Mammals Archives - Page 2 of 4

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Classification

CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Primate
FAMILY:	Hominoidae
GENUS:	Pongo
SPECIES:	abelii

Habitat & Range

Preferred habitat of the Sumatran orangutan is in the canopies of primary rainforests, swamp forests and riparian forests that include mature fruit trees.

Sumatran orangutans live only on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.

They share the island with a recently identified species, the Tapanuli orangutan, that lives farther south.

Location

Adaptations

Sumatran orangutans have long, strong arms– 1-1/2 times the length of their legs – that enable them to move easily in the trees.
Fingers and toes are long and strong for gripping branches and opposable thumbs enable orangutans to use a variety of tools to extract embedded food or use as fly swatters.
Hands and feet are shaped similarly and are used interchangeably to move quadrumanously through the forest canopy.
Sumatran orangutans use dozens of different vocalizations to communicate.
Males have large throat sacs that amplify the long calls they use to claim territory and attract females.
Orangutans are active during the day and build new nests each night for sleeping

Physical Description

Sumatran orangutans are the largest arboreal primate. They are sexually dimorphic (males and females look different) with males typically about twice the size of females.
Males stand 4.5 to 6 feet tall (1.4-1.8 m) and weigh 110-200 pounds (50-90 kg) with the largest reaching 250 pounds (113 kg). Dominant adult males have prominent cheek pads or flanges.
Females are typically 3 to 4 feet tall (.9-1.3 m) and weigh 66-110 pounds (30-50 kg) though some reach 150 pounds (68 kg).
Orangutans’ arms are longer than their legs which are relatively weak. Males’ arm spans can reach 7.5 feet (2.25 m).
Both males and females have long, sparse orange or red fur that is fine in texture.

Diet

What Does It Eat?

In the wild:
Fruit makes up about 60% of a Sumatran orangutan’s diet with figs and durian the most frequently consumed. When fruit is scarce, they eat leaves, flowers, bark and occasionally insects and eggs. Consumption of lorises has been reported.

At the zoo:
Greens, vegetables, low starch biscuits, konjac gel, and some fruit for training.

What Eats It?
The Sumatran orangutan was traditionally preyed on by tigers and snow leopards.

Social Organization

Orangutans are mostly solitary except for mating pairs and females with offspring. Encounters between mature males can result either in aggression or avoidance. Females are more tolerant and may be seen with other adult females or adolescents other than their own. Wild orangutans are almost arboreal. Adults and juveniles will play in social settings or alone.

Life Cycle

Orangutans mature slowly. Females are mature at eight to ten years of age but generally do not bear their first offspring until they are 14 to 16 years old. Males are sexually mature at 13 to 15 years of age. Females are in estrus only a few days a year during which mating can occur. After a gestation of 260-270 days females give birth to a single offspring weighing three to four-and-a-half pounds (1.3-2 kg). Infants are carried by their mothers for two to three years and nursed for up to six or seven years. A female will bear young every eight or nine years and will raise only three or four young during her lifetime. Both female and male offspring go off on their own once they reach maturity. Orangutans may live up to 35-45 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity.

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Classification

CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Primates
FAMILY:	Hominidae
GENUS:	Gorilla
SPECIES:	gorilla

Habitat & Range

Western lowland gorillas are widely distributed throughout the Congo Basin, inhabiting Angola, Gabon Cameroon, Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea.

Inhabits a variety of moist, lowland forest types and swamps from sea level to about 8,000 feet (2,438 m).

Location

Adaptations

Primarily terrestrial, gorillas walk on all fours by curling their fingers under and walking on their knuckles, called knuckle walking.
Communicates with over 20 vocalizations, including roars, grunts, whistles and barks.
Opposable thumbs and big toes allow for climbing and grasping and manipulating objects.
A bony sagittal crest on top of the head supports strong jaw muscles and teeth to grind coarse vegetation.
Stomachs are larger than chests due to enlarged intestines needed to digest cellulose in plants.
As diurnal animals (active during the daytime), gorillas rely on keen eyesight with excellent depth perception and color vision.
Tufts of white hair on baby gorilla bottoms allow mothers to see them in the dense forest.

