Wildlife Fact File - Mammals, Pgs. 151-160

KEY FACTS

SPOTTED HYENA ,,~----------------------------~~~~~~~-~~ GENUS &: SPECIES ORDER FAMILY Crocuta crocuta Hyaenidae ~ Carnivora

SIZES Length: Head and body, up to 5 ~ ft. Tail, about 1 ft. Female larger than male. Weight: 130-175 lb. Height: 2 ~-3 ft. at shoulder. BREEDING Sexual maturity: 18 months. Gestation: 14-16 weeks . No. of young: 2-3, usually 2. LIFESTYLE Habit: Lives mostly in groups. Call: Varied squeals and howls, including well-known "laugh." Some sounds inaudible to humans. Diet: Mostly large prey such as zebras and antelopes. Also carrion. Lifespan: Up to 25 years. RELATED SPECIES The spotted hyena is the largest of 4 hyena species. The smallest is the aardwolf, Proteles cristatus, which eats termites.

Range of the spotted hyena .

DISTRIBUTION Found in open grassland in Africa south of the Sahara, excluding southern South Africa and the Congo basin. CONSERVATION The spotted hyena is still widespread in Africa. Because of its varied diet, it is not currently threatened .

THE SPODED HYENA AND ITS RELATIVES

Coat: Short, maned. Sandy red-brown with dark spots on body and legs. Dark paws, muzzle, and tail. Pale belly.

The spotted hyena is a predator and scavenger that lives in the African savanna. It is popularly known as the laughing hyena because it cackles eerily when squabbling over food.

Head: Big and broad , with very powerful jaws.

ForeJegs: Longer than hind legs. Give hyena its sleping profile. © MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM

AARDWOLF. Height: About 1~ ft. at shoulder. Coat: Dark-striped sandy brown with bushy tail and mane. Diet: Mainly termites, as well as small mammals, reptiles, and some carrion. Call: Soft bark or growl.

BROWN HYENA. Height About 2%ft. .at shoulder. Coat: Dense. Dark brown body, sandy brown mane. Str~ ped legs. Diet: Small mammals, rep.tiles, eggs, insects, ca r~i on . Call: Howl, growl, hoot.

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STRJPED HYENA. Height: 2-2%ft. at shoulder. Coat: Sandy gray with thick mane. Black throat. Str'ipes on body and legs. Die.t: Varied , includ- . ing mammals, reptiles, carrion , fruit, garbage. Call: Soft howl or growl.

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With its sloped back and heavy build, the spotted hyena is larger than any of its three close relatives. It roams wild over much of Africa south of the Sahara

Desert, where it scavenges from carcasses or kills its own prey. It usually hunts in packs, which can bring down large prey and can force even big cats to abandon their kill.

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HAB ITS

The spotted hyena lives in packs of 12 to 100 animals. Females are larger than males, and the most dominant female heads the pack. Hierarchy in the pack is maintained through body postures. A weak animal may crawl on its belly or sniff and lick another hyena's genital region . Especial-

Iy during the mating season, there may be outright aggression leading to the death of the weaker animal. The spotted hyena's teamwork in hunting and sharing food enables it to adapt to varied habitats and prey. Right: This two-month-old pup is

already mingling with the adults.

~ BREED IN G

~ FOOD &: HUNTING The spotted hyena is most active at dusk or night. It may hunt alone but kills more efficiently in a pack. A hyena pack can outrun and bring down zebras or gnus, even though these animals reach speeds of 25 miles per hour. The hyena seizes its prey by the legs and flank and hangs on until the victim has been brought to its knees. It then tears open the soft underparts . The pack takes about

10 minutes to kill a large animal. Their howls may attract lions or other big cats, but the cats are unable to steal the kill. In fact a hyena pack can force a lion to abandon its own catch . No food is wasted . What cannot be eaten immediately is buried, and the hyena remembers its location. Below: This spotted hyena has scavenged the shattered upper jaw from a warthog carcass.

SPECIAL ADAPTATIO N S The spotted hyena communicates with others using a series of calls, some of which are too high for humans to hear. Other calls include the well-known laugh, which can carry over several miles. The hyena also communicates by leaving its scent, using a creamy paste from an anal pouch . It deposits the paste on plants at the

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edges of its te rritory to signal othe r hyenas not to approach . At close range it also emits the paste as a sign of aggression . The spotted hyena has very powerful jaws that can crunch large bones. It can even eat tusks and horns. This ability is key for hyenas that scavenge from the kills .of lions and other big cats .

Left: The spotted hyena has a coarse mane in front and a broad head. The female is much larger than the male.

DID YOU KNOW? • The spotted hyena coughs up undigested waste such as horns in pellet form. • A single hyena is capable of chasing and killing prey three times its own weight. • People once thought every hyena was both male and female because the

male and female genital organs look alike. • The hyena howls toward the ground, while wolves and dogs point their noses toward the sky. • The hyena resembles a dog but is more closely related to a mongoose.

During the mating season, a male approaches a female submissively but is usually driven off by a dominant ma le. Only the highest-ranking male mates with the female. After a long gestation the female gives birth to two or three cubs in a den shared with other nursing females. She fiercely defends her young from adult males, who might kill the pups if they were allowed to come near.

Newborn hyenas are better developed than most meat eaters. They can see and run immediately and have most of their teeth. Nevertheless, they depend on the mother for food . The mother suckles them outside the den and slowly weans them onto meat. They are not fully weaned until about 18 months old. Below: A mother carries her pup with a gentleness that belies the

power in her jaws.

"'CARD 152

PIG-TAILED MACAQUE

'(~----------------------------------------~--~~ . . . GENUS &: SPECIES . . . FAMILY . . . ORDER ~ Primates

~ Cercopithecidae

~ Macaca nemestrina

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KEY FACTS SIZES Height: 1~-2 ft. Weight: Male, 18 lb. Female, 10 lb . BREEDING Sexual maturity: 4 years. Mating: Mainly November, December, and January. Gestation: About 27 weeks. No. of young: Usually 1 . Frequency of births: Usually every 2 years. Yearly in captivity. LIFESTYLE Call: Grunts, whimpers, murmurs. Habit: Sociable; active in daytime. Diet: Fruit, insects, young leaves, roots, crops . Lifespan: Oldest in captivity, 26 years, 4 months. RELATED SPECIES There are 19 species in this family of monkeys, including the rhesus macaque, frequently used in medical laboratories, and the Barbary ape.

