279 files
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Viscacha by And 1
By Guest
An South American animal
Updated 2010-11-11
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
236 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Wild Boar by Coolperson5
By Guest
The wild boar lives in grasslands and coniferous forest across the old world.
Updated 2010-11-11
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
271 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Tasmanian Devil by Jordan
By Guest
Tasmanian devils are fierce carnivorous marsupials that typically live alone.
Geographic Range
Currently Sarcophilus laniarius is found only in Tasmania, although fossil evidence suggests that it once occupied much of the Australian mainland. It has been suggested that its absence in many previously occupied areas can be explained by competition with the introduced dingo in Australia. (Nowak, 1991)
Habitat
Tasmanian devils are numerous throughout Tasmania except in areas where there has been extensive habitat fragmentation and deforestation. They are most numerous in coastal heath and rangeland areas where agricultural practices maintain a constant supply of carrion. They also occur in open, dry schlerophyll forest and mixed schlerophyll rainforest. Their dens typically are located in hollow logs, caves, or burrows. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)
Physical Description
Mass
4 to 12 kg
(8.8 to 26.4 lbs)
Length
525 to 800 mm
(20.67 to 31.5 in)
Tasmanian devils are stocky with a brownish black pelage. They have a white throat patch, white spots on their sides and backside, and a pinkish snout. The head is massive with well developed jaw muscles. Molar teeth are heavy and adapted for their role in crushing bone and tearing through muscle and thick skin. Females are slightly smaller than males. Body size varies considerably with diet, habitat, and age. Large males may reach 12 kg and 30 cm at the shoulder. Total length ranges from 525 to 800 mm and tail length from 230-300 mm. Male weight ranges from 5.5 to 12 kg and female weight from 4.1 to 8.1 kg. Fat storage occurs in the tail, as in many dasyurids. Females have four mammae and, unlike many other dasyurids, the marsupial pouch is completely closed when breeding. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)
Reproduction
Breeding interval
Tasmanian devils breed once yearly.
Breeding season
Tasmanian devils breed in April.
Number of offspring
4 (high); avg. 2-3
Gestation period
21 days (average)
Time to weaning
5 to 6 months
Time to independence
8 months (average)
Age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
2 years (average)
Males compete for access to breeding females. Females are only temporarily subdued by a male for mating, there is no longer term association of males and females. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005)
Tasmanian devils are monestrous. Most mating takes place in March and the young are born in April after a gestation period of 21 days. Litter size is usually 2-3, although 4 mammae are available and 4 young are possible. The young then travel to the pouch where they remain for 4 months. By 5-6 months old the young are completely weaned, becoming independent in December. Females become sexually mature at two years old. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)
Females nurse and protect their offspring in their pouch during most of their development. After weaning the young begin to disperse from their natal range. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)
Lifespan/Longevity
Tasmanian devils most often live to a maximum of 5 years old in the wild. Most young die immediately after dispersing out of their natal range as a result of food scarcity or competition. They may live 7 to 8 years. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)
Behavior
Tasmanian devils are nocturnal and usually solitary. Occasionally, when individuals congregate at food sources, such as carrion, they interact aggressively but they are not territorial. When fighting, Tasmanian devils vocalize with growls, screeches, and vibratos. There also seems to be a learned dominance hierarchy, at least in captive situations.
Both males and females make nests of bark, grass and leaves which they inhabit throughout the day. They may be seen sunbathing during the day in quiet areas. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)
Home Range
Tasmanian devils stay within a relatively small home range, traveling an average of 3.2 km in a night. (Nowak, 1991)
Communication and Perception
Tasmanian devils have keen senses of smell, sight, touch, and taste. They communicate through a wide variety of vocalizations and physical cues, such as yawning and raising their tails. Tasmanian devils are regarded with some awe because of the blood-curdling shrieks and growls they use, particularly when a group is scavenging a carcass. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005)
Food Habits
Tasmanian devils have been considered livestock predators. In reality, these marsupials take most of their large prey, such as wombats, wallabies, sheep, and rabbits, in the form of carrion. Tasmanian devils are efficient scavengers, eating even bones and fur. Tasmanian devils may have depended on carrion left from Tasmanian wolf kills in historical times. Other food items, such as insects, insect larvae, snakes, and small amounts of vegetation, are taken when encountered. Tasmanian devils forage in a slow, lumbering manner, using their sense of smell to find food at night. They are famous for their rowdy communal feeding, which is accompanied by aggression and loud vocalizations. (DPIWE and Nature Conservation Branch, 2005; Nowak, 1991)
Created by Jordan for Zoo Tek Phoenix
2008
Updated 2010-11-11
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
504 downloads
Updated
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Striped Skunk by Jordan
By Guest
The striped skunk is a North American carnivore well known for dousing its enemies with smelly spray.
