Creature Feature #261: Gaur

The Gaur is the largest living bovine and is native to south and southeast Asia. Here he occupies evergreen forest and moist deciduous forest, particularly hilly terrain. He leads a mostly diurnal lifestyle, but where human disturbance has encroached on his territory he becomes nocturnal in his habits. Herds number up to 11 or so individuals, lead by a matriarchal female and often containing one bull. During breeding season other bulls may hang around, hoping to mate with the cows. The bull's size determines his dominance and serious clashes are rare.

Creature Feature #260: Gar

The Gar are a Family of primative ray-finned fish, inhabiting the rivers and streams of America. He is a heavily armoured fish, characterised by his elongated snout. As the waters he occupies are often stagnant, with little oxygenation, he will periodically surface to gasp in air. His diet consists mainly of fish and crustaceans, which are captured with his needle-sharp teeth. This hardy fish is edible, although more often taken as a trophy-fish, and once his scales were used as arrowheads, and his skin to make breastplates or cover the blades of plows.

Creature Feature #259: Gannet

The Gannet is a skilled diver. He will plunge from heights of up to 30m, achieving speeds of up to 100 km/hr and enabling him to dive much deeper than most seabirds. He is superbly adapted for this, with no external nostril holes and air sacs in his face and chest to prevent damage from impact with the water. His eyes are positioned far forward, affording him powerful binocular vision and allowing him to precisely pinpoint his prey. Every year, flocks gather in the same place to breed, with some colonies numbering over 10,000 birds.

Creature Feature #258: Galaxias

The Galaxias are a Genus of small freshwater fish, found in southeast Australia and  New Zealand with representatives in South America and Africa. They are specialised in living in the higher, cooler climates such as alpine streams, rivers and lakes. Despite this, many species include a marine stage in their life cycles. Larvae are washed out to sea to develop, swimming back up the river as small fry. The introduction of trout to New Zealand waterways has severely and negatively impacted many of these fish species, with populations now becoming fragmented and restricted. This wee fellow is a New Zealand Flathead Galaxias, his range restricted to a few rivers in Otago.

For more on freshwater fish of New Zealand, look out for Inanga and Kokopu.

Creature Feature #257: Galah

The Galah is a species of cockatoo, widespread across Australia. She favours the open country and occupies urban environments, benefitting from human colonisation. She flocks with others of her species, or occasionally corollas. Her mate bond is long-term and monogamous,  Her nest is built in tree hollows and both parents share the incubation. She is a popular bird in the pet industry and she has been known to interbreed with Major Mitchells and Little Corollas, as well as, most unusually, her smallest relative, the cockatiel.

"Galah" has become an Australian slang term for "fool" or "idiot". Like all parrots, however, Galah are no fool, although they are noted for being noisy.

Creature Feature #256: Galago

The Galago, or Bushbaby, are several species of small, nocturnal primate native to the African continent. The female forms a social groups with her sisters and their babies, while the male maintains his own overlapping territory, coming into contact with the females to breed. The troop travel together, following each others' cries and marking the path with urine. At the end of the night of foraging for insects, they all gather together in a nest made from leaves or a hollow tree. Like most primates they are highly social, engaging in mutual grooming, chasing each other through the branches and mock skirmishes.

Creature Feature #255: Fur Seal

And thus concludes the Fs.

The Fur Seal is characterised by her dense coat of underfur, intermingled with longer guard hairs. These provide her with insulation against the cold water and also made her desirable to trappers during the 19th century. She is able to turn her hind limbs beneath her body, and hold herself upright with her front limbs, which allows her to move on all fours at some speed. This is a trait she shares with Sea Lions, but is not found in the "true" seal species. The male is up to five times her size. During breeding season, the females come ashore and gather in groups, which are lorded over by the dominant male. Here she will birth her pup and mate in preparation for the following year.