thewildmenagerie-blog

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Why is a raven like a writing desk? Well, that I’m not sure about, but Ravens (Corvus corax) are pretty remarkable birds. They are skilled fliers, on par with hawks and falcons, and are wicked smart. In fact, they have been ranked with chimps and dolphins in intelligence tasks. Ravens have been observed to play dead after eating a carcass to scare off other ravens from the delicious feast! They also attempt to deceive each other. If they know they are being watched while hiding food they will pretend to hide it in one place while hiding it somewhere else. This only works sometimes, as other ravens are also smart enough to figure out what’s going on. Despite these little lies, they have been seen to cooperate with each other while hunting in order to take down larger prey. Species status: Least Concern

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Younger males can shove elderly African Buffalo, like the one above, out of their maternal herds. In situations like this, the senior is at incredible risk of predation. In all likelihood, he will join up with a group of similar aged males in a bachelor herd for extra protection. If he does not, it is more likely lions will ambush him. Due to their large size, they can never venture more than 12 miles (20km) from a water source. Typical lifespan for African Buffalo in the wild is only about 26 years. Species status: Least Concern

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Cape Buffalos (Syncerus caffer) are social animals, living in herds separated by gender: maternal herds and bachelor herds.  Maternal herds are massive! Often they can contain one or two males, up to 30 females and their offspring! Young males remain in maternal herds for up to three years before joining a bachelor herd. Bachelor herds are usually made up of around 10 members. Cape buffalos have incredible memories; often attack lions or hunters who they have had past negative encounters with. And they’re strong too; four times stronger than an ox, an individual can flip an automobile on their own without problem.

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It’s International Respect for Chickens Day! In honor of the day, here are a few fun facts about chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) you may not know.

1) There are 25 BILLION chickens on the planet making them not only the most populous bird, but also more populous than humans! 2) Chickens are omnivores. Of course they eat things like insects and seeds, but they have also been known to eat larger prey, such as, lizards and mice! 3) Hens can mate with as many males as she likes, but if she decides the male is unworthy of producing offspring with, after copulation she can eject the male’s sperm! Most often this happens with males who find themselves low in the pecking order.                                                                                                 4) The chicken was the first bird to have its genome sequenced.

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Save the Rhino Day! The White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) is a grazer, meaning they feed mostly on grasses. You’ll notice their upper lip is like a cow’s, flat all the way across, which is a pretty clear indication of being a grazer. They live in the grassy plains of Africa, and are much less solitary than their Black Rhino cousins. Sometimes, in fact, they may gather into groups of a dozen or more. Pregnancy lasts 18 months and a calf will remain with its mother for up to three years. This makes population conservation expansion difficult, as it takes so long for a single rhino mother to produce offspring.

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The juvenile Pied Shag (Phalacrocorax varius) differs from the adults in coloration. The adult takes on a solidly black and white plumage, bright yellow in the corner of the eyes and blue ring surrounding the eyes—and indication of being breeding age. The pied shag is a native to New Zealand’s coastlines, using trees alongside coastal cliffs as their nesting sites. Generally foraging solitarily during the day, they return to nesting sites at night. Formally they were under threat from fishermen who viewed them as competing for the same fish, though this is much less common now. The greatest human threat facing pied shags is drowning in craypots, set-nets and on inshore longlines (which have claimed the lives of many seabirds). Species status: Vulnerable

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Female lions are known for their prowess as the hunters in the group. Many of us have watched National Geographic specials highlighting the way they coordinate their attacks on prey, chasing them into waiting ambush. However, it may surprise you to learn that lions are the least successful predators in Africa. During a hunt, their success rate is somewhere around 30%! More often, they steal the prey of others, like cheetahs or leopards, who cannot stand up to a whole pride. Species status: Vulnerable.

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Lions (Panthera leo) are the second largest of the cats—tigers are the first—and the roar of the male can be heard up to 5 miles (8km) away! One little known fact about males: the darker their manes, the older they are. Most people are aware the females are the hunters of the pride, but most don’t realize the males are responsible for guarding the territory against other prides. This is what typically leads to much of the roaring heard on the savannah at night. It’s their way of saying “Hey! This is my spot! Go hunt for food somewhere else!” Usually, this followed up with scent marking by urine. In the wild, male lions don’t typically die from old age, but from violence induced by competition with other younger males. Species Status: Threatened.

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Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) are social birds, flocking in large communities. Males dominate the community, chasing each other to settle disputes. After breeding, the male spends a lot of time and energy defending the female so she may forage. Thus, the male will lose weight while the female is gaining it. Sometimes females will lay their eggs in another nest to be incubated. This is fairly common in guineafowl as they don’t begin the incubation period until after they lay their last egg. Incubation lasts 25 to 29 days. Baby guineafowl, called keets, are able to leave the nest immediately after being born. As you can see in the photo, their coloration keeps them pretty well camouflaged from predators.

