Madagascar Red Owl

The Madagascar Red Owl is a species that is nocturnal, and is mainly found on the Eastern side of the Island of Madagascar.

 It is very difficult to study because there are not many of these species, and due to forestation they are living higher up in trees. I found it very interesting that the first nest was only found in 1995, in which it was located in a hole in a native tree.

The Madagascar Red owl is in the same family as the barn owl, but has a few different characteristics.

Characteristics

The Madagascar Red owl only reaches to be about 30 cm tall. It has an orange coat, that is covered in black spots. It has a heart shaped face that is light in color, and usually matches the same light color that is on its stomach, and underneath its wings. They have grey talons, and a light colored beak. The young owls are usually brighter, but the male and female have very similar characteristics.

 

They are said to have a loud hissing screech that changes in tone at the end of its call, along with a "WOK-WOK-WOK" call.

 

When these species are found, it is that they are found in pairs because they live a monogamous lifestyle. The male brings the female food, and also leads the female to good nesting sites.

 

The Madagascar Red Owl are carnivores, and they eat species such as insects, reptiles, mammals, and rats.

 

What's being done, and why should we care?

Many of the sites where Madagascar Red Owls are found are in protected forest areas. They are important because they control the population of their prey within the forest. Because it is a species that has very little known information, there is said to be no negative affects of this species.

 

Conservation efforts are in effect, although there are very few. The efforts that are active are mainly focused on expanding the knowledge of the species. The following link is an example of conservation efforts being conducted:

 

http://www.peregrinefund.org/projects/madagascar-red-owl

 

 

They want a better understanding of their breeding, ecology, and the actual number of species that exist. We should make this happen because without this information, we will not truly know anything about this species.

 

 It is also important to understand what is happening within the forest, so we have FULL KNOWLEDGE of the impact of both illegal logging and commercial logging, deforestation, and the affects of poor farming. These are all reasons why the Madagascar Red Owl are on the extinction list, including uncontrollable fires.

 

If Madagascar implemented better farming practices, it could decrease the amounts of forest fires; helping the birds be able to stay in their natural habitats, and decreasing the amount of deforestation. We could also decrease the amount of "slash&burn" which is used to clear forests to create room for agriculture.

 

 

 

It never hurts to learn more about a species, and understanding the Madagascar Red Owl more, will help us understand the forest and what lives within it!

 



 

 

 



 

 

Dhole

 

 

Characteristics

There are 10 subspecies of the dhole ranging in color and size. Two of the subspecies are listed as endangered by the IUCN (east Asian dhole and the west Indian dhole). Two other subspecies are on the verge of extinction ( C.a. primaerus, and the C.a. laniger).

The dhole is similar to a household dog, in which it's size can be compared to a border collie. It has reddish/brown fur, and usually white on it's chest. Depending on it's location, it may have grey within it's coat. This species differs from other wild dogs because it has a few extra teeth, and a very strong jaw.

The dhole  is an omnivore because it eats wild berries, insects, and lizards, and can even take down an elephant, wild boar, or leopard if with a large pack. Instead of killing prey by biting the preys throat, they attack larger animals from behind; and smaller animals by latching on to any part of their body. Dholes compete for their food by comparing how fast they can eat, which is why they never fight over their prey. The larger prey is more likely to die from the blood loss, than the initial attack itself.

 

                                        Where do they live?

 

 

 

 

The dhole can live in a variety of habitats which vary from the tropical rainforest and the jungle, to the alpine forest and open plains. It is also said that they like the water, in which you can find them near it most of the time. This not only refreshes them, but allows to stalk prey. They have a hunting range which is about 15 square miles, and they can travel in packs of 5-12. You may also find them hunting with only one other Dhole, or Dholes from other packs. The pack could reach to the amount of 20, but it is highly likely to find that many together. This may happen because they take care of their young as a group, and they may need help when feeding and guarding the young.

