Mammals - Blog Posts

Northern White Rhinoceros

Poachers reduced their population from 500 to 15 in the 1970s and 1980s. From the early 1990s through mid-2003, the population recovered to more than 32 animals. However, since mid-2003, poaching has intensified and further reduced the wild population

Since 19 March 2018, there are only two Northern White rhinos left, the females Najin and Fatu, mother and daughter, making these subspecies functionally extinct. The two females belong to the Dvůr Králové Zoo in the Czech Republic but live in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya and are protected 24/7 by armed guards.

The last male, Sudan died due to an infection in his right hind leg. He was euthanized on 19 March 2018.

Recent studies suggest that it might be a separate species from the Southern White Rhino. Studies haven’t concluded.  *References: phys.org/news/2019-08-scientists-closer-northern-white-rhino.html https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Northern_white_rhinoceros

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For those who are been following me for a while, this post might be a little strange because the rhinocerontidae family was previously posted. However, I think this project has evolved so much that it was worth it to re-visit those old posts and update them.

Southern White Rhinoceros

This is the most common rhinoceros of all the family and the less endangered. However, this doesn't mean is in danger of disappearing.

The rhino horn is more expensive than gold making the rhino a very tempting target. On the other hand, in the countries where it can be found, many people struggle with poverty, forcing them to risk their lives trying to hunt them because rhinos are heavily protected.

Who is to blame? The people who hunt them? Definitely No. They are just a tool who is forced to hunt because they need the money to sustain their families, they have little choice. Besides, their revenue is very small. To blame someone will be the final client. The one that is eager to pay a lot for the horn. If there is no demand, there is no business. Anyway, is a tricky subject with many points of view. What do you think? _________________________________________________________

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Antilocapridae Family, Species & Subspecies. A unique species of this family with five subspecies. As I mentioned in other posts, some people believe subspecies aren't important, but I think they are crucial to the evolution of the species and the beginning of a new potential family in the future.

Changes are always subtle, and they can only be seen through time. With nature, changes can take millions of years. An elephant wasn't an elephant millions of years ago. It was another animal that eventually became what we see today. Everything moves, everything must evolve, because the earth is always changing, and those who cannot adapt to those changes are destined to perish.

If this is your favorite animal (which I think qualifies to be a favorite animal. Fastest in America, unique, particular, etc.) this is a poster you should have. All five subspecies (See detail of the illustration below) with their conservation status and family lineage. Just click here.

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Oregon Pronghorn From this subspecies, I couldn't find much. At the point that I'm not sure if this subspecies actually exist. It could be the one that is the most spread from all the subspecies or one that is confined to a small area in Oregon. If you know something about this one, please share it with us. Thanks!

References: Wikipedia

*Photo Reference Credit: Darcy

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Mexican Pronghorn

The number of these animals has been reduced by %99. It has been tried to be reintroduced in Coahuila, Mexico in 1995 and 1998 but the results haven't been promising.

Low nutrients plants, lack of water that many times compete with cattle, and the number of predators haven't created the best environment for the Pronghorn to flourish. These elements have resulted in the distress of the animals that aren't able to reproduce normally. References: Monitoring a Pronghorn Mammals of North America Itis Wikipedia *Photo Reference Credit: Toxostoma _____________________________________________

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Baja California Pronghorn, Peninsular Pronghorn

Pronghorn are very special animals. They are the only animals that have a mixture between antlers and horns. Horns are made of keratin mostly and have only one point. Antlers, on the other hand, are made of bone and shed every year. The horns of the pronghorn are made of both keratin and bone that are shed as antlers, every year.

During the colonization, pronghorns were even more numerous than bison. It is said that their herds get lost on the horizon, they were as vast as the sight could see. It was estimated that more than 100 million pronghorns inhabited North America. However, by 1920 their numbers dropped to 13.000. Today, all five subspecies are endangered and the number of Baja California Pronghorn is estimated at about 150.

I never put much attention to this animal. Somehow, I never found it attractive. Since I am reading about them I think they are amazing. Along with the bison, the pronghorn shaped the evolution of humans in North America, providing food and shelter.

