What a love of a rabbits!

Posted by yard127 in April 18th 2008

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The penguin picture

Posted by yard127 in April 18th 2008

The penguin picture

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The mantis picture

Posted by yard127 in April 18th 2008

The mantis picture

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SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX

Posted by yard127 in April 4th 2008

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

COMMON NAME:	scimitar-horned oryx
KINGDOM:	Animalia
PHYLUM:	Chordata
CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Artiodactyla
FAMILY:	Bovidae
GENUS SPECIES:	Oryx (antelope) dammah (fallow deer)

FAST FACTS

DESCRIPTION:

Medium-sized white antelope with brown neck and collar markings (may seasonal color change to a light brown); long horns curve backward

SIZE:

Height at shoulder = 0.9-1.36 m (3-4.5 ft)

WEIGHT:

205 kg (451 lbs)

DIET:

Browser, trees, fruit, shoots, grasses, herbs, and leaves

GESTATION:

8-10 months; one offspring per birth weighing 9-14.8 kg (20-33 lbs)

SEXUAL MATURITY:

1.5-2 years

LIFE SPAN:

Up to 20 years

RANGE:

North Africa

HABITAT:

Barren steppes, desert and sub-desert zones

POPULATION:

GLOBAL

No data

STATUS:	IUCN	Extinct in the wild
	CITES	Appendix I
	USFWS	Not listed

FUN FACTS

1.	Scimitar-horned oryx once inhabited the arid borders of the Sahara desert. Because of overhunting, the last wild oryx observed was seen in the late 1980’s. Fortunately, this species has been bred in zoos and today small groups have been introduced into northern central Africa. They have white coats that help to reflect the heat of the sun, broad hooves to prevent sinking into sand, and the ability to go for days without drinking, in part because they eat plants high in moisture. Scimitar-horned oryx are an important example of how humans can impact animal populations, both negatively and positively.

2.	Egyptians used to bind the horns of oryx together to make them appear like they had one horn. Soon their horns would grow together. This may be where the unicorn myths began.

3.	Oryx can go without water for several days, which is a great adaptation for a desert dweller.

4.	These animals usually live in herds of 20-40 individuals, but have been sighted at herds of 1000!

5.	Reintroduction of oryx in some areas is problematic because they are migratory animals, and move to vast pastures. Unfortunately, livestock or crops now occupy most pastures.

6.	They are mainly active at night and around dusk and dawn.

ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

While information on oryx is limited, they are important to the habitats where they live. As browsers these antelope help keep vegetation from becoming overgrown. They also serve as a food source for carnivores such as leopards, lions, birds of prey, and young baboons.Oryx numbers have dwindled because farmers shoot them. In addition, they suffer from habitat destruction and poachers.

In a cooperative effort with other AZA (American Association of Zoos and Aquariums) institutions, Busch Gardens closely manages scimitar-horned oryx populations through a program called the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which works to improve the genetic diversity of managed animal populations. Busch Gardens currently has 30 SSP animals.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Estes, Richard D. The Behavior Guide to African Mammals: Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates. Berkeley: University of California Press. 1991.

Estes, Richard D. The Safari Companion. Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company. 1993.

Nowak, Ronald M. Walker’s Mammals of the World Fifth Ed. Vol. II. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 1991.

Parker, Sybil P. ed. Grzimeks Encyclopedia: Mammals. Vol. 5. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co. 1990.

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SABLE ANTELOPE

Posted by yard127 in April 4th 2008

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

COMMON NAME:	sable antelope
KINGDOM:	Animalia
PHYLUM:	Chordata
CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Artiodactyla
FAMILY:	Bovidae
GENUS SPECIES:	Hippotragus (goat-like horse) niger (dark colored)

FAST FACTS

DESCRIPTION:
MALE	Male sable antelopes are glossy black except for white markings on their face and belly. They have a tufted tail and a slight mane and long horns that strongly curve backwards.
FEMALE	Females are reddish brown with smaller and less heavily ridged horns than males.

SIZE:
MALE	Shoulder height about 1.5 m (4.95 ft.)
FEMALE	Shoulder height about 1.3 m (4.29 ft.)

