'\ CARD 341 J

VICUNA ,,_______________ GROUP 1: MAMMALS

~ ORDER ~ FAMILY ~ GENUS & SPECIES ~ Artiodactyla ~ Camelidde ~ Vicugna vicugna

The vicuna looks slender and delicate, but it is actually one of the toughest animals in South America. It lives in a high-altitude

wasteland where few other mammals are able to survive.

--SJ [i]

KEY FACTS

SIZES

Length: Head and body, 4-6 ft. Tail, 6-10 in.

Height at shoulder: 2~-3~ ft. Weight: 75-145 lb.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 2 years.

Mating season: March to April.

Gestation: 11 months.

No. of young: 1.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Lives in groups of 1 male

and several females with young.

Males may form bachelor groups.

Diet: Rough grasses and plants.

Call: Sharp, high warning bark.

Lifespan: 15-20 years.

RELATED SPECIES

There are 3 other members of the

camel family living in South Amer­

ica-the guanaco, Lama guanicoe;

the alpaca, L. pacos; and the llama,

L. glama.

FEATURES OF THE VICUNA

Senses: Pricked ears give excellent hearing. Large eyes give good vision over a wide area.

Coloration: Red-brown or cinnamon above and paler below. Shaggy white chest bib.

© MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM

Range of the vicuna.

DISTRIBUTION

Inhabits high-altitude grasslands on the plateaus of the Andes,

mostly in central Peru. Also occurs in western Bolivia, north­

eastern Chile, and northwestern Argentina.

CONSERVATION

The vicuna was hunted almost to extinction earlier in this cen­

tury. It is now protected in Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina,

and export is banned. The population exceeds 80,000.

PRINTED IN U.S.A.

High-altitude adaptations: The vicuna's thick, silky coat traps a layer of air next to its body. This helps

protect the animal from the chill mountain air. The vicuna also has almost twice as many red

blood cells as a human being , so it can make the most of the available oxygen.

0160200941 PACKET 94

On the bleak plateaus of the Andes, the vicuna's warm coat

is essential to its survival, but its soft fleece almost caused

its downfall. By the 1960s this graceful animal was nearly

extinct due to hunting for its wool, which is considered the

finest in the world. The vicuna's numbers have since revived,

however, and now populations in some areas are even being

culled-selectively killed-to protect their grassland habitat.

~ HABITS The vicuna lives at elevations of

19,000 feet on the puna-the windswept plains on the high

plateaus of the Andes. The air is

very thin, but the animal's large

heart and lungs enable it to sur­

vive. There is no rain during nine

months of the year, and it is very

cold. But the vicuna is protected

by its coat, which traps a layer of

warm, insulating air.

The vicuna lives in a group that

usually has one male leader and

several females with young. The

group holds a territory of up to

a tenth of a square mile, which

is marked with dung and urine.

The dominant male defends the

land from rivals. Males without

harems join bachelor herds of

up to 30 animals or roam alone

until they find females.

The vicuna feeds on the lower

slopes in daytime and walks to

a higher sleeping area at night.

Few predators can surprise this

animal. If a puma approaches,

the vicuna utters a high-pitched

call to alert the group. When it

is in real danger, the vicuna may

sprint away, running as fast as

30 miles per hour with its neck

outstretched and ears flattened.

Right: Water can be scarce in the mountains, so the vicuna drinks deeply after a rainfall.

~ BREEDING In March and April the male vi-

cuna mates with the receptive

females in his group. The ani­

mals mate while lying on their

chests in their feeding area. In

the same area the female bears

one offspring 11 months later.

Soon after giving birth she may

mate again.

The young is able to follow its

mother within half an hour of

birth. But it lies low while she

forages, pressing close to the

Left: Its highly oxygenated blood helps the vicuna survive in the thin air of the high plains.

DID YOU KNOW? • The vicuna is the smallest

species of camel.

• To cope with the thin air of

the puna, the vicuna's heart is

five percent heavier than that

of any similar-size mammal.

• Certain Native Americans re­

vered the vicuna, believing it

was the daughter of their fer­

tility goddess. In Incan culture

ground to hide from pumas. It

suckles for up to 10 months and

is independent soon afterward.

