Tag: family

All rhino species of the world

Javan Rhino
greater indian one horned rhino
Sumatran Rhino
White Rhino
Black Rhino

Rhino have been hit hard in the last few decades. These species are all of the currently surviving species of wild rhino. Indeed, no species of rhino have been lost in modern times – in recent times the woolly rhino was lost. Further back, there are dozens of rhino species which are only known from fossils, with as many as 45-50 different species in the Americas alone.

There are links for the black and white rhino species, as these are found in the savannah ecosystems that we have listed, however, we will add more over time as we make contact with people in the field.

Aardwolf

Aardwolf

The aardwolf is the smallest member of the Hyaenidae family, as you can see from the map, it is a species with two separated populations, one in East Africa and one in Southern Africa. It is insectivorous, and exclusively nocturnal, and is generally thought of as one of the harder animals to see in the wild. If incredibly lucky, you can see them feeding alongside Aardvarks, and even Pangolins, but this is rare.  They favour open dry plains and savannahs.

Looking at first glance rather similar to a thin striped hyena, but with a black mane running from its neck, down its back, it can raise this during a confrontation. 

As it ages, it can loose its teeth, however, due to the softness of most insects, this is not the death sentence that it is in many wild animals.

They will defend a territory from others, that covers 1-4 square km, during the breeding season, but are solitary the rest of the time. Both sexes mark their territory, and they will maintain as many as 10 dens throughout their territory, giving them a nearby bolt-hole should danger approach.

They are careful not to destroy a nest that they raid, and will remember where they are, so that they can return for another meal a few months later.

They generally have a density of 1 per square km at most (though this is far higher than animals like lions.

While some farmers mistakenly kill them, thinking that they threaten their livestock, their diet of insects is often good for the farm animals. Their hide is worth a little.

Below is a video of this species and below this is a list of any articles that mention this species. When we have more contacts, you will find them below the news section.

hyaenidae Family

Spotted Hyena (Tim Welby, taken in the Kruger national park)
Brown hyena Bernard Dupot
Striped hyena
Aardwolf

Hyenidae Family

As the 5th smallest mammal family, this is indeed small. Furthermore, each surviving species comes from a separate genus.

Fossils have been found for around 100 further Hyaenidae, so clearly at one time this family was far bigger. One of the best known extinct species is the cave hyena which lived in Europe – which was pretty closely related to the spotted hyena that is now found in Africa.

Black Colobus Group and the Olive Colobus

Angola colobus
black colobus monkey
King colobus monkey
Mantled Guereza
Ursine colobus monkey
Olive colobus monkey

Black colobus group (genus Colobus) and the Olive Colobus Monkey

Angola Colobus Monkey

The Angola colobus is also known as the Angolan black-and-white colobus, or the  Angolan colobus.

There are 6 recognized sub-species (though there is another suspected undescribed subspecies from the Mahale mountains in Tanzania)


      • Sclater’s Angola colobus, C. a. angolensis –Sclater’s Angolan colobus, found in Angola and northward to the great bend in the Congo River
      • Powell-Cotton’s Angola colobus, Friedrichs’s Angolan colobus, Cordier’s Angolan colobus, and Prigogine’s Angolan colobus , in regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania;
      • Ruwenzori colobus C. a. ruwenzorii (Thomas)
      • Cordier’s Angola colobus, C. a. cordieri
      • Prigogine’s Angola colobus, C. a. prigoginei, from Mt. Kabobo
      • Peters Angola colobus or Tanzanian black-and-white colobus, C. a. palliatus -There are 3100-5000 individuals in Kenya 

     

    The Angola colobus occurs in dense rainforests, both in the lowlands and coastal mountains. It lives in most of the Congo Basin, to the south and northeast of the Congo River, as far as Ruwenzori, Burundi and southwestern Uganda. The species can also be found in East Africa, especially in the interior and coastal forests of Kenya and Tanzania and in isolated mountain areas. Although the species is named after Angola, it is quite rare in that country. Of all  species, the Angola colobus occurs in the southernmost latitude. The geographical range lies south of that of the Mantled guereza. It is found up to 2,415 m above sea level in Kenya.

