 |
 The
Nyala (Tragelaphus
angasii) is one of the most sexually dimorphic
species of antelope. An adult male stands about
42 inches at the shoulder, is up to 6.5 feet
long, and weighs up to 275 pounds; females are
considerably smaller. Although only found in a
relatvely small area of southeastern Africa, it
is fairly plentiful within its range. |
 The
Gerenuk
(Litocranius walleri),
also known as Waller's Gazelle, is distinguished
from other antelope by its long neck and long,
thin legs, which allows it literally stand up to
obtain tree leaves that cannot be reached by
other antelope species. |
 Hooded
Seal (Cystophora cristata) This seal gets its common name from an
enlargement of the nasal cavity in males that
resembles a hood. That "hood" can be
inflated like a balloon to become as large as the
seal's head. When not inflated, the
"hood" hangs down over the upper lip. |
 Tayra (Eira
barbara) This member of the weasel family grows
to a length of about 30 inches, not counting a
long, bushy tail that can be almost as long as
the body. It is native to the neotropical
deciduous and evergreen forests of Central and
South America and the island of Trinidad. |
 The Brushtail
Possum (Trichosurus
vulpecula) is
the largest possum in Australia. About the size
of a domestic cat, it averages 12-24 inches in
length and weighs up to 10 pounds. It has a
prehensile tail that adds another 9-16 inches to
overall length, a pointy snout, pink nose, and
long whiskers. Fur color may be silver gray,
brown, black, or gold. |
 Narwhal (Monodon
monoceros) The most characteristic feature of the
narwhal is its tusk, which is always spiral in a
counter-clockwise (as viewed by the animal)
direction and can be as long as 9 feet. Only
present in males, the tusk is actually a greatly
elongated tooth. |
 Blue
Wildebeest (Connechaetes
taurinus) Wildebeest get their name from an
Afrikaans word that means "wild beast,"
which is a reference to the menacing appearance
presented by the animal's large head, shaggy
mane, pointed beard, and sharp, curved horns. |
 Gray Goral
(Nemorhaedus goral)
Gorals can be described as either
large goats or small antelope, having
characteristics of both. The gray goral is found
from northern Burma through the Himalaya and
other mountain systems through China into Korea
and far eastern Siberia at elevations of
3,300-13,500 feet. |
 The Barbary
Sheep (Ammotragus lervia),
also known as the Auodad, is up to
five feet long and four feet high on average and
weigh up to 300 pounds. Barbary sheep are expert
climbers and are able to ascend and descend
precipitous slopes with ease. They are also
excellent jumpers, able to clear obstacles of
over six feet from a standing start. |
 The Humpback
Whale (Megaptera
novaeangliae) is one of the largest baleen whales,
with adults being 40-50 feet long and weighing
25-40 tons. It is distinguished from other whales
by an obvious hump behind the head, black dorsal
coloring, wavy rear edges on the tail flukes, and
the presence of rounded, bump-like knobs on the
top of the head. |
 White
Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium
simum) One of the largest land animals on
Earth, the white rhinoceros is 11 to 14 feet
long, not counting its 20-28-inch tail, stands
5-6 feet at the shoulder, and weighs 3,000-8,000
pounds; males are larger than females. Despite
its name, it is actually light gray to dark
yellow in color. |
 The
Cougar (Puma
concolor) is listed in the Guinness Book of World
Records as being the animal with the most common
names of any animal, with more than 40 different
names in the English language alone. Virtually
every specific geographic region in which cougars
are found has its own name for this wild cat, but
cougar, panther and mountain lion are the most
common names. |
 Sable (Martes
zibellina) Sable fur has been used by man since
prehistoric times. By the Middle Ages the
traditional range of the sable had been greatly
reduced, and sable fur became so expensive that
it was only available to royalty and the very
rich. |
