Welcome back!
Today, we have the next five animals that (we hope) you haven't heard of
before.
6. Chinese water deer
The Chinese water deer is a small deer originating from Asia. They are
noticeable because the males display what looks a bit like a vampire's
fangs!
Males have no antlers, just fangs! In fact, they are the only deer species
where the males don't grow antlers.
This deer species lives in China and Korea and has been introduced to several
countries including the US, France and the UK. They feed on herbs and young
grass shoots.
7. Markhor goat
The markhor is the biggest member of the goat family. They mostly live in the
mountain ranges of Asia. They eat grass, shrubs and other low vegetation.
During the mating season, males will fight over the females. The fights
consist of the two males locking horns and then twisting and pushing until one
falls over. One to two baby markhors are born at a time. The young are called
kids. A markhor will live for up to 13 years.
Probably their most significant feature is their long twisted antlers.
They are classified as
endangered.
8. Tonkin snub-nosed monkey
These strange-looking monkeys inhabit Vietnam and other countries in that area. They live in forests and feed on leaves and fruit. Their unusual appearance makes them easy to recognise.
They are one of the most endangered primate species in the world, classified
as
Critically Endangered. Over 80% of the entire population lives in a single forest. They were first
identified in 1912 and are the rarest of all the snub-nosed monkey species.
9. Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle
The Yangtze giant soft-shelled turtle is an extremely rare soft-shelled turtle
that lives in the waters around Vietnam and China. Only three or four
(information on websites differs) living individuals are known! Not
surprisingly, it's classified as
critically endangered. According to another website, the species is functionally extinct unless
another wild turtle is found. This species may be the largest living
freshwater turtle, losing it forever would be devastating. Horribly, the skull
of this incredible species is a 'good' trophy - another reason why humans
hunted them to the brink of extinction in the first place.
10. Fossa
Probably the most well-known of this week's animals, the fossa lives on
Madagascar island off the coast of Africa. They are known to feed on lemurs
and pretty much anything they can get their claws into. Despite being related
to the mongoose, the fossa is a bit more like a cat than anything else.
The fossa is one of the main predators on the island - they keep a close eye
on the size of lemur and other animal populations. They have long tails, which
help them balance while hunting among the trees.
They are classified as vulnerable which is definitely a lot better than the
last two animals!
We hope you enjoyed this week's five animals. See you next week.
Images:
chinese water deer with her two fawn's, owned by
Nick Goodrum (on flickr.com) is
licensed under
CC BY 2.0.
Sources:
https://worlddeer.org/chinese-water-deer/
https://animalcorner.org/animals/markhor/
https://www.britannica.com/animal/snub-nosed-monkey
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/130703-china-yangtze-giant-softshell-turtle-animal-science
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/fossa
https://worlddeer.org/chinese-water-deer/
https://animalcorner.org/animals/markhor/
https://www.britannica.com/animal/snub-nosed-monkey
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/130703-china-yangtze-giant-softshell-turtle-animal-science
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/fossa
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