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The pygmy hippopotamus Hexaprotodon liberiensis or Choeropsis liberiensis was discovered by Europeans in 1911. The hippopotamus family includes only two genera of hippopotamuses: ordinary and dwarf. All modern representatives of this family are found only in Africa. In addition to Liberia, this hippopotamus can also be found in Sudan and Congo.
Large hippos can weigh up to three tons, but the usual weight of an adult pygmy is only about 300 kg. The height of this hippopotamus is from 70 to 80 cm, and the body length is about 160 cm.
These are shy animals, choosing quiet and secluded places where they do not have to be afraid of enemies. Most often, they choose small swamps or overgrown rivers with a slow flow, on the banks of which they live in other people's burrows, expanding them to fit their dimensions - they themselves do not know how to dig burrows.
Unfortunately, these little representatives are inferior to their older brothers in terms of life expectancy. In the wild, dwarf hippos live only up to 35 years (in the zoo they live a little longer).
The pig-footed bandicoot, Chaeropus ecaudatus, is the smallest and most graceful marsupial mammal. These long-eared, long-tailed herbivores once scurried across Australia's sandy, arid stretches for tens of thousands of years before going extinct in the 1950s.
They had a length of 23–26 cm, and a long tail reached 10–15 cm. They had long thin limbs and large pointed ears. The pig-footed bandicoot is a very unusual species for a marsupial; the animal's front legs had two functional toes with hooves, quite similar to the hooves of a pig or deer.
The maximum body mass of the bandicoot reached 600 grams (the weight of a basketball) and a length of 26 cm, which shows these mammals as one of the smallest grazing animals that have ever lived on Earth.
It is difficult to determine exactly what caused the extinction of this species and which predators hunted it most intensively, except that the Aborigines enjoyed its meat as a delicacy and used its tail tuft to create jewelry.
Barguzin is an animal of the mustelid family Martes zibellina, a subspecies of sable. This animal has the most valuable fur among sables, because of which at the beginning of the 20th century it was on the verge of extinction. Today the population has been restored in the Siberian taiga and the Urals.
The animal has an oblong body, short limbs with wide, powerful paw arches, a small triangular muzzle with sharp ears and beady eyes. But it is an aggressive predator that feeds on small rodents, birds and fish.
The fur coat of the Barguzin sable is soft, silky, and dark. 45% of animals have a black color, 46% have brown of varying degrees of saturation, and only 9% of representatives have a light color. Blue-black skins are valued the most.
The Barguzin has a light spot on its chest, its head is lighter than its body. The paws are large - the size of the tracks is the same as those of foxes, although the animal is inferior to them in terms of parameters. Thanks to its wide arch and abundant fur covering on its pads, it moves along the snow-covered crust as if on skis.
The warthog Phacochoerus africanus is a member of the pig family and the order Artiodactyl in Africa. Its body is elongated, much narrower and smaller than the body of a domestic pig. The croup and sagging spine stand out, which allows the warthog to be more mobile than its brothers in the family.
Height at the withers is about 85 cm, body length up to 150 cm. An adult wild boar can weigh up to 150 kg, but on average their weight varies around 50 kg.
These pigs have a large flattened head, not covered with bristles. The elongated nose ends in a wide “patch” with large nostrils. The tusks are striking - the upper fangs that grow upward, curving over the muzzle. They are not aggressive by nature, but can attack in self-defense.
Interestingly, pigs are among the nine smartest animals in the world, as they demonstrate high levels of intelligence and attentiveness.
Senegalese galago Galago senegalensis - also known as nagapies (meaning "little night monkeys" in Afrikaans). These are the most successful and diverse wet-nosed (please don't laugh here) primates in Africa.
The average body length of a galago is 13 cm. The tail length is from 15 to 40 mm, and they weigh from 95 to 300 g.
Senegalese galagos have large eyes that give them good night vision, as well as strong hind legs, keen hearing, and a long tail that helps them balance. Their ears are similar to those of bats and allow them to track insects in the dark. Galagos catch insects on the ground or snatch them out of the air. When making their way through dense bushes, these primates fold their thin ears to protect them.
Galagos have a variety of facial expressions to communicate emotional states to each other - such as aggression, fear, pleasure and fear.
And a little about the dangers of drunkenness: the natives catch these poor fellows by placing containers with palm wine, and then simply collect the sleeping drunken animals.
Cebuella pygmaea is a New World monkey native to the Amazon rainforest. It is one of the smallest primates in the world, with a body length of 12 to 15 cm and a tail of 17 to 23 cm. The average weight of an adult marmoset is just over 100 g.
