"Suidae Suidae is a family of artiodactyl mammals which are commonly called pigs, hogs or boars. In addition to numerous fossil species, 17 extant species are currently recognized (or 18 counting domestic pigs and wild boars separately), classified into between four and eight genera. The family includes the domestic pig, ""Sus scrofa domesticus"" or ""Sus domesticus"", in addition to numerous species of wild pig, such as babirusas and warthogs. All suids, or swine, are native to the Old World, ranging from Asia to Europe and Africa. The earliest fossil suids date from the Oligocene epoch in Asia, and their descendants"
"some extant taxa of Suidae, placing these excluded taxa in other subfamilies. In their 1997 ""Classification of Mammals"", Malcolm C. McKenna and Susan K. Bell classify the Suinae as: In the 2005 third edition of ""Mammal Species of the World"", which treats only recent forms, Peter Grubb followed this classification. Suinae Suinae is a subfamily of artiodactyl mammals that includes several of the extant members of Suidae and their closest relatives—the domestic pig and related species, such as babirusas. Several extinct species within the Suidae are classified in subfamilies other than Suinae. However, the classification of the extinct members of"
"Pig A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the even-toed ungulate family Suidae. Pigs include the domestic pig and its ancestor, the common Eurasian wild boar (""Sus scrofa""), along with other species. Related creatures outside the genus include the peccary, the babirusa, and the warthog. Pigs, like all suids, are native to the Eurasian and African continents. Juvenile pigs are known as piglets. Pigs are highly social and intelligent animals. With around 1 billion individuals alive at any time, the domestic pig is among the most populous large mammals in the world. Pigs are omnivores"
"Suina The suborder Suina (also known as Suiformes) is a lineage of omnivorous non-ruminant artiodactyl mammals that includes the pigs and peccaries of the families Suidae and Tayassuidae and their fossil kin. Hippopotamidae had historically been classified among the Suina for morphological reasons, but is now more often classified as the sister group of the whales, or Cetacea. The suborder Suina includes Suidae (pig family) and Tayassuidae (peccary family). The Merycoidodonts, or ""oreodonts"", a branch of the tylopoda, were often considered suines due to the popular, though inaccurate, description of them as ""ruminating hogs"". Oreodonts were not suines, they were"
"reached Europe during the Miocene. Several fossil species are known and show adaptations to a wide range of different diets, from strict herbivory to possible carrion-eating (in Tetraconodontinae). Suids belong to the order Artiodactyla, and are generally regarded as the living members of that order most similar to the ancestral form. Unlike most other members of the order, they have four toes on each foot, although they walk only on the middle two digits, with the others staying clear of the ground. They also have a simple stomach, rather than the more complex, ruminant, stomach found in most other artiodactyl"
"families. They are small to medium animals, varying in size from in length, and in weight in the case of the pygmy hog, to and in the giant forest hog. They have large heads and short necks, with relatively small eyes and prominent ears. Their heads have a distinctive snout, ending in a disc-shaped nose. Suids typically have a bristly coat, and a short tail ending in a tassle. The males possess a corkscrew-shaped penis, which fits into a similarly shaped groove in the female's cervix. Suids have a well-developed sense of hearing, and are vocal animals, communicating with a"
"adaptable animals. Adult females (sows) and their young travel in a group (sounder; see List of animal names), while adult males (boars) are either solitary, or travel in small bachelor groups. Males generally are not territorial, and come into conflict only during the mating season. Litter size varies between one and twelve, depending on the species. The mother prepares a grass nest or similar den, which the young leave after about ten days. Suids are weaned at around three months, and become sexually mature at 18 months. In practice, however, male suids are unlikely to gain access to sows in"
