Wild life of the World

GREAT BARRIER REEF | 349

pointed upper
tail lobe

eye on side of
hammer-shaped head

Scalloped
hammerhead shark

Sphyrna lewini

There are few fish as iconic as a hammerhead shark, The hammer feature has benefits in both habitats.
and the scalloped hammerhead is one of the most The wide head acts like a hydrofoil—an underwater
widespread. Contrary to their reputations as lone wing that creates lift, keeping the shark afloat. The head
killers, these sharks are highly social—at least the also acts as a communication dish, allowing the shark’s
females are. Groups develop around older, dominant senses to work better.
females, with the lowest ranked individuals out on
the edge. Hammerhead sharks display dominance Prey detector
by swimming in a corkscrew or ramming each other.
Weaker individuals submit with a shake of the head. Hammerheads, like other sharks, have an excellent
sense of smell. They can detect tiny quantities of
Love bite chemicals in the water with two nostril-like slots
called nares, which are located toward the ends of the
Male scalloped hammerheads reach maturity at the hammer just in front of the eyes. The large distance
age of six—a full 10 years before the females, which between the nares means that a scent coming from
are normally 7 ft (2 m) long before they are ready to a particular direction arrives at each nare at different
breed. A mature male swims into the school of females, times. This allows the hammerhead to zero in on the
sweeping toward the center in an S-shaped path. exact source of the scent.
When he meets a likely mate, he secures himself to
her by biting on one of her pectoral fins. Scalloped Tiny pits arrayed along the underside of the
hammerheads give birth to live young and about hammerhead are filled with electrical sensors called
25 pups are born after an 8–12 month gestation. the ampullae of Lorenzini. The large scanning surface
provided by the head greatly enhances the sensitivity
At birth, the pups are only 16 in (40 cm) long, of these sensors, which can detect very tiny electrical
but fully formed with the distinctive hammerhead. currents produced by the nerves and muscles of all
They receive no parental care and have to fend for animals. By sweeping its head over the seabed like a
themselves. Most hunting takes place at night, with metal detector, the hammerhead locates prey buried
younger scalloped hammerheads feeding in shallow in the sand and takes hold of it, sometimes pinning
water, while the older ones move further out to sea. it down with its head.

Scalloped hammerheads’ 5—7 ft (1.4—2.1 m)
teeth are more suited to seize 64—175 lb (29—80 kg)
prey than to rip it apart Endangered
Fish, squid, crustaceans

Tropical and temperate
waters worldwide

350 | AUSTRALASIA

swollen belly of
pregnant male

Bargibant’s
pygmy seahorse

Hippocampus bargibanti

Found on coral reefs at depths of 53–130 ft (16–40 m), Bargibant’s
pygmy seahorse is so adept at mimicry that it was only discovered
by chance in the late 1960s, when a laboratory researcher
examining a gorgonian—a piece of soft, fanlike coral—realized
that this tiny fish was attached to it. In addition to their much
shorter, flattened snouts, pygmy seahorses differ from larger
seahorse species in that the male’s downward-facing brood pouch,
in which he nurtures the fertilized eggs after mating, is located
on his body cavity and not at the base of the tail. Their fleshier
bodies lack easily distinguished segments, and they cling only
to gorgonians, or sea fans, of the Muricella genus.

Little is known about the Bargibant’s behavior, but like many
other seahorse species, it anchors itself to corals with its prehensile
tail, feeding on tiny crustaceans that float past.

1 in (2.5 cm) △ DENISE’S PYGMY SEAHORSE
Not known At first believed to be a juvenile
Not known Bargibant’s, Denise’s pygmy seahorse
Microscopic crustaceans (H. denise) is, at just 1⁄2 in (1.6 cm) in
length, the smallest known seahorse
species—and an equally effective
camouflage artist.

Indo-Pacific oceans ▷ MASTER OF DISGUISE
Bargibant’s pygmy seahorses are
covered in wartlike tubercles that
resemble the color and polyp texture
of their host gorgonians so closely as
to make them almost invisible.

GREAT BARRIER REEF | 351

Barrier Reef two black-edged white
anemonefish bands encircle body

Amphiprion akindynos

Also known as clownfish, Barrier Reef required. The largest fish in a group becomes the
anemonefish live in groups among anemones in dominant female and the second-largest, her mate.
reef waters up to 80 ft (25 m) deep. All anemonefish When the female dies, the dominant male changes
are born male, but some change to females as sex to take her place.

2—5 in (5—13 cm) ◁ SAFE SHELTER
1 oz (28 g) By blending anemone
Not known mucus into their skin’s
Algae, zooplankton own mucus coating,
anemonefish avoid
stings—and predators.

SW. Pacific 1—7 in (2.5—18 cm)
Ocean (Coral Sea) Not known
Crabs, gastropods, fish
Peacock
mantis shrimp Indo-Pacific oceans

Odontodactylus scyllarus hinged smasher
folded against body
Peacock mantis shrimp are as complex as ◁ DEADLY STRIKE
their colors. Their compound eyes have Peacock mantis shrimp
12 different color photoreceptors disable prey with a
(humans have three), which clublike “smasher”
process infrared, ultraviolet, and claw using the fastest
polarized light, and they communicate measured strike in the
using muscle-generated vibrations. Their animal kingdom. The
“smasher” claws generate underwater quick strike vaporizes
explosions that can crack aquarium glass. water on impact.

352 | AUSTRALASIA

Greater blue- swims by jet
propulsion

ringed octopus

Hapalochlaena lunulata

Although small enough to fit 6—8 in (15—20 cm) Portuguese
in a teacup, this species poses Not known
the greatest danger to humans Fish, crabs, shrimp man o’ war
of any octopus. It rests by day in
rocky crevices close to the shore, Indo-Pacific, S. Australia Physalia physalis
piling up a wall of stones for coasts
extra privacy. If disturbed, the This relative of jellyfish floats on the surface of the
octupus can give a deadly bite. ocean, snaring fish in its stinging tentacles that trail for
Fatalities are rare, but its saliva 33 ft (10 m) or more below the surface. It is named after
contains tetrodotoxin, a poison a passing resemblance between its gas-filled float and
10,000 times more toxic than the distinctive curved sails of an 18th-century fighting
cyanide. It hunts on the ship. The Portuguese man o’ war is unable to power its
seabed, catching prey own movements, and the float, or pneumatophore, is
with its beak or also a sail of sorts, intended to catch the wind, which
paralyzing it by takes the organism wherever it may.
releasing poison
into the water. Colonial creature

▷ BLUE ALERT A man o’ war looks like a single animal but is actually a
If the octopus is alarmed, its rings colony of several individual polyps, all of which connect
turn electric blue, warning that a beneath the float. There are three polyp types, each
deadly bite will follow. adapted for a particular job. The dactylozooids develop
the long blue-green tentacles. These are lined with
Giant clam ridged shell stinging cells, which are primed to fire barbed venomous
covered in darts into anything that touches them. The tentacles are
Tridacna gigas seaweed used in defense and can inflict thousands of painful
stings on anyone who tangles with them. The stingers
The giant clam is the largest also gather food, which is slowly hoisted up the tentacle
living mollusk. Its immense to the gastrozooids, the feeding polyps. These engulf prey
shell is opened and closed by a of all sizes and secrete enzymes to digest them.
powerful muscle, and animals
sometimes get trapped, although The third polyp type—the reproductive gonozooid—
the giant clam is not carnivorous. has male and female parts, which produce new larval
It feeds by filtering suspended individuals that bud off from the main body to start
food items from seawater. life on their own.
Adult giant clams also get
nutrients from algae that live 33—165 ft (10—50 m)
inside their fleshy tissues. These Not known
single-celled plants need light Small fish, plankton
to photosynthesize, which
restricts the clams to shallow,
sunlit areas.

3—5 ft (1—1.5 m) △ SPAWNING Tropical and temperate oceans ▷ DRIFTING DANGER
Vulnerable Giant clams start life as males and The float is mostly air,
Algae, plankton later become hermaphrodites. topped up with carbon
However, they only release either monoxide. If attacked
Indo-Pacific, Pacific Ocean eggs or sperm during a spawning at the surface, the gas
session to avoid self-fertilization. is released so the man
o’ war can sink safely
underwater.



354 | AUSTRALASIA

NEW ZEALAND MIXED FOREST

Remnants of vast tree cover provide evergreen oases

Aligned almost south-north, and 1,000 miles (1,600 km) conifers, such as the totara, rimu, and giant kauri—all
long, New Zealand straddles considerable latitude and in the pine group—as well as silver, red, black, and hard
experiences a wide temperature range as a consequence. beeches. The majority of these trees are evergreen, so
The annual average is below 50°F (10°C) in the far south, the forest floor remains in shade all year, with a dense
yet nearly double this at the northern tip. Since the understory of mosses, ferns, and small shrubs.
country’s greatest width is 250 miles (400 km), nowhere
is far from the Pacific Ocean. The result is a cool-to-warm, Much unique New Zealand wildlife thrives in these
generally moist climate where temperate forests thrive. forests, from grasshopperlike wetas, to the bold kea and
flightless kakapo parrots and ground-based kiwis. Before
Main forested regions humans arrived, mixed temperate forests covered more
On South Island, the Richmond temperate forests cloak than three-quarters of New Zealand. Burning, logging,
the northeast. The damper west becomes more rugged and conversion to agriculture mean that today only
southward, through the Westland temperate forest a quarter remains.
ecoregion to the Fjordland National Park alpine zone in
the far southwest. In the far north of North Island is the
flatter, milder Northland temperate kauri forests. These
mixed forests are home to many kinds of indigenous

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NEW ZEALAND MIXED FOREST | 355

L O C AT I O N Lesser short-tailed bat

Most mixed forest cover is Mystacina tuberculata
found on South Island, apart
from the drier east, and the
north of North Island.

Auckland PACIFIC The lesser short-tailed bat spends about 30 percent of its ▽ GROUND FEEDER
feeding time foraging among deep leaf litter on the forest The short-tailed bat’s folded wings
NEW OCEAN floor. The talons on the claws of its thumbs and feet aid are protected from damage by a
ZEALAND its agility on the ground. leathery sheath when it moves
Wellington on the ground.

Tasman Christchurch

Sea 0 km 500 2—3 in (6—8 cm) tubular
7⁄8 oz (24 g) nostrils
0 miles 500 Vulnerable talon on side
Fruit, nectar, pollen, insects of claw gives
C L I M AT E extra grip

The mild maritime climate ensures appreciable
rainfall every month, even in midsummer, while
temperatures dip in winter.

°F °C (Havelock, South Island) MM IN
86 30 180 7

68 20 120 4 3⁄4

50 10 60 2 1⁄4

New Zealand

32 0 00

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Key Average temperature Rainfall

Welcome swallow

Hirundo neoxena

Australia’s familiar rural and suburban swallow remains 6 in (15 cm)
all year in most of its range. Unlike swifts, it perches on 7⁄16—5⁄8 oz (12—17 g)
wires and bare branches, but it is a harvester of airborne Vulnerable
insects, swerving elegantly at low level in pursuit of flies, Insects
and rising higher in humid conditions.

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New Zealand
than any other country
◁ FEEDING TIME
Chicks from nests in sheds and car
ports line up on wires, and call out
to be fed whenever a parent appears.

356 | AUSTRALASIA

Kea “scaly” body Kiwis are the only birds in
feathers the world with external
Nestor notabilis nostrils at the tip of the bill

The only alpine parrot, the kea is a great tourist
attraction—investigating cars, bags, and clothing with
its hooked bill—but many locals deem it a pest. Keas eat
roots, berries, and insects, but came under scrutiny in the
1860s because of suspicions that they attacked sheep.
Bounties were offered and more than 150,000 were killed
between 1870 and 1970. By then there were only 5,000
keas left and protective measures were taken, but their
numbers still declined and have yet to recover.

19 in (48 cm)
29 oz (825 g)
Vulnerable
Fruit, insects, grubs, carrion

New Zealand

◁ ALPINE SURVIVOR
The kea is exceptionally intelligent
—a quality that is vital to its survival
in its harsh mountain habitat.

Kakapo blunt, round,
owl-like head
Strigops habroptila

The biggest, heaviest, and only 25 in (64 cm)
flightless parrot, the kakapo is 5 lb (2 kg)
one of the world’s longest-lived Critically endangered
birds—averaging 95 years and Plants
reaching 120. Males compete for
females in a lek, digging shallow New Zealand
bowls in the ground, perhaps
to help amplify their calls, which ◁ RARE BIRD
continue for up to eight hours Just 126 kakapos were
a night for several months. known in 2014, with
only six chicks having
hatched since 2011.
The best chance of
the species’ survival
rests on the birds
having been moved to
offshore islands free
from predators.

NEW ZEALAND MIXED FOREST | 357

soft, furlike North Island
plumage brown kiwi

large feet with Apteryx mantelli
fleshy pads and
long, sharp claws △ LITTLE SPOTTED KIWI Nothing else looks remotely like a kiwi, but they share
The little spotted kiwi (A. owenii) often lays two eggs, their origins with other flightless birds and are most
three weeks apart, on a bed of moss. Each egg is a closely related to emus and cassowaries. Kiwis prefer
quarter of the female’s weight. rainforest, but habitat loss has forced them into scrub
and pine plantations, from coasts to alpine regions.
They need high humidity, well-drained soil for digging
nesting burrows and daytime dens, and moist leaf litter
in which to find food such as worms and grubs at night.
They detect prey by sound, smell, and touch, leaving
a trail of holes where they have probed with their bill.

Extraordinary eggs

Kiwis form life-long pairs in fixed territories, digging
burrows months or years before using them for
nesting, so new growth disguises the entrance.
Females are bigger than males, and produce eggs
four times as large as might be expected for the
bird’s size. The North Island brown kiwi’s egg
may be 20 percent of the body weight, its yolk
an exceptional 60 percent of the egg’s volume.
The egg takes a month to develop, and in
this time the grossly distended female stops
feeding. Incubation is by the male, using a
temporary brood patch on his belly to keep the
egg warm, and may last 90 days.

20—26 in (51—66 cm)
6—8 lb (2.7—3.6 kg)
Endangered
Insects, worms, millipedes

long, slender bill N. New Zealand

△ NATIONAL ICON
New Zealand’s national bird, the kiwi’s
big round body, small head, and long,
slim bill make it instantly recognizable
around the world.

358 | AUSTRALASIA

Tuatara light-sensitive organ,
or “third eye”,
Sphenodon punctatus covered by scales

Although it looks like a fairly standard if rather △ POWERFUL BUILD
chunky lizard, the tuatara belongs to an ancient Clawed toes, strong legs, a
order of reptiles of which it is the sole survivor. muscular build, and a crushing,
Differences in its teeth, skull bones, and other tenacious bite make tuataras
anatomy—little changed from its group’s formidable adversaries.
origins some 200 million years ago—set it
apart from lizards and snakes.

