Page 83 - World of Animals - Issue #30

Wildlife of the Sichuan forest
“Takin herds migrate yearly up and
down the mountainside, following
the availability of vegetation”
080-085_SichuanForest.indd
Golden snub-nosed monkey
This quirky-looking monkey species lives in
large social groups high up in the Qin Ling
Mountains and braves the chilliest of conditions.
Its luxuriously thick golden fur provides a snug
barrier against the elements, and it’s thought
that its little button nose is an evolutionary
adaptation to prevent the onset of frostbite.
Clouded leopard
One of the region’s most elusive
Dhole inhabitants, clouded leopards are
Packs of these wild dogs live in dense forest or expert climbers. They leap from tree to
scrublands, lower down the mountainside. They tree, climb upside down on branches
work together to hunt and play, and will even and even have rotating rear ankles that
wag their tails when greeting one another like let them climb down trees headfirst, like
domestic dogs. They keep large territories, and squirrels. They prey on deer, pigs and
will communicate using screams and whistles. monkeys, and oen hunt on the ground.
Red panda
Chinese serow Inhabiting the same high-altitude
forests as its namesake the giant
Likened to a goat-antelope, serows panda, the endangered red panda
have large ears and short horns and looks a bit like a raccoon. It’s actually
are adept at climbing steep terrain. in it’s own taxonomic family, Ailuridae.
Their thick, shaggy coats help to The panda’s bushy tail keeps it both
keep out the mountain chill. Serows balanced and warm, and it eats a varied
are solitary and highly territorial, diet of bamboo and other vegetation.
defending their home range from
other serows of the same gender.
83
83 03/02/2016 16:23