Otters: Family, Habitat, Characteristics

Belonging to the Mustelidae family, otters (Lutrinae) share a close association with martens, polecats, mink, skunks, and badgers. All members of this family exhibit elongated bodies and short legs, serving as predators. Despite their predatory tendencies, these creatures often prefer elusive behavior, favoring serene environments away from urban areas.

The European otter, scientifically labeled as Lutra lutra, derives its name from the Latin term "lutra," signifying otter. Male otters are referred to as dogs, females as butches, and the young ones as cubs.

Specially adapted for an aquatic lifestyle, otters can trace their ancestry back to a common forebear, Mionictis, thriving around 20 million years ago, as revealed by fossil records.

Geographically, otters are widely distributed and can be found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia. They inhabit coastal regions as well as areas alongside rivers, lakes, and marshes.

Within the otter family, the giant otter claims the title of being the largest, measuring approximately 1.8 meters in length. Conversely, the sea otter secures the heavyweight position, weighing around 45 kg.
Otters: Family, Habitat, Characteristics

Squirrels in general

Squirrels are classified as members of the rodent order, one of fourteen orders of mammals and the largest group among all mammals. They live in grasslands, forests, and deserts.

Most squirrels fall into two main categories – ground squirrels and tree squirrels.

The squirrel family is one of 31 families of rodents and consists of about 250 different species, including chipmunks and marmots. The color of a squirrel’s coat usually depends on where it leaves. Gray squirrels are the most common tree squirrels in North America.

Squirrels are classified by their scientific name: sciuridae, a Latin designation originally taken from the Greek worlds meaning ‘shadow tail’.

All squirrels share a number of anatomical features – teeth, jaw musculature, skull and other bones – that scientists use to identify recent and fossil squirrels.

Squirrels have long, sharp front teeth. The four front teeth, two on the bottom and two on the top, are gnawing teeth celled incisors.

Squirrels have good eyesight. Their eyes are set high on the sides of their head. This allows them to see all around without having to move their heads a lot.
Squirrels in general

Donkey

Horses, donkeys and zebras are all members of the same genus called Equus. The word donkey and ass are used to identify the same animal. Its Latin name is Equus asinus, from where the shortened term ‘ass’ is derived.

Donkeys are descendents of the African wild ass. They were first domesticated by humans in Africa. They are now used around the world as working animals.

It is believed that Egyptians domesticated the donkey around 4000 BC. It is much steadier on its hooves than a horse and, therefore, it is better on trails. It also has a longer life span (twenty-five to fifty years, with many reaching thirty years as well).

The average donkey stands 40 inches at the shoulder, but different breeds vary greatly in size and shape. Donkeys rage from white to gray or black in color. They usually have a dark stripe from the mane to the tail and a crosswise stripe on the shoulder.

Wild donkeys congregate in small groups with transient members. Groups generally consist of bachelor males or females and their immature off-spring. Only mature jacks are solitary.

Donkeys as a dairy species have been known since the Roman age not only for the nutritional value of their milk but also for its beneficial properties in skin care.
Donkey

Wild mongooses

Mongooses are small mammals. They are fearless predators, have long bodies and short legs. Mongooses are essentially terrestrial. Nearly all species are very poor tree-climbers and are rarely seen on anything but the lowest branches.

However, Herpestes sanguineus is exceptional and its climbing ability is said to resemble that of a squirrel.

They live in forests, savannahs and dry grasslands.  Many more mongoose species live in grassland habitats. These habitats have two distinct seasons and constantly high temperatures.

All species swim well when force to do so and a few species are semi-aquatic or aquatic such as Atilax in Africa, Herpetes urva and H. vitticollis in India and H. brachyurus in the East Indies.

Members of the mongoose family are other social or solitary mammals. Many of the mongoose species that live outside Africa are solitary animals.
Wild mongooses

Coyote (Canis latrans)

Coyote, brush wolf, prairie wolf, Heul wolf, Steppenwolf, lobo, American jackal; the word coyote means ‘barking dog’ and is taken form Aztec word coyotl.