Island strongholds

Tuataras inhabit around 30 New Zealand offshore islands,
chiefly those without invasive pests such as rats that eat
their eggs and young. Breeding tuataras have recently
been discovered at a release site on the mainland, where
they are protected by a mammalproof fence.

The tuatara is better adapted than any other reptile
to a cool, damp climate, remaining active at just 41°C
(5°C) and showing heat stress above 77°C (25°C). In
winter, it lies torpid in its home burrow—self-dug or
usurped from a seabird—sometimes for several weeks.
Tuataras have a lengthy breeding cycle, reaching sexual
maturity at 10–20 years. Females lay eggs only once every
three to four years, which take at least a year to hatch.
Juveniles are at risk of being cannibalized by adults,
otherwise tuataras may live for more than 100 years.

Auckland tree weta

Hemideina thoracica

This cricket is a common sight in backyards and snip away the bark. Tree wetas are mostly wingless, 2 in (5 cm)
scrublands. Mostly nocturnal, it spends the day inside although a few grow small wings unsuited to flight. Not known
burrows—known as galleries—in branches and trunks. The female has what looks like a large stinger on her Leaves, fruit, seeds, insects
Each gallery contains up to 10 wetas, with a single male abdomen. This is actually the ovipositor, which is used
living with a harem of females and juveniles. The to lay eggs into rotting wood or soil. Both sexes hiss N. New Zealand
insects enlarge a natural hollow or burrows vacated by and may bite when threatened, often flicking forward
a beetle grub, using their powerful biting mouthparts to their spiky back legs to scratch attackers.

spiky legs head twice as long
used in as female’s
defense

antennae situated
on top of head,
palps at side

◁ MALE TREE WETA
The male Auckland tree weta has
a much larger head and mouthparts
than the female, which it uses to
defend its harem and gallery from
interloping males.

soft, jagged crest NEW ZEALAND MIXED FORESTS | 359
along back and tail,
20—24 in (51—61 cm)
larger in male 7⁄8—2 lb (0.4—1 kg)
Locally common
Spiders, insects, worms

stout limbs and The tuatara’s New Zealand
sharp-clawed closest relatives (coastal islands)
toes for died out more
burrowing than 60 million △ BONY TEETH
years ago The sharp teeth are fused to the jaw
Blue damselfly bone and are not shed and regrown
as in most other reptiles.
Austrolestes colensonis
wings point backward at rest
The largest damselfly in New Zealand, the blue damselfly
can be seen fluttering around reeds and rushes in areas 2 in (5 cm)
of still water. Frequently confused with dragonflies, Common
damselflies are less powerful fliers and hold their wings Water fleas
along the body, rather than out sideways, when at rest.
The blue damselfly can change color to control its New Zealand
temperature—the blue males and greener females turn
darker when the weather is cold in order to absorb more ◁ LOVER’S EMBRACE
heat from their surroundings. During mating the male clasps the
female just behind her head and
Aerial hunters she then reaches around with her
flexible abdomen to accept a packet
Adult damselflies live only for a couple of weeks. They of sperm from him.
are aerial hunters, snatching smaller insects, using their
enormous round eyes to track moving targets. Mating
couples can be seen flying together over still water—the
male guards the female as she lays her eggs, ensuring
no other mate is able to copulate with her. The nymphs
spend the winter underwater, breathing with gills that
are located on the tip of their abdomen. They hunt on
the bottom using a specialized mouthpart to skewer
prey. In spring, the wingless nymphs climb out of the
water to molt into the adult form.

Southern Ocean
Chinstrap penguins spend winter out at sea
hunting for krill, fish, and squid. Their main
predator is the leopard seal, from which they
take refuge on large icebergs.

Antarctica

362 | ANTARCTICA Scotia Sea South Orkney Fimbulisen
Islands
SNOW ALGAE ANTARCTIC PLANTS

Some species of single-celled algae Bransfield StraitGraham Land The coastal fringe of the M audheimvidda Dronning
can survive in snow and ice. Some peninsula is the only area Maud
produce red pigments that mask free of permanent ice. Land
green chlorophyll and resist frost Mosses and lichens
and deadly ultraviolet rays that dominate the tundra
penetrate snow. Barely visible in vegetation. Swards of
winter, algae rise to the surface in Antarctic hair grass
summer, creating algal blooms that and cushions of
color whole snowbanks red, pink, Antarctic pearlwort
orange, green, or gray. are the only
flowering plants.
Ant
a
r c
t ic P Weddell Sea
e Filchner
Palmer n i Ronne Ice Ice Shelf
Alexander L Shelf Berkner
an d Island
nsul a
Island P

ROARING WINDS Bellingshausen Vinson Massif oSouth
Sea 4,897m Pole
Westerly winds sweep unimpeded Tran
around the Southern Ocean. The Peter I Øy Ellsworth Whitmore san
Roaring Forties is the area between Land Mountains ensacola Mountains
40° and 50° latitude south. Now, Thurston Maud
due to a shift in weather patterns Island
caused by climate change, these SOUTHERN West Queen Mt oaunrtacintsi
winds appear to be moving south,
becoming stronger, and merging Antarctica
with the Furious Fifties.
M c M
Roaring Forties arie Byrd Land
Furious Fifties Amundsen
Screaming Sixtie Sea Rockefeller
Plateau
40° s CIRCULAR OCEAN
50° MOVEMENT
60° The winds around Ross Ice Shelf
70° Antarctica drive the
Antarctic Circumpolar Roosevelt Island
Current, sealing off A N
the Southern Ocean E Mount Erebus
and creating the C 3,794m
world’s roughest seas. O
Ross Sea

FEATURED ECOREGIONS ROSS SEA AND ICE SHELF

Southern Ocean The vast Ross Ice Shelf
Islands p364–69 shelters an abundance of
Tundra, ice invertebrate life below.
Antarctic Peninsula Winds driving away sea-ice
p370–75 next to the ice shelf can
Tundra, ice create ice-free areas of water
called polynyas. The summer
sun brings forth blooms of
phytoplankton and the Ross
Sea bursts into life, supporting
whales, seals, penguins,
petrels, fish, and more than
1,000 species of invertebrate.

LAND OF ICE AND SNOW | 363

Thorshavnheiane SOUTH LAND OF ICE
ER AND SNOW
N N
EA Antarctica
Enderby C
Land O

Kemp

Land The Antarctic ice-sheet, which covers most of the

Mac. Roberts on Mountains continent, is the largest mass of ice on Earth. It is 3 miles
Land (4.8 km) thick in places, its volume is more than 7.2
Prince Charles million cubic miles (30 million cubic km), and it holds
more than 70 percent of Earth’s fresh water. The ice-
Amery Ice Shelf sheet is separated into two parts by the Transantarctic

Mackenzie

Bay

Princess West Ice Mountains, most of which are hidden, but several peaks
Elizabeth Shelf more than 13,000 ft (4,000 m) high emerge from the ice.
How the mountains formed is debated, but an active rift
Land

ANTARCTICA on the West Antarctica side of the range is thought to have
played a part. The rift may be causing a plate to be pushed

under East Antarctica, causing uplift. West Antarctica is

East low-lying; East Antarctica is a larger, higher region of
Antarctica
Wilhelm II D a v i s ancient rocks overlain in places by sandstones, shales,
Land S e a limestones, and coal laid down during warmer times.

Plant, dinosaur, and marsupial fossils provide further

Shackleton evidence of Antarctica’s warm past, before it broke from
Ice Shelf
the Gondwana supercontinent and moved south. Now it

is typically below freezing all year round and recorded

temperatures have plunged to -129 °F (-89 °C). Small

wonder that, with the exception of a few researchers,

Wilkes Vincennes Antarctica is uninhabited.
Bay
untains Victoria
Land

KEY DATA

ECOSYSTEMS

Te r re Porpoise Tundra
Adélie Bay Ice

Land George V LAKES UNDER THE ICE AVERAGE RAINFALL
Land Vast lakes deep within the ice, IN MM
sealed from the atmosphere 394 10,000
Dumont d’Urville Sea for thousands of years, retain 295 7,500 AVERAGE TEMPERATURE
complex communities of 197 5,000
TRANSANTARCTIC MOUNTAINS thousands of microbes. 98 2,500 °F °C
The curved belt of mountains separates 00 86 30
East and West Antarctica. 68 20
50 10
32 0
14 -10
-4 -20
-22 -30
-40 -40

364 | ANTARCTICA

SOUTHERN OCEAN ISLANDS

Inhospitable to man, last refuges for threatened species

Remote, mostly uninhabited volcanic islands, many with whales were hunted from these islands until they were
glaciers, ice caps, and snow fields year round, are dotted declared commercially extinct by 1965. This created
north of the 60 degrees south latitude line that marks the a surplus of Antarctic krill, so other marine species
boundary of the Southern Ocean. They include South subsequently increased. For example, fur seals, once
Georgia, South Sandwich, Bouvet, Prince Edward, and thought extinct, now breed here in their millions. Yet
Kerguelen islands, and Heard Island. Situated close to the even a krill surplus may not help slow-breeding
Antarctic Convergence, where cold Antarctic waters sink whales. Human exploitation has now shifted to the
under warmer seas, these islands are home to a great krill itself, threatening the basis of all Antarctic sea life.
variety and number of fish, birds, and mammals.

Lynchpin of the food chain

The food chain for the survival of all these creatures is
based on tiny plankton and vast numbers of krill—small,
shrimplike crustaceans. Krill form the staple diet of
petrels and albatrosses, crabeater seals, and humpback,
right, blue, fin, sei, and minke whales arriving from
tropical seas for the Antarctic summer. Ironically,

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❯ The totaSOl UwTHeGEiOgRGhIAtPIoNTfAILAntarctic krill is more CtRAhBaEAnTERtShEAaLt
eals

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SOUTHERN OCEAN ISLANDS | 365

L O C AT I O N Southern proboscis amplifies
elephant seal mating roars

Island groups situated between Mirounga leonina
Antarctica to the south and
New Zealand, South Africa, and
South America to the north.

SOUTH Bouvet Prince Edward Islands
AMERICA Island

South Georgia and Crozet Islands
South Sandwich Islands

South

Orkney Kerguelen
Islands

PACIFIC Peter I ANTARCTICA INDIAN The largest of the pinnipeds, or flipper-footed marine
Island OCEAN mammals, the southern elephant seal shows the greatest
sex-related size difference of all mammals. Males weigh
OCEAN up to 10 times as much as females, and only mature bulls 10—16 ft (3—5 m)
bear the trunklike inflatable proboscis that gives the Up to 3.3tons (3 metrictons)
0 km 2000 Scott Island Balleny Islands species its common name. Common
0 miles 2000 Fish and squid
Macquarie Island AUSTRALIA Fighting to breed
Southern Ocean, subantarctic
C L I M AT E Southern elephant seals may reach depths of up to 6,550 ft oceans
(2,000 m) in search of food, aided partly by their special,
With strong winds and temperatures only oxygen-rich red blood cells. They spend up to 90 percent
slightly above freezing at times, this polar of their lives at sea, often sleeping underwater, but like all
tundra climate has no true summer. seals, they haul out on land to molt, breed, and give birth.
Adult males fight for mating rights to groups of females,
°F °C (Grytviken, South Georgia) MM IN but only 2–3 percent are successful. The largest harems
59 15 144 5 3⁄4 are controlled by a single dominant bull known as a
“beachmaster.” While females and pups can be injured
50 10 108 4 1⁄4 or even killed during these fights, the breeding season is
tough on both sexes: males lose an average of 26 lb (12 kg)
41 5 72 2 3⁄4 a day—more than 40 percent of their body weight.

32 0 36 1 1⁄2

23 -5 00

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Key Average temperature Rainfall

Southern elephant seals ▽ DUELING FOR DOMINANCE
are able to stay Male elephant seals fight for breeding
underwater for up to rights early in the mating season.
two hours at a time They raise more than half of their
body off the ground and inflict
wounds to an opponent’s neck
and face with their teeth.

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of all the humans on Earth

Wandering albatross stands upright on
large webbed feet
Diomedea exulans

With a wingspan of up to 12 ft (3.5 m), the wandering vegetation. Pairs mate for life, then breed every two 4 ft (1.2 m)
albatross is the largest flying bird in the world. Old years, incubating one egg for around 80 days and 18—25 lb (8—11.5 kg)
males become so white they have been called “snowy sharing parental duties. Vulnerable
albatrosses,” but the bird’s scientific name comes from Squid, fish, offal
the Latin term for “living as an exile.” This refers to the Longline fishing threat
fact that wandering albatrosses spend months at a time Subantarctic oceans
on the wing in the world’s southern oceans. Albatrosses have a very good sense of smell thanks
to their large, tubular external nostrils, and most of
Male wandering albatrosses are 20 percent heavier their diet is fish and squid taken at the ocean’s surface
than females, but with only slightly larger wings. or in shallow dives. Scavenging around fishing boats for
They forage farther south than females and their 12 fish and other unwanted sea creatures that are thrown
percent greater wing loading (body weight related aside gives these seabirds an easy feeding option,
to wing area) seems to help them deal with stronger but has increased risk. With just 8,000 pairs nesting
winds. Immature birds circle the southern hemisphere in any year and a slow reproductive rate, wandering
before becoming old enough to breed at 10 years. albatrosses, in particular, are extremely vulnerable to
Wandering albatrosses form large breeding colonies on threats such as drowning when caught on baited hooks
remote islands, creating nest mounds out of mud and from long-line trawlers.

△ DYNAMIC SOARING
Instead of beating their
wings, albatrosses hold
them out stiffly and
fly by dynamic soaring,
exploiting air currents
rising over ocean
waves. Getting airborne,
however, relies on
a headwind.

△ INFREQUENT MEAL
Chicks are fed every two to four
days at first, less often as they grow.
They remain at the nest for as long
as 9–11 months.

◁ COURTSHIP RITUAL
An elaborate ritual involving spread
wings, clapping bill, and moaning
calls is much the same for all large
albatross species.

