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Wildlife Of China
China's vast and diverse landscape is home to a profound variety and abundance of wildlife. As of one of 17 megadiverse countries in the world, China has, according to one measure, 7,516 species of vertebrates including 4,936 fish, 1,269 bird, 562 mammal, 403 reptile and 346 amphibian species. In terms of the number of species, China ranks third in the world in mammals,IUCN Initiatives – Mammals – Analysis of Data – Geographic Patterns 2012 IUCN. Retrieved 24 April 2013. Data does not include species in Taiwan. eighth in birds, seventh in reptiles and seventh in amphibians. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leaf Monkey
The Colobinae or leaf-eating monkeys are a subfamily of the Old World monkey family that includes 61 species in 11 genera, including the black-and-white colobus, the large-nosed proboscis monkey, and the gray langurs. Some classifications split the colobine monkeys into two tribes, while others split them into three groups. Both classifications put the three African genera ''Colobus'', '' Piliocolobus'', and '' Procolobus'' in one group; these genera are distinct in that they have stub thumbs (Greek κολοβός ''kolobós'' = "docked"). The various Asian genera are placed into another one or two groups. Analysis of mtDNA confirms the Asian species form two distinct groups, one of langurs and the other of the "odd-nosed" species, but are inconsistent as to the relationships of the gray langurs; some studies suggest that the gray langurs are not closely related to either of these groups, while others place them firmly within the langur group. Characteristics Colobines are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hainan Black Crested Gibbon
The Hainan black-crested gibbon or Hainan gibbon (''Nomascus hainanus''), is a Critically Endangered species of gibbon found only on Hainan Island, China. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the eastern black crested gibbon (''Nomascus nasutus'') from Hòa Bình and Cao Bằng provinces of Vietnam and Jingxi County in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Molecular data, together with morphology and call differences, suggest it is a separate species. Its habitat consists of broad-leaved forests and semi-deciduous monsoon forests. It feeds on ripe, sugar-rich fruit, such as figs and, at times, leaves, and insects. Current status Hainan black-crested gibbons are under grave threat of extinction. They are currently identified as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List. Historically, they were widespread in China: Government records dating back to the 17th century state that their range used to cover half of China, altho ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brachiation
Brachiation (from "brachium", Latin for "arm"), or arm swinging, is a form of arboreal locomotion in which primates swing from tree limb to tree limb using only their arms. During brachiation, the body is alternately supported under each forelimb. This form of locomotion is the primary means of locomotion for the small gibbons and siamangs of southeast Asia. Gibbons in particular use brachiation for as much as 80% of their locomotor activities. Some New World monkeys, such as spider monkeys and muriquis, were initially classified as ''semibrachiators'' and move through the trees with a combination of leaping and brachiation. Some New World species also practice suspensory behaviors by using their prehensile tail, which acts as a fifth grasping hand. Evidence has shown that the extinct ape ''Proconsul'' from the Miocene of East Africa developed an early form of suspensory behaviour, and was therefore referred to as a ''probrachiator.'' Upon further observations and more in depth u ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arboreal
Arboreal locomotion is the Animal locomotion, locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal. The habitats pose numerous mechanical challenges to animals moving through them and lead to a variety of anatomical, behavioral and ecological consequences as well as variations throughout different species.Cartmill, M. (1985). Climbing. In ''Functional Vertebrate Morphology'', eds. M. Hildebrand D. M. Bramble K. F. Liem and D. B. Wake, pp. 73–88. Cambridge: Belknap Press. Furthermore, many of these same principles may be applied to climbing without trees, such as on rock piles or mountains. Some animals are exclusively arboreal in habitat, such as the tree snail. Biomechanics Arboreal habitats pose numerous mechanical challenges to animals moving in them, which have been solved in diverse ways. These challenges include moving on n ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Apes
Apes (collectively Hominoidea ) are a clade of Old World simians native to sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia (though they were more widespread in Africa, most of Asia, and as well as Europe in prehistory), which together with its sister group Cercopithecidae form the catarrhine clade, cladistically making them monkeys (though this is the subject of much debate). Apes do not have tails due to a mutation of the TBXT gene. In traditional and non-scientific use, the term "ape" can include tailless primates taxonomically considered Cercopithecidae (such as the Barbary ape and black ape), and is thus not equivalent to the scientific taxon Hominoidea. There are two extant branches of the superfamily Hominoidea: the gibbons, or lesser apes; and the hominids, or great apes. * The family Hylobatidae, the lesser apes, include four genera and a total of 20 species of gibbon, including the lar gibbon and the siamang, all native to Asia. They are highly arboreal and bipedal on the g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Northern White-cheeked Gibbon
