Dromedary Camal, Spring Hare, American Black Bear, Red Fox, Eastern Chipmunk, European Wildcat, Bobcat, Duckbill Platypus, Camargue Horse, Northern Fur Seal
.The Bactrian camel has two humps, while the dromedary has only one. The Bactrian also has a longer, thicker coat all over its body to cope with its cooler habitat.
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The dromedary camel has been domesticated
for so long that there are no records of
its life as a wild animal. Perfectly
adapted for the hot, dry climate of the
desert, it plays a vital role in the
life of the nomads.
~ CHARACTERISTICS
The dromedary camel is well adapted to cope with the extreme climate and harsh terrain of the desert. Its adaptations include hairy ears and heavy eyebrows with long eyeJElshes that protect the ears and eyes from the sun and blowing sand.
Dromedaries in the Sahara can go through the entire winter without taking a drink. This is because the camel loses very little water in its feces and urine. It can tolerate a lot of water loss and does not sweat until its body temperature becomes very high.
~ FOOD & FEEDING The dromedary camel ruminates (chews food again after swallowing it) . It eats almost any vegetation in the desert, including the thorny twigs and salty plants that other desert dwellers cannot tolerate. Domesticated dromedaries are fed dates, grains, and grasses. When food is scarce, the camels will even eat fish and the flesh of other animals.
When food is plentiful, the camel overeats and stores the excess as fat in its hump, which becomes plump and erect. When food is scarce, the camel lives on the stored fat. The hump then shrinks and may even flop to one side.
Left: The camel's long legs and large feet make it ideal for traveling acrass the soft sands of the desert.
Above: The dromedary camel can eat a variety of vegetation that other animals could not tolerate or survive on.
~-B-R-E-ED-I-N-G------------------------"
The female dromedary comes into heat (becomes ready to mate) several times a year. This gives her a better chance of giving birth during the unpredictable rainy season, when there is plenty of vegetation for her young. The male camel becomes aggressive during mating season. He also performs a noisy breeding display to attract females.
The female stands as she gives birth to a single calf (young). It is born with its eyes open and is covered in a soft, woolly fleece. Within two to three hours the calf can walk. By the end of its first day, it moves about quickly and freely. The young suckles for at least a year. It remains dependent on its mother until it is four years old.
Above right: Nomadic tribesmen herd camels across the desert in Sudan.
Left: Young camels rely on their mother'S rich milk to provide al/ their nutrients.
~ DROMEDARY CAMEL & MAN
The dromedary camel has been important to people in the deserts of western Asia and North Africa. For thousands of years the camel has pulled plows in fields, turned water wheels to irrigate crops, and provided transportation for people and goods.
The camel is also a source for food, clothing, and shelter. Its flesh is edible, and the females provide milk for drinking and making into cheese. The camel's woolly fleece is woven into clothes, blankets, and tents, and its hide is cured to make leather.
DID YOU KNOW? • Camels are the only mammals that have oval, rather than circular, red blood corpuscles. • Camels often spit when something annoys them. • The dromedary is sometimes known as the "ship of the desert." This is partly because of its rolling walk, but also because it is the main transportation for crossing the desert. • In very hot weather, a camel that has not drunk any water for a long time can drink up to 50 gallons at a time.
'" CARD 52 SPRING HARE
~~--------------------------------------~ ~ ORDER
Rodentia FAMILY Pedetidae
GENUS & SPECIES Pedetes capensis
The spring hare is approximately the size of a large rabbit and somewhat resembles a kangaroo. Its powerful hind legs
enable it to leap distances of 30 feet.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: Body, 14-17 in. Tail, 16-20 in.
Weight: 6-9 lb.
BREEDING Sexual maturity: Not known,
probably 1 year. Mating: Year-round, 1 or 2 births
per female each year.
Gestation: 77 days.
No. of young: 1.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Males solitary in burrows;
females live with young. Forage in
small groups of 2 to 6.
Diet: Grasses, roots, tubers, and seeds. In cultivated areas, eats
peanuts, corn, and wheat.
Lifespan: 14 years in captivity.
RELATED SPECIES
None in the same family. Scaly
tailed squirrels are thought to be its closest relatives.
Range of the spring hare.
DISTRIBUTION
Throughout eastern and southern Africa on dry steppes,
grasslands, and flood plains.
CONSERVATION
Conservation measures are not necessary as spring hares are
numerous and widespread over most of their range.
However, numbers have decreased in areas where food is
scarce due to overgrazing by domestic livestock.
FEATURES OF THE SPRING HARE
The spring hare's specially adapted long hind legs and balancing tail help it move very quickly.
The spring hare's strong hind legs are about four times as long as the front legs, which have claws shaped for digging in loose soil. It hops along using its hind feet, keeping its body horizontal, and covering the ground in long, low leaps of three to four yards. The longest jumps recorded are 30 feet.
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Spring hares live in burrows on the
open grasslands of eastern and southern Africa.
The origins of this rodent are a mystery-after first being
classified with jerboas and later with porcupines,
they are now thought to be distantly related to
scaly-tailed squirrels.
~HABITAT Spring hares live on fairly dry ground throughout their range, preferring areas where the loose, sandy soil makes it easy for them to dig their burrows. They are commonly found on flood plains where water accumulated during the rainy season nourishes the grass. Although herds of large grazing animals eat the majority of the grass, the hares are small enough to survive on the stubble that remains.
The hare digs its burrow in well-drained soil. The main
entrance is distinguished by a mound of excavated soil that is used to block the entrance after the hare retreats into its burrow.
The hare may have dug as many as 1 0 side holes to escape through if a predator enters the burrow. Predators include snakes, large owls, mongooses, and lions .
