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 Black mamba
These mambas a r e t h e m o s t f e a r e d
reptiles in A f r i c a . They r e f a s t j f i e r c e
1

and extremely dangerous -

Skin lighter
underneath

Slithers u p t r e e s t o h u n t birds }

or Warm itself in the Sun

t J
• Deadly venom. A bite from a black mamba
can kill a person in twenty minutes. Its venom
brings down small animals almost instantly,
by paralyzing their hearts and lungs.

• Speed king. Black mambas are the fastest snakes

in the wo rid . They can skim across the ground
as fast as a person can run .
J9 1
•Dark lining. It °s called
a black mamba because
r ' 'M the inside of its mouth
is inky black.

• Hatchlings. As soon as they hatch,

black mambas are ready to hunt
small rats and other rodents.

• Attack. When threatened , a black

1
mamba rears uuntil its head is
more than lm ( off the
ground , then it shoots forward
and lashes out with rapid bites.

Essential facts Size: 3 - 5 m (H ’Aft ) long

Lives in: S and W Africa Weight: 1.4 kg ( 3 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands, woods Speed: 23kph (14 mph )
Food: rats, birds, lizards Lifespan: 12 years
Predators: mongooses Active: in the day
 Crocodile
One of the oldest creatures on
—
Eartln orot/ nd affine some
time as fine dinosaurs

Webbed feet

Teetln constantly being sted

—
ond replaced goes through
about 3 0 0 0 in o lifetime
j
 • Jaws . Crocodiles have the most powerful jaws
of any animal in the world. They Lite 15 times
harder than an angry Rottweiler dog.

• Death toll. Crocodiles eat more people than

any other animal - about 2 , 000 every year.

•Powerful acid . A crocodiled stomach juices

are so strong they can dissolve steel nails.

• Ambush . Crocs lurk at

the waterd edge and lunge
onto the shore to seize their
—
5»
prey. Even wildebeest have
little chance of escape.

• Toothpicks. Nile crocodiles Egyptian

plover
open their mouths to allow
Egyptian plovers to
hop inside. The
little birds then
eat the food scraps
stuck between the 1 u
crocodiles teeth .
0

Essential facts ( Saltwater crocodile ) Size: 7 fTl ( 23ft ) long

Lives in: Australia, SE Asia Weight: 550 kg ( 7, 200 lbs)
Habitat: swamps, rivers Speed: 24kph (15 mph ) in water
Food: fish , snakes, cattle Lifespan: 60 years
Predators: none Active: at night
 Giant tortoise
Ward $ lne \\ is made
Longest- lived '
from t h e some
land animal in material as a
t h e World bird' s beak

Was a small beak

and tough g u m S j
instead of t e e t h

Lives- entirely on lond — t h e clos es t

’ '

i t comes t o swimming iS When i t

Wades in a stream t o Wash
• Oldest . The oldest giant tortoise on record was
Z 55 years old . When he died in Z 006 , he was Z 6
years older than the United States of America.

• Babies. Baby giant tortoises have a soft shell, and

make a tasty snack for birds , rats , crabs and cats.

• Keeping safe. A scared

tortoise tucks its head
and legs under its shell,
and nothing can tempt
it out until it feels sa fe .

•Temptation . Giant
tortoises taste so delici ous
that it took 300 years to
get a live one brought to • M
England , because the sailors
kept eating them on the way.

• Neck-peckers. When a giant tortoise

isfeeling itchy, it stretches out its neck
and little birds peck it clean of ticks.

Essential facts Size: 1.4 m ( 4 ’Aft ) long

Lives in: Indian, Pacific oceans Weight: 250 kg ( 550 lbs)
Habitat: tropical islands Speed: 0.3 kph ( 0.2 mph )
Food: leaves, grass Lifespan: 150 years
Predators: none Active: in the day
 Brown rat
T h e WorlA' s most c o m m o n mommo lj
living in almost every c \t y toWn}

anA village on t h e planet

Rats' t e e t h never
Stop growing So
they gnaW on
anything hard
( even concrete ) t o
-
jT S. V keep t h e m short.

Use t h e i r long tails t o balance

w h e n clinobing o r swimmin g
•Super rat. Rats can swim non-stop for 72 hours ,
scale vertical walls , jump down 15m (50 ft)
drops , and eat almost anything - even soap.

• Crop thief . Every year, a fifth of all the world ^s

crops are eaten hy rats.

• Scent trail. Rats use urine as a marker. They leave

it oneverything they come across (including each
other) to let other rats know where theyVe teen .
r V-
(r • Breeding machine .
Zr n* A female rat can have
A ^ 150 taties in her lifetime
* N - and more than 10 , 000
\ grandchildren.
\

• Rat-free zones. Only two places in the world are

free from rats: the polar ice caps , and Alterta in
Canada. Alterta has set up a specialist rat patrol to
guard its eastern torder , and all its other torders
are protected by impassable wildernesses.

Essential facts Size: 25cm ( 70 in ) long

Lives in: almost everywhere Weight: 400g ( Hoz )
Habitat: towns and cities Speed: 70 kph ( 6 mph )
Food: grain , waste food Lifespan: 18 months
Predators: cats, foxes, dogs Active: at night
 Cape buffalo
Nicknamed ‘black death
.
1

because they kill about huge

2 0 0 people a year hooked horns

Lives in herds n e a r r w l e r s
' '

and lakes; and drinks about

'

five buckets of W a t e r a day

'
 >
• Huge liorns. Both males and females have horns.
The males join in the middle; the females don’ t .
9 9

female

9 Big five. Cape buffalo are one of the ‘big five - the
9

African animals most prized by hunters for the

shill and bravery needed to bring one down . The
others are lions , leopards , rhinos and elephants.

• Mud bath . Buffalo

roll in mud to keep
cool and protect
themselves from
biting insects.

• Hunter becomes the hunted . Hunters say that

a wounded cape buffalo sometimes sets up an
ambush as a last resort. It doubles bach into the
undergrowth and charges them as they walk past .

Essential facts Size: 3-4 m (11ft ) long

Lives in: C and S Africa Weight: 900 kg ( 2, 000 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands Speed: 55kph ( 35 mph )
Food: grass Lifespan: 45 years
Predators: lions Active: day or night
y
 .
AII a CQmeVs fat iS stoteA in its
hump So fine test of its body keeps
as lean and coal as possible.

Tougln pads on
'

knees, So it can
lie AoWn on fine
S cald ng SonA
'

Wide feet that

AonJf sink in SonA
v
 \
• One hump or two? Camels with one hump are called
dromedaries. Two -hump camels are Bactrians.

• Precious water. Camels can last for week s w ithout

drinking, because they don’ t waste a drop of
water. They very rarely sweat and their
urine can become as thick as syrup.

• Flexible jaw. When a camel

chews , its lower jaw swings
wildly from side to side.

• Camel spit . If they’re

agitated , camels burp up
semi-digested food and
J spit it at what eve r’s
annoying th

• Catwalk camels.
Camel beauty contests are held in
the Middle East every year. Owners
travel thousands of miles with their
best-looking camels to take part.

