Fleas

Fleas are insects with a head, thorax, abdomen and 3 pairs of long legs that allow it to jump from the skin of an animal to another. They have a pair of antennae, but have no wings. Ticks belong to the class of Arachnida and therefore have a single cephalothorax, an abdomen, 4 pairs of legs and no antennae and wings.

The Fleas belong to the class of Insects characterized by 3 pairs of legs, a pair of antennae, no wings (unlike other insects), head, thorax and distinct abdomen. The hind legs are well developed and their small size (one or two millimeters) allow them to perform long jump. They are ectoparasites or external parasites.  They feed on the blood of mammals and birds. They settle on skin surface of pets such as dogs, cats, chickens, rabbits, and man. They have a mouth with pungent and sucking structure. The evolutionary cycle of Fleas can last from 2 weeks to 8 months and includes much metamorphosis. Females lay about 15-20 eggs. These hatch larva, which then evolve into pupas, from which will emerge adult fleas. The flea can be vector to other pests, such as Tapeworms and forward it to infected animals.

Ticks

The ticks belong to the class of arachnids characterized by single cephalothoraxes, an abdomen, 4 pairs of legs and absence of antennae and wings. Ticks are external parasites of animals and are hematophagous. They do not jump like fleas, but climb on the animals by moving directly or from the blades of grass. They are divided into 2 groups: soft ticks which parasitize birds and Hard ticks parasites of mammals. The elastic body of ticks swells considerably and then lays 500 to 3000 eggs. Then both male and female die. A feature of ticks is pungent and sucking mouthparts, which penetrates entirely in the skin of the animals.

Mice

The main difference between mice and rats is regarding the size. A rat’s tail can measure 20-28 cm, but the mice measures up to 12 cm without tail with 8-12 inch tail. Rats are very sociable and can be domesticated.

The mouse common or rat is a small rodent belonging to the genus Mus species, a native of Central Asia. At present, it is distributed in all over the world. Its body can be measured 7 to 12 cm long without the tail, which measures extra 6-10 cm. The fur color can vary from light brown to black usually with a lighter belly and hips. They have large black eyes, rounded ears, and bald.  Its hind legs are much longer than the front.

The mice can invade all kinds of structures and dwellings where they can hide in small cracks and climb without any difficulty anywhere. They are particularly prolific. A female can give birth to fifty puppies also 10-12 times a year. Some wild species are common in rural areas. These animals feed on products such as plant, seeds, roots, leaves and stems of many plants, but also insects, larvae and remains of carcasses of dead animals.

Rats

The rats are rodents belonging to the genus Rattus. They are large in size. A rat can measure 20-28 cm excluding tail, and sometimes the tail reach 50 cm. The two most common species are the brown rat i.e sewer rat and roof rat or black rat (Rattus rattus). Both are larger than mice. The first is smaller and lives mainly in underground but is also able to climb, slip easily along sewer, walls, railings and trees. Its habit of living and swimming in sewage make it particularly prone to infections and diseases transmitted through urine and fasces. The black rat has slightly darker than the mantle, the longer tail larger eyes and ears and also this rat lives principally on trees or unable to climb on roofs. It is very dangerous as a vehicle for numerous infections and diseases including plague, Hepatitis, tuberculosis, cholera and typhoid. The rats in general are very intelligent and sociable.  They can be easily domesticated. They have complex social structure and are very collaborative and solidarity is found between them, for example, if an individual of the group is ill, he is assisted by his companions who provide him food and warmth.

There are many functional differences between the reptiles and mammals. First of all mammals are warm-blooded animals. The body temperature of mammals is regulated and kept consistent by the coating of hairs. On the other hand, the reptiles are cold-blooded animals, i.e. their temperature is influenced by the environment and do not have hair, but scales. In mammals embryonic development occurs inside the mother and the young are born. They are fed with milk secreted by mammary glands of the mother, while the reptiles lay their eggs inside which completion of embryonic development occurs. Another difference is that mammals have three bones in the ear (the hammer, anvil and stirrup), while in reptiles there is a single bone.

The mammals are a class of vertebrates. There are various differences among them. However, they colonize virtually in any environment of our planet from deserts to polar ice caps. Some of the mamal have evolved the fins or wings. Some of the mammals are able to colonize the aquatic environment and others are able to fly. A feature of mammals is the homoeothermy, that is, they are able to control and maintain their body temperature regardless of the environment. The mammals are provided with numerous glands such as sebaceous, sweat, mammary, and odoriferous. The body of almost all mammal species is covered with hair. The jaw of mammals consists of a single bone with teeth which are changed in the course of their lives.