The marmoset has many adaptations for life in trees, including the ability to turn its head 180°, as well as sharp claws for clinging to branches.
The monkey's teeth have special incisors that are adapted for making holes in trees and stimulating the flow of juices. The pygmy monkey walks on four limbs and can jump up to 5 m between branches.
The monkey feeds mainly on chewing gum, sap, resin and other tree secretions. Specialized, elongated lower incisors allow marmosets to drill an almost perfectly round hole into a tree trunk or vine. When the juice begins to flow out of the hole, the monkey catches it with its tongue and also lies in wait for butterflies, which are attracted by the juice from the holes.
Guanaco Lama guanicoe is the largest herbivorous mammal in South America from the camel family, the ancestor of the llama, domesticated more than 6 thousand years ago by the Quechua Indians. In 1553 this animal was first described by the Spanish conquistador Cieza de Leona in his opus Chronicle of Peru.
Like all camelids, guanacos have a long and slender neck and long legs. Adult guanacos have a height at the withers from 90 to 130 cm, and a body weight from 90 to 140 kg.
Guanacos are slightly larger than alpacas and significantly larger than vicunas, but smaller and denser than llamas. They have characteristic thick skin on their necks, which gives them additional protection when attacked by predators. Bolivians use this leather on the soles of their shoes.
To cope with harsh and variable climates, guanacos can “open” or “close” thermal windows—patches of very fine fur located on their front and back sides—to vary the amount of exposed skin available for heat exchange with the external environment.
The skunk is a predatory mammal belonging to the skunk family of the same name, Mephitidae. Until recently, skunks were classified as mustelids, but after genetic and molecular studies it turned out that skunks are closer to pandas than to mustelids or raccoons, as previously thought.
First of all, the skunk is associated with a fetid secretion, which the animal secretes with the help of special anal glands in moments when it feels threatened. The smelly skunk spray can hit an enemy six meters away from the skunk! This smell has incredible persistence and does not disappear very quickly.
It is distinguished by a rather bright, solemn and at the same time strict black and white color. Such contrasting colors are a warning to many ill-wishers.
In addition to a specific aroma and original colors, the skunk has a powerful, stocky figure, short legs with impressive claws and a beautiful bushy tail.
Vicuna Lama vicugna, or Vicugna vicugna, is a cute animal that simultaneously resembles llamas and camels (only in smaller dimensions). Known mentions of it date back to 1200; this animal was sacred to many Andean peoples. Here the vicuñas bore the honorary title “Golden Fleece.”
At the same time, their wool was highly valued (as it is today) and was intended for sewing royal robes. Ordinary Indians were forbidden to kill vicuñas.
In the mid-60s, zoologists noted with horror that there were no more than 50 thousand vicunas left. A strict ban was introduced on catching and killing animals. The restriction also applied to the sale of unique vicuña fur. This species has been given endangered status. An agreement on his protection was signed in Chile, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina.
The measures greatly affected the development of these animals. Just 30 years after the ban was introduced (in 1995), their population grew to 98 thousand. Today, vicuña wool can be bought in the public domain, the animals do not suffer from this - they are sheared on farms.
Hylobates gibbons are slender, rather graceful and cunning primates that are fun to watch - they are playful and funny animals. A distinctive feature of gibbons is considered to be sociability - not only in relation to their relatives, but also in relation to representatives of other species of animals, as well as to people.
Zoologists note that this species of primate has much in common with humans. Gibbons have 32 teeth and a similar jaw structure. In addition, they have blood groups - 2nd, 3rd and 4th, just like humans. The difference lies in the absence of the first group.
Gibbons have incredibly long forelimbs, almost twice as long as their hind limbs, and gibbons can easily rely on their forelimbs when standing or moving along the ground.
Gibbons are diurnal primates. At night, they mostly rest, going to bed high in the treetops with the whole family. This type of primate can be safely classified as arboreal. They rarely move on the surface of the earth.
The kulan Equus hemionus is an animal of the equine family, which has many common features with its closest relatives: the horse and the donkey. Kulans belong to the genus Equus - horses, having common ancestors with them, but they are also very similar to their other relatives - donkeys, this feature is embedded in the second part of their Latin name - hemionus (half donkey). The animals are also called dzhigetai.
The main habitats of the kulan are southern Mongolia and adjacent China. All other remaining populations are small and largely isolated from each other, with a total of 17 separate habitats of these animals that are not interconnected. In Transbaikalia, the kulan can be found in the area of Lake Torey-Nur, where they enter from Mongolia.
