Bison

Bison are true even-toed mammals that belong to the family Bovidae. There are two kinds of Bison species (also known as Buffalo) that inhabit our planet, they are the American Bison (Bison bison) which include the species American plains bison (Bison bison bison) and the American wood bison (Bison bison athabascae), and the European Bison (Bison bonasus) which are also referred to as 'Wisent'. Altogether, there were originally 6 species of Bison, however, 4 are now extinct.

Bison Description

Male Bison are referred to as 'Bulls' and females are referred to as 'Cows'. American Bison and European Bison are very similar in appearance. Bison are huge, powerful, aggressive bovine mammals with solid muscular heads and necks which are covered with brown shaggy fur. They use their very strong heads to shove and head-butt each other to win females during breeding season.

Both males and females have sharp, curved horns extending from the sides of their heads which are used to defend themselves against predators. Bison have humped shoulders and short legs. Their tails are long and have a furry tuft at the end. Bison measure between 2.1 and 3.5 metres (7 - 11 feet) in length and weigh between 350 - 1,000 kilograms (770 - 2,200 pounds). They stand around 2 metres (6.6 feet) tall. Males are slightly larger than females which is typical in ungulates. During the winter months, they have a dark brown thick coat which is shed and turns lighter brown in the summer months. European Bison are slightly less shaggy than their American relatives, however, they are more powerfully built. Bison have quite poor eyesight, however, their hearing and sense of smell is very good. They are able to detect another animal by smell at a distance of 3 kilometres.

Some other physical and behavioural differences between the American Bison and the European Bison

The American Bison has 15 ribs, while the European Bison only has 14 ribs.The American Bison has four lumbar vertebrae, while the European Bison has five.Adult American Bison have shorter legs than the European Bison.American Bison tend to graze more and browse less due to their necks being set differently. The nose of the European species is set further forward than the forehead when the neck is in a neutral position. American Bison are hairier, though its tail has less hair than that of the European Bison. The horns of the European Bison point forward through the plane of their faces, making them more adept at fighting through the interlocking of horns in the same manner as domestic cattle, unlike the American Bison which favours charging.American Bison are more easily tamed than their European cousins and breed with domestic cattle more readily.

Bison Habitat

American Bison can be found in National Parks, prairies, woodlands and grasslands of North America. European Bison are found in forests and grasslands in large parts of Europe including England.

Bison Diet

Bison are herbivores and move around grasslands feeding on leaves, twigs, bark, berries and a wide variety of grasses and rushes. Their favourite plants include willow, aspen, ash, mistletoe and blackberry. They also eat mushrooms, ferns, lichens, mosses and acorns. Bison do not have a problem finding food during the winter as they swing their huge heads from side to side to disperse snow and find food.

Bison Behaviour

Mature bulls move in separate herds from the cows and their young. They join during the late summer which is their breeding season. Bulls will compete with each other for females by ramming and butting each other.

A bull with its head lowered is a menacing spectacle.

Bison often rub their shoulders and rumps against boulders and tree trunks and also enjoy taking mud and dust baths in shallow wet or dry depressions in the soil called 'wallows'. This wallowing behaviour helps them to scratch off fly larvae and other parasites that live on their hides.

Bison can run very fast despite their huge size and can reach speeds of up to 55 kilometres per hour. They are also excellent swimmers but are very buoyant and their heads, humps and tails stay above the waters surface. Bison rest during the day and do their grazing during the night and at dusk.

