Green Junglefowl

Gallus varius

The Green Junglefowl is a close relative to domesticated chickens, as it belong in the same genus as their ancestor, the Red Junglefowl. They are endemic to Indonesia.

Males and females look very different. Females are covered in brown feathers, and don't have long plumes or a comb. Males have both the plumes and comb, and from a distance look to be black, though closer up you will notice that those feathers are actually shiny greens, blues, and bronzes.

Green Junglefowl live in small flocks led by a dominant male. During the breeding season those males are challenged by other who don't have flocks of their own. Fighting often takes place, with involves flapping wings and grappling with their claws and spurs.

Green Junglefowl are being specifically bred in captivity these days. This is because in their native parts they are becoming hybridized with domestic chickens. These crosses are called "Bekisar" and are popular

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IUCN Status : Least Concern

Location : Indonesia
Size : Length up to 30in (75cm)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Galliformes
Family : Phasianidae --  Genus : Gallus -- Species : G. varius

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Megalania

Megalania prisca

I am really, really excited about today's animal. I love Megafauna, I just find those giant Pleistocene animals to be hands-down amazing. We've talked about several different animals in the past, but most have been mammals-- we haven't talked about too many giant, Megafauna reptiles. To be honest though, there actually aren't a whole ton of reptiles in that group. Aside from Crocodiles, most post-Dinosaur reptiles remained quite small. Well, Megalania didn't!

You know Komodo Dragons? The largest lizards in the world? They reach full body and tail lengths of about 10ft, and at most weigh in around 150lbs. Megalania was a monitor lizard, just like the Komodo Dragon. Only double that length. More than double it. Speculation is that they could reach 23-26ft. The weight is incredible too. If Megalania had the same body/tail proportions as the Komodo, they could have weighed up to 4,000lbs!

Of course, we don't know their full size and weight for sure, as full fossilized skeletons have not been found. But even if the lower, 15ft length estimates are true, Megalania would still have the distinction of being the largest Lizard ever, and the largest venomous vertebrate in the world.

They lived from 2 million to 40,000 years ago in Australia, and hunted the massive marsupials and giant birds that were wandering about at the time, like Dromornis and Diprotodon. They were apex predators, and only really had competition from the substantially smaller (200lb) Marsupial Lion, Thylacoleo.

Megalania probably died off as a result of its prey disappearing. Diprotodon and other giant mammals went extinct (probably from a combination of human hunting, habitat loss, and climate change) and the massive Lizards no longer had enough food to sustain themselves.

There are some Cryptozoologists out there who think Megalania is still around, and unconfirmed reports of giant lizards have been surfacing for years in both Australia and New Guinea.

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Status : Extinct for around 40,000 years

Location : Australia
Size : Length up to 23ft (7m), Weight up to 4,000lbs (1,800kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Reptilia -- Order : Squamata
Family : Varanidae -- Genus : Megalania -- Species : M. prisca

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Giant Grouper

Epinephelus lanceolatus

Meet the largest reef dwelling fish on the planet, the appropriately named Giant Grouper. These giants can reach lengths up up to 9ft, and weigh well over 800lbs!

Interestingly, even though they are very large, they are not often seen in the wild. They are a Vulnerable species, and live solitary lives hanging out near the seafloor. In fact, not much is really known about their wild behavior. We do know that they are carnivores that feed on crustaceans, small sea turtles, and other fish, and that they probably spawn during the summer time (no spawning events have been directly observed by scientists). It is believed that they reach maturity at around 4ft (1.3m).

Giant Groupers live in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and are sometimes referred to as Queensland Groupers. The population is considered Vulnerable due to overfishing. They are a very long lived fish, and can take decades to grow, which means replenishing the species can take a very long time. They are protected in several parts of Australia and India.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable

Location : Indian and Pacific Oceans
Size : Length up to 9ft (2.7m), Weight up to 880lbs (400kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Actinopterygii -- Order : Perciformes
Family : Serranidae -- Genus : Epinephelus -- Species : E. lanceolatus

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Tibetan Antelope

Pantholops hodgsonii

Meet the Tibetan Antelope, or Chiru, a endangered ungulate that has been on a free-falling population decline over the past century.

Around 1900, it was estimated that there were over a million of the Antelope roaming about the Tibetan Plateau. Today, estimates are around 75,000 and falling. What has caused this species to decline in such a way? In short, habitat loss, competition from livestock, and shahtoosh.