Essential facts ( Dromedary ) Size: 3 ni (10 ft ) long

Lives in: N Africa , Middle East Weight : 500 kg (1,100 lbs)
Habitat: deserts Speed: 50 kph ( 30 mph )
Food: plants, grass Lifespan: 45 years
Predators: none Active: in the day
j
 Giraffe
horns
VJoAA’ s tallest animal
ft IN
*
A
}

With a neck t h a t c a n tV-/

reach t h e highest
Ieas/ es

Uses its long legs

t o defend itself
' - just one kick

c a n shatter a
lions skull
 \
•Stink bulls. Male giraffes give off an awful
stencil that drives away disease- ridden parasites.
This has earned them tbe nickname ‘stink bulb

• Ear cleaner. Giraffes bave

long, dark blue tongues
tbat tbey sometimes use
to clean tbeir ears.

• Higb birtb. Giraffes

give birtb standing
up. Tbe baby drops Zm
(7ft) onto tbe ground .

• Little sleep. Giraffes only

or a couple of hours in 24.

• Figbt! A giraffe°s bead

weighs tbe same as a sack
of potatoes. When males
figbt , tbey bang tbeir beads
low, swing them like a mace
and strike such bl ows tbey
can knock a rival off bis feet .

Essential facts Size: 5 m ( 767/ z -ft ) tall

Lives in: Africa Weight: 1, 200 kg ( 2 , 650 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands Speed: 55 kph ( 35 mph )
Food: acacia leaves Lifespan: 25 years
Predators: none Active: day and night
y
 Gorilla
AAulf males a r e called
Vilverbacks^ because af
t h e pale Inair o n tlneir backs.
'

Larges t type
'

Huge a r m of ape
muscles
• Relations. Gorillas are one of our closest relatives.
Like us , they show feelings of love , hate , fear , joy,
jealousy, pride and shame . They laugh when they
are tickled and cry when they are sad .

• Warning! If they feel threatened, gorillas teat

their chests , tear up plants , then tellow and charge .

• Dung-eaters . Gorillas eat their own dung to get

every last tit of nutrition from their food.

•Tools. Gorillas h ave learned

to use tools. They place a
log across a swamp to make
a tridge , and use a stick to
test the depth of a river.

•Sign language . A gorilla

named Koko has been
taught to communicate
with people using sign
language. She calls herself a ufine
animal person gorilla” and someone
she doesn’t like a udirty stupid toilet ?

Essential facts Size: 1.7 m ( 5 '/ zft ) tall

Lives in: C Africa Weight: 200 kg ( 440 lbs)
Habitat: forests Speed: 40 kph ( 25 mph )
Food: fruit , plants Lifespan: 40 years
Predators: none Active: in the day
J
 Green anaconda
Largest type o t snake in tine WorlA
}

and maAe almost entirely o t muscle

Sleek skin
Nostrils anA eyes
o n top o t its IneaAj so
i t c a n lurk unAerWater
when i t hunts
» j
 N
•Snakelets. Most snakes 1
eggs , But anacondas give
birth to between ZO
and 30 live snakelets. *

• Record breaker. The largest anaconda ever

caught was 8.5m ( 28 ft) long. It weighed about
200 kg (440lbs), and measured 111cm (44in)
around its middle.

• Death squeeze . Anacondas coil around their prey,

squeezing tighter each time it breathes out , until
its lungs are squashed flat like empty balloons.
• Open wide . Anacondas have incredibly stretchy
jaws so they can swallow huge prey in one gulp.

• Feast and fast. One large meal

can keep an anaconda fed fo r a month .

Essential facts Size: 6 m ( 20ft ) long

Lives in: S America Weight: 150 kg ( 330 lbs)
Habitat: rainforests Speed: 16 kph (10 mph ) in water
Food: deer, boars, capybara Lifespan: 30 years
Predators: none Active: at night
Grizzly bears are tine
Second largest bear
in tine VJorld , and tine
most aggressive.

Very sensitive nose huge

( even better than shoulder
a bloodhound )
^
 • Incredible strength . A grizzly’s
cl aws hit like sledgeh a i m n e r s and
slash like knives. In California
in the 1850 s , cage fights were
put on between grizzlies and
lions. The bear would split the
lion ’s skull with one swipe.

•Speedy bear. A grizzly bear can match a

racehorse stride for stride over 100 m (330 ft).

• Nuts and leaves. A grizzly’s diet

is 75% nuts , berries and leaves.

• Fishing trips. Every summer,

grizzly bears catch salmon
in the wide , clear rivers
of Alaska and Canada.

• Deep sleep. During their

long sleep through winter,
grizzlies don’ t eat , drink
/
or release any body waste .
A

Essential facts Size: 2.5 m ( 8ft ) long

Lives in: N America Weight : 450 kg (1, 000 lbs)
Habitat: snowy forests Speed: 55 kph ( 35 mph)
Food: nuts, berries, leaves Lifespan: 25 years
Predators: none Active: at night
 A

Hippopotamus
Skin on body is c m (V / iin ) thick;
^
and almost completely bulletproof

Spends most of the

day Wallowing in
Oozes a pinkish lakes- and rivers
liquid t h a t stops i t
from getting Sunburn
y
• Muck spreading. Male hippos mark their
territory with dung. They swish their tails
like whirling propellers to spread it as far
as possible.
•Sea relatives. Hippos are more closely related to
whales and dolphins than to any land mammal.

•Wallowers. A hippo^s eyes and nose

are on top of its head, so it can
stand deep in the water and
still see what °s going on . ,

• Back off!
When hippos
yawn they ’re actually
showing enemies their
huge teeth , which grow
30 cm ( lft) long.

• African menace. Hippos lose their temper very

guickly, and often without warning. They kill
about ISO people each year, and have been known
to overturn boats and tear into the passengers.

Essential facts Size: 4 m (13ft ) long

Lives in: Africa Weight: 3, 600 kg ( 8, 000 lbs)
Habitat: rivers, lakes Speed: 32 kph ( 20 mph )

Food: grass Lifespan: 45 years

Predators: none Active: at night
y
 Honey badger
M, Said to be tine most
{ earless animal on
the planet
Wide head Witin
powerful jaWS

Tlnickj loose skin ; So body can twist

its

»
around inside i t; letting tine badger
attack anything that tries to pm it down

y
 N

• Not picky. Honey badgers eat pretty much

anything they can catch. Their thick skin allows
them to kill scorpions , venomous spiders and
even black mamba snakes without getting hurt .

• Honey thief . Honey badgers love honey.

They raid bees nests by letting loose a foul
9

skunk-like smell that drives the bees away.

• Bird guides. Honey badgers

are led to bees nests by a honey
9

guide bird . These birds like to eat Money

beeswax , but aren° t strong enough
^ b
guiAe
to break into the nest themselv es. bit As 4
•

• Fast digger. Honey badgers

£
\
> -^- u
V
blow down any holes they
come across and listen for
if
A
J
•
ani a startled rustle . If they
x hear one , they start digging
,
m
A|
m. V

^ furiously to get at the

animal inside.

Essential facts Size: 80 cm ( 32 in ) long

Lives in: Africa , SW Asia Weight: 12 kg ( 26 lbs)
Habitat : scrublands, forests Speed: 32 kph ( 20 mph )
Food: rodents, lizards, snakes Lifespan: 16 years
Predators: none Active: day or night
 Jaguar
l/ n ) ike m o s t c a t s j a g u a r s h a\ j e
}

no problem hunting in W a f e r.

