Pink Dolphin

The Pink Dolphin- It probably looks like the wimpiest animal you've ever seen. Yet this creature can pack quite a punch. It eats PIRANHAS! Now, we all know piranhas are the kings of eating. They can demolish COWS in seconds. The dolphins' secret weapon is a super-long snout and a very flexible body that helps it get the piranha as it attacks. 

Other foods that pink dolphins indulge in is catfish, crabs, and even small turtles. While there is no proof of why these dolphins are pink, it is thought to be some kind of adaption to river water. They are known to become pinker when they are excited or surprised, which resembles blushing for humans.

Sadly, these beautiful creatures are endangered. The basins at the ends of the Amazon are becoming more populated, and this causes more pollution entering the river, which finally results in the accidental killing of the dolphins. Also, damming has limited habitat and mating territory. 

Blobfish

When you look at the picture above, you probably think that the "creature" is from a horror movie or something. But the fish is real. It can only survive in the deepest depths of the sea, and is very rarely seen by humans. It is just lighter than water, which allows it to float above the sea floor without using any of it's energy.

Blobfish live 4000 feet deep in the ocean, which is dozens of times deeper than a human can survive. It is VERY rare that they swim at higher levels. Blobfish are facing extinction because of deepwater fishing. They survive off of crustaceans and small fish that live down at their level.

Blobfish are very lazy creatures. They are basically made of jelly, so they do not need to come equipped with muscles. They are known to just float around and wait for something edible to come by for their meals.

Black Rat

Beware- this cute face can fool you! This nasty little speck of dirt is the creature that was most likely the carrier of the black death, a plague that killed over 1/3 of the European country in the Middle Ages. It carried the plague through it's fleas, and spread off of ships to Europe. They originated in Asia, and once they landed in Europe, they spread to the whole world via cargo ships.


These rats now live all over the world, scavenging for whatever they can get at. They are omnivores, so it doesn't really matter to them what they eat. They mostly live off of fruits and nuts, like common tree squirrels. (If the whole world was available for eating and it was the trash can or berries and acorns, I think I'd choose the fruits and nuts too!)


Black rats are nocturnal. They are considered very poor swimmers compared to their cousin the brown rat, but are far better climbers than the brown rat. They have been known, when in danger, to flee upwards. Due to this ability, many rat nests are found in trees. The rat will hunt and nest in 2 different places, so that food never runs scarce.

Cats, owls, coyotes, weasels, and foxes all prey on the black rat.

Koala Bear

Full grown Koala- AWWWW!

Please welcome our next foreign guest, coming from the world down under.... THE KOALA BEAR!  Koala bears are native to Australia, where they live a somewhat happy life stuffing down as many eucalyptus leaves as they can bare and lounging in eucalyptus trees. However, life is not all fun and games for this cheerful bear...

Many koala bears are getting killed and are becoming endangered due to trees getting chopped down for housing developments. With no trees, there is no place for the bears to sleep in and no leaves to eat. To add insult to injury, the bears that DO survive are attacked by the dogs that come with the people that move into the housing districts.

Koalas become fertile at 2-3 years old. A healthy female can produce about 1 young a year, for about 12 years. Twins are very rare. The first set of twin koalas were Euca and Lyptus, who were born at the University of Queensland in April of 1999. Mating season is from December to March, and gestation period is generally 35 days.

Baby Koala- EEEWWWW!

Baby koalas, or "joeys", are born bald, blind, and earless. They usually will stay in a small stomach pouch of it's mother's until it can survive a little on it's own. More developed koalas will catch rides on their mom's back.

Walrus

The Walrus: Possibly the fattest, ugliest sea creature I written up. These blubbery, long tusked freaks are the last in the Odobenidae species that are left. Both girl and boy walruses have tusks. The tusks are actually very long canine teeth. They can grow to be over 3 feet long and weigh up to 12 pounds. Wouldn't you HATE to have THAT on your face???

Walruses live in the Arctic Sea, and their hibernation is when it is warm: summer through fall. This technically means that they stay awake through winter. Now, you are probably wondering how they do it. I mean, look at them! But a walrus stays warm by 2 layers of skin, one of skin and one of blubber. Both of these layers put together gives a walrus skin 9.8 inches thick.

Walruses are BIG. They can grow to be 4400 pounds in total by the time hey are adult. This weight would make an average walrus overweight though. Their normal weight is typically 3700 pounds.

Vulture

Vultures are sneaky, bullying, lazy animals. They refuse to prey on healthy animals that are strong and can run away. They only prey on weak, helpless creatures that can't defend themselves. They will signal that they are going to attack by flying in a large circle around their prey. If the prey has tough skin, the vulture will wait for another animal to have first dibs.

Vultures are somewhat pigs when it comes to eating. They will stuff themselves with food if it is available. Another strange thing about vultures is that they don't bring food to their children in their claws. They spit it up to their young after eating it. Vultures have very strong stomach acid, so they can devour things that have diseases too.

Other predators are not able to digest things with such diseases or else they would die. Vultures have the upper hand in more food this way. Some vultures can vomit for safety when they are in danger. Vultures ARE an endangered species that are hunted for the veterinary drug found in their body. 

Green Moray

Doesn't that thing look creepy? And doesn't it remind you of a plasticky hand puppet? But this thing is real. And the "thing" is called a green moray eel. They are found in the Western Atlantic along New Jersey shores. (This explains why the aquarium in NJ I went to had one. When I first saw the thing, I almost laughed because I thought it was fake. That is how bright green the eel was.)