The main predators of Bison are Wolves and sometimes Grizzly Bears. Bison display various defence behaviours, particularly bulls, when protecting cows and calves. Cows and calves are always at the front of a fleeing herd and the bulls remain at the rear to guard them.
Bison Reproduction

Bison breeding season occurs in late summer around August and September. Bison are polygamous (a mating structure in which a single individual of one gender has exclusive access to several individuals of the opposite gender). Dominant bulls maintain a small harem of females for mating. Following mating, the bull guards the female for several days to prevent other rival bulls from mating with her. After a gestation period of around 9 months, a single calf is born in the springtime. Births occur every 1 - 2 years. Females and their young herd together to form 'playgroups' where calves socialise with each other. At around 2 months, calves begin to develop their distinctive shoulders, humps and horns which are used in playfights. The playfights allow them to develop their skills that ultimately serve in the ruts adult males undertake during breeding season. Young bison are lighter in colour for their first 3 months of life. Young Bison are nursed for around one year. Very rarely, a calf may turn entirely white. White Bison are considered sacred by many Native Americans. Bison are sexually mature at the age of 1 - 2 years. The life span of a bison is 20 years in the wild and 40 years in captivity.

Bison Conservation Status

Bison are a near endangered species. Both the American and the European Bison were once in abundance, forming herds of over 2,000 individuals in their native habitats. However, American Bison were saved from extinction as they were almost wiped out completely by hunters in the 19th century as grasslands were cleared to make way for agriculture. European Bison are even more rarer than their American relatives. European Bison disappeared from Western Europe by the late middle ages and became extinct in Eastern Germany by the 18th century. Their main decline was due to loss of habitat and an increase in hunting as human populations increased across Northern Europe. By the 20th century, European Bison were only found in Poland and by 1925, both populations were extinct. However, new bison populations have been established from captive European Bisons in zoos.

Camels

Camels are even-toed ungulates, meaning 'hoofed animals'. There are several groups of ungulate mammals whose weight is distributed about equally by the third and fourth toes as they move around. Camels are native to the dry desert areas of western Asia and central and east Asia. The name camel comes from the Greek kámēlos from the Hebrew 'gamal' or Arabic 'Jamal'.
There are two main species of camel, the Dromedary Camel sometimes called the Arabian Camel which has a single hump and are warmer climate dwellers and the Bactrian Camel which has two humps and are rugged cold-climate camels.

Fossil evidence indicates that the ancestors of modern camels evolved in North America during the Palaeogene period (a period of geologic time that lasting 42 million years and is a time when mammals evolved) and later spread to Asia.

There are almost 14 million Dromedary camels alive today that are domesticated animals, mostly living in Somalia, Sudan, Mauritania and nearby countries.

The Bactrian camel once had an enormous range, however, it is now reduced to an estimated 1.4 million animals, mostly domesticated. It is thought that there are about 1000 wild Bactrian camels in the Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia.

Humans first domesticated camels between 3,500 - 3,000 years ago. The Dromedary camel and the Bactrian camel are both still used for milk (which is more nutritious than cows milk), meat and as beasts of burden (an animal that is kept by humans and trained as a working animal), the Dromedary camel in western Asia and the Bactrian camel further to the north and east in central Asia.

Camel Characteristics

Camels are camelids, members of the biological family Camelidae, the only living family in the suborder Tylopoda. Camels tend to be large and are strictly herbivorous. Camels differ from ruminants in several ways.

Camels have a three-chambered rather than a four-chambered digestive tract. They have an upper lip that is split in two with each part separately mobile, Camels also have an isolated incisor in the upper jaw. The red blood cells in camels are oval shaped, unlike those of other mammals, which are circular. This is to facilitate their flow in a dehydrated state. These cells are also more stable in order to withstand high osmotic variation (the diffusion of water through a cell wall or membrane) without rupturing when drinking large amounts of water.
A fully grown adult camel stands 1.85 metres (6 feet) at the shoulder and 2.15 metres (7 feet) at the hump. Camels can run up to 65 kilometres per hour (40 miles per hour) in short bursts and sustain speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour (25 miles per hour).

The average life span of a camel is 30 to 60 years.

The term camel is also used more broadly to describe any of the six camel-like creatures in the family Camelidae. The two true camels and the four South American camelids, Llama, Alpaca, Guanaco and Vicuña.

