Mammal

The Nile lechwe (or Kobus megaceros) is a species of ungulate native to the marshes and swamps of South Sudan and Ethiopia. They exhibit a high level of sexual dimorphism: male Nile lechwes are larger than females, with a length of 1.6m to 1.8m, shoulder height of 1m to 1.05m and weight of 90kg to 120kg. They have long ridged horns and their coat is of a dark brown colour, with white markings on the shoulders, face and legs. The male’s neck is covered with longer, bushy hairs. Conversely, female Nile lechwes do not have horns and have a much lighter tan coloured coat.

The wild water buffalo (or Bubalus arnee), also known as the Asian water buffalo, is a very large species of bovine living in the marshes, swamps and flood plains of central east and southeast Asia. Its present range is extremely fragmented, with the majority of animals living in India, and other populations surviving in Nepal, Bhutan, Thailand and Cambodia. Wild water buffaloes have grey to black skin, with coarse dark hair covering the body sparsely, and an elongated head with small ears.

Native to the rivers and streams of Central and Southeast Asia, the Asian small-clawed otter (or Aonyx cinereus) is the smallest otter species in the world. Its sleek body is covered in brown fur, with a white belly and throat. Asian small-clawed otters grow between 72cm and 96cm in total body length and weigh 2.7kg to 5.4kg. There are no notable physical differences between females and males of this species.

The platypus (or Ornithorhynchus anatinus), also known as the duck-billed platypus, is a monotreme mammal native to streams, pools and rivers of Eastern Australia including the island of Tasmania. It has thick brown fur, wide webbed and clawed feet, a broad flat tail and a characteristic flat bill. Male platypus measure 42cm to 60cm in length, with a weight of 0.8kg to 2.5kg; whereas females are 38cm to 55cm long, weighing 0.65kg to 2kg.

The capybara (or Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the world’s largest rodent and lives throughout savannahs, forests and wetlands of South America. Its large, barrel-like body is covered in coarse brown fur. Capybaras have partially webbed feet to accommodate their semiaquatic lifestyle, a short vestigial tail, and small ears on their oblong shaped head. They typically measure 50cm to 62cm in height and 106cm to 134cm in length. Although similar in size, female capybaras tend to be heavier than males, with an average weight of 61kg for females and 50kg for males.

The European fallow deer (or Dama dama) is an ungulate found in grasslands and woodlands throughout Europe. The coat is tan with rows of white spots on the body, with a pale underside and throat, although there are various morphs such as leucism (white), melanism (black) and menil (paler coat without tail markings) occurring in European fallow deer as well. Males, called bucks, have large palmate antlers which span an average length of 60cm when fully developed, whereas females, called does, do not.

The European badger (or Meles meles) is a large species of mustelid inhabiting woodlands, shrublands and even man-made parks and pastures throughout Europe. The badger’s most distinct feature is its facial pattern, with two distinct black stripes extending from the neck over ears and eyes down to the snout, across a white face. Its body is covered in thick grey fur, with black legs and lighter fur on the sides. European badgers have a shoulder height of 25cm to 30cm and a head-body length of 60cm to 90cm, with a short tail measuring additional 12cm to 24cm.

The Eurasian lynx (or Lynx lynx) is a medium-sized cat that is found in temperate and boreal forest and mountains of Europe and Asia. It has a broad, stocky build with large feet, and is known for its short tail and distinctive ear tufts. Its coat colour ranges from cream to tan, with black spots all over the body. Both the tail tip and ear tufts are black too. Males and females look alike, although males are slightly larger and significantly heavier. Male Eurasian lynxes weigh 20kg up to 45kg, with a head-body length of 98cm to 109cm and shoulder height of 60cm to 75cm.

The Alpine ibex (or Capra Ibex) is a large species of mountain goat native to the Alpine regions of Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia. Its thick coat is a uniform brown on the body, with a pale underside and a darker coloration on legs and tail. Alpine ibexes have large ridged horns that curve backwards towards the body. Males are much larger and heavier than females. They have 69cm to 98cm long horns, measure 1.49m to 1.71m in length and 0.9m to 1.05m in height, and weigh 80kg to 100kg.

The black-and-white ruffed lemur (or Varecia variegata) is a species of primate native to the eastern rainforests of Madagascar. As the name implies, its coat is made up of distinct black and white patches: the underside, head, paws and tail are black, while limbs, back and the distinctive ruff are white. Black-and-white ruffed lemurs are 50cm to 55cm long, with a tail of around 60cm length. Like in other lemurs, females are slightly larger than males.