In the Qinling Mountains, small chamois, hairy crown deer, impala, iguana are the most common four kinds of ungulates, but the iguana has the highest eye-catching rate, the ear length is like a donkey, the neck mane is like a horse, the tail is like a deer, the hooves are like cattle, and reindeer, moose, elk and called four "four unlikes", today we will talk about the "four unlikes" in the Qinling Mountains, a "strange beast" that integrates many ungulate characteristics.
The legendary "Pegasus"
There are a total of 6 species in the world In the Qinling Mountains are chinese iguanas
The iguana looks like sheep but belongs to the bovine family, the iguana genus, there are a total of 6 species in the world, Chinese iguana, southern iguana, Himalayan iguana, red iguana, Taiwanese iguana and Japanese iguana. The Chinese iguana has the widest distribution area, and the iguana in the Qinling Mountains is the Chinese iguana. Tibet is home to Himalayan iguanas, which were recently photographed in infrared cameras in the Gaoligong Conservation Area in Yunnan Province, making them no longer endemic to Myanmar. The Japanese iguana, the most peculiar in appearance, is also known as the "Japanese long-maned goat", and its appearance is very high.
The iguana is also called the Sumatra because it was first discovered in Sumatra, Indonesia. And the folk also call the iguana as the mane, mountain donkey, rock donkey, pegasus and so on. In Tibetan, the iguana is called "jiagula," which translates a bit like "a mess of flowers on a rock." It should be described as very neurotic, belonging to an animal with a large stress response, and when encountering people, it is always immediately frightened and jumps around and runs away.
The secret of climbing and flying rocks
Wide rear end of the hoof, there is also a "suction cup" in the center.
The important characteristics of the Chinese iguana are white mane, red legs, black body, and have very good ability to climb mountains and fly rocks. According to the "Huangshan Chronicle", "Tianma, often flying in the sky, lotus peaks", "silver-maned golden hair, four legs are holding auspicious clouds, whiskers jump over dozens of peaks". The "silver-maned golden hair" fits well with the mane on the back of the iguana that spreads freely like a horse, and its ability to fly flowers and pick leaves between rocks and mountains, such as walking on the ground, is like a "pegasus" that jumps and leaps and leaps through the clouds. The extraordinary climbing ability is due to the fact that the hooves of the iguana are composed of two hooves that are close together, with a narrow tip at the front and a broad rear end, surrounded by, soft parts in the center, like a suction cup, enabling it to stand or jump on steep rocks steadily. There are also sensitive tactile nerves at the bottom, and when stimulated, the brain responds immediately to adjust the center of gravity and balance.
The lonely silencer
Alone almost never makes a sound
The Chinese iguana prefers to live in densely forested and rocky mountains, is a typical solitary animal, almost never makes a sound, but uses eye glands and hoof gland secretions to mark their respective territories and transmit information to each other. The gland secretes a light white thick substance with a special odor that can be emitted into the air over time. Unless it is to reproduce, the iguana will actively contact its own kind. The territory between the same species basically does not overlap, and it comes and goes alone, and if the male iguana encounters another male iguana, they will fight to the death.
Hoof warning, horn pick threat and active attack, is the main self-protection behavior of the iguana when encountering danger, when the target is found to be threatening, it is difficult to escape for a while, it will lift the front hoof, pedal the ground or rock, make a loud knocking sound, warn the other party not to approach; if it is useless, it will bow its head and make a forward charge, an angle impact or a provocative action. If it doesn't work, it will take the initiative to attack, and to be honest, there are not many natural enemies in the wild in terms of the size, combat effectiveness and climbing ability of the iguana.
Occasional meat "sheep"
Eating the placenta at the first time Is the result of long-term evolution
Like most wild animals, the iguana prefers to forage in the morning and evening, with grass, young branches of trees, leaves, buds, fallen fruits and fungi as its main food. Shaanxi Foping National Nature Reserve has studied the feeding habits of iguanas. In 38 dead iguanas, 121 species of plants were recorded in the stomach contents of 38 dead iguanas and 49 feeding grounds, of which 72 were woody plants, accounting for 60% of the food species; 38 species of herbs (including 2 kinds of bamboo), accounting for 31%; the remaining 11 species were 3 species of vines, 6 species of mosses and ferns, and 2 species of fungi, accounting for 9%. The iguana feces are scattered, and strangely enough, it discharges 10 dung balls at a time!
As a plant-eating animal, the female iguana will eat the placenta at the first time after giving birth to its cubs, which is actually the result of the long-term adaptation of animals to the environment, and many plant-eating animals have this behavior. The placenta contains hormones and nutrients, which have the effect of replenishing energy and prolactin, which can make the mother recover her strength and secrete more colostrum as soon as possible. At the same time, eating the placenta can remove the signs of childbirth more quickly, so as not to be detected by predators and pose a danger.
Why is it difficult to see it in the zoo?
The stress reaction is strong, and he jumps up and down to kill himself
As mentioned earlier, the iguana is a strong stress-response species, and human disturbance is fatal to them, and they will jump up and down because of fright, knocking themselves to death, which is the biggest difficulty in artificial breeding. There is also the female iguana only once a year in autumn estrus, the best conception is only two days, and the female is very picky about the mate, if you can't see the eyes, you will refuse to mate, it is easy to miss the estrus period.
In addition, pregnant female iguanas often miscarry due to fright. Therefore, it is difficult to see the iguana on display in domestic zoos. The Shaanxi Rare Wild Animal Rescue and Breeding Research Center once raised and successfully bred an iguana, but because of the difficulty of artificial breeding, it eventually died.
In recent years, a large number of iguana deaths have been found in the Qinling Mountains, and after experts have unplanned the corpses, it has been found that an infectious disease caused by fungi and mites is spreading among iguanas, impala and antelope, becoming the biggest threat to the wild population of iguanas, and has not yet found a good control method. Wang Ning/Wen
![Chinese scientists have newly discovered fossils of the primitive ungulate "diptych" about 45 million years ago[fig]](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAP///wAAACwAAAAAAQABAAACAkQBADs=)