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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Long-whiskered Owlet

Xenoglaux loweryi

The Long-whiskered Owlet is a tiny little bird of prey that is found only in the Cloud Forests of a very small section of Peru. It is estimated that there are as few as 250 remaining in the wild, giving the bird an "Endangered" status.

Long-whiskered Owlets are some of the smallest Owls in the world-- they are only about 4-6 inches in total body length, and weigh less than 2 ounces! They are best identified by their long facial feathers that jut outwards, giving them the name-sake whiskered look.

Not much is known about these birds habits and behaviors. They have only been known to science since 1976, and captured a handful of times. Needless to say, they have not been well studied. Their tiny, remote range and small size make them especially difficult to track down, and it actually made news when one was spotted back in 2007.

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IUCN Status : Endangered
Location : South America
Size : Length up to 6in (15cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Strigiformes
Family : Strigidae -- Genus : Xenoglaux -- Species : X. loweryi
Image : Cornell Lab of Ornithology

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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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Craspedacusta sowerbii

Craspedacusta sowerbii

Did you know that there are Jellyfish that don't live in the ocean? Now you do!

Today's species is Craspedacusta sowerbii, and it is found in calm freshwater bodies of water, like lakes, reservoirs, and slow moving rivers and streams.

These Jellyfish have actually have a distribution that spans the entire globe. They have been located on nearly every continent (sorry Antarctica) and in almost every single U.S. State. However, you won't see them constantly-- they pop up randomly, sometimes in bodies of water where they have never been seen before!

Craspedacusta sowerbii is able to move from place to place because during colder months their polyps contract and become podocysts. These Podocysts attach to other plants and animals that carry the Jellyfish to new places. And because they reproduce asexually, they are able to massively expand their populations very quickly.

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IUCN Status : Not Listed
Location : North and South America, Asia, Europe, Africa
Size : Diameter around 1in
Classification : Phylum : Cnidaria -- Class : Hydrozoa -- Order : Limnomedusae
Family : Olindiidae -- Genus : Craspedacusta-- Species : C. sowerbii
Image : Microscopy-UK

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Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

The Sharp-shinned Hawk is the smallest hawks in all of North America, and one of the smallest in the entire world. Their bodies measure between 9 and 13 inches, and their short wings give them a span that tops out at only 22in! As with most birds of prey, the females are larger than the males-- in this case up to 1.3 larger!

These little birds of prey are found primarily in North and Central America, though some make their way down to South America as well. Many are year-round residents, while others migrate between the north and south. They are found primarily in forested areas.

The prey of a Sharp-shinned Hawk depends on the size of the Hawk itself. A 4in difference in body length is a pretty big deal! Songbirds make up most of their diet, but larger Hawks will go after Quails, Pigeons, and even small Falcons!

One particularly interesting fact about these birds is that they will continue to feed their offspring for quite a while after they have fledged. At first they bring the food to the nest, but eventually they feed their children while flying, passing the prey to them in mid-air.

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IUCN Status : Least Concern
Location : North, Central, and South America
Size : Length around 1ft (30cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Accipitriformes
Family : Accipitridae -- Genus : Accipiter-- Species : A. striatus
Image : NPS Photo

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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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