Though the dhole (Cuon alpinus) looks like a fox with its rusty coat, this mammal is more closely related to the African wild dog. These carnivores hunt in packs, driving prey into water to trap it and bringing down animals up to 10 times their size, including deer and wild sheep. Once cornered, the pack attacks its victim but doesn’t kill it with a bite at the throat. Instead, dholes tear into their prey to disembowel it, consuming its heart, liver, lungs, and intestines. Photo: Guwashi999,
Today is Wildlife Conservation Day, which raises awareness of the harmful effects of poaching and trafficking of wildlife. The slow loris is a nocturnal primate threatened with extinction in part because of a lucrative and illegal wildlife trade that feeds an international demand for lorises as pets. Conservation biologist Mary Blair of the Museum’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation has been surveying slow lorises in Vietnam since 2013 and is collaborating with Vietnamese researchers to understand why these animals are trafficked. She’s also using the Museum’s historic collections to help with conservation efforts. Find out how in this video: http://bit.ly/2BQxB9L
Glide into the weekend with the sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps)!
This marsupial has a membrane, called the patagium, that spans its ankles to its wrists,and helps it drift between trees. The arboreal critter lives in parts of Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia and comes out at night to look for treats like nectar, sap, lizards, and small birds.
![ultrafacts:
“Source: [x]
Click HERE for more facts!”](https://64.media.tumblr.com/d4be426553fec621c3992df575a0a26e/24743aba7f5a8f8e-e0/s500x750/ef3972e49315d141d3ccbe25ee854666847f5eff.png)