    They are listed as least concern, though estimates for their whole population are hard to come by. Hopefully, I will be able to add more detail in the future

     

     

Black Colobus Monkey

The black colobus (Colobus satanas), or satanic black colobus, is a species of Old World monkey belonging to the genus Colobus. The species is found in a small area of western central Africa. Black colobuses are large, completely covered with black fur, and like all other Colobus monkeys, do not have a thumb. The species has faced large declines in population due to habitat destruction and hunting by humans, and was consequently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List in 1994.

The black colobus monkey is one of five recognised species in the genus Colobus. The black colobus is the oldest species in this genera and is thought to have diverged 3-4 million years ago.

There are two subspecies of black colobus monkey:

  • Colobus satanas satanas – Bioko black colobus (Waterhouse, 1838)
  • Colobus satanas anthracinus – Gabon black colobus (Le Conte, 1857)

The black colobus monkey is found in Equatorial Guinea, south west Cameroon and central and north-western Gabon. Small populations may also occur in the north of the Republic of the Congo. The subspecies C.s.satanas is only found on Bioko Island, off the coast of Cameroon. The distribution of the black colobus has decreased dramatically – the species is now rare or absent in some areas of its range due to its habitat being destroyed for logging. Black colobuses are known to live at low densities, but there is currently no total population estimate for the species. One of the largest remaining populations of the species, consisting of 50,000-55,900 individuals, is found in Lope Reserve, Gabon. Other remaining large populations are found in the Foret des Abeilles in central Gabon and Douala-Edea Reserve in Cameroon.

The black colobus is an arboreal species that lives high in the canopy of dense rainforest and occasionally coastal sand dune or wooded meadows. Black colobuses are unable to survive in secondary forest that has regrown after a major disturbance such as logging and therefore tend to avoid areas populated by humans. The black colobus cannot be bred in captivity due to the food and habitat it requires.
The black colobus monkey is one of the most threatened primate species in Africa and is currently listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. This is because the species’ population has declined by over 30% in the past 30 years. The subspecies C.s.satanas is classified as Endangered as its population has declined by over 60% in the last 30 years. The black colobus monkey is now only found in areas which cannot be easily accessed by humans. The species has faced population declines due to logging and illegal hunting for the fur trade which began in the 19th century. Due to improved roads and increased wealth in the area, commercial hunting for the species has become more profitable. 

Today, black colobus monkeys are mainly traded for their meat and account for 20% of the Bushmeat sold in Malabo  One adult black colobus carcass is sold for around US$20.42.The black colobus monkey is listed under Appendix II of CITES, which restricts international trade of the species. The species is also listed under Class B of the “African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources” African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. Further information and data is needed to in order to help conserve the species. Conservation programs such as the Bioko Biodiversity Protection Program aim to work with local people to learn more about the black colobus monkey and protect it from extinction.

King Colobus Monkey

The king colobus is also known as the western black-and-white colobus and is a species of Old World monkey, found in lowland and mountain rainforests in a region stretching from Senegal, through Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia to the Ivory Coast.

African King colobus monkeys have distinctive long, strong, white tails which act as an extra support as they live mainly up in tall trees of the rainforest canopy and feed on leaves, flowers and fruit. In fact, they spend much of their time eating as leaves have little nutritional value so a great many are needed to fill their quite large stomachs. 

Habitat destruction and the bushmeat trade have reduced the numbers of King colobus and they are now classed as Vulnerable of the IUCN list of endangered species. They are also predated by birds of prey and leopards.

Living up to 30 years, these monkeys produce just one baby a year which is completely white when it’s born – this means it takes a long time for them to recover from reductions in their population. They darken over time until they’re completely black with a white frame to the face and the white tail. 

They are considered Vulnerable with a population that has halved in the last 30 years.