Physical Description

Western lowland gorillas are four and a half to five and a half feet tall (1.4-1.75 m) when standing on their two legs.
Males weigh 300 to 600 pounds (136-272 kg). Females weigh 150 to 300 pounds (113-136 kg).
Skin is black and body hair is black with a brownish/grey tinge. Forehead is topped with a reddish/brown cap.
Mature males, called silverbacks, have silvery-grey hair on their backs and thighs.
Muscular arms are much longer than legs.
Strong jaw muscles are attached to a bony ridge (sagittal crest) on the top of the head, especially large in mature males.

Diet

What Does It Eat?

In the wild:
Primarily herbivores that consume large quantities of leaves, roots, shoots, pith, bark and fruit. Water is primarily derived from vegetation.

At the zoo:
Vegetables (including lots of celery), greens, browse, alfalfa, low starch biscuits and small amounts of fruit.

What Eats It?
The only threat from a wild predator is the leopard. Gorillas are also hunted for bushmeat by humans.

Social Organization

Western lowland gorillas are non-aggressive, social great apes (group of primates including orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos) living in family groups called troops. Troop size averages five to ten but can be up to 30 individuals. Family groups are made up of a dominate male silverback, several adult females, their offspring, and one or more sub-adult males called blackbacks. At sexual maturity males and females leave their natal troop to seek mates. Daily group activity is led by the silverback who also protects the group from intruders with intimating behavior such as vocalizations, chest beating and charging. At dusk, sleeping takes place in nests individually constructed of leaves and branches either on the ground or in trees.

Life Cycle

Life expectancy in the wild is 30 to 40 years and up to 60 years in human care. Males are sexually mature at 8 to 12 years, usually breeding at about 15 years. Females are sexually mature at 7 to 8 years, breeding between 10 and 11 years. Births are a single infant after gestation of 250-290 days. Infants weigh four to five pounds (1.8-2.3 kg). Infants are carried on their mom’s chest and back, crawl at about nine weeks and walk between three and six months. Young begin solid food around 6 months and are weaned between three and four years.

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Tamarins use a variety of vocalizations to communicate with group members. High-pitched calls and squeaks are used to warn intruders away and to warn group members if predators threaten. Different calls are used for predators in the air (like hawks) and predators on the ground or in the trees. Tamarins also communicate through facial expressions and scent marking.

Classification

CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Primate
FAMILY:	Callitrichidae
GENUS:	Leontopithecus
SPECIES:	rosalia

Habitat & Range

Mature humid lowland forest and secondary forest are the main habitat of lion tamarins, and their home range can cover 52-180 acres (21-73 ha). They live in the closed canopy of the forest, moving bipedally using their long fingers to help them stay aloft. These animals can also leap from branch to branch.

Golden lion tamarins live in the remnants of Atlantic coast forest in the state of Rio de Janeiro and across southeastern Brazil. These forests are filled with vines and bromeliads.

Location

Adaptations

These small tamarins have long fingers and claw-like nails in order to cling to trees, forage among branches, bark, and bromeliads for food and to catch prey.
These primates are -i.e. manipulative foragers meaning they probe with their elongated hands into tree holes and crevices, breaking up tree bark, and dipping into bromeliads to obtain hidden prey.
They stay in tree holes for warmth and protection and occupy the closed canopy often remaining 29-100 feet off the ground.
This species is territorial and defend their area with scent markings or vocalized threats. They also have territorial calls and communicate with others with high pitched trills, whines and clucks that make up their “language”.

Physical Description

Golden lion tamarins are small primates, their head and body measuring 8.9-11 inches long (22.5-28 cm), and tail measuring 10.4-15.8 inches (26.5-40 cm)
They weigh between 17-24 oz, 482- 680 grams (males 21.9 oz and females 21.1 oz on average)
Golden lion tamarins have long reddish golden fur with a mane that covers their ears and frames the dark almost bare face.

Diet

What Does It Eat?

In the wild:
Golden lion tamarins are omnivorous, feeding on fruit, insects, bird eggs, frogs, lizards, snails, other small invertebrates, and plant exudates (gums and nectars) when fruit is not readily available.

At the zoo:
This species is fed a specially formulated canned marmoset diet, veggies, greens, bugs and a small amount of fruits.

