Asian Animals, About Asia
Asian Animals, The American Zoo Association (AZA) recently announced that it had selected Asia as the winner of the 2018 AZA Accreditation Award. This marks the fourth consecutive year that Asia has been recognized by the association. As part of the accreditation process, the organization underwent site visits and interviews with AZA staff members to determine whether they met the standards set forth by the AZA Accreditation Program. In addition, Asia received an inspection of the zoo’s facilities, animals, exhibits, and programs. During these inspections, inspectors determined that Asia meets the requirements to become accredited. “We are honored to receive this recognition,” said Dr. Michael Dixon, director of conservation and science at Asia. “Our team works hard every day to ensure that our guests enjoy a memorable experience while learning about Asian wildlife.” To learn more about the accreditation program, please visit www.azaaccreditedzoo.org.
Archerfish
A rare species of fish known as the archerfish is capable of shooting a stream of water up into the air. This ability allows it to stun prey and protect itself against predators. In fact, the fish uses its powerful jet propulsion to swim quickly away from danger.
The archerfish is one of many fish species that live in rivers and streams. However, unlike most fish, the archerfish lives in large schools called shoals. These groups of fish travel together and use their jet propulsion to move upstream toward the sunlight. When they reach a suitable place, they stop swimming and wait for food to pass by. Then, using a quick flick of its tail, the archerfish shoots out a long stream of water. This stream of water travels about five feet above the surface of the water.
Arsinoitherium
This beast is one of the most bizarre creatures ever found. Its name translates to “Asian Rhino.” But it looks nothing like today’s rhinos. Instead, it had horns that grew out of each side of its head and curved up over its forehead. This horned creature lived during the Pleistocene epoch, which lasted from 2 million to 11,700 years ago. Scientists believe that the animal walked upright on two legs and used its long nose to sniff out food.
The male Asian arowana raised the eggs in his mouth.
Originally discovered in Japan, the Asian arowana is believed to have been domesticated for hundreds of years. Today, there are about 10,000 of these fish living in aquariums around the world. They are very popular because they grow quickly and can live for 30 years.
The largest wasp in the World!
The largest species of wasp in the world lives in China. The Giant Wasp weighs nearly half an ounce and measures 4 inches across. It eats caterpillars.
The giant wasp is known scientifically as Megaloprepus giganteus.
Asian Lady Beetle
The Asian lady beetle is one of the most common household pests in the world. They live in homes, offices, restaurants and even hotels. But you might think they don’t cause much damage because they mostly feed on dead insects. In fact, they actually prefer living creatures to dead ones.
They use their long antennae to feel out potential hosts. Once they find something tasty, they start feeding on it. If there is no food source nearby, they will fly away.
In the wild, they spend their lives eating pollen, nectar and fruit. When they come into contact with humans, they bite us to inject their saliva containing digestive enzymes. These enzymes break down proteins and fats in our blood.
This process is called hemotoxicosis. It causes swelling in the mouth and throat, difficulty breathing, vomiting and diarrhea.
But what about inside homes? Do they pose a threat? Well, yes. They can easily spread diseases such as dengue fever, malaria, cholera and leptospirosis.
They can also contaminate foods and drinks with bacteria and parasites. And since they lay eggs under floorboards, they can breed quickly.
So how do we deal with them? First, make sure you know how to identify them. Then, clean up any evidence of them. Finally, keep your home free of stagnant water.
If you see them, try putting some vinegar on a cotton swab and rubbing it over the affected area. You should notice a difference within 30 minutes.
Bamboo Worms
The bamboo worm is one of many types of moth larvae found throughout South East Asia. They are usually harmless pests; however, there are times where they become aggressive towards humans. In fact, the larvae of certain moths can cause serious problems for farmers because they eat crops like rice, wheat, and sugar cane.
People spin clothing and fishing nets from these spiders’ silk. This process is called sericulture. Silkworms produce cocoons from their silk, and people use the cocoons to make clothes, bags, shoes, etc. For example, Chinese women wear silk dresses during special occasions such as weddings and funerals.
What often prevents more people from becoming victims of the bamboo worm is that the banded Krait does not always inject its venom in a defensive bite, according to Wikipedia. Instead, it uses its venom to hunt prey. If the spider bites you, it might just save the venom for hunting.
There are over 1768 known types of bamboo worms. The most common type is the Banded Krait. However, there are many different kinds of moths that live in South East Asia. Some of these include the Giant Silkworm, Spotted Silkworm, Common Moth Caterpillar, Brown House Spider, and Red Grass Webworm.
Beauty rat snake
The Beauty Rat Snake is actually quite docile, and it doesn’t even look like a venomous snake. They’re about 10 inches long, and they live in South America. Their name comes from the fact that they resemble rats, and they eat insects. However, they do possess fangs — just not enough to cause serious harm.
They don’t really pose much of a threat to humans unless you accidentally step on one or pick up one while walking around outdoors. If you find yourself face-to-face with one, you should try to gently move away from it, and let it go on its way.
