I am going to make this as easy as possible for anyone to understand, even if you do not have a scientific understanding of genetics. Animals get two genes, one from their mother, one from their father, for everything. There are many, many, genes involved in controlling colors. So while reading this remember these are only two sets of genes that a horse would have that help determine color.

To help explain how genetics work I will reference one of the best known genes, the XY genes. These are the ones that determine gender in all animals. Females are XX, Males are XY. When reproduction takes place, each parent gives one of each of its' gene pairs. Females can only give the X gene, males can give the X or the Y gene, it is a 50/50 chance which they give, therefore a 50/50 chance if the baby is going to me male or female. The mothers unfertilized egg would carry only one X gene for gender, the males sperm would have either one X or Y, when they unite the egg now has two genes for that pairing and the gender is determined by which pairing it was. Eggs and sperm also have each of every other gene sequence, for now we will talk about the roan and the grey gene, these are two separate genes.

Roan

This is a roan horse, he was born this color and, other than slight seasonal changes, his color will remain the same for his lifetime. Roan horses always carry the gene combination of Rr. Roan horses can there for give either the R or r gene to their foals. There are no rr horses, because such a combination of genes is letal. All non-roan horses are RR. So following what we know about how genes work, we know each parent can only give one its' genes (for each trait) to its young.

This chart demonstrates what would happen if you bred two Roan horses together. How these charts work is one parent, it does not matter which, is represented by the gene pair across the top. The other is represented down the side. Since each is Rr, there is one R on the top, one r on the top (to represent one parent) one R on the side, one r on the side (for the other parent). The letters are carried down or across to fill in the chart. The four squares represent the possible combinations. One in four will be RR, non-roan. Two in four will be Rr, roan. One if four will be rr, since this is a lethal combination, one in four matings of this pair would not result in a live foal. If you were to make another chart for breeding a roan to a non-roan, you would see the changes for roan and non-roan are equal. Non roan bred together will never produce a roan.

Grey

This is a grey horse, she was born a solid color, like her foal, however over the years white hairs have filled in and she has "turned grey". Her photo is from Wikimedia. Grey horses are always born colored, and turn grey over time, some faster than others. Grey is a dominant gene, meaning if a horse even only has one grey gene it will be grey. Therefore a grey horse could be GG or Gg. If you can look at its' pedigree you might be able to determine what it is. If one parent is grey and one is not, then the horse is Gg. Or if it ever produces a foal that does not turn grey, you know that it is Gg, because otherwise it could only produce grey foals if it were GG. A non-grey horse is always gg.

This chart demonstrates what would happen if you bred a grey horse who is Gg with a non-grey horse. The grey horse is represented on the top as Gg, the non-grey is on the side. The letters are carried forward into the boxes, and we see the resulting combination is that half the time this pairing will result in a grey, Gg foal, and half will result in a non-grey, gg, foal. If you do the same with breeding a horse who has two grey genes, GG to a horse that is non grey, gg, you will notice you will always get a grey offspring, Gg. Two non-greys can never produce a grey when bred together.

NOTE

The color grey in donkey's is different, they do not change over time, a grey donkey is born a solid tone of grey and remains that way for his or her life. There genetics are entirely different.

I am going to make this as easy as possible for anyone to understand, even if you do not have a scientific understanding of genetics. Animals get two genes, one from their mother, one from their father, for everything. There are many, many, genes involved in controlling colors. So while reading this remember these are only two sets of genes that a horse would have that help determine color.

To help explain how genetics work I will reference one of the best known genes, the XY genes. These are the ones that determine gender in all animals. Females are XX, Males are XY. When reproduction takes place, each parent gives one of each of its' gene pairs. Females can only give the X gene, males can give the X or the Y gene, it is a 50/50 chance which they give, therefore a 50/50 chance if the baby is going to me male or female. The mothers unfertilized egg would carry only one X gene for gender, the males sperm would have either one X or Y, when they unite the egg now has two genes for that pairing and the gender is determined by which pairing it was. Eggs and sperm also have each of every other gene sequence, for now we will talk about the roan and the grey gene, these are two separate genes.

This horse is a Chestnut

The color of chestnut is typically an orange brown shade, with no black markings. This color is seen in many breeds. The photo is from Wikimedia.