Camels are well known for their humps. A camels hump or humps raise about 30 inches out of its body. Camels do not, however, store water in their humps as commonly believed, though they do serve this purpose through roundabout means. Camels humps are a reservoir of fatty tissue, while water is stored in their blood.

However, when this tissue is metabolised, it is not only a source of energy, but yields through reaction with oxygen. This allows camels to survive without water for about two weeks and without food for up to a month.

The kidneys of a camel are very efficient. Urine comes out as a thick syrup and their faeces are so dry that it can fuel fires.

Camels are able to withstand changes in body temperature and water content that would kill most other animals. Their temperature ranges from 34°C (93°F) at night up to 41°C (106°F) in the day and only above this threshold will they begin to sweat. This allows them to preserve about five litres of water a day. Camels can withstand at least 25% weight loss due to sweating.
A feature of their nostrils is that a large amount of water vapour when they exhale is trapped and returned to their body fluids, thereby reducing the amount of water lost through respiration.

A camels thick coat reflects sunlight. A shaved camel has to sweat 50% more to avoid overheating. It also insulates them from the intense heat that radiates from hot desert sand. Their long legs help by keeping them further from the hot ground. Camels have tough feet so that they can endure the scorching desert sands. Camels have been known to swim if given the chance.

A camels mouth is very sturdy and they are able to chew thorny desert plants. Long eyelashes and ear hairs, together with closeable nostrils, form an effective barrier against sand. Camels pace (moving both legs on one side at the same time) and their widened feet help them move without sinking into the sand.

All member species of the Camelids are known to have a highly unusual immune system, where part of the antibody repertoire is composed of immunoglobulins without light chain. Whether and how this contributes to their resistance to harsh environments is currently unknown.

Armadillo

Armadillos belong to the order 'Cingulata'. They are related to Anteaters and Sloths (superorder Xenarthra) who belong to the order 'Pilosa'. Both groups are unique in having a double vena cava vein in the lower part of the body and additional moving joints called 'xenarthrales' on the lower lumbar vertebrae. The two groups can be separated in that Armadillos have an armoured upper body and Anteaters and Sloths have fur. There are around 20 species of Armadillo found in North and South America in various habitats from tropical rainforests to dry savannas and grasslands.
The name Armadillo is spanish and means 'little armoured one'. The most common and populated Armadillo is the Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) who has extended its range in Central America due to lack of natural predators.

Armadillo Description

Armadillos are small placental mammals that measure between 13 - 150 centimetres and weigh between 85 grams - 54 kilograms depending on species.
The largest is the Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus) at 89 centimetres in length of which a third is its tail, weighing typically 28 kilograms and dark brown in colour and the smallest is the Pink Fairy Armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) at 90 - 115 millimetres in length and pink/pale rose in colour.
Other species measure somewhere in between and can be coloured black, red, grey or yellow. Some Armadillos can be distinguished by the number of bands that are present on their armour.
The Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) and the Southern Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus) are the only species who can roll themselves into a ball. They measure between 41 - 53 centimetres in length, have stout tails and sharp claws.
They are compact animals with a rear plate, a front plate and three movable plates in the middle which allow them to roll into a tight ball, a highly effective form of defence against predators. Other species of Armadillo rely on their armour for protection.
An Armadillos armour is made from dermal bone which is covered in small, over-lapping epidermal scales called 'scutes'. Their under parts are covered in soft skin and fur. Armadillos have very sharp claws which they use to dig for food and to make their burrows with. Although Armadillos have under-developed vision, they rely heavily on their acute sense of smell for seeking out insects and other prey. Just like Anteaters, Armadillos have a very long, sticky tongue which they use to capture ants and termites. They have short, stout legs with 5 clawed toes on their hind feet and 3 - 5 clawed toes on the forefeet. Armadillos have a large number of peg-like cheek teeth which they use to crush the exoskeletons of insects. They have pointed snouts, small eyes and small ears.

