Pregnancy and Birth

The bear gestation period varies between 180 and 266 days. The embryo's development goes on hold temporarily at first, as the female gorges herself on whatever foods are available during the summer and autumn to develop a layer of fat off to live on through the winter months. The female chooses the site of her den, often under a log, in a cave or in a hollow tree. She will then proceed to enter a sort of stupor that is not a true hibernation, with her body temperature, heart rate and breathing all reduced. Once she is in this state, the embryo starts to develop once more, with the female giving birth to one to four cubs no later than March.

Cub

The newborn cub lacks fur and cannot see until it's a few days old. Although the young cease suckling from the mother by about the age of five months, they will continue to stay with her for as long as three years. The cubs need her protection from predators such as other bears, cougars and wolves. The grizzly cub has the ability to climb trees with ease until it is about a year old. The mother provides the meals with her foraging and hunting skills.

Young Adults

Once the cubs are capable of fending for themselves, the mother will drive them away from her and look to breed again. By this time the young grizzly weighs between 350 to 700 lbs. depending on the abundance of food. As these bears grow in size and strength, their diet will expand as they start to possess the ability to kill larger prey. These male grizzlies will wait until they reach their sexual maturity before they breed, with some mature at 4 years old and others needing as much as 18 more months to reach full adulthood. In the meantime, they will establish their own territories as they age.

Death

The "National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mammals" states that one grizzly in captivity lived to be 47 years old. This is far from the norm for those in the wild. The typical grizzly bear has a life span of 15 to 20 years in the wild, with some making it to 25. ELEPHANT

The life-cycles of an elephant can give key insights into their physical and intellectual processes.
The life-cycles of the elephant have been arbitrarily broken up into three main divisions. These divisions are based on the multitude of experiences and changes that occur in the

different phases of development in the life of an elephant. The BABY life-cycle describes the physical appearance of the new-born calf and its

dependency on others in the herd for survival. After being in the mother's womb for about 22 months (the longest gestation period in mammals), the calves have a great deal to learn. The earliest calves are born about two months before the rains appear with fresh growth. Interestingly, the interval between births is between two and a half to four years which gives time for the current new-born to learn the ropes of being an elephant; this includes figuring out how to use their trunks to eat, drink and wash as well as many more tasks to become somewhat self sufficient. The ADOLESCENT life-cycle briefly describes the sexual maturity that is achieved, as well as the phenomenon of herds being broken up and formed. The ADULT life-cycle briefly describes the great similarities between the adult elephant and the adult human, such as age-related illnesses. Taken together, these sections on the life-cycles will provide fascinating information on the elephant. This can only further validate what amazing beings they are!

LONGEVITY

The average lifespan of elephants is about 65 years of age or more. An elephant calfs first year of life is its most vulnerable time with mortality rates exceeding 30%.

DUCK

Eggs

The female duck, or hen, lays one egg per day and lays up to nine eggs. Incubation doesn't begin until the last egg is laid and then takes between 22 and 28 days. The hen sits on the eggs periodically to keep them warm

Ducklings

When little ducklings hatch, their downy feathers are wet. Once the ducklings have dried, the hen leads them to water where they feed on insects and small plants. They will be able to fly after about two months.

Size

Ducks grow to between 2 and 3 pounds and 20 to 26 inches long.

Longevity

Most ducks live to be between five and 10 years old. They have many predators including dogs, cats, coyotes, hawks and humans.