Honey Possum

The honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus) is a species of marsupial found in Australia.  They are very small mammals and are also known as the noolbenger.


Physical Features
The honey possum is a tiny, mouse-like marsupial weighing 6 to 17 grams.  Males are smaller than females.  They measure about 10 cm while their tail is longer, measuring 11 cm.  Their fur is grayish-brown in color and is marked with three stripes along its back.  The honey possum has long fingers with rounded tips and very short nails.  Females have 4 teats in their well developed pouch.  Honey possums have long, prehensile tails with hooked tips.  They have long snouts


Diet                                                                                  Honey possum feeding

The honey possum is a herbivore, feeding on pollen grains and nectar with the help of their long snout.


Distribution and Habitat
The honey possum is mainly found in the south-western parts of Western Australia.  The live in trees and shrubs.


Behavior
The honey possum is active at night, making it a nocturnal.  They live in groups and often go torpid during cold weathers.  They are very agile on trees and are excellent climbers.  They do not make much noise unless mating.  Honey possums spend the day sleeping in hiding places between plants.


Life Cycle
Females give birth to about 2 young at any time of the year after a gestation period of 28 days.  It takes 2 months for the development of the young in the womb.  The young leaves the pouch of the mother at an age of 6 weeks at most.  The young is weaned at an age of 10 weeks.  Honey possums mature at the age of 10 months, having a life span of about 1 year.


Conservation Status
The honey possum is not considered to be threatened but is under the risk of habitat loss.  Their population is unknown.  Honey possums are very common.


Source of picture 1:http://board.muse.mu/showthread.php?t=20328&page=318
Source of picture 2:http://www.itsnature.org/trees/mammals-trees/honey-possum/

Ornate Tree Kangaroo

The ornate tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi) is a species of tree kangaroo found in Papua New Guinea.  It is one of the twelve species from the genus Dendrolagus.  It is endangered due to logging and hunting.  The ornate tree kangaroo is also known as the goodfellow's tree-kangaroo.


Physical Features
The ornate tree kangaroo differs from the land kangaroos.  The ornate tree kangaroo weighs about 7 kilograms.  They do not have very long forelimbs but instead, they have strong forelimbs with claws  for grasping on to trees.  It long tail helps in balance.  These features help them to live an arboreal life.  Ornate tree kangaroos usually have woolly and short fur which is chestnut red.  Their cheeks and feet are yellow in color while their face is grayish brown.  They have a pale belly and a brown tail with two golden stripes on the backside.


Diet
The ornate tree kangaroo mainly feed on leaves of the Silkwood  tree.  Their stomach does many functions like fermentation vat comparable to ruminant herbivores, like cows where bacteria breaks down fibrous leaves and grasses.


Behavior
The ornate tree kangaroo is very slow on land and walks awkwardly on land.  It moves its body forward while walking on land to balance its strong and heavy tail.  Like all tree kangaroos, it is very agile and bold on trees, holding on to branches with its hooked claws.  They can jump  from very high heights.  They are known to jump down from a 30 foot high tree to the ground without any ill-effects.


Distribution and Habitat
Ornate tree kangaroos are native to the rainforests of Papua New Guinea.  They are also found in the borders of Irian Jaya in Indonesia.


Conservation Status
The ornate tree kangaroo is classified as 'Endangered' by the IUCN.  It is endangered due to habitat loss and poaching.


Source of picture 1:http://www.animalinfo.org/species/dendgood.htm 

Nutria

The nutria (Myocastor coypus) also known as the coypu, is a species of rodent found in South America.  There are few populations which are domesticated.  Their fur is used to make different accessories.


Physical Features
The nutria is like a ratlike animal with coarse fur.  They have webbed feet and are more agile in water than on land.  Nutrias have a body length of 43 to 62 cm (17 to 25 inches) and have a tail length of 43 cm (17 inches).  They can weigh 17 kilograms at most.  They have a very soft coat which is reddish brown.  Their tail is very long and scaly with very less hair.  Their underside is velvety.  They have a large head with small eyes and large incisors which are orange in color.  Only their hind feet are webbed.


