The red panda has been classified as Vulnerable by IUCN because its population is estimated at fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. Although red pandas are protected by national laws in their range countries, their numbers in the wild continue to decline mainly due to habitat loss and fragmentation, poaching, and inbreeding depression.^[2]
 

The head and body length of red pandas averages 56 to 63 cm (22 to 25 in), and their tails about 37 to 47 cm (15 to 19 in). Males weigh 3.7 to 6.2 kg (8.2 to 14 lb) and females 4.2 to 6.0 kg (9.3 to 13 lb).^[5] They have long, soft reddish-brown fur on the upper parts, blackish fur on the lower parts, and a light face with tear markings and robust cranial-dental features. The light face has white badges similar to those of a raccoon, but each individual can have distinctive markings. Their roundish head has medium-sized upright ears, a black nose, and very dark eyes: almost pitch black. Their long bushy tail with six alternating yellowish red transverse ochre rings provides balance and excellent camouflage against its habitat of moss- and lichen-covered trees. The legs are black and short with thick fur on the soles of the paws. This fur serves as thermal insulation on snow-covered or ice surfaces and conceals scent glands which are also present on the anus.^[6]

The red panda is specialized as a bamboo feeder with strong, curved and sharp semi-retractile claws ^[5] standing inward for grasping of narrow tree branches, leaves and fruit. Like the giant panda, it has a “false thumb” that is an extension of the wrist bone. When descending a tree headfirst, the red panda rotates its ankle to control its descent, one of the few climbing species to do so.^[7]
 

Red pandas are excellent climbers, and forage largely in trees. They eat mostly bamboo, and may eat small mammals, birds, eggs, blossoms, and berries. In captivity, they were observed to eat birds, blossoms, acer and morus leaves, bark and the fruits of acer, beech and morus.^[5]

Like the Giant Panda, they cannot digest cellulose, so they must consume a large volume of bamboo to survive. Their diet consists of about two-thirds bamboo, but they also eat mushrooms, roots, acorns, lichen, and grasses. Occasionally, they supplement their diet with fish and insects. They do little more than eat and sleep due to their low-calorie diet.^{[citation needed]}

Bamboo shoots are more easily digested than leaves, exhibiting the highest digestibility in summer and autumn, intermediate digestibility in the spring, and lowest digestibility in the winter. These variations correlate with the nutrient contents in the bamboo. Red pandas process bamboo poorly, especially the cellulose and cell wall components. This implies that microbial digestion plays only a minor role in their digestive strategy. In order to survive on this poor-quality diet, they have to eat the high-quality sections of the bamboo plant such as the tender leaves and shoots in large quantities, over 1.5 kilograms / 3.3 pounds of fresh leaves and 4 kilograms / 8.8 pounds of fresh shoots daily. This food passes through the digestive tract fairly rapidly (~2–4 hours) so as to maximize nutrient intake.^[19] Red pandas can taste artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, the only known non-primate to be able to do so.^[20]

The red panda is considered a living fossil and only distantly related to the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). Their common ancestor can be traced back to the Early Tertiary Period tens of millions of years ago, with a wide distribution across Eurasia. Fossils of the red panda Parailurus anglicus have been unearthed from China in the east to Britain in the west.

(From Wikipedia, 21 January 2012)

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Red pandas are predominately solitary, and are most active at dawn and dusk (5). They have semi-retractable claws, which allow them to be efficient climbers and when not foraging, pandas are usually found in the trees. Males occupy territories that overlap those of several females, especially in the mating season (4), and territories of both sexes are marked with anal secretions (5). Red pandas mate on the ground but the female gives birth, usually to two young, within a hollow tree nest cavity (5). Young are born blind and helpless, opening their eyes after 18 days; their coat is initially grey-buff in colour (5). Red pandas are one of the few animals whose diet is composed almost entirely on bamboo; they grasp stems with their forepaws and shear the leaves off with sharp teeth (4). Bamboo is poor in nutrients; to compensate, red pandas are only active for around 56 % of the day (4) and have an extremely slow metabolism, which is comparable to that of the sloth (7). Other foods such as roots and fruit as well as small lizards and bird’s eggs are also eaten (2). Red pandas have an ungainly walk on the ground but are much more agile in the trees, using their tail for balance although it is not prehensile; on the ground the tail is carried horizontally away from the body (5). After eating or resting the red panda will tend to groom itself thoroughly (5).

