|
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit conservation center near Glen Rose, Texas. They specialize in the breeding of endangered species, public education, scientific research and natural land management. The facility has over 1,000 animals from 50 species. Guests have access to guided and self-guided tours across the center's 1800 acres of Texas Hill Country, as well as lodging, dining and educational facilities. History The center was first an exotic herding ranch acquired by a Texan businessman from the oil industry named Tom Mantzel. He bought the ranch in 1973 and renamed it Fossil Rim Wildlife Ranch. The project was at first a weekend retreat for Mantzel, but it soon became a full-time occupation. Concerned by the extinction of species, Mantzel started experimenting with breeding endangered species in 1982 with Grévy's zebras. Fossil Rim was the first ranch to participate in the Species Survival Plan, an initiative partnered with the Association of Zoos and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blackbuck
The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is an antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to high at the shoulder. Males weigh , with an average of . Females are lighter, weighing or on average. Males have long, ringed horns, though females may develop horns as well. The white fur on the chin and around the eyes is in sharp contrast with the black stripes on the face. The coats of males show a two-tone colouration; while the upper parts and outsides of the legs are dark brown to black, the underparts and the insides of the legs are white. Females and juveniles are yellowish fawn to tan. The blackbuck is the sole living member of the genus ''Antilope'' and was scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. The blackbuck is active mainly during the day. It forms three type of small groups, female, male, and bachelor h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
African Spurred Tortoise
The African spurred tortoise (''Centrochelys sulcata''), also called the sulcata tortoise, is a species of tortoise inhabiting the southern edge of the Sahara desert in Africa. It is the largest mainland species of tortoise in the world, and the third-largest in the world. It is the last remaining species in its genus, Centrochelys, with the five other species in the family already extinct. Taxonomy and etymology The African spurred tortoise is apart of the: * Animalia kingdom * Bilateral Subkingdom * Deuterostomia Infrakingdom * Chordata Phylum * Vertebrata Subphylum * Gnathostomata Infraphylum * Tetrapoda superclass * Reptilia class * Testudines order * Crytodira suborder * Testudinoidea superfamily * Testudinidae family * Centrochelys genus The taxonomic species name is Centrochelys sulcata and is otherwise known as C. sulcata. Its specific name ''sulcata'' is from the Latin word ''sulcus'' meaning "furrow" and refers to the furrows on the tortoise's scales. At first the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wildebeest
Wildebeest ( , , ), also called gnu ( or ), are antelopes of the genus ''Connochaetes'' and native to Eastern and Southern Africa. They belong to the family Bovidae, which includes true antelopes, cattle, goats, sheep, and other even-toed horned ungulates. There are two species of wildebeest: the black wildebeest or white-tailed gnu (''C. gnou''), and the blue wildebeest or brindled gnu (''C. taurinus''). Fossil records suggest these two species diverged about one million years ago, resulting in a northern and a southern species. The blue wildebeest remained in its original range and changed very little from the ancestral species, while the black wildebeest changed more as adaptation to its open grassland habitat in the south. The most obvious ways of telling the two species apart are the differences in their colouring and in the way their horns are oriented. In East Africa, the blue wildebeest is the most abundant big-game species; some populations perform an annual mi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Waterbuck
The waterbuck (''Kobus ellipsiprymnus'') is a large antelope found widely in sub-Saharan Africa. It is placed in the genus '' Kobus'' of the family Bovidae. It was first described by Irish naturalist William Ogilby in 1833. Its 13 subspecies are grouped under two varieties: the common or ellipsiprymnus waterbuck and the defassa waterbuck. The head-and-body length is typically between and the typical height is between . In this sexually dimorphic antelope, males are taller and heavier than females. Males reach roughly at the shoulder, while females reach . Males typically weigh and females . Their coat colour varies from brown to grey. The long, spiral horns, present only on males, curve backward, then forward, and are long. Waterbucks are rather sedentary in nature. As gregarious animals, they may form herds consisting of six to 30 individuals. These groups are either nursery herds with females and their offspring or bachelor herds. Males start showing territorial behaviou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cheetah
The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail. It typically reaches at the shoulder, and the head-and-body length is between . Adults weigh between . Its head is small and rounded, with a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks. The coat is typically tawny to creamy white or pale buff and is mostly covered with evenly spaced, solid black spots. Four subspecies are recognised. The cheetah lives in three main social groups: females and their cubs, male "coalitions", and solitary males. While females lead a nomadic life searching for prey in large home ranges, males are more sedentary and instead establish much smaller territories in areas with plentiful prey and access to females. The cheetah is act ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blue And Gold Macaw
The blue-and-yellow macaw (''Ara ararauna''), also known as the blue-and-gold macaw, is a large South American parrot with mostly blue top parts and light orange underparts, with gradient hues of green on top of its head. It is a member of the large group of neotropical parrots known as macaws. It inhabits forest (especially varzea, but also in open sections of ''terra firme'' or unflooded forest), woodland and savannah of tropical South America. They are popular in aviculture because of their striking color, ability to talk, ready availability in the marketplace, and close bonding to humans. They can also live for 65–70 years. Taxonomy The blue-and-yellow macaw was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his '' Systema Naturae''. He placed it with all the other parrots in the genus ''Psittacus'' and coined the binomial name ''Psittacus ararauna''. This macaw is now one of the eight extant species placed in the genus ''Ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Blackbuck
