Region 03

Madagascan flying fox

Endemic to Madagascar. Inhabit tropical and subtropical moist lowland forest. Most widespread bat species on the island. The largest bat in Madagascar. Wingspan of 39-49 in. Weigh 1-1.6 lbs. Roost in day in colonies of 400-1000. Wingspan of 3-4 ft. Leathery black wings. Yellow-orange fur with black face and black ears, Large size (megabat). Vulnerable. Also listed as game species and can be legally hunted. Many eat it for food. Feed of high value fruit crops and sometimes is killed as a pest species.

Egyptian Vulture

Found from from southwestern Europe and northern Africa to Southern Asia. Typically nest on ledges and caves on cliffs, rocks, large trees, buildings. Exhibit high sign fidelity. Females slightly largest than males and have similar appearance. They are monogamous for life. They have a wingspan of 5.6 ft and weigh 4.8 lbs. Egyptian vultures prefer to forage alone or with mate. Tool using, smash eggs with rocks. White plumage. Yellow to orange face. Often discolored brown due to scavenging carcasses. Featherless face with large, narrow bill with curved black tip. Endangered, Habitat disturbances, lead poisoning, power lines, and wind turbines. Thought to have 12,000-38,000 left in wild. Also frequent human habitats, leading to further death.

Chinese Pangolin

Found in Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, northern indochina, northern Vietnam northern India, most of Taiwan, and southern China. Foudn in a broad range of habiatats including bamboo forest, tropical forest, limestone forest, broad-leaf forest, grasslands, and fields. Strange and secretive nocturnal species that lives mainly off of insects with their long tongue. They are armored with 18 rows of overlapping scales and grow claws for digging burrows. When threatened they have the ability to curl into a ball; their name means "roller". They are hard to open and can roll down slopes to escape while releasing an unpleasant odor. Can grow to 15.4 lbs. Can give birth to 1 offpsring at a time and have prehensile tails to hang from branches. Scary armor with claws. Small narrow mouth. Small pointed head. Critically endangered. Hunting and poaching are the biggest threats. 50,000-100,000 left. Considered a delicacy, the scales are used for medicinal and spiritual reasons.

Mang Mountain pit viper

Found in Pingkeng, Mangshan and the Hunan and Guangdong provinces in southern China where the Mount Mang and Nanling mountain ranges are located. Lives in subtropical needle-leaf and broad-leaf mixture forests with thick vegetation and cover. Found in numerous caves and along trails. An oviparous species and lays 20-27 eggs at a time in late summer, They are known to rest against logs and other structures while waiting to ambush prey that move along trails. One of the two non-cobra species known to spit venom. Cryptic Jichen-like pattern of greens and browns. Large and heavy body, up to 6.5 ft in length. Prehensile trail. Endangered. Due to pet trade. Decreasing population of 500 individuals.

Numbat (banded anteater)

Found in small areas of southwestern Australia and two fenced mainland islands in eastern Australia. This marsupial prefers a range of habitats such as Mulga woodlands, sand plains, sand dunes, hummock grasslands, eucalyptus woodlands, and forests. Numbats reside in hollow logs, burrows, and tree hollows. Diurnal marsupial which is unusual. Lack pouches for their young, Numbats subsist mainly from eating termites. Long tongue and claws for retrieving insects from the grounds. Reddish-brown coat with white stripes on back. Dark bar crossing from eye to ear to snout. Long and bushy tail. Endangered. Invasive species (red fox) endangers them. Only 800 mature individuals left.

Tasmanian Devil

Found on island of Tasmania. Prefer terrestrial habitats such as open forests, open woodlands, forestry plantations, and pastureland. They can be found at all elevations. Largest carnivorous marsupial in the world. Known for their badger like toughness and disturbing vocalizations. Their large head and neck generates a strong bite per unit body mass and they scavenge for carrion or hunt live prey. Tasmanian devils are robust and competitive breeders. Males fight each other over females and guard the females to prevent infidelity. Stocky and muscular build. Short muzzle and limbs. Black fur with white markings on the chest and sometimes rump. Somewhat looks like a small dog. Endangered. Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD) is their biggest threat. Reduced their population by 89% since its discovery. Only 10,000-25,000 left. Roadkill, dog attacks, the red fox, conflict with humans, and low genetic diversity.

Pyrenean Ibex

Found throughout Spain and small parts of Portugal. Prefer rocky habitats such as cliffs with scrub or pine trees. A wild goat and fur changes length with the seasons. Migrate during the spring to elevated areas to breed. During the winter they might migrate to areas not covered in snow to feed on grasses and herbs. Faded greyish-brown coat. Black decorative patches in males. Large, thick horns. Short horns on females. Ridged surface on the horns pronounced with age. Least concern. Population increasing and have no known threats. Estimated to have 50,000 mature individuals.

