User:ManBearPig1/sandbox

General Characters

Very little is known about the two different species of Anoa, Lowland Anoa and Mountain Anoa. One thing that is known is that they are forest dwelling bovine that lack a clear evolutionary history. After a study of the skulls of many Anoa it was shown that there was hybridizing and interbreeding between the two. It was questioned as to whether the two species were actually different due to mixing of the two in many different areas as well as some interbreeding. After analyzing the DNA of the two it was proven that they are in fact different species. Little is known about their life history as well. However in captive individuals they have a life expectancy of 20-30 years. The Anoa take 2-3 years before they reach sexual maturity and have one calf a year and have very rarely been seen to have more.

Habitat

The Anoa are composed of two different species, the Lowland Anoa Bubalus depressicornis and the Mountain Anoa Bubalus quarlesi. They are small wild bovine that are endemic to the islands of Sulawesi in Indonesia. Sulawesi is a unique area due to the fact that roughly 61% of the species found there are endemic species including the Anoa.

The key difference between the two species is the areas of habitat that is utilized on the islands. The Moutain Anoa is found at higher elevations than its counterpart and is found in the forested mountainous regions. The Lowland Anoa spends its time in the lower elevation areas and is also found in core habitat of forested area. The habitat needs of both species can have some overlap and often times the two species are found in the same areas. The key factor to where they are found is core forested habitat away from humans.

Morphology

The Anoa have many physical characteristics of bovine relatives and are considered to be most closely related to the Asian Water Buffalo which was confirmed through DNA analysis. However some scientists believe they may be more closely related to the Asiatic Antelope. All Anoa vary in appearance a good amount but have the same standard characters.

The two species diverged due to a difference in elevation and a slight change in habitat from the latter, but their physical characteristics remain similar. The Anoa is the smallest of the wild cattle species. When Anoa are born they have a set of thick wooly fur that comes in many color variations from yellow to brown. In adults the fur is typically a brown or black and males tend to have darker variations. Hair thickness varies slightly between the two species based on elevation and distribution. In both Species of Anoa horns are present both males and females and are typically straight protuberances. Another defining characteristic of the Anoa is an extremely thick hide underneath the thick fur.

Conservation

The Anoa are endemic to the region of Sulawesi and are currently experiencing large declines in their populations. Knowledge of their decline has only recently been documented however and the villages and villagers lack the knowledge of how to help maintain or increase populations.

The leading cause of their population declines in in fact hunting by the local villagers and not having restrictions or proper management strategies. The one benefit is that villagers are open to communication with researchers on their harvests and hunting practices. The second leading cause of population decline is habitat loss and in the region of Tangkoko the Anoa are actually extirpated.

Logging is a large issue due to the fact that both species prefer the core forested habitat that is far away from humans and the influences that come with them. By logging humans create much more fragmented habitat and therefore a decrease in where the Anoa can breed and live. This habitat fragmentation also alters the natural mixing of populations of Anoa and may lead to a loss in genetic diversity of the two species and over time could also lead to their decline.