Southern White Rhinoceros

The art print of the Giraffes is now available in my store. Click here.

I loved working and learning about this family, and I completely fell in love with the Okapi, which has become one of my new favorite animals. I must say that designing the art print was really challenging, but I am very happy with the result.

As you may know, all of the animals are carefully illustrated. The company I work with to print my work is located in the United States. Their quality is incredible. It is a gallery-quality giclée art print on 100% cotton rag archival paper, printed with archival inks."

_______________________

Thanks again for your support. See you soon with more animals!

Now we are moving to a small but vey charismatic family: The hippos. I think this is an animals that is loved by the majority. Looking at its massive size combined with its features is understandable why. 

However don’t get mistaken. This animal is a fierce and the one to blame for the most fatalities in Africa. it is a very territorial animal that won’t hesitate to charge if threatened or feeling its territory invaded. The biggest problem with humans happens usually at nights, when the animal leaves the rivers to graze moving various kilometers away from river basins, encountering unaware humans. Running it’s the only option but not a sure escape since despite its weight, hippos can reach up to 50km/h. 

Hippos depends on rivers because it’s skin, which is actually pink, cannot resist the sunlight and will dry fast. And despite living its majority of time in water, they are unable to swim. 

5 subspecies have been named but just three are recognized nowadays and they are still subjected to changes. 

Male hippos fights are barbaric and they mostly happen to get the best spot in the river which will attract the most females. Once a male is dethrone, the new king won’t hesitate on killing the offspring of the old king in order to began leaving its own genes. 

Hippos in Colombia? Unfortunately, yes. Not because I don’t like them (I’m Colombian) but because they have become a threat to other endemic species of the country. Hippos were brought to Colombia illegally by narco’s most famous Pablo Escobar and were put in its private zoo. When he was killed, the zoo closed but the hippos and some other animals were left in the area. While some animals died, the hippos however, flourished. Today, they occupied a vast area of the country and they begin to clash with other animals such as the inoffensive manatees. 

While they yet don’t represent a threat to humans (some attacks have been registered) because they are not as territorial as in Africa. (It is believe because they have a larger area to develop) if the quantity keeps growing, they will become as dangerous as in Africa. For now, people greeted in towns because of its natural charm and can become touristic attraction. There are some possible solutions to this issue. One will be to sterilize all males, which is kind of unthinkable because of how expensive this could be. Other will be to send them to various zoos around the world, which is still not enough and  the last one will be to kill them all. I have an opinion about it but I would love to hear yours.

____________________

New design, Better Illustrations! I was thinking for a while in a way to improve the layout of this blog and I feel that this way is much better. I think the layout should highlight the drawings so I decided to remove many other elements that somehow stole its attention. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Thanks again for your support, likes, reblog and follows, means a lot. If you like this content it will help me a lot if you follow my Tumblr or if you share it. Also, every comment is very welcome. I am not an expert in the topic so if you have something to add, or something you thinks is incorrect, I will be more than happy to discuss it with you. Thank you! 

 Posters in my store: Here 
  Follow my Instagram: Species of the World

Onager is the ass of Asia. However, the biggest difference from the African Wild Ass is that the Asian Ass could never be tamed. They are considerable bigger that its African cousins at about 290 kilos in weight. They are also among the fastest mammals on planet, being able to reach up to 70 Km/h.

The two species, (African and Asian Ass) shared the same ancestor: The Kiang, which will be described later, and which was considered a subspecies of the Onager. Nonetheless, further studies acknowledge as a distinct species.

Five subspecies are recognized. Two of them are close to extinction, other two are threatened and one, unfortunately, is extinct. There is the possibility of another subspecies, The Gobi Khulan but there is still debate on it.

Mongolian Wild Ass: It is the most widespread from all subspecies but has lost about %50 of its former distribution range in just 70 years. It’s main threat is poaching and competition for grassland with livestock.

Turkmenian Kulan: Also called Transcaspian Wild Ass or simply Kulan, the animal has slowly decline in former distribution ranges but its population has increase where it’s been re-introduced such as in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine where they used to inhabit. Also in Israel where th subspecies is making hybrids with Persian wild Onagers.

Persian Onager: Also called the Persian Zebra or Gur, The Persian Onager has been close to extinction. It is highly protected and hunting it is strictly forbidden. Breeding programs in different zoos associations in Europe and North America are keeping hope on this animal. That various spring born in captivity has been returned to its natural environment. Some other new borns in Khar Turan National Park, in Iran (it’s native environment) has been reported.

Indian Wild Ass: Also called Ghudkhur, Khur or Indian Onager. Form barely 300 animals in 1960, strong seizures of protection and adding better resources to its environment such as water holes, by 2004 its population increased to almost 4000. The most recent census in 2015 stated that its population is close to 5000. When you want you can.

Syrian Wild Ass: Known also as Hemippe, Achdari or the Mesopotamian Onager, he couldn’t make it to today. Huge herds used to be seen in the 15th and 16th centuries but its number began to drop precipitously during the next centuries due to overhunting by Europeans. Its existence became uncertain during the World War I (Nothing god from wars) and its last specimen was fatally shot in 1927 near Azraq Oasis in Jordan. The last specimen died the same year, in Vienna.

I had a nice discussion a few day back about subspecies. My friend was arguing that subspecies is silly because some of the differences are just molecular, dental, and barely hard to see. Me, on the other hand, I think subspecies is the first step for a new species to come. The subspecies of one species are found in environments that usually has small variables in between but somehow force the animal to change in order to survive.