The spring hare does not have regular sleeping or nesting chambers. Instead, it uses a different part of the burrow each day.
~BREEDING Spring hares breed year-rOUnd. Each female produces a single young once or twice a year. The young is born with its eyes open and a complete coat of fur. It is very active at birth, but it remains in the burrow, completely dependent on its mother, until it is half Right: The spring hare has keen senses of hearing, sight and smell, which help it detect approaching enemies. Spring hares can run rapidly from predators, covering large distances by hopping on their long hind legs.
~ FOOD &: FEEDING Spring hares feed at night, which is when they are also most active. They forage in groups of two to six to be more alert to the approach of predators. In addition to grass,
Right: The spring hare's favorite food is green grass, which has a high protein and water content.
grown, at approximately one month.
At that time, the young begins to leave the burrow at night to forage with its mother. Although it is not fully grown at this stage, its feet and ears have almost reached their adult size.
they dig up and eat tubers and roots when other food is in short supply. Spring hares may also eat insects .
In cultivated areas, hares eat corn, peanuts, sweet po-
DID YOU KNOW? • A spring hare can completely close its ears so that it can keep out sand when it is burrowing. • Bushmen eat most of the spring hare, including the eyes, brain, and stomach contents.
~HARE&:MAN Spring hares are hunted for food and for their fur. A single group of bushmen may catch as many as 200 spring hares every year. As the bushmen become less numerous and move into populated areas, fewer hares will be hunted. Today they are routinely hunted when their foraging on cultivated land threatens crops.
Right: An African bushman digs a spring hare from its burrow.
tatoes, and wheat. They also eat certain soils that are rich in minerals in a manner similar to other herbivores (plant eaters) that lick natural salt formations.
• The spring hare's greatest rivals for food are domesticated animals, especially goats. • Spring hares are the only species in their family . They have never been found outside Africa .
~ CARD 53
AMERICAN BLACK BEAR ~~--------------------------------------~~ ~ ORDER ~ Carnivora
FAMILY Ursidae
GENUS &: SPECIES Ursus americanus
The black bear is the smallest North American bear and is said to be the least aggressive. Not all black bears are black;
Height to shoulder: 3 ft. length: 4-6 ft . Weight: 100-300 lb. Male is much
larger than female.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: Male, 5-6 years.
Female, 4-5 years.
Mating season: June to mid-July.
Gestation: 220 days.
No. of young: Up to 5; usually 2 or 3.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Generally solitary. Range of the American black bear.
DISTRIBUTION Diet: All types of vegetation and
plant material, fish, small mam
mals, and carrion.
Call: Woof sound when startled.
lifespan: About 25 years.
Found in many states, especially Washington, Oregon, and
Idaho, and in all Canadian provinces.
CONSERVATION
RELATED SPECIES
There are 7 species grouped in 5
genera, in habitats ranging from
polar regions to tropical forests.
Now a partially protected species. Although numbers have
decreased from former days, they are again increasing in
national parks. Still, hunting for sport remains widespread.
FEATURES OF T HE AMERICAN BLACK BEAR
Foot: Bears walk on the entire sole of their foot. When they walk, the stride is about a foot long; it increases to three feet when running.
Climbing: The bear climbs by wrapping its front legs tightly around the trunk and climbing up. To descend , the bear always comes down backwards, hindquarters first.
yet it is frequently sighted. Once widely hunted for
sport, the black bear is now protected in some areas of
the United States and Canada. Although some
hunting continues, it is more abundant than
the larger grizzly bear.
~HABITS The American black bear lives primarily in woodland habitats and spends much of its active life looking for food . The female ranges over an area of 1 to 35 square miles, whereas the male may have a territory of up to 200 square miles. The female does not share her territory, but the territory of a
male may overlap with those of other males. Confrontations are rare, and black bears are thought to avoid open country, where they are more likely to encounter the stronger, more aggressive grizzly bears.
The American black bear is most active at night but also
~ FOOD & HUNTlNG Although the American black bear is classified as a carnivore, it only occasionally eats meat. It feeds primarily on vegetation, including twigs, buds, leaves, nuts, roots, fruit, com, and plant shoots. In spring, when it is particularly hungry after having spent an inactive winter, it tears the bark from
Left: The agile black bear climbs trees to raid the nests of both birds and bees.
~BREEDING The American black bear mates in June and July. The female gives birth only every two to four years.
Although the egg is fertilized during mating, it is not implanted into the uterus until fall, which means that the embryo develops only during the last 1 5 weeks of the gestation period . Since the birth takes place in January or February, the cubs are mature enough to leave the den in the spring.
The female gives birth to two
to three cubs weighing no more than 12 ounces. They are born naked and blind, and they spend the cold winter months in the den where they
forages during the day, particularly when it is feeding heavily in the fall to prepare for a winter of inactivity.
As cold weather approaches, the American black bear searches for a protected spot for its den . It may be under a fallen tree, in a hollow log, in a cave, or in a burrow that it
trees to eat the layer known as cambium located just beneath the surface. It also rips into rotting logs with its claws, looking for small insects and grubs.
Black bears often climb trees to raid birds' nests for eggs and to tear open beehives to eat honeycombs, bees, and larvae. They also eat small mammals like porcupines.
Black bears hunt fish in
are fed and kept warm by their mother. By May, their coats are grown and their eyes are open . They are not weaned until they are six to eight months old, and they
digs, sometimes under the snow. Although its body temperature drops, its respiration slows, and its metabolic rate is depressed, the bear is not a true hibernator; it remains semiconscious the entire winter. When it emerges from its den in May it is thin and extremely hungry.
streams and rivers. They fish by diving or wading in the water, where they catch the fish with their paws or teeth.
