SPECIES-INFO

The elk is the second largest species of deer in the
world, and one of the largest mammals in North America
and eastern Asia. Male Elk have large antlers which are
shed each year. Elk are more than twice as heavy as mule
deer and have a more reddish hue to their hair coloring,
as well as large buff colored patches and smaller tails.
Elk cows average 500 lbs, stand 4-1/2 ft. at the shoulder,
and are 6-1/2ft. from nose to tail. Bulls are some 25%
larger than cows at maturity, weighing an average of 650
lbs, standing 5 ft. at the shoulder, and averaging 8 ft. in
length. Only males have antlers. The largest antlers may
be 4 ft. long and weigh 40 lbs. Bull elk may have six or
more tines on each antler.

This is one of the largest deer species. This deer inhabits most of Europe,
the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor and parts of Western and
Central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Algeria
and Tunisia in north western Africa being the only species of deer to
inhabit Africa. They have been introduced to other areas including New
Zealand and Argentina. Red Deer is a large hoofed animal. Only the stags
have antlers which start growing in the spring and are shed each year
usually at the end of each winter. European Red Deer antlers are
distinctive in being rather straight and rugose with the fourth or fifth tines
forming a "crown" or "cup" in larger males. Any tines in excess of the
fourth and fifth tine will grow radially from the "cup".

The Fallow deer is a ruminant mammal belonging to the family of
Cervidae. The male is a buck and the female a doe. Bucks are 140- 160
cm long and 90-100 cm shoulder height, and 60-85 kg in weight. Does are
130-150 cm long and 75-85 cm shoulder height and 30-50 kg in weight.
The species is very variable in colour, with four main variants,
"common", "menil","melanistic" and "albinistic". The common form has a
brown coat with white mottles that are most pronounced in summer with
a much darker coat in winter. The albinistic is the lighest coloured,
almost white. Common and menil are darker and melanistic is very dark,
even black. Most herds consist of the common form but have menil form
and melanstic form among them. Only bucks have antlers, these are
broad and shovel shaped.

This species of antelope was originally spread over large tracts
of India except in Northeast India. During the early part of the
20th century, these antelope were brought to the United States
(specifically Texas} for the purpose of hunting and breeding. The
horns of the Black Buck are ringed with 3 to 4 turns and can be as
long as 28 inches. The adult males can grow as tall as 32 inches
and can weigh as much as 95 pounds. In the male, the upper body
is black (dark brown) and the belly and eye rings are white. The
light brown female is usually hornless. On the open plain, the
black buck is one of the fastest animals and can out run most
predators over long distances.

The domestic sheep ,the most common species of the sheep
genus is a woolly ruminant quadruped. It is probably descended
from the wild mouflon of South Asia and Southwest Asia. Intact
males are referred to as rams. The sheep is related to the goat,
both belonging to the goat antelope. A wide symbology relates
to sheep in ancient art, traditions, and culture. In Egyptian
mythology, the ram was the symbol of Heryshaf. The ram is also
the first sign of the western zodiac, in which it is known as Aries.
There are many breeds of sheep and the ram are among them.
The Soay ram demonstrates the wide variance in sheep traits
that belies the prototypical appearance of the animal.

This species of wild sheep is one of the Caprinae or "goat
antelopes". Mouflon is thought to be one of the two ancestors
for all modern domestic sheep breeds. It is red - brow with a
dark back stripe, light colored saddle patch and underparts. The
males are horned and females are horned or polled. This
species originated in Southeast Asia and in 1980's was
introduced in game ranches in North America for hunting.

This species is a member of the deer family that inhabits much
of East Asia. It is closely related to Red Deer and Elk. These are
also native to Taiwan and Japan. Sika deer are widespread in
Japan. The Sika is regarded as a particularly prized and elusive
sportman's quarry.

Scimitar Oryx is a species of Oryx which formerly inhabited
the whole of North Africa. The Scimitar Oryx is just over a
metre at the shoulder and weighs around 200 kilograms. Its
coat is white with red - brown chest and black markings on
the forehead and down the length of the nose. The horns are
long, thin, parallel, and curve backwards and can reach a
metre to a metre and a quarter on both sexes, male and
female.

Zebras are black or dark with white stripes and their bellies have a large
white blotch for camouflage purposes. Some zebras have brown "shadow
stripes" inbetween the white and black coloring. The stripes are typically
vertical on the head, neck, forequarters, and main body, with horizontal
stripes at the rear and on the legs. Zebras are generally slower than
horses but their great stamina helps them outrun predators. When chased
a zebra will zig - zag from side to side making it more difficult for the
predator. When cornered the zebra will rear up and kick its attacker. A kick
from a zebra can be fatal. Zebras will bite their attackers as well. A zebra
can run at least 60kmph. Zebras were the second species to diverge from
the earliest proto-horses, after the asses, around 4 million years ago.
Zebras might have lived in North America in prehistoric times. Zebras are
native to eastern and southern Africa. They are a member of the horse
family.

This breed of cattle is native to Africa. They have very large
distinctive horns similar to a Texas Longhorn. Some
individual cattle have horns measuring 12 ft. from tip to tip.
The Watusi are descendants of the Aurochs which became
extinct in the 17th century. Watusi first came to America in
the 1960's. This breed is often referred to as the "Cattle of
Kings".

Also referred to as an old world swine, Eurasian wild boar or Russian wild
boar, the Razor Back are feral pigs that were brought to North American
during the mid 1550's. This animal evolved due to a system of farming
known as free roam or free range farming. Though pigs were successfully
farmed this way, many were lost. The lost pigs eventually made up the first
razorback populations. Razor Backs are viewed as a chief game species in
many parts of the United States. Razor Backs are hunted for sport and
trophy. Hunting of Razor Backs is encouraged in many areas due to their
destructive nature. They tend to shy away from human contact but can
become very dangerous if they are cornered, wounded, or with young,
and can injure and even kill humans and other animals.

The chital deer also known as the spotted deer or axis deer is a deer
which commonly inhabits wooded regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal,
Bangladesh, and most of India. It is the most common deer species in
Indian forests. Its coat is reddish fawn, marked with white spots, and its
underparts are white. Its antlers, which it sheds annually, are usually
three-pronged and curve in a lyre shape and may extend to 75cm. Males
sporting hard antlers are dominant over those in velvet or those without
antlers, irrespective of their size and other factors. An axis stands about
90cm tall at the shoulder and masses about 85kg.

The American bison commonly called buffalo is a large hoofed
mammal of the cattle family. Bison have short horns and humped,
heavily mantled shoulders that slope downward to the
hindquarters. A mature bull stands about 6.5ft. at the shoulder, a
body length of 9ft., and a weight of 2500lbs. Both sexes bear heavy,
curved horns. The coat of the buffalo is dark brown,with coarse
hair which is especially long on the head, which is held low, and on
the neck and shoulders. At the beginning of the 19th century, there
were over 60 million bison in North America. Uncontrolled hunting
drove it nearly to extinction by 1900, but it has since recovered.