Monday, August 27, 2007
Bat-eared Fox
The distribution of the bat-eared fox is divided into two populations, one from southern Zambia and Angola to South Africa, the other from Ethiopia and south Sudan to Tanzania.
Unlike most members of the canine family, these foxes eat primarily insects. Perhaps this is because their enormous ears are pointed out and down, and specifically adapted for hearing prey that live underground. They also have different teeth than most other canines; sharp, pointy and specialized for crunching insects. They can have up to 48 teeth in their mouth including and extra 4-8 molars.
They breed annually and are monogamous. Young are born in self dug dens after a gestation period of 60 days. The average litter size is 2-4 pups. Newborns are sparsely covered with gray underfur and change to adult coloring in 4-5 weeks. Considered full grown at 5-6 months. Males play a larger role than females in guarding, grooming and playing with the pups
Unlike most members of the canine family, these foxes eat primarily insects. Perhaps this is because their enormous ears are pointed out and down, and specifically adapted for hearing prey that live underground. They also have different teeth than most other canines; sharp, pointy and specialized for crunching insects. They can have up to 48 teeth in their mouth including and extra 4-8 molars.
They breed annually and are monogamous. Young are born in self dug dens after a gestation period of 60 days. The average litter size is 2-4 pups. Newborns are sparsely covered with gray underfur and change to adult coloring in 4-5 weeks. Considered full grown at 5-6 months. Males play a larger role than females in guarding, grooming and playing with the pups
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Rock Cavy
Rock cavies live in the arid, north-eastern countryside of Brazil, and have adapted to living in rocky outcrops called lajeiros.
Cavies are relatives of the domestic Guinea pig. They have heavily padded feet, are quite agile, and are exceptional climbers. Coat is gray, grizzled with white and black. Throat is white and the belly is yellowish-white. The rump and backs of thighs are reddish. There is no tail and both sexes look similar.
Cavies are very vocal, making a variety of chirps, squeaks, burbles and squeals. Sometimes, a piercing alarm whistle is emitted when excited. Cavies are, for the most part, very docile and only get aggressive with younger cavies.
Cavies become sexually mature between 1 and 3 months of age. The gestation period for cavies is fairly long for rodents, lasting from 50 - 60 days. Litter sizes average 2 - 3 offspring. The male usually does not help rear the young.
Cavies are relatives of the domestic Guinea pig. They have heavily padded feet, are quite agile, and are exceptional climbers. Coat is gray, grizzled with white and black. Throat is white and the belly is yellowish-white. The rump and backs of thighs are reddish. There is no tail and both sexes look similar.
Cavies are very vocal, making a variety of chirps, squeaks, burbles and squeals. Sometimes, a piercing alarm whistle is emitted when excited. Cavies are, for the most part, very docile and only get aggressive with younger cavies.
Cavies become sexually mature between 1 and 3 months of age. The gestation period for cavies is fairly long for rodents, lasting from 50 - 60 days. Litter sizes average 2 - 3 offspring. The male usually does not help rear the young.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Siberian Lynx
Siberian lynx are solitary cats, which are recognized by tufts of hair on their ears, short, bobbed tails and manes of fur around their faces. They are well adapted for their cold habitat with wide webbed paws (these work like snow shoes keeping the lynx on top of the snow), hair on the bottom of their paws (this provides traction) and a thick coat of fur for warmth. Their long hind legs help them walk on snow and allow them to jump up to 10 feet to catch prey. Lynx are also excellent swimmers.
Reproduction:
68 days; 2-3 kittens
Reproduction:
68 days; 2-3 kittens
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The Snow Leopard
Asia - from southern Himalayas westward through Pakistan and north to the Russian mountain ranges.
The coat is luxuriantly dense and long (1 inch on body and 2 inches on tail, and almost 3 inches on underside). It is a pale gray with black spots arranged in open rings or rosettes. The ears are small and white with black edges; dark at the bases. The underparts are almost pure white. Its head is smaller than a leopard's. The body looks longer in relation to the head. The tail is about three feet long. Their feet are broad and thickly furred over the pads, acting as snow shoes.
Mating occurs in late winter or early spring. Gestation is 90-100 days with usually 2-4 cubs in a litter. The young are born in spring, remaining with the mother until the end of the first winter. The den is a cave or rocky cleft.In captivity, snow leopards in the more northern latitudes tend to have litters slightly earlier than those further south.
The coat is luxuriantly dense and long (1 inch on body and 2 inches on tail, and almost 3 inches on underside). It is a pale gray with black spots arranged in open rings or rosettes. The ears are small and white with black edges; dark at the bases. The underparts are almost pure white. Its head is smaller than a leopard's. The body looks longer in relation to the head. The tail is about three feet long. Their feet are broad and thickly furred over the pads, acting as snow shoes.
Mating occurs in late winter or early spring. Gestation is 90-100 days with usually 2-4 cubs in a litter. The young are born in spring, remaining with the mother until the end of the first winter. The den is a cave or rocky cleft.In captivity, snow leopards in the more northern latitudes tend to have litters slightly earlier than those further south.