References:

Wikiwand Los Angeles Zoo & Botanical Gardens. San Diego Wildlife Alliance

*Photo Reference Credits: Klaus Rudloff

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Antilocapridae Family Sonoran Pronghorn

This is a very interesting family and a very small one. It is formed by one species and five subspecies. Today, the Sonoran Pronghorn.

Owes its name to the Sonoran desert where it inhabits. I could not find physical differences with the other subspecies. However, these subspecies can survive longer without water.

The Pronghorns are the fastest mammal in the New World. It is often called the Antelope of America because of its resemblance to the African ones, however, its closest relatives are the giraffes.

This subspecies along with the others is endangered. It shares the habitat with an active United States Air Force Bombing range.

No more than 200 hundred survived in the United States and is believed that in Mexico its numbers are even lower. I want to thank Nick Athanas for allowing me to use one of his amazing pictures as a reference. You can check out his awesome work here. References: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Sonoran_pronghorn https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Antilocapra_americana

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Deer Mouse species Poster.

A poster with all the Deer Mouse species. A family that I personally didn't know much about but that I also think is very interesting. Hasn't changed much over the years which means is so well adapted to its environment.

If you found your new love in these unusual deers, you can buy this poster in my store. It's perfect for those animal lovers and also could be a nice present. Good illustrations, their conservation status, and their scientific names. Just click here.

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Vietnam Mouse Deer

This is a story of hope. The last specimen seen was in 1990 when a hunter killed one and donated it to scientists. For more than 30 years there was no sight of this animal. Only locals were assured to see it but those sights were nothing more than just words.

After years of research, investigation, and close work with locals, in 2019, camera traps finally registered sights of the animal. It was worldwide news that brought joy for the rediscovery of a species and hope for many others that today are believed to be extinct.

According to scientists, it’s rediscover was possible due to the close work with the locals who knew their environment, knew what can be found and how to find it.

It’s unknown its current population. What is known is that wire snares have been putting in danger not just the Vietnam Mouse Deer, but the entire population of species that inhabits the jungles of Vietnam and many other regions of Asia. The decline of wildlife due to snares has no precedents. Some of the densest jungles are now called ghost forests because no animals are seen.

This is the last member of this family. A very interesting one which I must say I didn't know much but that now I want to know more. The next one is a very unique and small family.

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Java Mouse Deer

It hasn’t been possible to know the numbers of this animal in the wild because is commonly mistaken with its other member of the family, the Lesser Mouse Deer, which also shares the same environment.

Inhabits in Java and possibly in Bali. However, in Bali, its existence hasn’t been totally validated.

As we can see, the story of this family has just started to be written and I wouldn’t be surprised to see changes in the future when more is known about them. I hope they still are around.

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The Williamson’s Mouse-Deer

This specimen was believed to be a subspecies of the Lesser Mouse Deer. However, in 2004 it was assigned to a species level. This level, however, is provisional because the study was based on just one specimen that was considerably bigger than the Lesser Mouse-Deer.

As we can see, is not a well-studied animal. It is believed to be found in Thailand, Laos, and possibly China.

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Lesser Mouse Deer

Not much is known about this species. It seems to be an apparent lack of interest to study this family which to me is hard to explain if we count that are the smallest hoofed animals in the world and hasn’t changed much in millions of years. This shows a form of adaptability that is remarkable and that I believe deserves to be studied.

Because very little is known about this animal in general, is hard to assess a truthful census. It’s known to be widely spread in Southeast Asia and is often part of the menu of villagers or even taken as a pet. (Please don’t have one. Let’s leave wild things wild)

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Philippine Mouse Deer

This endangered species was thought to be a subspecies of the Greater Mouse Deer. Was until 2004 that it was recognized as a single species.

It is threatened for a varied number of reasons: Poaching and capture for animal trade, hunting for its meat, which is considered a delicacy while its skin is used to make leather. However, the main problem is, of course, habitat loss.

I think is a shame that this animal is almost like a newly discovered one, and is already endangered. We just get to know it and unfortunately can disappear really soon.

