ABC book of animals

By: Tyler Fowler

Alligator• An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus

Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) and the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis).

• The name alligator is an anglicized form of el lagarto, the Spanish term for "lizard", which early Spanish explorers and settlers in Florida called the alligator.

Bat• Bats are mammals whose forelimbs form

webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight.

• Bats do not flap their entire forelimbs, as birds do, but instead flap their spread-out digits,[2] which are very long and covered with a thin membrane or patagium.

Cat• The cat (Felis catus), also known as the

domestic cat or housecat[5] to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests. Cats have been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years,[6] and are currently the most popular pet in the world

Dog• The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the

gray wolf, The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in human history. The word "dog" may also mean the male of a canine species, as opposed to the word "bitch" for the female of the species.

• Dogs were domesticated from gray wolves about 15,000 years ago

Elephant• Elephants are large land mammals. Three species of

elephant are recognized: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant and the Indian or Asian elephant. All other species and genera of Elephantidae are extinct. Most have been extinct since the last ice age, although dwarf forms of mammoths might have survived as late as 2,000 BC.

• Elephants are the largest living land animals on Earth today

Frog• Frogs are amphibians. Most frogs are characterized

by a short body, webbed digits (fingers or toes), protruding eyes and the absence of a tail. Frogs are widely known as exceptional jumpers, and many of the anatomical characteristics of frogs, particularly their long, powerful legs, are adaptations to improve jumping performance. Due to their permeable skin, frogs are often semi-aquatic or inhabit humid areas, but move easily on land.

Gorilla• Gorillas are the largest extant species of primates.

They are ground-dwelling, predominantly herbivorous apes that inhabit the forests of central Africa. Gorillas are divided into two species and either four or five subspecies. The DNA of gorillas is highly similar to that of a human, from 95–99% depending on what is counted, and they are the next closest living relatives to humans after the bonobo and chimpanzee.

• Gorillas' natural habitats cover tropical or subtropical forests in Africa.

Hawk• The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes

goshawks, sparrowhawks, the Sharp-shinned Hawk and others. These are mainly woodland birds with long tails and high visual acuity, hunting by sudden dashes from a concealed perch.

• More generally (especially in North America) to mean falcons or small to medium-sized members of the Accipitridae—the family which includes the "true hawks" as well as eagles, kites, harriers and buzzards.

Iguana• Iguana is a herbivorous genus of lizard native to

tropical areas of Central America and the Caribbean. The genus was first described in 1768 .Two species are included in the genus Iguana: the Green Iguana, which is widespread throughout its range and a popular pet, and the Lesser Antillean Iguana, which is endemic to the Lesser Antilles and endangered due to habitat destruction.

• The word "iguana" is derived from a Spanish form of the original Taino name for the species "Iwana".

Jaguar• The jaguar is a big cat, a feline in the Panthera genus, and

is the only Panthera species found in the Americas. The jaguar is the third-largest feline after the tiger and the lion, and the largest in the Western Hemisphere. The jaguar's present range extends from Southern United States and Mexico across much of Central America and south to Paraguay and northern Argentina.

• This spotted cat most closely resembles the leopard physically, although it is usually larger and of sturdier build and its behavioural and habitat characteristics are closer to those of the tiger

Kangaroo • A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae

(macropods, meaning 'large foot'). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country of Australia. The smaller macropods are found in Australia and New Guinea.

• Kangaroos have large, powerful hind legs, large feet adapted for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. Like most marsupials, female kangaroos have a pouch called a marsupium in which joeys complete postnatal development.

Lemur• Lemurs are a clade of strepsirrhine primates endemic to the

island of Madagascar. They are named after the lemures (ghosts or spirits) of Roman mythology due to the ghostly vocalizations, reflective eyes, and the nocturnal habits of some species. Although lemurs often are confused with ancestral primates, the anthropoid primates (monkeys, apes, and humans) did not evolve from them; instead, lemurs merely share morphological and behavioral traits with basal primates. Lemurs arrived in Madagascar around 62 to 65 mya by rafting on mats of vegetation at a time when ocean currents favored oceanic dispersal to the island.

Moose• The moose (North America) or Eurasian elk (Europe)

(Alces alces) is the largest extant species in the deer family. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic ("twig-like") configuration. Moose typically inhabit boreal and mixed deciduous forests of the Northern Hemisphere in temperate to subarctic climates. Moose used to have a much wider range but hunting and other human activities greatly reduced it over the years.

Narwhal • The narwhal is a medium-sized toothed whale that

lives year-round in the Arctic. One of two living species of whale in the Monodontidae family, along with the beluga whale, the narwhal males are distinguished by a characteristic long, straight, helical tusk extending from their upper left jaw. Found primarily in Canadian Arctic and Greenlandic waters, rarely south of 65°N latitude, the narwhal is a uniquely specialized Arctic predator. In the winter, it feeds on benthic prey, mostly flatfish, at depths of up to 1500 m under dense pack ice.

Owl• Owls are a group of 200 extant bird of prey species. Most

are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e.g. the Northern Hawk Owl). Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish. They are found in all regions of the Earth except Antarctica, most of Greenland and some remote islands. Living owls are divided into two families: the typical owls, Strigidae; and the barn-owls, Tytonidae.

