#873: Zebra Duiker

The Zebra Duiker is a small antelope. His natural habitat are the closed-canopy rainforests of West Africa, centered around Liberia. He is shy and reclusive, rarely seen except on camera traps. He is greatly affected by logging, and is Vulnerable to extinction. Although his diet consists predominantly of fruits, seeds and sometimes leaves, he has been observed eating rodents and frogs.

#857: Yak

The Yak is a long-haired bovid. There are two species, found in the Himalayas, across the Tibetan Plateau and into Russia and Mongolia. One of these species, Bos grunniens, has been domesticated for thousands of years, both for his meat, milk and fibre. He is also used as a beast of burden, but requires grazing pastures for extended journeys. Wild Yaks live in herds of up to thirty individuals. He is perfectly adapted for a high altitude lifestyle, and will not thrive at low altitudes.

#819: Warthog

Happy Valentine's Day!
And what could be more romantic than a warthog?
Well, many things, I guess...

Anyhow, Warthogs are a Genus of wild pigs, comprised of two species: the Common Warthog and the Desert Warthog. They are named for the fleshy protrusions about the pig's face; this is more pronounced in males. He is the only pig adapted to a savannah lifestyle, and he follows an omnivorous diet consisting of whatever he can find and eat.

#802: Vicuña

The Vicuña is a member of the camelid Family. Like her cousin, the guanaco, she lives in the high alpine regions of South America. She is believed to be the ancestor of the domestic alpaca. Vicuña produce a very fine wool, perfect for keeping her warm when the high altitude temperatures reach freezing point. This wool is one of the most expensive fibres available, as wild Vicuña can only be shorn every three years. Once, hundreds were poached and killed for it.

#738: Takin

The Takin is a goat-antelope found in the Himalayas. It is thought that the fleece of one of the subspecies, the Golden Takin, inspired the story of Jason and the Argonauts. He makes his home in the forested valleys, ranging up into the alpine slopes. Older males lead a solitary existence, whilst younger males and females gather in herds of around 20 individuals. In summer, gatherings may number up to 300. His large snout is an adaptation to the colder climes, as the big sinus cavities help to warm the air before he inhales it. His skin secretes an oily substance which coats his fur, acting as a natural raincoat.

Creature Feature #737: Tahr

The Tahr are three species of goat found in Oman, South India and the Himalayas. The Arabian and Nilgiri species are endangered due to limited range but this fellow, the Himalayan Tahr is still widespread. Very widespread, in fact, as he was introduced to New Zealand, Argentina and New Mexico for hunting; there is also a small population established in South Africa (from an escaped breeding pair). He is adapted for a high-alpine lifestyle, growing a thick mane of fur for the winter months. This is shedded out to a thin summer coat as the temperature rises. His hooves contain a rubber-like core, allowing him better grip on rocky slopes.

#718: Springbok

The South African Springbok is a medium-sized antelope, able to reach speeds of up to 88 km/hr. He is named for his ability to "stot" or "pronk": leaping vertically in the air, all four feet off the ground. This is a strategy to demonstrate to predators that he is fine, fit and not worth pursuing, and to show female Springbok that he is definitely worth pursuing. Springbok form herds. Their diet is mixed, with grazing common during the wet season but browsing on trees and shrubs in drier times.

#695: Sheep

True Sheep are  members of the Genus Ovis, in the Bovine Family. There are at least five species, one of which is the domestic sheep - thought to be descended from the Mouflon. This fellow is a North American species, the Dall Sheep. Other species include the Bighorn, the Urial and the Argali. Sheep are highly sociable ruminants, stockier than their relatives. They make their homes in mountainous and hilly regions. His main diet consists of grass, lichen and other plant matter and he does not require a lot of water. In wild species, both the male and female have spiraled horns, with the male's being much larger.

#682: Saola

The Saola is the Asian unicorn - in the way that she is extremely elusive and critically endangered. The species was first discovered, from remains, in 1992, with the first living speciman captured on camera in 1999. Her range is extremely small, the isolated forests of the Annamite Range, in Indochina. Due to her scarcity, little is known about her behaviour, but she appears to be solitary and crepuscular in nature. Her tongue can extend up to 16cm and the upper surface bears back-facing barbs, which help her browse foliage.

#679: Pronghorn

Despite his appearance, the Pronghorn is not an antelope. He is the final surviving species of a Family of artiodactyls that once roamed the plains of North America, filling a similar niche to their Old World counterparts. The fastest land animal in the Western Hemisphere, he can reach speeds up to 56 km, second only to the Cheetah.

(I do not like this picture, so I shall have to try again)

#653: Rhinoceros

The Rhinoceros are five species of odd-toed ungulate, of which three species are found in Asia and two - including this white rhinoceros - inhabit Africa. All are characterised by the horns, which are formed of keratin and grow constantly throughout the Rhinoceros's life. These horns are prized on the black market, where they are crushed into a powder and used in traditional medicine. Poaching has eliminated two of the Asian species from much of their range, and reduced populations to critically low levels. The African species suffer a similar plight with only the southern white rhinoceros surviving in sufficient numbers.