Bears often disturb the landscape in areas where they feed. While searching for food, they turn over logs and stones, rip open tree stumps, and tear branches off trees.
Right: A beaver is no match for the powerful paws and sharp teeth of the black bear.
spend their second winter in their mother's den, becoming independent the following spring or early summer.
Below: The cubs spend their first two winters in the den.
DID YOU KNOW?
~ BLACK BEAR & MAN
The American black bear was hunted widely in the past, although it is now a partially protected species in Canada and the United States. It is especially popular with visitors to Yellowstone National Park, where it roams among their cars and trash cans, looking for food.
The black bear's reputation as the original teddy bear dates back to the beginning of this century. President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt captured a black bear on a hunting trip. He kept it as a pet, and a toy manufacturer used it as a model for the first teddy bear.
• The American black bear has found in a tree. been known to knock mountain goats from rocky ledges to kill them.
• Zoologists can determine the age of a bear by cutting crosswise through its tooth and counting the rings, which are similar to the annual rings
• Black bears sometimes raid commercial beehives.
• Seven hundred American black bears were slaughtered in Canada in 1953 to provide bearskin hats for British soldiers in Queen Elizabeth II's coronation .
'" CARD 54 RED FOX ,, ________________________________ G_R_O_U_P_l_:_M_A_M_M __ A_lS __ ~
... ORDER ... FAMILY ... GENUS & SPECIES '11IIIIIIII Carnivora '11IIIIIIII Canidae '11IIIIIIII Vulpes vulpes
The red fox has a doglike face and a bushy tail. Although it has traditionally been found in the countryside,
urban fox populations are expanding.
KEY FACTS
rEl SIZES ~ Length: Males, 45 in. Females,
42 in .
Weight: Males, 1 3 lb. Females,
11 lb.
~ BREEDING ~ Sexual maturity: 10 months.
Mating: January.
Breeding frequency: Yearly.
Gestation: 53-63 days.
No. of young: Usually 4 or 5 cubs.
~ LIFESTYLE
~ Habit: Nocturnal; complex family
life, but may live as solitary animals.
Diet: Earthworms, rabbits, birds,
rodents, insects, and fruit.
Lifespan: Average only 18 months
to 2 years in the wild . Up to 15 years
in captivity.
~ RELATED SPECIES
~ There are 48 subspecies including
color variations called silver or cross
fox.
Fox dens are often dug under tree roots or into the sides of embankments. Fox dens have a characteristically sweet musty smell when they
Native to North America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa .
Introduced to Australia in the nineteenth century. Range
varies from 25 acres in cities to 5,000 acres in rural areas.
CONSERVATION
Native red foxes are in no danger of extinction due to their
adaptability and intelligence. Harsh w inters may limit num
bers in rural areas, but urban populations are expanding .
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Over the centuries the fox has been hunted,
trapped, snared, and shot, yet its numbers are stable.
The main reason for its success is its ability to adapt
to most habitats. In recent years, the fox has
moved into cities as well.
~ BREEDING The red fox is a solitary animal, except during the breeding season. Most of the day is spent in the den or above ground in cozy hollows called kennels.
Foxes usually mate in winter. Because of their short lifespan, females, or vixens, breed two or three times, and males, called dogs, usually mate only once.
Vixens are sometimes helped in rearing their cubs by a sister or a female cub from the previous litter.
family. The cubs' eyes and ears open after two weeks,
and they first emerge from the den at four weeks.
The cubs are boisterous and curious, and they grow quickly. By September they weigh as much as their parents and they rapidly develop their hunting skills.
Many cubs die before they are able to mate at the age of 10 months. They are killed by predators, some are hit by cars, and others die of starva-tion or of exposure. II Below: Vixen with newborn cubs ~ in her den. Most cubs are born in early spring, and a litter of four
~ RED FOX &: MAN For thousands of years, man has hunted the red fox for its fur. In England, particularly, foxes are hunted with foxhounds, a practice that many people regard as inhumane.
Traditionally, the fox has
been considered a pest by farmers because it preys on poultry, although today it rarely gets the chance. Foxes do, however, scavenge on the afterbirth and carcasses of stillborn lambs.
Foxes can carry the dangerous rabies virus. In parts of Europe, where many wild animals suffer from the d isease, attempts have been made to eradicate rabid red fox populations.
The male is not allowed into the den just prior to the birth. After the birth he is allowed to bring food to the or five is typical.
Foxes are nocturnal animals whose nighttime vision is especially acute. Behind the light-sensitive cells in a fox's eye lies another layer of cells called the tapetum lucidum, which reflects light back through the eye, increasing
~ the sharpness of its vision and ~ better allowing it to spot prey. .~ The fox's sensitive hearing ~ also enables it to locate prey crl
~ easily. It can pick up low-z ~ frequency sounds, such as a 8 mouse rustling in the grass or ~ earthworms moving on the ci surface of the soil.
The variety of a fox's diet depends on the area in which it lives. Near the coast a fox will eat gull eggs and young,
Above: Foxes are cunning hunters.
left: Red foxes catch small rodents with a
.~ characteristic ~ high pounce. <{
~ This technique .~ is one of the (Q
first skills cubs -0 0
learn as they E 0
begin to hunt. OJ w o1l <{
but one living inland will eat small rodents and rabbits. Foxes in urban areas scavenge food from trash cans.
Dog print Fox print
~ NATUREWATCH Red foxes are most active during the hours between mid night and dawn. Even in big cities, foxes can be seen in vacant lots o r on undeveloped land. Their calls can be heard most often during the
, mating season, in January or I I February.
Another sign that foxes are in the area is the presence of their distinctive paw prints.
