RED PANDA - Endangered


Scientific Name: Ailurus fulgens

IUCN Status: Vulnerable

Habitat: The bamboo forests of the Himalayan mountains of China.

Diet: Berries, mushrooms, grasses and bark

Reproduction: Red pandas reach sexual maturity when they are 18-20 months old. Breeding season occurs from early January to early March.

Life Span: 8-10 years

Fact: Red pandas are exceptional tree climbers and love bamboo as a snack!



MEERKATS

Scientific Name: Suricata suricatta

IUCN Status: Least concern

Habitat: South African savanna, rocky grasslands, intense heat, little rain

Diet: Worms, crickets, grasshoppers, small rodents, lizards, small snakes, birds, eggs, fruit, and ant larvae ... yum!

Reproduction: Meerkats become sexually mature at about one year of age and can have 1 to 5 pups in a litter.

Life Span: 12-14 years

Fact: With their excellent sense of smell, meerkats can find their food even when it is hiding underground.



GOAT

Scientific Name: Capra hircus

IUCN Status: Not applicable

Habitat: High altitudes in Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe

Diet: Grains and hay

Reproduction: Goats can breed any time of the year, and usually produce twins or triplets.

Life Span: 6-9 years

Fact: Goats were the first animals domesticated by man in 10000 B.C.



NORTH AMERICAN PORCUPINE

Scientific Name: Erethizon dorsatum

IUCN Status: Least Concern

Habitat: Porcupines live all over the world. The American porcupine lives in the grasslands and forests of Canada.

Diet: Roots, leaves, and berries

Reproduction: Female porcupines become sexually mature at about 18 months of age. The breeding season occurs between September to November and females may cycle more than once a year. Gestation varies from 205 to 215 days. One pup or "porcupette" is born in the spring.

Life Span: 10-15 years

Fact: Porcupine vision is poor, but they have an excellent sense of smell.