Goat

Natural Wild Life | Goat | Goats originated from the mountainous areas of west Asia and eastern Europe, grazing on hillsides and plains. Modern day common goats are known as domesticated goats and are thought to be very closely related to a sheep. For thousands of years goats have been used for their meat, hair, milk and skins. In some countries goats are also used to help with carrying heavy loads.

One of the rarer species of goat is the fainting goat from Tennessee in the United States. These goats literally freeze up, the goats legs go rigid and the goat falls over. The goat will soon get back up and continue grazing until it happens again. Most species of male goats naturally have two horns on the top of their head. The horns of the goat are made out of the substance keratin, from which human fingernails are also made. The male goats mainly use their horns to defend themselves from other dominant male goats and from unwanted predators. Some species of goat also have females that have two horns on the tops of their heads.

Goats are typically found in more barren landscapes and many species of goat tend to prefer mountainous and rocky terrains. The goats that inhabit the mountainous cliff faces are amazingly agile and are able to hold their hold well on small ledges and are very adept at jumping and running around on them. The goat is natural prey to many predators which include leopards, tigers, large reptiles and most commonly humans. Today the goat is also found in parts of South America where the goats are farmed and hunted for their meat and skins. The goat is most closely related to the sheep and there are many similarities between the two species as well as a number of differences which include the tail length of the goat which is noticeably longer than the tail of the sheep.

Tortoise

Natural Wild Life | Tortoise | The tortoise (Testudinidae) is a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles (Testudines). The tortoises closely related to the tortoise's marine cousin, the sea turtle. The tortoise is found in many countries around the world but particularly in the southern hemisphere where the weather is warmer for most of the year. Tortoises have a hard outer shell to protect them from predators but the skin on the legs, head and belly of the tortoise is quite soft so the tortoise is able to retract it's limbs into it's shell to protect itself. The tortoise's shell can range in size from a few centimetres to a couple of metres, depending on the species of tortoise.

Most species of tortoise have a herbivorous diet eating grasses, weeds, flowers, leafy greens and fruits.Tortoises generally have a lifespan similar to the lifespan of humans although some species of tortoise, like the giant tortoise, have known to be over 150 years old. There are many different species of tortoise around the world that vary in size, colour and diet. Most species of tortoise however are diurnal but in places where it is very hot throughout the day, tortoises will often venture out to find food in the cooler dawn and dusk periods.

Female tortoises dig burrows, known as nesting burrows, in which the female tortoise lays her eggs. The female tortoise can lay between one and thirty eggs at a time but the number is generally around 10 and only a handful of the babies tend to survive as tortoise babies are very vulnerable to attack by all kinds of predators. Once the female tortoise has laid her eggs she leaves the nesting burrow. The eggs hatch between 2 and 4 months later and the baby tortoises are able to start venturing out in search of food when they are about a week old. The size of the baby tortoise and the egg, depends on the size of the mother tortoise.

Today, a number of tortoise species (mainly the smaller species of tortoise) are kept as household pets. The pet tortoise ideally prefers to live in the garden or part of a vegetable patch where there is lots of food for the tortoise to eat. Pet tortoises should have a diet similar to what it would be if the tortoise was in the wild and should not be fed other foods such as cat or dog food. Most species of tortoise, but not all, hibernate during the colder winter months particularly those species of tortoise in the Northern Hemisphere. Tortoises must have an empty stomach before they hibernate and therefore tend to go through a period of starvation beforehand. Tortoises come out of hibernation when the weather begins to get warmer again.

Llama

Natural Wild Life | Llama | The llama (Lama glama) is a South American camelid, widely used as a pack and meat animal by Andean cultures since pre-hispanic times. The llama is thought to have originated in North America around 40 million years ago and the llama is believed to have then migrated to South America and Asia around 3 million years ago, before the American and Asian continents finally separated at Alaska. The llama is thought to have become extinct from North America during the ice age. Today the llama is most commonly found in the Andes mountain region of South America where the llama was kept as a pack animal by the ancient Inca people. Llamas are used for meat, wool, skin and for transporting heavy loads (a little like donkeys).