What Eats It?
Raptorial birds, (eagles and hawks), snakes-anacondas, rainbow boas and jararacas- as well as tayras and ocelots can prey on golden lion tamarins.

Social Organization

These animals live in groups ranging from 2-11 individuals, most often with more than one adult of each sex. A group often consists of a breeding pair, offspring of 1 or 2 litters and possibly other relatives. They groom like other primates, and the juveniles play, chasing and wrestling each other.

Life Cycle

Golden lion tamarins breed within their group, which includes a single breeding (dominant) female which may mate with a single male (monogamy) or 2 or more males (polyandry); also, there may be breeding by multiple females, usually daughters of primary breeding female. Gestation is 125-130 days, with births peaking in the 2-3 months in early to mid-wet season, during high fruit availability-due the high cost of lactation and carrying the infant. These animals give birth to dizygotic twins, with an average weight of 60g (the twins weight being 20% of the mother’s body weight. In the wild they usually give birth once/year. Infants are carried by an adult, most often the father, but infant carrying can be shared by the mother or other adult males in the group. The young are weaned at the end of 3 months.

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Kangaroos cannot walk forward or backward. They must jump or hop to move around. They have powerful Z-shaped hind legs to propel them and a large tail used for balance when sitting or moving. They sometimes use a five-legged gait where the forelimbs and tail balance the animal as the hind legs are moved forward. Kangaroos are the only bipedal marsupial that moves on two legs instead of all four.

Classification

CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Diprotodontia
FAMILY:	Macropodidae
GENUS:	Megaleia
SPECIES:	rufa

Habitat & Range

The open plains, scrubland, grassland and desert of central Australia.

Location

Adaptations

Marsupial Pouch
Kangaroos are marsupials or pouched mammals. Females give live birth very early in the embryonic development phase and the extremely immature newborn must crawl up the mother’s fur and into the pouch where it is protected as it continues to nurse and completely develop.
Whew It’s Hot
Kangaroos have several adaptations for living in the Australian heat. They sweat while moving and pant when exercise stops. In addition they have a dense network of blood vessels near the surface of the skin on their forearms. They lick their forearms which allows the wind to blow heat away from the warm blood. They spend the hottest part of the day sleeping or resting and graze at night or early morning when it is cooler.
Hop Along
Kangaroos cannot walk forward or backward. They must jump or hop to move around. They have powerful Z-shaped hind legs to propel them and a large tail used for balance when sitting or moving. They sometimes use a five-legged gait where the forelimbs and tail balance the animal as the hind legs are moved forward. Kangaroos are the only bipedal marsupial that moves on two legs instead of all four.

Physical Description

Male red kangaroos stand about six feet (1.8 m) tall and females are smaller standing about three and a half feet (1.1 m) tall
Males weigh up to 175 pounds (80 kg), and females seldom weighing more than 75 pounds (34 kg).
Males have red-brown fur while females are more blue-gray in color.
Kangaroos have powerful Z-shaped hind legs and a strong tail used to help balance the body as they hop.
They have shortened upper limbs with clawed paws.
They have a narrow head, long nose and long pointed ears.
Females have a forward facing pouch and four nipples.

Diet

What Does It Eat?

In the wild:
Grasses, leaves, roots and low, herbaceous plants.

At the zoo:
Hay, grain and vegetables as well as vitamin and mineral supplements.

What Eats It?
Red kangaroo are large, and because of their strong legs and clawed feet keep most predators away. Dingos do prey on kangaroos, and the young may be captured by raptors. Humans also eat red kangaroo.

Social Organization

Red kangaroos live in small groups of ten or less but come together in larger groups when food or water is scarce. A group of kangaroos called a “mob” consists mostly of females with their offspring and one or two males. Red kangaroo are mostly nocturnal and rest in the shade during the day.