Cabbage Moth
The cabbage moth is one of the most destructive insects around. Its larvae feed on plants like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, collard greens, turnips, radishes, mustard, spinach, lettuce, beans, peas, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and potatoes. In fact, it’s been known to destroy up to 25% of a crop.
In addition to being a pest, the cabbage moth is also a food source for some animals, including birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. A study published in 2011 showed that the caterpillars of the cabbage moth are actually quite good for you. Researchers discovered that they contain high levels of vitamin B1, iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc and copper.
Camel Crickets
Another type of insect that loves eating vegetables is the camel cricket. These creepy crawlers live in deserts and semi-desert areas where there isn’t much vegetation to eat. When they’re ready to mate, the female camel cricket lays her eggs inside the male’s abdomen. She does this by digging into his flesh and injecting her eggs into him. Once she’s finished laying her eggs, the male carries the fertilized eggs back to his burrow. He then covers the eggs with sand. After about six days, the baby camel crickets hatch out and start feeding on the eggs. If he eats too many eggs, however, he’ll die.
Fast, Carnivorous Arachnid With Painful Bite
This spider is called the redback because of the red markings on its legs. It belongs to the same family as black widows, wolf spiders, jumping spiders and tarantulas. Like those other spiders, the redback hunts for prey by stalking its victims and waiting for them to walk by. Then, it pounces on them and injects venom into the victim. This causes severe pain and sometimes death. While the bite itself won’t kill you, it could cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, muscle weakness, numbness and even paralysis. Redbacks don’t usually attack humans unless provoked, though.
Carpenter Ant
The average human weighs about 150 pounds. A single carpenter ant can weigh up to 7 times that amount. And it does it with its jaws alone. This tiny insect uses its powerful mandibles to pull itself along while clinging to objects like leaves, twigs, and even pieces of wood. Some scientists think that the bite could cause serious injury or death.
Cashmere Goat
The cashmere goat is a breed of domestic goats native to the Himalaya Mountains in South Asia. They are one of the most popular breeds of goats due to their luxurious, soft fleece. Their name is derived from Kashmir, where the original breed originated. The word “cashmere” derives from the Persian word kashmiri, meaning “silk”.
First domesticated by the Ancient Egyptian pharaohs around 3500 BC, the cashmere goat was later introduced to China during the Han Dynasty. During the Tang dynasty, it spread throughout Central Asia. In the Middle Ages, it became common in Persia, Turkey, Syria, Palestine, Arabia, Egypt, North Africa, and parts of Spain and Portugal. Today, there are over 2 million goats living in the wild.
Cat Snake
A cat snake is a type of snake found in tropical climates. These snakes live in burrows and eat small animals such as lizards, frogs, and birds. Catsnakes are sometimes called “cat vipers”, although some are actually boas. A few types of cat snakes have been known to climb up trees to hunt prey. One example is the tree boa, which lives in rainforests of Brazil and Peru. Tree boas use their long tails to help them climb up tall trees. When they’re ready to catch something, they wrap their bodies around a branch and wait for their prey to come close enough.
Cave Lion
The cave lion is a subspecies of African lion. This big cat lived in caves near rivers and lakes in what is now Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Swaziland, Lesotho, and South Africa. Cave lions had shorter legs and smaller ears than those of the plains lions. In fact, the average length of a cave lion’s leg was about half the length of a plains lion’s leg. The head of a cave lion was longer than the body.
Moth Larva
Click Beetle
The click beetle is one of nature’s most fascinating creatures. This insect lives underground where it hides during the day and emerges at night to feed on termites. When threatened, the click beetle emits a loud clicking sound to scare off potential attackers.
Clothes Moth
The clothes moth is one of the most common household pests. Their diet consists mainly of wool and cotton fabrics. This insect can grow up to 3 cm long and weigh about 0.5 g. These moths usually lay eggs on clothing items such as socks, underwear, shirts, pants, etc., where they hatch into tiny white maggots. After feeding off the fabric, the larva pupate inside it, forming a cocoon. Once the adult emerges, it lays eggs and begins the cycle again.
Common Carp
The common carp is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. They grow up to 2 meters long and weigh about 30 kg. In the wild, they live in rivers, lakes, ponds and reservoirs. They are omnivorous, eating plants and animals such as worms, snails, frogs, crayfish, small fish, insect larvae, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and decaying vegetation. Their diet includes aquatic plants like water lettuce and duckweed.
They breed throughout much of Eurasia and North Africa.
Corella
The corellas are noisy, especially during early mornings and evenings. They call out loudly, often making it difficult to sleep. This bird species is named after the French word for crow, corneille.
There are nearly 1.5 billion worldwide!
They are found throughout the South-East Asia jungles.
Coryphodon
This bird looks like a fancy rhinocoerus, but it is more closely related to elephants.
Found throughout the South-East Asiatic jungles!
Crab-eating macaques
These primates eat crabs.
93 different crab groups
Darkling Beetle
The darkling beetle has been known to cause damage to crops since ancient times. They eat plants and lay eggs, which hatch into larvae. These larvae chew leaves and stems until they reach maturity. Then they molt and become adults.