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janicka (Ribbon seal): i love the ribbon seal i … bob (Fattest cat in th…): DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU… P.L. Frederick (Ribbon seal): This seal is new to me — … kenneth maldonado… (Ribbon seal): unbelievably cute.Why hav… jenny (Impala - don't sh…): i totally luv imppalas th… coco (Impala - don't sh…): i luv impalas they are my… cicimici (Ribbon seal): me also did`t heard about… Doriesmom (Ribbon seal): What an interesting seal.… mry (Pudu - smallest d…): Tasty, with Fries and Béa… lane (Bush dog): does the bushdog have any…
An Aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) can range from 1.3 to 1.65 meters in length, with a tail length of 15 centimeter, and its weight ranges from 30 to 145kgs. The Aoudads' outer coverings are red or sandy brown. Bother sexes have a heavy covering of hair at the throat's area, but for the male, this covers its front feet and chest. The Aoudad has very thick, triangular-based horns. Their horns have rings, and as the Aoudad gets older, worn down, which gives a smooth facade. They live in the rocky mountains of North Africa.
The Aoudad has a gestation period of 160 days, and the average number in a litter is just one. Although it has been recorded that in rare occasions, they could go to three. The longevity of an Aoudad is 20 years, give or take a year or two. Breeding can occur at any time within the year, but the peak goes from September to November.
Principally, this is a desert dweller, and they are most busy at the cooler hours of the dusk/dawn, and they seek refuge during the day's heat. Talking of sure-footed animals, this animal is surely one, they can jump 2 meters without difficulties. They usually get water from the foods they get, but if water is within reach, they also drink. Their diet consists of lichens, acacia and grass. The leopard is their natural predator.
In North Africa, their numbers are dwindling, but they have been introduced to southern US and parts of Spain. Their numbers in this part of the world has been increasing so much, that they have begun infringing on the territories of the indigenous desert bighorn sheep.
Oh...this you should know, the word is pronounced as "Ow-dad", and this is the name used by the North African tribe of Berbers.
Interesting fact: The newborns are capable of traversing rocky hills just (almost immediately) after being born.
Picture of the Aoudad by Andrzej Barabasz (Chepry), licensed under GFDL
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The Long-nosed cusimanse (Crossarchus obscurus) can be found in forests and swamps of Africa, particularly Central and Western, also in Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana. A Long-nosed cusimanse is a mongoose, its body is thin, with short tail tapers. Long-nosed cusimanses heads are long, with short ears. Just like the other kinds of mongoose, their pupils are oval-shaped, horizontally. Their curved claws are used to catch insects, and the front claws are longer than those at the back. The feet's soles are hairless, the covering (of the body) is brown-grey and they have 36 teeth.
A Long-nosed cusimanse's diet is made up of larvae, small reptiles, berries, fruits and crabs. Foraging, they can come together in sets of up to 20 members. The Long-nosed cusimanse digs in leaves and using the snout, they can move wood. In a way, they are intelligent, for they can crack crab shells against stones.
The long-nosed cusimanse is a sociable creature, they can be found grouped together with up to 24 individuals. One to three families make up their group, each family is made up of a couple plus the newborns. They are in constant movement, not staying at a single place for long periods.
When domesticated, if a female is not mated, she could go into heat up to 9 times annually. In the wild, though, they can produce only two to three litters annually.
A Bushy-tailed Woodrat (Neotoma cinerea) can be found in North America, ranging from arctic Canada down to northern Arizona and New Mexico, and as far east as the western portions of Nebraska and the Dakotas. The Woodrats can be recognized by their big ears and its bushy tail. Its back is pale gray with a mix of brown, with white underneath.
They are also called as packrats and Bushy-tailed Woodrats are known to be capable of building stick homes within caves and crevices. If you are wondering where the "packrat" came from, a Bushy-tailed Woodrat's house holds items brought in from the outside, such as glass, pine cones, cardboards, plastic odds and ends, wire...you name it.