Armadillo Habitat

Armadillos have a wide variety of warm habitats depending on species. Habitats can range from tropical rainforests to grasslands, dry deserts and savannas. Armadillos do not like cold weather because of their low metabolic rate and their lack of fat stores.

Armadillo Diet

Most Armadillos are omnivores. Different Armadillo species have different diets. Some eat insects, grubs, plants, fruit and small invertebrates, however, a majority feed entirely on ants and termites (formicivorous). Armadillos usually forage for food in the early mornings and evenings.

Armadillo Behaviour

Armadillos are solitary, mostly nocturnal animals that do not share their burrows with other adult Armadillos. Armadillos tend to sleep for long periods up to 16 hours per day. Armadillos are very good swimmers having a very efficient dog-paddle and they can remain underwater for around 6 minutes. For the Armadillo to be able to swim, it has to inflate its stomach and intestines with air otherwise it would just sink due to the weight of its armour. They can also jump around 3 feet straight up into the air when alarmed. Armadillos mark their territories with secretions from their face, feet and rear.

Armadillo Reproduction

Depending on species, the gestation period of the female Armadillo can last anywhere between 60 - 120 days. In some species such as the Nine-banded Armadillo, delayed implantation occurs whereby the young are not born until 8 months after mating takes place. This aids their ability to colonize new areas. Female Armadillos give birth to 4 identical infants of the same sex, which is not known of any other animal. All 4 infants develop from the same egg and share the same placenta. Infant Armadillos do not have armour, instead they have a soft leathery skin which hardens as it grows. Infants are weaned at around 10 weeks. Armadillos reach sexual maturity at between 3 - 12 months. The life span of an Armadillo is around 15 years in captivity.

Armadillo Conservation Status

Armadillos are classed as a 'Threatened' species except for the Nine-banded Armadillo whose population is expanding. Major threats are habitat loss and over-hunting. Armadillo flesh is consumed in the Americas by some cultures.
Here are some more Armadillo species and some general information about them.
Andean Hairy Armadillo (Chaetophractus nationi) - present in Bolivia, in the region of the Puna. This Armadillo has 18 bands of which 8 are movable. They are coloured yellow/light brown. They have a body length of between 8 - 15 inches and a tail length of 3 - 6 inches. It lives in grasslands at high altitudes. Omnivorous diet includes small vertebrates such as birds and reptiles and it also eats insects, roots, seeds and fruit. During hot weather, this species is active at night and active during the day when weather is cooler. Burrows can be as long as 10 feet in length. They are solitary except during breeding season which is during the summer months. Gestation period is 2 months. Two young are born in the burrows. Females can have multiple litters per year. Males do not help to raise the young. Sexual maturity is reached at around 9 months. They have a life span of up to 16 years. Andean Hairy Armadillos are an endangered species.
Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) - endemic to Brazil, South America. One of only 2 species of Armadillo that can roll itself into a ball. Preferred habitat is savannas and dry woodland. Main diet includes ants and termites. Also eats mollusks, worms, fruit and carrion. It has a long sticky tongue to lap up ants. Weight is 1.5 kilograms and body length 41 - 53 centimetres. Armoured upper parts and long course hair on under parts. Solitary animals but will occasionally travel in family groups of up to 3 members. They are nocturnal animals but have been known to forage during the day. Breeding season is from October to January. Gestation period lasts 120 days after which a single, blind infant is born. Infants are able to roll into balls within a few hours of birth. Infants are weaned at 10 weeks and reach sexual maturity at 9 - 12 months. Life span is up to 15 years in the wild. Brazilian Three-banded Armadillos are classed as a 'Vulnerable' species.
Greater Naked-tailed Armadillo (Cabassous tatouay) - found in Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay (South America). It has a body length of 63.5 centimetres and weighs 5.40 kilograms. This species resembles the Giant Armadillo but lacks the armour on their tails. Usually found along rivers and on grasslands. They are nocturnal animals who forage for food at night. When threatened, they are able to bury themselves within minutes. They make a grunting sound similar to a pig when handled. Their diet consists mainly of ants but they also consume invertebrates found in anthills and termite mounds. Females give birth to one infant per year. Life span is 12 - 15 years.
Pink Fairy Armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) - found in central Argentina. This Armadillo is the smallest of the species. It has a body length of 4 - 5 inches long and weighs 120 grams. It has very small eyes and ears and has long silky hair on its under parts and is coloured pink/pale rose. Its preferred habitat is dry grasslands and sandy plains with thorny bush and cacti. Its main diet is ants and ant larvae. Their burrows are usually made close to ant nests. This Armadillo has the ability to bury itself in seconds if alarmed. Females give birth to one infant, sometimes twins. They have a life span of 5 - 10 years. The Pink Fairy Armadillo is listed as an endangered species.
Screaming Hairy Armadillo (Chaetophractus vellerosus) - found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Paraguay. Head and body length of this animal is from 220 to 400 millimetres and their weight is 84 kilograms on average. The length of its tail is from 90 to 175 millimetres. This species has a total of 18 bands with 6 - 8 movable bands and they have more hair growth than other Armadillo species. Their limbs and under parts have light brown and white hairs. It is a solitary, nocturnal animal foraging for food during the night. Diets consists mainly of insects and plants (omnivore), however, during the summer it will also feed up on lizards, snakes and rodents. Gestation period is is 60 - 75 days. Two litter per year are produced. Sexual maturity is reached at 9 months. Its name is derived from the high pitched squeal it makes when threatened.

