Ringtailed Coati

The ringtailed coati (Nasua nasua) is an omrnivore from the family Procyonidae.  Ringtailed coatis are small raccoon-like animals found in South America.  It rated as Least Concern by IUCN.


Physical Features
The ringtailed coati measures about 67 cm (26 inches) excluding the tail.  The tail measures 69 cm (27 inches).  Males are generally bigger than females.  They have a shoulder height of 30 cm (12inches).  Ringtailed coatis have stocky bodies, which can range from reddish brown to black.  They have very long and banded tails.  Their snout is flexible and long, which enables them to catch insects like earthworms and millipedes that live inside the soil.  Its fur has coarse and long hair.  They have a life span of 17 years in captivity and 5 to 9 years in wild.  Ringtailed coatis can weigh 6 kilograms


Diet
The ringtailed coati is an omnivore eating woodland insects like millipedes and earthworms.  To catch these soil inhabiting creatures, ringtailed coatis use their long and flexible snout to search and catch them.  Adult and large males try to catch bigger prey like other rodents.  ringtailed coatis sometimes catch frog and lizards with their forepaws.  They are very fond of fruit.


Distribution and Habitat
The ringtailed coati is found in South American countries like Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil and Uruguay.  They live in woodlands.


Behavior
Ringtailed coatis are active throughout the day.  Females often make groups with their young while males are solitary.  They produce grunts and chittering noises to contact with group members.  When they are threatened, they will bark.


Conservation Status
The ringtailed coati considered as least concern.  They are very abundant and quite widespread.  Their population must be several thousands.


Source of picture 1:http://www.flickr.com/photos/81801038@N00/4956021357/     

Siamang

The siamang (Symphalangus syndactylus) is a species of gibbon only in Malaysia, Thailand and Sumatra.  It is one of the largest gibbons and has a large throat sac which it uses to make loud calls.  It is currently protected by law.


Physical Features
Siamangs are the largest of the the gibbons, measuring 90 cm (35 inches) and weighing 13 kilograms.  Both males and females have large throat sacs.  It can sometimes be twice the size of other gibbons.  Siamangs have a height of 3.3 feet ( 1 meter).  Their throats sacs are called gular sacs.  They have two digits on each foot which are partially joined with a membrane.  They can inflate their throat sacs to the size of their heads.  They have black fur and have a very long hand which is shaped like a hook at the end.  They have a life span of 30 years.


Diet
Siamangs spend about 5 hours in a day eating.  They are omnivores, eating insects, fruits, invertebrates and leaves.  Half of their diet is made up of leaves.  Siamangs always hang on a tree with one hand while feeding.  They feed on about 160 species of plants.


Behavior
Siamangs spend 50 % of their time in resting.  Siamang pairs may start their first day with a duet led by the female and with the male giving melody support.  This singing (which is like shrieking in different tunes) even acts like a territorial display.  Siamangs can give loud and deafening shrieking calls with their large throat sac.


Distribution and Habitat
Siamangs are found in the rainforests of Malaysia, Thailand and Sumatra


Population and Threats
In 1990, there was an estimated population of 360,500 individuals in the wild found in Indonesia.  In Sumatra's (Indonesia) third national park, Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, the population was 22,390 individuals according to 2002.  Even though hunting hunting primates for meat in Indonesia is banned (unlike other part of Asia) they are threatened due to forest fires and illegal logging.  In Malaysia and Thailand, infants are taken for illegal pet trade.  Their mothers are killed as they are highly protective of their young and will be very difficult to separate the infants and their mother.


Source of picture 1:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siamang_Gibbon#Siamang_and_their_habitat           

Bateleur

The bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus)is a type of bird of prey found in Africa. It is from the order Falconiformes.  It is the only member of from the genus Terathopius.  It is the the national emblem of Zimbabwe.


Physical Features                                                                    

Immature bateleur

The bateleur is like a medium sized eagle, measuring 61 cm (24 inches) with a wingspan of about 6.1 feet.  They weigh about 3 kilograms.  It has a short tail and a featherless scarlet skin on its legs and face.  They have a chestnut-like black plumage.  Males gray wings with black flight feathers while females have white and black flight feathers.  Young bateleurs have bluish-green faces and after few years they get an orange face and legs.  In places away from Africa, these birds are known as 'Conifer eagle' or the 'Pine eagle' as its feathers somewhat resemble a conifer cone when it fluffs itself up.


