Saola
Saola | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Family: | Bovidae |
Subfamily: | Bovinae |
Tribe: | Bovini |
Genus: | Pseudoryx Dung, Giao, Chinh, Tuoc, Arctander & MacKinnon, 1993 |
Species: | P. nghetinhensis
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Binomial name | |
Pseudoryx nghetinhensis Dung, Giao, Chinh, Tuoc, Arctander & MacKinnon, 1993
| |
Range in Vietnam and Laos |
The saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis), also called spindlehorn, Asian unicorn, or infrequently, Vu Quang bovid, is one of the world's rarest large
Taxonomy
In May 1992, the Ministry of Forestry,
According to biodiversity specialist Tony Whitten, though Vietnam boasts a variety of flora and fauna, many of which have been recently described, the discovery of as large an animal as the saola was quite unexpected. The saola was the first large mammal to be discovered in the area for 50 years.[9] Observations of live saola have been few and far between, restricted to the Annamite Range.[10]
The
A recent sequencing study of
Since its physical traits are so complex to classify, Pseudoryx had been classified variously as member of the subfamily Caprinae and as belonging to any of the three tribes of the subfamily Bovinae: Boselaphini, Bovini and Tragelaphini. DNA analysis has led scientists to place the saola as a member of the tribe Bovini.[11] The morphology of its horns, teeth and some other features indicate it should be grouped with less-derived or more ancestral bovids.[12] Scientific consensus may lead to classifying the saola as the sole member of a proposed new tribe, Pseudorygini.
Etymology
The name 'saola' has been translated as "
Description
In a 1998 publication, William G. Robichaud, the coordinator of the Saola Working Group, recorded physical measurements for a captive female saola he dubbed 'Martha', in a Laotian menagerie.[14] She was observed for around 15 days until she died from unknown causes. Robichaud noted the height of the female as 84 centimetres (33 in) at the shoulder; the back was slightly elevated, nearly 12 centimetres (4.7 in) taller than the shoulder height. The head-and-body length was recorded as 150 centimetres (4.9 ft).[15] The general characteristics of the saola, as shown by studies during 1993–5 as well as the 1998 study, include a chocolate brown coat with patches of white on the face, throat and the sides of the neck, a paler shade of brown on the neck and the belly, a black dorsal stripe, and a pair of nearly parallel horns, present on both sexes.[2][15][16]
Robichaud noted that the hair, straight and 1.5–2.5 centimetres (0.59–0.98 in) long, was soft and thin–a feature unusual for an animal that is associated with montane habitats in at least a few parts of its range. While the hair was found to be short on the head and the neck, it thickened to woolly hair on the insides of the forelegs and the belly. Studies before 1998 reported a hint of red in the inspected skins. The neck and the belly are a paler shade of brown compared to the rest of the body. A common observation in all the three aforementioned studies is a 0.5 centimetres (0.20 in) thick stripe extending from the shoulders to the tail along the middle of the back. The tail, which measured 23 centimetres (9.1 in) in Robichaud's specimen, is divided into three horizontal bands, brown at the base, black at the tip and white in the middle.[2][15][16] Saola skin is 1–2 millimetres (0.039–0.079 in) thick over most of the body, but thickens to 5 millimetres (0.20 in) near the nape of the neck and at the upper shoulders. This adaptation is thought to protect against both predators and rivals' horns during fights.[17] Saolas weigh between approximately 80–100 kg (176–220 lbs).[18]
The saola has round
Both sexes possess slightly divergent horns that are similar in appearance and form almost the same angle with the skull, but differ in their lengths. Horns resemble the parallel wooden posts locally used to support a spinning wheel (thus the familiar name "spindlehorn").[4] These are generally dark-brown or black and about 35–50 cm long; twice the length of their head.[15] Studies in 1993 and 1995 gave the maximum distance between the horn tips of wild specimens as 20 centimetres (7.9 in),[2][16] but the female observed by Robichaud showed a divergence of 25 centimetres (9.8 in) between the tips. Robichaud noted that the horns were 7.5 centimetres (3.0 in) apart at the base. While studies prior to Robichaud's claim the horns are uniformly circular in cross-section, Robichaud observed his specimen had horns with a nearly oval cross-section. The sides of the base of the horns is rugged and indented.[15]
Distribution and habitat
The saola has one of the smallest ranges of any large mammal.
Ecology and behaviour
Local people reported that the saola is active in the day as well as at night, but prefers resting during the hot midday hours. Robichaud noted that the captive female was active mainly during the day, but pointed out that the observation could have been influenced by the unfamiliar surroundings the animal found herself in. When she rested, she would draw her forelegs inward to her belly, extend her neck so that her chin touched the ground, and close her eyes.