This horse is a Palomino

The color of Palomino is a beige colored body with a lighter, or near white, mane and tail. They also have no black markings. The photo is from Wikimedia.

This horse is a Cremello

This color is very pale, but not quite white. It does have pink skin and light colored eyes. These horses would also have no black markings. This color does not occur in some breeds, therefore nor does the palomino color. The photo is from Wikimedia.

A chestnut horse is CC, a Palomino horse is C ccr, a Cremello is ccr ccr. As you can see a chestut can only throw chestnut genes, a cremello can only throw cremello genes, but a palomino has a fifty fifty chance of throwing either. Thus if you bred a chestnut to a chestnut, you would always get a chestnut. If you bred a cremello to a cremello, you would always get a cremello, however if you bred to palominos together, you will not always get a palomino. Let us look at what the combinations would be.

In this chart we show one Palomino parents genes across the top, C ccr, the other parents genes are on the side, C ccr, we carry all forward and down into the boxes and have the resulting combinations. We see one in four will be a chestnut, two in four will be palomino, and one in for will be a cremello. If we wanted to make more charts we could see that breeding a chestnut and cremello will always result in a palomino, and breeding a chestnut to a palomino will give a 50% chance at a chestnut and a 50% chance at a palomino. Because palomino horses do not breed true, they cannot be considered a breed. The Halflinger is a breed of horse that "appears" to be a true palomino only breed, but in fact they are dark chestnut horses with flaxen manes and tails.

This is a Halflinger

Remember there are more than one combination of genes responsible for color, of you have read my link on grey and roan, you will also know that this horse is therefore "CC gg RR", which means it is Chestnut, non-grey, and non-roan. There are still more genes involved though.

Fattail Scorpion

It is not the most venomous and deadliest one. It is classified in Androctonus genus in taxonomy. The natural habitat of it is Africa and Middle East. The venom in its body includes powerful neurotoxins. They live in Israel, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Yemen, Algeria and Pakistan.

Emperor Scorpion

The natural habitat is Africa. It is one of the largest one in the world with 20 cm length. Its life span changes between 5 or 8 years. It lives in tropical territories. African Emperor type is the most killer one.

Gormar

Gomar lives only in Venezuela's villages. It is called as Devil by the villagers. If it beats someone, it can kill him in ten minutes. Especially children should be kept far away.

Parabuthus

Parabutus is actually a genus name which collects many species under one category. Typical examples of Parabuthus family are Parabuthus Pallidus, Parabuthus Liosoma, Parabuthus Transvaalicus and Parabuthus Namibensis. The natural habitat of Parabuthus family is Southern Africa and especially Kenya. Their length ranges from 6 to 18 cm. Most of Parabuthus lives on sandy regions.

Emperor Penguins

When it comes to good fathers, there's nothing these dads won't do. The moment the female lays her egg, the male Emperor Penguin steps up to care for the egg. The female passes the egg to the male. He must be quick when receiving the egg, as it can freeze in the 40 below weather of the Antarctic. Once the egg is passed to the male, the females will leave the fathers behind for nearly two months. It's a good thing the fathers bulked up before the females left, for they will not get a chance to eat until the females return. The fathers will huddle together in the cold for warmth, keeping the eggs nestled underneath them, on top of their feet. When the eggs finally hatch, the fathers, who have lost half of their weight by now, will feed the chicks with a milky white substance that resembles milk. When the females finally return, the fathers transfer the chicks back to the mothers, so that they can finally get a chance to eat.

Sea Horse

Sea horse males are the only male animals capable of giving birth. The female will deposit her eggs into the male's abdomen. The male fertilizes them, and then the embryos will attach themselves into the male's pouch. Here he will nurture the embryos, delivering oxygen and removing waste. As if this wasn't taxing enough, he will then go into a painful labor, whereby his color will drain, becoming pasty in appearance. The exhausting contractions will leave him spent after pushing up to nearly 200 sea horses out of his body. No sooner is he done giving birth, that some males will begin to show off their pouch, wanting to become impregnated again!

