6/23/2007
Tyrannosaurus Rex
Tyrannosaurus rex was a large, two-legged, meat-eating dinosaur that lived in the late Cretaceous Period, 65 million years ago. Scientists know more about Tyrannosaurus than any other predatory dinosaur. Tyrannosaurus had a bone-crushing bite and often preyed upon plant-eating dinosaurs, and its stomach could hold more than half a metric ton of meat. The frill of a Triceratops was found in the fossilized dung of a Tyrannosaurus.Triceratops
Triceratops was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived during the late Cretaceous Period, 65 million years ago. It was a descendant of Styracosaurus, with horns on its snout and eyes, and a spiked neck frill. Triceratops could open its jaws sideways to gather foliage by rotating the joint between its head and neck. Fossil evidence indicates that the underside of the neck frill contained a dense network of blood vessels that was used to cool the dinosaur in much the same way elephants transport blood to their ears to radiate heat.Styracosaurus
Styracosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur that lived during the early Cretaceous Period, 65 million years ago. It was an ancestor of Triceratops, with one large horn on its snout, a small horn above each eye, and a spiked neck frill for protection from predators such as T. rex. Like Triceratops, Styracosaurus used its sharp beak to cut leaves from low-growing foliage, such as cycads, and its powerful jaws to chew the tough leaves. A large bone bed with approximately 100 Styracosaurus fossils indicates that Styracosaurus traveled in herds.Carnotaurus
Carnotaurus was an unusual meat-eating dinosaur that lived during the mid-Cretaceous period, 113 to 91 million years ago. It had knobby horns over its eyebrows, which were used for head butting and mating rituals, and four-fingered “hands” with a backward-pointing spike. While most dinosaur fossils have been found in North America, Carnotaurus was discovered in Argentina, South America and quite recently (1984) by José F. Bonaparte. He found only a single fossil, but it was so well preserved that rough bumps were visible on its skin.Some Info for U
The below pics and fun facts are taken directly from Zoo Tycoon 2 African Adventure. Thank you www.zootycoon.com!
Wildebeest
The wildebeest is a large African antelope that is native to the open woodlands and grasslands of southern Africa and is one of its fastest residents. Its large head and short neck support long horns, but its best defense is that it is a tireless runner. Although their bristly faces and massive shoulders make wildebeests appear menacing, they go into antics when approached, dashing off and wheeling about to gaze at intruders. Wildebeests roam the African savannah in large herds. More than 1 million forage for grasses on the Serengeti Plain alone.White Rhinoceros
The white rhinoceros is the largest of the rhino species and also the most peaceful. The white rhino is not actually white. Its name comes from the Afrikaans word “weit,” meaning “wide” and describing the shape of its mouth. As with other rhinos, the two horns on the end of the white rhino’s nose are not made of bone but are actually hardened deposits of keratin fibers, which is the same protein in hair. The white rhino has very poor eyesight and relies on its sense of smell. In fact, its olfactory passages are larger than its brain. All rhinos are vegetarians, and the white rhino lives almost entirely on grass. It eats so much grass that it is one of the few animals classified as a “megaherbivore.”Warthog
The warthog is a wild pig with a stocky body and two pairs of tusks and wart-like protuberances on its long, wide head. Widespread on the plains and open woodlands of Africa, their diet includes grass, berries, bark, roots, and carrion. They normally spend the night in a burrow, which they prefer to take over from other animals (especially aardvarks). The warthog's tusks are sharp weapons used against such predators as lions.Striped Hyena
The striped hyena is a doglike carnivore and a renowned scavenger. Hyenas have powerful jaws capable of crushing large bones that other predators cannot eat. All hyenas share the characteristic of a distinctly sloping back, resulting from a size difference between their large, muscular front legs and smaller back legs.Secretary Bird
The secretary bird is a large bird of prey found in Africa south of the Sahara. It has very long legs, a long tail, and a powerful, hooked beak. Many books derive the origin of the bird's name from a resemblance of its crest of long feathers to a group of quill pens placed behind the ear. But the name is actually a mispronunciation of the Arabic name for the species. The secretary bird feeds on small animals and reptiles, particularly snakes, generally by stalking them. Secretary birds rarely fly. These solitary birds build large, strong nests of twigs in trees or bushes.Ratel