By learning to recognize a particular fox by an identifying characteristic, such as its particula r coloring, you can more readily observe and take note of its habits.
DID YOU KNOW? • Foxes have whiskers on both their legs and their faces . These help them find their way.
• Fox cubs have short noses and resemble puppies when they are born .
• A fox's eyes appea r to be green when light shines into them at night.
• The fox 's tail is called a brush, and it becomes thicker in the winter.
• The fox does not chew. Instead it uses its carnassial, or shearing, teeth to cut meat into digestible chunks.
""" CARD 55 EASTERN CHIPMUNK ~~---------------------.. ORDER .. FAMILY .. GENUS & SPECIES ~ Rodentia ~ Sciuridae ~ T amias striatus
The eastern chipmunk is active by day. It is extremely inquisitive and can be easily tamed.
KEY FACTS
SIZES
Length: Head and body, 5-7 in .;
tail, 3-4 in .
Weight: 2-5 oz.
BREEDING Sexual maturity: 4-6 months.
Mating season: February-April
and June-August. Gestation: 31 days.
No. of young: 1-9; usually 4 or 5.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Active by day, nests in
burrows.
Diet: Nuts, seeds, berries, invertebrates, and occasionally
nestling birds, mice, and snakes. Lifespan: 2-3 years in the wild; 5-8
years in captivity.
RELATED SPECIES
There are 22 chipmunk species,
including the Siberian chipmunk,
Eutamias sibiricus.
Range of the eastern chipmunk.
DISTRIBUTION
The chipmunk is widespread throughout most of the eastern
United States and southeastern Canada.
CONSERVATION
The chipmunk is abundant and coexists peacefully with man,
seldom doing so much damage to crops that its numbers
must be controlled . It is occasionally hunted for its fur, and
some wild chipmunks may be captured for the pet trade.
FEATURES OF THE EASTERN CHIPMUNK
Winter food stores are .---___ nuts and seeds.
0MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM
The nest burrow can have more than one exit, usually hidden under tree roots or other ground cover. It provides safety from such predators as snakes, foxes, bobcats, and bi rey.
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A chipmunk usually bites off any sharp edges from nuts or seeds before placing them in its elastic cheek pouches.
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The eastern chipmunk spends much
of the winter in its burrow, sleeping for up to
8 days at a time. It is not a true hibernator,
as it will awaken to dig into its hidden
supply of nuts and seeds, stored during
the summer and fall.
~ HABITS The eastern chipmunk lives throughout the eastern parts of Canada and the United
States. It is most common in deciduous woodland and scrub, but it also inhabits coniferous forests and areas that have broken and stony ground. The chipmunk is not shy and frequently makes its home near human dwellings.
For most of the year the
chipmunk lives alone, establishing and defending a
territory surrounding its nest burrow. The size of a chip-
Below: The chipmunk forages for food on the forest floor and may burrow under fallen logs.
munk's territory depends on the availability of food .
Even though it is a good climber, the chipmunk spends little time above ground. It forages on the forest floor and makes its nest underground, beneath rocks, fallen logs, or even sheds.
The chipmunk continues
digging its nest burrow all its life. As a result, burrow tunnels can extend for 30 feet or more and may contain several chambers and exits. The chipmunk also digs
shorter, simpler burrows for emergency exits and food storage.
DID YOU KNOW? • The eastern chipmunk has two fewer grinding teeth than other chipmunks.
• A chipmunk can carry nine large nuts at a time: four in each cheek pouch and one between its teeth .
• Cheek pouches can stretch
FOOD & FEEDING The chipmunk is an omnivore. It prefers seeds, nuts, and acorns, as well as fruits or berries; but it also eats slugs, insects, spiders, nestling birds, eggs, and occasionally mice or small snakes.
Chipmunks collect most of their food from the forest floor but will harvest nuts and berries directly from tree limbs if necessary. Most of the food they collect is stored in their burrows for the winter, though some may end up in other safe places throughout their
almost to the size of th'e chipmunk's head . • The chipmunk stores only hard food that does not mold, such as nuts and cones. • A chipmunk may store up to 8 pounds of food in its
burrows.
territories. In winter chipmunks use
their keen sense of smell to find these supplies. Some hoards remain undiscovered, however, allowing some of the buried seeds to germinate in the spring. In this way chipmunks aid the propagation of those trees and bushes that bear their food.
Right: A gap between molars and incisors allows a chipmunk to pack its pouches at the same time it gnaws on food.
~BREEDING Chipmunks usually have two breeding seasons: from February to April and from
June to August. During these periods the
female chipmunk will be ready to mate for 3-10 days
and gives a series of calls, known as chips.
Male chipmunks gather in a female's territory and compete for the chance to mate with her. Chipmunks do not establish pair bonds, and after mating the male leaves the female to bear and
left: Cheek pouches filled, a chipmunk prepares to hide some food for winter.
Above: This alert chipmunk has found a vantage point from which to guard its territory.
rear the young on her own. After a 31-day pregnancy,
the female bears a litter of four or five offspring in her nest burrow. She suckles the
young for about a month before she takes them on
foraging trips . At 6-8 weeks of age the offspring are ready to leave the nest and find their own territories.
Eastern chipmunks are fully grown after about 3 months;
a chipmunk is not usually sexually mature until the following year.
'" CARD 56 EUROPEAN WILDCAT ~~----------------------------------------... ORDER
"IIIIIIIIIII Carnivora
The European wildcat looks similar to a pet cat, but it is one of the fiercest of all animals. Like most of its
cat relatives, the wildcat is a highly efficient hunter.
KEY FACTS
SIZES Length: 18-28 in.
Weight: 8-22 lb. Female lighter.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 1 year.
Mating: Late February to early
March.
