Black Footed Ferret

The black-footed ferret was probably never abundant. Nonetheless, it used to be found across a broad swathe of the American short grass prairies, from Texas to beyond the Canadian border. It commonly made its home in prairie dog colonies (called towns), taking over part of the tunnel system for its own use as predator in residence. The prairie dogs (burrowing rodents of the squirrel family) made up over 90 percent of the ferret’s diet. A single ferret could survive on what it could catch in even quite a small town, but mothers raising families normally took up residence in larger colonies. Mice and other small prey caught outside the burrow at night added to the ferret’s prairie dog diet. Black-footed [Read more]

Spectacled Bear

Spectacled bears are the largest carnivores in South America, though meat only accounts for 5 percent of their diet. Despite their bulk, they can climb trees with ease. It is easy to understand how the spectacled bear got its name: The whitish rings round its eyes are very distinctive. It is the largest member of the Carnivora in South America and is a direct descendant of the bulldog bear, which 10,000 years ago was the largest predator in the Americas. The spectacled bear is a powerful animal, and there are records of individuals killing and eating cattle. However, they feed mainly on fruit and other vegetable materials. Meat rarely amounts to more than 5 percent of the diet and is mostly in the form of [Read more]

Thylacine

Thylacinus cynocephalus

The thylacine was a large animal with bold strides. The photograph (top) shows the last thylacine in captivity, which died in 1936. No specimens, alive or freshly dead, have been obtained since then, but reported sightings are investigated seriously. The thylacine-a marsupial-was once prevalent across Australia and Tasmania. Today it seems that domestic dogs and other introduced animals have outcompeted the species. It was also persecuted by farmers and is now probably extinct, although there are continued reports [Read more]

horse

Of all the animals, the horse has probably most closely shared in human adventures and has been most intimately allied with human progress. For thousands of years, the horse has participated in the pleasures, the dangers, and the hard work that have marked human life. Perhaps because of this long relationship, the horse holds a special place in humankind’s affection. No one knows exactly when people and horses first became companions. Some historians believe that probably people hunted early horses as they did other game animals. Drawings, engravings, and sculptures of horses that date back many thousands of years may have been made by hunters and medicine men as offerings to the gods for a good hunt. Then perhaps people recognized the advantage of the horse’s [Read more]

Cheetah

Cheetah

Most cheetah are found in East and Southern Africa, with the greatest numbers occuring in Namibia. The critically endangered Asiatic cheetah is found only in Iran, mostly on the edge of the Kavir Desert. Cheetah are superb sprinters. Using a brief burst of phenomenal speed, they can outrun any other land animal. The cheetah does not look or move like any other big cat. Its exceptionally elongated body and legs enable it to run with the agility of a greyhound. The cheetah is dog-like in other ways, with its blunt, non-retractable claws and barking calls. [Read more]

Leopard

Leopard

The Leopard is found over most of sub-Saharan Africa, parts of the Middle East, Afghanistan, India and Sri Lanka and from northern China through southeast Asia, although its distribution is increasingly patchy. One of the most impressive of the big cats, the leopard’s strenght and beauty have long made it the stuff of legend. Aided by its magnificent, mottled camouflage and powerful, compact build, it can silently attack and kill prey more than twice its own weight. Its habitat and diet are so varied that it thrives in areas where larger competitors, such as lions and tigers, often fail. Uniquely, the leopard can even live without water for long periods, meeting all its needs from prey alone. [Read more]

« Previous Page — Next Page »