Giant Anteater

Anteaters belong to the order 'Pilosa' which also includes Sloths. The Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) is the largest of the Anteater species, hence its name. Other Anteater species include the Silky Anteater (Cyclopes didactylus) and the Collared Anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla). Giant Anteaters can be found in forests and savannas throughout Central and South America from Belize to Northern Argentina but are more common in the South.

Giant Anteater Description

Anteaters are one of the more stranger-looking animals on our planet. The Giant Anteater can measure up to 2 metres (6.5 feet) in length from nose to tail and weigh 40 - 100 pounds. The Giant Anteaters coat is coloured greyish/brown with black and white diagonal markings on their shoulders. Their hair is course on the upper parts but long and shaggy on the under parts and tail.
Their tail is long and bushy and can measure 2 - 3 feet alone. Their heads are long and narrow with a small black snout on the end. Their eyes and ears are small and they have a very long sticky tongue.
Giant Anteaters have four short, stout legs. Each foot consists of 5 digits with the 3 middle digits on their front paws being equipped with huge, sharp claws which are used for breaking open termite and ant nests. Because they have these long claws on their paws, the anteater has to walk on its knuckles with their claws folded underneath to protect them. Their claws are very strong and this strength is necessary as the termite and ant nests are mixed with soil and termite saliva which become extremely hard when baked in the sun. Anteaters have no teeth and after scooping out the insects with their long tongues, the anteater crushes them with pad-like growths inside their mouths before swallowing them. Although the Anteaters sight and hearing are not very well developed, they have a superb sense of smell. Giant Anteaters have a rather small brain in comparison to their body size although they have large skulls which can extend up to 18 inches in length.

Giant Anteater Habitat

The Giant Anteaters preferred habitats are grasslands, tropical forests, open woodlands and dry savannas.

Giant Anteater Diet

Giant Anteaters are specialist carnivorous predators of termites and ants. They detect anthills and termite mounds with their acute sense of smell. When they have located their prey, the anteater digs open the nest with its huge, sharp claws. The anteater then inserts its very long tongue into the nest and extracts the insects which are then placed in the digestive system.
The anteater has huge salivary glands that produce large amounts of sticky saliva to the tongue which allows many ants, termites and their eggs to stick to it at one time. The tongues microscopic spine-like protrusions further aid the eating process. Its tongue can extend up to 2 feet in length and can be flicked in and out of the insects nest twice a second. As many as 30,000 - 35,000 ants can be consumed in one day. Anteaters never completely destroy a nest. The insects can repair their damage quickly and the anteater is able to return to the nest to feed again. Anteaters are very careful to avoid the dangerous and aggressive Soldier Ants.

