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Leopard

Leopard — The leopard (Panthera pardus) is an Old World mammal of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four ‘big cats’ of the genus Panthera, along with the tiger, lion, and jaguar. Leopards that are melanistic, either all-black or very dark in coloration, are known colloquially as black panthers. Once distributed across southern Eurasia and Africa, from Korea …

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Lion

Lion — The lion (Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four “big cats” in the genus Panthera. With exceptional large males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger. Wild lions currently exist in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia with a critically endangered remnant population in …

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Lemur

Lemur — Lemurs make up the infraorder Lemuriformes and are members of a group of primates known as prosimians. The term “lemur” is derived from the Latin word lemures, meaning “spirits of the night” or “ghosts”. This likely refers to their large, reflective eyes and the wailing cries of some species (the Indri in particular). The term is generically used …

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Lemming

Lemming — Lemmings are small rodents, usually found in or near the Arctic, in tundra biomes. Together with the voles and muskrats, they make up the subfamily Arvicolinae (also known as Microtinae), which forms part of the largest mammal radiation by far, the superfamily Muroidea, which also includes the rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils. Lemmings weigh from 30 to 112 …

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Monkey

Monkey — A monkey is any member of either the New World monkeys or Old World monkeys, two of the three groupings of simian primates, the third group being the apes. There are 264 known extant species of monkey. The New World monkeys are classified within the parvorder Platyrrhini, whereas the Old World monkeys (superfamily Cercopithecoidea) form part of the …

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Gerenuk

Gerenuk — Gerenuks, Litocranius walleri, are a type of antelope/gazelle with remarkably long necks that are found in East Africa. The gerenuk is also known as Waller’s Gazelle. The word Gerenuk comes from the Somali language, meaning “giraffe-necked”. Gerenuks have a small head for their body, but their eyes and ears are big. Unlike females, males have horns and a …

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Gerbil

Gerbil — A gerbil is a small mammal of the order Rodentia. Once known simply as “desert rats”, the gerbil subfamily includes about 110 species of African, Indian, and Asian rodents, including sand rats and jirds, all of which are adapted to arid habitats. Most are primarily diurnal (though some, including the common household pet, do exhibit crepuscular behavior), and …

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Gemsbok

Gemsbok — The gemsbok or gemsbuck (Oryx gazella) is a large African antelope, of the Oryx genus. The name is derived from the Dutch name of the male chamois, Gemsbok. Although there are some superficial similarities in appearance (especially in the colour of the face area), the chamois and the oryx are not related. Gemsbok live in herds of about …

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