![]() | ![]() |
![]() | |
![]() | 01 TUPAI or trEE SHREW (Tupaia glis) Anthropologists state that a tupai like animal was the probable ancient source from which sprang the later ancestors of lemurs - monkeys - ares and man Be that as it may - there are several forms of tupai in the world today They are squirrel sized creatures and much resemble those animals in their ways - in fact the name 'Tupai' is a Malay word applied to both the smaller squirrels and the tupais They hunt their food fruit and insects both in trees and on the ground Their range extends from India - through Burma - into Malaya - to Borneo and the Philippines |
![]() | 02 ORANGUTAN (Pongo Pvgmaeus) This large red ape lives in the forests of Borneo and Sumatra - where it feeds chiefly on fruit - shoots and leaves It is at home in the trees - its long powerful arms enabling it to swing through the canopy with ease Orangutans wander in small parties - feeding during the day - and spending the night in tree nests made of branches Adult males develop large pads on the cheeks - and both sexes have an inflatable throat pouch connected with the windpipe - perhaps associated with voice production Orangutans - if cornered - can he very dangerous - especially the males who have powerful teeth |
![]() | 03 AGILE GIBBON (Hvlbates angilis) In the Malay Peninsula and the island of Sumatra the Agile Gibbon may be found This gibbon (though all gibbons are agile) is reputed to he so acrobatic and fast that it has been known to catch birds on the wing On the ground it walks upright - often with arms held high above the head Gibbons are small slender apes with very long arms They spend their lives In the tree branches among which they swing and leap at great speed Their food consists of fruit nuts - shoots - birds' eggs - young birds and insects and one tribe will fight another for possession of feeding grounds They are often very noisy |
![]() | 04 PROBOSCIS MONKEY (Nasalis larvarus) The young Proboscis Monkey has a snub nose - the adult female has a small proboscis - and it is only in the adult male that the nose becomes large and pendulous - Why it develops this caricature of a nose is not known It is difficult to see what useful purpose it serves - This large monkey is found only in Borneo - In the forests it moves about in large groups and is never far from water - for it loves to swim It indulges in bouts of great activity - alternating with periods of complete inactivity during which it resents any intrusion either of other monkeys or of noise - In the wild they are almost exclusively leaf eaters - |
![]() | 05 SLENDER LORIS (Loris tardigradus) The forest lands of southern India and Ceylon are the homes of the Slender Loris This small creature not more than ten inches long - feeds on leaves - nuts - flowers - insects - eggs and any small animal it can catch It is completely nocturnal in its foraging - and spends the daylight hours asleep - curled up in a ball with is head between is thighs and one hand grasping the branch on which it is resting Hands and feet are especially adapted for grasping branches. Its normal progress is very deliberate - but it can move fairly fast when the need arises and when capturing food |
![]() | 06 HANUMAN MONKEY (Semnopithecus entellus) This is an Indian monkey common in the central portion of the peninsula. Dedicated to the god Hanuman - they are held sacred and are strictly protected wherever the Hindu faith exists These monkeys are well aware of their privileged state - and are regularly fed by priests in some Hindu temples - where they can hardly be called wild Their food consists of leaves - shoots and grain. Usually they roam in groups - the females carrying their young clasped to their breasts for some considerable time after they are born. Hanuman Monkeys belong to the group called Langurs - |
![]() | 07 TARSIER (Tarsius bancanus) This fascinating little animal - no bigger than a small rat - lives in the islands of Sumatra and Borneo There are other races in Celebes and the Philippines It lives in the forests - and its hands and feet have discs at the end of the toes to increase the grip on twigs and branches as It leaps from one to the other Nocturnal in its hunting - it lives on insects and tree frogs which It stalks - and captures with a final leap; it holds its prey in its hands like a squirrel Tarsiers sleep clinging to upright branches and - as well as gripping with hands and FCC - they use their tails as supports their remarkable cars are very mobile and can be folded at will |
