Animals of Albuquerque
| A Common Raven | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sex: Female |
Age: Adult |
Breed: Corvus Corax |
|
The Common Raven (Corvus corax), also known as the Northern Raven, is a large, all-black passerine bird in the crow family. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids. There are eight known subspecies with little variation in appearance although recent research has demonstrated significant genetic differences among populations from various regions. It is one of the two largest corvids, alongside the Thick-billed Raven, and is possibly the heaviest passerine bird; at maturity, the Common Raven is between 56 and 69 cm (22 to 27 inches) in length, with recorded weights ranging from 0.69 to 1.63 kg (1.5 to 3.6 pounds). Common Ravens typically live about 10 to 15 years in the wild, although lifespans of up to 40 years have been recorded. | |||
| |||
| A Large Raven | |||
|
Sex: Male |
Age: Who can tell? |
Breed: Corvus Corax |
|
| |||
| Black Wolf | |||
|
Sex: Male |
Age: Adolescent |
Breed: Unknown |
|
This wolf is large for its size, but not too large, with a dark brown coat that goes almost black in places. The yellowish eyes have a hint of green or blue or brown in them, its snout is long and thin, a bit fluffy around the shoulders. It often shows its large fangs without thinking much of the consequences, the rest of it is slung low, an animal used to creeping about, head low. | |||
| |||
| Orb-Weaver | |||
|
Sex: Female |
Age: Adult |
Breed: Nephila Clavipes |
|
Spiders. They're everywhere - there are some forty thousand species of spiders on the planet, inhabiting every continent save Antarctica; they've established themselves in deserts, forests, swamps, grasslands, and absolutely everwhere else save possibly underwater. Any given acre of land is virtually guaranteed to have thousands if not hundreds of thousands of spiders. You might only see one or two, or even none at all, but rest assured: the one constant in life is that you are surrounded by spiders. This particular specimen belongs to the species Nephila Clavipes, a kind of golden orb-web spider. Judging by its large size, it is most assuredly female; the body itself, mainly orange-ish with a smattering of white dots, is a little over two inches in length. When you factor in leg span, the entire thing is roughly the length and width of a small beer can. The eight slender legs start out yellow at the base, but appear to have several black (actually very, very dark blue) stripes circling them as they approach the sharp tips. | |||
| |||
| Pale Cheetah | |||
|
Sex: Male |
Age: Adult |
Breed: Isabelline Cheetah |
|
This large male cheetah stands a little over three feet tall at the shoulder and weighs just shy of 150 pounds. It's much lighter colored than the typical cheetah, with short and coarse, cream colored fur that's tan spotted, and a white belly. Its chest is deep, for an oversized heart muscle and lungs made for gulping air, its waist narrow to aid in folding its body while running at incredible speeds. The cat's muzzle is very short but filled with sharp teeth meant to tear meat. White claws are only semi retractable, remaining visible at all times and providing superior grip while running, and its long, thick, spotted tail is tipped with tan rings. A long haired, cream colored and tan spotted crest runs between its shoulders, tapering to an end at its mid-back, protective as well as able to display levels of aggression. The cat's most distinctive feature is the tear-like tan streaks running from the inside corners of its golden eyes and down its nose to frame its white whiskered mouth. Tan spots run down its cheeks from the outside corners of its eyes, helping to give the cat the appearance of crying muddy tears. Its nostrils are wide for increased oxygen intake, and its pointed ears swivel to catch sounds. Thin bodied and quite slim, while it is well muscled as an active animal, its legs appear very thin and even somewhat delicate. | |||
| |||