South American Marmoset (or Common Marmoset)

The male marmoset is an outstanding father in the terms of fatherhood. After a few weeks, the mother begins to pull away from the young. She will usually give birth to twins, although triplets aren't unusual. The father will then take care of the young by grooming them, feeding them, and carrying them on his back. At times, the male has even acted as a midwife, by licking the newborns. It is thought that male marmosets become highly involved in the raising of the young because the females give birth to such large infants (they make up 25% of the mother's weight). Not to mention that unlike other species, where nursing can act as a from of birth control, in marmosets, the female can become pregnant again within a matter of weeks.

Red Fox

The male red fox is ever so attentive, not only to his offspring, but to his mate as well. After a month of the young's birth, the mother doesn't do any hunting at all. She stays in the den providing warmth and food for the young. That means dad must forage for food and provide for his family. The male red fox even attentively plays with his young and exhibits keen excitement when playing. But after three months the free meals come to an end. However, the father doesn't just leave the pups high and dry. He teaches them how to forage for food by burying scraps in the ground, thus enabling them with the skills necessary for their survival.

Darwin Frog

The father of this bizarre looking frog is dedicated to his young's survival. After the female lays her eggs, the male will stand guard until they are near to being hatched. He will then take the eggs in his mouth where they will slide into his vocal sac. Even though the eggs are in the father's vocal sac, he is still capable of eating. The eggs will continue to develop in the male's vocal sac, until they become tadpoles. When the tadpoles' tails fall off and they become froglets, they leave the protection of their fathers care, and venture out into the world on their own.

Jacana

Despite the fact that his mate is a two-timer, and that his children might not be his, the jacana father will never leave his brood. Why you ask? Because the female has lost all capabilities of rearing her young. Instead, she's too busy out and about carrying on in what has to be one of the weirdest roles of sex-reversal. Once the female lays about 4 eggs, she leaves the male to incubate and care for the young, while she's copulating with multiple males. The male tolerates this behavior because they somehow understand that by abandoning the mixed-parentage eggs, this will eventually lead to their deaths. So caring is the father, that if he detects the eggs are in danger, he will move them to a new site. Once the eggs have hatched, he will teach the chicks to forage for food. If they are threatened, he will carry the chicks under his wings to safety.

Flamingo

Not only are they doting partners, but they take an active part in the rearing of their young. While the female finds a suitable site to build their nest, the male will then actively participate in the building of the nest. The female will lay one egg, which is then incubated by both parents. While the female can feed the chicks a milk-like substance, the males are also capable of producing this substance to feed the young.

Silverback Gorilla

The dominant male of the troop is the patriarch of a family of maybe 20-30 gorillas. He will protect the group from outside threats, such as other male gorillas that may try to kill the young when trying to usurp power. They will resolve disputes, acting as mediators, and guide the troop while seeking out food. He attaches special bonds with the females, as well as affectionately playing with his offspring. But he is quick to put them back in line with a stern warning if they get too precocious.

Great Horned Owl

Once he has found a mate, the pair will find a nest. The female will keep the eggs safe and warm, which means the male must search for food. In most bird species, the female is smaller. This isn't the case with birds of prey. The female great horned owl is 25% larger than the male. So not only must he feed himself, but he has to constantly bring food home to his mate. Once the chicks hatch, his task of feeding the family multiples. He must then feed the chicks, on top of his partner, for an additional 2-3 months.

What makes turtles different from all other reptiles is their shell. Generally the shell is hard and protects the turtle from its predators; however, certain species are soft-shelled. Unlike crabs, turtles cannot leave the shell as it partially consists of their backbone and ribs, making the turtle permanently attached to its protective covering.

In most species, the shell is made up of bone segments covered with scutes. Scutes are horny scales which make the shell stronger by covering up seams between bone plates. However, soft-shelled turtles and leatherback turtles lack scutes – their shells are covered with leathery skin. Most water turtles have relatively flat shells naturally designed for fast swimming and diving.

The shell consists of the top part – carapace, and the bottom part – plastron. The two are joined on the sides by bridges. Males tend to have a concave plastron which makes it easier for them to place themselves on top of their mate. Females sometimes have a convex plastron, which gives more space for eggs.

Limbs

While most terrestrial turtles have short heavy legs, water turtles usually have longer legs with webbed feet. This makes them good swimmers, yet gives sufficient mobility on land as well. Their claws are generally quite long, which helps them dig and crawl onto rocks or wood when they want to bask. Males tend to have especially long front claws that they use to grab onto the female while mating. These long claws also appear to be involved in courtship.

