Description

Aardvarks are medium sized burrowing African mammal and their name means earth pig in the Afrikaans language

Can reach four feet in length and can weigh between 130 and 180 lbs

Can live 18-23 years in the wild

They have a very prominent snout with a pig shaped nose that has vertical nostrils which can be closed to keep out dirt when they are digging

Mouth is very small and tubelike

Have a sticky tongue that can be up to 12 inches in length and is used to suck up the termites

Have very unique teeth  made up of bundles of tubes made out of a modified form of dentine

Teeth also do not enamel so are worn out and regrown constantly

Adults only have cheek teeth and have 14 upper and 12 lower molars

On top of their head, they have two, long, rabbit-like ears which helps them listen for predators and other things in their environments

Their body is very stout with an arched back and covered with a layer of coarse hair 

Their skin is very tough and has a yellowish gray color

The back legs are longer than the front legs

Front feet have four toes and back feet have five

Toenails are shovel shaped and very good for digging 

Tail is tapered and cone shaped

Are not related to Anteaters even though they look similar

Habitat

 Live in sub-Saharan Africa which is bottom two-thirds of African continent

Like places where food is plentiful and soil is easy to dig in

If soil is too hard or rocky, aardvark will move somewhere soil is easier to dig in 

Behavior and Other Things

Aardvarks are nocturnal

Forage for food at night and rest in burrow during the day

When leaving burrow at night, aardvark will stand at entrance for several minutes and sniff and listen for predators

After that it will leap forward several times and then check for predators again

If there are no predators, it will then start trotting away to find termites and ants

Due to their diet, they require a very large range to survive which can be about 6 to 18 mi

Across their ranges they will have many burrows that fall into two categories: Temporary burrows for refuge created during foraging and permanent homes

Typically only have one home burrow at a time

Home burrow has multiple entrances and can be as long as 43 ft

Change up the layout regularly and will periodically move on and make a new one

The old burrows then are used by other African animals as homes and shelter

Aardvarks mainly eat termites but will also eat certain species of ants and also the Aardvark cucumber

When a termite/ant mound is discovered, the aardvark uses it’s thick claws to rip open the hard shell

It then uses its long tongue to suck up lots of termites

Greatest number counted was 50,000 in one night

After Aardvark is done with the mound, other animals like the Aardwolf come along and clean up the leftovers

Also the aardvark will not take the same foraging path every night and will come back to one every 5-7 days to let the mounds recover

The mounds are not enough to sustain the aardvark so it also looks for columns of termites traveling along the ground

If threatened by predators such as a lion or a hyena, the aardvark will run in a zig-zag pattern or it will dig a new burrow and wait for the predator to pass before re emerging

If predator finds a way into burrow, the aardvark will dig its way out and the fill it leaves behind prevents the predator from reaching the aardvark

If all else fails, it strikes the predator with its claws or tail

Can cause major damage to unprotected areas of the body 

Aardvarks are usually solitary but they will come together to mate

Have gestation period of 7 months and give birth to one cub

Cubs can dig their own burrows by 6 months old but will often stay with mom until the next mating season

Fun Facts

Can dig a yard of tunnel in about five minutes or a meter in 15 seconds

Shares common ancestor with elephants, manatees, and hyraxes

Closest living relatives are elephant shrews, tenrecs, and golden moles

Can swim very well

Arthur from show Arthur is an aardvark

F-111/FB-111 was a supersonic fighter bomber called Aardvark

Description

Scientific name is Proteles Cristata

Smallest member of the hyena family

Can be between 22-31 inches in length not including the tail and get be between 50-60 pounds

No data on how long Aardwolves live in the wild but lifespan may be similar to spotted hyenas which may exceed 18 years

Looks like a very thin Striped Hyena

Has a very slender muzzle due to mostly eating termites

Muzzle is also black and nearly hairless

Have long sticky tongue used to lap up termites

For teeth, it has normal front and canine teeth which are mostly used for defense, but its molars are peg shaped, just like the Aardvark

Has two large pointy ears that are used to listen for predators and also for termites underground

Body is a light-buff color with 5-6 vertical stripes on the side and covered with coarse hair

Has a mane of darker hair that runs from neck down the back

Can be raised so it appears bigger during confrontation

Has longer front legs than back legs which gives the aardwolf a hunched appearance

Legs have irregular stripes with the area behind the knee completely black

Have five toes on its front feet unlike hyenas which have four toes

Have non-retractable claws to dig for termites

Has a long and bushy tail with black tip on the end of it

Tail is 8-12 inches long

Habitat

Can be found in two different regions of Africa: Southern and Eastern

Range in south Includes South Africa, Southern Zambia, Mozambique, Angola

Range in east/north east includes Northeastern Uganda and Somalia as well as Central Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt

Live in dry, open savannas and grasslands with rainfall below 80 cm and where termites of the Trinervitermes and Hodotermes groups are in abundance

Behavior

Aardwolves are nocturnal

Forage for food at night and rest in burrows during the day to escape predators and the heat

During the winter they sometimes forage during the day since it’s cooler in winter

Mostly eat termites off the ground or dig underground to find them

Will also eat termites out of mounds opened by Aardvarks

Use their long tongues to lap up the termites

May consume up to 250,000 termites a night

Will eat different species of termites depending on the time of year and abundance

Due to their diet, Aardwolves require a large range of 1-4 km

Aardwolves can be solitary or found in monogamous pairs, generally during breeding though sometimes more dominant males may mate with females that have a weaker male partner 

Across their range, the aardwolf pair will often have at least 10 dens

One or two of these dens get used at a time and generally get switched every six months

Dens are usually abandoned Aardvark or Springhare dens that the pair will expand or can be one the pair dug themselves

Breeding season depends on the location but usually takes place in the autumn or the spring

Gestation lasts around 90 days after which the female can give birth to 2-5 cubs but generally gives birth to 2-3 cubs

Cubs are born during the rainy season when termites are most abundant which is November to December

Cubs spend the first 6-8 weeks in their den with their parents

Then start supervised foraging after 3 months and are independent by 4 months but will often stay with their parents until the next breeding season

The males job is mainly to protect the cubs while the female is out foraging at night

Will often spend up to 6 hours a night watching over the cubs

Also protect the female during the day

If they encounter an intruder, aardwolves will chase them out of their territory

If they catch the intruder, a fight will break out which can consist of barking/roaring, spraying of a smelly fluid from their anal glands, and even using their canine teeth and sharp claws to maim

When Aardwolves are threatened, they will cause their mane to stand up to appear bigger and threatening as well as spray the smelly liquid from their anal glands

Aardwolves communicate and mark their territory by pasting their anal gland secretions on the environment which is really gross

Fun Facts

Name means earth wolf in Afrikaans due to their dog like appearance

Oldest Aardwolf lived to be 18 years and 11 months old at Frankfurt Zoo

Description

Smallest African pig species

Get their name from red color and tendency to wallow in rivers and streams

Can reach lengths of 3-3.5 ft and can weigh between 99-254 lbs

Also reach heights of 22-31 in

Live 15-20 years in the wild

Males are slightly larger than the females

Body is covered in rust colored fur with black legs and a white mane down their back

They will raise this mane if they feel excited or threatened

Their face may be covered with a white face mask with the rest of it colored black

This coloration can vary in the eastern and southern parts of their range

Red river hogs there may be red, brown, or black and may get darker as they age

Red river hogs have an elongated snout they use to root around for food like most pigs

Males have two bony protrusions/warts on either side of their snouts

This is to protect them from tusk damage during fights with other boars

Their dental formula is similar to a wild boars

Like all wild pigs, their canine teeth are tusks

Have small upper tusks and longer more visible lower tusks that can reach lengths of 3 in

Male and females both have longer jaw and side hair

Males develop very prominent whiskers that can hide the warts on their faces

Ears are very long and thin with white or black tufts on the end of them

These tufts can reach lengths of 4.7 inches

Their body is round in shape and supported by short, sturdy legs

They have a very thin tail that ends in black tufts

Can reach a length of 12-18 inches

Predators include leopards, lions, spotted hyenas, eagles, rock pythons, and humans    

Habitat

Found in areas of dense vegetation

Includes rain forests, swamps, steppes and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa

Range is Western and Central Africa

Specifically from Senegal to the Congo Basin

Behavior

Red river hogs can be active during the day but are primarily nocturnal and crepuscular

Prefer to forage during the nights but may forage until the morning in shaded forests

When resting, red river hogs spend their time in burrows 

They are omnivores

Eat roots, fruit, seeds, crops, grasses, nuts, insects, bird eggs, snails, reptiles, carrion and small animals

They will follow after baboons, chimpanzees, and elephants to pick up the fruit they drop

Also eat elephant dung to eat the undigested seeds which is kind of gross

Red river hogs can be solitary but are often found in groups of up to 11 individuals

They may gather in larger groups but the typical group is 6-10 individuals

Includes a dominant boar, several sows, and their offspring

Red river hogs mark their territory by scraping tree trunks with their tusks and using scent glands

These are found on the feet, neck, and near the eyes a.k.a preorbital

They will also communicate using different sounds to signify events such as danger

If the territory is threatened by another red river hog, a fight will break out

This includes their facial hair, ear tassels, and manes standing on end to appear bigger and also make lots of noise

They will then butt heads, jab each other with their snout, and whip each other with their tails

This continues until one of the hogs backs down

Red river hogs breed seasonally so the hoglets are born between the end of the dry season and start of the wet season