The reptiles are a class of vertebrates. Their body temperature is influenced by the external environment. They do not possess mechanisms of internal adjustment as mammals and birds do. So, they are found in all parts of the world with the exception of colder areas of the planet. The reptiles represent the first group of vertebrates that have adapted to a strictly terrestrial environment and that have colonized the land. Their appearance on the earth varies greatly depending on the species. The body of the mammals may be round (turtles) Or flattened (alligators), elongated or worm-like, complete with legs or completely limbless (snakes). The skin of reptiles is very poor in glands and is usually provided with a horny ends. The jaw consists of three small bones on both sides and is provided with teeth which are more or less identical. Most reptiles are oviparous, that is, militate eggs, within which the embryo completes its development (with some exceptions).

The fins placed along the body and tentacles tell the difference between calamari and squid. The first one has long and larger fins which are tapered and diamond-shaped. These are attached along almost the entire body. The fins are triangular in shape and are attached to the final part of the body including tentacles as well as suction cups with a couple of hooks.

The squid is between 15 and 40 cm in size which belongs to the family of cephalopods. It has a shape conical shape with gray-pink color. It is spotted on the back.  Its two side fins are large, long and slender which are rhomboidal in shape.  It has a small mouth surrounded by 10 tentacles including 2 longer ones with windy shape which are used to capture prey.  It is used in the kitchen to make rings and is consumed with salad.

The tattler is a mollusk cephalopod ranging from 20 to 50 cm in length. It has two small fins attached at the end of the body, forming a sort of triangle with 10 tentacles with 2 longer ones. It has suction cups and a couple of hooks. The color is generally white-red. It is found on sandy bottoms and can grow 15 kg in weight.  It is fried in the kitchen. However it is considered less valuable than a squid.

Goats and sheep are both domestic mammals.Both of them belong to two different genera and differ physically. The goat’s horns are hollow, long, directed upward and backward, while the sheep have spiral horns.  In addition, the males of the goats have beards and do not have a thick coat like typical sheep.

The goat is a small domestic animal belonging to the family of Bovidae. Goat  is  among the first animals domesticated by man. It is equipped with hollow and long horns which protrude upward, backward and out. It has a short tail. The male goat is called beak or goat. It has a beard and is recognized by the typical smell. The female has  horns  smaller than the male. Generally, the hair of a goat is not woolly like that of sheep. But in some very cold areas, goats are often covered with a soft hair which protect them from cold. The goat is also raised for the meat. A goat from the nutritional point of view contains less fat and cholesterol than sheep. Moreover, from goats we obtain milk suitable for people with problems of digestio. The milk of goat contains little lactose and thus is more digestible. But it has a strong odor. It is also used to produce yoghurt, cheese and butter.

The sheep has been a domestic animal since ancient times. It is found living across the world. It belongs to the family of Bovidae and gender Ovis. The horns of sheep are present usually in males with some exceptions. The coat of the sheep is called fleece which consists of thin and wrinkled hair. The color of fleece may vary depending on the breed. Its wool has a characteristic odor due to lanolin, a fat that helps to make the coat waterproof. The male sheep is called Aries or ram, While the young one is called lamb. The sheep are raised in flocks with the help of herding dogs. It is raised to get milk, meat and wool. The fleece of the sheep is sheared to produce wool. It has been used as an excellent fiber since ancient time. The wool  of the sheep is used as a textile fiber to make clothes, pillows and mattresses. Its quality may differ depending on the breed of the animal and the body part it comes from. The milk of sheep is much less developed than that of cattle, but it is widely used in dairy industry for the production of cheese and ricotta. In particular, the sheep milk contains more fat and its products have a strong aroma which is much appreciated.

Mackerel

The name mackerel is applied to several species in the mackerel and tuna family, Scombridae, and to at least two species in the jack family, Carangidae. Those of the family Scombridae include the true mackerels, Scomber, the Spanish mackerels, Scomberomorus, the frigate mackerels, Auxis, and the pygmy mackerels, Rastrelliger. The jack family mackerels, Trachurus, are horse mackerels and jack mackerels.

The Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus, is found on both sides of the North Atlantic. It averages between 35 and 45 cm (14 to 18 in) long and about 500 g (1 lb) or less in weight. The Atlantic mackerel has silvery blue sides, a greenish blue back marked with 23 to 33 wavy black lines, and white undersides. Its scales are tiny and barely discernible. There are two widely separated dorsal (upper) fins and 4 to 6 finlets running from both the second dorsal fin and the anal (bottom rear) fin to the tail. The teeth are small, and there is no air bladder. Atlantic mackerel spawn in the spring and early summer, and each female may lay half a million eggs. Each egg contains an oil droplet and tends to float at a depth of 7 to 9 m (20 to 30 ft) and may hatch in 96 hours. In warmer months mackerel travel in large schools offshore, feeding on shrimplike crustaceans, fish, and squid. During the winter, mackerel are inactive, spending much time in trenches or gullies on the sea bottom, where it is thought they feed little, if at all. Atlantic mackerel live to about 20 years of age.

