By Ricardo Nunez Suarez. All Rights Reserved. Feel free to reblog. For collaboration or liscensing please contact rhinunez@gmail.com
221 posts
Yellow-Striped Chevrotain
Not much is to say about this animal since is recognize as a species since 2005. It was thought to be the same as the Indian Chevrotain and the Sri Lankan Chevrotain. However, starting from its distinctive yellowish coloration, clued that is we were looking at a whole different species.
It is the smallest of the three species (The Indian and the Sri Lankan Chevrotains) and because it was identified as a new species very recently, little is known about it.
Nocturnal as its closest relatives, Excellent swimmers even underwater and relatively common, it seems that its existence is secure for the next few decades. Nonetheless, a small decline in their numbers has been noticed in recent years. *Photo Reference Credits: Klaus Rudloff
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Sri Lankan Spotted Chevrotain
What we know about nature is never carved on stone. What at some point in history we believe is the irrefutable truth, deeper studies of the subject often prove us wrong.
It was until 2005 that this species was separated from its closest relative, The Indian Spotted Chevrotain (Which I introduced last week) and today is recognized as a whole new species. Is obvious to say now, that not much is known about this
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Indian Spotted Chevrotain
Nocturnal as its relative, the Indian Spotted Chevrotain spends the days hidden in hollow trees or close to piles of leaves which serve him as camouflage due to its fur's color.
Is still common and its status is not to worry. However, it used to be seen in all Indian territory up to the South of Nepal. Nowadays, hasn't been seen in Nepal and if ever found, it is very likely is highly endangered.
The Spotted Chevrotain is a vital link in the food chain because many predators feed on him. Therefore, its protection is crucial to maintaining the equilibrium of nature.
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Mammals of the World is back! We are very excited to start the year with new amazing animals to learn about. We'll try to post more often (it used to be every ten days, we are going to try every week) so we can enjoy more animals and know more about them. From the giants of the world, let us introduce you to some of the smallest: The mouse deer family, the smallest hoofed animals in the world.
Water Chevrotain
This is the only member of this family that is not found in Asia and is the biggest of all with just 35cms high. They have a good sense of smell that they use to find their favorite food: Fruits. Although this species is the only one known for also eating insects, crabs, and even scavenged meat and fish.
They are exclusively nocturnal and they are also known for being excellent swimmers and for producing distinctive noises depending on the situation they are in.
It's commonly hunted by humans and is known as the infamous bush meat. However, its numbers are somewhat stable. It hasn't been studied profoundly and not much is known about its behavior. ___________________ Thank you again for your support and we wish you a great new year! Don't forget to check out our Instagram content and have a look at our store here. Love, comments, likes, reblogs, follows, or buys will really help us. Thank you!
All the whales including the subspecies The poster includes the size and weight of each whale. You can purchase this poster on my store, just follow the link below and acquire this amazing piece of science. Perfect for animals lovers of any age. It comes in different sizes so anyone can afford it. If you get one, please let me know in the comments how you like it. I will take some time off but I will be back soon with more amazing illustrations and curiosities of the wonderful world of mammals. Thank you for your love and support.
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Gray Whale
The last member of the balaenopteridae family: The Gray Whale. (you might wonder why the sperm whale is not included but that one belongs to another family closer to dolphins as orcas do. I didn't know that)
This one habitat is way more reduced but its number is fine. Also called the Evil whale because it was a fierce fighter when hunted. (I wonder if there would be any animal who wouldn't fight for its life)
It is a very distinctive whale and the only extant of its family with its last relatives seen in the Neogene era.
Maybe the most notable marks are the withe spots all around its body product of scars left by parasites that fall off when is on cold grounds.
Three specimens were kept captive through history. The first one called Gigi in 1965 died two months after. However, in 1972 another catch called Gigi II, was held for a year after grew too much and had to be released. A third one was kept captive in SeaWorld San Diego for 14 months and also was released because of its size.