Range of the pig-tailed macaque.

DISTRIBUTION Found throughout northeast India, Mayanmar, Thailand, Sumatra, Malaya, and Borneo. CONSERVATION The number of pig-tailed macaques is rapidly declining due to the loss of its forest habitat and the popularity of its meat.

AGGRESS IVE POST URES O F TH E PIG-TAILED MACAQUE 2. Display of teeth: Next the macaque shows its teeth in a fierce grimace.

1. Glowering: The first stage of aggression begins with the pig-tailed macaque staring menacingly at the intruder in an attempt to establish dominance.

3. Crouching before the attack: The pig-tailed macaque crouches down and lowers its head threateningly immediately before springing at the intruder.

The pig-tailed macaque is a large monkey that lives in the forests of Southeast Asia. It gets its name from its short tail, which is often held curved over its hindquarters. © MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM

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~ FOOD &: FEEDING The pig-tailed macaque prefers bulky, nutritious food like fruit, tubers, and corn . It has a large range and searches for food in small troops, moving quietly and communicating with a low, moaning call. A group will often raid a cultivated field of crops after watching it for some time. During the raid, the group works as silently as possible, taking the time to c:loose the best ears of corn

or tubers. Usually, a young adult male stands guard in a tree at the edge of the forest, ready to give a warni'1g bark if the farmer appears. The group rarely stays in one place, but when a fruit tree is discovered, the members will remain to eat the ripe fruit. Older group members may remember a fruitbearing tree and take the other macaques back to it at harvesttime.

Left: Like many monkeys, pig-

Right: The macaque supplements its diet of fruit and insects with

tailed macaques often groom one another.

young leaves.

The pig-tailed macaque lives in dense forests, sleeping at night among the branches of tall trees. This heavily built monkey spends most of its day foraging for food on the forest floor, moving quietly in small groups.

~ HABITS The pig-tailed macaque lives in dense evergreen forests in troops of 16 to 18 adults, infants, and juveniles. In areas where food is plentiful, the troops are usually larger. The troop has more than one male, but only one is dominant. There is a definite

social structure within the troop, and the high-ranking members eat first. If food is scarce, the lowest-ranking monkeys may starve. The macaque is shy. If it is disturbed, it will hide in the leaves of a tree or quickly and silently run away.

DID YOU KNOW? • Macaques are intelligent. When some Japanese macaques found that washing potatoes in salt water made them taste better, the troop followed their example. • When fleeing from hu-

mans, macaques often run shoulder to shoulder, moving silently as a group. • If a stranger tries to join a troop of macaques, it may be rejected and prevented from taking food or water.

When the female pig-tailed macaque is ready to breed, at about age four, the hairless area of her buttocks swells and reddens. At other times the area looks like any other patch of bare skin. A male may touch a seated female with his hip as a signal for her to stand and present herself. But the female may decide that she prefers another male, and the choice of mate is hers. Less than six months after Left: When it senses danger,

the macaque runs quickly and silently away.

mating a single young macaque is born. The mother is very protective of the infant. She does not allow others to touch it and carries it everywhere, with one arm around it as it clings to her. The infant starts to explore on its own at about three weeks. The mother keeps a close watch on it, and it returns to her regularly. When the baby is about six months old, the mother begins to wean it, removing her nipple from the young monkey if it tries to feed and giving it a finger to suck instead.

~ PIG-TAILED MACAQUE &: MAN Humans have made use of the pig-tailE:d macaque's excellent climbing ability. In Sumatra, the monkey has been trained to collect coconuts. In Malaya, botanists have trained the monkey to collect specimens

from the tops of tall trees. The meat of the pig-tailed macaque is very popular in areas where it is believed to have body-building powers. This belief has led to a decline in the macaque population.

ill

KEY FACTS

"'" CARD 1

BARBARY SHEEP

SIZES Height: 2-3 ft. Weight: Male 200-300 lb . Female 80-120 lb. Length: Body, 5 ft. Tail, 8-10 in .

~~____________________________~G~R~O~U~P_l~:~M_A_M _M __ A_lS__~ . . . ORDER

~

Artiodactyla

.... FAMILY

~

Bovidae

~ GENUS &: SPECIES Ammotragus lelVia

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 1-2 years. Mating: October to November. Gestation: 150-165 days. No. of young: 1-3. LIFESTYLE Habit: Lives in small family groups of 1 male, 1 or 2 females, and several young . Call: Young bleats; adult grunts. Diet: Grasses, shrubby plants. lifespan: 24 years in captivity, unknown in the wild. RELATED SPECIES The only member of its genus. Its closest relative is the blue sheep, Pseudois nayaur, from Tibet and eastern China.

Range of the barbary sheep.

DISTRIBUTION North Africa, from the Atlantic Coast to the Red Sea and south to Mali and Sudan. Introduced into California, New Mexico, and islands in Lake Erie. CONSERVATION Conservation measures do not appear necessary as the barbary sheep is still common over much of its range, although long periods of drought have depleted some flocks .

FEATURES OF THE BARBARY SHEEP Horns: Large, curved , and hollow. _ _ _ _~~~~~ Triangular in cross-section with prominent ridges. Body: Similar to a goat with sturdy- - - - - - - - - , legs. Reddish brown coat with short, coarse hair and a soft, woolly undercoat.

Tail : Long and bushy. A bald patch underneath ___ contains scent glands.

Feet: Front and

The barbary sheep, a plant-eater, lives in small but sociable family groups. Despite its name, this animal actually belongs to a middle genus between sheep and goats.

back toes have developed into split, or artiodactyJ (even toed) hooves. I

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Head: Long , with small pointed ears and slanting nostrils. White or dark brown nose stripe.

