Hobbies And Interests
Jaguar
Early jaguars roamed parts of Mexico and the southern portion of what is now the United States. Fossils from Ice Age-era jags have also been recovered in caves of Midwestern states. Modern jaguars are the largest member of the cat family in the western hemisphere. They can weigh between 80 to 350 lbs. Their Ice Age predecessors are thought to have weighed up to 420 lbs.
Snowshoe Hare
The Lepus americanus, or Snowshoe Hare found in Canada and the northernmost states of the United States, is a medium sized rabbit. The toes of its very long feet can spread out to act like snowshoes. According to the Illinois State Museum, paleontologists have found bones indicating this rabbit was around during the Pleistocene Epoch. The bones were originally thought to be around 11,500 to 18,000 years old, but were later placed at 35,000 years old.
Mammoths
Fossils suggest the Mammoth survived the Ice Age itself, but went extinct later. The Mammoth, or Mammuthus, resembled the Indian Elephant. It had exceptionally long curved tusks, some as long as 16 feet, which it may have used in mating rituals, to fight or to dig into ice on searches for food. Mammoths inhabited savannas, grasslands, and tundras all over the world, which is evident from the location of fossils. On average, this beast could be anywhere from 6- to 13-feet tall and weigh up to 8 or 9 tons. In 2007, a 6-month-old frozen carcas of a female baby Mammoth was found on the Yamal peninsula of Russia.
Star-nosed Mole
This hamster-sized mole feels its way around with a touch organ with more than 25,000 sensory receptors. The 22 bright pink tentacles on the end of its nose are constantly active while this Ice Age survivor is on the move in dark, wet ground. Adults weigh about 55 g and have 44 teeth. They take only 120 milliseconds to identify and consume prey. They may be blind, but star-nosed moles can dig tunnels up to 885 feet long.