These woodrats territory is small, and a long time back, it was thought by experts that they would not go away farther than 60m from their nests. However, recent studies assert that the female of its kind could go as far as 500m. Basically, a typical woodrat is solitary, nocturnal and strongly protective of its own territories. Most facets of its behavior is thought to be a by-product of predation, and they have a lot to escape from. Weasels, black bears, bobcats, hawks and so many others, of course...that includes man.
Their diet consists of a variety of ingredients. In dry locations, they could survive on succulents, but in woody habitats, they consume a lot of woody vegetation. A Bushy-tailed Woodrat gets all of the water it needs from the foods it consumes. As prey, they are the main food source for Spotted Owls, and that is an endangered species.
Interesting fact: These woodrats get enticed to shiny things, they often get them from camps and other establishments. So, if you are camping in one of their territories, watch out!
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A Springhare (Pedetes capensis) looks like a kangaroo, because of the long tail, long hind legs and shorter front legs. As its name implies, it is an enthusiastic jumper, and can jump up to 2 meters in a single jump. Technically though, Springhares are rodents, not hares. The head is short and rounded, they have big eyes, with ears that are both upright and narrow.
A Springhare grazes and its diet mainly consists of grass. Every so often, one would eat some roots and leaves, they could also consume wheat and oats. Their natural predators are owls, snakes and jackals. The typical Springhare could give birth all throughout the year, and the female would have 3.6 liters annually on the average. Young are born with hair all over their bodies and it would take at least 3 days before the eyes would open.
Springhares are principally nocturnal but they could be up and about in the daytime too. At day times, they stay in tunnels which they themselves make. Experts have studied that two individuals could reside in many burrows at different times. Actually, they usually form 3 burrows close together forming a circle. A burrow is ordinarily set near the biggest tree.
These rodents are hunted in South Africa, being thought of as a significant food source. In the wild, they could be said to be solitary, but if captured, they could co-exist peacefully.
Interesting fact: They do not drink water, they just get moisture from dew and the rain.
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Monday 21 January 2008
Griffon vulture - A victim of industrial agriculture
For quite a long time the industrial way of producing in modern agriculture is at issue. Besides ethical questions, risen by intensive livestock farming, the momentary discussion focuses on actual threads to human beings, like BSE, and what measures have to be taken, if economical losses are feared, like in the debate about foot-and-mouth disease. Other consequences of the industrial organization of our agriculture are not at all discussed or just perceived peripherally. One of these issues is the fact that not only domestic animals, serving us with their meat, milk and eggs, are affected, but also wild living animals suffer from the changes in agriculture. The Griffon vulture is an example for these species. Its basis for living has been destroyed by the vanishing of the traditional forms of agriculture in the cultivated European landscapes.
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There are just a few wild cat species living in Europe. Besides the European wild cat there are two species of the genus lynx that have to be mentioned: The Lynx or Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) and the Spanish lynx (Lynx pardinus). Reaching a length up to 110 cm and a weight up to 38 kg, the Eurasian lynx is larger than its Iberian relative and moreover the largest wild cat inhabiting Europe. In America two further lynx species are distributed: the Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) and the Bobcat (Lynx rufus). The distribution scheme in America is similar to the one in Europe. The larger Canadian lynx inhabits the northern parts of North america, whereas the smaller Bobcat can be found in the more southernly parts down to Mexico.
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Thursday 17 January 2008
Vicuna - The stormproof camel of the Andes
The vicuna (Vicugna vicugna) - Camels inhabiting the Andes in South America? Sounds quite surprising! Thinking of camels, the One-humped camel or Dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) and the Two-humped camel or Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus) from the African and Asian deserts come to one's mind. But these tall camel species have close relatives in South America - the smaller Llamas or South American camels. This group consists of just two species too: the Guanaco (Lama guanaco), the wild ancestor of the domestic Llama and Alpaca, and the even smaller and daintier Vicuna. Reaching a length of about 1,5 m, a shoulder height of almost one metre and a weight of 55 kg, the Vicuna is the smallest camel species.