The classification of the red panda has caused continued controversy since it was first described in 1825 (1), due to similarities with both the bear family and the procyonids such as racoons (4). Today it is placed with the racoons, but in its own separate subfamily, the Ailurinae (4). The lustrous coat is a rich reddish brown colour on the back and black on the legs; longer coarse guard hairs cover the dense woolly undercoat, which provides warmth (4). The coat provides effective camouflage amongst the trees where branches are often swathed in reddish-brown moss (5).The face is rounded and predominantly white with reddish brown ‘tear marks’ running from the corner of each eye to the mouth (5). The long bushy tail is marked with 12 alternating red and buff rings and the soles of the feet are covered with thick white hair to provide warmth (5). Currently two subspecies of the red panda exist; Ailurus fulgens fulgens is smaller and lighter (especially in the facial region) than the related A. f. styani (6). Like the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), red pandas also posses a modified wrist bone that acts as a sixth digit or thumb, although it is smaller than that of the better-known giant panda (4). Red pandas have a wide range of vocalisations, the most peculiar of which is a ‘quack-snort’ (4).

(From EOL, 30 January 2012)

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly coloured,striking bird, predominantly carmine in colouration, but with the crown and undertail coverts blue.

Its usual habitat included low-altitude river valleys and floodplains, preferring vertical banks suitable for tunneling when breeding, but readily digging vertical burrows in the level surface of small salt islands. This is a highly sociable species, gathering in large flocks, in or out of breeding season. They roost communally in trees or reedbeds, and disperse widely during the day. Nesting is at the end of a 1-2m long burrow in an earthen bank, where the lay from 2-5 eggs.

This is migratory species, spending the breeding season, between August and November, in Zimbabwe, before moving south to South Africa for the summer months, and the migrating to equatorial Africa from March to August.
 

Their diet is made up primarily of bees and other flying insects, and their major hunting strategy involves hawking flying insects from perch. Perches may include branches of vegetation or even the backs of large animals, such as the Kori Bustard. They are attracted to wildfires because of the flushed insects, and are often seen circling high in the air. It also eats rodents and lizards.

They circle larger animals and even cars to catch the insects that try to escape.

(From Wikipedia, 21 January 2012)

—

This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 30% decline over ten years or three generations).

(From EOL, 21 January 2012)

This species was first discovered living outdoors in the United Kingdom in 1994. By 2002 it had become widespread in the London area, and spreading rapidly throughout. Although it is susceptible to some pesticides, it is usually recommended that home growers pick off beetles by hand, or shake them off onto a sheet of paper to remove them, if the plant affected by them is intended for culinary purposes.

(From Wikipedia, 6 October 2011)

Despite the scientific name, this beetle is a native of southern Europe.  It was first noticed in the U.K. in the early 1990s and has since become well established.

The larvae are a creamy-white colour, with grey lines along their length.

(From UK Safari, 6 October 2011)

The beetle is a native of southern Europe that has become an established pest in Britain since the 1990s.

The soft-bodied grubs are greyish white with five dark longitudinal lines; fully grown larvae are 5-8mm long. Sausage-shaped eggs, 2mm long, may be found on the underside of the leaves from early autumn to spring.

Research in the entomology laboratory at Wisley Garden indicated that rosemary beetle adults remain relatively inactive on their host plants during July and August. In late August and September the beetles resume feeding, mate and lay eggs, which they continue to do on warm winter days until spring. The eggs hatch within two weeks and the larvae feed for as little as three weeks before entering the soil to pupate. The pupal stage lasts for a further two to three weeks before adults emerge.

