Tag Archives: Mammal

Indri

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Indri

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.
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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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Mandrill

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Mandrill

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.
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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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Chamois

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Chamois

Is a chamois a mountain climbing goat or antelope?

  • Chamois are mammals originating in Europe’s mountainous habitats, and they have an appearance similar to a goat and antelope.
  • Chamois are one of two species in the Rupicapra genus and they have the scientific name Rupicapra rupicapra.
  • The diet of a chamois consists of vegetation including grass, bark, herbs, leaves and shrubs, and they are generally 70 to 80 centimetres (28 to 31 inches) in height and weigh between 25 to 60 kilograms (55 to 132 pounds).
  • Chamois are part of the subfamily Caprinae, or group of caprids or goat-antelopes that includes domestic sheep and goats, that in turn, are from the Bovidae family, the family of horned and cloven hoofed mammals.
  • A chamois is typically brown to grey or black in colour with black and white prominent markings, including a black stripe on its back, and the fur colour changes according to the seasons.
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Chamois
Image courtesy of Umberto Nicoletti/Flickr
  • Female chamois generally live with their young in small groups of up to 30, although in winter they can reach numbers of up to 100; while the mostly solitary males attract these females by engaging in fellow male duels.
  • The lifespan of a chamois ranges from 15 to 17 years, and up to 22 in captivity, with main predators being lynxes, eagles, brown bears and wolves.
  • Chamois are hunted for their meat, fur and/or hide, while the latter is used to make smooth, liquid-absorbing leather known by the same name, although hunting is typically illegal.
  • Chamois can leap up to 2 metres (6.6 feet) high and 6 metres (20 ft) in length, and can move at speeds of 50 kilometres per hour (31 miles per hour).
  • Eight chamois originating from Austria,were deliberately introduced into the mountain regions of the South Island of New Zealand in the Pacific in 1907, with another two in 1914, and they have been legally hunted there since 1930.
Bibliography:
Chamois, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/chamois/
Chamois, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamois
Huffman, B, Rupicapra rupicapra: Chamois, 2004, Ultimate Ungulate, http://www.ultimateungulate.com/artiodactyla/rupicapra_rupicapra.html

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Woolly Mammoth

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Woolly Mammoth

There is a lot of information about the extinct woolly mammoth.

  • Woolly mammoths are large, extinct mammals from prehistoric northern Europe, Asia and America, that are said to be relatives of Asian Elephants.
  • Woolly mammoths have the scientific name of Mammuthus primigenius and are one of ten species of mammoth from the family Elephantidae, the family of elephants and mammoths.
  • Woolly mammoths reached 1.8 to 4 metres (6 to 13 feet) in height and weighed up to 4 to 8 tonnes (4.4 to 8.8 tons); had dark hair coats coloured mostly black or brown; as well as small ears and short tails that reduced the chance of frostbite.
  • Woolly mammoths boast some of the most collected data of all prehistoric animals, due to extensive skeletons, preserved bodies, fossils and cave depictions.
  • Woolly mammoths had two long, sloped tusks that grew to be 1.5 to 4.2 metres (5 to 14 feet) in length, and three quarters were generally visible, while the tusks were probably used for defense and species fighting in the form of hitting.
Woolly Mammoth Royal BC Museum, Victoria, British Columbia, Fake, Replication, Musuem, Ten Random Facts, Flickr, MammalReplica of a Woolly Mammoth
Image courtesy of Rob Pongsajapan/Flickr
  • Woolly mammoths lived in large herds similar to today’s elephants, while weak and young mammoths were preyed on by pack dog species and large animals from the cat family, and the typical life span ranged from 25 to 80 years.
  • The diet of woolly mammoths probably consisted of vegetation including shrubs, trees, fruit, moss, nuts and smaller plants.
  • Woolly mammoths are often depicted in ancient cave paintings, while the bones were used by people to create human shelters and the tusks made into weapons and tools.
  • Woolly mammoths probably became extinct due to hunting and habitat changes, and the last mammoths probably lived isolated in the Arctic Ocean on Wrangel Island.
  • Some frozen woolly mammoths contain DNA that could possibly be extracted and cloned, although this popular theory is controversial, due to financial costs and ethical issues.
Bibliography:
Woolly Mammoth, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/woolly-mammoth/
Woolly Mammoth, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woolly_mammoth

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Sun Bear

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Sun Bear

Sun bears are not bright and happy when threatened.