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The Chacoan peccary (Catagonus wagneri) can be found in Bolivia, Paraguay and parts of Brazil. They have another name, and it's an amusing monicker, they are also referred to as "Pig from Green Hell". Why? It is in reference to their habitats considered as more impenetrable than a 14th century castle in wartime.
Chacoan peccaries stay in dry and hot places, usually in those places where mankind does not visit. Its weight ranges from 29 to 49 kilograms, and the Chacoan peccary possesses a lot of pig's traits. Its rostrum holds a leather-like snout, its fur is usually brown, and at the shoulders have a white coloration. The Chacoan peccary differs from its relative-peccaries in the sense that they have longer ears, tail and snout. It also has an extra hind toe (3rd), as opposed to other peccaries with only a pair. It could give out a milky, smelly substance which acts as an "identifier".
The births are connected to seasons of food availability and rainfall occurrences. Average number, offsprings-wise is 2-3. Those newborn peccaries are precocial, meaning, they could move about just some hours after the birth. The typical Chacoan peccary journeys with others, forming herds of around 10 members. These groups are active in daytime, and the usual travel cycle is forty-two days, within the boundaries of the range they would consider as their own.
Peccaries communicate with another via chatters and grunts. As a form of defense, members of the herd could line up to form a wall.
Interesting fact: "Iron Kidneys"- in essence, that is what these peccaries have. Their kidneys have the capability to crush a cactus' acids.
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The shrewlike Cuban Solenodon (Solenodon cubanus) has short legs and it possesses skin glands that produce a goat-like smell. Its elongated head has tiny eyes coupled with a flexible snout. Their fur could be any of the following: black, red-brown or dark brown. They could be found in both forests and scrublands, and in the main, they are terrestrial. However, the Cuban Solenodons have the ability to climb. At the ground level, they move with an unsteady gait, but for short lengths, a Cuban Solenodon could run quickly.
At night when they are foraging for food, they use that snout to tear tree trunks. Their diet also consists of snakes, frogs, and crabs. A Cuban Solenodon is basically social, with many members residing in a single hole (burrow that is). A Cuban Solenodon communicates with others via squeaks, squeals and twitters. They comprise the family Solenodontidae, and this in turn belongs to a set of mammals termed as insectivores by the scientific community.
Wilhelm Peters discovered this breed of solenodons in 1861. By 1970, everybody thought they had gone extinct. Wrong, three individual solenodons were caught in the mid-70s. Still, they are rare in any part of the globe they exist in. Before 2003, the last sighting came in '99 and no wonder- they are night burrowers and they live in the basement, so to speak.
In 2003, one of them was captured and it raised the number of captured to 37 (they named it Alejandrito). It was released later on, after experts studied it for just a couple of days.
Interesting fact: The solenodon adults approach one another with their mouths open, probably giving out high-frequency sounds.
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Monday 14 January 2008
Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew
The Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew (Rhynchocyon chrysopygus) is named after its unique golden-hued fur at the rump's area. Just like its relatives, the snout of Golden-rumped Elephant Shrews are flexible and pointed. A Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew's coat is rough but glossy. A thick skin exists under the rump, and is three times as thick as the skin on the back's middle, and this forms as a kind of shield for the Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew. Experts and researchers say that this is a shield against the biting of another shrew when they fight.
They are found in coastal areas, and they would most probably be found in moist forest areas and in semi-deciduous forests. Actually, these shrews are among the biggest of the elephant shrew world. They are endemic to Kenya, but a scattering could be found in areas of Mombasa and the Somali border territories.
They are basically monogamous, couples reside in ranges and they are territorial when it comes to these homes. Diurnal in nature, they could sleep during the night at a nest on the forest ground. The Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew's diet consists of worms, insects, millipedes and even spiders. They of course forage on the forest/jungle floor via their flexible noses. When they are not busy eating, they could be very busy running for their lives though. A Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew has its share of predators, such as eagles, cobras and the black mambas.