(From RHS, 6 October 2011)

Female goats are referred to as does or nannies, intact males as bucks or billies; their offspring are kids. Note that many goat breeders prefer the terms “buck” and “doe” to “billy” and “nanny”. Castrated males are wethers. Goat meat from younger animals is called kid or cabrito, and from older animals is sometimes called chevon, or in some areas “mutton”.

Goats are among the earliest animals domesticated by humans.^[5] The most recent genetic analysis^[6] confirms the archaeological evidence that the Anatolian Zagros are the likely origin of almost all domestic goats today. Another major genetic source of modern goats is the Bezoar goat, distributed from the mountainous regions of Asia Minor across the Middle East to Sind.^[5]

Neolithic farmers began to keep goats for access to milk and meat, primarily, as well as for their dung, which was used as fuel, and their bones, hair, and sinew for clothing, building, and tools.^[1] The earliest remnants of domesticated goats dating 10,000 years before present are found in Ganj Dareh in Iran. Goat remains have been found at archaeological sites in Jericho, Choga, Mami, Djeitun and Cayonu, dating the domestication of goats in western Asia at between 8000 and 9000 years ago.^[5]

Historically, goat hide has been used for water and wine bottles in both traveling and transporting wine for sale. It has also been used to produce parchment.

Goats are reputed to be willing to eat almost anything, including tin cans and cardboard boxes. While goats will not actually eat inedible material, they are browsing animals, not grazers like cattle and sheep, and (coupled with their natural curiosity) will chew on and taste just about anything resembling plant matter in order to decide whether it is good to eat, including cardboard and paper labels from tin cans.^[18]Another possibility is that the goats are curious about the unusual smells of leftover food in discarded cans or boxes.

Aside from sampling many things, goats are quite particular in what they actually consume, preferring to browse on the tips of woody shrubs and trees, as well as the occasional broad-leaved plant. However, it can fairly be said that their plant diet is extremely varied, and includes some species which are otherwise toxic.^[19] They will seldom consume soiled food or contaminated water unless facing starvation. This is one reason goat rearing is most often free ranging, since stall-fed goat rearing involves extensive upkeep and is seldom commercially viable.

Goats prefer to browse on shrubbery and weeds, more like deer than sheep, preferring them to grasses. Nightshade is poisonous; wilted fruit tree leaves can also kill goats. Silage (corn stalks) is not good for goats, but haylage can be used if consumed immediately after opening. Alfalfa is their favorite hay; fescue is the least palatable and least nutritious. Mold in a goat’s feed can make it sick and possibly kill it. Goats should not be fed grass showing any signs of mold.

The digestive physiology of a very young kid (like the young of other ruminants) is essentially the same as that of a monogastric animal. Milk digestion begins in the abomasum, the milk having bypassed the rumen via closure of the reticular/esophageal groove during suckling. At birth, the rumen is undeveloped, but as the kid begins to consume solid feed, the rumen soon increases in size and in its capacity to absorb nutrients.

Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species. Goats have been used for their milk, meat, hair, and skins over much of the world.^[2] In the twentieth century they also gained in popularity as pets.^[3]

(From Wikipedia, 7 October 2011)

Capra hircus is a domesticated animal and has been raised in almost all habitats. Goats do require grass for grazing, but can thrive in areas of thin growth that would not support other grazers such as sheep or cows. Also,C. hircus can be kept in dry lots as long as they are constantly fed by humans. Some sort of clean and ventilated shelter is necessary, but it does not have to be extravagant. For sleeping, C. hircus prefers a bedded area of at least 15 feet. Goats require exercise; optimally a goat should have at least 25 square feet per animal for this. Due to a well-developed herding instinct, C. hircus prefers to be in groups of 2 or more. As a domesticated species, C. hircus is very susceptible to predation. Therefore, it is best situated in a fenced in area. Feral groups are found usually in rugged mountain country, rocky crags, and alpine meadows. (“Capra hircus“, 1983; “Did you know?”, 2004; “Goat”, 2004)

