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Dunghill
Dung middens, also known as ''dung hills'',''The New Encyclopaedia of Mammals'' D MacDonald 2002 Oxford are piles of manure, dung that mammals periodically return to and build up. They are used as a form of territorial marker. A range of animals are known to use them including steenbok,Cohen, Michael. 1976. The Steenbok: A neglected species. ''Custos'' (April 1976): 23–26. hyrax, and rhinoceros. Other animals are attracted to middens for a variety of purposes, including finding food and locating mates. Some species, such as the dung beetle genus ''Dicranocara'' of the Richtersveld in South western Africa spend their whole lifecycle in close association with dung middens. Dung middens are also used in the field of paleobotany, which relies on the fact that each ecosystem is characterized by certain plants, which in turn act as a Proxy (climate), proxy for climate. Dung middens are useful as they often contain pollen which means fossilized dung middens can be used in paleobotany to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Animal Latrine
Animal latrines (latrine areas, animal toilets, defecation sites) are places where wildlife animals habitually defecate and urinate. Many kinds of animals are highly specific in this respect and have stereotyped routines, including approach and departure. Many of them have communal, ''i.e.'', shared, latrines. A regularly used toilet area or dunghill, created by many mammals, such as mole (animal), moles or hyraxes, is also called a midden. Animals with dedicated defecation sites Animals with communal latrines include raccoons, Eurasian badgers, elephants, deer, antelopes,"The role of small antelope in ecosystem functioning in the Matobo hills, Zimbabwe" horses, and (prehistorically) dicynodonts (a 240-million-year-old site was called t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
White Rhinoceros
The white rhinoceros, also known as the white rhino or square-lipped rhinoceros (''Ceratotherium simum''), is the largest extant species of rhinoceros and the most Sociality, social of all rhino species, characterized by its wide mouth adapted for grazing (behaviour), grazing. The species includes two subspecies with dramatically different conservation outlooks: the southern white rhinoceros, with an estimated 17,464 individuals in the wild as of the end of 2023, and the northern white rhinoceros. The northern subspecies is critically endangered and on the brink of extinction; its last known male, Sudan (rhinoceros), Sudan, died in March 2018, leaving behind only a very small number of females in captivity. Both subspecies have faced significant threats, primarily from poaching for their horns and habitat loss, which contribute to the species' overall Conservation status, conservation status of Near Threatened. Naming One popular, though widely discredited, theory for the origi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mountain Gazelle
The mountain gazelle (''Gazella gazella''), also called the true gazelle or the Palestine mountain gazelle, is a species of gazelle that is widely but unevenly distributed. Approximately 6,000 are left in the wild as of 2024. The mountain gazelle is protected under Israeli law, with Israel being the last major sanctuary of the species in the Levant. Description Both sexes of the mountain gazelle have horns. Males have significantly larger horns with rings around them. Females also have horns, but they are thinner, smoother and shorter. Along with the horns, mountain gazelle are also sexually dimorphic in size, with males being larger than females. A mature male can range from 17 to 29.5 kg, while females are 16–25 kg in weight. Mountain gazelle can reach running speeds of up to . Population and range Mountain gazelle were historically distributed across the Levant. Currently they are most abundant in Israel, and are also present in the West Bank in Palestine, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dik-dik (male) -Tarangire National Park -Tanzania
A dik-dik is the name for any of four species of small antelope in the genus ''Madoqua'', which live in the bushlands of eastern and southern Africa. Dik-diks stand about at the shoulder, are long, weigh and can live for up to 10 years. Dik-diks are named for the alarm calls of the females. In addition to the females' alarm call, both the male and female make a shrill, whistling sound. These calls may alert other animals to predators. Name The name ''dik-dik'' comes from an onomatopoeia of the repetitive ''dik'' sound female dik-diks whistle through their long, tubular snouts when they feel threatened. Physical characteristics Female dik-diks are somewhat larger than males. The males have horns, which are small (about ), slanted backwards and longitudinally grooved. The hair on the crown forms an upright tuft that sometimes partially conceals the short, ribbed horns of the male. The upper body is gray-brown, while the lower parts of the body, including the legs, belly, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gazella Gazella
The mountain gazelle (''Gazella gazella''), also called the true gazelle or the Palestine mountain gazelle, is a species of gazelle that is widely but unevenly distributed. Approximately 6,000 are left in the wild as of 2024. The mountain gazelle is protected under Israeli law, with Israel being the last major sanctuary of the species in the Levant. Description Both sexes of the mountain gazelle have horns. Males have significantly larger horns with rings around them. Females also have horns, but they are thinner, smoother and shorter. Along with the horns, mountain gazelle are also sexually dimorphic in size, with males being larger than females. A mature male can range from 17 to 29.5 kg, while females are 16–25 kg in weight. Mountain gazelle can reach running speeds of up to . Population and range Mountain gazelle were historically distributed across the Levant. Currently they are most abundant in Israel, and are also present in the West Bank in Palestine, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duiker
