Every March 1st since 1972 has been declared National Pig Day in the United States. The day was devised by sisters Ellen Stanley and Mary Lynne Rave to elevate the status of pigs and acknowledge their role as intelligent and domestic animals.

At many locations throughout the country pigs are the focus of a variety of events, from pig parades to showings of pig-friendly films like Babe.

So take a moment today and think of all the wonderful pigs in the world!

To read more, visit the LA Times.

This lynx found his way onto the downhill skiing course at the Olympics in Vancouver last week.

Photo credit: Washington Post

Ratu, a Sumatran  rhinoceros, is pregnant. This is newsworthy because Sumatran rhinos are endangered and births in captivity are incredibly rare. Ratu’s mate, Andalas, was the third Sumatran rhino born in captivity in 112 years. If all goes well, Ratu’s baby will be the fourth.

Sumatran rhinos are the most endangered of all rhinoceros species. Their numbers have decreased due to habitat loss and human poaching.

To read more about Ratu, visit CNN.com.

To read about the Indian rhinoceros, a relative of the Sumatran rhino, visit Animal Fact Guide.

The oarfish is a rarely seen giant of the deep. Measuring up to 17 meters (55 feet), the oarfish had previously only been seen dead or dying after being washed up on shore. This sighting, by scientists in Gulf of Mexico, may be the first of the fish in its natural habitat.

The creature was spotted using a remotely operated vehicle, which allows scientists to observe sea life at depths that are otherwise unreachable.

For more and to see a video of the oarfish, visit BBC News.

Very little has changed in the vampire squid since it first appeared about 300 million years ago. The large eyes of the creature are required to see in the dark depths of the ocean it calls home. The eight arms of the vampire squid can curl around its body when it is frightened. This gives the squid the appearance of being inside out and the sudden change can help it avoid attack.

For more, visit National Geographic.

Recently scientists have announced the discovery of the true color of two dinosaurs.

One group of researchers used electron micrography to determine that Sinosauropteryx, a turkey-sized carnivore, had reddish-orange feathers and striped tail.

Another group of researchers determined that Anchiornis huxleyi, a chicken-sized dinosaur, had black and white wings and red crown – similar some woodpeckers. This group used scanning electron microscopes to study pigment samples from fossilized feathers.

To read more and see additional photos, visit National Geographic here and here.

Maniwa City, Japan is home to a quite unusual creature, the giant salamander. With a length of around 1.5 meters (5 ft) and jaws that can tear open a human hand the Japanese giant salamander can be a fearsome creature to encounter in the wild.

These salamanders are aquatic and nocturnal, meaning they live in water and are active at night. They are found in clear, cool water and hunt for  insects, fish, and frogs. They will often snap at water comes into their reach hoping for food.

The giant salamander of Japan is only related to two other species, the Chinese giant salamander and the hellbender, found in the United States.  However, the skeleton is a match of fossils from 30 million years ago. This means that the giant salamanders we see today are almost exactly like the ones that lived with dinosaurs!

For more about these fascinating creatures and a video, visit BBC News.

You can read about the distant relative of the giant salamander, the spotted salamander, here on Animal Fact Guide.

A group of 11 chimpanzees living in Edinburgh, Scotland have created a film using specially created cameras dubbed ChimpCams. The movie came about as part of research being done by primatologist Betsy Herrelko, who is studying for her PhD.

Herrelko introduced the video technology to the chimps over an 18 month period. She created two goals for the chimpanzees: to learn to select videos to watch using a touchscreen and to learn to record their own videos using the ChimpCam.

By observing what videos the chimpanzees watched, Herrelko was able to determine what chimpanzees prefer to see. The chimps were allowed to choose videos of their enclosure or video of the area where zoo staff prepares their food. While an in-depth analysis of their viewing habits has not been done, it appears that the chimps have no preference for either set of videos.

The chimps were much more interested in the ChimpCam and enjoyed watching the video screen as they filmed their lives in the enclosure.

The film, ChimpCam, will be shown on BBC 2 on Wednesday, January 27th.

For more, and for a clip of the film, visit the BBC.

The country of Ecuador is the home to many exciting animals, even ones no one knew existed! Recent exploration by U.S. and Ecuadorian researchers have found more than 30 new species. Among the new species is the scaly-eyed gecko, which, even when full-grown is small enough to sit atop the eraser of a pencil. These geckos crawl along the forest floor, making them difficult to spot.

Researchers worry that deforestation and global warming could wipe out many of Ecuador’s unique creatures.

To read more, and to see a complete list of the newly found species (including a frog with see-through skin!), visit National Geographic.com.

Photo: World Wildlife Fund

Just as polar bears are in critical danger as global warming melts the ice caps, limiting their habitat, Bengal tigers are also threatened by this phenomenon.  Making their homes among the Sundarbans, a mangroves ecosystem in Bangladesh, Bengal tigers number around 4000 in the wild.  As polar caps melt, sea levels will rise.  According to a Climactic Change journal report by the World Wildlife Fund, by 2070, the sea levels near Bangladesh will rise 11 inches, submerging 96% of the Bengal tiger habitat. This provides space for only 20 breeding pairs, which is not enough to sustain the population.

For more info, see: USAToday Science Fair.