WEIGHT:
MALE	Approximately 235 kg (517 lb)
FEMALE	Approximately 220 kg (484 lb)

DIET:

Grazers - diet includes grasses, herbs, and foliage

GESTATION:

Gestation lasts approximately 9 months

SEXUAL MATURITY:

About 2.5 years

LIFE SPAN:

Up to 18 years

RANGE:

Southern Kenya, eastern Tanzania, and Mozambique to Angola and Southern Zaire (Miombo Woodland Zone)

HABITAT:

Inhabits savanna woodlands and grasslands during the dry season

POPULATION:

GLOBAL

Unknown

STATUS:	IUCN	Lower Risk/Conservation Dependent
	CITES	Species not listed; subspecies H. n. variani is listed as Appendix I
	USFWS	Species not listed; subspecies H .n. variani is listed as Endangered

FUN FACTS

1.	Sable congregate in herds of 15-20 individuals with matriarchal social structure. Within the group, the more dominant female is the leader. There is only one adult male (called a bull) in each herd. The juvenile males are exiled from the herd at about 3 years old.

2.	All the female calves remain. When the herd gets too large, it divides into smaller groups of cows and their young. These groups will form new herds, once again with only one adult bull.

3.	The young males, which have been separated from the herd, associate in “bachelor groups” of up to 12 individuals. Among the bachelors, the most dominant will be the first individual to join a new group of females when the position is open. Very seldom, during their fights for supremacy, are they able to inflict bodily harm to the contender.

4.	If threatened by a predator, including lions, they will confront it, using their scimitar-shaped horns. Many of these big cats have died during such fights.

5.	In Ernest Hemingway’s book, The Green Hills of Africa he describes the habits of sable antelope, which he used to hunt.

ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Despite their effectiveness, the sable’s horns have contributed to the sharp decline of the animal, being a highly prized hunting trophy. In addition to heavy hunting, numbers have been reduced severely as part of regional Tse-tse fly control programs. Their grassland habitat is being reduced due to habitat destruction for agricultural development. Antelope are important to their habitats as grazers and browsers. They are also important as prey for carnivores.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nowak, R. M. Walker’s Mammals of the World, Fifth Ed. Vol. II, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991.

Parker, Sybil P. Grzimek’s Encyclopedia: Mammals. Vol. 5, New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1990.

Spinage, C.A. The Natural History of Antelope. New York: Facts on File Publications, 1986.

http://www.nature.ca/notebooks/english/sableant.htm

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ROSS SEAL

Posted by yard127 in April 4th 2008

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

COMMON NAME:	Ross seal
KINGDOM:	Animalia
PHYLUM:	Chordata
CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Pinnipedia
FAMILY:	Phocidae
GENUS SPECIES:	Ommatophoca rossii

FAST FACTS

DESCRIPTION:

Ross seals look different than other seals. They have a smaller, wider head, and a short snout. They also have a small mouth and the shortest hair of any seal. Instead of being spotted like many other seal species, Ross seals have a streaked pattern on the sides of the neck and down the throat. Sometimes the streaked pattern resembles a mask.

SIZE:	May reach lengths of 2.5 m (ft.)
FEMALE	Females are typically larger than males

WEIGHT:

Weigh as much as 200 kg (lb.)

DIET:

Mainly feeds on squid; also includes krill (shrimp-like crustaceans) and fishes

GESTATION:	Approximately 11 months; includes a 2.5 to 3 month period of delayed implantation
ESTRAL PERIOD	Typically at the end of lactation
NURSING DURATION	Approximately 28 days (wean)

SEXUAL MATURITY:

Averages 4 years

LIFE SPAN:

Unknown

RANGE:

In and around Antarctica

HABITAT:

Mainly found deep within heavy pack ice. Also found on island coasts in the winter (during the Astral summer).