Giant Anteater Behraviour

Giant Anteaters are solitary animals. Only mothers and their young are generally seen together. Anteaters are wandering animals and tend not to stay in one spot although some males can have territories of one square mile (larger for females). Territories are marked with anal secretions. Occupying both rural and densely populated areas, the anteater is more nocturnal if residing in populated regions hunting for prey at night. In rural areas, anteaters will find a shelter for the night perhaps in a hollow tree or small ground depression after a days feeding. Anteaters are not very vocal animals, however, they will make a 'bellowing' sound if alarmed and infants will 'grunt' should they fall off their mothers backs.

Giant Anteater Reproduction

The gestation period for the female anteater is 6 months after which one infant will be born. Females give birth in a bipedal position (on hind legs) using her tail to support herself. Infants are born with their full fur and markings. The infant is fed from the females mammary glands for around 6 months and it will ride on its mothers back for up to a year even though it is capable of a small, slow gallop. The infant will remain with its mother for up to 2 years or until she becomes pregnant again. At this stage, the infant will depart from its mother to begin its own life and will reach sexual maturity (being able to breed) at between 2 - 4 years. The life span of an Anteater in the wild is around 14 years and in captivity, around 26 years.

Giant Anteater Conservation Status

The Giant Anteater is classed as 'Near Threatened' by the IUCN. As anteaters are placid creatures they are preyed upon by large cats such as Pumas and Jaguars. However, a cornered anteater will ride up on its hind legs, using its tail for support and use its long claws which are 4 inches long, to fight off the attacker. Anteaters are also hunted in South America for fur and food.

African Wild Dog

The African Wild Dog (Lycaon pictus) is a mammal native only to Africa. It is a member of the canidae family which also includes dogs, coyotes, dingos, jackals and wolves. The African Wild Dog is known by other names such as the Painted Hunting Dog, African Hunting Dog, Cape Hunting Dog and Painted Wolf. In Swahili it is referred to as 'Mbwa mwilu'. Its scientific name 'Lycaon pictus' comes from the Greek language for 'wolf' and Latin for 'painted'. The African Wild Dog is the only species in the Genus 'Lycaon'.

African Wild Dog Description

The African Wild Dog has an uniquely patterned coat. The irregular pattern is coloured with white, yellow, brown and black markings. Each pattern is unique to each individual, just like a Giraffes pattern and a humans fingerprints are individually unique. African Wild Dogs have slim, lean bodies and long, slender legs. They have large, rounded distinctive ears and a long tail which has a white plume at the end.
Their muzzles are black and they have a black line which extends down their forehead. African Wild Dogs measure around 1.5 metres (5 feet) in length which includes its head and a tail length of around 30 - 40 centimetres. It stands around 75 centimetres at the shoulder and weighs 37 - 80 pounds. East and West African dogs tend to be smaller than those in South Africa. Males are usually larger than females in all regions. African Wild Dogs differ from other members of the canidae family in that they only have four toes on each paw instead of five as they lack dew claws (which is the fifth digit on other canids). African Wild Dogs have around 42 teeth including premolars that are much larger than in other canids allowing it to consume large amounts of bone.

African Wild Dog Habitat

The African Wild Dogs preferred habitats are open woodlands, grasslands and savannas. Dogs in the southern regions inhabit the open savannas of the sahara desert.
African Wild Dog Diet
African Wild Dogs are strict carnivores. They prey upon a variety of grazing animals particularly medium sized ungulates such as Zebras, Antelopes, Impalas, Gazelles and Springboks. Most of their diet is mammal prey, however, they do sometimes hunt large birds such as ostriches. Larger packs may hunt larger animals such as wildebeests. Warthogs are also hunted, however, care has to be taken not be inflicted with a potentially lethal wound by the warthogs sharp tusks although safety in numbers is usually the resolve. Wild dogs rarely consume carrion and will not return to an earlier kill.