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Looks S imilor to o leopard, but
' '

m u c h m o r e m u s c u \ a r W i t h bigger

f
}

r o s e t t e markings o n its c o a t
#
•
J
 • Ambush . Jaguars are
ambush specialists. They
attack from cover w ith a
cjuick and fatal pounce.
• Awesome jaws. A jaguar has the most powerful
bite of any big cat . It can bite through a
turtle^s shell as if it were made of chocolate .

• Heavy lifter. Jaguars are incredibly strong.

They can drag a dead bull along in their jaws.

• Deadly. The word ‘ jaguar comes from a Native

5

American word meaning ‘he who kills w ith one

leap! Other cats kill their prey by biting through
the throat , but a jaguar bites through the skull.

Essential facts Size: 1.8 m ( 6ft ) long

Lives in: S America Weight: 120 kg ( 265 lbs)
Habitat: rainforests Speed: 55kph ( 35mph )
Food: deer, boars, capybara Lifespan: 15 years
Predators: none Active: at dawn and dusk
 King cobra
Detects thing ? Flares its hooA to
near byby flicking m a k e itself look
out its tongue to e v e n bigger
taste the air

— rr-~>

Jr
*
Worlds largest
—
V e n o m o u s Snake can
rear u p high enough to
look a person in the eye
• Letlial venom. One bite from a king cobra
injects enou venom to kill an elephant.

•Snake eaters. King cobras feed

mainly on other snakes, including
pythons and smaller cobras.

•Snake charming. King cobras

are used by snake charmers
in Burma . The cobra becomes
so mesmerized by the
swaying of their flute that
the snake charmer can lean
over and kiss it on the head.

•Striking distance . A king

cobra can strike a target Zm
(7ft) away. As it rears up , it
sends out a low, chilling hiss
that sounds like a dog s growl.
9

• Nest builders. King cobras

are oneof the few snakes to
make nests for their eggs.

Essential facts Size: 5 m (16ft ) long

Lives in: SF Asia Weight: 6.5 kg ( ttlbs)
Habitat: forests Speed: lOkph ( 6 mph )
Food: snakes Lifespan: 20 years

Predators: none Active: in the day

Survives entirely on
eucalyptus leaves '

Strong class grip

'

trees even when

itJs as leep
'

1
»
 N
nr
• Clingy. Koala babies spend =5 - * ft
their first six months inside
a pouch on their mother’s
front , and the next six '
'
'
_M V/ *
clinging to her back.
W.
• Poison-leaves. Eucalyptus
is poisonous to most
animals , but a koala’s
digestive system filters
out the dangerous chemicals.

Little thirst . Koalas hardly ever

drink , because they get enou g11
water from the leaves they eat .

•Sleepy creatures. Koalas

*
sleep for twenty hours a day.

•Tiny brain. Koalas have one of

the smallest brains of any mammal.
That ’s because large brains need
lots of energy, and eucalyptus
I leaves give hardly any at all.
l\
Essential facts Size: 75cm ( 30 in ) long
Lives in: Australia Weight : 9 kg ( 20 lbs)
Habitat: woods Speed: 3 kph ( Zmph )
Food: eucalyptus leaves Lifespan: 16 years
Predators: dingoes, owls Active: at night
J
 Komodo dragon
t\ uge V e n o m o u s liZard t h a t lives o n
'

t h e Volcanic islands o f Indonesia

Dull skin
helps i t hide
in long grass l
t o a m bush prey ^' y

bong tongue picks

u p S mel ) of c a r r i o n
'

( decaying m e a t ) over
1 0 km ( (o miles) aWay
'

i
• Lethal teeth. Komodos have 60 teeth. Each one
is 2 .Scm ( lin) long and jagged like a saw.

• Cannibals. Komodos eat their own babies ,

so young komodos climb into the treetops
where the adults can’ t reach them.

• Waiting game. Komodos ambush large prey and

attack it with savage bites. Then they wa it lor
their victim to collapse from the venom.

•Gulp. Komodos swallow

smaller prey, such as goats ,
whole. I{ a carcass gets stuck
part way, the dragon rams it
against a tree to {orce it down .

•Survival technique .
Female komodos can give
birth without mating. These
\ young are always male , and
the {emale can mate with them
J once they ’re Lully grown.

Essential facts Size: 3 m (70ft ) long

Lives in: Indonesian islands Weight: 150 kg ( 330 lbs)
Habitat: tropical forests, scrublands Speed: 20 kph (12 mph )
Food: deer, boars, buffalos Lifespan: 40 years
Predators: none Active: in the day
J
 ^ jr

A r m s longer
than boAy
anA legs- put
together

Fur usually
golAen broWnj
b u t ranges From
c r e a m t o black

Swings through trees

V faster t h a n a n athlete
% running a 100 m race
•V

'

X K:
• Outstanding swing. Gibbons build up enou gii
speed to launch themselves across gaps in the
trees that are the length of a tennis court.

• Daily duet. A gibbon lives with the same partner

its whole life. Every couple has its own ‘song
which they perform together each day. ^
•Tightrope walkers. High up in
the trees , gibbons cross 1
branches like tightrope
walkers, with their arms
held out for balance.

• Morning din.
Gibbons are one o
the noisiest animals in
the rainforest. Every
morning, families make
deafening screeches
an d howls to warn
other gibbons away
from their territory.

Essential facts Size: 55cm ( 22 in ) tall

Lives in: SE Asia Weight: 6.5 kg ( Hlbs)
Habitat: rainforests Speed: 55kph ( 35mph ) in trees
Food: fruit, leaves Lifespan: 30 years
Predators: eagles, leopards Active: in the day
 Leopard
There are more leopards in
'

the WorlA than lions; tigers

'

anA cheetahs put together .

s
Rosette pattern .
, j
on coat * y
s
^
7f i

.
iy ;i Wj? *
 • Camouflage. A leopard’s tawny fur and dark A
wm
rosettes blend into the dappled light and .<
shade of its surroundings .

• Over here! A female leopard has a

t v T

white patch on the end of her tail

so her cuts don’ t lose sight of her. |
S'

^ *
•Smart thinking. Leopards are the
>
most intelligent of the big cats. They’re
watchful and wary, and can vary
7% their hunting technique to
suit almost any terrain .

{ in
<f,7 mmr;
• Black panther. Leopards
i9 s’ L (and jaguars) with
black fur are called
,
Hi #]
Mi* A . black panthers.

• Man-eaters. Man-eating leopards are hard to

stop. They never hunt in the same spot twice ,
and melt into the darkness at the first sign of
trouble . From 1905-1910 , over 400 people in
India were killed by the Leopard of Panar.

Essential facts Size: 1.5 m ( 5ft ) long

Lives in: Africa , Asia Weight : 80 kg (180 lbs)
Habitat : grasslands, forests Speed: 65kph ( 40 mph )

Food: antelopes, monkeys, deer Lifespan: 15 years

Predators: none Active: at night
 N

on
Lions '
rulers o f tine
are the
African plains; and lounge
'

around in groups called prides.

'

Tas S el
' '

on end
of tail

bales h a v e a t h i c k m a n e
'

of h a i r t h a t grows bushier
t h e alder they get.
 >
• Pride. A pride is a group of females and cuts led by
a few males . If a new gang of males wins control ,
they kill the cuts to start a family of their own.

• Fast females. Lione sses often do more hunting

than lions , tecause they’ re faster and more agile.

Lionesses
ViQ\ je no
rr\ Qr\ e .