Life Cycle

Female kangaroos reach maturity at 15-20 months, and males at 20-24 months. Red kangaroos can breed year round when seasonal conditions are favorable, and males will compete for mating opportunities with several females. Red kangaroos have a shortened gestation period and the young are born only 33 days after mating. The young kangaroos called joeys are born in a very immature state, averaging only one inch (2.5 cm) long, and weighing 0.035 ounces (less than one gram!). After birth the tiny newborn crawls up the mother’s fur into her pouch and immediately attaches itself to a nipple. The joey stays permanently attached to the nipple for about 70 days suckling and continuing to develop. Females nurse their young for about a year, carrying them in the pouch for the first eight months. Females may have one joey in the pouch, an older joey outside the pouch but still nursing, and a blastocyst awaiting implantation. Males do not assist in raising the young. Female kangaroos stay with their natal group but males leave when they reach maturity. Red kangaroo live up to 22 years in the wild.

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Przewalski’s horses grow a dense coat for very cold winters and shed into a lighter coat for very hot summers. Their tan coloration helps them blend into their grassland and desert habitat.

Classification

CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Perissodactyla
FAMILY:	Equidae
GENUS:	Equus
SPECIES:	przewalskii

Habitat & Range

They originally roamed the steppe regions of Eurasia, but the last wild herds retreated to the deserts.

This wild horse once roamed throughout Europe and Asia. Today they are only found on reserves in

Mongolia and China and in zoos around the world.

Location

Adaptations

Eyes on the Side
Like most prey species, the Przewalski’s horse has large eyes located on the sides of the head. They are able to see all around except directly behind them even when their head is down while they are grazing or drinking.
Winter Coat/Summer Coat
Przewalski’s horses grow a dense coat for very cold winters and shed into a lighter coat for very hot summers. Their tan coloration helps them blend into their grassland and desert habitat.

Physical Description

They weigh 550-850 pounds (247-383 kg).
Przewalski’s horses stand 12-14 hands or 48-58 inches (120-146 cm) tall at the shoulder.
They have tan to reddish brown fur with white on the belly, dark brown on the lower legs and a white muzzle.
They have a stiff, dark brown mane.
Przewalski’s horses have a stocky build with short legs.

Diet

What Does It Eat?

In the wild:
Grasses, leaves and bark.

At the zoo:
Hay, grain, vitamin and mineral supplements.

What Eats It?
Wolves and humans prey on Przewalski’s horse.

Social Organization

The Przewalski’s horse is a very social animal forming herds consisting of one stallion and four to 10 mares with their offspring. The stallion is responsible for the herd’s protection and coordinates daily movements of the group as they wander to graze, drink or rest. Herds don’t mix but will share territory because the stallions are more protective of their mares than their territory. Yearling males join bachelor groups led by an older stallion until they are mature enough to attract their own females.

Life Cycle

Przewalski’s horses are sexually mature at about two years of age but males are usually at least three years old before they are strong enough to collect a harem of females. Mating occurs in April or May and a single foal is born nearly a year later. Foals are usually born at night and by morning are able to travel with the herd. Foals begin grazing within a few weeks but continue to nurse for eight to 13 months. Females may remain with the herd but males are driven away after a year. Lifespan for the Przewalski’s horse is 20-25 years.

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Zebras have black skin with white and black stripes in their hair. They are black in the womb. Unlike tigers, their pattern is not replicated on their skin. Their stripes are used to help confuse predators when they stand in a herd – it’s tough to tell where one zebra starts and another ends. Stripes are also helpful when zebras are identifying each other.

Classification

CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Perissodactyla
FAMILY:	Equidae
GENUS:	Equus
SPECIES:	grevyi

Habitat & Range

Dry desert regions and open grasslands.

Grevy’s zebra ranges through Kenya and small isolated populations in Ethiopia. They are regionally extinct in Djibouti, Eritrea and Somalia.

Location

Unlike the plentiful plains zebra, the Grevy’s zebra is endangered. In 1977 there were approximately 15,200 Grevy’s zebra. Today there are fewer than 2000 remaining. They are considered extinct in Somalia and are now listed as endangered in CITES I. Grevy’s zebra are being crowded out of their grazing habitat by domestic livestock and are threatened by poorly managed tourism but they are legally protected in Ethiopia and benefit from a hunting ban in Kenya.