The smallest moray eel is only 4.5 inches long. Don't mistake this eel for tiny, though. Some of the bigger ones can grow to be 13 feet in length and weigh 66 pounds. Even when they are this big, though, morays will hunt in large groups. The invitation to hunt with an eel is a shake of a head. The bad thing about being in a group of morays is lack of ability to drive small critters out of crevices.

Most people think of morays as vicious, annoying creatures. But in reality, morays are actually shy creatures that would rather hide in a crevice than come up and fight. The only times a moray would attack a human would be mistaken identity or self defense. These creatures are gentle giants.

Racoon

A masked bandit guilty for tipping garbage cans for food, the racoon is a shifty character. Racoons are nocturnal, so they are hard to catch in the act of toppling garbage cans. Racoons have a burglar-like mask that stretches just across their eyes, giving them a very weird look.

Racoons are omnivorous and will eat whatever they can get their germy little paws on. Racoons, before eating their food, often clean it in water first. Tests have been done showing that food is cleaned by racoons in captivity more than it is done by wild racoons.

Racoons stay away from wide open spaces and beech trees. They tend to climb trees when they get scared, so open spaces are a no-no for them. Beech trees are so slippery, racoons have a tough time getting their claws into them.

That is all I have to say on the racoon.

Blue Tang

Most people reading this will take one look at the picture and automatically think Finding Nemo. Since I saw it in 3D this weekend (let me warn you- it stank to high heavens), I decided I would do an absolute animal on my favorite character in the movie. Dory is a regal blue tang fish. Tangs live in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, but also live in captivity.

In captivity, adult tangs typically need a 75 gallon aquarium tank. They feed off of algae, krill, and nori. In the wild, adults will occasionally eat plankton as a snack. Having more than one tang in a small aquarium causes tension, which often results in death of one or both fish after fighting for space.

The blue tang is a very valuable fish. While it is not typically sold in fishing stores, it is good for bait. The skin is worthless, as it has an awful stench when you kill the fish. This fish is not sold for meat, because a person can die from a certain disease it carries. Handling it can be difficult, because it sends painful scales out when it is excited. It is only used for pets mainly.

Porcupine

Awwwww- how cute- NOT

Do not be fooled by what you see above! This porcupine is young, and it's quills have not come in yet. And though it may look cute and incredibly soft, trust me- these animals are deadly. These menacing- yet not so menacing creatures defend themselves with camouflage. If all else fails, they unleash their hidden weapon- pointy, sharp quills.

I have had plenty of experience with porcupines. They are my dog's sworn enemy. 3 times he has come back with quills in his lips and leg- once over 200 stuck into him. It took about an hour for my Dad to pry them all out. When a porcupine feels endangered, it reacts normally like any other living creature does- defends itself with what it has.

Porcupines can be found all over the world, and can survive in most climates. They can also live in most living conditions, though they are not known to be good swimmers. They prefer woods or rock terrain to hide out in, most likely because of camouflage. (Now, my dog is a WATER DOG. Why the heck can't he just find some water to go in when he finds a porcupine?!?)

Porcupines, though the third biggest rodent, are not fast like rodents. They are known to be slow and big. This is why so many dogs are frequently porcupined. They come up and stumble over the slow moving creature and make them go on defense. 

Ostrich

Ostriches are one of the few flightless birds native to Africa. Once more, the female species is deprived of colors, while the male has plenty of color. Males are glossy black, but the females are a dead brown. 

Ostriches are the world's fastest 2-legged animal, reaching up to 43mph. They have very sensitive hearing and eyesight, and know when a predator is near. They can deliver a very powerful kick when in danger. They can only kick to the front because of their structure, however.

The male will do a kind of dance to attract a mate, and then will maintain privacy by scaring away intruders. Next, the male will flap his wings against the ground to make a nest. The female will lay her eggs and sit on them to incubate them until they hatch. The eggs are gigantic, usually weighing in at more than 3 lbs.

Ostriches are hunted for their feathers and meat. They are also captured for zoos and farms.

Stork

Here comes mister stork! A Stork is a symbol of a baby, and there are tales of storks delivering babies to everyone's doorsteps. I doubt it. But here are some TRUE facts about the stork that I happen to know because I research:

Storks are large, long-legged, water-faring birds. They have short, stubby beaks, and prefer a drier habitat than it's many relatives. I guess you could call storks the odd one out. They like dry land, they can't clean slime off of fish, and they can't even make a noise using vocal chords. Most of their noise is made by clacking their beak together.

Stork nests are very large, and have been known to be 6 feet across and 10 feet deep in some cases. They are built very strongly and can be used for many years by many generations of storks. Usually, stork partners do not migrate with each other, they breed and then travel on their own path. Storks do NOT, however, usually use the same nest as the year before.

Lemur

I like to move it move it, Ya like to!? Move it!

We think he's stupid stupid, We think he's??? STUPID!

Lemurs reside on the island of Madagascar. Though often confused with being related to primates such as monkeys and apes, lemurs have no relation whatsoever. No matter what type of lemur you find though, it shares SOME likenesses to common primates. It has nails on the end of its feet and hands, instead of claws.