• Mighty males. Male lions hunt some of the

largest , most powerful animals in Africa. They
can even take down a cape tuffalo - a formidatle
hook-horned teast that °s four times their weight.

• Fearsome roar. A lion’s ear -splitting roar

can te heard over 8 km ( S miles) away.
• Asiatic lions. Not all lions live in Africa. There°s a
small group of lions living in Gir Forest in India.

EsSentidl facts ( African lion) Size: 2 m ( 6 Aft ) long

Lives in: Africa Weight: 225 kg ( 500 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands Speed: 55kph ( 35 mph )
Food: zebras, wildebeest , buffalos Lifespan: 15 years
Predators: none Active: at dawn and dusk j
 N

fAeerkats live in large

groups called mobs-. Dark eye patches
protect against
Standing uprightto t h e Suns gl a r e
look for enemies
.&
 \
• Run! When meerkats go
hunting they leave a guard
on duty. It stands on tiptoe
to scan the area , an dif
it gives a warning bark
the whole mob bolts
for the b urrow.

•Scorpions. NLeerkats eat

scorpions. They bite off the
venomous tip on the tail ,
before wolfing down the rest.

• Poor pups. Meerkat mobs

are led by an alpha male
and female. The female
won’ t let other meerkats
have their own pups , so
: if she find s one that °s
? , not he r own she kills it.

• Enemies. Meerkats can look directly into

the Sun. This means they can spot eagles and
hawks trying to hide themselves in its glare .

Essential facts Size: 30 cm (12 in ) long

Lives in: Southern Africa Weight : 900g ( 2 lbs)
Habitat: deserts, scrublands Speed: 32 kph ( 20 mph )

Food: insects, lizards, scorpions Lifespan: 20 years

Predators: birds, jackals, snakes Active: in the day
y
 Moose
tAa \ e has
VJoAA’s largest huge antlers
Aeer often
}

called elk
in Europe

fAale has a flap of

skin called a bell

Wallahs in lakes and rivers

'

in Sommer to keep caal

•Antlers. Moose
antlers grow Z .Scm mi
(lin) a day. They’re so X fa#
wide fully-grown that
you could lie lengthways
between them.
nm ii
l
A
i /
•Tattered velvet. Each spring, by
males grow new antlers . C
V '/ / /
They ’re covered in shin called
velvet , which drops off when A
the antlers are fully grown . f

•Sensitive . A moose°s velvet-covered antlers are so

sensitive they can feel a fly walking across them.

•Keep cool. In summer, moose wallow in deep water

because they overheat in anything over -S° C ( Z 3° F).

• Brake! For nutrients , moose often lick the

salt that °s put on roads to melt snow. In fact ,
so many accidents in Scandinavia are caused
h moose standing in the road that all cars
have to pass a moose-dummy crash test.

Essential facts Size: 3 m (10 ft ) long

Lives in: N America , Europe, Asia Weight: 700 kg ( 7, 550 lbs)
Habitat: snowy forests Speed: 65 kph ( 40 mph )
Food: branches, water plants Lifespan: 25 years
Predators: wolves, bears Active: in the day
Extreme \ y Aen $e }
Sensitiv e whisker s
Waterpr oof fur for hunting in
murky Water

Webbed feet

Muscul ar tail for

h \ gh ~ speeA swimming
t
SSlI
•Sink or swim. Otter cuts are nervous
of water at first , so their mother tricks
them into swimming by
5 1 K.
carrying them out on
her tummy, then IP-
*
^ * ' 1

diving underwater.

• Otter giants. South American Giant otters

are 2m (6.5ft) long and eat small anacondas.

• Sleeping at sea. Sea otters

are the only otters that
sleep in the water They .
lie on their backs and
hold hands to stop themsel
from drifting apart in the night.

• Tool-user. Sea otters open shellfish by laying a rock

on their chests and bashing the shell against it.

• Fishermen’s friends. Fishermen in Bangladesh

use tame otters to chase fish into their nets.
Long ago, King James I of England also kept
a pack of otters to catch fish for him.

Essential facts ( Common otter ) Size: 70 cm ( 28in ) long

Lives in: Europe, Asia Weight: 70 kg ( 22 lbs)
Habitat: rivers Speed: 11kph (7 mph )
Food: fish Lifespan: 10 years
Predators: wolves, lynxes Active: at night
 Panda
These vegetarian bears live o n
only t h r e e mountain ranges
in central China.

patches
Sharp around

big potbelly; become i t s

always stuffed full o f bamboo
•Slow and sleepy. Pandas are sleepy animals
because 99 % o{ their diet is bamboo, which
gives very little energy at all.

• Lucky cub. Pandas have

two or three cubs , but
raise one and leave the
others to die. They don ’ t
have the energy to look
after them all.

•Surprising agility. When marking their territory,

pandas sometimes do a handstand against a tree to
cover asmuch of it with urine as possible.

• Delicate bear. One of the reasons pandas are so

rare is their delicate nature. They’re picky eaters,
they often get sick and they seldom want to mate.
TIn Onn b
s. £ pad • Pad. Pandas have a
'
pad on their wrist
that acts like a thumb
for gripping bamboo.
_ Pa Inn

Essential facts Size: 1.5m ( 5ft) long

Lives in: China Weight: 140kg ( 310 lbs)
Habitat: mountain forests Speed: 8kph ( 5mph)
Food: bamboo Lifespan: 25 years
Predators: none Active: day or night
y
Webbing on front
claws folAs a W a y
So platypus can
dig burrows
on IanA

Can S W i m
unAerWater
for ten minutes

» y
 N

• NigPt Vision! Platypuses Punt underwater at

nigPt. TPeir till P as sensors tPat detect
tPe tiniest movements from Pidden

• Egg-layer. TPe first Eggstine

mammals on EartP Sizeof a
grape
were all egg-layers ,
tut platypuses are one
of only two mammals
tPat still lay eggs today.

•Venomous spike .
Males are armed witP
a venomous spike on
tPeir tack feet tPat can
kill a dog, and leave
Spike Pumans in agony.

•Stuffed pet. TPe BritisP Prime Minister Winston

CPurcPill tPougPt platyp uses look so funny tPat
Pe wanted one delivered to cPeer Pirn up during
tPe Second World War. Unfortunately, it died on
tPe way, so Pe Pad it stuffed and put on Pis desk.

Essential facts Size: 50cm ( ZOin ) long

Lives in: E Australia , Tasmania Weight: 2 kg ( 4 ’Albs)
Habitat: rivers, streams Speed: 20 kph ( 72 mph )

Food: fish , insect larvae Lifespan: 70 years

Predators: snakes, birds Active: at night
 White futj Which he ) ps polar
*

bears Sneak up o n seals

Polar bears hunt

people When seals
are scarce.

PaW pads a r e covered W i t h Small

bumps So they don t S lip o n t h e i c e
'
 N

•Seal trap. Polar tears

lie ty Poles in tPe ice.
WPen a seal comes up
for a gulp of air, tPey
grat it tefore it can
dive tack down .

•A remarkatle nose.
A polar tear can smell a
seal 32 km (20 miles) away.

• Expert swimmer.
Polar tears can
,*=*- • • swim 160 km (100
miles) at a time.

• Wily ways. Local people say tPat wPen a polar tear

is Punting it sometimes covers up its tlack nose
witP its paws , to tlend in tetter witP tPe snow.

