Indian Star Tortoise

Geochelone elegans

It doesn't require a huge imagination to figure out where the name "Star Tortoise" comes from. These reptiles have carapaces that are predominantly dark with a lighter, starburst-type pattern.

You'll find these fancy Turtles in the drier regions of India, including scrub forests, semi-deserts, and arid grasslands. They are most active during the early morning and late afternoon hours, when they spend time foraging for flowers, grasses, and leaves.

During mating season, which coincides with the rainy season, males will fight one another for mates. During these matches they will shove back and forth and attempt to flip their rival over on to his back. The last one literally standing wins. After mating, the females will dig a hole and lay her eggs-- each season she can produce up to 10 clutches of up to a dozen eggs each. Those eggs can take anywhere from 1.5 to 6 months to hatch (depends on the weather conditions) and the young Tortoises are totally on their own from the start.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : India
Size : Length around 10in (25cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Sauropsida -- Order : Testudines
Family : Testudinidae -- Genus : Geochelone -- Species : G. elegans
Image :  CBurnett

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Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

The Mule Deer is a species that has a large range spanning across the western half of North America.They are named for their large, Mule-like ears and can be further identified by their black-tipped tails.

Mule Deer are an incredibly adaptable species. They live in grasslands forests, and even deserts, and are able to consume whatever vegetation is available in those areas in order to satisfy their nutritional needs.

Food supply dictates the movements of these Deer, but so does the rut season. Each fall males will fight each other for the breeding rights of females within a territory. They move from place to place breeding with as many females as they can (and if they do not get pregnant the female will mate with more than one male). At the end of the season the males lose their antlers and begin to grow a new pair that will be ready for battle next rut season.

Female Mule Deer typically give birth to twins, but a new mother may have only one fawn. Fawns are born in spring and will stay with their mothers through summer, leaving when the fall rut begins again.

Mule Deer are very widespread and have a large overall population. They are listed as being of least Concern.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America
Size : Shoulder height around 40in (1m), Weight between 200-350lbs (90-158kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Cervidae -- Genus : Odocoileus-- Species : O. hemionus
Image :  Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife

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Indrella ampulla

Indrella ampulla

Today we meet yet another creature endemic to the Western Ghats-- Indrella ampulla.

It is the only species within its genus, but it comes in all sorts of different colors and varieties. Yellow is a very common body color, but it can be bright red, black and white as well. The shell is dark in color, normally contains three whorls, and typically meaures no more than 2in in diameter.

Indrella ampulla lives in mountainous rainforests. There, they feed on different Fungi varieties, using their radula that contain more than 100 rows of tiny teeth!

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : India
Size : Shell width up to 2in (6cm)

Classification : Phylum : Mollusca -- Class : Gastropoda
Family : Ariophantidae -- Genus : Indrella -- Species : I. ampulla
Image :  NHM

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Sumatran Striped Rabbit

Nesolagus netscheri

Today we'll be learning about another animal that is found in only a very tiny range-- the Sumatran Striped Rabbit. These Lagomorphs are endemic to the mountain rainforests of Sumatras Barisan Range.

Sumatran Striped Rabbits are actually one of the few Rabbit species to live in rainforest environments, and they also have the distinction of being one of the rarest Rabbits in the world.

Because of their remote, dense habitat and their nocturnal behavior they are rarely ever seen, and haven't been well studied. In fact, they were not seen at all between 1972 and 2000, and have only been reported 3 times since!

There are about half a dozen museum specimens around the world, but most were collected over 100 years ago, before many of the current conservation threats ramped up. Their rarity makes their "Vulnerable" listing unsurprising, and they continue to be in trouble due to habitat loss.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Sumatra, Indonesia
Size : Length up to 16in (40cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Lagomorpha
Family : Leporidae -- Genus : Nesolagus-- Species : N. netscheri  
Image : Tios

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Ankole-Watusi

Today's animal has some pretty amazing headgear-- just look at it! The Ankole-Watusi breed of Cattle is known for it's massive horns that can grow more than 8ft from tip to tip. Those horns are used both for defense, and for helping to keep the animal cool in the warm climate it originates from.

This particular breed originated in Africa, and pictures of its ancestors (Sanga Cattle) go back to the days of the Pyramids. The reason for the hyphenated name is because groups in Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi have different names for the same animal. Hyphenating was the easiest naming option!