368 | ANTARCTICA

Rockhopper penguin strong webbed feet
with sharp claws
Eudyptes chrysocome give good grip

After six months at sea, chasing shrimplike krill and laid several days after the first, can be 70 percent distinctive black
fish, rockhopper penguins must begin nesting promptly heavier and hatches first. Scientists speculate whether and yellow crest and
once melting sea ice allows them access to firm land. the species is still evolving a single-egg clutch. The chick
Of around 3.5 million pairs, some 2.5 million breed in is brooded constantly for three weeks before being yellow eyebrow
the Falkland Islands. Males return first, to begin building moved into a nursery, where “aunties” strive to protect
nests of stones, grass, and fish bones. Courtship is vast numbers of chicks from giant petrels, skuas, and
short, but caressing, billing, and other rituals reaffirm gulls. Only the parents feed their chick, and the first
past pair-bonds and establish new ones—vital if pairs few days between parental guarding and establishment
are to act in concert to rear their chick. in the nursery expose it to the greatest risk of predation.

Each parent incubates two eggs while the other is
away feeding at sea for 7–17 days. They may forage up
to 155 miles (250 km) from the colony. With such long
periods between meals, only the stronger chick
survives. Unusually among birds, the second egg,

20 in (51 cm)
6 lb (2.7 kg)
Vulnerable
Fish, crabs, squid

S. South America;
S. Pacific, S. Atlantic,
S. Indian, Southern Oceans

▷ HURRYING HOME
Having escaped predatory
leopard seals lurking inshore,
these rockhoppers are heading back
to the colony with a belly full of fish.

SOUTHERN OCEAN ISLANDS | 369

Imperial shag old brown feathers
replaced by new black
Phalacrocorax atriceps
ones during molt

The imperial shag nests on rocky headlands and buoyancy and makes it a more efficient
islands and mostly feeds quite close to the shore. underwater forager. Unlike terns and gannets,
Like other shags and cormorants, it has relatively which locate fish from the air by sight, the shag
heavy bones and little body fat—this reduces dives deep and searches systematically for prey.

△ GOING FISHING 27—30 in (69—76 cm)
These stocky little penguins use their 6—8 lb (2.7—3.6 kg)
short, strong legs to make double- Common
footed kangaroo hops across rocks Fish
when going to and from the ocean.

S. South America, Southern Ocean △ EGG CUPS
islands, Antarctic Peninsula Each nest is a mound of seaweed, grass, and
mud liberally mixed with white excrement,
with a shallow bowl for two or three eggs.

Antarctic tern

Sterna vittata

The southern equivalent of the Arctic tern, the “wintering” at sea. Some birds remain close to
Antarctic tern does not undertake vast migrations nesting colonies, while others move far out to sea,
from north to south. It breeds in November and feeding along the edges of the pack ice and often
December when the northern species is resting on ice floes.

14—16 in (36—41 cm) ◁ BREEDING ADULT
5—6 oz (150—175 g) In its summer plumage,
Common the Antarctic tern looks
Fish very similar to its Arctic
cousin. It breeds on
rocky islands in the
Southern Ocean.

SE. South America, Southern
Africa, Southern Ocean islands,
Antarctic Peninsula

370 | ANTARCTICA

ANTARCTIC PENINSULA

The coldest, most remote continent is ruled by ice

More than 99 percent of Antarctica—Earth’s driest, coldest, areas and breeding sites for many creatures. Most seals and
windiest continent—is covered by ice. Only the 1,240-mile penguins, skuas, and other birds only breed when the ice
(2,000-km) long Antarctic Peninsula reaches beyond the melts to reveal solid rock, so they move away from land as
Antarctic Circle, pointing north toward Cape Horn. Life the ice expands. Emperor penguins, however, head south,
here is shaped by extremes. Antarctica’s interior is elevated, where the males endure the worst winter conditions as
with air so cold it cannot hold moisture, yet the coastal belt they incubate eggs and fast for 65 days while the females
is damp. Cold air falls from the interior in blistering gales. go back to the ocean to feed. Weddell seals remain, using
Rain, fog, and blizzards alternate with sunny days when breathing holes so they can live under the ice all winter.
temperatures reach 41°F (5°C). Months of darkness give
way to summers of 24-hour daylight, but even the best While approximately 300 species of algae, 200 lichens,
summer conditions are still challenging. 85 mosses, and 25 liverworts are known to exist in this
icy landscape, only two flowering plant species are
Life among the ice considered to be native to the Antarctic.
The waxing and waning of sea ice is the driving force
for most Antarctic life. Pack ice expands by up to 3 miles
(4.8 km) per day, thickening to 7 ft (2.1 m), with fallen
snow on top. For much of the year, ice locks away feeding

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SNOW PETREL

desert ❯ Antarctica holds 90% of the planet’s iceBLaAnCKdFINmICEoFISrHe

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ANTARCTIC PENINSULA | 371

L O C AT I O N Leopard seal head has no forehead

The peninsula is the Hydrurga leptonyx
northernmost part of
Antarctica, separated from
Cape Horn by the Drake Passage.

SOUTH Weddell Named for its spotted coat, this aquatic mammal is an 8—12 ft (2.4—3.7 m)
AMERICA Sea expert hunter, thanks to its almost snakelike head and 440—1,000 lb (200—455 kg)
ANTARCTICA wide, powerful jaws with long canine teeth. Although it Common
PACIFIC is the only true seal that feeds on other seals, up to half Krill, squid, seals, penguins
OCEAN 2000 of a leopard seal’s diet consists of tiny, shrimplike krill,
and it has a set of specially adapted cheek teeth that serve
0 km 2000 as a sieve for feeding on them.

0 miles Different strokes

C L I M AT E Unlike other true seals, the leopard seal swims not by
propelling itself solely with its hindquarters, but by strong,
Summer temperatures average 34°F (1°C); winter simultaneous strokes of its large, elongated front flippers.
temperatures can drop to 5° to -4°F (–15° to This technique gives the seal increased speed and agility
–20°C) in the northern tip, lower in the south. in the water, but makes it difficult for the animal to move
around on land. Females are slightly larger than males
°F °C (McMurdo) MM IN —the opposite of size differences in most true seals.
86 30 30 1 1⁄4 Females give birth on pack ice to single pups, which
68 20 20 3⁄4 are suckled for three to four weeks. Southern Ocean and
50 10 10 3⁄8 subantarctic waters
32 0 Although they are the most formidable carnivores in
14 -10 00 their ecoregion, leopard seals are occasionally hunted ▽ OPPORTUNISTIC PREDATOR
-4 -20 by killer whales. Seals are protected from commercial Leopard seals patrol penguin
-22 -30 hunting, but juveniles, which depend largely on krill rookeries in search of young, newly
to survive, may also be threatened by a decrease in fledged penguins, which are more
Jan krill numbers due to commercial overfishing. vulnerable to attacks.
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Key Average temperature Rainfall

ANTARCTIC MIDGEFLAIflGnitHcgaohTIrtnctlLolttseEboistcsllSasliaaesvmnSoc’risjatnaukfiIdnotbgsNbcegdtnuooSisebnlfsdylEfhoeoseysCiulirtnhogaTwriawsanhvvabelgoilsvftcsoireaewodtwerlssrii,iensnbbtatziedshutnimynsehrd.greapoi.atnewstdr.asB,tuythrees

than 70% of its fresh water Leopard seals vocalize underwater,
making long-lasting calls, some of
which can be felt through ice



ANTARCTIC PENINSULA | 373

55–68 throat Hourglass white pattern give species
grooves its name
dolphin
Blue whale 5—6 ft (1.5—1.8 m)
Lagenorhyncus cruciger Up to 207 lb (94 kg)
Balaenoptera musculus Common
Usually seen far out at sea, Fish, squid, crustaceans
Aside from the tiny, shrimplike krill it eats, everything hourglass dolphins live in S. Pacific, S. Atlantic, S.
about the blue whale is supersized. The largest animal on colder, deeper Antarctic and Indian, Southern oceans
Earth, the blue whale is roughly the size of a jumbo jet. It subantarctic waters. They are
weighs twice as much as the biggest dinosaurs; even its often found in groups of seven
tongue weighs 4 tons (3.6 metric tons). A human could or eight, although schools of 60
swim through its blood vessels, which carry 11 tons (10 to 100 dolphins have also been
metric tons) of blood, circulated by a heart that weighs sighted. They excel at bow-wave
up to 2,000 lb (900 kg)—about the size of a small car. riding and frequently approach
boats, as well as larger cetaceans
Despite their huge size, blue whales are almost such as fin whales, to “catch a
perfectly hydrodynamic—the long, streamlined body ride.” Although little is known
moves through seawater with minimal resistance, about its behavior, research
propelled by the strong tail. They travel either alone has revealed that this species’
or in small groups, but occasionally up to 60 animals echolocation clicks allow it
may come together to feed. Blue whales produce the to find prey at over twice the
loudest vocalizations on the planet—up to 188 decibels distance of other dolphins.
—via a series of low-frequency calls that can be heard
underwater for hundreds of miles. ▷ PORPOISING
Hourglass dolphins swim at speeds
Back from the brink of up to 14 mph (22 km/h), leaping out
of the water when riding a bow wave.
Their massive proportions kept blue whales safe from
human threats until the mid-19th century, when the Adelie white ring
invention of the exploding harpoon focused the whaling around eyes
industry’s attention on the species. Thousands of blue penguin
whales were slaughtered, and despite a 1966 global ban
on hunting them, today’s population has decreased by Pygoscelis adeliae
an estimated minimum of 70 percent, possibly as much
as 90 percent. There have, however, been signs of very Adelie penguins nest on large
slow recovery in recent years, and current blue whale ice-free areas of rock, often far
numbers are thought to be around 10,000–25,000. from shore, in colonies up to
280,000 pairs strong. Although
◁ HIGHEST SPOUT 105—108 ft (32—33 m) new scientific bases and tourism
At 30–40 ft (9–12 m), 124—165 tons cause disturbance, more than
blue whales have the (113—150 metric tons) 2 million pairs breed around
highest “blow” or spout Endangered Antarctica. Their insulation is so
of any whale. It happens Krill, copepods good that falling snow does not
when the whale expels melt but simply covers them.
air through the two
blowholes.

Oceans worldwide, except Arctic 18—24 in (46—61 cm) △ FEEDING IN SHIFTS
9—12 lb (4—5.5 kg) Both parents take turns to feed their
Near threatened chick for 16—19 days until it is ready
Krill, small fish to join a nursery of juveniles.

Circumpolar around
Antarctica



ANTARCTIC PENINSULA | 375

golden cheek patch

Emperor white front and dark back
penguin help camouflage penguins

Aptenodytes forsteri when swimming

Adapted to some of the most challenging conditions on to establish their colonies in March or April, and then
Earth, the emperor penguin is the only bird that breeds make repeated and longer marches—up to 37 miles
during the severe Antarctic winter. It is the largest of (60 km) each way—to bring food back to their chick.
the penguins, but has the same upright pose, short legs,
waddling walk, and stiff wings held like arms at its Teamwork
sides, as well as an incurably inquisitive nature.
The female lays a single egg, which she transfers to the
Built for survival male before heading to the open ocean on a feeding trip
that lasts about two months. The male incubates the
When moving from ice-cold water into the warmth of the egg in his brood pouch, a fold of featherless skin just
sun, penguins may wave their wings to dissipate heat and above his feet. Emperor penguin colonies may be
they also pant to keep cool. In cold conditions, emperor several thousand strong, with the incubating males
penguins tilt back onto their heels and tails, avoiding huddling together over large open areas. They stand
contact between the ice and their feet. The dark plumage almost motionless for days in low temperatures and
absorbs heat from the sun and beneath the dense feathers raging blizzards. When the female returns, care of
is a trapped layer of insulating warm air. Beneath this the newly hatched chick transfers to her and the
they have a thick layer of fat—creating the familiar near-starving male goes off to feed.
rotund, streamlined shape—that is indispensable for
survival in temperatures as low as -76°F (-60°C). After 45 days, when it is well grown and covered in
down, the chick joins a nursery, but it is still fed by its
Emperor penguins live in a narrow band of ice floes parents. The nursery breaks up after five months, when
and frozen bays surrounding the Antarctic continent. the parents abandon their chick and leave for the open
The rookeries get further from the open sea as it freezes, sea. The chicks eventually follow and, having acquired
forcing these flightless birds to undertake annual treks adult plumage, take to the water.

Emperor penguins dive deeper than
any other bird to find food

◁ BUBBLE POWER 4 ft (1.1 m)
Penguin feathers release a stream 66—88 lb (30—40 kg)
of air bubbles when the birds head Near threatened
back to the surface from a deep dive. Krill, fish, squid
This increases their speed of ascent
sufficiently for them to clear the
water and land safely on the ice.

▷ KEEPING WARM Circumpolar around Antarctica
The solitary emperor penguin chick is
hatched almost naked. It is kept warm
by a parent until it is covered with
down and big enough to join a nursery.

Yellowstone National Park
A lone American bison crosses the Grand Prismatic
Spring in Yellowstone, Wyoming. The national
park—the first in the US and the world—is one of
the bison’s last strongholds.

The Animal Kingdom

378 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

MAMMALS

No class of vertebrates has conquered the world’s wild places climbers, burrowers, and swimmers. Oceangoing
like mammals. Warm blood, a big brain, and well-nurtured mammals, such as the whales, are the biggest animals on
offspring help them succeed practically wherever life is possible. the planet, and a few marine mammals can even dive up
They thrive in places too cold for reptiles, and a fifth of their to a mile below the water’s surface, holding their breath for
kind—the bats—can fly as expertly as birds. Others are runners, an hour or more.

Anatomy mammary glands. Many mammals give birth

Mammals evolved from lizardlike ancestors—a to one or a few offspring and can therefore

transition that required considerable changes to give a relatively large amount of care to each

the skeleton. Parts of the reptilian jaw became individual. The single young of a large ape,

miniaturized in mammals and reassigned to such as an orangutan, could remain with its

the middle ear to help transmit sound signals. mother for many years. In contrast, small

This left mammals with just a single rodents—with a speedy

pair of bones in their lower jaw— reproductive cycle—

but resulted in a stronger, more can produce litters of

flexible, chewing action. a dozen babies, which

The reptiles' uniform are ready to breed

teeth changed too. teeth to themselves in just △ PIGGYBACKING LITTER
Mammals now have crush bone Litter size varies in mammals. Opossums have up to
ridged, grinding a few weeks. a dozen infants—carried first, like most marsupials,
in their mother’s pouch, but then on her back.
molars at the back and Behavior
brain has evolved to carry out sophisticated
stabbing canines at zygomatic Like their early tasks, making mammalian behavior highly
the front—helping some arch ancestors, most living complex. This means that mammals can learn
to eat tough, fibrous mammals use well- as well as solve problems. Infants pick up life
skills by watching their parents or other
plants and others △ LION’S SKULL developed senses of individuals, but mammals vary in their social
behavior. Most cats, for example, are solitary,
to be bone-crushing Mammals have especially effective canine teeth hearing and smell to fiercely territorial, and only form temporary
predators. interact with others as bonds for the purpose of mating. Conversely,
jaws—and specialized teeth for for gripping well as to hunt at night. many hooved mammals socialize in herds and,
Proficient feeding Although some, such as in places, gather to form some of the biggest
provides fuel for the crunching or stabbing. The strong or tearing aggregations of wildlife seen on the planet.

zygomatic arch of a lion’s skull ◁ FIERCE BATTLE
Mammalian social
supports muscles for a powerful bite. behavior varies with
species and sex. Male
body, and a mammal’s monkeys, evolved to be gemsboks—a type of
desert antelope—clash
metabolism generates a lot of heat. This makes active during the day, the sense of smell is still in disputes over mates,
while females socialize
mammals warm blooded, while a complex important in the life of most mammals, and in small herds.

system of self-regulation keeps their temperature many communicate socially by using scent. In a

constantly high. Most mammals have a coat warm-blooded body, the temperature-sensitive

of hairs to trap this warmth close to the body,

and because of this, unlike cold-blooded

vertebrates, they can stay active even when their

surroundings change. Their high oxygen demand

is satisfied by a powerful four-chambered heart

and lungs that are inflated by a muscular

diaphragm located below the chest cavity.

