" CARD 21

KOALA "~~~

,,~--------------------------------------~ ~

ORDER Marsupialia

FAMILY Phalangeridae

~ GENUS & SPECIES ~ Phascolarctos cinereus

The furry gray koala lives high in the tops of eucalyptus trees. Now a protected species, it is still threatened by the loss of

habitat due to seasonal brush fires.

~ KEY FACTS

I ~I SIZES ~ Height: 24 in.

Weight: Males, up to 26 lb.

Females, 17 lb. Smaller in

northern part of range.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: Males, 3-4

years. Females, 2-3 years .

Mating: Dec.- March (Southern

Hemisphere's summer).

Gestation: 25- 35 days.

No. of young : 1.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary tree-dweller, except

during mating.

Call: Harsh, unattractive call;

sounds like sawing wood.

Diet: Eucalyptus leaves.

Lifespan: 15- 20 years.

RELATED SPECIES

Phalangeridae family includes

phalangers and possums.

HOW THE KOALA CLIMBS

The koala clasps a tree trunk between its forepaws, and then draws its hind legs up together in a series of small rapid jumps.

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Range of the koala.

DISTRIBUTION

Coastal regions of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria,

and parts of South Australia, with the largest concentrations in

New South Wales and Victoria.

CONSERVATION

Now a protected species. Sanctuaries flourish in Victoria and

Queensland. Re-introduced into South Australia, w here it had

become locally extinct.

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"forefinger" spread out to give a firm grip . On the hind feet, the toes are also separated, with the "big toe" off to one side .

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While it looks like a small bear, the koala is actually

a marsupial whose hands and feet

are specially adapted for climbing trees.

When it descends to the ground, it shuffles along

awkwardly on its short, stocky legs.

~ HABITAT

The koala lives almost exclu­

sively in the top branches of eucalyptus trees. Its strong legs and sharp claws help it grip the trunks.

~ KOALAS & MAN As recently as a hundred years

ago, the koala was wide­spread in Australia . But increased settlement by man brought about a dramatic decline in its population. Much of the koala's natural

A nocturnal animal, it feeds at night on the young shoots

and leaves of high branches, and spends its day sleeping

curled up in a fork of a tree.

habitat was destroyed by fires set deliberately to clear the land . The fur trade introduced

another threat to the koala; more than two million skins were exported from Australia in 1924 alone.

DID YOU KNOW? • The koala never drinks because it gets all the liqu id it needs from eucalyptus leaves. "Koala" is the abo-rigine word for " no water."

• The koala is an excellent swimmer, crossing rivers in order to survive heavy

flooding .

• Ironically, many koalas are killed in sanctuaries by being run over by cars ' belonging to visitors.

• A newborn koala is only the size of a lima bean . Its

hind legs are barely formed, but its forelimbs and claws are relatively well devel-oped. It drags itself to the

pouch following a trail of saliva laid down by its mother.

~ FOOD & FEEDING During the course of its evolution, the koala has developed special cheek pouches that store food and a digestive system to handle a diet consisting entirely of eucalyptus leaves. Of the more than 100 species of eucalyptus tree that grow in Australia, the koala feeds on only twelve.

Koalas eat between one and two pounds of leaves daily and can easily exhaust their

own food supply. The main difficulty in keeping koalas alive in zoos and sanctuaries is obtaining enough eucalyptus leaves of the right species with which to keep them fed .

They cannot survive without

eucalyptus.

~ BREEDING Koalas mate between December and March. A

single baby is born 35 days later. It is blind, hairless, and only 3/

4 inch long . By instinct,

it drags itself into its mother's pouch, which opens to the rear rather than to the front as with most other marsupials.

Inside the pouch, the baby koala feeds first on mother's milk and later on half-digested

food passed through the mother's rectum.

After six months, the young koala leaves the pouch and clings to its mother's back, remaining with her until the following mating season. It

then moves to another tree and lives independently for two to four years until it is sexually mature.

Left: At almost a year old, this koala still clings to its mother's back. She seems happy to oblige, and although her load is no longer light, her specially adapted hands and feet let her climb with ease.

Right: An adult koala eats about 1-2 pounds of eucalyptus leaves a day, some of which it crams into its cheek pouches for chewing later.

Left: A baby koala spends the first 6 months of its life in its mother's pouch. Then, for the next 2 or 3 months, it clings to its mother's fur during the day, returning to her pouch at night.

Left: Koala mothers and their young enjoy a close relationship. She will happily carry her youngster until it is time for it to become in­dependent.

"'" CARD 22 ORANGUTAN ~~------------------------------------~ .. ORDER FAMILY ~ Primates Pongidae

The shy and solitary orangutan is second only to the gorilla in size among the primates. Found solely on the islands of Borneo and

Sumatra, its population has decreased drastically.

KEY FACTS

SIZES Length: Males, 4 ft. Females, 3 ft.

Weight: Males, 1 30-200 lb.

Females, 90-110 lb.

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 8-1 0 years. Mating: Year-round.

Gestation: 260-270 days.

No. of young: Usually a single

young; twins are rare.

LIFESTYLE Call: Squeaks and whines. Adult

males make long, bubbling calls

and also roar. • . Range of the orangutan.

DISTRIBUTION Habit: Diurnal and mainly solitary.

Diet: Tropical fruits, leaves, shoots,

bark, insects, and eggs.

Restricted to the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.

CONSERVATION Lifespan: Average 35 years.

RELATED SPECIES There is one species of orangutan,

with two subspecies living in Borneo and Sumatra.

In spite of the governments of Singapore and Hong Kong

prohibiting their import and export, orangutans are seriously

endangered. Protection schemes have had some success in

returning orangutans bred in captivity to the wild, but they

need to have secure areas provided in their natural habitat.