The ratel is a skunk-like mammal native to Africa and parts of Asia. It is also known as a honey badger because bee honey is one of its favorite foods. In parts of Africa, the ratel finds beehives with the help of a bird that eats bee larvae. The bird calls the ratel to tear open the hive with its strong claws, and then both animals feed on the contents. Ratels are extremely difficult to kill. Their skin is unusually tough and is attached loosely to the body, making it hard for other animals to grasp. Animal bites, bee stings, or porcupine quills usually do not penetrate the ratel’s tough hide. As an added deterrent to predators, the anal glands of ratels emit a foul-smelling liquid.Pygmy Hippopotamus
The pygmy hippopotamus is the smallest member of the hippo family, weighing only 350 to 550 lbs compared to the 8,000 lb river hippo. Due to habitat destruction, the pygmy hippo is found only in a small area in western Africa. They are nocturnal and solitary, so it is difficult to observe them in the wild. Like all hippos, pygmy hippos are herbivores and graze on grasses, succulent plants, fallen fruit, and other low-lying vegetation. Most pygmy hippos in American zoos today are descended from one that was given to President Calvin Coolidge in 1927.Meerkat
The meerkat is a small member of the mongoose family that inhabits the dry open areas and savannahs of southern Africa. Meerkats are known for their upright posture and highly sociable behavior, similar to prairie dogs. These social animals live in colonies (called a mob) and dig elaborate underground burrows. Meerkats typically stand up straight on their hind legs or even their toes to sniff the wind and search for attacking vultures. They have excellent vision and are capable of making at least ten types of sounds, including an alarm bark.Nile Monitor
The Nile monitor is among the world’s largest lizards and lives near rivers and streams in sub-Saharan Africa. It has an aggressive temperament and great physical power in its jaws, legs, and tail (which it often uses as a slashing weapon). The Nile monitor is carnivorous and tends to swallow its prey whole. It eats grasshoppers, beetles, birds, fish, rodents, and even other lizards. While primarily dwelling on the ground near the water, Nile monitors have been known to climb trees to eat eggs from bird nests.Masai Giraffe
The Masai giraffe is the tallest land animal. All giraffes have short, dense fur with an intricate pattern of dark patches that range from tannish-yellow to chestnut brown. This coloration helps giraffes blend in among trees and leaves and makes them harder for predators to spot. Although no two giraffe skin patterns are exactly the same, some regional patterns are so common and distinct that zoologists have identified a number of giraffe subspecies, including the Masai, based on the patterns. The Masai giraffe has patches with complex jagged outlines.Mandrill
The mandrill is a terrestrial baboon of tropical West Africa. The male mandrill is considered to be the most colorful mammal in the world. Its muzzle has large bony ridges that are covered with longitudinally ribbed naked skin in vivid colors of blue and red. The mandrill has a muscular, stout body with strong limbs and enormous canine teeth that add to its fierce appearance.Gerenuk
The gerenuk (Somali for “giraffe-necked”) is a relative of the gazelle, but it has an elongated neck that allows it to eat trees and plants that are several feet tall. It sometimes stands on its hind legs to feed from trees and uses its forelegs to pull the branches down within reach. Gerenuks live in small groups and, because they are such adaptable eaters, they have no specific mating season during the year. Gerenuks are often prey for cheetahs, leopards, lions, and jackals.Gelada
The gelada is closely related to the baboon, but its nostrils are farther from the tip of its mouth. The male gelada has a very distinctive cape of hair that covers its head and hangs down its back. The gelada lives in the mountain grasslands primarily in Ethiopia. It eats a diet of grass, roots, bulbs, and occasional insects. Because of this restricted diet, it spends much of the day grazing. Geladas have a complex social structure and communicate with a multitude of sounds, tactile communication, and facial expressions.Ethiopian Wolf
The Ethiopian wolf is the only wolf found in Africa, and it exists in only a handful of mountain ranges in Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is a carnivore that generally feeds on rodents, either by digging them from their burrows or by chasing them down. On rare occasions, Ethiopian wolves hunt cooperatively to bring down a larger animal, such as a young antelope.Caracal