(from EOL, October 7 2011)

Pinus halepensis, the Aleppo pine, is generally found at low altitudes, mostly from sea level to 200 metres (660 ft), but can grow at an altitude of up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in southern Spain, well over 1,200 m (3,900 ft) on Crete and up to 1,700 m (5,600 ft) in the south, in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.^[3][4]

Pinus halepensis is a small to medium-size tree, 15–25 metres (49–82 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 60 centimetres (24 in), exceptionally up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in). The bark is orange-red, thick and deeply fissured at the base of the trunk, and thin and flaky in the upper crown. The leaves (“needles”) are very slender, 6–12 cm (2.4–4.7 in) long, distinctly yellowish green and produced in pairs (rarely a few in threes). The cones are narrow conic, 5–12 cm (2.0–4.7 in) long and 2–3 cm (0.79–1.2 in) broad at the base when closed, green at first, ripening glossy red-brown when 24 months old. They open slowly over the next few years, a process quickened if they are exposed to heat such as in forest fires. The cones open 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in) wide to allow the seeds to disperse. The seeds are 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long, with a 20 mm (0.79 in) wing, and are wind-dispersed.^[3][4][5]

(From Wikipedia, 29 December 2011)

—

Aleppo Pine is closely related to the Turkish Pine, Canary Island Pine and Maritime Pine which all share many of its characteristics. Some authors include the Turkish Pine as a subspecies of the Aleppo Pine, as Pinus halepensis subsp. brutia (Ten.) Holmboe,^[6] but it is usually regarded as a distinct species.^[3][4][5][7] It is a relatively non-variable species, with its morphological characteristics staying constant over the entire range.^[3]

The resin of the Aleppo Pine is used to flavor the Greek wine retsina.

The Pinus halepensis is widely planted for timber in its native area, being one of the most important trees in forestry in Algeria and Morocco.^[5] In Israel, the Aleppo Pine has been very successful in Yatir Forest in the northern Negev, where foresters had not expected it to survive. Native Aleppo pine forests can also be found in the Carmel and Galilee regions.^[2]

The Aleppo Pine is considered an invasive species in South Africa, and in South Australia, where a control program is in place on Eyre Peninsula.

Pinus halepensis is a popular ornamental tree, extensively planted in gardens, parks, and private and agency landscapes in hot dry areas such as Southern California, where the Aleppo Pine’s considerable heat and drought tolerance, fast growth, and aesthetic qualities, are highly valued.

Paul Cézanne had an Aleppo Pine in his garden at Aix-en-Provence; this tree was the inspiration and model for his painting, The Big Trees. As of 2005, the tree is still growing in Cézanne’s garden.^[8]

(From EOL, 29 December 2011)

Such bees can navigate their way back to the nest from a distance as far away as 13 kilometres (8.1 mi), although most forage within 5 km from their nest.^[1]

The first bumblebees to be seen in spring are the queens – the queen is the only bumblebee to hibernate through the winter. The queen is much bigger than the workers, which appear later. As soon as the queen has found some nectar, to replenish her energy reserves, she starts looking for a suitable site to build her nest.

The nest site is usually underground; an abandoned mouse burrow is often used. Inside, the queen first builds a nectar pot, which will sustain her during bad weather. She also begins to build up a pollen larder, which will feed her brood.

The queen then lays a small batch of eggs. Once these hatch she tends the larvae, feeding them with nectar and pollen. When the larvae are grown they pupate, and about 2 weeks later the first worker bumblebees emerge. These workers will forage for nectar and pollen for the colony, and tend later generations of larvae. The queen can now concentrate on egg laying and does not need to leave the nest again. The workers are smaller than the queen, and will only live for a few weeks. The foraging range and frequency of workers depends on the quality and distribution of available forage but most workers forage within a few hundred metres of their nest.^[2]

Towards the end of summer the queen lays some unfertilized eggs which develop into male bees. Some eggs are also laid which receive extra food and pupate to become new queens. When the males emerge from the nest they do not return, foraging only for themselves. They seek out the new queens and mate with them.