Mane: Soft and thick. Reaches from the chin down the chest to the top of the forelegs. Usually darker or lighter than th '€s

The barbary sheep, a swift, nimble climber, lives in the hills and mountain ranges of North Africa and the Sahara. Both male and female barbary sheep have large, curving horns and manes of long, soft hair on the throat chest, and forelegs.

~ BREEDING The barbary sheep mates from October to November. The male, fiercely chasing away rivals, chooses a female and follows her for days until she is ready to mate. After 150 to 165 days, up to three lambs are born, each

They stay hidden with the female for two to three days until they return to the family group. The female suckles the lambs for three months; they reach maturity at 18 months. Right: Young lambs are born in late spring to coincide with plentiful food supplies. Left: The sheep rest during the day, feeding only in .the cool morning and evening.

~ FOOD &: FEEDING Barbary sheep feed in the early morning and at dusk, often moving from high rocky areas to nearby plains. They feed in a group, staying

alert for predators. Barbary sheep mainly eat grass and low-growing plants. They stand on their hind legs to nibble leaves,

twigs, and young shoots of shrubs and trees. The sheep drink water at available water holes but rely mainly on dew and moisture in their food.

DID YOU KNOW? • The barbary sheep exudes a strong odor from scent glands under its tail. • Barbary sheep have been crossbred with domestic goats; their offspring were bred with chamois.

~ HABITS Most of the year, the barbary sheep lives in a small family group of one male with one or two females and young from several litters. At the end of the dry season, many groups may form a large herd, feeding and resting together for a short period. The day-active barbary sheep feeds in the cool early morning and late afternoon. During the hottest daytime hours it rests in shady places under overhanging rocks or small caves in rock faces.

Throughout the day, the barbary sheep grooms its coat, scratching the fur with its horns or hooves and rubbing against rocks or low tree branches. The sheep likes to wallow in damp sand to keep its coat clean and free of parasites. First it rolls in the sand to cover its flanks and underside, and then it uses its hooves to scatter the damp sand over its back. The barbary sheep adeptly climbs rocky mountain

ranges and desert hills. When danger threatens it in mountainous regions, it climbs into the rocks and hides. In sandy desert regions, the barbary sheep stands still, its sandy brown coat blending into the scenery. Its well-developed senses of sight, hearing, and smell help the barbary sheep to detect predators and their locations. Right: If threatened, a barbary sheep can remain motionless, balancing on a rock face.

• The barbary is the only sheep originally from Africa. • For centuries, African tribes hunted the barbary sheep for its meat, hide, coat, and sinews. More barbary sheep will survive as

tribes become fewer. • Barbary sheep that have escaped from national parks and private herds in the United States have established small but healthy wild flocks .

NORTH AMERICAN PORCUPINE

,,------. . ORDER "11IIIIIIII

Rodentia

CARD 154 GROUP 1: MAMMALS

FAMILY

Erethizontidae

. . GENUS "11IIIIIIII

Erethizon dorsatum

KEY FACTS SIZES Length : Head and body, 2-3 ft. Tail, up to 1 ft . Weight: Typically 8-15 lb., but some males reach 40 lb . BREEDING Sexual maturity: 1 Yl -2 Yl years. Breeding season: October to December. Gestation: About 7 months. No. of young: 1, rarely 2.

LIFESTYLE Habit: Tree- and ground-living . Diet: Tree bark, conifer needles, leaves, seeds, fruit. Lifespan: Up to 17 years. RELATED SPECIES The 10 species of Erethizontidae porcupines include the Mexican tree porcupine, Sphiggurus mexicanus, and the prehensiletailed porcupine, Coendou

Range of the North American porcupine.

DISTRIBUTION Widespread throughout wooded areas of North America. Ranges from eastern Alaska to Labrador in the north and from northern Mexico to Tennessee in the south . CONSERVATION The North American porcupine is generally considered a pest because it kills trees by eating their bark. In some areas attempts have been made to reduce the population.

prehensilis.

FEATURES O F T H E NORTH AM ERICAN PORCUPIN E Quills: Become erect whenever danger threatens. Tiny barbs make quills difficult to remove.

Tree climbing: Porcupines feed on tree bark and pine needles and may nest high up in a tree .

of the porcupine's few successful

The North American porcupine is a short-sighted, slow-moving animal well known for its quills. It spends much of the day 100 feet in the air, feeding among the branches of tall pine trees.

Paws: Hard, hairless pads and long , sharp claws improve grip on tree trunk.

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~ FOOD & FEEDING The North American porcupine gnaws with its strong, bright orange teeth on leaves, twigs, seeds, and fruits. Its diet varies depending on its habitat and the season. In spring the animal leaves the forest to graze on grass in nearby meadows. Summer finds it on the ground chewing roots and shoots. It also eats young leaves, berries,

seeds, nuts, and flowers. As winter approaches, the porcupine goes back to the woods and a diet of conifer needles and tree bark. The sap-laden inner bark is a valuable food source for the porcupine even when the ground is buried under snow. Right: The porcupine's coat looks soft, but it hides an armory of barbed quills.

DID YOU KNOW? • A fully grown North American porcupine sports as many as 30,000 quills. • A porcupine may nest in trees 20 feet above ground. • An adult male can weigh up to 40 pounds, which is almost three times the animal's usual weight.

Like other species in the porcupine family, the North American porcupine spends much of its time in trees, where it feeds on bark and pine needles. Its sharp claws, hard foot pads, and well-developed sense of balance help it to climb with ease-although at a very slow pace.

~ HABITAT The North American porcupine prefers mixed woods with conifers and deciduous trees. But it adapts to unlikely habitats such as desert and tundra. The porcupine sleeps all day, tucked in a hollow log or rocky crevice. Each animal has several dens within its home range. After a night's activity, it uses whichever den is nearby at dawn. It uses the same routes

to and from its dens and wears down paths in the area. During severe winter weather, the porcupine may stay in its den for a day or more. When it does emerge, it seldom travels far. In summer the animal ranges farther out to find new feeding grounds. But even when foraging it seldom roams more than 500 feet from its den.

• This species swims well because its hollow quills give it extra buoyancy. • The North American porcupine likes salt and may even gnaw the handles of gardening tools and ca:oeJ paddles for the salt left by human perspiration.