Interesting fact: If you would be lucky to see one in actual movement, you might be impressed. These shrews can go to speeds reaching 25 kilometers/hr if chased by a predator.
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They have black shoulders, back, arms, head and tail, but the back of the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey (Pygathrix roxellana) is adorned with a long covering of silver hairs, and for the male, the side of the head, the forehead, neck parts are bright golden, hence the name of these monkeys. The female Golden Snub-nosed Monkey looks like the males, but the upper parts and head are more of the black side. Noses of Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys are flat and established back from their muzzles. They are capable of giving out a set of sounds, often with the absence of facial expressions. In the wild, chorus-like vocalizations often happen.
They live in high forests, going to elevations of more or less 3,000m, but the Golden Snub-nosed Monkey goes down to lower territories during the winter season.
Studies done over the years (just recent) have educated the world on the behavioral and ecological aspects, but more research still needs to be accomplished. The Golden Snub-nosed Monkey is a social creature, forming groups of 20 to 30 during the harsh days of winter, and up to two hundred during summer. These groups would congregate further, forming bands reaching a number of 600. The family unit is made up of one male and on the average, 4 females. Of course, the newborns are included in there. During a moment of danger, they climb very fast up into the refuge of their trees...that is, assuming the predator is not a snake. (A snake could of course catch up with them, no matter how high the tree is).
The Golden Snub-nosed Monkey is capable of exhibiting mating inclination all throughout a year. A young comes out after a gestation of about seven months, and there had been occasions where 2 newborns were given life. Just like so many other kinds, the mother is the one tasked to the infant's rearing, but it is not impossible to find a male actually grooming the newborn.
The diet of these monkeys consists of firs, pine needles, but they could also survive on buds, bamboo shoots and even fruits, among others. One area which needs to be conclusively studied is the life expectancy, as of now, it is for all intents and purposed, unknown.
Interesting fact: A long time ago, the coat of these monkeys was thought of to defeat rheumatism, and only Manchurian officials were allowed to wear it.
The Common Treeshrew (Tupaia glis) has a long nose, and unlike squirrels, no long black whiskers. The Common Treeshrews differ from their relatives, as their tails are layered with long hair, they have an area of naked skin just above the nose, and an earlobe that is tinier than the ear's top area. The colors of the upper body could be any of a multitude of hues, such as red, ochre, brownish, olive and dark- but not exaxctly black, just dark.
They are diurnal creatures, but they use the bulk of the time at the ground and bush areas. Hungry or not, they are on search for food, constantly. Their diet comprises of insects, leaves and fruits. If a Common Treeshrew is eating, it would settle on its haunches, then manage the food via its front paws- very much like a squirrel. The social group is usually made up of a male, and he is accompanied by one to three females, but that's only a norm. A territory is well-set with both sexes interacting.
Their breeding occurs all throughout the year, and the litter size is can range from 1 to 3. The young are kept in an isolated place, and the parents just visits them to do feeding. Typically, sexual maturity of this shrew is attained at three months of age, for both genders.
Interesting fact: A long time ago, they had been categorized as insectivores, that or "primitive primates", but that was then. At present, they are under the order of "Scandentia".
Picture of the common treeshrew by User:Stavenn, licensed under GFDL
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Friday 11 January 2008
Mandrill - Mysterious primate from the West African jungle
There's quite a good chance to encounter Mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) in zoos, but in their natural habitat, the West African forests, these baboons are hardly studied and little is known about their behaviour. It's very hard to follow Mandrills through the undergrowth and moreover they are very shy and try to escape human observation immediately. A fact is, that adult, dominant males are among the most colourful mammals. Very impressive is the blue and red "warpaint" of their faces.
