Cuscus

True Wild Life | Cuscus | The cuscus is an arboreal mammal, and spends it's life almost exclusively in the trees. The cuscus is a large marsupial native to the Northern forest of Australia and the large, tropical island of Papua New Guinea. The cuscus is a subspecies of possum with the cuscus being the largest of the world's possum species.

The cuscus is known to range in size from just 15cm to more than 60cm in length, although the average sized cuscus tends to be around 45cm (18inches). The cuscus has small ears and large eyes which aid the cuscus through it's nocturnal lifestyle.

The cuscus rests in the trees during the day, sleeping in the dense foliage and awakens at night to start moving through the trees in search of food. The cuscus is an omnivorous animal but the cuscus mainly eats leaves and fruits occasionally feasting on small birds and reptiles.

The cuscus is thought to breed throughout the year rather than having a strict breeding season. The mother cuscus gives birth to between 2 and 4 baby cuscus after a gestation period of just a couple of weeks. As with all marsupials, the female cuscus has a pouch on her tummy which the new born cuscus babies crawl into and stay until they are bigger, less vulnerable and able to start feeding themselves. Typically only one of the cuscus babies will survive and emerge from the pouch after 6 or 7 months.

The cuscus has a long and very strong prehensile tail which is naked (has no fur) at the end. This allows the cuscus to be able to grip onto the tree branches more easily when the cuscus is moving from tree to tree and resting during the day. The cuscus also has long, sharp claws which help the cuscus when it is moving around in the trees. The cuscus has thick, woolly fur which can be a variety of colours including brown, tan and white.

Due to the arboreal and nocturnal lifestyle of the cuscus, the cuscus has few natural predators in it's environment. The main predators of the cuscus (besides humans) are large snakes and birds of prey which tend to pick on the more vulnerable, young cuscus. The human is the biggest predator of the cuscus as natives hunt the cuscus for both the meat of the cuscus and the thick fur of the cuscus.

When the cuscus was first discovered, scientists believed that the cuscus was a type of monkey due to the way that the cuscus moves through the trees and uses it's tail to grip onto branches. It was later discovered that the cuscus was actually most closely related to the possum.

Today the cuscus populations are declining mainly due to deforestation and therefore loss of the habitat in which the cuscus exists. More and more of the secluded forests where the cuscus dwells, is being cut down with the trees being sold to logging companies.

The cuscus is an elusive and very secretive animal that are extremely difficult to spot in the wild. It is said to be one of the most rewarding sights, if you spot a cuscus in it's natural habitat.

Flamingo

 
True Wild Life | Flamingo | The flamingo stays in flocks of up to around 200 birds and feeds on fish in stiller rivers and lakes. The flamingo usually gets to about 30 years old although it is not uncommon for some flamingos to get to 50 years old. The flamingo is a large colourful bird found both in South America and Africa. The flamingo is also found in the warmer areas of southern Europe and western Asia. Most species of flamingo are a pinky/orange colour, some however can be white, black or even blue. The colour of the flamingo comes from the flamingo eating a type of algae that then turns the flamingo into the bright pink bird that we are so familiar with.

The flamingo is often seen on the banks of the lake standing on one leg. The flamingo is actually sleeping when it is on one leg but the strange thing is, that only half of the flamingo is actually asleep - the half that contains the leg still standing remains active. The flamingo then swaps over so that the remaining side can get some rest and the side that was sleeping becomes active again.

There are six different species of flamingo found around the world. The different flamingo species are the greater flamingo which is the most widespread species of flamingo found in Africa, Southern Europe and Southern Asia. The lesser flamingo is the most numerous species of flamingo and is found in Africa and Northern India. The Chilean flamingo is a large species of flamingo that is found in South America. The James's flamingo is a small and delicate species of flamingo that is found in the Andes mountains in Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. The Andean flamingo is closely related to the James's flamingo and is also found in the Andes mountains in Peru, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. The American flamingo is a large species of flamingo that is found in the Caribbean islands and the Galapagos islands.

Flamingos use their large, oddly shaped beaks to filter shrimp out of the water. The flamingo uses it's strangely shaped upside-down beak to separate mud and food in the water. The mouth of the flamingo is covered in little hairs called lamellae which assist in the filtering of water and the flamingo also has a rough tongue which the flamingo also uses to help it to filter food out of the water.

Although flamingos only nest once a year, flamingo colonies are known to breed at any time of the year. A flamingo reaches sexual maturity (which means the flamingo is able to breed) when the flamingo is between 3 and 6 years old. Flamingos build their nests out of mud, stones and feathers and do so about 6 weeks before they lay their eggs. Flamingos tend to lay just one egg that hatches after a 30 day incubation period. Both the mother flamingo and the father flamingo are known to help to raise the flamingo chick. Flamingos have relatively few predators in the wild but this is dependent on the area in which the flamingo inhabits. Human hunters, wild dogs and crocodiles are the main predators of the flamingo, along with eagles that prey upon the flamingo eggs and vulnerable flamingo chicks.