• Bear alert! In tPe Canadian town of CPurcPill

it’s illegal to lock your door, in case anyone
needs to escape from a rampaging polar tear.

Essential facts Size: 2.5 m ( 8ft ) long

Lives in: Arctic seas Weight: 600 kg ( 7,300 lbs)
Habitat: icy seas Speed: 40 kph ( 25mph )
Food: seals Lifespan: 25 years
Predators: none Active: day or night
 Poison-dart frog
Poison - dart frogs ha\Je
ViVid marking s to Warn
predato rs that they' re
poisonous.

Sticky
toes for
f climbing
trees
•World’s most poisonous.
The golden poison -dart
frog is the most toxic
animal in the world. If its
poison enters your tody y
die - even a drop tlie size of
a salt grain will kill you.

• Poison darts. Some trikes in the Amazon rainforest

make deadly hunting weapons by dabbing their
bl ow the skin of a poison -dart frog.

Tod pole
•Tadpoles. Poison-dart
frogs lay their eggs
on a leaf . When the
tadpoles hatch they wiggle
onto their mother’s back and
she carries them to water.

•Throwing up. When they need to

vomit , some frogs push their stomach
out through their mouth , clean it with
their front feet , then pull it back in again.

Essential facts Size: 2.5cm (1in ) long

Lives in: S and C America Weight : 20g ( 7/ 2 oz )

Habitat: rainforests Speed: Ikph ( 0.6 mph )

Food: small insects Lifespan: 3 years
Predators: liophis snakes Active: in the day
 N

PorcupineS
h a\i e oboot
30,000
s p i n e s.

A/ eW World
This is a porcupines
NeW World
use t h e i r
porcupine. It fails t o grip
iMes in trees. '

branches.
Old World
porcupines live
'

on the ground .
i
 \

• Quill rattle. Old World

porcupines rattle their
cjuills when they ’ re scared .
I{ anything gets too close ,
they lunge at it bottom
first , leaving their
cjuills stuck in
its skin.

•Sweaty treats. Porcupines don° t get much salt in

their diet , so if they live near a town they munch
on anything coated in sweat . Unwashed T-shirts
and old shoe s are particularly popular.

• Porcupettes. Baby porcupines are

called porcupettes. They°re born
w ith acoat of soft cjuills that
harden when exposed to air.

•Strange display. When porcupines meet

on a branch , they often stand up on their
back legs and give a display of lazy jabs and
dodges , like two sleepy boxers. Then they
turn around and go their separate ways.

Essential facts ( N American porcupine ) Size: 70cm ( 28in) long

Lives in: N America, Mexico Weight: 13kg ( 30 lbs)
Habitat : forests Speed: 3 kph ( 2mph)
Food: bark, berries, roots Lifespan: 10 years
Predators: wolverines, coyotes Active: at night
J
 The only large animal
t h a t moves arounA
by jumping

6 oby kangaroos a ,
kept in a pouch o n
their mothers
front.

Their legs a c t like

springs' t o bounce t h e m
from place t o place.
 • Boxer. Male kangaroos
fight over females by
standing nose to nose and
boxing with their front legs.
For a knockout blow they
balance on their tails and
deliver a two-footed kick.

• Bounder. At top speed a kangaroo’s

bound launches it 3m (lOft) up in
the air and 10 m (35ft) forward.

• Joeys. Baby kangaroos ,

called joeys , are born after
only one month . They’re the size of
a baked bean and spend the next eight
months growing in their mother’s pouch .

• Cool kanga. Kangaroos graze

on grass at dawn and dusk.
During the day they lie
in the shade , licking
their arms to
:1"
keep cool.
^
Essential facts ( Red kangaroo) Size: 2 m ( 6 ’Aft) tall
Lives in: Australia Weight: 90 kg ( 200 lbs)
Habitat: scrublands Speed: 4- Okph ( 25 mph )
Food: grass Lifespan: 15 years

Predators: dingoes Active: at dawn and dusk

y
 Rhinoceros
This is o W h i t e rhino
Front horn
c a n grow 2 m
—
t h e second Iargest
animal o n land .
( (o 1 / i t t ) long

Three large
hooted toes
•Senses. Rhinos have weak eyesight , tut
excellent hearing. If you ever face a charging
rhino, throw a rock to the side and it’ ll
change course and head for the thud .

• Horn. Rhino horns

made of the same stuff
as your hair and nails.

• Black rhino. Black rhinos

have a hooked upper lip that
they use for plucking leaves
off tushes and trees. _
• Pest control. A rhino
lets small tirds sit on
its tack to eat all the
ticks and other pests
that live on its skin.

• Making their mark . Rhinos mark their

territoryty soaking a tush with urine.
They can hit their target from 4 m (13ft) away.

Essential facts ( white rhino) Size: 4.2 m (13 ’Aft ) long

Lives in: Africa Weight: 3, 600 kg ( 8, 000 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands Speed: 50 kph ( 30 mph )
Food: grass Lifespan: 45 years
Predators: none Active: in the day
J
 Ring-tailed lemur
Black and White
tail curveS
upward like a
question mark

Bright

Lives only on t h e
island o t [Madagascar
• Sunbathing. Aft er a cold night , lemurs
sit in a group and spread out their
arms and legs to soak up the sun.
mm
• Female rule . The females are man ti J
1 vi

in charge. They’ ll give a sharp

m im
%A .
cuff to any male who tries to
take the juiciest piece of fruit .

• Eerie wailing. Lemurs let out ghostly wails that

float down from the treetops , which is why they°re
named after Temures° - Roman spirits of the dead .

a • Lemur ball. To keep

\ W\ themselves warm on
i cold nights, lemurs
- / Vf huddle together in
a Temur ball. 0

4s£
•Stink fight. When two males fight , they load
their tail with their scent and waft it at their
opponent. The male with the stinkiest tail wins.

Essential facts ( Ring-tailed lemur) Size: 45cm ( I 8in ) long

Lives in: Madagascar Weight: 3 kg ( 67/ zlbs)
Habitat: rainforests Speed: 20 kph ( 72 mph )

Food: fruit, leaves Lifespan: 18 years

Predators: birds, snakes, fossas Active: in the day
y
 Skunk
Skunks a r e armeA w i t h a very
'

—
Special W e a p o n a spray so
horrenAously stinky it c a n be
SmelleA 3 km (2 files) aWay .
'

Often lives in burrows maAe by

'

o t h e r animalsj in hollow IogSj o r

in people *? garages anA cellars
• Bee-eaters . Skunks eat honeybees. They
scratch the hive and snap up the bees
that come out to investigate.

• Owl alert . Great horned

owls are a skunk’s main
enemy, as they’re the
only predators that
can tolerate its stench .

•Keep clear. Skunks only

spray as a last resort. First
they perform a warning
routine of stamps , hisses
and handstands.

• Limited supply. Skunks have enou

spray for five or six scjuirts. It takes ten
days for their bodies to replace the supply.

•What does it smell like? Imagine sticking your

nose into a sweaty gym shoe that’s been soaked
in urine and filled with burning rubber bands.
That’s the smell of skunk spray.

Essential facts (striped skunk ) Size: 70 cm ( 28in ) long

Lives in: N America Weight: 6 kg (13lbs)
Habitat: woods Speed: 16 kph (10 mph )

Food: rodents, insects, berries Lifespan: 3 years

Predators: great horned owls Active: at night
j
Three - toed sloths ha\/ e
three strong , curved claws •

Furhas
green tinge

The slowest mammaI on Earth, it

takes an hour to move just 500 m
( 550 yards ) through the treetops.

