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Ani & Facts 1 Amazing facts about animals you might know but not so much about them.
Written by Zarvaan Ghamidi Edited By Umamah Maryam Pics By Zarvaan Ghamidi
Content: 1. Cover Page 2. Content Animals & Facts
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3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
Lions Tigers Dalmatian Pelicans The Green Anacondas Elephants Southern elephant seals Ostriches Giraffes Whales Lizards Monkeys Dolphin
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lions : ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
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Lions are the second largest big cat species in the world (behind tigers). The average male lion weighs around 180 kg (400 lb) while the average female lion weighs around 130 kg (290 lb). The heaviest lion on record weighed an amazing 375 kg (826 lb). Lions can reach speeds of up to 81 kph (50 mph) but only in short bursts because of a lack of stamina. The roar of a lion can be heard from 8 kilometers (5.0 miles) away. Most lions found in the wild live in southern and eastern parts of Africa. Lions are very social compared to other cat species, often living in prides that feature females, offspring and a few adult males. Male lions are easy to recognize thanks to their distinctive manes. Males with darker manes are more likely to attract female lions (lionesses). Lions are the national animal of Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, England, Ethiopia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Singapore. Lions in the wild live for around 12 years. When lions breed with tigers the resulting hybrids are known as ligers and tigons. There are also lion and leopard hybrids known as leopons and lion and jaguar hybrids known as jaglions. Lionesses are better hunters than males and do most of the hunting for a pride. In the wild, lions rest for around 20 hours a day.
Tigers : ●
The tiger is the biggest species of the cat family.
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Tigers can reach a length of up to 3.3 metres (11 feet) and weigh as much as 300 kilograms (660 pounds). Subspecies of the tiger include the Sumatran Tiger, Siberian Tiger, Bengal Tiger, South China Tiger, Malayan Tiger and Indochinese Tiger. Many subspecies of the tiger are either endangered or already extinct. Humans are the primary cause of this through hunting and the destruction of habitats. Around half of tiger cubs don’t live beyond two years of age. Tiger cubs leave their mother when they are around 2 years of age. A group of tigers is known as an ‘ambush’ or ‘streak’. Tigers are good swimmers and can swim up to 6 kilometres. Rare white tigers carry a gene that is only present in around 1 in every 10000 tigers. Tigers usually hunt alone at night time. Tigers have been known to reach speeds up to 65 kph (40 mph). Less than 10% of hunts end successfully for tigers Tigers can easily jump over 5 metres in length. Various tiger subspecies are the national animals of Bangladesh, India, North Korea, South Korea and Malaysia. There are more tigers held privately as pets than there are in the wild. Tigers that breed with lions give birth to hybrids known as tigons and ligers.
Dalmatian Pelicans : ● The Dalmatian Pelican (Pelecanus crispus) is a member of the pelican
family. ● It breeds from southeastern Europe to India and China in swamps and shallow lakes. ● This is the largest of the pelicans, averaging 160–180 cm (63-70 inches) in length, 11–15 kg (24-33 lbs) in weight and just over 3 m (10 ft) in wingspan. ● With a mean weight of 11.5 kg (25 lb), it is the world’s heaviest flying bird species on average, although large male bustards and swans can exceed the pelican in maximum weight. Animals & Facts
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The Green Anacondas : ● The most massive living member of this giant reptilian order is the Green
Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) of the neotropical riverways. ● The maximum verified size is 7.5 m (25 ft) and 250 kg (550 lb), although rumors of larger anacondas persist. ● The Reticulated Python (Python reticulatus) of Southeast Asia is longer but more slender, and has been reported to measure as much as 9.7 m (32 ft) in length.
Elephants : ●
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There are two types of elephant, the Asian elephant and the African elephant (although sometimes the African Elephant is split into two species, the African Forest Elephant and the African Bush Elephant). Elephants are the largest land-living mammal in the world. Both female and male African elephants have tusks but only the male Asian elephants have tusks. They use their tusks for digging and finding food. Female elephants are called cows. They start to have calves when they are about 12 years old and they are pregnant for 22 months. An elephant can use its tusks to dig for ground water. An adult elephant needs to drink around 210 litres of water a day. Elephants have large, thin ears. Their ears are made up of a complex network of blood vessels which with regulating an elephants temperature. Blood is circulated through their ears to cool them down in hot climates. Elephants have no natural predators. However, lions will sometimes prey on young or weak elephants in the wild. The main risk to elephants is from Animals & Facts
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humans through poaching and changes to their habitat. The elephant’s trunk is able to sense the size, shape and temperature of an object. An elephant uses its trunk to lift food and suck up water then pour it into its mouth. An elephant’s trunk can grow to be about 2 metres long and can weigh up to 140 kg. Some scientists believe that an elephant’s trunk is made up of 100,000 muscles, but no bones. Female elephants spend their entire lives living in large groups called herds. Male elephant leave their herds at about 13 years old and live fairly solitary lives from this point. Elephants can swim – they use their trunk to breathe like a snorkel in deep water. Elephants are herbivores and can spend up to 16 hours days collecting leaves, twigs, bamboo and roots.
Southern elephant seal : ● Southern elephant seals live in sub-Antarctic and Antarctic waters that
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feature brutally cold conditions but are rich in the fish, squid, and other marine foods these seals enjoy. Southern elephant seals breed on land but spend their winters in the frigid Antarctic waters near the Antarctic pack ice. Southern elephants are the largest of all seals. Males can be over 20 feet (6 meters) long and weigh up to 8,800 pounds (4,000 kilog rams). But these massive pinnipeds aren't called elephant seals because of their size. They take their name from their trunklike inflatable snouts.