The skunk is Jordan's first animal with from-scratch animations, with the original skunk images from Genki.
Updated 2010-11-06
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
883 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Southern Reedbuck by Jordan
By Guest
The Southern Reedbuck is an antelope that lives along rivers in southern Africa.
Updated 2010-11-06
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
284 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Scimitar Horned Oryx by LAwebTek
By Guest
The scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), named for its scimitar-shaped horns, weighs up to 220 kg (480 lb). The scimitar-horned oryx inhabits the sub-desert lands - the transition zones between true desert (Sahara) and the Sahel, with a rainfall of under 200 mm (8"). It is found in rolling dunes, grassy steppes and wooded inter-dunal depressions. It very rarely penetrates either true desert or true sahel country.
The scimitar-horned oryx eats a variety of grasses, as well as fruit and leaves. It is well adapted to arid lands, being able to go for 9 - 10 months without drinking water. Oryx has a number of adaptations to life in the desert. It utilizes the moisture in the vegetation it eats and its specialized kidneys minimize the loss of water through urine. Perspiration is minimized by allowing its body temperature to increase as high as 46.5 deg C (116 deg F) before body heat begins to be dissipated through perspiration.
During the Middle Ages the scimitar-horned oryx was probably the most numerous larger mammal of the semideserts just south of the Sahara. It was distributed from Mauritania in the west to the Red Sea in the east. Even as late as the 1920's and 30's it was considered common over much of its range from the Atlantic to the Nile. By the 1950's its range was fragmented, although substantial numbers survived in some areas. By the late 1960's it occurred only in Chad, Mali, Niger and the Sudan. By the late 1970's it only survived in scattered populations. In 1980 it was reported that only in Chad did it still occur in any numbers, with a small group in Niger, and perhaps a few dozen in Mali and Sudan. By the mid-1980's it was said to be on the brink of extinction and by 1999, it was thought to be extinct in the wild, although there was a recent unsubstantiated sighting of four animals in northern Niger.
The original decline of the scimitar-horned oryx started with climatic changes that led to the drying out of the Sahara. As the desert expanded to north and to south, it was pushed northward and southward, and desertification divided it into two isolated populations. The northern group probably was never as common as the southern group. The northern group may have been exterminated before 1900, although it was also reported to have survived in Tunisia until 1935.
The decline of the southern group worsened beginning with the arrival of Europeans in western and westcentral Africa in the latter part of the 19th century and the installation of numerous military posts in the arid regions. As firearms and horses increased, and then motorized vehicles, hunting began to take a major toll. The hunting was carried out by nomads for meat and hides for domestic consumption and trade, and by oil surveyors and troops. Not only were animals shot from motorized vehicles, sometimes with automatic weapons, but many of the slow-running desert animals died of heat exhaustion, calves were abandoned in the chase and unborn young aborted. In WWII, military operations probably led to considerable additional hunting to feed the armies. Finally, the civil war which began in Chad in the 1960's had a serious effect. In addition to the major impact of overhunting, the increasing presence of livestock, stimulated by deep wells for watering cattle on the edge of the Sahel, drove the oryx away from the pastures where it formerly obtained both food and water.
Currently, wild populations exist only in Israel (introduced populations), Tunisia (re-introduced populations) and a possible few may still occur in Niger.
2003 LAwebTek
Updated 2010-11-06
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
335 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Rothschild Giraffe by Coolperson5
By Guest
This Giraffe is a critically endangered subspecies from Kenya and Uganda.
Updated 2010-11-05
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
425 downloads
Updated
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Rocky Mountain Gazelle by Ape
By Guest
This is a very cute little gazelle with dark brown adults, and pale brown young. They need a lot of rocks and elevation! Designed and made by Ape; icon, uca configuration, sounds and recoloring by Dr Rick.
