Wild Animals
I love wild animals! Here I will provide you with information about all types of wild animals.
ZEBRA FACTS
- Zebra are part of the equidae family along with horse and donkeys.
- Every zebra has a unique pattern of black and white stripes.
- There are a number of different theories which attempt to explain zebra’s unique stripes with most relating to camouflage.
- Wild zebras live in Africa.
- Common plain zebras have tails around half a metre in length (18 inches).
- Zebra crossings (pedestrian crossings) are named after the black and white stripes of zebras.
- Zebras run from side to side to being chased by a predator.
- Zebras have excellent eyesight and hearing.
- Zebras stand up while sleeping.
- Zebras eat mostly grass.
- The ears of a zebra show its mood.
- A zebra named Marty starred in the 2005 animated film Madagascar.
LEOPARDS FACTS
- Leopards are part of the cat family, Felidae. The scientific name for a leopard is Panthera pardus.
- Leopards are well known for their cream and gold spotted fur, but some leopards have black fur with dark spots. These black leopards are often mistaken for panthers.
- Adult leopards are solitary animals. Each adult leopard has its own territory where it lives and, although they often share parts of it, they try to avoid one another.
- A leopard’s body is built for hunting. They have sleek, powerful bodies and can run at speeds of up to 57 kilometres per hour. They are also excellent swimmers and climbers and can leap and jump long distances.
- A leopard’s tail is just about as long as its entire body. This helps it with balance and enables it to make sharp turns quickly.
- Leopards are mostly nocturnal, hunting prey at night.
- Leopards protect their food from other animals by dragging it high up into the trees. A leopard will often leave their prey up in the tree for days and return only when they are hungry!
- Female leopards give birth to a little of two or three cubs at a time. By the time a cub is two years old it will leave the company of its mother and live on their own.
- When a female leopard is ready to mate she will give a scent and rub her body on the trees to leave her smell there. Male leopards either smell the females scent or hear her call to know that she is ready to mate.
- Some people believe that the bones and whiskers of leopards can heal sick people. Many leopards are killed each year for their fur and body parts and this is one reason why the leopard is an endangered animal. While they were previously found in the wild in a number of areas around the world, their habitat is largely restricted to sub-Saharan Africa with small numbers also found in India, Pakistan, Malaysia, China and Indochina.
BIRD FACTS
- Birds have feathers, wings, lay eggs and are warm blooded.
- There are around 10000 different species of birds worldwide.
- The Ostrich is the largest bird in the world. It also lays the largest eggs and has the fastest maximum running speed (97 kph).
- Scientists believe that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs.
- Birds have hollow bones which help them fly.
- Some bird species are intelligent enough to create and use tools.
- The chicken is the most common species of bird found in the world.
- Kiwis are endangered, flightless birds that live in New Zealand. They lay the largest eggs relative to their body size of any bird in the world.
- Hummingbirds can fly backwards.
- The Bee Hummingbird is the smallest living bird in the world, with a length of just 5 cm (2 in).
- Around 20% of bird species migrate long distances every year.
- Homing pigeons are bred to find their way home from long distances away and have been used for thousands of years to carry messages.
WOLF FACTS
A wolf's front feet are larger than their back feet
Packs hunt in territories of up to 600 square miles
A pack's home range will sometimes overlap the territory of another pack
In addition to howling, wolves bark, yap, whine, and growl
Litters of up to 14 pups are born in April through June
Pups emerge from the den at about one month of age
All members of a wolf pack take part in caring for the young
When pack members return from the hunt and they are nipped on the snout by the pups, the hunters regurgitate undigested meat for them
Wolves are considered to be competitors with people for game animals such as moose and caribou
Although wolves are feared throughout much of the world, documented attacks on people are extremely rare
Attempts to keep wolves as pets are not usually successful