Sperm whales (Physeter microcephalus) are odontocetes—a categorization for toothed whales and dolphins. Sperm whales are the largest of the odontocetes, with females weighing up to 15 tons (13,607 kg) and males weighing up to 45 tons (40,823 kg). They inhabit all oceans of the world.…
After spending seven years living in northern Australia, I have become quite fond of their unique wildlife! In fact I am often invited to give lectures on Australia’s freshwater fishes because of my excitement about these taxa, their ecology and their habitats! I am also a…
Sturgeon, family Acipenseridae, are one of the oldest extant families of bony fish. The majority of species in this family are over-exploited. They are fished, around the world, for their meat and caviar (unfertilized eggs). In fact, the International Union for Conservation of Nature list…
Over the last few years I have increasingly wanted to see Fractercula arctica (Atlantic puffin) in the wild, and lucky for me I married a Scotsman who comes from a town very near to one of the largest puffin colonies off the coast of eastern Scotland! So, this past…
Gopherus agassizii (commonly called Mohave desert tortoise) is a large – slow moving – terrestrial desert turtle native to the state of California and Nevada in the USA. The species is listed as Vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red…