Diet
Bateleurs can eat mammals about the size of a baby antelope.  They may even eat birds like ground birds and reptiles like snakes and lizards.  Sometimes, they eat dead meat if available.  Bateleurs hunt alone in the air but sometimes, large numbers may eat together.


Distribution and Habitat
Bateleurs line in open woodland and savannas.  The bateleur is found in much of Africa.  It is mainly found in places south of Sahara desert.  Its distribution ranges extends to northern Namibia and South Africa but is not found in dense forests of places around the equator.


Life Cycle
Bateleurs build stick nests on big trees and generally one egg is produced by the female.  Bateleurs build their nests near rivers.  The eggs incubate for about 59 days and the young fledge after 100 days.


Conservation Status
Bateleurs are not endangered, but they are decreasing in numbers especially in the south.  This is because of habitat loss and hunting.


Source of picture 1:http://chandra.as.utexas.edu/~kormendy/southafricabirds.html
Source of picture 2:http://www.whozoo.org/Anlife2002/raunshep/RBS_BateleurEagle2.html

Secretary Bird

 The secretary bird (Sagittarius serpentarius) is a bird of prey found in Africa.  It is largely terrestrial and it appears on the coat of arms of South Africa and Sudan.


Physical Features
The secretary bird has crane-like legs and an eagle-like body.  It stands 4 feet tall with a wingspan of 6.6 feet.  It weighs 3.3 kilograms.  Secretary birds have rounded wings unlike eagles.  When seen from a long distance, it looks more like a crane rather than a bird of prey.  They have raptor bills and a wispy crest.  Since they have long legs and long tails, the taller and longer than any other abiding raptor.  They have two long central feathers which extends beyond their legs during flight.  The flight feathers of secretary birds are black like their thighs.  Adults have featherless and red faces while young ones have yellow faces.


Diet                                                                                       

Secretary bird feeding

The secretary bird is a bird of prey, mainly eating insects.  It loves eating grasshoppers and beetles.  Sometimes the may even eat small vertebrates like snakes and small mammals.  Their are also records of them eating other birds.


Distribution and Habitat
Secretary birds are found all over Sub-Saharan Africa, except western -central Africa and the Horn of Africa.  They live in savannas and steppe which have short grass and thorn trees.


Life Cycle
Secretary birds nest in any time of the year.  They normally have to eggs.  They build their nests on thorn trees platformed with sticks.  The eggs have an incubation period of 46 days.  The young ones fledge after 106 gays.


Behavior
The secretary bird is terrestrial and are seen roaming around with measured steps.  They normally fly in pairs.  Sometimes, instead of flying, they can be seen soaring.  The only make loud noises when they are in their nest.  Their voice is like a hoarse growling and has a deeper voice than any other bird of prey.


Conservation Status
The secretary bird is not threatened.


Source of picture 1:http://www.wildanimalsonline.com/birds/secretarybird.php
Source of picture 2:http://simonthomsett.wildlifedirect.org/category/falcons/ 

Proboscis Monkey

The proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) is a species of Old world monkey found in Borneo.  They are arboreal and will only come down from tree tops to search for food.  They are endangered due to loss of habitat.


Physical Features                                                      

The nose of a proboscis monkey

The proboscis monkey is well known for its long nose.  It got its name from the long nose it has, which can grow about 7.5 cm.  Males are larger than female.  Males can weigh about 25 kilograms.  Generally, adults can measure about 70 cm (28inches) from nose to tail.  Females also have a large nose as compared to other species of monkeys but males have larger ones.  Males use their large nose to attract females during mating season.   When agitated, the nose of these monkeys swell with blood.  Adult proboscis monkeys have reddish brown fur and grayish limbs while young ones have a blue face ad blackish fur with a normal sized nose.