These adaptations are what make the animal a subspecies, small changes. However, we all know that the environment is not still and it will eventually change, probably a lot. And if the animal wants to survive that environment, it also has to change, a lot as well. To the point that it might become a new species. So I think subspecies is something very subtle but can be the beginning of a new animal. Interesting isn’t it? Anyway, is just my thoughts from the little I know about the subject. If someone have another approach I’d love to hear it.

PD. My next family will be the camelidae, so if you know about this family or have good pictures of them, you are very welcome to help me with this investigation. 

Nice Posters in my store: Here 
 Follow my Instagram: Species of the World

As you know my plan is to do all mammals and every time I finish one, I feel that I am closer to my goal. I don't need to rush. Step by step I will get where I want to. Soon, I'm releasing a digital collectible sticker album through Patreon. The idea is to find ways to support my work. What do you think of this idea? Please let me know. Rothschild's Giraffe This animal classification is a little bit tricky. Some consider it a subspecies while others consider it an ecotype of the Nubian Giraffe. An ecotype is a species that develops physical differences due to its surroundings. However, genetically is the same species. The term is a little ambiguous because I think describes in many cases, a subspecies or the beginning of one. Rothschild's Giraffe is also known as the Baringo Giraffe or the Ugandan Giraffe. It is known to be one of the largest subspecies. Also, its sight, smell and hearing is well developed and its body is specially built for speed. However, the easiest way to differentiate this giraffe from the other subspecies is that it has five ossicones. Yes, five! (Ossicones are the name for the horns of the giraffes). The normal two that all giraffes have, one in the middle of the head and one behind each ear. Incredible. Is critically endangered despite being one of the best-evolved giraffes. That just can mean that is not the environment the one that is putting in danger the survival of this animal but us. Nature takes over the weakest, we humans, take over the strongest. Dwarf Giraffes? Well yeah. I just discovered that these subspecies have Dwarf Giraffes. They are about 3 meters high, which is close to two meters less than the normal size of these animals. However, scientists speculate their size was caused more by inbreeding due to species decline. ______________________________________________ Credits: Rothschild's Giraffe Rothschild's Giraffe Dwarf Giraffes Photo Credits: Ellen van Yperen ______________________________________________ Thank you guys for all the support. If you like the content please like and subscribe. Rebblogs are also very much appreciated. Thank you to all of you who help me spread the word. Have a happy New Year and I wish all your projects come to fruition. Best!

Please let me know if you like the idea of making a collectible sticker album. I am already working on the book and creating the stickers. I think it will be digital first using my basic knowledge of that stuff but the goal is to have a team to make it an app.

New animal unveiled. Tucuxi Infography on my Instagram

New sticker album drop! 🦏🐎🦓

I’ve just released a project that’s close to my heart—a sticker album featuring all known species and subspecies of the Perissodactyl order: rhinos, tapirs, horses, zebras. Every animal is illustrated and comes with fascinating facts about their habitat, conservation status, and more.

It’s fun, educational, and made to spark curiosity about our world—because we need more things like that out there.

🛒 Limited copies available now in my webstore (album + stickers included!) 👉 Sticker Album

Thank you for supporting meaningful, handmade projects like this one 💛

Turkmenian Kulan Ever heard of a wild ass that outruns jeeps and survives in places where even camels complain? Meet the Turkmenian kulan, a desert daredevil with a name that sounds like a punchline but belongs to one of Central Asia’s toughest mammals. With serious speed, serious stamina, and zero interest in being tamed, this wild ass is a master of dry-land survival—and yes, "kulan" really does mean wild ass in Turkic.

Infographic on my Instagram

Thanks for padding along with me! 🐾 If this post made your tail wag, give it a like, reblog to spread the paw-someness, and follow for more wild wonders! 🦊✨

I absolutely loved doing this one. I knew there were different subspecies of giraffes but I never put attention to them. I loved the fading light color spots on the very light skin tone of this one. To me, this giraffe is by far, the easiest to distinguish. Is the lightest giraffe in color, the patches are also pale, and is the only one that survives in the North West of Africa. Store Instagram Niger Giraffe / West African Giraffe Previously, this animal was found in Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Niger, and Chad. Today just can be found in Niger. By the 90s, the number of this animal decreased to mere 49 individuals. Today is protected and its numbers increase to about 600. This giraffe was confused by zoos in Europe. They thought they had this subspecies of giraffes, while in reality, they had the Kordofan one (the one I show in my last post on Giraffes). This happened because the populations that inhabit North Cameroon and Chad were thought to be Niger Giraffes while in fact were Kordofan. It was noticed after genetic studies were done. _______________________________________________ Credits: Niger Giraffe Niger Giraffe _______________________________________________ If you like the content please like, subscribe, and/or reblog, it will help me a lot. Comments are also very much appreciated. Next week, a new dolphin. One I didn't know existed.

I've been creating all these animal illustrations for my upcoming book centered around the fascinating world of mammals. I've launched an exclusive club that offers three different membership tiers, each with awesome rewards.

Click here to see more. Let me know what would you like to see in the club membership tiers or if what I am offering is good enough. Thank you, guys! Love you all and have a nice week. More animals to come soon. South Central Balck Rhinoceros Among the contemporary rhino species, the Black Rhino is considered to be the best adapted to the new world. It stands out as one of the oldest, most stable, and most widely distributed among the modern rhinoceros species. Unfortunately, human actions have significantly threatened their previous success and led to a decline in their populations.

New animal in the club. The subspecies of the Number and already extinct the Eastern Rusty Numbat. I must clarify that this subspecies is not fully recognized since further studies need to be done. To join the club click here:

Illustrated mammals and informative sheets every week.