Youngsters in a group play to­

gether but act timidly toward

the male leader, stretching their

necks over thei r backs to indi­

cate submissiveness. The leader

drives young males away when

they are barely weaned, at four

to nine months old. He drives

the young females out when

they are 10 to 11 months old.

Right: The vicuna breeds in captiv­ity but has never been fully domes­ticated for its wool.

only nobles were allowed to

wear clothing woven from vi­

cuna wool, and anyone who

was caught killing the animal

without permission was sen­

tenced to death.

• Some people think that the

closely related alpaca-also

famed for its wool-is a cross

between a vicuna and a llama.

~ VICUNA &: MAN Vicunas have never been domes­

ticated, but the Incas rounded

them up for shearing and then

released them. When the Incas

fell to the Spanish in the 1500s,

over 1.5 million vicunas ranged

from Ecuador to Argentina .

The Spanish killed 80,000 vi­

cunas yearly until 1825, when

the species was protected by

law. But hunting plus the spread

of livestock continued to reduce

vicuna numbers. By 1965, only

6,000 remained in the wild. In

1969, the species was declared

endangered and serious conser­

vation efforts began. Numbers

are now rising. In some areas vi­

cunas are again being rounded

up, shorn, and released.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING Sparse clumps of short, coarse

grass and other fibrous plants

are all that grow in the puna's

poor soil . Ripping this tough

vegetation wears down the vi­

cuna's incisor teeth, but it has a

special adaptation. It is the only

hoofed mammal with lower in­

cisors that grow continually, like

a rodent's.

The vicuna's plant diet lacks

adequate salt and water. Fog of­

ten provides the only available

moisture. But some areas of the

puna have salt lakes where the

animal laps brackish water. It al­

so licks salt-bearing rocks to ob­

tain this vital mineral.

'" CARD 342 I WEDDELL SEAL

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

ORDER Pinnipedio

FAMILY Phocidoe

GENUS &. SPECIES Leptonychotes weddelli

The Weddell seal lives in the waters surrounding Antarctica. It stays close to land and spends much of its time underneath

the ice, diving to great depths to find food.

"I KEY FACTS

I ~I SIZES ~ Length: Up to lOft.

Weight: Female, up to 1,000 lb.

Male, slightly less.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 3-6 years.

Mating season: December.

Gestation: 11 months.

No. of young: Usually 1.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Solitary in the water. Forms

colonies on land.

Diet: Fish, squid, and krill.

Lifespan: Probably over 20 years.

RELATED SPECIES

There are no other species in the

genus Leptonychotes. Relatives in

the subfamily Lobodontinoe are all

found in Antarctica and include

the leopard seal, Hydrurgo /ep­

tonyx, and the Ross seal, Om­

motophoco rossi.

Range of the Weddell seal.

DISTRIBUTION

The Weddell seal is confined to the shallow coastal waters sur­

rounding Antarctica. It does not venture as fa r as the edge of

the pack ice.

CONSERVATION

The Weddell seal has no enemies other than humans. Its popu­

lation may be as high as half a million, but the species is threat­

ened by pollution and habitat destruction.

FEATURES OF THE WEDDEll SEAL

Flippers: Propel the seal thro ugh water but do not pro­vide much support on land.

, MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILE'M PRINTED IN U.S.A

Mother and young: During cold weather, the young pup huddles close to its mother for warmth. Her rich milk enables the pup to increase its weight by 2 pounds per day.

Head: Disproportionately smal l in comparison to

the rest of the body.

Coat: Typically dark brown to gray and covered In blotches, but may vary greatly between individuals. The coat is covered In fine hairs. A thick layer of fat under its skin protects the seal from the co ld.

01 RO?00CJCJ1 PAC:KFT CJCJ

The Weddell seal is found farther south than any other

mammal-in the shallow, freezing waters surrounding

Antarctica. One of the most proficient divers in the world,

it reaches depths that no other seals have been known to

attain. This animal belongs to the group of earless seals

known as the true seals, which are distinguished by their

streamlined shapes and inability to move easily on land.

~ HABITS The Weddell seal lives along the

coastline of Antarctica. It is never

found on the floating pack ice

surrounding the continent, stay­

ing instead near the more solid

ice along the coast. In contrast,

its relatives the common, Ross,

and leopard seals are found far­

ther out at sea.