Sea turtles, as well as certain species of freshwater turtles, have flippers instead of feet. These turtles spend most of their time in the water – they are great swimmers, but have a hard time getting around on land.

Most water turtles are able to retract their limbs into the shell.

Head and Neck

Unlike sea turtles, most freshwater turtles are able to fold their neck and hide their head in the shell. The arch-necked turtles (Cryptodira) can withdraw their neck and head into the shell, whereas side-necked turtles (Pleurodira) fold their neck to the side and hide it along their body.

Turtles don’t have teeth. Instead they have strong toothless jaws and sharp-edged beaks. They use the hard edges of their jaws to catch prey and cut through food. Unlike many other reptiles, turtles are unable to hunt by means of sticking out their tongue. Due to the fact that their tongue is fixed, water turtles are only able to swallow in the water.   

Turtles do not have external ears, but they do hear. Although they don’t hear sounds as clearly as animals with outer ears do, they can feel vibrations and interpret them at a level sufficient for their needs.

The nose and eyes of most aquatic turtles are located closer to the top of the head so they are able to keep most of their head underwater while the nostrils and eyes stay outside. This often helps them hide from their predators. The vision of water turtles varies from species to species. A lot of them have sharp vision and are able to distinguish colors. However, many turtles can only see sharply while under the water and become short-sighted when on land.

Skin

The skin of most turtles is similar to that of other reptiles. Most of their skin is protected by small scales. Certain species of water turtles are able to take in oxygen from the water through skin. As they grow, turtles shed their skin gradually. They don’t shed all their skin at once like snakes do, but instead their skin comes off in small thin bits which can be seen in the water of the tank if the turtle is kept in captivity. Excessive shedding can be a sign of disease. It also occurs in pet turtles if they are overfed or the water in the tank is too warm.

Tail and Cloaca

The tails of most water turtles are rather small, with the male’s tail being a bit longer and thicker than the female’s. However, certain species have long scaly tails that they use to support their weight while climbing.

The cloaca is the opening that the urinary, digestive and reproductive tracts share. In females the cloaca is usually located closer to the shell, while in males it is closer to the tip of the tail. Turtles of certain species are also able to absorb oxygen through papillae in their cloaca. This ability is usually used when the turtle needs to stay underwater for a long period of time, such as during hibernation.

I have always been curious on this very topic and so, I have decided to explore it. One animal that could possibly have inspired the mermaid myth could possibly be a species of stingray called a guitarfish, much like the one seen here.

Not quite as beautiful as Ariel from the Little Mermaid, but intriguing nonethess isn't it?

Another sea creature that could have inspired "Sea Monster" myths could possibly be the Squid or Octopus. After all, sailors in the days of Columbus reported seeing large animals consistent with these animals. Many researchers and sci-fi fanatics alike are intrigued by the squid because it truly is an animal that looks out of this world, as you can see in this video.

Dear readers I cannot cover all the creatures I wish to in this one article so there will be others to come.However, If I may encourage you to do so, it may be interesting for you to do your own researches and studies. I will cover one more animal in this one however,monster sharks.

Like megalodon which many people call "prehistoric" but may be a relative of the Great White, we also have the frill shark.

If you have ever seen Jaws you may have some idea

It is easy to see why people are intrigued and fascinated by these monsters of the deep, and sailors "myths" of "Sea Monsters" may not have been all in their minds. Amazing creatures are still found all the time, food for thought. I hope you found this interesting,unique and informative.

Troglobites

The deepest part of the cave is called the dark zone. Some amazing animals managed to survive in this dark zone. Such animals are called troglobites or 'cave-dwellers'. Troglobites live in a world where eyes are useless and color does not matter. To survive, troglobites have adapted themselves to the dark. In fact, they are so adapted to their cave environment that they will not be able to survive anywhere else.

Cave Adaptation

In a world of black, eyes are useless. Troglobites have adapted to living without seeing. Most troglobites are blind. In fact, some cave creatures are born without any eyes at all. Another adaptation has to do with color - or the lack of it. Unlike animals above ground, troglobites do not need to camouflage. Their predators probably do not have to see them anyway. Many cave animals have lost their markings and their bodies have turned a ghostly white.