"Sirenia The Sirenia, commonly referred to as sea cows or sirenians, are an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that inhabit swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and coastal marine waters. The Sirenia currently comprise the families Dugongidae (the dugong) and Trichechidae (manatees) with a total of four species. The Protosirenidae (Eocene sirenians) and Prorastomidae (terrestrial sirenians) families are extinct. Sirenians are classified in the clade Paenungulata, alongside the elephants and the hyraxes, and evolved in the Eocene 50 million years ago. The Dugongidae diverged from the Trichechidae in the late Eocene or early Oligocene. Sirenians grow to between in length"
"Bovidae The Bovidae are the biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes bison, African buffalo, water buffalo, antelopes, wildebeest, impala, gazelles, sheep, goats, muskoxen, and domestic cattle. A member of this family is called a bovid. With 143 extant species and 300 known extinct species, the family Bovidae consists of eight major subfamilies apart from the disputed Peleinae and Pantholopinae. The family evolved 20 million years ago, in the early Miocene. The bovids show great variation in size and pelage colouration. Excepting some domesticated forms, all male bovids have two or more horns, and in many species females possess"
"superfamily Canoidea (or suborder Caniformia) – Canidae (wolves, dogs and foxes), Mephitidae (skunks and stink badgers), Mustelidae (weasels, badgers, and otters), Procyonidae (raccoons), Ursidae (bears), Ailuridae (red panda), Otariidae (eared seals), Odobenidae (walrus), and Phocidae (earless seals) (the last three families formerly classified in the superfamily Pinnipedia) and the extinct family Amphicyonidae (bear-dogs) – are characterized by having nonchambered or partially chambered auditory bullae, nonretractable claws, and a well-developed baculum. Most species are rather plain in coloration, lacking the flashy spotted or rosetted coats like many species of felids and viverrids have. This is because Canoidea tend to range in"
"Booidea The Booidea, also known as booid snakes, are a superfamily of snakes that contains boas (family Boidae) and other closely related boa-like snakes (but not pythons, which are in a separate superfamily called Pythonoidea). As of 2017, Booidea contains 61 species, including the eponymous Neotropical ""Boa constrictor"", anacondas (genus ""Eunectes""), and smaller tree and rainbow boas (""Corallus"", ""Epicrates"", and ""Chilabothrus"") as well as several genera of booid snakes from various locations around the world: ""Candoia"" from New Guinea and Melanesia, sand boas (""Eryx"") from northeast Africa, the Middle East, and southwestern Asia, ""Charina"" and ""Lichanura"" from North America, ""Ungaliophis"""
"Sunda cuckoo The Sunda cuckoo or Sunda lesser cuckoo (""Cuculus lepidus"") is a South-east Asian bird belonging to the genus ""Cuculus"" in the cuckoo family, Cuculidae. It was formerly classified with the Himalayan cuckoo (""C. saturatus"") and Oriental cuckoo (""C. optatus"") in a single species, ""C. saturatus"", but is now often regarded as a separate species based on differences in voice, size and plumage. It is 29–30 cm long. The upperparts, throat and upper breast are dark grey. The rest of the underparts are buff with black bars. The tail is blackish with white spots. The female also occurs in"
"in Southeast Europe into Central Europe, occupying areas where there are few or no wolves. The biological family ""Canidae"" is composed of the South American canids, the fox-like canids, and the wolf-like canids. All species within the wolf-like canids share a similar morphology and possess 78chromosomes, allowing them potentially to interbreed. Within the wolf-like canids is the jackal group, which includes the three jackals: the black-backed jackal (""C.mesomelas""), the side-striped jackal (""Canis adustus""), and the golden jackal (""Canis aureus""). These three species are approximately the same size, possess similar dental and skeletal morphology, and are identified from each other primarily"
