Mountain anoa

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Mountain anoa
Buablus quarlesi2.jpg

Mountain anoa ( Bubalus quarlesi )

Systematics
without rank: Forehead weapon bearer (Pecora)
Family : Horned Bearers (Bovidae)
Subfamily : Bovinae
Tribe : Cattle (bovini)
Genre : Asiatic buffalo ( Bubalus )
Type : Mountain anoa
Scientific name
Bubalus quarlesi
( Ouwens , 1910)
The last mountain anoa in a European zoo: a male animal in 2019 in Krefeld Zoo

The mountain anoa ( Bubalus quarlesi ) is a species of cattle that lives in the wild in Indonesia . It is closely related to the lowland anoa and is sometimes considered a subspecies thereof.

features

Mountain anoas reach a head body length of around 150 centimeters and a shoulder height of 70 centimeters. Their woolly fur is dark brown or black in color. Both sexes have smooth horns around 15 to 19 centimeters long. They differ from the low-lying anoas by the lack of light markings on the throat and legs, by the thicker fur, the shorter tail and the shorter horns.

distribution and habitat

Mountain anoas are endemic to the Indonesian island of Sulawesi and the small neighboring island of Buton . Their habitat are forests, whereby they predominantly occur in rainforests up to 2300 meters above sea level. They prefer areas near water that are undisturbed by humans.

Way of life

Mountain anoas are likely to live mainly solitary or in pairs. They go in search of food in the morning or in the morning and rest in the afternoon under thick vegetation. They are pure herbivores that feed on leaves, grasses and mosses.

Little is known about reproduction either. After a gestation period of around 275 to 315 days, the cow usually gives birth to a single young animal, which is initially much lighter in color than the adults.

threat

Hunting and habitat loss are the main reasons for the threat to the mountain anoas. The population is now fragmented into a few small areas, some of which are protected. The IUCN estimates the total population at less than 2500 animals and lists the species as endangered ("endangered").

literature

  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .

Web links

Commons : Bubalus quarlesi  - collection of images, videos and audio files