Friday 28 March 2008 Oncilla

Oncillas (Leopardus tigrinus) are among the smallest wild cats of South American, they are just a tad bigger than the Asian Flat Headed Cat. An Oncilla would weigh on the average 2 to 3 kgs. The Oncilla opts for the high-elevation forests, and in Columbia, they only stay in places above 1,500m.

It has a magnificent coat, colored tan, adorned with symmetrical patterns. They have round eyes, and they have golden irises, which may be either beautiful or scary, depending on the person looking. They are in part arboreal, and they use their pronounced long tails to balance during climbin.

An Oncilla's diet consists of primates, rodents, insects, birds and the indigenous reptiles. In coffee plantations, these cats have been studied. From the observations, it has been speculated that they are more able to cope with mankind's acts more than the very shy Kodkods. The male is territorial. Very few of them actually are held in zoos, and from records, they breed poorly when under captivity.

The Oncilla's gestation period is 74 to 76 days, and a cub reaches maturity from six to eight months. Longevity is about a decade to fourteen years, but this is for those living at the wild habitat. Those in captivity live much longer, about 23 years (!).

As I have mentioned, they have a beautiful coat, and this fur is the reason why they have become a favorite target in South American territories. This hunting still persists at present, although due to strict legislations, they have lessened dramatically. Another reason for the decreasing of their numbers is the ever-present deforestation.

Interesting fact: It has a friendly call, it sounds just like a gurgle, and can travel only a short distance.

Picture of the oncilla by mottazoo, licensed under Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.0 Generic

five comments - Permanent Link

Thursday 20 March 2008 Ocelot - Salvador Dali's pet

This wild cat goes by the name of Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis), but other names are: 'McNenney's Wildcat' and 'Painted Leopard'. They occur in South/Central America, Mexica, Caribbean and Texas. It weighs on average about 10 to 15 kilograms. It is in fact the biggest of the genus Leopardus, and is bigger than the Oncilla which stays in the same habitat.

Ocelots are nocturnal and territorial. A typical Ocelot would fight to the death when threatened, and can be very aggressive if needed. Still, it is a loner by nature, joining another only for mating purposes. Very occasionally though, when it is resting at a tree, it could share its "turf" with another Ocelot of the same sex.

In mating, a female Ocelot would find a place like a bluff or a hollow tree and their gestation lasts about seventy days, while litter size is from 2 to 4. These cats are not principally arboreal, but they have the capability. In general however, they are terrestrial animals. These cats eat a lot of things, their diet consists of birds, amphibians, birds, rodents, snakes, monkeys, poultry and even piglets. One strong trait of this cat is its vision. Even at night, their sense of sight is very sharp.

Physically, they could be considered as just another domestic kind. The fur is something very close to a jaguar's and as such, thousands and thousands in the past have been slaughtered. Right now in the United States, they could only be found in very few areas of Southern Texas.

Interesting fact: Of course we all know who Salvador Dali was, but did you know this? That he often travelled with his own Ocelot, that he even brought it a luxurious cruises on the SS France? (See also: Anecdote of Dali with Ocelot)

two comments - Permanent Link

Friday 14 March 2008 American Marten

The American Marten (Martes Americana) is a small member of the weasels, and they are also known as "pine" martens, because they are similar in some ways with their European cousins. The fur of the American Marten is soft, their throats are light buff, and they have dark shaded tails/legs. Akin to the other kinds of weasels, the size depends on the gender, the female is approximately 3/4 that of the male's.

Not much is known about the manners and ways of the American Martens, because of their shyness and the fact that they are active during nighttime. Fact is, they are very good climbers, and they could chase a squirrel in a vertical race (up the tree). This marten is a solitary type, but they could exhibit some form of curiousity. The forest is a natural zone for them, as it gives protection and food (prey) at the same time.