"South China tiger, white-lipped deer, Pere David's deer, crested ibis, Chinese alligator, and Chinese giant salamander. Other endangered or threatened species housed there include a Siberian tiger, yak, Przewalski's horse, snow leopard, Tibetan gazelle, and kiang. The zoo also has a broad collection of megafauna such as addax, Asian black bears, Asian and African elephants, bats, beluga whales, chimpanzees, clouded leopards, flamingos, gorillas, hippopotamuses, jaguars, kangaroos, lemurs, lions, muntjac, otters, penguins, polar bears, rhinoceroses, sea turtles, tapirs, and zebras, as well as 13 of the world's 15 species of cranes. The zoo grounds originally housed an imperial manor during the"
"broad-billed hummingbird (""Cynanthus latirostris""), the black-chinned hummingbird (""Archilochus alexandri""), Costa's hummingbird (""Calypte costae""), Gambel's quail (""Callipepla gambelii""), the common raven (""Corvus corax""), the Gila woodpecker (""Melanerpes uropygialis""), the gilded flicker (""Colaptes chrysoides""), the cactus wren (""Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus""), and the rock wren (""Salpinctes obsoletus""). Four types of doves call the Southwest home: the white-winged dove (""Zenaida asiatica""), the mourning dove (""Zenaida macroura""), the common ground dove (""Columbina passerina""), and the Inca dove (""Columbina inca""). Mammal species include the bobcat, coyote, black bear, black-tailed jackrabbit, desert cottontail, desert bighorn sheep, mule deer, white-tailed deer, gray fox, mountain lion, river otter, long-tailed weasel,"
"Sulidae The bird family Sulidae comprises the gannets and boobies. Collectively called sulids, they are medium-large coastal seabirds that plunge-dive for fish and similar prey. The ten species in this family are often considered congeneric in older sources, placing all in the genus ""Sula"". However, ""Sula"" (true boobies) and ""Morus"" (gannets) can be readily distinguished by morphological, behavioral, and DNA sequence characters. Abbott's booby (""Papasula"") is given its own genus as it stands apart from both in these respects. It appears to be a distinct and ancient lineage, maybe closer to the gannets than to the true boobies. Sulids measure"
"cares for sloths. It rehabilitated and released about 130 individuals back into the wild. However, a report in May 2016 featured two former veterinarians from the facility who were intensely critical of the sanctuary's efforts, accusing it of mistreating the animals. The ""Ice Age"" movie series features Sid, a prehistoric ground sloth, as a central character. Sloth Sloths are arboreal mammals noted for slowness of movement and for spending most of their lives hanging upside down in the trees of the tropical rainforests of South America and Central America. The six species are in two families: two-toed sloths and three-toed"
"Pinniped Pinnipeds, commonly known as seals, are a widely distributed and diverse clade of carnivorous, fin-footed, semiaquatic marine mammals. They comprise the extant families Odobenidae (whose only living member is the walrus), Otariidae (the eared seals: sea lions and fur seals), and Phocidae (the earless seals, or true seals). There are 33 extant species of pinnipeds, and more than 50 extinct species have been described from fossils. While seals were historically thought to have descended from two ancestral lines, molecular evidence supports them as a monophyletic lineage (descended from one ancestral line). Pinnipeds belong to the order Carnivora and their"
"Equidae Equidae (sometimes known as the horse family) is the taxonomic family of horses and related animals, including the extant horses, donkeys, and zebras, and many other species known only from fossils. All extant species are in the genus ""Equus"". Equidae belongs to the order Perissodactyla, which includes the extant tapirs and rhinoceros, and several extinct families. The term equid refers to any member of this family, including any equine. The oldest known fossils assigned to Equidae date from the early Eocene, 54 million years ago. They used to be assigned to the genus ""Hyracotherium"", but the type species of"
"concentrated around the Knysna area and scattered along the escarpment of the Drakensberg mountains upwards along Kwa-Zulu Natal. The country has over 300 species of mammals. Many carnivores, both large and small, inhabit South Africa. Most carnivoran families are well represented in South Africa, such as Canidae, Felidae, Hyaenidae, Mustelidae, Viverridae, Herpestidae, and Otariidae. Most famous of these is the lion, the largest carnivore on the continent and the second-largest cat in the world. The other two big cats are the African leopard and the South African cheetah. The spotted hyena is commonly found in most large game reserves, while"