~ BREEDING The male porcupine is solitary for much of the year, but he seeks a mate in late fall. Because he is very short-sighted, he relies on his sharp hearing and keen sense of smell to find his partner. When a pair meets, they perform a courtship ritual with much grunting and circling . The female comes into heat for 12 hours. If she does not mate then, she may become fertile again in a month. After mating, the female drives the male away, and he has no further role in raising the young . A single offspring is born about seven months later in the spring . It is well developed and can walk at once. It is covered with long black hair, but the quills are short and soft. In

less than a week, the young porcupine can climb. It is able to feed itself at about two weeks but usually nurses for over a month. Above left: Trees provide the porcupine with food in winter, as well as year-round protection from many predators.

Right: At just two weeks, a young North American porcupine climbs carefully up a tree in search of needles to feed on.

Despite its rapid early development, the North American porcupine takes up to four years to become fully grown. It may live for 10 years or more.

Early settlers regarded the North American porcupine as a source of meat. A few people still hunt it for food. Native Americans used the quills in their costumes and various artifacts. The porcupine's appetite for tree bark has made it very unpopular with logging companies. In some areas a predatory pine marten called the fisher has been reintroduced to control the number of porcupines. The fisher kills the porcupine by flipping it on its back and attacking the animal's unprotected chest and belly. In one part of Michigan, fishers reduced the North American porcupine population by 76 percent in 13 years.

" CARD 155

WOODCHUCK

,,---------------------------------~----~~~ " . ORDER

~ Rodentia

FAMILY

" . GENUS &: SPECIES

5ciuridae

~ Marmota monax

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KEY FACTS SIZES Length: Head and body, 16-20 in . Tail, 4-7 in. Weight: 4-11 lb., increasing just before hibernation. BREEDING Sexual maturity: 1 year. Mating: March to April. Gestation: 31-32 days. Number of young: 2-6. LIFESTYLE Habit: Solitary. Hibernates for 5 months of the year. Diet : Grasses and herbs. Call: Shrill whistle if alarmed. Hisses, squeals, and growls if annoyed. lifespan: 4-5 years. RELATED SPECIES The squirrel family has more than 260 species in 14 genera. It includes marmots, prairie dogs, ground and tree squirrels, and chipmunks.

Range of the woodchuck.

DISTRIBUTION Found throughout eastern North America and in Alaska, the Yukon, Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana. CONSERVATION Although it is often killed by farmers, the woodchuck remains abundant in the cultivated regions and woodland areas of its range.

FEATURES O F THE W OO DCHUCK Teeth: Well developed incisors grow throughout the woodchuck's life and are used for burrowing as well as eating .

Coat: Outer layer of guard hairs may be reddish brown , black, or white. Undercoat of warm, soft fur protects against the cold during the woodchuck's long hibernation .

THE HIDDEN BURROW The woodchuck sometimes digs a false burrow entrance near the real entrance to confuse predators. It scatters soil around this decoy and digs the real entrance from below to make it hard

Real burrow entrance

Scent glands: Three glands in the anus emit a strong , musky scent, which is robably used in ication.

The woodchuck is the only marmot found in eastern North America. Also known as the groundhog, this sun-loving mammal spends about half of its life asleep. © MCMXCI IMP BVIIMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM

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~ HABITS The woodchuck is found in woodlands and pastures and at the edges of forests. It is active during the late spring and summer-mostly in the early morning and late afternoon. It spends the rest of the day lying in the sun or sleeping in its burrow if the weather is cold and cloudy. The woodchuck rarely strays far from its long, deep burrow. The woodchuck is a good swimmer and climber. It has a wide range of calls, including a loud whistle of alarm. When it is annoyed, the woodchuck left: The woodchuck's burrow entrance is well concealed from predators.

A ground-dwelling member of the squirrel family,

the woodchuck has a dark, bushy tail and

a coat of grizzled, reddish-brown fur. It spends the summer fattening up on grasses in preparation for its long winter hibernation.

weight can almost double. During hibernation, the woodchuck wakes regularly to excrete. It emerges much thinner in the spring and stays at that lower weight through the early summer.

DID YOU KNOW? • The hibernating woodchuck breathes once every six minutes, its heartbeat drops, and its temperature falls from 96.8° to 39.2° F. • The name woodchuck

Below: The woodchuck eats mostly grasses, but it sometimes raids crops. Right: After hibernating, the male

woodchuck searches for a mate.

~ WOODCHUCK &: MAN Because of the damage it can do to plants and crops, many farmers consider the woodchuck a pest and shoot it. But other people find the woodchuck helpful. It fertilizes the

ground when it defecates in its burrow. It also loosens and aerates the soil as it digs. Gardeners can use the subsoil it kicks to the surface as topsoil in their gardens.

~ BREEDING

~ FOOD &: FEEDING The woodchuck eats mainly green vegetation like clover and alfalfa. Because it does not eat during its long hibernation, the woodchuck eats large amounts in late summer to put on weight. At this time its body

hisses, squeals, and growls. The woodchuck begins its long hibernation in late September, often before the first signs of winter. At that time it retreats to its burrow, where it has prepared a special chamber lined with soft grass and leaves. It is said that the woodchuck's hibernation ends on February 2nd-Groundhog Day. But it actually ends much later, especially in the northern part of its range.

comes from the Native American word wuchak: • In New York State alone, woodchucks dig up more than one and a half million tons of soil each year.

When it emerges from hibernation, the male woodchuck seeks out a female and mates in her burrow. A litter of two to six young is born a month after mating. Unlike most rodents, the female woodchuck

produces only one litter each year. The blind and naked newborns depend completely on their mother, who suckles them. Their eyes open within a month. After two months, they must fend for themselves. left: In late September the woodchuck takes leaves and grasses underground and uses them to line the nest in its hibernation chamber.

