Tag Archives: Mammal

Binturong

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Binturong

Binturongs are mysterious hide-a-way animals.

  • Binturongs are mammals of medium stature found in the southern and southeastern forest habitats of Asia.
  • Binturongs are also known as ‘Asian civets’, ‘Malay civet cats’, ‘Asian bearcats’, and ‘bearcats’, however, they are unrelated to both cats or bears.
  • The word ‘binturong’ comes from a language no longer used, and as a result its original meaning has been lost; while the scientific name of the animal is Arctictus binturong, from the family Viverridae, the family of viverrids that includes civets and genets.
  • Binturongs have fur that is mostly black, with touches of grey, brown and white, and their long tail is prehensile or ‘able to grasp’.
  • Binturongs range from 60 to 96 centimetres (24 to 38 inches) in length, with their tail almost as long, and they weigh 10 to 22 kilograms (22 to 49 pounds).
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Binturong
Image courtesy of Trisha Shears/Flickr
  • Binturongs generally live in trees, and commonly climb up and down them, as they have poor jumping skills.
  • The diet of binturongs consists primarily of fish, birds, insects, worms, fruit, and the occasional small mammal.
  • Binturongs generally have litters of one to three cubs, that live up to 25 years, and the mammal is preyed on by leopards, snakes and tigers.
  • Binturongs are listed as a vulnerable threatened species, due to poaching, hunting for food purposes, and habitat losses.
  • Binturongs or not commonly seen in their natural habitats, and are often only recorded by photography traps.
Bibliography:
Binturong, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/binturong/
Binturong, 2015, San Diego Zoo, http://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/binturong
Binturong, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binturong

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Mongoose

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Mongoose

Watch the sneaky mongoose.

  • Mongooses are a family of mammals with the scientific name Herpestidae, and they are native to Asian, African and some European habitats.
  • The family of mongooses consists of just over 30 species, most of which are called such, although the species also include meerkats and kusimanses.
  • ‘Mongoose’ comes from the word ‘mungūs’, from the Indian Marathi language, and ‘mungoose’ is an alternative spelling for the word.
  • Mongooses, depending on the species, typically grow to heights of 18 to 120 centimetres (7 to 47 inches), and weigh 0.3 to 5 kilograms (0.7 to 11 pounds).
  • The diet of a mongoose consists primarily of lizards, insects, snakes, small mammals like rodents, eggs, birds and worms, and at times, nuts and fruit.
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Mongoose
Image courtesy of Tambako The Jaguar/Flickr
  • Some species of female mongoose give birth to their pups all at the same time, and this decreases the likelihood of infanticide.
  • Mongooses can be kept as pets, although it is illegal in many countries where they could become a pest and cause environmental damage, and reduce numbers of native animals.
  • Some species of mongoose live in burrows that have been deserted or they have made, and they either live by themselves, or in groups, depending on the species.
  • The fur of a mongoose is typically coloured a combination of brown, tan and grey, and the animal has a long tail.
  • Mongooses are preyed on by snakes, large birds and jackals, and live to be around 10 to 15 years.
Bibliography:
Mongoose, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/mongoose/
Mongoose, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/mongoose/
Mongoose, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongoose

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Pademelon

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Pademelon

Have you ever heard of a pademelon?

  • Pademelons are nocturnal marsupials that generally live in bushland habitats in coastal areas, and are native to Australia and some nearby islands, including Papua New Guinea.
  • The scientific name of a pademelon is Thylogale, and it is from the family Macropodidae, the family of kangaroos and wallabies.
  • Pademelons are very similar to their cousins, the kangaroo and wallaby, although they are of a smaller size, and have a comparatively larger diameter tail, that also has a shorter length.
  • Pademelons generally make their home in thick bush, jungle, forests and scrubby habitats, as well as swampy areas, and they usually spend their time alone.
  • There are seven species of pademelon, and the colour of their fur is usually a combination of brown, red, black and grey.

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Pademelon
Image courtesy of JJ Harrison/Flickr
  •  Pademelons have a life span of four to eight years, and historically they were hunted by early settlers and indigenous Australians, for both meat and fur.
  • The height of pademelons typically range from 42 to 52 centimetres (16.5 to 20.5 inches) and they weigh 3.5 to 12 kilograms (7.7 to 26 pounds).
  • The diet of pademelons consists primarily of vegetation such as grass, leaves, berries and shoots, and they are preyed on by foxes and dogs.
  • A female pademelon has a pouch that holds its baby once born, and the baby, called a ‘joey’, only leaves the pouch after six months of age.
  • While three species of pademelons are listed as ‘least concern’, four of the species, located in Papua New Guinea, are listed as vulnerable or endangered, and numbers have been declining, mostly due to hunting for food purposes and loss of habitat.
Bibliography:
Pademelon, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/pademelon/
Pademelon, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pademelon

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Raccoon

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Raccoon

Did you see the sneaky raccoon pass by a few minutes ago?