Want to hear something else that is strange? Lemurs communicate mostly through scent and vocalization for breeding, not body movements. Breeding is a short period every year, and lasts maybe only a week. Gestation period is also short, lasting a tiny 7-9 weeks. For dwarf species, it lasts a little longer, with gestation period of 16-18 weeks.

Did you know that lemurs could be picky eaters? While most are fine chowing down on a wide variety of leaves, nuts, berries, etc., some will only eat certain species of plant. Lemurs need a lot of energy to survive, and so must eat high calorie foods, including insects. However, the smallest type of lemur, a mouse lemur, lives on only fruit.

Hummingbird

Hummingbird

Hummingbirds are the tiniest, fastest species of bird known. I would be pretty fast if I lived off of sugary nectar alone too! These small creatures will use their long beaks to suck all the nectar out of flowers, but here is the catch: like bees, they know how to purify their nectar, getting 90% of the sugar.

With the exception of insects, hummingbirds can fly the highest of any creature due to their rapid wing strokes. They have been known to have a heart rate of over 1000 beats per minute, as once recorded on a blue throated hummingbird.

These tiny birds have an incredibly long lifespan for their size. Though many die in their first year, mainly during fledging ( just leaving the nest ) when they are still young and learning how to fly. Lucky ones live 3-5 years before death. The oldest hummingbird ever recorded was 12 years old when she died.

Crab

Told you you could find them in soup!

Crab

Why so crabby, Mr. Crab? Well, I think you'd be mighty crabby too if you had a thick, hot, smelly exoskeleton that is hard to get out of! Crabs can be as big as 13 feet long, or as tiny as a pea. Crabs are quite common and can be found almost anywhere, even in your soup.

Crabs come armed with claws, and communicate by using them. Crabs will most commonly fight over female crabs, and during storms, they will fight over hiding holes in the beach. Crabs also commonly walk sideways, giving us the term "crab-walk".

Even though many innocent crabs are killed and turned into fresh meat and soup, many still survive. It's a wonder even more crabs aren't killed, just for pinching people so frequently ..... but I won't go into that. Crabs are omnivores, and eat everything from algae to fish to bugs to just about anything.

Vole

Vole

Voles are mouselike creatures who commonly die in their first month alive. The bigger they are, the slower they die. It has been said that only 12% of voles live to see their first month. 88% die within that month. Voles can usually be found near water, but are common and are found everywhere.

One time, my Dad set out a mouse trap because we were having mouse problems- so he thought. What he caught wasn't a mouse, it was a vole that had lived to see it's second year. It's SECOND YEAR- and Dad killed it.

Litters of voles typically range from 5-10 young- so just having one pregnant vole in a yard can result in over a hundred of the little pests running back and forth in your yard and your home. How obnoxious!!!

Orca

Orca, porpoising to swim faster.

Orcas, or killer whales, are meat eaters. They commonly survive off of sea lions when in the wild, and fish when in captivity. They can be trained, but even with the best of training can backflip into old habits easily. A few trainers from SeaWorld have been killed by orcas.

Killer whales are very big. They can weigh up to 6 tonnes minimum, and their dorsal fin is as tall, if not taller, than a human. They are black and white, and from a distance are mistaken as Rosso's dolphins, or false killer whales. They have very large and sharp enamel covered teeth.

Female orcas mature at around age 15. They can then have babies. Gestation period is about a year-year1/2. Babies are fed milk until about one year old, and are then weened from it. Weening takes about one year to complete.

Peacock

Ever heard the joke about the farmers who split land and such evenly but one day a peacock sits in the middle of their fence and lays an egg? Who keeps the egg, no one does because peacocks don't lay eggs! Only peahens can lay eggs. And the babies are called peachicks. Most peahens are easily told apart from peacocks by their awful coloring. Males have extravagant colors in their feathers, and females have brown feathers.

Only green peahens look exactly like the male except for the size. Green peahens have the color (Score one for female color-deprived animals) of the males. They even have a beautiful tail fan as well. Tail fans have been thought of as a mating sign from male to female. To get the female's attention, the peacock will strut around opening and closing his feathers.

Peacocks are very strange animals. They will sleep in trees (As forests are their natural habitat,) and nest on the ground. During mating season, they will usually give off strange, high-pitched calls to one another. Peacocks are also omnivorous, and will eat almost anything from bugs to leaves to slop.

Flamingo

Flamingos are very strange birds. They usually are found standing in shallow water in Africa on one leg. This is thought to be a state of rest for half of the flamingo's body, and that when they switch, it is because the other half is resting. A more likely reason is to stir up the food near the bottom of the water so that it comes to the surface where the flamingo can easily eat it.

Flamingos have a special way of filter feeding, and can separate mud from the food they eat. If not given enough food with color, flamingos become a sickly pale salmon color. Flamingos who feed on dark colored algae are typically darker in color than the average flamingo. It has been shown that zoo flamingos are usually paler in color than ones left to feed in the wild.

Flamingos hang in flocks of up to 2000, and do this to limit predators, maximize food, and have easier nesting ground. These birds nest down in mud to hatch their young, and a spot is (as usual) chosen by the female. Groups are now split into 10-20 birds. After a few weeks, the baby birds are released into groups of other young, where they grow up without parents.

Toucan

The toucan, in reality

Our inner child....