POPULATION:

GLOBAL

Unknown

STATUS:	IUCN	Lower Risk/least concern
	CITES	Not listed
	USFWS	Not listed

FUN FACTS

1.	Ross seals belong to the scientific order Pinnipedia, which includes seals, sea lions, and walruses.

2.	Seals differ from sea lions in a number of ways, including having no visible earflaps.

3.	Antarctic seals tend to have longer, more pointed foreflippers than northern phocids.

4.	Ross seals are named for James Clark Ross, the commander of the H.M.S. Erebus, a British exploration ship that entered the Ross Sea during a period of Antarctic exploration from 1839 to 1843.

5.	Ross seals are known to make distinctive warbling and trilling calls in displays to attract mates and as a threat.

ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Ross seals are thought to number the fewest among Antarctic seal species. Antarctic seals, including the crabeater, leopard, Weddell, Ross, southern elephant, and Antarctic fur seals, are protected by the Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Seals.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bonner, N. Seals and Sea Lions of the World. New York. Facts on File, Inc. 2004.

Byrum, J. Pinnipeds From Pole to Pole: Seals, Sea Lions and Walruses. SeaWorld Education Department Publication. San Diego. SeaWorld, Inc. 2000.

Jefferson, T.J. Leatherwood, S. and M.A. Webber. FAO Species Identification Guide. Marine Mammals of the World. Rome. FAO, 1993.

Nowak, Ronald M. (ed.). Walker’s Marine Mammals of the World. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2003.

Parker, S. (ed.). Grizmek’s Encyclopedia of Mammals. Vol. IV. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., 1990.

Reeves, R. R., Stewart, B.S., Clapman, P.J., and J.A. Powell (Peter Folkens illustrator). National Audubon Society: Guide to Marine Mammals of the World. New York: Random House, 2002.

Reeves, R.R., Stewart, B.S. and S. Stephen. The Sierra Club Handbook of Seals and Sirenians. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books, 1992.

Ridgway, S.H. and R.J. Harrison (Eds). Handbook of Marine Mammals: Volume 2: Seals. London. Academic Press, 1981.

Riedman, M. The Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions and Walruses. Berkeley and Los Angeles. University of California Press. 1990.

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ROCK HYRAX

Posted by yard127 in April 4th 2008

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

COMMON NAME:	rock hyrax, hyrax, dassie
KINGDOM:	Animalia
PHYLUM:	Chordata
CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Hyracoidea
FAMILY:	Procaviidae
GENUS SPECIES:	Procavia (before rodent) capensis (of the Cape)

FAST FACTS

DESCRIPTION:

The hyrax is a small, tailless, rodent-like animal with a long body and stout legs

SIZE:

Approximately 44-54 cm (18-22 in.)

WEIGHT:

1.8-5.4 kg (4-12 lb.)

DIET:

Feeds mainly on a variety of grasses and some shrubs; can even feed on plants normally dangerous to other animals

GESTATION:

Gestation lasts approximately 210-240 days; 2-3 young

SEXUAL MATURITY:

Approximately 16-18 months

LIFE SPAN:

Generally 9-14 years

RANGE:

Africa

HABITAT:

Inhabits rocky or scrub-covered areas; shelter between and under rocks as well as in burrows

POPULATION:

GLOBAL

Unknown

STATUS:	IUCN	Not listed
	CITES	Not listed
	USFWS	Not listed

FUN FACTS

1.	Hyraxes are unique in that the iris slightly protrudes over the pupil of their eye. This decreases the amount of light to the eye from above, serving as a built-in sun visor.

2.	Rock hyraxes are able to climb on steep rock surfaces because of physical adaptations on their feet. They are capable of retracting up the center portion of their feet into a concave dome, which creates a vacuum like suction to solid surfaces and aides in their climbing ability.

3.	Hyraxes have long hairs scattered over their bodies. The hairs probably help orient hyraxes in dark areas and burrows, similar to whiskers.

4.	Rock hyraxes live in groups ranging from 2-26 individuals. A dominant male that watches over the colony carefully to ensure their safety leads the group.

5.	Hyraxes have little control of their body temperature and cannot exist without shelter from cold and heat. Instead, they use the environment to regulate their temperature.

