Animal Group Names

So I always wanted to know these, found it here:

aardvark:  aarmory
albatross:  rookery
alligator:  congregation
alpaca:  flock, herd
ant:  colony, nest, army, swarm, bike
antelope:  herd, cluster
ape:  shrewdness, troop
ass:  pace, drove, herd, coffle
auk:  colony, flock, raft
baboon:  troop, flange, congress, tribe
badger:  cete, colony, set, company
barracuda:  battery
bass:  shoal, fleet
bat:  colony, cloud
bear:  sleuth, sloth, slought, maul
beaver:  family, lodge, colony
bee:  colony, grist, hum, swarm, hive, cluster
beetle:  swarm
bird (general):  fleet, parcel, dissimulation, flight, volery, cast, flock, aviary
bison:  herd, troop, gang, thunder
bittern:  sedge, flock, siege
bloodhound:  sute
boar:  singular, sounder, herd
bovine:  herd
buffalo:  gang, troop, herd, obstinacy
bullfinch:  bellowing
bullock:  drove
butterfly:  rabble, flight, swarm
buzzard:  wake, flock
camel:  flock, train, caravan, herd
caribou:  herd
cat:  clowder, clutter, pounce, cluster, colony, glorying, destruction (wild cats)
caterpillar:  army, nest
cattle:  drove, herd, bow, bunch, draft, drift, mob
cheetah:  coalition
chicken:  brood, clutch, flock, peep, hatching, battery
chimpanzee:  cartload
chinchilla:  colony
clam:  bed, flaccidity
cockroach:  intrusion, swarm
cod:  lap, school
colt:  rake, rage
coot:  cover
cow:  herd, drove, pack, team
coyote:  pack, rout
crab:  cast
crane:  sedge, siege, flock, herd
cricket:  orchestra
crocodile:  bask, nest, congregation, float
crow:  murder, horde, parcel, hover, muster

Naturalis Historia: Volume II

Ye Animal Gods of Olde

Animals and nature have greatly influenced our myths and beliefs. From the beautiful cave paintings of our early ancestors to the myths of Greece, animals were always present. The early hominids glorified lions, bears, and deer by painting them on cave walls, some dating to 30,000 years ago. In ancient Eygpt, cats were worshipped as gods, guardians of the afterlife. Other animals, such as the stork, were symbols for their gods and goddesses. Some of their heiroglyphics were depictions of animals. In ancient Greece, their religion was filled with natural references. Nymphs were young maidens who not only lived in forests, but they were part of the forest. Nymphs and dryads were anthropomorphic symbols of nature. If someone killed a tree, then the nymph that lived in it would die as well. A current theme in greek and roman myths was people being transformed into animals. The reason varied, whether it was punishment, a curse, or their own will, but to the ancient world, animals represented the instinctive and feral side of people. In medieval Europe, there were popular stories of elves, fairies, unicorns, and dwarves. These creatures also represented the more natural side of humans. Fairies were connected with nature; to destroy nature would be to kill fairies. One type of religion I feel is common to this, is that of animism. Animism is the belief that everything has an individual spirit, like trees, rivers, rocks, animals, they all have spirits. One animistic religion, Shinto has small nature spirits called kodamas. These kodamas live in trees, but are also part of the tree. They are connected to the tree’s life. When forests were polluted or cut down, shintoists believed that the kodamas would die. All these beliefs, kodamas, fairies, sprites, or nymphs, had the similar belief that these creatures were part of nature. They were the “humans” that still believed in nature and could communicate with animals. Whether you believe fairies are real or not, the fact is, we are all connected to the natural world whether we realize or not.

Article Archive

Interesting articles I find on the web:
(for more search under ‘articles‘ tag)

» Global Warming May Swamp Hawaiian Wildlife, National Geographic (June 5, 2006)
» Grizzly-Polar Bear Hybrid, National Geographic (May 16, 2006)
» Global Warming Could Cause Mass Extinctions, National Geographic (April 12, 2006)
» Giant Turkey-Like Dinosaur Found, National Geographic (April 7, 2006)
» Penguins Breeding Later Due to Warming, National Geographic (April 4, 2006)
» Baby Walruses Stranded by Melting Artic Ice, National Geographic (March 27, 2006)
» Seal Hunt in Canada Opens on Thin Ice, National Geographic (March 24, 2006)
» Lost World of New Species Found, National Geographic (February 2006)
» Giant Asian Ape and Humans Coexisted, National Geographic (December 8, 2005)
» New Species of Mammal in Borneo, World Wildlife Fun (December 6, 2005)
» Elephants React to their Dead, National Geographic (October 31, 2005)
» Tool-Use Found in Gorillas, National Geographic (September 30, 2005)
» Monkey Recognition in Mirrors, National Geographic (July 19, 2005)
» Baby Whales & Moms Stay Awake, National Geographic (June 29, 2005)
» Tool-Use in Dolphins, National Geographic (June 7, 2005)
» New Species of Monkey Discovered, National Geographic (May 19, 2005)
» Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Rediscovered, National Geographic (April 28, 2005)
» Toad Tunnels Built To Help Amphibians Cross Roads, National Geographic (April 15, 2005)
» Elephants Can Mimic Noises, National Geographic (March 23, 2005)
» Wild Horse Slaughter Legalization, National Geographic (March 10, 2005)
» Plant/Insect Wars, National Geographic (March 7, 2005)
» Hobbit Brains were Small, but Smart, National Geographic (March 3, 2005)
» Animal-Human hybrids, National Geographic (Jan. 25, 2005)
» Asian Tsunamis and Animals, National Geographic (Jan. 4, 2005)

Baboon Gangs!

Baboon “gangs” causing havok in South Africa! They even broke into houses and ransacked fridges! Read here.

Also, this was during the summer but when I was at a state park in Pennsylvania I saw a Great Blue Heron! Way cool, I never saw one in the wild before. I couldn’t get a picture though.

New Reef Species

Exciting! 50 New Marine Species Discovered in Indonesia including a shark that “walks” on reefs.

Emotional Lives of Elephants

I thought this was very interesting. And I have read of previous instances about the emotional lives of elephants. Dying Elephant Elicits Compassion.

Elephants are just too smart and emotional to be used for entertainment purposes (well really all animals are). That’s why you see footage and stuff about elephants going crazy and attacking at circuses etc. And then they have to shoot the elephant when its not his fault to begin with.

Rhino

The West African black rhino is now feared to be extinct, announced the IUCN last week.

Puffer fish vs. Otter

Here is a really interesting video, Puffer Fish vs. Otter!

Giant Asian ape & humans coexisted

I forgot to post this article about Gigantopithecus blacki, the ancient giant ape. It has been determined that “Giganto” and humans coexisted for a time in China 300,000 years ago. Giganto may be related to Sivapithecus, an extinct ancestor of orangutans.

New species in Borneo

I’ve always been fascinated with Borneo. Now there is even more reason to be! A new species of mammal has been found in Borneo. The last new species of mammal to be discovered there was the the Borneo ferret-badger in 1895. Researchers aren’t entirely sure if it is a new species altogether, or just a different species of marten or civet cat. This newly found species is cat-like in appearance with dark red fur and a long bushy tail.