• Owls have large forward-facing eyes and ear-holes; a hawk-like beak; a flat face; and usually a conspicuous circle of feathers, a facial disc, around each eye.

Platypus• The platypus is a semi-aquatic mammal endemic to eastern

Australia, including Tasmania. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. It is the sole living representative of its family and genus, though a number of related species have been found in the fossil record.

• The bizarre appearance of this egg-laying, venomous, duck-billed, beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate fraud. It is one of the few venomous mammals, the male platypus having a spur on the hind foot that delivers a venom capable of causing severe pain to humans

Quelea• Quelea is a small genus of passerine birds that

belongs to the weaver family Ploceidae, confined to Africa. These are small-sized, sparrow- or finch-like gregarious birds, with bills adapted to eating seeds. Queleas may be nomadic over vast ranges; the Red-billed Quelea is said to be the most numerous bird species in the world

Raven• The Common Raven, also known as the Northern Raven, is a large,

all-black passerine bird. Found across the northern hemisphere, it is the most widely distributed of all corvids. There are at least eight subspecies with little variation in appearance— although recent research has demonstrated significant genetic differences among populations from various regions. It is one of the two largest corvids, alongside the Thick-billed Raven, and is possibly the heaviest passerine bird; at maturity, the Common Raven averages 25 inches in length and 2.6 pounds. Common Ravens typically live about 10 to 15 years in the wild, although lifespans of up to 40 years have been recorded. Young birds may travel in flocks, but later mate for life, with each mated pair defending a territory.

Shark• Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly

streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago.

• sharks have diversified into 440 species, ranging in size from the small dwarf lanternshark, a deep sea species of only 6.7 in in length, to the whale shark, the largest fish, which reaches approximately (39 ft and which feeds only on plankton, squid, and small fish by filter feeding. Sharks are found in all seas and are common down to depths of 2,000 6,600 ft. They generally do not live in freshwater, with a few exceptions such as the bull shark and the river shark which can live both in seawater and freshwater. They breathe through five to seven gill slits. Sharks have a covering of dermal denticles that protects their skin from damage and parasites, and improves their fluid dynamics so the shark can move faster. They have several sets of replaceable teeth.

Tiger• The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to 11 ft

and weighing up to 670 lb. Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts. They have exceptionally stout teeth, and their canines are the longest among living felids with a crown height of as much as 2.93 in or even 3.5 in.

• Tigers once ranged widely across Asia, from Turkey in the west to the eastern coast of Russia. Over the past 100 years, they have lost 93% of their historic range, and have been extirpated from southwest and central Asia, from the islands of Java and Bali, and from large areas of Southeast and Eastern Asia. Today, they range from the Siberian taiga to open grasslands and tropical mangrove swamps. The remaining six tiger subspecies have been classified as endangered by IUCN. The global population in the wild is estimated to number between 3,062 to 3,948 individuals, with most remaining populations occurring in small pockets that are isolated from each other

Vicuña• The vicuña or vicugna is one of two wild South American

camelids. It is a relative of the llama, and is now believed to share a wild ancestor with domesticated alpacas. Vicuñas produce small amounts of extremely fine wool, which is very expensive because the animal can only be shorn every 3 years. When knitted together, the product of the vicuña's fur is very soft and warm. It is understood that the Inca valued vicuñas for their wool, and that it was against the law for any but royalty to wear vicuña garments.

• Both under the rule of the Inca and today, vicuñas have been protected by law

Water Buffalo• The water buffalo or domestic Asian water buffalo is a large bovine

animal, frequently used as livestock in southern Asia, and also widely in South America, southern Europe, northern Africa, and elsewhere.

• In 2000, there were approximately 158 million water buffalo in the world, with 97% of them in Asia. All the domestic varieties and breeds descend from one common ancestor, the wild water buffalo, which is now an endangered species. The domestic water buffalo, although derived from the wild water buffalo, is the product of thousands of years of selective breeding in either South Asia or Southeast Asia.

• Buffalo are used as draft, meat, and dairy animals. Their dung is used as a fertilizer, and as a fuel when dried. A few have also found use as pack animals, carrying loads even for special forces.

Yak• The yak, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the

Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population. In the 1990s, a concerted effort was undertaken to help save the wild yak population.

• The English word "yak" derives from the Tibetan word gyag – in Tibetan this refers only to the male of the species, the female being called a dri or nak. In English, as in most other languages which have borrowed the word, "yak" is usually used for both sexes

Zebra• Zebras are several species of African equids (horse family) united by their

distinctive black and white stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. They are generally social animals that live in small harems to large herds. Unlike their closest relatives, horses and asses, zebras have never been truly domesticated.

• There are three species of zebras: the plains zebra, the Grévy's zebra and the mountain zebra.

• The unique stripes of zebras make these among the animals most familiar to people. They occur in a variety of habitats, such as grasslands, savannas, woodlands, thorny scrublands, mountains, and coastal hills. However, various factors have had a severe impact on zebra populations, in particular hunting for skins and habitat destruction. Grevy's zebra and the mountain zebra are endangered. While plains zebras are much more plentiful.

Sources• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_animal_names• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bat• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frog• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorilla• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawk• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguana• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemur• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moose• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narwhal• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platypus• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quelea• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raven• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shark• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vicu%C3%B1a• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_buffalo• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yak• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebra