COLLARED PECCARY

... ORDER '11IIIIIIII Artiodactyla

... FAMILY '11IIIIIIII Tayassuidae

GROUP 1: MAMMALS GENUS 8£ SPECIES Tayassu tajacu

The collared peccary resembles the wild pigs of the Old World but is found only in the Americas. Its numbers are declining, mainly because

its habitat is being destroyed by humans.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Height: 12-16 in.

Weight: 35-55 lb .

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: Female, 7~

months. Male, 1 O~ months.

Mating: Fall in the tropics.

Gestation: About 5 months.

No. of young: 2-3 .

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Sociable. Lives in family

groups of up to 15 and herds of

up to 50.

Call: Distinctive calls, including

coughlike warning noise and

laughterlike sound of aggression.

Lifespan: 8-10 years in the wild.

Up to 21 years in captivity.

Range of the collared peccary.

RELATED SPECIES

DISTRIBUTION

Found in wet and dry tropical forests, chaparral, and

grasslands from the southwestern United States through

Central America and as far south as Argentina .

CONSERVATION The other species of peccary are

the white-lipped peccary, Tayassu pecari, and the Chacoan peccary,

Catagonus wagneri.

The collared peccary is threatened by habitat destruction as

land is cleared for farming . It is also killed to keep it from

eating crops.

FEATURES OF THE COLLARED PECCARY

Face glands: Located below .each eye. Used for scent identification .

Tusks: Sbort, notched tusks protruding from upper jilw

are used to dig up vegetation and small invertebrates.

Body: Deep and bufky but compact with a distinctive collar of grayish white fur. Scent glands are located on the back about 8 inches from the tail.

-~ttn .... ,,. .. b ·. Betause ~e p'eccary has a

ore compl stomach than the wild pig , it can digest large amounts of cellulose (plant fiber) .

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PECCARY AND WILD BOAR

Tusks: The wild boar (above) has tusks that curve upward. The peccary's shorter tusks grow downward.

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The collared peccary gets its name from the grayish

white band of fur that encircles its neck.

Although the peccary looks like a wild pig,

its tusks are shorter and less visible

than the pig's, and its digestive system

more closely resembles that of a cow.

~ HABITS The collared peccary lives in a herd of up to 50 individuals. A herd contains family groups -each with up to 15 mem­bers. The herd stays together all year, but each family uses a different part of the herd's territory. Territories range from 0.2 to 3 square miles.

The collared peccary has a scent gland below each eye and one on its back. Within a group, individual animals rub their face glands together to mark each other. This action may help them recognize one

another and strengthen fam­ily bonds. The back scent gland is used to mark rocks and tree trunks within the herd's territory.

The collared peccary is most active in the cooler parts of the day. In early morning it often plays with others in its family. It uses a wide range of sounds to communicate. These sounds include a coughing noise that is made by an adult male to collect a scattered group, a short alarm call, and a laugh that is made during squabbles.

Left: The collared pec­cary's bulky body is sup­ported by graceful legs that make it agile enough to outrun predators.

Right: Cacti are a staple in the collared peccary's diet in the dry parts of its range. Its complex stom­ach allows the peccary to eat food that many species cannot digest.

DID YOU KNOW? • The collared peccary is known by several names: baquiro, chacaro, javelina, . and javali.

• A peccary can move with equal ease on land and in the water.

~ FOOD &; FEEDING

The collared peccary eats roots, fruit, and seeds . In some areas its ma in food is cacti. It also eats insects and other small invertebrates . It locates food with its sensitive snout, then digs it up with its short, sharp tusks. This meth­od can damage crops .

Like the domestic cow, the peccary has a two-chambered stomach that allows it to di­gest the high cellulose con­tent of its food. It uses its powerful jaws to crush seeds, and it chews with an up-and­down movement instead of the circular motion of other hoofed mammals.

• One peccary will divert a predator while the rest of the family group escapes.

• There have been cam­paigns to kill the collared peccary because of the damage it does to crops.

~ BREEDING The collared peccary's breed­ing season is determined by the latitude of its habitat. In the tropics mating takes place most often in fall. The female is sexually mature at 34 weeks and the male at 47 weeks. The peccary does not seem to have courtship rituals, and a female mates with several males from her herd .

The young are born after a gestation period of about five

Left: The young peccary is tended by both parents and members of its family group.

Left: The peccary's sensitive snout is useful for ground-level foraging.

months. The female leaves the herd to give birth to twC? or three young in a sheltered place. She rejoins the herd with her offspring a few days later. Young peccaries feed on their mother's milk for six to eight weeks, but they eat some solid food after three weeks.

Both parents care for the

young, bringing them food and protecting them from predators such as jaguars or mountain lions. Other mem­bers of the family group also help raise the young.

"'CARD 162 I ALPACA

,,-------------------------------------------~ ,. ORDER "'IIIIIIII Artiodactyla

FAMILY Camelidae

,. GENUS & SPECIES "'IIIIIIII Lama pacos

The alpaca is a domesticated member of the camel family that lives in South America. Its thick wool coat enables it to survive in the below-freezing temperatures of the high plains of the Andes.

KEY FACTS

SIZES Height: 3-3 12 ft. Weight: 120-145 lb.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: Usually 2 years . Breeding season: August to

September. Gestation: 11 months.

No. of young: 1 .

,; LIFESTYLE

Habit: Social; active by day. Diet: Grass and similar herbage.

Chews cud (ruminates).

lifespan: Kept only to about 7

years on farms. Probably 25 years if it lived in the wild .

RELATED SPECIES

Of the 6 kinds of camel, the

alpaca's closest relatives are the

llama, Lama glama; the guanaco,

L. guanicoe; and the vicuna, Vicugna vicugna.

FEATURES OF THE ALPACA

Young: Weighs 20 pounds at birth and grows to about 65 pounds at 9 months, when it is weaned. Its soft, creamy white coat may darken as it matures.

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Range of the alpaca.

DISTRIBUTION

Found from southern Peru to northern Chile and Argentina .

With the growing demand for alpaca wool, large herds are

being built up in South America and the United States.

CONSERVATION

There are currently more than three million alpacas, and their numbers are rising as interest in farming them grows.

Mouth: Divided top lip and continually

growing lower teeth allow

close grazing of tough grasses.

Coat: Fine, even wool that grows continually. Little difference

in length between under­coat and guard hairs. Color

varies from pure white to rich brown. Also wh ite

'~~~~~~~I~~~~~ ,and brown patches.

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The alpaca is farmed for its wool, which helps

to insulate the animal and keep it warm

at high altitudes. It has long been believed that

the alpaca was bred from the wild guanaco, a related

South American species. But recent information

suggests that the alpaca was derived from a cross

between the domesticated llama and the vicuna.

~ HABITAT The alpaca has been domesti­cated and is no longer truly wild. But alpacas graze freely over the high mountains, for­ests, and coastal plains of Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile.

The alpaca is farmed in the greatest numbers on the Peru­vian altiplano, or high plain, which is about 12,500 feet above sea level. The natural vegetation there is tussock grass, but some farmers have begun to improve the pasture

to increase the productivity of their alpacas.

The alpaca is also numerous high in the Andes mountains, where the vegetation is sparse, the terrain rough, and the air very thin. The temperature there can vary as much as 86 degrees between day and night, and the yearly rainfall is between one and three feet.

Right: The alpaca prefers ten­der grass shoots but can digest almost any vegetation.

~BREEDING The wild relatives of the alpaca live in groups made up of an adult male, several females, and young . These families sometimes form larger groups. In each group only the domi­nant male mates with the fe­males. The males frequently fight for control of the females.

Breeding of domesticated alpacas is controlled. Males and females are usually sep­arated, and only selected males are allowed to breed. Nonbreeding males are cas­trated, which eliminates their

Left: The alpaca has been a valuable domesticated animal for over 2,000 years.

DID YOU KNOW? • The camel family is the only mammal family with oval (not round) red blood cells. • The alpaca and its relatives walk on pads at the end of their toes instead of their hooves so they can travel easily over rocky ground. • The alpaca and its South

sex drive and prevents them from fighting.

The alpaca mates in August and September. One offspring is born after about 11 months. It may put on 45 pounds in the first nine months and grows quickly until it is three years old.

The females usually breed only every other year. The alpaca's reproductive rate is not high because there are many miscarriages and many young die from food shortages and the demands of life at a high altitude.

Right: The young alpaca is on its feet within an hour of birth. It grows quickly.

American relatives have a high number of red blood cells, so they can extract enough oxygen from the thin mountain air. • The alpaca interbreeds suc­cessfully with all other South American camels but only mates freely with the llama.

~ ALPACA & MAN The alpaca was first bred by the Incas about 500 B.C. and has been bred ever since for its wool, meat, skin, and milk. Its manure is used for fuel.

Increasingly, however, the alpaca is being farmed purely as a wool producer. Peru sup­plies almost all of the world's alpaca fiber, exporting 90 per-

~ FOOD & FEEDING The alpaca, like other mem­bers of the camel family, has a divided top lip. With this lip and its continually growing lower teeth, the alpaca can graze on the tough grass it must eat to survive.

It grazes in small groups, moving slowly and searching for the most tender shoots. Food is often scarce, but the alpaca can survive on very little. In the winter, farmers may provide additional fodder,

cent of it. The wool that is not exported is woven into ponchos, blankets, and rope.

As demand for its wool in­creases, the alpaca is replacing the llama as South America's most important domestic ani­mal. The llama's role as beast of burden is declining with in­creased use of cars and trucks.

such as grass or alfalfa hay. The alpaca feeds by day and

sleeps at night. Twice a day it sits down to chew the cud, re­gurgitating partly digested food and chewing it over again. When the food is swal­lowed again, it passes through the animal's second and third stomachs. This process of re­chewing and reswallowing food is called rumination and extracts maximum nutrition from poor grazing.

SPRINGBOK

ORDER Artiodactyla

FAMILY Sovidae

GENUS & SPECIES Antidorcos marsupialis

The springbok is a gazelle that lives in the dry plains of southern Africa. It gets its name from the stiff-legged, springing movement

that it makes when it is alarmed or playing.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Length: Male, 4-5 ft. Female, slightly shorter.

Height to shoulder: Male, 2~-3 ft. Female, slightly shorter.

Weight: Male, 50-100 lb. Female, 40-70 lb.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: Female, 6-7

months. Male, 1 year.

Mating: Varies across range.

Gestation: About 5~ months.

No. of young: 1, occasionally 2, depending on conditions.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Sociable. Forms harem

during mating season.

Diet: Grass, leaves, and shoots.

Lifespan: About 10 years in captivity.

RELATED SPECIES

The only species in its genus but

closely related to other gazelles, including Thomson's gazelle.

Range of the spr_in...:g:....b_o_k. ___ =========== DISTRIBUTION

Found in dry, open plains and scrubby hills in southern Africa and north to Angola .

CONSERVATION

The springbok is still common in remote parts of its range

but is no longer found in huge herds. In South Africa the

springbok was almost wiped out to prevent crop damage, but it has since been successfully reintroduced.

THE SPRINGBOK'S HORNS TH E SPRINGBOK'S PRONK

Male: Up to 19 inches and heavily ridged . They spread widely, then end in sharp tips pointing inward.

Female: Up to 14 inches. They spread less than the male's and are thinner and straighter.

The springbok pranks when alarmed or when playing . It leaps up with its legs almost rigid and head bowed, taking off and landing on all four feet at once, as if it were bouncing .

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Rump: A triangle of coarse white fur on the rump normally lies flat. It stands up and becomes visible when the animal is excited.

Pronking: The action is thought to.s-ignal danger to' other herd members. Or it may be meant to confuse and intimidate predators.

0160200391 PACKET 39

The springbok, or springbuck, is a graceful animal

with a reddish tan coat, white underparts, and

a distinctive black stripe along its flank.

When it becomes alarmed, the springbok opens out

a large fold of skin along its back to display

a crest of stiff white hairs.

~ HABITS The springbok could once be found all across southern Afri­ca. During droughts, huge herds migrated hundreds of miles to find food, trampling anything in their way. In the last mass migration in 1896, crop destruction was severe, and measures were taken to control the population. Today springboks still collect in large herds, especially in the rainy season. But fences block their migration routes.

The springbok is active in early morning and late after­noon. During the heat of the

day, the herd rests in the shade, cleaning, nibbling, and licking each other.

The springbok is quick to react to unfamiliar sights, sounds, and smells. The first animal to sense danger raises the crest on its rump as a signal and runs to warn the others, who react in the same way. When danger is near, the springbok runs quickly away, pronking several times in rapid succession.