 

Because Dholes are rarely seen, they are not quite sure if they exist where they were historically known to exist. There have however been spotted in southeast Tibet, India ( south of the Ganges river), northeast India states, the Himalaya's and northwest India. The have been spotted in Kashmir, Myanmar, Nepal, northern and central Malaysia, and Terai.

Why should we care?

 

Dholes have be­come an in­di­rect food source for the res­i­dents of the jun­gles. Dholes do not at­tack human be­ings, and they usu­ally run away at the sight of a per­son. Human res­i­dents of the jun­gle fol­low dholes when they are hunt­ing., and when the dhole com­pletes its kill; the human hunters scare it away and steal its kill. The only negative is that they can attach livestock at the cost of the owner. Because Dholes are in the same proximity of humans, they have a way of getting sick, just like the common dog. This is one reason that Dholes have become endangered in areas where they have high contact with humans.  

MANY PEOPLE DO NOT EVEN KNOW THAT THIS SPECIES EXIST, AND ARE UNAWARE THAT THEY ARE ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING EXTINCT.

 

                                     How can you help?

 

According to http://www.savingcatsanddogs.org/species/dholes/, the following solutions can help save dholes from extinction:

•  Raise awareness about the species within local communities
• Decrease the level of conflicts between humans and Doles
• Implement measures to reduce conflict
• Maintain and increase natural prey base
• Restore and protect forest habitat from further loss and fragmentation

 

 

 

                                 Conservation Actions

 

You can go to http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/5953/0 to learn more about the conservation action:

•  Cambodia protects all dholes from hunting. They are also trying to get a new forestry law passed, with a proposal to list the species as a fully protected species.
• India protects the dholes by using the "Schedule 2 of the Wildlife Act of 1972". This means they need permission to kill any individual unless it is self defense, or if an individual is a "man killer". India also has a tiger reserves, which has provided protection for the dholes.
• In 1974, the Russian Federation had Dholes under the protected animal status, but the poisoning of grey wolves could have been why Dholes are believed to be nonexistent in Russia today.
• Viet Nam has Dholes listen under "category IIB" which limits extraction and utilization. It is not an effective conservation effort, because extraction and utilization are not quantified.
• China put Dholes on the category II protected species list in 1988, and is under the Chinese wildlife protection act.

 

  

Projects that are happening to save Dhole's from becoming extinct

http://www.savingcatsanddogs.org/stories/down-with-the-dholes-of-nepal/

http://www.savingcatsanddogs.org/stories/right-to-roam-for-dholes/

 

 

Websites I got my information from:

 

http://www.savingcatsanddogs.org/species/dholes/

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/5953/0

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Cuon_alpinus/

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/species/profiles/mammals/dhole/

http://www.cuon.net/dholes/

 

 

 

 

 

All about clouded leopards

                       Characteristics of the Clouded Leopard

                                              

The clouded leopard is a medium-sized cat named for the cloud-like spots on its coat. These provide camouflage in the light of its forest habitat. (In China the cat is known as the 'Mint Leopard' because its spots can also look like mint leaves). The cats usually stand 10-16 inches (25-40cm) tall and are 4 to 6 feet (1.2-1.8m) long, almost half of which is the tail. Males tend to be larger and weigh up to 50 pounds (23 kg), while females rank in at about 35 pounds (16 kg). Clouded leopards can live to about 17 years old in captivity.

They are able to climb upside down underneath tree branches, hang from branches with their hind feet, and even descend head first, like a squirrel. Several adaptations allow clouded leopards to achieve these amazing arboreal skills. Their legs are short and stout, providing leverage and a low center of gravity. Furthermore, a clouded leopard's extremely long tail provides an excellent balancing aid. For grip their large paws are armed with sharp claws and specialized padding that conforms to the shape of the branch⁴. The hind feet possess flexible ankle joints that allow the foot to rotate backwards as well.

They are Carnivores, and their activity patterns are unknown. They patrol territories that range from 20-50KM, and they may use logging roads for hunting and traveling.