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Whales are ugly, or not. Probably both. On one side they look like a deformed giant body with a massive mouth that when opens make the animal looks even weirder. But then a beautiful tale swipes with force and breaks the ocean's surface and is accompanied by a pair of powerful fins that make that weird body moves gracefully as if it's dancing. It's a perfect combination of grotesque and beauty that combined with its size made us fall in love with it. ______
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Humpback Whale
If there is a whale that has been ingrained in the imagination of humanity for centuries, and has been the one that make us fall in love of these magnificent mammals, is without a doubt, the Humpback Whale. Probably the most notorious whale in nature, the Humpback Whale has it's own genus (Megaptera) and stands out as a single one. However, some scientist have noticed that the populations in different regions have been developing very distinctive characteristics that theoretically will diverge the species into various subspecies. In other words: Evolution. In whaling times, this species almost got extinct, with it's population dropping to an alarming 90% before 1996. Today's numbers are stable around 80.000 and we can say is safe and can be found in mostly all oceans.
This is the only whale I have ever seen in my life. (well just a tail surfacing the sea) and despite the seconds I had the chance to observed it, it was extremely captivating. I hope one day I can see more of these beautiful animals and hopefully too, some of its relatives. ________________
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Blue Whale
"We must feel lucky to be sharing the world with the biggest animal that ever existed."
Not even the biggest dinosaur is a match for the size of the Blue Whale, the largest animal that ever existed on earth. The largest-ever registered was 33 meters. It is the biggest size the animal can reach in order to function correctly. A fifth subspecies could be a population that inhabits the coasts of Chile. A group with unique vocalization and notable genetic differences.
I must say that whales are fascinating. I still find it hard to wrap the size of this animal. I hope one day I could see one of them. Today is protected because it was heavily hunted almost to its extinction. In 1966, its hunt was banned by the International Whaling Commission. ___________________________
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Fin Whale
Formerly known Know as the Finback whale, Common rorqual, Herring whale, or Razorback whale, the Fin whale is the second largest whale on the planet. Its glamorous and slender shape make it one of the fastest rorquals despite its size. It was heavily hunting during the whaling times in the XX century but was able to recover and their numbers are somehow stable. Over 725,000 fin whales were reportedly taken from the Southern Hemisphere between 1905 and 1976. For this reason, the Southern Fin Whale is closer to extinction than the Northern Fin Whale. The North Pacific population is believed to be a third subspecies according to experts, however, more studies need to be done to validate this information. The Fin Whale is more related to the Humpback Whale and the Grey Whale. It is strange because these two rorquals belong to a different genus each.
Omura's Whale Little is known about this whale because was until 2003 that it was thought to be a smaller form of the Bryde's Whale. The description was made public in Nature, a British scientific weekly journal by three Japanese scientist. They determine the existence of the new specimen by DNA analysis. It was later discovered that its closest relative might be the Blue Whale. It is one of the smallest species of rorqual.
Searching for images of this whale I saw a few videos of the whale eating and it was amazing. I never thought this size o f animal could be so fast.
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Sei Whale
Is the third-largest rorqual before the Fin whale and the Blue whale. Heavily hunted in the XIX and XX century its numbers dropped from 250.000 to 80.000 which in other words mean less than a third of the pre whaling population. Today luckily is protected.
Mass deaths events have been recorded numerous times and the reason why isn't clear but it appears to be endemic poisoning called red tide. It is a phenomenon of decoloration of the sea surface that occurs by an overpopulation of certain microorganisms, apparently caused by the unprecedented warming of the Pacific Ocean. The biggest mass death event documented happened in Chile in June 2015 where 337 death Sei Whales were counted.
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Rice's Whale I can proudly say this is one of the few illustrations done of this new species, the Rice's Whale. Named in 2021, It was previously thought to be a subpopulation of the Bryde's Whale until further studies proved the opposite.