![]() | 08 COBEGO (Cynocephalus vlans) This strange animal has always been a puzzle to zoologists so much so that it has had to be placed alone with no strong connections with any other animal The Malay Cobego is found in Sumatra - Borneo - Java - and the Malay Peninsula It lives among trees and feeds on flowers and leaves and - because of the web of skin which stretches between limbs - from head to tail - is able to glide very efficiently from tree to tree On the trunks and branches Its progress is laboured and Jerky It has a single young - born quite helpless - which spends a long period after birth clinging to its mother's underside ; she glides with the young in this position |
![]() | 09 MalAY FRUIT BAT (Pteropus vannpyrul) This - the largest of the fruit hats - has a wing span of four feet - and inhabits the Malay Peninsula Fruit hats - sometimes called Flying Foxes - feed exclusively on fruit They feed at night and are a great pest in areas where fruit is cultivated During the hours of daylight they roost in some secluded spot - hanging in thousands to the tree branches; at sundown they rouse and - in vast numbers - make their way to their chosen feeding ground which may be as much as twenty miles from their roosts Near dawn they return to the roost and - with much had tempered quarrelling and Citing - settle in the upside down position - hanging by their feet - to sleep |
![]() | 10 INDIAN LION (Panthera leo) The lion in Asia is almost extinct except for a small remnant in the Gir forest in Kathiawar - India - which now receives protection A few years ago a count there revealed a total of approximately 220 Compared with the African lion the Indian is reputed to be slightly smaller and the mane is not so full It is interesting to note that in certain Indian manuscript paintings male lions are sometimes depicted with very scanty manes which scarcely hide the anatomy of necks and shoulders In habits the Indian lion is very like It - African brother Its prey consists of Nilgai - Blackbuck - Chital Deer - Sambar and the like |
![]() | 11 CLOUDED LEOPARD (Neojelis nebulosa) This beautifully marked cat - somewhat smaller than the common leopard - and having a longer tail - shorter legs - and longer face than the leopard - ranges from the eastern Himalayas - Assam - Burma - South China and Malaya - in the islands of Borneo and Sumatra It is a forest animal and spends most of its life in the trees - where It hunts birds and small mammals it also sleeps in the trees Little appears to be known of is life in the wild state Examination of its skull reveals that it has canine teeth in the upper jaw proportionally larger than those of any other cat |
![]() | 12 TIGER (Pautheru Tigris) the tiger is widely distributed in Asia - and is found from Manchuria and Siberia - through India and Burma to Malava This savage - powerful - handsome cat haunts the jungles and forests of these countries - and takes its toll If deer and antelopes - wild swine - monkeys and peafowl Domestic cattle and humans are also its prey - and when a tiger becomes a man eater it can play havoc with the human population of a district Tigers are usually solitary and nocturnal in their activities They are not so noisy as lions and their roar has none of the earth shaking quality of that beast's - but in all other respects they are as formidable - and even more savage |
![]() | 13 PANTHER (Panthera pardus) 'Panther' was the name given to a large type of leopard which was at one time thought to be a separate species. Black phases - like the one depicted - are often called panthers - but these too are leopards - and interbreed with the spotted variety. The leopard is widely distributed in Asia - and is found in India - Burma and Malaya - etc. It preys on deer and antelopes - domestic cattle - monkeys and dogs. Leopards like to rest in tree branches - and often capture their prey from such a vantage point. They have astonishing strength and ferocity - and will drag prey heavier than themselves up into the tree branches to be devoured at leisure. |
![]() | 14 INDIAN CIVET (Viverra zibetha) Civets are cat like creatures - but differ from the cats in the long shape of the head - in the long and flattened body - and in long claws which are only partly retractile. They have a crest of hair along the spine which they can erect at will. The Indian Civet is a nocturnal hunter and kills any bird or small mammal it can capture. It also feeds on frogs - snakes and insects - and will raid domestic poultry. It is very destructive. From the secretion of a gland of the civet many perfumes and cosmetics are made. The Indian Civet ranges through eastern India - Burma - Thailand - Malaya and southern China. |