Long-Eared Owl

True Wild Life | Long-Eared Owl | The long-eared owl is a fairly widespread bird, found throughout Europe, North America and parts of Asia, where it spends the warmer summer months breeding. Like all migratory birds, the long-eared owl migrates south during the winter months, before returning north when the weather warms again the spring. The long-eared owl is a small species of owl that is primarily found in parts of the Northern Hemisphere. As it's name suggests, the long-eared owl is named after the long, black ear-tufts, which are feathers found on either side of the middle of the long-eared owl's head.

The two most of distinctive features of the long-eared owl are it's black ear-tufts and the reddish/brown disks that are marked around it's eyes and are characteristic of this species. The long ear-tufts of the long-eared owl are mainly used to make the long-eared owl look larger than it really is to other animals, when it is perched in the trees. Long-eared owls are nocturnal meaning that they are most active under the cover of night. In a similar way to other owl species, the long-eared owls are generally solitary animals that are only really seen together during the mating season, or small groups of long-eared owls are sometimes spotted migrating to the warmer south together.

Long-eared owls are carnivorous birds, only hunting and feeding on other animals in order to survive. Small mammals such as mice and voles are the most common prey for the long-eared owl along with smaller birds and reptiles. Owls do not chew their food but instead swallow it whole, regurgitating the bones in a small pellet some time later. The long-eared owl has few ground-dwelling predators as it is only really seen at ground level when swooping down from the sky to catch it's dinner. Airborne predators are the biggest threat to the long-eared owl, particularly large birds of prey such as bigger owls and eagles.

Long-eared owls breed in the warmer spring months between February and July, often nesting in the trees, occupying nests previously built and abandoned by other large birds. The female long-eared owl lays around 5 small eggs which she sits on (incubating them) for up to a month. Today, the long-eared owl is becoming more threatened in the wild, with population demise primarily caused by habitat loss across much of their native range, and the decreasing amount of rodents for the long-eared owls to feast on.

Cottontop Tamarin

 

True Wild Life | Cottontop Tamarin | The cottontop tamarin is found in tropical forest edges and secondary forests from Costa Rica to north western Columbia where the cottontop tamarin spends the majority of it's life in the trees. The Cottontop tamarin is a small species of monkey found in the forests of South America. The Cottontop tamarin was named because of it's elegant white fur that flows over it's head and shoulders. Cottontop tamarins are among the smallest of the primates with a body length of 17 cm and tail length of 25 cm. The forelimbs of the cottontop tamarin are shorter than the hind limbs, and unlike other monkeys the thumb of the cottontop tamarin is not opposable and it does not have a prehensile tail.

The cottontop tamarin is a diurnal primate which means that the cottontop tamarin is most active during the day and rests in the safety of the tree tops during the night. cottontop tamarins are very sociable animals and inhabit their territory with their rest of the cottontop tamarin troop which generally have between 2 and 14 members. Cottontop tamarin troops are led by the eldest female and have predominantly male members. The cottontop tamarin is an omnivorous animal meaning that the cottontop tamarin hunts both plants and other animals in order to survive. Fruits, insects and green plants make up the majority of the cottontop tamarin's diet along with small rodents and reptiles, eggs and tree sap.

Due to the relatively small size of the cottontop tamarin, it has a number of predators within it's natural environment. Wild cats, dogs, snakes and birds of prey are primary predators of the cottontop tamarin, along with humans who are destroying their natural habitat.

The cottontop tamarin usually breeds between the months of April and July, when the female cottontop tamarin will give birth to twins (or a single infant) after a four to five month gestation period. The male cottontop tamarins carry and groom infants more than the females do, but females clean the infant more than the males do. Older siblings are also known to contribute to infant care, although infants prefer to be carried by their parents than by their siblings. Infant cottontop tamarins become mobile at 2 to 5 weeks, and begin eating solid food at 4 to 7 weeks. They are independent at 10 to 18 weeks and are fully weaned at 15 to 25 weeks. Sexual maturity is attained at about 2 years of age.

Today, the cottontop tamarin is considered to be a critically endangered species with an estimated wild cottontop tamarin population of just 6,000. The main reason for the severe decline in the cottontop tamarin population is that they have lost more than 75% of their natural habitat to deforestation.

Asian Black Bear

 

True Wild Life | Asian Black Bear | Asian Black Bears are found in the forests of central and eastern Asia, mainly dwelling in caves or hollow trees, where they sleep all day! Asian black bears are nocturnal animals meaning that they only go out at night to forage for food. Asian black bears are outstanding tree climbers and are generally found around the mountain regions in Asia. Asian black bears will eat most things from fruits, nuts and berries to small mammals, amphibians and birds.

 

Asian black bears are still hunted throughout their Asian habitat by humans, for fur and medicinal purposes. Asian black bears are feared by most humans due to their aggressive nature, meaning that little effort is being made to conserve them as a species. Sadly, if this rate of hunting continues, the Asian black bear will soon become extinct. The Asian black bear is also commonly known as the Tibetan black bear or the Himalayan black bear, due to the region from which it comes. The Asian black bear is believed to be closely related to the American black bear through their ancestors that roamed the forests in Europe before these bears were exterminated by humans.