B. terrestris is thought to be a mainly singly mating species. This is unusual for social insect queens where mating with several males (polyandry) has been shown to have several benefits. The lack of multiple mating by B. terrestris queens may be caused by male interference in the process. B. terrestris males plug the female’s sexual tract with a sticky secretion during mating which appears to temporarily reduce the female’s ability to successfully mate with other males for several days.^[3]

When the autumn cold weather sets in, all but the young queens will die. The latter seek out a safe place to hibernate, they are the only ones to survive the winter.

(From Wikipedia, 6 October 2011)

In 2008 the Australian Government banned the live import of large earth bumblebees into Australia on the grounds that it would present a significant risk of becoming a feral species and thereby present a threat to native fauna and flora.^[4] In 2004, this bumblebee was classified as a Key Threatening Process by the Scientific Committee of the New South Wales Department of Environment.^[5]

The bee is classified as a “invasive alien species” in Japan.

(From EOL, 6 October 2011)

The Tennessee Warbler is 11.5 cm long and weighs 8.5 g. The breeding male is brown above and white below. The head is gray with a white supercilium and black eye stripe.

Females are duller, with a less contrasted head and yellow-tinged under-parts. Non-breeding and young birds are similar to the female, with first-winter birds being particularly yellow below.

The song is a series of musical notes and trills. The call is a sharp sit.

These birds feed on insects in summer, and numbers vary with the availability of Spruce Budworm. In winter they will also eat berries^[1] and nectar.

The breeding habitat is coniferous or mixed woodland, especially spruce. Tennessee Warblers nest on the ground, laying 4-7 eggs in a cup nest.

(From Wikipedia, 6 October 2011)

Even after Wilson described the Tennessee warbler, its breeding habits remained a mystery until 1901, when the first nests were discovered in Canada. We now know their breeding range stretches across the boreal forests of Canada from British Colombia to Quebec and New Brunswick. When nesting, this warbler ventures into the United States only in the forests of the upper Midwest (Minnesota and Michigan) and the northernmost parts of the Northeast (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and the Adirondacks of New York). Throughout its breeding range, this warbler is associated with boreal forests, usually coniferous but often mixed, ranging in age from early successional to mature.

Populations of this species can fluctuate dramatically from year to year, reaching their highest densities -(up to 610 pairs per square kilometer)- in forests with outbreaks of the spruce budworm. Local population increases seem to be the result of abundant food as new birds are attracted to the area. Even with the additional birds, budworm outbreaks allow breeding warblers to increase their clutch size (the number of eggs per nesting attempt). Clutch size for Tennessee warblers varies from three to eight eggs. The incubation period ranges from seven to 12 days and time to fledging after hatching is 11 to 12 days. This ground-nesting species commonly conceals its nests in mossy hummocks at the base of small shrubs and trees, or in upturned stumps. It rarely attempts a second nest in a season, but will double brood after losing a nest to predators.

For post-breeding birds, the arrival of cold weather can be unpredictable; this prompts early migration. Some adult Tennessee warblers appear south of the breeding grounds as early as mid-July. This long-distance traveler is restless enough to regularly leave the breeding grounds before completing molt, showing an exceptional tendency to molt and migrate simultaneously. This is unusual, especially for warblers, as most birds replace worn feathers in the late summer before departing on migration. Growing new feathers for molt requires substantial food energy, as does migration, so most bird species separate these activities temporally. Generally, fall migration for Tennessee warblers is protracted with the peak of migration in August. Adults usually leave first, followed by first-year birds, which sometimes depart as late as October.