During the long Antarctic win­

ter, the Weddell seal spends the

majority of its time beneath the

ice, where it makes a great deal

of noise. Some of its noises may

be a form of echolocation, simi­

lar to the sound waves used by

bats. These noises may enable

the seal to navigate and find its

Right: The highly aquatic Weddell seal is at home in the icy ocean.

prey when diving into the dark

depths of the ocean.

In order to breathe, the Wed­

dell seal cuts holes in the ice with

its powerful teeth. Each seal uses

its own air hole, making a trill­

ing call as it nears the hole. The

seals also emit deep grunts plus

sounds made by snapping the

teeth together- probably to

warn that enemies are near.

~ FOOD &: HUNTING The young Weddell seal feeds

exclusively on small crustaceans

such as krill. The adult eats both

squid and fish, particularly the

large Antarctic cod.

In order to catch its prey, the

seal must dive under the ice. It

dives to depths of up to 2,000

feet, deeper than any other seal,

and may stay under for up to 45

minutes before returning to its

Left: During the Antarctic winter, the Weddell seal spends most of its time under the ice.

DID YOU KNOW? • Weddell seals may sleep un­

der the ice when the weath­

er is too bad for them to haul

out. Their blubber makes them

buoyant enough to float just

under the surface.

• The Weddell seal is thought

to be the only member of its

subfamily, Lobodontinae, that

gathers in large herds during

ice hole to fill its lungs with air.

During a very deep dive, the

seal's body has to withstand a

pressure of over 840 pounds per

square inch. It is able to do so

because its surface blood vessels

constrict, ensuring a steady sup­

ply of blood to its brain and its

heart. The animal can also with­

stand a large amount of carbon

dioxide dissolved in its blood.

Right: The large Antarctic cod is a major part of the Weddell seal's staple diet.

the mating season, with the

bulls forming harems.

• Old and sick Weddell seals

at times try to distanse them­

selves from their companions.

The seals' bodies have been

found on the sides of glaciers

as far as 35 miles from the sea

and up to 3,200 feet above

sea level.

~ BREEDING The female Weddell seal hauls

out on the ice to give birth dur­

ing October and November­

the Antarctic spring. All the fe­

males stay together in groups

called rookeries, while the males

gather along the shore.

The newborn weighs up to 60

pounds and is more than four

feet long. Its fluffy coat, or lanu­

go, is tan or gray with a dark line

along the back. By the time it

is weaned in up to eight weeks,

the pup has shed this coat and

grown the sleeker adult coat.

The pup gains weight rapidly

while suckling its mother's rich

milK, which is almost 50 percent

Left: The pup huddles close to its mother for warmth and protection.

Left: The Wed­dell seal popu­lation is about one-quarter to one-half million. Individuals nev­er stroy very for from their Ant­arctic home.

fat. The nursing female does not

feed, so she can concentrate on

protecting her pup. During the

suckling period, the pup enters

the water, diving through an ice

hole kept open by an adult. It

also roams over the ice while its

mother basks in the sun. At this

time of year, the climate is warm

for Antarctica, with the tempera­

ture rarely dropping below 23°F.

If snow falls, the pup huddles be­

side the mother for warmth. If

danger threatens, she utters a

warning call.

The female mates after wean­

ing her pup. She carries her fer­

tilized egg for several months

before it begins to develop, in

time for the next spring.

RED BAT ,,~-----------------------~

ORDER Chiroptera

FAMILY Vespertilionidae

GROUP 1: MAMMALS GENUS &: SPECIES Lasiurus borealis

Easily recognized by its rich reddish color, the red bat is one of the few North American bats that sometimes migrates. It is also

unusual because the male is more brightly colored than the female.

SIZES

Length: 4-5 in.

Wingspan: 6-7 in.

Weight: Il -~ oz.

BREEDING

Sexual maturity: 1 year.

Mating season: Late summer

to fall.

Gestation: About 3 months, but

implantation is delayed.

No. of young: 2-4, rarely 5.

LIFESTYLE

Habit: Nocturnal and usually soli­

tary, but females with young may

form small colonies. Some north­

ern populations migrate.

Diet: Flying insects.

Lifespan: Unknown.

RELATED SPECIES

There are 10 other hairy-tailed bat

species in the genus Lasiurus. The

Galapagos bat, L. brachyotis, lives

only in the Galapagos Islands.