Gestation: 63-69 days. litter size: 1-8 kittens, but
usually 4.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Usually solitary. Nocturnal. Call: Purrs, howls, and meows like
its relative, the domestic cat.
Range of the European wildcat.
DISTRIBUTION Diet: Small rodents such as mice;
also hares, rabbits, birds, and insects.
Scotland, Spain, Germany, Poland, and parts of southern Europe.
lifespan: About 1 2 years. CONSERVATION
RELATED SPECIES
There are 30 species of cat in the
genus Felis, which also includes the
domestic cat.
The European wildcat population is increasing after years of
attempted extermination by man, and the animals are re
colon izing their former habitats.
COMPARISON OF A WILDCAT WITH A DOMESTIC TABBY CAT
The domestic tabby cat is the animal that most closely resembles the wildcat. But the wildcat's head is heavier and broader than the tabby's. Its ears often project horizontally, rather than vertically, as the tabby's do. The wildcat's fur is darkest on its back and cream colored on its belly . Four or five dark stripes run from the forehead to the nape of the neck, where they merge into a line .
....--_________ --, The wildcat's tail accounts for almost half its length and is shorter than a tabby cat's. It has thick, black bands and a
'--_________ -----' blunt-looking tip .
,.-------------, The domestic tabby is a third smaller than the wildcat and has a longer, thinner tail. It is far less shy than the wildcat.
~ HABITAT The European wildcat is very adaptable and can survive in a variety of habitats. In Scotland wildcats inhabit moors and woodland but prefer hilly areas for hunting.
Rocky outcrops in forests
DID YOU KNOW? • The Egyptians domesticated the African wildcat to protect their grain stores.
• Small cats like the wildcat are unable to roar because of a bone in their larynxes. But they can purr while breathing
throughout Europe provide refuge for most wildcats. In
·southern Europe the wildcat lives among scrub brush; in central Europe it lives in coniferous (cone-bearing) forests of spruce, fir, and cedar.
both in and out, which big cats cannot do.
• The w ildcat was once found throughout northern Europe. It left during the Middle Ages because of the cooling cl imate.
~ BREEDING Female wildcats are ready to mate in late February or early March. Groups of males howl, screech, and wail throughout the night to attract females.
Once a male has established his dominance over the group, the female rolls on the ground to signal that she is r.eady to mate with him. Like other cats,
the male wildcat bites the female's neck during mating.
Approximately six and a half weeks later the female gives birth in a nest situated among rocks or in a hollow tree .
The mother defends her litter ferociously during the fi rst few weeks of their life. The kittens
~ FOOD & HUNTING Wildcats feed mainly on mice and other small rodents . They also eat larger mammals and prefer to live in areas where ground-nesting birds, rabbits,
and hares are common. The European wildcats are not as successful at catching larger
prey, but they may kill deer fawns that are too slow to escape.
Wildcats lead solitary lives and hunt alone in areas where food is scarce. Their territories usually contain approximately 250 acres that they mark with feces and urine and by shredding the bark on trees. Wildcats fiercely defend their territories against intruders but do not hesitate to leave when it is time to mate. Where prey is plentiful, wildcats sometimes hunt in groups.
Right: A Scottish wildcat stands guard over a full-grown rabbit it has just killed.
open their eyes after 10 days and are quite fierce themselves, spitting, biting, and scratching at intruders. The mother suckles the kittens for a month, after which they start leaving the den to play nearby. The male does not help rear the kittens .
At the age of three months the young begin to accompany their mother on hunting trips. By 10 months of age the kittens are almost fully grown, but they do not breed until the next year.
Left &: right: Young wildcats mimic all their parents ' habits and are just as fierce.
~ WilDCAT & MAN Wildcats once ranged throughout Europe. But as forests were cleared to provide wood for homes and industry, their habitats were destroyed, and they were forced to move to more remote areas .
The European wildcat was
once considered to be a pest because it preyed on groundnesting birds that were raised for private hunting. Thousands of wildcats were killed during the 1800s and early 1900s to protect the grouse, partridges, and pheasants that were raised by gamekeepers on hunting estates.
Because the attitude toward wildlife today is one of awareness and sensitivity, the slaughter of the wildcat has completely stopped. It is now seen as an important member of the environment and is protected in many areas .
Although it is the most common of North America IS small wild cats, the solitary bobcat is so well camouflaged that it is rarely seen.
KEY FACTS SIZES Length: 25-42 in. Tail, 8 in. Height: 20-24 in. Weight: Average, 13-24 lb., but as much as 40 lb.
BREEDING Sexual maturity: 1 year. Males mate in their second year. .
Mating season: November to January. Females thought to give birth every other year.
Gestation: 60-63 days. No. of young: 1-6, usually 3.
LIFESTYLE Habit: Solitary and nocturnal.
Range of the bobcat.
DISTRIBUTION Diet: Carnivorous; mainly rabbits and hares; also rodents, sheep, deer, and birds.
Found extensively throughout North America from southern Canada to southern Mexico.
Lifespan: Over 30 years in captivity. CONSERVATION
RELATED SPECIES Most common wildcat in the United States. Hunted for
28 other small Felis species around the world, including the domestic cat, Felis domesticus.
sport and trapped for its fur, particularly in northern part of range. A subspecies in Mexico, F. rufus escuinapae, is listed as endangered.
THE TERRITORIAL BOBCAT
Male bobcats may defend territories of up to 40 square miles, although they may share common boundaries with those of other males. Females defend areas about half the size of the males' and never share boundaries. Two or three females may live within the territory of a single male, who will mate with them all.
A male bobcat which fathers three litters in his territory will be responsible for the feeding of as many as 18 kittens.
to deserts. The only place where it does not thrive
is open, treeless grassland, where there is
no cover for hunting.
