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.
We have watched with horror, the problems that Myanmar has suffered over the last few decades. Perhaps one of the positives though is the fact that often when this sort...
This species is native to the East China Sea, Yellow Sea, and the seas around Japan. The Yangtze finless was originally thought to be a subspecies of this porpoise, though further study showed its differences to be greater than that (hence it now being recognized as a separate species). The east asian finless porpoise is a subspecies of the narrow ridged finless porpoise (the above picture is one of these).
Growing to 2.27m at most, and 72kg, though most are smaller.
They generally stay in water 50m deep or less, and mostly stay close to shore (though not always – it has been spotted over 100km from land).
The biggest threat to them is habitat degradation and pollution. The population has fallen by 50% in the last 3 generations.
They have been kept in captivity in Japan, Indonesia and China. A total of 94 are thought to have been held. Unfortunately these do not live long, and of all of the pregnancies that have occurred in captivity, only 2 resulted in a love birth and this did not survive for long.
Brydes whale can refer to the species of whale, but it can also refer to the Brydes whale complex which includes 3 or 4 species (brydes whale, Edens whale, Omera whale (which is sometimes referred to as the Pygmy Brydes whale) and the Rice whale.
Worldwide population is around 90,000-100,000. As a result, the entire species is considered least concern. It is therefore essential to work out if the closely related species of whales, are subspecies or separate species.
The humpback whale is a widely recognized species. Weighing around 40 tonnes, and measuring 14-17m. It is known for its habit of breaching (as above) which can be heard from miles away, and its incredibly complex song, which can last between 4 minutes and 33.
Their low sounds can be heard by whales 1000 miles away, and have been picked up by electronic sources far further away than that.
Whaling did horrific damage to this species, with their population falling to just 5000 in the 1960s. Thankfully, having been protected, the population is now around 135,000. Subspecies are more varied, with those in the northern hemisphere less secure. The least secure is the Arabian sea population, which is thought to be isolated for 70,000 years and there are only 80 that remain.
Threats to individual whales include entanglement in fishing gear, ocean noise and collisions with ships.
They are known to have hunting methods more complex than most baleen whales, including bubble netting which forces the fish into tighter shoals to then be taken in one mouthful.
Young are predated by orca in some parts of the world, and many carry scars from these encounters to the end of their lives.
The fin whale which is also known as finback whale or common rorqual and formerly known as herring whale or razorback whale, is the second longest species of whale, with the largest species growing to a reported 27m, and weighing a maximum recorded weight of 74 tonnes, and a maximum estimated weight of 114 tonnes.
It is a fast swimmer, able to outpace the fastest steamships.
There are 2 recognized subspecies, in the northern and southern hemisphere. Around 725,000 southern fin whales were taken during whaling, and there are around 38,000 that roam the oceans as of 1997. Across the world around 112,000 roam the oceans.
Although the genetic differences between the fin whale and the blue whale are considered similar to that of humans and gorillas (they are thought to have been split for 3.5 million years) and hybrids have been recorded from time to time.
Average dives are around 6 minutes, with the longest dives recorded being around 17 minutes.
Found around the world, though not found close to the polar ice caps at either end of the globe. They appear to be clearly migratory, but it has not been possible to fully work out what this migration pattern might be.
It appears that blue whales have been mating with fin whales far more frequently than previously thought. One of the things that is both exciting and alarming, is that it...
Fin whales were driven near to extinction in these waters a century ago, yet they have returned. A huge gathering of 1000 whales is not a regular site.
Whaling went on for centuries, in many parts of the world. One of these was Iceland, where due to the latitude, it is often hard to grow much food. Iceland...
The population of the north Atlantic right whales appears to have stabilized at around 350, having fallen from a peak of 483 in just 2010. In 2022 there were 356,...
Orca are generally regarded as the apex predator in the sea. There are obviously others that are good contenders, such as the great white shark - but when orca are...