FEATURES OF THE RED BAT

Range of the red bat.

DISTRIBUTION

Found in southern Canada and throughout the eastern United

States except for southern Florida. Also in the western mountains

as far south as Panama and in Cuba, Hispaniola, and Jamaica.

CONSERVATION

The red bat is common throughout its wide range. Because it

usually roosts on tree trunks, it is not affected by disturbances

at roosting caves, as many other bats are.

Male: Rich brick red frosted

Wings: Mostly made up of the bat's hand and supported by its fin­ger bones

, MCMXCII IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILE'M

elaborate orna­mentation found in many North American bats.

PRINTED IN U.SA

ROOSTING ON A TREE TRUNK

When roosting , bats hang upside down, gripping wi th their hind feet. Their hind claws are curved like hooks.

0 160200871 PACKET R7

Unlike most bats, the red bat is mainly a solitary animal,

never gathering in large roosts and seldom even using

caves or old buildings. Little is known about the social life

of this species, but red bats often forage in pairs. Two

of them may also travel together during migration.

~ HABITS The red bat is the most colorful bat in North America, and it is the most widespread species of hairy-tailed bat. It is common in much of the United States, but it tends to be solitary and is rarely seen in large numbers, in contrast to bats that live in huge colonies.

Red bats roost in the open, usually in a tree, rather than in caves or old buildings like oth­er bats. They frequently select a site with a southern or west­ern exposure, which may help them stay warm during the late afternoon and early evening.

In the northern section of its

range, the red bat is migratory, traveling south in September and October. During its season­al journey the animal may cov­er hundreds of miles. However, the red bat does not migrate in the southern parts of its range. Instead, it tends to stay in the same small area all year.

Like all bats, the red bat navi­gates by echolocation emitting high-pitched sounds that echo back from objects.

Above: The red bat's elastic wing membrane, called the patagium, is supported by long finger bones.

Right: Like most other bats, the red bat preys exclusively on insects.

NATUREWATCH When it is hanging at rest in a tree, the red bat looks like a dead leaf, so it is usually not noticed. But this animal often clings to tree trunks, and then it is easy to spot. It frequently stays in its roost after other bats have begun to forage and does not fly until it is nearly dark.

~ FOOD & HUNTING The red bat feeds mainly on the wing. It waits until it is al­most dark before it begins to hunt. While fluttering about, it uses its sonar to detect moths, beetles, and other night-flying insects. Once it locates an in­sect, it scoops its prey out of the air with its tail membrane.

The red bat may search for insects at streetlights. It some­times even lands on the lamp­post to snatch up insects that are resting there.

Although red bats are usually solitary, they may at times for­age in pairs. The two bats fly up and down a river or above a road that takes them through the woods.

The red bat is easiest to see when it migrates in the fall, es­pecially along the seacoast. Its flight is rapid, and its wings ap­pear more pointed than when it is hunting. When it migrates over the dunes, the red bat is likely to be mistaken for a rust­colored swallow.

DID YOU KNOW? • The strong-flying red bat has been seen in Bermuda, which is more than 700 miles from the nearest part of the North American mainland. • The red bat is the only mam­mal species in North America in which the male and the fe­male differ markedly in color. • The red bat generally roosts above a clearing. When eve­ning comes, it can just drop

~ BREEDING The red bat generally mates in late summer or fall, before the northern populations start their southward migration. Implan­tation, however, is delayed for several months. Births do not occur until the next spring, af­ter a gestation period of about three months.

The red bat is unusual in fre­quently having more than two offspring . A litter of four is not uncommon, and two females are known to have had litters of

from its perch and begin to fly. • The long bunches of Spanish moss that hang from trees in the Deep South are a favorite roosting place of the red bat. • The scientific name Lasiurus comes from two Greek words meaning "hairy tail." It refers to the furry tail membranes of the bats in this genus. The red bat's species name, borealis, is Greek for "northern./I

five. To suckle these young, the female has four nipples instead of the usual two.

Ayoung bat soon weighs as much as a third of its mother's weight. Perhaps because the young are so heavy, the moth­er does not carry them with her and may leave them hanging from a branch when she sets out for an evening's foraging.

Above: The red bat roosts in the open. Hanging from a tree, it may be mistaken for a dead leaf.