Adaptations

Eyes on the Side
Zebra have large eyes located high up on their head. Eye placement allows them to scan their surroundings for predators while they continue grazing. The only blind spot is directly behind them. Individual zebra within a group often face different directions so they can observe in all directions providing protection for the entire group.
Chomp, Chomp!
Grevy’s zebra have long muzzles with 40-42 constantly growing teeth that are used to crop and grind the coarse vegetation they eat. Their eyes are located far up on their head to make room for the roots of their large cheek teeth!
I Know You
Zebra communicate in several different ways. The stripes help them recognize others of their species. They also make loud donkey-like braying calls.
The Skinny on Stripes
All zebra are white with black stripes not black with white stripes! The stripes of the Grevy’s zebra are very narrow compared to other zebra species. Their stripes continue all the way down their legs to the hooves, and the underbelly is white. The pattern of stripes on each zebra is unique and can be used to identify individual animals. The stripes also function as a form of camouflage breaking up the outline of the zebra and confusing predators.

Physical Description

Males weigh between 836-990 pounds (380-450 kg), and females weigh between 770-880 pounds (350-400 kg).
Stand about 63 inches (160 cm) at the shoulder.
Grevy’s zebra have short white fur with narrow black stripes and a white underbelly.
They have a tall, erect mane along the neck and back.
They have large rounded ears and eyes high up on the side of the head.

Diet

What Does It Eat?

In the wild:
Grasses and other plants.

At the zoo:
Hay, alfalfa, grain.

What Eats It?
Lions, wild dogs, leopards prey on Grevy’s zebra. The zebra has also been used by native peoples for food and its striking hide.

Social Organization

Unlike other zebra species, Grevy’s zebra do not form permanent herds. The only strong social relationship is between females and their offspring. Most Grevy’s zebra live in unstable groups of 20-30 individuals consisting of mares with foals, other females and bachelor males. The groups may change from day to day. Grevy’s zebra stallions set up large territories and mate with any females that wander through the territory. Males will tolerate other males within the territory as long as they do not interfere with their activities.

Life Cycle

Both males and females are sexually mature by three to four years of age although males are not usually dominant enough to mate until they are about six years old. Mating can occur throughout the year. After a 13-month gestation, a single foal is born weighing 80-125 pounds (36-56 kg). Newborn foals have dark brown stripes and fuzzy coats; by one year, foals are less fuzzy and their stripes turn black. Foals can stand within 15 minutes, walk within a half hour and run short distances less than an hour after birth. In the first few hours, foals imprint on their mother and will follow her for protection. They nurse for up to eight months but begin to nibble on grasses within a week. Although they are relatively independent by nine months, they will stay with mom up to three years. Grevy’s zebra live 18-20 years in the wild, but up to 30 years in captivity.

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Capuchins are the most intelligent New World monkeys – perhaps as intelligent as chimpanzees. They are noted for their ability to fashion and use tools. For instance, they have been observed using rocks to crack open nuts.

Classification

CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Primates
FAMILY:	Cebidae
GENUS:	Sapajus
SPECIES:	apella

Habitat & Range

Hooded capuchins live in sub-tropical humid and semi-deciduous forests. In Bolivia and Argentina they live in seasonal subtropical laurel and montane forests up to 5000 ft. In Paraguay, they live in dense humid semi-deciduous forest and gallery forests in areas of thorn scrub and savannah.

They live in South America, specifically Southeastern Bolivia, Northern Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.

Location

Adaptations

They are mainly arboreal but do forage on the ground.
They are diurnal and feed all day with a short rest at midday.
They have semi-prehensile tails that help them stabilize movement or act like a brake.
They have opposable thumbs and big toes. They can also walk upright so that they can carry food; they fashion and use objects as tools and to manipulate food.
They are considered to be very intelligent, some think as intelligent as chimpanzees.

Physical Description

Hooded capuchins are 12-22 inches (30-56 cm) long with a 15-22 inch (38-56 cm) tail
Adults weigh six to eight pounds (3-4 kg).
Hooded Capuchin are not sexually dimorphic but males may have darker appearing fur..
They have a brownish crown with two tuft-like horns of fur.
They are overall quite pale, and differ from other tufted capuchin because the hair on the back of the neck and dorsal part of the tail is burnt brown, with a greyish brown dorsal body, shoulders, front upper arms, saddle, rump and thighs and black forearms and legs, black hands, wrists and feet.

Diet

What Does It Eat?