Some troglobites have developed another way to know what is going on around them. These animals have a sense organ on their bodies that picks up vibrations or changes in pressure. It allows animals to know where rocks or bumps are or where other creatures are moving.

Examples of Troglobites (Cave-dwellers)

The Blind Cave Tetra could not live anywhere other than its home in the total darkness of the cave.

The Belize Land Crab has turned a ghostly white after adapting itself to the environment of the cave.

Grotto Salamanders or 'Ghost Lizards' are white or pale pink with light orange stripes on their tails and feet. These creatures are born with both gills and eyes. But as they become adults, three things happen. First, they grow smaller, not bigger. Second, their eyes stop working and are slowly sucked back into their bodies. Third, their gills close up and they begin to breathe through their skin.

The Olm Salamander lives under water in some caves. It has no eyes or color. But it can live to be 100 years old.

Many cave millipedes eat rotting animals or plant pieces.

No eyes, no color. That's the life for this cave crayfish.

Being an endangered species, the translucent cave shrimp has no eyes. 

The No-eyed Big-eyed Spider lives only in the warm, humid caves in Kauai, one of the Hawaiian islands. They changed overtime. Their eyes got smaller until they finally disappeared. They used sensors in their legs to find food. The darkness became a tool for hunting and for hiding.

The African Lion can reach up to half a ton. Lions are thought to kill up to 70 humans per year in Tanzania.he African Lion can sprint at a speed of up to 60km per hour (38 miles per hour) which is as fast as a racehorse. The African Lion spends 90% of it's time sleeping. A group of lions are called pride.African lions are known to prefer a larger prey. The lion prefers grassy plains, savannas, and semi-deserts. It is located throughout much of Africa, especially in the southeastern part of the continent.

4. The Great White Shark

This shark is an exceptionally large shark found in coastal waters in all major oceans. It can reach lengths of up to 6 metres and can weigh up to 5 tons.Great whites can detect one drop of blood in 25 gallons (100 liters) of water and can sense even tiny amounts of blood in the water up to 3 miles (5 kilometers) away. The white shark inhabits coastal and offshore waters of the continental shelf. Great White sharks primarily eat fish, smaller sharks, turtles, dolphins, and pinnipeds such as seals and sea lions. But every here or there they attack a human, by mistake though.

3. The Box Jellyfish

Also known as the wasp jellyfish, this salad-bowl sized jellyfish can have up to 60 tentacles as long as 15 feet. Each tentacle has enough toxin to kill 50 humans.It the most deadly marine animal in the worlds since they kill more people each year than any other marine animal and hae one of the fastest working toxins. The Box Jellyfish shoots itself along up to speeds of 4 knots in a jet-like motion.The box jellyfish seem to move towards the shore in calm waters when tide is rising and gather near the mouths of rivers, estuaries and creeks following the rain.

2. The Asian Cobra

While the Asian cobra does not have the deadliest venom, it does make the most of what it has, causing the largest chunk of the 50 thousand deaths by snakebite per year. These cobras are most commonly found in central to eastern Asia. Like most cobras they eat small rodents and mammals. Like all snakes they lay eggs for babies.

1. The Mosquito

I never thought that this little insect could be the dangerous animal...  Due to malaria carrying parasites transferred by the mosquito, it is responsible for the deaths of more than two million people per year.Mosquitoes do not feed on blood. The female mosquito requires a blood meal for development of her eggs.The average life span of a female mosquito is 3 to 100 days. the male lives 10 to 20 days.

I hoped this helped you a bunch, please leave comments and if I am wrong please correct me, thanks!

Image credit: CNN.com

The credit being the first animals sent into space goes to fruit flies. They were sent into space in 1947 in V2 rocket launched by US at the height of 170 kilometers above the earth to explore the effects of radiation exposure at high altitudes.

Monkeys

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Monkeys were sent into space after implanting sensors to measure vital signs. Many of them were under anesthesia during launch. The first monkey that was sent into space is Albert I in 1948. But it died due to lack of breathing. Since then every monkey that was sent to space was named after Albert. The second monkey Albert II had successfully gone up to 134 km. height, but died in the return journey. 32 monkeys were sent into space from 1948 to 1961 and in 1969 and 1985 by America, two times in 1967 by France, from 1983 to 1996 by Russia. The first monkey which returned alive from the space is Albert VI. It went to space in 1951 along with mice. It died after two hours of its arrival from the space. The female monkey Baker which went into the space in 1959 along with another monkey lived 25 years after its return from the space.

