African Elephant
- Largest land animal on earth
- Their ears radiate heat to keep them cool
- Their trunk contains 100,000 different muscles and is used for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking, and grabbing things
- Females live in family herds and males roam on their own
- 22 month gestation period
- Give birth to one calf every two to four years
Anoa
- Live singly or in pairs rather than in herds
- Estimated to be less than 2,500 mature individuals
Banteng
- Found in open areas close to dense thickets and forests in south eat Asia
- Eat grass and other vegetation
- In the wild, banteng live in small herds of two to forty cows and one bull. Reproductive herds are usually dominated by an experienced cow. Rejected bulls often live together in all-male herds
- The life cycle of the banteng proceeds at a leisurely pace befitting such a docile creature. The gestation period is 265 days. Calves are weaned at about six to nine months, and sexual maturity occurs at two to three years of age with domestic animals maturing faster than wild ones
Bongo
- The Bongo is a large species of antelope that is found inhabiting the jungles and forests of Eastern, Western and Central Africa
- They are the largest forest-dwelling antelope species
- The Bongo is a shy and elusive creature that is seldom seen by people due to its highly nocturnal lifestyle
- Most mating tends to occur between October and January, after which the female Bongo will give birth to a single calf following a gestation period that lasts for around 9 months
- Bongo calves grow relatively fast and their horns begin to show by the time they are three or four months old. Weaning occurs at six months but calves tend to remain with the nursery group for longer
Bontebok
- At one point, only 17 animals remained in the wild
- Are very poor jumpers compared to other antelope
Brownbanded Bamboo Shark
- Can tolerate severe environmental hypoxia.
- Have the longest known incident of sperm storage in a shark (45 months).
Cheetah
- World’s fastest mammal they can go from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds
- Exceptionally keen eyesight
- Their coat allows them to blend easily into high, dry grasses
- Cheetahs need only drink once every 3 to 4 days
- Typical litter is 3 cubs and they live together for one and a half to two years
- Male cheetahs live alone or in small groups, often with their littermates
- Most wild cheetahs are found in eastern and southwestern Africa
- Only 7,000 to 10,000 remain
Elkhorn Coral
- Is one of the most important reef-building corals in the Caribbean
- Sexual reproduction occurs once a year when millions of gametes are released by broadcast spawning
Florida Panther
- Florida panthers primarily eat white-tailed deer. They are also known to eat feral hog, rabbit, raccoon, armadillo and birds
- Estimated at 100-160 adults in the only known breeding population (South Florida)
- Males average 130 lbs; females 70-75 lbs
- Lifespan 10-15 years
- Panthers are habitat generalists, meaning that they use a variety of habitat types, including forests, prairies and swamps
- They are solitary and territorial animals that travel hundreds of miles within their home range. Panthers are mostly active between dusk and dawn, and rest during the heat of the day. Males have a home range of 200 square miles and females about 75 square miles
- Mating Season: Throughout the year with a peak in winter/spring
- Gestation: About 90 days
- Litter size: 1-4 kittens
- Rarely do all kittens survive. Kittens are born with dark spots that soon fade away as they become adults. They stay with their mother for up to two years
Gerenuk
- The gerenuk inhabits semi-arid bush land below 1,200 meters. It avoids grassy areas, preferring instead woody cover, particularly shrubs
- In the long-term, survival of the gerenuk is likely to be increasingly dependent on the presence of viable populations in national parks and reserves which are effectively protected. Such areas currently comprise only a small part of the range
- Young gerenuks can be born at any time of the year, after a gestation period of 6.5 to 7 months
- Mothers do not need long before they can fall pregnant again, and are capable of producing at least four young within three years
Giant Eland
- The Giant Eland is the largest species of antelope in the world
- The Giant Eland can move quickly, running at over 43 mph (70 km/h), and despite their size are exceptional jumpers, easily clearing heights of 1.5 m (4.9 ft)
- They live in the broad-leafed savanna, woodlands and glades of central and western Africa, as well as forests and on the fringes of deserts
- They inhabit places near hilly or rocky landscapes and those with water sources nearby
- They are not territorial and have large home ranges
- The Giant Eland is a herbivore
- After a gestation period of nine months one calf is usually born at night
- The calf will remain with its mother for around four to six months, after which the young eland might join a group of other juveniles
- Female Giant Eland reach sexual maturity at about two years, and males at four to five years of age
Giraffe
- World’s tallest mammal
- Roam the open grasslands in small groups of about half a dozen
- Herbivores
- 25 year lifespan
- Give birth standing up
- The infants can run with their mothers 10 hours after birth
Gorilla
- Closely linked by DNA, gorillas are one of the four species of great apes that are the closest living relatives of humans
- Gorillas are herbivores and eat leaves, shoots, roots, vines and fruits
- Gorillas are ground-dwelling and live in groups of 6-12 with the oldest and largest silverback leading a family of females, their young and younger males called blackbacks
- Reproduce throughout the year
- Gestation period of 8.5 months
- Threatened by habitat loss due to increasing human populations, poaching for the bushmeat trade and diseases like ebola
Grevys Zebra
- Zebras are herbivorous and primarily eat a variety of grasses. They are also known to eat shrubs, herbs, twigs, leaves and bark
- Zebras as very social animals and live in large groups called ‘harems’
- Gestation: 12-13 months
- Litter size: 1 foal
- The zebra’s biggest threats are habitat loss due to ranching and farming and competition for water with livestock. They are also hunted for their skins
Impala
- Impalas are found at grassland and woodland edges, usually very close by water
- Impalas eat tender young grass shoots in the wet season and herbs and shrubs at other times. During the dry season they must drink daily
- In East Africa young are born year round, but birth peaks usually coincide with the rains
- The female leaves the herd and seeks a secluded spot to bear her fawn
- If the calf is born at a time when there are few other young around, the mother will stay with it in seclusion spot for a few days or even leave it lying out for a week or more before returning to the herd
- The young are killed by jackals and the smaller cats, baboons, eagles and pythons.
