Category: Mammals
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Finding One of The Rarest Animals in Europe
I am not traveling 10,000 kilometers from Hong Kong to the Swiss Alps just to ski. Europe is almost my least visited continent because of its low biodiversity. There are only a few European species that can make it to my bucket list, and that is a no-brainer. I have always wanted to find a…
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What Monkeys Have Died In Hong Kong Zoo?
Nine monkeys were found dead within a short time at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens. Speculating over the cause of death before the necropsy report is released is never a good idea. Now how about I share some of my knowledge and experience about these monkeys? De Brazza’s monkey (Cercopithecus neglectus) is the…
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I Was About To Meet Anne Innis Dagg
I was scheduled to meet the world’s first giraffologist on Monday during her trip to Hong Kong. I have been preparing for welcoming this pioneering zoologist from Canada. But now, this meeting will never be possible. R.I.P. Dr. Anne Innis Dagg (1933-2024) My deepest condolences to the family and the Anne Innis Dagg (AID) Giraffe…
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I Found The Rarest Pig In The World
It’s Kinda Sus… Literally, it is a kind of Sus — it means pig, swine or hog in latin that is used in zoology and taxonomy. Sus is the genus of 9 species of pigs including wild boar, domestic pig, and this extraordinary one I was lucky enough to encounter. The World’s Rarest Pig Can…
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What Animals Can Sing Besides Birds?
What Animals Can Sing Besides Birds? Although some birds don’t sing, such as vultures, storks, cedar waxwing, and the females of many species, birds are the best singers in the animal kingdom. Other than birds, many animals can sing. Mammals that can sing include whales, mice, Mexican free-tailed bats, and antelope squirrels. Cold-blooded animals that…
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Just Adopted A Chinchilla From Hong Kong Exodus
We have recently adopted and rehomed many pets that couldn’t make it to stay with their families due to the mass emigration from Hong Kong. This chinchilla is from a repatriating expat. She was so sad and couldn’t hold her tears when I picked him up. I hope this video will make her feel better…
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Hong Kong Monkeys | 香港獼猴 – 香港野生動物
There are around 1,800 wild monkeys in Hong Kong, in 30 social troops. None of them are native to Hong Kong. They were all introduced. There are 2 species – the Rhesus Macaque (Macaca mulatta), Long-tailed Macaque or crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis), and their hybrids. Stable populations reside in country parks such as Kam Shan…
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Wild Boar – Hong Kong Wildlife | 野豬 – 香港野生動物
The Wild boars (Sus scrofa) is also known as wild swine, common wild pig, or simply wild pig. Sus scrofa (Linnaeus, 1758)Kingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: ArtiodactylaFamily: SuidaeGenus: SusSpecies: scrofa See more of my encounters with Hong Kong Wildlife. 野豬, 山豬
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Pallas’s Squirrel – Hong Kong Wildlife | 赤腹松鼠 – 香港野生動物
Squirrels are everywhere in the world, with the exception of Antarctica. These rodents can even be found in the Arctic Circle. But did you know that, like Australia, there were no squirrels in Hong Kong originally? They were introduced. There are 200 species in the squirrel family (Sciuridae) – Chipmunks, marmots, groundhogs, flying squirrels, prairie…
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Leopard Cat – Hong Kong Wildlife | 豹貓 – 香港野生動物
The only native cat of Hong Kong – The Leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) Civet cats are not cats, and the South China tigers (Panthera tigris amoyensis) has been locally extinct long ago. Leopard cats are as big as some larger domestic cats, with a body length of 40-60 cm, and weighing 2-3 kg. Do not…
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Small Indian Civet – Hong Kong Wildlife | 小靈貓 – 香港野生動物
Civets (or sometimes called civet cats, though they are not cats) are small, lean, mostly nocturnal mammal native to tropical forests of Asia and Africa. Kopi luwak (also called civet coffee, caphe cut chon, fox-dung coffee, kape alamid) is a coffee that is prepared using coffee cherries that have been eaten and partly digested by…
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Pangolin – Hong Kong Wildlife | 穿山甲 – 香港野生動物
This mammal has a lot in common with the porcupine. It is also nocturnal, slow-moving, and with high protection of the body made out of keratin. But unlike the porcupine, this one is rare. Extremely rare, critically endangered, and the number 1 most trafficked mammal in the world. Did you know that we have pangolins in…
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Porcupine – Hong Kong Wildlife | 箭豬 – 香港野生動物
If you will go on a night hike this is possibly the easiest animal to spot. The only porcupine species in Hong Kong is the Malayan porcupine (Hystrix brachyura). I found these spiky fellows in Kowloon Peak. It has become obviously more common in the Mid-levels along Blacks Link, Bowen Road, and the Victoria Peak,…
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Big Cats Roaming Freely In The Wild May Not Always Be The Lucky Ones
Everyone is talking about “Tiger King”. Now you probably have an idea how big cats like lions and tigers are kept in captivity. You may think that they could have a better life if they were in their natural habitats. I have spent a lot of time in Africa, and I did not always see…
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Wild Hedgehog Facts & Differences From Porcupines, Echidnas, and Tenrecs
African Four-Toed or Pygmy Hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) In this video I’m talking about: – The differences between African hedgehogs, European hedgehogs, Porcupines of Asia, Echidnas of Australia, and Tenrecs of Madagascar – Relationship with other mammals through evolution – Self-anointing behavior – Crepuscular animals – How to stay cool while being bit by a hedgehog…
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Lemurs in Madagascar I Encountered
Indri (Indri indri) Once upon a time, there were extinct lemurs as big as gorillas. Today, the Indri is the largest extant lemur species. But it is critically endangered, too.
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Mammals in Madagascar I Encountered
Most of my sightings of mammals in Madagascar are lemurs, obviously. I’d put them in another post – Lemurs in Madagascar I Encountered Lemurs are attractive but I wouldn’t forget that there were many interesting and lesser-known mammals I encountered in Madagascar. Lesser hedgehog tenrec (Echinops telfairi) Surprisingly, the tenrecs are related to sea cows and elephants…
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World’s Last Male of This Rhino Dies
So long, Sudan! As a dinosaur fan when I was a kid, co-existing with some still living triceratops on earth inside the timeline of my life was hope, heuristic and what made me go on. But now I’m grown and I’ve learned more. It just leaves tears. After Suni died 4 years ago, Sudan became…