In the wild:
They are omnivores eating mostly fruit, young leaves including succulent leaf bases, insects, small animal prey and flower nectar.

At the zoo:
They are provided a large variety of vegetables, greens, seeds and bugs. Nuts are given as treats for training.

What Eats It?
Eagles, especially harpy eagles, and jaguars. Some human hunting occurs and capuchins are collected for the pet trade.

Social Organization

Typically live in groups of about 6-30 individuals, consisting of related females, offspring, subordinate males and a dominant male with primary mating rights; male offspring leave the group at about 6 years old. There is a distinct foraging social hierarchy: tolerated females and offspring form a leading edge; followed by the dominant male in the center; followed by the juveniles. Non-tolerated individuals are on the periphery. This provides tolerated individuals the best access to food, and reduces aggression for non-tolerated individuals, at the expense of less food and a greater risk of predation – although not so much as if they were alone. Grooming helps social cohesion. They are very vocal and territorial, using urine for marking and to show sexual maturity and individuality. Facial expressions include: relaxed open mouth, silent bared teeth, a mix of these two, lip smacking showing reassurance, open mouth threat, protruded lip and scalp lifting to accentuate other displays. Studies with captive tufted capuchins indicate groups are matrilineal and that there are complex dynamics within the group.

Life Cycle

Hooded capuchins live about 25 years in the wild and up to 40 years in zoos. Females become sexually mature at about 4 years; males at about 7-8 years. Breeding occurs year round and females showing only behavioral changes when in estrus, no morphological changes. They will follow a male, showing submissive postures, along with touching, grimacing and vocalization with a whine or whistle. The male may be indifferent at first and then he will copulate – up to once a day. After a 160 -180 day gestation period a single infant is born. The baby clings to the back of its mother until 6 months old and is weaned in one year. The female gives birth about every 2 years.

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Grizzly bears have sharp, curved claws up to five inches long on their front feet that are used for digging up food such as roots and invertebrates, catching fish, tearing apart rotten logs in search of food, or slicing into plant or animal matter. Their claws can come in handy when the bears dig their dens for winter hibernation.

Classification

CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Carnivora
FAMILY:	Ursidae
GENUS:	Ursus
SPECIES:	arctos

Habitat & Range

The grizzly bear inhabits dense forest, arctic tundra and sub-alpine mountain regions.

The grizzly bear is one of several subspecies of brown bear. Brown bears are found in parts of North America, Scandinavia to Eastern Europe, Syria to the Himalayas and the Pyrenees, Alps, and Carpathian mountains. Populations in Europe are very fragmented. In North America, the grizzly bear subspecies is prevalent in Alaska and northern Canada, and can extend into the North Western United States and along the Rocky Mountains.

Location

Adaptations

Grizzlies have a large snout and nose with a sharp sense of smell to help them sniff out food. Bears also communicate by scent marking on trees and bushes including with their urine and feces.
Grizzly bears can run up to 40 mph for short distances.
Bears have large canines and smaller incisors for catching and killing prey, as well as large molars (broad flat teeth in the back of the mouth) that are used for crushing and grinding plant-based food. They also have massive skulls and strong jaw muscles that enable them to eat a varied diet.
Due to the scarcity of food during the cold winter months, grizzly bears hibernate to survive. For six months or longer. During this time, grizzly bears survive on stored fat reserves built up during the spring and summer. During hibernation, they slightly reduce their body temperature and significantly reduce their heartbeat and respiration rate. While hibernating, they do not eat, drink, urinate or defecate.
- Bears in managed care settings like zoos, don’t usually hibernate. Food is available to them year-round so they don’t need to survive on fat reserves. At Denver Zoo, the bears are given the option to sleep as much as they would like or need to. Sometimes they will sleep for several days in the colder months.

Physical Description

Grizzly bears can range from 3 feet to 9 feet (1-2.8 m) in length from head to tail.
Males weigh 300-700 pounds (135-317 kg). On average, females weigh 10% less than males.
The color of their fur can vary from blond to black, but they are usually brown with gray or “grizzled” tips.
They have very large heads and large front paws with long, dull claws for digging.
They have a distinctive muscular shoulder hump and small rounded ears.

Diet

What Does It Eat?

