Category Secrets of the Wild

          The tallest wild member in the dog family is the maned wolf. The animal has a height of 90 centimetres up to its shoulder. The head to body length of a maned wolf is about 100 centimetres. The tail will add another 45cm to the body length. The species has large and long ears, of about 17.8 centimetres.

          In fact, the animal is not a wolf, even though it is called a wolf. It is not a fox either. The maned wolf is a different species altogether. It is commonly found in the open grasslands of South America. Scientists believe that its height is an adaptation to the tall grass in the region.

          The maned wolf has certain similarities to the red fox. It is famous for the distinctive odour of its territory markings, which has earned it a nickname, skunk wolf.

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          Have you heard the story of the fox who tried hard to get a taste of grapes? Although we do not have any conclusion evidence to suggest that foxes have a craving for grapes, we know for sure that they enjoy both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

          Their diet is made up of insects, birds, rats and hares, and can include eggs and plants too. Foxes that live near water bodies enjoy fish and crabs as well. Most species of fox consume about one kilogram of food every day.

          Sometimes, they raid places where humans reside, and eat from the trash they have dumped. At times, they eat a lot so that they can rest and relax for a day or two. They have the habit of burying excess food for consumption later, usually under dry leaves, snow, or loose soil.

          Foxes have the habit of using the pouncing technique to catch their prey. They crouch down to camouflage themselves in the terrain. Then using their hind legs, they leap with great force to land on top of their prey, thus trapping it.

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          The members of the Canidae family differ in their sizes and appearances. Some breeds of domestic dogs can be bigger than a pony. Dog breeds like the Saint Bernard and the Great Dane are examples. However, the largest species in the family is the grey wolf.

          An adult grey wolf measure between 105 and 106 centimetres in length, and 80 and 85 centimetres in shoulder height. Its tail is 30 to 50 centimetres ling. The grey wolf weighs about 30 to 40 kgs. While male members are heavier, the female will typically be lighter, and weigh 2.3 – 4.5 kg less than males. Other canids will have slight variation in weight from the wolves.

          The smallest member of the Canidae family is the fennec fox. It has a height of only 24 centimetres. The weight of the animal is a paltry 1 kg.

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          If you think that a huge animal like the elephant should have at least a relative at least half its size, you are wrong! The closest kin of the tusker is a puny-sized animal called the rock hyrax. Our amazement will see no bounds when we learn that this animal does not weigh more than four kilograms! The rock hyrax is a small, furry herbivore native to Africa and the Middle East.

          Although hyraxes are tiny in comparison, there are a few physical traits that are share with the elephant. A rock hyrax has little tusks that are similar to those of the elephant. They grow from their incisor teeth. Most mammals with tusks develop them from their canine teeth. These animals have flattened nails on the tips of their digits too. The manatee also shares a common ancestry with the elephant. There was another relative called Tethytheria, which died out more than 50 million years ago.

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          Have you ever thought about how an enormous animal like the elephant manage its weight and size? The animal’s body has developed certain mechanisms to cope with them. If you have observed a dog or a goat, you will see that their legs are positioned at an angle. However, an elephant’s legs are like pillars. They are in an almost vertical position under their huge body. Due to this arrangement, the animal’s heavy skeleton and internal organs get a strong support.

          The skull of an elephant is special too. There are several cavities in the skull resembling a honey-comb. These hollow cavities make the skull lighter, yet strong enough to carry the weight of the trunk. Do you know that the trunk of an elephant can carry weights as heavy as 200 kilograms?

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          Have you seen an elephant race? In some countries such as Thailand, in order to attract tourists, activities like elephant races and elephant football matches are organized.

          Since such sports are cruel, there is a rising awareness worldwide regarding the need to handle animals in captivity with respect and consideration.

          In fact, elephants cannot run! All an elephant can manage to do is to walk. There are two gaits possible for an elephant: a walk and a faster gait, which is similar to running.

          When they are on the faster gait, they can reach speeds up to 49 km/h!

          At this speed, the elephant gives the impression that it is into a gallop, much like a horse.

          However, elephants cannot trot, jump or gallop. They are great swimmers, though!

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          Elephants are magnificent wild animals. Hundreds of elephants are being hunted down every year across the globe for their tusks. Ivory from elephant tusks is more valuable than gold today. The ivory trade became a serious threat to elephants in the 1970s.

          Thousands of these animals are attached by poachers using automatic weapons, motorized vehicles and airplanes. In 1990, the concern over the decline of the elephant population led to the banning of the ivory trade world over.

          However, though the ban brought about a temporary decrease in poaching, the illegal hunting of these animals has increased dramatically in the last 10 years or so.

          This is primarily due to the rapid development of the traditionally ivory-consuming nations, particularly China.

        How many kilograms of food do you consume a day? However hard you try, it will not be more than three kilograms. Do you know how much as elephant consumes a day? Compared to other animals, an elephant has a huge body frame. Therefore, elephants have to eat and drink proportionate to the size of its body.

        Do you know that an elephant consumes about 180 kg of food each day? It spends about 18 hours just eating. Elephants are herbivores and feed on grasses, tree foliage, and bark, twigs and other vegetation. African elephants largely prefer tree leaves, bark, and branches, Asian elephants, on the other hand, shrubs, in addition to juicy leaves and fruit.

        These animals need to drink a lot of water too. An elephant consumes about 190 litres of water a day. That is how much water a standard bathtub can hold!

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        Have you ever gone close to an elephant? The most intimidating aspect of an elephant is its size. An enormous tusker is an awe-inspiring sight. While the Asian elephant is big, the African bush elephant is bigger.

        The most obvious difference between the African and the Asian elephants is the size of their ears. The African’s ears are twice as big as those of the Asian. There is difference in the structure of the chewing surface of the teeth too. While the teeth of the Asian elephant have close narrow loops, the African elephants have wider, diamond shaped surfaces.

        There are four toes on an Asian elephant’s hind foot, while the African has only three. There are more folds or rings in the African elephant’s trunk. Its trunk has two fingers at its tip. The Asian counterpart has only one finger at the end of the trunk. Another significant difference between these animals is that while among the Asian elephants the females do not tusks, the female African elephant has long tusks!

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