African Elephant

Found throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Large tracts of elephant range through parts of Central, Eastern, and Southern Africa. Uses a wide variety of habitats: woodlands, forests, swamps, and even deserts. Need extensive land to survive. Largest land mammal (8 tons). Their trunk produced trumpeted warning calls. African Elephants are organized into complex social matriarchies and have the longest gestation period of any mammal (22 months). Provide long term care for young. Highly intelligent, even mourn their dead. Have a trunk, extension of the upper lip and nose. Large ears used to fan and radiate heat. Tusks extending from the sides of the mouth in both males and females with a dominant tusk being more worn down. Vulnerable. Thanks to poaching for ivory. Conservation has resulted in increasing population. Growing 4% annually.

Gharial

Native to northern part of Indian Subcontinent. Nest in seasonally exposed sandbanks and inhabit slow moving sections of medium to large river systems with deep pools and high sand banks. Traditionally lay eggs in the same beaches every year, There are currently three separated breeding populations. One of the longest living crocodilians, have a length of 20.5 ft, but avg 11-15. Also known as the gavial and the fish-eating crocodile. Heavily adapted for hunting fish and is thought to be the most thoroughly aqautic of all crocs. Extremely long, and thin jaws. Dark almost black dorsal surface. Yellowish-white ventral surface, Short, thickly webbed feet. Critically endangered. Had less than 235 in 2006. Face a wide range of challenges from locals. Main threats: killed by fishermen, overhunting for trophies and skins, indigenous medicine, consumption of eggs, nets, alterations of water systems, and heavy metals. Can not travel land and reach other water bodies.

Addax

Long spiral horns and desert adaptation, prefers to travel at night. Found in Sahelo-Saharan region of Africa, east of the Nile. Last known population thought to survive in Niger with some sightings in western Chad and the Mauritania/Mali. Large nomadic antelope that thrives in deserts with nearly no water sources. Live off sparse vegetation and mostly get moisture from surfaces of plants. Grayish-Brown coat in winter, white in summer. Shoulder height of 3 ft. Long horns with 2-3 twists, brown patch on forehead. Critically endangered. Less thank 100 in wild. Hunting is the cause of their decline.

African Grey Parrot

Native to equatorial Africa. Typically inhabit dense rainforests and are commonly seen on the edge of forests, wood savannah, clearings, gallery forest, cultivated area, and mangroves. Highly gregarious bird with roosts containing 100 individuals, and feed in smaller groups of 30. Live off fruit and seeds and nest in tree cavities. They are common companion pets in the US and globally. Sold for their social nature and ability to retain up to 1000 words. Considered a lifetime companion, they can live up to 80. Mottled-grey medium-sized body. Large black bill and white mask. Yellow eyes. Striking red tail. Endangered, At serious risk due to the wild bird trade and trapping along with habitat loss.

Bornean Orangutan

Native to the island of Borneo. Occupy humid jungles and have a patchy distribution. They are preferential to lowland forests but some can be found in highland. Largest arboreal animal in the world, but still travel great distances. Their name translates to "man of the forest" and they live a semi-solitary life.Orangutans have powerful hand-like feet and are primates. Males disperse when mature to establish new and large territories. Females occupy smaller, overlapping territories. Have offspring every 6-8 years and nurture their children for a long time. Large body size with long, human-like reddish body hair. Large cheek pads called "flanges" in mature males. Extremely long arms (as much as 8 feet) with curved fingers for grasping. Critically endangered, estimated to have around 104,700 in the wild which is expected to decrease to 47,000 by 2025. Mining, logging, climate change, forest fires, and hunting are all threats.

Javan Rhinoceros

Only found in the Ujung Kulon National Park in Java, Indonesia and the Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam. The Javan population has been restricted to a small location since the 1930's. They live in lowland tropical forests close to water. Formerly occupied open mixed forests, grasslands, and high mountain areas. Very prehistoric and very rare large mammal that looks different from other rhinos. Little is known about them. They live up to 30-40 years. Gray color and armor-pleated appearance, Complete hairlessness except for ears and tail. Single horn up to 10 inches long (as opposed to 2 in other species). Smaller or absent horn in females. Critically endangered. Estimated to be 46-66 left in wild. Poaching has been their biggest threat. Also chemicals in war. Threatened by disease.

Sumatran Tiger

Rarest tiger species. Endemic to island of Sumatra, They occur in 12 potentially isolated forest habitats, Low population density of tigeres require large areas of range. they prefer dense vegetation in the center of tropical forests. Different from other tigers. They are a subspecies of Panthera Tigris. It is the rarest and smallest subspecies. Its size makes it easier to move through dense jungle. Many of their characteristics are defined by their differences to other tiger species. Smaller body. Thick dark orange coat and thinner black stipes. Darker fur, higher stripe density. Tick and striking fur around neck for males. Slightly webbed paws. Critically endangered. Mass conversion of habitat and poaching. Less than 400 left.