Traditionally, Ankole-Watusi cattle were used mostly for their milk. That is because in many places they held more value to their owners alive than dead. Today, there is a registry for the breed in the United Sates, and its purpose is being expanded on. The Registry hopes to promote this breed, and to keep it from extinction.

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IUCN Status : Domesticated
Location : Africa
Size : Weight around 1,200lbs (540kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Bos-- Species : B. primigenius
Image : Beckstei

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Rhim Gazelle

Gazella leptoceros

Rhim Gazelles are also known as Slender-horned Gazelle, because of the two thin horns that both males and females posses. In males, these horns can reach around 16in in length, while females top out around 1ft.

Rhim Gazelles are also the palest of the different Gazelle species. They have light colored backs, a thin band of darker brown, and pale undersides. Their coloration helps them to blend in with their Sahara Desert surroundings, where they live a nomadic lifestyle in search for food.

This species was once abundant through their African range, but now it is estimated that only a few thousand remain in the wild, with less than 200 in captivity worldwide. They are most abundant in the countries of the northern Sahara, but their population is on the decline due to habitat loss, warfare, and hunting.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : Sahara Desert
Size : Shoulder height up to 2ft (64cm), Weight up to 66lbs (30kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Gazella-- Species : G. leptoceros
Image : TheOnlineZoo

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Sumatran Rhinoceros

Today let's learn about the Sumatran Rhinoceros, a very unusual mammal that is also in grave danger of extinction.

Sumatran Rhinos are the smallest Rhino species. They are also the only Rhinos to be covered in bristly hairs from head to toe. The hair helps them out in their muggy, insect-filled rainforest habitats-- mud sticks to the hair, and the caked on dirt keeps bug bites away!

Dicerorhinus sumatrensis

Sumatran Rhinos also have very small horns, especially when compared to those of their African cousins. Sadly, the small size is not enough to keep poachers away-- these Rhinos have been ruthlessly hunted to the point of near extinction.

Today, there are less than 400 Sumatran Rhinos in the entire world, including thsoe kept in captivity. They don't breed well in captivity either, which makes repopulating the species an uphill climb. A calf born at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2001 was the first captive birth in 100 years!

Poaching isn't the only threat to the species. Habitat loss has also played a massive role. The Sumatran Rhinos are very secretive and solitary animals, and the dense forests of Southeast Asia have been disappearing due to human encroachment and agriculture. Once upon a time you could find these guys in Thailand, India, Cambodia, and parts of China. Today they are restricted to a few fragmented groups on Borneo, Sumatra, and on the tip of the Malay Penninsula.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Southeast Asia
Size : Height up to 4.5ft (1.4m), Weight up to 1,800lbs (800kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Perissodactyla
Family : Rhinocerotidae -- Genus : Dicerorhinus -- Species : D. sumatrensis
Image : 26Isabella, Ltshears

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Socorro Dove

The Socorro Dove has not been seen in the wild for more than 40 years. It was last spotted on Socorro Island, its only known range, back in 1972.

Socorro Dove's are Extinct in the Wild, and there are between 100 and 200 birds living in captivity. Conservationists would like to get the birds reintroduced to their former habitat, a small island off the coast of Mexico, but there are challenges in the way.

The birds have been bred in captivity, thankfully, but their former home is not suitable for reintroduction yet. The birds went extinct due to the introduction of livestock (that overgrazed the bushes that the birds lived in) and feral cats, who hunted the mostly ground-dwelling Doves ruthlessly.

In order for the Doves to return home, feral cats would need to be eradicated from the island. Removal of cats from small islands has been done before (like in the offshore islands of New Zealand where Kakapo are now struggling to make a comeback), but it is very time consuming.

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IUCN Status : Extinct in the Wild
Location : Mexico
Size : Length up to 13in (33cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Columbiformes
Family : Columbidae -- Genus : Zenaida -- Species : Z. graysoni
Image : Rob Edwards

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Snowberry Clearwing

Hemaris diffinis

The Snowberry Clearwing is a species that belongs to a group collectively known as "Hummingbird Moths."

You can identify this particular species by it's furry yellow and black banded body that can be anywhere from 1-2 inches in length. They also have wings that appear to be clear, due to a lack of scales (hence the common name).

