Wukk has been living at TIERART since November 2022. He was kept as a pet in Austria and confiscated by the authorities. To which fox subspecies does Wukk belong?
Correctly spotted! Wukk is an arctic fox. Arctic foxes live in the snowy, forest-free areas in the northern hemisphere. They are also called snow fox or ice fox.
Unfortunately, this is not correct! Wukk is an arctic fox. Arctic foxes live in the snowy, forest-free areas in the northern hemisphere. They are also called snow fox or ice fox.
Our flock of sheep consists of different breeds. One of them is the rare Wallachian sheep. What makes Wallachian sheep so special?
Correct! In Wallachian sheep, both rams and females have horns. They are considered endangered because they are seen as "uneconomical" for wool production and therefore hardly bred anymore. In Germany, there are only about 250 animals left. Nowadays, the robust animals are mainly used in landscape maintenance. Learn more about the pretty sheep here!
Unfortunately wrong! The special thing about Wallachian sheep is actually that both the rams and the females have horns. They have become rare because they are seen as "uneconomical" for wool production and therefore hardly bred anymore. In Germany, there are only about 250 animals left. Nowadays they are mainly used for landscape maintenance. Learn more about the pretty sheep here!
Since November 2022 the silver foxes Skadi and Mala and artic fox Samara live at TIERART. All these animals were rescued from a Polish fur farm from certain death. Do you know how to recognize real fur?
That's right! If you push the hairs apart, you can see the animal skin at the base of the real fur, and a woven surface appears on the faux fur. If you blow into the fur, the real hairs move very strongly.
The most effective way is the hair test: cut off individual hairs and burn them. If they burn completely and raise a typical smell, the fur is real. If the hairs clump together and smell synthetic, they are from an artificial fur.
The price or the way the fur feels are not clear differentiators. On the contrary, real fur is often even cheaper than high-quality artificial fur!
Note: If you are not sure whether a product is artificial or real fur, it is better not to buy it.
Unfortunately wrong ! The price or the way the fur feels are not clear differentiators. On the contrary, real fur is often even cheaper than faux fur of high quality! However, there are a few tips on how you can distinguish between the products:
If you push the hairs apart, you can see the animal skin at the base of the real fur, while a woven surface appears on the faux fur. If you blow into the fur, the real hairs move very strongly.
The most effective way to test for hair is to cut off individual hairs and burn them. If they burn completely and have a typical smell, the fur is real. If the hairs clump together and smell synthetic, they are from an artificial fur. Note: If you are not sure whether a product is artificial or real fur, it is better not to buy it.
Among others, two tigers, a puma and a serval live at TIERART. Which of the three cat species is the slowest?
That's right! Tigers manage remarkable top speeds of up to 65 km/h (about 40 mph), but serval and puma can run much faster. At up to 80 km/h (about 50 mph), they run as fast as a jaguar or a lion. The fastest cat species in the world is the cheetah with a top speed of 110 km/h (about 68 mph).
Oops, that´s not correct! Tigers are significantly slower than the puma and the serval. Tigers run maximally 65 km/h (about 40 mph) fast, whereas the serval and the puma reach maximum speeds of 80 km/h (about 50 mph). By the way, jaguars and lions also run this fast. The fastest cat in the world is the cheetah, with a top speed of 110 km/h (about 68 mph).
Which is the third largest carnivore on earth after the polar bear and brown bear?
Right! The tiger is the third largest land predator on earth and at the same time the largest cat in the world. In particular, the Siberian tiger reaches peak sizes of up to 3.6 meters measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.
Just missed! Pumas and lions are sometimes significantly smaller than tigers. The tiger is not only the third largest land predator on earth, but also the largest cat in the world. Siberian tigers in particular reach peak sizes of up to 3.6 meters measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.
Why doesn't our Cameroon sheep Lulu live with the other sheep in the flock?
Right. Lulu actually grew up in an apartment and is therefore strongly influenced by humans. She does not see other sheep as conspecifics, even more: they are not familiar to her. All attempts to integrate Lulu into the sheep herd have failed. She prefers to stay close to the TIERART staff. Learn more about this absolutely extraordinary sheep here.
Sad but true: Lulu actually grew up in an apartment and is therefore strongly influenced by humans. She does not see other sheep as conspecifics, even more: they are not familiar to her. All attempts to integrate Lulu into the sheep herd have failed. She prefers to stay close to the TIERART staff. Learn more about this absolutely extraordinary sheep here.
And here comes the last question: Which of the following statements about the European wildcat is correct?
That's right! The European wildcat is by no means a feral domestic cat, but an independent species. Our domestic cat, on the other hand, is a descendant of the African wildcat and was first brought to Europe by the Romans. Both species belong to the small cat family. You can find more information about European wildcats here.
Unfortunately this is not correct! The European wildcat is by no means a feral domestic cat, but an independent species. Our domestic cat, on the other hand, is a descendant of the African hawkcat and was first brought to Europe by the Romans. Both species belong to the small cat family. You can find more information about European wildcats here.