A duiker is a small to medium-sized brown antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa, found in heavily wooded areas. The 22 extant species, including three sometimes considered to be subspecies of the other species, form the subfamily Cephalophinae or the tribe Cephalophini. Taxonomy and phylogeny The tribe Cephalophini (formerly the subfamily Cephalophinae) comprises three genera and 22 species, three of which are sometimes considered to be subspecies of the other species. The three genera include '' Cephalophus'' (15 species and three disputed taxa), '' Philantomba'' (three species), and '' Sylvicapra'' (one species). The subfamily was first described by British zoologist John Edward Gray in 1871 in '' Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London''. The scientific name "Cephalophinae" probably comes from the combination of the New Latin word ''cephal'', meaning head, and the Greek word ''lophos'', meaning crest. The three disputed species in ''Cephalophus'' are Brooke's du ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyraceum
Hyraceum () is the petrified and rock-like excrement composed of both urine and feces of the rock hyrax (''Procavia capensis'') and closely related species. The rock hyrax defecates in the same location over generations, which may be sheltered in caves. These locations form rock hyrax midden, middens that are composed of hyraceum and hyrax pellets, which can be petrified and preserved for over 50,000 years. These middens form a record of past climate and vegetation. It is also a sought-after material that has been used in both traditional South African medicine and perfumery. Hyraceum in perfumery The material hardens and ages until it becomes a fairly sterile, rock-like material (also referred to as "Africa Stone") that contains compounds giving it an animalic, deeply complex fermented scent that combines the elements of musk, castoreum, Civetone, civet, tobacco and agarwood. The material is harvested without disturbing the animals by digging strata of the brittle, resinou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hyrax
Hyraxes (), also called dassies, are small, stout, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the family Procaviidae within the order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Modern hyraxes are typically between in length and weigh between . They are superficially similar to marmots or over-large pikas but are much more closely related to elephants and sirenians. Hyraxes have a life span of 9 to 14 years. Both types of "rock" hyrax ( ''P. capensis'' and ''H. brucei'') live on rock outcrops, including cliffs in Ethiopia and isolated granite outcrops called koppies in southern Africa. Almost all hyraxes are limited to Africa; the exception is the rock hyrax (''P. capensis'') which is also found in adjacent parts of the Middle East. Hyraxes were a much more diverse group in the past encompassing species considerably larger than modern hyraxes. The largest known extinct hyrax, '' Titanohyrax ultimus'', has been estimated to weigh , comp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Gentle Lemur
The southern lesser bamboo lemur (''Hapalemur meridionalis''), also known as the southern bamboo lemur, rusty-gray lesser bamboo lemur, and southern gentle lemur, is a species of bamboo lemur Endemism, endemic to southern Madagascar. Taxonomy It was originally considered to be a subspecies of the eastern lesser bamboo lemur (''Hapalemur griseus''), and is of similar size, but is darker and redder than the eastern lesser bamboo lemur, with a shorter tail and different vocalizations. The type locality is the forestry station of Mandena, and it is further supported as a separate species by recent mitochondrial DNA research. It is possible that Hybrid (biology), hybridisation with ''H griseus'' occurs on the Andringitra Massif at altitudes of . Distribution The precise distribution is not known but it is found in south-eastern Madagascar from the Mananara River south to Andohahela and up to an altitude of . This species is found in three national parks; (Andohahela National Park, And ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dry-bush Weasel Lemur
The white-footed sportive lemur, white-footed weasel lemur, or dry-bush weasel lemur (''Lepilemur leucopus'') is a species of lemur in the family Lepilemuridae, the sportive lemurs. It is similar in appearance to other lemurs in the family, with a grey back, a pale grey to white ventral side, and a light brown tail. It is a nocturnal animal that moves through the forest using a vertical clinging and leaping technique. It is endemic to Madagascar, inhabiting the southern subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss due to agriculture practices and charcoal production. Behaviour Diet This sportive lemur eats mainly leaves. During the dry season around Berenty, it may depend entirely on the leaves and flowers of '' Alluaudia'' species. This lemur is coprophagous, consuming and redigesting its feces to further breakdown of the cellulose contained in it. Social systems The basic social unit of this species is a mother and her offspring. Males live in solida ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