J
• Head-turner. Sloths can turn their
heads nearly all the way around .
• Too slow to shiver. Sloths are the onh
mammals that canH shiver to warm themselves
up, kecause their muscles move too slowly.

• Greenish fur. Sloths have plant-like stuff called

algae growing on their fur. It gives them a green
tint , which
helps them klend in among the leaves.
• Very still . To avoid keing seen ky predators , sloths
spend most of the day hanging motionless in trees.

• Inch ky inch . Their legs are

too weak to walk , so when
sloths are on the ground
they dra £ themselves

i
^
a -onS their claws.

\ • Dung piles . They leave

dung piles at the kottom
of their tree to attract
other sloths.

Essential facts ( Three- toed sloth ) Size: 60 cm ( 24 in ) long

Lives in: S and C America Weight: 4.5kg (10 lbs)
Habitat: rainforests Speed: 0.25kph ( 0.15 mph )

Food: leaves Lifespan: 12 years

Predators: jaguars, eagles Active: at night
)
 N

Spotted hyena ,

ns fly
mane
hyenas look
like Aogs but
}

a t e m o t e closely

related t o cats.

tr

Ftont legs
longer t h a n
back legs
•Top killers. Hyenas hunt in packs and. chase
their prey until it collapses from exhaustion.
They kill more animals each year th
lions , leopards or crocodiles.

• Survival of the fittest.

Hyenas are usually torn in
pairs , and the stronger cub
often kills the weaker one.

• Ha ha! Hyenas are nicknamed ‘laughing

because as they surround their victim , their yelps
sound like snatches of hysterical laughter.

• No leftovers. Hyenas eat

every part of their prey -
bones , horns , hoofs , even
teeth are swallowed
an d digested.

•White dung. A hyena°s dung is bright white and

very crumbly, because of all the bones it eats.

Essential facts Size: 1.5 m ( 5ft ) long

Lives in: C and S Africa Weight: 50 kg (110 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands Speed: 55kph ( 35 mph )
Food: gazelles, zebras, wildebeest Lifespan: 12 years
Predators: none Active: at night
 N

£
f* <

Covered

1
ti *
T/nis- devil is- reloxed. When
if sees a predator it puff s’

itself c/ p to look os big and

'

dangerous as possible.
W t
y
• False head. To give themselves the
best chance of surviving an attack ,
thorny devils use their ‘false
head ° as a decoy and hide their
real head between their legs .

• Water channels. Thorny devils

drink dew that forms on their
body at night. They have grooves in their
skin that channel it right into their mouth .

• Guzzler. Thorny devils can

eat over 40 ants a minute.
They flick them into their
mouth with their tongue , and
swallow without chewing.

Devil horns . Thorny devils

get their name from the
‘devil ° horns on their head .

• Now you see me ... To blend in with the sand they°re

walking across , a thorny devil °s skin can change
to different shades of yellow and orange.

Essential facts Size : 15 cm ( 6in) long

Lives in: Australia Weight: 85g ( 3 oz)
Habitat : deserts Speed: 13kph ( 8mph)
Food: ants Lifespan: 20 years
Predators: birds, lizards Active: in the day
j
 >
Thomsons gazelle
Black stripe makes i t easy
for these gazelles t o spot
t h e i r o W n species in
a mixed herd

Always
on the
alert for
predators

Long legs
for Q u i c k
•Speed. ‘Tommies’ are tlie second fastest animal
in Africa , but they ’ re chased by the fastest
- cheetahs. Gazelles can’ t outpace a cheetah , but
they do have more stamina and a sharper turn.

• Horns. A female’s
horns are smooth ,
and much smaller
and thinner th
a male’s horns.

Wale Fenna \ e

• Lively leap. Gazelles sometimes

leap up and down on all fours.
It’s called ‘stotting’ They
do it to put off a predator
by showing how fit and
energetic they’re feeling.
* 1

•Vulnerable young. Over half of all baby gazelles are

eaten by predators. To give them the best chance of
survival , mothers keep them hidden in long grass .

Essential facts Size: 1 m ( 3ft ) long

Lives in: 5 Africa Weight: 25kg ( 55 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands Speed: 90 kph ( 55 mph )
Food: grass Lifespan: 12 years
Predators: cheetahs Active: at dawn and dusk
 Tasmanian devil
Only lives on
'

the inland of
TQSrnQmO
fyushy fail
— sigo of a
healthy
devil

Largest meat- eating

marsupial ( a type of
mammal With a pouch
or its y oun 9)

t
• Huge appetite . Tasmanian devils are always
hungry, and can eat 40 % of their bodyweight
in just 30 minutes. They’ ll devour a whole
sheep carcass until nothing is left but the teeth .
• Crushing bite. For their size , devils have the
strongest bite of any animal in the world.
• Devilish screams. European settlers gave it
the name ‘Tasmanian devil’ because they were
terrified by its unearthly screaming and snarling.

• Red ears. When

a devil gets angry
or excited its ears
turn bright red and
it lets off a stink
that’s nearly as
bad as a skunk’s.

• Race for life . A female gives birth to between

Z 0 and 30 tiny babies , but only four can survive .
They all race to their mother’s pouch to claim
one of her four nipples , and the losers starve.

Essential facts Size: 65 cm ( 26in ) long

Lives in: Tasmania Weight: 8 kg (78 lbs)
Habitat: woods Speed: 25kph (15 mph )
Food: wallabies, sheep, possums Lifespan: 6 years
Predators: none Active: at night
 ^
f ats are tine only
m a m m a \ s tin at t \ y.

Its Wings Finger

are gi a ntj
Webbed Thumb
hands.

Fifth of a \\ the
mamm a \ species on'

the pi a net are bats.

• Echo-location. Most tats find out what’s around
them ty sending out a short , high-pitched screech
and listening to the echoes. They can detect a
single strand of a spider ’s wet from lm (3ft) away.
• Hang tight. Bats hang upside y
) 1/ r/

down to sleep. The weight . /* i, ;

of their tody locks their
claws shut , to stop them
'

from plunging to the floor. A

I
\\

m
A
• Heavy load. Vampire
tats can drink half their $’Mtim1
todyweig ht in tlood. To
reduce the extra weight ,
they start to sprinkle
MM -
iM
-
t

w -VJ
Vjf
•
urine almost at once .
„;/ > v TP#
• Blood sucker? Vampire tats don’ t suck tlood ;
they tite the skin and lap the tlood that oozes out.

• Night raid. Sometimes a vampire tat attacks

people , tut only when they’re asleep. It tends to
go for the tig toe, which has a good tlood supply.
Essential facts Size: 18cm (7in) wingspan
Lives in: C and S America Weight: 55g ( 2 oz)
Habitat: caves Speed: 50 kph ( 30 mph )
Food: blood Lifespan: 12 years
Predators: eagles, hawks Active: at night
 Powerful bock legs '

Block stripes blend coo launch tigers 1 0 m

into the shadowy (53 ft) through t h e a i r
forests Where
it hunts

Tigers are the only cats ( other than

jaguars ) that c a n h u n t in Water.
 •Ambush killer. Tigers
are solitary animals
that creep up on prey
and strike with a fast
and deadly pounce.

