Ethiopian wolf must survive: help

Harry Harrington photo oryginal copyright by Frickr

Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis) is long-legged wild dog, species of wolf and relative Grey Wolf (probably descendant population that isolation of Grey Wolf in Ethiopia during Pleistocene, and some origin about 150, 000 years ago). Analyses of microsatellite and mtDNA have suggested that small population sizes may have characterized the evolution of Ethiopian wolves - exist and later isolate form main population of grey wolves about late Pleistocene (Sillero - Zubiri, C. & Marino, J., 2004 by ICN / CSG). When, in late pleisotcene ice melted, the wolves was isolated in Afroalpine mountains for African continent. Ethiopian wolf locally know is such ky kebero, what mean red jackal. The population is highly unstable and can extinct whenever. The males are larger than females and weight near 19 kg, during when females about 12-15 kg.

These exist in Afroalpine regions in Ethiopia, especially in Simien Mountains National Park and in Bale Mountains National Park create the seven populations localized in there regions. This exist on grasslands and heathlands above 3,000m in there. Ethiopian Wolf is officially protected in Ethiopia.

It has long legs and long muzzle with medium-size long tail and white underbelly, black ended and striped along with white mark on base of tail. This have red coat with white places on a few part of fur. Global population achieve about half-thousand adults and youngs wolves in Ethiopia. Today survive than 500 adult individuals surviving, it is most likely the rarest Canid in the world and is listed by the IUCN as Critically Endangered (Sillero-Zubiri and Macdonald, 1997; C. S.-Zubiri, J. Malcolm, S. Williams, J. Marino, Z. Tefera, K.Laurenson, D. Gottelli, A.Hood, D. Macdonald, D. Wildt and S. Ellis; 1999).

Sources indicate that Ethiopian Wolf live in packs with strong hierarchy apart for males, apart for females. This have communal breeding and territorial defence and is very socially. The average pack size is 6 animals, containing between three and eight related adult males, one to three adult females, between one and six yearlings, and one to six pups (Sillero-Zubiri and Gottelli, 1995; C. Sillero-Zubiri, J. Malcolm, S. Williams, J. Marino, Z. Tefera, K.Laurenson, D. Gottelli, A.Hood, D. Macdonald, D. Wildt and S. Ellis; 1999). Physical and sexualy maturity is find in second years old of life.

Following a 60-day gestation, the dominant female of each pack may give birth once per year between October and December, with about 60% of dominant females breeding successfully each year (Sillero-Zubiri et al., 1996; C. Sillero-Zubiri, J. Malcolm, S. Williams, J. Marino, Z. Tefera, K.Laurenson, D. Gottelli, A.Hood, D. Macdonald, D. Wildt and S. Ellis; 1999). Aggressive interactions with neighbouring packs are common and generally are highly vocal, ending with the smaller group fleeing from the larger group. Home range and aggressive encounters between packs are highest during the mating season (Sillero-Zubiri and Macdonald, 1997; Sillero-Zubiri et al. 1999).

Extra-pack copulations and resultant multiple paternity may be the mechanism through which this problem is circumvented among Ethiopian wolves (Sillero-Zubiri and Macdonald, 1997; Sillero-Zubiri et al. 1999).

Ethiopian Wolf feed on small mammals, especially rodents, giant molerat grass rats and Starck's hare, excrements nyales and carrion. Rodents accounted for nearly 96% of all prey occurrences in faeces, with 87% belonging to the first three species listed above. Other prey species included Otomys typus, Lophuromys flavopunctatus, and occasionally goslings and eggs and rock hyrax (Procavia capensis) (C.S. Zubiri, 2005; Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme cited, 2005). However this is social, Ethiopian wolf hunt solitarily for their victims. Where exist much mountains molars, there is also much ethiopian wolves. This is important example for coevolution of species.

They will taked sometime small antelopes such as reedbuck, and the calves of larger antelope for examples mountain nyala, as well as hares and hyraxes. This dietary study, spanning across the species distribution confirmed that wolves rarely predate on livestock. Where livetsock remains where found on feaces, people also reported negative attitudes towards wolves due to predation conflicts. Hyenas and common jackals, however, are the main livestock killers of the highlands. (C.S. Zubiri, 2005; Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme cited, 2005). Ethiopian wolves are mainly diurnal. The Oromo people of southern Ethiopia call the Ethiopian wolf the "horse's jackal" because these following mares and cows and eat the placenta after birth of young calf.

Ethiopian Wolf is most endangered and threaten by continuous loss of habitat due to high-altitude subsistence agriculture represents the major threat. Sixty percent of all land above 3,200 m has been converted into farmland, and all populations below 3,700 m are particularly vulnerable to further habitat loss, especially if the areas are small and of relatively flat relief (Marino 2003; Sillero - Zubiri, C. & Marino, J.; 2004 by ICN / CSG).