Gestation lasts 120 days

The sow creates a nest made of grass during this time where she can give birth to and care for the hoglets

Typically give birth to 3-6 hoglets that weigh 27 oz

They usually nurse for about 4 months and then get weaned

Both the sow and the boar help care for and protect the hoglets

When the hoglets leave the nest, the dominant boar will provide protection for them

At the age of 6 months, the hoglets have developed their reddish coloring and no longer need constant protection

They will only develop their black facial markings when they reach full size or about two years of age

Fun Facts

Red river hogs are fast runners and good swimmers

Also known as bush pig which is also used for another pig species 

This species is found in the east and south of Africa including Madagascar

Entire body is covered in hair unlike every other African pig species

Groups are known as sounders

Hoglets are born dark brown in color with yellowish stripes and spots to provide camo

Makes them look like watermelons

Their heads are lower to the ground to help them run through thick vegetation

Description

Medium-sized terrestrial mammal native to Africa and the Middle East

Look like oversized guinea pig or rabbit with rounded ears

Rock hyrax one of three species of hyrax

Other two are: Tree Hyrax and Yellow Spotted/Bush Hyrax

Can reach lengths from 12-22 inches and can weigh between 4-12 lbs

Also reach heights of 8-12 inches at their shoulders

Can live up to 12 years in the wild but the average is about 8.5

Males may weigh a little bit more than the females

Have a very short and squat body

Covered in short, dense hair that is typically brownish grey in color with a cream colored underside

Also have some longer hairs called guard hairs around their legs

Have whisker like hairs on its back 

Help the rock hyrax navigate just like a cat's whiskers

Has a patch of black hair on its back that covers a scent gland

Rock hyrax will raise it if angry or frightened

Scent gland is used to communicate and mark territory

Has a more rounded skull than other hyrax species 

Rock hyraxes have a short snout covered with long black whiskers

Also have a cleft upper lip

Inside their mouths, they have teeth similar to elephants and are used to eat plants

Their incisors are very long and look like small elephant tusks

Molars are very sturdy and good for chewing vegetation

Eyes have a specialized eyelid called a nictitating membrane

Used for sun and dust protection

Legs are very short

Front feet have four toes and back feet have three

Toenails are hoof like except for the inner toe on the back feet

This toe has a long claw used for grooming

Have very rubber like soles that are kept moist by sweat glands

Also have a hollow in middle of their soles made of muscle fibers that acts like a suction cup

These two things help the rock hyraxes grip rocks and rough surfaces

Makes them really good climbers

Habitat

Live in rocky, scrub filled areas of Africa and the Middle East

Includes most of Sub-Saharan Africa, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria 

Behavior

Rock hyraxes are diurnal which means they forage during the day

However, they spend about 95% of their days mostly resting 

This can include a behavior called heaping where many hyraxes sleep together in a pile

In the morning, rock hyraxes walk out of their dens and sunbathe for several hours to warm up

After that they will spend some time foraging and feeding

Followed by a rest period in the shade then another feeding period

Rock hyraxes only forage about 50 meters from their dens

They are primarily browsers and grazers and typically eat grasses, buds, stems and fruits

May occasionally eat insects and grubs and eggs of birds and lizards

Can eat certain plants that are poisonous to other animals

Have a three chambered stomach with bacteria to digest the plants they eat

Rock hyraxes eat in a circular formation with their heads facing outward 

Do this to keep a lookout for predators such as servals

Also have sentries posted on higher locations

When eating, the dominant male looks up between bites to look for predators

If one is spotted, he or the sentries will give a shriek alarm

This causes the others to run for cover where they will stay still until the predator leaves

As a last resort, rock hyraxes can wedge themselves into a crevice and bite the predator

Live in colonies of 50-80 individuals

Subdivided into smaller family groups consisting of 3-15 related females, a dominant male and some offspring

Dwell in dens inside naturally occurring crevices in between rocks and on cliffs

Sometimes you may see bush hyraxes and rock hyraxes living together even though they are different species

Breeding occurs seasonally but pups are usually born during the rainy season

Gestation is 7-8 months

Typically give birth to 2-4 pups

Pups are born with fur and their eyes open and are very mobile soon after birth

Usually weaned within 3 months and can eat solid foods within three days of birth

Male pups eventually leave their natal group at about 2 years old

Go live on the outskirts of another group to maybe take it over one day   

Fun Facts

Related to Elephants and Manatees

Called Conies in the Bible

First scientifically described in 1766

A long time ago, they were the size of tapirs but eventually shrunk in size

Are not kosher

Can make upto 20 different vocalizations

Get most of their moisture from their food so don’t drink much water 

Rock hyrax urine turns white when it crystalizes

Description

Large crested penguin

Reach an average length of 28 in

Males are a little bit larger than females

Weights vary depending on the time of year

Before molting, males weigh around 14 lbs and females weigh around 13 lbs

After molting, males weigh between 7-8 lbs and females weigh around 7 lbs

Beak is between 2.8 and 3.1 inches in length

Males typically have larger bills and is a good way to tell the males and females apart

