Animals

Diurnal; most active in early morning and late afternoon. Territorial, but generally avoid serious conflicts (defend with loud barking and displays). Mainly ground dwellers, but take shelter in the trees when alarmed and sleep in trees. Usually found in groups of 20-50. Social structure is similar to other Old World monkeys in that the stable core of any group consists of several families of closely related adult females and their dependent offspring. Females stay in the natal group; males transfer to a neighboring group at adolescence. To minimize aggression from the transferred-to group, many males transfer in the company of age mates or maternal brothers. Males transfer groups several times during their lives. Sub adult females reciprocate their mother's grooming, join her in the formation of alliances, and serve as temporary caretakers of their mother's subsequent offspring. As a result, bonds are formed not only between mother and offspring but also among maternal siblings. Adult males interact only rarely with infants and show no special preference for those infants that are likely to be their offspring. High-ranking males are unable to maintain exclusive access to females around the time of ovulation, so paternity is uncertain. Infants acquire the rank of their mother's family. Older females maintain and acquire their dominance rank not by size or aggressiveness, but by size of their family and/or alliances formed. Male dominance rank is acquired by size, strength, and other determinants of fighting ability and is much less stable than female dominance rank.

Stocky, green guenon. HBL 46-66 cm (18-26"). Weight 3.5-4.5 kg (7 1/4 to 10 pounds). Usually yellowish to olive green coat with white underparts and gray lower limbs. Face black with white cheek-tufts and browband. Both sexes have long, sharp canines.

The most widespread African guenon (there are up to 20 subspecies), occurring throughout the Northern and Southern Savanna, from Senegal to Sudan and south to the tip of South Africa. Adapted to practically all wooded habitats outside the equatorial rain forest. Being small and not a fast runner, this monkey cannot afford to venture far from the safety of trees. It is essentially an edge species and typically associated with riverine forest; in the dry savanna, they stay near the acacias. Colonies have been established on St. Kitts, Nevis, and the Barbados Islands in the West Indies-probably descended from pets.

Arboreal, nocturnal. Sleep and sun bathe in tree nests formed of bent branches (often as high as 23 feet off the ground). Huge claws aid in climbing and manipulating food items and are probably used in defense as well. Unusually long tongue is used in slurping up insects. Bare soles also aid climbing.

Also called “honey bear”. Malayan name, basindo nan tenggil, means “he who likes to sit high”. The pigeon-toed gait signals that this animal is arboreal. Chest markings are variable and may even be completely lacking, but the name “sun bear” may be due to the crescent shape usually present, likened to a rising or setting sun. If caught by large predator, can turn in its loose skin and bite attacker.

Smallest bear, length about 4.5 feet. Height at shoulder of 2.5 feet. Two-inch tail not easily seen. Weight 60-140 pounds. Coloration of sleek black fur with yellow crescent-shaped breast mark, grayish or orange shortened muzzle. Stocky build. Forearms incurved. Feet are large with strongly curved claws and naked soles. The ears are rounded and short. Head is short and flat with small eyes.
Geographical range: Asia, Burma through Southeast Asia, Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Borneo. May reach northern China and northeastern India. Dense tropical and subtropical forests at lower elevations.
Omnivorous, using front paws for most of feeding activity. Trees are torn open in search of wild bee nests and for insects and their larvae. Also eat rodents, lizards, small birds, fruit, soft growing parts of palm trees and honey.
Possibly no regular breeding season. Bears often sighted in pairs, leading to notion that they may be monogamous. Sexual maturity reached between 3 and 5 years of age. Mating occurs any time during the year. Litter of two blind, helpless 10-ounce cubs born on forest floor after a gestation of about three and a half months (not believed to have delayed implantation). Cubs walk at 2 months and are weaned at 4 months, but remain with mother for 2 years, learning to survive. Life span of 25 years.

Smaller than the common crow. Black with a broad white collar across base of hind neck, chest to upper belly white, rest of plumage glossy black. The sexes are alike.
Wide ranging from Senegal across to Somalia and south to the Cape except in rain forests and very hot dry climates. Also on Aldabra, the Comoro Islands and Madagascar. A scavenger species often found in towns and villages in company with the smaller vultures.
Omnivorous, will eat anything animal, reptilian or invertebrate as well as fruits, seeds, carrion and garbage.
Commonly in pairs or small groups. but sometimes gathers in large flocks of hundreds of birds and will circle high in the air on thermals. Both sexes help build the nest which is made of sticks and lined with rags, hair or any suitable soft material and placed either in trees or niches in rocks or on the cross supports of telephone poles. Lays 3 to 6 bluish green eggs which are spotted, blotched or streaked with olive brown or gray. Female incubates and broods the young, but is often fed by the male. Breeds throughout the year.

Diurnal and secretive. Shelters at night in hollow logs, ground debris, rocks, etc. They bask in the morning to raise their body temperature and maintain a temperature of about 30-35 degrees C. when active. During cold weather they remain buried deep in their shelter. Mating takes place in the spring. Gestation takes four months and 5-20 young are born live. Eggs do not develop a typical shell, and membranes enclosing the embryo interfold with the wall of the mothers oviduct to create a type of placenta, which helps to supply water and oxygen to the developing embryo. The young look after themselves right after birth and disperse within a few days. Life span in captivity is 18-20 years.

A large lizard (17-24 inches in length) with a long body, large head and small legs with delicate toes. The tail is shorter than the body and generally tapers to a point. Color consists of a pattern of dark brown bars on a light brown or cream background; orange bars alternate with brown on the sides. They have a faint eye stripe and a cobalt-blue tongue. Scales are shiny, overlapping, and contain small plates of bone. Eardrums are sunken into cavities on sides of head. Skin is shed in pieces.
Blue-tongued skinks live principally in open country with lots of ground cover such as tussocky grasses or leaf litter. The Northern Blue Tongue lives in tropical/savannah woodland in the northern part of West Australia.
Omnivorous, eating a variety of insects, snails, carrion, flowers and fruits. They are not very agile and the animals they eat are mostly slow moving. Their teeth are large and they have strong jaw muscles so they can crush snails and beetles.