This is a very cute little gazelle which is a must-have for any zoo. The adults are dark brown, and the young gazelles pale brown. They need a lot of rocks and elevation!
Designed and made by Ape; icon, uca configuration, sounds and recoloring by Dr Rick
(For the technical among you, the adult uses a .pal file made by DrR for the Australian Kelpie. DrR also made a pale brown .pal file for the young using a modification of Devona's method - a 255X255 square shaded dark-pale brown and put into a scenery object to make the pal. To get different coloured adults and young DrR adapted a method suggested by Jay for the Amazonian Bush Dog (setting up a complete new identity within the animal for the young animations).)
It works well and looks great - this is a really superb animal and a great idea!!
Updated 2010-11-05
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
231 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Pygmy Hog by Jordan
By Guest
The pygmy hog is a critically endangered member of the pig family found only in the Assam area of India.
Updated 2010-11-05
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
259 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Pumapard by Jordan
By Guest
The pumapard is a hybrid, the result of a female leopard breeding with a male puma, or mountain lion.
Updated 2010-11-05
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
233 downloads
Updated
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Orang Pendek by Jordan
By Guest
The orang pendek is an orangutan-like cryptid from the island of Sumatra.
The orang pendek is fully compatible with the orangutan for those inclined to making mixed exhibits
Updated 2010-11-05
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
279 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Nyala by Jordan
By Guest
The Nyala (Tragelaphus angasii) is a South African antelope.
General Characteristics
Body Length: 135-195 cm / 4.5-6.5 ft.
Shoulder Height: 80-120 cm / 2.6-4 ft
Tail Length: 40-55 cm / 16-22 in.
Weight: 55-140 kg / 121-308 lb.
There is extreme sexual dimorphism, with the two sexes looking entirely different. Both sexes have a white chevron between the eyes, and the bushy tail is white on the underside. The short-haired, rufous-chestnut coat of females and immature males has 10 or more vertical white stripes on the sides. There are white spots on the face, throat, flanks, and thighs. There are no horns on females, and there is no mane on the neck. The males are larger than females, and have a shaggy dark brown to charcoal grey coat, often with a bluish tinge. The length of this coat generally obscures the torso stripes. There are fewer and less conspicuous markings than on the female, but there is a bold erectile white dorsal crest. The lower legs are tawny. The yellow-tipped horns have 1-1.5 twists, and grow 60-83 cm / 24-33 inches long.
Ontogeny and Reproduction
Gestation Period: 7 months
Young per Birth: 1
Weaning: After 6 months
Sexual Maturity: Females at 11-12 months, males at 18 months [although they are not socially mature until 5 years of age].
Life span: Up to 16 years.
Breeding is most frequent in the spring and autumn, with births occurring in the following autumn and spring. Calves are left alone after birth, lying still in the grass to avoid detection by predators. The mother returns to her calf to nurse throughout this three week period.
Ecology and Behavior
Nyala are very shy, and are very cautious when approaching open spaces. Most sightings of wild nyala are at water holes. They are most active during the early morning and late afternoon, resting in thick brush during the hottest times of the day. The alarm call is a sharp, dog-like bark. Individual nyala home ranges average 0.65 square kilometers for males and 0.83 kilometers for females. These individual areas overlap extensively, and there is no indication of territoriality.
Family group: Single sex and mixed troops of 2-10 individuals, old bulls solitary.
Diet: Leaves, fruits, and grasses.
Main Predators: Leopard, lion, Cape hunting dog.
Distribution
Dense lowland woodlands and thickets near water in southern Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and eastern South Africa.
Countries: Botswana [introduced], Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia [introduced], South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe (IUCN, 2002).
Created by Jordan for Zoo Tek - 2007
Updated 2010-11-04
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
290 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Nordic Brown Bear by Jordan
By Guest
Made by Jordan and dedicated to Jane
Updated 2010-11-04
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
248 downloads
Updated
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Mexican Beaded Lizard by Jordan
By Guest
The Mexican Beaded Lizard is a venomous reptile found in the deserts of Mexico and the southwestern USA.