The sad news is that is critically endangered and along with the vaquita, those are two of the most scarce cetaceans in the world which happened to inhabit the same environment. The causes of its decline are still unclear but are believed to be because of the industrialization of the Gulf of Mexico.
The oil spill disaster in 2010 killed nearly 20% of its population.
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The Bryde's Whale has been a kind of puzzle for scientists because three species use to fall into its category. This is called complex in taxonomy. In other words, three (or maybe four) species of whales were thought to be subspecies, (or just the same species) as the Bryde's whale.
I wonder why not just name all four species the same if they are so closely similar? The devil is in the details. Those little differences that make one species become different from others can be the starting point for a completely new animal in million years. On the other hand, those tiny changes also may be the ones that make the animal adapt better than its relatives and therefore survive the changes of the environment.
So if is similar in appearance, as it seems in the cetaceans, there are movements and changes that are only perceptible in millions of years of evolution.
Can I suppose that the Balaenopteridae family is a young one, therefore many of its members are closely similar? Could be...
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Eden's Whale Little is know about this whale since is thought to be a smaller form of Bryde's Whale and no studies have been done to corroborate this assumption or treat it as a different species. Still, its size can reach up to 11 meters and weigh up to 20 tons. Usually seen in pair or single individuals, still can form groups of 20 animals around feeding areas. The Bryde's whale and Eden's whale share morphological similarities making them had to identify. _________ Show me your love liking and sharing my content. Thank you!. Instagram Store
Antarctic Mink Whale.
First, it was believed to be a subspecies of the Mink Whale but in the 90's it was discovered to be a different species. Like the Mink Whale, it was ignored by whalers because its size made it one of the most abundant whales in the world. However, the decline of other whales, made the Mink Whale today one of the mainstays of the industry, therefore its numbers have started to decline too.
I don't believe whaling should be banned but I do believe it should have stronger control. I think cultures that do whaling shouldn't be deprived of something they have been doing for generations and also helped them to develop into the cultures and countries they are today. But it has to be responsible, as anything else.
These days we have been witnessed violent climate issues in different areas around the world that are just telling us what is coming in the near future if we don't change the way we treat the planet. Just take what you need so others also can have some.
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Whales are divided into three families. This is the second and biggest: the Balaenopteridae, which contains the biggest animal that ever inhabits the earth. However, we will start with its smallest member but also the fastest: the Mink Whale. This is the most common whale and is probably due to its not being commonly hunted by humans. Its size is too small (about 10m) and does not have enough oil yield, so hunting it is not worth it. Nonetheless, the hunting of this whale has increased.
Its name is confusing because it was first confused and classified wrongly. Its name is derived from the Norwegians who usually refer to any type of small whale as Minkie or Minkies' hval.
The Dwarf Mink Whale was described as a new subspecies not long ago and it is not sure yet if is one. Still has not scientific name. Mink Whale in captivity.
Mink whale has been tried to keep in captivity in Mito Aquarium, in Japan a few times. Most of the specimens died in few weeks while in 1956, the last one was able to scape a net aquarium after 37 days spinning the pool in the same direction.
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Poster Balaenidae and Cetotheriidae Family. Although not related, however similar and for many years thought to belong to the same family, The Pygmy Right Whale is the only extant member of the Cetotheriidae family. Despite its size, The biggest difference from the Balaenidae family is that the Pygmy whale has a dorsal fin and its mouth is not as big in proportion to its body as the other Right Whales. You can purchase this poster here
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Pygmy Right Whale
I had no idea this one exists. How awesome can be a small version of a right whale? Here it is, the Pygmy Right Whale.
Not much is known about this animal since is one of the whales that has been studied the less. Often confused at sight with the Minke Whale, observation of the Pygmy Right Whale is rather scarce. Lives in the Southern Hemisphere in waters of temperatures that range from 5 to 20 °C.
