Description

Ethiopian Wolf

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Context:

Every year in the highlands of Ethiopia, when the rain returns after a parched dry season, a dazzling sight unfolds.

About Ethiopian Wolf

Specialized Habitat	Afroalpine ecosystems of the Ethiopian highlands, primarily at altitudes above 3,200 meters.
Climate	Cold and harsh, typical of high-altitude environments.
Habitat Specificity	Isolated "sky islands" above tropical forests, surrounded by distinct lowland ecosystems.
Physical Characteristics	Reddish fur, white neck and chest markings, bushy black tail, about the size of a large dog.
Population Status	Fewer than 500 individuals remaining; Africa's most endangered carnivore.
Dietary Specialization	Primarily hunts rodents, an adaptation to the Afroalpine ecosystem.
Role as a Pollinator	Feeds on nectar from the Ethiopian red hot poker flower, aiding in pollination.
Flower Interaction	Consumes sweet nectar, moves among flowers, and carries pollen on its mouth.
Behavioral Observations	Observed visiting 30 flower heads in 1.5 hours, indicating active nectar-seeking behavior.
Uniqueness	Rare example of a large carnivore engaging in nectar feeding.

Source:

Down to Earth

California Ground Squirrels

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Context:

A new study, titled ‘Vole hunting: novel predatory and carnivorous behavior by California ground squirrels’ published in Springer Nature Journal has concluded that California ground squirrels are ‘opportunistic omnivores’.

About California ground squirrels

Scientific name: Otospermophilus beecheyi.
Common name: Beech ground squirrel.
Habitat: Found mostly in the western United States, including regions such as Briones Regional Park in California.

Physical properties:

Dappled coat with shades of grey, light and dark brown and white.
It usually lives up to 6 years in the wild.
Predators: Commonly prey on rattlesnakes, eagles, raccoons, foxes, badgers and weasels.

Protection status:

IUCN Red List: Least Concern.
CITES: No special status.

Key results of a study on squirrel behavior

Research Origins: Conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and the University of California, Davis, as part of the Long-term Behavioral Ecology of California Ground Squirrels Project.

Observation:

Squirrels, previously thought to be herbivores, are now identified as opportunistic omnivores.
They actively hunt, kill, and eat voles (small rodents).
Of the 74 observed interactions, 42% involved active hunting behavior.

Source:

Down to Earth

Mammoth

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Context:

Researchers in Siberia are conducting tests on a juvenile mammoth whose remarkably well-preserved remains were discovered in thawing permafrost after more than 50,000 years.

About Mammoth

Mammoths are members of an extinct species belonging to the elephant genus Mammuthus.
Time period: They lived from the Pliocene epoch (about 5 million years ago) to the Holocene epoch about 4,000 years ago.
They existed in Africa, Europe, Asia and North America.

Features

Various species of mammoths were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks.
They have developed a number of adaptations for arctic life, including morphological features such as small ears and tails to minimize heat loss, a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, long thick fur, and numerous sebaceous glands for insulation.
They also had large brown fat bumps behind their necks that may have functioned as a source of heat and fat storage in the winter.
IUCN Status: Extinct
Mammoths are more closely related to living Asian elephants than to African elephants.

Key facts about Permafrost

It is any soil—from soil to sediment to rock—that has been continuously frozen for at least two years and up to hundreds of thousands of years.
It can extend below the earth's surface from a few feet to more than a mile, covering entire areas such as arctic tundra or a single isolated location such as a mountaintop with alpine permafrost.
They can be found on land and under the ocean floor.
It occurs in areas where temperatures rarely rise above freezing.

Source:

Indian Today

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.With reference to the Ethiopian wolf, consider the following statements:

The Ethiopian wolf is the only large carnivore in the world that aids in pollination.
It inhabits high-altitude Afroalpine ecosystems above 3,200 meters.
Its primary diet consists of large herbivores found in the Ethiopian highlands.
The Ethiopian wolf is the most endangered carnivore in Africa.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 4 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: a

Statement 1 is correct: The Ethiopian wolf aids in pollination by feeding on the nectar of Ethiopian red hot poker flowers.

Statement 2 is correct: It inhabits Afroalpine ecosystems above 3,200 meters.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Its primary diet consists of rodents, not large herbivores.

Statement 4 is correct: With fewer than 500 individuals remaining, it is Africa's most endangered carnivore.