home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- Found on every continent except
- Antarctica. Various species
- brood their young in unusual
- places, such as their stomachs
- or vocal sacs.
-
- Skin contains many glands.
- Some secrete mucus to keep
- the skin moist; others
- produce a toxic or
- irritating substance when
- the animal is frightened.
- Lifespan is 1-60 years,
- depending on the species.
-
- Members of the salamander
- family, newts may have
- “warty” skin and are
- often brightly colored.
-
- Date back to the
- Triassic period, 200
- million years ago.
-
- Can close their nostrils
- and ears at will. Crocs
- have an extra set of
- eyelids, transparent enough
- to see through underwater.
-
- Live everywhere except
- the deep sea and lands
- of perpetual snow.
-
- Different species range
- from 20 cm to 3.4 m (8 in to
- 11 ft) long. They can greatly
- enlarge their mouth cavities
- by dropping their lower jaws.
-
- Originally bred in
- England for bullbaiting,
- a “sport” outlawed in
- the U.S. in 1835.
-
- Forerunners of this terrier
- have been used in Scotland
- for hundreds of years to go
- underground after foxes and
- other vermin.
-
- Hospice monks in the
- Swiss Alps developed
- this breed as a work dog.
-
- From German “pudel,” meaning
- water. The “Poodle clip” was
- designed to increase their
- effectiveness as water dogs.
-
- Named for the Mexican
- state. The smallest
- breed of dog recognized
- by canine associations.
-
- The desert fox, arctic
- fox and sand fox are
- highly adapted to their
- respective environments.
-
- One of the oldest known
- breeds of dog, they are
- used for hunting, especially
- hare. Greyhound racing
- became popular around 1876.
-
- Herding dogs, originated
- in Scotland. Four color
- types: sable & white,
- tri-color (black, white
- and brown), blue merle,
- and white.
-
- Wolf packs usually have
- only two to eight members,
- though they may include
- as many as 36. A strong
- hierarchy of dominance and
- submission maintains order
- within the pack.
-
- Mate for life, and
- both parents care
- for their young.
-
- Swim with their wings, using
- their feet and tails as
- rudders. They breed in
- large noisy colonies in
- the Southern Hemisphere.
-
- Have the largest beaks
- of any bird. Their beaks
- are sometimes actually
- longer than their bodies.
-
- Have large, heavy, hooked bills
- and strong, sharp talons. They
- nest in precipices because their
- young remain helpless for a
- relatively long time.
-
- Feed by turning their
- heads upside down in the
- mud underwater, using their
- bills to strain minute
- animals and plants. Highly
- gregarious: flocks may
- reach two million birds.
-
- Probably the most common
- birds in the world. Fully
- domesticated about 4000
- years ago from red jungle
- fowl of Southeast Asia.
-
- Native from the Philippines
- to Australia and Malaysia.
- Most cockatoos eat roots,
- fruits and vegetables. All
- types can raise or flatten
- their feathered chests at
- will.
-
- Among the oldest domesticated
- animals, nearly all parrots are
- monogamous. They may live for
- 70-80 years.
-
- Found in many regions of
- the world. Strong fliers
- and swimmers. The skin
- in the bottom of their
- bills is very expandable.
-
- Believed to have originated
- in Iran (formerly Persia).
- Their coats tend to stand
- away from their bodies.
-
- The fastest land animals,
- reaching speeds of 112
- kph (70 mph). They use
- their long tails to
- balance when turning.
-
- Mostly nocturnal and
- solitary, but will
- hunt in pairs during
- the breeding season.
-
- Also called “mountain lions” or
- “cougars.” Excellent climbers
- and jumpers, they often drop
- from trees onto their prey.
-
- Female lions do the
- hunting and are the center
- of the pride. Lions prefer
- grassy plains and avoid
- dense forest.
-
- Small and fierce; range from
- southern Canada to northern
- Mexico. They eat rodents and
- rabbits but can also leap onto
- deer’s backs and kill them.
-
- The largest and most
- powerful members
- of the cat family.
-
- Color variants of
- the leopard whose
- dark spotting is
- visible under
- certain lighting.
-
- Born partially albino, most
- develop “points” on their
- tail, muzzle, ears, legs and
- feet. Points can be red,
- seal, chocolate and lilac.
-
- Found in shallow waters
- of temperate oceans.
- Can reach 183 cm (6 ft)
- and 227 kg (500 lbs).
-
- Found worldwide in tropical and
- temperate oceans. Can swim up
- to perhaps 97 kph (60 mph).
-
- Found in all oceans but
- Antarctic. Eaten around
- the world, but rarely in
- the U.S. There are about
- 250 species of sharks.
-
- Also called “blowfish.”
- Can inflate their
- stomachs with water or
- air to swell to about
- twice their normal size.
-
- Often kept in garden ponds
- as a sort of decoration.
- Colors range from white
- to orange to deep red.
-
- Native to North American
- Pacific coast. Get their
- name from the broad band
- of color along their side.
-
- The barbels or “whiskers” around
- catfish’s mouths are covered
- with taste buds. Many of the
- 2000 species are nocturnal.
-
- All 30 species of sunfish
- are found in North America.
- They are all very sensitive
- to changes in temperature.
-
-