Diet
The proboscis monkey is an omnivore.  If it needs to eat a  fruit, it will only eat and unripe one as the sugar in ripe fruits is not good for its digestive system and therefore can be fatal.  Their diet consists of seeds, fruits, leaves, mangrove shoots and insects.


Ecology
The proboscis monkey is arboreal and can even swim very well.  They swim from island to island.  While swimming, they keep their body upright and carry their young ones on their hips.  Proboscis monkeys live in groups called bands.  There are many troops seen walking upright continuously.


Distribution and Habitat
The proboscis monkey is only found on the island of Borneo.  They live in mangrove forests, riparian lowland forests and swamps.


Conservation Status
The proboscis monkey is rated as endangered by the IUCN.  It is believed that there are only 1000 individuals left.  Its numbers have decreased due to habitat loss and hunting.  In 1977, there were about 6500 individuals.  That population decreased to about 1000 in 2006.  They are currently protected by law and are found in 16 different wildlife sanctuaries.  These sanctuaries are:Gunung Pueh Forest Reserve, Gunung Palung National Park, Kendawangan Nature Reserve, Kutai National Park, Lesan Protection Forest, Muara Kaman Nature Reserve, Mandor Reserve, and Tanjung Putting National Park in Indonesia; Bako National Park,Danau Sentarum National Park , Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, Klias National Park, Kulamba Wildlife Reserve, Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, Sungei Samunsam Wildlife Sanctuary and Ulu Segama Reserve in Malaysia.


Source of picture 1:http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/the-worlds-strangest-animals/3


Source of picture 2:http://mudfooted.com/the-proboscis-monkey/ 

Quokka

The quokka (Setonix brachyurus) is a species of marsupial found in South western Australia.  It is about the size of a domestic cat and lives in groups.  It is very rare on mainland Australia.  It is also the only member of the genus Sentonix.


Physical Features
The quokka is like a small wallaby, measuring about 40 cm to 90 cm (16 to 21inches) excluding the tail length.  The tail is about 25 cm to 35 cm (10 to 14 inches).  It can have a maximum weight of 5 kilograms. They have big, round ears and has a stocky build.  Quokkas have coarse fur which is grizzled with brown.  They have the ability to climb trees and shrubs.  They have a gestation period of 27 days and the single young will leaves the pouch in 6 months.  Quokkas a quite stout tail.
  
Diet                                                                                                                                                   

A quokka eating in a zoo

The quokka is a herbivore, eating shrubs, grass and different types of leaves.  In the western part of Rottnest island, when there is less water, quokkas will eat leaves from succulent plant in order to get enough water.


Distribution and habitat
The quokka is found only on the islands of Rottnest and Bald.  They mainly live on these two islands because of introduced predators such as foxes are not found on these islands.  Quokkas inhabit thick forests, open woodland, low scrub and swamp edges where available.


Conservation Status
The quokka is rated as vulnerable by IUCN.  They can be found roaming on the Rottnest island near their stronghold.  They are decreasing in numbers due to habitat loss prosecution.  Quokkas are popular tourist attractions.  Sometimes, tourists will feed these animals but, modern foods might upset the animal's digestive system.


Source of picture 1:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quokka_-_melbourne_zoo.jpg
Source of picture 2:http://scottyinoz.blogspot.com/2010/05/quokka-what.html
     

Aye-Aye

The aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) is a species of lemur found in Madagascar and is a strepsirrhine primate.  It is rated as critically endangered.  It is the only extant species of the genus Daubentonia and the family  Daubentoniidae.  The other species from this family and genus got extinct about 1000 years ago.  Scientists are not sure if this animal should be classified under the squirrel or lemur family.


Physical Features
The aye-aye is mostly dark brown or black in color.  It has a very bushy and long tail.  They are the world's largest nocturnal primate.  They have rodent like teeth and a very thin middle finger which they use to look for grubs in tree barks.  Aye-ayes have long claws on all toes and fingers, except for their two big toes.  These long claws help in dangling on tree branches.  Their tails grow about 61cm long while their body length, excluding the tail, is 43cm.  Aye-ayes can weigh about 2 kilograms.  An aye-aye is the size of a house cat.  They have big eyes so that they can see in dark and they even have very sensitive ears.  They might not look like primates at all but, they are closely related to human, apes and chimpanzees.  The aye-ayes long middle finger is known to move back and forth at speeds of 3 strokes per second.
Diet
The aye-aye is an omnivore, eating nuts, grubs, nectar, fruits, seeds and some types of fungi.  The aye-ayes has a very different style of feeding.  It taps on the tree to search for grubs.  Once it finds a grub, it will gnaw a hole inside the tree and then insert its long middle finger to remove the grub.  It is also the only primate to find food with the help of echolocation.


