Carnivores in Cambodia
My time in Cambodia: Part1, Part2, Part3, Part4, Part5
Other Animals: even-toed ungulates, snakes,turtles/tortoises/terapines
Asian Golden Cat
Asiatic black bear
Clouded leopard
Dhole
Hog badger
Indochinese leopard
Jungle cat
leopard cat
Marbled cat
Small Indian Civet
Sun bear
Tiger
Asian Golden Cat
(Pardofelis temminckii, syn. Catopuma temminckii), also called the Asiatic golden cat and Temminck's cat head-body length of 66 to 105 cm (26 to 41 in), with a tail 40 to 57 cm (16 to 22 in) long, and is 56 cm (22 in) at the shoulder. The weight ranges from 9 to 16 kg (20 to 35 lb), which is about two or three times the size of a domesticated cat. The pelage
is uniform in color, but highly variable ranging from red to golden
brown, dark brown to pale cinnamon, gray to black. Transitional forms
among the different colorations also exist. It may be marked with spots
and stripes.
(Pardofelis temminckii, syn. Catopuma temminckii), also called the Asiatic golden cat and Temminck's cat head-body length of 66 to 105 cm (26 to 41 in), with a tail 40 to 57 cm (16 to 22 in) long, and is 56 cm (22 in) at the shoulder. The weight ranges from 9 to 16 kg (20 to 35 lb), which is about two or three times the size of a domesticated cat. The pelage
is uniform in color, but highly variable ranging from red to golden
brown, dark brown to pale cinnamon, gray to black. Transitional forms
among the different colorations also exist. It may be marked with spots
and stripes. 
Asian golden cats live throughout Southeast Asia, ranging from Tibet,
Nepal, Bhutan, India and Bangladesh to Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia,
Laos, Vietnam, Southern China to Malaysia and Sumatra. They prefer
forest habitats interspersed with rocky areas, and are found in dry deciduous, subtropical evergreen and tropical rainforests.
They hunt birds, large rodents and reptiles, small ungulates such as muntjacs and young sambar deer. They are capable of bringing down prey much larger than themselves, such as domestic water buffalo calves.
Asian golden cats inhabit some of the fastest developing countries in the world, where they are increasingly threatened by habitat destruction following deforestation, along with a declining ungulate prey base. Another serious threat is hunting for the illegal wildlife trade.They appear to be more carnivorous than most other bears, including American Black Bears, and will kill ungulates with some regularity, including domestic livestock. Wild ungulate prey can include muntjacs, serow, takin, wild boar and adult water buffaloes, which they kill by breaking their necks.
Asiatic black bear
(Ursus thibetanus), also known as the moon bear or white-chested bear. They measure 70–100 cm (28–40 in) at the shoulder, and 120–195 cm
(47–77 in) in length. The tail is 11 cm (4.4 inches) long. Mature males
typically weigh between 100–200 kg (220-440 lbs), with an average weight
of about 135 kg (about 300 lbs). Females weigh about 65–90 kg
(143–198 lbs), with large ones up to 140 kg (308 lbs). They may live in family groups consisting of two adults and two successive litters of young. They are good climbers of rocks and trees, and will climb to feed, rest,
sun, elude enemies and hibernate. Some older bears may become too heavy
to climb. Asian black bears break branches and twigs to place under themselves
when feeding on trees, thus causing many trees in their home ranges to
have nest-like structures on their tops.
Asian black bears do not hibernate over most of their rangeAsian black bears have a wide range of vocalisations, including grunts,
whines, roars, slurping sounds (sometimes made when feeding) and "an
appalling row" when wounded, alarmed or angry. They emit loud hisses
when issuing warnings or threats, and scream when fighting. When
approaching other bears, they produce "tut tut" sounds, thought to be
produced by bears snapping their tongue against the roof of their mouth.When courting, they emit clucking sounds.
Sows usually give birth in caves or hollow trees in winter or early spring after a gestation period of 200–240 days. Litters can consist of 1–4 cubs, with 2 being the average. Cubs weigh 13 ounces at birth, and will begin walking at four days of age, and open their eyes three days later. Black bear cubs will nurse for 104–130 weeks, and become independent at 24–36 months. There is usually a 2–3 year interval period before females produce subsequent litters. The average lifespan in the wild is 25 years, while the oldest Asian black bear in captivity died at the age of 44.