Oh follow your nose... It always knows... la-da-da-dee-da-doo-da-da... Oops. Sorry, the toucan reminds me of froot loops... and I just watched an ad for them on youtube. Well, here is some info for you about breakfast's favorite bird. You can spot this bird from a mile away- or maybe you could just spot his beak. Toucans are known for their big, colorful beaks.

Female toucans, though shorter than males, are fatter, giving a bulky appearance. Both birds are colorful, not just the male. Feathers are typically black, with hints of red and yellow here and there. Both male and female have large beaks, sometimes which are half of their length and weight. Toucans weigh around 1.5 pounds.

Toucans are social and lazy birds. They stick in small groups, and never work for themselves. Instead of making their own home with their lousy, good-for-nothing bill, they search out the holes of laborous woodpeckers and chase them away. They also never migrate. Lazy, lazy birds!

Narwhal

Narwhal

Oh look, it's a unicorn Mummy! Only it's fat- and fishlike- and its- its- Oh. It's not a unicorn, it's a narwhal! Part of the whale family, a narwhal is easily distinguished by it's unicornlike horn. They are near threatened, no thanks to the ivory in their horns. Many people shoot and kill narwhals just for the tusk. You'd think they'd get enough from elephants!

Narwhals live in the Arctic year-round. They feed on fish and eggs, among other things, and sometimes rocks are even found in their guts from feeding near the bottom of the ocean near wintertime. How something that big can be stupid enough to ingest a rock, I don't know. But then again, my dog does the same thing, so I can't complain.

Narwhals are special in ways though. In winter, they make the deepest dives ever recorded by a sea animal, sometimes diving below 2000 feet. Guess all of those rocks in their gut help after all ... but to get back to their diving. They can stay 2000 feet below for up to 25 minutes, which doesn't include the transition up and down from the top to the bottom.

There is some interesting stories behind narwhals. Some people say they were created when a woman with the harpoon rope around her waist was dragged off to sea by the creature she caught, and transformed into a whale, and since she was wearing her hair in a twisted braid, it became the narwhals' horn. Another legend says that the horns are magical, and can cure illness. Regardless, they are still worth a TON of money.

Warthog

Warthog

And now presenting- the wild pig! Or, as we commonly know it, the warthog! This pig doesn't reside on the farm, however- it resides in sub-Saharan Africa! It is very easy to tell a warthog from a pig just by its tusks. It has 2 pairs, one on top, one on bottom. The bottom ones, more important than the top, are sharpened by grinding against the top teeth whenever the mouth opens and closes. Ouch!

Warthogs are thin, unlike their close relative, the pig. Guess that takes the fun out of saying "you pig!" when your little brother stuffs his face at the table, huh? They are light weight, and have thin fur. This makes it easier for them to stand warm weather. Their tail has no fur on it, just a little fluff at the end. The color of the fur is usually either black or brown.

Warthogs are the only pigs to cope with savanna eating. Instead of Ol' Farmer Brown's table scraps, these pigs have to rough it on whatever they can find, even bugs and eggs. Though warthogs are not territorial, they WILL defend themselves if you come to close to their den. They are like living security cameras. They even back themselves into their den so that their head faces forward, ready to awake and defend if needed.

Gestation period lasts 5-6 weeks. Before giving birth, a female warthog will completely desert her family for a new burrow, where she raises the 2-8 piglets all by herself. Warthogs have been known to take in stray piglets, especially if they have previously lost their own litter. As babies are always kept nearby, warthogs never run when there is danger around.

Bull

Bulls are the male version of cows. They play a large role in supplying beef and milk. Bulls, as males usually are, are very strong and are bigger than the female, the cow. Their bones are typically larger and thicker. They have a very strong neck, which upholds their big horns.

Being big helps them herd the females, as that is often their job. Most people make the common mistake at bullfighting games that it is the color red that angers the bull and signals it to charge. This, however, isn't true, as the bull is color blind like the rest of animals. It is actually the movement of the cape and/or flag that triggers the bull.

A copper ring is usually inserted in the bulls' nose to help keep it under control. The rings is then tied to a bull staff, which is almost always used in handling bulls. One magazine states:  "Handle [the bull] with a staff and take no chances. The gentle bull, not the vicious one, most often kills or maims his keeper". 
*Taken from Wikipedia, no copywrite infringement intended
Bulls have held a place of significance in human culture since before the beginning of recorded history. They appear in cave paintings estimated to be up to 17,000 years old. The mythic Bull of the Heavens plays a role in the ancient Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, dating as far back as 2150 BC. The importance of the bull is reflected in its appearance in the zodiac as Taurus, and its numerous appearances in mythology, where it is often associated with fertility. In Hinduism, a bull named Nandi, usually depicted seated, is worshipped as the vehicle of the god Shiva. Symbolically, the bull appears commonly in heraldry, and, in modern times, as a mascot for both amateur and professional sports teams.

Poodle (canis lupis familiaris)

Poodles are show dogs. Though they are bred water dogs, they typically stay out of water. They easily are trained to do fancy tricks, like agility courses, jumping through hoops, etc. It has also been named best in show 2 years at the World Dog Show in 2007 and 2010.

Many poodles look very different. This is so because they, unlike other dogs, come in a few sizes: Miniature, Toy, and Standard. They also come in just about any realistic dog color you can think of ( Not pink ). They are mischievous dogs, and when they are bored tend to cause trouble. This is not good, as they are described as tempered, highly energetic dogs.