' (CARD 156

HOUSE MOUSE ,,~----------------------------~~~~~~~~ ORDER FAMILY GENUS &: SPECIES Muridae Mus musculus ~ Rodentia

KEY FACTS SIZES Length: Head and body, up to 3~ in. Tail, slightly shorter than body. Weight: About 1 oz. BREEDING Sexual maturity: 6 weeks. Mating season: Throughout the year. Gestation: 19-20 days. No. of litters: About 5 in houses, more in warehouses and stores. No. of young: 4-8, usually 5. LIFESTYLE Habit: Lives in loose colonies. Diet: Prefers grain but will eat anything. Lifespan: 1 ~-3 years in the wild . Up to 6 years in captivity. RELATED SPECIES Other small mice that commonly enter North American homes are the white-footed mouse and the deer mouse.

Range of the house mouse.

DISTRIBUTION Found wherever humans have settled and absent only from the Arctic, Antarctic, and some jungle areas. CONSERVATION The house mouse is plentiful everywhere despite human efforts to exterminate it. Even when 70,000 mice were poisoned in one night in a grain storage yard, the colonies managed to survive.

FEATURES OF THE HOUSE MOUSE

Sense of smell: Very keen. The mouse relies on smell to locate food and to follow scent trails left by other mice.

Wherever people go, the tiny house mouse follows. It is the world's most widespread rodent, but its invasion of our homes has turned it into a pest and a health hazard.

Hearing: Very acute. Detects sounds as high-pitched as 100kHz-well beyond the limit of human hearing (about 20kHz) . Uses high-frequency squeaks to communicate and to locate lost young .

Coat: Warm and protective but greasy and strong-smelling. May be graybrown or albino. Groomed by other members of the colony.

The house mouse adapts so easily that it can grow an especially long coat to survive and even raise a litter in the cold of a refrigerated storage room .

Eyesight: Poor. Can see only objects a couple of inches away. © MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM

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~

BREEDING

Much of the house mouse's success is due to its high rate of reproduction. In buildings it breeds year-round, producing up to 10 litters of four to eight young each. The female makes a loose nest of soft materials and gives birth to

her blind, furless young 19 to 20 days after mating. The mother suckles her young several times a day. After about 18 days they are fully furred and can find their own food. By six weeks they can breed.

Left & below: The house mouse eats whatever it can find both outdoors and in.

Right: A female gently carries one of her young, which is born blind and without fur.

DID YOU KNOW? • The "waltzing mouse" has a hearing defect that causes it to run around in circles. • A mouse's tail is longer in a warm than in a cold climate. The extra length allows the mouse to lose more heat.

The house mouse is found in buildings all over the world.

It can even grow a long coat to enable it to live and breed in refrigerated storage rooms. Using its keen senses of smell and hearing, this common rodent comes out at night to sniff out, feed on, and contaminate food.

~

The house mouse is busiest at dawn and dusk, when it forages for food. It relies heavily on its keen hearing and smell. In daylight the mouse has poor vision and probably cannot see clearly beyond two inches. The mouse runs up walls and moves rapidly on flat surfaces. It can squeeze through holes less than a half-inch across.

NATUREWATCH The house mouse is easy to detect because its greasy coat gives off a strong odor. It often leaves a waxy trail, and you can smell the urine used to mark its territory. Shredded paper, nibbled food, and

~

HABITS Mice live in loose colonies. At any sign of overcrowding, the dominant male defends the colony from intruders. The mice mark their territory with urine and take on the colony's odor. Any mice without this smell are ousted . Right: A grain store provides 0 mouse colony with constant food and ideal conditions.

• The house mouse can hear and utter sounds far above the limit of human hearing . • The house mouse may have a fatal seizure upon hearing certain very highpitched sounds.

tiny da rk droppi ngs are all signs of mice. A mouse in captivity also marks an area with its scent. The more you clea n its cage, t he more t he mouse will deposit its own scent.

FOOD &: FEEDING

The house mouse eats everything available, from soap to candles, but it prefers grain and cereals. Where food is plentiful, the mouse contaminates more than it eats with urine and droppings. It can transmit diseases to humans and can also pass on parasites such as tapeworms. In warm weather the mouse

may leave a building to live outside. There it forages for seeds and berries until the cool fall weather drives it back inside. Most mice, however, prefer the indoors yearround and can survive on household pickings. When the people of St. Kilda left their Scottish island in 1930, the mice quickly died out.

"'CARD 157 I

ARCTIC FOX "~_______________________________G~R_O_U_P_l_:_ M_A_M _M __A_lS~~ ~ ORDER

~ Carnivora

~ FAMilY

~ Canidae

~ GENUS & SPECIES

~ A/opex /agopus

KEY FACTS SIZES Head and body length: l' /2-2 ft. Tail length: 11-13 in. Height to shoulder: 10-12 in. Weight: 10-18 lb. Male is larger than female. BREEDING Sexual maturity: Approximately 1 year. Mating: Early April. Gestation: 51-57 days. No. of young: 4-11, average 6. Female can have 2 litters a year. LIFESTYLE Habit: Solitary in summer. In winter, it hunts and dens in small groups. Diet: Small mammals, birds, dead fish, and carrion. lifespan: About 60 years. RElATED SPECIES Only species in this genus, but related to other faxes, wolves, and dogs in the Canidae family.

Range of the Arctic fox.

DISTRIBUTION Found mainly in the Arctic circle, but also south on the shores of the Bering Sea and Hudson Bay in Greenland, as well as Iceland, northern Scandinavia, and the Soviet Union. CONSERVATION Although the Arctic fo x has declined in local areas, particularly south of its range, it is still common .

FEATURES OF THE ARCTIC FOX Body: Small and compact with short legs. Its small , rounded body conserves body heat lost mainly through extremities such as the ears and feet.

AUTUMN COAT

,F ;,

j/

The c6~t turl1S ·fron; light brown in fall to white or steel blue depending on the fox's location.

I

Ears: Unlike the long, pointed ears of its relative the red fox, the Arctic fox's ears are short, rounded, and heavily furred .

Winter coat: Long, dense, and white, blending with the snow-covered landscape. This camouflage helps the Arctic fox hunt scarce prey do ri ng the winter.