Asian black bears are omnivorous, and will feed on insects, beetle larvae, invertebrates, termites, grubs, carrion, bees, eggs, garbage, mushrooms, grasses, fruits, nuts, seeds, honey, herbs, acorns, cherries, dogwood, oak nuts and grain.
The main habitat threat to Chinese black bears is overcutting of forests, largely due to human populations increasing. The most important reasons for their decrease involves overhunting, as black bear paws, gall bladders and cubs have great economic value.
Clouded leopard
(Neofelis nebulosa) Its total population size is suspected to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals. Clouded leopards weigh between 11.5 and 23 kg (25 and 51 lb). Females vary in head-to-body length from 68.6 to 94 cm (27.0 to 37 in), with a tail 61 to 82 cm (24 to 32 in) long. Males are larger at 81 to 108 cm (32 to 43 in) with a tail 74 to 91 cm (29 to 36 in) long. Their shoulder height varies from 50 to 55 cm (20 to 22 in).
They are often referred to as a “modern-day saber tooth” because they have the largest canines in proportion to their body size, matching the tiger in canine length
Clouded leopards occur from the Himalayan foothills in Nepal and India to Myanmar, Bhutan, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Indochina, and in China south of the Yangtze River. They occur marginally in mixed-evergreen forests of the northeastern and southeastern parts of Bangladesh, and are regionally extinct in Taiwan.
Clouded leopards are the most talented climbers among the cats.They live a solitary lifestyle, resting in trees during the day and hunting at night. Their prey includes both arboreal and terrestrial vertebrates. Confirmed prey species include hog deer, slow loris, brush-tailed porcupine, Malayan pangolin, Indochinese ground squirrel, barking deer and pheasants.
There is almost no sexual dimorphism between the males and females, though the females do appear slightly smaller. Both males and females average 26 months at first reproduction. Mating usually occurs during December and March.The pair will meet and mate multiple times over the course of several days. The male grasps the female by the neck and the female responds with vocalization that encourages the male to continue. The male then leaves and is not involved in raising the kittens. Estrus last 6 days on average, estrous cycle averages 30 days. After a gestation period of 93 ± 6 days, females give birth to a litter of one to five, most often three cubs.
Many of the remaining forest areas are too small to ensure the long-term persistence of clouded leopard populations. They are threatened by habitat loss following large–scale deforestation and commercial poaching for the wildlife trade. Skins, claws, and teeth are offered for decoration and clothing, bones and meat as substitute for tiger in traditional Asian medicines and tonics, and live animals for the pet trade. Few poaching incidents have been documented, but all range states are believed to have some degree of commercial poaching. In recent years, substantial domestic markets existed in Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
Dhole
(Cuon alpinus), also called the Asiatic wild dog or Indian wild dog. Weights range from 10 to 25 kg (22 to 55 lb), with males averaging about 4.5 kg (9.9 lb) heavier. This dog is 88 to 113 cm (35 to 44 in) long from the snout to the base of the tail, with the tail averaging 45 cm (18 in) in length.Shoulder height is 42 to 55 cm (17 to 22 in). They have great jumping and leaping abilities, being able to jump 3.0–3.5 m (10–12 ft) high, and leap 5– to 6-m (17– to 20-ft) distances in one leap with a running start.
The dhole is a highly social animal, living in large clans which occasionally split up into small packs to hunt. Dholes are more social than wolves, and have less of a dominance hierarchy, as seasonal scarcity of food is not a serious concern for them as it is with wolves.mating season occurs between mid-October and January. The gestation period lasts 60–63 days, with litter sizes averaging four to six pups.Pups are suckled at least 58 days. By the age of six months, pups accompany the adults on hunts, and will assist in killing large prey such as sambar by the age of eight months. It primarily preys on medium-sized ungulates, which it hunts by tiring them out in long chases, and kills by disemboweling them. Unlike most social canids (but similar to African wild dogs), dholes let their pups eat first at a kill.Prey animals in India include chital, sambar, muntjac, mouse deer, swamp deer, wild boar, gaur, water buffalo, banteng, cattle, nilgai, goats, Indian hares, Himalayan field rats and langurs.