Wing, from shoulder to tip, is about 8 in

Tail is 3.5-3.9 inches in length

Live 15-20 years in the wild

Have very heavy bones which allows them to remain underwater for long periods

Their head, chin, throat, and back are covered in black plumage with a blue sheen when new and brown sheen when old

Most striking feature is their black, yellow, and orange crest

It starts on their forehead and extends backwards to the nape of their necks 

Belly and underside of their wings are white

Bill is orange-brown in color

There is a pink patch of skin that extends from the base of their bill towards their eyes

Speaking of eyes, macaroni penguins have red irises

Finally, their legs and feet are pink 

Every year, they go through a molt where they lose all their old feathers and replace them with new ones

Two weeks before this process, they accumulate as much fat as they can

They do this since they can’t get into the water to gather food while growing new feathers 

This process typically takes 2-4 weeks

Habitat

Macaroni penguins live in rocky, water bound areas of the Sub Antarctic region of the Americas and Africa as well as the Antarctic peninsula

In South America, they are found in: Southern Chile, Falkland Islands, South Georgia Islands, South Sandwich Islands, and South Orkney Islands

In the Sub Antarctic region of Africa and the Antarctic peninsula, they are found in: northern South Shetland Islands, Bouvet Island, Prince Edward Islands, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, Heard Islands, and McDonald Islands

Behavior

Macaroni penguins are diurnal and come ashore at night to sleep

They are carnivores

Their diet consists of crustaceans like krill, squid, and fish

They also swallow small stones like many birds that help with digestion

Macaroni penguins forage for food by diving down to depths of 49-230 ft but may dive down to 330 ft

Also could travel 31-188 miles from their homes depending on location

Generally venture out 10-20 days when eggs are incubating

Can only spend 2-3 minutes underwater before coming up to breathe

They can see really well underwater which helps them avoid predators such as: leopard seals, Antarctic fur seals, Subantarctic fur seals and killer whales

Macaroni penguins are very colonial and form massive colonies of hundreds of thousands of penguins that nest on rocky cliffs and hillsides

They communicate using a variety of displays such as wing flapping and trumpeting

Macaroni penguins typically arrive in their breeding grounds about October

Courtship involves many displays first by males to attract females and then by both the males and the females together

The females will lay their eggs about November

The eggs are laid in a nest scraped from the ground and lined with rocks, grass or nestled in some tussock grass on South Georgia Island

Two eggs are laid with the first being smaller than the second one

The first generally doesn’t hatch unless the second one fails which still baffles scientists

Both parents incubate the eggs and the incubation period is split into three parts that last about 12 days for a 5 week period

Both parents share incubation duties in the first part

Then the male leaves to the sea for food and the female stays behind to incubate the egg in the second part

Finally, the male returns and takes over incubation while the female leaves to the sea and returns when the chick hatches

During this time, both parents lose a lot of their body weight incubating the egg

The chick hatches about 34 days after the egg was laid

From this point until about 22-25 days old, the male protects the chick and keeps it warm

The female will bring the chick food every day

After gaining enough feathers and not being protected by dad, the chick will form creches with other chicks to stay warm and avoid predators such as Skuas which will also eat eggs as well as sick and weak penguins

Once they have fully developed their feathers at around 60-70 days, the chicks will leave the colony and go out to sea

All penguins will leave the breeding colony by April or May

Fun Facts

Get their name because they looked like young men who would stick feathers in their hats in the mid 18th century and were known as Macaronis

Also where the words for the song Yankee Doodle originated from which made fun of the continental army during the Revolutionary War

Description

One of th largest members of the sifaka lemur family

Get their neame for a distinctive vocalization and because their fur is long and silk looking

Can reach lengths of 3.1-3.4 ft and can weigh between 11 and 14 lbs

Nobody really knows how long they can live but scientists think that they can live up to 27 years in the wild if their lifespan is similar to another sifaka species

Their head and body length alone is around 1.6-1.8 ft

Body is covered in white silky fur

Some individuals may develop silver-gray or black tints on the crown of their heads, back, and limbs

Also the base of the tail may sometimes be yellow in color

Their face and ears are hairless and usually black in color

Their face starts out totally black in color, but as silky sifakas age, they lose pigmentation to varying degrees

This leads to several color variations: black, pink, or a mix of both

Their ears protrude above the fur of their head and are very cute

Silky sifakas have striking orange-red eyes

Males and females are about the same size but they are easy to tell apart

Males usually have a dark colored patch on their chests

This happens because they use a scent gland on their throat to mark their territory

It usually gets bigger during mating season

Their tail can reach lengths between 1.5-1.7 ft

Habitat

Silky sifakas are primarily found in the montane and mid-altitude rainforests of a small part of northeastern Madagascar

Usually found in elevations between 2,300 ft and 6,152 ft but there are small groups found in small forest pockets in the southern part of their range at an elevation of 980 ft  

Their range is from Maroantsetra in the south to Marojejy National Park

Behavior

Silky sifakas are diurnal which means they are active during the day

They are also arboreal which means they spend most of their time in the trees

They travel by vertical clinging and leaping which allows them to leap almost 20 ft between tree trunks

According to scientists, approximately 25% of their day is spent feeding, 44% resting, and the remaining 16.8% is spent on social behaviors, travelling, and sleeping.