The Arctic fox is well adapted to coping with the harsh Arctic climate. In winter its bushy coat turns completely white, making it almost invisible to its prey against the snowy tundra.

covered with thick hair to insulate the fox against the col d. ©MCMXCIIMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM

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0160200261 PACKET 26

~ FOOD &: HUNTING The Arctic fox preys on voles, lemmings, hares, ground squirrels, and birds and their eggs. Near the coast it feeds on shellfish, sea urchins, and other shore invertebrates. After a storm, the fox scours the shore for beached seals and whale carcasses or other carrion-even beach flies. Without meat available, the fox eats fruit and berries. Although it may search for food in groups, the Arctic fox mainly hunts alone because small mammals or sea birds only provide a meal for one. It hunts by stealth, leaping on

its victim in a springing pounce, pinning it to the ground. The Arctic fox follows other predators to eat the remains of their kill, such as the rest of a seal killed by a polar bear. In spring, like the polar bear, the Arctic fox digs ringed seal pups out of their dens in the snow for food . In summer, the fox hides food in its den or pushes it into rock crevices, keeping the cache (store) for the lean months ahead. It marks the cache with its scent so it can find it again under the snow.

Left: In fall, the fox's coat changes and its heart rate slows down to save energy.

Right: The Arctic fox uses ice floes to travel in search of food in winter.

As the long summer days start to shorten, the Arctic fox's coat thickens and changes

DID YOU KNOW?

a pure white. But some foxes have a

• In areas where lemmings live, the Arctic fox population fluctuates according to the number of lemmings. • The Arctic fox only starts shivering at -94° F and has survived temperatures of -, , 2° F.

steel blue winter coat.

• During the winter, Arctic foxes have lived on the Greenland

color. Starting at the tail, its short, grayish brown fur first turns gray and eventually, with the onset of winter,

Below left: The female finds a den that shelters the cubs from the biting Arctic wind.

~ BREEDING

~ HABITS The Arctic fox's habitat is one of the most inhospitable on earth. During the long winters, it lives in almost constant darkness; in summer the sun shines 24 hours a day, occasionally warming the air to just above freezing. The Arctic fox lives in a den or burrow dug into the side of a hill, cliff, or riverbank. In winter it digs a series of interconnecting tunnels in the

pack ice 300 miles from the nearest land. • When food supplies are low, the Arctic fox survives on the feces of reindeer and musk ox. • One Arctic fox's cache contained 36 auks, two guillemots, four snow-buntings, and numerous auk's eggs.

Right: After a few weeks the cubs explore outside the den.

deep snow; several family groups occupy the tunnels. During winter when food is scarce, the Arctic fox ranges over a large territory, often in small groups. In the abundant summer months, its territory is smaller. The Arctic fox does not hibernate during the winter. Some migrate south to the coast or along the treeline of northern Scandinavia.

The Arctic fox chooses a mate in early spring and mates for life. The male becomes more territorial, marking out a home range with urine and feces. It calls to its mate with a variety of howls and wails. In Mayor June, a litter of 4 to , 1 cubs is born in a den in a rock crevice or burrow. Both parents care for the blind cubs, and sometimes two females share a den and look after the young.

At two weeks, the cubs open their eyes. A week later they explore outside the den with their mother. They are weaned at six weeks and begin eating meat brought by the parents to the den. Later the cubs learn to hunt with their parents; they become independent in the fall. Young males leave to form their own groups while females stay with the family group.

CARD 158J

ELEPHANT SHREW GROUP 1: MAMMALS

.... ORDER ~ Macroscelidea

-----------------------.... GENUS

FAMILY

Macroscelididae

~ Elephantulus, Macroscelides, others

KEYFACTS ____________________________________________~I SIZES Length: Body, 4-12 in . Tail, 4-10 in ., depending on species . Weight: 1 oz.-l lb . BREEDING Sexual maturity: 3-6 months. Breeding: Breeds several times a year, depending on the species, climate, and food . Gestation: Larger species, 2 months. Smaller species, 1~ months. No. of young: 1 or 2, rarely 3. LIFESTYLE Habit: Most active at dawn and dusk. Generally solitary but shares territory with mate. Diet: Insects, snails. Some species eat roots, fruits, and seeds. Lifespan: 2-4 years in the wild. Up to 5 years in captivity. RELATED SPECIES Elephant shrews are placed in their own order. They are not related to other shrew species.

Range of elephant shrews.

DISTRIBUTION Deserts, semiarid areas, plains, tropical lowland forests, and savanna in northern, eastern, central, and southern Africa . CONSERVATION Although elephant shrews live in small populations, most are not in danger of extinction. The habitats of some forestdwelling species are at risk as land is cleared for farming and developed for tourists.

FEATURES OF ELEPHANT SHREWS TH E HOPPING HIND LEGS

Coat: Vari es according to species. Usually there are shades of yellow and brown. often with black markings. This coloring provides camouflage . Desert-dwelling species have white underparts that reflect heat. Ears and eyes: Large for the animal's size. Useful for finding prey and detecting predators.

There are several species of elephant shrew living in a variety of habitats in Africa. In spite of their name, elephant shrews are not related to true shrews.

Powerful thighs and long hind legs let elephant shrews Quickly leap away from predators.

Snout: Long and trunklike to help the sh rew forage for food . Long tongue flicks small prey into the mouth . © MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM

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0160200391 PACKET 39

~ FOOD &: FEEDING

Elephant shrews are named for their tapering, trunklike snouts, which they use to probe the ground for insects and roots. They are also called jumping shrews because of their large, powerful hind legs. Some species have yellow, brown, and black fur in patterns that help to camouflage them against predators.

~ HABITS

Elephant shrews are found in various habitats, from deserts and semiarid regions to grasslands and tropical forests. These daytime creatures have peaks of activity at dawn and dusk. Small species, such as the short-eared and bushveld elephant shrews, live in shallow burrows in soft ground or sand. In hard or rocky soil, shrews take over abandoned rodent burrows or use rock crevices. Many forest species sleep in leaf nests on the ground. They select a different nest each night from 12 or more they have made within their territory.

