Monday 30 September 2013
Pampas deer - The World's Most Polymorphic Mammal
The
Pampas deer (
Ozotoceros bezoarticus) is known as the world's most polymorphic mammal. Their hide consists of tan fur that is lighter on the insides of their legs and their undersides. They have white patches under their throats and on their lips, and their coats do not change with the seasons.They have bushy, short tails and much like a white-tailed deer their tail is lifted when they run, thus revealing a white patch.
There are three subspecies of Pampas deer.
1.
O.b. bezoarticus - dwell in central and eastern Brazil, south of the Amazon and into Uruguay, and is pale red-brown in color.
2.
O.b. leucogaster - live in the southwest region of Brazil to the southeast section of Bolivia, Paraguay, and Northern Argentina and are a tawny-brown color.
3.
O.b. celer - live in the southern section of Argentina and are a bay color. This is an endangered species and the most rare Pampas deer.
Females are lighter, normally weighing around 33.5 kg or approximately 74 pounds, while males weigh in at an average of 40 kg or 88 pounds. Pampas deer usually have a body length of 110-140 cm, or 43 to 55 inches, and have a shoulder height of about 70-75 cm, or about 27 to 29 inches. Males have antlers while the females have whorls that look like mini-antlers stubs. The males antlers upper prong is divided, but the front main prong is just one solid piece. Males also have a special gland in their back hooves that secretes a smell that can be detected up to 1.5 km or almost one mile.
The Pampas deer is currently classified as a "near threatened" species, meaning they could have the potential of becoming endangered in the future, but as of now there are enough of them that they do not qualify as a threatened species.
Their diet usually consists of herbs, shrubs, and new green growth. They don't consume as much grass as they do browse, which are twigs, leaves, and shoots, and forbs, which are flowering big-leafed plants that have soft stems. They will usually migrate to the where the source of food is the greatest. While the Pampas deers living in Argentina and Uruguay no longer have to worry about predators, those living in Brazil must still be wary of
cougars.
Picture of the pampas deer by Carla Antonini, licensed under
GFDL
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Wednesday 25 September 2013
Animal with the name "Fisher" not a fish-eater
The
fisher (
Martes pennanti) is a marten, living in North America. Despite its name, it seldom eats fish. Its name is believed to be derived from the French "fichet", which is the name for a pelt of the European polecat. They are solitary hunters. Interesting is that they are the only known predator to constently hunt porcupines and were reintroduced in some parts of North America to control the population of porcupines in the area. As a result, cats and dogs were also killed in the area by Fishers. They have a remarkable call, that sounds like a child screaming.
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Tuesday 24 September 2013
The Beautiful Fork-Marked Lemur of Madagascar
The
Fork-marked lemur (
Phaner furcifer) is a primate found in Madagascar. They tend to live in two main parts of the country, including the humid forests of the eastern portion of the country as well as the dry and temperate forests in the western part of Madagascar. They spend a majority of their time in gum-producing trees, where they live and eat. The fork-marked lemur is known for their harvesting skills of gum trees in this region. They also possess a dental comb, which is a row of teeth on the lower jaw that allows for gum to be extracted from the trees. The fork-marked lemurs also eat some insects, although to a lesser degree than they consume gum.
As a rule, the fork-marked lemur lives in a monogamous relationship with their mate. Once bonded, the lemurs live together in a hole in a tree and share their lives there. They reproduce only with one mate at a time. Both males and females participate in the raising of offspring, although the females tend to play a larger role in the lives of young ones than males do. This is a similar trait found in many primates, including other lemurs.
Many are dying because of deforestation in their homelands. Lemurs are tree-dwelling creatures, and forestry has become a popular industry that is taking the lives of these animals. For this reason, the fork-marked lemur is rapidly becoming more and more endangered each year. Among potential predators are carnivorous tenrecs,
fossas, and herpestids native to Madagascar. These lemurs are also likely to fall victim to snakes and birds of prey.
The average life expectancy for the fork-marked lemur is around twelve years. One infant is bornsetAccount', 'UA-290339-2']);
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