~ HABITS Although the bobcat is a nocturnal hunter, it is also active at dawn and dusk. In the northern part of its range, it will even hunt by day in the winter if food is scarce.
The bobcat is extremely territorial and marks its boundaries with urine and droppings, as well as by digging up the ground. A male can tell from a female's urine when she is ready to mate. Mothers with young are extremely aggressive.
Right: Bobcats rest by day in hollow trees or small caves.
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DID YOU KNOW? • The bobcat gets its name from its stumpy tail. • A bobcat is likely to be seen during the day only in the winter when food is scarce.
• Bobcats are good swimmers, but they rarely go into the water. Still, on hot days,
~ FOOD &: HUNTING Rabbits and hares make up two-thirds of the bobcat's diet. The remainder consists of squirrels and mice. Bobcats sometimes prey on deer, domestic sheep and goats, and an occasional cat or dog.
The bobcat creeps up on its prey until it is close enough to pounce on and kill the animal. The bobcat is very strong for its size and kills its larger prey by biting and clawing at the base of the skull. During a night-long hunt, a male bobcat may travel as far as 25 miles to find prey.
they sometimes sit in pools of water to keep cool. • The further north bobcats live, the bigger they grow; the largest are found in Canada. Bobcat kittens can be reared to be tame, if boisterous, pets.
~ BREEDING Mating takes place in the winter and the male mates with all the females that share his territory.
The blind and helpless young are born in early spring. At this time, the female drives the male away from the den, although he usually remains in the area. The kittens' eyes open after a week, but they continue to suckle for eight weeks.
Once the kittens can eat solid food, the female allows the male to return to the den. Male bobcats are unusual among cat species because
Right: The young are born in a cozy den lined with moss and leaves. These kittens
~ are only a ~ week old and ~ have just .~
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Left: The bobcat is about the size of a retriever dog. It hunts mainly rabbits and hares. Its reddish brown coat is typically striped and spotted with black. Its coat provides excellent camouflage.
they bring food to both the mother and kittens.
As the kittens grow, the whole family travels throughout the female's territory, living in a number of different dens. When the kittens are five months old, they learn to hunt from their mother. At this time, the male loses interest in the kittens and he returns to his own territory. The young stay with their mother for six to nine months, or until the next breeding season. They then find territories of their own.
DUCKBILL PLATYPUS
ORDER FAMILY Monotremata Ornithorhynchidae
GROUP 1: MAMMALS GENUS &: SPECIES Ornithorhynchus anatinus
The duckbill platypus, a playful aquatic mammal, has a soft and pliable bill that it uses to sweep the riverbed for food. It is one of only three mammals in the world to lay eggs.
~~ KEY FACTS
I ~I SIZES ~ Length: Varies with location. Male,
l ' /2-2 ft. Female, up to l ' h ft. Weight: Usually less than 4 lb.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: Not known.
Breeding season: August to
October, varying with latitude. Incubation: 1-2 weeks.
No. of young: Usually 2,
sometimes 1 or 3.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary.
Diet: Aquatic invertebrates.
RELATED SPECIES
The duckbill platypus is the only
species in the family Ornitho
rhynchidae. Its closest relatives, the two echidnas of Australia and
New Guinea, are the only other members of the order
Monotremata.
Range of the duckbill platypus.
DISTRIBUTION
Slow-flowing streams and rivers; some lakes in eastern Australia and Tasmania .
CONSERVATION
The platypus is protected but rare, even in suitable sites. Its
habitat is sensitive to pollution, disturbance, and develop
ment. Conservation of the platypus and its habitat is vital.
SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS OF THE DUCKBILL PLATYPUS
Bill: Sweeps the riverbed for prey.
Fur: Thick and slick. Provides excellent water resistance.
Expanding and webbed for fast swimming. Powerful claws for burrowing .
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powerful than forefeet.
1 Poisonous spur: Connected to venom gland. Can kill a dog. Used in male rivalry fights .
0160200241 PACKET 24
The duckbill platypus lives along
slow-flowing rivers, where it burrows into
the banks and feeds in the water. Although it is
not threatened in the wild, modern pressures
on its freshwater habitat mean that it may
need careful protection in the future.
The duckbill platypus always lives near water-mostly in the rivers of eastern Australia and Tasmania. It nests in tunnels that it digs in the riverbanks or it lives in deep crevices and little caves in rocky banks. Its tunnels can run 50 feet long or more.
The platypus is amphibious
(lives both on land and in water) and dives and swims well. It is a loner except during breeding season and is territorial, defending its own stretch of river from intruders.
The platypus uses its strong webbed front feet for both swimming and burrowing. When it walks on land it curls its feet under its body to protect them.
DID YOU KNOW? • The platypus is one of the most primitive mammals in existence. The only other mammals that lay eggs are the platypus's only relatives, the echidnas. • The platypus's body temperature is 90° F., which is low for a mammal. • When the first specimen of this mammal was exhibited in England in the late 1 700s people thought it was a fake. Scientists believed a prankster had sewn a duck's beak onto a mammal's body. • The duckbill platypus can squeeze through narrow spaces. Its flexible body is a strong muscular tube.
~ FOOD &: HUNTING The platypus hunts in the water for prey such as insect larvae, water snails, and smal l crustaceans.
Underwater it closes its eyes, ears, and nostrils and sweeps its broad bill from side to side to locate prey. The bill is soft and pliable, not hard like a duck's, and is highly sensitive.
The platypus swims along using its front feet only. Most of its dives last between 30 seconds and a minute and a half. It sometimes remains underwater by wedging itself beneath a log or under a stone.