Snowberry Clearwings live in most of the United States, and in parts of western Canada. As pupae they feed plants like Snowberry and Honeysuckle. As adults they drink nectar, hovering in place like a Hummingbird. They are most commonly seen during the daytime hours.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : North America
Size : Length up to 2in (6cm)
Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Class : Insecta -- Order : Lepidoptera
Family : Sphingidae -- Genus : Hemaris -- Species : H. diffinis
Image : Lonniehuffman

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Friesian

The Friesian is a breed of horse that originated in the Friesland province of the northern Netherlands. Their ancestors were war horses that could carry men in full suits of armor, but as the centuries went by and the need for heavy armor went away, they lightened in weight and took on uses in agriculture and harness work.

They nearly went extinct a handful of times, as the needs of the people dictated the types of horses needed. This meant that Friesians were crossbred with other breeds, diminishing the pure-blooded genepool. In 1913 an official registry was founded to promote and continue the bloodline, and today all Friesians can trace their ancestry back to a single foundation sire who was born in 1885.

Today, the Friesian is an interesting step between a heavy draft horse and a light riding horse. They are powerful horses, but are remarkably agile and swift on their feet. They are becoming popular in Dressage due to their exceptional movement and easy to train demeanor. Friesians are also incredibly popular in the film industry. Seen a large black horse in a movie recently? It was probably a Friesian!

Friesians stand anywhere from 15 to 17 hands at the shoulder. They should be totally black in color-- only a very small white forehead marking is permitted. Sometimes they are seen in brown, but it is a penalized color in competitions. They have thick, long, wavy manes and tails, and "feathers" at their hooves.

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Status : Domesticated
Location : Originated in the Netherlands
Size : Height up to 17 hands (1.7m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Perissodactyla
Family : Equidae -- Genus : Equus-- Species : E. ferus-- Subspecies : E. f. caballus
Image : Daisyree Bakker, Just Chaos

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Raso Lark

Today's animal is named for the tiny island that it lives on-- Raso Islet in the Cape Verde chain. When I say tiny, I really mean tiny-- it is only 7 square kilometers!

No humans live on Raso, which is good for the few animals that reside there, as most are very, very endangered. Raso is the only home of the Raso Lark, which is itself critically endangered.

The Raso Lark has not been studied extensively-- there are very few of them and they live in a rather remote area. It is estimated that the population numbers around 150 individuals, but that the male to female ratio is quite off (about 2 males for every female). Reproduction is especially tough due to some of the Lark's neighbors. The island is home to the also-rare Cape Verde Giant Gecko, which loves to feed on eggs.

Raso Larks have irregular breeding seasons which are tied to the availability of food and water. Raso Islet is a volcanic island that is very dry and has little vegetation. Food and water can quickly become scarce. When food is to be found, it usually comes in the form of plant bulbs.

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IUCN Status : Critically Endangered
Location : Cape Verde
Size : Length up to 3ft (.9m), Weight up to 130lbs (65kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Alaudidae -- Genus : Alauda-- Species : A. razae
Image : Winkel

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Texas Longhorn

The Texas Longhorn is a cattle breed known for its impressively large horns-- some bulls have spreads of close to 7ft!

Texas Longhorn

The origins of the breed actually date back to Christopher Columbus. Early trips to "the New World" introduced Spanish Cattle to the continent. Many of these Cattle turned feral in Texas and other eventual southern states for a few hundred years, and were re-domesticated in the early 19th century. Those cattle were interbred with English stock from the East Coast, and the Texas Longhorn breed was born.

Thanks to the mixed Spanish and English ancestry, the Texas Longhorn comes in many, many different color varieties. You'll find them in grey, brown, red, black, and white. Some are solidly colored, others have patches, while others have speckles. Quite the color palette! They also range in size, and can weigh anywhere from 700 to 1500lbs!

Texas Longhorns are primarily bred for their meat, though they are occasionally used for dairy purposes as well.

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Status : Domesticated
Location : North America
Size : Varies, maximum weight around 1,500lbs (680kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Bos-- Species : B. primigenius
Image : Tomballpi, Myrna Spurrier

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Sun Parakeet

Aratinga solstitialis

Sun Parakeets, also known as Sun Conures, are popular birds in the pet trade, but are actually Endangered in the wild. In fact, capture for aviculture is one of the threats against the wild population.

Wild Sun Parakeets are found in northeast South America, and have only a very small range that extends through parts of Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil. They live in small groups of no more than 20-30 individuals, and they feed on fruits and nuts.

Sun Parakeets have very beautiful coloration-- one of the reasons why they are popular pets. Their feathers are predominantly yellow, but with bursts of red and orange. Wings and tails are blue and green, making the bird quite a rainbow of colors!