  • Sun bears are mammals native to Southeast Asian tropical forests that typically live by themselves in trees, where they make themselves nests that they rest in.
  • Sun bears have the scientific name Helarctos malayanus and are from the family Ursidae, the family of bears, and there are two subspecies – Herlarctos malayanus malayanus (Malayan) and Herlarctos malayanus euryspilus (Bornean).
  • ‘Sun bears’ are also known as ‘dog bears’, due to their facial features resembling those of a dog, ‘honey bears’ and ‘Malay bears’.
  • A sun bear’s fur is typically coloured black, and it can also have grey, brown, red, orange or yellow markings, especially on the upper body under the neck, where there is crescent which is interpreted as a sunrise.
  • Sun bears are the smallest species of bear, and they range from 120 to 150 centimetres (4 to 5 feet) in height and grow to be 27 to 70 kilograms (60 to 150 pounds) in weight.
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Sun Bear
Image courtesy of Ryan Poplin/Flickr
  • The diet of sun bears mainly consists of insects including ants and termites, as well as fruit, but they also consume birds, eggs, larvae, rodents, nuts, reptiles and honey, while smaller foods are reached via a 20 to 25 centimetre (7.9 to 9.8 inch) long tongue.
  • Sun bears have litters of one or two cubs that are born blind and without hair, and they have a lifespan that ranges from 15 to 30 years.
  • Sun bears are classified as vulnerable due to logging illegally in forest habitats and poaching.
  • Sun bears are preyed on by snakes, some large mammals from the cat family and birds of prey.
  • Sun bears can move at speeds of 48 kilometres per hour (30 miles per hour) and are very fast climbers.
Bibliography:
Sun Bear, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/sun-bear/
Sun Bear, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/sun-bear/
Sun Bear, 2014, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/sun-bear
Sun Bear, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun_bear

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Beaver

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Beaver

Do you beaver around a lot?

  • Beavers are rodents that are generally active at night, and their habitat is primarily water bodies in forest areas of North America, Europe and Asia.
  • Beavers spend significant quantities of time constructing and maintaining dams and other aquatic structures like lodges, that provide protection and housing, as well as water movement that allows resources to float, and they use trees that they cut down with their sharp teeth, as well as rocks, other vegetation and mud as their building materials.
  • Beavers have the scientific name Castor, while they are the only living members of the family Castoridae, and there are two extant species of beaver – Castor fiber which is known as the Eurasian species, and Castor canadensis, the North American species.
  • Beavers are able to move easily in water, and their diet consists of vegetation, particularly material from a variety of trees, including bark, leaves and twigs, as well as aquatic plants and sedges.
  • Beavers grow to lengths of 60 to 120 centimetres (23 to 47 inches), making them the second largest rodent on earth, and weigh 16 to 27 kilograms (35 to 60 pounds).
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Beavers
Image courtesy of flinchlake2000/Flickr
  • Beavers have beige, red-brown, brown, almost black, or grey fur; the back feet are webbed; they have see-through eyelids; and a flat tail that acts like a rudder and provides a loud warning when slapped against water.
  • Beavers live in families in their lodges that consist of as many as ten rodents, and they are preyed on by wolves, bears and lynxes, and the animal has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years, although they can live up to 24 years.
  • Beavers body parts have been used in traditional medicine; the secretions from their castor sacs or scent glands are used in the perfume industry and as a flavouring for food; and the fur coat is a commonly poached item.
  • It is illegal to hunt or kill beavers in some countries and areas, while in other places, including parts of the United States, it is legal to trap or shoot the animal.
  • When introduced without sufficient predators, beavers can overrun habitats, causing extensive forest removal, landscape change and water flow changes, as well as other problems, and they can be a pest on farms and properties.
Bibliography:
Beaver, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/beaver/
Beaver, 2014, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/beaver/
Beaver, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaver

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