Friday, March 31, 2006

 

Giraffa

Head-body length 12-15 ft.; height to horn tips 15-17 ft.; weight 1700-4200 lbs (males). Females are a foot or two shorter and a couple of hundred pounds lighter. Both sexes have horns, although the females' horns are smaller. G.c.reticulata is a bit smaller than the other subspecies. Varieties are told apart largely by pattern. Reticulated are characterized by large polygons separated by cream-colored lines rather like a large net thrown over a colored ground, hence the name "reticulated" giraffe. Color ranges from tan to deep chocolate brown, especially in old males who tend to darken as they age.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

 

Gibbon II

Middle and upper stories of deciduous monsoon and evergreen rain forest in southern Burma, Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, Sundaland to North Sumatra. (Also Indochina & Tenasserim?) Recently extirpated in Lancang county, China.
Fruit specialists (diet 75% ripe fruit). May visit 16 or more widely spaced food trees in a day's foraging. Rest of diet consists of leaves, young plant shoots, flowers, birds' eggs, birds, insects, and spiders. Zoo diet is primate chow, fruits, vegetables and browse. They drink by licking their own fur after a storm, or dipping an arm into a tree hole or rubbing it on wet foliage.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
MacDonald, David. 1987. The Encyclopedia of Mammals, Equinox, Oxford.

Sunday, March 19, 2006

 

Gibbon

Body length is 44-63 cm (just under three feet). Average weight is 5.5 kg (14 pounds). Males and females are similar. Color is variable. In Thailand there are two colors, not related to sex- very dark brown (black) or light buff. They all have a pronounced and complete white face ring, white hands and feet. Male song is simple with quaver-hoots, female song is longer, rising to climax, about 18 seconds long. (Populations from N. Sumatra: brown/red/buff, song 17 seconds long.) Fur is extremely dense, providing protection from rain. One square centimeter of skin has over 2,000 individual hairs (13,125 per sq. in.) compared to 900 hairs per sq. cm. for Old World monkeys. Arms are very long , fingers are long and hook-like, and thumbs are thin and somewhat reduced. No tail. Ischial callosities are present.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

 

Hyena II

Lives in large clans and defends territory if high density. Territory is marked with scent from anal glands and dung. A hyena clan is a stable community of related females, among which unrelated males reside for varying periods. Within the clan there is a separate dominance hierarchy for each sex. The highest-ranking females and her descendants are dominant over all other animals. Although all resident males have been observed to court females, only the highest ranking male usually mates. Spotted hyenas differ from other social carnivores in that: clan members compete more and cooperate less; females are bigger than males and dominate them; females compete for rank and food and even close relatives do not cross-suckle offspring; cubs are raised in communal dens, but seldom are provisioned or guarded by clan members; and males play no parental role, with only a privileged few permitted anywhere near dens.

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