SWINGING THROUGH THE TREES

An orangutan is a heavy-bodied animal. It uses its weight to swing back and forth on the branch it is holding , until it comes close enough to reach out and grab a branch of the next tree. The orangutan moves slowly and carefully through the trees, using all four limbs.

Its hands and feet are designed for holding and grasping branches, and its immensely powerful arms enable it to swing and climb in the trees easily.

The big toe on each foot can rotate to touch the ends of the other toes, like the thumb on our hands. In effect, the orangutan has four "hands" for

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climbing trees and gripping branches. On the ground, the orangutan walks

on all four limbs, with the feet bent inward and clenched , and the arms either placed flat or clenched on the ground.

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Of the three great apes-the orangutan, the

chimpanzee, and the gorilla-the orangutan is the only

one to live outside Africa. Hidden in the dense

tropical rainforests which are its home,

it is also unique among apes for being

truly forest-dwelling.

~HABITS The orangutan lives a solitary life in the treetops of the rainforest. With the excep­

tion of adult males, orangu­tans rarely descend to the

ground. The orangutan is a diurnal animal-that is, active during daylight hours. At night, females and young­sters sleep in a nest of branches placed in the fork of a tree. Because males are

heavier, they generally prefer to sleep on the ground. All orangutans sleep on their

~BREEDING A dominant male orangutan may have a large breeding territory and mate with several females. Mating occurs year-round and females give birth to a single offspring every 3-6 years. A baby orangutan grows very slowly. It may become somewhat independent at 3 years of age, but it will stay with its mother until she gives birth again.

Because female orangutans do not mate again until an offspring is at least 3 years old, they may only succeed in raising two to three young in a lifetime.

sides with their arms cushion­

ing their heads. At daybreak, orangutans leave their nests and search for food.

Orangutans are far less sociable than other apes and do not live in large social groups. Adult males are

particularly solitary and stake out areas of forest which they defend as their own territo­ries, fighting other males who intrude if necessary. Females occasionally group together loosely with their young.

Left: A newborn orangutan weighs no more than 5 pounds, but is already well­developed. Totally dependent on its mother for the first 18 months, it suckles from her, travels by clinging to her, and sleeps in her nest at night.

~ FOOD' &: FEEDING Fruit, nuts, leaves, bark, insects, and eggs form the diet of an orangutan. When the food

supply in a particular area is plentiful, an orangutan may remain in one place for a period of time to feed. Al­though several orangutans may feed from the same tree, there is little social interaction or competition among them.

Orangutans, like the other

Left: Male orangutans have large cheek pouches.

Right: Fruit makes up half the orangutan's diet. It follows fruit-eating birds to fresh supplies. It uses its strong jaws and teeth to open hard or spiky skins.

apes, appear to be highly intelligent. They have the ability to memorize the geography of their surround­ings and will travel great distances to find trees that

have ripe fruit. When orangutans are

thirsty, they locate a hollow in a tree where water has collected from past rain­storms.

~ ORANGUTAN &: MAN The orangutan poses no threat to man, yet man is its only enemy. The orangutan's natural habitat has been destroyed to provide land and timber for an increasing human population.

Female orangutans are

fOlD YOU KNOW? • Because the orangutan spends most of its life in trees, its arms are longer and

stronger than any other ape's. • "Orang" and "utan" are the Malay words for "man"

and "jungle." The literal L

slaughtered so that their babies

can be captured for zoos. The baby orangutans often die in

captivity. Since the breeding rate of the orangutan is rela­tively slow, its numbers have not recovered and it is now a seriously endangered species.

meaning of the name, therefore, is "man of the jungle."

• Centuries ago, orangutans were much larger than they are today. Fossil remains show that a species of giant orangutan existed in China 500,000 years

ago.

JAGUAR

"''-~ ClASS 'IIIIIIIIIII Camivora

~ ORDER ~ Felidae

"" CARD 23

GROUP 1: MAMMALS ~FAMILY ~ Panthera onca

The jaguar is the subject of many myths and hunters' tales. The largest American wildcat, it is now rare in its natural habitat as the

result of being hunted for its attractive fur.

- KEY FACTS

li1 SIZES Length: 44-73 in. Tail 18-30 in.

Weight: Males, 125-250 lb.

Females, 100-200 lb.

[I] BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 3 years.

Mating: Non-seasonal in tropics;

early autumn in extremes of range.

Gestation: 93-110 days.

No. of young: 1-4 cubs.

li1 LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary, except in breeding

season, when they come together

to mate.

Diet: Ground-living mammals;

domestic stock, fish, frogs, turtles,

and small alligators.

Lifespan: Up to 22 years.

li1 RELATED SPECIES

Eight subspecies; also P. tigris, P. leo, P. pardus, and P. uncia.

• Range of the jaguar.

DISTRIBUTION

Central and South America as far south as Patagonia; the

largest jaguars are found in Mato Grosso in Brazil.

CONSERVATION

All subspecies are endangered. Many are extinct except in

zoos, where they breed successfully. At present, the greatest

threats to the jaguar are overhunting (mostly for its fur) and

the loss of its habitat to farming.

FEATURES OF THE JAGUAR & LEOPARD

A jaguar's coat (above). A leopard's coat (below) .

The jaguar's jaw is larger and The leopard's head is smaller

Although both animals have similar body outlines, the jaguar is more heavily built, with a stocky appearance and sturdy legs.

even more powerful looking than and narrower than that of the the leopard's jaw. heavier jaguar.

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Jaguars live in a variety of habitats,

from dense jungle and scrubland to reed

thickets and shoreline forests. They will even live in

open country, provided the grass and rocks offer

enough cover for hunting, and a reliable supply

of water is available.

~ HABITS Adult jaguars are solitary, seeking each other out only during breeding season, when male and female stay together for a short time to mate. A young jaguar stays with its mother for a few years before leaving to find hunting territories of its own.

DID YOU KNOW?

