MY PROJECT ON

MEXICAN ANIMALS
FIGHTING
THE ANTEATER:
also known as a Strong arm or honey
sucks, it is characterized by a long nose,
cream-colored fur with black vest.

This mammal, can be located on the Pacific

slope from Michoacn Huasteca and the

slope of the Gulf, to Chiapas and Yucatan.

In addition to the lack of knowledge of these
unique animals their populations are under
various threats: the destruction of habitat
and exploitation to which the species is
subject. This was perceived in a prospective
investigation in Nizanda, Oaxaca. Our
surveys reveal that locals anteaters are sold
as pets or hunted by the false belief that
extract the brain of dogs and even people. If
this personal observations of multiple
collisions on roads are added, which agrees
with the results of other scientific research;
we can assume that their populations are in
decline.
In Mexico, anteater biology is poorly
understood, which contributes to its current
location in the category of "endangered"
within the NOM-059-ECOL-2001, which
includes species whose ranges or size their
populations have declined dramatically
threatening its biological viability throughout
their natural habitat. Internationally this
species is considered vulnerable in the
context of illegal trafficking of animals,
which is categorized in Appendix III of CITES.
Anteaters are distributed from Mexico to

northern South America. In Mexico are on the

Pacific slope from Michoacn Huasteca and
the slope of the Gulf, to Chiapas and
Yucatan. In the state of Guerrero have been
reported in areas of Acahuizotla and
Chapolapa.

Thi is the anteater

The volcano rabbit: (Romerolagus diazi)

is endemic to a small region of Mexico,
and lives in an area of about 386 square
kilometers (Velazquez 1994). As if that
were not enough, this area is
increasingly fragmented, and these

lagomorphs living areas is becoming

smaller, so it is in danger of extinction.

Although it seems that these animals

are increasing their population.

POPULATION

In 1980 it was estimated that there

were about 6500 copies in the volcano
area The Peel. In 1994 a study in The
Bare through feces and live animal
census transects served to estimate the
population size; It is concluded that
there are between 2478 and 12120
copies, and recommended using the
lowest figure when considering
conservation measures due to the small
area where you can find him (Velazquez
1994).

HABITAT AND DISTRIBUTION AREA

Zacatonales dwells among pine forest,

on rocky substrate with rugged slope.
(The zacatonal is an ecoregion
consisting of montane and scrub in
central Mexico and Guatemala pastures.
Consists of several enclaves of
grassland and scrub occupying the

highest peaks of the Mexican Volcanic

Belt, which covers approximately 306
square kilometers. They are Belt
Transvolcnico surrounded by woods
and pines and oaks in the lower
elevations.)

ENDEMIC: Be very aware of the

importance of protecting these animals.
It is an endemic rabbit, which means
that is unique to a region, and you will

not find anywhere else naturally. Their

geographical distribution is small and
exclusively Mexican as already
mentioned, at elevations between 2,800
and 3,500 m. It is found mainly in the
higher elevations.
This is one more reason for protection
because if it goes from here will
disappear forever. As its population so
small addition is more susceptible to
any change, and agricultural activities,
fires and poaching have reduced their
populations, so this rabbit is considered
endangered by the Mexican government
and the International Union for the
conservation of Nature (IUCN).

FEATURES

NAME: Al volcano rabbit it is also known

as teporingo and zacatuche. The name
comes volcanes''the will dwell in the

volcanic area (Popocatepetl,

Iztaccihuatl, The Peel, and Tlaloc).
Zatuche derives from the Aztec Nahuatl
and means rabbit zacatonales of zacatl,
grass, and tochtli, which is consistent
with their natural habitat zacatonales or
tall grass.

TROPHIC ROLE IN CHAIN: Lagomorphs

with rodents represent the food of most
of Mexico predators such as snakes,

birds of prey and mammals such as

canids and felids; some of its known
predators are long or Andean weasel
weasel (Mustela frenata) tail, the North
American bobcat or bobcat (Lynx rufus),
coyote (Canis latrans) and atonero red
tail (Buteo jamaicensis).

Morphology: It is monotypic (the only

species of its genus)
It is the country's smallest rabbit,
weighing 400 g on average.
It measures about 30 cm long and has
small ears and short legs compared to
other rabbits. Its tail is not visible (it
has vestigial tail). It is considered the
most primitive of existing leporids today
and is considered the smallest after the
pygmy rabbit (Brachylagus idahoensis).
Males weigh more than females.
It is dark ocher and gray belly.