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Right Whales:
The other genus of the Balaenidae family is composed of three species. The three of them are mostly distinguished from each other by distribution or genetic analysis.
The particularity of this genus is the callosities that grow below its mandible that provide the perfect habitat for colonies of whale lice, a form of crustacean, that cannot live in open waters and found this whale the perfect way to travel comfortably. It is a *symbiosis, however, scientists cannot explain concretely why.
Among the three, the Southern Right Whale is the only one that is not in danger, being the North Atlantic Right Whale the one in most critical danger of extinction. This is probably related to its whereabouts which is in areas where humans have been doing whaling for centuries.
I am actually not in total disagreeing with whaling. Not that I will ever participate in such an event or even try something that comes from a whale. However, in some cultures is ingraining for centuries and was extremely important for the survival of humans.
Whaling should be banned today? For us might be a big bold no as an answer because it doesn't affect us at all. But what about if the consumption of chicken or cow is banned? We might say that there is not a relation between both. However, some cultures see the consumption of whales in the way we see the consumption of chicken. Are chicken endangered? Of course not, but the way we are consuming it is putting in danger the whole planet.
Maybe whales are way more charismatic, mysterious and magnificent than chickens but in the end, they both are living beings and if we are going to advocate for one, we should advocate for both. Just to be fair.
*Symbiosis: interaction between two different organisms living in close physical association, typically to the advantage of both.
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Moving up to the giants of the kingdom and favorite of many: The Whales. It is a numerous family in which my knowledge is limited. However, that is why this blog is for, so we all know a little better the beings that surround us. Get to illustrate them wasn't so easy since there is no picture of the whole body of the whale, so I had to combine different illustrations and read about the descriptions of the animal to get the most accurate perspective of the animal.
Bowhead Whale This one is famous because of its particular jaw that has been portrayed in many antique illustrations of sea monsters. Far from the reputation those illustrations can bring, this animal is not aggressive and there is not a single attack registered on humans. Probably with any whale. The most noticeable particularity of this whale is its head which has the biggest mouth proportions in the animal kingdom. Its baleen is used to strain tiny prey from the water and is the biggest of any other whale. It is usually a solitary giant but can be seen in small groups of a maximum of six individuals. Slow swimmer and can be underwater for up to one hour. Believed to be an average diver, still can reach 150 meters deep. I thought was in danger but the reality is that its numbers are steady and growing. However, climate change can affect its numbers since is an animal that inhabits the waters of the North pole.
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Poster of all the Hippos
The poster with all the hippos is ready to be on your wall. You can get it now on my store by clinking on the link below. They range from various sizes and prices.
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Next family is a huge one. Actually the biggest. Any guess?
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The pygmy hippo is a very hard animal to study in the wild. It is very elusive and lives in inhospitable areas. There are possibly two subspecies of Pygmy hippo, however, one of them, the Nigerian Pygmy Hippo is still not recognizable as a full subspecies. The problem is that it is believed now extinct and the only remains are a couple of skulls collected in the 1800′s. What this means is that we will probably never know if it was a subspecies or not.
The Pygmy hippo is hunting for what is called bush meat. It is said that its meat quality is as good as wild boars and unlike its giant cousins, its teeth has no value. It is an endangered species that thrive much better in zoos but still the offspring mortality rate arise up to 30%.
I think is sad when a species vanishes form earth and we still didn’t know much about it. At some point, I found extinction to be part of the game of who can survive to natural changes. The problem is that humans taking over, we are making the game of survival way harder for many species. I’m not so optimistic that a change in perspective will come any time soon but I still have hope we can change the way we see the world.
Dwarf Hippos in Madagascar? There are proof of Dwarf Hippos (known as Malagasy hippopotamus or Malagasy pygmy hippopotamus) that inhabited the island of Madagascar less that 1000 years ago. Resembles more to a Hippopotamus that to its smaller relative the Pygmy Hippo. I decided not to put it on this catalogue because it’s extinction appears not to be related to humans.