Right: A springbok watches for predators as it drinks.

The breeding season depends on location. In southwestern Angola calving occurs from December to January, while in the Transvaal birth is from September to October.

At the start of the breeding season, the male claims a ter­ritory and a group, or harem, of 10 to 30 females. He de­fends his territory and harem from other males. Defense begins with a threat display of lowered head and horns. Then the animals spar, each

left: A mother springbok licks her newborn clean.

pushing and twisting for supremacy. The fights may sometimes lead to injuries.

After a gestation of about five and a half months, the female gives birth to a calf weighing about nine pounds. She may produce twins, but this is unusual. Although able to stand and walk after birth, the calf stays hidden for the first few weeks. It emerges from cover only when the mother returns to suckle it and calls with a soft bleat.

Right: Rival males compete at mating time, locking horns.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The springbok grazes on grass and stands on its hind legs to eat young shoots and leaves. It also sometimes digs and eats roots and bulbs. Its diet varies with the seasons and the availability of plants,

but grass is a staple. The springbok can drink

both fresh and salty water. It likes to drink regularly but can go without water for a long time. It also licks bits of mineral-rich soil to absorb essential nutrients.

DID YOU KNOW? • The springbok's greatest natural enemies are big cats like the cheetah and leop­ard. Black-backed jackals and eagles prey on young.

• When springboks gather in large herds in the rainy season, they often mix with other animals such as os­triches and hartebeests.

Above: When grass is in short supply, the springbok will eat shoots from tough bushes.

\.

• The springbok can run at 55 miles per hour and can pronk as high as 1 3 feet.

• Pronking is typical of springboks, but all gazelles leap when running . Many species leap to release scent.

• The springbok is covered with fur except on a narrow strip between its nostrils .

I ~ ' - --.~~-~.~- -~~--~~

... ~ ""--

" CARD 164 I RED-NECKED WALLABY

,,-----------------------------------------~~~ ", ORDER ~ Marsupialia

FAMILY Macropodidae

... GENUS & SPECIES ~ Wallabia rufogriseus

The red-necked wallaby is a close relative of the kangaroo and is very similar to it in appearance. Like the kangaroo,

the wallaby carries its young in a pouch.

KEY FACTS

SIZES Length: Head and body, up to 3 ft. Tail, 2~ ft . Weight: Up to 50 lb.

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 2~-3 years. Breeding: Year-round. Gestation: 30 days. No. of young: 1. Weaning period: Up to 1 year.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Tends to feed in groups, '

but otherwise is solitary. Diet: Grasses, leaves, and herbs. lifespan: Averages 7 years in the wild.

RELATED SPECIES There are 11 species of scrub, or brush, wallaby.

Range of the red-necked wallaby.

DISTRIBUTION

Found throughout Tasmania and in brush and scrub areas along the southeastern coast of Australia .

CONSERVATION

In spite of hunting and considerable habitat destruction, the red-necked wallaby is in no danger of extinction.

FEATURES OF THE RED-NECKED WALLABY

Fur: Reddish on back of neck and shoulders. Thicker than fur of other wallaby species. Provides warmth. -----_~5B<'

Pouch: Encloses nipples. Protects young during 6-month nursing period. Then used by young as a refuge for

Hind legs: Very powerful, with strong thighs, shins, and feet. Red-necked species has larger feet than other wallaby species.

At rest: Thick, muscular tail and legs form a "tripod" to carry walla­by's weight.

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a few additional months.

0160200381 PACKET 38

The red-necked wallaby is found in scrubland

throughout southeastern Australia, including

the island of Tasmania. It has thicker fur than most

other wallabies. Because of this warm fur coat,

the red-necked wallaby can adapt to much

cooler climates and is frequently seen in zoos

in otherparts of the world.

~ HABITAT Because the red-necked wal­laby is found in scrubland and brush, it is included in a group known as brush walla­bies. It thrives in Tasmania, which is cooler than mainland Australia. Due to the colder climate, the red-necked wal-

laby's fur is dense( than that of other species of wallaby.

During the day it rests in the scrub, emerging to feed in the late afternoon. Its sharp senses of hearing and smell warn it of danger. It alerts others by thumping its tail.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING With its large number of teeth, multichambered stomach, and powerful digestive juices, the red-necked wallaby is able to survive on the fibrous plants and grasses of its homeland. As its front teeth wear down, the back teeth move forward to replace them.

The red-necked wallaby

Left: The adult remains alert to danger even while feeding.

~BREEDING Like all marsupials (mammals whose young develop inside a pouch), the red-necked wallaby is born blind and poorly developed, weighing just a fraction of an ounce. The baby, called a joey, crawls into its mother's pouch as soon as it is born and at­taches itself to a nipple. It remains there for the next six months.

The pouch is lined with fur that keeps the joey warm. Muscles near the top of the pouch work like a drawstring to keep it closed so the joey stays secure while its mother hops at fast speeds.

After a few months the joey begins leaning out of the pouch to nibble on grass and leaves that are within reach . Even after it leaves the pouch to graze independently, the joey still dives back in head­first if it senses danger.

The female mates again while the joey is still in the pouch, but the development of the new embryo is delayed until the previous joey has left the pouch.

feeds in a group called a "mob." There is no leader in the mob, and each animal moves on at its own pace. Like all brush wallabies and the larger kangaroos, the red­necked species begins to feed in the late afternoon and may continue until the following morning.

Below: The joey develops quickly in its mother's pouch.

DID YOU KNOW ? • Nipples in the female's pouch give two types of milk: low-fat for the new­born and high-fat for the growing joey. • During its six-month devel­opment inside its mother's pouch, the joey grows 2,000 times its birth size. • Marsupials are named for their pouch, which is called a marsupium.

• Macropodidae, the family name of kangaroos and wallabies, is Latin for "big­footed ones." • It is estimated that 75 per­cent of wallaby joeys die be­fore they are one year old. • The smallest close relative of the wallaby and the kangaroo is the musky rat kangaroo, which is only about 16 inches long.

Above: Rivals fight over a mate.

Left: A red-necked wallaby forages for grass.

~ RED-NECKED ~ WALLABY &: MAN

The red-necked wallaby has long been hunted for its meat and fur. Between 1923 and 1955, over two million hides were exported from Tasma­nia. Still, it has survived in the wild in large numbers. It is also often seen in zoos, since its thick fur helps it adapt to cooler climates.