REPRODUCTION: The gestation period

lasts between 38 and 40 days, and is
played throughout the year, with the
highest reproductive peak during the
rainy summer.
Communicate with each other through
smell secreted by their glands, giving
important information about your status
to other rabbits and availability for
mating. Copies dominant mate, and in
captivity are monogamous. When one
partner dies, then it is replaced by a
copy in the higher hierarchy.
Females reach sexual maturity at 8
months and males at 5 months in
captivity. Females can have 4 or 5
litters a year. They are between 1 and 4
pups per litter. Usually pups were
separated from their mother at 3 weeks
old.
The zacatuces build burrows in a
gallery, but often use the abandoned
burrows of other animals and fissures in
the rocks, often build nests on

amocalladas grasses.
Hatchlings are altricial, ie, born with the
eyes and ear canals closed, among
other things. His little tail is visible in
the offspring but not in adults.

FOOD: consume grasses, herbs, shrubs

and tree leaves; seeds consuming and
elsewhere defecarlas assists dispersion
of these plants. This makes it an
important species for the ecosystem.
Like other lagomorphs sometimes eat

their feces as a method to retain water

and nutrients.

SEMISOCIABLE: Son semisocial, and live

in groups of between two and five
rabbits. A couple will be dominant, and
the only one to have offspring. In the
group interact with fights and games.
The dominant female tends to have an
agonistic behavior, ie aggressive
dominance over subordinate males and
females. The dominant male does not
usually show aggression with
subordinates.
They are easy to distinguish groupings
by the abundance of excrement and a
system of trails that build grasses
below.

ACTIVITY: Although they are active

during the day, have peaks of activity
during dusk and dawn.

NOTICE: It is the only member of the

family leporidae emitting vocalizations,
used to help young or when startled. A
sound is short and sharp, and the other
is more like a squeak, more subtle and
less audible. They also communicate
with blows with their paws and their
glands.

IMPORTANCE IN THE ECOSYSTEM: Little

is known about the role played by this
rabbit in its ecosystem. By consuming
plants may disperse seed plants in their
habitat.

CONSERVATION MEASURES

It is a Mexican endemic species is listed

as threatened by both the IUCN as U.S.
Federation list, and is protected from
trade by CITES in its Appendix I. It is

also protected by the Official Mexican

Standard NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2001 and
Mexican Official Standard NOM-059SEMARNAT-2010 (environmental
Protection Mexico native species of wild
flora and fauna)

As reinforcement there is a permanent

ban for hunting in the country (it is
included in the NOM-059-ECOL since
1994).

Also part of its range is within

protected natural areas and various
institutions have been studies on the
biology and ecology of the species
(Institute of Biology, UNAM, Instituto de
Ecologia, UNAM, Faculty of Sciences,
UNAM, UAM Xochimilco) and captive
breeding for possible reintroduction
(Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico and San
Cayetano, England Jersey Zoo, Zoo of
Antwerp in Belgium and Hokkaido

University in Japan) (Velazquez et al.,

1996).

CONSERVATION MEASURES
RECOMMENDED: In addition to this work
can be implemented environmental
education programs in the general
population, establish exclusive
reintroduction areas for animals
obtained in breeding programs and
develop a program of conservation and
management involving diverse
institutions national and international
based on common interests and funded
by both parties (Galindo-Leal and
Velzquez b, 1996). You would also
strengthen the laws that protect you as
the hunting ban and create corridors
linking isolated populations in targeted
zones.

THREATS

The most prominent are:

-Destruction Habitat: caused by cattle

grazing and growth of cities. As lives
near the city of Mexico, although its
population increases it is true that the
growth of the city is also a fact and this
threatens the habitat of these rabbits,
which prevents natural recovery of the
species. It is estimated to have lost
between 15 and 20% of its habitat in the
last three generations.

-Fragmentation Population: the above

threat involves fragmentation roads
growing areas cleared areas for other
reasons etc., which make the population
is divided into micro disappearing more
susceptible populations.

-the logging

-the forest fire

-Hunting: they hunt for food but also as

a hunting trophy, all of which is
prohibited; remember that it is a single
species in the area, and if it disappears
from here disappears from the
environment worldwide.

Steps to be taken into account:

It is very important to ensure that

human populations are involved in the
conservation and management of the
region where they live to make rational
use, in addition to the Mexican
government to take responsibility for
the care of nature, then educational
programs, as well as the proper use of
economic resources to care for our
wildlife.

The IUCN / SSC specialist lagomorphs

created an action plan for this species.
This focuses on establishing wellmanaged programs to prevent fires and
avoid overgrazing their habitat, as well
as to strengthen the laws prohibiting
hunting and sale of this species. Further
research is their area, their
relationships with their environment,
the dynamics of populations and the
past history of these rabbits. Creating
corridors is also recommended to
connect isolated areas. All this must be
accompanied by the awareness of the
population to all learn to combine
development with conservation.

There are captive breeding programs

with some success, although it is true
that infant mortality in captivity is very
high.

MEXICAN OSO:
He was one oso Mexican brown bear
subspecies of it (Ursus arctos) in that it is
the mucho conoca before it llevara to the
extinction in 1964.