Some poodles can live up to 20 years. The oldest poodle there was died on August 26th, 1937. She was aged 28 years old. WOW. Pretty old, huh? The different death rates have been measured, and the three things that mostly kill poodles are cancer, old age, and cardiac disease. In toy and miniature poodles, the 2 main killers were old age and kidney failure.

Poodles are the least concerned with dog allergies. They often need to be bathed because of their coat, and this removes excess hair and allergens.  Many dogs have been bred with poodles to produce new breeds. These include: The goldendoodle, labradoodle, schnoodle, and pekepoos.

Liger ( Panthera Tiglon )

Liger ... or panthera tiglon!



What do you get when you mix a tiger with a lion?  A liger, of course! A liger is born when you mix a male lion with a tigress.  Ligers take their swimming skills from their mother, the tigress, and take socialism from their father, the lion. They tend to be bigger than either parent, and a male liger in India was reported to be about 800 pounds.

 The oldest recorded liger was 24 years old when she died. A rare species of liger can be produced by mating a lion with a liger. It is called a litigon.  The largest liger on record was over 1000 pounds when he died. It's horrible to think of how big the parents were, huh? If they were average sized, they probably lived their life in fear of their baby- I mean, 1000 pounds is huge!

Another rare breed of liger can be produced by mating an albino tiger and lion together. Sometimes this creates a liger without stripes, just plain white. Usually, a liger takes after its mom with the white underbelly and faint stripes. It occasionally gets rosettes from its dad. It depends on genes on if it gets a mane or not. 

Hyena

Hyenas are wild dogs. They are relatively small though. Their midsections are very small with short hind legs, and have a very decided hump on their back. They have a much wolf-like build. Spotted and striped hyenas are very different. Striped hyenas, or brown hyenas, will fake death when attacked by a lion, dingo, etc. However, spotted hyenas will attack viciously and defend themselves.

Striped and spotted hyenas are different in mating too. The striped hyena, the father, will leave after his cubs are born. He takes no part in raising them. However, the spotted hyena dad sticks around and helps the mom take care of the kids. There IS one thing that they both don't do- neither of the hyena moms regurgitate food for their young ones.

Hyenas have been known to have been man-killers ever since they were discovered, dating back B.C. Human hair has been found inside fossilized hyenas, and they have been known to attack people. Hyenas have a weird way of knowing who is weak in defense, who is sick- because this last paragraph explains that:

Hyena victims tend to usually be women, young children, and sick people. In one case, just 2 hyenas managed to kill 27 people in one spree. In another, 19 children 4 years old and under were killed. And also, in a 6-week spree, 9 other children were thought to be killed and taken away by hyenas. You definitely  don't want to cross paths with these guys when they're in a mood!!!

Chipmunk

Chipmunk

Chipmunks are a small type of squirrel. They can be found living all over the world and are very common. They are omnivores, and eat nuts, berries, insects, and at times, young mice. Various assortments of food are carried back to the nest using handy cheek pouches.

There are two types of chipmunk, the larder hoarders and the scatter hoarders. Larder hoarders tend to stay in their nest all winter, while scatter hoarders go out in the winter to gather food, as they tend to eat a lot throughout the winter.

Chipmunks usually breed in early spring, and then again in early summer. They manage to produce 2 litters of about 5 young each year. The young are able to leave the burrow when they are about 6 weeks old and go out on their own independently at about 8 weeks.

While the chipmunk serves as prey for many hawks and owls, it is also a predator. It eats a lot of birds eggs when it is able to, and also eats a lot of weeds, making it easier for new plants to grow. It also eats harmful fungi that grow in the woods and pollutes air.

Northern Cardinal

Male Cardinal

Female Cardinal

When you think of a cardinal, you think of a happy, friendly, and very red bird. This is a wrong vision. Only the males have a beautiful red coat to fluff about. Females are left with a disgusting brownish-red color. Males use their beautiful color to attract females on to their territory, where they then sing. Males are very terrotorial, and use their loud voice to warn animals and humans when they are coming too close.

Tests have been done showing that a cardinal gets its color from what it eats. When fed red food, it's glow increases, and when fed yellow food, it becomes pale. Cardinals are sadly endangered because of their eggs. The eggs are at high risk, with many predators stealing them to eat. Even chipmunks will go after eggs to eat in the winter.

Mostly, cardinals eat grain and seed and fruit, but on occasion it will eat beetles, and other small bugs. When a pair of cardinals become mates, they stay mates for life. Sometimes, during nesting, the male cardinal will bring food to the female cardinal to help her, as she has to guard her eggs. This is almost like the ways of a penguin, only backwards. The dad, instead of the mom, goes to find food.

Crane

Crane

Cranes are the tallest flying bird recorded in the world. The smallest measure to about 3 feet, while the largest can get over 5 feet. The heaviest crane known can get to over 20 pounds. Cranes are long legged and long necked, and while cranes do not typically differ in appearance, a male is mostly a little bigger than a female.

The way a crane behaves is determined by what time of season it is. If it is mating season, cranes are very territorial and stay on territory at almost all times, protecting breeding ground. However, as soon as mating season is over, they are very social birds that hang around in large flocks, almost always with each other.

A special and little known fact about the crane is that it is one of the five animals of Kenpo karate. It represents grace and balance, as it is graceful and balanced in real life. There is a form named after it, and it involves lots of balance. There are two types of karate cranes: Graceful Cranes ( Like myself, fluent, graceful, and rarely stumbling,) and Wrecking Cranes ( Much like my Dad, who has a blown out knee and can barely stand on one leg).