![]() | 15 SNOW LEOPARD (Uncia uncia) At elevations between 6000 and 20000 feet - in the mountain ranges of central Asia - the Snow Leopard may be found. The beautiful coat - composed of long outer fur and a close inner fur - is the animal's protection against the intense cold of these altitudes - In such unpromising surroundings it preys on wild sheep and goats - marmots and small rodents. Besides differing from the common leopard in the length and colour of its coat it has a rounder - more arched skull. As it lives in treeless areas it is doubtful if it can climb - but little is known of its habits in the wild. |
![]() | 16 SIBERIAN CHIPMUNK (Eutamias sibiricus) This ground squirrel is found over the whole of northern Asia. It feeds on nuts and beech mast - grain and roots - insect larvae - and sometimes young birds. It differs from the true squirrels in having cheek pouches in which it carries food. In the northerly parts of its range it hibernates in winter - gathering great quantities of food against this season. It lives in a hole in the ground or among the spreading roots of trees. This hole serves as a retreat - a place to hibernate in - and a principal storehouse. For the most part it spends its life on the ground but will sometimes take to the tree branches. |
![]() | 17 INDIAN MONGOOSE (Herpestes edwardsi) This mongoose occurs throughout India. Like other mongooses it is savage for its size - and lives on rats and mice - snakes and lizards - birds - eggs and insects. It lives in a hole in hedgerows - stream banks and rough scrubland - but is not normally a forest dweller. It often approaches houses and can play havoc among domestic poultry and rabbits. When excited it erects its long stiff hair - and this may be some protection in its encounters with venomous snakes; it is not immune from the effects of snake venom - but is so agile that - as a rule - it is the victor in such battles. It can be tamed - and makes an interesting and useful pet for it is death to all rats. |
![]() | 18 YARKAND JERBOA (Euchoreutes naso) Sometimes called the Long eared Jerboa - this little animal inhabits the desert and steppe regions of Yarkand in north west China. It differs from other jerboas in its longer nose and its enormous ears - and is similar to them in the smallness of the forelegs and the development of the hind legs. Jerboas progress in great leaps and are very fast; the hind legs only are used in these leaps. They live in burrows - and are nocturnal in their feeding. Their food consists chiefly of vegetable matter - though they will take birds' eggs and insects. During the winter cold they hibernate in their burrow sin which they live in small colonies. Their burrows consist of a central chamber with several branching tunnels leading from it. |
![]() | 19 INDIAN GIANT SQUIRREL (Ratufa indica) This handsome squirrel can attain a length of 30 inches. It is confined to the forest land of India and is strictly a tree dweller - feeding by day on nuts - fruit - buds and young shoots. In its passage through the trees it reveals remarkable powers of leaping - bridging gaps of almost 20 feet. As a rule - except in the breeding season - it is solitary - each individual having its own territory in which it constructs several globular nests of twigs and leaves. In these it sleeps - and the females give birth to their young in them. Other giant squirrels are found in Ceylon - IndoChina - the Malay Peninsula and Borneo - |
![]() | 20 GIANT PANDA (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) Not really a panda - and certainly not a bear - the Giant Panda occupies a niche of its own in zoology. Its range is restricted to the bamboo jungles of central and western Szechwan - and its food is exclusively bamboo shoots and stems. To grasp these the panda's forefeet are especially adapted - there being a swollen pad which acts almost like a thumb on the underside. When a stem is grasped this pad is opposite to the first toe - and between them a good grip of the bamboo is obtained. When not feeding the Giant Panda lies up in caves - and sometimes in the forks of trees. It is said to hibernate - but this is not invariable. |
![]() | 21 RED PANDA (Ailurus fulgens) This handsome animal inhabits the mountain forests from Nepal eastwards through Assam to Yunnan and Szechwan in China. It is sometimes called the 'cat bear'. Its sharp claws are partially retractile and are used chiefly for tree climbing and not for defence - for it appears to be rather slow and dull in temperament. Very much a creature of the trees and a vegetarian - it feeds on fruit - acorns - bamboo shoots and roots. The Red Panda feeds in the morning and the evening and sleeps much during the day - though it is not entirely nocturnal. When sleeping it curls up on its side completely covering its head with its long bushy tail. The undersides of the feet are covered with hair which hides the pads. |