*Photo Reference Credits: Klaus Rudloff

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Greater Mouse Deer With this animal, I introduce you to the last genus of the family (Tragulus) and the one with the most members of the whole family (5). Classification can be a little bit confusing and I'm still learning.

For now, I can tell that this family (Tragulidae, commonly known as Mouse Deer) is composed of ten members that are classified into three different genus. I wish scientists explain things in an easier way. For sure, more people would get involved. Anyway, this is the largest Mouse Deer of the genus, closely matched by Williamson's mouse-deer (which we will be talking about soon). Also nocturnal and solitary as its relatives. It is widespread in Indonesia and part of Southeast Asia.

Its status is stable, however, loss of habitat and hunting are their main threats. if you have something to add, Awesome!. I'm not an expert so anything that can enrich the post is very welcome. *Photo Reference Credits: ronnienl

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Yellow-Striped Chevrotain

Not much is to say about this animal since is recognize as a species since 2005. It was thought to be the same as the Indian Chevrotain and the Sri Lankan Chevrotain. However, starting from its distinctive yellowish coloration, clued that is we were looking at a whole different species.

It is the smallest of the three species (The Indian and the Sri Lankan Chevrotains) and because it was identified as a new species very recently, little is known about it.

Nocturnal as its closest relatives, Excellent swimmers even underwater and relatively common, it seems that its existence is secure for the next few decades. Nonetheless, a small decline in their numbers has been noticed in recent years. *Photo Reference Credits: Klaus Rudloff

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Sri Lankan Spotted Chevrotain

What we know about nature is never carved on stone. What at some point in history we believe is the irrefutable truth, deeper studies of the subject often prove us wrong.

It was until 2005 that this species was separated from its closest relative, The Indian Spotted Chevrotain (Which I introduced last week) and today is recognized as a whole new species. Is obvious to say now, that not much is known about this

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Indian Spotted Chevrotain

Nocturnal as its relative, the Indian Spotted Chevrotain spends the days hidden in hollow trees or close to piles of leaves which serve him as camouflage due to its fur's color.

Is still common and its status is not to worry. However, it used to be seen in all Indian territory up to the South of Nepal. Nowadays, hasn't been seen in Nepal and if ever found, it is very likely is highly endangered.

The Spotted Chevrotain is a vital link in the food chain because many predators feed on him. Therefore, its protection is crucial to maintaining the equilibrium of nature.

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Mammals of the World is back! We are very excited to start the year with new amazing animals to learn about. We'll try to post more often (it used to be every ten days, we are going to try every week) so we can enjoy more animals and know more about them. From the giants of the world, let us introduce you to some of the smallest: The mouse deer family, the smallest hoofed animals in the world.

Water Chevrotain

This is the only member of this family that is not found in Asia and is the biggest of all with just 35cms high. They have a good sense of smell that they use to find their favorite food: Fruits. Although this species is the only one known for also eating insects, crabs, and even scavenged meat and fish.

They are exclusively nocturnal and they are also known for being excellent swimmers and for producing distinctive noises depending on the situation they are in.

It's commonly hunted by humans and is known as the infamous bush meat. However, its numbers are somewhat stable. It hasn't been studied profoundly and not much is known about its behavior. ___________________ Thank you again for your support and we wish you a great new year! Don't forget to check out our Instagram content and have a look at our store here. Love, comments, likes, reblogs, follows, or buys will really help us. Thank you!

All the whales including the subspecies The poster includes the size and weight of each whale. You can purchase this poster on my store, just follow the link below and acquire this amazing piece of science. Perfect for animals lovers of any age. It comes in different sizes so anyone can afford it. If you get one, please let me know in the comments how you like it. I will take some time off but I will be back soon with more amazing illustrations and curiosities of the wonderful world of mammals. Thank you for your love and support.

Best! Ricardo Nunez Suarez

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Gray Whale

The last member of the balaenopteridae family: The Gray Whale. (you might wonder why the sperm whale is not included but that one belongs to another family closer to dolphins as orcas do. I didn't know that)

This one habitat is way more reduced but its number is fine. Also called the Evil whale because it was a fierce fighter when hunted. (I wonder if there would be any animal who wouldn't fight for its life)

It is a very distinctive whale and the only extant of its family with its last relatives seen in the Neogene era.