The llama is thought to have evolved from the old world camel-like animals that inhabited the regions that is today the Middle East. Although the llama has many similarities to the camel, the most noticeable difference between the llama and the camel is that the llama does not have a hump on its back. Llamas are very sociable animals and enjoy being with other llamas in a herd. The llama is also believed to be a particularly intelligent animal as llamas are commonly taught tasks which the llama picks up with only a few repetitions of the task.

Female llamas give birth to baby llamas (known as crias) standing up. The gestation period for a llama is between 11 and 12 months and the birth of the cria is usually over within half an hour. Baby llamas are generally standing up and attempting to walk within an hour of birth. Llama mating takes place throughout the year and baby llamas tend to be born in the morning when the weather is warm. This is believed to increase the fertility rate of the cria.

The llama is a herbivore and gets most of its nutrition from grass, leaves and young shoots. Llamas also do not have the same water retaining properties of their camel cousins, meaning that the llama must drink more often and llamas therefore prefer to be close to water.

Markhor

Natural Wild Life | Markhor | The Markhor (Capra falconeri) is a large species of wild goat. The markhor is an endangered species of wild goat that is natively found in the mountainous regions of western and central and Asia. The markhor is thought to have been named using the Persian word for snake, either because of the large coiled horns of the markhor or due to it's ability to kill snakes in the wild, although the exact reason is unknown. The markhor is found in northeastern Afghanistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza-Nagar Valley, northern and central Pakistan and the disputed territory of Kashmir, southern Tajikistan and southern Uzbekistan. The markhor is most commonly found inhabiting the high-altitude monsoon forests that litter these areas.

The markhor is a very distinctive species of wild goat, easily identified by it's long, white winter hair and the enormous spiralled horns that can grow to more than 1.5 meters in length on the males. The horns of the females are, although still large for goats, generally less than 50cm in length. Markhor are well adapted to mountainous terrain, and can be found between 600-3,600 meters in elevation. They typically inhabit scrub forests made up primarily of oaks , pines, and junipers where there is plenty for the markhor to eat. Markhor are also diurnal animals, meaning that they are mainly active in the early morning and late afternoon.

The markhor is a herbivorous animal that primarily grazes on a variety of vegetation including grasses, leaves, herbs, fruits and flowers. Like other wild goats, the markhor play a valuable role within their eco-system as they munch the leaves from the low-lying trees and scrub, spreading the seeds in their dung. Despite living almost on a cliff-edge, there are actually a number of animals that prey on these incredibly majestic creatures. Packs of wolves and wild cats such as lynxes snow leopards are the main predators of the markhor, along with humans who have deforested much of their natural habitat.

The markhor breeds in the winter when, after a gestation period that lasts for up to 170 days, usually one and occasionally two markhor babies (known as kids) are born. The markhor kids remain safe and looked after by their mother until they are able to eat solid food and become more and more independent. Today, despite being the national animal of Pakistan, the markhor is considered to be an endangered species with less than 2,500 individuals thought to be left in a few remote areas of the Asian mountains. The decline in markhor population numbers in mainly due to deforestation resulting in the loss of their native habitats.

Lemming

Natural Wild Life | Lemming | The lemming is a tiny rodent that is found in or near the Arctic Circle and are thought to be related to voles and muskrats. The smallest species of lemming is the wood lemming measuring around 8 cm. The Norwegian lemming is roughly three times the size of a wood lemming and is one of the largest species of lemming. Lemmings do not hibernate and instead endure the tough Arctic winters, with the lemming having special protection from the cold from its thick fur. The lemmings spend the winter searching for bulbs and shoots that are often buried beneath the snow. Lemmings are surprisingly solitary animals, only coming together to mate then separating again. Wild lemmings are thought to never get older than a couple of years due the harsh conditions in their natural habitat and the small and very edible size of the lemming. The lemming is easy prey for most meat-eating mammals and birds.