![]() | 22 SLOth BEAR (Melursus ursinus) This bear lives in India and Ceylon and - though it has been exterminated from some of its haunts - is still fairly common. Chiefly nocturnal - but is sometimes seen abroad on cloudy days. It passes the day in caves or concealed among trees and bushes. The tongue is exceptionally long which enables it to scoop up termites and ants - and its claws are prodigiously strong - efficient tools for digging out the nests of bees - for this bear loves honey. Fruit - leaves - and carrion are also eaten - and it is known to climb the date palms in which natives hang pots to catch the exuding juice which - when fermented - makes a drink called 'Toddy'. The bear sometimes drinks so much of this as to become quite drunk. |
![]() | 23 StrIPED HYENA (Hyaena hyaena) In Asia the Striped Hyena ranges through India - Baluchistan - Persia and Arabia - inhabiting open sandy desert country or woodland - and is chiefly nocturnal. Any hole or cave serves for its daytime retreat. Usually solitary in hunting - this hyena feeds on the carcass remnants of animals killed by other beasts of prey - and even when a skeleton has been picked clean by jackals and vultures - the bones themselves are a meal for the strong jawed hyena. In inhabited districts it is particularly dreaded for its grave robbing habits. It will carry off sheep - goats and dogs. Compared with the Spot tea Hyena of Africa it is a much more silent animal. |
![]() | 24 WOLF (Canis lupus) The wolf ranges across Asia from the Ural Mountains in the west across Siberia to Kamchatka in the east - and is also found in Tibet and India. Wolves inhabit both forest and open country and - as a rule - they are either solitary or in pairs - though in winter they may congregate in large packs - Any living thing is food for a wolf and - with is strong jaws and tireless speedy running - it is a formidable hunter - though it will not attack man unless it is frantic with hunger and is hunting in a pack. The cry is a prolonged howl. |
![]() | 25 INDIAN WILD DOG or DHOLE (Cuon alpinus) The Dhole inhabits a variety of country from the large forests of southern India to the forest clad portions of the Himalayas. It hunts - both by night and day - in small packs of from six to ten. Following the scent of their prey until it is in view - and pursuing relentlessly until they can spring at their victim - they eventually drag it down In India they hunt blackbuck - gazelles - deer and wild pig and - in the Himalayas - wild sheep - goats and antelopes. They are capable of bringing down such large animals as nilgai and buffalo - They shun the neighbourhood of man. |
![]() | 26 INDIAN FOX (Vulpes bengalensis) This is one of the smallest of the true foxes - and is common throughout India - It feeds on rats - land crabs - grasshoppers - beetles and the like - and may hunt at all hours of the day or night. 1 - lives in a burrow which has several openings converging towards the centre - some blind - others leading towards a large central space where the animal breeds - and which may be 2 or 3 feet below the ground surface. This burrow is often in the open plain - This slender - pretty fox is easily tamed and is more suitable than other foxes for this purpose owing to the absence of odour - |
![]() | 27 GAUR (Bos gaurus) This largest of all the OX tribe inhabits the hill forests of India - Assam and Burma the hull Gaur may be 6 feet tall at the shoulder and is massively built they roam the forests in small herds of a dozen or So and these herds are dominated by a master bull Sometimes solitary old bulls are encountered which have been banished from the herd by a stronger bull; these outcast bulls usually bear many scars of battle on their horns - ears and flanks - They are often dangerous beasts - As cultivation in India spreads Gaur are decreasing in numbers for they are apt to be Infected with the diseases of domestic cattle - |
![]() | 28 TAKIN (Budorcas taxicotor) Among the bamboo and rhododendron forests of the hills - from the eastern Himalayas - through Assam and northern Burma into western China - the Takin may be found - These grotesque beasts - which look like a mixture of sheep and ox - roam their mountain homes in herds of anything from 5 to 50 - and at altitudes up to 10000 feet Males and females are usually in separate herds - the males ranging higher than the females which have young to tend They move about their precipitous homes with ease - and men find them difficult to hunt - |