Maybe the most notable marks are the withe spots all around its body product of scars left by parasites that fall off when is on cold grounds.

Three specimens were kept captive through history. The first one called Gigi in 1965 died two months after. However, in 1972 another catch called Gigi II, was held for a year after grew too much and had to be released. A third one was kept captive in SeaWorld San Diego for 14 months and also was released because of its size.

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Whales are ugly, or not. Probably both. On one side they look like a deformed giant body with a massive mouth that when opens make the animal looks even weirder. But then a beautiful tale swipes with force and breaks the ocean's surface and is accompanied by a pair of powerful fins that make that weird body moves gracefully as if it's dancing. It's a perfect combination of grotesque and beauty that combined with its size made us fall in love with it. ______

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Humpback Whale

If there is a whale that has been ingrained in the imagination of humanity for centuries, and has been the one that make us fall in love of these magnificent mammals, is without a doubt, the Humpback Whale. Probably the most notorious whale in nature, the Humpback Whale has it's own genus (Megaptera) and stands out as a single one. However, some scientist have noticed that the populations in different regions have been developing very distinctive characteristics that theoretically will diverge the species into various subspecies. In other words: Evolution. In whaling times, this species almost got extinct, with it's population dropping to an alarming 90% before 1996. Today's numbers are stable around 80.000 and we can say is safe and can be found in mostly all oceans.

This is the only whale I have ever seen in my life. (well just a tail surfacing the sea) and despite the seconds I had the chance to observed it, it was extremely captivating. I hope one day I can see more of these beautiful animals and hopefully too, some of its relatives. ________________

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Blue Whale

"We must feel lucky to be sharing the world with the biggest animal that ever existed."

Not even the biggest dinosaur is a match for the size of the Blue Whale, the largest animal that ever existed on earth. The largest-ever registered was 33 meters. It is the biggest size the animal can reach in order to function correctly. A fifth subspecies could be a population that inhabits the coasts of Chile. A group with unique vocalization and notable genetic differences.

I must say that whales are fascinating. I still find it hard to wrap the size of this animal. I hope one day I could see one of them. Today is protected because it was heavily hunted almost to its extinction. In 1966, its hunt was banned by the International Whaling Commission. ___________________________

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Fin Whale

Formerly known Know as the Finback whale, Common rorqual, Herring whale, or Razorback whale, the Fin whale is the second largest whale on the planet. Its glamorous and slender shape make it one of the fastest rorquals despite its size. It was heavily hunting during the whaling times in the XX century but was able to recover and their numbers are somehow stable. Over 725,000 fin whales were reportedly taken from the Southern Hemisphere between 1905 and 1976. For this reason, the Southern Fin Whale is closer to extinction than the Northern Fin Whale. The North Pacific population is believed to be a third subspecies according to experts, however, more studies need to be done to validate this information. The Fin Whale is more related to the Humpback Whale and the Grey Whale. It is strange because these two rorquals belong to a different genus each.

Omura's Whale Little is known about this whale because was until 2003 that it was thought to be a smaller form of the Bryde's Whale. The description was made public in Nature, a British scientific weekly journal by three Japanese scientist. They determine the existence of the new specimen by DNA analysis. It was later discovered that its closest relative might be the Blue Whale. It is one of the smallest species of rorqual.

Searching for images of this whale I saw a few videos of the whale eating and it was amazing. I never thought this size o f animal could be so fast.

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Rice's Whale I can proudly say this is one of the few illustrations done of this new species, the Rice's Whale. Named in 2021, It was previously thought to be a subpopulation of the Bryde's Whale until further studies proved the opposite.

The sad news is that is critically endangered and along with the vaquita, those are two of the most scarce cetaceans in the world which happened to inhabit the same environment. The causes of its decline are still unclear but are believed to be because of the industrialization of the Gulf of Mexico.