- The female is similar to the male but does not have horns
- The male’s graceful lyre-shaped horns are 18 to 37 inches long
Jackson's Hartebeest
- Found in medium and tall grasslands, including savannas, they are more tolerant of high grass and woods than other alcelaphines (archetypical plains antelopes)
- One of the most sedentary antelopes (making it easy to hunt), but it does move around more when larger groupings form during the dry seasons or in periods of drought, to seek water and better grazing
- Females are free to seek the best grazing in their home range, but males cannot leave their territories for long if they intend to keep them.
- The hartebeest feeds almost entirely on grass, but is not very selective and quite tolerant of poor-quality food
- The hartebeest has suffered from the expansion of cattle raising, as hartebeests and cattle compete for the same food
Jaguar
- Largest of South America’s big cats
- Diet: carnivore
- Life span 12-15 years
- They live alone
- Litters of 1-4 cubs
- Hunted for their fur
Mandrill
- Largest of all monkeys
- They are shy and reclusive primates
- Live in the rain forests of equatorial Africa
- They are easily identifiable by the blue and red skin on their face and their brightly hued rumps
- Live in troops, which are headed by a dominant male and include a dozen or more females and young
- Their average life span is 20 years
Mississippi Sandhill Crane
- In the wild Mississippi Sandhill Cranes can only be found on and adjacent to the Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge
- There are only about 200 individuals remaining
- During mating, sandhill cranes perform dancing displays, the dancing involves wing flapping, bowing, jumps and simply play
- The Sandhill Crane has one of the longest fossil histories of any existing bird
Nile Lechwe
- A single calf is produced after a gestation of eight months. In the wild births occur from November to January
- Their diet consist of grass and other marshy vegetation
- Their main predators are lion, leopard, or crocodile may hunt this species
- The Nile Lechwe lives in swamps and flooded grasslands in southern Sudan and western Ethiopia, and is often found in shallow water 10-40 cm deep
Nyala
- A spiral-horned antelope native to southern Africa
- Spend their days under the shade and they tend to feed during the evening and early morning
- They have an alarm call that is a dog-like bark
- They feed upon grass, leaves, twigs, fruits and flowers
- They drink when water is plentiful but they are able to survive when water is only seasonally available
- Breed all year round
- Gestation period of 7 months (1-2 calves)
- Weaned around 7 months and remain with their mother until the next calf is born
- The become sexually mature by the time they are 18 months old
- Predators: lions, hyenas, leopards, and African wild dogs
Okapi
- Okapi produce a single calf about a gestation of after about 14 months
- The estrus cycle is very short, only 14 days, similar to the giraffe
- Once common in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, okapi are now endangered with extinction
- Okapi are an elusive, solitary forest dwelling species that eat mainly leaves and small fruits
- Okapi are related to the giraffe and are referred to as ‘forest giraffe’
- Males have short horn-like protuberances known as ossicornes
Onager
- It formerly ranged widely across S Russia, Iran, and Afghanistan
- A small, slenderly built animal, it stands about 4 ft (120 cm) high at the shoulder
- Eat a variety of vegetation including grasses and succulent plants
Red Kangaroo
- Red kangaroos are large animals with extremely long and powerful hind legs and feet
- Their tail is also long and muscular but their front limbs are short
- The Red Kangaroo is mainly active in the cool of the evening or night, and lives alone or in small groups called ‘mobs’ (although food shortages can cause them to congregate into larger groups)
Sand Tiger Shark
- Popular in aquariums for their toothy smile.
- Gulp air to aid with buoyancy.
Scimitar-Horned Oryx
- Are extinct in the wild
- Are able to raise their body temperature by several degrees to avoid sweating and conserve water
Sichuan Takin
- Tough, flexible hooves provide grip when climbing in its mountain home
- Large sinus cavities in its moose-like snout warm up inhaled air to help them stay warm
Soemmerring's Gazelle
- Baby gazelles lie hidden in the grass away from their mothers
- Both males and females have horns that can grow up to 58 and 40 cm, respectively
Somali Wild Ass
- Habitat: Hilly and stony deserts; arid to semi-arid bushlands and grasslands
- Critically endangered
- Grass is the favored food of Somali wild asses, but they also eat shrubs and other desert plants
- By the time a male Somali wild ass has reached his second year, he is capable of breeding
- Mothers can always be found with their dependent foals, but otherwise there are no predictable groupings of Somali wild asses
- They may be small, but they’re fast: African wild asses have been clocked at 30 miles per hour
Staghorn Coral
- Has branches that can grow over 2 meters in length
- Exhibits the fastest growth of all known western Atlantic corals
Whitespotted Bamboo Shark
- Appear to be capable of parthenogenesis.
- Humans have a 1-in-63 chance of dying from the flu, but only a 1-in-3,700,000 chance of being killed by a shark.
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