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[guppiecat]

The Zoological Society of London just announced a new project to protect and raise awareness for endangered "Edge" animals. These are animals that are so genetically distinct that extinction would cause a significant loss of genetic diversity. In honor of this, I am posting the top 10 animals selected by the ZSL for this honor, along with interesting notes about them.



Hispaniolan Solenodon aka Haitian Solenodon or Agouta

• Looks like an oversized shrew


• One of very few venomous mammals


• Is not immune to it's own venom


• When running when scared, will often trip over its own feet

Pygmy Hippopotamus

• Lives in the forest


• Stand up to about 75cm high


• Likely more representative of extinct hippos than what we consider to be the true hippo


• Share a common ancestor with whales

Sir David's Long-beaked Echidna

• Very little is known about this animal, most of it from a single individual from 1961


• It does have five claws on its feet

Bactrian Camel

• This is the one with two humps.


• Around 900 left in the wild.


• They can open and close their nostrils


• They have an "underwool" that is like long underwear


• They drink up to 32 gallons of water at a time


• They can drink salt water

Yangtze River Dolphin

• Believed to be extinct. We were too late.


• Relied on sonar for navigation.

Red Slender Loris

• Very precise depth perception (useful in eating bugs, I suppose)


• Can sleep while holding onto branches


• No tail


• Lives in social groups, but hunts separately


• Mates hanging upside down from branches

Hirola

• Ringed, lyre-shaped horns


• Large numbers of female herds with single male leader, though smaller all-male herds exist.


• Only one female in captivity

Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew

• Largest of all the elephant shrews


• Found only in a single forest in a single park in Kenya


• Can run at speeds up to 25 km/h


• If a predator approaches, the shrew signals it's presence, theoretically so that the predator knows not to bother. If the predator gets too close, the shrew runs off.


• A golden patch of skin on the rump serves to distract predators into attacking the rear, rather than the head of the animal

Bumblebee Bat aka Kitti's Hog-nosed Bat

• Smallest mammal in the world - 3cm long, weighs 2g


• Feed on insects at night, probably very very small ones


• Colonies are very small, around 15 individuals

Long-eared Jerboa

• Long-tailed, jumping rodent


• Very little is known about this animal