White Lipped Deer

Also known as Thorold's Deer, Cervus albirostris is one of the largest species of deer, with males reaching up to 500lbs and measuring 6ft in length. They are native to cold, high elevation grasslands in China and Tibet. Their brown coats get substantially thicker in the winter to accommodate the colder weather. They are also an incredibly sure-footed species for their size, with hooves that are well suited to climbing.

White Lipped Deer at the Lincoln Park Zoo

White Lipped Deer live in single sex herds for most of the years, with the males apart from the females and calves. During the mating season however, the herds will intermingle, and deer of all ages and sexes can be found. Herds typically number around 50-60 individuals at the height of the mating season, though even larger ones, with 200-300 members, have been reported. Males fight aggressively for mates, with help from their up to 4ft long, 15lb antlers. The gestation period is 7-8 months, and only one calf is born. A female White Lipped Deer may have 7-8 calves in her lifetime.

White Lipped Deer are considered vulnerable in the wild, due to over-hunting and habitat loss. Their antlers are used in traditional medicines. There are about 100 in captivity (I'm lucky enough to live near a zoo that has them.)

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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...

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 ...

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!

Animal A Day!

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