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Wednesday 09 January 2008
Philippine Tarsier - largest eyes on a mammal
The Philippine Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta) is a nocturnal creature, which exists only on the Philippines. It has the largest eyes relative to its body and head. Other species of tarsier exist on Borneo and Sumatra. The tarsier is the only primate that can turn their heads 180 degrees in each direction along with the primates in the genus Galago. What appears pitch black to humans can be seen by nocturnal animals, the reason is the structure of their nocturnal eyes. Read it here. Tarsiers are known to injure or kill themselves when caged (source).
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Tuesday 08 January 2008
Przewalski Horse - the national symbol of Mongolia
Also called the Mongolian Wild Horse, or Takhi, the Przewalski horses (Equus caballus przewalskii) became extinct in the wild in 1969. The worlds population of these horses all descend from 15 wild Przewalski horses captured in 1900. Read more about the re-introduction program here. The Przewalski horse has much shorter legs than a "normal" horse and are often striped. Some suggest that that reflects a common heritage with the zebra. The mane of the przewalski stands erect. "Fillies leave their natal groups around age two, and look for a herd to join, after which they will begin to breed. Colts are driven out when they are about three years old, and spend a year or two in small bachelor herds, practicing fighting. At around age 5, a stallion will try to pass on his genes by attempting to take over an existing herd, stealing one or more mares from another stallion's harem, or gathering unattached fillies." ( source )
Monday 07 January 2008
Emperor Tamarin - his name is a joke?
The Emperor Tamarin (Saguinus imperator) is, according to some sources, named after the German emperor Wilhelm II. It was first intended as a joke, because of the resemblance to the German emperor with his big mustache, but since then it is used as a scientific name for this animal. It lives in South America, in Peru, Bolivia and parts of Brazil. They are very light-weighted, so they can reach food at the far end of tree branches, which are unaccessable by heavier animals, including predators. The emperor tamarins display a need for tenderness when kept as a pet. They love to be stroked by hand and will actually lay on their backs in hopes of extra petting attention.
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Reaching a length of up to 100 cm and a weight of 35 kg, the African hunting dog (Lycaon pictus), which is also simply called Wild dog, is about the size of a small Wolf. Its fur is of dark colour, which is softened by yellowish, brownish and white spots. Its ears are etraordinarily large. At first glance there is a certain resemblance between African hunting dogs and Hyenas concerning the appearance. But they are not closely related to Hyenas except the fact that both are carnivores; African hunting dogs are "real" dogs, whereas the closest relatives of Hyenas are Viverrids.
Friday 04 January 2008
Maned wolf - Walking on stilts through the South American savannas
Somehow the name of this South American canid is a little confusing; the attractive inhabitants of grasslands are not closely related to wolves. More convincing is the first part of their name; Maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) wear a characteristic black mane, which can be erected, along their backs. The "aguara guazú", as the Maned wolf is called in South America, is one of the most beautiful canids because of its size, its reddish brown fur, its long dark legs, its white throat and tip of the tail and its conspicuous way of moving. As many other conspicuous animals, the Maned wolf plays a role in human myths and rituals. The native South American inhabitants use parts of the fur as amulets or during their religious ceremonies.
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Thursday 03 January 2008
Grey squirrel - facing "humane and targeted pest control"
Remember when the Eurasian Red Squirrel was the animal of the day? Here is a quick reminder with an excerpt of that entry:
"On the European mainland and in the UK and Ireland, populations decline through the competition with the Grey Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) which were introduced from North America." (full entry here)
The native red squirrels are outnumbered by 66 to 1 by the grey squirrels in the UK. The population of reds is declining, because they are 'squeezed out' by the greys. Now, the UK biodiversity minister Jim Knight proposed "humane and targeted pest control". "Many people love grey squirrels, but the reality is that they are a real problem for some of our most threatened native species," he said. Read more in this article on the BBC.