Read Llama silver oso brown bear Mexican,

aunque tambin these names are used to
otras brown bear subspecies of it, and so you

can sign up for llevar confusion. In English it

reads Llama Mexican grizzly bear, aunque
tambin hay that tener Caution to see if this
subspecies refieren him alguna otra.

FEATURES

It was one of them more heavy and large

mammals in Mexico.

This oso, brown bear subspecies it junto a

more Diez, a tennis coat color rojizo brown
and silver color with him in bands posting on
su face of su cuerpo y legs. This
characteristic color fue out why they read
them native Llamar'el plateado' oso. Las
Orejas were black junto a sus part of legs.

Rod could measure 1.83 m. y su restlessness

always present them weight 318 kg.

Tennis one litter of one to three cubs every

three years.

Su diet consisted mainly of plants, fruits and

insects, aunque tambin occasionally fed on
small mammals and carrion.

HABITAT AREA Y geographic

It inhabited the southwest of them stop the

United States (Arizona, California, Texas and
Nuevo Mexico) and northern Mexico it.

Within Mexico lived in areas of grassland and

mountain areas Poblado pins.

The Mexican gray wolf:

The Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupus baileyi)
is a subspecies of wolf, one of the smallest
compared to other subspecies.

In 1976 it was declared an endangered

subspecies and their situation was still
worse as it is currently classified by the
IUCN as Extinct in the wild (EW), which
means that there is no issue living in
freedom.

FEATURES

Its length is about 1.35 m and its height at

the withers is one 0.8 m. Their weight varies
from 27 kg to 45 kg.

It is a beautiful animal nocturnal, and as a

general rule the wolves live in packs
consisting of 5-12 copies, one partner being
a nurse, the alpha pair. They give birth to an
average of 4-6 pups in April or May.

Their life expectancy is 8-13 years in the wild

and 12-15 years in captivity.

Its fur is gray sometimes with a reddish tint.

They feed primarily on elk, deer, peccaries (a

kind of wild pig), rabbits and rodents; since
the early twentieth century due to the
decline of their natural prey like deer were
forced to attack livestock to survive,
resulting in extermination campaigns by
government agencies in the United States
and the overhunting of Mexican farmers .

The natural behavior of Mexican wolves are

not well documented, but will probably be
similar to other subspecies of gray wolf. The
reason is that when they were studied in
their natural habitat and were on the verge of
extinction and the results are not very safe.

A long distance communicating with howls

and smells, and a short distance through the
body, facial and some vocalizations leguaje,
similarly as they do domestic dogs.

HABITAT AND GEOGRAPHIC AREA

Until some time ago this wolf stretched from

the desert of Sonora, Chihuahua and central
Mexico to western Texas, southern New
Mexico and Central Arizona, occupying a
variety of habitats, from desert and semi-arid
to temperate forests. Of these, according to
studies, the wolf prefers forested places
(with good availability of water and shelter)
are those with good pasture for livestock as
well.

THREATS

Extinction has been largely due to persistent

control to eliminate these animals not to
attack livestock. Throughout the twentieth
century the number was reduced in Mexico,
mainly for this reason; may still remain a few
hundred in the 50s, but the 70s were no more
than 50 copies and only had 10 90s Today the
wolf population is only 260 between the
United States and Mexico, all captive and
controlled areas.

The habitat modification was also

aggravating the problem.

CONSERVATION MEASURES

By 1979, the USFWS (Fish and Wildlife

Service) creates the Recovery Team in the
Mexican Wolf. This has the main objective of
increasing the existing population of Mexican
wolves and their possible release in the wild.

Captive breeding began in the Arizona Sonora

Desert Museum in Tucson, Arizona, as four
wolves were captured in Durango and
Chihuahua, being created what later Lineage
or Lineage McBride Certificate (LC) would be
called. These were three males and a
pregnant female. Eventually they realized
they needed more wolves to expand the
genetic material for the Recovery Plan Lobo
Mexicano continue without problems caused
mainly by consanguinity in this lineage.

It is where they first appear the names of

Ghost Ranch lineage (LGR) and Lineage San
Juan de Aragon (LSJA), wolves belonging to

two different collections and have no relation

to the LC.

When leaving exceeding the carrying

capacity of the institutions that are
participating in the captive breeding program
of Mexican gray wolves, they start inviting
new institutions within their infrastructure,
they were able to accommodate at least a
couple of wolves and their offspring or nonbreeding groups of one sex.

Mexico was important that new spaces that

allow groups of wolves maintain, since only
some zoos and nature reserves kept these
animals in their facilities to meet.

Currently there are about 90 copies of the

certificate lineage in Mexico and the total
population, including captive Mexican wolves
in the United States and other international
zoos, add about 240 copies. So although they
are getting results the Mexican wolf is still
considered as requiring greater protection
worldwide, since it is considered the rarest
in the world.

On the website of US Fish and Wildlife

Service can view the updates of activities on
the ground in the recovery zone.