Dholes still occur in Tibet, particularly in southeast Tibet. They may still be present in North Korea. They still occur in India south of the Ganges River, especially in the central Indian Highlands and the Western and Eastern Ghats, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia, Java and Vietnam.
Hog badger
(Arctonyx collaris).It has medium-length brown hair, stocky body, white throat, two black stripes on an elongated white face and a pink, pig-like snout. The head-and-body length is 55–70 cm (22–28 in), the tail measures 12–17 cm (4.7–6.7 in) and the body weight is 7–14 kg (15–31 lb).
The hog badger is found throughout southern China, Indochina, throughout Thailand and possibly in Perak, in Myanmar and in Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and in the Terai. There is one isolated record in eastern Mongolia. In the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the hog badger appears to occur primarily above 2,000 m (6,600 ft) with one record at 700 m (2,300 ft).
Indochinese leopard
Panthera pardus delacouri. The Indochinese leopard inhabits Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and South China. They are primarily threatened by habitat destruction following large–scale deforestation, and prey depletion through illegal hunting.[5][6] Another serious threat is hunting for the illegal wildlife trade, which has the greatest potential to do maximum harm in minimal time. They are becoming increasingly rare outside protected areas, and may soon qualify for the “Vulnerable” status. The trend of the population is decreasing.
Jungle cat
Felis chaus. The jungle cat is the largest of the existing species of Felis. Jungle cats can range from 50 to 94 cm (20 to 37 in) in length, plus a short 20 to 31 cm (7.9 to 12 in) tail, and stand about 36 cm (14 in) tall. Weight varies across their range from 3 to 16 kg (6.6 to 35 lb), with a median weight of around 8 kg (18 lb). Females are slightly smaller than males.The most distinctive feature of a jungle cat is the presence of equal-sized claws on both fore and hind legs (unlike those of common domestic cats, for example, where hind claws are normally longer and stronger than fore). These allow it to climb down trees as easily as up, with its head facing downward.
Jungle cats are largely oriental in distribution and found in Egypt, West and Central Asia, but also in South Asia, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. In India they are the most common small cats among the felidae found there. They inhabit savannas, tropical dry forests and reedbeds along rivers and lakes in the lowlands, but, despite the name, are not found in rainforests.
Gestation lasts 63–66 days and is remarkably short for an animal of this size. Birth generally takes place between December and June, depending on the local climate, although females can sometimes give birth to two litters in a year. Before birth, the mother prepares a den in an abandoned animal burrow, hollow tree, or reed bed.
Kittens weigh 43 to 160 grams (1.5 to 5.6 oz) at birth, tending to be
much smaller in the wild than in captivity. Initially blind and
helpless, they open their eyes at ten to thirteen days of age, and are
fully weaned by around three months. Males usually do not participate in
the raising of kittens, but in captivity have been observed to be very
protective of their offspring, more than the females, or males of other
cat species. Kittens begin to catch their own prey at around six months,
and leave the mother after eight or nine months.[16]
The jungle cat's median life expectancy in captivity is ten to twelve
years. In the wild, however, some jungle cats have been known to live
for as long as twenty years.leopard cat
Prionailurus bengalensis. The black markings may be spotted, rosetted, or even forming dotted streaks, depending on the subspecies. In the tropics, leopard cats weigh 0.55 to 3.8 kg (1.2 to 8.4 lb), have a head-body-length of 38.8 to 66 cm (15.3 to 26 in) with a 17.2 to 31 cm (6.8 to 12 in) long tail. In northern China and Siberia, they weigh up to 7.1 kg (16 lb), and have a head-body-length of up to 75 cm (30 in); generally, they put on weight before winter and become thinner until spring.[3] Shoulder height is about 41 cm (16 in). In their huge range, they vary so much in coloration and size of spots as well as in body size and weight that initially they were thought to be several different species. Leopard cats are solitary, except during breeding season. Some are active during the day, but most hunt at night, preferring to stalk murids, tree shrews and hares. They are agile climbers and quite arboreal in their habits. They rest in trees, but also hide in dense thorny undergrowth on the ground. Leopard cats can swim, but seldom do so. Leopard cats are carnivorous, feeding on a variety of small prey including mammals, lizards, amphibians, birds and insects. In most parts of their range, small rodents such as rats and mice form the major part of their diet, which is often supplemented with grass, eggs, poultry, and aquatic prey.