Speaking of feeding, silky sifakas are primarily folivores.

This means they mostly eat leaves and seeds as well as fruits and flowers.

Also sometimes they may eat dirt. 

They eat leaves from a wide variety of plant species and females get priority over males.

Silky sifakas are found in groups of two-nine individuals and the social structure varies.

Small groups are usually composed of families and larger groups are usually made up of multiple females and one male.

Males and females will usually leave their birth group and go find another group to live in.

Communication occurs through vocalizations and scent marking.

Predators of the silky sifaka are the fossa and humans

Mating occurs on a single day every year in December or January with the babies being born in June or July

Females typically give birth to one baby every two years though sometimes they give birth in back to back years

At first the babies hold on to their mom’s chest but at about 4 weeks, they start riding jockey style on their mother’s back

All the group members interact with the baby and provide some care.

Sadly the silky sifaka is listed as critically endangered due to habitat loss and hunting

Luckily there are several organizations that are helping to preserve this species by working with the local people and creating a connection with young kids and teachers so that more people want to save it.

Fun Facts

First described in 1871 by a French naturalist

Used to be classified with its relative the diademed sifaka but in 2004 it was determined through genetic testing that the silky sifaka was a different species

Known as ghosts of the forest due to their white coloring and mysterious appearance

Zoboomafoo was a sifaka but a different species

Part of the order Sirenia which consists of the three species of Manatee: West Indian, West African and Amazonian, the dugong, and the extinct Steller’s sea cow

The West Indian Manatee consists of two subspecies: Florida and Caribbean

Most people in the U.S. know the Florida Manatee

Related to elephants and hyraxes

Large, gray colored, aquatic mammals

See full Manatee description in North America section

Description

Smallest subspecies of western gorilla species but still have plenty of strength

Males are larger than the females

The males can reach a height of up to 6 ft when standing on their legs

Also have an average weight of about 300 lbs and can weigh upto 500 lbs

They also have an arm span of 8 ft

Females, on the other hand, reach a height of 4.5 ft

Their weight is about 150-200 lbs

Their arm span is 6.5 ft

Both males and females can live 30-40 years in the wild

Western lowland gorilla possess jet black skin that is covered in coarse black hair with a more brownish tint compared to other gorilla species

Only their face, ears, hands, and feet are not covered in hair

Male gorillas eventually develop a silver colored patch on their backs which is why the older males are known as “Silverbacks”

The females may go gray behind their ears, on their necks, and the tops of their heads as they age

Western lowland gorillas have arms that are longer than their legs

They like to walk on two legs a lot but when they walk on all fours, they support themselves on the third and fourth knuckles on their curled hands which is called knuckle walking

Speaking of hands, the western lowland gorilla has very large hands with nails on all fingers like humans and very large thumbs

Compared to other species of gorilla, the western lowland gorilla has a more pronounced brow ridge and ears that look small in relation to the size of their head

They also have a differently shaped nose and lips compared to the other subspecies

Speaking of their heads, males have very large bony crests on the top and back of their skulls to anchor the massive facial muscles that support and operate their jaws and teeth

The females also have these crests but they are a lot less pronounced

They have very tough and strong canines and large molars to help them chew the vegetation they eat

Another distinguishing feature of the western lowland gorilla is that their big toe is farther away from the rest their toes than the rest of the gorilla subspecies

Babies up to 4 years old have a white tuft of fur on their butts so their mothers can identify them

Habitat

Found primarily in lowland tropical forests and swamp forests

Range includes: Cameroon, Central African Republic, mainland Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Cabinda or Angola, and possibly the Democratic Republic of Congo

Most widely distributed gorilla species

Unfortunately their habitat is being destroyed and they are critically endangered but luckily zoos and organizations around the world are trying to prevent them from going extinct

Behavior

Western lowland gorillas are diurnal and usually forage and rest during the day and sleep at night

They are primarily herbivorous

Their typical diet consists of roots, shoots, fruit, wild celery, tree bark and pulp, as well as the leaves and stems of plants

At certain times during the year, they will eat more fruit than foliage and at other points they eat more foliage than fruits

