Month: December 2018

CAPE LION

December 7, 2018

The Cape lion was a Panthera leo melanochaita population in South Africa’s Natal and Cape Provinces that has been extirpated in the mid-19th century. The type specimen originated at the Cape of Good Hope and was described in 1842. Until 2017, the Cape lion was considered a distinct lion subspecies. Phylogeographic analysis showed that lion populations in Southern and East Africa are closely related. In 2017, lion populations in Southern and East Africa were subsumed to Panthera leo melanochaita. Felis … More CAPE LION

COW

December 7, 2018

Cows—are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos taurus. Cattle are commonly raised as livestock for meat (beef or veal, see beef cattle), for milk (see dairy cattle), and for hides, which are used to make leather. They are used as riding animals and draft animals (oxen or bullocks, which pull carts, plows and other … More COW

SUMATRAN ELEPHANT

December 6, 2018

The Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus) is one of three recognized subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to the Indonesia island of Sumatra. In 2011, the Sumatran elephant has been classified as critically endangered by IUCN as the population has declined by at least 80% over the last three generations, estimated to be about 75 years. The subspecies is pre-eminently threatened by habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, and poaching; over 69% … More SUMATRAN ELEPHANT

MOUNTAIN GORILLA

December 6, 2018

The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) is one of the two subspecies of the eastern gorilla. The subspecies is listed as endangered by the IUCN, with only two surviving populations. One is found in the Virunga Mountains of East Africa in three bordering national parks: Mgahinga Gorilla National Park in Uganda, Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, and Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The other population is found in Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable … More MOUNTAIN GORILLA

WILD BACTRIAN CAMEL

December 2, 2018

The wild Bactrian camel (Camelus ferus) is a critically endangered species of camel living in parts of northern China and southern Mongolia. It is closely related to the Bactrian camel (Camelus bactrianus). Both are large, double-humped even-toed ungulates native to the steppes of central Asia. Until recently, wild Bactrian camels were thought to have descended from domesticated Bactrian camels that became feral after being released into the wild. However, genetic studies have established it as a … More WILD BACTRIAN CAMEL

BUBAL HARTEBEEST

December 2, 2018

The bubal hartebeest, also known as bubal antelope or simply bubal (Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus) is the extinct nominal (i.e., first described) subspecies of hartebeest, that was formerly found north of the Saharan Desert. Other subspecies live currently in grasslands south of the Sahara, from Senegal in the west to Eritrea and Ethiopia in the east and down to central Tanzania. The red hartebeest and Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, alternatively considered subspecies or sister species of the common hartebeest, … More BUBAL HARTEBEEST

BLUEBUCK

December 1, 2018

The bluebuck (Afrikaans: bloubok /ˈblaʊbɒk/) or blue antelope (Hippotragus leucophaeus) is an extinct species of antelope that lived in South Africa until around 1800. It is congeneric with the roan antelope and sable antelope (belonging in the genus Hippotragus), but was smaller than either. It was sometimes considered a subspecies of the roan antelope, but a genetic study has confirmed it as a distinct species. The largest mounted bluebuck specimen is 119 centimetres (47 in) tall … More BLUEBUCK

ATLAS BEAR

December 1, 2018

The names Atlas bear and African bear (Ursus arctos crowtheri) have been applied to an extinct population or populations of the brown bear in North Africa. The Cantabrian brown bear likely was introduced to Africa from Spain by the Romans who imported Iberian bears for spectacles. The Atlas bear was Africa’s only native bear that survived into modern times. Once inhabiting the Atlas Mountains and neighbouring areas, from Morocco to Libya, the animal is now … More ATLAS BEAR

NORTH AFRICAN ELEPHANT

December 1, 2018

The North African elephant (Loxodonta africana pharaohensis) was a subspecies of the African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana), or possibly a separate elephant species, that existed in North Africa, north of the Sahara, until becoming extinct in Roman times. These were the famous war elephants used by Carthage in the Punic Wars, their conflict with the Roman Republic. Although the subspecies has been formally described, it has not been widely recognized by taxonomists. Other names for … More NORTH AFRICAN ELEPHANT