Tennessee warblers join mixed-species flocks during migration, primarily foraging in woody habitats. The general migration route is back and forth across the central and eastern United States from the Mississippi Valley to the Atlantic coast. They fly across the Gulf of Mexico between the Yucatan peninsula and the southern United States coastline from Florida to Texas. On the southward journey, Tennessee warblers move more regularly to the western side of this track than during the northward trek, when birds are more common east of the Appalachians. Throughout the migration route, abundances can be highly variable from year to year.

Tennessee warblers have exhibited a wide range of social behaviors on their non-breeding grounds, from defending individual flowering trees to highly gregarious mixed-species flocks with lots of conspecifics. This behavioral flexibility is not well understood but may be linked to the dependability of food resources. For example, flowering in individual Inga trees is fairly short-lived, consequently eachInga species has a distinctive flowering pattern across the landscape. Gregarious foraging behavior may help Tennessee Warblers track and exploit these flowering events.

Tennessee warbler populations seem to be healthy throughout their range. Their range does not significantly overlap the Brown-headed Cowbird’s, so nest parasitism is rare. Possible threats to this species include use of pesticides, especially spraying to control spruce budworm outbreaks, collisions with human structures during migration, and habitat degradation, in particular, intensification of coffee management practices on the non-breeding grounds. Encouraging greater use of a diversity of native shade trees on coffee farms may be of particular benefit for this species.

(From The Smithsonian National Zoo Online, http://nationalzoo.si.edu, 6 October 2011)

The name “paper wasps” typically refers to members of the vespid subfamily Polistinae, though it often colloquially includes members of the subfamilies Vespinae (hornets and yellowjackets) and Stenogastrinae, which also make nests out of paper. Twenty-two species of Polistes paper wasps have been identified in North America and approximately 300 species have been identified worldwide. The Old World tribe Ropalidiini contains another 300 species, and the Neotropical tribes Epiponini and Mischocyttarini each contain over 250 more, so the total number of true paper wasps worldwide is about 1100 species, nearly half of which can be found in the Neotropics.

The nests of most true paper wasps are characterized by having open combs with cells for brood rearing, and a petiole, or constricted stalk, that anchors the nest (see image, right).^[3] Paper wasps secrete a chemical which repels ants, which they spread around the base of the anchor to prevent the loss of eggs or brood.

Most social wasps of the family Vespidae make nests from paper; although some stenogastrine species, such as Liostenogaster flavolineata, use mud. A small group of eusocial crabronid wasps, of the genus Microstigmus (the only eusocial wasps outside the family Vespidae), also construct nests out of chewed plant fibers, though the nest consistency is quite different from those of true paper wasps, due to the absence of wood fibers, and the use of silk to bind the fibers.^[4]

Unlike yellowjackets and hornets, which can be very aggressive, polistine paper wasps will generally only attack if they themselves or their nest are threatened.^[5] Since their territoriality can lead to attacks on people, and because their stings are quite painful and can produce a potentially fatal anaphylactic reaction in some individuals, nests in human-inhabited areas may present an unacceptable hazard.^[6]

Most wasps are beneficial in their natural habitat, and are critically important in natural biocontrol.^[3] Paper wasps feed on nectar, and other insects, including caterpillars, flies, and beetle larvae, and they are often considered to be beneficial by gardeners.^[6]

A recent study which was conducted at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor shows that paper wasps show the same facial recognition abilities, which are common mostly with humans or chimps.This particular species of wasp is unique in that it has extremely variable facial patterns from member to member. Paper wasps’ brains are tuned to recognize faces of their own species.

(From Wikipedia 26 December 2011)

Unusually for a North American Polistes, P. annularis shows little sexual dimorphism in coloration.It resembles Polistes metricus, which differs from P. annularis in a number of ways, including the coloration of the antennae and thorax. The forewings are 18.5–23.5 mm (0.73–0.93 in) long in females, and 17.5–19.5 mm (0.69–0.77 in) long in males.