On the river bottom, the platypus fills pouches in its cheeks with food. When its
Left: The platypus 's beak is the ideal tool for feeding on the beds of slow rivers and streams.
~ BREEDING
The male and female platypus mate between August and October. The pair court by swimming around each other.
Then the female platypus digs a long nesting tunnel in the riverbank with a chamber as its end . The nesting tunnel is longer than the platypus's home tunnel-it may be as long as 65 feet.
The female collects grass and leaves, grasps them under her tail, and carries them back to the tunnel to construct a nest. There she lays two white, softshelled eggs that she incubates by holding them snugly between her tail and belly. Each egg is about the size of a marble.
The hatching period is variable. After one to two
cheek pouches are full, the platypus surfaces and discards any sand and stones it has
weeks the eggs hatch and the young make their way through their mother's fur to suckle at her milk glands.
picked up, then grinds the food between horny plates it has instead of teeth.
The young stay in the burrow up to five months and continue to suckle after they have left the burrow.
Above: Broad front feet make the platypus a powerful underwater swimmer, while smaller hind feet provide agility.
Left: Boulder-strewn streams offer the platypus deep crevices in which to nest, while their waters yield plentiful food.
I ~ ~ SPECIAL ~ADAPTATIONS life in the water: The duckbill platypus is well adapted to life on the river. It has broac;i, webbed feet, a streaml ined body, and sl ick, waterproof fu r. It swims by rowing with its fron t legs, fi rst one and then the other. It closes its eyes, nostrils, and ears when underwater. Climate: The platypus thrives in many cl imates. Its thick fur allows it to live in cold mountain streams as well as in rivers in warm tropical ra inforests .
"" CARD 59 CAMARGUE HORSE
~~------------------------~ ~ ORDER
"IIIIIIIIIIII Perissodactyla GENUS &: SPECIES Equus cabal/us
In its wild state, the Camargue horse is found only in southeastern France. It is believed to be descended from prehistoric horses that
lived during the Paleolithic period, 1 7, 000 years ago.
KEY FACTS
SIZES Height: 13-14.2 hands high (1
hand = 4 in .)
BREEDING Sexual maturity: Female, 18
months. Male, 1-2 years.
Mating: Late spring. Gestation: 11 -1 3 months.
No. of young: 1 .
LIFESTYLE Habit: Sociable; lives in small,
free-ranging herds.
Diet: Ground vegetation : leafy
grasses, herbs, and plants.
Call : Ranges from a soft whinny to
a shrill piercing cry.
Lifespan: 20-25 years.
RELATED SPECIES
Two related species of feral horse:
the Merens, in the area bordering
the Ariege River west of the Camar
gue, and the primitive Potiok of the
Basque region.
• Range of the Camargue horse .
DISTRIBUTION
Found wild only in the marshy swamplands of the Rhone Delta in Provence, southeastern France.
CONSERVATION
The Camargue's numbers are controlled by owners in
France, assisted by the Central State Administration, to
guarantee survival of the breed through selective breeding.
FEATURES OF THE CAMARGUE HORSE The Camargue is one of more than 200 different breeds of horse and pony. Full mane Superficially similar, horses of different breeds can be recognized by noting certain characteristics. Particular combinations of these characteristics determine the breed.
Rough, gray coat, becomes white with age
Powerful hindquarters Bushy tail
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Short ears
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Large eyes
01602001 71 PACKET 17
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Because of its small size,
the Cam argue horse could be more
accurately described as a pony. The Camargue
is an ancient breed that is believed to
have been crossbred with other breeds,
particularly Arabian horses.
~ HABITAT The wild Camargue horse is found only on the watery plains and salt marshes of southeastern France. The region is bleak and cold in winter and intensely hot in summer, but the hardy Camargue horse has adapted well to these conditions.
The Camargue horse may have descended from pre-
~ FOOD &: FEEDING The horse is an herbivore (plant eater). Its teeth are specially adapted for eating grasses and herbs: incisors (cutting teeth) tear the plants, and premolars (grinding teeth) behind the incisors chew the meal.
In spring the Camargue horse also grazes on an indigenous (native to the region) .plant called "samphire," as well as on the tender new shoots of the tall reeds.
historic horses that lived farther north . Bones of the Solutre horses, dating from the Paleolithic period (17,000 years ago), were discovered there. And the many horse images in Paleolithic cave paintings at Lascaux give evidence of prehistoric horses in southwestern France.
In winter the Camargue horse must survive on dried grass and on goosefoot, a tough plant that most other grazing animals cannot eat.
The horse's behavior is affected by the amount of food available. When food is scarce, the Camargue horse may graze for as long as 22 hours a day. When food is plentiful, it grazes only at dawn and dusk.
~ BREEDING The Camargue horse lives and breeds in herds that roam. In some herds, dominant stallions force out young males, which form their own bachelor herds. Once they are mature and strong enough, the young
~ HORSE &: MAN The Camargue horse is the traditional mount of the farm workers, or ranch hands, of the Camargue region, called "guardians." The guardians are responsible for rounding up the wild black bulls that graze on the land. There is
males try to win a herd of mares for themselves. The stallions fight one another with their hooves and teeth.
Mares come into season once a year, usually in late spring. The foal is born 11 to
also an annual roundup of the horses to inspect and brand the newborn foals.
The Camargue horse is also bred and used by many riding stables in the region . Once the horse is accustomed to a rider and saddle, it makes an ex-
13 months later in the spring. A mare does not necessarily breed every year that she mates.
The foal stays close to its mother for its first few months, and she guards it ag-
cellent and reliable mount. Its sure-footedness makes it ideal for riding over hazardous terrain.