Leopard cats are the most widely distributed Asian small cats. Their range extends from the Amur region in the Russian Far East over the Korean Peninsula, China, Indochina, the Indian Subcontinent, to the West in northern Pakistan, and to the south in the Philippines and the Sunda islands of Indonesia.
Keeping a leopard cat as a pet requires a license in most places. License requirements vary by location. The Asian leopard cat (P. b. bengalensis) is often mated with a domestic cat to produce hybrid offspring known as a Bengal cat. These hybrids are usually permitted to be kept as pets without a license. For the typical pet owner, a Bengal cat kept as a pet should be at least four generations (F4) removed from the Leopard Cat. The "foundation cats" from the first three filial generations of breeding (F1–F3) are usually reserved for breeding purposes or the speciality pet home environment.
Marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata)
Marbled cats range from 45 to 62 centimetres (18 to 24 in) in head-body length, with a 35 to 55 centimetres (14 to 22 in) tail. Recorded weights vary between 2 and 5 kilograms (4.4 and 11 lb). The coat is thick and soft, and varies in background color from dark grey-brown through yellowish grey to red-brown.
Marbled cats are found in tropical Indomalaya westward along the Himalayan foothills westward into Nepal and eastward into southwest China, and on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. They are primarily associated with moist and mixed deciduous-evergreen tropical forest.Indiscriminate snaring is prevalent throughout much of its range and is likely to pose a major threat. It is valued for its skin, meat and bones, but infrequently observed in the illegal Asian wildlife trade.
Small Indian Civet
(Viverricula indica). The small Indian civet is 21 to 23 in (53 to 58 cm) in head and body
size and has a rather coarse fur that is brownish grey to pale yellowish
brown, with usually several longitudinal black or brown bands on the
back and longitudinal rows of spots on the sides. The tapering tail is 15 to 17 in (38 to 43 cm) long with alternating black and whitish rings, seven to nine of each colour.Small Indian civets are nocturnal, mostly terrestrial and insectivorous. They inhabit holes in the ground, under rocks or in thick bush.They feed on rats, mice, birds, snakes, fruit, roots and carrion. Occasionally they carry off poultry.The female has usually four or five young at a birth. The life span is eight to nine years.
Small Indian civets are known to occur in south and central China, Hong Kong, most of India, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, Viet Nam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka. No search has been made for recent records from Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Peninsular Malaysia, Java or Bali, areas where they were historically recorded. Their current status in Singapore is unclear.
Sun bear
(Helarctos malayanus). The sun bear is the smallest of the bears. Adults are about
120–150 cm (47–59 in) long and weigh 27–65 kg (60–140 lb). Males are
10–20% larger than females. The muzzle is short and light coloured, and
in most cases the white area extends above the eyes. The paws are large,
and the soles are naked, which is thought to be an adaptation for climbing trees. The claws are large, curved and pointed.They are sickle-shaped and relatively light in weight. The tail is 30–70 mm (1.2–2.8 in) long.
During feeding, the sun bear can extend the exceptionally long tongue 20–25 cm (7.9–9.8 in) to extract insects and honey.
Sun bears are found in the tropical rainforest of Southeast Asia ranging from north-eastern India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam to southern Yunnan Province in China, and on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo.
Bees, beehives, and honey are important food items of sun bears. They are omnivores, feeding primarily on termites, ants, beetle larvae, bee larvae and a large variety of fruit species, especially figs when available. Occasionally, growth shoots of certain palms and some species of flowers are consumed, but otherwise vegetative matter appears rare in the diet. In Bornean forests, fruits of Moraceae, Burseraceae and Myrtaceae make up more than 50% of the fruit diet. They are known to tear open trees with their long, sharp claws and teeth in search of wild bees and leave behind shattered tree trunks.
Females are observed to mate at about 3 years of age. During time of mating, the sun bear will show behaviour like hugging, mock fighting and head bobbing with its mate.Gestation has been reported at 95 and 174 days. Litters consist of one or two cubs weighing about 10 oz (280 g) each. Cubs are born blind and hairless. Initially, they are totally dependent on their mother, and suckle for about 18 months. After one to three months, the young can run, play and forage near their mother. They reach sexual maturity after 3–4 years, and may live up to 30 years in captivity.