• One jaguar tagged by a biologist was next seen 500 miles away in a new hunting location.

• The jaguar is the only big

The size of a jaguar's terri­tory depends on food avail­ability. In an area where food is plentiful, such as a forest, a jaguar can survive in a circular area of about three miles in di­ameter. Where food is scarce, it may need to roam over an area of 200 square miles.

cat that does not roar. • Amazonian Indians tell of jaguars emerging from the forest to play with village children .

~ BREEDING Very little is known about the family life of wild jaguars. They have been hunted almost to extinction for their fur. Biologists now find it difficult to study wild jaguars because they have become so rare. Most information comes from studying captive jaguars in zoos, where the animals have been bred successfully.

Males and females meet in the wild only to mate. The male leaves as soon as mating is over, and the female brings up the young on her own. She gives birth to one to four cubs, which are blind at birth

~ FOOD Est HUNTING Jaguars hunt mainly on the ground; however they will climb trees to lie in wait for prey. The jaguar can cover short distances rapidly, but it tires quickly. It hunts mainly at night and often surprises

and weigh only 25-32 ounces. The cubs begin exploring the world outside the den at about two weeks, when their eyes have opened. They begin hunting with their mother at the age of six months. They remain with her for the first two years before leaving to find a territory of their own in which to hunt. A jaguar is sexually mature at three years of age.

Right: All-black jaguars are not uncommon. These cubs have a spotted father and a black mother.

its unsuspecting prey. Its food consists mostly of

forest animals varying in size from mice to deer. The jaguar is a proficient swimmer and also eats frogs, fish, turtles, and small alligators. It is espe-

cially skilled at catching fish, which it does by flipping the fish out onto the riverbank with its paw. Jaguars will also kill domestic animals, particu­larly where the forest has been cleared for farmland.

Left: Within their range, jaguars may occasionally be found in scrubland, although they usually prefer areas with plenty of fresh water. They are excellent swimmers and can supplement their diet with fish, frogs, turtles, and even small alli­gators.

Jaguars were once found in an area ranging from Arizona to Argentina, but ruthless hunting has reduced their population. The clearing of forests to build new settlements and pastures for cattle has forced them out of much of their original habitat. Jaguars are thought to be numerous in the upper basin of the Orinoco, in Venezuela, but everywhere else they are in danger of extinction. There are fewer than 200 wild jaguars left in all of Argentina. Soon, the only remaining populations will live in zoos.

Although jaguars have a reputation as man-eaters, there are numerous stories about men being followed for miles through the forest by solitary jaguars. These stories give credence to the theory that the animals prefer to escort men off their territory rather than attack them.

'" CARD 24 MOOSE

,,~----------------------------------------~ ~

ORDER Artiodactyla

FAMILY Cervidae

GENUS &: SPECIES Alces alces

The long-legged moose is the largest of aI/living deer. It feeds by browsing on trees and marshy vegetation

and must eat 4S pounds of food a day.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Length: 8-10 ft . Height: To shoulder, 5-7 ft. Weight: 800-2,000 lb. Size varies according to sex. Female smaller

than male.

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 16-28 months.

Mating season: September to

October. Gestation: 240-250 days.

No. of young: 1 or 2.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary or in small groups. Diet: Leaves, branches and twigs,

and water and marsh plants.

Lifespan: Up to 20 years . Average

1 0-1 5 years.

RELATED SPECIES American moose and Eurasian elk

form a single genus and species with no close relatives . Still, there

are 40 species of deer (family

Cervidae) worldwide.

FEATURES OF THE MOOSE

Males are taller and heavier than females. Males

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Range of the moose.

DISTRIBUTION

Northern North America, including Alaska and Canada. The slightly smaller Eurasian elk is found in Scandinavia,

northeastern Europe, and parts of northern Asia .

CONSERVATION Extremely abundant in some areas, although populations

change depending on severity of winter. Of the 150,000

moose in Alaska, 10,000 are killed annually by hunters.

Broad muzzle and overhanging top lip.

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Moose are widespread throughout

Canada and Alaska, where the largest

animals, which stand as high as seven to eight

feet at the shoulder, are found. Slightly

smaller moose are also found in parts

of Europe and Asia, where they

are known as elk.

~ HABITS Moose are usually solitary animals. During spring and summer the sexes live apart; calves (young moose) live with their mothers. During the warmer months moose prefer low-lying areas, often near lakes and marshes.

When winter comes the moose move to higher ground, where they seek shelter in forests among birch and pine trees.

Where food is plentiful, moose form small groups that include a bull (male moose), several cows (females), and their calves. They paw at the snow to expose the edible grass and twigs below. Still, harsh winter conditions often prevent moose from finding enough to eat.

Moose that are weak from hunger in winter are some­times attacked by wolves.

~ BREEDING Rut (mating season) lasts for several weeks in the fall. The bull competes for one female at a time, but he mates with several in turn. Dominant bulls drive younger bulls away and fight among themselves for the females. The bulls that become badly injured while fighting for mates often fall prey to wolves and bears.

The cow gives birth to one or two young in late spring. The calves cannot walk for the first few days, but by two ~ weeks of age they are able to .~

browse for their own food, and .jg

they follow their mother as she ~ forages. They are weaned at ~

o five months but stay with their ~

mother until she gives birth ~

~ FOOD & FEEDING Moose browse for food during both day and night but are most active at dawn and dusk. They feed on the branches and leaves of willow, birch, and aspen trees.

During the summer months moose feed extensively on vegetation that grows in and around lakes and marshes. They wade in water up to their shoulders to feed. They also eat underwater plants by submerg­ing their heads to reach the roots and stems.

When lakes and marshes freeze over in winter, moose feed on berries, twigs, and branches. They also strip bark from trees and paw through snow to reach vegetation.