Coyotes are Nearctic canids. They occupy many diverse habitats between about 10 °N latitude (Costa Rica) and 70 °N latitude (northern Alaska).

Different members of a species often vary considerably in minor characteristics, such as size or coloration, and these variations tend to be constant within particular part of the species range due to some isolating mechanism, frequently geographic, structural or behavioral.

The coyote, like many other canids is an excellent sprinter and travels at speeds up to km/hour for short periods.

Coyotes look like slim German shepherds, with pointed, erect ears and long, slender nose. A coyote carries its bushy tail held low, near or between its back legs.

A coyote is opportunistic and feeds on just about any wild mammal. Documented prey include shrews, squirrels, voles, mice, rabbits, hares, muskrats, porcupines, deer and moose.

The coyote rarely kills species larger than itself and prefers, instead to scavenge off a reasonably fresh carcass.

They are found throughout the continental United States and in many areas for Canada. In some southeastern states, such as Florida and Georgia and several states, it appears that coyotes were transplanted, introduced or liberated by humans.
Coyote

The coyote is in fact a highly social animal, whose appetite for livestock has led it to be persecuted by humans.
Coyote (Canis latrans)

Wild goat

In the zoological classifications of the animal kingdom, the goat belongs to the cloven-hoofed, ruminant family of the Bovidae, the homed ones, to which sheep, cattle and gazelles also belong.

The wild goat (Capra aegagrus) is a widespread species of goat, with a distribution ranging from Europe and Asia Minor to central Asia and the Middle East. It is the ancestor of the domestic goat.

Four wild goat species make up the genus of the goat:
*Capra ibex
*Capra pyrenaica
*Capra hircus
*Capra falconieri

All these wild goat species are still extant today. Wild goats have a social system and behavioral repertoire that is ideally suited to potential domestication. They are accustomed to a single dominant leader.

In many regions in Asia, wild goats are heavily hunted and are in some danger of extermination.

Wild goats live in all mountainous places. For example, wild goat of Capra hircus is found in the hills of Kashmir. It has a limited occurrence in the Himalaya.
Wild goat

Bos gaurus

Bos gaurus
Bos gaurus one of several species of wild cattle, belonging to the group of wild oxen. In total there are 9 species and 21 subspecies of wild oxen in the world, belonging to four genera.

These is include the Asiatic buffalo, African buffalo, true cattle and bison. The ancestors of wild oxen are known to have evolved in Asia some 20 million years ago.

The gaur, commonly referred as the Indian bison, belongs to the subfamily Bovidae of the order Artiodactyla and is the largest living bovine, confined to the Oriental biogeographic region.

Bos gaurus gaurus (India and Nepal), Bos gaurus readei (Myanmar and Indochina) and Bos gaurus hubbacki (Thailand south of the isthmus of Kra and West Malaysia) are the three commonly recognized subspecies of gaur.

Bos gaurus bull weigh 600-1000 kg and stand 1.6 to 1.9 m at the shoulder, whereas the cows are about 10 cm shorter and weigh about one fourth less than the males.

One of the most striking features of the gaur is the muscular ridge upon its shoulder, which slope down to the middle of the back, ending in an abrupt dip.

This is often referred to as the dorsal ridge and is the result of the extension of the dorsal vertebrae. Both sexes have horns. In the males the horns are especially larger at the base, with more outward swath and curvature at the tips is less.

There is a high, bulging forehead ridge between the horns.

Once common throughout South and Southeast Asia, gaurs now survive only in scattered remnant herds of up to 30 animals in the hill forests of India, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Kampuchea, Vietnam and the Malay Peninsula.

Historically, the largest concentration have coexisted with farmers in areas of shifting cultivation. The animals adjust to disturbed land, and they also adapt to man’s presence if not unduly harassed.

For example gaurs will feed in agriculture fields, along roadsides and near occupied houses. Herds in national parks feed peacefully while tourists stand by. Gaurs in zoos also become quite tame and manageable.
Bos gaurus