TIGERS

animals, such as deer, wild pigs and cattle. Small animals are also sometimes on the menu. Their coat is orange with black stripes; however, color intensity and the pattern of markings can vary according to species.

The Sumatran tiger is the smallest and darkest of the subspecies, and the Siberian is the largest and lightest in color. At one time, eight subspecies made up the tiger family, but since the 1950s three have gone extinct. The five remaining species are endangered due to poaching, loss of habitat and loss of prey due to overhunting by humans.

Diet

Tigers mainly eat ambar deer, wild pigs, water buffalo and antelope. Tigers are also known to hunt sloth bears, dogs, leopards, crocodiles and pythons as well as monkeys and hares. Old and injured tigers have been known to attack humans and domestic cattle.

Despite this, tigers remain one of the most popular and recognizable creatures in the world. Here's several interesting facts about them that may surprise you

Range

Historic tiger range ran from Turkey through South and Southeast Asia to the far eastern shores of the continent. Today, they are only found in South and Southeast Asia, China and the Russian Far East.

Behavior

Tigers occupy a variety of habitats from tropical forests, evergreen forests, woodlands and mangrove swamps to grasslands savannah and rocky country. They are mostly nocturnal (more active at night) and are ambush predators that rely on the camouflage their stripes provide. Tigers use their body weight to knock prey to the

The tiger is the largest member of the felid (cat) family. They sport long, thick reddish coats with white bellies and white and black tails. Their heads, bodies, tails and limbs have narrow black, brown or gray stripes. There were once nine subspecies of tigers: Bengal, Siberian, Indochinese, South Chinese, Sumatran, Malayan, Caspian, Javan and Bali. Of these, the last three are extinct, one is extinct in the wild, and the rest are endangered.

Population

In the early 1900s, there were around 100,000 tigers throughout their range. Today, an estimated total of around 3,000-4,500 exist in the wild. Below is a breakdown of tiger numbers by subspecies.

Bengal tiger: Less than 2,000
Indochinese tiger: 750-1,300
Siberian tiger: Around 450
Sumatran tiger: 400-500
Malayan tiger: 600-800
South Chinese tiger: Extinct in the wild
Caspian tiger: Extinct
Javan tiger: Extinct

GRILS

So you want to purchase a new grill? You go to some local store with half a dozen models to choose from and you get confused. How many BTU's do you need? What size should you get? Who makes a reliable and easy to use grill? Do you want charcoal or gas? There are hundreds of questions you can ask, so I am going to try and help you out.

Unless you have money to burn, the price of a grill is an important factor. Gas Grills can range from $100USD to $10,000USD. Charcoal grills can be had for under $50USD or more than $2,000USD. Propane is cheaper than charcoal so your fuel cost is much less so you can actually save money in the long run if you cook out a lot. Pellets can be expensive and difficult to find in many places, but the flavor is superior because it is a pure hardwood fire. Electric just needs to be plugged in, but can't be used if the power is out. Remember that a grill can be a backup cooking appliance in an emergency.

 

You can select from electric grills, charcoal grills, gas grills, Portable Grills and pellet grills(burns wood pellets). Generally, electric grills are the easiest to use but you won't get a real fire flavor. Gas is easy and convenient, has better than electric grills but not as good as charcoal or pellet grills. Pellet grills are easy to use and have great flavor but tend to be more expensive and are not available in most retail outlets. Charcoal grills are readily available, inexpensive, and can produce great food but you will be lighting charcoal and dealing with all that involves. The real question you have to ask yourself is do you want the occasional big cookout where you have the time for charcoal, or do you want to be able to fire up the grill and be eating in 30 minutes.

PEACOCK

Peacocks are large, colorful pheasants (typically blue and green) known for their iridescent tails. These tail feathers, or coverts, spread out in a distinctive train that is more than 60 percent of the bird’s total body length and boast colorful "eye" markings of blue, gold, red, and other hues. The large train is used in mating rituals and courtship displays. It can be arched into a magnificent fan that reaches across the bird's back and touches the ground on either side. Females are believed to choose their mates according to the size, color, and quality of these outrageous feather trains.

The term "peacock" is commonly used to refer to birds of both sexes. Technically, only males are peacocks. Females are peahens, and together, they are called peafowl.

Suitable males may gather harems of several females, each of which will lay three to five eggs. In fact, wild peafowl often roost in forest trees and gather in groups called parties.

Peacocks are ground-feeders that eat insects, plants, and small creatures. There are two familiar peacock species. The blue peacock lives in India and Sri Lanka, while the green peacock is found in Java and Myanmar (Burma). A more distinct and little-known species.Peafowl such as the blue peacock have been admired by humans and kept as pets for thousands of years. Selective breeding has created some unusual color combinations, but wild birds are themselves bursting with vibrant hues. They can be testy and do not mix well with other domestic birds.

EAGLES

But not all eagles fit this stereotype: some are just small balls of feathers content to flap short distances, dining on insects or even fruit. The Crested Serpent Eagle, for instance, is no bigger than a pigeon and spends its days walking and climbing through its African forest home in search of snakes. And the African Vulturine Fish-Eagle is primarily a vegetarian, eschewing meat in favor of rich oil palm fruits.

Overall, scientists recognize four groups of eagles: The world’s 12 species of “serpent eagles” (also called “snake-eagles”) typically perch on trees and feed on snakes, frogs, and lizards. The six buzzard-like eagles are forest-dwelling giants, such as the Harpy and Philippine eagles, and prey on large mammals like deer

When eagles come to mind, people commonly imagine some enormous hunter soaring above wide-open spaces on outsized wings. Indeed, eagles are among the world’s largest birds of prey. The largest, including the Harpy Eagle and the Philippine Eagle, can weigh more than 20 pounds and have wings that spread eight feet across. Using their massive, sharp talons, these giants can kill and carry off prey as large as deer and monkeys.

Behind this extraordinary reverence, however, is the even more remarkable story of how Earth’s 59 species of eagles live their high-flying lives. That story is told in the NATURE program Eagles, which gives a rare bird’s-eye-view of these masters of the sky.Eagles documents the stunning acrobatics and the ferocious hunting skills that have made these birds the nobility of feathered society, from the plains of Africa and the rivers of Alaska to the forests of the Philippines .

Eagles
Introduction

Their fierce portraits stare out from cave paintings crafted by long-forgotten Stone Age masters. Their hooked beaks and deadly claws have adorned flags that led armies from Rome to Germany into battle. The spot on which one landed dictated to the ancient Aztecs the place where they were to build a city

We venerate them as living symbols of power, freedom, and transcendence. In some religions, high-soaring eagles are believed to touch the face of God. Legend holds that Mexico’s Aztecs so revered the birds that they built Tenochtitlan, their capital, at the spot where an eagle perched on a cactus.