MANY THANKS FOR YOUR KIND COMMENTS AND FAVS........PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT MY PHOTOSTREAM FOR HOPEFULLY MORE OF THE SAME.
Yorkshire Wildlife Park
The ring-tailed lemur is only found in the southern part of Madagascar and the neighbouring Comoro islands in the dry forest and bush. Along with its relatives, they are nocturnal primates, and resemble the ancestors of primates which existed some 10 million years ago. Although they are capable climbers, they spend a third of their time on the ground foraging for food.
They live in highly sociable and female dominated groups, averaging 17 members. Females normally give birth to young once a year. For the first two weeks newborn, weighing as little as 3 ozs, are carried on its mother's chest, after which they are then carried on the back.
From as early as two weeks the baby begins to eat solid food as it starts venturing out on its own, foraging on the ground with the rest of the group. Items on the menu include edible leaves, bark, sap and small invertebrates. Imitating the rest of the group, it holds its tail high in the air, so that it can be clearly seen by the rest of the group. It is not until it is five months old however, before it is fully weaned.
The group communicates with one anonther through visual cues, scent marking especially when mating, but above all else, through a range of vocal sounds, and have several different alarms calls to alert members to danger.
Despite being on the red endanged list, through loss of habitat, they breed easily in captivity and can live for nearly 30 years, compared to up to 20 in the wild. Thankfully, I have a wildlife park near my home, where I am able to visit them fairly frequently.
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The African wild dog, also called painted dog, typically roams the open plains and sparse woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa. These dogs are very social, and packs have been known to share food and to assist weak or ill members. Social interactions are common, and the dogs communicate by touch, actions, and vocalizations. Hunting in packs, they kill antelopes and will also tackle much larger prey, such as wildebeests, particularly if their quarry is ill or injured. The dogs supplement their diet with rodents and birds. Unfortunately, they are often hunted and killed by farmers who fear for their domestic animals. Also, because their habitat has shrunk and they are susceptible to diseases spread by domestic livestock, they are now endangered.
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The marshbuck or sitatungais a swamp-dwelling antelope found throughout Central Africa, centering on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, parts of Southern Sudan, Ghana, Botswana, Zambia, Gabon, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
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Wishing everyone a Happy New Year for 2016......
Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
Tags: Saturniidae moth argema mimosae
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