recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Indian Brown Mongoose

The **Indian brown mongoose** (Herpestes fuscus) looks similar to the short-tailed mongoose from Southeast Asia and is sometimes believed to be only a subspecies of this latter. The Indian brown mongoose is found in southwest India and Sri Lanka.

## Description

The Indian brown mongoose appears large compared to the other mongoose species in southern Western Ghats. This species has a dark brown body and its legs are noticeably in black color. The tail length is two third of its body length and more furry than that of the small Indian mongoose. A pointed tail and fur beneath the hind leg help to distinguish this species from others. The Indian brown mongoose is nocturnal in nature, prefers to live in isolation, and maintains its habitats in dense forests. When ready to breed, Indian brown mongooses burrow in densely-packed rocks and produce two to three young.

## Distribution

In South India, it is found from 700 to 1,300 m from Virajpet in south Coorg and Ooty in the Nilgiri hills, Tiger Shola in the Palni hills, High Wavy Mountains in Madurai, Kalakad-Mundanthurai in Agasthyamalai hills, Valparai plateau in the Anamalai hills, and Peeramedu in Kerala. This species has also been introduced on Fiji, in the island Viti Levu during the 1970s. Here it lives in sympathy with the similar Herpestes auropunctatus and his ecological impacts are currently unknown, although it is suspected that native prey are affected, as it frequently happens on islands invaded by alien carnivores.
Roe Deer

The small, elegant roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) is reddish brown in colour during summer but becomes grey, pale brown or even black in winter. The tail is very small and there is a large white rump patch, which becomes less obvious or even absent during winter. Males are larger than females and have short antlers, usually with three points. The antlers are shed from October to January, and the new pair, which begins to grow immediately are covered in 'velvet', furred skin that supplies blood to the growing antlers. Young roe deer (called 'kids') have spotted coats for the first six weeks of life.

## Biology

Roe deer can be active throughout the 24-hour period, but the main peaks of activity occur at dawn and dusk. They are either solitary or occur in small mixed groups, and in winter large groups may form to feed together. They have a broad diet, which varies depending on the time of year, and includes the leaves of deciduous shrubs and trees, cereals, weeds, acorns, fungi, conifers and ferns.

The breeding season or 'rut' occurs from mid-July to mid-August. During this time, males (bucks) become highly aggressive and defend their territories vigorously. Fights between males often ensue, two males lock antlers and push and twist; these fights can cause serious injuries and even death. The winning buck may then mate with a female; courtship involves the buck chasing the female (doe) for some time until she is ready to mate. Although mating occurs in August, the fertilised egg does not start to develop until the end of December or early January; the roe deer is the only hoofed animal to have this 'delayed implantation, which is thought to be an adaptation to prevent births occurring during the harsh winter. Between one and three kids are produced in May and June, but twins are very common. The young are left alone during the day for the first six weeks of life; their spotted coats help to camouflage them, although mortality from predation can still be high. After this time they stay by their mother's side. Both sexes disperse, but females tend to stay closer to their mother's range than males. Sexual maturity is typically reached at around 14 months of age.

## Range and Habitat

This species is native to Scotland but was reintroduced to the rest of the UK during the 19th century after it became extinct in the 18th century. Today the roe deer occurs throughout Scotland, and has a wide distribution in England with the exception of east Kent and the Midlands. In Wales they are fairly rare, and they are absent from Northern Ireland. This species also occurs throughout most of Europe. Typically occur in open, deciduous, mixed or coniferous woodlands. Roe deer also inhabit moorland, and suburbs with large gardens.

