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Click on each photo for larger image.
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African Lion
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Lifespan: Up to 30 years
Weight: Up to 550 lbs
Size: Up to 10 1/2 feet
Status: Threatened
Habitat: Lions are found in open savannah and desert areas of Africa south of the Sahara; also a small population in the Gir Forest National Park in northwest India.
Did you know?
-A lions roar can be heard up to 5 miles away.
-Only male lions have the large mane, but can lose it after being neutered.
-Lions are the only cats that live in groups called prides.
-Lionesses do most of the hunting and the males defened the territory.
-Like most cats, lions are nocturnal sleeping around 21 hours a day.
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Bengal Tiger
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Lifespan: Up to 18 years
Weight: Up to 570 lbs
Size: Up to 10 feet
Status: Endangered
Habitat: The Bengal tiger is most numerous in the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans in eastern India and Bangladesh where the River Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal. They are also found in other areas of India as well as some parts of Nepal and Burma.
Did you know?
-In 1900 the tiger population of India was estimated at 40,000-50,000. By 1972 this number had dropped to 1,850.
-No two tigers have exactly the same stripes.
-A tigers roar can be heard as far as two miles away.
-A hungry tiger can eat as much as 65 pounds in one night.
-There were eight tiger subspecies at one time, but three became extinct during the 20th century.
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Cougar
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Lifespan: Up to 20 years
Weight: Up to 200 lbs
Size: Up to 9 feet
Status: Endangered
Habitat: The cougar thrives in montane coniferous forests, lowland tropical forests, swamps, grassland, dry brush country, or any other area with adequate cover and prey.
Did you know?
-The cougar has the greatest natural distribution of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere except for man.
-They can leap from the ground up to a height of 18 feet.
-The International Species Information Service lists that there are 334 cougars left worldwide, with 119 of them being in the United States.
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Ring-Tailed Lemur
Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Lifespan: Up to 20 years
Weight: Up to 12 lbs
Size: Up to 3 feet
Status: Endangered
Habitat: Lemurs are found only on the east African island of Madagascar. They live in the dry woodland districts with a seven to eight month dry season.
Did you know?
-All lemur species today are endangered due to the rapid destruction of their forest habitat for agricultural development, cattle grazing, and human settlement.
-The word lemur comes from old Latin, and refers to ghosts or spirits.
-Ring-Tailed lemurs purr and mew like house cats.
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North American Black Bear
Type: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Lifespan: Up to 27 years
Weight: Up to 500 lbs
Size: Up to six feet
Habitat: Forested areas are the black bear's primary habitat, but they can adapt to live within a variety of habitats. They may live in low elevation swamps or high mountain meadows.
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Did you know?
-A female bear is called a 'sow' and a male bear is called a 'boar'.
-Black bears can run up to 35 miles an hour.
-They eat a mix of fruit, nuts, acorns, insects, succulent greens, and meat.
-Black bears can hibernate for up to seven months.
-They typically live in forests and are excellent tree climbers.
-Bears who become habituated to human food at campsites, cabins, or rural homes can become dangerous.
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Serval
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Lifespan: Up to 20 yeard
Weight: Up to 41 lbs
Size: Up to four feet
Status: Least Concerned
Habitat: Servals ar found in many parts of Africa, but not in the equatorial jungles or the Sahara. They are most commonly found in East African savannas, usually near water.
Did you know?
-This cat has a number of different vocalizations which include snarling, growling, spitting, purring, and a high pitched cry used to call other servals.
-Servals have an excellent sense of hearing and can locate prey that is moving ground.
-A serious threat to servals is the fur trade, which continues to demand large numbers of the beautifully marked skins.
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Prairie Dog
Type: Mammal
Diet:
Lifespan: Up to 5 years
Weight: Up to three pounds
Size: Up to 5 inches
Status: Threatened
Habitat: Prairie Dogs live in short and medium grass prairies and plateaus of the American West.
Did you know?
-Prairie Dogs have a high-pitched, bark-like call. Recent studies suggest that Prairie Dogs possess the most sophisticated of all natural animal languages.
-They can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances.
-The Prairie Dog digs its own burrows, that leads down a steepingly slanting corridor of 15 to 16 feet before leveling off for another 20 to 50 feet. These are called "towns".
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Umbrella Cockatoo
Type: Avian
Diet: Herbivore
Lifespan: Over 70 years
Weight: Up to 1 1/2 lbs
Size: Up to 17 inches
Status: Vulnerable
Habitat: Umbrella Cockatoos typically live in forests and around farmland. They sometimes prefer secondary growth forests and tend to spend a lot of time in the forest canopy.
Did you know?
-Like all parrots, Umbrella Cockatoos live in flocks and are extremely social birds.