6.	The hyrax’s wide mouth and sharp teeth enable it to take large bites of grass and quickly fill its stomach. Eating rapidly and spending less time on open grazing land lessens its exposure to predators.

7.	Hyraxes are considered a close relative of the elephant because of similarities with the primitive Eocene ungulates from which elephants and sea cows are thought to have developed. Some of these similarities include: males testes within the abdomen; female mammary glands between the front legs; and tusks developed from incisors, rather than canines; resemblance in dentition and foot structure.

8.	Verbal communication consists of a variety of different calls, but most startling are the territory and defense calls. Some scientists have likened them to a woman screaming!

9.	Face-to-face meetings with a direct stare are apt to provoke low-level threat with a retracted upper lip and raised dorsal hair. This can escalate to growling and then chasing, snapping and biting. The tusks can inflict fatal wounds. To avoid confrontations, feeding or huddling hyraxes will face slightly away from each other in a fan pattern and will back into a huddle or den.

ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Hyraxes are a food source for many other animals larger than themselves, such as leopards, eagles, mongooses, lions, and jackals. In fact, the Verreaux eagle feeds almost exclusively on them. Hyraxes have a high concentration of calcium carbonate in their urine and at one time these crystalline deposits were collected for medicinal value.

Deforestation and the fur trade, make them the most rare of all hyrax species.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Estes, R. D. The Safari Companion. Vermont: Chelsea Green Publishing Company, 1993.

Estes, R. The Behavior Guide to African Mammals. 1991. University of California Press, pp. 250-7.

Gotch, A.F. Mammals- Their Latin Names Explained. Great Britain: Blandford Press,1979.

Grzimek, H.C. Grzimek’s Encyclopedia of Mammals. Vol. 4. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1990.

MacDonald, D. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Vol. 2. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1985.

Nowak, R. M. Walker’s Mammals of the World. Fifth Edition. Vol. 2. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991.

Sanderson, Ivan T. Living Mammals of the World. New York: Doubleday and Company Inc., 1961.

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ROAN ANTELOPE

Posted by yard127 in April 4th 2008

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

COMMON NAME:	roan antelope
KINGDOM:	Animalia
PHYLUM:	Chordata
CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Artiodactyla
FAMILY:	Bovidae
GENUS SPECIES:	Hippotragus (goat-like horse) equinus (a horse)

FAST FACTS

DESCRIPTION:	One of the largest African antelopes, the roan antelope has a gray coat with black and white facial markings, very long, pointed ears that are tufted at tip, and long horns that are strongly curved backwards.
FEMALE	The female is similar to the male, but with smaller, less heavily ridged horns.

SIZE:
MALE	Shoulder height to about 1.4 m (4.62 ft.)
FEMALE	Shoulder height to about 1.3 m (4.29 ft.)

WEIGHT:

Approximately 270 kg (594 lb.)

DIET:

Grazers - includes desert succulents, grasses, herbs, and leaves of small bushes

GESTATION:

Gestation lasts approximately 9 months

SEXUAL MATURITY:

2.5-3 years

LIFE SPAN:

Up to 18 years

RANGE:

Central Africa

HABITAT:

Inhabits lightly wooded savanna and tall grass

POPULATION:

GLOBAL

Unknown

STATUS:	IUCN	Lower Risk/Conservation Dependent
	CITES	Not listed
	USFWS	Not listed

FUN FACTS

1.	Roans congregate in herds of up to 20 individuals with a very characteristic social structure. Within the group, the more dominant female is the leader. There is only one adult male (called a bull) in each herd. The juvenile males are exiled from the herd at about 3 years old.

2.	All the female calves remain. When the herd gets too large, it divides into smaller groups of cows and their young. These groups will form new herds, once again with only one adult bull.

3.	The young males, which have been separated from the herd, associate in “bachelor groups” of up to 12 individuals. Among the bachelors, the most dominant will be the first individual to join a new group of females when the position is open. Very seldom, during their fights for supremacy, they are able to inflict bodily harm to the contender.

4.	Roan antelope are brave animals. If threatened by a predator, including lions, they will confront it, using their scimitar-shaped horns. Many of these big cats have died during such fights.

