). This reptile was widely used in the pet trade, often sold as "baby alligators". Caiman are normally small and squat reptiles with an extremely toothy grin. The caiman that most resemble the alligator in size and appearance is the Black Caiman (Melanosuchus Niger). The Black Caiman is found in the Amazon River Basin and is said to attain a length of 13 feet.

Crocodiles are characterized by a long and tapered snout. They tend to be light tan to brownish in color. There are many types of crocodiles, some only reaching a maximum length of 6 feet while others can attain a length of over 23 feet. Crocodiles can be found all over the world, here in the United States we have one type of crocodile, the American Crocodile (Crocodylus Acutus). The American Crocodile is very rare and in the United States can only be found in the Key West to Florida Bay area. Two types of crocodiles are considered to be man-eaters, the Salt Water Crocodile (Crocodylus Porosus), and the Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus Niloticus).

A_Z Theme Reveal

A-Z Challenge Theme revealed! Today is the Challenge Theme Reveal hosted by Damyanti’s  team. Check out Jemima Pett’s blog to see the list of people taking part in this hop. Hop around and have fun seeing what people will be writing about during the Blogging from A-Z Challenge come April

On this blog, I will be doing Noah's Alphabet. Thanks for stopping by and I will visit you on your blog soon.  And to my reader I would like to invite you to play along if you would like either leave a comment with the days letter or please feel free to post it on our Facebook Page.