Although it does not often eat crops, the red-necked wallaby competes with sheep for food during droughts. As a result, it is considered a pest by many Australian ranchers.

JAVAN RHINOCEROS '\ ,. ORDER ~ Perissodactyla

FAMILY Rhinocerotidae

GROUP 1: MAMMALS GENUS & SPECIES Rhinoceros sondaicus

The Javan rhinoceros is now found only in the dense forests of a reserve in Java. This peaceful creature is

dangerously close to extinction.

SIZES

Height: 6 ft.

Length: 11 -12ft.

Weight: 3,500 lb.

Length of horn: 10-11 in .

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: Male, 6 years. Female, 3 years.

Mating: No set season . Female

comes into heat every 46-48 days.

Gestation: 16 months.

No. of young: 1 .

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary.

Diet: Shoots, twigs, berries, leaves, and fallen fruit.

Lifespan: 21 years in captivity.

RELATED SPECIES

The Indian rhinoceros, Rhinoceros unicornis, is the closest relative.

It was once thought to be the same species.

Present range of the Javan rhinoceros.

DISTRIBUTION

Now restricted to the Udjung Kulon National Park in Java.

Formerly found in eastern India, Southeast Asia, Sumatra, and Java.

CONSERVATION

About 50 Javan rhinos live on the reserve in Java, but the species may not survive. A herd of 10 to 15 animals that may

be Javan rhinos was recently found in southern Vietnam.

FEATURES OF THE JAVAN RHI NOCEROS ~---------------------------------,

Body folds: THE INDIAN RHINOCEROS Horn: The male Javan rhino's horn is much smaller than the Indian rhino's horn . The female has almost

Javan and Indian rhinos both have folds in thei r hide across the back and behind the shoulder.

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Male

Tail: The Indian rhino has a groove in its rump that hides most of its tail. The Javan rhino's tail is more visible .

0160200371 PACKET 37

The Javan rhinoceros once roamed across

seven countries. Today there are only about

50 Javan rhinos in existence. Little is known

of its habits because the species was already rare

when Western scientists discovered it.

~ BEHAVIOR The Javan rhinoceros lives in dense rainforests. It prefers low altitudes, but there is evi­dence of rhinos living as high as 3,000 feet above sea level. A nineteenth-century natural­ist found some on the rims of active volcanoes.

The Javan rhino favors places with a good water supply. It likes to roll about in a wallow, or muddy pit. Instead of dig­ging its own, it usually enlarges a pig wallow or a natural pit.

The Javan rhino is a solitary animal with a loosely defined

territory. It can go several days without drinking and may travel great distances to

find water. The male sometimes sprays

bushes with orange-red urine to mark his territory and to inform other males of his presence. He may also mark his territory by defecating in creeks, on paths, or in fields of manure up to 30 feet wide.

The Javan rhino has bad eyesight. It is alerted to dan­ger by its keen hearing and sense of smell .

DID YOU KNOW? • Orange-red splashes of rhino urine on bushes were once thought to be secre­tions from its nasal gland.

• Javans used to believe that the rhino ate fire.

~ BREEDING The female Javan rhino reaches sexual maturity at about three years of age. She comes into heat (is ready to mate) every 46 to 48 days. Mating occurs seasonally and is probably a noisy and aggressive spectacle.

A single calf is born after a gestation period of about 1 6 months. The cow suckles her calf for up to two years and is very protective. After two years the calf starts to venture out without its mother.

Left: A Javan rhino cools off by submerging itself in a river or stream.

Right: The rhino is well camou­flaged in the dense foliage of Java's rainforest.

• Nineteenth-century trav­elers followed the Javan rhino's tracks through the forest because they knew the tracks would lead them

to water.

~ JAVAN RHINO & MAN

Since the mid-1800s the Javan rhino's range has been greatly reduced. Human settlements have forced it into remote areas. The population's decline is due to both poaching and

~ FOOD & FEEDING The Javan rhino eats about 150 different plant species. It pre­fers shoots, twigs, young fo­liage, and fallen fruit.

The area where a Javan rhino feeds is easy to spot because it is usually scattered with up­rooted saplings (young trees). To fell a tree, the rhino leans against it with its shoulder. Then, as the tree starts to give way, it forces the tree down with its front legs. Many sap-

Left: A Javan rhino uses its upper lip to grasp at leaves and twigs.

legislation. Javan rhinos were plentiful in the mid-l 700s and caused extensive damage to crops. The government gave rewards to hunters, and 526 rhinos were killed in two years.

lings survive this assault and put out new shoots. Some even grow from a horizontal position on the ground. The rhino's tree-clearing activities provide it with suitable for­aging ground for some time and stimulate regeneration of the forest.

The Javan rhino also feeds from bushes and low-hanging branches. The rhino's upper lip is specially adapted for grasp­ing, and it may use this lip to tear leaves from the crown of a sapling that it has bent.

TARSIER '\ ... ORDER

"1IIIIIIII Primates FAMILY Tarsiidae

CARD @

GROUP 1: MAMMALS GENUS &: SPECIES Tarsius syrichta, T. bancanus, T. spectrum

Tarsiers live in the forests of Southeast Asia where they feed on insects and small vertebrates. They hunt their prey at night,

using their well-developed senses of sight and hearing.

~_~ KEY FACTS

I ~I SIZES ~ Length: Head and body, 3-6 in .

Tail 5-11 in.

Weight: 3-6 oz.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: About 1 year.

Mating: Can be any time of the

year, but western tarsier births

are usually February to April.

Gestation: About 6 months.

Litter size: 1 .

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Live mostly in pairs or

small family groups.

Diet: Wide range of insects, small

birds, bats, lizards, and snakes.

Call: Whistles and soft twittering.

Young make clicking sounds or

whistle to contact mother.

Lifespan: Up to 12 years.

RELATED SPECIES

Tarsiers are related to other

primates such as lemurs, lorises,

and bush babies.

FEATURES OF TARSIERS

Range of tarsiers.

DISTRIBUTION

Tarsiers inhabit the islands of Southeast Asia. The Philippine

tarsier can be found in the southeastern Philippines; the

western tarsier in Borneo, southern Sumatra, and Bangka;

and the spectral tarsier in Celebes and Peleng .

