Hoofed Mammals PDF

Wildlife Biodiversity (ZO350) Class Mammalia Mammal Lineage (well documented by fossils) Mammal Family Tree for North America Present in the Prairie Provinces  Diversity of Mammals About 4600 living species known > 600 species Threatened because of habitat loss The most h...

Wildlife Biodiversity (ZO350) Class Mammalia Mammal Lineage (well documented by fossils) Mammal Family Tree for North America Present in the Prairie Provinces  Diversity of Mammals About 4600 living species known > 600 species Threatened because of habitat loss The most highly differentiated group in the animal kingdom – Size, shape, form & function Blue Whale Influenced by humans for thousands of yr Balaenoptera musculus Bumblebee bat/ Etruscan pygmy shrew/ Kitti’s hognosed bat Savi's pygmy shrew/ Craseonycteris White-toothed pygmy thonglongyai shrew Critically endangered Suncus etruscus Mammals Characteristics KNOW FOR FINAL AND QUIZ 1. Hair 2. Horns & Antlers 3. Glands 4. Specialized Placenta 5. Most Advanced Nervous System (brain) 6. Endothermic (Generate their own heat & Generally Homeothermic (true hibernating) Rule 1. in biology: there are always exceptions Hoofed/ undulates Mammals  KNOW THIS Family Bovidae Family Cervidae Includes bison, Includes deer, moose, bighorn sheep, wapiti, caribou mountain goat Horns Antlers More social Less social Grazers Browsers Dental adaptations – Dental adaptations – hard dental pad for upper incisors – grasp shearing grass, no leaves and browse upper incisors shrubs Family Antilocapridae: pronghorn  KNOW THIS Horns Antlers One point (no prongs or Prongs and forks, more forks) than one point Made of compressed Made of bone keratin Not shed Shed annually biso n Buffalo is incorrect biso n ID Tall but thin Shoulder hump Large head Reddish calves Natural History Nearly extinct by 1900 2 subspecies in N. Am. –Wood bison –Plains bison biso n biso n Plains Woo d biso n 16 bison introduced in 2017 Population approx. 100 in 2023 mountain goat White shaggy guard hair over a fleecy undercoat Stocky & hump-shouldered Black lips, nose, eyes and hooves Short tail Long ears mountain goat Both sexes have narrow black horns and may have a beard Billy’s horns are thicker and curve backward in a constant arc Nannies horns are narrower and straighter Billies are 40% larger mountain goat Hard outer ring surrounds spongy central hoof – excellent grip on rocky surfaces Steep slopes and rocky cliffs are predator-free zones, but also avalanche areas Use mineral licks at lower elevations Use higher elevations in winter bighorn sheep Robust body Large white rump patch and bobbed tail White patches on belly, back of legs and muzzle Brown coat is lighter in winter bighorn sheep Ram’s have thick, curled horns Ewe’s & lambs have shorter, more flattened horns that don’t curl more than 50% Immature male horns thicker at base than ewe’s bighorn sheep Excellent eyesight Soft hooves with hard outer rims that give them good footing on precarious ledges – but not as good as Mtn. goats Alpine in summer, valleys in winter Trophy Species: bighorn sheep Provincial Mammal of AB Not usually found far from high-walls & cliffs (escape habitat) Male courtship battles Sept-Nov Many USA populations reestablished from AB bighorns GOat Sheep GOat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJyseYPX2IM pronghorn (American antelope) pronghorn Tan back, white belly & rump White stripes on neck Both sexes have pronged horns, but females are shorter than ears Bucks (males) have black cheek patch (doe = female) Pronghorn horns are unique a cross between pronghorn Endemic (Only found in one part of the world) to N. Am. Only 1 species in family & no close relatives Massive dieoff’s when first fencing of rangelands by settlers Populations now regulated by winterkills Hunted only when populations can sustain harvests Pronghorn fencing project Deer Family Native to most of world except Australia/NZ & most of Africa All males have antlers (one exception) Males often 25% larger than females Most live in herds Many have been transported around the world  wapiti (North American Elk Rocky Mountain Elk) wapiti Golden brown in summer Grey-brown with longer hairs in winter Head, neck and legs dark brown year- round Large yellow-orange – white rump patch with stubby tail  wapiti Bulls have dark brown throat mane, and antlers start growing in 2nd year Cows give birth to calves in spring away from herd Bulls have distinctive bugle sound https:// www.youtube.com/ wapiti Nearly eliminated from eastern N. Am. and Mexico & nearly extirpated from AB by 1903 Now in Rocky Mountains (AB), the southern boreal limit (SK) & in scattered herds wapiti Elk Island National Park (EINP) established for one of last remaining herds in Canada Reintroduced into Banff (BNP) from Yellowstone in 1917-1920  mule deer Large ears Black-tipped thin tail Large whitish rump patch Dark forehead & dark spot on either side of nose Tan in summer Dark grey in winter White throat and inside of legs Biforcating antlers mule deer More tolerant of human activity than WTDE Stotting/pronking: bounding gait with all 4 legs stiff (like on pogo sticks) Thrive in early successional forests  white-tailed deer White eye-ring and muzzle band Antlers late spring until mid-winter Main beam with unbranched vertically projecting tines Tine s Mai n bea m white-tailed deer Reddish-brown in summer Greyish-brn in winter White belly, throat, chin, and underside of tail  white-tailed deer flags upright tail back and forth when alarmed Tail may entirely cover white rump when down  white-tailed deer Only found at Cypress Hills and isolated pockets of foothills prior to European settlement Agriculture and forest fragmentation lead to a range expansion across all AB and into the territories  WTDE vs MUDE Tail width and length Obvious rump patch WTDE vs MUDE  Moose (elk - Europe) Largest deer in world Snout is long and horse-like with bulbous nose Mane along shoulders and nape of neck – especially in winter  moose Long legs are grey to white Large bell/dewlap hanging from throat Palmate antlers emerge laterally  moo se Recent immigrant to N. Am.: 50% in summer) Can close nostrils, dive 6 m underwater, and hold breath for 1 min Holarctic caribou (reindeer in Europe) Chocolate brown except for neck and rump Short, stocky body conserves heat Long legs help it move through snow Long dense winter  caribou Large, concave hooves splay widely to support the animal in snow or muskeg Efficient scoops when the caribou paws through snow to uncover lichens and other food plants caribou Most females also carry antlers Eat lichens as a primary winter food Both woodland & mountain caribou in AB are species at risk (SAR)  End of Hoofed Mammals COY O