It is unknown how the white rhino got its name, for she certainly is not white - although her colouration is slighter lighter than that of the black rhino. It has been considered a variation of wijd, a Dutch word meaning "wide" and referring to her lips, which are wide and allow her to efficiently graze, but this has not been linguistically proven. The black rhino as narrower, prehensile lips, which he uses to browse leaves and twig from trees. 

#650: Reindeer

Only lineart today, I had a meeting to attend - surprised I got this much done, actually.
Colour it in yourself, if you like.

#618: Quagga

The Quagga was a subspecies of plains zebra. He was characterised by his bi-cokloured body, with the forequaters being striped and the hindquarters a solid brown. His range was the lowest tip of South Africa, where he favoured open grasslands. When the Dutch colonised South Africa, he became a target of the hunters for his meat and his skin. Already occuring across a fairly limited range, he would also have competed with introduced livestock for food. By the 1850s, numbers had declined drastically and the last wild population was eliminated in the late1870s, with the last wild individual dying in 1878.

However, that does not necessarily mean the end for this unique equine. DNA from skins has been analysed and comparisons made to the still extant Burchell's zebra and in 1987, selective breeding of these began. Whilst it is impossible to recreate the Quagga exactly as it was, it is possible that a very similar zebra will once again roam the grasslands of South Africa.

#610: Pudu

The Pudu are the smallest deer in the world, with the northern species measuring only 32-35 cms at the shoulder. He is found in the temperate rainforests of South America, using the thickets and bamboo to protect him from predators. Solitary in nature, he will come in contact with the female only to mate, and leave soon after. Leaves, buds, fruit and other plant matter are his favoured food, although his small stature means he must stand upright on his hind legs to scent for food. He will also climb on low branches.

I am quite disatisfied with this picture, so may draw another - possibly featuring a mother and calf since baby pudu are one of the most adorable things imaginable.

#607: Przewalski's Horse

The last of the truly wild horses, Przewalski's Horse became extinct in the wild in 1969. Every living horse is descended from 9 of  the 13 animals in captivity in 1945.  With careful selective, captive breeding, combining and crossing bloodlines from stock scattered in zoos across the world, this captive population was increased, and the population now numbers over 1,500. From the 1990s onwards, small herds have been released into the wild. Herds consist mostly of females and their foals, led by a dominant male. Once the juveniles reach maturity, they leave their natal herd. Lone and old stallions sometimes form bachelor herds.

Creature Feature #577: Peccary

The Peccary is a medium-sized pig-like ungulate found in the Americas. Three species are well-known to science, and a fourth may exist. This is a Collared Peccary. She is a very adaptable omnivore, and is equally at home in rainforest and grasslands, as well as within the urban environs. Social groups are known as "bands" and contain between 8-15 members of various ages  Bands are lead by a dominant male and do much of their foraging at dawn and dusk. Omnivorous in diet, she will eat almost anything: berries, roots, grass, and in the drier parts of the range, she relies on the prickly pear cactus for water. Insects and lizards are also consumed.

Creature Feature #532: Okapi

The Okapi is a mysterious ungulate, found in the heart of Africa's rainforest. Her closed relative is the giraffe, which with she shares a similar body structure - but has a much shorter neck. She uses her 35 cm long tongue to strip the leaves from branches. Solitary in nature, she roams her territory by well-worn paths and only comes into contact with the males to mate. Her striped legs originally led the early explorers to believe she was some sort of rainforest zebra, and she is so solitary and elusive that she was not known to the Western world until 1901. Now, due to poaching and deforestation, she is facing extinction and is classified as Endangered.

Creature Feature #487: Musk Oxen

... are extremely hard to draw.

The Musk Ox is a large Bovine, noted for his thick coat and named for the sharp odour of the bulls at rutting season. He makes his home in the Arctic tundra. Genetically, he is more closely related to goats and sheep than to other oxen species. His thick wool, which insulates him against the cold, is prized for its softness and length. Populations of Musk Ox have been domesticated for this wool and their meat.

Creature Feature #486: Musk Deer

Musk Deer are more primitive than true Cervids. Instead of antlers, the males bear elongated canine teeth. These are used in fights with other males over females and territories. To attract these females, the males produce musk from a special gland. Alas, this also attracts the attentions of hunters; it can fetch over $40,000 per kg on the black market and is allegedly an aphrodisiac. Each gland only provides a few 10s of grams and although the gland can be extracted without killing the deer, this rarely happens. The female gives birth to a single tiny fawn, who spends his first few months motionless and hiding.

This is a Siberian Musk Deer. Vulnerable due to the aforementioned hunting for the male's musk glands.

Creature Feature #428 Llama

The Llama is an entirely domesticated species of Camelid. She is used as a meat and pack animal in South America. She is now farmed over much of the world for her woolly fibre, which is soft and lanolin-free. In the early 1980s, farmers in North America began to use a Llama to guard their sheep. A single Llama - a castrated male or unbred female - is added to the sheep flock, and he becomes protective of them - especially the lambs. The guard Llama keeps watch, warning the flock, and may approach the predator (often a coyote)  and intimidate it - sometimes even attacking it - or lead the flock to safety. Studies have shown a significant decline in stock predation when a guard llama is present.