  • Raccoons, also known as ‘common’, ‘North American’ and ‘north’, are mammals native to forests of North America, although they are found in other areas, as they readily adapt to their environment.
  • The scientific name of a racoon is Procyon lotor, and it is from the family Procyonidae, the family of some New World mammals, and there are up to 22 subspecies of the animal.
  • Raccoons generally grow to be 40 to 71 centimetres (16 to 28 inches) in length and weigh 2 to 10.4 kilograms (4 to 23 pounds).
  • The face of a raccoon features a black mask, so the animal is sometimes called a ‘masked bandit’; and its fur is mostly coloured white and grey, and occasionally brown.
  • Raccoons have uniquely sensitive front paws, and the mammal has sharp hearing and smelling senses.

Raccoon, Animal, Mammal, Family, Captive, Ten Random Facts, Flickr

Raccoon
Image courtesy of Daniel Spiess/Flickr
  • Raccoons typically give birth in spring, to as many as seven kits at a time, with an average of five; and they have an average lifespan of 12 to 16 years.
  • The intelligence of a raccoon can allow the mammal to open somewhat complex locking devices, and have a memory that lasts three years, and it can also untie or unscrew objects.
  • The diet of raccoons typically consists of insects, eggs, fish, berries and nuts, while birds and mammals are sometimes eaten.
  • Raccoons live in trees or rock shelters, sometimes venturing into urbanised habitats where they are often considered a pest; and they have been introduced into Asia’ Japan and some European countries.
  • Historically, raccoons have been hunted for their fur, as well as for food, and some communities still use them for meat.
Bibliography:
Raccoon, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/raccoon/
Raccoon, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/raccoon/
Raccoon, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon

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Elephant Seal

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Elephant Seal

Don’t let an elephant seal squash you.

  • Elephant seals are two species of seal, the ‘northern’ and the ‘southern’, native to Pacific Ocean coastal waters of North and Central America, and coastal waters of the Southern Hemisphere, respectively.
  • The scientific name of an elephant seal is Mirounga, and it is from the family Phocidae, the family of earless or true seals, and it is also known as a ‘sea elephant’.
  • Elephant seals can grow to be 3 to 6.1 metres (10 to 20 feet) in length, and weigh 900 to 4,000 kilograms (2,000 to 8,800 pounds).
  • Elephant seals can hold their breath for up to two hours or more, which exceeds the time of any other marine mammal.
  • The diet of elephant seals primarily consists of fish, squid, eels, sharks and skates, and they are preyed on by sharks and orcas.
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A Northern Elephant Seal
Image courtesy of Frank Schulenburg/Flickr
  • Elephant seals have a greater blubber layer than fur, which traps body heat and protects the animal from the cold; and they shed their skin each year, and remain on land for a couple of months as it regrows.
  • Mature female elephant seals usually give birth to one pup annually, and they have a lifespan typically ranging from 14 to 22 years.
  • Although classified as ‘least concern’, elephant seals are threatened by collisions with boats and fisheries, as well as rubbish and wreck entanglements; and the mammal has been previously hunted to dangerously low populations, but they have been protected since 1972 in the United States.
  • Elephant seals are generally coloured a combination of brown, grey, black and tan in colour, and the males feature a nose similar to an elephant trunk, hence their common name.
  • Elephant seals can dive to depths of over 2,300 metres (7,546 feet), although 300 to 600 metres (984 to 1,968 feet) is the average.
Bibliography:
Elephant Seal, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/elephant-seal/
Elephant Seal, 2015, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com.au/animals/mammals/elephant-seal/
Elephant Seal, 2015, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_seal


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Crab-eating Macaque

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Crab-eating Macaque

Crab-eating macaques are not so fascinated by crabs.

  • Crab-eating macaques are medium-sized monkeys originating in jungle and forest areas, generally with nearby water access, in Asia’s south-east.
  • ‘Crab-eating macaques’ are also known as ‘long-tailed macaques’, ‘java monkeys’ and ‘cynomolgus monkeys’.
  • Crab-eating macaques have the scientific name Macaca fascicularis, being from the family Cercopithecidae, the family of Old World monkeys, and the species includes ten subspecies.
  • The typical size of a crab-eating macaque is 38 to 55 centimetres (15 to 22 inches) in height and they generally weigh between 3 to 9 kilograms (6.6 to 20 pounds).
  • Crab-eating macaques most often live in troops with four to twenty others of their own species, and the group commonly contains more females than males, although there is generally a dominant male, which is decided by combat.
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A Crab-eating Macaque
Image courtesy of Brian Jeffery Beggerly/Flickr
  • Typically, crab-eating macaques have a lengthy tail of 40 to 65 centimetres (16 to 26 inches), and fur coloured a combination of grey, yellow, white and brown.
  • The diet of crab-eating macaques consists mostly of fruit, nuts and seeds, and they also consume other vegetation, as well as animals, such as birds and their eggs, fish, lizards, frogs, crabs and other crustaceans.
  • Female crab-eating macaques give birth to one baby at a time, although young ones can be subject to infanticide or kidnapping, and they have an average lifespan of 15 to 30 years.
  • Crab-eating macaques may use water to wash food, or use stones to open tough, enclosed items, and they have been studied for medical reasons, as these monkeys are effected by disease in similar ways to humans.
  • Crab-eating macaques have been introduced into some parts of Asia, and in some areas they are thought of as pests, while in other areas, they are considered sacred.
Bibliography:
Crab-eating Macaques, 2013, A-Z Animals, http://a-z-animals.com/animals/crab-eating-macaque/
Crab-eating Macaques, 2014, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab-eating_macaque

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