The theory that older lemmings consciously jump off cliffs in large numbers in order to let the younger lemming generations have full access to food and shelter etc is a myth. This may have originated from the mass migration of the Scandinavian lemming when food becomes scarce, that run in their hundreds through the surrounding terrain in search of food, with a few unlucky individuals finding their way off cliffs. There are nearly 30 different species of lemming found around the Arctic Circle, from Alaska to Siberia. Although many different species of lemming have been recognised, all lemming species are pretty much the same apart from where they live and so the lemming species tend to differ most from one another based on what the lemmings can find to eat.

Lemmings have small, stout bodies and short limbs, ears and tail in order to allow the lemming to conserve heat more easily in the bitter Arctic winters. Lemmings also have sharp little teeth which helps the lemmings to gnaw through tangles of roots. Female lemmings give birth to the baby lemmings after a gestation period of around three weeks. Baby lemmings are born in burrows under the snow which helps to keep the baby lemmings warm and away from the Arctic winter. The mother lemming gives birth to around 7 baby lemmings and feeds the baby lemmings on her milk until they are big enough and strong enough to start looking for food by themselves. The food that lemmings eat is not very nutritious, so lemmings must eat lots of it.

Lemmings spend around 6 hours a day searching for food and have breaks in between hunting, during which the lemmings rest. Lemmings reside in burrows beneath the snow to keep them warm and safe from predators that lurk on the surface of the snow.

Antelope

 
Natural Wild Life | Antelope | Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species found all over the world. The antelope is a deer-like mammal found in Africa, Asia and parts of the Americas. There are many different species of antelope including the tiny Royal antelope that stands at the height of a rabbit! Unlike deer that renew their horns annually, the antelope has strong permanent horns, that antelope mainly use to defend their herd or to fight other antelopes. An antelope tends to get to between 8 and 10 years old in the wild although they have been known to live for longer when kept in captivity. Many antelope individuals however, wouldn't last into old age in the wild as antelope are a key target for many large carnivorous mammals. If the antelope was old then the antelope would naturally be slower at running from danger.

The antelope is one of the many medium-sized mammals holding the African food chain together. The antelope may only graze on grasses but it is a stable food source for many of Africa\s large carnivorous predators, such as lions, hyenas and crocodiles. Antelope display different defensive behaviours based on their size, habitat, number and species. The smaller solitary antelope tend to live in dense forested areas and these species of antelope defend themselves by hiding. The duiker antelopes get their name from this specie\'s ability to dive into the vegetation. Gazelle-sized antelope run and leap, and some species of antelope exhibit their unique behaviour of pronking or stotting. Large antelope congregate in larger herds and can depend on running as group defence.

The antelope is found in a wide range of habitats, typically woodland, forest, savannah, grassland plains, and marshes. Several species of antelope have adapted to living in the mountains and rocky outcrops, a few species of antelope have adapted to deserts (both hot and cold), and a couple of species of antelope are even semi-aquatic and these antelope live in swamps.

After mating, female antelopes give birth to a single calf or, more rarely, twins, after a gestation period that can last up to eight months. A mother and her newborn calf are vulnerable to predators, and antelopes have had to evolve different strategies for surviving this period. For most antelope species, the female gives birth in dense cover and leaves the calf while she feeds. The calf comes to its mother when she calls it, and once fed, the calf will hide away again. Once in its hiding place, the calf remains completely still and will run away only if it is on the verge of being discovered.

Cow

Natural Wild Life | Cow | Cows are raised in many different countries around the world, mainly for the cows natural resources such as milk, meat and leather. In India the cow is seen as a sacred animal. There are thought to be nearly 1.5 million cows worldwide, most of the cows are sadly kept by farmers but there is sure to be the odd rouge escaped wild cows somewhere!

Cows spend their days in herds of around 40-50 cows, grazing on the grasslands and shrubbery. There is an old English tale which claims that cows will always sit down when its going to rain. The cow is known well amongst farmers for its ability to interbreed with species that are closely related to the cow. These can include yaks and bison, where these animals have been successful bred with the cow to produce hybrid cattle. Oddly enough though, the cow is unable to successfully breed with buffalo or water buffalo. The cow has just one stomach (not four) but the cows stomach contains four separate compartments that work with the complex digestive system of the cow which allows the cow to control substances that are difficult and near impossible for many other animals to digest. 