The caracal (also known as the Persian lynx) is a predator that is native to the savannas and dry, rocky hills of Africa and Asia. It has a reddish-brown coat, white belly, and tufts of black hair on the tips of its ears. The name “caracal” means “black ears” in Turkish. Caracals are very quick hunters who prey on rodents, small antelope, and birds (even if they’re roosting at the tops of trees).Bongo
The bongo is a chestnut-colored antelope that lives in the forests of central and western Africa. Like other antelope, the bongo has distinctive white vertical stripes down its shoulders, like dripped pastry icing. Both males and females have spiraling horns. The bongo lives on a diet of roots, sweet potatoes, branch tips, and shoots. Its tongue can wrap around food so it can easily feed from tall plants. The bongo is a private, shy animal that runs if it is the least bit frightened.Barbary Ape
The Barbary ape is not an ape at all but instead a tail-less monkey. It is the only macaque that is native to regions outside Asia, and it is abundant in some parts of North Africa. In the wild, the Barbary ape lives in communities of up to 30 members among the high cedars and oak forests of the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria.African Spurred Tortoise
The African spurred tortoise is the largest land tortoise on the African continent. It eats a high-fiber diet of grasses and depends on succulent plants for its water supply. Because the African spurred tortoise grows so large, it also needs foods that are high in calcium. The African spurred tortoise is very strong and aggressive, with males often attempting to flip each other over. When it’s hot, the African spurred tortoise burrows in mud to avoid dehydration, and after a cold night it sometimes basks in the morning sunshine to warm up.African Buffalo
The African buffalo is a large, imposing wild ox that inhabits southern and central Africa. It lives in a herd and is a cud-chewing herbivore with permanent horns that form a massive helmet called a “boss” over its forehead. The African buffalo is considered the most dangerous of all African big game species.Aardvark
The aardvark (Afrikaans for “earth pig”) is found throughout much of Africa, from the southern part of Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope. It is a nocturnal animal that lives in burrows and feeds on ants, termites, and other insects. When it digs a burrow, the aardvark uses its fleshy tail to throw back earth. It has an arched back, a tubular snout, and large, upright ears. It uses its chisel-shaped claws to break open the hard clay of termite nests and then eats them with its sticky tongue.6/22/2007
Wolverine
The wolverine is a carnivorous mammal native to the northern regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. The wolverine's body is heavyset, the legs are short and thick, and the claws are long and curved. It has thick fur composed of long glossy hairs. The wolverine is nocturnal and does not hibernate. In spite of its seemingly clumsy movements, it can move swiftly. Wolverines will eat bird eggs, berries, and any animal they can kill. Lacking live prey, they will eat carrion. They are adept at robbing the traps that hunters set for other animals. Although once abundant, the wolverine is now rare due to overhunting, both for its fur and because it is viewed as a pest by some people.Spectacled Bear
The spectacled bear is a small South American bear with distinctive facial coloring that resembles a ring encircling each eye. Its present range extends from Bolivia to Colombia, where it is restricted to high, steep, rugged areas unsuitable for agriculture. Spectacled bears feed mostly on wild fruits (especially figs) and on leaves, small animals, insects, and succulent herbs and grasses. They often stay in the tops of trees for extended periods. They are rather vocal, trilling as they travel, and the young hum when relaxed. Spectacled bears are not a significant threat to humans, but they can do serious damage to agricultural crops. Killing for meat or to reduce crop damage takes a serious toll on spectacled bear populations.Spanish Lynx
The Spanish lynx is a wild carnivore of the cat family. It has a stout body, disproportionately long legs, large paws, and thick, soft fur. Spanish lynx are agile climbers and sometimes wait among the limbs of trees to prey upon weaker mammals and terrestrial birds that pass beneath them. It is also common for lynx to stalk their prey. In inclement weather, lynx take shelter in caves or in hollow trees or logs. Spanish lynx are hunted for their fur and considered a critically endangered species.Scrimitar Horned Oryx
