Walia ibex (Capra walie): WWF maximum cards from Ethiopia

Only in Ethiopia! [this kind of ibex goat; there are other ibex species in other places]
"This species is only found in the northern mountains of Ethiopia. Only 150–200 animals were surviving in 1963, but now the population has increased to 500 individuals. They have been hunted extensively for meat and horns. The horns are used as mugs and as trophies. Habitat loss is another major threat against the species. Encroaching settlement, livestock grazing, and cultivation are all problems. Road construction is also fragmenting the habitat. Luckily, the Semien National Park which was established in 1969 has helped the species. However, they are still in trouble and need some more conservation measures to help protect them."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walia_Ibex

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Happy PFF! [Postcards Friendship Friday]
Visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/
:)

Striped White Tiger 3 Postage Stamps from Zazzle.com

Striped White Tiger 3 Postage Stamps from Zazzle.com

Lemurs: WWF maximum cards from Madagascar

For this, cyanide is yummy!

"The Golden Bamboo Lemur or Golden Lemur (Hapalemur aureus) is a medium sized bamboo lemur endemic to southeastern Madagascar. It is listed as an endangered species due to habitat loss. The population is declining with only about 1000 individuals. As its name indicates this lemur feeds almost exclusively on grasses especially the Giant bamboo or Volohosy (Cathariostachys madagascariensis). The golden bamboo lemur consumes enough cyanide daily to kill a human, but the lemurs' detoxification mechanism is still unknown."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Bamboo_Lemur

Fady ( a taboo) is not protective enough for indri...

"The Indri (Indri indri), also called the Babakoto, is one of the largest living lemurs. It is a diurnal tree-dweller related to the sifakas and, like all lemuroids, it is native to Madagascar."

"The Indri is an endangered species. The primary threats to its existence are habitat destruction and fragmentation due to slash and burn agriculture, fuelwood gathering, and logging. This kind of destruction occurs even in protected areas.

The Indri is also widely hunted, despite the many origin myths and traditional taboos (fady) which hold it sacred. Cultural erosion and immigration are partly to blame for the breakdown of traditional beliefs. In some cases, Malagasy people who resent the protective fady find ways to circumvent them. People whose fady forbid them from eating the Indri may still hunt the lemurs and sell their flesh, and those forbidden to kill the Indri may still purchase and consume them. Indri meat is prized as a delicacy in some regions"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indri

A lateral leaper.

"The Diademed Sifaka (Propithecus diadema) is an endangered species of sifaka, one of the lemurs endemic to certain rainforests in eastern Madagascar. This species is one of the world's largest living lemurs, with a total adult length of approximately 105 centimetres (41 inches),^[3] half of which is tail. Russell Mittermeier, one of the contemporary authorities on lemurs, describes the Diademed Sifaka as "one of the most colorful and attractive of all the lemurs", having a long and silky coat".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diademed_sifaka

Don't try this at home:

"As with all prosimian primates, olfactory communication is used extensively by ruffed lemurs – scent marking in territorial defense and disputes, as well as female greeting displays.^[8][11] The scents communicate the sex, location, and identity of their owner."

"In greeting displays, female ruffed lemurs will leap over one another, scent marking the other individual's back in the process."

"The Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata) is the more endangered of the two species of ruffed lemurs, both of which are endemic to the island of Madagascar. Despite having a larger range than the Red Ruffed Lemur, it has a much smaller population that is spread out, living in lower population densities and reproductively isolated. It also has less coverage and protection in large national parks than the Red Ruffed Lemur. Three subspecies of Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur have been recognized since the Red Ruffed Lemur was elevated to species status in 2001.^[3]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-and-white_Ruffed_Lemur

Do you have the foggiest idea what a toilet-claw is?

"A toilet-claw (toilet claw, grooming claw) is the specialized claw or nail on the foot of certain primates, used for personal grooming. "

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toilet-claw

"The ruffed lemurs of the genus Varecia are strepsirrhine primates and the largest extant lemurs within the family Lemuridae. Like all living lemurs, they are found only on the island of Madagascar. Formerly considered to be a monotypic genus, two species are now recognized: the Black-and-white Ruffed Lemur, with its three subspecies, and the Red Ruffed Lemur."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruffed_lemur