![]() | 29 INDIAN BUFFalO (Bubaltis bubalis) This buffalo - in its domesticated form - is widespread throughout the oriental regions - but as a truly wild animal it is becoming rare In India the haunts of the wild Buffalo are the tall grass jungles of the plains and river valleys They love swamps They are found in herds of about 50 - and feed chiefly on grass in the evening - at night - and in the early morning - spending the heat of the day lying in high grass They can play havoc among growing crops Large bulls are said to attain a height of 6 feet at the shoulder |
![]() | 30 ARGalI (Ovis ammion) This is the largest of the wild sheep - the adult rams being as large as a medium sized donkey Argalis are widespread across central Asia and are invariably mountain animals - There is a variety of races - the one depicted being the Siberian - of the type found in the Altai mountains - Here these sheep spend their lives and - unless disturbed - remain on the same mountain always Except in the breeding season rams and ewes remain separate - the former in small groups of 3 to 5 - the latter singly - The ewes have much smaller horns than the rams - and are quite different in appearance |
![]() | 31 TAHR (Hemitragusjemlahicus) There are three varieties of Tahr - one inhabiting the Himalayas - another the Nilgiri Hills in India - and another in Arabia - The Himalayan Tahr is depicted - Tahr differ from other goats in that they have no heard - the extremity of the muzzle is naked - and the females have four teats instead of two - The females have horns which are almost as large as those of the males - In the Himalayas Tahr frequent the precipitous forest regions Except in the breeding season the males herd separately from the females - Kids are born in June and July - a single one only being produced at a birth - |
![]() | 32 MARRHOR (Capra jaloneri) 'Markhor is a native name meaning 'snake eater - but whether this is one of the habits of this fine goat is not known - Markhor are mountain animals and they range from Kashmir and Afghanistan to Baluchistan - where they haunt the precipitous mountain forests and pastures - feeding on grass and tree shoots - They are extremely agile on the rock faces - There are several races inhabiting various mountainous countries - and the horns are extremely varied - one race having the horns in the form of a tight screw - and another extreme having horns of a very open spiral Between these extremes there is a variety of twisted horns - |
![]() | 33 BLACKBUCK (Antilope cervicapra) In India - from the northern plains to Cape Comorin - the Blackbuck may be found where the country is suitable grassy districts or cultivated areas being its choice. It wanders about in herds of from 10 to 50 - though it has - at times - been observed in hundreds. Only the males have the long spiral horns - and only fully adult males have the blackbrown and white coat - Young males and all females are yellowish fawn and white Blackbuck are immensely fast and have great stamina. Few animals can overtake them on good ground. The males are quarrelsome in the rutting season and fight much among themselves. |
![]() | 34 SAIGA (Saiga tatarica) This grotesque - swollen nosed antelope inhabits the great steppes of western Asia It lives in herds - sometimes of several hundreds - and wanders far. In summer it may be found far enough north to mix with reindeer - while in winter it may be south enough to have the Goitre Gazelle for company In winter the herds split up into smaller numbers While the majority of the herd sleeps there are always several members alert and watchful Over a short distance Saigas are speedy - but soon become blown When captured young they can be easily tamed - and follow their owners like dogs. |
![]() | 35 NILGAI (Boselaphus tragocameius) This is the largest of the Indian antelopes - and the name means 'blue bull'. This refers to the male which is indeed blue grey The females and young males are brown - and the females are hornless They are distributed in certain areas in India and nowhere else - Nilgai both graze and browse and prefer thin hush with scattered trees - and sometimes wander on to cultivated ground when they do much damage; they feed at any time of the day. The bulls are usually separated from the females and young - and are often solitary. |
![]() | 36 GOItrED GAZELLE (Gazella subgutturosa) As a rule the females of the gazelle family have horns - but in the case of the Goitred Gazelles they are hornless - They have a peculiar swelling in front of the neck which - in the males - becomes much enlarged in the mating season - hence the name 'goitred'. This gazelle is found in the highlands of Persia (now Iran) - and a larger relative ranges across the Mongolian steppes - They are animals of the bleak plains - over which they wander in large herds grazing on the scanty herbage. Wolves and cheetahs prey upon them - but when put to flight they can be very speedy. |