•King of the cats . Both lions and tigers are the

top predators in their territory, but when the
Romans brought them together in big arena
fights it was (usua lly) the tig
came away still breathing.

• Deadly canines. Tigers

have the largest canine
teeth of any big cat.
They row up to
13cm (Sin) long.

•Tiger attack. In one area in

Bangladesh so many people have
been killed by tigers that the fishe rmen wear
face masks on the back of their heads , because
tigers like to attack prey when it °s not looking.

Essential facts ( Bengal tiger ) Size: 2 m ( 6 'Aft ) long

Lives in: S Asia Weight: 235 kg ( 520 lbs)
Habitat: forests Speed: 55 kph ( 35 mph )
Food: buffalos, boars, deer Lifespan: 15 years
Predators: none Active: at night
y
 A

Tokay gecko
This Iargestj -fiercest
type of gecko is often Large eyes
allowed to live in people s tor spotting
InouseSj because it eats insects at night
dangerous bugs •

A tokay s jkin brightens

When iVs excited and
darkens When it' s hid mg
 \
• Little nipper. Tokays have a very strong bite,
If one clamps on to your finger , it °s nearly
impossible to make it let go. The best way
is to hold your hand underwater.
0
, -
v , LiJP

•Clingy feet. A geckoes feet

stick to any surface. They
'
'
- ^
A-
stroll up trees and across
ceilings as easily as they
walk along the floor.

• Distinctive call. They get their name from

their call , which goes uto-kaiii, to- kaiii ?

• No eyelids. A gecko has

no eyelids , so it licks its
eyes to keep them clean. dmboor ,

'
< c
• Detachable tail. Geckos distract
a chasing predator by dropping their tail and
leaving it squirming on the ground behind them .
In a few months , a new tail has grown in its place.

Essential facts Size: 40 cm (76in ) long

Lives in: SE Asia Weight : 300g ( 77 oz )
Habitat: rainforests, cliffs Speed: 22 kph (74 mph )

Food: insects, scorpions Lifespan: 70 years

Predators: snakes Active: at night
 \

Dark stripes
make tine skin Sonne Wildebeest
look Wrinkly h a v e a blueish tinge
t o t h e i r c o a t.

Long legs give t h e m a chance

o t outrunning predators
 •Migration. Every year, over 1.5 milli on
wildebeest trek north with zebras and
gazelles in search of green grass.
This stupendous migration
is known as The greatest
show on Earth!

•Showing off . To attract a mate , male wildebeest

drop lots of dung, roll on their back and
bell ow a great ttga-nooo” to passing females.
• Fast learners . Within
15 minutes of being born ,
baby wildebeest can stand
up and follow the herd.

• Big mistake . If a wildebeest

calf loses its mother it will follow whatever
happens to be nearby. It could be a car, a zebra ,
or even a lion... that canT believe its luck .

Essential facts Size: 2 m ( 6 ’Aft ) long

Lives in: E and S Africa Weight: 225 kg ( 500 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands Speed: 65 kph ( 40 mph )

Food: grass Lifespan: 20 years

Predators: lions, hyenas Active: at dawn and dusk
7
 Wolf
Dense t u t
keeps it W a r m
JaWS t w i c e as
powerful as

Wide paWS and

partly Webbed toes,
to avoid jinking in
the SnoW
• Teamwork . Wolves are able to kill bison , elk
and other large prey because they hunt

• Howls. A wo If pack howls to

warn rivals off its territory.
Each wolf varies the pitch
of its howl to make the pack
sound larger than it really is.

• Pack size . An average wolf pack has

eight wolves: the two parents , their
young and occasionally some strays.
After a few years the young leave to find
a partner and start a pack of their own.

• Pups. Wolf pups are born

with dark fur and pure blue
eyes. Their fur lightens
and their eyes turn pale
yellow as they grow.

• Dominant . Wolves are nearly always the dominant

predator in their area. The only animal than can
drive a wolf pack off its territory is a tiger.

Essential facts Size: 7.5 m ( 5ft ) long

Lives in: N America , Asia , Europe Weight: 75 kg ( 765 lbs)
Habitat: snowy forests Speed: 65 kph ( 40 mph )

Food: elk, deer, bison Lifespan: 9 years

Predators: none Active: at night
 Zebra
Dark , striped
m
&
Looks slightly
dt/ mpy
' mane

M
i
«1
V

v
V1

» >?* j

-
W :i

Every zebra’ s stripe

pattern iS unique; like
a persons fingerprints *
•Camouflage . Their black and. white stripes
blend a herd of zebras into such a blur that
predators don’ t know what to attack.

•Woof ! Most zebras

don’ t neigh like a horse
- they bark like a dog.

• Brave stallions . When

zebras are being chased ,
the males drop to the back of
the herd to hold off the attackers.

• Body language. If a zebra’s ears are pointing up ,

that means it’s relaxed . If they’re pointing forward ,
it’s scared , and if they’re pointing back , it’s angry.

Team-players . Zebras
and wildebeest often
live together and
warn each other
of predators on
the prowl.

Essential facts Size: 2.3 m (7 ’/ 2 ft ) long

Lives in: S and E Africa Weight: 300 kg ( 660 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands Speed: 55 kph ( 35 mph )
Food: grass Lifespan: 15 years
Predators: lions, hyenas Active: at dawn and dusk
y
 Aardvark
Aardvarks eat insects called
termites, which live i n
these giant mounds.

Thick skin protects

an aardvark against
termite bites.

Sensitive, Render snout

tor sniff ing out termites
 • Steely claws. Termite
mounts are as hard as
concrete , tut an aardvarlTs
claws can rip a hole in their
sides with no trouble at all.

• Survivors. Aardvark s are the last survivors of

a primitive group of mammals that have lived
in Africa since dinosaur times. \

• Lengthy lick . An aardvark °s

tongue is 30 cm (lZin) long,
and laps up about SO , 000 i V -1 N V
i
. :

/i
1
termites a night. '
M
'1 \ .f
k
A
• Champion digger. ft m< m
Aardvarks burrow ~
J\ j\* m. Si K.

so cjuickly they can « t

hide themselves X

underground in •

just ten minutes. 1 V

•Acrobat. A scared aardvark tucks its tail between
its legs and somersaults away from danger.

Essential facts Size: 1.3 m ( 4 ’Aft ) long

Lives in: Africa Weight: 60 kg (130 lbs)
Habitat: scrublands Speed: 50 kph ( 30 mph )
Food: ants, termites Lifespan: 11 years
Predators: leopards, hyenas Active: at night
J
 African elephant
Flaps its ears
t o keep cool

Long
i ory tusks
^
useA as
tools and
Weapons '

African elephant s h a v e
larger, m o r e sticky - o u t ears
t h a n t h e i r Indian cousins -
•Multi-talented trunk. An elephant trunk
is ^
strong enough to knock a lion off its
feet , but dainty enough to pluck
up a single blade of grass.

# Cooling down. When

the weather gets too
hot , elephants use their
trunks to give themselves
a cold shower.

•Sensitive feet. Elephants are always the first

animals to move toward rain. Their feet detect the
tiny vibrations in the ground that come from
the rumbling of distant thunderstorms .

• Worn tusk. Elephants are

right- or left-tusked , just
like people are right- or
left-handed . The tusk it uses
most gets worn down over time.

• Dung. Elephants drop a massive

100 kg (220 lbs) of dung every day.