Cranes eat a large variety of food, much depending on whats available to them at the time. For the cranes that are on land, there is a large variety of bugs, small rodents, berries, plants, and fruit. For water dwelling cranes, their main food is fish, small amphibians, and marsh plants.

Blue Jay

Blue Jay

The blue jay can be found across the world, in various different ranges. It is seldom found in dense woods, as it prefers mixed trees, especially beeches and oaks. The blue jay's unique color, like other blue tinted birds, is due to the alignment of the feathers and light. If a feather was somehow crushed, it would no longer be blue.

Blue jays commonly look for shelled food, as it is easier to carry in their beaks and store for later. After collecting a nice store, a blue jay will peck at the shell of usually a nut or acorn until it cracks. Mating season take place from March to July, and usually a large tree or bush is the place for the nest. The nest consists of twigs, mosses, grasses, and bits of trash collected, usually clumped together with mud.

Baby blue jays are sometimes called fledglings. The family of blue jays will stick close by each other until the next winter comes, and then they will separate so as not to  fight over the hard to find winter food. A blue jay makes a large variety of sounds. Some blue jays, if around humans enough, learn to mimic human sounds.

The blue jays is the mascot of many colleges and schools, and even a sports team called the Toronto Bluejays. It is also the provincial bird of Prince Edward Island.

Bat

Bat

Bats take up 20% of all classified mammals in the world. The smallest bat on record is barely an inch long, while the largest bat on record can get up to over 1 foot. They are commonly mistaken as flying rodents, but are in fact mammals. Most bats are plant and bug eaters, while the only carnivorous one is the vampire bat.

Bats, while not blind, have very poor sight, and use sound waves to move. They have very thin wings, much lighter than those of birds, allowing them to move more fluently and more accurately than birds. ( Hence the reason that birds are more commonly known to crash into cars, yet you rarely hear of a tale where the bat has a crash landing.)

Many hawks and falcons hunt bats, and many are killed. In winter months, bats retreat to caves and hibernate for six months. They are also seldom known to fly in the rain, as it disrupts the sound waves and pushes them down due to their light wings.

While the female bats can have up to 3-4 litters a season, the bat population rate grows slowly due to slow advancement. Megabats leave their parents and become independent at the age of four months, while regular bats are independent at the age of 6 weeks.

The Gliding Frog

The gliding frog, much like the flying squirrel, can glide using it's flappy body as a parachute. Mother Nature gave these creature almost suction cups on the end of each of their toes, allowing them to climb up to the top of trees and glide from heights of about 5 feet. Not much to you and me, but to a small amphibian, quite a distance!

Gliding Frog

The gliding frog is a picky chooser when it comes to trying to find a good tree for a nest of eggs. It usually chooses one overhanging a swamp or marsh, where the babies can fall into the water and begin their life after hatching. The way of a gliding frog's egg hatching is very strange. The mother, after laying her egg, mashes it up with her feet till it looks like beaten egg whites, and the babies are born from that case of gel.

A different species of gliding frog can be found in Southeast Asia, but the true gliding frog is only found in the forests of Java, were it can feast on grasshoppers and other small insects.

Lammergeier ( Accipitridae )

The lammergier hunts in the high mountains of Europe, Africa, and Tibet, and is sometimes called the bearded eagle because of its short black beak. It is accused of things it doesn't do, such as flying away with babies, attacking people, and stealing cattle. What it does do is drop bones down on rocks, not for fun, but to get its food. It eats the bone marrow from inside cracked bones. The lammergier is not a killer; it seeks out bones that other animals have left behind.

The bird is scarce. In Paris there are only a few pairs left. The female only lays one egg, so population chances are decreasing. These may be the next thing to die out! If the female does happen to lay 2 eggs, she usually eats the second, as she lays them in winter. She knows that there will barely be enough food for the first baby, which will not be able to leave the nest for 3 months. The second egg will be eaten to give her nourishment.

Among other legends about the lammergier, excusing the lies about the child-killing, there is another faous legend: A Greek playwright by the name of Aeschylus was said to have been killed by a large turtle falling from the sky after an eagle mistook Aeschylus' head for a stone to crack the turtle shell on. If this event did take place, it is likely that the lammergier was the "eagle".

Badger ( Mustelidae )

The perfect example of the stinky clean- the badger. It digs its burrow, much like the other species in its family. But unlike the other species, the badger becomes the neat freak. It drags mosses, leaves, sticks, etc. into its burrow and transforms them into a cozy nest. It gets its waste cleaned out once a day, as well as changing its bed.

The smelly part of the badger comes from the musk gland, which all members of its family have. The badger is a nocturnal creature, that spends the day in its burrow with its family, or even families, only venturing out at night.  It is omnivorous, and eats roots, grasses, berries, small rodents, and even an occasional snake or two.

These creatures can be found all over the world, most commonly in Europe and Asia. The American and Chinese badgers differ in weight. The American badger typically stays at about 20-24 pounds, while the Chinese badger weighs in at about 40 pounds.

The Flying Squirrel ( Scuiridae )

The amazing animal hoax- the flying squirrel! This squirrel hardly "flies". What the "flying" squirrel does is leap from treetops, and as it falls, opens itself up like a parachute, slowing its fall and allowing it to land safely. Its tail acts as the controller and emergency brake for the squirrel, which has been known to fall from over 165 foot high trees. Kids, don't try this at home!