In the wild:
Grizzly bears are omnivorous and 75% of the food they eat is plant-based such as fruits, roots, grasses and nuts. Grizzly bears also eat fish, small mammals like rodents, and even scavenge larger prey like elk and moose.

At the zoo:
Bears are fed a seasonal diet that includes a variety of foods including fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, bones, nuts, lard, grass and browse.

What Eats It?
Grizzly bears are very large and aggressive towards threats so they are seldom the prey of other animals. Cubs can be attacked by other bears or large predators like mountain lions or wolves.

Social Organization

Grizzly bears are usually solitary, living and hunting alone with the exception of mating pairs and females with cubs.

Life Cycle

Grizzly bears reach sexual maturity at four to seven years of age. Females may mate with several males during the breeding season in May and June. Implantation of the fertilized egg is delayed until October or November when the female enters a den. From January to March two to three cubs are born weighing less than a pound (448 g). Cubs stay with their mother for two to three years before going out on their own. Cubs have a high mortality rate due to predators. Grizzlies can live up to 25 years in the wild and up to 30 years in human care.

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Malayan tapirs are sometimes called “Oreo” tapirs because of their distinctive black and white color pattern resembles an Oreo cookie. The black on the front and back with white or gray in the middle is a form of camouflage that breaks up the tapir’s outline in the shadows of the forest. The stripes and spots on the vulnerable babies help them blend into the dappled sunlight and leaf shadows of the forest and protects them from predators.

Classification

CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Perissodactyla
FAMILY:	Tapiridae
GENUS:	Tapirus
SPECIES:	indicus

Habitat & Range

Tropical lowland swamp, montane and hill forests, prefers dense, primary forests.

The tapir ranges through Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand south to Malaysia and Sumatra.

Location

Adaptations

Prehensile Snout
The tapir’s upper lip and nose are elongated to form a distinctive prehensile snout that is similar to a stubby elephant’s trunk. This flexible extended nose is used for plucking leaves and shoots from trees as well as sniffing their way along forest trails. They have an excellent sense of smell and rely on scents for communication. Urine spraying is used to mark well-used pathways between feeding areas and water sources.
Barrel-Shaped Body
Tapirs have a thick heavy barrel-shaped body ideal for crashing through dense forest vegetation. When frightened or threatened, tapirs can run quickly. Despite their large size they can climb steep slopes on the banks of rivers. They are excellent swimmers and spend a lot of time in the water.
Black White Black
Malayan tapirs are sometimes called “Oreo” tapirs because of their distinctive black and white color pattern resembles an Oreo cookie. The black on the front and back with white or gray in the middle is a form of camouflage that breaks up the tapir’s outline in the shadows of the forest. The stripes and spots on the vulnerable babies help them blend into the dappled sunlight and leaf shadows of the forest and protects them from predators.

Physical Description

Malayan tapirs are six to eight feet (1.8-2.4 m) long.
They weigh 550-704 pounds (250-320 kg); females are larger than males.
They stand three to three and a half feet (90-107 cm) tall.
They have a distinctive color pattern – the front and back parts are black and the midsection is white or gray.
Their nose and upper lip are extended to form a short prehensile snout.
They have a large barrel-shaped body.

Diet

What Does It Eat?

In the wild:
As a vegetarian, non-ruminant the tapir east tender leaves and shoots, aquatic plants, buds, soft twigs and fruits of low-growing shrubs.

At the zoo:
Grain, alfalfa, apples, bananas, carrots, sweet potatoes, monkey chow.

What Eats It?
Tigers and humans prey on the Malayan tapir.

Social Organization

Malayan tapirs are solitary animals except for mating pairs and females with young. When they encounter one another in the wild they act aggressively.

Life Cycle

Tapirs are sexually mature by three years of age, and breeding usually occurs in May and June. After a gestation of 13 months, females seek a secure lair and give birth to a single calf weighing about 15 pounds (6.8 kg). Newborn tapirs are reddish-brown with white spots and stripes for camouflage. Adult coloration develops between four and seven months. Weaning occurs at six to eight months when the babies are nearly full grown, but they stay near their mom until they are about a year old. Females can give birth every two years. Malayan tapirs live up to 30 years.