CONSERVATION

All tarsiers have suffered from loss of habitat. The Philippine

tarsier is an endangered species.

GRIPPING HANDS AND FEET

All 3 species of tarsier are active at twilight and night. Their hearing and sight are exceptional.

Eyes: Huge and forward-facing. Move very little in their orbits (sockets) . Very large pupils let in light for good

Ears: Large and funnellike. Tarsiers hunt at night, locating prey with their excellent hearing.

night V'i :s:io~n .. ~.!~~~t~~~~[ Tail: Long, with feathery end. Used as a rudder while jumping

and to cling to tf1~~~:fi;~~ branches. ~~:~~I":;c~t': ;;;

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Legs: Powerful, extremely long hind legs-twice as long as head and body­propel tarsiers through the ai r.

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Feet: Bony, elongated toes with nails. The second and third toes have claws used for grooming. Hands have nails but no claws.

Fingers and toes: Underside of each finger and toe has a ridged swelling. Grooved texture grips like a tire's tread, enabling tar­siers to hold on to surfaces.

0160200401 PACKET 40

The three species of tarsier live in separate areas

of the islands of Southeast Asia.

Tarsiers sleep during the daYt clinging to trees

in their forest habitat. They get up at twilight

and spend the night searching for food,

leaping from tree to tree

with great speed and agility.

~ HABITS There are three distinct species of tarsier, all similar in size: the western tarsier, the spectral tarsier, and the Philippine tarsier. The first two species have been studied in the wild .

A tarsier leaps quickly from tree to tree on its long hind legs, which are about twice the length of its head and body. Each hand and foot has five long, slender fingers or toes. All the digits have nails except the second and third toes, which have claws that are used for grooming. On the under­side of each digit there is a bulbous swelling with a ridged gripping surface that enables

the tarsier to cling to supports. A tarsier has huge eyes with

large pupils for better night vision. Although each eye is almost immobile in its socket, a tarsier can look over each shoulder by rotating its head 180 degrees to the right or 180 degrees to the left.

At night tarsiers move about in the trees, staying about three feet above ground level. But they usu­ally climb higher to sleep during the day. They wake just before sunset, rest for a while, and then search for food. They sleep again around sunrise.

~ BREEDING The adult western tarsier usu­ally lives with its mate and an infant, which leaves to find its own territory before the next young is born. A tarsier marks the trees in its territory with urine and by rubbing its scent glands against the bark.

In courtship, the animals chase each other and then mate in trees . About six months later one fur-covered

Left: The Philippine tarsier is the most sociable tarsier. It can be­come tame in captivity.

DID YOU KNOW? • A tarsier often makes con­tact by seizing its mate's tail. The Philippine and spectral tarsiers may sit with their tails intertwined .

• Although they live in areas where snakes are common, tarsiers are rarely killed by them. A snake detects 'prey

young is born with its eyes open. It can climb but is totally dependent on its mother's milk. Although she leaves it when hunting, the young keeps in contact with soft clicking sounds or whistles.

After a week the offspring can eat solid food. By three months it jumps well and can catch food, but it still drinks its mother's milk.

Right: The spectral tarsier seems to forma long-lasting or perma­nent pair bond.

by sensing body heat, and it is thought that a tarsier decreases its body tempera­ture while sleeping when it -would be most at risk.

• Tarsiers sometimes catch venomous snakes.

• A tarsier may rub its face on branches to clean itself.

~ FOOD & HUNTING Philippine and spectral tarsiers mainly eat insects, including gnats, mosquitoes, dragonflies, moths, termites, locusts, and grasshoppers. Tarsiers have not been seen eating fruit in the wild, but a Philippine tarsier ate bananas when fed by a researcher.

The western tarsier eats insects and also lizards, bats, and snakes. It even kills and eats birds larger than itself.

A tarsier can catch a bird in flight by leaping on it and

Left: A tarsier often makes a defensive gesture with bared teeth when disturbed.

grabbing it with both hands. It kills the bird by biting its neck with its large sharp teeth before eating it.

Tarsiers use their excellent hearing to locate prey. If the victim is small, a tarsier jumps to the ground and grabs it with a hand. If the prey is large, a tarsier kills it before carrying it back to a tree to

be eaten. Tarsiers drink regularly.

They get water from pools and streams, sometimes sit­ting in shallow water while drinking. They also lick rainwater from leaves and tree trunks.

WATERBUCK

'" ~ ORDER ~ ~ Artiodactyla ~

FAMILY Bovidae

CARD 167J

GROUP 1: MAMMALS GENUS &: SPECIES Kobus ellipsiprymnus

The waterbuck is a large antelope that is always found near rivers or lakes. Although waterbucks used to be classified as

two separate species, they are now thought to be one.

__ '\I KEY FACTS

I ~I SIZES ~ Length: 4-7 ft. Female usually

smaller than male.

Height: Male 3~ -4 ft. Female,

3-4 ft. Weight: Male, 375-550 lb.

Female, 350-450 lb.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: About 1 year.

Breeding season: Anytime.

Gestation: About 9 months.

No. of young: 1, rarely twins.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Sociable. Territorial male.

Diet: Grasses and leaves.

Call: Adult snores; calf bleats.

lifespan: Up to 18 years in

captivity.

RELATED SPECIES

There are 1 3 subspecies of

waterbuck. The lechwe, Kobus leche, and the kob, Adenota kob, are also closely related.

Range of the waterbuck. ----~================

DISTRIBUTION

Found in Africa south of the Sahara from mid-Sudan, Ethiopia,

and southern Somalia southward to the Transvaal. Also found in

southern Botswana, northeastern and southwestern Africa, and southern Angola.

CONSERVATION

Hunting has depleted the waterbuck's numbers in some areas,

but it is still widespread and, in some places, abundant.

FEATURES OF THE WATERBUCK SOME RElATED SPECIES

Horns: 1 ~-3 ft. long, sweep­ing back and up in a smooth curve. Each horn has up to 40 spiraling turns on it.

Rump: Marked with a ring or patch of white fur, depending on where the animal

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Coat: Short but shaggy. Color

varies from warm red-brown to gray-brown to

almost black, depending on

animal 's location.

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Pale belly, neck, and inner limbs. Reddish coat. Black patches on legs. Male has lyre-shaped horns.