Distribution and Habitat                                                        Range of Aye-Aye
The aye-aye is found only in Madagascar.  It mainly lives in the east coast of Madagascar and lives in rainforests or deciduous forests.  Due to deforestation, many ayes-ayes live in cultivated areas.  Aye-ayes will mostly be spotted in canopies of forests.  In the day, these animals will rest in nests built and tree branches.


Conservation Status
The aye-aye is critically endangered due to heavy poaching and removal of rainforests and deciduous forests.  They are mainly hunted as many people think aye-ayes are a bad omen and therefore ruthlessly killed.  Now, they are protected by law.


Source of picture 1:http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2008/dahl_soph/Nutrition.htm
Source of picture 2:http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/printable/aye-aye.html      

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) is a sea turtle found throughout the world.  They have a life span of 67 years, becoming mature at the age of 17 or 34 years of age.  It is an endangered species of sea turtle.  It is endangered due to poaching and water pollution.


Physical Features                                                        Carapace of these turtles
Measuring about 95 centimeters (37 inches) and weighing about 200 kilograms, the loggerhead sea turtle becomes the largest hard shelled sea turtle.  The largest specimen caught weighed about 545 kilograms and had an astonishing carapace length of 213 cm (84 inches).  Their body is divided into two parts like all turtles: the carapace (the upper body) and the plastron (the lower body).  The carapace generally has 5 vertebral scutes running down carapace's mid-line while there are about 5 coastal scutes on each side of the mid-line.  Their are about 11 or 12 pairs of marginal scutes bordering the carapace.  The head and the carapace can range from a yellowish orange to a reddish brown while the plastron can be a pale yellow.


Distribution
The loggerhead turtle is distributed throughout the world.  It in habits the Atlantic ocean, the Indian ocean and the Pacific ocean.  Very few populations are found around the European as well as the African coastlines.  In Florida, there are about 67,000 nest build every year.  In the Arabian Peninsula, Oman, there are about 15,000 nests built every year, making it the second largest nesting site in the world.  Western Australia has about 1000 to 2000 nests built every year.


Feeding
The loggerhead sea turtle has an omnivorous diet, consuming many types of gastropods, decapods and various types of bivalves.  The loggerhead turtle eats sand dollars, sea urchins, sea pens, sea cucumbers, different types of cephalopods, sea anemones, starfish and many other sea creatures.


Source of picture 1:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Loggerhead_Sea_Turtle.jpg
Source of picture 2:http://www.answers.com/topic/loggerhead-turtle     

Aldabra giant tortoise

The Aldabra giant tortoise (Geochelone gigantea) is a species of giant tortoise found in the islands of Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles.  It is one of the largest tortoises and is rated as vulnerable by IUCN.

Physical Features                                                  They have long necks                 

The Aldabra giant tortoise is the largest tortoise, sometimes exceeding a weight of 355 kilograms.  Males are bigger than females.  An average male weighs about 280 kilograms and has a carapace length of 47 inches (120 cm).  Females weigh about 150 kilograms and measure 35 inches (88 cm).  These tortoises resemble the Galapagos giant tortoise.  They have a carapace which is brown or tan in color.  Their carapace is shaped like a dome.  Aldabra giant tortoises have very long necks which help the to feed on branches more than a meter high.

Life Span

The Aldabra giant tortoise has the longest life span of any animal.  There was one specimen which died in the Kolkata  in 2006.  It was named Adwaita and was born in 1756.  It lived for about 250 years before it died.

Distribution

The Aldabra giant tortoise is found in the island of Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles.  The atoll has the largest population of these animals, with an estimated 152,000 individuals.  They are also found in Mauritius, Zanzibar and Rodrigues. they are found in grasslands, scrubs and mangroves.