Adults consume up to 40 lbs in food daily

Western lowland gorillas typically live in small groups or troops that grow in size throughout the year

These troops can range in size from 2-30 individuals but a typical troop has about 5 members

The average troop consists of one dominant silverback, one or more blackback or younger males, several adult females and their babies and older kids

Western lowland gorillas are generally peaceful and non-aggressive but they will attack if provoked

Males will often fight each other for a female but most of the time, everyone gets along

Silverbacks may also kill infants that are unrelated to them to mate with the mother of the infant 

They typically have a home range of 8-45 square kms and typically travel 3-5 km per day within their range

The silverback is the leader of the troop and gets exclusive breeding rights to the females in the 

He will also make all the decisions as well as diffusing fights

One of these decisions is where to rest during the day and sleep at night

Gorillas above the age of three make nests to rest and sleep on which usually consists of foliage or branches being gathered around an individual

The males usually nest on the ground whereas the females will nest on the ground or in trees

Juveniles nest up in the trees and spend more time in the trees which decreases as they get older

There is no set breeding season for western lowland gorillas and babies are born throughout the year

Gestation typically lasts for 8 months

Females can have between 3-6 babies throughout their whole lives

Baby gorillas are not totally helpless and are able to grasp on to their mothers

The babies are supported by their moms for the first few months of their lives 

They typically grow at twice the rate of human babies for the first two years of their lives

They can crawl and ride on their mothers back at 3 months and may continue to ride on their moms until they are 3.5-4 years old

Younger males eventually leave their groups to go find a mate and often times end up in a bachelor group for awhile before forming their own troop or joining another one

Sometimes they will challenge the silverback of another group to become the new leader but often times they get scared off by the display of the silverback which may include pounding his chest, throwing things, or charging at and past the challenger

They don’t become silverbacks until they are 13 years old or older

Females often join several groups throughout their lives and choose which silverback to follow based on many attributes

Western lowland gorillas are pretty intelligent and lead very complex and interesting lives

They participate in grooming each other and the adults tolerate the kids playing with each other and hanging off the adults

The silverback will also sometimes engage in play with the older kids

They have been known to fashion tools out of sticks like chimpanzees

They communicate through auditory signals, visual signals, and odors

Even though they are pretty quiet animals, western lowland gorillas can scream, bark and roar

Scientists have recorded up to 22 unique vocalizations that have various meanings

They can also learn simple sign language as demonstrated by Koko, a female gorilla that lived at the Gorilla Foundation’s preserve in the Santa Cruz Mountains

She eventually gained a vocabulary of more than 1,000 signs in what her caretakers called Gorilla Sign Language

She also reportedly recognized 2,000 spoken english words

She also had a kitten she named All Ball

Fun Facts

Most common gorilla species in Zoos

Had their genome sequenced in 2012

Scientific name is Gorilla gorilla gorilla

Each individual has unique fingerprints and noseprints

There was an albino Western Lowland Gorilla named Snowflake who was born in Western Equatorial Guinea and was brought to the Barcelona Zoo in 1966 where he lived the rest of his life until his passing in 2003

Sources

https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/western-lowland-gorilla

http://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/western-gorilla/

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/western-lowland-gorilla

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_lowland_gorilla

Description

Largest hyena species

Females are slightly larger than the males

Can reach lengths of 4-5.9 ft and heights of 2.5-2.6 ft at the shoulders

Weight can be between 88 and 190 lbs

Average lifespan in the wild is about 21 years

Body is covered in short coarse fur with a yellow or gray tint covered with spots

This color can vary depending on the individual and also their environment

They have a mane of short fur running down their back that stands on end when they are scared or to appear bigger

Have a very large head with a long, thick, muscular neck with very powerful jaws that have the strongest bite force in the animal kingdom

Spotted hyenas can generate a pressure of 80 kilogram per square centimeter which is 40% more than a leopard can generate

In another study, a spotted hyena recorded a bite force of 4,500 newtons on the measurement instruments which is a ridiculous amount of force

Their teeth are also very tough and very good at cracking bones

They have rounded ears instead of pointed which differentiates spotted hyenas from the striped hyena, brown hyena, and the aardwolf

Front legs are longer than the back legs which gives it a profile similar to a bison

Each foot has four toes with non-retractable claws

They have a really short tail and the end resembles a pom pom

Just like the aardwolf, the spotted hyena has anal glands and it uses the secretions to communicate and mark things

The secretions apparently smell like boiling cheap soap or burning

A less gross thing is that spotted hyenas have a very large heart which makes up about 1% of their body weight

This allows them to have great endurance when hunting

Lions have hearts that only make up about .45-.57 percent of their body weight in comparison so they need to rest more than hyenas

Habitat

Can be found in semi-deserts, savannah, open woodland, dry woodland, and mountainous forests up to 4,000 meters in elevation