Shahtoosh is the fine, soft wool that is unique to the Tibetan Antelope (it can be identified by the courser guard hairs in the fiber). Though the Antelope does don't need to die for the wool to be taken, poachers kill them anyway. Even though the animals are protected, the poaching continues and the population declines year after year.

The Tibetan Antelope is a shy animal, and it is (rightfully) wary of humans and other potential predators. They live in herds and are constantly on alert for danger, even digging shallow depressions in the ground when resting so that they are difficult to see. During the mating season males form harems with up to 20 females. They will defend the females, getting into fights with other males that can sometimes be fatal (due to their sharp horns that can grow 2ft long).

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IUCN Status : Endangered

Location : Tibetan Plateau
Size : Shoulder height up to 32in (1.8m), Weight around 80lbs (36kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Mammalia -- Order : Artiodactyla
Family : Bovidae -- Genus : Pantholops-- Species : P. hodgsonii

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Wattled Crane

Bugeranus carunculatus

There are 15 species of Crane in the world, and we've talked about a few of them already-- tall, elegant birds that are symbols of luck and serve as national icons. (On a side note, you can see all fifteen Crane species in one place at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, WI. I'll make it out there one of these days...)

Anyway, today's Crane is a little less... beautiful... than some of its relatives. But it is still a very statuesque bird, albeit one with some interesting facial features. The Wattled Crane, as I'm sure you can deduce, has a red, warty-looking wattle that hands down from its neck and beak. Though its face is a little different, it still has the same long legs and feathers possessed by members of its family. (The tail feathers are so long they nearly touch the ground!)

Wattled Crane

Wattled Cranes are actually the tallest Cranes in Africa, and the second tallest Cranes in the world-- they can stand as high as 6" (1.8m). They also sport an 8.5ft (2.6m) wingspan. You'll find them living in the wetlands of Sub-Saharan countries, with the largest groups found in Zambia, and in Botswana's Okavango Delta.

The Wattled Cranes, like all Cranes, are omnivores. They feed on insects, grains, seeds, amphibians, and aquatic plants. Also in true Crane fashion, they perform elaborate courtship rituals and pair bonding dances. They jump, flap, bow, and vocalize during these performances. Wattled Cranes mate for life, and live in small flocks. They build nests on the ground, and lay only one egg or two each season (though usually only one will survive).

Sadly, the Wattled Crane is a Vulnerable species. Because they are so Wetland dependent (other African Cranes are more terrestrial) they are especially susceptible to habitat loss due to draining and development. There are around 8,000 left in the wild.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable

Location : Africa
Size : Height up to 6ft (1.8m), Wingspan up to 8.5ft (2.6m)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Gruiformes
Family : Gruidae -- Genus : Bugeranus-- Species : B. carunculatus

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Rusty-spotted Cat

Prionailurus rubiginosus

The Rusty-spotted Cat is one of the smallest cat species in the world, and as adults they weigh only a tiny 3.5lbs. For a comparison, that makes them less than half the size of a normal domestic cat!

You'll find these mini-felines in India and Sri Lanka, though good luck spotting one in the wild. They are incredibly secretive and difficult to locate due to their camouflaged fur and small size. It also doesn't help that they have a generally small population size-- it is estimated that less than 10,000 adults remain.

Rusty-spotted Cats are nocturnal and partially arboreal. They often sleep in trees, and flee up into them to escape their own predators, but they do most of their hunting on the ground. Rodents, birds, and small reptiles make up their diet.

Deforestation and the spread of agriculture has hurt this population immensely. They are listed as Vulnerable, are protected throughout most of their range, and are listed in CITES I (in India) and CITES II (in Sri Lanka). However, the population is still on the decline. They are kept in a handful of zoos, but are not common in captivity.

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IUCN Status : Vulnerable

Location : India, Sri Lanka
Size : Length up to 19in (48cm), Weight up to 3.5lbs (1.6kg)

Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class: Mammalia -- Order : Carnivora
Family : Felidae -- Genus : Prionailurus -- Species : P. rubiginosus

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Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus

The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws!

Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be!

While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long!

Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed

Location : Central and South America
Size : Carapace length 2in (5cm)

Classification : Phylum : Arthropoda -- Subphylum : Crustacea -- Class : Malacostraca
Order : Decapoda -- Family : Gecarcinidae -- Genus : Gecarcinus -- Species : G. quadratus

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