Black Tree Monitor

Species: Black Tree Monitor
Habitat: Aru Islands Forests
Status: Vulnerable
DAK Locale: Rafiki's Planet Watch

The black tree monitor, named for its black scales, is found only in the forests and swamps of the Aru Islands off New Guinea in Indonesia. For some time, it was considered a subspecies of the closely related Emerald Tree Monitor. However, since 1991 it has been considered its own species.

At birth, the lizard is a dark grey with yellow-green spots on its back. The scales gradually turn black and the spots fade. Generally, they can be large as about four feet with males being bigger than females. The tails are long - about two-thirds the size of the body. Its prehensile and helps with its tree dwelling life. The feet have large claws and adhesive pads for helping climb and live in trees.  They are carnivorous eating other lizards, small mammals, and insects.

The species is vulnerable due to its very limited range and habitat loss. It is also popular in the pet trade with most animals being wildly caught instead of born in captivity.

Green Poison Dart Frog

Species: Green Poison Dart Frog
Habitat: Rainforests of Central America
Status: Least Concern
DAK Locale: Rafiki's Planet Watch

This species of poison dart frog is one of the most variable. It comes in numerous different patterns although always with green and black coloration. It is also sometimes called the green and black poison arrow frog, or the mint poison frog. The name poison dart comes from the use of its powerful poison by the native people in darts and arrows. Just a small amount of its secretion will make a full grown human ill.

They are arboreal. Their toes have sucker like discs to help grip trees. They eat, sleep, and court in trees. It is, however, not a good jumper.

Like all poison dart frogs, the species gathers in large groups before mating, bickering for territory. Males make out small clearings for themselves with females wandering through. Males will try to impress females with their singing which sounds similar to bird calls.

Although they are quite popular in the pet trade, mostly due to their small size and intricate color patterns, they are not endangered.

Thompson's Gazelle

Species: Thompson's Gazelle
Habitat: African Savanna
Status: Near Threatened
DAK Locale: Pembe/Sunset Savannas at AKL

Because it is one of the more common animals seen on the famous Serengeti, this gazelle is perhaps one of the most well known. The Thompson's gazelles, or tommies as Warden Wilson and many others call them, are small, light brown animals, with a black stripe along its side. Their horns are short and slender, though the males are distinctly longer than the females.

They are common prey for many of the areas predators including hyenas, leopards, pythons and crocodiles. Even eagles will take young. They are a staple of the cheetah's diet due to their relatively small size. Unlike bigger antelope, they don't typically stand their ground. Thankfully, they are fast, real fast: hitting 50 to 60 miles per hour. They also run in zigzag patterns in an effort to lose the hunter. A cheetah chasing a tommie is truly a sight to behold on a safari. The cheetah can actually run faster, but the zigzagging and better stamina evens the odds.

Tommies are mixed feeders. In the wet season, they eat mostly grass, but at dry times they tend to focus on browse for food. They tend to follow bigger herbivores like wildebeest and zebra. This is for two reasons. First, those animals are higher up and can see better over the tall grass to find lions and leopards. Secondly, they allow the bigger animals to mow down the taller grass to get at the shorter grass below.

The gazelle is territorial, at least the males. Female groups migrate through territories, and the male with the better food supplies, get more females into their area. If a bachelor comes into his territory, they will get chased off or have to fight. In keeping his territorial boundaries, males use their horns for marking and they also have a gland that they rub on trees and the like.

There are an estimated 550,000 Thompson's gazelles in the wild. It is likely the most numerous gazelle in all of East Africa. However, since the mid 1970s, its population has declined about 60%. For that reason, it is currently listed as Near Threatened. The decline is due mostly habitat destruction, fire, and road development.

Radiated Tortoise

Species: Radiated Tortoise
Habitat: Dry Regions of Madagascar
Status: Critically Endangered
DAK Locale: Kidani Village

The radiated tortoise is native to the dry scrub lands and forests of southern Madagascar. It is found in other parts of the island but not nearly in the same numbers. Its also been introduced to some other nearby islands. One of the favorite meals is the cacti species that grow in the area but they will also eat fruits.

The tortoise has a distinctive carapace with brilliantly marked yellow lines. The yellow lines seem to "radiate" from the center of each plate of the shell, hence the name. There is sexual dimorphism as the males have longer tails and a more notable notch beneath the tail, as well.

Thanks to habitat loss this animal is critically endangered. The pet trade and even hunting for food have not helped the matter. It is strictly protected but laws are not easily upheld as the country is quite poor. The radiated tortoise is part of an SSP (Species Survival Program) as zoos from this country including the Animal Kingdom, are doing their best to encourage a captive breeding program to keep the animal from extinction.