In Bale the Ethiopian wolf hybridizes with domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). Gottelli et al. (1994) used mitochondrial DNA restriction fragments and microsatellite alleles to conclude that hybridization was relatively common in western Bale as a result of crosses between female wolves and male domestic dogs(Sillero-Zubiri, C. & Marino, J.; 2004 by ICN/CSG).

Until recently, the plight of the Ethiopian wolf was little known outside Ethiopia. A long-term study carried out in the Bale Mountains between 1988-1992 (Gotelli and Sillero-Zubiri, 1992)highlighted the threats faced by these threatened species and triggered plans to protect themand their habitat. In 1997 the IUCN Canid Specialist Group edited a detailed Action Plan for the conservation of the Ethiopian wolf (Sillero-Zubiri and Macdonald, 1997; Sillero-Zubiri et al. 1999). Nick Borrow photo---

Claudio Sillero-Zubiri at the University of Oxford is the zoologist most closely associated with efforts to save this species of wolf, particularly with his work for an oral rabies vaccine to protect them from the disease passed from local dogs. His work is supported by the Born Free Foundation. A rabies outbreak in 1990 reduced the largest known population, found in the Bale Mountains National Park, from about 440 wolves to less than 160 in only two weeks (wikipedia cited, 2008 sources).

Support and Donate the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP) carry on by Claudio Sillero-Zubiri !!!!!!

Saving planet BBC
Adopt some wolves packs and other help for this amazing wild dog.

Tibetan Fox - the pika's nemesis

The BBC show in one of their programs: title name is the Great Plains episode in BBC series Planet Earth in 2006. Scene with tibetan fox call by Attenborough as pika's nemezis. Tibetan fox have square head and big, wide muzzle and short legs with thick grey-yellow fur. Milo Burcham did it photo in Tibetan Plateau in 1997 .This You found in his album: Tibetan Plateau Gallery - his Webpage Photography. Finally, film on BBC (2006) and Milo Burcham's photos are only today show of tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata).

tibetan fox

Except we possess only few drawings on this species. This is really far live from people seats in Plateau of Nepal, India and China, in altitudes up to 5300 m. How notice a many people: this is very unusual appearance canid with unproportional body and square giant head, short, sharp-end ears and distorted, small eyes find high over muzzle, fluffy fur and short neck not limited from head and body thorax.

Now I BBC(Planet Earth - Great Plains) cited:
"The bizarre Tibetan Fox. The pika's nemesis.
When stalking, it keeps below the skyline perhaps helped by it's curious body shape.
But why the square head?"

Tibetan fox (Vulpes ferrilata) was first described by Hodgson in 1842 (edit by Wilson and Reeder's for 2005):
Author: Hodgson, 1842. Citation: J. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, 11: 278.
Common Name: Tibetan Sand Fox
Type Locality: "brought from Lassa" [Tibet, China].
Distribution: China (Tibet, Tsinghai, Kansu, and Yunnan), Nepal.
Status: IUCN – Lower Risk (lc).

Short-eared Dog taken photos by Wink Gross

I like know about Short-eared Dog and I search about this. On the people world was small know even for indigenous people. My very good friend Wink Gross from Portland in Oregon (USA) send to my e-mail about mysterious ''jungle dog" the true Short-eared Dog.

The photos rare Short-eared Dog (Atelocynus microtis) taken at Refugio Amazonas in Peru by Wink Gross

This is this information:

"Hello Thoms

To be honest, I had never heard of the Short-eared Dog before I saw this one. I was in Peru to see birds, mostly. We were on the way to the canopy tower early the first morning we were at Refugio Amazonas. One of the guides spotted the dog walking along the trail behind us. You'll notice on the video clip that I whisper, "Jungle Dog!", because that's what my guides called it. None of them had ever seen a Short-eared Dog before even though they were natives to the region and they were thrilled. When I got home to the US, I contacted Renate Leite-Pitman and sent her the video. She confirmed that it was a Short-eared Dog and that they are very rare.

Regards,
Wink "

Short - eared Dog - exclusive characteristic

Short-eared dog

Evolution and systematics, Occurrence and environment, Appearance et ceter You find there.

New crate in Wroclaw Zoo

The Radosław Ratajszczak plan the modern zoo in Wroclaw, Poland. This men travel to Asia and occupy mysterious animal. Look for plan of Zoo. In plan of Ratajszczak is modified for build antilope, connection playground brown bear with wolves, improt gorillas and geladas, live in mountain Bale in Ethiopia. Change and arrangement animal under continent. The director plan also come in to being Madagascar.

Look on Zoo Wroclaw

DNA and Success of research this

What tell about DNA what determine our appearance:

"The genes carry the instructions for making all the thousands of proteins that are found in a cell. The proteins in a cell determine what that cell will look like and what jobs that cell will do. The genes also determine how the many different cells of a body will be arranged. In these ways, DNA controls how many fingers you have, where your legs are placed on your body, and the color of your eyes.