Reproduction

Mammals are typically devoted parents. Most
give birth to live young after a pregnancy
period, during which the unborn are carried
in the womb and nourished by an advanced
blood-filled organ called the placenta.
Marsupials are born at a more premature stage
of their development, and in monotremes,
the young hatch from eggs. However, all
mammalian mothers suckle their offspring after
birth with nutrient-rich milk secreted from the

MAMMALS | 379

MAMMAL CLASSIFICATION

There are more than 5,000 species of mammals,
divided into 29 orders. In the table below, the seven
orders of marsupials have been collected together.
Egg-laying mammals » p380
Order Monotremata Species 5
Marsupials » pp380—81
Orders Didelphimorphia/Peramelemorphia/
Dasyuromorphia/Diprotodontia/Notoryctemorphia/
Microbiotheria/Paucituberculata Species 320
Sengis » p381
Order Macroscelidea Species 15
Tenrecs and golden moles » p381
Order Afrosoricida Species 53
Aardvark » p381
Order Tubulidentata Species 1
Dugong and manatees » p382
Order Sirenia Species 4
Elephants » p382
Order Proboscidea Species 3
Hyraxes » p382
Order Hyracoidea Species 4
Armadillos » p382
Order Cingulata Species 21
Sloths and anteaters » p382
Order Pilosa Species 11
Rabbits, hares, and pikas » p383
Order Lagomorpha Species 92
Rodents » pp382—87
Order Rodentia Species 2,272
Colugos » p388
Order Dermoptera Species 2
Tree shrews » p388
Order Scandentia Species 20
Primates » p388—92
Order Primates Species 382
Bats » p392—93
Order Chiroptera Species 1,117
Hedgehogs and relatives » pp394
Order Erinaceomorpha Species 24
Shrews and moles » p394
Order Soricomorpha Species 418
Pangolins » p395
Order Pholidota Species 8
Carnivores » p395—402
Order Carnivora Species 285
Hooved mammals » p402—06
Order Perissodactyla/Artiodactyla Species 393
Cetaceans » p407
Order Cetacea Species 85

◁ TENDER MOMENT
A placenta nourishes most mammalian
pregnancies. Even so, a giant panda is
born tiny—and so relies on the mother’s
rich milk for most of its growth.

380 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Egg-laying Marsupials
mammals
Orders Didelphimorphia/Peramelemorphia/Dasyuromorphia/
Order Monotremata Diprotodontia/Notoryctemorphia/Microbiotheria/Paucituberculata

Short-beaked echidna Virginia opossum its range in the US, thanks to its Water opossum
ability to thrive in urban habitats.
Tachyglossus aculeatus Didelphis virginiana It often nests in outbuildings Chironectes minimus
and can eat virtually anything,
12—18 in (30—45 cm) 13—20 in (33—50 cm) ranging from insects and fruit 10—16 in (26—40 cm)
Australia (including Tasmania), W., C., and E. US, Mexico, to kitchen scraps. It is famous S. Mexico to
New Guinea Central America for “playing possum,” or feigning C. South America
Common Common death when threatened. Common

Bristling with long, thick defensive This cat-sized marsupial hairless, partly The slender, long-legged water
spines, the short-nosed echidna is a is the biggest of prehensile tail opossum, or yapok, is the only
low-slung, solitary insect-eater that the American marsupial adapted for hunting in
feeds mainly on ants and termites. opossums, and the water. Active by night, it uses its
It hunts by day and night, locating one species found
its prey among the leaf litter with in North America long, webbed hindfeet to swim
its snout and scooping it up with north of Mexico. It in pursuit of fish, frogs, and
its long, sticky tongue. It is the most is still expanding freshwater crustaceans, seizing
widespread of the monotremes: them with its handlike forefeet.
a group of five mammal species Eastern quoll Eastern barred
found in Australasia. bandicoot Common cuscus
Dasyurus viverrinus
Other species Perameles gunnii Phalanger orientalis
● Duck-billed platypus 11—18 in (28—45 cm)
Ornithorhynchus anatinus » p336 Tasmania 11—14 in (27—35 cm) 15—19 in (38—48 cm)
● Eastern long-beaked echidna Near threatened SE. Australia, Tasmania New Guinea, Solomon Islands
Zaglossus bartoni » p315 Near threatened Locally common
The six species of quolls are
carnivorous marsupials closely Named for the bars on its rump, Native to the densely forested
related to the Tasmanian devil. the eastern barred bandicoot is an island of New Guinea, this
The catlike eastern quoll is one of omnivorous marsupial that uses its monkeylike marsupial has strong,
the smallest. Once widespread in sensitive nose to probe the soil for grasping fingers and toes and
southeastern Australia, it now insects, worms, and seeds at night. a prehensile tail for clinging to
survives only in Tasmania, where it By day, it retreats to its nest. It branches. It feeds at night, climbing
hunts by night for small mammals has been almost wiped out on the carefully in search of leaves and
and also eats some plant material Australian mainland by foxes but fruit. Its color is very variable;
and scavenges from carcasses. still thrives in fox-free Tasmania. some island races are black,
while others are almost white.

Numbat any other land mammal—but Honey possum
they are very small. Predation
Myrmecobius fasciatus by introduced red foxes has Tarsipes rostratus
made it extremely rare.
8—11 in (20—28 cm) 3—4 in (6.5—9 cm)
SW. Australia pattern of SW. Australia
Endangered bands unique Locally common

Sleek and bushy-tailed, with a on each This mouselike marsupial feeds on
pattern of white stripes around individual pollen and nectar, which it gathers
its red-brown body, this solitary, from flowers with its bristle-tipped
day-active marsupial is specialized elongated, tongue. This diet is unusual for
for eating termites. Using its pointed snout a mammal, because it relies on
large-clawed forefeet, it rips their flowers being available all year,
nests open and licks them up with but—unlike birds and insects—the
its tongue. It is remarkable for possum cannot fly to cover a wide
having 52 teeth—more than foraging area. An excellent climber,
it uses its sharp-clawed grasping
feet and long prehensile tail to grip
twigs and stems.

MAMMALS | 381

Western gray kangaroo short forelegs Other species

Macropus fuliginosus long, powerful ● Common spotted cuscus
tail Spilocuscus maculatus » p315
3—5 ft (0.9—1.4 m) ● Common wombat
S. Australia Vombatus ursinus » p337
Locally common ● Fat-tailed dunnart
Sminthopsis crassicaudata » p329
One of the four largest kangaroos, ● Goodfellow’s tree kangaroo
this is also one of the most Dendrolagus goodfellowi » p317
numerous. Widespread across ● Greater bilby
southern Australia, it lives in Macrotis lagotis » p332
groups of up to 15 in mixed ● Koala
habitats that offer shade in the day Phascolarctos cinereus » pp338—39
and good grazing at night. Like all ● Parma wallaby
kangaroos, the female nurtures Macropus parma » p337
her young in a pouch on her belly. ● Red kangaroo
Males are bigger than the females Macropus rufus » pp330—31
and fight over them by grappling, ● Southern marsupial mole
pushing, and kicking their rivals.
Notoryctes typhlops » p329

Quokka ● Spectacled hare wallaby
Lagorchestes conspicillatus » p321
Setonix brachyurus
● Sugar glider
16—22 in (40—54 cm) fast, but it can also climb into Petaurus breviceps » p316
SW. Australia shrubs to reach juicy leaves and
Vulnerable fruit. It feeds by night in swamps ● Tasmanian devil
and woodland in southwestern Sarcophilus harrisii » p340
The quokka is a miniature kangaroo Australia, but is now numerous only
with a compact body the size of a on a few islands such as Rottnest ● Tiger quoll
domestic cat. Like other kangaroos, Island near Perth. Dasyurus maculatus » p341
it hops on its hindlegs when moving

Sengis Tenrecs and golden moles Aardvark

Order Macroscelidea Order Afrosoricida Order Tubulidentata

Karoo rock sengi Common tenrec Cape golden mole Aardvark

Elephantulus pilicaudus Tenrec ecaudatus Chrysochloris asiatica Orycteropus afer

4—6 in (10.5—14.5 cm) 10—16 in (26—39 cm) 4—6 in (9—14 cm) 5 ft (1.6 m)
South Africa Southern Africa Sub-Saharan africa
Not known Madagascar Locally common Common

The Karoo rock sengi is one of the Locally common Although it is not closely related With its piglike snout and digging
elephant shrews—small mammals to the true moles, the Cape golden skills, the solitary, nocturnal
with very long snouts, which they Resembling a large shrew but with mole is similarly adapted for aardvark deserves its name, which
use to probe the ground for prey sharp spines among its coarse gray tunneling below ground. Its means “earth-pig.” It feeds on ants
such as earthworms and insects. fur, this is the biggest of about 30 short front limbs have stout claws and termites, scooping them up
This species is restricted to the species of tenrecs that are mainly for digging—two on each foot— with its sticky tongue.
semidesert Karoo region of South native to Madagascar. It lives in and it has short, soft fur that allows
Africa, living on the boulder- a variety of habitats ranging from movement in either direction
strewn slopes of rocky mountains. virgin forest to urban yards, using below ground. It is quite blind and
Until 2008, it was thought to be its long, mobile snout to root for relies on its nose and sensitivity
a local race of the very similar but insects, worms, and similar to vibrations to locate soil animals,
more widespread Cape sengi. animals. It may also hunt small which are its main prey.
vertebrates such as frogs and mice.
Other species If threatened, the tenrec squeals, Other species
bristles up the spines on its neck
● Rufous sengi into a crest, jumps and bucks, ● Greater hedgehog tenrec
Elephantulus rufescens » p182 and readily bites. It shelters by day Setifer setosus » p241
in a nest of grass and leaves under
a log, rock, or bush.

382 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Dugong and manatees Elephants

Order Sirenia Order Proboscidea

Amazonian manatee Other species African forest elephant allow it to push through the dense
vegetation of its tropical forest
Trichechus inunguis ● Dugong Dugong dugon » p304 Loxodonta cyclotis habitat. Mature males are known
● West Indian manatee to have tusks that almost reach
Up to 10 ft (3 m) Trichechus manatus » p67 10—13 ft (3—4 m) the ground. The forest elephant
Amazon basin W. and C. Africa eats more fruit than the bush
Vulnerable Not known elephant and is an important
agent of seed dispersal.
Sirenians, or sea cows, are seal- Although similar to the African
like aquatic mammals related to savanna elephant (Loxodonta Other species
elephants. They feed on water plants africana), this species is smaller in
in swamps and shallow coastal seas. size and has smaller, oval ears and ● African savanna elephant
The only fully freshwater sirenian, darker skin as well. Compared with Loxodonta africana » pp202—03
this manatee feeds in the extensive the savanna elephant, the African ● Asian elephant
floodwaters of the Amazon river forest elephant’s tusks are harder Elephas maximus » p259
system during the rainy season. and straighter, adaptations that

Hyraxes Armadillos Big hairy armadillo

Order Hydracoidea Order Cingulata Chaetophractus villosus

Southern tree hyrax Giant armadillo 9—16 in (22—40 cm)
S. South America
Dendrohyrax arboreus Priodontes maximus Common

16—28 in (40—70 cm) 30—39 in (75—100 cm) Named for the long, coarse hair
E. and Southern Africa N. and C. South America that protrudes from between
Common Vulnerable the plates of its body armor,
this is one of the most common
Hyraxes are small, stocky mammals By far the biggest armadillo, this armadillos in southern South
that resemble guinea pigs, but they widespread species has 11–13 America. When threatened, it
are actually most closely allied to bands of hinged plates on its body, protects its soft underside by
elephants. This East African species with others covering its head, neck, pressing its body into the ground.
lives mainly in forests, where it and tail. It uses its long, curved
forages in the trees at night for fruit, front claws to dig for small prey Other species
leaves, and other plant matter. It such as ants and worms, but will
rarely comes down to the ground, also eat small snakes and lizards. ● Six-banded armadillo
retreating to tree-holes by day Euphractus sexcinctus » p117
to avoid predators such as lions, Sloths and anteaters
jackals, hyenas, and eagles. Collared anteater
Order Pilosa
Other species Tamandua tetradactyla

● Rock hyrax 21—35 in (53—88 cm)
Procavia capensis » p253 N. and E. South America
Least concern
Maned sloth claws. Green algae growing on
its coat camouflages it well from Although similar to the giant
Bradypus torquatus predators, but if attacked, it lashes anteater in both appearance and
out with its claws. feeding habits, this smaller, more
18—20 in (45—50 cm) agile species often feeds in the
E. South America Other species trees of the tropical rainforest.
Vulnerable It uses its strong prehensile tail
● Giant anteater to grip the branches as it breaks
Restricted to the coastal rainforests Myrmecophaga tridactyla » p116 into the nests of tree-living ants,
of eastern Brazil, this is one of four ● Hoffman’s two-toed sloth termites, and bees with its long
Choloepus hoffmanni » p79 claws, extracting them with a
species of three-toed sloth. Like ● Silky anteater wormlike tongue that may be
all sloths, it is a leaf-eater that Cyclopes didactylus » p86 up to 16 in (40 cm) long.
spends nearly all its time
hanging from the branches of
trees by its strong, hooklike

MAMMALS | 383

Rabbits, hares, and pikas Brown hare gray ears with
black tip
Order Lagomorpha Lepus europaeus

Black-lipped pika special physiological adaptations 19—28 in (48—70 cm) long, tawny
that help it to survive in habitats Europe, Australia, New Zealand, or rusty fur
Ochotona curzoniae where temperatures frequently North and South America
plunge well below freezing. Common
6—8 in (15—20 cm) A plant-eater, it lives in family
E. Asia groups that occupy a single burrow At first glance similar to
Common system. Some of these groups a rabbit, the brown hare
can be very large, because the is bigger, with longer legs
The black-lipped pika is sandy females are each capable of and longer, black-tipped ears.
brown above and dull yellow-white bearing up to five litters of eight It is essentially a solitary animal of
on the underside, with a rust-hued young in a season. Unlike other open habitats that rests by day in a
patch behind the ear and a dark pika species, both parents care hollow rather than an underground
nose and lips. Native to the bleak, for the young. In some areas, burrow. It feeds mainly by night on
cold grasslands of the Tibetan this pika is so numerous as to plants, relying on its speed to escape
plateau, this small, hamsterlike be considered a pest. enemies. In spring, courting males
relative of rabbits and hares has are often fought off by females in
stand-up fights.

