Category: Ground Mammals

Brazilian False Rice Rat

Also known as False Oryzomys, the Brazilian False Rice Rat (Pseudoryzomys simplex)- is a rodent species from south-central South America. This species is not well known although it is classified by the IUCN of having “Least Concern” conservation status. Lectotype partial cranium of the Brazilian False Rice Rat by Voss and Myers However, what we

Beagle

Part of the Hound Group, the Beagle is a small to medium-sized dog breed. It looks similar to the Foxhound. It was developed as a scent hound for tracking rabbit, hare, and other game. As a result, they are commonly used as working dogs because of their keen sense of smell. They are also a

Racoon

Also known as the northern, common or North American raccoon, this mammal is native to North America. Even though it is medium-sized, it is considered the largest in its family. It was discovered in the western world by members of Christopher Columbus’ expedition. A raccoon in the park Originally, taxonomists thought that the raccoon was

Sheep

Sheep are animals found all around the world as these even-toed ungulates are typically kept as livestock. There are over 1 billion sheep in the world, and domestic sheep are the most populous out of this genus. A cute little lamb It is thought that sheep were descended from wild mouflon from Asia and Europe.

Jaguar

The jaguar is the 3rd largest feline in the world, after the tiger and the lion. It is also the largest and most powerful feline found in the Western Hemisphere as it is found only in the Americas. Its name is derived from the Tupian word, yaguara, which means ‘beast’ or ‘dog’, but is used

Icelandic Horse

As the name suggests, the Icelandic horse is a breed of horse that was developed in Iceland. Although they are actually rather small and can be the size of a pony, most horse registries actually refer to it as a horse. Icelandic horses are the size of ponies The Icelandic horse were developed from ponies

Marwari Horse

Also known as the Malani, the Marwari Horse is a rare horse breed from Marwar (also known as Jodhpur) in India. It is thought that it was descended from native Indian ponies that were crossed with Arabian horses and possibly Mongolian horses as well. This horse is known for 2 distinctive features. It has inward-turning

Andalusian Horse

Also known as the Pure Spanish Horse (PRE), the Andalusian Horse is a breed that was developed in the Iberian Peninsula. In fact, its ancestors have been present on the Iberian Peninsula for thousands of years. Due to its long history, it has been recognised as an individual breed since the 15th century and it

Thoroughbred

One of the most famous horse breeds are the Thoroughbred. Although the term actually refers to any pure-bred horse, it technically refers to the Thoroughbred breed only, which is best known for its use in the horse racing industry. They are a ‘hot blooded’ horse, which means that they are agile, spirited, and speedy. Thoroughbreds

Lund’s Amphibious Rat

The Lundomys molitor, also known as Lund’s Amphibious Rat or the Greater Marsh Rat is a rat species that is semi-aquatic. I is native to south-eastern South America, however its current distribution is now restricted to some parts of Brazil and Uruguay. In the past, its range was from Brazil to Argentina. Lectotype partial cranium

Guinea pig

Also known as a cavy, the guinea pig is a rodent species that belongs to the genus, Cavia. Their name is a bit misleading as they do not come from Guinea, and nor are they pigs at all. They actually originated in the Andes, and biochemistry and hybridisation studies suggest that they are actually descendants

Red-legged Pademelon

The Red-legged Pademelon is a small species of macropod that is found in New Guinea and Australia. Unfortunately, not a lot is known about this creature. However, what we do know is that there are four subspecies of the Red-legged Pademelon. Mother and joey Red-legged Pademelon These 4 subspecies are split up into regions. Thylogale

Kirk’s Dik Dik

Kirk’s Dik Dik is a type of small antelope that is native to eastern and south-western Africa. Their habitat includes dry terrain with dense, high brush and kopjes in East Africa. This animal was first described by Günther in 1880. Although they have a slightly unusual name, this was coined due to the fact that

Gray Mouse Lemur

The Gray Mouse Lemur is a small lemur that is only found in Madagascar. It was first described by John Frederick Miller in 1777. Although it only weighs a mere 58 to 67 grams, it is the largest mouse lemur in the world. However, it also belongs to the genus Microcebus which includes the world’s

Island Fox

The Island Fox is native to 6 of the 8 Channel Islands of California. There are 6 subspecies of the Island Fox which are unique to the particular island that it lives on and therefore reflects its evolutionary history. The Island Fox is also known as the Coast Fox, Island Gray Fox, Short-Tailed Fox, Channel