Essential facts Size: 7 m ( 23ft ) long

Lives in: Africa Weight: 6, 000 kg ( I 3, 250 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands Speed: 76 kph (10 mph )
Food: grass, tough leaves Lifespan: 60 years
Predators: none Active: day or night
 American bison
Large m a n e o t
h a i r coMering
shoulders

beard

bison o r e so large
i t takes o Whole Wolt
pack t o bring o n e down .
• Winter survival. In winter, bison use their
beads like huge shovels , scooping through
snowdrifts to reach the grass underneath .

• Head to head. Males fight over females by

charging and clashing heads. The sound
can be heard over lkm (about a mile) away.

• Colossal herds . In the early 1800 s, bison

formed the largest herds of land animals ever
seen on Earth . A single herd cou Id blanket an
area three times the size of New York City.

• Cowboys . In the Wild West , hunters such as

0
‘Wild Bill Hickok and ‘Buffalo Bill Cody
0

were hired to shoot hundreds of bison a day.

Essential facts Size: 3 -4- m (11ft ) long

Lives in: N America Weight: 900 kg ( 2,000 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands Speed: 55 kph ( 35 mph )
Food: grass Lifespan: 20 years
Predators: wolves, grizzly bears Active: in the day
 Chameleon
Top and bottom eyelids
Chameleon s a r e joined together
arecannibals; so ' leaving only a jmall
young ones h a v e hole t o see through
t o W a t c h o u t ior
hungry adults -

- -CF
4
»

C
A

tor gripping branches

• Independent eyes. Each of a
chameleon’s boggly eyes moves
on its own. So one can look
backward while the other
looks forward , or one can look
down while the other looks up.

• Look at me! Many males try to impress females by

making their skin display bright , gaudy patterns.

• Don’ t look at me. Many chameleons can hide

from predators by making their s kin blend
in with their surroundings.

•Tongue trick. Chameleons keep their

tongue wound up like a spring. When
they’re hunting, they shoot it out faster
than the eye can see to snag
insects on its sticky tip.

——-
W\
t

Essential facts ( Common chameleon) Size: 30 cm (12 in ) long

Lives in: N Africa, Mediterranean Weight: 300g (1loz )
Habitat: forests Speed: 3 kph ( 2 mph )

Food: insects Lifespan: 71 years

Predators: snakes, birds Active: in the day
 Cheetah
Fastest animal W i t h o u t WmgSj
Witha sleekj stream lined
body For extra speed

Spotted
pattern
onFur

Long legsFor
large strides
'

Clows stay out For

’

extra g r i p i n the dust

y
•King cheetahs. Some cheetahs
have stripes down their
back. They’ re called king
cheetahs , and are very rare.

• No roar. Unlike other

big cats ( lions, tigers ,
jaguars and leopards),
cheetahs can purr , but
they can’ t roar.

• Delicate. A cheetah’s light

body is easily injured , so big
animals such as wildebeest
are too dangerous for it to hunt .

•Standing start. Cheetahs can go from 0-7Smph

(O-IZOkph) in four strides , but they only sprint
for short distances because they start to overheat .

• Emperor’s escort. Cheetahs are less aggressive

than other big cats , and used to be kept as royal
pets. Emperors such as Genghis Khan even used
trained cheetah packs when they went hunting.

Essential facts Size: 1.3 m ( 4 'Aft ) long

Lives in: Africa Weight: 60 kg (130 lbs)
Habitat: grasslands Speed: 120 kph (75 mph )
Food: gazelles, hares Lifespan: 14 years
Predators: none Active: in the day j
 Chimpanzee
Orips objects in
fine some Way W e
Ac> because its Young chimps
h a v e pink faces.
j

hands a r e V e r y m
Similar t o ours k
•Close relations. Chimpanzees are the animals
tkat are most closely related to people. TlieyVe
even learned to make tools (suck as sharpened
sticks for stabbing small mammals).

•Tribal ways. Ckimps will care for members of

tkeir group tkat are old or injured , but they ’ ll
often attack and kill ckimps from otker groups.

•Space ckimp. Ckimps kave been launched into

space . Tke first was named Ham . He was taugkt
to fly kis spacecraft by pulling levers
in response to flashing lights.

• Top wrestler. Ckimps are

five times stronger than
humans. At old carnivals
in America they were
trained to throw people
out of a wrestling ring.
Tke game was to stay in
tke ring for three minutes ,
and no one ever could.

Essential facts Size: 1m ( 3ft ) tall

Lives in: W and C Africa Weight: 65kg ( HOlbs)
Habitat: rainforests Speed: 40 kph ( 25 mph )
Food: fruit, leaves Lifespan: 40 years
Predators: leopards Active: in the day
J
 Armadillo
A rm ad iI\ os are protected by connected bands
of bony plates. (This one has nine bands.)

"S .

\
- v \
m aisssr Hr

WM. I
I

i n i ]
A V i

.<4 4
#1
:}t ji
. , t* &
p XI ^ «

*
‘
A

r , r*
•
7
' '
•
< / <
i

/ f *j
,

A
£ *
i§‘ #- -<**?
t '
f
*

Plated toil
Snout tor
Sniffing Sharp
oc/ t injects- claWS for
burrowing

t
 A
• River -crossing. Armadillos have two methods
for crossing rivers. They can inflate their
stomachs and float across , or just hold their
breath and
V stroll along
'
’
J the bottom.

• Dinner? In Americans Great Depression , armadillos

were sometimes eaten by people with no money.

• Guitars. In Bolivia and Peru , armadillo shells used

to be made into small guitars called Tharangos ?

• Roadkill. Armadillos are often found dead by

roadsides, because they use the same tactics
to scare off a car as they do a predator:
they turn to face it and leap high
in the air. It doesn’ t work. \ v

*•
• Defensive ball . T hree-
banded armadillos curl jBKv
J
up into a protective ball
when they’re frightened. f

Essential facts ( Nine-banded armadillo) Size: 60 cfT ( 24in) long

)

Lives in: N, C and S America Weight: 8 kg ( 78 lbs)

Habitat: grasslands, woods Speed: 24 kph ( 75 mph )
Food: insects Lifespan: 70 years
Predators: pumas, coyotes Active: at night
J
 Beaver
deavers build o den
(colled o lodge) With
trees that they’ve
qnaWeA AoWn -

w*m.

Toil doubles in S ize

' '

as it stores up fot They clos e thei

'

tor the Winter ears ond nose

When they Work
underwater.
 1J i

Dam

• Busy beaver. Beavers build their lodge

in the middleof a lake , where enemies Lodge
. They create the
can ’ t reach it
lake by damming up a river. ->- 7 ;
•

• Goggles . Beavers have a pair of

transparent eyelids for working underwater.
• Fur. Beaver fur was the main source of income for
early European settlers in Canada. It was even used
as currency. A rifle was worth 13 Z beaver skins.

• Orange teeth . A beaver ’s front teeth

are rusty orange because they contain
iron , which makes them very tough .
• Perfume . Beavers produce a
strong, leathery-smelling yellow
licjuid to mark their territory. Some
people use this licjuid to make perfumes.
Essential facts ( N American beaver ) Size: 1m ( 3ft ) long
Lives in: N America Weight: 25kg ( 55lbs)
Habitat: woods Speed: 20 kph (12 mph )

Food: tree bark , plants Lifespan: 15 years

Predators: wolves, coyotes Active: at night