Tiger
(Panthera tigris). Tigers are the most variable in size of all big cats, even more so than leopards and much more so than lions.The Bengal, Caspian and Siberian tiger
subspecies represent the largest living felids, and rank among the
biggest felids that ever existed. An average adult male tiger from
Northern India or Siberia outweighs an average adult male lion by around 45.5 kg (100 lb).
Females vary in length from 200 to 275 cm (79 to 108 in), weigh 65 to
167 kg (140 to 370 lb) with a greatest length of skull ranging from 268
to 318 mm (10.6 to 12.5 in). Males vary in size from 250 to 390 cm (98
to 150 in), weigh 90 to 306 kg (200 to 670 lb) with a greatest length of
skull ranging from 316 to 383 mm (12.4 to 15.1 in). Body size of different populations seems to be correlated with climate—Bergmann's rule—and can be explained by thermoregulation.
Large male Siberian tigers can reach a total length of more than 3.5 m
(11.5 ft) "over curves", 3.3 m (10.8 ft) "between pegs" and a weight of
306 kg (670 lb). This is considerably larger than the size reached by
the smallest living tiger subspecies, the Sumatran tiger,
which reaches a body weight of 75 to 140 kg (170 to 310 lb). Of the
total length of a tiger, the tail comprises 0.6 to 1.1 m (2.0 to 3.6
ft).[19][20] At the shoulder, tigers may variously stand 0.7 to 1.22 m (2.3 to 4.0 ft) tall.
In the past, tigers were found throughout Asia, from the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea to Siberia and the Indonesian islands of Java, Bali and Sumatra. During the 20th century, tigers have been extirpated in western Asia
and became restricted to isolated pockets in the remaining parts of
their range. Today, their fragmented and partly degraded range extends
from India in the west to China and Southeast Asia. The northern limit of their range is close to the Amur River in southeastern Siberia. The only large island inhabited by tigers today is Sumatra.
Tigers were extirpated on the island of Bali in the 1940s, around the
Caspian Sea in the 1970s, and on Java in the 1980s. Loss of habitat and
the persistent killing of tigers and tiger prey precipitated these
extirpations, a process that continues to leave forests devoid of tigers
and other large mammals across South and Southeast Asia. Since the
beginning of the 20th century, their historical range has shrunk by 93%.
In the decade from 1997 to 2007, the estimated area known to be
occupied by tigers has declined by 41%.
Adult tigers lead solitary lives and congregate only on an ad hoc
and transitory basis when special conditions permit, such as plentiful
supply of food. They establish and maintain home ranges. Tigers are strong swimmers, and are often found bathing in ponds, lakes, and rivers. Among fellow big cats, only the jaguar shares with the tiger a similar fondness for and capability in the water. They may also cross rivers up to 6 to 7 km (3.7 to 4.3 mi) across and can swim a distance of up to 29 km (18 mi) in a day.
During the extreme heat of the day, they often cool off in pools. They
are able to carry prey through or capture it in the water.
In the wild, tigers mostly feed on large and medium-sized animals, with most studies indicating a preference for native ungulates weighing 90 kg (200 lb) at a minimum. Sambar, chital, barasingha, wild boar, gaur, nilgai and both water buffalo and domestic buffalo, in descending order of preference, are the tiger's favoured prey in India. Sometimes, they also prey on other predators, including other large species, such as leopards, pythons, sloth bears, and crocodiles. In Siberia, the main prey species are manchurian wapiti and wild boar (the two species comprising nearly 80% of the prey selected) followed by sika deer, moose, roe deer, and musk deer. In Sumatra, sambar, muntjac, wild boar, and Malayan tapir are the predominant prey. In the former Caspian tiger's range, prey included saiga antelope, camels, Caucasian wisent, yak, and wild horses. Like many predators, they are opportunistic and will eat much smaller prey, such as monkeys, peafowl, other large, ground-based birds, hares, porcupines, and fish. Adult elephants
are too large to serve as common prey, but conflicts between tigers and
elephants, with the huge elephant typically dominating the predator, do
sometimes take place.
No comments:
Post a Comment