Mantled Guereza

The Mantled Guereza (alsok known as the Guereza colobus monkey, the mantled colobus, eastern black-and-white colobus and the magistrate colobus, is found in a widespread area in central africa. Starting in Nigeria, east and west of the Niger River and the upper Donga River tributaries to the Tabassi District of Cameroon, to Equatorial Guinea, through Chad, Gabon, the Central African republic, republic of Congo into Northern DRC through south Sudan to Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda Rewanda and southern Tanzania.

The guereza colobus monkey is recognized as the “parent” species to seven “children,” or subspecies. Each of these subspecies occupies a specific range and exhibits slight variations in appearance.

  • Western guereza (C. g. occidentalis) is found from eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, south to Gabon, eastward to southwestern Sudan, and into Uganda, west of the Nile River.
  • Omo River guereza (C. g. guereza) is found in forested areas of the Ethiopian highlands, west of the Rift Valley and within the lowland areas along the Awash River, the Omo River, and in the Blue Nile gorge.
  • Djaffa Mountains guereza (C. g. gallarum), also  known as Neumann’s black-and-white colobus, is found only in the Ethiopian highlands east of the Rift Valley.
  • Dodinga Hills guereza (C. g. dodingae) is found only in the Didinga Hills of southeastern Sudan.
  • Mau Forest guereza (C. g. matschiei) is found in Kenya, west of the Rift Valley, inhabiting forestland within the Rift, west to Mount Elgon (Kenya and Uganda), and south to the Ngorongoro Crater and the Grumeti River in Tanzania.
  • Uarges guereza (C. g. percivali), also known as Percival’s Black-and-White colobus, is found only at Mt. Uarges, the highest peak in the Matthews Range of central Kenya.
  • Kenya guereza (C. g. kikuyuensis) is found in central Kenya, from the Ngong Escarpment, Mt. Kenya, and the Aberdare Mountain Range.

Subspecies classifications for the guereza colobus are still being debated, so it may be some time, before it is understood the exact situation.

They are found in both primary and secondary forests (those that have been disturbed by humans) but appear to prefer disturbed forests. Deciduous and evergreen forests are also used, but only ones which have had time for the trees to create a true canopy.

It is thought to be the “parent” from which the other subspecies came.

They are considered least concern

Ursine Colobus Monkey

The ursine colobus, also known as the white-thighed colobus, Geoffroy’s black-and-white colobus, or the white-thighed black-and-white colobus, is a West African species of primate.

The ursine colobus is quite distinctive, with predominantly black fur and lacking a white mantle. They have a black and naked face which is surrounded by a thick white halo of fur. The ursine colobus is further characterized by white patches on the thighs which vary in width and length. Like other species of colobus, the babies are born with an all white fur coat, which starts to turn black at around three months of age. In contrast to other species of colobus, they have slender bodies and ischial callosities, a hard thickened area of skin on the buttocks that allows comfortable sitting on branches.

Ursine colobus are diurnal and highly arboreal, coming down from trees only occasionally when feeding. Their social behavior is like that of many  polygynous monkeys, with each group consisting of related females their juvenile offspring and a territorial male. The males are highly territorial and disperse upon reaching sexual maturity.Ursine colobus use a roaring call to advertise territory and location, this roar is a low “rur, rur, rur” noise. They also have alarm calls that alert group members when predators have been seen which are a “snorting” sound, made by all members of the group except infants. Ursine colobus are mainly vegetarian and have a diet which is made up of new leaves and seeds, with the occasional addition of fruits, insects, and termite clay.

The ursine colobus is threatened by both hunting and deforestation. Its range falls within a region which includes a dense and rapidly growing human population, where forest destruction has been extensive, and there is uncontrolled hunting of wildlife in many places. However, in some parts of their range these monkeys are held to be sacred. It is listed as Class A under the African Convention, and under Appendix II of CITES. They are known to live within a number of protected areas including Comoe National Park Fazao-Malfakassa National Park and Mole, Bui and Digya National Parks (Ghana).