The gemsbok or gemsbuck (Oryx gazella) exists mostly in the southern part of East Africa and have been introduced in Mexico and the southwestern United States. Its name is actually derived from the German word for a male chamois, although they are not related. The Gemsbocks are known for their capability to last a long time without water. They have a special mechanism to loose heat quickly: they raise their body temperature to 45 degrees Celsius. Oryx gazella is the largest of the Oryx family of antelopes and are hunted by lions, cheetahs, leopards, spotted hyenas and African hunting dogs. Their conservation status is 'Lower risk - conservation dependent'.
They are scattered all over most of India, but the Small Indian civet (Viverricula indica) and can also be found in Pakistan, south China, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. Small Indian civets are like cats in appearance. For one, they have pronounced round ears, the body pelage's color differs. It could be from sand-color to gray-white. Spots are small at the spine area, all its legs are dark but spotted with white patches, its throat/breast areas possess gray-white coloring, and it weighs on the average around 3.4kgs.
The Small Indian civet is nocturnal and solitary. It is arboreal, that is to say, it climbs trees and stay there. However, when hunting, it opts for ground level. The Small Indian civet is basically omnivorous. Its diet consists of lizards, rodents, birds, insects and even eggs. They are polyestrous, and the newborns could be sighted at any time of the year, litter size would range from three to five. Longevity is about 22 years (in captivity).
Let us talk about the trapping of these civets (and its cousins), the trapping success is actually low, in one expert study/experiment done, only 3 of 400 trappings succeeded, for a pitiful rate of 0.75%, and as far as the rate with this civet is concerned, just about .25% turned out OK, and even the Indian Grey Mongoose dished out a .5% profile. (That may be bad news for humans, but that is good for them, I suppose).
To be more specific, a mature male was caught sometime in 1998, weighing at 2.5kgs. It was radio-collared (that means it was set free), and tracked by the experts for months. All of a sudden, the radio stopped working, and they assumed it was a battery failure, we can safely assume that this animal was never found again.
Interesting fact: The sexual maturity is often known in so many animals, but for the Small Indian civet, it is still unknown up to this day...
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The Babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa) is a very special member of the pig family. Up until now the relationship between the Babirusa and the other pig species hasn't been resolved completely. There are pieces of research, which suggest the conclusion, that it is closely related to Hippopotamuses, close relatives of pigs themselves. With its cylindrical body, its bristly skin, the small ears and the long snout, the Babirusa can be easily identified as a typical pig relative at least on the face of it, although its legs are extraordinarily long and thin. Babirusas reach lengths of about one metre and weigths of 100 kg - much less than the size of Wild boars.
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An Aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) can range from 1.3 to 1.65 meters in length, with a tail length of 15 centimeter, and its weight ranges from 30 to 145kgs. The Aoudads' outer coverings are red or sandy brown. Bother sexes have a heavy covering of hair at the throat's area, but for the male, this covers its front feet and chest. The Aoudad has very thick, triangular-based horns. Their horns have rings, and as the Aoudad gets older, worn down, which gives a smooth facade. They live in the rocky mountains of North Africa.
or discuss things in our Animal Forum
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For quite a long time the industrial way of producing in modern agriculture is at issue. Besides ethical questions, risen by intensive livestock farming, the momentary discussion focuses on actual threads to human beings, like BSE, and what measures have to be taken, if economical losses are feared, like in the debate about foot-and-mouth disease. Other consequences of the industrial organization of our agriculture are not at all discussed or just perceived peripherally. One of these issues is the fact that not only domestic animals, serving us with their meat, milk and eggs, are affected, but also wild living animals suffer from the changes in agriculture. The Griffon vulture is an example for these species. Its basis for living has been destroyed by the vanishing of the traditional forms of agriculture in the cultivated European landscapes.
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Somehow the name of this South American canid is a little confusing; the attractive inhabitants of grasslands are not closely related to wolves. More convincing is the first part of their name; 
Remember when the Eurasian Red Squirrel was the animal of the day? Here is a quick reminder with an excerpt of that entry: 
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