Jonathan Cohen's photos with the keyword: Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

The zebra duiker (Cephalophus zebra) is a small antelope found in Ivory Coast, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. It has also been recently discovered in south east Guinea. They have gold or red-brown coats with distinctive zebra-like stripes, dark markings on their upper legs, and russet faces. They grow to 90 cm (35 in) in length, 45 cm in height, and 20 kg (44 lb) in weight. Their prong-like horns are about 4.5 cm long in males, and half that in females. Their arched backs, short forelimbs and longer hindlimbs enable the them to slip easily through the dense vegetation of the coastal rain forests of West Africa. Here only very thin shafts of light penetrate the closed canopy (leafy treetops) of the jungle to reach the floor of the forest. The duiker’s striking black stripes help it to blend with these intricate patterns of light and shadow. Zebra duikers probably defend strict territories, form exclusive pairs, and may even mate for life. They are considered vulnerable due to continuing deforestation and overhunting within their range. The wild population is estimated at 28,000 individuals.

Fast, agile, and extremely vigilant, Grant’s gazelles rarely fall prey to large predators on the savanna. But these two gazelles have clearly met their match in the cheetah, the fastest land mammal in the world. This specialized speedster can accelerate rapidly and attain a top speed of 112 kilometers per hour (approximately 70mph). A long lightly built body, elongated legs, and small feet with nonretractable claws help the cheetah to maneuver expertly, meeting its prey’s every move at very high speeds.

Although this species of rhinoceros is referred to as "black," its actual colours vary from brown to gray. The other African rhinoceros is the white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum). The word "white" in the name "white rhinoceros" is a misinterpretation of the Afrikaans word wyd, itself derived from the Dutch word wijd for wide, referring to its square upper lip, as opposed to the pointed or hooked lip of the black rhinoceros. These species are now sometimes referred to as the square-lipped (for white) or hook-lipped (for black) rhinoceros.

"Taxidermy involves sculpture and anatomy and realism. And when you add a background painting in the dioramas, it’s the whole package. It’s as complete as you can get." - Steve Rogers, Collection Manager, Birds, Reptiles, and Amphibians Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Black bears are the smallest of the North American bears. Adult bears stand about 29 inches (.73 m) at the shoulders and measure about 60 inches (1.5 m) from nose to tail. The tail is about two inches long. Males are larger than females. An average adult male in spring weighs about 180-200 pounds (81.8 to 90.9 kg). They are considerably lighter when they emerge from winter dormancy and may be 20 percent heavier in the fall when they are fat. The color of this bear over its entire range varies from jet black to white. A very rare white or creamy phase occurs on Kermode Island and vicinity in British Columbia. Three colors are common in Alaska. Black is the most often encountered color, but brown or cinnamon bears are often seen in South-central Alaska and the Southeast mainland. The rare blue (glacier) phase may be seen in the Yakutat area and has been reported in other parts of Southeast Alaska. Only the black color phase is seen on the islands of Southeast. Black bears may have a patch of white hair on the fronts of their chests. Black bears are most easily distinguished from brown bears by their straight facial profile and their claws which are sharply curved and seldom over 1½ inches in length. Positive identification can be made by measuring the upper rear molar which is never more than 1¼ inches long in the black bear and is never less than that in a brown bear. Black bears have adequate senses of sight and hearing. They do have, however, an outstanding sense of smell.

'The time has come,' the Walrus said, 'To talk of many things: Of shoes -- and ships -- and sealing wax -- Of cabbages -- and kings -- And why the sea is boiling hot -- And whether pigs have wings.' - Lewis Carroll (The Walrus and the Carpenter)

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"It's like what they said about the raptor in Jurassic Park - one of us gets your attention, the other one gets you." - Greg Lloyd

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"I can easily picture the worst, because the worst can easily happen." - Eugene Ionesco (Rhinoceros) The Hook-lipped (or "Black") Rhino has a reputation for being extremely aggressive. They attack out of fear, confusion, and panic. They will charge if they sense a threat, which occurs frequently due to their very poor eyesight. They have even been observed to charge tree trunks and termite mounds. Black Rhinos will fight each other, and they have the highest rates of mortal combat recorded for any mammal: about 50% of males and 30% of females die from combat-related injuries

... and such a little brain!