African Wild Dog Behaviour and Hunting

African Wild Dogs live together in packs containing between 10 - 20 individuals. Home ranges vary in size and depend on the availability of prey but can be more than 1000 squared kilometres (620 square miles).
Packs often contain more males than females. Most members of the pack are related to each other in some way. Packs will contain an alpha male and female who are the main breeding pairs.
Males and females each have their own hierarchies with the oldest female being the dominant individual and in contrast, the youngest male taking charge of the males. Wild dogs are very sociable animals and have a submissive based hierarchy rather than a dominant one. Dominance is established without any fighting or blood-shed. Even over food, an individual will energetically beg rather than get into conflict. This non-aggressive approach is emphasised perhaps because if any injuries occur, the pack will be short of hunters and unable to provide as much for its members.
African Wild Dog packs have intense social bonds and these bonds are a great advantage during hunts. They are extremely co-operative as a hunting pack when running down and over-powering prey in long distance chases. Hunts are not strategically cunning at all. In the early, cool mornings and late afternoons the Wild Dogs will approach their prey in full view. Surprise attacks are unnecessary as African Wild Dogs have the stamina to chase prey until it is exhausted. The Wild Dogs top speed is 60 kilometres per hour (37 miles per hour) and prey will most often be able to gallop so what faster. However, prey will eventually be chased down over distances of 6 kilometres (3.5 miles). Typical hunts are seen more as an endurance chase. During these long distance chases, Wild Dogs will spread out to prevent prey from any sideways escape attempts. The preys zigzagging evasive movements which would normally confuse a lone hunter such as a Cheetah, are ineffective against the pack of wild dogs.
The hunting pack keep in touch constantly throughout the hunt by producing high pitched yapping contact calls. As the exhausted prey eventually slows down, the dogs surround it targeting their softer underparts and killing their victim. Wild Dog hunts have a high success rate with 3 out of 4 hunts resulting in a kill. While a whole herd of ungulates may be targeted, the eventual victim will be the one who falls behind due to age or sickness. African Wild Dogs have a very powerful bite and their large molars and premolars allow them to easily crush the bones of their catch. When the dogs have eaten their prey, they return to the pack and regurgitate the food to pups, older dogs and to members that where not part of the hunt.

African Wild Dog Reproduction

There is no particular breeding season for the African Wild Dog although mating can increase through the latter part of the rainy season around March and June. After a gestation period of around 70 days, the female gives birth to a litter of around 10 pups (few usually survive because of predators). Pups are born in an underground den or another animals abandoned den (usually an Aardvark). Pups are weaned at 10 weeks and when they reach 3 months, they leave the den to begin running with the pack. They are able to kill small prey at 11 months and can fend for themselves at around 14 months. Pups are able to breed when they reach sexual maturity at between 12 - 18 months.
Male wild dogs continue to stay with their birth pack, however, females may leave and join other packs that lack sexually mature females. This behaviour is quite unusual as it is the opposite way round with most other social animals. Other unusual traits of the wild dogs is that the females will compete for access to the males and males are often left to rear the pups while the female joins the hunting pack. The average life span of a wild dog is 10 years.

African Wild Dog Conservation Status

African Wild Dogs are an endangered species. Once there were around 500,000, now there are only 2,000 - 5,000 in existence today mostly living in national parks or preserves. Major threats to wild dogs are hunting and habitat loss. Competition with larger carnivores such as lions and spotted hyenas is also a problem for the wild dog as they both pursue the same type of prey. Lions will kill as many wild dogs as it can, but it does not eat them. Wild dogs are also killed by farmers who want to protect their livestock and disease can spread from domestic animals. These problems have all contributed to the small size of wild dog populations.