They are mainly carnivorous, but there are periods in a year when they would subsist on fruits. They hunt mainly on ground level. Their metabolism is high, and because of that, they need much food, and this need to eat is one reason why many of them get trapped. Small rodents and mice are their principal food, but they could take in hares, squirrels, birds, amphibians, insects, reptiles, crayfish, fruits, nuts and still others. During winter time, they have the capability to tunnel through snow to look for mice, indeed...tenacity is one of the American Marten's traits.

They reach sexual maturity when they are 2 years old, and during the breeding period (July up to Aug), they can exhibit a great deal of aggressiveness, even against other male martens. Litter size is 2 to 4 offsprings. A male plays no part at all in the rearing of these newborns.

two comments - Permanent Link

Monday 10 March 2008 Island Fox - smallest fox in the United States

The Island fox (Urocyon littoralis) is also known as the Coast Fox, Channel Island Fox, Insular Gray Fox and Dwarf Fox. About 18,000 years back, the last ice age occurred and the sea level was lower than it is now so that certain animals could traverse the Santa Barbara Channel. A cousin of the grey fox was among these creatures, and when that Ice Age was through, the ice melted, the sea level went up. These foxes got isolated over time, the mainland no longer accessible to them.

At present, the Island Fox can be found in some of the biggest islands of the Channel Islands. One thing that is impressive, the Insular Gray Foxes are flexible, they could adapt to various habitats. The Channel Islands holds many kinds of environments: valleys, grasslands, sand dunes, scrub areas, coastal forests, marshlands...you name it. Island Foxes are capable of surviving in all of these mentioned habitats.

It is less known than their cousins. Compared to their cousins, they are really smaller. The head/body length is on the average, 50 centimeters, while its tail could reach a maximum of 30 centimeters. Compared to the mainland cousin, the Island Fox's tail holds 2 less vertebrae. Its lips, nose, chin and the eye areas are all set in dark, the neck and some parts of the legs are cinnamon-colored. The young foxes have a lighter and thicker coat.

These foxes attain sexual maturity at around ten months, give or take. They would start breeding when they hit the first year, and can become 4 to 6 years, but there have been records of a few reaching fifteen years in captivity.

This fox is diurnal and solitary, and it hunts mostly in daytime, but they can also be up and about at nighttime. They are capable of subsisting on both animals and plants. Their diet consists of snails, lizards, mice, prickly pear, saltbush, toyon, and manzanitas.

The decrease in their numbers is nothing short of alarming. In 2000, a 95% decrease was recorded in the populace number at 3 Channel Islands, in just a 4-year period.

Interesting fact: The Island fox is the second smallest fox in the world, after the fennec

one comment - Permanent Link

Friday 07 March 2008 Margay

The Margay (Leopardus wiedii) lives in the subtropical and the tropical forest regions of Central and South America. A typical individual weighs about 2.6 to 3.9 kgs. They are small, spotted cats, which bear a great deal of similarity with ocelots. The Margays' pelage is thick but soft. Its feet are quite special, it is broad with movable toes and flexible ankles. These permit them to rotate by 180 degrees! Fact is, captured members were observed and it was observed that they can jump over 18 feet (vertical) and close to 30 feet horizontally (!).

Data regarding their reproduction has been gathered from Margays in captivity. A female Margay could breed right in the first year, and the gestation period is from 74 to 84 days. Litter size is mostly one, although two is not impossible. The Margay is acknowledged as a great climber, and its arborial capabilities have not been exaggerated. These cats can manage hindlegs reversal. The Margay could suspend itself when they are going down, akin to a squirrel's movements. They are active both in daytime and dark.

They consume a big variety of animals, and they could go for either arborial and ground mammals. Their diet consists of birds, reptiles, amphibians, fruits, etc. They are classified as basically carnivorous. In its range, to say that they are already endangered is no exaggeration. Thousands have been killed for their fur. Nowadays, due to the legal mandates and monitoring, the hunting decreased, but still occurs on a lesser scal.

This cat is dependent on the protection of trees' canopy in the Central/South American territories in which they reside.