The scimitar horned oryx is a critically endangered species that lives in Africa and the Middle East. They live in dry places and deserts devoid of large vegetation, where hunters in motor vehicles find them easy to chase. After several decades of motorized hunting, the scimitar horned oryx is listed as extinct in the wild. Small populations now survive only in protected parks and in some zoos.Prezewalski's Wild Horse
The Przewalski’s wild horse is a subspecies of the domestic horse. It is small and stocky, with a large head and a long tail. In the late 19th century, the range of the Przewalski’s horse consisted of the steppes and deserts of Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and parts of China. Loss of habitat and hunting of the Przewalski's horse by humans caused such a drastic decline in the population that the Przewalski's horse disappeared from the wild. It now exists only in captivity in zoos and wildlife parks.Orangutan
The orangutan is the great ape of Southeast Asia. Its name means "man of the jungle" in Malay, an Austronesian language. Orangutans live only on the island of Borneo and in the northern corner of the island of Sumatra. The orangutan spends most of its time in trees, using its long arms and hook-shaped hands and feet for grasping branches and vines. Although it is illegal to kill, own, or export orangutans, poaching continues. Also, the orangutan habitat is rapidly diminishing as a result of large-scale logging and burning of forests. The massive forest fires on Sumatra and Borneo in 1997 and 1998 killed thousands of orangutans and destroyed the habitat of thousands more, endangering the survival of the species.Markhor
The markhor is the largest wild goat. It is native to mountainous regions of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and northern India. Markhors are noted for their massive, spirally twisted horns. The markhor has a long, silky coat, which is pale reddish brown in summer and rusty iron gray in winter. Males inhabiting the northern regions of the markhor's range grow long flowing manes and long beards, which reach almost to their knees. Sportsmen once regarded the markhor as an excellent game animal. However, competition from domestic livestock, loss of habitat to human populations, and excessive hunting have seriously depleted markhor populations, and the species is endangered.Komodo Dragon
The Komodo dragon is the largest monitor lizard. It lives on tropical islands, including Komodo, in Indonesia. The Komodo dragon is a fierce predator and scavenger. Its mouth carries a virulent bacteria, making its bite potentially fatal. It also has a long, forked, snakelike tongue and is able to engulf and swallow large prey whole. The Komodo dragon is a fast runner with a tapered head, long neck, strong legs, and a long, powerful tail. It feeds on insects, birds, reptiles and their eggs, small mammals, and carrion. The Komodo dragon is listed as a threatened species.Koala
The koala is a tree-dwelling marsupial with a specialized diet consisting almost exclusively of the leaves of eucalyptus trees, which are poisonous to most other animals. Koalas are native to Australia, where they are sometimes called koala bears, although koalas are not related to bears. Koala young complete their development inside a pouch on the mother's abdomen. Few wild animals rival the koala bear in popularity and recognition. Its teddy-bear appearance inspires human affection and intense concern for its survival, as more and more eucalyptus forests are cleared to make room for farmland, housing, and industry.Javan Rhinoceros
The Javan rhinoceros lives in dense tropical forests on the island of Java in southern Indonesia and in some parts of Vietnam. It is heavily hunted for its single horn, which is used in traditional medicines. It is critically endangered, with fewer than 60 animals left in the wild.Galapagos Giant Tortise
The Galapagos giant tortoise is among the world's most critically endangered tortoises. Huge numbers of these tortoises were killed by the crews of whaling ships during the early 19th century. Today, these giant tortoises are threatened by many of the animals that humans have introduced to the Galapagos Islands, including pigs that eat tortoise eggs, rats that eat hatchlings, and goats that eat vegetation that tortoises rely on for food. The Galapagos giant tortoises are now legally protected under the laws of Ecuador.Grey Wolf
The gray wolf is the largest member of the wild dog family. It is a powerful, social animal that lives in a pack with a strict hierarchy. Gray wolves usually mate for life. Wolves howl to promote unity within the pack and to signal the pack's presence to other wolves. The pack works cooperatively to hunt deer, caribou, and moose. Although wolves rarely interfere with humans, humans have a long history of intentionally destroying gray wolf populations. Gray wolves were once the most widespread of all large mammals other than humans, with a range that extended over much of the Northern Hemisphere.