Mackerel are oily, dark-meated fish, more popular as food in Japan, Europe, and developing countries than in the United States. The commercially important mackerels include the Pacific, chub, Atlantic, and Spanish.

Sardine

Sardine, any of a variety of small fishes of the herring family, Clupeidae, widely used as a canned food. Sardines are free-swimming, fast-moving fishes that inhabit the open and upper waters of the seas. They are generally iridescent, with silvery bellies and green or blue backs sometimes spotted with black.

Along with the herring, sardines are among the most primitive marine fishes. Anatomically they are distinguished, for example, by a two-lobed nonfunctional lung. They are true bony fishes (teleosts) with one short dorsal fin near the middle of the back, no lateral line, and no scales on the head.

Sardines, together with herring and menhaden, feed on plankton. In the North Sea about 2 million tons (net weight) of herring consume from 50 to 60 million tons annually of zooplankton—minute crustaceans, larval forms, and fish eggs.

Important sardine fisheries are also found in the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, France, Spain, South Africa, and Iceland. The fish are handled differently and the seasons are different in each country.

Calico

Calico, a lightweight cotton fabric that originated in Calicut, India. The fabric was originally block printed by hand in very attractive designs, and many people bought it for its bright colors and patterns rather than for the quality of the fabric or because of the fastness of the dye.

Calico was manufactured in Europe in the late 18th century and then spread to the United States. During the 19th century, settlers in the Western states, instead of spinning their own cotton yarn and weaving it into cloth, preferred to buy the factory-woven printed fabric shipped from factories in the East. This fabric was used mostly for making dresses, and soon the word “calico” was used to refer to any dress made out of this material. Today the term calico is used occasionally in stores, but it is not a technical term denoting a particular kind of fabric.

Tortoiseshell

Tortoiseshell, the conventional name for the horny plates that form the outer layer of the top and bottom shells of the oceanic turtle. The rich, luminous, brown and yellow mottled material is used to make ornamental objects. The best tortoiseshell is that of Chelo imbricata, especially from Cuban waters. Less good is that of Chelo mydas, from the Mediterranean. The brittle outer layer is removed from the shell by heat and split into its component plates. Under heat the plates become soft and adhesive and can be pressed together side by side or in layers.

Tortoiseshell was greatly appreciated by the ancient Romans as a furniture veneer. Muslim workers made tortoiseshell caskets, combs, and knife handles in 11th century Cairo. Almost unknown in medieval Europe, tortoiseshell was later imported from the New World. It was recorded about 1570 that eating and drinking from tortoiseshell vessels was a way to avoid infectious disease.

Tortoiseshell has become less and less popular. When snuff went out of favor in the early 19th century, tortoiseshell snuff boxes disappeared. In the 1920s the adoption of short hair by many women greatly reduced the number of high tortoiseshell combs.

Schnauzer

Schnauzers are three breeds of wiry-coated German dogs—the giant schnauzer, standard schnauzer, and miniature schnauzer. In the United States the giant and standard schnauzers are classified as working dogs, the miniature as a terrier. The three breeds are similar in appearance, having a whiskered face and distinctive eyebrows. In the United States, the ears are generally cut and the tail is removed. Standard schnauzer is the oldest of the three breeds, possibly originating from poodle, spitz, and wirehaired pinscher stock. It stands from 44.5 to 49.5 cm (17.5 to 19.5 in) high at the shoulders. The miniature schnauzer, believed derived from small standard schnauzers by crosses with affenpinschers, stands between 30.5 and 35.5 cm (12 and 14 in) high at the shoulders. The giant schnauzer, originally used as a cattle drover, was developed from the standard schnauzer by crosses probably with various roughhaired sheepdogs, the Great Dane, and possibly the Bouvier des Flandres. It stands between about 60 and 70 cm (23.5 and 27.5 in) high at the shoulders.

Miniature Schnauzer

Miniature Schnauzer, the smallest member of the schnauzer family, whose larger members are the standard and giant schnauzers. The ideal height of the miniature schnauzer is 12 to 14 inches (30–35 cm). The adult weighs 12 to 15 pounds (5.4–6.8 kg). It is hardy, active, intelligent, and a good ratter. It has a gay disposition, is adaptable, and is valued primarily as a house pet.

The Miniature Schnauzer has a strong rectangular head; a strong muzzle with thick whiskers; small, deep-set eyes; pointed ears; a short, deep body; straight forelegs and angular hind-quarters; and a tail set high and carried erect. It has two coats—a hard, wiry outer coat, and a close undercoat. Its colors are pure black, black and silver, or pepper and salt.