Robichaud observed that the captive female was calm in the presence of humans, but was afraid of dogs. On an encounter with a dog, she would resort to snorting and thrust her head forward, pointing her horns at her opponent. Her erect ears pointed backward, and she stood stiffly with her back arched. Meanwhile, she hardly paid any attention to her surroundings. This female was found to urinate and defecate separately, dropping her hind legs and lowering her lower body – a common observation among bovids. She would spend considerable time grooming herself with her strong tongue. Marking behaviour in the female involved opening up the flap of the maxillary gland and leaving a pungent secretion on rocks and vegetation. She would give out short bleats occasionally.[15]
Diet
Robichaud offered
Reproduction
Very little information is available about the reproductive cycle of the saola. The saola is likely to have a fixed mating season, from late August to mid-November; only single calf births have been documented, mainly during summer between mid-April and late June.[15][17] In the absence of more specific data, the gestation period has been estimated as similar to that of Tragelaphus species, about 33 weeks.[15] Three reports of saola killings from nearby villagers involved young accompanying mothers. One possessed 9.5 cm (3.7 in) long horns, another an estimated 15 cm (5.9 in), and the third 18.8 cm (7.4 in); these varying horn lengths suggest a birth season extending over at least two to three months.[16]
Conservation
The saola is currently considered to be
The key feature of the area occupied by the saola is its remoteness from human disturbance.[25] Saola are shot for their meat, but hunters also gain high esteem in the village for the production of a carcass. Due to the scarcity, the locals place much more value on the saola than more common species. Because the people in this area are traditional hunters, their attitude about killing the saola is hard to change; this makes conservation difficult. The intense interest from the scientific community has actually motivated hunters to capture live specimens. Commercial logging has been stopped in the nature reserve area of Bu Huong, and there is an official ban on forest clearance within the boundaries of the reserve.[25]
Species of conservation concern are frequently hard to study; there are often delays in implementing or identifying necessary conservation needs due to lack of data.[26] Because the species is so rare, there is a continuous lack of adequate data; this is one of the major problems facing saola conservation. Trained scientists have never observed saola in the wild. Unfortunately, because it is unlikely that intact saola populations exist, field surveys to discover these populations are not a conservation priority.[26]
The
A group of scientists from the
Culture
The mascot of the
See also
- Leaf muntjac (Muntiacus putaoensis)
- Truong Son muntjac (Muntiacus truongsonensis)
- Giant muntjac (Muntiacus vuquangensis)
- Annamite striped rabbit (Nesolagus timminsi)
References
- ^ a b c Timmins, R. J.; Hedges, S. & Robichaud, W. (2016) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Pseudoryx nghetinhensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T18597A166485696. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
- ^ S2CID 4243603.
- OCLC 62265494.
- ^ S2CID 130425782.
- ^ a b Stone, Richard (August 2008). "Mystery in Vietnam". Smithsonian. pp. 18–20.
- ^ "Saola sighting in Vietnam raises hopes for rare mammal's recovery: Long-horned ox photographed in forest in central Vietnam, 15 years after last sighting of threatened species in wild". The Guardian. 2013.
- ^ "Saola Rediscovered: Rare Photos of Elusive Species from Vietnam". World Wildlife Federation. 2013.
- World Wildlife Fund. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
- ^ a b Cox, S.; Dao, N.T.; Johns, A.G.; Seward, K. (2004). Hardcastle, J. (ed.). Proceedings of the "Rediscovering the saola – a status review and conservation planning workshop", Pu Mat National Park, Con Cuong District, Nghe An Province Vietnam, 27-28 February 2004 (PDF) (Report). Hanoi, Vietnam: WWF Indochina Programme, SFNC Project, Pu Mat National Park. pp. 1–115.
- ^ a b Moskvitch, K. (16 September 2010). "Rare antelope-like mammal caught in Asia". BBC. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
- PMID 10380679.
- PMID 20525112.
- ASTV Manager(in Thai). November 16, 2013. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
- ^ DeBuys (2015), p. 138.
- ^ JSTOR 1382970.
- ^ .
- ^ a b Huffman, B. "Saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) - Detailed information". Ultimate Ungulate. Retrieved 18 April 2013.
- ^ "Saola | Species | WWF". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- ^ Saola. WWF. (n.d.). Retrieved March 18, 2022, from https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/wildlife_practice/profiles/mammals/saola/
- ^ Burgess, Neil (1997). "The Saola (Pseudoryx Nghetinhensis) in Vietnam - New Information on Distribution and Habitat Preferences, and Conservation Needs". GreenFile.
- .
- ^ DeBuys (2015), p. 163.
- ^ "Saola | Species | WWF." WWF - Endangered Species Conservation World Wide Fund for Nature. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 April 2013
- ^ " Home - Saola Working Group ." N.p., n.d. Web. 18 April 2013
- ^ .
- ^ PMID 25926709.
- IUCN. 2011-05-31.
- ^ "Experts on the saola: The "Last chance" to save one of the world's rarest mammals". Scientific American.
- ISSN 0717-9502.
- ^ "Công bố và trao giải cuộc thi sáng tác biểu trưng, biểu tượng vui SEA Games 31 và ASEAN Para Games 11 năm 2021, tại Việt Nam". Vietnam Sports Administration (in Vietnamese). Retrieved 20 November 2020.
Sources
- DeBuys, William (2015). The Last Unicorn: A Search for One of Earth's Rarest Creatures. Back Bay Books. ISBN 978-0-316-23287-6.
Further reading
- Shuker, Karl P.N. The New Zoo: New and Rediscovered Animals of the Twentieth Century, House of Stratus, 2002 ISBN 978-1842325612
External links
- Saola Foundation
- savethesaola.org, Saola Working Group Website
- Rare antelope-like mammal caught in Asia at BBC News
- Images and movies of the saola (Pseudoryx nghetinhensis) at ARKive
- Saola factsheet at Ultimate Ungulate
- Vu Quang Ox - Pseudoryx nghetinhensis from the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre
- Saola Conservation in Central Vietnam—Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History