The oil spill disaster in 2010 killed nearly 20% of its population.

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Eden's Whale Little is know about this whale since is thought to be a smaller form of Bryde's Whale and no studies have been done to corroborate this assumption or treat it as a different species. Still, its size can reach up to 11 meters and weigh up to 20 tons. Usually seen in pair or single individuals, still can form groups of 20 animals around feeding areas. The Bryde's whale and Eden's whale share morphological similarities making them had to identify. _________ Show me your love liking and sharing my content. Thank you!. Instagram Store

Antarctic Mink Whale.

First, it was believed to be a subspecies of the Mink Whale but in the 90's it was discovered to be a different species. Like the Mink Whale, it was ignored by whalers because its size made it one of the most abundant whales in the world. However, the decline of other whales, made the Mink Whale today one of the mainstays of the industry, therefore its numbers have started to decline too.

I don't believe whaling should be banned but I do believe it should have stronger control. I think cultures that do whaling shouldn't be deprived of something they have been doing for generations and also helped them to develop into the cultures and countries they are today. But it has to be responsible, as anything else.

These days we have been witnessed violent climate issues in different areas around the world that are just telling us what is coming in the near future if we don't change the way we treat the planet. Just take what you need so others also can have some.

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Moving up to the giants of the kingdom and favorite of many: The Whales. It is a numerous family in which my knowledge is limited. However, that is why this blog is for, so we all know a little better the beings that surround us. Get to illustrate them wasn't so easy since there is no picture of the whole body of the whale, so I had to combine different illustrations and read about the descriptions of the animal to get the most accurate perspective of the animal.

Bowhead Whale This one is famous because of its particular jaw that has been portrayed in many antique illustrations of sea monsters. Far from the reputation those illustrations can bring, this animal is not aggressive and there is not a single attack registered on humans. Probably with any whale. The most noticeable particularity of this whale is its head which has the biggest mouth proportions in the animal kingdom. Its baleen is used to strain tiny prey from the water and is the biggest of any other whale. It is usually a solitary giant but can be seen in small groups of a maximum of six individuals. Slow swimmer and can be underwater for up to one hour. Believed to be an average diver, still can reach 150 meters deep. I thought was in danger but the reality is that its numbers are steady and growing. However, climate change can affect its numbers since is an animal that inhabits the waters of the North pole.

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Poster of all the Hippos

The poster with all the hippos is ready to be on your wall. You can get it now on my store by clinking on the link below. They range from various sizes and prices.

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Next family is a huge one. Actually the biggest. Any guess?

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The pygmy hippo is a very hard animal to study in the wild. It is very elusive and lives in inhospitable areas. There are possibly two subspecies of Pygmy hippo, however, one of them, the Nigerian Pygmy Hippo is still not recognizable as a full subspecies. The problem is that it is believed now extinct and the only remains are a couple of skulls collected in the 1800′s. What this means is that we will probably never know if it was a subspecies or not. 

The Pygmy hippo is hunting for what is called bush meat. It is said that its meat quality is as good as wild boars and unlike its giant cousins, its teeth has no value. It is an endangered species that thrive much better in zoos but still the offspring mortality rate arise up to 30%. 

I think is sad when a species vanishes form earth and we still didn’t know much about it. At some point, I found extinction to be part of the game of who can survive to natural changes. The problem is that humans taking over, we are making the game of survival way harder for many species. I’m not so optimistic that a change in perspective will come any time soon but I still have hope we can change the way we see the world.

Dwarf Hippos in Madagascar? There are proof of Dwarf Hippos (known as Malagasy hippopotamus or Malagasy pygmy hippopotamus) that inhabited the island of Madagascar less that 1000 years ago. Resembles more to a Hippopotamus that to its smaller relative the Pygmy Hippo. I decided not to put it on this catalogue because it’s extinction appears not to be related to humans. 

What is exciting is that explorers from Discovery Channel recently discovered skulls from what appears to be a recent dead of a Malagasy Hippo. This might prove the existence of the animal but I feel more investigation needs to be done. The tv program is called “Extinct or Alive”. Leave you the link: here

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