Interesting fact: In their traversing at the canopies, even if they fall, they can come out unharmed. One could stop its fall by grasping at the tree's limbs with its hind feet, then setting itself upright- a most impressive act.

five comments - Permanent Link

Saturday 01 March 2008 West Indian monk seal

It is sad that the West Indian Monk Seal (Monachus tropicalis) is extinct. The last official sighting was in 1952 on the Serranilla Bank in the Carribean. They lived in the waters of Bahamas, Florida keys, Greater and Lesser Antillies, and at the Yucatan peninsula.

They stayed most of their time in water, as expected, and many sightings happen under the surface. This led to the strong hypothesis that they very rarely go to the surface, or if they were, they were recognized for something else.

The West Indian Monk Seal was known to be a beautiful being, it had a brown covering, lightly frosted, and it had rolls of fat embracing the neck. Its hair was stiff and short, palms/soles were bare. Male West Indian Monk Seals reached up to two hundred kilograms in certain cases, while the females were less big, ranging from seventy to one hundred forty kilograms.

The mating particularities of the West Indian Monk Seal are not known. It is known however, that in average, a mother would produce just one newborn. Their longevity in the wild was two decades.

These seals were active during dusk and dawn hours. Their primary diet mainly consisted of lobsters, eels, octopus, and other reef fish. They had few predators, actually, if the experts are to be believed, there are just two. Humans and sharks, but that's based on very few in-depth studies on these seals. Their lack of fear for humans and the fact that the West Indian monk seal is sluggish on land, contributed to their demise.

From the Monachus Guardian website

Observing Caribbean 'sea wolves' on the coast of Santo Domingo in 1494, Columbus promptly ordered his crew to kill eight of the animals for food, paving the way for exploitation of the species by the European immigrants who came in his wake. The slaughter continued up until the 20th century, with hunters sometimes killing as many as a hundred seals in a night. Caribbean monk seals were also killed by scientists for museum collections, and the last confirmed sighting occurred off Seranilla Bank in 1952.

Interesting fact: The West Indian Monk Seal is the only seal ever known to be native to the Caribbean sea and the Gulf of Mexico

Description of the picture: Captive Caribbean monk seal, Monachus tropicalis, of unknown sex at the New York Aquarium in ca. 1910. Specimen originally captured from either Arrecife´s Tria´ngulos (Campeche) or Arrecife Alacra´n (Yucatan) in Mexico (Townsend 1909).

one comment - Permanent Link

Saturday 01 March 2008 African palm civet

African palm civets (Nandinia binotata) are most prevalent in East Africa's forests. Obviously, the typical refuge for one is a tree, and here they spend the bulk of their time. They weigh 1.7 to 2.1 kilograms. An African palm civet has a colored coat that is mottled, blending with the trees and the darkness caused by the leaves.. Its eyes are a combination of green and yellow, while the pupils are very near the hairline's area. The African palm civet's tail is not exactly unique, but it sure is a useful thing to them. This tail is as long as its body, and could be used as a brace. The African palm civet's limbs (all 4) are strong, and the joints are flexible. Toes and the palms possess pads, acting as a friction "maker" when the hind limbs carry the weight. All told, a cat and this civet resemble each other, in more ways than one.

They are basically solitary, and they move about from dusk and also few hours prior to dawn, and the only occasion where they would join each other is if the female African palm civet has newborns/young. Records show that there were sightings in the past where a dozen to fifteen members were all together, but from all indications, these were due to the food availability and not really because of any need to socialize.

What do they survive on is the question: birds, fruits, pineapples, carrion, eggs, insects and even rodents. They are not exactly "hunters" in the true meaning of the word, they would not chase an adult bird for example. Still, they could go to a hen's cage and go for the "fast kill", so to speak. A prey in their hands (literally) would be killed via a succession of deadly bites, while small birds...well, they just swallow them whole- it makes us wonder what they do if they choke on this one time swallow.

Interesting fact: A female gives out milk from as many teats as she has newborns. These newborns actually purr when they suck on the nipple, akin to a kitten.

Picture of the African Palm Civet by subhumanfreak, licensed under GFDL

Add your thoughts about this animal - Permanent Link