Right: In summer moose feed on sodium-rich aquatic plants found in lakes and marshes.

again. The cow sometimes drives the older calves away but allows them to rejoin her when she and her new calves move on.

Above: Older females often give birth to twins.

Left: Rival males fighting.

DID YOU KNOW? • During breeding season hunters often imitate the fe­male moose's call to attract males. • Bulls have been known to attack trains, possibly mis­taking the whistle for the call of a rival bull. • Moose can trot as fast as 35 miles an hour. They are good swimmers and can remain un­derwater for up to a minute.

• Moose are bred in the Soviet Union for food and to work on farms .

• A moose becomes helpless in very deep snow (below) and can be overtaken by a hunter on snowshoes.

"'" CARD 25

BLACK-TAILED JACKRABBIT ,,~----------------------------------------~-~~~ .... ORDER ~ Lagomorpha

FAMILY Leporidae

.... GENUS & SPECIES ~ . Lepus californicus

The black-tailed jackrabbit is actually a hare, not a rabbit. It is dis­tinguished by its huge, oversized ears, which allow it to hear the

faintest sounds and stay cool during the day.

S'J KEY FACTS

~ SIZES ~ Length: 24 in., head to tail.

Ears, 8 in. long . Weight: Around 11 lb. Females are

slightly heavier.

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 8 months.

Breeding season: January­

September. Spring is peak time. Gestation: 41 -47 days.

No. of young: Up to 6. Females

may have 3-4 litters a year.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Nocturnal, solitary except in

breeding season. Range of the black-tailed jackrabbit.

DISTRIBUTION Diet: Grasses, herbs, succulents,

woody twigs, and bark.

lifespan: 1-5 years in the wild .

Western and central United States, northern Mexico.

CONSERVATION

RELATED SPECIES There are 21 species of jackrabbit

and hare in the United States. The

white-tailed jackrabbit lives in the

Northwest.

As the most common of North American hare species, the

black-tailed jackrabbit breeds quickly and successfully. It is

considered a pest because of the damage it does to crops,

and it is a popular target for game hunters as well.

HOW THE JACKRABBIT KEEPS COOL

Living above ground in semidesert, the jackrabbit avoids overheating in the scorching sun by scraping out shallow, shaded holes, called forms, to lie in. Sometimes the animal will simply stretch out with its legs and body extended so the maximum surface area of its body is touching the cooler ground.

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The jackrabbit lives in semidesert and prairie regions.

Its brown fur gives it effective camouflage against the

sparse, dry vegetation. If it is spotted by predators,

however, it can run faster than a racehorse

and will/eap over rocks and bushes in an

attempt to evade capture.

~ HABITS The nocturnal jackrabbit is well adapted to life in the hot desert and prairie regions of North America . It lives in open spaces among the thin desert ground cover of plants such as the sagebrush and cactus. Most of the time, the jackrab­bit is solitary. Like all hares, it lives above ground.

During the cool of the even­ing, the jackrabbit emerges from its resting place to feed under the cover of darkness. Its

large ears funnel sound and enable it to hear signs of danger. Good hearing is essential to the survival of the jackrabbit, which is prey to wolves, coyotes, and pumas.

In addition to its excellent hearing, the jackrabbit also has sharp eyesight. Like other hares, it will sit upright on its haunches so it can better view its surroundings.

Below: For most of the year, jackrabbits are solitary.

~ BREEDING jackrabbits normally breed 9 months out of the year. At the beginning of the breeding season, males box each other with their forefeet and chase the females, often kicking and §

biting them. 1~ Young jackrabbits are born 6 ~3

weeks after mating in a con- ~ cealed site above ground. The u:

young have furry coats and their eyes are open. Soon, the mother separates them into individual hiding places.

The young remain in their hiding places until their mother comes to suckle them. Eventu­ally, they begin eating small amounts of vegetation in addition to their mother's milk .

II Ii: o

-<= .;.:; c (]

When 'the young are weaned 3~ after 3 weeks, the female mates ~~ again and produces another ~~ litter. The young are sexually ~~

o mature within a year.

I I ~~ ~ SPECIAL ADAPTATION The jackrabbit's eyes are situated on the sides of its head, giving it all-around vision which enables it to spot danger coming from any direction .

Its fur is brown with black tips, which provides an effective

DID YOU KNOW? • jackrabbits living in the desert rarely drink water. They obtain all the moisture they need from water-retaining plants such as cacti. • jackrabbits can reach a speed of 50 miles per hour and can leap as high as 5 feet. • The undersides of a jackrab-

bit's feet are covered with long, brushlike hairs, which provide both a grip and a soft cushion on hard sur­faces . • A female jackrabbit usually suckles her young once a day, spending no longer than 5-10 minutes with them .

~ FOOD &: FEEDING jackrabbits leave their resting places at dusk to feed. Occasionally, they raid crops and cause extensive damage. When food is extremely scarce, they will survive by gnawing the bark of trees.

The animals feed for short

Above: In early spring, jack­rabbits come together to breed. Males fight each other for access to females.

Left: The female places her young in separate hiding places to prevent a predator from taking them all.

periods, stopping in between to rest. Long, chisel-like incisor teeth bite the stems of grass and herbs, which are then chewed and shredded by the flattened molars.

Below: Jackrabbits include twigs and woody shrubs in their diet.

~CARD26 I STRIPED SKUNK ~~--------------------~~--------~ ~

ORDER Carnivora

FAMilY Muste/idae

.... GENUS & SPECIES ~ Mephitis mephitis

The striped skunk is a night-time hunter, conspicuously colored to deter its enemies. Skunks live in small groups, often sharing a

burrow with the species that dug it, perhaps a fox or a raccoon.

KEY FACTS

SIZES

length: Males, 1 3-18 in. Females

slightly smaller. Tail, 7-10 in.

Weight: 3-6 lb .

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: From 11 months.

Mating: February and March.