-They have a loud, grating screech or scream and may hiss when alarmed.
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Moluccan Cockatoo
Type: Avian
Diet: Herbivore
Lifespan: Over 70 years
Weight: Up to two pounds
Size: Up to 1 foot 8 inches
Status: Vulnerable
Habitat: Moluccan Cockatoos inhabit grasslands and forests in the Moluccan Islands of Indonesia.
Did you know
-Moluccan cockatoos can mimic the sounds of other animals, including people.
-Moluccan cockatoos are considered pests in coconut plantations. They attack young coconuts, chewing through outet layers to get to the soft pulp and milk.
-The U.S. Wild Bird Act forbids the commercial import of Moluccan Cockatoos.
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Binturong
Type: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Lifespan: Up to 23 years
Weight: Up to 45 lbs
Size: Up to five feet
Status: Least Concern
Habitat: The Binturong lives in dense forests ranging across the following Asian countries: India, Indochina, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Sumatra, Bangka, the Rhio Archipelago, Java, Borneo, and Palawan.
Did you know?
-The Binturong will make chuckling sound when seeimingly happy and utter high-pitched wails when annoyed.
-The scent of Binturong musk is often compared to that of warm popcorn and cornbread.
-They are sometimes referred to as the bear cat because of its bear-like gait while moving on the ground.
-The Binturong is nocturnal. Along with its excellent night vision, its long, white whiskers help it to feel around while searching for prey in the dark.
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Capuchin Monkey
Type: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Lifespan: Up to 40 years
Weight: Up to 3 lbs
Size: Up to 2 feet
Status:
Habitat: The range of the Capuchin monkey includes Central America (Honduras) and Middle South America (middle Brazil, eastern Peru, Paraguay).
Did you know?
-Capuchins live together in groups of 6 to 40.
-Capuchins are considered the most itelligent New World monkeys and are sadly often used in labratories.
-During mosquito season Capuchins crush millipedes and rub them on their backs. This acts as a natural insect repellent.
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Iguana
Type: Reptile
Diet: Herbivore
Lifespan: Up to 20 years
Weight: Up to 10 lbs
Size: Up to 5 1/2 feet
Status: Least Concern
Habitat: Found in Central and South America from Mexico to southern Brazil and Paraguay, as well as the Caribbean Islands to Florida.
Did you know?
-Green Iguanas are bred and raised on farms in Central and South America to be eaten by people.
-Iguanas have evolved a white photosensory organ on the top of their heads called the parietal eye, which are also called third eye. This “eye” doesn’t work the same way as a normal eye does. It has only a rudimentary retina and lens and cannot form images. It is however sensitive to changes in light and dark and can detect movement. This helps the iguana when being stalked by predators from above.
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Jaguar
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Lifespan: Up to 20 years
Weight: Up to 350 lbs
Size: Up to 7 feet
Status: Threatened
Habitat: The Jaguar is found in the tropical rainforests and swampy grasslands through Central America stretching into South America.
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Did you know?
-Jaguars live alone and define territories of many square miles by marking with their wast or clawing trees.
-The name jaguar is derived from the Native American word yaguar, which means "he who kills with one leap."
-The Jaguar and the Leopard are often confused with one another. Unlike Leopards the Jaguar has spots INSIDE its rosettes.
-There are about 292 Jaguars left worldwide with about 92 of them being in the U.S.
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Cusimanse Mongoose
Type: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Lifespan: Up to 10 years
Weight: Up to 3 pounds
Size: 13 inches
Status: Lower Risk
Habitat: The mongoose is widely disributed in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean, and southern Europe.
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Did you know?
-It is illegal to import most species of mongoose into the United States, Australia and other countries.
-Mongeese are a common spectacle for road-side shows in India. Snake charmers typically keep mongeese for mock fights with snakes. In Okinawa, Japan there is a tourist attraction where a mongoose and a type of local venomous snake, are placed in a closed perimeter and made to fight while spectators watch. Due to pressure from animal rights activists, the spectacle is less common today.
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Colobus Monkey
Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Lifespan: Up to 20 years
Weight: Up to 26 lbs
Size: Up to 5 feet
Status: Threatened
Habitat: The Colobus prefers primary and secondary forests, riverine forest, and wooded grassland such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Angola, Burundi, Zambia, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Did you know?
-The name "colobus" is derived from a word meaning "mutilated one", because unlike other monkeys, they have reduced thumbs.
-They sometimes belch in eachothers faces as a friendly social gesture.
-Locals say Colobus are excellent weather forcasters because they are quiet when bad weather is coming. |
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Prehensile-tailed Porcupine
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| Leucistic Texas Rat Snake |
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Northern Blue Tounged Skink |
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