ADDAX.
Addax Nasomacultus.
Also known as the Screwhorn Antelope, addax are one of the most endangered mammals in the world. They once extended across the Sahara Desert region but there are now believed to be less than 500 of them left in the wild. Pictures of addax have been found on Egyptian tombs dating back 2,500 B.C. Hunting and habitat loss continue to contribute to their loss.
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MARA.
Also known as the Patagonian Hare. They are the fourth largest rodent in the world much smaller than the Capybara but much larger than the Agouti. They have a light tan coat and long legs.
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AGOUTI.
Dasyprocta Azarae.
Agouti`s are a type of rodent. Their scientific name Dasyprocta is Greek and translates to `Hairy Bottom` . Diet - Herbivores - leaves, seeds, nuts and fruits. When there is a lot of food available agouti`s will bury their food to store it. Agouti`s are believed to be the only native south American animal that can open a brazil nut. Agouti`s have five fingers on their hands like us but only three on their feet. Agouti`s have been nicknamed `Jungle Gardeners` because they spread seeds throughout the jungle. Conservation - threatened. Their populations is decreasing in the wild. Agouti`s are a keystone species. If their population continues to decrease many plants and animals in the rain forest will be affected. Origin - middle America, west Indies, northern South America.
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SQUIRREL MONKEY.
Saimiri.
Squirrel monkeys are small very intelligent primates. In their native forest habitats they tend to be arboreal meaning they spend most of their time in the trees. They move about easily by leaping from branch to branch. Squirrel monkeys communicate with each other using 26 separate calls. These include chirps, purrs and barks. Diet - Omnivores - eat mostly fruit and insects. Squirrel monkeys can not swing from their tails. They use their tails to balance when moving through the tree tops. They have the largest brain per body size of all primates. Due to their small size squirrel monkeys have a lot of predators in their native forest habitats. Conservation - threatened due to increased amounts of deforestation.
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ASIAN SHORT CLAWED OTTER.
These are the smallest of all the Otter species. They rely on their sensitive and dexterous toes to forage for their prey and so do not have the long claws which most otters have. They also have less webbing between their digits than other otters.
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BRITISH OTTERS.
Athletic, clever and opportunistic. Now found across the UK after near extinction in the 1970`s.
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SERVAL.
The Serval is a medium sized member of the cat family. It has a small head, large ears and is native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is strong and slender and with long legs is well adapted to catching small rodents in long grass. They can live for up to 10 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity.
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GREATER RHEA.
Rhea Americana.
The largest of all the south American birds. Related to the Ostrich and Emu. The head and neck are completely feathered and the colouration varies from pale grey to brown. These birds can reach 5.6 feet and weigh up to 88 pounds. Their wings which they spread like sails when they are running are large for a flightless bird. Rheas are polygamous, with males courting between two and twelve females. The females lay the eggs in a communal nest and the male will then take over the incubation, sitting on the eggs until they are ready to hatch. There can be as many as 50 eggs at one time. Conservation status - near threatened. Threats - eggs are collected for food and people hunt them for meat and to use their skins for the manufacture of leather. Habitat - grassy plains. Diet - plants, fruits, seeds, insects and lizards. Incubation period - 6 weeks. Number in clutch - lays one egg every day for up to ten days during the mating season. Lifespan - 15 years in the wild, 20 years in captivity.
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SLENDER TAILED MEERKAT.
Suricata Suricatta.
The meerkat is a member of the Mongoose family, inhabiting widespread areas of the Kalahari desert, Botswana and South Africa. They are very social animals living in colonies or clans of 20-30 members in large underground networks with multiple entrances which they leave only during the day. Animals in the same group regularly groom each other to strengthen social bonds and the subordinates will groom the alphas and lick their faces. Like cats, meerkats have binocular vision a large peripheral range, depth perception and eyes on the front of their faces. A member of the clan will stand sentry ( lookout ) while others are foraging or playing, to warn them of approaching dangers by barking loudly and whistling. Conservation status - least concern. Threats - predators-birds of prey. Habitat - desert regions and savannah. Diet - Insectivorous - grubs, insects and beetles, snakes, spiders, scorpions and small mammals. Gestation period - 73 - 77 days. Number in litter - 2 - 6. Lifespan - 10 years in the wild, 17 years in captivity.