Gestation: 62-66 days.

No. of young: Usually 4 or 5.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Nocturnal, sociable. Adult

males solitary in summer.

Range of the striped skunk.

DISTRIBUTION

Diet: Mainly insects and small

mammals. Seasonal berries, nuts,

fallen fruit, and birds' eggs.

lifespan: 7 years in the wild, 8-10

years in captivity.

Widespread throughout Canada and the United States,

except in Alaska.

CONSERVATION RELATED SPECIES

The western spotted skunk,

Spi/oga/e gracia/is, is common over

large areas of North America.

Common throughout their range, striped skunks are hunted

for their skins, but only with a hunting license. Many skunks

are run over by cars every year on the roads-often because

they stand their ground and spray rather than running away.

THE SKUNK'S UNPLEASANT SPRAY

The skunk is best known for its ability to cause an extremely unpleasant odor. It ejects a strong-smelling fluid from its anal glands when it is threatened . The skunk aims its spray, which can travel 12 feet, at the victim's

The skunk warns that it is ready to spray by turning its rear end toward the intruder, raising its tail, and pattering its front feet.

©MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A.

If the warning fails to deter the intruder, the skunk hisses, spreads its haunches, and sprays, seldom missing. It can spray repeatedly seven or eight times.

0160200041 PACKET 4

Of all the animals that have warning coloration/

the striped skunk's easily recognized white stripe

makes it one of the most successful at deterring its

predators. Its marking serves as a warning to

intruders that they will be sprayed with

foul-smelling fluid if they do not retreat.

~HABITS Striped skunks spend the day in small groups, sleeping in dens that they dig them­selves or borrow from other animals species. They often share dens with foxes or raccoons. The den is often occupied in summer by females and their young .

At dusk, the skunks emerge from their den to forage for food. In towns and cities, skunks live in

woodpiles, sheds, or under houses. In the country, they are often found in the open forest.

Skunks deter enemies by spraying a very offensive­smelling fluid (see back page). It can cause temporary blindness, but its main purpose is to stop the intruder from breathing for a few seconds while the skunk escapes.

DID YOU KNOW? • The striped skunk's scien­tific name comes from a Latin word meaning "poi­sonous vapor." • Striped skunks do not use their spray on each other, even in the fiercest fight.

• The only predator which appears to be immune to the effects of a skunk's spray is the great horned owl, which hunts the striped skunk at night.

• Skunks are resistant to snake venom. They can survive ten times the amount of venom needed to

kill an_o_t_h_e_r _a_n_im_a_l_o_f _si_m_i_la_r---J1 ' size. .

left: Skunks may be active throughout the winter.

~ FOOD & FEEDING

Striped skunks are meat eaters, feeding mainly on large insects like crickets and grasshoppers and on small mammals. They also forage in the soil and among dead leaves, using their long front claws to dig up beetle

~BREEDING The breeding season for the striped skunk is February and March. Males begin to range widely at this time, often leaving their own territories in search of a mate.

During mating season, the males are very excitable and

grubs, earthworms, roots, and fungi. Skunks hunt by scent, sniffing slowly and carefully over the ground.

Striped skunks will also eat nuts, fallen fruit, and the eggs of ground-nesting birds.

spray large animals and humans at random.

The female skunk carries her young just over 2 months. Litter sizes range from three to ten, although the average number is four to five. The young skunks, called

Right: The striped skunk's underside is mainly dark, but the white stripe on its back serves to warn would-be predators, rather than providing camouflage. Because of the skunk's highly offensive spray, it fears few other animals, including man.

left: Skunks can swim well, but do so only to save their lives. They never go willingly into the water.

kits, are born blind and without fur. The female suckles the kits for 6-8 weeks until they can hunt for themselves. The young stay with their mother, often sharing a den with several families until the end of winter and the next mating season.

left: Baby skunks in Alberta, Canada. They begin explor-ing early, but they stay in the family unit for their first

GIRAFFE

~~------------------... ORDER

"1IIIIIIII Artiodactyla .. FAMILY

"1IIIIIIII Giraffidae

"" CARD 27

~~.

~ GENUS&~P~~~p 1: MAMMAlS~~ Giraffa camelopardalis

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~----------------------------------------------------------------------~ ~ The giraffe is the world's tallest land mammal. Its long neck lets

it feed on vegetation that other herbivores cannot reach.

KEY FACTS

I i~1 SIZES ~ Height including horns: Male 15-

17ft. Female, 12-15 ft.

Weight: Male, 1,765-4,255 lb.

female, 1,215-2,600 Ibs.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: Female, 4-5

years. Male, 3'/2 years.

Mating: Anytime.

Gestation: 453-464 days.

No. of young: Usually one calf.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Loosely bound groups.

Lifespan: 5 years in the wild.

Diet: Leaves from trees, shrubs,

climbers, vines, and some herbs.

RELATED SPECIES

Nine subspecies recognized; all

similar but distinguished by coat

pattern and geographical distribu­

tion.

FEATURES OF THE GIRAFFE

Range of the giraffe.

DISTRIBUTION

Africa, south of the Sahara Desert, in open woodland and

wooded grassland.

CONSERVATION

Common in eastern and southern Africa; reduced in some

western parts of Africa by poachers, but not in immediate

danger. In Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, numbers are

increasing at over 5 percent per year.

When it drinks, the giraffe spreads its front legs far apart in order to lower its head to the water. The giraffe has extremely elastic blood vessels and special valves in the veins of its neck to control the rush of blood to its head. Without this adaptation, the increase in blood pressure would cause the giraffe to lose consciousness.

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A giraffe's horns No two giraffB coat (above) gradually patterns (below) turn from gristle to are the same. bone.

0160200021 PACKET 28

Like human fingerprints, the markings of a giraffe's

coat are unique to each individual. When

groups are gathered, the patterns

act as disruptive camouflage, confusing

potential predators. The giraffe's sharp vision

and towering height help it to anticipate

attack from predators.

