weirdwildnature

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(Casuarius casuarius)

Conservation Status: Endangered

The cassowary is a flightless bird native to the tropical forests of New Guinea and Australia. They are omnivorous, but feed mostly on fruit. These birds are generally very shy, but are capable of inflicting serious, sometimes fatal, injuries when provoked. Cassowaries have three-toed feet with sharp claws, which can be used as deadly weapons. They can run up to 31mph and jump nearly 5 feet, and are excellent swimmers. They also have a keratinous skin covered casque on their heads which grows with age, giving them a very unusual and prehistoric appearance.

These birds are unique in the fact that after mating, the female moves on to lay eggs in the nests of several other males. The males are then left to incubate her eggs and care for the chicks alone, a process that can take nearly a year.

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Tsavo Man-Eaters

The Tsavo Man-Eaters were a pair of male lions that killed and ate laborers during the construction of the railroad across Kenya in 1898. In fact, these lions killed and ate so many people that work had to be halted for three weeks until the animals were shot by Colonel J.H. Patterson.

Usually man-eaters are disabled or old, with worn-down or broken canine teeth and blunted claws. Such a cat begins to opt for easy prey in the form of domestic livestock. Sooner or later it finds itself face to face with a herdsman - the rest of the story is easy to guess. However, the Tsavo Man-Eaters were lions in their prime. 

There are many theories as to why the Tsavo lions became man-eaters. Some believe that an outbreak of rinderpest disease (cattle plague) in 1898 devastated the lions' usual prey, forcing them to find alternatives. Or perhaps the Tsavo lions were used to finding dead humans at the river crossing. Some guess that the abbreviated cremation of Hindu railroad workers invited scavenging by the lions. There is also indication of the first lion having a severely damaged tooth, which would have compromised its ability to kill natural prey, though the second lion had no such handicap.

It is interesting to note that although the Tsavo lions lacked manes, they were, in fact, fully grown adult males. This is actually quite common in Tsavo lions even today. 

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Bulldog Bat

(Noctilio leporinus)

Conservation Status: Least Concern

The bulldog bat is one of the few species of bat that is adapted to fishing. It swoops slowly over the water, emitting high-frequency sound pulses, then snatches prey with its hook-like feet. The bat has long incisors and canines that are used to kill and cut up fish, and the fleshy lips give the bat a firm hold on slippery prey.

The male has reddish-yellow fur, while the female's fur in grey or dull brown. The back is thinly furred so that it does not become waterlogged. The bulldog bat's pointed muzzle terminates in a slightly tubular nose through which the bat emits sound pulses for echolocation. The membrane around the tail is used like a basket or sling to help the bulldog bat to transfer prey from feet to mouth. 

The bulldog bat's habitat ranges from central American south to northern Argentina and southeastern Brazil. It can also be found on many Caribbean islands. The male weighs about 2.7oz and the female weighs about 2.1oz. The wingspan ranges from 11 - 11.8 inches and the head and body are 3.8 - 5.2 inches in length. Usually these bats live between 10 and 12 years, but some individuals have been known to live for 20 years.

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Babirusa

(Babyrousa babyrousa)

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

The babirusa is a secretive member of the pig family confined to parts of Sulawesi in Indonesia, as well as the nearby island groups of Buru, Togian, and Sula. The most distinguishing feature of the babirusa are the male animal's teeth: the upper canines actually grow upwards, through the very skin of his snout. The babirusa is the sole member of its genus.

The skin may be coarse-textured or smooth, but is sparsely haired. The babirusa walks on the third and fourth digits of its feet; the first digit is absent and the second and fifth digit are greatly reduced. The snout is tipped with a disc of cartilage, but unlike other pigs, the babirusa does not use it to root in the soil. It typically eats foliage, roots, snails, worms, small birds and mammals.

This animal can weigh up to 220 pounds, is 34 - 41 inches in length, and is 25 - 31 inches in height. Females typically have 1 or 2 young, which reach sexual maturity at 1 - 2 years. In captivity, the babirusa may live up to 24 years, but in the wild they usually only live around 10.

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Four-Horned Antelope

(Tetracerus quadricornis)

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

The four-horned antelope is one of only two survivors of a primitive tribe of animals from which all wild cattle descended. The males are the only members of the bovid family that have a double set of horns. The horns are smooth and conical in shape. The rear pair grow up to 10cm long while the front pair reach about 4cm in length. 

These antelope are found in the hilly and highly mountainous regions of India and Nepal, from the foothills of the Himalayas to the southern parts of the Western Ghats. They are threatened by the loss of their forest habitat.

They weigh between 37 - 46 pounds and are 31 - 39 inches long. The tail is about 5 inches in length. This antelope reaches about 23 inches at the shoulder. They have long, strong hind legs and sturdy, cloven hoofs. The female does not grow horns and has a smaller, more delicate, head. The four-horned antelope has a gland just in front of each eye that produces a scented secretion that it uses to mark its home patch in the forest.