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The Side-striped Jackal - Canis adustus, is a species of jackal, native to central and southern Africa.

The Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) is a species of Canid native exclusively to Ethiopia. Some of its other common names identify it as a jackal (all of which are also in Canis) or fox, but the latest genetic research has shown that it is in fact closest to wolves, diverging around three to four million years ago.

Ethiopian wolves are primarily hunters of rodents and similar animals which constitute around 96% of prey mostly in the form of mole rats. Other prey items include the young of small ungulates as well as birds. Sedge grasses are sometimes eaten as an aid for digestion. They are well-adapted for this lifestyle with small, widely-spaced premolars for gripping small, wriggling bodies.

The Ethiopian wolf is listed as “Endangered” by the IUCN with a mere 550 adults in the wild. The main threat to this species is hunting by farmers who fear for their livestock, though the reality is that most livestock is too large for them to prey on. Diseases such as rabies have also had a disastrous effect, with rabies having caused the largest single population of over 400 individuals to decrease to around 160 in two weeks. Other threats include over grazing by cattle, which drives away the prey they are dependent on and interbreeding with domestic dogs.

The Side-striped Jackal - Canis adustus, is a species of jackal, native to central and southern Africa.

Wilfred a South African bush baby in London Zoo enjoys his morning cocoa from a teaspoon. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images). 15th February 1938

a picture of pip

crystalleopard: A young african lioness sharpens her claws on a branch, Raubtierpark, Subengen, Switzerland

(photo: Tambako the Jaguar)

The Gemsbok (Oryx gazella) is a large antelope. It is native to the arid regions of Southern Africa, such as the Kalahari Desert.

National Zoo’s New Baby Gazelle Runs Around the Yard

by Benjamin R. Freed

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo is showing off its newest specimen this week, and guess what? It’s freaking adorable. A female gazelle

calf that was born October 13 debuted to the public on Wednesday, and is already running around the yard with its siblings.

The calf, which does not yet have a name, joined the other gazelles in the mixed species exhibit at the zoo’s Cheetah Conservation Station. Along with gazelles, the exhibit also houses Ruppell’s griffon vultures and two male scimitar-horned oryx. The new gazelle’s mother is three-year-old Zafirah. It was sired by male gazelle Raul, who also fathered a male calf born September 4. Player.

Dama gazelles are one of the most critically endangered species, with fewer than 500 specimens remaining in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

And, oh yeah, as a bonus the zoo also has this video of the male calf running and stouting—a bouncy gait in which all four legs lift up from the ground—around the yard.

(via and see video at: The DCist)          (images: Smithsonian National Zoo)

Cape Fox - Vulpes chama, pups playing .

worldlyanimals: Ethiopian Wolves (photo by Born Free Photos)

Red Fox - Vulpes vulpes, hunting mice ; Northern Hemisphere .

African Wild Dogs in South Luangwa Valley ; Zambia .

 Spiny Flower Mantis (Pseudocreobotra sp.) from Eastern Africa

The African Golden Cat (Profelis aurata) is twice as big as a domestic cat. Little-studied, it inhabits the mysterious jungles of tropical central Africa. | +

King Protea - Protea cynaroides is the national flower of South Africa.