Tag: Forests

The Manned wolf

Looking, at first glance, like a fox on stilts, it is found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and Paraguay, and is almost extinct in Uruguay. It is actually not a wolf or a dog, but instead sits in its own genus Chrysocyon  which means “golden dog”. It is crepuscular and omnivorous, and lives on the open habitat of the South America Savanna. The IUCN classes it as near threatened, while a Brazilian organisation with a similar role lists it as vulnerable.

Its name in a local language calls it a big fox. Indeed some studies have suggested that it should be in the same genus as pseudo-foxes.

A recent study suggested that its nearest relative was the Falkland islands wolf, and its mainland relatives – but you have to go back 7 million years to find a common ancestor with this group.

It only hunts solitarily, and its preferred habitat is grasslands, scrub prairies, and forests.

It is not currently considered endangered, given its wide area in which it inhabits, never-the-less it is recognized as a near threatened species due to its reducing numbers. In Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay it is forbidden to hunt them. It has been used to publicize the fight to protect the Brazilian cerrado, by placing it on one of the Brazilian notes.

This animal was shown in great detail in planet earth 3 episode 3, however, this clip is from a bbc series a few years ago.

As we make contacts which you can use to plan your travel to see this animal for yourself.

Lynx (canada)

Canada lynx

The Canada lynx is one of 2 new world species, and is found through much of Canada and Alaska, throughout the Boreal forests of spruce and fir. They are hunted but the harvest is worked out on the basis of the population, so it rises and falls quite a lot. Climate change is effecting its northern range, and unfortunately is bringing this cat and the bobcat into more common contact, leading to an increasing number of hybrids along the area that they meet. There are thought to be 10-12 thousands of the Canada lynx across its range.

Clouded leopard and Sunda clouded leopard

Clouded leopard and sunda clouded leopard

Clouded leopards are actually one of the most ancient cat species, however due to their inability to roar or purr, they cannot officially be considered a big cat (roar) or a small cat (purr) due to their definition, which puts them in an odd category. They are most closely related to snow leopards, and are in the same family as the big cats from genetic research. It has recently been confirmed that there are 2 different clouded leopard species, one on the mainland, and the other on the islands (the sunda clouded leopard.

Both species are considered vulnerable. The mainland clouded leopard is thought to number between 3700 and 5580, while the sunda clouded leopard is thought to number around 4500 3800 in Borneo and 730 on Sumatra.

Clouded leopards are found in the forests of South East Asia. Both Poaching and habitat loss threaten their future survival is not easy to see, it makes it is hard for it to be clear what its current range is. However, if you simply compare extinct to all possible remaining habitat, you can see the best possibiltiy is that range has reduced by around 50%


The clouded leopard has been split into two species – the Clouded leopard found on mainland Asia (big picture at the top), and the Sunda clouded leopard (picture above) found on Borneo and Sumatra (these Sunda Clouded leopards have not interbred for a very long time so are considered 2 subspecies). 

 

This is a further image of a clouded leopard though taken in a US zoo, which allows an easier time of getting a good view of the head.

The map above shows the former and current range for these two species. As we start to link with places on the ground, we are likely to create separate pages for each of these clouded leopard species. Below is a video of each species of clouded leopard.

We look to work with people on the ground. Do get in touch if you live or work in the area, and can help people see these incredible animals click here

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Margay

A Margay from Costa Rica Taken by Supreet Sahoo

Margay

This is a relatively small wild cat that is found in central and Southern America, living in primary evergreen and deciduous forests. Until the 1990s they were illegally hunted for the wildlife trade, causing a significant decrease in the wild population. Sine 2008 they have been listed as near concern due to declining population, thought to be caused by habitat loss. It is classed as near threatened -one up from least concerned, but one down from Vulnerable.

Currently found from the Northern points of Mexico (it has not been seen in the USA since 1855 – indeed the only USA record comes from this time,, however fossils show it once ranged through Southern Texas, and may even have roamed as through Georgia Florida and South Carolina – or at least an animal very similar) through central America to Brazil and Paraguay and even reaching as far south as Uruguay and Argentina.It is a skilled climber, and is confident enough in the tree-tops to chase monkeys and birds for food. Its ankles are flexible enough to turn 180 to make it easier coming back down the tree. It is usually solitary, but lives in home ranges (meaning they are not territorial and home ranges will overlap) that cover 11-16 square km (4.2-6.2 square miles)

There are currently 3 recognized subspecies, these are in turn found South of the Amazon, North of the Amazon and in Central America.

 

Guina (also called the Kodkod)

Guina or Kodkod

The Guina is found primarily in central and Southern Chile, as well as in parts of Argentina at the same latitudes.