During hot periods, watering holes are of great importance. If there is no access to water sources, then the kulans leave such places. If there is access to water at a distance of 15-20 km, then the herd visits it every day early in the morning or in the evening. It is interesting that kulans can drink bitter salt water, which donkeys and even camels do not drink.
A Herpestidae mongoose drives a lioness away from her burrow.
In appearance, mongooses resemble martens. These are small predators: the body reaches a length of 35-40 cm, the tail - 23-29 cm. The animals got their name because of the alternating brown and yellowish or whitish stripes on the back and sides. Distributed in Africa, Asia Minor, Western and Southern Asia, South-Western Europe. They inhabit rocky areas and dense thickets of bushes, usually trying to stay close to water.
Most often, mongooses live in groups of 6-20 individuals. Outside the breeding season, they lead a nomadic lifestyle, moving as if in a circle within their area. They are active mainly in the morning and evening. The rest of the day is spent hiding in free holes. All members of the group maintain constant contact with each other while moving with continuous chirping cries.
Striped mongooses feed on reptiles, mollusks, eggs and chicks of small birds, insects, berries and fruits.
Mouflons Ovis gmelini are ruminant artiodactyls, the closest relatives of wild sheep. They differ from other rams in their small size. Mouflon is widespread in Europe, Asia and even on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea. It is mouflons that are the progenitors of ordinary domestic sheep.
Their weight varies greatly - from 20 to 200 kg, since there are many species of the genus. Individuals of different species can interbreed with each other. Geneticists used this opportunity to breed the highest quality offspring of domestic sheep - with an easy-going character, as well as more beautiful wool.
Mouflons are constitutionally strong animals up to 70 cm in height at the withers. A large ram reaches approximately 1.25 m in length. Males also have large horns that curl into rings. Their length is on average 65 cm, but they grow throughout their lives and can reach 80 cm. The horns curl their sharp ends inward, they are dotted with transverse stripes, which reduce their weight and make them more durable.
The red panda Ailurus fulgens is a real miracle of nature, it is also called the cat panda. This charmer is a predator, although she is predominantly herbivorous.
The Chinese knew about this animal back in the 13th century and called it the fire fox, but in Europe they met the red panda only in the 19th century.
The red panda weighs from 4 to 6 kg, body length from 50 to 64 cm, not counting the luxurious tail, which is almost the same length as the body.
Why is the red panda considered a predator if it mostly consumes plant foods? The answer lies on the surface: predators are considered such not only because of their diet, but also because of their common characteristics: the presence of 38 teeth, a short intestine, a simple stomach. Such a digestive system is characteristic of predatory animals - including the red panda.
95% of this panda's diet consists of bamboo leaves and young shoots, but 5% still comes from insects, bird eggs and small rodents - especially closer to winter.
The kakapo (owl parrot) Strigops habroptila is a unique, flightless parrot, one of a kind and critically endangered. It is also interesting because they willingly make contact with humans and behave very friendly - not like other wild birds.
This is a very ancient species, whose closest ancestors lived on Earth for 16 million years. The reason for their sudden extinction was the development of the lands of New Zealand: the birds were caught as trophies and they were hunted for sport.
This is a large parrot, whose body length reaches approximately 60 cm. Due to the white facial disc, these parrots are also called “owl parrots”, since this disc is similar to those of most species of owls.
Interestingly, kakapo have a strong smell, but their smell is quite pleasant - it resembles the smell of honey, beeswax and flowers.
The quokka Setonix brachyurus has become incredibly popular thanks to its charming, good-natured smile and always positive attitude. The Internet is filled with photographs of this hilarious and cute animal, which is very sociable and often poses in them with two-legged animals.
Quokka belongs to the genus of short-tailed kangaroos, of which it is the only representative. When looking at a quokka, it is difficult to guess that it is a kangaroo, albeit a dwarf one. Externally, the animal is more similar to rodents and wallabies, which also belong to kangaroos.
The dimensions of a quokka are similar to those of an ordinary large cat or small dog - the weight of females is from 1.5 to 3.5 kg, and that of males from 2.7 to 5 kg. The length of the animal’s body rarely goes beyond half a meter.
Why is the quokka so cheerful and smiling? The secret is simple: she constantly chews rough plant food, and when the muscles of her jaws are relaxed, her facial expression becomes positive and smiling, and her face becomes sweet and happy.