What is exciting is that explorers from Discovery Channel recently discovered skulls from what appears to be a recent dead of a Malagasy Hippo. This might prove the existence of the animal but I feel more investigation needs to be done. The tv program is called “Extinct or Alive”. Leave you the link: here
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Now we are moving to a small but vey charismatic family: The hippos. I think this is an animals that is loved by the majority. Looking at its massive size combined with its features is understandable why.
However don’t get mistaken. This animal is a fierce and the one to blame for the most fatalities in Africa. it is a very territorial animal that won’t hesitate to charge if threatened or feeling its territory invaded. The biggest problem with humans happens usually at nights, when the animal leaves the rivers to graze moving various kilometers away from river basins, encountering unaware humans. Running it’s the only option but not a sure escape since despite its weight, hippos can reach up to 50km/h.
Hippos depends on rivers because it’s skin, which is actually pink, cannot resist the sunlight and will dry fast. And despite living its majority of time in water, they are unable to swim.
5 subspecies have been named but just three are recognized nowadays and they are still subjected to changes.
Male hippos fights are barbaric and they mostly happen to get the best spot in the river which will attract the most females. Once a male is dethrone, the new king won’t hesitate on killing the offspring of the old king in order to began leaving its own genes.
Hippos in Colombia? Unfortunately, yes. Not because I don’t like them (I’m Colombian) but because they have become a threat to other endemic species of the country. Hippos were brought to Colombia illegally by narco’s most famous Pablo Escobar and were put in its private zoo. When he was killed, the zoo closed but the hippos and some other animals were left in the area. While some animals died, the hippos however, flourished. Today, they occupied a vast area of the country and they begin to clash with other animals such as the inoffensive manatees.
While they yet don’t represent a threat to humans (some attacks have been registered) because they are not as territorial as in Africa. (It is believe because they have a larger area to develop) if the quantity keeps growing, they will become as dangerous as in Africa. For now, people greeted in towns because of its natural charm and can become touristic attraction. There are some possible solutions to this issue. One will be to sterilize all males, which is kind of unthinkable because of how expensive this could be. Other will be to send them to various zoos around the world, which is still not enough and the last one will be to kill them all. I have an opinion about it but I would love to hear yours.
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New design, Better Illustrations! I was thinking for a while in a way to improve the layout of this blog and I feel that this way is much better. I think the layout should highlight the drawings so I decided to remove many other elements that somehow stole its attention. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
Thanks again for your support, likes, reblog and follows, means a lot. If you like this content it will help me a lot if you follow my Tumblr or if you share it. Also, every comment is very welcome. I am not an expert in the topic so if you have something to add, or something you thinks is incorrect, I will be more than happy to discuss it with you. Thank you!
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The poster of the Camelidae family. What I like from this work is that I can see the improvement of my illustration. From the time that I began to now, I have put more attention to detail an accuracy keeping in mind that subspecies differences are often very small. I love what I am doing and I love to share it with all of you.
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Vicuña The last species of the family and the smallest too. And like many small things it is also the most precious treasure. The wool of the vicuña is among the most expensive textiles worldwide. A meter square can reach an impressive $3000 US. being mostly exclusive for the most prestigious high couture brands in the world.
In a move that I found very smart from the governments where the animal can be found, is that the exportation of these animals is strictly prohibited making these countries the only ones who can manage the vicuña’s wool business. Good for them!
Once widespread in millions, it was vastly hunted when the conquerors discovered America (A repeated story), until 1950 where its numbers plumped to mere 10.000. Today is heavily protected and its situation is stable. However, Scientist state that its stable population depends of the different laws of protection. If those laws would be lifted, the animal will be at the brick of extinction in just five years.
The next family is a very grumpy cute looking giant.
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I’ve been improving the illustrations of the animals making it more realistic in order for the information to be clearer. Can you tell the difference of these ones compare to the previous ones?