"bottom; this does not let them chew very well, thus they swallow and regurgitate their food to allow rumination. Most even-toed ungulates have a four-chambered stomach. In contrast, the Suina have a simple stomach that allows an omnivorous diet. Most members of Suina have toes rather than hooves. While most artiodactyls have long slender legs, the Suina generally have short, stubby legs. Suina The suborder Suina (also known as Suiformes) is a lineage of omnivorous non-ruminant artiodactyl mammals that includes the pigs and peccaries of the families Suidae and Tayassuidae and their fossil kin. Hippopotamidae had historically been classified among"
"Boidae The Boidae (Common names: boas, boids) are a family of nonvenomous snakes primarily found in the Americas, although also existing in Africa, Madagascar, Europe, Asia, and some Pacific Islands. Relatively primitive snakes, adults are medium to large in size, with females usually larger than the males. Five subfamilies, comprising 12 genera and 49 species, are currently recognized. Like the pythons, boas have elongated supratemporal bones. The quadrate bones are also elongated, but not as much, while both are capable of moving freely so when they swing sideways to their maximum extent, the distance between the hinges of the lower"
"otter (""Enhydra lutris""), bearded seal (""Erignathus barbatus""), donkey (""Equus asinus""), cougars (""Felis concolor coryi"", ""Felis concolor stanleyana""), bobcat (""Felis rufus floridanus""), Atlantic white-sided dolphins (""Lagenorhynchus acutus""), guanaco (""Lama guanicoe""), alpaca (""Vicugna pacos""), otter (""Lutra lutra""), wild dog (""Lycaon pictus""), Bartels's spiny rat (""Maxomys bartelsii""), Musschenbroek's spiny rat (""Maxomys musschenbroekii""), prairie vole (""Microtus ochrogaster""), common European weasel (""Mustela nivalis""), mink (""Mustela vison""), muskrat (""Ondatra zibethica""), mountain goats (""Oreamnos americanus""), Grant's gazelle (""Nanger granti""), slow loris (""Nycticebus coucang""), African lions (""Panthera leo""), leopard (""Panthera pardus""), tiger (""Panthera tigris""), baboon (""Papio cynocephalus""), Pacific harbor seal (""Phoca vitulina richardsi"") chamois (""Rupicapra rupicapra""), Polynesian rat"
"Eider Eiders () are large seaducks in the genus ""Somateria"". The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek ""somatos"" ""body"" and ""erion"" ""wool"", referring to eiderdown. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The down feathers of eider ducks, and some other ducks and geese, are used to fill pillows and quilts—they have given the name to the type of quilt known as an eiderdown. Steller's eider (""Polysticta stelleri"") is in a different genus despite its name. The call of the duck has been likened to sound of ""surprised pantomime dames, or even"
"the comedian Frankie Howerd"". Two undescribed species are known from fossils, one from Middle Oligocene rocks in Kazakhstan and another from the Late Miocene or Early Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, United States. The former may not actually belong in this genus. Eider Eiders () are large seaducks in the genus ""Somateria"". The scientific name is derived from Ancient Greek ""somatos"" ""body"" and ""erion"" ""wool"", referring to eiderdown. The three extant species all breed in the cooler latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The down feathers of eider ducks, and some other ducks and geese, are used to fill pillows and"
"Shelduck The shelducks, most species of which are found in the genus Tadorna (except for the Radjah shelduck, which is now found in its own monotypic genus ""Radjah""), are a group of large birds in the Tadorninae subfamily of the Anatidae, the biological family that includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl such as the geese and swans. The shelducks are a group of larger often semi-terrestrial waterfowl, which can be seen as intermediate between geese (""Anserinae"") and ducks. They are mid-sized (some 50–60 cm) Old World waterfowl. The sexes are colored slightly differently in most species, and all have"