![]() | 37 INDIAN CHEVROTAIN (Tragulus memimma) This little animal lives in southern India and Ceylon It is related to the deer and - but for one African species - is the smallest of the ruminants. The males have canine teeth which are elongated into tusks. Chevrotains appear to walk on their hoof points - and have a peculiar - mincing stiff legged gait They are shy and retiring and come Out to feed only at dawn and dusk. During daylight they hide away in rock crevices or thick jungle cover - and it is in such a place that the female gives birth to her one - or two - young. Except in the mating season the adults are solitary. |
![]() | 38 CHITal (Axis axis) This handsome species is found over much of India - especially where there are trees and water - or bush and bamboo cover Chital are never far from water - and wander about in herds - sometimes of several hundreds - They feed for a few hours after sunrise - and again before sunset; they both graze and browse. During the heat of the day they retire to cover - From northern India to the south - Chital vary much in size - in the time they cast their antlers - and in the time they have their young. They are white spotted at all ages and at all times - unlike our own Fallow Deer - which are spotted in spring and summer only. |
![]() | 39 MUNTJAK (Muntiacus muntjak) Muntjak are widely distributed through the oriental regions - from India to China - Sumatra - Java and Borneo - They are small - not more than 20 inches high at the shoulder - and have peculiar horns which spring from long hair covered pedicles - The females are hornless - The males have long canine teeth or tusks which show outside the lower lip - When attacked by dogs they have been known to use their tusks as weapons - inflicting quite deep gashes. Muntjak are solitary forest dwellers - shy and retiring - and diurnal in their feeding - |
![]() | 40 KIANG (Equus kiang) The Kiang - or Tibetan Wild Ass - is a fine animal living on the plains and river valleys of Tibet at altitudes up to 16000 feet above sea level - It is a powerfully built animal standing about 13 hands high with small - horse like ears - strong legs and broad hoofs. They live in herds and whilst they are grazing a sentinel keeps watch at a point some distance from the herd - Any alarm signal sends the whole herd away at a speedy canter - interrupted when it wheels about and Stops to watch the intruder from a safe distance. As a rule Kiangs are silent animals - but sometimes they utter a bray like sound. In winter they grow a long coat and are paler in colour. |
![]() | 41 MONGOLIAN WILD HORSE (Equus przewalskii) A big head with convex face profile - a hog mane - and a tail with short hair near its base and long hair nearer the tip typify the Mongolian Wild Horse - Soon this primitive horse will be no more as a pure strain - for - as well as being persecuted by man - it is interbreeding with other types of domestic horses. In certain continental zoos attempts have been - and are being - made to breed back to the pure stock - There is a marked resemblance between this wild horse and some prehistoric rock paintings and bone carvings - and there is little doubt that similar wild horses roamed all over Europe and Asia in prehistoric times - |
![]() | 42 MalAY TAPIR (Tapirus indicus) This tapir is found in Burma - Thailand - the Malay Peninsula - and Sumatra. It is a vegetarian and feeds on aquatic plants and other succulent greenery - and is nocturnal and very shy. When it enters deep water it is said to walk along the bottom. Although in a zoo it appears very conspicuous - it is camouflaged almost to invisibility in its natural forest habitat - especially in bright moonlight. Tapirs give birth to one - sometimes two - young which are dark brown - spotted and striped with yellow - They are thick skinned beasts - and have few enemies except leopards and tigers. They have tusk like canine teeth and can inflict terrible bites when necessary. |
![]() | 43 INDIAN RHINOCEROS (Rhinoceros unicornis) In 1956 there were only about 300 350 Indian Rhinos left in the world - and of these the greatest number were in Assam A few remained in West Bengal - a few in Nepal - Unfortunately these rhinos carry a fortune on their noses - 2500 dollars regularly being offered by Chinese traders for a single horn which is sold in China as a medicine for even more fantastic prices. This rhino stands 51/2 feet at the shoulders - is a vegetarian - likes swampy ground and is fond of a mud wallow 1 - has two tusk like teeth in its lower jaw as well as the single horn - all of which it may use as weapons. It is as temperamental as is black cousin in Africa - and will attack elephants without hesitation |