Thomas's kob

Smaller than the red lechwe with less white on underside of neck and shorter S-shaped horns. Coat is reddish brown.

0160200421 PACKET 42

The waterbuck lives on the African savanna

in areas that have enough trees for nighttime cover

and plenty of water to drink. A peaceful grass eater,

its main defense against predators is

its foul-smelling flesh.

~HABITS The waterbuck lives in small herds of between 5 and 25 animals. Each herd is made up of females and young presided over by one dominant male.

The adult male is territorial

and fiercely protects his land, which varies in size depending upon natural conditions. If an intruder approaches, the two stand face to face with heads lowered. Then, with foreheads pressed together and horns locked, they scuffle until the weaker animal retreats.

One or two subordinate

males may sometimes help a

dominant male protect his territory, possibly in the hope of eventually inheriting the

land. But these subordinates are usually prevented from

mating with females who wan­der into the territory.

Female waterbucks are not territorial. Although they have

loosely defined grazing areas, they share them with other groups of females. They spend

the day grazing and being ha­rassed by every male whose territory they cross.

~ BREEDING Because the waterbuck lives near water it does not depend on a rainy season for food. It can breed at any time of the year since food is always avail­able for the young .

Female waterbucks constant­ly pass through male territories in search of food. A sexually receptive female attracts the attention of any nearby male.

When females enter a male's domain, he blocks their path and herds them together, using his horns to butt them into place. Neighboring males approach the territory bound­ary in hopes of herding the

left: The waterbuck needs plenty of water to balance its grass diet.

DID YOU KNOW? • At three months of age the waterbuck's flesh becomes tough and smelly. Predators

I avoid the waterbuck if other prey is available.

• The waterbuck's coat is L

females as they pass through . About nine months after

mating a single young is born, usually in a hidden spot near a river. Unwilling to leave her calf alone, the mother leaves it

only for brief periods to feed late in the day. After about a month the calf emerges from its hiding place and joins the herd with its mother.

At nine months the young are expelled from the herd.

Adult females chase and butt them until they disperse.

Young males form bachelor herds, while females group together until sexually mature.

Right: The female usually bears one young each year and suckles it for seven months.

impregnated with oils that provide waterproofing.

• In areas where it has been constantly shot at and dis­turbed, the waterbuck will come out only at night.

~ ENEMIES The waterbuck's many ene-mies include the lion and the leopard, which prey primarily on females and the young.

When a waterbuck is dis­turbed, it often lies flat in the grass hoping to avoid detec-

~ FOOD & FEEDING Up to 90 percent of the water­buck's diet is grass. It also eats

leaves and shrubs. The waterbuck must drink

plenty of water to help digest all the vegetable protein in its

diet. If a dominant male's terri­tory does not contain water, he must cross another's terri­tory to drink. Many water holes or stretches of river are neutral areas where any animal can drink. But the "owner" of

left: Curved horns distinguish the mature male waterbuck from the female.

tion. It may also take to the water to hide or swim away. Sometimes a waterbuck de­fends itself in shallow water by

lashing out with its horns and sharp hooves, but it usually prefers to swim away.

the territory will allow others to drink his water only if they adopt a submissive attitude.

The waterbuck often feeds with the related kob and lech­we. These species are similar to

the waterbuck but smaller, with a different coat color and horn shape. They do not com­pete for food, since the lechwe feeds on younger grass and the kob prefers more mature

greenery. The waterbuck also likes mature grasses and may feed on exposed plants in the shallows of lakes and rivers.

"'CARD 168 I PORPOISE ,,-----------------------------~~~~~~~ ... ORDER ~ Cetacea

FAMILY Phocoenidae

GENERA Phocoena, Neophoecaena, Phocoenoides

Porpoises are among the smallest of the aquatic mammals. They resemble dolphins but are smaller and have rounded,

rather than beak-shaped, snouts.

KEY FACTS ------___ ~._----___ --_______________________________________________________________ J

SIZES

Length: 4-7~ ft., depending on

species.

Weight: 50-350 lb.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 3-4 years,

depending on species.

Mating season: Summer in

Northern Hemisphere.

Gestation: 1 0-11 months.

No. of young: 1 .

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Form groups of 2-20, but

usually about 4. Diet: Varied; mainly crustaceans,

squid, and many species of fish.

Calls: Believed to have a large

repertoire of sounds, including

"clicks" used for echolocation.

Lifespan: 12-23 years, depending

on species.

RELATED SPECIES

Dolphins and whales belong to

the same order, Cetacea.

THE PORPOISE FAMILY

Common, or harbor, porpoise , Phocoena phocoena: Usually dark on back and white on underside for camouflage in coastal waters. The Californian Gulf porpoise, P. sinus (not shown), is similar in ap­pearance, but darker.

Range of porpoises.

DISTRIBUTION

Porpoises live in coastal waters almost throughout the north

Pacific and western Indo-Pacific. They a~e also found in the

temperate and sub-Antarctic waters of South America and

around the Auckland Islands off New Zealand.

CONSERVATION

Porpoises are threatened by fishing nets and pollution. Some

species are believed to be declining.

Burmeister's porpoise, Phocoena spinipinnis: All dark. Dorsal back fin has sharp pOint with "teeth" on leading edge.

Dall 's porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli: Muscular body. Jet-black back; white patch on belly and flanks. Dorsal fin and flukes (lobes of

Spectacled porpoise, Phocoena dioptrica: Blue-black back; white sides and underparts. Rim around eyes like spectacles.

Finless porpoise, Neophoecaena phocaenoides: All gray except for paler "throat" and face. Rounded, blunt head. No dorsal fin.

tail) tipped white.

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Porpoises are believed to have emerged as a group of

aquatic mammals about 75 million years ago. From these

beginnings evolved six separate species of porpoise.

Today, they are found mainly in coastal waters of

the Northern Hemisphere. In some parts of the

world dolphins are referred to as porpoises, which

sometimes causes confusion.

~ HABITAT Porpoises are found mostly in

coastal waters, often entering harbors and estuaries and

. swimming up rivers. The common, or harbor,

porpoise, inhabits temperate and cold inshore waters of the

Northern Hemisphere around

western Europe, northeastern Asia, and northern North

America. The California Gulf

porpoise, or cochito, inhabits not only the Gulf of California but also the Gulf of Guinea

and the Black Sea. Burmeister's porpoise is

found in the Southern Hemi-

sphere, living in the cool, shal­low inshore waters off South

America. The spectacled por­poise is found off the western

coast of South America and around the Falkland and South

Georgia islands.