The blackbuck (''Antilope cervicapra''), also known as the Indian antelope, is an antelope native to India and Nepal. It inhabits grassy plains and lightly forested areas with perennial water sources. It stands up to high at the shoulder. Males weigh , with an average of . Females are lighter, weighing or on average. Males have long, ringed horns, though females may develop horns as well. The white fur on the chin and around the eyes is in sharp contrast with the black stripes on the face. The coats of males show a two-tone colouration; while the upper parts and outsides of the legs are dark brown to black, the underparts and the insides of the legs are white. Females and juveniles are yellowish fawn to tan. The blackbuck is the sole living member of the genus ''Antilope'' and was scientifically described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. The blackbuck is active mainly during the day. It forms three type of small groups, female, male, and bachelor h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
The black-tailed jackrabbit (''Lepus californicus''), also known as the American desert hare, is a common hare of the western United States and Mexico, where it is found at elevations from sea level up to . Reaching a length around , and a weight from , the black-tailed jackrabbit is one of the largest North American hares. Black-tailed jackrabbits occupy mixed shrub-grassland terrains. Their breeding depends on the location; it typically peaks in spring, but may continue all year round in warm climates. Young are born fully furred with eyes open; they are well camouflaged and are mobile within minutes of birth, thus females do not protect or even stay with the young except during nursing. The average litter size is around four, but may be as low as two and as high as seven in warm regions. The black-tailed jackrabbit does not migrate or hibernate during winter and uses the same habitat of 0.4 to 1.2 mi2 (1–3 km2) year-round. Its diet is composed of various shrub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Black-footed Cat
The black-footed cat (''Felis nigripes''), also called the small-spotted cat, is the smallest wild cat in Africa, having a head-and-body length of . Despite its name, only the soles of its feet are black or dark blackish brown. With its bold small spots and stripes on the tawny fur, it is well camouflaged, especially on moonlit nights. It bears black streaks running from the corners of the eyes along the cheeks, and its banded tail has a black tip. The first black-footed cat known to science was discovered in the northern Karoo of South Africa and described in 1824. It is endemic to the arid steppes and grassland savannas of Southern Africa. In the late 1960s, it was recorded in southern Botswana, but only few authentic records exist in Namibia, in southern Angola, and in southern Zimbabwe. Due to its restricted distribution, it has been listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List since 2002. The population is suspected to be declining due to poaching of prey species f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Axis Deer
The chital or cheetal (''Axis axis''; ), also known as the spotted deer, chital deer, and axis deer, is a deer species native to the Indian subcontinent. It was first described and given a binomial name by German naturalist Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben in 1777. A moderate-sized deer, male chital reach and females at the shoulder. While males weigh , females weigh around . It is sexually dimorphic; males are larger than females, and antlers are present only on males. The upper parts are golden to rufous, completely covered in white spots. The abdomen, rump, throat, insides of legs, ears, and tail are all white. The antlers, three-pronged, are nearly long. Etymology The vernacular name "chital" (pronounced ) comes from ''cītal'' ( hi, चीतल), derived from the Sanskrit word ' (चित्रल), meaning "variegated" or "spotted". The name of the cheetah has a similar origin. Variations of "chital" include "cheetal" and "cheetul". Other common names for the chit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Attwater's Prairie Chicken
Attwater's prairie chicken (''Tympanuchus cupido attwateri'') is a highly endangered subspecies of the greater prairie chicken that is native to coastal Texas and formerly Louisiana in the United States. Description Attwater's prairie chicken measures 17–18 in (43-45.5 cm) and weighs roughly 1.5 to 2.0 lb (0.7 to 0.9 kg). It has a 28-in (70-cm) wingspan. These grouse have strong vertical bars of dark brown and buff-white pattern over the mantle, flanks, and underparts. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism, with the males having elongated feathers, called pinnae, erected to form what looks like ear-like structures. The male also has as a bright orange or golden air sac on either side of his neck, which he inflates during mating displays. They have a lifespan of 2-5 years. Habitat and range ''T. c. attwateri'' is endemic to the Western Gulf coastal grasslands. Its range historically stretched west from Bayou Teche in Louisiana to the Nueces River in Texas, possibly as ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arabian Oryx
The Arabian oryx (''Oryx leucoryx'') or white oryx is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, and a tufted tail. It is a bovid, and the smallest member of the genus ''Oryx'', native to desert and steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula. The Arabian oryx was extinct in the wild by the early 1970s, but was saved in zoos and private reserves, and was reintroduced into the wild starting in 1980. In 1986, the Arabian oryx was classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List, and in 2011, it was the first animal to revert to vulnerable status after previously being listed as extinct in the wild. It is listed in CITES Appendix I. In 2016, populations were estimated at 1,220 individuals in the wild, including 850 mature individuals, and 6,000–7,000 in captivity worldwide. Etymology The taxonomic name ''Oryx leucoryx'' is from the Greek ' (gazelle or antelope) and ' (white). The Arabian oryx is also called the white oryx in English, ' in Hebrew, and is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
.png "Click for more on -> African Spurred Tortoise")
.jpg "Click for more on -> Wildebeest")
.jpg "Click for more on -> Blackbuck")
_male.jpg "Click for more on -> Axis Deer")
