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Caracal
Caracal caracal
Sometimes called the desert lynx or African lynx, but it is not a member of the Lynx genus
The most distinctive feature of the caracal is the long black tufts on the back of the ears
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Bobcat
Lynx rufus
Ranges from southern Canada to central Mexico
It has distinctive black bars on its forelegs and a black-tipped, stubby tail, from which it derives its name
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Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
Also known as the dwarf leopard
Distributed extensively within South America
Similar in appearance to a domestic cat. Its fur resembles that of a clouded leopard or jaguar
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Margay
Leopardus wiedii
Also known as the tree ocelot
Similar to the larger ocelot in appearance, although the head is a little shorter, the eyes larger, and the tail and legs longer
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Serval
Leptailurus 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
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Aardwolf
Proteles cristata
A small, insectivorous hyena-like mammal, native to Eastern and Southern Africa
Second animal in the dictionary, after aardvark
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Fossa
Cryptoprocta ferox
A cat-like, carnivorous mammal endemic to Madagascar. Resembles a small cougar
The largest mammalian carnivore on the island of Madagascar
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Meerkat
Suricata suricatta
Meerkats are members of the mongoose family native to Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa
Meerkats forage in a group with one "sentry" on guard watching for predators while the others search for food and "Compare The Market”
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Tapir
genus Tapirus
Brazilian, Malayan, Baird's – species of tapir
Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeastern Asia
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Przewalski's Horse
Equus ferus przewalskii
Native to the steppes of central Asia, notably Mongolia
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
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Onager
Equus hemionus
Also known as hemione or Asiatic wild ass
Onagers have never been domesticated. They are among the fastest mammals
There is a Roman siege engine called an onager
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Peccary
family Tayassuidae (New World pigs)
Also known as skunk pig
Native to the Americas
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Chevrotain
family Tragulidae
Also known as mouse-deer
Chevrotain is French for "little goat"
Java mouse-deer is world’s smallest hoofed mammal
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Pudu
genus Pudu
Northern, southern – species of pudu
Inhabits temperate rainforests in South America
The world's smallest deer
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Muntjac
genus Muntiacus
Also known as barking deer
Muntjacs are the oldest known deer. The present-day species are native to South Asia
A large feral population of muntjacs exists in England
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Père David's deer
Elaphurus davidianus
Native to the subtropics of China
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 Woburn Abbey nurtured by the 11th Duke of Bedford
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Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck or pronghorn antelope
Fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere
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Gaur
Bos gaurus
Also known as Indian bison
Largest extant bovine, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia
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Muskox
Ovibos moschatus
Arctic mammal of the family Bovidae noted for its thick coat and for the strong odour emitted during the seasonal rut by males, from which its name derives
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Chamois
Rupicapra rupicapra
A goat-antelope species native to mountains in Europe. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand
Chamois leather is traditionally made from the hide of the chamois
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Nilgai
Boselaphus tragocamelus
Largest Asian antelope
Found throughout most of India
Mature male appears ox-like and is also known as the blue bull
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Bongo
Tragelaphus eurycerus
Large African forest antelope
Bongos are characterised by a striking reddish-brown coat, black and white markings, white-yellow stripes and long slightly spiraled horns
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Grey rhebok
Pelea capreolus
Antelope endemic to Southern Africa
The Afrikaans/Dutch spelling of the species, reebok, lends its name to the sportswear manufacturing company
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Wildebeest
genus Connochaetes
Two species, both native to Africa: the black wildebeest, or white-tailed gnu; and the blue wildebeest, or brindled gnu
Blue wildebeest are known for their long distance migrations
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Klipspringer
Oreotragus oreotragus
Small species of African antelope
Klipspringer means "rock jumper" in Afrikaans
They are around 1.5 m tall and can jump 10 times their own body height
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Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
Tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant
Heart of a giraffe has to generate around double the normal blood pressure for a large mammal in order to maintain blood flow to the brain against gravity. Giraffe has seven neck (cervical) vertebrae, the same as a human
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Okapi
Okapia johnstoni
The okapi and the giraffe are the only living members of the family Giraffidae
Named in recognition of the British Governor of Uganda, Sir Harry Johnston, who first acquired an okapi specimen for science
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Alpaca
Vicugna pacos
A domesticated species of South American camelid. It resembles a small llama in appearance
Alpaca fleece is a lustrous and silky natural fibre
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Vicuna
Vicugna vicugna
Believed to be the wild ancestor of domesticated alpacas
Vicunas produce small amounts of extremely fine wool, which is very expensive
Vicuna is smaller than the guanaco
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Guanaco
Lama guanicoe
Native to the arid, mountainous regions of South America
The guanaco's soft wool is valued second only to that of the vicuna
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Blue whale
Balaenoptera musculus
At 30 metres in length and 180 tonnes in weight, it is the largest extant animal and is the heaviest known to have existed
Herman Melville called the blue whale "sulphur-bottom" in Moby-Dick
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Bowhead whale
Balaena mysticetus
Also known as the Greenland right whale or Arctic whale
Does not have a dorsal fin. Named after its arching lower jaw. Its baleen is the longest of any whale at 3 metres
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Narwhal
Monodon monoceros
Toothed whale that possesses a large "tusk" from a protruding canine tooth. Narwhal tusks were believed to be the horns from the legendary unicorn
It lives year-round in the Arctic waters
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Beluga whale
Delphinapterus leucas
Also known as white whale, or sea canary due to its high-pitched twitter
Lives in the Arctic. It is entirely white as an adult
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Sperm whale
Physeter macrocephalus
Also known as cachelot
The largest of the toothed whales and the largest toothed predator. It has the largest brain of any animal
The head of the whale contains a liquid wax called spermaceti, from which the whale derives its name
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Killer whale
Orcinus orca
Also known as orca, blackfish, or grampus
A toothed whale belonging to the oceanic dolphin family, of which it is the largest member
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Vacuita
Phocoena sinus
A rare species of porpoise endemic to the Gulf of California. Smallest cetacean
Porpoises are small toothed whales that are closely related to oceanic dolphins
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Elephant seal
genus Mirounga
Two species – northern and southern
Elephant seals take their name from the large proboscis of the adult male, which resembles an elephant's trunk. Southern elephant seal bulls typically reach a length of 4.9 metres and a weight of 3,000 kg
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Dugong
Dugong dugon
Dugong, together with the manatees, is one of four living species of the order Sirenia
It has a fusiform body (tapered at both the head and the tail). Dugong is distinguished from the manatees by its fluked, dolphin-like tail, but also possesses a unique skull and teeth
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Manatee
genus Trichecus
Also known as sea cows
Three species – Amazonian, West Indian, and West African
Manatees have a paddle-shaped tail
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