For most of us, whaling is distasteful. What has become clear is that whales are essentially swimming trees in terms of their positive impact on carbon emissions.
There is a significant number of different species of Langur. I hope in the future, to be able to see many of these species for myself in the wild, for...
For those who come to this site regularly, you may well have noticed a break in out blog contents - we have been concentrating on other parts of the website....
On this post, I will list a group of articles on North American politics and stories. It is unfortunately a fact, that, no matter what your position is on American...
The largest species of whale, the largest species of mammal, indeed at almost 30m the largest species ever known to live on earth, they can weigh up to 200 tonnes. There are 4 subspecies with a possible 5 in contention.
Abundant in almost all of the worlds oceans until the 19th century, they were hunted close to extinction. In 1966 hunting of them were banned.
There are places around the world, where these animals can be watched, we hope to link to many of these below.
At their peak, before whaling, it was thought that their was around 350,000 in the world. Now there is between 10,000 and 25,000 around the world.
It is certainly not the time to allow them to be hunted again, far from it.
One recent suggestion, is that whales sink huge quantities of carbon down into the ocean, and that our current problems with global warming might have been tiny if we had not killed the vast majority of most species of Baleen whales.
Below is a small outtake from blue planet, the bbc series from 2001 which features a blue whale in the vastness of the ocean
I have included a second video clip, as this one give you an idea of the size and shape of a blue whale, in a way that little footage does.
Below this is any articles that have been written about blue whales on this website, and below that, we will add any links that might help you see blue whales in the wild.
It appears that blue whales have been mating with fin whales far more frequently than previously thought. One of the things that is both exciting and alarming, is that it...
Orca are generally regarded as the apex predator in the sea. There are obviously others that are good contenders, such as the great white shark - but when orca are...
The first blue whale sighted in decades from this part of the world, was spotted off Spain's coast in 2017, a different individual appeared in 2018 and a third in...
The Nile crocodile is spread widely throughout sub-saharan africa (except for parts
of South Africa, thought to be natural and not due to hunting). A suggested subspecies is found in western Madagascar, there are 7 such subspecies, though none have been officially recognized.
While it was originally thought to be the same species as the western African crocodile (confusing given its range), it has actually been found to be closer related to various crocodiles from the Americas, particularly the American crocodile. As such, parts of the map above may actually host west African crocodiles exclusively.
The Nile crocodile is considered the second largest on earth, only beaten by the saltwater crocodile of Asia, interestingly, interestingly the saltwater crocodile is also the only crocodilian that has a greater range than the African crocodile. It was thought that the crocodile had arrived on Madagascar in the last 2000 years – after the extinction of the endemic Voey crocodile, but recently a skull was found and dated to be 7500 years old, suggesting that they must have coexisted for millennia.
While rarely venturing into the sea, they can (like all true crocodiles) survive here, and one was found alive 11 miles off the South African coast in the past.
They have been found in the Florida Everglades, presumably after an illegal introduction – there is so far no evidence of them successfully breeding here. It is unclear of their origin or where they came from, though they are genetically most similar to crocs from South Africa.
While they usually only dive for a few minutes at a time, they are capable of holding their breath for 30 minutes of activity under water – impressively, those inactive under water can stay down for around 2 hours. While rapid and effective hunters in the waters and along its edge, they are far less capable away from the water, and it is rare that they hunt away from water, having said this they are known to hunt here, and are incredibly adaptable to any opportunity. They have a surprisingly small stomach, only the size of a basketball.
Only around 10% of eggs will hatch and around 1% will survive to adulthood. Certainly, much of this damage is down to the Nile monitor lizard, which is thought to be responsible for as much as 50% of the eggs on its own, though median sized cats, baboon troops and mongooses all attack crocodile nests with regularity. Once born, crocodiles are even more at risk, both from animals already mentioned, as well as virtually every predatory water bird, from storks and egrets to even pelicans. Unfortunately, the biggest threat are other adult crocodiles which will happily eat young. While the mother does stay around, and aggressively protects her young, there are so many animals trying to snag a meal, many of the young crocodiles are caught during this time.