Through the end of the Pleistocene, spotted hyenas could be found in North America, Eurasia, and Africa

For the last 8,000 years, has only been found in Sub-Saharan Africa and population varies by country and habitat

Behavior

Spotted hyenas can be active during both the day and night depending on certain things

However, they are primarily nocturnal

They are carnivorous and are really good hunters unlike the brown or striped hyenas which are scavengers

Spotted hyenas can run long distances for a long time while hunting and can run 37 miles per hour

They are also good swimmers

What they hunt depends on the size of the group

In larger groups, they have been known to hunt various ungulates, young rhinos, adult wildebeests, zebras, and cape buffalo

If the group is smaller, they may also hunt gazelles, impalas, warthogs, and waterbucks

If an individual is hunting by themselves, they usually hunt smaller prey that is easier for them to catch such as: ground birds, rabbits, springhare, bat-eared foxes, porcupines, jackals, fish and even ostrich eggs

They can eat one third of their body weight in one sitting and eat most, if not all parts of the animals they hunt

Special enzymes in their digestive system help them break down things like bones that most other animals cannot  

Spotted hyenas compete with lions and other carnivores for some of the same prey and also use their large groups to fend them off

Speaking of large groups, spotted hyenas live in large groups called clans that may number up to 100 individuals

They have a very complex society with a complex communication system since they are very intelligent

Spotted hyenas have a matriarchal society which means the females are in charge and are usually larger and more assertive and aggressive than the males

Usually they highest ranking member but there have been rare occasions where a male has been in charge 

This also means that the cubs of the lowest ranking female are still ranked higher than the cubs of the highest ranking male

Spotted hyenas don’t have a set breeding season

Gestation lasts about 110 days

Females typically give birth to two cubs in a private den and are very protective of their cubs until they grow up

Cubs are born with dark fur, open eyes and some teeth

Competition starts early for the cubs and oftentimes the stronger sibling will kill the weaker one

At about 2-6 weeks of age, the cubs will moved to a larger communal den along with the rest of the other cubs in the clan

These dens are usually holes dug by other animals or caves depending on where they live

Each mother nurses their own cubs and no one else's

The cubs will typically only nurse until they are one-two years old

At about two months, the cubs lose their baby coloring and begin to look like the adults

Female cubs will stay with their birth clan while males will leave when they reach the age of three or sometimes sooner

Half of all cubs do not reach maturity  

Speaking of their complex communication system, spotted hyenas have been known to make many different vocalizations with over 11 being recorded 

Fun Facts

Known as the laughing hyena for one of its calls

More closely related to civets, genets, and cats than dogs

Mother hyena’s milk has the highest protein content in the animal kingdom

Have been known to attack people during September when many people sleep outside

Also feed on human corpses

The Maasai and Hadza peoples traditionally leave corpses outside for the spotted hyenas to eat instead of burials

Certain body parts have been and are used in traditional medicine

Often displayed in circuses as oddities during the 19th century

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_hyena

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/spotted-hyena

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Crocuta_crocuta/

Description

Species of antelope related to gazelles

Gerenuks can reach 3-3.5 feet tall at their shoulders and lengths of 4.6-5.3 feet

When they stand on their hind legs, they can reach heights up to 6 ft thanks to their long necks

Can reach weights between 65-110 lbs with the males being heavier than the females

Usually live 10-12 years in the wild but can live longer in captivity

Body is covered in short glossy hair that is mostly light brown in color

Their backs are reddish brown and their undersides are cream colored

Around their muzzles, their eyes, and the inside of their ears are rimmed with white fur

The tail also ends in a black tuft which makes it look longer

This coloring allows them to blend in with the environment to hide from predators because they can’t run very fast

Their predators include most carnivores on the African Savannah including lions, cheetahs, hyenas, and wild dogs

Gerenuks have small heads that are flat and wedge like

Males have large, ridged horns that curl backwards in an S shape that are 10-17 inches long

Females on the other hand just have a dark patch on their heads

Their eyes and ears are large which helps them to keep watch of their surroundings for predators

Like many gazelles, they have preorbital scent glands which are located in front of their eyes

These scent glands emit a tar-like scent bearing substance which is used for communications as well as marking territory for males by rubbing it onto their environment

They have pointed snouts and a long upper lip and tongue which also helps them reach tall foliage

The most distinguishing feature of the gerenuk is its long slender neck which on the males is a little more muscular

They also have long, slender legs that have split hooves on the end of them

Their back legs are very sturdy which combined with their specially modified vertebrae allow them to stand upright to reach tall foliage

There are also scent glands behind their knees covered in fur and also between their hooves 

Habitat

Found in a variety of habitats including woodland forests, semi-arid brushland, and deserts.

