CyberZoo Multimedia Encyclopedia

CyberZoo Multimedia Encyclopedia

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Mammals

Mammals (class Mammalia) are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia, characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding their young, a neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three middle ear bones.

Tiger

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The tiger (Panthera tigris) is the largest living cat species and a member of the genus Panthera. It is most recognizable for its pattern of dark vertical stripes on orange fur with a white underside. The tiger is an apex predator, primarily preying on ungulates such as deer and wild boar.¹

Tigers can leap horizontally to a distance of more than 33 feet (10 m). As of 2015, the global wild tiger population was estimated to number between 3,062 and 3,948 mature individuals, with most populations living in small isolated pockets.² Males of the larger subspecies can weigh over 660 pounds (300 kg).

Habitat: Tropical forests, grasslands, and savannas of Asia
Conservation Status: Endangered (IUCN 3.1)³

African Elephant

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The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the largest living terrestrial animal, with bulls reaching a shoulder height of up to 13 feet (4 m) and a weight of up to 7 tons (6,350 kg).⁴ The trunk, an extension of the upper lip and nose, contains up to 40,000 muscles and is used for breathing, smelling, touching, grasping, and sound production.⁵

African elephants are highly intelligent animals demonstrating self-awareness and showing empathy for dying and dead family members. They communicate using sounds below the range of human hearing; these infrasonic calls can be heard by other elephants up to 12 miles (19 km) away.⁶ The gestation period is 22 months, the longest of any land mammal.

Habitat: Sub-Saharan Africa, in forests, deserts, and grasslands
Conservation Status: Endangered (IUCN 3.1)⁷

Western Lowland Gorilla

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The western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) is one of two subspecies of the western gorilla. It is the most numerous of the four gorilla subspecies, but still critically endangered.⁸ Adult males can weigh up to 440 pounds (200 kg) and when standing on two legs can reach a height of 5.5 feet (1.7 m).⁹

Gorillas share 98.3% of their genetic code with humans, making them our closest living relatives after chimpanzees and bonobos.¹⁰ They live in groups called troops, led by a dominant male called a silverback. Some captive gorillas have been taught sign language; the gorilla Koko learned over 1,000 signs and understood approximately 2,000 words of spoken English.¹¹

Habitat: Dense forests and lowland swamps of central Africa
Conservation Status: Critically Endangered (IUCN 3.1)¹²

References:
1. Kitchener, A. C., et al. (2017). "A revised taxonomy of the Felidae". Cat News (Special Issue 11): 30-31.
2. WWF (2016). "Global wild tiger population increases to 3,890". World Wildlife Fund.
3. Goodrich, J., et al. (2015). "Panthera tigris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
4. Shoshani, J. (2005). "Elephant". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World.
5. Shoshani, J. (1998). "Understanding proboscidean evolution". Trends in Ecology & Evolution.
6. Payne, K. (1998). Silent Thunder: In the Presence of Elephants. New York: Simon & Schuster.
7. Blanc, J. (2008). "Loxodonta africana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
8. Walsh, P. D., et al. (2008). "Gorilla gorilla ssp. gorilla". IUCN Red List.
9. Williamson, E. A.; Butynski, T. M. (2013). "Gorilla gorilla". In Butynski, T. M., et al. (eds.).
10. Scally, A., et al. (2012). "Insights into hominid evolution from the gorilla genome sequence". Nature.
11. Patterson, F.; Linden, E. (1981). The Education of Koko. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.
12. Maisels, F., et al. (2016). "Gorilla gorilla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.