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OSTRICH.
Struthio Camelus.
The flightless ostrich is the worlds largest bird with a wingspan of around two metres ( over six feet ). Ostriches roam the African savannah and desert lands and get most of their water from the plants they eat. They are very strong runners and can keep going for about an hour, reaching speeds of 70km per hour. Their wings are used as rudders to help them change direction. Contrary to popular belief, ostriches do not bury their heads in the sand when threatened but will either hide itself by lying flat against the ground or run away. If cornered it can cause injury and death with a kick from its powerful legs. Conservation status - least concern. Threats - hunted for meat and their feathers and for the pet trade. Habitat - savannah. Diet - omnivores eating plants, roots, seeds, lizards and other small mammals. Incubation period - 35 - 45 days. Number in clutch - up to 10. Lifespan - 25 years in the wild, 30 - 70 years in captivity.
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EUROPEAN BROWN BEAR.
Ursus Arctos Arctos.
The brown bear is distributed across North America and central/northern Europe, where due to habitat loss only small pockets remain. It can weigh between 220- 1,500lbs. Brown bears are mainly nocturnal. During the day they shelter round trees and bushes and in winter they semi hibernate in self made dens, caves and other natural crevices. In the summer it can gain up to 400lbs of fat on which it relies to make it through the winter, when it becomes very lethargic. Through the process of delayed implantation a females fertilized egg divides and floats free in the uterus for six months. During winter dormancy the foetus attaches to the uterine wall. The cubs are born eight weeks later while the mother sleeps. Conservation status - vulnerable. Threats - illegal poaching for claws, hide, teeth and internal organs also a loss of habitat. Habitat - forest, mountain woodlands and tundra. Diet - berries, roots, fungi, insects, fish and small animals. Gestation period - 170 - 270 including delay. Number in litter - 1 - 4. Lifespan - 15 - 20 years in the wild, up to 30 in captivity.
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AFRICAN BULLFROG.
Pyxicephalus Adspersus.
Lifespan - wild 20 years, captivity 40 years. Diet - insectivore eats small insects. Habitat - found in the savannahs of central and Sothern Africa. The African bullfrog can lay up to 4000 eggs at once. Conservation status - least concern.
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CRESTED GECKO.
Correlophus Ciliatus.
Lifespan - wild 10 years, captivity 20 years. Diet - omnivore eats insects and fruit. Habitat - found in New Caledonian rainforests in the canopy layer. Crested Geckos do not have eyelids and so lick their eyes to clear away debris instead. Conservation status - vulnerable. They are nocturnal.
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AMUR TIGER.
Panthera Tigris Altaica.
Amur tigers are the largest cats in the world. An adult male Amur tiger outweighs an adult male African lion by around 45kg. These tigers have been known to travel up to distances of 1,000 kilometres across mountain ranges. In the wild Amur tigers will hunt and kill prey once a week. This is a large feed and results in an average of eight kilograms of meat consumed per day. Once known as Siberian tigers, the name was changed due to a drastic loss in habitat resulting in the tigers only being found now around the Amur region. Conservation status - endangered. Threats - habitat loss, heavy poaching for furs and Chinese medicines and low genetic density. Habitat - mountainous deciduous and pine forests. Diet - carnivorous preferring large ungulates such as moose, deer, wild boar and occasionally bears. Gestation period - 3 - 4 months. Number in litter - 2 - 4. Lifespan - 10 years in wild, 15 - 20 in captivity.
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IBERIAN WOLVES.
Canis Lupus Signatus.
Iberian Wolf known locally as Lobo, a subspecies of grey wolf that inhabit the forest and plains of north Portugal and north western Spain. The wolf is the largest member of the Canid ( dog ) family. An adult male weighs around 30 - 50 kg and stands up to a metre high at the shoulder with a body length of 1.8 to 2 metres. Females are slightly smaller weighing between 25 - 40 kg. Iberian wolves have a reddish coat and distinctive dark marks on the front legs that give it its Latin name ( signatus = marked ). Only the alpha male and female mate in the pack. Today the hunting of wolves is banned in Portugal but allowed in some parts of Spain. Conservation status - endangered. At the time I was there the wolves stayed at the rear of their enclosure after being fed. I returned a few times but never could get a decent photograph of them.