Arctic hare Eastern cottontail European rabbit

Lepus arcticus Sylvilagus floridanus Oryctolagus cuniculus

17—26 in (43—66 cm) 15—20 in (38—51 cm) 14—20 in (34—50 cm)
N. Canada, Greenland SE. Canada to Mexico, Central Europe, NW. Africa, Australia, New
Common America, N. South America Zealand, S. South America
Common Near threatened
Specialized for life in its hostile,
snowbound habitat, the Arctic hare The most widespread and adaptable Previously restricted to southwest
has a thick coat of dense fur and of the 13 cottontail species, the Europe and nearby northwest
shorter ears, reducing heat loss. eastern cottontail usually lives in Africa, the European rabbit has
In the north of its range, its coat grassy areas with shrubs for cover. now been introduced throughout
stays white all year, but further It eats green plants in summer, and much of the world.
south it turns gray-brown in bark and twigs in winter. Unlike the
summer. It eats a variety of plant European rabbit, which it resembles, Other species
material, and even carrion when it prefers not to dig its own burrows,
food is scarce. Unlike other hares, relying on those excavated by other ● American pika Ochotona
it sometimes gathers in groups of animals. When breeding, it nests in princeps » p40
300 or more that move together as a shallow depression dug among the ● Black-tailed jackrabbit Lepus
coordinated flocks. grass, which it lines with fur. californicus » p63

Rodents Woodchuck Eastern chipmunk bushy tail

Order Rodentia Marmota monax Tamias striatus bold, black-bordered
body stripes
Yellow-bellied marmot 13—21 in (33—53 cm) 6 in (15.2 cm)
Alaska and W. Canada to SE. Canada to C. and E. US
Marmota flaviventris E. Canada to E. US Common
Common
14—20 in (34—50 cm) This small ground squirrel is
SW. Canada to W. US Also known as the marmot or widespread in deciduous woodland,
Common groundhog, the woodchuck is a especially in rocky areas with plenty
type of ground squirrel that favors of crevices where it can hide from
This rodent spends much of its open habitats, where it feeds on predators. It lives alone in a burrow,
time in a burrow and hibernates seeds, grass, fruit, and insects. In hibernating over winter and
all winter. It usually feeds in the winter it retreats to a deep burrow to emerging in spring. Its loud,
morning and late afternoon, on hibernate. When they emerge, rival staccato alarm calls are
grasses and other low-growing males often fight for dominance, valuable to other
plants. Each male may live with up and a woodchuck will defend its small animals,
to four females in a small colony. burrow by threatening trespassers alerting them
with chattering, bared teeth. to predators.

384 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Eastern gray squirrel an agile, resourceful, and Cape ground squirrel
opportunistic feeder, taking
Sciurus carolinensis a wide variety of natural foods Xerus inauris
such as nuts, seeds, fruit, and
9—11 in (23—28 cm) fungi, as well as raiding bird 8—12 in (20—30 cm)
S. and SE. Canada to S. US, Europe feeders. The squirrel often Southern Africa
Common hoards surplus food, carrying it Common
in its mouth and burying it in
Introduced to parts of Europe over scattered underground caches. Found in the semideserts of
a century ago, this North American southern Africa, this bushy-tailed
tree squirrel has become an pale-gray to ground squirrel shelters from the
invasive species in many regions, white ears midday heat in a burrow system
displacing native squirrels. It is dug with its strong claws. It lives in
small colonies of up to 30 animals,
thick, bushy tail feeding by day on a variety of plant
helps in balance matter such as seeds, bulbs, and
roots, though it also takes insects
and bird eggs. The squirrel extracts
the water it needs from the food,
so it rarely has to drink—a valuable
asset in such a dry habitat.

Indian giant squirrel Hazel dormouse

Ratufa indica Muscardinus avellanarius

14—16 in (35—40 cm) 2—3 in (5—7.6 cm)
S. Asia Europe
Common Common

pale fur on Remarkable for its striking two-tone Widespread across Europe, the hazel
underside coloration—dark above and pale dormouse is a small, bushy-tailed
below—and its very long, bushy rodent that spends most of its time
tail, the Indian giant squirrel is an foraging in the trees. It searches
agile climber that forages for fruit, for flowers, insect grubs, and bird
nuts, insects, and eggs in the trees. eggs in spring and summer, then
It can leap up to 20 ft (6 m) between switches to fruit, nuts, and seeds
branches, enabling it to move from before hibernating in a nest on the
tree to tree without descending to ground throughout the winter. The
ground level. It also sleeps and dormouse may also sink into a deep
breeds in the trees, building a large sleep to survive periods of bad
nest (drey) of twigs and leaves. weather or food scarcity in summer.

Large pocket Eurasian beaver
gopher
Castor fiber
Orthogeomys grandis
33—39 in (83—100 cm)
4—14 in (10—35 cm) Europe to C. Asia
Mexico to Central America Common
Locally common
Like its very similar American
Named for its external cheek relative, the big, bulky European
pouches used for carrying food, beaver is an aquatic rodent that
this stocky rodent is specialized uses its large, orange, chisel-like
at burrowing, with large-clawed incisor teeth to gnaw through
forefeet and permanently exposed wood and fell small trees. The
incisor teeth for digging. It emerges beaver uses these to dam streams,
above ground at night to feed on creating small lakes that surround
vegetation. Usually solitary, the and protect its stick-and-mud
large pocket gopher forms breeding lodges. In areas with many natural
groups of up to four females and waterways, however, it often makes
one male. Each female bears two a riverbank burrow with an
or more young. underwater entrance.

MAMMALS | 385

Chinese bamboo rat Golden hamster stout body White-footed mouse

Rhizomys sinensis Mesocricetus auratus Peromyscus leucopus

9—16 in (22—40 cm) 5in (13 cm) 3—4 in (7.6—10.1 cm)
E. Asia W.Asia SE. Canada to Mexico
Common Vulnerable Common

The stocky, soft-furred bamboo rat Native to the night, but carries food back to the Common and widespread
is well-named, for it lives in bamboo borderlands nest in its large cheek pouches throughout central and eastern
thickets and feeds almost entirely between Syria to eat during the day. North America, aside from the far
on bamboo shoots and roots. It digs and Turkey, this north, this small mouse usually
extensive burrow systems up to golden-furred lives in pairs in a sheltered den
150 ft (45 m) long, breeding in a nest rodent is far more beneath tree roots or stones, or in
chamber lined with bamboo leaves. familiar as a pet. It a burrow. The mice stay hidden by
Widespread across southern China has a broad diet including day and forage at night for seeds,
and Southeast Asia, this rat can seeds, nuts, and insects, and lives in berries, and insects. They often
be common enough to be regarded a burrow that can be as deep as 7 ft take food back to the den, covering
as a plantation pest in some areas. (2 m). In the wild, it feeds mainly at it with soil to hide it.

Giant South American Muskrat Eurasian water vole
water rat
Ondatra zibethicus Arvicola amphibius
Kunsia tomentosus
10—14 in (25—35 cm) 5—9 in (12—23 cm)
12in (30 cm) North America, W. Europe to W. Europe to W. and N. Asia
C. South America N. and E. Asia Common
Locally common Common
As its name indicates, the water
This large rat is found in wet The largest of the voles, the beaver- vole is adapted for life in slow-
grasslands in Brazil and Bolivia. like muskrat is specialized for moving rivers, streams, and
Despite its name, the giant water swimming with webbed hindfeet wetlands and is an adept swimmer
rat is a burrower rather than a and a flattened tail that it can use as and diver. It feeds on a variety of
swimmer, spending most of its a rudder. It lives in family groups, in waterside plants, consuming up
time below ground, where it riverbank burrows or in mounds of to 80 percent of its body weight
tunnels beneath plants and eats twigs, reeds, and mud. Mainly every day. Water voles that mainly
their roots. During the tropical active by night, it eats water plants burrow in meadows and woods are
rainy season, the rat’s tunnels are such as reeds and water lilies, plus almost half the size of those that
often inundated by floodwater, a few small aquatic animals. live in river banks. Both types have
forcing it to feed on grasses and Native to North America, it has thick fur, which is gray, brown, or
green shoots of other plants on been introduced to Eurasia, where black on the upperparts and dark
the surface. it is now widespread. gray to white below.

Common vole well as soft bark in winter. The Brown lemming Fat-tailed jird
common vole makes tunnel-like
Microtus arvalis runways through the grass for Lemmus sibiricus Pachyuromys duprasi
easy access to feeding areas and
4—5 in (10—13 cm) maintains them even under snow 5—6 in (12—15 cm) 4—5 in (10—13 cm)
W. Europe to W. and C. Asia cover in winter. It also digs shallow N. Asia N. Africa
Common burrows for sleeping, breeding, Common Common
and storing food.
The small, stocky, blunt-snouted The short, rounded body of this Adapted for life in the North
common vole is very common on soft, dense volelike rodent is the ideal shape for African desert, this small, soft-
Eurasian grasslands, farmland, gray-brown fur conserving body heat in the Arctic furred rodent has a pointed snout
and other open habitats. Its tundra. In winter, it forages beneath and long rear feet. It is named for
main food is grass, but it the snow, which insulates it from its stout, hairless tail, which stores
also eats a variety of the bitterly cold wind and hides it energy-rich body fat like the hump
leafy farm crops, as from predators such as snowy owls. of a camel. The jird spends most of
It feeds on plants, breeding the day in a burrow, insulated from
blunt snout prolifically when food is plentiful. the burning sun, and emerges at
The brown lemming migrates to dusk to hunt through the night
higher ground in summer, but does for insects and spiders. It also eats
not make mass migrations, unlike some plant matter such as leaves
some other lemming species. and seeds.

386 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Harvest mouse Black rat black to tawny brown colour, Brown rat
with lighter underparts
Micromys minutus Rattus rattus Rattus norvegicus

2—3 in (5—8 cm) 7—10 in (16—24 cm) 8—11 in (20—28 cm)
W. Europe to E. Asia Worldwide (except Polar regions) Worldwide (except Polar regions)
Common Common Common

The tiny, reddish brown harvest Sometimes known as the including carrion and human Bigger than the black rat, the brown
mouse is specialized for climbing ship rat, this dark, long-tailed, refuse. Black rats gather in “packs” rat favors damp habitats near or
through tall grasses and other pink-footed rodent has been of 20–60 and may intimidate below ground level. It is extremely
ground vegetation to feed on carried around the globe in ships’ larger animals such as dogs. This common in urban areas, where it
seeds, berries, and small insects. cargoes and now lives almost rodent’s fleas are carriers of often infests sewer systems. Mostly
It is the smallest and lightest worldwide. Able to climb and diseases such as bubonic plague, active by night, it is an opportunistic
European rodent and the only swim well, it exploits urban responsible for the deaths of feeder on a variety of plant and
one with a prehensile tail that it habitats, where it often nests millions of people in the past. animal matter and will even hunt
can wrap around a grass stem to in roof cavities. It prefers plant in packs for live animals such as
support it as it feeds. It weaves a matter, such as seeds and fruit, rabbits. Unlike the black rat, it does
spherical nest of shredded grass, but will eat almost anything, not transmit bubonic plague, but it
suspended above ground level does carry other human diseases
by plant stems. and is a serious pest worldwide.

Spinifex hopping House mouse mostly
mouse hairless
Mus musculus tail
Notomys alexis
3—4 in (7—10.5 cm)
9—17 cm (31⁄2—7 in) Worldwide (except Polar regions)
W. and C. Australia Common
Common
Like the black and brown rats,
Named after the tough, spiky the house mouse has been
spinifex grass typical of its unwittingly spread around
Australian desert habitat, this the world by humans and
large mouse is well adapted for thrives in artificial habitats.
survival in the arid landscape. It House mice live in family
conserves body fluids by producing groups that multiply very fast,
very concentrated urine; this with females capable of producing
allows it to get all the moisture it 10 litters of up to eight young per
requires from the leaves, berries, year. The mice mark their territory
and seeds that it eats, so it never with scent and urine, damaging
needs to drink water. any foodstuffs that they do not eat.

Lesser Egyptian North American Covered with sharp, hollow spines, Brazilian guinea pig
jerboa porcupine which can be up to 3 in (8 cm) long
on its head, this rodent is adapted Cavia aperea
Jaculus jaculus Erethizon dorsata for climbing trees, with strong,
broad feet and sharp claws to 8—12 in (20—30 cm)
4—5 in (10—12 cm) 26—32 in (65—80 cm) NW. to E. South America
Canada, US improve its grip. In winter, it feeds Common
N. Africa to W. Asia Common on conifer needles and bark,
but in summer it also eats The probable ancestor of the
Common roots, leaves, flowers, domestic guinea pig (Cavia
seeds, and water plants. porcellus), but with a slightly more
Also known as the desert jerboa, It is unusually vocal, elongated body, this blunt-snouted,
this rodent resembles a miniature especially during the brown-furred rodent lives in
kangaroo, with long hindlimbs that courtship season, shrubby grasslands across a wide
it uses to hop across the desert, when it screeches, swathe of South America. It feeds
balanced by its long, bushy- snorts, grunts, on a variety of leaves, grasses,
tipped tail. Its feet have broad and hoots. flowers, and seeds, and also gnaws
pads of hair to stop them from at bark. Guinea pigs share a feeding
sinking into the desert sand. It range, using communal runways
feeds at night on seeds and roots, through the grass, but each
and retreats to a burrow during the individual has its own nest.
day, plugging the entrance to keep
out the heat and predators.