![]() | 44 ASIATIC ELEPHANT (Elephas maximus) India - Ceylon - Assam - Burma - Thailand - Sumatra and Borneo are the countries of the wild Asiatic Elephant. In undulating forest country - particularly where bamboos flourish - they live in herds - keeping to the dense forest near water during the hot period of the year - but venturing into more open land in the rainy season to feed on the young grass. Elephants are entirely vegetarian in their food. They are fond of Water and are excellent swimmers. At all times they are temperamental and are usually shy - but old solitary bulls - and females with calves are often dangerous. An adult male will weigh between 21/2 and 3 tons and average a height of 9 feet at the shoulders. |
![]() | 45 BACtrIAN CAMEL (Camelus bactrianus) Though this camel has been domesticated for many centuries - wild remnants may still wander the great expanses of the Gobi Desert in Mongolia - In build and constitution they are adapted to a much colder and harsher habitat than the Arabian Camel. They are two humped - have short sturdy legs - and are protected with great masses of hair - They need no shelter - hut sleep in deep snow - and can cross mountainous country - as well as deserts - with ease - They can stand the greatest extremes of temperature - The bitter and saline plants of the steppes are their food and they drink freely from the salt lakes which occur in their terrain - |
![]() | 46 BABIRUSA (Babyrousa babyrussa) The Malay word 'babirusa' means 'pig deer' and no doubt it was the fantastic development of the tusks of the male which gave this pig that name. Babirusas inhabit the Celebes and Boru. Moist forest - bamboo canes - and the banks of lakes and rivers are - their favoured places - for they feed on roots and water plants. They are nocturnal in their feeding and are excellent swimmers - crossing lakes and even narrow channels of the sea. The sow has only one - or two - at a birth - and these are very tiny and without the stripes which characterise the young of wild swine. |
![]() | 47 INDIAN WILD PIG (Sus cristatus) This wild pig is similar to the European species - except that it is rather taller - has a thinner covering of hair - and no under fur - 1 - also has a crest of long black bristles running along the spine. It is distributed throughout India - Ceylon and Burma. Away from human haunts these wild swine live chiefly on roots - but in areas of cultivation they are devastating - for the herds destroy as much by trampling as by eating. They will also feed on carrion and animal care asses. They feed at dusk and dawn and lie up in the heat of the day. The young may number 6 to 10 at a birth and are striped - Adult boars - in their prime - are considered a match for a tiger - |
![]() | 48 DUGONG (Dugong dugon) Around the shores of the Indian Ocean - for about 15 degrees each side of the Equator - Dugongs may be found - They are strange leisurely creatures - browsing on seaweeds and marine grasses. They do not enter fresh water. In days gone by they were numerous - but they have been so hunted and persecuted for their oil and their flesh that they are now scared and shy - It was the Dugong that was supposedly responsible for the sailors' stories of mermaids - but anything less like a mermaid would be difficult to imagine - Dugongs may measure up to 10 feet in length. |
![]() | 49 INDIAN GHARIal (Gavialis gangeticus) This peculiar thin jawed crocodile is found mainly in the rivers Indus - Ganges and Brahmaputra. It is a fisheater and its long jaws - armed with numerous - long curved teeth - are adapted for this purpose. It rarely attacks mammals and - because of is fish diet - is more aquatic than other crocodiles - The female lays her eggs in the sand of the river bank - depositing them in two layers - and covering them with a considerable depth of sand. Fully grown Gharials may reach a length of at least 20 feet. They are held sacred by the Hindus - |
![]() | 50 STARRED TORTOISE (Testudoelegans) This species of Starred Tortoise inhabits India and Ceylon. It is common in dry hilly districts and is found in the grass jungles at the foot of the hills. Against these grassy - rocky surroundings is starred shell is difficult to see. In the heat of the day they conceal themselves beneath shrubs or grass tussocks . In the rainy season they become much more active - and feed during all hours of the day - but in the cold season they thrust themselves into some protected cavity - and become almost torpid until the hot season. They lay their eggs in a hole which they excavate in the ground - then push the earth back over the eggs and flatten it with their own weight so that no trace of disturbance is to be seen. |
| Illustrated and described by C F Tunnicliffe | |