It is listed as one of the worlds 25 most endangered primates and is critically endangered. It is thought that around 1000 remain in the wild. it is listed as critically endangered because between 1992 and 2019 the population fell by over 80%.

Olive Colobus Monkey

The olive colobus monkey is also also known as the green colobus or Van Beneden’s colobus. Its English name refers to its dull olive upperparts. It is the smallest colobine monkeys and is rarely observed in its natural habitat because of its cryptic coloration and secretive nature. It is found in the rain forests of West Africa, ranging from southern Sierra Leone to Nigeria. The IUCN Red List classifies the olive colobus as vulnerable (previously near threatened), and the change has been caused by habitat loss and hunting. Though much of the land within the range of the olive colobus has been affected by human activities, it retains its ability to thrive in small degraded forest fragments (an advantage, as many other primate species do not do well in this way).

It is a small-bodied mammal with an average body weight of 4.6 kilograms for males and 4.1 kilograms for females. Their coloration allows them to stay camouflaged within the trees reducing the risk of predation. They have large feet for a colobus monkey.

The natural habitat of the olive colobus includes second growth within tall forests, palm forests and swamps, where they feed in the lower and middle vegetation strata. The olive colobus is mainly folivorous (herbivore which specializes in eating leaves), although it may consume fruits and seeds when available. The diet consists primarily of young leaves, and they tend to avoid mature leaf parts altogether. This is related to the fact that it is a forestomach fermenter with a small body size, which requires it to obtain a very high quality diet. The fact that olive colobus monkeys utilize this type of fermentation also relates to their lack of fruit consumption, because fruits that contain high levels of acid can overly lower the pH of the stomach, causing negative and sometimes lethal effects on microorganisms living within it.[8]

The olive colobus monkey is a very cryptic and shy animal, which can make the observation and understanding of its behaviour difficult. What is known about interactions between olive colobus monkeys and other related species shows that their social structure is very complex.

Olive colobus monkeys are found in small groups containing multiple breeding males, several females, and their infants. Though found in groups of only a few individuals, olive colobus monkeys are almost always seen in association with other monkeys, particularly the Diana monkey. There have been many suggestions as to how this relationship benefits the olive colobus, such as reducing the risk of predation. A piece of evidence that gives support to this idea is the willingness of the olive colobus to travel to higher altitudes in the tree tops to feed when other species are nearby.

In addition to serving as a means of predator avoidance, the close association with Diana monkeys is a mechanism used by male olive colobus monkeys to obtain new female mates. The olive colobus mating system is unique in that unlike many species living in small groups, there is no evidence of male monopolization over females. It has been proposed that females use aspects of their reproductive biology(long receptive periods, promiscuous mating, and mating overlap among females) along with mating behaviours to limit the monopolization of males in a group. Benefits to the avoidance of male monopolization include direct or indirect female mate choice, decreasing the risk of infanticide, and increased paternal care for offspring.

As with almost all primate species, the olive colobus monkey is very susceptible to habitat loss due to increased encroachment of hunters and farmers on both protected and unprotected lands. In order to ensure that this threatened species is protected, the olive colobus has been listed under Appendix II of CITES and as a Class A species under the African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, which monitor the international trade of species and their status in the environment. The olive colobus is also covered in many protected areas including Taï National Park on the Ivory Coast of West Africa, which was declared a Forest and Wildlife Refuge in 1926 and accepted as a biosphere reserve in 1982. The park has a total area of 330,000 hectares, plus a 20,000-hectare buffer zone, where new plantations and settlement are prohibited.

Though efforts have been established in order to protect the olive colobus monkey and its habitat, illegal farming and hunting are still a fundamental threat to this species’ survival. To ensure that the olive colobus will thrive in the future, stricter enforcement of laws and regulations should be implemented, as well as the development of educational and public awareness plans. The olive colobus will also benefit from further study and observation.

Video Gallery of each species above (in the same order as they are listed above

[TS_Video_Gallery id="1"]

Rheus group – Formosan, Japanese and Rhesus macaque

Formosan rock macaque
Japanese macaque
Rhesus macaque

Rheus group - Formosan, Japanese and Rhesus macaque

The Rheus group of Macaques consists of 3 species. Each one will get its own page as we start to make contacts which can help you see these in the wild, but for the time being, all three will share this page.