~ HABITS Giraffes are sociable by nature. They live in groups but do not form permanent herds. Bulls (adult males) have an identifiable pecking order, which is established through the ritual of neck wrestling. A strange bull entering an area will be challenged by the dominant male. They will proceed to butt heads (their skulls are particularly strong) until one of them retreats.

Right: Neck wrestling to deter­mine dominance may turn into rougher pushing and butting. However, serious fighting is rare.

~ FOOD & HUNTING The giraffe browses for its food, lower branches while the which consists of the leaves male feeds from the higher and shoots of trees and shrubs. branches. This behavior

Thorny acacia trees pose little problem for the giraffe; the giraffe picks off individual shoots and bunches of leaves from between the thorns with its tongue, which can be up to 18 inches long. Plants without thorns are stripped of their leaves as the giraffe pulls the whole length of smaller

~ branches through its teeth. I

~ The male and female feed ~

from different parts of a tree. ~

The female forages among the ~

ensures that the sexes do not have to compete for the same food within their range.

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Right: Newborn calves are about six feet ~all. In two and a half years, their height doubles.

Left: The giraffe uses its long tongue to grasp leaves and then pulls its head away to tear them from the tree.

~ BREEDING When a giraffe cow (or female) is ready to mate, she attracts all the mature bulls in the area. The dominant bull wins her by driving off all the other males.

The young are born fifteen months later at a calving ground where they remain for the early part of their lives. The same calving grounds are used time after time by many females. That way, when the mothers go off to feed during the day, the calves are left to protect one another. Even so, half of the calves die in the

first 6 months from attacks by hyenas, leopards, and wild dogs.

As the calf grows older, it begins to roam with its mother. Its main predator is the lion. After calves are a year old, their mortality rate drops below 10 percent.

While the mother will mate 5 months after giving birth, her calf is not weaned until it is 15 months old. Young fe-males stay in their mothers' home ranges, but young males wander away at about 3 years old.

DID YOU KNOW?

• A giraffe's long neck has the same number of vertebrae-seven-as most other mam-mals have. But the giraffes' are greatly elongated.

• A giraffe is one of the few animals born with horns. A baby giraffe's horns lie flat against the skull when it is born and pop upright during the first week of life.

• Giraffe cows feed for more than half of every 24 hours; bulls, for much less.

~ GIRAFFE & MAN Many different African tribes have traditions of hunting giraffes for food. The bushmen of Botswana hunt them on foot, running up behind the giraffes to cut the tendons of their back legs before spearing

if) them to death. Tribes in Sudan, o ~ Chad, and Ethiopia hunt them § on horseback. QJ

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Giraffes are also sometimes ~ killed for the hair in their tails; ~ the natives braid and use it to i make bracelets to sell to oj tourists. This practice has given cI:l rise to poaching in some parts

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" CARD 28 1 EUROPEAN OTTER

ORDER Carnivora

FAMILY Mustelidae

GENUS &: SPECIES Lutra lutra

-----The European otter occupies a large territory within its habitat. Once widespread, its numbers have declined drastically, and it is

now a rare sight throughout most of its range.

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KEY FACTS

SIZES

Length: 2-3 ft. Height: 12 in.

Weight: 12-33 lb., males are heavier.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: Males, 1 8 months;

females, 2 years.

Mating: Any time; females mate 12 months after birth of previous litter.

Gestation: 61-74 days.

litter size: 1-6, average 2-3.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary. Diet: Mainly fish .

Call: Whistles and snarls.

lifespan: 9-10 years.

RELATED SPECIES There are 15 species of Lutra­fish-eating river otters-found

worldwide. All are distinct from

the clawless otters, Anoyx and

Amblonyx, and the engaging sea

otter, Enhydra.

FEATURES OF THE OTTER

• Range of the European otter.

DISTRIBUTION

Scattered populations exist in Europe, Scandinavia, most of the Soviet Union, and North Africa.

CONSERVATION

Conservationists in Europe, particularly in Great Britain and Scandinavia, are reestablishing w ild populations by releasing an imals bred in captivity.

The otter's tapered body and tail give it a streamlined shape, ideal for efficient movement underwater.

As the otter dives, its ears and nostrils close automatically, but its eyes remain open, allowing it to locate its prey by sight.

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Found in coastal and freshwater

habitats, the otter lives among rocky

outcrops by coasts and wherever trees and

bushes provide adequate cover along

the banks of rivers and canals. River pollution,

~ OTTER & MAN The otter was once regarded as a pest and was hunted for its fur and for sport. Still, the otter population remained stable for many years. But in the 1950s it decreased as a result of pest-

.g icides which polluted the ~ water. The poisons first af­~ fected the fish in rivers and ~ canals, which were in turn ::: eaten by otters.

The otter population is recovering in places where hunting and pesticides have been banned.

The major threat to otters today is being run over on the roads . Males patrolling th~ir territories are particularly at risk, as they will cross newly built roads that run through their range.

DID YOU KNOW? • The long, stiff guard hairs of the otter's fur are coated with oil that the otter pro­duces, which makes them water repellent. The hairs are so effective that the animal's skin never gets wet.

• A newborn otter is bl ind and naked and only 4 inches long. • An otter can swim under-

hunting, and increased road traffic have 0

------------------------------------------------all contributed to a rapid decline

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~HABITS The otter is a shy and soli­tary animal and is mostly nocturnal (active at night). It hunts in swampy areas and will often travel long dis­tances over land, from one river system to another, in search of food .