Two forest-dwelling species, the four-toed and rufous elephant shrews, live entirely in the open. They rely on trail systems that crisscross their territories to run from predators. The trails are worn smooth and kept clear of leaves, twigs, and other obstacles. These species fiercely defend a territory, which they mark with small piles of manure. Each territory has a breeding pair, but the individuals live apart most of the time. Right: The short-nosed elephant shrew prefers the soft soil of African scrubland.

Elephant shrews feed during the day, especially in the cool of morning and early even ing . They hunt alone, and it is rare even for a breeding pair to share prey. Most species feed on insects, particularly ants and termites, but some also eat roots, fruits, and seeds. Using their long, trunklike snouts, large elephant shrews probe for insects among leaves and undergrowth . They look

on the ground and just below the surface, and they dig out prey with the long claws on their forefeet. Small species usually take small insects from the surface of soil, twigs, and fallen leaves. All species have long tongues, which they use to flick small prey into their mouths. They tear large prey into manageable pieces with their sharp claws and teeth.

Left: Elephant shrews mainly eat spiders and a variety of insects.

Right: During the day, elephant

DID YOU KNOW? • Elephant shrews communicate mainly by scent. Some species also drum their back feet on the ground to create vibrations, while others slap their tails on the ground. • Fossils suggest that elephant shrews shared a common ancestor with rabbits

shrews patrol their territory.

l

and hares over 100 million years ago. • The golden-rumped elephant shrew can move at 15 miles per hour across open forest floor-as fast as a running human. • In Kenya, large elephant shrews are cooked and eaten.

~ BREED ING Most elephant shrews breed throughout the year, regardless of where they live. The gestation period varies from one and a half months for small species to two months for larger elephant shrews. Each litter consists of one or two young, although the giant

elephant shrew and North African elephant shrew often give birth to three. The female gives birth in a burrow or nest of leaves that is well hidden from predators. At birth elephant shrews are well developed and have all their fur. They can leave the nest with their mother after a few days and are fully weaned at three to four weeks. Many species are fully grown at two months and begin to breed during their first year. Left: The elephant shrew's sensi-

tive whiskers and long snout help it find insects to eat.

~RD 159 J

GOLDEN)ACKAL . . . ORDER "1IIIIIIII Carnivora

FAMILY Canidae

KEY FACTS

----------~~--

--------------------------------------------------------~

SIZES Length: 2-3'/2 ft., head to tail. Tail length: 8-15 in . Height: 1'/2 ft. to shoulder. Weight: Average 24 lb.

GENUS & SPECIES Canis aureus

BREEDING Sexual maturity: 11 months . Mating season: October. Gestation: 63 days. No. of young: Up to 9 pups. LIFESTYLE Habit: Sociable; lives in small family groups . Diet: Small animals and young deer. Also some carrion. Lifespan: 8-9 years. RELATED SPECIES Same genus as the silverbacked jackal of East and South Africa, the sidestriped jackal from tropical Africa, and the Siemen jackal of the Ethiopian highlands.

Range of the golden jackal.

DISTRIBUTION Southwestern Europe, East and North Africa, southern Asia, and east to Burma. CONSERVATION Of the four jackal species, the golden, silverbacked, and sidestriped are in no danger. The Siemen jackal of Ethiopia is endangered; as few as 500 pairs exist.

r PACK H~ER-A-R~CHY RITUALS OF -T HE- C-OLDEN JACKAL In the northern range the jackal forms large packs with one dominant (controlling) male, who relies upon ritual behavior to maintain his dominance.

2 The aggressor (right) tries to bite the throat of the dominant male, who fends him off. These encounters are rarely bloody.

2

1 The dominant male (right) and the aggressor circle, each sizing up his opponent.

The golden jackal is a fast, efficient hunter over grasslands and bush. It is also a caring and protective parent, maintaining strong family bonds.

3 The defeated aggressor (left) shows his submission to the dominant male by lying down and exposing his vulnerable underbelly.

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~ FOOD &: HUNTIN G

The golden jackal is the most widespread

of the four species of jackal. It is found from northeast Africa to Burma. In some parts of its range it lives in the same areas as other jackal species. But since these animals live in different habitats within

a range, competition for food is minimal.

~ HABITAT

~ BREEDING

The golden jackal's long, muscular legs and light body are built for speed; it easily runs great distances. The jackal forms strong family ties and lives in pairs or small groups. It is a territorial animal; each member of a group marks its boundaries with urine. Fights with intruders are rare; they are usually warned off. The jackal communicates with other jackals using many calls, from a high-pitched howl to a whine or bark. On the Serengeti Plain in Tanzania, the golden jackal shares its range with the silverbacked jackal. The golden species inhabits the open plains while the silverback prefers the bush.

The golden jackal pairs for life. Breeding takes place in October during the dry season . When the female goes into heat (is able to mate) her mate guards her from male intruders. He keeps them from mating with her because another male jackal can sire (father) some of the pups in the same litter. The pregnancy lasts nine

The golden jackal hunts with its partner or in pairs, mainly at night. Contrary to popular belief, the jackal is not just a scavenger. Instead it relies on its hunting skills-its keen hearing to detect the movement of prey, and its speed to catch it. The golden jackal eats a variety of food, from insects, birds, rodents, and amphibians to young gazelles. It pounces on small prey with ears pricked, back arched, and bushy tail outstretched . The jackal chases larger prey until the prey drops from exhaustion or is weak enough for the jackal to pull down. The kill is swift-the jackal tears first into its victim's belly. The jackal rarely attacks an adult gazelle

with young because it might fight fiercely in defense. The golden jackal drags away any food that it does not eat and buries it or hides it under vegetation for later. The jackal is quick to take advantage of the remains of kills that lions leave. It also may rum-

weeks. Shortly before birth the female finds a nursery den. Her six or more pups are born with fur but are blind and helpless for their first few days. For the first three weeks she feeds them solely on her milk and rarely leaves them . Once the pups are able to eat solid food a parent goes out and hunts for prey, then swallows it and returns to the

den. The pups lick the parent's face until it regurgitates (spits back up) the now softened food . After eight weeks the pups are weaned, but they rely upon the parents for food for the next three months. The pups are so dependent on both of their parents that if one parent dies at this time the pups perish too. Left: Jackal pups are born with a thick, warm coat.

