Golden Retriever (canis lupus familiaris)

 

Golden retriever...or canis lupus familiaris!

Golden retrievers originated in Scotland. They were brought up originally to catch prey that had been shot in the water. They have a soft mouth so that they will not damage the prey they bring back, and are very good swimmers. Goldens will eat typical dog food, and are usually about 2 feet long. They weigh about 50-85 pounds.

Golden retriever dogs do not have mating seasons, but when a female goes into heat, the male dog will smell a change in her hormones before she comes into heat completely. Golden retriever puppies weigh around 12-25 pounds at birth. Golden retrievers may have originated in Scotland, but they have now moved into the whole world, and because of their great temperment, they have become awesome family pets.

Weasel (Mustela)

Weasel...or mustela!!

Weasels are very small mammals. They can grow to be 18 inches in length, and their tails can be up to 13 inches long. They usually weigh around 3 ounces. Weasels eat small mammals, and live everywhere in the world accept Antartica and Australia.

Weasel mating season starts in mid-summer, but the eggs only start to develop 27 days before the birth of the babies. The babies are born weighing in at about 1.1 grams, and can catch food for themselves when they are around 2 months old.Weasels live in holes that they make into dens in hollow stumps, rock piles, and the ground.

Weasels are genrally found on the ground, but can follow their prey up trees and in water, making it hard for the prey to escape. Weasels are close to their children, and mothers have been known to give up their lives for their children, rather than desert them.

Polar Bear (ursus maritimus)



 

Polar bear...or ursus maritimus!!!

Polar bears are the biggest bears in the world. The males can weigh up to 1500 pounds, and the females weigh about half of that. A polar bear's diet mainly consists of ringed and bearded seals, which are popular in the Arctic Circle, where large populations of polar bears live. The temprature  in the Arctic Circle can get to be -0 in the winter.

Polar bear mating season starts in April and ends in May, with the female giving birth in February. When a polar bear is pregnant, she will eat more than usual, and more than double her body weight. Polar bear cubs weigh about 2.0 pounds at birth, and will suck their mother's milk until they are 2 and 1/2 years old, when their mother either deserts them or chases them away. Today, polar bears can still be found in the Arctic Circle.

Polar bears are extremely good swimmers, and have been spotted over 60 miles from land. Polar bears use their excellent sense of smell to find seal holes, which seals use to breathe through. When a seal exhales, the polar bear can smell its breath, and waits by the breathing hole for the seal to appear.

Komodo Dragon (varanus komodoensis)

Komodo Dragon... or varanus komodoensis!

Komodo dragons are the largest living species of lizards. They can grow to be 9.8 feet long, and usually weigh around 150 pounds. A komodo dragon eats wild boar, deer, birds, and bird eggs. A komodo dragon will use its tail to knock down its prey, and then will attack the underside or the neck. A komodo dragon's bite is always fatal. The venom in its saliva sets in almost immediatley.  A komodo dragon can smell a dying or dead animal from 6 miles away. The dragons have been known to dig up recently dug graves and eat the corpses of the people in them.

Komodo dragon mating season occurs in between May and August, and the eggs are usually laid in September. The eggs hatch around April, and the young dragon comes out of the shell, about 1 foot long. Young dragons live in trees until they are four years old, because older dragons see baby dragons as lunch. Komodo dragons can be found on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang.



Tiger (panthera tigris)

Tiger... or Panthera tigris!

Tigers are one of the four "big cats" found around the globe. The others are lions, jaguars, and leopards. Tigers can grow up to 11 feet in length, and weigh up to 660 pounds. Yikes! In the wild, tigers  can live up to 15 years old, while tigers in captivity usually live to  around 20 years old. A tiger's diet consists mainly  of monkeys, peafowls, hares and fish. It will also prey on wild boar and deer.

The mating season for tigers usually lasts from November to April, and the gestation period lasts for about 16 weeks. A baby tiger weighs about 2.2 pounds at birth, and the litter usually consists of 4 cubs. Initially the cubs are nourished with their mother's milk, but when they are ten weeks old they stop drinking it.  The cubs will leave their mother when they are 2 1/2 years old, and will be able to have cubs of their own when they reach 5 years of age.

The word tiger comes from the Greek word "tigris", which  derives from the Persian word for "arrow". This could be refering to the tiger's speed. A tiger can reach up to 50 miles per hour, but would not be able to do so without it's 4 foot long tail. The tail helps the tiger to balance while it is running. Tigers are found in Eastern and Southern Asia, but not in Africa, where many people believe they reside.



Siamese Cat (felis catus)

Siamese Cat.... or felis catus!

Siamese cats tend to have a triangular shaped head with a thin snout. Their bodies are long, as are their tails. Siamese cats have sleek fur, and are also recognizable by their blue eyes. A Siamese cat will typically eat regular cat food, and drink water.

In movies, it seems as though cats love milk and could survive on it. Absolutley wrong. A cat could never survive on milk alone. Furthermore, cow milk is bad for cats. If a cat drank milk, it could have digestive problems. Though cats can get problems from milk, kittens will suck their mother's milk for about 4 weeks after birth, and then are introduced to mushed solid food.

 Siamese cats are highly intelligent and lively, and love to be the center of attention. A Siamese cat has a very loud meow, and it is so loud that it has been compared to a human baby's cry. Siamese cats can live up to 14 years, and some live up to 20 years old. Elderly Siamese cats usually die of kidney disease.

Siamese cats are found all over the world, though they originally came from Siam, now known as Thailand. Siamese cats were thought to be good luck in the 1880's in Siam.The Siamese cats were called "Moon Diamond" and were usually seen around temples and royal households because they were thought to keep away evil spirits.Today, Siamese cats are still loved by lots of people all over the world. They might not be used to ward off evil spirits, but they are still great pets to have.