Wednesday 30 May 2012 Striped Hog-Nosed Skunk - A Little Loner

The Striped Hog-Nosed Skunk (Conepatus Semistriatus), also referred to as the Amazonian Hog-Nosed Skunk, is a Neotropical mammal. This means that they are generally found in Central and South America, from Southern Mexico continuing South Eastwards into Peru and Eastern Brazil. The Striped Hog-Nosed Skunk is similar in size to an average domestic house cat, perhaps slightly smaller. Their size is about 57 cm (22 inches) in length with an average weight of 1.6 kg (3.5 lbs), and the male of the species is generally larger than the female.

In appearance, the Striped Hog-Nosed Skunk is similar to the common skunk found in North America with some slight differences. Their coat is predominately black in color with the white stripe forming at the back of their necks and extending down their back where it divides into two stripes. The tail is black and white but not as bushy as that of other species and their coat is very coarse, lacking the qualities for which the North American skunk is valued. The nose is long and extends into a pig-like "snout" which is used to root in the Earth, and the front feet have strong sharp claws for digging. Like all skunks, they have anal glands which are capable of spraying a foul-smelling musk when threatened.

The habitat of the Striped Hog-Nosed Skunk changes seasonally. During dry seasons they can be predominately found in deciduous forests, shrub woodlands, and occasionally grasslands. They tend to avoid desert areas and thickly wooded forests, preferring more sparsely wooded areas. During the wet season, the skunks tend to be more selective, sticking to higher levels of elevation where food is plentiful. The omnivorous creatures feed on insects, fruit and eggs, invertebrates, and small vertebrates such as lizards and small mammals.

The Striped Hog-Nosed Skunk is quite the solitary little mammal. Being both loners and nocturnal, their mating habits and reproduction cycles are not widely documented. It is assumed that these are similar to that of other skunk species, which means that mating generally occurs in the spring and results in one litter of 2-5 offspring per year. They most likely retreat underground or into some type of den or burrow to give birth. The lifespan of this animal is not known for longevity, and at this time the Striped Hog-Nosed Skunk does not appear on any endangered species or conservation lists.

Picture of the Striped hog-nosed skunk by Washington L. S. Vieira, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. You can help spreading the word about this animal by liking it on facebook

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Friday 25 May 2012 The Weeping capuchin- a Social Learner

Weeping capuchins (Cebus olivaceus) are also called wedge-capped monkeys because of the dark hair on the top of their head resembling a monk’s cap. They are native to the semi-deciduous, tropical forest of South America in Venezuela, Guyana, and the Amazon Basin. Coloration is tan or cream, with a white face and chest and a wedge of dark hair on the top of the head. Weeping capuchins weigh an average of 2.5 to 3 kg (5.5-6.6 lbs.), with the male weighing up to 800g (1.7 lbs.) more than the female. Average length is 500 mm (19.6 in) and tails are as long as the body making the over-all length 840 mm (33 in). Their tail is prehensile, which means it can support their entire hanging weight. This skill is handy as they can use both hands to pick and eat food. Fruit, nuts, flowers, buds, bark, bird eggs, small vertebrates, insects, spiders, and crabs make up their diet. Weeping capuchin monkeys live in bands or troops, consisting of 10 to 30 members. Most of the members are females with their young, a few males, and a dominant male. The dominant male is the only one that mates with the females. Mating season is from October to February, but may be year-round, and females have one offspring every 18-24 months. Gestation is 145-170 days. The infants are able to grasp onto their mother’s chest within minutes of birth and spend the first few months clinging to her. Females mature in four years, males in 7. Weeping capuchins may live 45 to 55 years in captivity, while life expectancy in the wild is 34-36 years.

These mischievous little monkeys are very intelligent and often used in laboratories, research, shows at zoos, and in the motion picture industry. One famous little capuchin is Marcel, who played the pet monkey in the American television series “Friends.” Capuchin monkeys are often sold as pets, but they can be very destructive. Many, like Marcel in the series, are eventually donated to a zoo.

The main predators of the weeping capuchin monkey in the wild are humans. Some na:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://woovar.com/analytics/" : "http://woovar.com/analytics/"); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + pkBaseURL + "piwik.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));