MAMMALS | 387

bushy tail Long-tailed chinchilla

Chinchilla lanigera

8—9 in (22—23 cm)
SW. South America
Critically endangered

Restricted to the mountains of
central Chile, the chinchilla has
been hunted for centuries for its
thick, soft, silver-gray fur, essential
for survival in its cold mountain
habitat. Although widely bred in
captivity, it is now very rare in the
wild, where it lives in colonies of 100
or more in rocky terrain, sheltering
in crevices. Active at night, it nibbles
grass, leaves, and other plant
material, often holding them in
its forepaws like a squirrel.

Argentine plains Desmarest’s hutia Naked mole rat organized in a similar way to ant
viscacha colonies, with one breeding queen,
Capromys pilorides Heterocephalus glaber two or three breeding males, and up
Lagostomus maximus to 80 nonbreeding workers of both
22—24 in (55—60 cm) 3 in (7.6 cm) sexes. The female workers are
2 in (5 cm) Locally common E. Africa reproductively suppressed, but if the
C. and S. South America Caribbean Common queen dies, one of them takes over
Common and develops the ability to breed.
Found only in Cuba, this big, This rodent is specialized for living
Plains viscachas have mainly gray stocky, short-legged rodent underground, with very sparse hair
fur with badgerlike black-and-white resembles an oversized vole. It has on its wrinkled, pale skin, tiny eyes,
facial stripes. They live in noisy sharp, curved claws with which and big incisor teeth used for
colonies of 20–50, in extensive it grips the bark as it climbs trees tunneling through the dry
burrow systems that are used for in search of nutritious leaves, fruit, East African soil. It lives
many generations. They stay below soft bark, and the occasional small in large colonies,
ground during the day, coming out animal such as a lizard. In northern
to feed at night. They often return Cuba, this animal lives mainly large incisor
with sticks, stones, and even bones, among coastal mangrove forests, tooth
which they pile up around the but it favors more open habitats
entrances to their burrows. in other locations.

Coypu Springhare Other species ● Northern viscacha
Lagidium peruanum » p109
Myocastor coypus Pedetes capensis ● Alpine chipmunk
Tamias alpinus » p56 ● Patagonian mara
19—23 in (47—58 cm) 11—16 in (27—40 cm) ● Alpine marmot Dolichotis patagonum » p117
S. South America C. and E. Africa to Southern Africa Marmota marmota » p160
Common Common ● American beaver ● Siberian flying squirrel
Castor canadensis » p41 Pteromys volans » p285
The beaverlike coypu is adapted Looking like a cross between ● Black-tailed prairie dog
for swimming, with webbed a rabbit and a kangaroo, the Cynomys ludovicianus » p48
hindfeet and eyes and ears set springhare lives in the deserts of ● Cape porcupine
high on its head, clear of the water. southeastern Africa, where it has Hystrix africaeaustralis » p231
In its native South American a mixed diet of seeds, bulbs, plant ● Capybara
wetlands, it lives in family groups stems, and insects. It can hop fast on Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris » p101
in riverbank burrows and feeds its long hindlegs, covering up to 10 ft ● Eurasian red squirrel
on water plants. It has been (3 m) in a single bound, but despite Sciurus vulgaris » p142
farmed for its dense brown fur this, it rarely travels far from the
in many other parts of the world, burrows where it hides during the
where escaped animals have day. Its speed is mainly for defense,
established breeding colonies allowing it to bolt for cover at the
in the wild. first hint of danger.

388 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Colugos Tree shrews

Order Dermoptera Order Scandentia

Malayan colugo Indian tree shrew slender build

Galeopterus variegatus Anathana ellioti bushy tail

13—17 in (33—43 cm) 7—8 in (17—20 cm) shoulder stripe. It is not as well as in trees. Typically
SE. Asia S. Asia particularly arboreal, foraging solitary, it is mainly active by day,
Common Locally common for insects and seeds on the sleeping in a tree hole or rocky
ground and among bushes, den at night.
Once known as the flying lemur, More closely related to primates
this tropical tree-dweller has a than to true shrews, this small,
broad membrane of skin between furry-tailed mammal resembles
its digits that, when outstretched, a squirrel with a pointed muzzle,
allows it to glide from tree to tree large eyes, and furred ears. It is
without losing much height. The speckled with yellow and brown
single young clings to its mother on the upper parts and has
as she moves between the trees. a distinctive cream-colored

Primates Sunda slow loris

Order Primates Nycticebus coucang

Calabar angwantibo the lorises and potto, it is a slow- 10—15 in (26—38 cm)
moving, nocturnal primate that SE. Asia
Arctocebus calabarensis climbs deliberately through the Vulnerable
trees of the African rainforest in
9—10 in (22—25 cm) search of fruit and insects as well Unusual among primates for
W. Africa as snails and lizards. It targets its slowed-down lifestyle, this
Locally common caterpillars, carefully rubbing big-eyed climber spends its entire
off any irritating hairs before life up in the trees, sleeping by day
One of only two Arctocebus species, swallowing them. It prefers to and creeping through the branches
the Calabar angwantibo is orange forage at a low level among new at night. It has an unusually
to yellow on its upper parts and growth, which lets it colonize cautious climbing technique,
buff beneath. A distinctive white areas of secondary forest that are clinging to branches with at least
line of fur extends from its forehead regenerating after being cleared. three limbs at a time. It lives alone
to the tip of the nose. A relative of or in pairs, although several males
may pursue a single female.

West African potto Thick-tailed greater Indri
galago
Perodicticus potto Indri indri
Otolemur crassicaudatus
12—16 in (30—40 cm) 24 in (60 cm)
W. and C. Africa 10—16 in (25—40 cm) E. Madagascar
Common C., E., and Southern Africa Critically Endangered
Locally common
Like the lorises, the potto is a fur on back varies One of the biggest lemurs, the
careful, nocturnal tree climber, This is the largest of the galagos, from silver to gray indri or babakoto (“little father”)
which feeds on sugary sap, a group of nocturnal climbers that or brown
fruit, and insects. It has strong are also known as bushbabies. It has dense, silky fur with a
hands and feet and unusually has huge eyes and sensitive ears, striking black-and-white
mobile limb joints that allow it to which it uses to locate insects in pattern. It has a short tail but
reach out in any direction to grasp the trees at night, seizing them very long hindlegs, which it
a branch. Secretive and solitary, with a swift movement of uses to make dramatic leaps
it relies on immobility to avoid its hand. It also uses its
detection by predators, but it can comblike, protruding between trees. The indri feeds
defend itself by lowering its head lower incisors to mainly on leaves during the day,
and jabbing at an enemy with hard, scrape gum and sap but has long periods of inactivity.
sharp-pointed structures covering from tree bark, and Males and females mate for life,
its neck bones. eats fruit such as figs. and live in pairs with their
immature young in a territory
defended by the male.

MAMMALS | 389

Fat-tailed dwarf lemur Betsileo sportive
lemur
Cheirogaleus medius
Lepilemur betsileo
7—10 in (17—26 cm) season, it searches trees and
W. and S. Madagascar shrubs for fruit, flowers, and 10 in (26 cm)
Locally common insects, building up a reserve E. Madagascar
of fat in its tail. This Endangered
No bigger than a squirrel, the sustains it through the
fat-tailed dwarf lemur, or the lesser eight-month dry season, The sportive lemurs owe their
dwarf lemur, is one of the smallest when it enters a state name to the athletic habit of using
primates, with big, dark-ringed of dormancy similar their hindlimbs to leap from one
eyes for locating food in the forest to hibernation. tree trunk to another. Named
at night. During the tropical rainy
after the Malagasy Betsileo people,
fat stored in tail this species lives in the humid
rainforests of eastern Madagascar,
feeding mainly on leaves and
flowers. Gray-brown with a black
tail, the sportive lemur is solitary

while awake but gathers in
groups to sleep.

Black lemur night, which is unusual for Monk saki Bald uakari
lemurs and possibly a response
Eulemur macaco to human disturbance. Lemurs Pithecia monachus Cacajao calvus
are also hunted for food.
12—18 in (30—45 cm) 15—19 in (38—48 cm) 15—23 in (38—57 cm)
N. Madagascar N. and W. South America NW. South America
Vulnerable Locally common Vulnerable

Like many lemurs, this species The Monk saki is covered in long, Instantly identifiable by its bright
is found only in Madagascar. The coarse, black fur that falls around red face and bald crown, which
males are black, while the females its face like a monk’s hood. It has a contrast with its shaggy red-brown
are red, brown, or gray; however, thick, bushy tail which, unlike that or white fur, the bald uakari lives
both sexes have a distinctive of many New World monkeys, is not in seasonally flooded forests
pale ruff around the neck and prehensile. Despite this, it spends bordering rivers and swamps in
shoulders. Groups of up to 15 most of its time on treetops, staying the west of the Amazon basin. It
individuals forage together in high in the canopy and keeping very forages by day in mixed-sex troops
trees for fruit, as well as leaves quiet, although it can make a loud of 10 to 20, but sometimes up to
and flowers, gathering them with alarm call if threatened by a 100, searching the trees for seeds,
their hands. They often feed at high-flying predator. fruit, flowers, and insects.

Southern muriqui Guatemalan black Gray woolly monkey large forehead
howler and braincase
Brachyteles arachnoides Lagothrix cana
Alouatta pigra
22—24 in (55—61 cm) 20—26 in (50—65 cm)
C. South America (SE. Brazil) 21—25 in (53—64 cm) C. South America
Endangered Mexico, Central America Endangered
Endangered
Also known as woolly spider Named for their thick, close-curled
monkeys, the two species of This is the biggest of the howler fur, woolly monkeys live in the
muriquis live only in the Atlantic monkeys—a group of New tropical forests of South America,
coastal forests of Brazil near World monkeys famous for the where they feed mainly on fruit
São Paulo, where both are now phenomenal volume of the males’ in the treetops. The gray woolly
endangered by habitat destruction. territorial whoops and howls. monkey’s fur is gray with black
Locally known as the charcoal Twice the weight of the female, flecks, with a darker head, hands,
monkey because of its black face, each male controls a troop feet, and tail tip. It is an agile
the brown-furred southern muriqui of about seven females and climber, with powerful shoulders
has a heavy body, long limbs, and juveniles, and calls at dawn and and hips, and a prehensile tail
hooklike fingers with no external dusk to warn off neighboring capable of supporting its weight
thumb. Its prehensile tail helps it troops. Howler monkeys feed from a branch while it gathers
to climb through the trees as it feeds mainly on leaves, but also take food. It lives in mixed troops,
on fruit, seeds, and tender leaves. ripe fruit. with a hierarchy based on age.

390 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Guianan weeper Black-capped squirrel small white face
capuchin monkey patch with dark

Cebus olivaceus Saimiri boliviensis crown above

15—18 in (38—46 cm) 11—13 in (27—33 cm) tail longer
than head
NE. South America W. to C. South America and body

Locally common Locally common

This sociable, intelligent monkey The small, agile squirrel monkey
lives in troops of 20 or more in feeds mainly on fruit and small
the rainforests of northern South animals such as insects, flushing
America. It owes its name to the them out from the foliage with
plaintive, weeping calls that the twittering, clicking calls as it moves
troop uses to stay in contact while through the trees in large troops.
moving through the tree canopy These can number 50 or more,
in search of food. Males are bigger sometimes up to 200—much bigger
than females and compete for than that of any other South
dominance; typically, only one American monkey. They also follow
dominant male in each troop other monkey troops to snatch any
gets the chance to breed. insects they disturb.

Goeldi’s marmoset Cotton-top tamarin Red-bellied titi

Callimico goeldii Saguinus oedipus Callicebus moloch

8—9 in (22—23 cm) 8—10 in (20—25 cm) 8—10 in (20—25 cm)
NW. South America
Vulnerable NW. South America N. South America

Goeldi’s marmoset is larger than Critically endangered Critically endangered
most marmosets and tamarins.
Unknown to the scientific Found only in a small part of Speckled brown, with mainly
community before 1904, this northwest Colombia, the cotton-top orange underparts, this monkey
black-furred species lives in tamarin is unmistakable, thanks has such a thick, soft coat that its
scattered groups in dense to the crest of long white hair that ears are almost hidden by fur. It
undergrowth such as creeper- flows down its shoulders. It lives lives in dense forests near rivers,
tangled bamboo. It has a mixed in troops of 2 to 15. When there swamps, and pools, where it feeds
diet of small animals, fruit, and are more than two adults, males on fruit, leaves, seeds, and insect
tree sap, which it gathers by using or females may have more than one grubs. Males and females form
its incisor teeth to make gashes in mate. It feeds on small animals and strong pair-bonds, staying close
the bark and licking up the sap fruit, searching for food by day. It to each other and singing a “duet”
that flows from the wounds. is constantly on the alert, with one before dawn to defend their
member of the group always territory. The newborns are
keeping watch for danger. carried by the male.

Lemurine night De Brazza’s monkey Patas monkey
monkey
Cercopithecus neglectus Erythrocebus patas
Aotus lemurinus
50—59 cm (20—23 in) 23—35 in (60—88 cm)
12—17 in (30—43 cm) C. to E. Africa W. to E. Africa
Central America to Common Common
NW. South America
Vulnerable This tropical forest monkey has This slender, long-legged monkey
a black crown, an orange stripe can run at speeds of up to 34mph
Sometimes called the owl monkey across its forehead, and a luxuriant (55km/h), making it the fastest
because of its huge, forward-facing white beard and moustache. Most primate. It lives on the ground in
brown eyes and hooting calls, of the rest of its body is covered open areas, where cover is scarce
this species and its close relatives with speckled gray fur. The male and speed is often the only effective
are the world’s only nocturnal is much bigger than the female, defense. Troops often consist of
monkeys. Most active at twilight and the species usually lives females, their young, a single
and on moonlit nights when food in small groups headed by breeding male, and extra group
is easier to see, it climbs cautiously a dominant male. De Brazza’s males. If threatened, the male often
through the forest trees looking monkeys communicate using distracts the predator while the rest
for fruit and insects. deep, booming calls. of the troop escapes.