~ FOOD & HUNTING The otter mainly eats fish, but underwater by chasing them The otter breeds throughout it prefers eels. Still, it usually or cornering them in clumps the year. There are generally hunts for what is available and of weeds. After attacking a two or more females within a easily caught. In addition, the fish, the otter grips it with its male's territory and the male otter will eat crustaceans, sharp teeth and powerful will mate with all of them, aquatic insects, birds, frogs, jaws. It then carries its catch staying with each female in and young rabbits. Otters to dry land and eats it. her den . Two to three cubs inhabiting coastal waters prey Unlike the adults, young are born in an underground on crabs, dogfish, and other otters chase anything that burrow called a holt. marine fish. moves, but they soon learn to The cubs are helpless for the

Remarkably agile in the become skillful underwater first six weeks, during which water, the otter catches fish hunters. time they survive on their

water up to 1,300 feet before surfacing to breathe.

• An adult otter needs to consume 20 percent of its body weight in food every day, which is equivalent to 5 pounds. • A single male otter re­quires a territory of at least 10 m iles of undisturbed riverbank.

Left: A young otter is taught to swim by its mother at 3 months of age, but it is some time before it is able to hunt its own food.

mother's milk. The male plays no part in raising the cubs.

After nine months, the cubs begin to spend short periods away from their mother. The cubsareindependentata year old, though they may stay in their mother's territory for a few months longer.

Sadly, the European otter is now a rare sight throughout most of its range.

The otter is solitary be­cause it wanders an ex­tremely large territory. It patrols its territory and marks it at intervals with droppings called spraint. The spraint contains a scent which acts as a signal to other otters, preventing them from wandering into its territory.

------------------------------------, ~----------~~--~--~~~~=---~

r~ NATUREWATCH

Female otters with cubs will usually occupy a smaller

Above: The otter spends a great deal of its time near water. Still, it often spends a part of its day playing away from the water, near its burrow.

territory within that of the male that is usually the cubs' father.

Five-toed footprin ts in the mud beside shallow rivers and river mouths are an ind ication of t he presence of otte rs.

Also, conspicuous mounds of droppings, or spraint, deposit-

ed on rocks, stones, and tree roots are signs that an otter inhabits the area . An imal remains such as fish scales or jawbones are also evidence that otters live nearby. ___________ .....J

Right: Otters may mate at any time in the year. Two or three cubs are born in an underground burrow, or holt.

"" CARD 29 SACRED BABOON

~~------------------------------------------~ ~ ORDER

Primates FAMILY Cercopithecidae

GENUS &: SPECIES Papio hamadryas

The sacred baboon lives in large groups among the rocky hills of northeastern Africa. The mature male grows to twice the size of the

female and sports a distinctive silvery mane.

KEY FACTS SIZES length: Head and body, 24-30 in.

Tail, 15-24 in. Weight: Males, 40 lb. Females,

20 lb.

I;. BREEDING Sexual maturity: Males: 7 years.

Females: 5 years.

Breeding season: Year-round.

Gestation: 1 70-1 73 days.

No. of young: Usually 1 .

I;. LIFESTYLE Habit: Social, day-active.

Diet: Fruits, grasses, roots, lizards,

insects, occasionally small

mammals. lifespan: Maximum in captivity:

371/2 years.

RELATED SPECIES The five other species in the

genus Papio include the olive baboon P. cynocephalus, with

which P. hamadryas interbreeds.

Range of the sacred baboon.

DISTRIBUTION

Found chiefly throughout eastern Ethiopia, northern Somalia,

and on both sides of the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and South Yemen.

CONSERVATION

Although direct conflict with man and the loss of some

habitat has reduced its range somewhat, the sacred baboon

is still numerous and widespread.

BEHAVIORAL HABITS OF THE SACRED BA800

Parental care: The young stays with its mother for up to 1~ ' months , during which time it is -taught how, anGi what, to eat.

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The sacred baboon lives in an extremely complex

group divided into bands, where each male has a

harem. Within each band, there are recognized leaders

who make decisions about where to look for food

and how to deal with predators.

~ HABITAT The sacred baboon inhabits the rocky hill country of Ethiopia. Baboons spend more time on the ground than any other type of mon­key. Its limbs are specially adapted to life on the ground, and ~can run quickly on all fours. It does not climb very well, but will do so to reach fruit.

The sacred baboon spends much of the day searching for food . At noon it may seek out a shady spot to rest.

DID YOU KNOW?

Adults nap or pick dirt from each other's fur; the young baboons wrestle and play.

At dusk, the baboon retreats to its sleeping site located

high up on a steep cliff. Cliffs with suitable ledges are fa­vored resting places because they provide some protection from the baboon's main pre­dator, the leopard . Suitable ledges are not easy to find, however; and each night as many as 750 baboons may gather together to sleep.

• An old male baboon who other when moving through has his harem stolen often th ick vegetation . loses his silver hai r and grows • The male sacred baboon brown fu r like the female . may occasionally mate with a • The sacred baboon's female olive baboon and colorful, furless buttocks are produce fertile offspring . The believed to help group male olive baboon, however, members keep sight of each never mates with a female

~ BREEDING The sacred baboon lives in a male-dominated group, which is exceptional among baboons. Each group is divided into small bands consisting of one

Left: Grooming and playing are daily activities of the baboon group.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING Early each morning, the ba­boon group breaks up into small foraging parties which climb down the cliffs and set off in search of food. The baboons must forage in small groups because the land is barren and food supplies are scattered.

The sacred baboon feeds

sacred baboon because it lacks the ability to attract her.

• Sacred baboons will raid a crop field in which women are working, but will stay clear of those in which men are working, since they may be armed .

male and one to ten females . The male becomes sexually

mature at 7 years of age. But before he can breed, he must first establish a harem of

Below: The baboon prefers a fruit-based diet, but eats grass if nothing else is available.

mainly on fruit, which it picks from bushes and trees with the use of its relatively long thumbs. When fruit is not available, the baboon will eat large quantities of grass, which it tears up by the hand­ful. During the dry season, the baboon may also dig up the tuberous roots of various desert grasses and flowers.