6/12/2007
Giant Sable Antelope
The giant sable antelope is a critically endangered African species that has been overhunted for its impressive, hollow horns. Unlike deer, antelope keep their horns throughout their life, and their horns can grow up to 5 ft long. They look formidable, but their value as weapons is limited. To survive, antelopes rely on their ability to spot danger and to make a rapid escape. This defense system enables them to evade most wildlife predators, but it offers only partial protection from human hunters interested in antelope hide, horn, or meat, and offers no protection at all from changes to their habitat.Florida Panther
The Florida panther is the only cougar found east of the Mississippi in North America. The Everglades and cypress swamps of southern Florida provide one of the last refuges in the eastern United States for this animal. It is classified as a critically endangered species and is protected by state and federal law. The Florida panther has also received extraordinary public support in Florida and was championed by a campaign of schoolchildren and named the official state animal in 1982.Fennec Fox
The fennec fox is a small canid that lives in the deserts of northern Africa. It resembles its relative, the fox, except for its erect ears, each of which is as large as its face. The fennec can dig with great speed, and when pursued it seems almost to dive into the sand. Its burrow is lined with soft material, such as bits of fur and feathers. Fennecs usually sleep during the day, coming out at night to seek prey. It feeds mainly on mice, small birds, lizards, insects, and sometimes fruit, and it can go without water for indefinite periods of time, which is an adaptation to its desert habitat.Crested Gibbon
The crested gibbon is a small anthropoid ape found in the subequatorial forests of India, Indochina, and the Malay Archipelago. It uses its long arms to swing from tree to tree with great agility, using its hands as hooks rather than grasping the limbs. The gibbon is the only anthropoid ape to walk on its hind limbs only, usually raising its arms for balance. Gibbons eat leaves, fruit, flower parts, insects, spiders, birds, and bird eggs. They are usually quiet during the day but commonly howl at sunrise and in late afternoon. Populations of wild gibbons have been severely reduced due to hunting and deforestation.Caribou
The caribou is a North American deer of the same species as the reindeer of Eurasia. Both males and females have antlers. Caribou usually live in small herds of cows and calves and a few bulls. The staple diet of caribou is lichens, but they also eat grasses, shrubs, tree shoots, and mushrooms. Plans for oil- and gas-pipeline construction in Alaska and Canada were altered, through environmentalist efforts, so as not to interfere with caribou migration.Baird's Tapir
The Baird’s tapir is an ungulate with a bulky body, short legs, and a head with a short, flexible proboscis. It lives in dense forests and grassy areas of Central and South America and Asia. When tapirs are threatened, they flee to the water or into dense underbrush for safety. Their squeal seems to be a means of communication with other members of the family group in the thick foliage of the rain forest. They feed on leaves, fruit, and other vegetation. The only enemies of tapirs, in addition to humans, are members of the cat family. Habitat loss, due to clear-cutting has brought Baird’s tapirs to the edge of extinction.American Bison
The American bison is the largest terrestrial animal in North America, where it is commonly called a buffalo. It has a hump over its front shoulders, short horns, and a massive head. Until the 19th century, as many as 60 million bison lived on the Great Plains from Mexico into Canada. From 1830 to 1889, methodical destruction by settlers, for sport and for hides, reduced this number to less than 1000. Today more than 200,000 bison live in protected areas and on private ranches.African Wild Dog