MAMMALS | 391

Myanmar snub-nosed Bengal gray langur Chacma baboon
monkey
Semnopithecus entellus Papio ursinus
Rhinopithecus strykeri
20—31 in (50—78 cm) 24—32 in (60—82 cm)
22 in (56 cm) India Southern Africa
S. Asia Common Common
Critically endangered
Also known as the hanuman langur, Found in open habitats in southern
Discovered in 2010 in northern this slender, long-tailed monkey has Africa, this is the biggest of the
Myanmar, this rare and endangered a striking black face that contrasts baboons—ground-dwelling
monkey is mostly black, with a with its gray or brown fur. It occurs monkeys with long, doglike
contrasting white mustache, beard, in a wide variety of habitats ranging snouts and protruding nostrils
and ear tufts. It has an upturned from semideserts to tropical forests, that typically live in large troops.
nose, which, according to local often living near villages, where it The chacma baboon mostly forages
people, makes it prone to sneezing makes the most of any discarded on the ground by day and has a
in rainy weather. It lives in mountain food. Elsewhere, it feeds mainly on broad diet ranging from fruit and
forests in summer, and spends the leaves and fruit. It lives in groups of seeds to small gazelles, although
winter at lower, warmer altitudes. Its varying sizes, spending most of the hunting is rare. Intelligent and
known population is less than 500, daylight hours on the ground, but adaptable, it may throw stones
making it vulnerable to extinction. sleeping in trees at night. to deter intruders.

Celebes crested macaque Guereza Lar gibbon

Macaca nigra Colobus guereza Hylobates lar

21—23 in (53—58 cm) dense, 21—23 in (53—58 cm) 17—23 in (42—59 cm)
SE. Asia woolly coat C. and E. Africa SE. Asia
Critically endangered Locally common Endangered

Covered with black fur but having Mainly black with a white ruff Like all gibbons, this is a superb
big, expressive, red-brown eyes, around its naked black face, this arboreal acrobat, able to swing
this short-tailed monkey lives in monkey is also known as the through trees using its long arms
tropical forests. A crest runs from eastern black and white colobus. and, thanks to its opposable big
the forehead back over the crown. It has a fringe of long, white, toes, walk upright along branches.
Usually flat, the crest rises when silky hair along its flanks and a It usually lives in monogamous
the animal is aroused. A sociable matching white tuft at the tip of pairs, which reinforce their
animal, it lives in groups of 60–80, its long tail. It mainly eats tough, pair-bond each morning with loud
but sometimes forms mixed-sex fibrous leaves, which it can digest hooting duets that are repeated
troops of 100 or more. It mainly thanks to a complex, three-part many times. Deforestation and
feeds on fruit and invertebrates, but stomach containing gut microbes hunting by humans are major
it may also eat other small animals. that break down the fiber. threats to this primate.

Sumatran orangutan ground and adult males rarely
do so. Now restricted to the
Pongo abelii north of their native island,
Sumatran orangutans are
4—5 ft (1.2—1.5 m) critically endangered by
N. Sumatra the destruction of their
Critically endangered rainforest habitat
to create oil
Slimmer than the Bornean palm plantations.
orangutan, and with longer
chestnut hair, the Sumatran grasping hands
orangutan is also more sociable
than its largely solitary relative. coarse,
Big groups may come together to shaggy coat
feed in fruiting fig trees, moving
slowly through the canopy and
often using their weight to bend
a branch within reach of the next
one. These orangutans are almost
exclusively arboreal—females
virtually never travel on the

392 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Eastern gorilla Bonobo Other species ● Müller’s gibbon
Hylobates muelleri » p298
Gorilla beringei Pan paniscus ● Aye-aye
Daubentonia madagascariensis » ● Olive baboon
4—6 ft (1.2—1.8 m) 28—33 in (70—83 cm) p241 Papio anubis » p185
C. and E. Africa C. Africa ● Berthe’s mouse lemur
Endangered Endangered Microcebus berthae » p237 ● Proboscis monkey
Nasalis larvatus » p295
The eastern gorilla lives in the A close relative of the chimpanzee, ● Bornean orangutan
Rift Valley region near Lake and thought to be the same species Pongo pygmaeus » pp296—97 ● Pygmy marmoset
Victoria, and is divided into two until 1929, the bonobo is slimmer, ● Chimpanzee Cebuella pygmaea » p92
races: the mountain gorilla and with longer limbs. It has mostly Pan troglodytes » pp210—11
the eastern lowland gorilla. Both black skin, and the hair on its ● Emperor tamarin ● Red howler monkey
types live in family groups, led crown has a distinctive central Saguinus imperator » p92 Alouatta seniculus » p93
and defended by a dominant male part. The bonobo feeds chiefly on
gorilla with pale gray fur on his the ground and has a varied diet of ● Gelada ● Ring-tailed lemur
back. Known as a silverback, the fruit, seeds, leaves, flowers, fungi, Theropithecus gelada » pp180—81 Lemur catta » pp238—39
dominant male fathers most or bird eggs, and small animals. ● Golden langur
all the young in the group. Adult Groups of up to 100 bonobos Trachypithecus geei » p267 ● Terai sacred langur
males are much bigger than gather to sleep at night, but they ● Golden snub-nosed monkey Semnopithecus hector » p259
females, weighing up to 460 lb generally split up into smaller Rhinopithecus roxellana » p273
(210 kg). Gorillas mainly eat plant groups to forage for food, mainly ● Verreaux’s sifaka
material including leaves, fruit, on the ground. Females are ● Hamadryas baboon Propithecus verreauxi » p240
nuts, berries, and juicy roots, dominant and leave their family Papio hamadryas » p249
and occasionally insects such groups when mature; males tend ● Hooded capuchin ● Vervet monkey
as termites and ants. to stay on. Sapajus cay » p102 Chlorocebus pygerythrus » p201
● Japanese macaque
Macaca fuscata » pp286—87 ● Western gorilla
Gorilla gorilla » p212
● Mandrill
Mandrillus sphinx » p213 ● Western tarsier
Cephalopachus bancanus » p294

Bats hooklike foot Egyptian rousette
claws permit
Order Chiroptera roosting Rousettus aegyptiacus
without
Rodrigues flying fox muscle 6—7 in (15—18 cm)
tension W. Asia, N. Africa (Egypt), W., E.,
Pteropus rodricensis and Southern Africa
Common
14 in (35 cm) brown fur
Indian Ocean (Rodrigues Island) The Egyptian rousette and a few of
Critically endangered night on ripe fruit and returns at its close relatives are the only fruit
dawn to roost in trees. Human bats to use a form of echolocation,
The flying foxes are named for their disturbance and destruction due to which is similar to that used by
foxy, pointed faces, which differ tropical cyclones has made it rare. insectivorous bats. This helps it to
from those of most other bats. This find its way around and roost in
species is a fruit bat, found only on dark caves. More widespread across
Rodrigues Island, where it feeds at Africa than its name suggests, it is
seen as a pest by fruit farmers.

Proboscis bat Lesser mouse-tailed Lesser horseshoe Ghost bat
bat bat
Rhynchonycteris naso Macroderma gigas
Rhinopoma hardwickii Rhinolophus hipposideros
11/2—2 in (3.5—5 cm) 4—5 in (10—13 cm)
Mexico to C. South America 2—3 in (5—8 cm) 2 in (5 cm) W. and N. Australia
Common W. to S. Asia, N. and E. Africa Europe, N. Africa to W. Asia Vulnerable
Common Common
Found across most of Amazonia This long-winged bat can seize
and parts of Central America, the The mouse-tailed bats are a small Named for its horseshoe-shaped frogs, mice, small snakes, and even
proboscis bat owes its name to its group of insectivorous bats that are nose leaf, this is one of the smallest roosting birds in its long, curved
long, pointed nose. This insect-eater unique for their thin, trailing tails, insectivorous bats. It hunts at night claws. It locates them at night by
lives in small groups that use like those of mice. Favoring dry for small insects and spiders. sight and by using echolocation,
echolocation to hunt for airborne habitats, this species preys mainly Widespread across the warmer and kills them with a neck bite.
insects at night, usually over water. on beetles and moths; when these parts of Europe, it roosts by day It is called the ghost bat as the
By day, the groups of up to 40 roost are scarce in the dry season, it lies in tree holes, caves, and manmade skin of its wings is unusually thin,
together on a branch or a wooden dormant, sustained by body fat structures. It hibernates in deep giving it a ghostly appearance as
beam, typically lying nose-to-tail. built up when food is abundant. caverns throughout the winter. it flies overhead in the moonlight.

MAMMALS | 393

Greater bulldog bat Common pipistrelle Pallid bat

Noctilio leporinus Pipistrellus pipistrellus Antrozous pallidus

21/2—3 in (6—8 cm) 1—2 in (2.5—5 cm) large breeding colonies of up 2—3 in (5—8 cm)
Central America, N., E., and Europe to N. Africa, W., and C. Asia to 1,000 females, each nursing W. North America to Mexico, Cuba
C. South America Common a single baby. Common
Common
One of the most widespread The pallid bat lives in arid habitats,
Remarkably, this tropical American Eurasian bats, this small insect- where it hunts on the ground at
bat is a specialist at catching fish. eater lives in a range of habitats night, flying low and using its eyes
It targets them at night using from dense forests to city parks and ears. It targets large insects,
echolocation to detect leaping fish and suburban yards. It can squeeze spiders, centipedes, scorpions, and
and the ripples they make, then its tiny body into the narrowest even lizards and mice, swooping
scoops them from the water with crevices, slipping between down to seize them and carry
its sharp-clawed back feet. It can overlapping tiles to roost by day in them off to a favorite perch
catch fiddler crabs and shrimp roof spaces, and is one of the first where it can eat them. By day,
in the same way, but also takes bats to emerge at dusk to prey on the bats gather in groups and
insects and even scorpions. It has midges, small moths, and other retreat to roost in rock crevices, old
velvety fur with a distinct pale flying insects. It hibernates buildings, and tree cavities, giving
stripe along the middle of its back. throughout the winter and forms clearly audible cries as they go.

Daubenton’s bat gray flight Brown Common noctule
membrane long-eared bat
Myotis daubentonii Nyctalus noctula
Plecotus auritus
2—3 in (5—8 cm) 3 in (8 cm)
Europe to N. and E. Asia 11⁄2—2 in (4—5 cm) Europe to W., E., and
Common Europe, C. Asia S. Asia
Common Common
This widespread Eurasian bat
specializes in hunting over water, The enormous ears of this small This high-flying bat lives
flying low over ponds, lakes, and woodland bat—almost as long in woodland, roosting
waterways to catch flying insects as its body—give it incredibly alone in tree cavities by
in its mouth or scoop them up sensitive hearing. They allow it to day. At night it hunts
with its tail or wing membrane. detect the faint sounds made by by swooping down on
It even targets small fish, insects such as moths and beetles insects such as large
skimming over the surface as they feed on vegetation at night, moths. It hibernates
and grabbing them with its so it can pick them off the leaves. in groups in
large feet. By day, it It then usually takes its prey to better-insulated
often roosts beneath a perch to eat. It roosts in caves, places, such as
bridges but also uses trees, and outbuildings and caves, and may
abandoned buildings and spends the winter hibernating travel 1,200 miles
trees. It flies up to 180 miles in a deep cave, abandoned mine, (2,000 km) or more to find a
(300 km) to its winter hibernation or disused basement or cellar. suitable site, returning in spring.
site, usually a deep cave or
an old mine. Angolan free-tailed designed to confuse potential
bat predators such as hawks and owls.
pale It preys on flying insects,
underside Mops condylurus discarding the hardest, most
inedible parts as it eats them on
3 in (8 cm) the wing.
W., C., E., and Southern Africa
Common Other species
● Large flying fox
Named for its long, mouselike tail, Pteropus vampyrus » p294
which is not attached to any flight ● Lesser short-tailed bat
membranes, the Angolan free- Mystacina tuberculata » p355
● Vampire bat
tailed bat is widespread across Desmodus rotundus » p115
Africa south of the ● White bat
Sahara. It gathers in large Ectophylla alba » p79
numbers to roost by day,
emerging each evening in
noisy, flapping groups

394 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Hedgehogs and relatives Shrews and moles

Order Eulipotyphla Order Eulipotyphla

Moonrat Long-eared hedgehog Eurasian shrew

Echinosorex gymnura Hemiechinus auritus Sorex araneus

10—18 in (26—46 cm) 6—11 in (15—28 cm) 2—3 in (5—8 cm) Also known as the common shrew,
SE. Asia this tiny, frenetically active animal
S. Asia Europe to N. Asia has such a fast rate of metabolism
k Common that it must eat 80–90 percent
k Locally common k Common of its body weight in food every
The moonrat is one of a small 24 hours, or it will starve. It hunts
group of mainly insectivorous This prickly mammal is adapted for day and night, taking short rests
mammals closely related to life in the desert. Its large ears act between regular bursts of activity
hedgehogs but without the spines. as radiators, helping it to lose excess when it uses its long, bristly,
It has harsh, rough, coarse outer heat, and it gets most of the water it sensitive snout to search for
fur and a long, scaly, almost needs from its insect food. Spending insects, worms, slugs, and snails.
hairless tail. The moonrat hunts the day in its burrow, it emerges at Adults are normally solitary
at night in the tropical forests of dusk to hunt. When prey is scarce, except during a brief courtship
Southeast Asia, catching insects it can become dormant, but this period in spring or early fall.
on the ground but also pursuing state rarely lasts long. The common shrew is territorial—
aquatic animals, including fish, it defends itself vigorously, biting
in the water. It marks its territory Other species if cornered.
with a pungent scent of ammonia,
similar to that of rotting onions. ● European hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus » p156

Eurasian Armored shrew Bicolored Hispaniolan
water shrew white-toothed shrew solenodon
Scutisorex somereni
Neomys fodiens Crocidura leucodon Solenodon paradoxus
4—6 in (10—15 cm)
3—4 in (8—10 cm) C. to E. Africa 2—7 in (5—18 cm) 11—13 in (28—33 cm)
Europe to N. Asia Europe to W. Asia Caribbean (Hispaniola)
k Common
k Common k Common k Endangered
This large shrew has a highly
Adapted for hunting in pools unusual spine adaptation—each The name of this shrew refers to the This shrewlike insectivore was first
and streams, the water shrew has backbone has interlocking flanges sharp divide between the brown fur described in 1833. It hunts at night
water-repellent outer fur and thick above, below, and on each side, of its upperparts and the creamy for insects and small vertebrates,
underfur that keeps it warm when making it immensely strong. The white underfur. It is one of a large half-paralyzing them with a
submerged. Its back and sides are adaptation’s function is unknown, subfamily of shrews that have white venomous bite that it also uses for
dark, but it has a white underside. but studies suggest it may help the teeth; those of the other subfamily defense. It is one of just two species
It propels itself underwater with shrew lever dead logs off the ground have red-tipped teeth. It hunts by of solenodon, the other being found
its hair-fringed hindfeet, pursuing to get at worms hiding below. night for worms and insect grubs. on the nearby island of Cuba.
aquatic insects, small fish, and
frogs. It has venomous saliva that Russian desman Star-nosed mole
immobilizes the prey it seizes in
its teeth. It also hunts on land for Desmana moschata Condylura cristata
beetles and worms.
7—9 in (18—23 cm) 7—8 in (18—20 cm)
short, dense fur E. Europe to C. Asia E. Canada, NE. US

k Vulnerable k Common

Native to river systems to the north The nose of this functionally blind
of the Black Sea, the desman is part mole ends in 22 fleshy tentacles
of the mole family, but hunts in the equipped with thousands of
water. It swims well, propelled by microscopic sensory organs that are
its webbed hindfeet and laterally highly responsive to touch and help
flattened tail. It uses its sensitive the mole detect prey. This mole digs
nose to probe for aquatic insects and a network of tunnels through the
crayfish among the stones of the soil. It is also an excellent swimmer,
riverbed. It lives in groups, which and hunts mainly in the water for
may share a riverbank burrow. insects, worms, and small fish.