"may also be a predator of giant forest hogs, the species are usually segregated by habitat, as African lions do not generally occur in the densely forested habitats inhabited by this suid. Giant forest hog The giant forest hog (""Hylochoerus meinertzhageni""), the only member of its genus, is native to wooded habitats in Africa and generally is considered the largest wild member of the pig family, Suidae; a few subspecies of the wild boar can reach an even larger size. Despite its large size and relatively wide distribution, it was first described only in 1904. The specific name honours Richard"
"muskrat, stoat, Russian desman, raccoon dog, hedgehog, hare (mountain and European), shrews (common shrew, Eurasian pygmy shrew, lesser white-toothed shrew, Eurasian water shrew, etc.), weasel, fox, moose, wild boar, European mole, brown and black rats, marten, mice and voles (wood mouse, yellow-necked mouse, house mouse, Eurasian harvest mouse, northern birch mouse, bank vole, field vole, tundra vole, European water vole), European mink, deer (roe, red, spotted), hazel and fat dormouse, and European polecat. At the borders there are occasional bears, lynxes and wolves. In the southern areas there are also speckled ground squirrel, dwarf hamster, great jerboa and beech marten."
"Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are the largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing over 700 species found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. The name Muridae comes from the Latin ' (genitive '), meaning ""mouse"". Murids are found nearly everywhere in the world, though many subfamilies have narrower ranges. Murids are not found in Antarctica or many oceanic islands. Although none of them is native to the Americas, a few species, notably the house mouse and black rat, have been introduced worldwide. Murids occupy a broad range of ecosystems from tropical forests to tundras. Fossorial, arboreal, and semiaquatic"
"Bovinae The biological subfamily Bovinae includes a diverse group of 10 genera of medium to large-sized ungulates, including domestic cattle, bison, African buffalo, the water buffalo, the yak, and the four-horned and spiral-horned antelopes. The evolutionary relationship between the members of the group is still debated, and their classification into loose tribes rather than formal subgroups reflects this uncertainty. General characteristics include cloven hooves and usually at least one of the sexes of a species having true horns. The largest extant bovine is the gaur. In many countries, bovid milk and meat is used as food. Cattle are kept as"
"Otariidae Although the two subfamilies of otariids, the Otariinae (sea lions) and Arctocephalinae (fur seals), are still widely used, recent molecular studies have demonstrated that they may be invalid. Instead, they suggest three clades within the family; one consisting of the northern sea lions (""Eumetopias"" and ""Zalophus""), one of the northern fur seal (""Callorhinus"") and its extinct relatives, and the third of all the remaining Southern Hemisphere species. Eared seal An eared seal or otariid or otary is any member of the marine mammal family Otariidae, one of three groupings of pinnipeds. They comprise 15 extant species in seven genera"
"families. The largest families are Bothidae, Cynoglossidae, Paralichthyidae, Pleuronectidae, and Soleidae, with more than 100 species each (the remaining families have less than 50 species each). Some families are the results of relatively recent splits. For example, the Achiridae were classified as a subfamily of Soleidae in the past, and the Samaridae were considered a subfamily of the Pleuronectidae. The families Paralichthodidae, Poecilopsettidae, and Rhombosoleidae were also traditionally treated as subfamilies of Pleuronectidae, but are now recognised as families in their own right. The taxonomy of some groups is in need of a review, as the last monograph covering the"
"have become iconic symbols for conservation, animal welfare, and animal rights advocates. In 2009, Russia banned the hunting of harp seals less than one year old. The term seal is used to refer to a diverse group of animals. In science, they are grouped together in the Pinnipeds, which also includes the walrus, not popularly thought of as a seal, and not considered here. The two main families of seals are the Otariidae (the eared seals; includes sea lions, and fur seals), and Phocidae (the earless seals); animals in the family Phocidae are sometimes referred to as hair seals, and"