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The Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) is a native to Southern Africa. Traditionally hunted for sport, Guineafowl can now be found the world over as domesticated farm animals. Predominantly ground scavengers, they feed on insects and seeds. Though they are capable of flight, the distance is typically short and used as a means of escape from danger or to enter a tree for nighttime roosting. Adapted to almost any kind of environment, their preferred habitats are grasslands and agricultural properties. Many farmers keep them because, unlike chickens, they don’t scratch at the soil to find insects and they help to reduce tick populations, decreasing the risk of Lyme disease in other farm animals. Species Status: Least Concern

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The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) has a native range from the Mississippi valley north to Illinois, with distributions west from Tennessee and east to Virginia. However, due to their popularity as a pet, many have found their way into rivers, creeks, streams and lakes in other areas of the United States…and even as far as Taiwan! The red-eared slider is also incredibly adaptable and, as such, has been very successful in outcompeting most of the native turtle populations. As you might imagine, this can prove disastrous from an ecological standpoint, so great effort has been spent on trying to reduce red-eared slider populations in areas they do not belong. This is an ongoing issue for biologists. Please don’t dump your turtles (or any pets!) and weigh the responsibilities before buying.

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The Embden Goose is one of the oldest breeds of domestic goose. Records of it date back about 200 years. They are also the largest geese, with more feathers than a common barnyard goose, and produce the largest eggs. This makes them popular for commercial breeding as well. Embdens forage for food in grass and water. They are not too selective in their food and are great to keep around for biological weed control. For protein, they seek out larvae and pupae, small aquatic animals, plant material, seeds, snails and crabs. They also make for a great security detail as they are protective and have a loud bark for intruders. Species status: Least Concern

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Africa's largest crocodilian, the Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) reaches a maximum size of about 20 feet (6 meters) and can weigh up to 1,650 pounds (730 kilograms). Average sizes, though, are more in the range of 16 feet (5 meters) and 500 pounds (225 kilograms). They live throughout sub-Saharan Africa, the Nile Basin, and Madagascar in rivers, freshwater marshes, and mangrove swamps. Despite their reputation as a man eater, the diet of the Nile crocodile is mainly fish, but it will attack almost anything unfortunate enough to cross its path, including zebras, small hippos, porcupines, birds, and other crocodiles (and, yes, people). It will also scavenge carrion, and can eat up to half its body weight at a feeding. (Source: NatGeo)

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Domesticated donkeys and Asses can be found the world over and are versatile domestic animals. Socially, they prefer to live in small herds, similar to other members of the Equidae family. Herds are typically made up of one jack (male) and several females (jennies) with their offspring. These groups seem to be extremely fluid, however, breaking up and reforming with new members. As well as being open minded about the companions in their groups, they also seem equally fluid with mates. Donkeys will breed with horses or zebras, though typically these offspring turn out to be sterile. While domesticated donkeys are in no danger of extermination, their wild counterparts in Northern Africa are critically endangered with 23 to 200 left!

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The black vulture (Coragyps atratus) is mostly known as a carrion eater, which is true, but they’re also very social. For example, did you know they’re monogamous? They have been known to stay with their mates year round and for many years. They feed their young together for as long as eight months after fledging, maintaining strong social bonds with their families throughout their lives. Black Vultures roost in large flocks in the evening, using the communal roost as a meeting place where foraging groups can assemble and adults can reconvene with their young. This also helps unsuccessful foragers locate carcasses by following roost mates to their location. So while they may not be the most attractive bird, they lead amazing and complex lives doing an undeniable service for nature. Species status: Least Concern

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These small fruit/flower chafers (Leucocelis adspersa) are a little busy…pollinating we’ll say. Flower chafers are a group of scarab beetles. Many species are diurnal, visiting flowers for pollen or nectar. They can also be known to eat plant materials making them, to many, a backyard pest. There are around 4,000 different species with many still as yet not described. Species status: unknown

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This male South African giraffe (Giraffa giraffa giraffa) exhibits some pretty good battle scars on his neck and body. The missing hair on the tops of their “horns” easily distinguishes males from females. However, their “horns” are really ossicones: hardened cartilage that skin and hair grows over. Male ossicones are always missing hair because they use them in disputes with one another. Typically male giraffes are solitary and mostly avoid each other, but when an estrus female is involved things can escalate pretty quickly, especially if the males think they are about the same size and strength. Currently there are only a total of about 100,000 giraffes left making their species status: Vulnerable