Right: Pups are rarely left alone. One parent keeps watch while its mate hunts prey.

mage in garbage dumps near towns, looking for a free meal. Left: Jackal-talk involves brief yelps, whines, and snarls, or long, drawn-out howls.

Below: A lone parent feeds quickly before rejoining its pups.

DID YOU KNOW? • A solitary jackal fails to make a kill 80 percent of the time . Pairs have a fail ure rate of only 30 percent. • A mother jackal cares for her young alone in her den . At the first sign of disturbance she will move her pups to a new den . • Many newborn jackals die when their dens flood . • A golden jackal can drive off predators many times its own weight. • Jackal pairs live in territories of up to one square mile. • One or two immature jackals often stay behind with their parents to assist them in rearing the next litter.

"" CARD 160 I

DONKEY '(~------------------------------------~~~~ . . . GENUS & SPECIES . . . FAMILY . . . ORDER "1IIIIIIII

Perissodactyla

"IIIIIIII

Equidae

"1IIIIIIII

Equus asinus

KEY FACTS SIZES Height to shoulder: 3-4' /2 ft., depending on breed . BREEDING Sexual maturity: 2-2'/2 years. Breeding season: Year-round but generally in spring. Gestation: 12 months. No. of young: Usually 1; occasionally twins. Weaning time: About 9 months. LIFESTYLE Habit: In the wild, may live in unstable social groups. Diet: Mainly grass and foliage from shrubs. Call: Characteristic bray. Lifespan: More than 25 years.

RELATED SPECIES There are 7 species in the genus Equus-2 horses, 2 asses, and 3 zebras.

Orig inal range of the donkey.

DISTRIBUTION The domesticated donkey is found worldwide. Its ancestor, the African wild ass, is found only in a few remote parts of northeast Africa . CONSERVATION The domestication of the donkey has ensured its future. All wild asses are listed as rare or endangered.

THE DONKEY'S TEMPERAMENT The donkey is extremely patient but has a reputation as a bad-tempered, stubborn, and stupid animal. Its body postures indicate its moods.

posture: Presses ears back along neck, opens mouth, and bares teeth.

The donkey has a reputation for stubbornness and stupidity, yet it has served man tirelessly for thousands of years. It is the domesticated descendant of the African wild ass.

Extreme aggression: Swings hindquarters around and kicks legs out at enemy. ©MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM

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~ CHARACTERISTICS

~ BREEDING

The donkey is known by a variety of names such as ass, moke, and burro. The donkey has various breeds like its relative the horse,

A jenny or jennet (domesticated female) mates throughout the year. But a wild female donkey usually mates in spring and gives birth the following spring. The wild donkey's courtship behavior is different from that of other equids (asses, horses, and zebras). Although it lives like horses do-in groups with one stallion and several mares and their young-the group is variable and unstable. The jack (male) acts aggressively toward the female during mating by biting, kicking, and chasing her until she submits. Adult donkeys do not mate for life.

but it does not have as many different

left: Few animals can live and

breeds and variations.

work in the rough terrains that the donkey inhabits.

~ HABITAT

~ FOOD &: FEEDING

Domesticated donkeys live in a wide variety of habitats around the world. The donkey's ancestor, the African wild ass, and its close relative, the Asiatic wild ass, live in desert plains sparsely covered with low shrubs. The ass has always lived where scarce water and vegetation could not support other animals. Both species of wild ass are now rare. Some wild herds in Africa may be descendants of domesticated animals that escaped back to the wild. At one time, the African wild ass, also known as the true ass, could be found across North Africa from the banks of the Nile to the Red Sea, and parts of Somalia, Ethiopia, and Eritrea .

Like all equids, the donkey exists only on grass. Unlike ruminants (cattle, sheep, and goats) that chew cud to extract nutrients from the grass, the donkey lacks a multichambered stomach

run a short time after birth, the foal feeds on the jenny's extremely rich milk. It contains more sugar and protein but less fat than cow's milk. Below: A donkey family often moves on to breed with other mates.

While smaller and sturdier than the horse, the donkey's head and ears are large in proportion to its body. The donkey has a gray coat that varies in color according to its breed. The dark color of the short mane extends down the donkey's spine to the tail, with a dark stripe running across the shoulders. The ears have dark tips, and sometimes dark bands encircle the lower legs. Like other equids', the donkey's toes disappeared and evolved into one hoof encased in protective horn. If a group of wild asses is attacked, they form a protective circle and kick out at their attackers with their hooves.

~ DONKEY &: MAN needed for chewing cud. Instead it eats large amounts of grass, feeding up to 20 hours a day. The donkey needs little water and only drinks every two to three days.

DID YOU KNOW? • The donkey can go without water longer than any other equid . • The word "ass" comes from the Hebrew word athon. The name "donkey" is attributed to the animal's dun, or dull gray-brown, color. • If a female donkey mates with a male horse, the offspring is a "hinny." When a male donkey and a

The single foal is born after one year; twins are rare. The donkey's gestation period (the time in which the young develops inside its mother's womb) is one month longer than that of the horse. Active and able to walk and

female horse breed, they produce a mule . Hinnies and mules cannot breed with each other. • The donkey makes its "eeaw" sound by breathing in and instantly exhaling . • Donkey's milk was once used to treat tuberculosis. In parts of England, some believed that riding a donkey could cure a child's whooping cough .

The donkey, or ass, was domesticated 12,000 years ago. The Egyptians used it to build pyramids in 3000 B.C. while the Romans used it as a sacrificial animal. In 2000 B.C. it reached Europe and it is an important figure in the Bible. People have needed the donkey for its surefootedness, strength, endurance, and ability to live and work under hot and difficult conditions. It has been used for riding, as a beast of burden, to pull loads and carts, and to work mills, threshers, and wells. The wild donkey is now rare in its native range because nomadic tribes have overhunted it and captured it for use as a work animal. It has been weakened by

diseases from domestic livestock and by interbreeding with domesticated donkeys. Industrial and agricultural progress have not threatened the donkey in its re-

mote and harsh habitat, but protective measures are hard to enforce in the area. Below: The working donkey supports the livelihood of many rural communities.