## Diet

They feed mainly on grass, leaves, berries, and young shoots. They particularly like very young, tender grass with a high moisture content, i.e., grass that has received rain the day before. Roe deer will not generally venture into a field that has had or has livestock (sheep, cattle) in it because the livestock make the grass unclean.
Foxes

Foxes are mammals they look like dogs they live in north and Europe they like forest they also live in cities are desserts they eat mice birds and rabbits they eat fruit and garbage they have big ears to ear prey they have enemies called coyotes and bears they live in dens so they can sleep they use their tails to cover their bodies so they keep them warm they from in a cartoon like ma cli bo but not from the milky and shake show meet the animals like red fox on 53 do you know foxes are cute
Hookers Sea Lion

The Hooker's sea lion (Phocarctos hookeri), also known as New Zealand sea lion, and whakahao in Māori, is a species of sea lion that primarily breeds on New Zealand's subantarctic Auckland and Campbell islands and to some extent around the coast of New Zealand's South and Stewart islands. The New Zealand sea lion numbers around 10,000 and is perhaps the world's rarest sea lion species. They are the only species of the genus Phocarctos.

New Zealand sea lions are one of the largest New Zealand animals. Like all otariids, they have marked sexual dimorphism; adult males are 240–350 cm long and weigh 320–450 kg and adult females are 180–200 cm long and weigh 90–165 kg. At birth, pups are 70–100 cm long and weigh 7–8 kg; the natal pelage is a thick coat of dark brown hair that becomes dark gray with cream markings on the top of the head, nose, tail and at the base of the flippers. Adult females' coats vary from buff to creamy grey with darker pigmentation around the muzzle and the flippers. Adult males are blackish-brown with a well-developed black mane of coarse hair reaching the shoulders. New Zealand sea lions are strongly philopatric.
Spotted Thick-Knee

The **spotted thick-knee** (*Burhinus capensis*) also known as the **spotted dikkop** or **Cape thick-knee**, is a wader in the family Burhinidae. It is native to tropical regions of central and southern Africa.

The spotted thick-knee, which can reach up to 45.5 cm (17.9 in) in height, has long legs and brown-and-white speckled plumage which provides camouflage, making it difficult to spot the bird in the grasslands and savannas  where it roams. Its head is large and round with a prominent yellow eye and a short, stout beak. When in flight or standing in a characteristic position with its wings raised, it shows a striking contrasting pattern. Its legs are long and yellow and the tibiotarsal joint is expanded, giving it the name "thick-knee".

## Behavior

The spotted thick-knee is nocturnal and squats on the ground during the daytime, making it difficult to spot. It hunts exclusively on the ground, feeding on insects, small mammals and lizards.

## Breeding

It nests on the ground, lining a scrape with grasses, feathers, pebbles and twigs. The female typically lays two eggs, and males and females rear the offspring together, with both bringing food back to the nest. The birds will defend the nest and adopt a defensive pose with wings spread and tail cocked and will even peck an intruder. Sometimes they will fake injuries to lead predators away from the nest.

## Distribution

The spotted thick-knee is native to the grasslands and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa. Its range extends from Senegal, Mali and Mauritania in the west to Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa in the east and south.
Monkeys

***Monkeys*** are primates like us Humans, they're Also a type of mammal. they live all over the world including Africa, Asia, Central, and South America, they eat nuts, leaves, insects, flowers, and fruit, like bananas and figs. They have lots of predators like the leopard, eagles, tigers, lions, and crocodiles. They're a smart animal in some episodes of "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" like "Goofy's Coconutty Monkey" and the "Little Einsteins" episode, "The Song of the Unicorn". Most monkeys live up in the trees like the Vervet, just like the ones from "Tinga Tinga Tales".

## Different Types of Monkey

### Old World Monkeys

* Allen's Swamp Monkey
* Angolan Talapoin
* Gabon Talapoin
* Gabon Talapoin
* Green Monkey
* Grivet
* Bale Mountains vervet
* tantalus monkey
* Vervet Monkey
* Malbrouck
* Dryas Monkey
* Blue Monkey
* Golden Monkey
* Hamadryas Baboon
* Olive Baboon
* Mandrill
* Yellow Baboon
* Guinea Baboon
* Gelada Baboon
* Lion-Tailed Macaque

### New World Monkeys

* Common Marmoset
* Black-Tufted Marmoset
* Wied's Marmoset
* White-Headed Marmoset
* Golden Lion Tamarin
* Saddle-Back Tamarin
* Emperor Tamarin
Rhinoceros Hornbill

The **rhinoceros hornbill** (*Buceros rhinoceros*) is a large species of forest hornbill (Bucerotidae). In captivity it can live for up to 35 years. It is found in lowland and montane, tropical and subtropical climates and in mountain rain forests up to 1,400 metres in Borneo, Sumatra, Java, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore, and southern Thailand.

