Physical World/Mammals - 3
Caracal
The most distinctive feature of the caracal is the long black tufts on the back of the ears | |
Bobcat
It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby tail, from which it derives its name | |
Ocelot
Distributed extensively within South America Similar in appearance to a domestic cat. Its fur resembles that of a clouded leopard or jaguar | |
Margay
Similar to the larger ocelot in appearance, although the head is a little shorter, the eyes larger, and the tail and legs longer | |
Serval
A medium-sized African wild cat native to sub-Saharan Africa Servals have the longest legs of any cat, relative to their body size | |
Aardwolf
Second animal in the dictionary, after aardvark | |
Fossa
The largest mammalian carnivore on the island of Madagascar
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Meerkat
Meerkats forage in a group with one "sentry" on guard watching for predators while the others search for food and "Compare The Market” | |
Tapir
Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeastern Asia | |
Przewalski's Horse
The horse is named after the Russian colonel Nikolai Przhevalsky (the name is of Polish origin and "Przewalski" is the Polish spelling), who first described the horse in 1881 | |
Onager
Onagers have never been domesticated. They are among the fastest mammals There is a Roman siege engine called an onager | |
Peccary
Also known as skunk pig Native to the Americas | |
Chevrotain
Also known as mouse-deer Chevrotain is French for "little goat" Java mouse-deer is world’s smallest hoofed mammal | |
Pudu
Inhabits temperate rainforests in South America The world's smallest deer | |
Muntjac
Muntjacs are the oldest known deer. The present-day species are native to South Asia A large feral population of muntjacs exists in England | |
Père David's deer
First made known to Western science in the 19th century, by Father Armand David, a French missionary working in China. The current world population, now found in zoos around the world, stems from a herd at Woburn Abbey nurtured by the 11th Duke of Bedford | |
Pronghorn
Fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere | |
Gaur
Largest extant bovine, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia | |
Muskox
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Chamois
Chamois leather is traditionally made from the hide of the chamois | |
Nilgai
Largest Asian antelope Found throughout most of India Mature male appears ox-like and is also known as the blue bull | |
Bongo
Bongos are characterised by a striking reddish-brown coat, black and white markings, white-yellow stripes and long slightly spiraled horns | |
Grey rhebok
The Afrikaans/Dutch spelling of the species, reebok, lends its name to the sportswear manufacturing company | |
Wildebeest
Blue wildebeest are known for their long distance migrations | |
Klipspringer
Klipspringer means "rock jumper" in Afrikaans They are around 1.5 m tall and can jump 10 times their own body height | |
Giraffe
Tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant
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Okapi
The okapi and the giraffe are the only living members of the family Giraffidae
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Alpaca
A domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance
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Vicuna
Believed to be the wild ancestor of domesticated alpacas
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Guanaco
Native to the arid, mountainous regions of South America
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Blue whale
At 30 metres in length and 180 tonnes in weight, it is the largest extant animal and is the heaviest known to have existed
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Bowhead whale
Also known as the Greenland right whale or Arctic whale
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Narwhal
Toothed whale that possesses a large "tusk" from a protruding canine tooth. Narwhal tusks were believed to be the horns from the legendary unicorn
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Beluga whale
Also known as white whale, or sea canary due to its high-pitched twitter
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Sperm whale
Also known as cachelot
The head of the whale contains a liquid wax called spermaceti, from which the whale derives its name | |
Killer whale
Also known as orca, blackfish, or grampus
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Vacuita
A rare species of porpoise endemic to the Gulf of California. Smallest cetacean
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Elephant seal
Two species – northern and southern
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Dugong
Dugong, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia
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Manatee
Also known as sea cows
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