The flying squirrel eats mostly nuts, fruits, and small insects. It builds its nest inside dried out coconut shells. There is usually 2-4 young in one litter, and the lifespan is usually 11-13 years, unless they are caught by a bird or animal of prey. The mating season for these squirrels is from February to March. When the babies are born, they have no fur except whiskers, and the internal organs are visible through the skin. This makes their sex easy to determine.

The Emu ( Dromaiidae )

This bird is wanted- dead or alive! In Australia, these birds are hunted down for money. Why, you might ask? Because these vegetarian birds eat all the crops, trample fences, and wreak  havoc in general for town's folk. This bird, after being killed so frequently, is finally mostly in only the eastern, uninhabited part of the island.

These birds are flightless, and other than the ostrich, are some of the largest birds in the world. Also like the ostrich, this bird is flightless. They run along the ground, sometimes reaching 30 mph. The emus travel in clusters of three to six, and pair off for mating season, usually lasting from February to April.

Instead of the mother caring for the babies, the father is usually the one to take care of the chicks when they are born. The mating process is not interrupted by captivity, and emus are often bought and bred by people. They make good pets.

Gazelle ( Artiodactyla )

These animals don't need the " No Hunting" signs- they're rarely touched anyway. The natives of Africa believe that the gazelle are relatives of their camels, and that if they harm the gazelle, their camels will die and they will not get the transportation they need. The gazelle lives in Eastern Africa, and is built with a giraffe like neck.

The gazelle feeds on acacia leaves, which are found on trees. To reach the trees, the gazelles stand on their hind legs to eat the most tender, succulent leaves it can find. Like the other desert antelopes, it does not need large quantities of water, as it draws what it needs to survive from the leaves it eats. The gazelles travel in large groups, mostly made up out of females.

Pictures of gazelles have been found inside ancient Egyptian tombs dating back to 5600 B.C., suggesting that the gazelle may be one of the older creatures that survived.

Snapping Turtle ( Chelonia )

The snapping turtle's face matches it's temper perfectly- snappy and harmful! It attacks anything that disturbs it, and can snap a broom handle in half with one bite. These turtles are found in North America, and prefer calm, muddy water to live in. Maybe this contributes to their mood- if I had to live in muddy water, I'd be pretty crabby too!

These nasty turtles eat fish and waterfowl, and are very snappy. They should never be handled without extreme caution. The way a snapping turtle lures food to itself is it attracts them with it's long, pink, wormlike tongue. Then, the fish automatically think "food", and get eaten promptly.

The turtle, unlike most, raises itself up like an alligator. It will lay it's eggs far away from the water. The baby turtles find their way to water by the sky.

Anchovy ( Engaulidae )

What's the first thought that pops into your head when you hear the word anchovy? Most likely a disgusting fish that is used as an unworthy pizza topping. But you forget one little thing- these are real fish. They once swam in the ocean and lived normal lives like us. And their lives purpose is to ruin perfectly good pizza!!! But despite their tiny size, these fish have brains. When they sense danger, most likely a hungry tuna wanting lunch ( not pizza, just fish, ) they clam into a tight ball instead of scattering to hide. This preserves the anchovies on the inside of the ball.

Anchovies live in schools of thousands. Being so small, you'd wonder what they eat. These tiny rotten pizza toppings live off of plankton, which they consume by always leaving their mouth open. When plankton is scarce, they take turns leading the school, so each fish gets a chance to eat.

In the spring, anchovies come to the very top of the water to migrate to their spawning place. They can be found in many oceans all over the world. Unless it is springtime, they are usually deep water fish.

Boa Constrictor ( Boidae )

The boa constrictor is the perfect example of the gentle monster. While you may think that it is a vicious beast that swallows things in one gulp, but it isn't. It is usually a calm beast, and it isn't venomous in the least. It almost never attacks man. These are only stories. The boa constrictor actually flees when man comes near it, and only can really grow up to be about ten feet in length.

The boa constrictor does not eat things 5 times it's size in one gulp, and in fact, it's diet consists mostly of small birds, lizards, and small mammals. The boa constrictor attacks by creeping up on it's prey, and then, when the prey doesn't suspect a thing, it wraps itself around it's preys' body until it cannot breath and is suffocated. Then, it eats the animal headfirst and slowly digests it, taking a long time, sometimes even a week.

As the constrictor doesn't use a lot of energy, it can go for a long, long time without any food. The snake is commonly found in the treetops of the South American forests. If it feels threatened, it will flee slowly. It flees at about 1/3 of a mile per hour. Maybe that's why they get caught so frequently!

King Cobra ( Ophiophagus hannah )

The king cobra- it's the king for a reason! The largest and most venomous snake in the world, it can grow to be up to 16.5'. It typically eats its own kind- snakes, even if they are poisonous. It sinks it's venom into their flesh and swallows them whole. This isn't the snake you want to find in your garden!

The cobra, though it may be the king, has very poor eyesight. It detects its victims by flicking its tongue out to catch scents in the air. It fangs are razor-sharp, and they pierce the skin, injecting it with venom. This comes in handy when attacking other poisonous snakes.

