Thursday, November 8, 2012

Week 9 - 11: Nov. 8 - Native mammals of Haiti


Week 9 - Oct. 26 cancelled - Hurricane Sandy
Week 10 - Nov. 1 Holiday

Week 11 - Nov. 8 Mammals
Hint – highlight a phrase, right click, and choose 'search for' to find photos and more information about these animals.

38 native mammal species
       11 extinct
       1 critically endangered – Puerto Rican hutia
       1 endangered – solenodon
       2 vulnerable – manatee & Hispaniolan hutia

Why are so many extinct or endangered?
Deforestation
Pollution
Hunting
Invasive species

Taxonomic nomenclature
Kingdom                           Animalia
Phylum                              Chordata
Class                                  Mammalia
Order                        Chiroptera                                  Primate
Family                      Noctilionidae                 Homonidae
Genus                       Noctilio                          Homo
Species                     Noctilio leporinus          Homo sapiens

Haiti - Native Mammal Orders
Sirenia – manatees
Rodentia – rodents
Soricomorpha – solenodons
Cetacea – whales
Carnivora – carnivores – extinct
Chiroptera – bats

Sirenia  - Manatees
Trichechus manatus
Status – Vulnerable
Risk of extinction
Aquatic
Herbivorous

Rodentia - rodents
Plagiodontia aedium
Vulnerable
Risk of extinction

Isolobodon portoricensis
Puerto Rican Hutia 
EXTINCT!  
I must have found old information when I presented this to the class.
Critically endangered
Will be extinct soon

Soricomorpha – solenodons
Solenodon paradoxus
Endangered
Facing an extremely high risk of extinction
Insectivores
Poisonous saliva

Cetacea – whales & dolphins
Whales – 1
Dolphins – 4
Eat fish

Carnivora – carnivores
Monachus tropicalis
Extinct – 1952 last seen near Jamaica

Chiroptera - bats
15 species
Status – 6 near threatened, 7 least concern
Feeding habits
Insectivores - insects
Nectavores - nectar
Frugivores - fruit
Piscivorous - fish

Patterns in the tropics
Latitudinal diversity gradient is greatest for bats and rodents.
Closer to equator, more species of these.
Why?
These animals are small.
Large surface area to volume ratio.
Therefore loose heat easily.

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