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Mandrills have large cheek pouches that open beside their lower teeth and extend down the sides of their neck. These pouches can contain nearly a full stomach load of food when fully distended. When competing for food or foraging in a dangerous place, mandrills can quickly cram food into the cheek pouches then retreat to a safe place to eat. They use the back of their hand to push food out of the pouches and into their mouth.

Classification

CLASS:	Mammalia
ORDER:	Primate
FAMILY:	Cercopithecidae
GENUS:	Mandrillus
SPECIES:	sphinx

Habitat & Range

Mandrills are found primarily in rainforests, also forested savannah, and montane and thick secondary forests up to 6,571 ft. (2,000 meters).

They inhabit west central Africa, inhabiting Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, and Congo, with the largest population in Gabon.

Location

Adaptations

They are semi-terrestrial, foraging on the ground on all fours (quadrupedally) and climbing high up in trees to sleep and to find fruit or leaves.
Opposable thumbs and big toes allow climbing, grasping and manipulating objects.
Cheek pouches can hold a large amount of food while foraging to consume later.
Thick pads on the rump support weight when sitting.
Adult male mandrills are very colorful. The thick ridges along their noses are purple and blue. Their noses and lips are bright red and they have golden beards. These bright colors are thought to be attractive to females. But those bright colors also show up on the mandrills’ rear ends that may enhance visibility in thick vegetation as troops move through the forest. Their rumps range in color from deep reds to pinks to bright blues and lilac.

Physical Description

They are sexually dimorphic – male mandrills are the largest of all Old World monkeys and are two to three times larger than females. An adult male average weight is between 70 – 119 lbs. (32 – 54 kg); an adult female’s average weight is 27 lbs. (12 kg).
Average height for males is 32 inches (81 cm) and for females 22 inches (60 cm).
Fur is dark brown to gray with lighter fur on the underside. A dark brown crest on crown of head.
Face is mostly hairless and elongated with white whiskers and a yellow beard. A red stripe down the middle of the face, thick blue ridges along the nose, and nostrils and lips red. Adult male coloration is much brighter than females and juveniles. The more testosterone in a male, the brighter his coloration.
The rump is bare, and is brightly colored like the face in males. Tail is stubby and held upright.
The body is strong and compact with long arms.
Extremely long canine teeth, up to 2 1/2 inches (5 cm) in males, are displayed for self-defense, intimidation, and as a friendly gesture.
Forward facing eyes provide binocular vision for judging distances in trees and for close-up actions while feeding and grooming.

Diet

What Does It Eat?

In the wild:
Mandrills are omnivorous. Their highly varied diet in the wild includes fruit, seeds, leaves, fungi, roots, tubers, insects, snails, worms, frogs, lizards, bird eggs and sometimes snakes and small vertebrates. They have been reported to take oil palm fruit from plantations and to raid farm crops when food is scarce.

At the zoo:
Mandrills are fed a variety of vegetables, greens, low-starch primate biscuits, fruit for training, konjac for gut health (a plant rich in soluble dietary fiber and low sugar diabetic gel (specially formulated for primates).

What Eats It?
Predators of the mandrill include leopards, crowned hawk-eagles, and snakes.

Social Organization

Mandrills live in hierarchical, harem-type societies. Family groups/troops of 10-30 consist of females, juvenile males and a dominant adult male. These groups are often part of larger groups of up to several hundred, called hordes. Bright coloration helps individuals see each other in dark, dense forest.

The large range of vocalizations, including chatter, howls and grunts, allow communication among individuals and groups. Body language is also central to communication such as yawning and slapping ground. Males communicate territory by scent marking; scent is produced by a gland in the chest area.

Females will stay with the natal group, while males will leave the group when mature.

Life Cycle

The average lifespan in the wild is 20 years and up to 40 years in managed care settings like zoos. Females mature between 4 and 7 years and males at about 9 years. Although, females choose mates with the brightest colors on face and rump, only the dominant male has mating rights. Breeding is seasonal over several months and gestation is about six months. Single births are the norm and infants are weaned by one year of age. Infants are carried clinging to their mother’s belly. Infants sport a black natal coat until about two months when it begins to change color. Only females care for the young, often with the participation of other females in the group.

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