Dall's porpoise, the most active and sociable species, is

found around northern Japan and off the coast of North

America, from the Aleutian Islands to California.

The finless porpoise, the only

true tropical species, frequents the Indo-Pacific Ocean from

Iran to Borneo and Japan.

~ FOOD & HU NTING Porpoises often feed in river

estuaries, over submerged seabed ridges, or where sea

currents meet-all places where fish congregate.

Each species has its prefer­

ences, but they are all flesh eaters. For example, the finless

porpoise likes crustaceans, while Dall's porpoise eats squid whenever possible. The com­

mon porpoise feeds on her­

ring, sardines, and cod, which it often herds toward a slop-

Left: The common, or harbor, porpoise, eats 6 to 11 pounds of fish a day.

DID YOU KNOW? • Dall's porpoise is the fastest

of all porpoises. It speeds

through the water at 12 to 15 knots. It is famous for its "rooster" spray-a stream of

water that arcs up over the

head as it surfaces.

• The finless porpoise, as its name suggests, has no dorsal

ing, sandy shore. A common

porpoise needs 6 to 10 pounds of food a day, while the larger

Dall's porpoise needs 20 to 25

pounds a day. Porpoises often form small

groups of two to four mem­bers, and they may dive indi­

vidually for prey. Usually they feed on small schools of fish,

but if a large concentration of

fish occurs, many groups will

gather to feed . Porpoises hunt mainly by

sight and by listening for fish.

They swallow prey whole or bite it into large chunks.

(back) fin. The female may carry her young on her back. • Porpoises have 60 to 120

teeth, which are flattened

into a spade shape at the tip.

• The common porpoise makes an explosive noise as it surfaces to exhale. It has

been called a "puffing pig."

~ BREEDING Porpoises do not thrive in cap­

tivity, and studies of porpoises in their natural environment

have been very limited. As a

result, little is known about

their breeding habits. In the Northern Hemisphere

mating appears to take place in the summer, with a single calf born almost a year later.

At birth the calf is about half the length of the female. It is

brought to the surface imme­diately for its first breath.

Left: Although independent after weaning, the calf often remains with its mother.

Above: Dall's porpoise shows its distinctive "rooster" spray.

Left: For the common por­poise, a dan­ger of Jiving in coastal wa­ters is getting stranded on beaches.

For a few days after giving

birth, the female swims on her side while nursing her calf, so

they can reach the surface at the same time to breathe. Soon

the calf surfaces on its own and dives to resume feeding.

Most species nurse for six to

eight months, but the Dall's porpoise nurses up to two years.

A female with a young calf

tends to leave the group, but they may join another mother and her young. The calf swims

just in front of its mother's dor­sal fin and often remains with

her after being weaned.

SIBERIAN TIGER· ~ ... ORDER

"1IIIIIIII Carnivora FAMILY Felidae

GROUP 1: MAMMALS

GENUS &: SPECIES Panthera tigris a/taica

The largest living cat in the world, the Siberian tiger possesses both grace and beauty. Although it spends a lot of time

hunting, its reputation as a vicious killer is undeserved.

KEY FACTS

SIZES Length: Male, 9-12 ft. head to tip of tail. Female smaller . Height: About 3~ ft. at shoulder. Weight: 400-650 lb.

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 3-5 years. Mating: No particular season. Gestation: 3-3~ months. litter size: Up to 6 cubs, but usually 3-4.

LIFESTYLE Habits: Male is solitary. Female lives in family units. Mostly

nocturnal.

Range of the Siberian tiger.

DISTRIBUTION Diet: Deer, boar, elk, lynx, bear; also smaller prey such as fish, rabbits, and hares.

Found in the Amur-Ussuri region of Siberia; also in northern China and Korea.

lifespan: Up to 25 years. CONSERVATION RELATED SPECIES In all, there were 8 subspecies of tiger. Of these 3 are extinct, and the remaining 5 are endangered .

The Siberian tiger is an endangered subspecies. It is estimat­ed that there are no more than 200 of these animals left in the wild . There are probably nearly as many Siberian tigers in captivity as there are roaming free.

FEATURES OF THE SIBERIAN TIGER

CLAWS RETRACTED The claws are kept in when resting or walking.

CLAWS UNSHEATHED Long, sharp claws spring out when hunting.

Coat: Along with its striped and yellowish winter top coat, the Siberian tiger has white under­sides. The white extends to the back legs and the tail.

Body: Large and heavily muscled, giving it great strength .

The Siberian tiger is much larger than its relative the Bengal tiger, which has a darker coat.

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Hearing: Pricked ears funnel sounds effiCiently to the inner ear.

Sight: Excellent binocular and color vision. Night vision is more than five times better than a human's.

WF DM NC 13

The rare Siberian tiger gets its name from its

cold homeland, which is covered in snow for

much of the year. Its range is larger than that

of any other tiger subspecies, and it frequently

embarks on long journeys in search of food.

~ HABITS The Siberian tiger occupies a very large territory. Ranges of more than 4,000 square miles have been recorded. The tiger may occupy the same territory for many years if food sources are stable within the area. If prey is scarce, it often migrates hundred of miles.

Both males and females mark the boundaries of their ranges with urine and by scratching trees. But only the male de­fends his territory against other

DID YOU KNOW? • Siberian tigers are capable of dragging prey that would take more than a dozen men to move. • One Siberian tiger traveled 620 miles in 22 days in search of food. • The Siberian tiger needs to

males, concentrating on the most important parts, such as a boundary close to a female's territory or an area rich in food.

The male tiger is solitary, shunning other males. He allows tigers of either sex to pass through his range but is more tolerant of females. The female is sometimes accom­panied by her young.

Right: The fearsome jaws of the Siberian tiger bring instant death to its prey.

eat over 20 pounds of meat a day to sustain itself in the cold climate. It is capable of eating over 1 00 pounds of meat in one sitting. • The heaviest Siberian tiger on record weighed almost 850 pounds.

Tigers mate at any time dur­ing the year. A female shows that she is ready to mate by leaving urine deposits and scratch marks on trees. In Siberia, where a tiger's range is vast, she may go in search of a male.