Their range includes Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia and northeastern Tanzania

Behavior

Gerenuks are diurnal but will stand in place or rest in shelters during the midday hours

Most of their day is spent foraging for food and females will often spend longer on this than the males

Gerenuks are folivores as well as herbivores

Their diet is made up of 80 different plant species and they prefer succulent species

They mostly eat the leaves and shoots of prickly bushes as well as buds, flowers, and fruits of other plants

However, they are well known for how they eat foliage

To do this, they stand on their hind legs and use their long necks to reach tall foliage by pulling it down with their long front legs

This gives gerenuks the ability to reach foliage 6-8 feet off the ground

They do not need to drink water since they get all the moisture they need from all the plants they eat

Gerenuks spend time in herds consisting of two to six members which are made up of either males or females

All female herds may also contain juveniles if the females have babies

Males are usually solitary but may live in bachelor herds

Both sexes have home ranges of 3-6 square kilometers with the males being territorial and only defending their ranges from juvenile males

Herds of females usually travel around, passing through different male territories which are marked through scent

Dominant males are also able to travel freely between territories since gerenuks are generally peaceful and don’t tend to fight all that much probably to preserve energy

Gerenuks don’t have a specific breeding season and often mate year round but females will typically give birth once every 1-2 years

Males will mate with many different females like many different species

Females have a gestation period of 7 months after which one calf is typically born but rarely twins will be born

Females will break away from the herd and have their calves in a secluded spot

They are also really attentive to their calves and communicate with them in soft bleats

The calves are able to walk within minutes of being born but will spend their first few weeks hidden in the brush while their mothers forage

Typically the mother will visit the calf three-four times a day so they can nurse and the mother will clean the calf and its waste so there is no scent for predators to find

Calves can eat tender leaves within a few weeks but will still nurse for quite a while

Females are weaned at about 1 year and males are usually weaned at about 18 months but may not leave their mothers until about 2 years

Gerenuks communicate with a wide variety of sounds like buzzing, whistles, and bleats

Fun Facts

First described by Victor Brooke in 1879

Name means “giraffe-necked” in Somali

Also known as “Waller’s Gazelle” in honor of the brother of Gerald Waller who provided the specimens that Victor Brooke looked at

Sources 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerenuk

https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/gerenuk

https://animalcorner.org/animals/gerenuk/

https://denverzoo.org/animals/southern-gerenuk/

https://animalia.bio/gerenuk

Description

One of four species of giant elephant shrew with the others being: the checkered elephant shrew, golden-rumped elephant shrew and the grey faced elephant shrew

Both males and females average about 11 inches in length and between 1 and 1.5 lbs in weight

Black and rufous elephant shrews are hard to study so nobody knows exactly how long they can live but if they are anything like their cousins the golden-rumped elephant shrew, then the black and rufous elephant shrew can live 4-5 years in the wild and possibly up to 11 years in captivity

Body is covered in multicolored fur with their front half a reddish-brown or rufous color and their back halves have a black color which is where they get the first part of their name from

Their ears are small and rounded

They get the other part of their name from their elongated proboscis or nose which makes them look like an elephant

Their proboscis is very flexible and it is used to dig through the leaf litter on the forest floor when they are searching for food

They also have relatively long tongues to help them catch their prey

Their back legs are longer than their front legs which allows them to run really fast when being chased by predators

Habitat

Found in lowland forests and dense forests

Range is Kenya and Tanzania

Behavior

Black and rufous elephant shrews are mostly active during the day and usually sleep at night but may also rest during the day too

They are insectivores which means they only eat insects

Their diet mostly consists of beetles, termites, and centipedes as well as any insects they can fit in their mouths

They find these insects by using their proboscis to dig through the leaf litter and once they have found some bugs, they use their long tongue to lick them up

Black and rufous elephant shrews have very large ranges of several acres with room for ten nests spread across the range

They are monogamous but the male and female don’t spend all that much time together, aside from breeding, even though they share the same range

Males are very territorial and if another male wanders into the territory, the intruder will be violently evicted

These encounters can be very aggressive with screaming, fighting, snapping and kicking to the point it apparently looks like a fight from a cartoon where many characters are rolling around in a dust cloud

The breeding season is very short but the females give birth four or five times a year

They may have a 42 day gestation period if they are again anything like their cousins, the golden-rumped elephant shrew

Females give birth to 1-2 babies who depend on the mother for two-three weeks and after becoming independent, spend another 6 weeks in their parent’s territory before leaving to find their own territory 

Fun Facts

There are 20 elephant shrew species

Related to tenrecs and moles as well as the group of animals that include elephants, manatees, and aardvarks

Unlike true shrews, they are not venomous

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_and_rufous_elephant_shrew

https://animalia.bio/black-and-rufous-elephant-shrew

https://www.peoriazoo.org/black-and-rufous-elephant-shrew/

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Rhynchocyon_petersi/

https://www.awf.org/wildlife-conservation/elephant-shrew