Dogs

Image credit: Thinkquest.org

Russians sent 57 dogs into the space during 1950 to 1960. The first animal in orbit was the dog Laika, launched aboard the Soviet Sputnik 2 space craft in 1957. Laika died during the flight and at least 10 other dogs were launched, which died, before Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space. Two Russian space dogs Veterok and Ugolyok were launched aboard Cosmos 110 in 1966 and they spent 22 days in orbit.

Tortoise

Image credit: Perrbear.com
The record of spending longest duration in space goes to tortoises. They spent 90 days in  Space when they were sent in 1975.

Chimpanzee

Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

American Chimp Ham was sent in 1961 in a Mercury capsule aboard a Redstone Rocket. It was trained to pull levers to receive rewards of banana pellets and avoid electric shocks. Its actions were observed on the computer monitor. Later another Chimp Enos was sent to the orbit in the same year in another Mercury capsule, an Atlas Rocket. It was the first non-human primate in orbit.

Many other animals like amoeba, flies, cats, pigs, rabbits, rats, spiders, fishes, frogs, silkworms, ants, cockroaches, locusts were sent to space too.

Hard training: Before sending the animals into space they are given a hard training. Dogs are made to stand on two legs in a narrow box and tested how many days they can bear this position. They are kept in a revolving pressurized space cabins and observed how much pressure they can bear. Chimpanzees are given electric shocks in small doses to train them to operate levers. If they are successful they are rewarded with bananas. While travelling they have to bear the pressure 38 times more than the pressure on the earth.
Due to the sacrifices of these animals entering the space became easier than otherwise. Isn't it?

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Smallest monkey pygmy marmoset can be seen in Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador and some places of Peru. This monkey grows to a height of 11 to 15 cm and has a 17-22 cm long tail. It weighs only 120 grams; and weighs only 15 grams at the time of birth. The lifespan of these monkeys is 11 to 16 years. They usually give birth to fraternal twins.

Rabbit

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The Pygmy Rabbit is found in North America. It is the smallest leporid. The adult pygmy rabbit weighs about 400 grams having a body length of 24 cm to 29cm.

Dog

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Smallest dog is Chihuahua that was first observed in 1850 in Mexico. The dog took its name from the state of Chihuahua in Mexico. The dog has a height of 6 to 9 inches. It weighs 2 to 12 pounds. The lifespan is 15 years.

Cat

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Kodkod is the smallest cat species in South America. It is found in Chile and Argentina. It is very rare and exclusive species. An adult Kodkod weighs about 2 kilograms with a length of 42 to 50 cm.

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Peebles is the smallest cat in the world according to the Guinness World Records. It weighs about 1 kilogram and 15 cm long. It can fit in a 200 ml glass.

Horse

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Thumbelina, the world's smallest horse weighs 27 kilograms. The height of this dwarf horse is only 17 inches.

Fish

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Paedocypris is the smallest fish which is only 7.9 mm in length. This is also considered as the smallest vertebrate. This is found in the swamp forests of Indonesia's Sumatra Island.

Frog

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Brazilian Gold frog is the smallest frog and is found in the Southern Hemisphere. This is also known as Izecksonh's Toad. The adult gold frogs grow to only 9.8 mm in body length.

Snake

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Thread snake is found throughout North and South America, Africa and South-western Asia. The Thread Snake is the world's smallest snake. It has the length of 4.25 inches. It is only found on some scattered islands in the Caribbean.

Bat

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The smallest bat, called the Philippine Bamboo bat, belongs to the Vespertilionid family. It measures 4 cm in length and weighs 1.5 grams. The wingspan of this bat is 15 cm.

Bird

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Bee Hummingbird is the smallest bird. It is also known as Cuban bee as it is found mostly in Cuba. It measures 2.25 inches in length and 2 grams in weight. We cannot see its wings while flying as it flaps its wings 90 times per second. The heartbeat of this bird is 1,260 times. The size of its nest measures 0.78 inches width and 1.2 inches depth. Its eggs are smaller than coffee grounds.