As stated earlier, unsustainable trapping led to a drastic decline in these birds. Though many of the captive birds are now captive bred, trapping still continues and more effective measures must be put into place to keep the wild populations stable.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : South America
Size : Body Length up to ft (30cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Psittaciformes
Family : Psittacidae -- Genus : Aratinga -- Species : A. solstitialis
Image : Public Domain

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Charonosaurus

Charonosaurus is one many different Hadrosaur, or "Duck-Billed" species. It was discovered relatively recently, with the first fossils uncovered in 2000.

Charonosaurus is named for Charon of Greek Myth, the ferryman who carried souls across the river Styx. The Fossils were found on the banks of a river, inspiring the name. They lived between 67 and 65 million years ago, going extinct during the event at the end of the Cretaceous.

Only a few bones have been found of this Dinosaur-- most notably a partial skull. Though we don't have a full skeleton, we can use ratios found in relative Hardosaurs and determine Charonosaurus's size. They were one of the largest members of their family, and could grow as long as 33, possibly 40 feet!

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Status : Extinct, Lived 67-65 million years ago
Location : China and Russia
Size : Length up to 33ft (10m)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Clade : Dinosauria -- Order : †Ornithischia
Family : †Hadrosauridae -- Genus : †Charonosaurus -- Species : † C. jiayinensis
Image : Carnivora Forum

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Major Mitchell's Cockatoo

Today's animal is the Major Mitchell's Cockatoo, a bird that calls the arid and semi-arid reaches of the Australian Outback home. They are given their common name in honor of Major Sir Thomas Mitchell, a Scottish surveyor and explorer who did a great deal of work in Australia.

When it comes to their scientific name, there is some debate over what genus the species belongs in. Some give it its very own, Lophochroa, while others place it with the Sulfur-crested Cockatoo and others over in Cacatua. The issue rages on!

Major Mitchell's Cockatoos can be identified by their bright pink crest feather (when erect) and their light pink coloring overall. Males and females can be told apart by their coloration-- females have red eyes and a thick yellow band on the crest feathers.

Major Mitchell's Cockatoos live a nomadic lifestyle, travelling where they need to in order to obtain food and suitable breeding conditions. They follow the rains (what little there is). At about five or six years of age they reach sexual maturity and find a mate-- they will stay together for life and raise offspring together. These Cockatoos do not form flocks like other members of their family, in part due to the scarcity of food and nesting sites. It is easier for two birds to find a nest in the Outback than it would be for dozens of them.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Australia
Size : Length up to 14in (36cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Psittaciformes
Family : Cacatuidae -- Genus : Lophochroa -- Species : L. leadbeateri
Image : Christopher Watson

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Black Wallaroo

Macropus bernardus

The Black Wallaroo is the smallest of the Wallaroo species, and one of the smallest Kangaroo family members overal. They grow to a maximum height of only 1m, and weigh less than 50lbs.

They are also the Wallaroo with the most limited range-- these Marsupials are found only in a tiny part of Australia's Northern Territory. In that small range though, they live in an assortment of habitats. These include both dense forests and open grasslands.

The name of the species is a little misleading. You see, only male Black Wallaroos are actually black. The females are a brownish-grey. Males and females live solitary lives most of the time, and only come together to breed. Breeding season does run year round, and females can actually support two joeys of different ages at a single time. Her actual gestation period is only about a month, and the newborns are just a few centimeters long. It will take six months for them to emerge from mom's pouch.

Black Wallaroos are listed as Near Threatened because of their tiny range. It is important to protect their small habitat, or else they could be in some serious trouble.

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IUCN Status : Near Threatened
Location : Australia
Size : Height up to 3.3ft (1m) ,Weight up to 50lbs (22kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Infraclass : Marsupialia
Order : Diprotodontia -- Family : Macropodidae -- Genus : Macropus -- Species : M. bernardus
Image : TrekNature

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Desert Cottontail

Sylvilagus audubonii

Also known as the Audubon's Cottontail, the Desert Cottontail is a rabbit that lives in the dry, desert-like habitats of western North American (though they can also be found in some pine forests as well!)

Desert Cottontails typically live in small groups, foraging together for grasses, vegetables, and even cacti. They drink very little water, if any, as they can get all they need from the plants that they eat.