The African wild dog (also known as the Cape hunting dog) is a small, carnivorous dog found in Africa. It has black skin, long legs, and is covered with short, sparse fur in a range of colors and patterns. Its large ears are rounded, and each paw has only four toes. African wild dogs live in packs. They travel extensively in their search for food, and a pack can bring down large animals, such as lions.6/06/2007
Thomson's Gazelle
The Thomson's gazelle migrates between the African forests and the steppe. After the rains, it feeds on the fresh green grasses of the Serengeti Plain. Though usually found in herds of 20, these gazelle mass in the thousands for up to a few days for breeding. Its S-shaped horns offer some protection from predators, but its real defense is to flee. To confuse their enemies and to warn the herd, Thomson's gazelles bounce high into the air with their legs stretched down stiffly when alarmed. This behavior is called "stotting" or "pronking."Sonw Leopard
The snow leopard is a large cat native to the Himalayan mountains of Central Asia. It has a thick layer of soft underfur covered by thick, long hair. The beautiful coat is pale gray, with black rosettes and small spots, and a black streak along the spine provides perfect camouflage in its mountainous habitat. The snow leopard has wide, furry paws that serve as snowshoes, preventing it from sinking into the snow. Although considered to be nocturnal, it is most active at dawn and dusk. It eats wild sheep, goats, and hares. Snow leopards have never been known to roar.Ring Tailed Lemur
The ring tailed lemur is found only on the island of Madagascar and the nearby islands of Comoros. Their habitat ranges from tropical deciduous forest to semi-desert, and they are comfortable both on the ground and climbing trees. In contrast to other more arboreal lemurs, the ring-tail spends much of its time on the ground. It lives largely on wild figs and other fruits.Reticulated Giraffe
The reticulated giraffe is one of the most striking subspecies of the giraffe, the tallest living animal. Giraffes live in tree-scattered terrain in Africa. Female giraffes give birth in one of several specific "calving areas" in their home ranges and return to these grounds to bear subsequent calves. Strong and well-developed at birth, calves nonetheless frequently fall to predators in their first year of life. The gender of a grazing giraffe can be determined at a great distance with considerable accuracy. Almost invariably, males feed with their necks and tongues completely outstretched to reach the foliage of very tall trees, and females bend their heads over the tops of smaller trees.Red Panda
The red panda is a raccoon-like animal, similar in size to a large cat, with thick, reddish-brown fur. Like the giant panda, the red panda has a sixth digit near the wrist that aids in eating. The long, bushy tail has rings of red and yellow. Red pandas are found on steep mountains in western China and in the Tibetan Himalayas. They live in pairs and small groups in bamboo forests, on which they feed. They are nocturnal, sleeping in trees during the day. In the past the red panda has been classified in the raccoon family and the bear family. More recently some scientists place the red panda in the family Ailuridae, which is separate from both the raccoon and bear families.Red Kangaroo
The red kangaroo is among the largest members of the kangaroo family. Kangaroos are marsupials, a type of mammal that gives birth to undeveloped young that are carried and nurtured in a special pouch on the mother's body. In Australia, the red kangaroo has increased in numbers in response to people. Sheep ranchers favor this largest of the continent's native mammals by converting woodlands to grassland, providing sources of permanent water and fencing out or killing the dingo. Even though it may be persecuted by these same ranchers as a competitor of their livestock, the red kangaroo has benefited overall, and its population stands in the millions.
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