tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7819688123764229065.post8195728754205055563..comments2024-02-18T03:39:19.390+03:00Comments on Notes From Kenya: MSU Hyena Research: Tiny, Cute and Ferocious!MSU CNShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04997499077027854416noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7819688123764229065.post-66638835156855000682015-02-13T18:03:55.312+03:002015-02-13T18:03:55.312+03:00Thanks for the question Stefany!
Banded mongoose...Thanks for the question Stefany! <br /><br />Banded mongooses and racoons are actually not closely related. They're both mammals and carnivores, but after that, they split. <br /><br />Banded mongooses are part of the Viverridae family, which is actually in the 'cat-like' suborder, Feliformia. Racoons on the other hand are part of the Procyonidae family, which is part of the 'dog-like' suborder, Caniformia. <br /><br />We put up a family tree showing the split between Feliformia and Caniformia on our Facebook page, you should check it out! Check out where hyenas fall in relation to them both!Laboratory Managerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12914765397143211951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7819688123764229065.post-60063392020939404952015-02-13T17:54:24.321+03:002015-02-13T17:54:24.321+03:00Great question Anonymous! We know less about cheet...Great question Anonymous! We know less about cheetahs and the least about leopards as compared to lions and hyenas but some of our thoughts are:<br /><br />--Cheetahs and leopards live at lower densities than lions and hyenas, which simply put just means there are less in a given area.<br />--Cheetahs went through a population bottleneck about 10,000 years ago which decreased their genetic diversity, making them more susceptible to diseases.<br />--Leopards we believe tend to be more nocturnal and spend more time in the thicket or in trees, also making sighting more difficult.<br />--Cheetahs and leopards both rank lower than lions and hyenas in the hierarchy of carnivores in the Mara so there there is some top-down control. For instance, lions and hyenas are generally able to steal a kill from a cheetah or leopard.<br /><br />We don't have a lot of information on specific poaching numbers of cheetahs and leopards in the Mara, though leopards are certainly highly sought after for their pelt.<br /><br />Though less research has been done on cheetahs and leopards, there are two cheetah projects currently running the Mara if you want to check out more about them! The Mara Meru Project http://marameru.org/en/ and Kenya Wildlife Trusts's Mara Cheetah Project: http://kenyawildlifetrust.org/index.php/2014-08-15-16-12-28/the-mara-cheetah-project<br /><br />Thanks for your question, keep asking us!Laboratory Managerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12914765397143211951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7819688123764229065.post-32320476808117184162015-02-13T12:37:51.941+03:002015-02-13T12:37:51.941+03:00Are the banded mongoose related to raccoons or are...Are the banded mongoose related to raccoons or are the bands just a coincidence? Can you bring one home to hang out with me while I garden and protect me from snakes? ;)Stefany Freemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03142273625257956233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7819688123764229065.post-33754555664188637222015-02-13T12:28:14.766+03:002015-02-13T12:28:14.766+03:00Why are the cheetah and leopards so much rarer tha...Why are the cheetah and leopards so much rarer than lions and hyenas? Do they need more territory/get poached more/have more complex food requirements?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com