Guina (kodkod) taken by Mauro Tammone

Melanistic (black versions) do occur in places. It is usually found in mixed temperate rainforests of the Southern Andean chain and coastal areas such as the Valdivian and Araucaria Forests of Chile, which has bamboo in its lower levels. It prefers evergreen temperate rainforests to deciduous temerate moist forests (or scierophyllous scrub or coniferous forests). It can be found in altered forest, so does alright in areas where humans have disturbed the forest, or in the edges of settled and cultivated areas. It is found as high as 1900m (which is at the treeline) In Argentina it has been recorded in moist Montane forest, which has Valdivian temperate rainforest characteristics, including those with many layered structure with bamboo or numerous lianas and epiphytes.

They are equally happy to be active in the day or the night, though rarely venture into open spaces during the day.

The main threat to their survival is the destruction of the rainforest. Those living near human habitation have also been killed after taking chickens. They are classed as vulnerable.

Analysis has shown that its closest relation is the Geoffrey’s cat

Jaguarundi

Rare in much of their range, with persecution and habitat loss, we yet have time to save this creature

The Jaguarundi is a mid-sized cat, similar in size to the Ocelot – about twice the size of a domestic cat. It is found from central Argentina to Northern Mexico at the top of its range. In central and Southern America it is found east of the Andes. Secretive, and very alert, it actually tends to hunt during the day and the evenings. They live in large home ranges and low densities. In the wild they tend to be solitary or living in pairs.

Although a good climber, it generally prefers to hunt on the ground. It lives in an array of habitats from tropical rainforests, deciduous forests to deserts and thorn scrubs.

It is pretty common in Brazil, Peru and Venezuela, though it is thought to be extinct in the USA – it is obviously found in the countries in between, however due to range loss from fragmentation of habitat, as well as direct persecution as a result of taking of poultry, there are many regions where it is threatened as populations are declining fast.

The Jaguarundi shares a clade with the mountain lion (cougar), and is in the same lineage as the Cheetah

African Golden cat

Asian Golden Cat or Temmink's Cat, catopuma temmincki, Adult

African golden cat

Oddly, although they look similar, African and Asian Golden cats are not closely related, so clearly their looks given them an advantage in the forests of Africa and Asia, which is the habitat that they are found in on both continents.

Like the Asiatic Golden cat, it is rarely seen and poorly studied. It is currently listed as near threatened, with its status in Uganda being vulnerable. The simple fact is, is that it is rarely seen and therefore we know very little about how it lives.

What is clear, though, is that as it lives in rainforests, at relatively low densities, it is a species that will be hit hard if we continue to cut down the worlds rainforests.

As we make links we hope to add places you can visit, in the hopes of seeing this species (though it should be noted, that this is a rarely seen species). These will be below the video and the list of articles (below this information). Do reach out if you work in this field, as we would love to work with you, and help people find you for their wilderness trips.

Marbled cat

Marbled cat

With a distribution from the Eastern Himalayas through to South-East Asia, it inhabits forests up to 2500m elevation. Its size is similar to a domestic cat.

Hunting is prohibited in Bangladesh , Cambodia , Yunnan province (China), India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, and Thailand. Hunting is regulated in Laos and Singapore. In Bhutan and Brunei, the marbled cat is not legally protected outside protected areas. The legal state in Cambodia and Vietnam is unclear. Indiscriminate snaring in its range threatens its survival in places. It is valued for its skin meat and bones, though rarely seems to feature in the illegal Asian wildlife trade.

It is closely related to the Asiatic Golden Cat, and the Borneo bay cat

Andes Cloud forest – Ecuador

Andes cloud forest of Ecuador

The Andes cloud forest fill a large part of the Ecuadorian highlands.

 

Although very rich in flora and fauna, few large mammals are found in the Andean Cloud forests, including the Yungas and parts of the Choco exceptions being the threatened mountain tapir, spectacled bear and yellow-tailed woolly monkey.

Ecuador has a national park called

Sangay national park. click here for our listing of it

To go to the general Andes cloud forest page click here

As links start to appear these will appear below

aaa The Highlands, Scotland

The Highlands, Scotland, UK

The highlands of Scotland is an odd place. It has one of the lowest densities of humans, but at the same time the UK has eradicated the majority of predators, and despite being required by European law, has ruled out reintroducing any predators that once lived here.

I would love to see a small number of wolf packs roaming the highlands, to keep the prey on the move.

There is still a wide range of wildlife to spot in the highlands, and it is a beautiful place to visit. The problem is that at the current time, it is mostly not in a natural state. Furthermore, it is unfortunately very hard to regrow the Caledonian forests, as there are so many red deer.

 A wide variety of other animals and birds can be spotted in the area. For instance, black grouse, golden eagles, osprey and ptarmigan. Also, you can spot capercaillie, pine martens, squirrels (red ones, of course!) and otters, to name but a few. There have been a small number of reindeer reintroduced (native but locally extinct).

The eastern highlands are largely included in a range of mountains called the Cairngorms which are also a fascinating area to explore

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