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The Guanaco is a smaller member of the camelidae family also inhabits the andes in South America.
The information found about this animal is a little bit confusing. While some pages put the animal in an endangered status, some others put it in a Least Concern status. However looking at the numbers of some of the subspecies, I came to the conclusion that it might be a endangered species.
Another issue was that some pages state that it is composed by four subspecies, some other just recognized two ( Guanaco and Guanaco Norteño) saying that the differences are not yet proved and the distribution is unclear.
This just proves how much is still to be done in the animal kingdom and how easy can become a topic of controversy among biologist. Time will give the reason to either of the two theories while some other questions surely arise. Fascinating!
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Alpaca The beginnings of the Alpaca is more related to the Vicuña but it has been recently breed with Llamas. It’s domestication is been happening for thousand years and contrary to the Llama who was domesticated as a working animal and wool provider, the Alpaca is been domesticated exclusively for its wool, which can be used extensively.
As common as it is now, the Alpaca was at the brick of the extinction in the 1500′s when the Spanish discovered America. They decimated the species at the point that it was believed extinct. However, the animal move to higher altitudes, where later, in the XIX century was rediscovered. As a domestic animal, today can be seen everywhere in the world. It’s domestication and maintenance is not difficult.
The differences between the two breeds are remarkably visible.
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Unlike the horses, this time is different. If Asia has camels as war machines, South America has its equivalent: The Llama.
I don’t think there is any other animal that involves cultural symbolism, evolution of a civilization and an inexhaustible source as the Lama for the Inca culture. This animal was vital in the bloomed of Inca’s civilization.
Its wool made them capable to conquer highs that were unthinkable in any other way, not just because its endurance but because its wool that protect Incas from the freezing temperatures.
Regarded also as a noble symbol, Incas were often buried with llamas and one of it’s Gods, Urcuchillay, was depicted as a Llama.
Probably it’s only enemy are the pumas, making this animal, as the camel, an infalible machine against nature. Studying this family made think of how hard can be for life to thrive in certain conditions. It makes feel as is nature is really testing its inhabitants in a fearfully battle for survival, where the loser, the one that cannot adapt will be invariably, extinct.
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Let me introduce you to one of the strongest family, the Camelidus. I still remember vividly the first time I saw a camel in my life. I was no more than ten years old and I couldn’t believe my eyes how massive this animals are. Somehow I got amazed. How awkward it feels by its long extremities that seem they don’t have full control. Or the unmanageable long neck that is crowned for a head that I’m sure was the idea for many monsters of Star Wars. At first glance, it look like if many mistakes came together to create this animal.
However, how wrong I was. If there is an animal that defy nature in its extremes conditions, it will be the camel and its relatives. They can live literally everywhere. From the coldest to the hottest, and can flourish even when abundance is limited. Excellent distance devourers and the best administrating water. Their sight is exceptional and can run at a formidable speed. Their bodies are made to take the best from the worst the environment can provide.
If the horse was crucial in human evolution, the taming of the camel I’d like to think was rather smart. A living tank where locomotive transportation wasn’t even a coarse sketch, that provides more than the indispensable to survive in the worst conditions. ___
Wild Bactrian Camels where thought to be just feral Camels that escaped to the wild. However, further genetic studies proved that is a different species that diverged from the Bactrian Camel more than a million years ago.
It is critically endangered and is recognized as the eighth most endangered large mammal in the world, remaining no more than 1400 specimens in the wild. Illegal hunting, habitat destruction, hybridization with domestic camels, and the competence for resources with domestic stock are some of the main threats for this animal.
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I hope you are enjoying this content. it will help me a lot if you follow my Tumblr or if you share my post. Every comment is very welcome. I am not an expert in the topic so if you have something to add, or something you thinks is incorrect, I will be more than happy to discuss it with you. And if you want to support me even more, there are some nice posters you can buy in my store in the link below. Thank you!!
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