Neofelis Nebulous and Neofelis Diardi

Until 2006, there was thought to be a single clouded leopard species. However, recent genetic research shows that there are two distinct species. The cats on mainland Asia and Taiwan kept the traditional species name (Neofelis nebulosa) while the cats from Borneo and Sumatra took the name the Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi). The two species diverged from each other 1.5 million years ago due to geographic isolation as land bridges disappeared between the islands, possibly due to rising sea levels or volcanic eruptions.

Where do they live, and why are the extinct?

Clouded leopards primarily live in lowland tropical rainforests, but can also be found in dry woodlands and secondary forests. They have been spotted at elevations up to 9000 feet in the Himalayan mountains. Historically, their range covered most of Southeast Asia from Nepal and southern China through Thailand, Indonesia, and Borneo. However, this range has shrunk due to habitat destruction and human poaching.

 

 

 

The forest habitat is experiencing rampant degradation due to industrial lodging and the development of agricultural areas including palm oil plantations in Malaysia and Indonesia. Clouded leopards are increasingly becoming the targets of commercial poachers seeking their skins, bones, and meat. In one Myanmar market monitored by the conservation group Wildlife Alliance, the number of clouded leopard pelts has increased by 200% in just two years. Many of these products end up being purchased by consumers seeking traditional medicines and exotic fashions in the booming economy of China. Live clouded leopards are also sought by wildlife traders, destined to become pets or join the exotic zoos of wealthy collectors.

Why are they important, and why should we care?

 

Clouded leopards help maintain the ecosystem by controlling populations of prey species, and hosts internal and external parasites. By controlling the prey it prevents excessive stress on plant populations. Without clouded leopards, plants will be affected, and the ecosystem will continue to evaporate. Humans would also be affected by the extinction of clouded leopards because they would have to maintain the excessive populations of prey species.

What is being done to help this species?

 

There are many conservation efforts to save the clouded leopards. The clouded leopard project has 39 different projects being funded in hopes to save the clouded leopards, the following link will provide links to the 39 projects http://www.cloudedleopard.org/about_survival

The overall goals of the Clouded Leopard SSP program are to address captive management issues, stabilize population demographics, improve the population’s genetics, and develop conservation efforts in clouded leopard range countries.

To protect clouded leopards and other big cats in Bhutan, WWF and local wildlife authorities are working together to establish anti-poaching units and strengthen anti-poaching law enforcement.
In addition to poaching, WWF and its partners are addressing human-wildlife conflict by setting up a compensation fund for local farmers whose livestock is often killed by tigers and leopards.

Ways you can help!

The best way to help protect clouded leopards is by donating funds that we can use to support research and conservation efforts in the wild. You can also adopt a clouded leopard to support conservation work to protect the species. Use the following link to adopt a clouded leopard: http://www.cloudedleopard.org/help_adopt.aspx

I found these facts at:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/clouded-leopard/

http://www.cloudedleopard.org/about_main

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/clouded_leopard/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A little about me!

My name is Jacque'Line Wright, and I will be a Sr. at UC in the upcoming semester. I hope to graduate with a degree in Communications, a minor in Psychology, a Public Relations certificate, and a Deaf Studies certificate.

I was a member of the UC dance team my Freshman and Sophomore year, but recently decided to focus on my studies. Last semester I also decided to switch from Sign Language interpreting, to Communications. I have been very happy with the changes I made, and am excited to be able to put more energy into my future!

I am currently spending my Summer in San Francisco, and am absolutely loving it! I've gotten to see the city, and all the different cultures that live there. I have gotten to travel to some  beaches near by, along with a trip to Lake Tahoe! In the near future I have a trip to Napa, and a trip to Monterey beach.  The night life is endless, and I haven't eaten a meal that isn't fantastic. My trip has been quite wonderful; but I can't wait to get home to my doggies.

I'm excited to see what this class has in store for me!

Talk with ya'll soon!


Jacque'Line Wright