mammalianmammals

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Although it was once extinct in the wild the takhi has been successfully reintroduced to its native territory in Central China and Eastern Europe. ©ChornobylWild

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A fishing cat practices hunting with her kittens. BBC Earth

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Meow, it’s Caturday! Say “hello” to the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa). It’s found across a range that spans Nepal through Southeast Asia and into China, but this stealthy animal is rarely seen in the wild. It’s a formidable hunter, with great tree-climbing and swimming abilities. Meals include primates, birds, and deer. Fun fact: This cat, which can open its mouth wider than any other, has the longest canine teeth relative to body size of any living felid—earning it the nickname of a “modern day saber-tooth!”

Photo: Charlie Marshall, CC BY 2.0, flickr

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Have you ever seen a tufted pygmy squirrel (Exilisciurus whiteheadi)? Found only in Borneo’s mountain forests—at elevations of more than 3,280.8 ft (1,000 m)—this tiny critter is one of the world’s smallest squirrels. It grows up to 3.4 in (8.6 cm) long. And at about 0.8 oz (22.7 kg), adults typically weigh less than half a stick of butter! Easily recognizable thanks to its ear tufts, this species feeds primarily on moss and lichens. 

Photo: Chrissy McClarren and Andy Reago, CC0 1.0, iNaturalist

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Common hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius

With serrated hinged terrapin Pelusios sinuatus, on adult hippo, and Mozambique tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus, around juvenile hippo

Observed by anibotani, CC BY-SA

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Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus), juvenile, family Bovidae, Colorado, USA

photograph by Colorado Wild Photography

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Mountain Weasel (Mustela altaica), family Mustelidae, northern India

photograph by Dr. Abhijit Bagui

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Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Bush dogs are living proof that team work makes the dream work! When these small canines hunt half of the pack will pursue their prey over land, while the other half waits in water for the target to try to swim away. Bush dogs are particularly adapted to this style of hunting, as their partially webbed feet make them excellent swimmers.

(Image: A bush dog (Speothos venaticus) by Josh More)

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More on the Mountain Beaver

Despite its name, the mountain beaver (Aplodontia rufa) is not actually a beaver, and is actually more closely related to squirrels! They also don't typically live in high mountain environments; instead they prefer deciduous and coniferous forests in the lower levels of the Cascade mountains in western North America.

As a member of the rodent family, A. rufa shares many traits with rats and squirrels. They have a small, but compact body, small ears, large central incisors, and a small nubby tail. They are covered with thick brown fur, with a small white spot at the base of each ear, and have a number of long whiskers around their muzzle. Males and females are nearly identical, averaging 800 g (28.19 oz) in weight and 50 cm (19.65 in) in length.

Mountain beavers spend most of their time alone, and only emerge from their burrows at night. They feed almost exclusively on ferns, and can even consume bracken ferns, which are toxic to other animals. Their diet is also supplemented with pine needles, deciduous leaves, grasses, and mosses. Due to their small size, A. rufa are prey for many species including coyotes, foxes, weasels, racoons, and birds of prey.

Breeding for mountain beavers can start as early as February and extend to May. It is unknown how males and females find each other, or whether they exhibit any courting behaviour, but females typically give birth to two or three young about a month after conception. The pups are hairless, blind, and deaf, but grow quickly and are weaned after 6-8 weeks. At this time they leave the burrow and venture out to establish their own territories. They reach full maturity at about 2 years of age, and it is believed that they can survive for up to 6 years in the wild.

Conservation status: Mountain beavers are classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, they are threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation; one subpopulation in particular, the Point Arena mountain beaver (A. r. nigra) is considered endangered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

Photos

John M. Reagan

Tim Donner

Chris Wemmer

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Whistle, click, chirp, or sing your way through the weekend with the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas)! Known as the “canary of the sea,” this cetacean uses a wide array of sounds to communicate with fellow belugas and navigate the open ocean. This social animal lives in a pod, roaming the Arctic waters and foraging for salmon, cod, and crab. Because the beluga whale is so reliant on sound, one of the greatest threats it faces is underwater noise pollution, from commercial ship traffic to dredging.

Photo: Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 2.0, flickr 

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Have you ever seen the silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus)? This critter, which spends most of its life in the trees, uses long claws and a prehensile tail to hang high above the ground. Fun fact: This mammal prefers to inhabit ceiba trees, and its silky fur is actually a form of camouflage. Ceiba trees just so happen to produce large fluffy seed pods that resemble this animal’s fur! This resemblance helps keep the anteater hidden from predators.  

Photo: Vincent Rufray, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

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Who’s that floof? It’s the sloth bear (Melursus ursinus)! This ursid inhabits tropical forests in Southeast Asia. It uses its fluffy hair for self defense: When the sloth bear goes after termites, a favorite snack, long hair helps prevent ant bites! This species’ fluffy coat is also helpful when females carry cubs on their backs, giving the little ones something to hold onto.

Photo: kalyanvarma, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist 

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its dangerous to go alone. here, take these bilbies

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Animal of the Week: Brush-Tailed Mulgara

Image Credit: Unknown

Meet the animal Monday! This week, we have a marsupial known as the Brush-Tailed Mulgara(Dasycercus blythi). This little creature may look like a little herbivore, but it's actually a fearsome carnivore!

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At a crossroads with mama

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The Quahkah, from 'African Scenery and Animals' by Samuel Daniell (1804, color lithography)