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AFRICAN LION.
Panthera Leo.
The second largest of the big cats and also the only social big cat. A lion`s roar can be heard up to five miles away. They use their roar as a form of reassurance for cubs, long distance communication and territory protection. The males distinguishing feature is the mane which can take up to seven years to grow. A castrated male lion would lose his mane. Groups of lions ( called prides ) can consist of up to 30 lions which will co-operate to hunt for food and split to raise cubs. In 1980 there were 230,000 across Africa. However only 23,000 remain today. Conservation status - vulnerable. Threats - prey loss, habitat loss, some laws still permit the shooting of lions. Habitat - savannah and grasslands. Diet - carnivorous, preference for wildebeest, zebra, impalas, buffalo and warthogs. Gestation period - 110 days. Number in litter - 1 - 2. Lifespan - 13 years in the wild, 20 - 25 years in captivity.
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NORTHEAST CHEETAH.
Acinonyx Jubatus Soemmeringi.
Although commonly mistaken for a big cat, cheetahs are actually lesser cats, as they do not have the ability to roar. Cheetahs are the fastest land mammals and can run up to 75 miles per hour. Northeast cheetahs are classified as northern or Sudan cheetah. The Sudan cheetah population has been estimated at fewer than 2,000 cheetahs in the wild. Although female cheetahs are solitary, males are gregarious and may form coalitions to defend territories and kills. These males are typically related. Conservation status - vulnerable. Threats - habitat loss, illegal trade from the Horn of Africa to the middle east. Habitat - savannah and grasslands. Diet - carnivorous, preference for gazelle, hares and guinea fowl. Gestation period - 3 months. Number in litter - 1 - 5. Lifespan - 8 years in the wild, 10 to 15 years in captivity.
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VERVET MONKEY.
Chlorocebus Pygerythrus.
Vervets live in social groups ranging from 10 to 70 individuals with males changing groups at the time of maturity. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, the males are larger in weight and body length. Vervet monkeys have separate hierarchies depending on their sex. Male hierarchies depend on strength, age and allies and female hierarchies depend on their sons rank. Vervet monkeys have been used extensively for research into the social behaviours of humans, as they have human like traits, such as hypertension, anxiety and social and dependent alcohol use. Conservation status - least concern. Threats - hunted for meat, fur and used for medical research also preyed upon by Leopards and eagles. Habitat - savannah, woodland, coastal forest and mountains up to 400m. Diet - primarily herbivorous, usually fruits, flowers, leaves, seeds and occasionally insects. Gestation period - 6 months. Number in litter - 1 - 2. Lifespan - 11-12 years.
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RED FOX.
Vulpes Vulpes.
This fox is called Bramble. Brambles mother was a wild fox, killed before bramble was weaned. Bramble was bought to the zoo by a member of the public and was subsequently hand reared by one of the keepers. She is very playful and loves to spend time with her keepers often running away with equipment when maintenance department are working in the enclosure. Bramble is the only carnivore with which `big cat keeper for a day` participants can make physical contact in her own enclosure. Her friendly character often makes her a favourite.
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JAGUAR.
Panthera Onca.
Jaguars have the most powerful jaw of any cat. Whereas a tiger will bite its prey on the neck where its soft, the jaguar will try and crush or pierce the skull of its prey. The jaguar is the largest cat in the western hemisphere and the third largest cat in the world, after the lion and tiger. It is also one of the four roaring cats. It differs from a lions roar as its more a series of hoarse coughs. They are often confused with the leopard but jaguars are much stockier with a broader head and shorter legs and tail. There are also black jaguars which are known as black panthers. The colour is generally a tawny yellow with dark spots on the head and neck and dark rings on the body containing a dark spot -- this is the main difference in markings between the jaguar and leopard. Conservation status - near threatened. Threats - due to its power they have no predators other than humans. Habitat - tropical rainforests. Diet - small prey such as capybara but will also eat larger prey like tapir, cattle and crocodile. Gestation period - 100 days. Number in litter - 1 - 2. Lifespan - 12 - 15 years in the wild, 20 years in captivity.
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