  • The Formosan Macaque (also known as the Formosan rock monkey or Taiwanese macaque natively living on the Island of Taiwan (current population of around 250,000), though it has also been introduced into Japan. It is thought that Formosan and Japanese macaques split around 380,000 years ago, with the introduced population on Japan, there is some risk that the Japanese (or snow macaque) will disappear, over time, as a result of hybridisation). I have been unable to ascertain the size of this invasive population.
  • Japanese Macaque (also known as snow monkeys) was estimated to number 110,000 back in 1989, I am unsure how it has changed since. It lives in both subtropical forests in the southern part of its range and subarctic forests in mountainous areas in the northern part of its range. It is, in the northern end of its range that it is most famous, with the pictures of ‘snow monkeys’, and the fascinating behaviour of spending time in the volcanic hot pools.
  • Rhesus macaque is found through  South, Central and South-eastern Asia, and has the widest range of any non-human primate. It is found through a wide range of altitudes, and a variety of habitats, from grasslands to arid and forested areas. They have also taken up residence on the edge of human settlements as there is much food waste to be found in these areas. Feral colonies are also found in the USA, having escaped or been intentionally released by humans. Silver Spring State Park in Florida is home to at least 500-600 rhesus macaques, with more than 1000 having been removed by the authorities in the last decade. Other populations exist in Puerto Rico and South Carolina. The Puerto Rico population is thought to cost 1 million dollars a year to manage and as much as $300,000 in crop damage.

Crab -eating Macaque groups – Crab-eating Macaque and stump-tailed macaque

crab eating macaque
Stump tailed macaque

Crab-eating Macaques group

There are 2 species in this group, with the crab-eating macaque found in South-east Asia (including many islands) and the Stump-tailed macaque are found in north-east India and South China, as well as many of the countries in the area.

The crab-eating macaque is considered as endangered, while the stump-tailed macaque is considered vulnerable.

As contacts are made, each page will split off, but for the time being I am grouping them together.

Do help me find contacts, in the near future.

Any articles written on them will appear below. Below that you will find contacts that might be of use for travel to see them.

Barbary Macaque (Barbary Group)

Barbary Macaque

A wide spread species, found natively in the Atlas mountains – in the countries of Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, there is thought to be a population of 12,000-21,000. They also have a population of around 250, in Gibraltar, and have lived there for the last 300 years, these are the only wild living population of monkeys within Europe. it should be noted that the native population appears to be growing at the moment, while the Gibraltar population is reducing gradually. In Africa, they can form tribes of up to 100 strong. The main threats appear deforestation in areas, which is fragmenting populations, and reducing areas for them to find food (grazing of cattle is also a big threat). Capture for the pet trade is also a big threat, while in Morocco they are used as photo props for tourists. Remains even over 2000 years ago, in places like Ireland, and other places in Europe suggest that they were given as diplomatic gifts.

Due to no knowledge about which young was sired by which male, the males are also involved in the child-rearing., as well as all ages. Eating vegetation and insects, males tend to live to an age of 25 years, while females can live to around 30.

Often referred to as a Barbary Ape, it is actually a true monkey (though the barbary part of its name does come from where the species originates, as this is a name for the Atlas mountains coast).

One of the earliest species to be mentioned by scientists, it is talked about by Aristotle in the 4th century BC. In the 2nd century BC, a man called Galen dissected one of these, and discovered that its body is very similar to humans. This work was so impressive, it was not until the 16th century AD that his minor mistakes were corrected.

Genetic evidence has lead scientists to find that this species is a so called sister species to other macaques, having split off before the rest. Fossils have been found of a similar creature all over Europe (including Norfolk) from several million years ago, and there is a fossil dating from perhaps as recently as 40,000 years ago from Germany.