 

It is commonly thought that cows, mainly male cows called bulls, are aggravated by the colour red. This is in fact not true as cows are colour blind and cannot distinguish between different colours. This common misconception has come about from the days of bull fighting where trainers were typically seen using a red flag. It is not the colour of the flag that would spur the cow on but in fact, the waving of the material itself. It is thought that around 18% of the greenhouse gases that are currently being released into the atmosphere are coming from livestock such as cows. This is due to the methane that cows expel through burping and flatulence. 

Caterpillar

Natural Wild Life | Caterpillar | The caterpillar is the larvae (the baby) of both a butterfly and a moth. After around 2-3 weeks, the caterpillar builds itself into a cocoon where it remains a pupa for a further 2 weeks. The caterpillar then emerges having grown wings. The moth caterpillar is well known for being a pest particularly in the fabric industry. One species of caterpillar has destroyed reams of silk in the far east, known in China as a silk worm.

Generally, most species of caterpillar are considered to be agricultural pests as they can munch their ways through fields of crops, often leaving enormous holes which result in unhealthy or inedible plants. Some species of caterpillar are also highly poisonous, particularly those species that live in the tropical rain forests. Other species are only poisonous in their caterpillar form, meaning when they turn into a moth or butterfly, they no longer have venom.

There are more than 20,000 different species of known caterpillar found all around the world and it is estimated that there are many more that are undiscovered as new species of butterflies and moths are regularly found in regions where there is little, of any, human presence. Caterpillars difference in size, colour and appearance depending on their species. Some caterpillars are very brightly coloured where other caterpillar species are quite dull-looking in comparison. Some species of caterpillars are very hairy, where others are very smooth. The main aim of the appearance of the caterpillar is to intimidate it's predators and to deter them from eating it. The caterpillar, like the butterfly, is a herbivorous animal but the diets of the caterpillar and the butterfly are very different. Butterflies use their long straw-like tongues to drink the nectar out of flowers, which is an adaptation that occurs in the process where the caterpillar becomes a butterfly. 

 

Caterpillars mainly feed on leaves, plants and flowering plants and big holes can often be found in leaves indicating the presence of a caterpillar. A number of species of caterpillar are known to be carnivorous and eat a variety of insects that pass them. One caterpillar species found in Hawaii, hooks itself onto a leaf where it stands very straight trying to catching passing bugs. Due to their small size and worm-like shape, caterpillars are preyed upon by numerous different species of animal but the main predators of the caterpillar are birds and large insects such as wasps. Caterpillars are also commonly preyed upon by small mammals and reptiles.

Zebu

 

Natural Wild Life | Zebu | Zebu (Bos primigenius indicus or Bos indicus), sometimes known as humped cattle. The zebu is a species of cattle that is native to the jungles of South Asia and the Zebu is the only cattle species that can easily adapt to life in the hot tropics. The zebu is also known as the humped cattle as the zebu has a very distinctive hump on its upper back, located behind the head and neck of the zebu. Today the zebu can also be found in Africa, as the zebu was transported there from Asia many years ago. There are thought to be around 75 different species of zebu, with roughly half the zebu species found in Africa and the other half of the zebu species found in South Asia. The zebu has also been taken to South America from Africa, where zebu populations are continuously growing.

The zebu is one of the smallest species of cattle in the world with adult zebus reaching a height of just over a meter. The zebu is also about half the weight of a typical cow as the zebu is considered to have less meat. The small size of the zebu is thought to be the reason why the zebu is able to thrive in tropical climates, where other species of cattle do not fair so well. The zebu is a distinctive breed of cattle and besides the hump found on the shoulders of the zebu, the zebu also has a large flap of skin below its lower jaw, known as a dewlap, and the zebu also has long drooping ears. The hump-less cattle found throughout Africa today are considered to be a subspecies of the zebu that have adapted to life without their characteristic hump. Nevertheless, these hump free cattle are able to survive without complaint in their subtropical environment.

