

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Family of the Week: The Auddar and Allies

This is a small group of mammals. The family Pelargidae consists of bipedal creatures that are found in or near the water. The lifestyle of these mammals somewhat paralells that of modern storks or cranes. They are descended from the Deinognathid subfamily of pervadines. The muzzle is long and narrow. The neck is long and flexible. The ears are more rounded than in the pervadines. The index fingers are long and more narrow than in the pervadines, and there is absolutely no webbing on the hands at all. There is only very rudimentary webbing on the feet. The eyes are placed on the top of the head, and the nostrils are set close to the base of the eyes. The tail is relatively short. The body is also rather short, and the legs are long. They are predatory animals, usually feeding on fish, or any other kinds of small prey they can find and fit into their mouths. They are diurnal animals, and they spend their nights roosting in trees. Most species stand as high as 3 feet tall, but the largest species in the family stands 5 feet tall.

The largest species is in the genus Euphuia. These larger animals feed on anything from fish to frogs and small mammals. The teeth are very sharp to easily grasp their slippery, struggling prey. They prefer to remain in a quiet corner, where they can stay concealed by thick vegetation, and snatch prey by surprise. Prey is usually swallowed whole.

The most unusual species are in Anoicostomus. These animals have mouths that do not close all the way. This allows the sensitive tongue in the water for long periods to feel for prey. They hunt by walking slowly with the tip of their muzzle dipped in the water. When they feel something that feels like prey, they dart their head into the water enough to grasp the prey in their sharp teeth.

Predators of this family include predatory bats, snakes, crocodiles, Deinognathids and Viverrids. They can use their sharp teeth as defensive weapons, or they duck underwater until the danger passes. They are capable of staying submerged for as long as 8 minutes.

No comments: