Friday, March 20, 2020

Western Lowland Gorilla Facts

Western Lowland Gorilla Facts The western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) is one of two subspecies of western gorillas The other subspecies is the Cross River gorilla. Of the two subspecies, the western lowland gorilla is more numerous. Its also the only subspecies of gorilla kept in zoos, with few exceptions. Fast Facts: Western Lowland Gorilla Scientific Name: Gorilla gorilla gorillaDistinguishing Features: Relatively small gorilla with dark brownish black hair and large skull. Mature males have white hair on their backs.Average Size: 68 to 227 kg (150 to 500 lb); males about twice the size of femalesDiet: HerbivorousLife Span: 35 yearsHabitat: Western sub-Saharan AfricaConservation Status: Critically EndangeredKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: PrimatesFamily: HominidaeFun Fact: The western lowland gorilla is the only subspecies kept in zoos, with very rare exceptions. Description Gorillas are the largest apes, but western lowland gorillas are the smallest gorillas. Males are considerably larger than females. An adult male weighs between 136 and 227 kg (300 to 500 lbs) and stands up to 1.8 m (6 ft) tall. Females weigh between 68 and 90 kg (150 to 200 lb) and stand around 1.4 m (4.5 ft) tall. The western lowland gorilla has a larger, wider skull than a mountain gorilla and dark brownish black hair. Young gorillas have a small white rump patch until they are about four years old. Mature males are called silverback males because they have a saddle of white hair across their backs and extending onto the rump and thighs. Western lowland gorillas, like other primates, have unique fingerprints and nose prints. Distribution As their common name suggests, western lowland gorillas live in western Africa at low elevations ranging from sea level to 1300 meters. They inhabit rain forests and forested areas of swamps, rivers, and fields. Most of the population lives in the Republic of the Congo. The gorillas also occur in Cameroon, Angola, Congo, Gabon, Central African Republic, and Equatorial Guinea. Gorilla species distribution. Fobos92 Diet and Predators Western lowland gorillas are herbivores. They preferentially select fruit that is high in sugar and fiber. However, when fruit is scarce, they eat leaves, shoots, herbs, and bark. An adult gorilla eats about 18 kg (40 lb) of food per day. The gorillas only natural predator is the leopard. Otherwise, only humans hunt gorillas. Social Structure The gorillas live in groups of one to 30 gorillas, usually averaging between 4 and 8 members. One or more adult males lead the group. A group stays within a home range of 8 to 45 square kilometers. Western lowland gorillas are not territorial and their ranges overlap. The lead silverback organizes eating, resting, and traveling. While a male may make an aggressive display when challenged, gorillas are generally nonaggressive. Females engage in sexual behavior even when they are non-fertile to compete with other females. Young gorillas spend their time playing, much like human children. Reproduction and Life Cycle The reproductive rate of western lowland gorillas is very low. In part, this is because females dont reach sexual maturity until age 8 or 9 and dont reproduce when caring for young. As in humans, gorilla gestation lasts about nine months. A female gives birth to one infant. An infant rides on its mothers back and depends on her until it is about five years old. Occasionally, a male commits infanticide to gain a opportunity to mate with its mother. In the wild, a western lowland gorilla may live 35 years. Females care for young until they are around five years of age. Willis Chung / Getty Images Conservation Status and Threats The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the western gorilla as critically endangered, which is the last category before global extinction in the wild. Only about 250 to 300 of the Cross River gorilla species are believed to remain, while estimates place the number of western lowland gorillas around 300,000 in 2018. While this may seem like a relatively large number of gorillas, the population size continues to dwindle and the animals face serious threats. Challenges facing the western lowland gorilla include deforestation; loss of habitat to human encroachment for settlements, farming, and grazing; climate change; slow reproductive rate coupled with infertility; and poaching for trophies, folk medicine, and bushmeat. Disease may pose an even greater threat to gorillas than other factors. Western lowland gorillas are one of the zoonotic origin of HIV/AIDs, which infects gorillas in a similar fashion as it does humans. Gorillas suffered over 90% mortality from an Ebola epizootic in 2003 to 2004 that killed two-thirds of the species population. Gorillas are also infected with malaria. While the outlook for wild western lowland gorillas appears grim, the species acts as a seed disperser, making it key to the survival of many other species in its habitat. Worldwide, zoos maintain a population of about 550 western lowland gorillas. Sources Darc, Mirela; Ayouba, Ahidjo; Esteban, Amandine; Learn, Gerald H.; Bouà ©, Vanina; Liegeois, Florian; Etienne, Lucie; Tagg, Nikki; Leendertz, Fabian H. (2015). Origin of the HIV-1 group O epidemic in western lowland gorillas. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112 (11): E1343–E1352. doi:10.1073/pnas.1502022112Haurez, B.; Petre, C. Doucet, J. (2013). Impacts of logging and hunting on western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) populations and consequences for forest regeneration. A review. Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Socià ©tà © et Environnement. 17 (2): 364–372.Mace, G.M. (1990). Birth Sex Ratio and Infant Mortality Rates in Captive Western Lowland Gorillas. Folia Primatologica. 55 (3–4): 156. doi:10.1159/000156511Maisels, F., Strindberg, S., Breuer, T., Greer, D., Jeffery, K. Stokes, E.  (2018).  Gorilla gorilla ssp. gorilla  (amended version of 2016 assessment).  The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species  2018: e.T9406A136251508.   doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T9406A136251508.en Rogers, M. Elizabeth; Abernethy, Kate; Bermejo, Magdalena; Cipolletta, Chloe; Doran, Diane; Mcfarland, Kelley; Nishihara, Tomoaki; Remis, Melissa; Tutin, Caroline E.G. (2004). Western gorilla diet: A synthesis from six sites. American Journal of Primatology. 64 (2): 173–192. doi:10.1002/ajp.20071

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

USS Mississippi (BB-41) in World War II

USS Mississippi (BB-41) in World War II Entering service in 1917, USS Mississippi (BB-41) was the second ship of the New Mexico-class. After seeing brief service in World War I, the battleship later spent the majority of its career in the Pacific. During World War II, Mississippi took part in the US Navys island-hopping campaign across the Pacific and repeatedly clashed with Japanese forces.   Retained for several years after the war, the battleship found a second life as a test platform the the US Navys early missile systems. A New Approach After designing and building  five classes of dreadnought battleships (South Carolina-, Delaware-, Florida-, Wyoming-, and New York-classes), the US Navy decided that future designs should make use of a set of standardized tactical and operational characteristics. This would permit these ships to operate together in combat and would simplify logistics. Dubbed the Standard-type, the next five classes were powered by  oil-fired boilers instead of coal, eliminated amidships turrets, and possessed an â€Å"all or nothing† armor scheme. Among these changes, the shift to oil was made with the goal of increasing the vessel’s range as the US Navy felt that this would be critical in any future naval conflict with Japan. As a result, Standard-type ships were capable of cruising 8,000 nautical miles at an economical speed. The new all or nothing armor scheme called for key  areas of the vessel, such as magazines and engineering, to be heavily armored while less important spaces were left unprotected. Also, Standard-type battleships were to be capable of a  minimum top speed of 21 knots and have a tactical turn radius of 700 yards.   Design The characteristics of the Standard-type were first used in the  Nevada-  and  Pennsylvania-classes. As a follow-on to the latter, the  New Mexico-class at first was envisioned as the US Navys first class to mount 16 guns. A new weapon, the 16/45 caliber gun had been successfully tested in 1914. Heavier than the 14 guns used on previous classes, employment of the 16 gun would require a vessel with a larger displacement. This would significantly increase construction costs. Due to extended debates  over designs and anticipated rising costs, Secretary of the Navy  Josephus Daniels decided to forgo using the new guns and instructed that the new type replicate the  Pennsylvania-class with only minor changes. As a result, the three vessels  of the  New Mexico-class, USS  New Mexico  (BB-40), USS  Mississippi  (BB-41), and USS  Idaho  (BB-42), each carried a main armament of twelve 14 guns placed in four triple turrets. These were supported by a secondary battery of fourteen 5 guns which were mounted in enclosed casemates in the vessels superstructure. Additional armament came in the form of four 3 guns and two Mark 8 21 torpedo tubes. While  New Mexico  received an experimental turbo-electric transmission as part of its power plant,  the other two vessels used more traditional geared turbines.      Ã‚   Construction      Assigned to Newport News Shipbuilding, construction of Mississippi commenced  on April 5,  1915. Work moved forward over the next twenty-one months  and on January 25, 1917, the new battleship entered  the water with Camelle McBeath, daughter of the Chairman of the Mississippi State Highway Commission, serving as sponsor.   As work continued, the United States became embroiled in World War I. Finished late that year, Mississippi  entered commission on December 18, 1917, with Captain Joseph L. Jayne  in command. USS Mississippi  (BB-41) Overview Nation:  United StatesType:  BattleshipShipyard:  Newport News ShipbuildingLaid Down:  April 5, 1915Launched:  January 25, 1917Commissioned:  December 18, 1917Fate:  Sold for scrap Specifications (as built) Displacement:  32,000 tonsLength:  624  ft.Beam:  97.4 ft.Draft:  30 ft.Propulsion:  Geared  turbines turning 4 propellersSpeed:  21  knotsComplement:  1,081  men Armament 12  Ãƒâ€" 14 in. gun (4  Ãƒâ€" 3)14 Ãâ€" 5 in. guns2 Ãâ€" 21 in. torpedo tubes World War I Early Service Finishing its shakedown cruise,  Mississippi  conducted exercises along the Virginia coast in early 1918. It then shifted south to Cuban waters for further training. Steaming back to Hampton Roads in April, the battleship was retained on the East Coast during the final months of World War I. With the end of the conflict, it moved through winter exercises in the Caribbean before receiving orders to join the Pacific Fleet at San Pedro, CA. Departing in July 1919,  Mississippi  spent the next four years operating along the West Coast.   In 1923, it took part in a demonstration during which it sank USS Iowa  (BB-4).   The following year, tragedy struck  Mississippi  when on June 12 an explosion occurred in Turret Number 2 which killed 48 of the battleships crew.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Interwar Years Repaired,  Mississippi  sailed with several American battleships in April for war games off Hawaii followed by a goodwill cruise to New Zealand and Australia. Ordered east in 1931, the battleship entered the Norfolk Navy Yard on March 30 for an extensive modernization. This saw alterations to the battleships superstructure and  changes to the secondary armament. Completed in mid-1933,  Mississippi resumed active duty and began training exercises. In October 1934, it returned to San Pedro and rejoined the Pacific Fleet. Mississippi  continued to serve in the Pacific until mid-1941.    Directed to sail for Norfolk,  Mississippi  arrived there on June 16 and prepared for service with the Neutrality Patrol. Operating in the North Atlantic, the battleship also escorted American convoys to Iceland.   Safely reaching Iceland in late September,  Mississippi  stayed in the vicinity for most of the fall. There when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7 and the United States entered World War II, it promptly departed for the West Coast and reached San Francisco on January 22, 1942. Tasked with training and protecting convoys, the battleship also had its anti-aircraft defenses enhanced. To the Pacific Employed in this duty for the early part of 1942,  Mississippi  then escorted convoys to Fiji in December and operated in the southwest Pacific.   Returning to  Pearl Harbor  in March 1943, the battleship commenced training for operations in the Aleutian Islands. Steaming north in May,  Mississippi  participated in the bombardment of Kiska on July 22 and aided in compelling the Japanese to evacuate. With the successful conclusion of the campaign, it underwent a brief overhaul at San Francisco before joining forces bound for the Gilbert Islands. Supporting American troops during the Battle of Makin on November 20, Mississippi  sustained a turret explosion which killed 43. Island Hopping Undergoing repairs,  Mississippi  returned to action in January 1944 when it provided fire support for the invasion of Kwajalein. A month later, it bombarded Taroa and Wotje before striking Kavieng, New Ireland on March 15. Ordered to Puget Sound that summer,  Mississippi  had its 5 battery expanded. Sailing for the Palaus, it aided in the Battle of Peleliu  in September. After replenishing at Manus, Mississippi  moved to the Philippines where it bombarded Leyte on October 19. Five nights later, it took part in the victory over the Japanese at the Battle of Surigao Strait. In the fighting, it joined five Pearl Harbor veterans in sinking two enemy battleships as well as a heavy cruiser. During the action,  Mississippi  fired the final salvos by a battleship against other heavy warships. Philippines Okinawa Continuing to support operations in the Philippines through late fall,  Mississippi  then moved to take part in the landings at Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. Steaming into the gulf on January 6, 1945, it pounded Japanese shore positions prior to the Allied landings. Remaining offshore, it sustained a kamikaze hit near the waterline but continued to strike targets until February 10. Ordered back to Pearl Harbor for repairs, Mississippi remained out of action until May. Arriving off Okinawa on May 6, it commenced firing on Japanese positions including Shuri Castle. Continuing to support Allied forces ashore, Mississippi took another kamikaze hit on June 5. This struck the ships starboard side, but did not force it to retire. The battleship stayed off Okinawa bombarding targets until June 16. With the end of the war in August, Mississippi steamed north to Japan and was present in Tokyo Bay on September 2 when the Japanese surrendered aboard USS Missouri (BB-63).    Later Career                           Departing for the United States on September 6, Mississippi ultimately arrived at Norfolk on November 27. Once there, it underwent conversion into an auxiliary ship with the designation AG-128.   Operating from Norfolk, the old battleship conducted gunnery tests and served as a test platform for new missile systems. It remained active in this role until 1956. On September 17, Mississippi was decommissioned at Norfolk. When plans to convert the battleship into a museum fell through, the US Navy elected to sell it for scrap to Bethlehem Steel on November 28.