The sacred baboon's long, doglike jaws are packed with large molars which it uses to grind up tough and fibrous vegetation. The baboon also eats insects, lizards, snails, and other small invertebrates, and it will occasionally catch small mammals such as young

females . Finding available females is difficult because every mature female in the group already belongs to another male who will fight fie rcely to protect his harem. So the young male will either court an immature female or try to steal females from the male of another band .

If a male finds an available young female, he teaches her to follow him by walking between her and her mother. Eventually, the female will begin to follow the male instead of her mother. Once a bond is formed between the pair, the male will bite the female's neck to maintain his control over her. Once a male has acquired a mate, their bond is recognized by the other males in the band . Male band members will

gazelles and hares. When searching for food,

the young baboon usually stays close to its mother. It learns from observation how to find food, how it should be broken apart or peeled, and

defend each other against attacks from males of other bands intent on stealing their females .

Mating occurs throughout the year, although in the drier part of the baboon's range, most young are born after the rainy season, when food is more plentiful. The young baboon is born with fur and with its eyes open . It spends the first few weeks of its life clinging to its mother's breast. As it grows and becomes more confident, it will ride on her back.

The young sacred baboon matures slowly, during which time it usually remains within the family group. Young are weaned at 18 months, by which time the mother will either have new young or be pregnant again.

which parts should be eaten. The mother will prevent her offspring from eating any­thing potentially harmful.

Below: When they are not with their parents, the young spend their time wrestling or playing.

'" CARD 30 GIANT ANTEATER "~ ______________________________ G~R~O~U~P __ l :_M_A_M __ M_A_L_S~

~ CLASS Edentata

ORDER Myrmecophagidae

FAMILY Myrmecophaga tridactyla

The toothless giant anteater, found only in South America, spends its day shuffling awkwardly along, sniffing the ground with

its long snout in search of ant nests.

KEY FACTS SIZES

Body length: 40-48 in.

Tail length: 28-35 in.

Weight: 44-90 lb. Males slightly

heavier than females.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 2-3 years.

Mating season: March to May.

Gestation: 190 days.

No. of young: Usually 1 .

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary; nocturnal near

towns, but a daytime feeder in

remote areas.

Diet: Ground-dwelling ants.

Lifespan: 26 years in captivity.

RELATED SPECIES

The Northern and Southern

tamanduas (T. mexicana, T. tetradactyla), and the silky anteater

(Cye/opes didactylus).

Range of the giant anteater.

DISTRIBUTION

The giant anteater and the other three species of anteater live

only in Central and South America.

CONSERVATION

The giant anteater is the most vulnerable species of anteater

and is likely to become in danger of extinction in the next few

years, unless measures are taken now.

SPECIAL ADAPTATIONS OF THE GIANT ANTEATER Tongue: Covered in tiny spines and housed in the snout, it can be pushed 2 feet out of the mouth and down into the ant nest. The spines point backward and are covered in a sticky substance during feeding, making escape for the ants impossible.

.. Claws: Each forepaw has five fingers. The second and third fingers have very strong, sharp claws used for protection or to dig into the ground for ants. The anteater walks on its knuckles to protect its claws.

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The giant anteater is a solitary animal, spending

most of its day searching for its favorite meal of ants.

The largest of the four types of anteater,

it lives and feeds on the ground. Its smaller relatives

spend much of their time in trees.

~ HABITAT

The giant ant~ater lives a solitary life. It is rarely seen with another anteater. When two animals are together, it is either for the purpose of mating or it is a mother with her young.

Its habitat includes the rain­forests, grasslands, and mixed forest and semiarid regions of Central and South America. It spends its day searching for food with the help of its exceptional sense of smell

and hearing. Its range is usually about one-half square mile. In areas where food is less abundant, it could be one mile.

At night, the giant anteater will either scrape out a hollow in the soil in which to sleep or it will use the existing burrow of another animal. When it sleeps, it curls its bushy tail, which is almost as long as its body, around itself to keep warm.

~ BREEDING

Little is known about the courtship and mating habits of giant anteaters. It is believed that males and females come together only to mate. The mother carries the young inside her for 190 days. The mother gives birth while standing and will use her long tail like a third leg for support.

At birth, the baby immedi­

ately scrambles onto its mother's back. It has a com­plete coat of fur that is so similar in color to its mother's that the youngster is often difficult to recognize when it is with its mother. The mother suckles her young for about six months. During this time, the baby will cling to its mother's back, although it is able to walk a month after birth.

~ FOOD &: HUNTING

The giant anteater's diet consists mainly of ground­dwelling ants, although it will occasionally eat termites and army ants. The anteater's acute sense of smell detects the ants. Its long claws are used to get into the nests. It catches the ants with its long, sticky tongue. It gets most of the moisture it needs from its food, which includes fruit

and larvae. The giant anteater is prey to

jaguars and other large cats, although its coat of dense hair gives it good camouflage. It will use its long claws to defend itself and with them it can inflict serious wounds on

a predator.

Giant anteaters are usually silent, but a youngster will whistle shrilly when it is left alone. The offspring is slow to mature; it does not become

independent until the mother is pregnant again and will not feed on its own until it is two years old.

Right and Below: Mating is one of the few times that anteaters

DID YOU KNOW? • The giant anteater's sense of

smell is 40 t imes more power­

ful than man's.

• The giant anteater is from

the order Edentata which

means "without teeth ."

• The body temperature of

the giant anteater is only

Far left: Grass­land is one of the anteater's varied habitats.

Left: Despite its poor eyesight, the anteater can locate ants with its sharp sense of smell and hearing.

32-35° F, which enables it to

survive on the low caloric con­

tent of its food .

• An early form of anteater

was known to have existed

some 20 million years ago.

• A giant anteater w ill sleep

up to 15 hours a day.