Diet
Nutrias are omnivores.  They are very fond of aquatic plants and roots.  They may even eat small creatures like snails.


Distribution and Habitat
The nutria is native to South American countries like Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.  They are introduced in many other places.  Nutrias can be found in marshes, streams, slow flowing rivers and lakes.


Behavior
Nutrias are active in the day and night.  They are semi-aquatic animals and are excellent swimmers and divers.  They live in waterside burrows in small groups or pairs.  They can be underwater for 5 minutes.  Nutrias produce grunts, growls and squawks for communication.


Life Cycle
Female nutrias give birth to 2 or 3 litters with each consisting of 4 to 6 young.  Females give birth to young ones in spring or summer after a gestation period of 4.5 months.  The young are weaned at 1 to 8 weeks.  Nutrias mature at the age of 3 or 7 months.  They live for 7 years in captivity rarely live for more than 4 years in wild.


Population
Nutrias are abundant in South America.  They are widely trapped for their precious fur.  Their rapid growth of population is a problem for farmers as they are getting fond of crops grown by farmers.  They are a serious nuisance outside their native range.

Source of picture 1:http://www.treknature.com/gallery/South_America/Brazil/photo124093.htm

Narwhal

The narwhal (Monodon monoceros) is a species of toothed  whale found in the water nears Greenland and Canada.


Physical Features                                                                Tusk of a narwhal
The narwhal is a stocky toothed whale, measuring about 13 feet to 16 feet.  They weigh 1,600 kilograms.  Males are larger than females.  Narwhals don not have any dorsal fin.  They have short flippers.  Narwhals have patches of gray-green, cream and black on their body.  Only males have a long, unique and spiral tusk.  The narwhal is called the unicorn of the sea because of its long and spiral tusk which was believed to be a horn of a unicorn until the 19th century.  Narwhals have two teeth, but in males one of the tooth becomes like a long sword-like tusk.  Their long tusk can grow 2.7 meter (8.8 feet).  They use their tusks to impress females or battle other males.  Scientists are still not sure for what they use it.


Diet
The narwhal is a carnivore.  They have a very restricted diet.  They eat arctic and polar cods, squids like gonatus squid and sometimes Greenland halibuts.  The additional items found in their stomach are wolf fish, capelines and skate eggs.  Sometimes, stones are found in the stomach as the narwhals accidentally ingested while they feed near the bottom.


Life Cycle
Narwhals are mammals like all whales.  Females give birth to one young every 3 years after a gestation period of 15 months.  When a calf is born, the calf will weigh about 80 kilograms and measure 5 feet.  The calf is weaned at 20 months.  Narwhals mature at the age of 8 years.  They have a life span of 40 years.


Behavior
Narwhals are seen in groups of 20 animals.  Sometimes they separate the group according t age and gender.  Their are sometimes gathering of many hundreds.  When narwhals are on their wintering grounds, they dive about 800 meter (2,625 feet) deep over 15 times a day, with many of the dives reaching almost 5,000 feet.  The narwhal might have the deepest dive of any marine mammal.  In summer ground, the dive 9000 feet deep.  They make clicks or squeals for communication or navigation.


Distribution and Habitat                                                          
The narwhal is in cold arctic seas, normally near sea ice.  They are found from western Greenland to mid-eastern Canada.


Conservation Status
The narwhal is rated as 'Near Threatened' by IUCN.  They have a population of about 75,000 individuals.  Humans poach them for their skin and their long tusks for Vitamin C which is used in the traditional Arctic diet.


Source of picture 1:http://epedia.pbworks.com/w/page/6985889/Narwhal
Source of picture 2:http://s606.photobucket.com/albums/tt150/porschadani/?action=view&current=NarwhalTusk.jpg&mediafilter=images

Brown Howler Monkey

 The brown howler monkey (Alouatta guariba) which is also called the brown howler, is a species of New World Monkey found in South America.  Their are two subspecies.  The brown howler monkey is rated as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN.


