Biodiversity 1 The following is a paper discussing the earth’s biodiversity between Capuchin monkeys and domestic ferrets, scorpion flies and grasshoppers, Lapland longspur and ivory-billed woodpeckers and the sea urchins and jellyfish. Under the mammal category, I chose to research Capuchin monkeys and ferrets. Capuchin monkeys are small, weighing between 3 to 9 pounds with varying fur, but commonly colored dark brown with cream or light tan coloring around their face, neck and shoulders. Capuchin monkeys are classified under the primates’ order because, for one, they carry the adaptation for climbing trees and walking on two or four limbs. Capuchin monkeys are in the same order as lemurs and mountain gorillas. Domestic ferrets are long, slender bodied animals with brown, black, white or mixed colored fur. The average length of a ferret is 20 inches which includes a 2 inch tail and weighs between 1.5 and 4 pounds. Ferrets are a part of the carnivore order and the reason they are classified as such is because they are meat-eating animals. They are joined in this order with animals such as polecats and weasels. One characteristic Capuchin monkeys and ferrets share is their abilities to adapt to living in different environments such as captivity. A second characteristic is that both types of animals can be considered a nuisance to their environments as the monkeys sometimes plunder fields and crops and ferrets are feared to unbalance the ecology if used for hunting purposes. There are two differences between the two species also. The first being their food selection as Capuchin monkeys are omnivores eating fruits, nuts, insects and small vertebrates and ferrets are carnivores, eating small prey.

Biodiversity 2 With the insect category, I chose scorpion flies and grasshoppers. Scorpion flies are small to medium sized insects with slender, elongated bodies. The males have enlarged genitals that have the look of a scorpions stinger and the females choose their mates by the quality of the prey brought as gifts by the males. Scorpion flies live on the surface of ice and snow and could die if exposed to heat from a human hand. They are a part of the mecoptera order and the reason they fall under this order is due to their long front and back wings. They are joined in this order by hang flies and allies. Grasshoppers are insects that have antennae that are shorter than their bodies, mandibles that cut and tear food and create noises that are easily heard by rubbing their hind femurs against their forewings or abdomen. Grasshoppers are usually winged but their front wings are not fit for flight unlike their back wings. Grasshoppers are a part of the orthopetra order and the traits that classify them in this order are their ability to produce sounds, and their wings or legs containing rows of corrugated bumps (Wikipedia, 2010). Also contained in this order are crickets and locust. One characteristic both scorpion flies and grasshoppers have in common are that they both have mandibles. Another characteristic is that both species are winged and have the ability to fly. Both species also have differences, such as, the grasshopper is considered to be a pest as they have the ability to be devastating to crops and the scorpion flies are not considered pest because they are so few in numbers. Another difference is that scorpion

Biodiversity 3 flies live in the cold of ice and snow and grasshoppers live in warmer climates or even tropical wet forests. Next is the category of birds and the species I chose to research are Lapland longspurs and the ivory-billed woodpeckers. The Lapland longspur males are beautifully colored with a black head and throat, white eye stripes, chestnut nape, white under parts and their back is heavily streaked with black and grey. The females are plainer looking. They belong to the Passeriformes order and one trait that classifies them in this order is their gift for songs. They are joined in this order by the thick-billed raven and the pygmy tyrants. The ivory-billed woodpecker is 20 inches in length and 30 inches in wingspan with a black body with white stripes and a red stripe at the back of their head. They are classified as a class 6 species which by definition is “definitely or probably extinct.” (Wikipedia, 2010). They are classified in the piciformes order and what helps to classify them in this order is the fact that they nest in cavities and have parrot-like zygodactyls feet. Joined in this order with them are toucans and honey guides. A similarity between the two species is the fact that they both consume insects and seeds. A second similarity is that both species have different calls for different situations such as disturbances or mating. These species also have differences, such as, the woodpecker nests in trees and the Lapland longspur nests on the ground. Another difference is that the ivory-billed woodpecker is close to extinction if not extinct and the Lapland longspur is abundant in species numbers.
Biodiversity 4 For echinoderms I chose jellyfish and sea urchins. Jellyfish are free-swimming organisms resembling umbrellas. They are produced by benthic polyps and most have a second life cycle part called the polyp phase. The order that contains jellyfish is the cnidarians and they are classified as such because of their bodies consisting of mesoglea. They are in this order with sea anemones and sea pens. Sea urchins are spiny, globular animals that are 2.4 to 4.7 inches across and move with the help of hundreds of tiny, transparent, adhesive tube feet. They belong to the echinoid order and we know this because of their spiny skin and their appendages. They are joined by starfish and sand dollars. One characteristic shared between the two species is the fact that they do not have visible eyes. Another shared characteristic shared is that they both are used for human consumption. These species also have differences, such as, sea urchins have a hard outer shell and start off as eggs and jellyfish outer parts are soft and jelly-like and they start out as a small stock with feeding tentacles. This paper discussed the biodiversity between two species in each of the mammals, insects, birds and echinoderms.

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References
Wikipedia (2010). Grasshoppers. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasshopper
Wikipedia (2010). Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Retrieved October 24, 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory-billed_Woodpecker