Carnivores
gregladen | November 27, 2011Why would you want a field guide to all of the carninvores? They live everywhere, so there is no reason to carry around a field identification guide with ALL of them unless you were going everywhere in the whole world on one trip!
Yet, there is such a field guide, Carnivores of the World (Princeton Field Guides), and the truth is, this is ONE OF THE COOLEST BOOKS I'VE EVER SEEN! All the carnivores (almost) in one book. Interestingly, it turns out to be possible. There are fewer than three hundred species of terrestrial carnivore in the whole world, and that is fittable in a single book…
jlynch | April 2, 2009A few weeks back, I updated you on the story of Macho B, the male jaguar that was captured in southeastern Arizona and subsequently euthanized due to apparent chronic kidney failure. The Arizona Republic is reporting that Sharon Dial, a pathologist at Arizona Veterinary Diagnostic Lab, is claiming that the euthanization was premature and that the jaguar was not suffering from renal failure. The initial diagnosis was made from bloodwork and Dial examined the kidneys:
"Nothing is absolute. There is nothing to say that he absolutely would have recovered, but I can say by looking at the kidneys…
jlynch | March 6, 2009
This is Toby, a red panda at Houston Zoo. This article lead to this comment:
Don't be fooled. The Red Panda's "cuteness" is simply a reflection of the human tendency to anthropomorphize animals. In reality, the Red Panda is a vicious omnivore, willing to eat (or try to eat) anything it can put into its mouth. Packs of Red Pandas have been know to strip live elk calves to nothing but bone in mere minutes. These predators are primarily nocturnal, and a Red Panda roused from sleep during daylight hours will attack anything that moves, ripping and shredding interlopers with razor-sharp teeth…
jlynch | March 2, 2009
Last week I reported that AZ Game and Fish had recently captured, collared and released a jaguar for the first time. At that time, folks were speculating whether the specimen was “Macho B,” a male that had been seen in the area a number of times over the past 13 years. This turns out to be the case.
This evening the Arizona Republic is reporting that “Macho B” was found to be immobile in the field today and upon transport to the Phoenix Zoo was diagnosed with “severe and unrecoverable kidney failure.” He was therefore euthanized.
It is now believed that the 16 year old male was the oldest…
jlynch | February 25, 2009
Zooborns asks us to ponder the question: âWhatâs cuter than a fennec fox?â As if there can be any reply. More photos over at Zooborns.
jlynch | February 21, 2009
I've written before about efforts to study jaguar (Panthera onca) populations here in the desert southwest and Mexico, most recently to note that the Bush administration had declined to formulate a recovery plan for the species in the Southwest. The following is therefore encouraging for those of us who care about these magnificent animals.
Three days ago, Arizona Game and Fish successfully captured and collared a wild jaguar for the first time in Arizona - a male (picture above) found just southwest of Tucson. The 118 pound specimen (perhaps âMacho Bâ who has been captured on camera a…
jlynch | August 24, 2008
The Stoat
Walking in the warmest afternoon this year has yielded yet, through slopes of whin that made the shadows luminous, and filled the slow air with its fragrance, we went down a narrow track, stone-littered, under trees which with new leaf and opening bud contrived to offer a green commentary on light; and as we wondered silent, stone by stone, on lavish spring, a sudden volley broke, a squealing terror ripped through twig and briar, as a small rabbit pawing at the air and stilting quickly thrust full into view, clenched on its rump a…
jlynch | August 17, 2008
Bornean clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi) ... now with mounted headlights.
See here for previous story on the species.
(click for larger version / image source)
jlynch | August 3, 2008
Eno, a four month old American river otter (Lontra canadensis) at the North Carolina Aquarium (source). Click for larger version.
jlynch | July 20, 2008I've been remiss for a while and those of you who like the Monday Mustelid haven't been getting your fix. So here is a little something to tide you over. Three video full of badgery goodness.
The world's most fearless animal - the ratel, Melivora capensis. This guy is 100kg of attitude in a 10kg body.
More under the fold ...
Mr Cobra, meet Mr Ratel. Food and nap to follow.
Lastly - and if only to show that Eurasian badgers (Meles meles) though cute have a mean streak - badger teaches an admittedly smaller fox a lesson.
jlynch | July 20, 2008
Full sequence of leopard taking out a crocodile at Kruger NP is here. Om nom nom nom.
jlynch | June 10, 2008
My mother - who lives five miles from the center of Dublin - has a red fox Vulpes vulpes living at the end of her garden (much to the delight of her grandchildren). On the day these photos were taken, the little blighter emerged from the hedges around 9 am and stayed out sunning himself until six in the evening. According to my mother, he lets her enter the garden and walk about halfway down before he ups and leaves.
When I was in my teens I remember seeing foxes at the end of our road (where there was the River Dodder) and used to go out and watch them forage in the evening. They have only…
jlynch | May 6, 2008
Two-month old black Jaguar cub born in captivity at the Huachipa zoo in Lima, Peru. (click for larger version)
photo source: AP Photo/Martin Mejia/Scanpix
hat-tip: Green Expander.
jlynch | May 5, 2008
Burmese Ferret Badger, Melogale personata Saint-Hillaire 1831
Chinese Ferret Badger, Melogale moschata Gray 1831
There are two further putative species of ferret badger for which I’m unable to find suitable images: Everett’s ferret badger (Melogale everetti Thomas 1895) and the Javan ferret badger (Melogale orientalis Horsfield 1821). The genus is in need of a good taxonomic study.
jlynch | April 28, 2008
Eurasian badger Meles meles L.Click for big version - they’re cute. Way cute
jlynch | February 1, 2008Readers who saw my post yesterday about cat domestication may be interested to see that Greg Laden has posted on the paper. Greg’s view is that "[t]he conclusion the authors draw about cat origins is very weak ... but the information this study provides about cat breed genetics is excellent and will be of value [to?] cats around the world."
jlynch | January 31, 2008
A recently published study has used microsatelite markers to discover that domesticated cats originated in the Middle East, a finding that reinforces earlier archeological research. The abstract reads:
The diaspora of the modern cat was traced with microsatellite markers from the presumed site of domestication to distant regions of the world. Genetic data were derived from over 1100 individuals,representing 17 random-bred populations from five continents and 22 breeds. The Mediterranean was reconfirmed to be the probable site of domestication. Genetic diversity has remained broad throughout…