Updated 2010-11-03
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
463 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Meerkat by Jordan
By Guest
The meerkat is a small animal in the mongoose family that lives in large groups on the African savannah.
Updated 2010-11-03
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
830 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Maltese Tiger by Jordan
By Guest
The Maltese Tiger or Blue Tiger (Panthera tigris melitensis) is an extremely rare color morph of tiger that has historically been reported in the Fujian Province of China and has only been sighted on a few occasions.
It is said to have bluish fur with dark gray stripes. The term "Maltese" means "slate gray" and comes from the domestic cat world; it does not refer to Malta as the origin of the blue tigers.
Updated 2010-11-03
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
498 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Lion-Tailed Macaque by Jordan
By Guest
The lion-tailed macaque is a rainforest-dwelling monkey from the Western Ghats mountains in India.
Updated 2010-11-03
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
342 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Lechwe by Jordan
By Guest
The lechwe is an antelope that lives on the floodplains of Africa
Updated 2010-11-03
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
375 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Hippidion by Jordan
By Guest
Hippidion (meaning pony) was a horse-related, Clydesdale-sized ungulate that lived in South America during the Pleistocene epoch, between 2 million and 10,000 years ago.
Hippidion was probably a descendant of Merychippus, a genus of horses that migrated into the South American continent around 5 million years ago. It stood about approximately 1.4 meters (4 ft, 6 in.) high at the shoulders and resembled a donkey. Evidence from the delicate structure of the nasal bones in the animal suggests that Hippidion evolved in isolation from the other horse species of North America.
Hippidion and similar South American horses went extinct approximately 8000 years ago, and did not reappear there until the 1500s as a result of introduction by humans.
Created by Jordan for Zoo Tek - 2007
Updated 2010-11-03
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new
223 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Fishing Cat by Jordan
By Guest
The fishing cat is a small cat of Southeast Asia which lives along streams, rivers and swamps.
Updated 2010-11-03
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new
418 downloads
Updated
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Fisher by Jordan
By Guest
The fisher is a North American carnivore of the weasel family.
Updated 2010-11-03
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new
330 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Ermine by Jordan
By Guest
The Ermine, also known as a stoat when not in its winter coat, is found in temperate and arctic regions throughout the northern hemisphere and is a member of the weasel family.
Updated 2010-11-03
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
483 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Desert Tortoise by Jordan
By Guest
The desert tortoise is a small reptile found in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of southeastern California, southern Nevada and south through Arizona into Mexico.
Updated 2010-10-30
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
Nothing new.
408 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Bornean Clouded Leopard by Coolperson5
By Guest
The Bornean Clouded Leopard is a recently discovered species originally thought to be a subspecies of the mainland clouded leopard.It lives on Borneo and Sumatra
Updated 2010-10-30
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
532 downloads
0 comments
Updated
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Black Tiger by LAwebTek
By Guest
Black (melanistic) colour is due to the non-agouti mutation. Agouti refers to the ticking of each individual hair on the background colour of a tabby cat. In certain light, the pattern still shows up because the background colour is less dense than the colour of the markings.
Other so-called black tigers are due to pseudo-melanism. Pseudo-melanistic tigers have thick stripes so close together that the tawny background is barely visible inbetween. One was shot in India in 1928 and another pseudo-melanistic tiger pelt was recovered in 1992. Pseudo-melanistic tigers are said to be getting more common; this may be due to inbreeding caused by habitat reduction. The observation that black tigers are smaller than normal tigers also suggests inbreeding. As humans require more space, tigers are forced into smaller areas with a smaller choice of mates; these conditions promote inbreeding and the perpetuation of anomalous patterns or colours.
In the mid-late 1700s, James Forbes painted a black tiger with even darker stripes. Similar tigers with faint markings have periodically been reported. These would correspond to the ghost markings seen on black leopards and black jaguars. A black tiger from the East Indies was apparently once housed at the Tower of London menagerie, but it was more likely to have been a black leopard. A jet-black tiger with no visible markings was apparently shot in India in 1915. Black tigers were reported in China in 1951, 1953 and 1957 (no information as to whether pseudo melanism or true melanism).
2003 LAwebTek
Updated 2010-10-30
Just to save space with less in zip and smaller image.
406 downloads
0 comments
Updated