Physical Features
The brown howler monkey is a relatively small monkey with a swollen throat.  They have a reddish brown coat and their underside is pale.  Only males have a swollen throat.  They measure about 58 cm (23 inches) with a tail length of 66 cm (26 inches).  Males are generally larger than females.  Brown howler monkeys weigh about 7 kilograms.  They use their long tail to balance their body while jumping from one branch to the other.


Diet
The brown howler monkey is a herbivore, mainly eating fruits and leaves.


Behavior
The brown howler monkey is tree dwelling and is active during daylight hours.  They live in small groups which number from 2 to11.  Brown howler monkeys make loud noises which can be heard for over a mile away.  Males make louder noises tan females.  They are one of the most noisiest animals.


Life Cycle                                                                        

Female with her young.

A female brown howler gives birth to a sing young each year after a gestation period of 189 days.  The young one is weaned at about 10 to 12 months.  Females mature at the age of 3 or 4 years while males take a longer time.  They will live for 20 years in captivity and will live for 15 years in the wild.


Distribution and Habitat
The brown howler monkey is found in South America.  It is endemic to the country of Brazil.  It is found in the southeastern part of Brazil.  It inhabits tropical rainforests and coastal forests.


Population
The brown howler monkey is rated as vulnerable by the IUCN.  The brown howler monkey has a population of about 10,000.  The northern brown howler monkey subspecies is critically endangered with a population fewer than 250.


Source of picture 1:http://dynamic2moms.webs.com/rainforestanimals.htm
Source of picture 2: http://blog.luciolepress.com/2009/02/23/photo--onemonthold-baby-black-howler-monkey-and-his-mother-agra-looks-out-from-a-tree-in-the-singapore-zoo.aspx

Spotted Cuscus

The spotted cuscus  (Spilocuscus maculatus) is a marsupial found in Australia.  They are nocturnal animals and are primarily herbivores. 


Physical Features
The spotted cuscus is looks like a very woolly possum with a round head and small ears.  They have long tails and huge round eyes which enables them to see in the dark.  their length excluding the tail is about 58 cm (23 inches) and their tail length is about 43.5 cm (17 inches).  Their tails are more than half the size of their body.  The spotted cuscus weighs maximum 5 kilograms.  Males have a grayish white body coat with white blotches.  Only the males are spotted while the females are unspotted with a white or gray body coat.  All the limbs of a spotted cuscus have five digits each and the first digit on the hind foot is claw-less.  Females have 4 teats on its pouch.  Unlike other cuscuses, the spotted cuscus does not have a dorsal stripe on back


Diet                                                                 

Spotted cuscus feeding on a flower.

The spotted cuscus is mainly a herbivore though is sometimes eats small insects.  They mainly eat leaves, flowers and fruits such as figs.  It may eat insects and will also small animals that it comes across.


Distribution and Habitat
The spotted cuscus is found in Papua New Guinea in some islands surrounding it.  It is also found in Cape York area which is in the northeastern Australia.  They live in rainforests, mangroves and in open woodlands.


Life Cycle
The life cycle of the spotted cuscus has been studied very little.  Females may give birth to 1 or 3 young ones at anytime of the year.  The gestation period and sexual maturity is unknown.  The spotted cuscus may live for 11 years in captivity.  It is not known for how much time it can live in the wild.


Behavior
The spotted cuscus is mainly arboreal.  They live solitary and are nocturnals.  Females are very noisy when in breeding condition.  Normally, the spotted cuscus makes noises like hisses, shrieks and clicks to communicate.


Population
The spotted cuscus is very abundant throughout its range.


Source of pic 1 and pic 2

Red Uakari

The red uakari (Cacajao calvus rubicundus) is a species of New World monkey found in the river Amazon.  These monkeys are classified as vulnerable by the IUCN due to habitat destruction and hunting.  They are currently protected by law in few places.