Addax

The Addax (Addax nasomaculatus), sometimes called the 'screw horn antelope', because of its twisted horns, is a large, desert dwelling member of the antelope family, closely related to the Oryx. The Addax is a critically endangered mammal which is found in several isolated areas in the sahara desert in Northern Africa. The Sahara is the worlds largest hot desert. The addax is extremely rare within its native habitat and with only 500 Addax left in the wild, this antelope could unfortunately, face extinction.

Addax Description

The head and body length of the addax measures 150 - 170 centimetres (59.1 - 66.9 inches).
Males are slightly taller than females and measure 105 - 114 centimetres (3.5 - 3.8 feet) at the shoulder whereas females measure 93 - 108 centimetres (3.1 - 3.6 feet) at the shoulder.
Males weigh between 99 - 124 kilograms and females weigh 60 - 125 kilograms.
The coat of the addax varies in colour depending on season. In winter their coat is a greyish brown colour with white hind quarters and legs. During summer, their coat turns lighter, almost completely white or a sandy beige which helps to maintain body temperate as lighter colours reflect the heat more. They have black/brown tufts of hair on their tails.
Both male and female addax have horns and a patch of brown hair on their foreheads which forms an 'X' shape over their nose. Their horns have 2 - 3 twists and can reach a length of 120 centimetres in males and 80 centimetres in females. Between the horns are long, black hairs that end in a short mane on their necks.
Addax have short, thick legs and wide, flat hooves with flat soles which help prevent them from sinking into the sand. The addax walks by throwing its wide-hoofed feet sideways to avoid brushing against the opposite limb, but places one foot behind the other, leaving a single line of tracks. The animal runs in a flat gallop and appears stiff-kneed, due to minimal leg flexing while running. It is considered one of the slowest runners of the antelopes, perhaps reflecting its adaptation to sandy terrain.
The addax differ from other species of antelope as they have large, square shaped teeth (like cows) and they lack the typical facial glands.

Addax Habitat

The addax prefers sandy desert terrain and stony deserts, semi-desert and dry steppes. Addax rest during the day in deep depressions dug out in the sand often located near large boulders to shield them against the wind and hot sun.

Addax Diet

The addax are herbivores and their diet consists of desert succulents, leaves, Aristida grasses, herbs, perennials and small bushes (if available). They also feed up on Parnicum grass whereby they will only eat the inner shoots and seeds and disregard the dry, outer leaves. These seeds provide adequate protein in the addax diet. Addax can survive without water as their thirst is satisfied by the moisture they obtain from the plants in their diet.

Addax Behaviour

Addax are nocturnal animals and are adapted to extreme desert conditions. Some addax are able to live far from each other in their habitat, but this does not cause any problems because they have over developed sensory skills that enable them to detect and locate each other over vast distances. Addax can also track rainfall and will head for rainy areas where vegetation is more abundant. Some addax live in herds which contain 5 - 20 individuals of both male and female addax. The herds generally stay in one place, but may wander in search of food. Herds are usually led by the eldest dominant male.

Addax Reproduction

Male addax reach sexual maturity at 3 years old whereby females mature much earlier at one and a half years. After a gestation period of 257 - 264 days (8 - 9 months), females give birth to one young which weighs 4.7 - 6.75 kilograms. The young addax is hidden away for around 6 weeks and suckled 2 - 3 times a day by its mother. Young addax have a tan coloured coat with very faint or no markings. The life span of the addax is around 19 years.

Addax Conservation Status

The Addax is classed as 'Critically Endangered' by the IUCN. Addax are nearly extinct in the wild, having been eliminated from much of their original range. Farmers have destroyed many so that cattle do not have to compete for grazing land. There are only a few hundred left in the wild. Excessive hunting for its horns, flesh and hide seems to be the main cause of decline for the addax. The good news is that there are over 1,000 addax held in captivity in the US, Europe and the Middle East. There are reportedly 600 addax managed in captive breeding programs, therefore, with continued conservation efforts, the future for this amazing animal may be a success.