Diet

The Aldabra giant tortoise is mainly a herbivore, eating stems of woody plants, leaves and grasses.  they sometimes eat small invertebrates and will even eat bodies of dead tortoises.  In captivity, they are known to eat fruits such as apples and bananas.

Source of picture 1:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aldabra_Giant_Tortoise_Geochelone_gigantea_edit1.jpg

Source of picture 2: http://www.ardeaprints.com/low.php?xp=media&xm=1291669

Geoffroy's Spider Monkey

The geoffroy's spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) is a species of spider monkey which is mostly found in Central America, Mexico and very few parts of Colombia.  It is also known as the black handed spider monkey.  They are endangered and is also extinct in some parts of its range.


Physical Features                                                 The tails help in balancing                                                                                                                      

The geoffroy's spider monkey has a body length of about 60    centimeters and weighs about 9 kilograms which makes it one of the largest New World Monkey.  Its tail is longer than the body, measuring about 85 centimeters.  They have very thin arms and legs.  The arms are about 25% longer than the legs.  The body color varies according to the subspecies like red, buff, rust, brown and black.  Males are slightly larger than females.  Geoffroy's monkeys have thumbless arms which makes brachiation.  Females have an organ called the clitoris, which is large and protrudes, looking like a penis.  It looks like a males penis which is why many scientists have mistaken a female for a male.  They have a prehensile tail which helps them th balance thier body while they jump from one tree to another.


Distribution
The geoffroy's spider monkey is found in many parts of Centrals America.  The countries it is found are Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize.  It is also found in some parts of Mexico and Colombia.  They are found in rainforests, even semi deciduous forests and mangroves.


Diet
The geoffroy's spider monkey mostly eats fruits.  They spend about 80 % of their time eating fruits and leaves.  Leaves are also important in their diet as it gives protein which is not present in fruits.  They also eat flowers, barks, honey and insects.


Conservation Status
The geoffroy's spider monkey is endangered.  They are endangered as they are captured for pet trade and are also hunted.  Geoffroy's spider monkey is endangered mainly because of habitat loss as it needs a large space to live due to its big size.


Source of picture 1: http://www.maxwaugh.com/cr08/monkey7.php
Source of picture 2:http://www.sch.im/wlp/pages/black%20spider%20monkey%201.htm  

Common chimpanzee

The common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) one of the two species of the genus Pan.  The common chimpanzee is also known as the Robust chimpanzee.  It is a type of great ape and is endangered due to habitat loss and poaching for bushmeat.


Physical Features
Common chimpanzees have black hair covering their full body except for their fingers, toes, face, sole of their feet and their palms.  They have a gestation period of eight months and have a life span of 50 years in captivity.  The arrangement of their toes and fingers allow them to grasp branches and other items strongly.  Females are smaller than males, measuring about 4.5 feet while males measure about 5.8 feet.  Normally, adult common chimpanzees weigh from 45 kilograms to 65 kilograms.


Diet
Common chimpanzees are herbivores though, many of the are omnivores as they eat meat as well as vegetation.  Most of the common chimpanzees diet consists of seeds, fruits, nuts,

Chimpanzee family in Taronga zoo.

tubers and some populations also eat termites.  Common chimpanzees sometimes even eat Western red colobus monkeys.  Cannibalism has been recorded in minute populations.  Common chimpanzees spend eight hours a day eating.   The West African chimpanzee is the only animal besides humans to make specialized weapon for hunting.  In Sengal, it was observed that the west african chimpanzee makes hunting tools by ripping tree limbs from trees, taking their bark out and then sharpen one edge with their teeth to make a spear.  They use these spears to kill sleeping galagos in their hollow.


Distribution
The common chimpanzee if found in African countries like Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Mali, Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana,  Liberia, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Zambia, Tanzania, Burundi, Sudan and Uganda.


Conservation Status
The common chimpanzee is an endangered species like its relative, the bonobo.  It is endangered due to habitat loss and hunting for bushmeat.  There are many breeding programs around the world to protect this threatened species.


Source of picture 1