The rhinoceros hornbill is the state bird of the Malaysian state of Sarawak and the country's National Bird. Some Dayak people, especially the Ibanic groups, believe it to be the chief of worldly birds or the supreme worldly bird, and its statue is used to welcome the god of the augural birds, Sengalang Burong, to the feasts and celebrations of humankind. Contrary to some misunderstandings, the rhinoceros hornbill does not represent their war god, who is represented in this world by the brahminy kite.

## Description

The rhinoceros hornbill is a large arboreal hornbill, 80 to 90 cm (31–35 in) long. The weight varies by sex, with males weighing around 2,465 to 2,960 g (87.0–104.4 oz) and the females 2,040 to 2,330 g (72–82 oz). The plumage is predominately black, with white legs and vent and a white tail with a black band. The huge bill and casque are orange and red, the colour coming from preen oil rubbed on from the preen gland above the tail. The eyes of the male are red with black rims, and white with red rims in the female.

## Behavior

### **Diet and Feeding**

The diet of the rhinoceros hornbill is dominated by fruit, but it will take any insect, small reptile, rodent, and smaller birds that it can catch.

### **Breeding**

Rhinoceros Hornbills (like other hornbills) practice one of the most ingenious nesting rituals of any bird. When the female is ready to lay her eggs, she goes into a hollow tree cavity and helps the male seal the entrance with a paste made of fruit, mud, and feces. The pair leaves only a small slit, through which the male feeds the female (and later the chicks) for the next four to five months. The female keeps the inside of the nest cavity clean by pushing uneaten food and fecal matter back out through the same slit. When the chicks are about three months old, the female breaks herself out -- and both parents and offspring collaborate to re-seal the chicks inside for another three months. Both parents continue to care for the chicks until they are old enough to break out of the nest on their own and fly free.
Lion's Mane Jellyfish

The **Lion’s Mane Jellyfish** cannot be missed in the open ocean where it prefers to float about. With tentacles up to 120 feet long, some individuals even rival in size the Blue Whale, the largest animal in the world. Most lion’s mane jellyfish live in the Arctic and North Pacific Ocean from Alaska to Washington where the waters are cool. Its ‘mane’ of long, hair-like tentacles hanging from the underside of its bell-shaped body is the inspiration behind the lion mane’s common name. The mouth is situated on the bell’s underside, surrounded by tentacles that are divided into eight clusters of up to 150 tentacles each. These tentacles are equipped with nematocysts containing poison that stun prey when they are enveloped. The top of the bell is usually dark yellow or red in color and thick in the center, but thins out towards the edges. The lion’s mane jellyfish also possess bioluminescent abilities, meaning it’s able to produce its own light and glow in the dark underwater.

Using the powerful sting of its tentacles, the lion’s mane jellyfish catches small fishes, tiny crustaceans and even other jellyfish to satisfy its diet. Lion’s mane jellyfish are continual swimmers that can cover great distances when strong marine currents are present, and while most individuals prefer to swim solo, large swarms occasionally occur when storms and tides are prevalent. The lion’s mane jellyfish breeds in March and early May via external fertilization. Larvae will settle on the seabed and develop into polyps that eventually grow into jellyfish within 30-40 days.

Scientific research has suggested that jellyfish actually thrive in areas that are affected by human activity. Overfishing, climate change and pollution have helped promote more frequent jellyfish swarms while reducing the jellies’ main predators and competitors and increasing their prey. These factors have created a favorable environment for this species, and few threats are known to the lion’s main jellyfish or other jellies.
Short-Beaked Echidna

Sometimes called the spiny anteater, the short-beaked echidna (pronounced e-kid-nuh) measures 30-45 cm (13.5-17.5 in.) long and weighs 2-5 kg (6.5-14.5 lb.). Although it resembles a porcupine or hedgehog, closer inspection of the echidna reveals some of the animal’s more unusual traits.

