Physical World/Mammals - 3

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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, Mountain, Baird's – species of tapir

Tapirs inhabit jungle and forest regions of South America, Central America, and Southeastern Asia

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

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

Peccary


family Tayassuidae (New World pigs)


Also known as skunk pig


Native to the Americas

Chevrotain


family Tragulidae


Also known as mouse-deer


Chevrotain is French for "little goat"


Java mouse-deer is world’s smallest hoofed mammal

Pudu


genus Pudu


Northern, southern – species of pudu


Inhabits temperate rainforests in South America


The world's smallest deer

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

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

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

Gaur


Bos gaurus


Also known as Indian bison


Largest extant bovine, native to South Asia and Southeast Asia

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

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

Nilgai


Boselaphus tragocamelus

Largest Asian antelope


Found throughout most of India


Mature male appears ox-like and is also known as the blue bull

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Manatee


genus Trichecus

Also known as sea cows


Three species – Amazonian, West Indian, and West African


Manatees have a paddle-shaped tail