Interestingly, this is the only Macaque species which is found outside Asia, and the only non-human primate to have lived in Europe in recent times. It is unclear when they arrived in Europe, certainly they had been in Gibraltar for centuries when the British arrived. It has been postulated that the Moors introduced them in the middle ages. They appear to be capable of surviving in many habitats, though they are often only found in specific ones, in their native range. In the Atlas mountains, they appear to prefer Cedar forests. As with other primates, grooming appears to lower stress. They make a variety of vocal calls, and appear to be able to pick out calls from their own group even in a crowd of calls.

Females appear to have a different plan in terms of getting help, by allowing every male in the group to mate with them, thereby making all males think young may be theirs. Males get the most injuries during the peak fertility period, suggesting an attempt to keep females to themselves, though this is not thought to be a good strategy, as it also stops them mating with any of the other females.

They eat a wide variety of plants, and will consume most insects worms and other creepie-crawlies.

Their predators include dogs (domestic), leopards, and a variety of eagles (depending on where in their range the Macaques are.

Below is a video on a small part of their range, which lives on the rock of Gibraltar.

Of course, this species range is also extensive in its native north Africa, and we hope to list places for you to see them here as well. Any links will appear at the bottom of the page.

Primate family tree main and great and lesser apes

Primate family tree

Great apes
Lesser apes
Old world monkeys
Lemurs
New world monkeys
Lorisidae & allies
Tarsiaforms

The primates are in some ways one of the most successful families. It is true that many are now endangered, however, unfortunately, that is as a result of the run-away success of the most successful member of the primate family us! Having left the rainforests behind, we have been reducing their coverage dramatically over the last few centuries. 

The sad thing, is that while we have pushed many of our closest cousins towards extinction, the loss of forests may well cost us dearly in the future as well. As a species, we need to pull together to meet this challenge. in order to jump to the various families, click on the family of interest above – though all can also be reached by scrolling down.

Great Apes

Chimpanzee
Boonobo
Sumatran Orangutan
Borneon Orangutan
Tapunali Orangutan
Humans on the beach
Eastern Lowland gorilla
Mountain Gorilla
Western lowland gorilla
Cross river gorilla

Great ape Family split is thought to have split from its nearest relative – the gibbon family, around 17 million years ago.

4 million years later the Orangutan family split from the gorilla line and the human/chimp line.

3 million years after this (so around 10 million years ago) the gorilla family split from the Homo (humans) and Pan

Finally the human line (homo) split from the Pan line 5-6 million years ago.

It should be noted, that chimpanzees and Bonobos split from a common ancestor just 1.8 million years ago. This occurred as the two populations ceased to be able to have contact with each other – the Congo rive formed between 1.5 and 2 million years ago.

For more information on each species, click on their photo and this will take you to their page

It should be noted that while I have grouped eastern western and skywalker gibbon together, there is some contention that the skywalker gibbon should be in its own genus, having diverged around half a million years aog

Gibbons

siamang gibbon genus Symphalangus
hookock gibbon (Eastern, Western and Skywalker) Genus Hoolock
genus Normascus (crested gibbon)
Genus Hylobates (dward gibbons) Agile gibbon

Genus Nomascus

This family is the Genus: Nomascus or crested gibbon.

The last Genus of gibbons is Hylobates: dwarf gibbons.

Dhole

Dhole

The Dhole is an ancient species of dog, It split from the rest of the dog family 5.2-7.6 million years ago.

While it is related to the family of canis, it is different. It was once found throughout Europe, Asia and North America, but its range decreased down to its current range 12,000-18,000 years ago. In more recent times, this area has shrunk significantly, as a result of human changes.

Even with the dramatic reduction in range, it is still a large area, given the current population is thought to be around 2500 individuals, which means that it has to be a rare species, and likely there are areas with little or none of the species still found.

There are a variety of factors, from loss of habitat, persecution for livestock predation, competition from other species and diseases caught from closely related species. There are currently 7 subspecies of dhole recognized, though in the past that number has been as high as 10.

It is protected in parts of its range, but is still at threat.

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