MAMMALS | 395

European mole Pangolins

Talpa europaea Order Pholidota

4—7 in (12—18 cm) Specialized for living Ground pangolin
underground, this virtually blind
Europe to N. Asia mole uses its powerful, spadelike Manis temminckii
feet to dig a network of tunnels
k Common radiating from a central chamber. 20—24 in (50—61 cm)
It pushes the excavated soil up to E. to Southern Africa
long, cylindrical the surface, forming a series of
body distinctive molehills. Its short, k Vulnerable
dense black fur can lie in either
direction, allowing the mole to Pangolins are insect-eating Other species
mammals with a unique body
move forward or armor of large, overlapping scales ● Common pangolin
backward through the made of keratin. If threatened, they Manis tricuspis » p215
soil. It feeds on worms, can roll up into an armored ball.
insect grubs, and other animals This species eats ants and termites,
that fall into the tunnels, detecting using its large claws to rip open
them by touch, smell, and sound. their nests. It laps them up with a
The female gives birth to three sticky tongue about 16 in (40 cm)
or four young. long—half the length of its body.

Carnivores Rüppels fox Bush dog

Order Carnivora Vulpes rueppellii Speothos venaticus

Fennec fox detect prey such as insects and 25 in (64 cm) 23—30 in (58—76 cm)
mice in the desert night; they N. and C. South America
Vulpes zerda may also help it to dissipate heat. N. and E. South America
It has a broad diet, eating fruit and k Near threatened
10—16 in (25—41 cm) seeds as well as small animals. It k Common
N. Africa is adapted to minimize water loss, This long-bodied, short-snouted,
which means that it rarely needs Also called the sand fox, Rüppels short-legged wild dog lives in
k Common to drink. fox is similar to the red fox but packs of up to 12 in the tropical
slighter in build. It has soft, dense, forests of the Amazon. This
Native to the arid huge, batlike ears sandy or silver-gray fur to match powerful and persistent hunter
lands of the Sahara, to radiate body heat its arid habitat, black patches hunts by day, using group tactics
the fennec is the on the sides of the muzzle, and that enable it to bring down large
smallest of all foxes. animals such as deer and capybaras.
It is remarkable for a white tail tip. In some Each pack has a mated pair and
its big, sensitive ears, regions, this species forms offspring of various ages; only the
which it uses to monogamous pairs, but in dominant pair breeds, but other
others, it gathers in groups of members of the pack help to defend
up to 15. It eats a variety of food and feed the youngest pups.
from grass to insects, reptiles,
and mammals.

long, thick hairs Crab-eating fox
protect from cold
Cerdocyon thous

25 in (64 cm)
N. and E. South America

k Common

Widespread on the grasslands and
open woodlands of tropical South
America, this medium-sized fox
is an opportunist hunter that often
preys on crabs, both in freshwater
habitats and on the coast. It also
takes various other prey, ranging
from insect grubs to small
mammals and fish as well as eggs
and fruit. It is usually grayish
brown above and white below.

396 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Black-backed jackal Red wolf Bat-eared fox

Canis mesomelas Canis rufus Otocyon megalotis

18—35 in (45—90 cm) 3—4 ft (1—1.2 m) 18—26 in (46—66 cm)
E. and Southern Africa Reintroduced to E. US E. and Southern Africa
Common Critically endangered Common

An adaptable and resourceful Smaller than the gray wolf, and with This long-legged, small-headed
species, the black-backed jackal a red tinge to its gray-brown fur, the African fox is a specialized insect-
is a common sight in eastern and red wolf once lived throughout the eater. It uses its huge ears to
southern Africa, from city suburbs eastern states of the US but was pinpoint the location of its prey
to remote deserts. Males and reduced to near-extinction by on the savanna, targeting the
females mate for life and live as a hunting and interbreeding with harvester termites that swarm over
pair, hunting their own prey and coyotes. Reintroduced to the wild the grasslands. It also eats other
scavenging from the kills of others. in North Carolina from 1987, the insects such as dung beetles and
They eat a huge variety of animals, species built up a small wild grasshoppers. Compared with
as well as fruit and berries. Each population, but its future is still other foxes, it has smaller teeth
pair has its own territory, centered in serious doubt. It lives in family- and more of them (with up to
on a den, such as an old aardvark based packs and hunts mammals eight extra molars), an adaptation
hole, where they rear their family. such as rabbits and raccoons. to its small prey.

Sun bear Asiatic black bear Common seal pale gray-brown
fur with small
Helarctos malayanus Ursus thibetanus Phoca vitulina rings and blotches

4—5 ft (1—1.5 m) 4—6 ft (1.2—1.8 m) 5—6 ft (1.5—1.8 m)
SE. Asia E., S., and SE. Asia North Atlantic, North Pacific
Vulnerable Vulnerable Common

Mainly black or rusty-brown with Also known as the moon bear Also known as the harbor seal,
a U-shaped pale patch on its chest, because of the white crescent on its this is the most widespread of
the sun bear is the smallest of the black chest, this species is similar the seals, ranging along the coasts
bears and the only one adapted for to the American black bear. It of both the northern Pacific and
life in tropical rainforests. A good spends much of its time in trees, Atlantic oceans, as well as some
climber, it sleeps in trees and feeds foraging for nuts and fruit, but Arctic seas. The common seal
mainly on fruit and insects. It also eats bamboo shoots, grasses, has a small, rounded, catlike
breaks into termite mounds for and insects. Deforestation has head with large eyes and
prey and rips hollow trees apart to destroyed much of its forest distinctive V-shaped nostrils
get at the nests of bees so it can habitat, and as a result, it and is very variable in color.
devour their honey and larvae. sometimes raids farm crops, It preys mainly on fish, which
coming into direct and sometimes it catches on short dives lasting
fatal conflict with humans. just three to four minutes each.

Crabeater seal Weddell seal Baikal seal

Lobodon carcinophaga Leptonychotes weddellii Pusa sibirica

7—9 ft (2.1—2.7 m) 8—10 ft (2.5—3m) 4—5 ft (1.2—1.5 m)
Antarctic and subantarctic waters Antarctic and subantarctic waters E. Asia (Lake Baikal)
Common Common Locally common

Despite its name, this Antarctic The deep-diving Weddell seal Although closely related to the
true seal is specialized for catching hunts fish and other marine ringed seal of the Arctic Ocean,
the shrimplike krill that form vast animals beneath the sea ice this small, sleek seal lives only in
swarms in the Southern Ocean. that fringes the Antarctic coast. Lake Baikal in Siberia, the deepest
Its elaborately lobed teeth interlock It can stay underwater for over freshwater lake in the world. Like
to form a sieve when its jaws are an hour, but must maintain a all true seals, it swims effortlessly,
closed, allowing it to strain the breathing hole in the ice above. propelling itself with its rear-facing
krill from the water rather than To do this, the seal enlarges cracks hindlimbs. The males stay in the
seizing them individually. It rests in the ice with its teeth—as a water all winter, hunting fish
and breeds on drifting pack ice and result, many Wendell seals suffer beneath the ice, but in late winter,
is a regular target for killer whales from worn teeth and dental the females haul out onto the ice
and leopard seals. abscesses, which can prove fatal. to bear their white-coated pups.

MAMMALS | 397

Brown fur seal California sea lion

Arctocephalus pusillus Zalophus californianus

6—8 ft (1.8—2.4 m) Up to 2.4 m (73/4 ft) Ranging from Alaska to Mexico,
Southern Africa, SE. Australia W. US the California sea lion is far
Locally common Locally common more widespread than its name
suggests. It preys mainly on squid
Like all fur seals and sea lions, small external and shoaling fish such as herring,
brown fur seals have powerful ear catching them on short dives to
forelimbs and long hindlimbs that depths of about 75 m (245 ft).
can be rotated forward. This allows This species rarely strays more
them to walk on all fours on land, than 16 km (10 miles) out to sea
unlike the more fishlike true seals. and often enters harbours and
They gather on rocky shores in estuaries for food and shelter.
colonies of a thousand or more Compared to the sleek females, the
during the breeding season. The males are bigger and generally
males are bigger than the females, darker, with more robust
and compete to secure territories forequarters, which prove useful
that give them control over harems
of females. during territorial disputes.
The juveniles are a uniform
South American sea lion tan color.

Otaria byronia streamlined body
tapers from
shoulder to tail

8—9 ft (2.4—2.8 m)
W., S., and E. South America,
Falkland Islands
Common

This species is probably the original pups into the water after
“sea lion”—the male has a huge 1–2 months, which is a
head with a luxuriant mane and relatively early age for
weighs twice as much as the female. a sea lion.
As with other sea lions and fur
seals, the biggest males fight to
control as many females as possible.
South American sea lions favor
sandy beaches for resting and
breeding, and go out to sea to prey
on fish, squid, and the occasional
seabird. The mothers coax their

Humboldt’s Eastern spotted skunk Palawan stink badger
hog-nosed skunk
Spilogale putorius Mydaus marchei
Conepatus humboldtii
12—14 in (30—36 cm) 14—18 in (36—46 cm)
10—15 in (25—38 cm) E. to C. US, NE. Mexico Philippines (Palawan and Busuanga
S. South America Common Islands)
Locally common Locally common
Smaller and sleeker than the more
Named for its piglike naked nose familiar striped skunk, the eastern Genetic studies show that this
pad, adapted for rooting in the spotted skunk has a similar pattern stocky, badgerlike animal belongs
ground for insects, this skunk is of black-and-white fur, broken up to the same family as the skunks,
black or reddish brown with a into large patches that vary from which accounts for its ability
prominent white stripe extending one individual to another. The to drive off its enemies with a
along each flank, from its crown striking pattern warns predators pungent secretion squirted from its
to its bushy tail. Solitary and to leave it alone, or risk being anal scent glands. It uses its long,
nocturnal, it spends the day hidden sprayed with a noxious fluid from flexible, almost hairless snout to
in a burrow or a den beneath rocks. its anal glands. It has a mixed probe for small animals in the soil
Like other skunks, it can defend diet of small animals, bird eggs, and lives alone in a rocky den or
itself with a foul-smelling spray. and fruit. abandoned burrow.

398 | THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Ringtail Crab-eating Stoat relatively
raccoon long neck
Bassariscus astutus Mustela erminea
Procyon cancrivorus their burrows. It also kills rabbits,
12—17 in (30—43 cm) 7—10 in (18—25 cm) even though they often far outweigh
C. and W. US to S. Mexico 18—35 in (45—90 cm) North America, Greenland, it. It is red-brown above and creamy
Common Central America to C. South America Europe to N. and E. Asia white below, but in the snowy north
Common Common of its range, it molts to pure white in
This slim, agile North American winter, aside from the tip of the tail,
hunter is a relative of the raccoons Similar to the common raccoon, The long, slender, flexible body of which is always black; this white
and has a similar black-and-white with a ringed tail and black-masked this widespread predator is well form is known as an ermine.
ringed tail. Otherwise mainly eyes, this crab-eater lives up to adapted for pursuing other small
brown, it has big eyes surrounded its name by hunting crabs along mammals, such as voles, through
by black rings and striking white seashores and the edges of rivers
eyebrows. It hunts at night for small and marshes. It feels for prey in the
mammals, birds, and reptiles, but it shallows with its sensitive, nimble
has a broad diet and also forages for front paws. Solitary and nocturnal,
insect grubs, fruit, and nuts. it retreats to a tree hole by day.

Least weasel European polecat sinuous body

Mustela nivalis Mustela putorius

7—10 in (18—25 cm) Similar to a stoat, but with an even 14—20 in (35—51 cm)
North America, Europe to smaller, slimmer, brown and white Europe
N., C., and E. Asia body and tiny head, the least Common
Common weasel can enter the smallest
mouse or vole burrow in search This relatively
of prey. It specializes in hunting large member of product of its anal
these small rodents, which are so the weasel family glands. Male and
abundant and widespread that has long dark outer fur with female polecats defend
the least weasel consequently has creamy-yellow underfur visible as separate territories, but
a huge range across both North it moves and a black mask across the males’ territories
America and northern Eurasia. its eyes. Its sinuous body and short usually overlap those
In the far north, it turns white in legs allow it to enter rabbit holes of the females.
winter for camouflage in the snow in search of prey. A domesticated
—this is for its own protection as form of the polecat—the ferret—
well as to conceal it from potential is used by hunters to flush rabbits
prey. It lives alone, using several out of their burrows. It also runs
nests in crevices or old burrows. and swims well. If threatened, it
defends itself with a foul-smelling

American mink fur farms. Normally dark brown Fisher Sable
to almost black, it resembles a
Neovison vison smaller, darker otter, and often Martes pennanti Martes zibellina
uses its partly webbed feet to hunt
12—22 in (30—56 cm) in the water for frogs, fish, and 19—30 in (48—76 cm) 13—18 in (33—46 cm)
North America; introduced to Europe water voles. An excellent swimmer, Canada to N. US N. and E. Asia
Common it can stay submerged for distances Common Common
of up to 98 ft (30 m). It also takes
Native to North America, this a wide variety of prey on land and The cat-sized fisher is the biggest This is the northeast Asian
adaptable relative of the weasels is widely seen as a threat to native of the martens—a long, low-slung equivalent of the fisher, famous for
has become widespread across wildlife in its introduced range. forest predator with dense, dark its dense, brown-black fur, which
Eurasia as a result of escapes from brown fur and a bushy tail. It made it a prime target for fur-
dark, usually hunts on the ground trappers over several centuries.
glossy fur for other mammals, including Fast and agile, it hunts in the
porcupines, which it kills by forests for small mammals such as
repeatedly biting at their hares and rodents, scavenges from
unprotected faces. It can climb the kills of wolves, and also eats
well and often makes its den fruit. It often adopts an abandoned
high in a hollow tree, where it burrow as a breeding nest, but
makes temporary dens for shelter
also raises its young. from the cold when foraging for
food in winter.