May+A.S.

5-13-15

For my science discovery this month I researched seahorses. The scientific name for seahorses is Hippocampus. There are 53 different species of seahorse. Seahorses are fish because they breathe using gills and have a swim bladder to control their buoyancy. Seahorses have interlocking plates on the outside of their body which cover their spine made of bone. Seahorses have 4 fins (but no tail fins)- one fin at the base of the tail, one fin under the belly and also one behind each cheek. Seahorses tend to stay in one area rather than swimming (they don't swim well) sometimes for days. Seahorses beat their fins up to 50 times per second, but they do not move quickly ( however they're very maneuverable and can move up, down, forwards or backwards). Seahorses can be found in tropical and temperate waters are allover the world in habitats that include coral reefs, sea grasses, and mangrove forests. Seahorses range in size from less than one inch long to 14 inches. Seahorses feed on plankton and small crustaceans and don't have a stomach, so food passes through their bodies very quickly. Therefore seahorses need to eat almost constantly. A lot of seahorses are monogamous (which means they mate for life). The male and female have an elaborate daily courtship ritual involving a "dance" where they entwine their tails and may change colors. Male seahorses give birth and pregnancy by the female inserting her eggs through an oviduct into the male's brood pouch. Seahorses are camouflaged either by their shape and/or color. Seahorses are used in art and in Asian medicine. Seahorses are in danger of extinction because of pollution, habitat loss, and harvesting.



5-16-15 For my science discovery this month I researched Bengal tigers. The scientific name for Bengal tigers is Panthera tigris tigris. The average weight for females is 308 pounds and 488 for males. The average height for either gender is 3 - 3.6 feet. The average length is 7.9 - 8.7 feet for females and 8.9 - 10 feet for males. The Bengal tiger is native to the heated areas of desert and the wet and cool grasslands in India and Bangladesh. It is one of the largest species of tiger in the world and offers the highest number in the wild but is still endangered because only about 2,500 exist in the wild. The Bengal tiger struggles because of habitat loss in India from logging companies. Bengal tigers have very long tails and heads that are longer than those of other species. They feed on deer, antelope, hogs and buffalo and monkeys and birds if food is scarce. Bengal tigers don't usually eat humans and tend to consume up to 60 pounds of food at a time. The current population of Bengal tigers is less than half of what it was ten years ago. Many efforts are being made to protect Bengal tigers, but poaching is still a large concern because many farmers and poachers poison the tigers so that they won't be held responsible for killing the Bengal tigers.