There is geographical variation in coloration between northern and southern populations. In the north, the thorax P. annularis has ferruginous (rust-red) markings on a predominantly black background, while in the south, the thorax is mostly ferruginous, with black markings. The legs also vary from black to ferruginous.

Polistes annularis is found across the eastern United States from New York to Florida, and west to South Dakota to Texas.[1]

Polistes annularis forms its nests on the branches of trees and shrubs as well as in sheltered parts of some buildings. The nests differ markedly from those of other species in the genus Polistes. They are much larger, with around 500 cells, and are wide, rather than the slender, elongate nests seen in some other species.[2]

P. annularis preys on caterpillars from a large number of lepidopteran families, including Arctiidae, Saturniidae, Geometridae, Limacodidae, Lymantriidae, Notodontidae, Nymphalidae, Sphingidae, Erebidae, Noctuidae, Amphisbatidae and Elachistidae.

(From EOL, 26 December 2011)

Compared to normal coloured tigers without the white gene, white tigers tend to be larger, both at birth and as fully grown adults.^[2] Kailash Sankhala, the director of the New Delhi Zoo in the 1960s, said “one of the functions of the white gene may have been to keep a size gene in the population, in case it’s ever needed.”^[3]

Dark-striped white individuals are well-documented in the Bengal Tiger subspecies, also known as the Royal Bengal or Indian tiger (Panthera tigris tigris or P. t. bengalensis), and may also have occurred in captive Siberian Tigers^{[citation needed]}(Panthera tigris altaica), as well as having been reported historically in several other subspecies.^{[citation needed]}

Currently, several hundred white tigers are in captivity worldwide, with about one hundred being found in India. Nevertheless, their population is on the increase. The modern white tiger population includes both pure Bengals and hybrid Bengal–Siberians, however, it is unclear whether the recessive white gene came only from Bengals, or if it also originated from Siberian ancestors.

The unusual coloration of white tigers has made them popular in zoos and entertainment showcasing exotic animals. German-American magicians Siegfried & Roy became famous for breeding and training two white tigers for their performances, referring to them as “royal white tigers”, the white tiger’s association with the Maharaja of Rewa.

Rewa Maharaja Martand Singh first observed male white tiger Mohan during his visit to Govindgarh jungle at Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India. After hunting for months, he was able to capture the first living white tiger seen in nature. With help from official veterinary experts, he unsuccessfully tried to breed the white tiger with colored female tigers. Eventually, however, he succeeded in creating a second generation of white tigers. In time, it expanded around the world.

(from Wikipedia, 6 October 2011)
 

Tigers were once known throughout central and southern Asia and as far west as eastern Turkey but currently survive only in scattered populations from India to Southeast Asia, and in Sumatra, China and the Russian Far East (3).

Tigers can live up to 26 years in captivity, but in the wild 8-10 years is more usual.

Tigers appear to reach sexual maturity at about 3-6 years of age and can breed at any time of the year. Gestation: around 103 days.Litter size: up to 7 cubs, 2 or 3 is usual.Birth to maturity:Cubs are born blind and do not open their eyes until about 6-14 days after birth. For the first 8 weeks the cubs consume only their mother’s milk. When cubs are 2 months old they start following their mother, begin eating solids and leave the den for the first time. They continue to be suckled until they are 3-6 months old and they are totally dependent on their mother until they learn to kill at about 6 months old. By the time they are 18 months to 3 years old they can hunt for themselves, and become fully independent.

South China tigers are solitary, except during mating season. Male territory may sometimes overlap.

South China tigers, like all other tiger subspecies, are pure carnivores.Their most common prey is: deer, antelope, wild boar, wild pigs, and other hooved mammals. Tigers have also been known to attack livestock and even humans.

(From EOL, 6 October 2011)

1. The cards, as great as they look, are still only as good as the printer you print them with. Furthermore, even with a great printer, and great paper, and the use of slick card sleeves, it’s still not as cool (in terms of tactile feel) as the cards that get printed professionally. Plus, many of the most desired cards are the ones that are printed with special inks (they glow, or sparkle, etc). In other words, we wanted to explore whether there was a way where Phylo cards could be printed using the same high quality materials found in other commercially available card games.