Interestingly, the Desert Cottontail is one of those unusual mammals where the females are larger than the males... if only just barely. Like most rabbits, these guys breed several times a year, though have fewer litters, and fewer offspring per litter, than many of their cousins. A female will normally breed 5 times a year, each time having a gestation period of about 4 weeks. 3 young are usually born at once, and they grow quickly, leaving the nest at 2 weeks and being fully independent at 5 (leaving mom to breed again!)

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : Western North America
Size : Length up to 17in (43cm), Weight up to 3.3lbs (1.5kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Lagomorpha
Family : Leporidae -- Genus : Sylvilagus -- Species : S. audubonii
Image :  Howcheng

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Dromedary Camel

Camelus dromedarius

Did you know that the Dromedary Camel was domesticated 4,000 years ago? There are around 13 million of these beasts of burden living around the world-- most notably in Africa, the Middle East, and in the deserts of Australia.

Most of these camels are either living as domesticated creatures, or they are surviving in feral populations. Australia, for example, had several thousand camels imported during the late 19th and early 20th century. Today there are nearly a million living in feral groups across the dry western half of the continent. These feral groups live in herds of around 20 individuals, though much larger packs have also been observed. The Camels feed on whatever vegetation they can find, including prickly, thorny plants.

Dromedary Camels are well suited to desert life. Their single hump can store up to 80lbs of fat, which converts to energy when food or water is unavailable. They are masters of co
nserving their energy, and can travel over 100 miles without any extra water! And when they do drink, they drink very fast-- Dromedary Camels can take in 10 gallons of water in as many minutes! Other desert adaptations include their long, double-rowed eyelashes (perfect for keeping sand out), closeable nostril holes, and thick feet with pads that can spread to provide traction and stability over uneven surfaces.

A Dromedary Camel can live to be 40 or 50 years old, and they reach sexual maturity by the age of 4. Young Camels are born without their humps, because they haven't consumed enough extra fuel to fill it with fat.

As adults, the Dromedary Camels are creatures that serves many purposes. They are excellent pack animals, they can pull plows and carts, and they can carry passengers. They also provide milk, meat, and fibers.

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Status : Domesticated
Location : Africa, Asia, Australia
Size : Height up to 7ft (2.1m), Weight up to 1,500lbs (680kg)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Camelidae -- Genus : Camelus-- Species : C. dromedarius
Images : Public Domain, Witoki

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Four-horned Antelope

Tetracerus quadricornis

The Four-horned Antelope is named for the four permanent horns that are found on the males' skulls. That trait actually makes them unique among living mammals. yes, there are some breeds of sheep that have multiples horns, but those are not guaranteed. The male Four-horned Antelope always has that number!

These Antelope are also interesting because of their small size-- they stand less than 2ft tall, which makes them the smallest Bovids in Asia.

When it comes to behavior, the Four-horned Antelope is a solitary creature that feeds on fruits, leaves, and flowers. Males and females remain apart until the breeding season, where the sexes will perform courtship rituals like kneeling and strutting in order to select mates. The gestation period lasts about 8 months, after which one or two young are born. The offspring remain with their mother for about a year, and reach sexual maturity themselves at about 2 years of age.

The species is found in only two countries, India and Nepal, and they are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Their unique horns make them popular hunting targets, and habitat loss has been dimishing their habitat. At present there are around 10,000 individuals left in the wild.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : South Asia
Size : Height up to 2ft (60cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Tetracerus -- Species : T. quadricornis
Images : Kalyan Varma

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Mountain Goat

Oreamnos americanus

The Mountain Goat is a large ungulate found only in North America. They are the only species in their genus, but belong to the same subfamily as True Goats and Sheep, Musk Oxen, and Takin.

Mountain Goats live in the Rocky and Cascade Mountains, and they are the largest animals (in their range) to live above the tree line. Males can weigh over 300lbs, while females are usually 2/3 the size.

Despite their large size, the Mountain Goats are very good climbers. Their cloven hooves spread apart for balance, and their footpads help them to maintain traction while traversing areas that have up to 60 degrees of incline. They can also jump up to 12feet in a single leap!

Aside from the size, male and female mountain goats look like-- stark white fut with short beards and black horns. Males live alone most of the time, while females live in small herds with other females and their offspring. Kids are born during the Spring months, and because of the lack of ground cover they have to be up and moving within minutes of birth!

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North America
Size : Height around 3ft (.9m), Weight around 200lbs (90kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Oreamnos -- Species : O. americanus
Images : Robert Shepherd

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