Back to the herbivores
Only two more posts on zoo animals - from San Francisco, anyway. Here are the remaining non-bovid ungulates, i.e. rhinos and zebras (perissodactyls, not artiodactyls), and muntjacs (related to deer), and deer (non-bovid ruminants).
So what’s a muntjac, apart from being a deer relative? Well, there are actually 11 species of muntjacs (which I just learned from ultimateungulate.com), and I don’t know which one this guy is. But, they’ve got long, hair-covered pedicles from which the antlers grow, and in at least one species the females have remnant pedicles on their foreheads. Pretty cool. They’re small, cute, and at least some of the species’ males grow protruding canines. That’s right, saber-toothed deer - about a half a meter tall. In cervids (deer, etc.) the size of male canines scales inversely with the size of the antlers, give or take. That is, the bigger the head gear, the smaller the fangs, which is why you don’t see them on North American deer, elk, reindeer, etc.
Anyway, here’s the muntjac. He busied himself patrolling the perimeter, and sniffing and licking the females’ genitalia. The Discovery Channel could do a purely factual, X-rated documentary on the sexual habits of ruminants, I’m telling you.
In’he cute??
On to reticulated giraffes. They’re the rare kind, I’m pretty sure. They have less white between their spots, and the spots are more square-ish, and less like puzzle pieces. It’s a love-hate thing with giraffes and me. I’m interested in their heads. The rest of the time I wish more bovids were as prevalent and popular as giraffes. At least they have personality. Unlike lions.
I take it back. I like giraffes - baby giraffes. Check out how short his neck is, and how stocky the body is, compared to adults. Amazing. Intriguing. Compelling. Ontogenetic.
Here’s an adult for comparison.
On to non-artiodactyls. Living perissodactyls include horses, rhinos (four species, did you know that?) and tapirs. Tape-whats? Tapirs. Pig-like horse-relatives with elongated semi-elephant like noses. I trust that clears up what tapirs are. lol.
This is an Indian rhino, notable for its bizarre folds of textured skin. His horn got sawed off (it’s just fingernail-like, no bone inside like horns or antlers), but I think he’s still pretty compelling.
Interestingly, the first time I became aware of this type of rhino was in Art History class in college - Albrecht Durer did an engraving of a rhino in 1515, and I thought he must have got his info wrong, because I didn’t think rhinos looked like that. I mean, we’re talking 1515, the tail end of DaVinci’s career. I don’t remember where Durer was from, but I’m guessing northern Europe, and that he spent time in Italy, like many artists of his day. Durer gets the last laugh I guess.
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Maybe it’s just me, but all the pics you’ve been putting up lately are no longer there, including new posts like this one. And I do so enjoy the visuals!
Comment by Chris — January 10, 2008 @ 7:38 am
Yeah - my photo-hosting site wants me to cough up another $40 for a year of unlimited photo access. That was worth it to me in Africa, but now… I’m undecided. Sorry for the photo discussions sans photos.
Comment by praxical — January 12, 2008 @ 7:05 pm
As you can see, I caved. They were running a special.
Comment by praxical — January 13, 2008 @ 5:35 pm
Do rhinos have osteoderms?
Comment by Sarah — February 7, 2008 @ 5:05 am
The following article, co-authored by Brian Hall, states that armadillos are the only mammals with osteoderms. They say the mode of development is different than in squamate osteoderms, and is developmentally more similar to intramembranous ossification of the dermal/exoskeleton.
Osteoderm morphology and development in the nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Cingulata). 2006. Matthew K. Vickaryous and Brian K. Hall. Journal of Morphology 267: 1273 – 1283
PDF: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/113401063/PDFSTART
Hattip to the Palaeoblog who answered this question and made my search easier :o)
Comment by praxical — February 7, 2008 @ 10:09 pm