Animals Divider

Some Animals Facts



Although bears are classed as carnivores, they eat a range of food, including fruits, roots, fish and small mammals.



There are only seven species in the bear family, the Ursidae.



The brown or grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) and the American black bear (Ursus americanus) are both large species, but the biggest is the Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) -- the males can grow to 10 feet(3m) and sometimes weigh 1800 pounds (800kg)




The primate groups are generally thought to contain the most advanced of the animals. Most primates have large brains and a well-developed ability to learn about their surroundings.




Monkeys and apes even communicate with each other using a type of language, and some species have acquired the ability to use simple tools.



The members of the family Felidae are superb hunters. They stalk their prey quietly, creeping slowly close to the ground until they are near enough to make a sudden dash to catch it with their sharp claws. They then hold the animal down with their claws while they kill it, usually by biting. Cats are able to retract, or pull in, their claws when they don't want to use them.




Badgers have short, powerful legs and strong claws for digging. Their homes are large burrows called sets, which they line with bracken and other vegetation. Badgers eat roots and fruit, as well as invertebrates and small vertebrates such as mice.



The dog family, the Canidae, includes wolves, jackals and foxes, as well as the familiar domestic pet.



Dogs are built for running in the open, usually in packs. Their claws are needed to help them run. They are blunter than cats' claws and cannot be retracted.



Dogs rely more on biting than on using their claws to capture prey.



Rabbits are grouped in the Order Lagomorpha. They have strong front teeth for gnawing, rather like those of rodents, and they can chew seeds and thick roots as well as graze on grasses and herbs.



Unlike rodents, rabbits and hares have large eyes and eyes.



Rabbits and hares use their big back legs for hopping and running, often achieving high speeds over short distances.



There are two main types of hoofed mammal, or ungulate -- the even-toed(order Artiodactlyla) and the odd-toed(order Perissodactyla).



All hoofed mammals are herbivores, feeding mostly on herbs, grasses, leaves, twigs and fruits. They graze in herds, sticking close together for protection against the carnivores that prey on them.




Hoofed mammals have good eyesight and a keen sense of smell. They can also hear well and are constantly alert and on the lookout for danger.




Deer, antelopes, giraffes, cattle, sheep, goats and camels are all ruminants. They have a special stomach with four chambers instead of the usual one, and their method of eating is known as "chewing the cud". When these animals swallow, the food goes into a chamber called the rumen. Here it is fermented by bacteria, which break down the plant cell walls. The fermented food is then passed back into the mouth, where it is chewed again. Finally, it is passed to the three other parts of the stomach for digestion. This slow method of eating extracts as much goodness as possible from plant food.





Owls (Order Strigiformes) are nocturnal hunters and have large eyes to help their nighttime vision. They also have very good hearing and can locate a rustling mouse with great accuracy from well above the ground. They fly slowly and silently and surprise their prey by pouncing, their sharp claws spread out in attack.



Butterflies (Class Insecta) are members of the phylum Arthropoda -- with nearly 1 million species, this is by far the largest of the animal phyla.



Butterflies (Order Lepidoptera) go through complete metamorphosis, from egg through larval and pupal stages. As adults, they feed on the nectar of flowers, sucking this food in through their long grooved mouthparts or proboscises.



When fully opened, the wings of some butterflies and moths are very broad. The wingspans of the largest species, such as the beautiful Atlas moth(Attacus atlas) and birdwing butterflies(family Papilionidae) of Southeast Asia, can be 10 inches(25cm).



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