Maras have stocky bodies, three sharp-clawed digits on the hind feet, and four digits of the fore feet. Maras have been described as resembling long-legged rabbits. Patagonian maras can run at speeds up to 29 km (18 mi) per hour. They can weigh over 11 kg (24 lb) in adulthood.
Most maras have brown heads and bodies, dark (almost black) rumps with a white fringe around the base, and white bellies.
Maras may amble, hop in a rabbit-like fashion, gallop, or bounce on all fours. They have been known to leap up to 6 ft (1.8 m).
Maras mate for life, and may have from one to three offspring each year. Mara babies are very well-developed, and can start grazing within 24 hours. They use a creche system, where one pair of adults keeps watch for all the young in the creche. If they spot danger, the young rush below ground into a burrow, and the adults are left to run for it.
Like Carol @yorkshirekiwi I thought this was a kangaroo at first!! Never heard of a mara before. Lovely capture Chantel with a perfect dof giving a beautiful foreground and backdrop. Fav of course!!
Is it a donkey/hare/kangaroo? Not heard of a Mara and not native to the UK either @joysfocus . Must be in a nature park or zoo. Lovely processing Chantal; it is like a painting.
@callymazoo@joyfocus This was taken in The Yorkshire Wildlife Park in Doncaster. The added textures just give the animals a more interesting background to the original. The textures are from Jai Johnson. Thanks for your comments and faves
Gorgeous -- are you using Daily Textures for the background? These seem reminiscent of the ones Jane @jgpittenger is using. I looked for the set and couldn't find them. They really work well for animal shots like this.
Great shot of an interesting animal! Regarding the textures (I know absolutely nothing about that sort of thing), is it the background and the grass in the foreground?
What a wonderment that there's an animal about which I'd never heard! This is so unique-looking, and once more your use of the textured backgrounds is fabulous!