So, what's the difference between DNA and a chromosome?

A chromosome is made up of DNA and the proteins attached to it. There are 23 pairs of chromosomes in a human cell. One of each pair was inherited from your mother and the other from your father. DNA is a particular bio-molecule. All of the DNA in a cell is found in individual pieces, called chromosomes. This would be like muffins. Muffins are made up of muffin-matter and paper cups. All of the muffin-matter in your kitchen is found in individual pieces, called muffins.

So, why do you want to learn about DNA?

If you have gotten this far, you already have some curiosity about DNA. That curiosity may have come from hearing about it in the news or in the movies. A revolution has occurred in the last few decades that explains how DNA makes us look like our parents and how a faulty gene can cause disease. This revolution opens the door to curing illness, both hereditary and contracted. The door has also been opened to an ethical debate over the full use of our new knowledge. In the end, curiosity is the reason to learn about DNA. Fittingly, curiosity is the driving force behind science itself."

DNA introduction,
For Parents & Teachers

News: New Shrub Frog Discovered, New Moray Eel Surprise Discovery, Four New Geckos Discovered

The biologist discovered the new species frog from India.
The tiny shrub frog (Philautus ochlandrae) lives in bamboo hollows. Discovered in the cool evergreen forests of the Kakkayam Reserve Forest in Kerala, India. Other new species is the lizards geckos - four new species of lizards in isolated mountains and islands in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. According to Zootaxa (Smith et al., 2008), a new species of moray eel, Gymnothorax baranesi has been discovered in the most surprising of locations: in relatively shallow water in front of a major marine laboratory.

Sources:

"This finding of the new species took place in a well-studied area in front of the Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences of Eilat (IUI). These specimens were collected from a depth of approximately 200 metres off Eilat, in the northern Red Sea. They could not be identified with any known species. It indicates to those who found it how much we still have to learn about the marine habitat.

This species was discovered by Shai Einbinder during a fish course that was taking place at IUI. It was described by Shai and Eran Brokovich of the IUI, with the help of the fish taxonomist David Smith from the Smithsonian in Washington DC."

Cryptomundo.com and Loren Coleman,January 19th, 2008

Source: Smith, D. G., E. Brokovich & S. Einbinder. 2008. Gymnothorax baranesi, a new moray eel (Anguilliformes: Muraenidae) from the Red Sea. Zootaxa 1678: 63-68.

"Bangalore: A new species of shrub frog from the Western Ghats adds its name to the growing list of frogs discovered recently. The latest is a tiny oriental shrub frog, named Philautus ochlandrae, discovered in the evergreen forests of the Kakkayam Reserve Forest in Kerala.

The squat little amphibian does not grow beyond 2.5 cm, has a short rounded snout and protruding eyes with striking golden yellow markings. With this, the number of frog species discovered in the last seven years in India stands at 25.The discovery was published in the international journal Zootaxa in October 2007.

Tiny shrub frog (Philautus ochlandrae)

The frog lives in the hollows of bamboo reeds in the forests of the Western Ghats, where rain is abundant and temperatures are low, said K.V. Gururaja, doctoral fellow at the Centre for Ecological Sciences (CES), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), here. He is one of the five authors of the paper. The co-authors are T.V. Ramachandra, Professor, CES, IISc; and K.P. Dinesh, Muhamed Jafer Palot and C. Radhakrishnan, of the Western Ghats Field Research Station, Zoological Survey of India.

This shrub frog belongs to a group in which an unusual phenomenon called “direct development” takes place. “Skipping the tadpole stage, froglets directly emerge from the eggs that are laid in the inner walls of the bamboo,” said Dr. Gururaja. With this adaptation, the frogs do not need water to breed, he said.

This discovery is especially important in this era of mass extinction of amphibians, he said. “We in India have very little information about the diversity and biogeography of frog species. In other countries — North and South America, for instance — there is growing concern about their decline, which is attributed to reasons such as climate change, fungal attacks and pesticide poisoning. We need much more research in India — we do not even have an accurate figure for the number of frogs, leave alone the reasons for their decline."

Source: Divya Gandhi, “New frog species found in Kerala,” The Hindu, India, Sunday, January 20, 2008.

"United Press International is crediting the Vietnam News Agency with reporting from Long Xuyen, Vietnam, that herpetologists have discovered four new species of geckos in isolated mountains and islands in the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

L. Lee Grismer with La Sierra University in the United States and Ngo Van Tri from Vietnam’s Institute of Tropical Biology published their 2007 findings in the journal Herpetologica.

The reptiles are of the genus Cnemaspis and have the species names caudanivea, auranticopes, nuicamensis and tucdupensis.

The geckos’ length ranges from about 4-6 inches from head to tail.

The first gecko of this species in Vietnam was discovered in 1887 and the new findings bring the total number of Cnemaspis species in the nation to five."

Loren Coleman, 20th, 2008