5.	Roan vocalization is an unusual whistle. Three basic sounds having been recorded: a high-pitched squeal signifying anger, an equine snort for alarm, and a low hissing sound when wounded.

ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Related to the Blaaubok, an extinct southern African antelope, the future looks good for the roan, despite declining numbers.

These antelope have been hunted for their meat and skin. Despite their effectiveness, the roan’s horns have contributed to the sharp decline of the animal, being a highly prized hunting trophy. In addition to heavy hunting, numbers have been reduced severely as part of regional Tse-tse fly control programs. Their grassland habitat is being reduced due to habitat destruction for agricultural development. Antelope are important to their habitats as grazers and browsers. They are also important as prey for carnivores.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nowak, R. M. Walker’s Mammals of the World, Fifth Ed. Vol. II, Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1991.

Parker, S. P. Grzimek’s Encyclopedia: Mammals. Vol. 5, New York: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1990.

Spinage, C.A. The Natural History of Antelope. New York: Facts on File Publications, 1986.

Marwell Zoological Park. http://www.marwell.org.uk/anim-27.htm

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RING-TAILED LEMUR

Posted by yard127 in April 4th 2008

SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION

COMMON NAME:	ring-tailed lemur
KINGDOM:	Animalia
PHYLUM:	Chordata
CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Primates
FAMILY:	Lemuridae
GENUS SPECIES:	Lemur (ghost, specter) catta (cat)

FAST FACTS

DESCRIPTION:	A small primate with a conspicuous black and white banded tail.
MALE	Males have a fingernail-like spur near each wrist that emit a strong scent for marking territories.

SIZE:

Tail length = 599 mm (23.6 in)

WEIGHT:
MALE	2705 grams (95.4 ounces)
FEMALE	2678 grams (94.5 ounces)

DIET:

70% fruit, 25% leaves; 5% flowers

GESTATION:

Approximately 134-138 days; typically one offspring, two when food is plentiful; mating season is from August through September

SEXUAL MATURITY:

21-30 months

LIFE SPAN:

Average approximately 27 years

RANGE:

Madagascar

HABITAT:

Scrub, spiney dessert, dry, and gallery

POPULATION:

GLOBAL

Unknown

STATUS:	IUCN	Not listed
	CITES	Appendix I
	USFWS	Endangered

FUN FACTS

1.	Ring-tailed lemurs are the most terrestrial of all lemurs, spending a great deal of time on the ground instead of the trees. Males often have “stink fights” in which they wave their tales (having been rubbed on the strong-smelling wrist gland) at one another.

2.	When territory or other disputes take place within a society, female lemurs always win.

3.	Ring-tailed lemurs do not have a stable hierarchy. In fact this species is the only primate in which the infants “grapple” for dominance.

4.	Males scent mark by rubbing the spur on the male’s forearm on the scent gland of the inner arm, then use it to scar branches and leave their scent behind.

5.	A female lemur carries her newborn in her mouth until the baby is able to cling to the fur on mother’s stomach or back.

ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION

Ring-tailed lemurs are the only primate in Madagascar to make extensive use of the ground. In addition, they range farther into the interior highlands of Madagascar than any other lemur species. This is an important example of the amazing adaptive radiation of primates exclusive to the island. With the widespread decrease of these primates, Madagascar faces the threat of losing a species, which fills an important ecological role.

Ring-tailed lemurs numbers are declining rapidly due to continuous deforestation for the logging industry and plantations as well as slash and burn agriculture. This species can only survive in primary vegetation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Macdonald, David. 1984. The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Vol. 1. Equinox Ltd., London.

Mittermeier,RA. 1994. The Lemurs of Madagascar. Conservation International. Washington, DC.

Norwak, Ronald M. 1991. Walkers: Mammals of the World. 5th ed. Vol. 1. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

Preston-Mafham, Rod and Ken. 1999. Primates of the World. Sterling Pub., New York.

Rowe, Noel. 1996. The Pictorial Guide to the Living Primates. Pogonios Press, NY.

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REEVE’S MUNTJAC

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