Asian black bears can grow to nearly two meters tall, although many Asian black bear individuals are smaller in size than this. The male Asian black bears are usually bigger than the female Asian black bears, with male Asian black bears often being double the size of the female Asian black bear. The Asian black bear is often referred to as the moon bear, mainly due to the crescent-shaped white patch on the Asian black bears chest. The Asian black bear also has sharp-claws which the Asian black bear uses to assist the Asian black bear in climbing trees to reach fruit and berries.

The breeding time for Asian black bears is in late summer, from June to October, and on an average two cubs are born per litter. The Asian black bear is able to reproduce at an age of 3 to 4 years, while the total gestation period takes 7 to 8 months.

Red Wolf

 

True Wild Life | Red Wolf |  The red wolf was roamed across the south-eastern United States from Texas to Florida to New York. The red wolf's historical habitat included areas of forest, swampland and coastal prairies where it would of been one of the top predators. Today however, the world's red wolf population is confined to a protected area in North Carolina. The red wolf is a medium sized species of wolf, found in the coastal marshlands of southern parts of eastern North America. By the 1970s the pure red wolf was thought to be extinct in the wild, but a population has since been reintroduced in North Carolina that is said to now be up to 100 red wolf individuals.

 

The red wolf is generally smaller in size than the grey wolf, found in more northern parts of North America. Red wolves are named for their cinnamon coloured fur, which is brownish-red with dark patches on their backs. Red wolves also have broad noses and large looking ears for the size of their head. In a similar way to other canines, and indeed other wolf species, the red wolf is a very sociable animal, living in pack with a number of other red wolf individuals. Red wolf packs usually contain a dominant male and female and their offspring and contain between 2 and 10 members. The red wolf is also a highly territorial animal, with the red wolf pack guarding it's range from intrusion by other red wolf packs in the area.

Although red wolves are known to hunt together as a group in order to catch a larger animal such as a deer, red wolves primarily eat smaller ground dwelling animals such as rabbits and rodents. Red wolves also eat birds, raccoons and other small animals. When trying to hunt a larger animal, the red wolf pack works together to confuse and corner their prey. In their historical range, red wolves were considered to be one of the most dominant predators within their environment, only coming under threat from larger canines such as grey wolves or the occasional coyote. Human hunters wiped out the red wolf population in large parts of their natural range, and the population was finally thought to become extinct primarily due to habitat loss.

Red wolves are usually able to reproduce by the time they are 2 years old and begin mating in the warmer spring months of February and March. The female red wolf gives birth to a litter of up to 10 cubs after a gestation period that lasts for around 60 days. Cubs are born blind and are nursed by the rest of the pack until they are able to hunt for themselves and either remain with their parents or leave to start a pack of their own. Today, the red wolf is no longer extinct in the wild since their reintroduction to North Carolina in 1987, and the population their is now thought to be just over 100 red wolf individuals. Nevertheless, the red wolf is still considered to be a critically endangered animal and is regarded as the 10th most endangered animal species in the world.

Stellers Sea Cow

True Wild Life | Stellers Sea Cow | The Steller's sea cow was first discovered in 1741 by explorers that ventured into parts of the Arctic Circle. When they were first recorded, the Steller's sea cow was said to be living in abundance in the North Pacific, however in less than 20 years of human contact, the Steller's sea cow had disappeared from the ocean completely. The Steller's sea cow was a large marine mammal that was found in abundance in the North Pacific. These enormous animals were closely related to the dugong and the manatee still found grazing in the oceans today, but were of considerable size at between eight and nine meters in length.

Steller's sea cows were large herbivores that had a seal-like appearance with a tail which resembled that of a whale. The Steller's sea cow was named after George Steller who discovered the animal and who described it: "The animal never comes out on shore, but always lives in the water. Its skin is black and thick, like the bark of an old oak, its head in proportion to the body is small, it has no teeth, but only two flat white bones one above, the other below". The Steller's sea cow was said to be a tame animal that spend most of it's time concerning itself with munching on kelp, which is possibly what made it so vulnerable later on. However, the Steller's sea cow was also said to be unable to submerge it's enormous body fully underwater making it an easy spot for human hunters.

The Steller's sea cow was a herbivorous animal that would have had a very similar diet to the dugong and manatees still extant today. This toothless animal would have spent the majority of its time grazing on kelp, sea weed and other aquatic grasses that grow in the shallows of the oceans. Before being discovered by humans, the Steller's sea cow would have had very few predators within it's watery world. Large shark species would have been the only predators able to tackle such an enormous meal, but non were more successful at hunting this enormous sea cow than humans who wiped out the entire species in just 17 years.

The Steller's sea cow would have mated and given birth to it's calf in the water (as these marine mammals do not go onto the land). In much the same way as it's smaller cousins, the female Steller's sea cow would have given birth to a single calf after a gestation period that probably lasted well over a year. The sea cow calf would of remained with it's mother until it was strong enough to become independent. Sadly, these remarkable giants of the sea, where wiped out by human hunters almost instantly after having been discovered by explorers. Today, it's smaller cousins are also under serious threat in their native habitats from over-hunting and increasing levels of pollution in the water.