Below: The Camargue horse is the traditional mount of the local ranch hands, known as "guardians. "
gressively. If the mare becomes pregnant the following year, the foal is weaned after 10 months . But if she does not become pregnant, the foal suckles for up to two years.
Left: Camargue foals are born in spring and have dark coats that become gray as they mature.
Below: Horses constantly battle for dominance.
DID YOU KNOW? • The only truly wild horse today is the Mongolian wild horse, or Prezewalski's horse, which lives in small numbers in Central Asia . All others are feral; that is, they are descendants of once-domesticated horses. • There are approximately 30 separate herds of Camargue horses in existence today. • One year of a horse's life is roughly equal to three years for a person. • Any horse shorter than 14.2 hands is considered a pony. One exception is the miniature horse, the South American Falabella, which is only about seven hands high . • Although it is an ancient species, the Camargue horse was not officially recognized as a breed until 1967.
NORTHERN FUR SEAL
ORDER Pinnipedia
FAMILY Otariidae
CARD 60 I
GROUP 1: MAMMALS
GENUS &: SPECIES Callorhinus ursinus
The northern fur seal is the most common of the fur seals and is closely related to the sea lion. It is one of the three species
of fur seal still hunted for its fur.
KEY FACTS
SIZES Length: Male, up to 7 ft. Female,
up to 5 ft. Weight: Male, 400-600 lb.
Female, 65-110 lb.
BREEDING Sexual maturity: Male, 5 years.
Female, 3 years.
Mating: June and July.
Gestation: 1 year.
No. of young: 1 .
LIFESTYLE Habit: Females and young are
migratory; males remain in well
guarded territories . Male and
female seals live separately.
Call: Harsh, purring sound.
Diet: Mainly fish.
Lifespan: About 20 years.
RELATED SPECIES
There are 7 species of fur seal,
of which 6 live in the southern
hemisphere.
Range of the northern fur seal.
---============== DISTRIBUTION
Mainly Pribilof and Commander Islands in the Bering Sea,
but small populations are found on islands in the sea of
Okhotsk and off California.
CONSERVATION
Hunting stopped in the United States in 1985, but 9,000
seals a year are still killed in the Soviet Union. Population
decline over the last 30 years appears to have leveled off.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE NORTHERN FUR SEAL
Besides the huge difference in size between the male (left) and the female (right) , the heavier male has a massive neck with especially thick fur. The layer of fatty tissue beneath
the fur helps to conserve heat and streamlines the body for swimming. Both the male and the female northern
Because the animals are crowded together at the breeding sites, newborn fur seals are often trampled to death by fighting males.
later found on the Pribilof Islands in 1786. The huge
males weigh up to five times as much as the
smaller females and spend most of their time
defending their breeding territories.
~ HABITS
Male and female seals come together only during breeding season. Once they are mature, males never stray far from the breeding area. Females, however, make an annual migration to hunt in waters as far south as California.
Much more agile than true seals (which do not have external ears), the northern fur seal uses its hind flippers to move quickly over short distances. When swimming, true
seals propel themselves through the water almost entirely by their hind flippers, but the fur seal uses both its webbed front flippers as well as its hind flippers.
The northern fur seal's senses are well developed, but how it navigates underwater is still unknown. Scientists believe that it may rely on the taste or smell of various ocean currents for guidance.
~ BREEDING In June, male seals, called bulls, compete to establish breeding territories before the females, or cows, arrive on the beaches. Each bull gradually acquires a harem of up to 40 cows.
Within 48 hours of arriving at the breeding site, each cow gives birth to a single, small, black pup that was conceived during the previous year's mating season. Several days later the female mates with a dominant bull and, after suckling her pup for a few days, returns to the sea to hunt.
After three months the pups are weaned, and they accompany the females on their migration south. The males remain in their territories for three months without eating.
~ FOOD &; HUNTING The northern fur seal spends most of its life hunting for food in the north Pacific. Its main food is fish, although it also eats squid and crustaceans. Like other seals, the northern fur seal uses its whiskers to catch fish. Each whisker has nerve endings that detect the vibrations made by passing fish.
During the breeding season the females leave their pups regularly to make extended hunting trips . They travel distances of up to a hundred miles and are often gone for seven or eight days. The seals swim, rest, and sleep on the surface of the water until they reach suitable feeding grounds. They hunt mainly at night and can stay submerged for periods of up to seven minutes at a time.
Left: A male aggressively defends his breeding territory from other males.
Right: Pups are born headfirst and the entire process takes only 10 minutes.
Right: The huge bull seal plays no part in raising its offspring.
Far right: The seal's thick fur protects it from below-freezing temperatures.
Left: 5eals spend most of their lives in water, feeding at night when the fish they prey on swim to the surface. Fishermen claim that seals reduce the salmon population, but examination of the contents of seal stomachs has shown this belief to be unfounded.
~ FUR SEAL &; MAN By 1834 fur traders had nearly wiped out the Pribilof northern fur seals. Other nations also endangered seals by killing them at sea.
In 1911 the United States, Great Britain, Japan, and the Soviet Union agreed to honor prohibitions outlawing the killing of fur seals at sea and to conduct studies to find ways of preventing further decline.
DID YOU KNOW? • Male and female seals are so different in size that some naturalists once thought they were different species. • Fur seals are known to eat 63 species of fish but usually feed on just eight. • Most seals dive to an average depth of 200 feet, but fur seals dive to 600 feet. • The female's annual migration to and from the breeding grounds is the longest undertaken by any seal species. The trip can be as far as 6,000 miles. • One of the main reasons the United States purchased Alaska from the Soviet Union in the 1800s was to obtain the Pribilof Islands fur trade. Revenues paid for the purchase within three years.
