Tag Archives: Africa

An indri is an exotic lemur of Madagascar.

• Indris are primates, as well as the biggest extant lemur, and are native to Africa’s largest island, Madagascar.
• Indris have the scientific name Indri indri, and are from the family Indriidae, the family of strepsirrhine primates of large and medium lemurs.
• ‘Indris’ are also known as ‘babakotos’, meaning ‘father’ in the Malagasy language, and they are preyed on by snakes, birds of prey and fossas.
• Indris can make sounds that are song-like, that have been compared to those of whales and can be projected for over three minutes, while roars, hums, wheezes and grunts are also common noises.
• The diet of an indri mainly consists of recently sprouted leaves, as well as fruit, flowers and seeds and they spend most of their time in trees.

Indri
Image courtesy of Frank Vassen/Flickr

• Although protected in national parks, indris are endangered on a critical level due to habitat loss from logging and agricultural practices, much of which occurs illegally, as well as poaching.
• Indris are typically considered sacred by native folk to the area, and are often depicted in legends associated with humans.
• Indris can grow to be 64 to 72 centimetres (25 to 28 inches) in height and generally weigh 6 to 9.5 kilograms (13 to 21 pounds).
• Indris have fur typically coloured in a combination of white, grey and black or brown, and usually have distinct areas of colour.
• Indris typically live to be 15 to 22 years in the wild, while barely surviving in captivity, and they reproduce one baby at a time.

Bibliography:
Indri, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/indri/

Indri, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indri

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Mandrills are bright, colourful and… unique.

• Mandrills are the largest extant species of monkey, and are native to regions of western Africa, in mostly forest habitats.
• Mandrills have the scientific name Mandrillus sphinx, and are from the family Cercopithecidae, the family of Old World monkeys.
• A mandrill has a dark coloured fur coat, white underbelly, red and blue face and a brightly multi-coloured backside.
• Mandrills typically grow to be 55 to 95 centimetres (22 to 37 inches) in length and weigh 10 to 37 kilograms (22 to 82 pounds).
• A mandrill’s diet mainly consists of vegetation such as fruit, bark, leaves and twigs; invertebrates including insects, spiders and snails, as well as frogs, birds, rodents and eggs.

Mandrill
Image courtesy of Heather Paul/Flickr

• Mandrills are preyed on by leopards, as well as the occasional crown eagle and python, and they have a typical lifespan of 20 years, although it can range up to 31 years in captivity.
• Mandrills live in troops of up to 1,300 individuals, but typically this number is closer to 600, often with a dominant male, although males often live alone.
• Female mandrills generally give birth to a single young approximately every two years; and the mother generally takes care of the baby.
• Mandrills can make various noises including grunts, roars, screeches and crow-like sounds.
• Due to the illegal removal of forest habitats and the killing of the animal for bushmeat, mandrills are classified as a vulnerable species.

Bibliography:
Mandrill, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/mandrill/

Mandrill, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandrill

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Western gorillas are endangered giants.

• Western gorillas consist of two primate subspecies and are found in the tropical woodlands of western to central parts of Africa.
• Western gorillas have the scientific name Gorilla gorilla and are from the family Hominidae, the family of great apes.
• Western gorillas typically have black or grey coloured hair, and the upper head is generally brown.
• Western gorillas can grow to be 1.4 to 1.7 metres (4.7 to 5.5 feet) in length and generally weigh between 80 to 200 kilograms (220 to 440 pounds).
• Western gorillas move at speeds of 40 kilometres per hour (25 miles per hour) and they show capabilities of tool using.

Western Gorilla
Image courtesy of LaggedOnUser/Flickr

• Western gorillas have a slow rate of reproduction, usually only having a single offspring per birth; the mother cares for the young for three to four years; and fatalities are common in the early years.
• The diet of western gorillas primarily consists of vegetation including leaves, bark, fruit and nuts, as sometimes insects, rodents and lizards are consumed, and they are sometimes preyed on by leopards and crocodiles.
• Western gorillas usually reside in troops of two to twenty gorillas, and have a lifespan of approximately 35 to 40 years in the wild, and up to 54 years in captivity.
• Western gorillas are critically endangered due to poaching, habitat removal and viruses, and the population of the western lowland gorilla subspecies is said to be less than 200,000 and the Cross River gorilla subspecies is believed to have 300 or less.
• Western gorillas use vegetation to make nests on the ground or in trees, that they sleep in, and they usually build a new nest each day.

Bibliography:
Csomos R, Gorilla gorilla, 2008, Animal Diversity Web, http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Gorilla_gorilla/

Western Gorilla, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/western-gorilla/

Western Gorilla, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_gorilla

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Okapis are weird and wonderful creatures.

• Okapis are solitary mammals that are endemic to central Africa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s rainforest habitats, and they are a prominent symbol of the country.
• Okapis have fur coloured red to brown, and the legs are striped black and white like a zebra.
• ‘Okapis’ are also known as ‘forest giraffes’ and ‘zebra giraffes’, and have the scientific name Okapia johnstoni.
• Okapis are one of two living species from the family Giraffidae, the family of giraffes, and they have a longer neck than other similar shaped animals, and the males have short horns that look similar to those of a giraffe.
• An okapi has a long tongue that can be up to 45 centimetre (18 inches) long, that is used for face cleaning and grabbing vegetation.

Okapi
Image courtesy of David/Flickr

• Okapis range from 1.5 to 2 metres (4.9 to 6.6 feet) in height and 200 to 350 kilograms (440 to 770 pounds) in weight.
• Okapis are shy creatures that live in remote areas, and are rarely seen in the wild by humans, and they have a lifespan of around 20 to 30 years.
• Okapis eat only vegetation, including leaves, fruit, fungus and grass, although they also consume red coloured clay for its mineral and salt content.
• Okapis are a protected species, and due to dwindling numbers by poaching and habitat loss, in 2013 they were classified as endangered.
• Around 175 okapis can be found in captivity in zoos across the globe, some of which are involved in their conservation.

Bibliography:
Okapi, 2014, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/okapi/

Okapi, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okapi

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