Skip to main content

Bongo

Does anyone remember a game called Sim Safari? Circa 1998? I sure do! That game taught me all about the wide wide world of African antelopes. And ever since I picked up that game so many years ago, the Bongo has been one of my all time favorites.

Why the Bongo? Well, I'd be lying if I didn't mention their striking looks. That reddish brown coat! Those stripes! Those fabulous twisted horns! Their absolutely adorable calves! Plus, an anonymous source thinks they look like Cinnabons.
But they are also the largest of all mountain antelopes, and one of the largest antelope species overall, with males capable of reaching 900lbs despite being only about 4 feet tall. They are also fairly unique in that both that males and females of the species sport those snazzy horns. And speaking of those horns, when Bongo's run (they are actually pretty darn fast) they flatten their head and horns back, which can cause bald patches on their backs from all the rubbing. The distinctive run is even seen in the young ones, as this video clearly shows.

There are actually two different subspecies of Bongo, the western/lowland Tragelaphus eurycerus eurycerus, and the eastern/mountain, Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci. They are pretty similar to one another, the major differences being the location of the habitat and the coat vibrancy. (mountain Bongo's win that prize) They are very solitary creatures overall, males live alone while females might be found in small bands of less than ten.

The western/mountain fellows are actually really endangered, with only about 100 estimated in the wild. But organizations like the Saint Louis Zoo are working to get them reintroduced. Recently they, and 12 other zoos worldwide, released some captive born specimens in hope to bring the wild numbers back up.

And rolling back to the topic of animal simulation games... Zoo Tycoon 2 rocks faces. (Bongos are in it too)
picture from National Geographic

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed Location :   Cent