Task Performance

In
Environmental Science

Submitted by: Neil Carlo Ibarra

Submitted to: Mr. Tagalog

Ubiquitous Species
“Bird”
“Aves”
There are between 8,700 and 9,600 living species of birds today. These range in size
from tiny (such as hummingbirds) to huge (such as ostriches and condors). Bird species
are divided into 2 superfamilies, the Paleognathae or “old jaws,” and the Neognathae
or “new jaws.”

The Paleognathae family includes 5 orders, the Tinamiformes, the Rheiformes, the
Casuariiformes, the Apterygiformes, and the Struthioniformes. The Tinamiformes order
is comprised of some 45 species, most in South and Central America. Members of the
other orders are flightless and very large. Collectively, they are often known as ratites
and include the ostriches, the emus and cassowaries, the kiwis, and the rheas.

The superfamily Neognathae is huge and includes most of the bird species that are alive
today. While over the millennia, individuals from a large number of these species have
been kept as pets at one time or another and some have been domesticated, only a
relatively small number of species have been widely kept as companion animals. With
some exceptions (such as swans and peacocks) these pet species have been birds that
have adapted to caged life and have some specific appeal such as very colorful feathers,
a pleasing range of calls, the ability to mimic human speech, or engaging behaviors.

Up until the mid-twentieth century, canaries were one of the most popular pet birds,
prized for their beautiful songs and often colorful feathers. Parrots have long been
another popular companion bird. For many bird owners, the attraction of these birds
has been the often colorful feathers and the ability to thrive under human control.
Today, members of the order Psittaciformes (the parrot order) include the cockatoo
family (Cacatuidae) and parrots (Psittacidae). Other popular companion birds in this
same order include budgerigars, lovebirds, and lorikeets (see Table: Popular Companion
Birds)

Although birds are very different from human beings, they also share certain
characteristics with people. For example, birds have all of the same senses (sight,
hearing, touch, taste, and smell) that we have. While their front limbs are wings and
their feet, beaks, and tongues have taken on many tasks for which we use our hands,
birds are still creatures with appendages that they use to interact with their
environment. A bird uses its beak as an additional appendage to assist with
communication, mobility, and social interaction, such as grooming.
Some birds, such as canaries, have melodious voices while others may vocalize in
screeches at volumes loud enough to cause ear pain in their owners. Individuals
desiring a pet bird may select from hundreds of possible birds and should match their
interests and lives to a suitable bird.

Reference:
https://www.msdvetmanual.com/bird-owners/description-and-physical-characteristics-
of-birds/description-and-physical-characteristics-of-birds

Cosmopolitan Species
 “Cattle Egret”
“Bubulcus ibis”
Size & Shape
Compared with other herons, Cattle Egrets are noticeably small and compact. They
have relatively short legs and a short thick neck. The straight, daggerlike bill is shorter
and thicker than other herons. They have medium-length, broad, rounded wings.
Color Pattern
Adult Cattle Egrets are all white with a yellow bill and legs. In breeding plumage they
have golden plumes on their head, chest, and back. Juveniles have dark legs and bill.
Behavior
Cattle Egrets stalk insects and other small animals on the ground in grassy fields. They
are much less often seen in water than other herons. They nest in dense colonies of
stick nests in trees or emergent wetlands, often mixed with other species of herons.
Habitat
They forage in flocks in upland areas such as pastures and fields, generally focusing on
drier habitats than other species of white herons.

Reference: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cattle_Egret/id
Exotic/Non-native Species

”Gypsy Moth”
“Lymantria dispar dispar”
Gypsy moth undergoes four developmental life stages; these are the egg, larva
(caterpillar), pupa, and adult. Gypsy moth females lay between 500 to 1,000 eggs in
sheltered areas such as underneath the bark of trees. The eggs are covered with a
dense mass of tan or buff-colored hairs. The egg mass is approximately 1.5 inches long
and 0.75 inches wide. The eggs are the overwintering stage of the insect. Eggs are
attached to trees, houses, or any outdoor objects. The eggs hatch in spring (April) into
caterpillars.

Gypsy moth caterpillars are easy to identify, because they possess characteristics not
found on other leaf-feeding caterpillars. They have five pairs of blue dots followed by
six pairs of red dots lining the back. In addition, they are dark-colored and covered with
hairs. Young caterpillars primarily feed during the day whereas the older caterpillars
feed at night. When present in large numbers, the older caterpillars feed day and night.
Young caterpillars spread to new locations by crawling to the tops of trees, where they
spin a silken thread and are caught on wind currents. Older caterpillars are
approximately 1.5 to 2.0 inches long. Gypsy moth caterpillars do not produce a web,
which distinguishes it from web-making caterpillars such as the Eastern tent caterpillar,
Malacosoma americanum and the fall webworm, Hyphantria cunea. The Gypsy moth
larval stage lasts approximately seven weeks.

Reference: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/gypsymoth/biology.cfm

Endemic Species

“Spectral Tarsier”
 “Tarsius Tarsier”
Tarsier, (family Tarsiidae), any of six or more species of small leaping primates found
only on various islands of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines. Tarsiers are
intermediate in form between lemurs and monkeys, measuring only about 9–16 cm
(3.5–6 inches) long, excluding a tail of about twice that length. Tarsiers are lemurlike in
being nocturnal and having a well-developed sense of smell. However, like monkeys,
apes, and humans, the nose is dry and hair-covered, not moist and bald as is that of
lemurs. The eyes and placenta are also simiiform in structure.

The tarsier’s small brain has an enormous visual cortex to process information from the
large goggling eyes, the animal’s most striking feature. The size of the eyes and visual
cortex is probably made necessary by the absence of a reflective layer (tapetum) that
the eyes of most other nocturnal mammals possess. The tarsier is also unusual in having
especially long ankle bones (tarsals, hence the name tarsier), a short body, and a round
head that can be rotated 180°. The face is short, with large, membranous ears that are
almost constantly in motion. The fur is thick, silky, and coloured gray to dark brown.
The tail is scaly on the underside like a rat’s; in most species it has an edging or terminal
brush of hair.

Reference: https://www.britannica.com/animal/tarsier