The northern white-cheeked gibbon (''Nomascus leucogenys'') is a Critically Endangered species of gibbon native to South East Asia. It is closely related to the southern white-cheeked gibbon (''Nomascus siki''), with which it was previously considered conspecific. The females of the two species are virtually indistinguishable in appearance. The genome of ''N. leucogenys'' was sequenced and published in 2011. Description Northern white-cheeked gibbons are sexually dimorphic, with males and females having different colourations and the former also being slightly larger. Males have black hair over their entire bodies, except for distinct white patches on their cheeks, as well as a prominent tuft of hair on the crown of head, and a gular sac. Females are reddish-tan in colour, lack a cranial tuft, and have a crest of black or dark brown fur running from the crown to the nape of the neck. They are reported to have an average weight of , although this is based on only a small number ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lar Gibbon
The lar gibbon (''Hylobates lar''), also known as the white-handed gibbon, is an endangered primate in the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. It is one of the better-known gibbons and is often kept in captivity. Taxonomy There are five subspecies of lar gibbon: * Malaysian lar gibbon (''H. l. lar'') * Carpenter's lar gibbon (''H. l. carpenteri'') * Central lar gibbon (''H. l. entelloides'') * Sumatran lar gibbon (''H. l. vestitus'') * Yunnan lar gibbon (''H. l. yunnanensis'') (possibly extinct) Physical description The fur coloring of the lar gibbon varies from black and dark-brown to light-brown, sandy colors. The hands and feet are white-colored, likewise a ring of white hair surrounds the black face. Both males and females can be all color variants, and the sexes also hardly differ in size. Gibbons are true brachiators, propelling themselves through the forest by swinging under the branches using their arms. Reflecting this mode of locomotion, the white-handed gibbon has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Western Hoolock Gibbon
The western hoolock gibbon (''Hoolock hoolock'') is a primate from the gibbon family, Hylobatidae. The species is found in Assam, Mizoram, and Meghalaya in India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar west of the Chindwin River. Classification Mootnick and Groves stated that hoolock gibbons do not belong in the genus ''Bunopithecus'', and placed them in a new genus, ''Hoolock''. This genus was argued to contain two and later three distinct species, which were previously thought to be subspecies: ''H. hoolock'', '' H. leuconedys'', and '' H. tianxing''. A larger evolutionary distance was later found to exist between these three species and the white-handed gibbons than between bonobos and chimpanzees. A new subspecies of the western hoolock gibbon has been described recently from northeastern India, which has been named the Mishmi Hills hoolock gibbon, ''H. h. mishmiensis''. Vocalisation Like other gibbons, hoolock gibbon pairs produce a loud, elaborate song, usually as a duet from the fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Zodiac
The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the lunar calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand. Identifying this scheme using the generic term "''zodiac''" reflects several superficial similarities to the Western zodiac: both have time cycles divided into twelve parts, each labels at least the majority of those parts with names of animals, and each is widely associated with a culture of ascribing a person's personality or events in their life to the supposed influence of the person's particular relationship to the cycle. Nevertheless, there are major differences between the two: the animals of the Chinese zodiac are not associated with constellations spanned by the ecliptic plane. The Chinese twelve- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monkey (zodiac)
The monkey ( 猴) is the ninth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The year of the monkey is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 申. Years and the five elements People born within these date ranges can be said to have been born in the "year of the monkey", while bearing the following elemental An elemental is a mythic being that is described in occult and alchemical works from around the time of the European Renaissance, and particularly elaborated in the 16th century works of Paracelsus. According to Paracelsus and his subsequent fo ... sign: Basic astrology elements References Further reading * * * External links * {{Authority control Chinese astrological signs Vietnamese astrological signs Mythological monkeys de:Chinesische Astrologie#Zählung ab Jahresbeginn ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monkeys In Chinese Culture
Monkeys, particularly macaques and monkey-like gibbons, have played significant roles in Chinese culture for over two thousand years. Some examples familiar to English speakers include the zodiacal Year of the Monkey, the Monkey King Sun Wukong in the novel ''Journey to the West'', and Monkey Kung Fu. Terminology The Chinese language has numerous words meaning "simian; monkey; ape", some of which have diachronically changed meanings in reference to different simians. For instance, Chinese ''xingxing'' 猩猩 originally named "a mythical creature with a human face and pig body", and became the modern name for the "orangutan". Within the classification of Chinese characters, almost all "monkey; ape" words – with the exceptions of ''nao'' 夒 and ''yu'' 禺 that were originally monkey pictographs – are written with radical-phonetic compound characters. These characters combine a radical or classifier that roughly indicates semantic field, usually the " dog/quadruped radica ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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