Physical Features
One of the most attracting feature about this monkey is its bald and bright red face.  The red uakari is a relatively small monkey, measuring about 57 cm (22.5 inches).  These monkey weigh 2 to 3 kilograms.  Red uakaris have ragged and long body coats that varies from reddish-brown to orange.  Unlike other monkeys, red uakaris have very short tails.  Red uakaris have bright red faces due to lack of skin pigments and also because of the plentiful capillaries that run under their facial tissue.  


Diet                                                                       

Red uakari feeding.

Red uakaris are herbivores, mainly eating seeds but also eating leaves, flowers and fruits.  Even though they are classified as herbivores, they sometimes eat insects.


Life Cycle
Females give birth to a single young every two years after a gestation period of 6 months.  The young is weaned at 20 months.  Females uakaris mature at the age of 3 while males mature at the age of 5.  Red uakaris may live for 30 years in captivity and 10 years in wild.


Distribution and Habitat
Red uakaris are found in the Amazon Basin of South America.  They are found in the upper part of the Amazon which is in eastern Peru and southern Colombia.  They like to live in the flooded forests of this river.  Red uakaris will mainly be found in places where there are small lakes or rivers nearby.


Behavior
The red uakari is mainly tree dwelling but often descends to the ground.  They live in social groups of 15 to 30 individuals or sometimes even 100.  These social groups travel 4.8 kilometers a day.  They are mainly active during the day.  Red uakaris are normally silent but while fighting, they are very noisy.


Population
The red uakari is rated as vulnerable by the IUCN.  It might have population of several thousands.  3 subspecies are considered to be endangered and 1 subspecies is considered to be vulnerable.  Red uakaris are mainly endangered due to forest clearance.


Source of picture 1:http://mortonloveseverybody.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html
Source of picture 2:http://www.natgeocreative.com/ngs/photography/gallery.jsf?l=gKXR3FwT9Ao=outm_source=Gmaputm_medium=Gmaputm_campaign=Gmap

Barbary Macaque

The barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) is a species of Old World monkey found in northern Africa and southern Europe.  Although, in some places it is also called the "Barbary Ape," it is a monkey and not an ape.


Physical Features
The barbary macaque is grayish brown in color, with a small and stubby tail.  It has a hairless face and large cheek pouches to store food.  The length from their head till their tail is about 55 cm to 76 cm (22 to 30 inches).  Females are about 20% smaller than males.  These macaques weigh about 4.5 kilograms to 9 kilograms.  The front limbs of this monkey is longer than its hind limbs.  Their face is pink in color.  These monkeys can live in the wild for 20 years while in captivity, they can live for 30 years.


Diet                                                                            A barbary macaque feeding

Barbary macaques are omnivores.  They feed on mostly plant material like leaves, fruits, seeds, tubers, acorns, shoots, barks and pine needles.  They like to eat insects and especially caterpillars.


Distribution and Habitat
Barbary macaques are found in northern Africa and southern Europe.  The countries they are found in are: Tunisia, Morocco, Gibraltar and Algeria.  They live in the Atlas mountains and  forests.


Behavior
Barbary macaques live in groups of 40 or less and are active during day time.  They spend more time on land than other macaques.  They make many different monkey like noises.


Life Cycle
Female barbary macaques give birth to only one young in a year after a gestation period of 210 days.  The young one is weaned for one year.  Females reach maturity at the age of 4 years while males reach maturity at the age of 7 years.


Population
The range of the barbary macaque has greatly reduced.  It used to be found widely across north of Africa but now only found in three countries in the north.  It has an estimated population of 15,000 individuals.  It was re introduced to the European country, Gibraltar.  It is currently rated as vulnerable.


Source of picture 1:http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barbary_Macaque.jpg
Source of picture 2:http://www.flickr.com/photos/wildaslife/4119458764/