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Ostrichs : ● Among birds, the ostrich is a record-breaker. ● It is the tallest and the heaviest of all birds. ● An ostrich stands up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall. ● That's more than three feet (one meter) taller than the average man. ● And this bird can weigh as much as 350 pounds (159 kilograms).
Giraffes : ●
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A male giraffe can weigh as much as a pick up truck! That’s about 1400 kilograms. Although a giraffe’s neck is 1.5 – 1.8 metres, it contains the same number of vertebrae at a human neck. A giraffe's habitat is usually found in African savannas, grasslands or open woodlands. The hair that makes up a giraffes tail is about 10 times thicker than the average strand of human hair. The distinctive spots that cover a giraffe’s fur act as a good camouflage to protect the giraffe from predators. When the giraffe stands in front of trees and bushes the light and dark colouring of its fur blends in with the shadows and sunlight. It is possible to identify the sex of the giraffe from the horns on its head. Both males and females have horns but the females are smaller and covered with hair at the top. Male giraffes may have up to 3 additional horns. Giraffes are ruminants. This means that they have more than one stomach. In fact, giraffes have four stomachs, the extra stomachs assisting with digesting food. Drinking is one of the most dangerous times for a giraffe. While it is getting a drink it cannot keep a look out for predators and is vulnerable to attack.
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Male giraffes sometimes fight with their necks over female giraffes. This is called “necking”. The two giraffes stand side by side and one giraffe swings his head and neck, hitting his head against the other giraffe. Sometimes one giraffe is hit to the ground during a combat. A female giraffe gives birth while standing up. The calf drops approximately 6 feet to the ground, but it is not hurt from the fall. Giraffes have bluish-purple tongues which are tough and covered in bristly hair to help them with eating the thorny Acacia trees.
Whales : ●
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Many whales are toothless. They use a plate of comb-like fibre called baleen to filter small crustaceans and other creatures from the water. There are 79 to 84 different species of whale. They came in many different shapes and sizes! A baby whale is called a calf. Whales form groups to look after calves and feed together. These groups are often made up of all female or all male whales. Whales that are found in both Northern and Southern hemisphere never meet or breed together. Their migration is timed so that they are never in breeding areas at the same time. The arched lower lip of a whale can often make it look like it is smiling! However, this isn’t a “real” smile as the blubber in the head of the whale prevents the muscles of the face from reaching the surface. You can tell the age of a whale by looking at the wax plug in its ear. This plug in the ear has a pattern of layers when cut lengthwise that scientists can count to estimate the age of the whale. Whales love to sing! They use this as a call to mates, a way to communicate and also just for fun! After a period of time they get bored of the same whale song and begin to sing a different tune. Sometimes whales make navigation mistakes during migrations. Although they may have made the mistake days before, they don’t realise it until they becoming stranded. Whales support many different types of life. Several creatures, such as barnacles and sea lice, attach themselves to the skin of whales and live there.
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lizards ● ● ●
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Lizards are reptiles. Some lizards can detach their tails if caught by predators. The upper and lower eyelids of chameleons are joined, leaving just a small hole for them to see through. They can move their eyes independently however, allowing them to look in two different directions at the same time. Chameleons have long tongues which they rapidly extend from their mouth, too fast for human eyes to see properly. Chameleons generally eat insects. Some chameleons have the ability to change color. This helps them communicate with each other and can also be used for camouflage. Geckos have no eyelids. Geckos have unique toes which allow them to be good climbers. Iguanas have a row of spines which run down their back and tail. Green iguanas are popular pets. The Komodo dragon is the largest type of lizard, growing up to 3 metres (10 feet) in length. They are found on a number of different Indonesian Islands. Komodo dragons are carnivores (meat eaters) and can be very aggressive.
Monkeys: ● ● ● ●
There are currently 264 known monkey species. Monkeys can be divided into two groups, Old World monkeys that live in Africa and Asia, and New World monkeys that live in South America. A baboon is an example of an Old World monkey, while a marmoset is an example of a New World monkey. Apes are not monkeys.
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Some monkeys live on the ground, while others live in trees. Different monkey species eat a variety of foods, such as fruit, insects, flowers, leaves and reptiles. Most monkeys have tails. Groups of monkeys are known as a ‘tribe’, ‘troop’ or ‘mission’. The Pygmy Marmoset is the smallest type of monkey, with adults weighing between 120 and 140 grams. The Mandrill is the largest type of monkey, with adult males weighing up to 35 kg. Capuchin monkeys are believed to be one of the smartest New World monkey species. They have the ability to use tools, learn new skills and show various signs of self-awareness. Spider monkeys get their name because of their long arms, legs and tail. The monkey is the 9th animal that appears on the Chinese zodiac, appearing as the zodiac sign in 2016.
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Dolphins Compared to other animals, dolphins are believed to be very intelligent. ● Dolphins are carnivores (meat eaters). ● The Killer Whale (also known as Orca) is actually a type of dolphin. ● Bottlenose dolphins are the most common and well known type of dolphin. ● Female dolphins are called cows, males are called bulls and young dolphins are called calves. ● Dolphins live in schools or pods of up to 12 individuals. ● Dolphins often display a playful attitude which makes them popular in human culture. They can be seen jumping out of the water, riding waves, play fighting and occasionally interacting with humans swimming in the water. ● Dolphins use a blowhole on top of their heads to breathe. ● Dolphins have excellent eyesight and hearing as well as the ability to use echolocation for finding the exact location of objects. ● Dolphins communicate with each other by clicking, whistling and other ●
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sounds. ● Some dolphin species face the threat of extinction, often directly as a result of human behavior. The Yangtze River Dolphin is an example of a dolphin species which may have recently become extinct. ● Some fish
The End
The next Animals & Facts
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version of this book will be soon available . Named as Ani & Facts 2
Animals & Facts
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