Due to the manageable size of the zebu, and the ability of the zebu to cope with the tropicals climates, the zebu has been domesticated in both its Native home in Southern Asia and in Africa as the zebu is predominantly used for lighter agricultural work. The zebu is also farmed for meat in some areas and the zebu is considered to be holy in India where the zebu is thought to have originated from. The zebu is thought to have both parasite and disease resistant properties which is another reason why the zebu are thought to thrive so successfully in their native tropical environments. The zebu has also been interbred with the native cattle of both Africa and Brazil, where the zebu is most common outside of Asia, and many farmers consider the presence of a hump and droopy ears to be a sign that their cattle is purely bred. There are thought to be nearly 4 million zebu in farms around the world today, with the highest number of these being found in India, Brazil and the United States. The wild zebu can still be found in small herds in Southern Asia but the wild zebu populations are not nearly as high, mainly because of habitat loss due to deforestation.

Wallaby

Natural Wild Life | Wallaby | A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod (Family Macropodidae). It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name. The wallaby is a small to medium sized marsupial found on the Australian continent and its surrounding islands. Today there are a number of wild wallaby populations inhabiting other areas around the world where the wallaby has been introduced by humans. The wallaby is most closely related to Australia's largest marsupial, the kangaroo. The wallaby is generally smaller than a kangaroo although some wallaby individuals have been known to reach 6ft tall. 

 

There are roughly 30 different species of wallaby found in a variety of habitats throughout the Australian continent. The habitats of wallaby are so diverse that wallaby species are often named after their habitat. This includes the rock wallaby, the brush wallaby and the shrub wallaby. Other wallaby species such as the hare wallaby, are named after their size and appearance. The wallaby has strong and powerful back legs which the wallaby hops on in order to move about. The forearms of the wallaby are much smaller as they are mainly used for feeding and occasionally to help with balance. The tail of the wallaby is often as long as the wallaby's body and plays a critical role as a balance aid and is often used in self-defence.animal that forages on the ground for seeds and fallen fruits. Grasses make up the bulk of the wallaby's diet along with leaves from low trees and shrubs and berries. 

The wallaby is a very sociable animal and can often be seen foraging for food with other wallaby individuals. Due to its relatively large size, the wallaby has few natural predators within its environment. Canines such as dingos and foxes are the main predators of the wallaby along with large reptiles such as crocodiles and snakes. The wallaby is able to defend itself against predators by hitting them with its long, powerful tail. The wallaby is a marsupial meaning that the female wallaby has a pouch on her tummy in which to raise her young. The female wallaby gives birth to a single baby wallaby (occasionally twins), known as a joey, after a gestation period of only a month. The joey then crawls up into its mother's pouch, where it is cared for and nurtured until it is fully developed.

Yak

Natural Wild Life | Yak | The yak is a herd animal found in the mountainous regions of central Asia. The yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population. In the 1990s, a concerted effort was undertaken to help save the wild yak population.

The average male yak can grow to about 2meters tall, with the female yak being about 1/3 the size of the male yak. All yak have very long hair to keep them warm. The yak belongs to the same cow family as the Asian water buffalo, the African buffalo and the American bison. However, the yak is slightly more like the American bison in appearance as both the yak and the bison have long hair in order to withstand the colder climates, the bison of the North American winters and the yak of the mid-Asian mountains. The yak breeds in the warmer months of September and after a gestation period of nine months the female yak gives birth to a single yak calf. A female yak will occasionally give birth to twins but it is very rare. Some female yak give birth to a calf almost every year but it depends on the environment in which the yak lives and the yak individual.

 

Yak babies are completely independent by the time that they are a year old and they are fully grown when they are between 7 and 8 years old. The average lifespan of a yak is about 20 years in the wild and slightly longer when in captivity. Like other species of cow, the yak is a herbivore and spends a great deal of time on grassy plains in the mountains grazing on grasses, herbs and wild flowers. In a similar way to other cow species the yak has more than one stomach which the yak uses to successfully get all of the nutrients out of the plants that it eats. The yak has firm, dense horns which the yak uses to break through snow in order to get the plants that are buried beneath it and the yak will also use it's horns in defence. They have long shaggy hairthat covers their bodies that keep them warm and dry.