The biggest threats include loss of habitat, pollution, hunting, and human activities such as accidental entanglement in fishing nets.
Current estimates are around 250,000 to 500,000. In some parts of Africa they are farmed for their hide (their meat is unpleasant).
Their population is less healthy in western and central Africa, being more sparsely spread. This also makes it hard to do an accurate assessment of their status in this part of Africa.
Along with the saltwater crocodile, the African nile crocodile is estimated to kill anywhere from hundreds to thousands of people each year, with attacks generally carried out by larger crocodiles (thought to be over 3.5m). Given the numbers, it is thought that nile crocodiles and saltwater crocodiles are the most successful hunter of humans – far more fatalities than great while sharks. One study suggested, that while the danger of lions was well known, there was a bizarre feeling that crocodiles were not dangerous. The numbers may well be down to the fact that crocodiles live in water – a place where humans are forced to go regularly.
Below this is a list of any articles released on this site, which mentions the Nile crocodile. Below this, is a video of the species, and below this, we will add links of places to see this species, though if you visit wild places, all savannahs listed on the site will have nile crocodiles.
Also called the Kilimanjaro Giraffe, this giraffe is found in Tanzania and Kenya. Its blotches are (as you can see) very irregular and are leaf shaped. There are around 32,000 of this species of giraffe left in the wild, so while it has suffered huge falls in its population over the last few decades, it is in a far better position than 2 subspecies.
The reticulated giraffe is a subspecies, with an instantly recognizable pattern. Found in Somalia, southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. there are currently 8500 remaining in the wild. In just the last 20 years, the population has fallen from 36,000 a reduction of over 75%. Lakipia Plateau and Samburu National Reserve are the two reserves where it is easiest to see this species in the wild.
They are similar enough to other giraffe species to be able to interbreed.
This is the subspecies of giraffe which David Schwimmer voices in Madagascar.
Giraffe survival is in danger: according to the giraffe conservation Foundation giraffe numbers have fallen from 140000 and 80000 in the last 20-years. Yet other organisations suggest that the current number of wild giraffes is only 68000. How can we possibly let such a unique looking animal disappear from the world. Giraffes are a common …...
The Southern Giraffe (also known as the 2 horned giraffe) is the most numerous, with a population of around 44,000 (out of the remaining 68,000 giraffes that live in the wild).
There are 2 subspecies of this giraffe that are recognized.
Firstly the Angolan giraffe which is found in Northern Namibia, South-west Zambia, Botswana and western Zimbabwe. A 2009 genetic study found that the Northern Namib Desert and the Etosha National park population each form a separate sub species (so are not part of this subspecies) with this subspecies also has a white ear patch. Is found in northern Namibia, south-western Zambia, Botswana, and western Zimbabwe. . Around 13,000 animals are estimated to remain in the wild; and about 20 are kept in zoos.
The South African giraffe is found in Northern South Africa, southern Botswana, southern Zimbabwe and the south west of Mozambique. It has darker and rounder patches. These patches continue down the legs, getting smaller.
There are around 31,500 of this sub-species (almost 50% of the wild population) with just 45 in zoos
Giraffe survival is in danger: according to the giraffe conservation Foundation giraffe numbers have fallen from 140000 and 80000 in the last 20-years. Yet other organisations suggest that the current number of wild giraffes is only 68000. How can we possibly let such a unique looking animal disappear from the world. Giraffes are a common …...
West African lions are heavily endangered with just 400 members remaining. While the west African population of the Asiatic lion is less at risk than the Gir forest population – being spread over 4 unconnected sites, it would be impossible for an epidemic to wipe out the whole population, or indeed some sort of freak …...
The Dhole is an ancient species of dog, It split from the rest of the dog family 5.2-7.6 million years ago.