The female is receptive for only three to seven days. During this time a pair will mate many times, after which the male leaves to mate with another female.

After a gestation period of three to three and a half months, three or four blind cubs are born in a sheltered den. They are nursed by their mother, who rarely leaves

Left: To escape the unwanted attention of flies, breeding tigers often mate in the water.

them. At about two weeks old their eyes open and their first teeth begin to grow.

At three months the cubs start to leave the den, and the mother brings them meat to eat. They continue to take her milk until they are five or six months old. At this stage they may begin to accompany her on hunting trips.

The cubs are less than a year old when they start to hunt for themselves. At two years old they can kill large prey, but they will not leave their mother until they are three to five years old. They then start to look for their own territories and mates.

Right: At six months, cubs often accompany their mother on hunting trips.

~FOOD &: HUNTING The Siberian tiger spends a lot of time hunting because only about one in ten of its hunting trips is successful. It preys main­lyon deer and wild pig, but it also eats fish.

Creeping to within 30 to 80 feet of its victim, the tiger pounces and grabs the prey by the nape of the neck with its back feet still planted firmly on the ground.

This nape bite kills small prey,

but larger prey is brought to the ground before being killed by a suffocating bite to the throat. If the tiger misses its prey on the pounce, it may chase it for up to 650 feet but rarely catches it.

When it does kill its prey, the tiger drags it to cover, usually near water. It then eats its fill, covers up the remains, and goes to sleep. Later it eats the rest of the carcass.

Left: During the harsh Siberian winter the tiger's coat loses some color. This helps it blend in with its snow-covered habitat.

~ SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS The Siberian tiger's winter coat lacks the red stripes of tigers from warmer cli­mates, but its white coat helps camouflage it in its snowy habitat.

Because it has to with-

stand temperatures as low as -500 F, the Siberian tiger grows a longer and thicker coat than other tigers. It also develops a layer of fat on its flanks and belly that helps to insulate it.

BIGHORN SHEEP

... ORDER ~ Artiodactyla

FAMILY Bovidae

... GENUS & SPECIES ~ Ovis canadensis

'(CARD 170 I

The bighorn sheep is aptly named for the ram ~ magnificent curved horns. During the breeding season rams use their horns in fierce-and sometimes deadly-combat with rival males.

---~-~ [j]

KEY FACTS

SIZES Height to shoulder: 2~- 3 ~ ft. Length: 4-5 ft . Weight: Male, 125-275 lb. Female, 75-150 lb.

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 3-4 years. Mating season: Late fall to early winter. Gestation: 5-6 months. No. of young: 1, occasionally twins.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Day-active; associates in herds. Moves to high ground in winter. Diet: Grasses and leaves. Lifespan: About 15-20 years.

RELATED SPECIES There are 8 species in the genus. Dall's sheep, Ovis dolfi, is the only other species in North America.

Range of the bighorn sheep.

DISTRIBUTION Once widespread from Canada to California and Mexico. Now found only in remote, wild mountainous areas and in national parks such as Yellowstone.

CONSERVATION Habitat destruction, competition with domestic livestock, disease, and excessive hunting have made the bighorn sheep extinct over much of its former range.

FEATURES OF THE BIGHORN SHEEP GROWTH OF HORNS

Rump: White patch character­istic of species. Weaker an imal turns rump to stronger animal to show sub­mission.

Stomach: Four-chambered . Allows bighorn to digest the high cellulose content of its diet. After swallowing, the sheep regurgitates food and chews it as cud to break it down further before swal-

:V;:c-+tv~~ sPOngYPads-';~enter -give good,tgr1p'on rocky surfaces.

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Two years: Horns have started to curl away from head.

Six years: Horns have begun to curl back on themselves.

Twelve years: Ram will be socially dominant with horns at full length. Growth rate slows.

0160200401 PACKET 40

The bighorn sheep once inhabited a range

from southwest Canada through California to

northern Mexico. But today the bighorn is found wild

in only a few areas as a result of habitat destruction,

excessive hunting, and competition from

domestic sheep for grazing land.

~ HABITAT The bighorn sheep is found on dry, remote mountain cliffs. Much of its habitat is high, rocky desert where it jumps from rock to rock.

The bighorn associates in herds, usually of about 10 males or ewes with young of up to two years old. In the fall the rams join the herds of ewes to form groups of up to 100, and they move together to the lower valleys. In the spring

Right: The female big­horn lacks the huge curved horns that give the species its name. Only the male has those horns.

they all move to the high slopes for summer grazing, although the males break off into all-male groups again.

An adult bighorn is alert to danger even while grazing. At the slightest alarm, it snorts a warning to the others, and the herd bounds away to safety.

Right: Unlike the domestic sheep's woolly coat, the bighorn's coat is short and coarse.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The bighorn feeds on various grasses, young plants, and leaves. During winter it eats woody plants. In desert areas it eats shrubs and cacti. Like all sheep, the bighorn digests its food in a four-chambered stomach, which allows it to eat even the toughest plants.

left: Size of horns indicates a bighorn ram's age-the longer the horns, the older the sheep.

DID YOU KNOW? • When a ram's long horns block his vision, he rubs off

I the tips on a rock. • The bighorn's steps mea­sure approximately 18 inches when walking, 10 feet when bounding on level ground,

The bighorn wanders as it feeds . Its route is determined by its search for food and water. It feeds mainly in early morning and evening. After grazing it chews the cud while resting in a location that offers a good view of the surround­ing area.

Right: The bighorn feeds on scrubby shrubs and cacti in the desert areas of its range.

and 16 feet when bounding down a steep hill. • During the rutting season rams charge each other at over 20 miles per hour. Their crashing horns can be heard over a mile away.

The mating season generally occurs between August and January, when the rams have joined the herds of ewes.

Competition for the females is fierce between the older rams. They charge each other, crashing and locking horns during fights that may last for several hours and sometimes result in death. The ram with the largest horns usually wins the fight-and the female.

Five to six months after mat­ing, the pregnant ewe gives birth on a remote crag. Usually a single lamb is born, but sometimes there are twins. The lamb has a soft, light-colored coat and small horn buds.

After a week the lamb fol­lows the herd, staying con­stantly by its mother's side. By the time it is weaned at five to six months old, it is nibbling grasses and leaves.

left: The young bighorn is well devel­oped at birth. But its small horn buds give no indication

. of the size they will reach in the adult male.