This snake can be found in Southern Asia, lurking in bamboo shelters as protection. It attacks like this:
1. Snake is slithering along in the grass.
2. It slithers its tongue out.
3. It catches whiff of another snake nearby.
4. Using its poor eyesight, it goes next to the other snake.
5. The snake coils up.
6. ATTACK!!!! The snake lunges towards the neck of the other snake.
7. The venom slowly kills the snake, who is devoured in one chomp. Oh, it's good to be king!

Great White Shark ( Carcharodon carcharias )

The great white shark- one fish you don't want to find at the end of your line! If you do, it's likely the end of the line for you. This predator can kill it's unsuspecting prey with one ugly chomp, making it almost unstoppable. It is the only shark breed known to eat warm-blooded animals. When it sees a dolphin swimming by, it's automatic thought is kill. It swims underneath the creature, and then swims straight up to take a bite out of it's underside.

The great white might not seem it, but it is actually a very picky animal. It will take a small bite and eat while it waits for the animal to die, and if it likes the taste, it will return to the body for more. If it doesn't, however, the shark will leave the body and look for some other snack.

The shark's teeth are large and razor sharp. When the old teeth get bored in and dull, new sharper teeth replace them. The new teeth, unlike ours, pop up behind the old teeth, making the shark double dangerous. The sharks can be found in almost all the oceans of the world, over than the antarctic.

Bald Eagle ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus )

The bald eagle- not bald, but covered with feathers! So, why is this fluffy bird called bald? Well, the eagle is called bald not because it is bald- but because the white head makes it look bald against all those black feathers! It has been the national bird of the U.S. for a long time, standing for freedom, power, and majesty.

When a female eagle has babies, usually only 2 eggs are born. Feeding is a constant job, and if not enough food is provided, the stronger chick will kill it's own sibling. So much for brotherly love! The female eagle is always heavier than the male, so as to help protect herself. She will catch fish and bring it back to her hungry babies, who devour the food.

The eagle can be seen lots of places, but can be found in large groups in Alaska when the salmon go upstream to spawn and die. Then, it's feast day. But when winter comes, the bald eagle has a tough time surviving. The birds and fish it usually eats are gone, and scraps and small insects become an important part of its diet for staying alive.

Hippo ( Hippopotomas Amphibius )

Hippo .... or hippopotamus amphibius!

The word hippo comes from the name water horse in greek ..... Yet I think these critters look more like water pigs than horses! These animals can survive in both land and water, and it's gravity allows it to sink to the bottom of rivers and walk along the bottom. It's no surprise that they sink; they are among the largest living animals! The only things that out-weigh it are whales and elephants.

While the hippo has webbed feet and can swim, it is not a particularly good swimmer. It is rarely found in deep water, as it cannot float either. As it is so big, the hippo does not often feel threatened, but when he does, you'll know it. When a hippo gets worried, it opens it's mouth all the way. Hippos usually travel in pods of up to one hundred, so chances of attack are slim.

Female hippos are able to start breeding at about 3 years old, while males are usually about 7. When a female gets pregnant,  she gives birth underwater- one of the few animals to do this. The baby usually weighs about 60-110 pounds. Hippos are very aggressive, especially when their babies are near. They fight by biting each other with their massive jaws. They can be found in Africa, Tanzania, and Zambia. 

Sea Turtle ( Dermochelyidae )

Sea Turtle .... or dermochelyidae!

Ever heard of the sea creature that will never die? No? The sea turtle is known to be able to live up to 80 years old. 80 years!  Don't get one of these for a pet, because it just might out live you! Since turtles have such a long life, you figure they could produce hundreds of kids. But the truth is, it takes decades until a sea turtle is mature enough to have babies! When the turtle finally does mature, the mating takes place in the sea, but strangely, the birth doesn't. At night, the mother turtle will crawl onto a nearby beach, search for suitable sand, and dig a 2 foot deep hole to bury her eggs in! Then, she leaves her babies, who will have to tend to themselves when they hatch.

Though it is illegal to hunt sea turtles in most countries, some people still hunt them for their shell, but mainly for food. In Japan and China, the flippers are good for making leather products, such as shoes, handbags, etc. Turtles are kept safe not only because they are nice to watch, but because they have immunity to a jellyfish sting and often eat them, making waters safer for tourists.

Lots of campaigns have been held against hunting and killing sea turtles, as they are an endangered species. Signs are put up on beaches that say: Sea Turtle Nest, Watch Your Step. Fishing and netting is sometimes restricted because of the sea turtles. They can be found in every ocean in the world other than the Antarctic.

Giant Otter

Giant Otter

Introducing the largest and most powerful otter.... the giant otter! These carnivorous creatures inhabit the waters of the Amazon Jungle. They usually stick to medium sized fish for their diet, but some otters have been daring enough to attack and defeat a 30 foot long anaconda. The otter has gigantic webbed paws, much like a dog's, at the end of short, stubby legs. It has a flattened tail to help it swim the fast and twisting waters of the Amazon. 

Like everything else about it, the otter has a very loud voice. It is thought to be the loudest sound of all otters. There's no mistaking this guy for a normal otter! While some giant otters are aggressive, some are as playful as puppies. But in a snap, they can turn back to being aggressive. This behavior has earned them the nickname " water wolves".

The otters are group animals, and travel in packs from 2-20. A typical pack consists of three-eight members. They feed, sleep, bathe, and swim together. Its teeth are hard enough to crack a crab's shell, which they frequently do to get the crab hiding on the inside.