The great rhea Rhea americana is the largest flightless bird in South America. Outwardly they resemble African ostriches and Australian emus, but are very distantly related to them. They are omnivores, easily tamed and bred on farms.
Rhea is a flightless bird, adapted for long and fast running, and can swim well. The figure resembles the well-known ostrich, but two times smaller (body length from beak to tail is only 130-150 cm and weighs 30-40 kg). The long neck is covered with light gray thin and small feathers (in the ostrich it is bare), powerful legs with a bare tarsus end in three toes (not two, like in the ostrich).
Charles Darwin, during his legendary voyage on the Beagle, visited Patagonia, he tried to find a small rhea - and found it on his plate during lunch. He noticed that the bones of this rhea were different from the bones of the great rhea, which he was familiar with, so he attached them to the rest of the skeleton and was convinced that he had indeed discovered a new species.
Merino, Spanish los merinos is a breed of sheep, the largest number of which is concentrated in Australia. Outwardly, they practically do not differ from other breeds of sheep, the main thing is the quality of their wool, which consists of one and a half dozen fibers and is incredibly soft.
Merino is one of the most ancient of all existing sheep; the first written descriptions of this breed were made approximately 2 thousand years ago. The historical homeland of merino is the territories of North Africa and Asia Minor.
During the period when the Arabs conquered new lands, sheep were transported to the territory of the Iberian Peninsula. It was here that the local population began to breed Merino sheep in order to obtain high-quality wool. In the period from the 12th to the 16th centuries, Spain was the main region for the mass breeding of these sheep and their domestication, and their export to other countries was strictly prohibited. Failure to comply with this requirement was the reason for imposing criminal penalties up to and including the death penalty.
Not everyone has heard of such an exotic animal as the Cuniculus paca. By the standards of rodents, it has quite impressive dimensions: its body length ranges from 70 to 80 cm, and the height at the withers ranges from 32 to 34 cm.
Puck is considered the sixth largest among all rodents inhabiting our planet. If the pack's appearance resembles a huge guinea pig, then the color of the rodent is similar to the color of a young deer.
The name of the animal itself comes from the language of the Tupi Indians and means “siren or alarm.” Apparently, the animal got this nickname because of the specific structure of its skull and the ability to reproduce very loud sounds: in the area of the skull the pack has something like a depression, which is formed by the zygomatic arches. Because of this, any sounds uttered by an animal (grinding teeth, roaring, hissing) have the ability to be amplified many times over.
South America is considered the homeland of the pak, but over time it took root in Central America and Cuba, where it was brought by people.
Gelada Theropithecus gelada is a monkey distinguished by its unusual appearance. Due to its reduced habitat, this monkey is extremely rare, although its population is stable. Gelada belongs to the monkey family, which includes baboons, drills, mandrills, hamadryas and many other species of monkeys.
The rarity of this species is due to the fact that it lives exclusively in the northwestern mountains of Ethiopia. There is a huge reserve called Symen, in which geladas lived for a very long time even before scientists discovered them.
Despite the fact that geladas are similar to monkeys such as baboons, they are distinguished by a calmer disposition and non-bloodthirsty eating habits. Geladas were discovered not so long ago, so research on these unique monkeys is still ongoing.
A distinctive feature of geladas is a red spot on the chest. It is completely devoid of hair and acquires an even more saturated color during the mating season of monkeys. This red area is surrounded by white fur, further emphasizing its presence.
The emu Dromaius novaehollandiae belongs to the cassowary order and is the largest Australian bird - and the second largest bird on the planet after the African ostrich. Previously, emus were classified as ostrich-like animals. The emu reaches a height of 150–190 cm and a weight of 30–55 kg. Powerful legs with three toes allow birds to easily cover long distances, reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h. Emus are also excellent swimmers and enjoy swimming in any body of water.
These flightless birds are widespread throughout almost all of Australia and maintain stable numbers. The emu's main enemy is the wild dog dingo.
The sounds made by an emu are quite unexpected to hear from a bird. They resemble loud "booms", drumming and grunting. These sounds can be heard up to 2 km away. The hum is created in the inflatable neck bag.
To grind the rough parts of food in the emu's stomach, they swallow pebbles weighing up to 50 grams.
It is interesting that it is not the females who incubate the clutches and take care of the chicks, but exclusively the male emus.
Among the numerous species of felines, only the lynx Lynx lynx is found in the northern regions. In Russia, it lives mainly in dark coniferous forests.