2. Often the most sought after cards are the “rare” cards. However, although the phylo cards are a great resource, the open access nature of the project prevents the possibility of “rare” cards (i.e. they’re all free and only a click away). Allowing the printing of special decks could address this need, as quantity can be easily controlled.

3. Finally, constructing specific decks for specific reasons is often very difficult. This is because the card options are ultimately determined by the image donations received. Whilst, these are uniformly awesome, it is often impossible to make a perfect representative deck of, say, a locale (like Vancouver) or a particular scenario (like rainforest challenges).

With these three points in mind, we’re currently in the midst of a pilot project with the Beaty Biodiversity Museum as our partner. Generally speaking, the main objective is to print physical decks. The tricky part here, of course, is that this would ideally involve a mechanism where the deck could be sold, so that costs could be recoup. However, since the project revolves around non-commercial, educational, open access, open source philosophies, we had to be careful to still stay mindful of these very important ideals. This would mean either to continue following them, or at the very least, operate in a manner that would still respect the general mandate of the project and continue the good will that has been a wonderful element so far. Anyway, this Beaty initiative involves the following logistics:

1. Total funding offered for art per deck is approximately $5000.

2. Base payment of $200 per image. This number is being piloted but seemed to hit the middle ground of all the different quotes we heard when getting feedback on fair payment amounts. Hire an artist to do a minimum of 5 images per contract. Depending on museum desires and artist’s interest/availability, one artist could be courted to do more, even an entire deck (about 25 images).

3. Choice of the 25 images – about 20 different organisms, and 5 different event cards – will be determined by the museum. This collection will likely reflect either a locality (i.e. the museum is based in a particular city or area) or it may highlight the exhibits and specimens that it contains (this is similar to what was done with the primer London Natural History Museum Deck).

4a. Full copyright of images (and the physical image) will still be retained by the artist, except that the artist agrees that the imagery can be used online with full attribution, in a noncommercial manner, and is strictly non-derivative (i.e. must be used in context with the phylo card). In other words, the “cards” will also live online and be freely accessible like all the other online phylo cards.

4b. Art can also be used to make physical phylo decks. Again with full attribution and in a non-derivative fashion. In this case, non-derivative means use is restricted to the museum or institution who is hosting the “deck.” This is a little more open than the online details, but I’m guessing the museum would love to use the same images for other non-commercial exhibit related purposes? As well, in this case, there is an option for such physical decks to be sold, but if so, any revenue made MUST go towards outreach initiatives and not general purpose budgets. i.e. we attempt to ensure that the decks, if in the fortunate position of being popular enough to create funding, can only be sold to fund raise for worthy educational/outreach projects.

Note that full attribution to you (as well as a website to point to) follows your image in every circumstance.

5. Detailed contract of expectations of images and timeline is produced in collaboration before finalization. We already currently have two templates for contracts (one simple, and one with in depth legal language to cover the specific copyright details – thanks Alex and Lindsay!), as well as sample invoice documents. We’ll make sure they are kept here at this post and once this deck is finished, we’ll also place on a centralized part of the website as a resource for other interested museums.

6. All cards will use a universal card back. This is currently being designed, but will involve minor tweaks of this gorgeous repeating pattern provided by Suzanne Norris.

7. We’ll also do our best to track how feasible it is for a museum to recoup the initial art costs. For instance, if the numbers suggest a reasonably quick timeframe, we can suggest that artists be made at a higher rate.

8. Note that this model also opens up the wonderful possibility of “expansion packs.” Mini decks that can be sold separately, possibly in tandem with specific exhibitions shown at the museum.

In any event, take a look here to look at some of the specific resources that the Beaty Biodiversity Museum has produced to help move this along. For now, we’ve included this, in the deck section of the phylo website.

cheers
dave