The miniature schnauzer, derived from the standard schnauzer, was developed in Germany about 1900 and fixed as a type by the 1920s. It was first imported to the United States and England in the 1920s. The American Miniature Schnauzer Club was founded in 1933.

Ape, any of the primates most closely related to man: the chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons. The term is short for “anthropoid ape.” “Ape” also refers to two species of monkeys.

Apes are rather manlike in general appearance. They have well-developed senses of hearing and vision, including color perception. Typically, apes swing from branch to branch hanging by their arms—a mode of progression called brachiation. They also show a tendency to stand erect. The arms are longer than the legs, and the big toe is opposed to the other toes. The coarse hairy coat may range from black to an almost creamy color. The apes’ diet consists of fruits, nuts, buds, and, in some species, some animal food. Apes constitute the family Pongidae.

Gorilla, the largest of all living primates. It is classified, along with orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), chimpanzees (Pan paniscus and P. troglodytes), and human beings (Homo sapiens), as a member of the family Hominidae, in the order Primates, class Mammalia. The large number of individual and gender-based variations among gorillas previously resulted in the recognition of 20 different species or subspecies. All gorillas are now included within 1 species, Gorilla gorilla. The 4 recognized subspecies are G. gorilla gorilla (the western lowland gorilla), G. gorilla graueri (the eastern lowland gorilla), G. gorilla beringei (the mountain gorilla), and G. gorilla diehli (the Cross River gorilla).

Gorillas in the wild do not appear to have a specific breeding season. A female produces one young about every four years, giving birth after a gestation period of 250 to 290 days. Newborns weigh 4 to 5 pounds (1.8 to 2.3 kg) at birth, and at two years of age, they still weigh only about 35 pounds (16 kg). For the first three months of its life, the gorilla infant is entirely helpless and has to be carried in the arms of its mother. After that the youngster rides on the mother’s back. Females reach sexual maturity at about 6 or 7 years of age, although those in the wild usually do not start breeding until age 10. Males attain sexual maturity at about 9 or 10 years of age and start breeding at age 15. Gorillas in the wild appear to have a life span of up to 50 years.

Human beings are mammals. Generally speaking, mammals are four-limbed, active creatures with well-developed brains. Humans share many key physiological attributes with their fellow mammals, including warm blood, a four-chambered heart, and young that are born live and nourished on milk secreted from the mammary glands of the mother.

Human beings are also primates, members of the mammalian order that includes lemurs, tarsiers, monkeys, and apes. Primates are more or less flat-faced creatures with a large cranium (the part of the skull enclosing the brain), small nose, and forward-directed eyes.

One factor that sets humans apart from other primates, and other mammals, is their erect posture. Humans walk upright on two feet. This arrangement involves a variety of unique structural features. For one, the human skull is balanced neatly on the vertebral column, or the backbone. The hole through which the spinal column passes into the skull, called the foramen magnum, is set relatively far forward on the underside of the skull. In apes, by contrast, this opening is set farther back, so that the weight of the skull is concentrated, not on top of the backbone, but in front of it.

The curvature of the spine is also different in humans. The backbone of four-limbed animals, including the apes, forms a simple curving arch. Because of a human’s erect posture, the backbone is thrown into an S-shaped curve. The second curve—the small of the back—brings the body’s center of gravity directly above the hips so that the head and chest are balanced above the hip region. The fused hipbones, attached to the base of the spine, form a girdle that transmits the weight of the body to the legs. The bone of the heel gives a solid support to the foot. From the shoulder girdle, made up chiefly from the shoulder blade, the bones of the arms hang freely. Humans’ long legs allow them to have an increased stride length compared to that of apes. At the same time, humans’ low center of gravity reduces inertia, or drag, when they walk or run.

Another physical attribute that differentiates humans from other animals might seem ordinary, but its consequences have been profound indeed: It is the human hand. While fairly typical of a primate hand, with five straight and relatively short fingers, the human hand differs in many respects. The thumb is relatively long compared with the other fingers, and its range of movement is extensive. The pulp pad of the thumb can also be opposed to the pulps of all the other fingers—an ability that other primates do not have. The muscles of the hands, as well as those of the upper arm, permit not only a power grip for firmly grasping objects, but a precision grip as well, for more delicate work.

These highly developed manual skills—the ability to grasp and hold objects while using a great degree of precision, to make complicated tools, to write, paint, sculpt—all set humans apart. Indeed, the freeing of the hands made possible by an upright posture was an essential development in human evolution (which we will examine in the next chapter). Tool use, however, would be quite impossible without another key attribute—perhaps the most important attribute that separates humans from the other animal inhabitants of the planet: the human brain.