In nature, there were individuals whose weight reached 30 kg. On average, the weight of males is 18-25 kg, for females this figure does not exceed 18 kg. In general, the size of a lynx does not exceed the size of an average dog. The length of the lynx's body reaches a maximum of 135 cm, and the tail - approximately 45 cm. The lynx's ears are decorated with tassels, and its muzzle is decorated with characteristic sideburns.
The predator cannot be called voracious; one killed hare lasts her for half a week. The exception is lactating females, who are able to eat this amount of food at one time. If the cat has caught a large animal, the meat will last for 7-10 days. Having eaten heavily, the cat hides what is left of its prey in the snow or branches. Very often the lynx is followed by a wolverine, which cannot boast of such hunting skills, but loves to have a snack at someone else’s expense.
The long-eared hedgehog Hemiechinus auritus is an insectivorous animal that lives in deserts, fields and steppes. This hedgehog belongs to the same family as ordinary hedgehogs, but their body structure and habits are slightly different.
Long-eared hedgehogs, unlike other representatives of this family, have rather long ears (you guessed it!), which are slightly bent forward. Their needles also have yellowish spots. Eared hedgehogs are smaller in size than normal ones, and they run faster.
In Russia, long-eared hedgehogs are found in the steppes of the Volga region and in Novosibirsk, in the Urals, from the extreme south of western Siberia to the Altai mountains.
If necessary, hedgehogs sometimes climb mountains to heights of up to 2400 meters above sea level. To live, the hedgehog digs a deep hole up to one meter in length. The hole is closed from the outside. Sometimes eared hedgehogs occupy abandoned burrows of other animals.
Long-eared hedgehogs spend the entire winter in their hole: by autumn they insulate their home by dragging leaves into it and making some kind of nest, and for the winter they close the entrance to the hole and hibernate until spring.
Tarbagan is a rodent of the squirrel family. The scientific description and name of the Mongolian marmot Marmota sibirica was given by the explorer of Siberia, the Far East and the Caucasus Gustav Ivanovich Radde in 1862.
Mongolian marmots are found in the Northern Hemisphere, like all their brothers, but their habitat extends to the southeastern part of Siberia, Mongolia and northern China.
The length of the tarbagan carcass is 56.5 cm, the tail is 10.3 cm, which is approximately 25% of the body length. The length of the skull is 8.6-9.9 cm, it has a narrow and high forehead and wide cheekbones. The weight of animals reaches 6-8 kg, reaching a maximum of 9.8 kg, and by the end of summer, 25% of the weight is fat, about 2-2.3 kg.
When kept in captivity, these animals ate well 33 species of plants out of 54 that grow in the steppes of Transbaikalia. During the day, the tarbagan eats from one to one and a half kg of green mass. This animal does not drink water at all; it gets enough moisture from plants. A curious feature of the tarbagan is the absence of cheek pouches.
David's deer Elaphurus davidianus is a large animal. The length of its body can reach 215 cm, and the height at the withers is 140 cm in males. Its body weight sometimes exceeds 190 kg, which is a lot for a herbivore.
This Chinese deer has long legs with wide hooves. The long heels of the hooves may indicate a watery habitat through which the deer moves without difficulty. The heel portion of the hoof can be moved wide apart as needed.
At the same time, the deer’s body seems disproportionately long in contrast to other large deer. The deer's tail is also unusual - it looks like an elongated donkey's tail with a brush at the end. Males have large horns, round in cross section. In the middle, thickest part, the horns branch, and the processes are directed back with sharp ends.
David's deer is an animal that lives exclusively in China. Initially, its natural habitat was limited to the swamps and rainforests of Central and Central China. Unfortunately, the species is preserved only in zoos.
The pika Ochotona is a small, short-legged, almost tailless mammal native to the mountains of the western United States and much of Asia. Despite their small size, body shape and round ears, pikas are not rodents, but the smallest representatives of lagomorphs; otherwise, this group is represented by hares and rabbits (family Lagoraceae).
Pikas' fur is long and soft, usually grayish-brown in color. Unlike rabbits and hares, the hind limbs of pikas are no longer than the front ones. The legs (including the soles) are densely furred, with five toes at the front and four at the back. Most pikas weigh between 125 and 200 g and have a body length of about 15 cm.
The pika is usually found in mountainous areas. Two species live in the United States, the rest are scattered throughout Central Asia.
The pika has been found in Alaska and northern Canada on isolated nunataks (cliffs or peaks surrounded by glaciers) in Kluane National Park. She was even spotted at an altitude of 6,130 (!) meters on the slopes of the Himalayas.