Echidnas are monotremes, or mammals that lay eggs. They have a lower body temperature than other mammals, maintaining temperatures around 31-32° C (87.8-89.6° F). Similar to reptiles, their legs protrude outwards and then downwards, resulting in a waddling effect when they walk.

Two types of fur cover their body. A coat of short, coarse hair insulates echidnas from the cold, while longer hairs act as spines, protecting them from predators. Their sharp, creamy-colored spines are 50 mm (2 in.) in length and are composed of keratin, the same material that makes up our fingernails.

## Diet

The echidna is specially-adapted to hunt its prey, such as ants, termites, grubs, larvae, and worms. It has a pointy snout that can sense electrical signals from insect bodies. Once it detects its prey, the echidna uses its long, sharp claws and short, sturdy limbs to dig into the soil and expose the invertebrates. It finishes the deed by licking them up with its long, sticky tongue. Echidnas do not have teeth, but they do have horny pads in their mouths and on the back of their tongues which grind the prey.

## Range and Habitat

Short-beaked echidnas are found all over Australia and southern New Guinea, in contrast to long-beaked echidnas, which reside only in the highlands of New Guinea. Limited only by an insufficient supply of ants or termites, short-beaked echidnas live in a range of climates and habitats. They are able to find shelter in rocks and fallen trees.

## Life Style

When confronted by predators, such as goannas (large Australian monitor lizards), dingoes, foxes, feral cats, dogs, eagles, and Tasmanian devils (which even eat the spines), the echidna employs several tactics for defense. On hard surfaces, they may run away or curl into a ball exposing only the spines. In other cases, they may dig into the soil or wedge themselves into a crevice or log, again only exposing the spines.

Echidnas are largely solitary creatures and only convene to mate. Mating season spans from July to August. A few weeks after mating, the female echidna digs a burrow and lays one soft, leathery egg into a temporary ‘pouch’, which she makes by a folding a section of her lower abdomen skin. After 10 days, a blind, hairless baby echidna (known as a puggle) hatches and attaches itself to a milk patch inside the pouch. For the next 8-12 weeks, the puggle nurses inside the pouch until it develops spines. At this point, the puggle must vacate the pouch, but it still stays in the burrow for the next 6 months and continues to nurse.

## Conservation Status

The IUCN Red List lists the short-beaked echidna as a species of least concern. Although short-beaked echidnas are considered common and widespread, they are protected by law in Australia. Threats include road accidents, bush fires, and droughts.
Snowy Owl

The ghostlike snowy owl has unmistakable white plumage that echoes its Arctic origins. These large owls breed on the Arctic tundra, where females lay a clutch of 3 to 11 eggs. Clutch size depends upon the availability of food, and in particularly lean times a usually monogamous pair of owls may not breed at all. Parents are territorial and will defend their nests against all comers—even wolves. Young owls, especially males, get whiter as they get older. Females are darker than males, with dusky spotting, and never become totally white. Some elderly males do become completely white, though many retain small flecks of dusky plumage.

**Range**

Snowy owls nest in the Arctic tundra of the northernmost stretches of Alaska, Canada, and Eurasia. They winter south through Canada and northern Eurasia, with irruptions occurring further south in some years. Snowy owls are attracted to open areas like coastal dunes and prairies that appear somewhat similar to tundra. They have been reported as far south as the American states of Texas, Georgia, the American Gulf states, southernmost Russia, and northern China. In the Late Pleistocene the range expanded southward to Bulgaria (80,000–16,000 years, Kozarnika Cave, W Bulgaria).

**Hunting and Diet**

The snowy owl is a patient hunter that perches and waits to identify its prey before soaring off in pursuit. Snowy owls have keen eyesight and great hearing, which can help them find prey that is invisible under thick vegetation or snowcover. The owls deftly snatch their quarry with their sharp talons. A snowy owl's preferred meal is lemmings—many lemmings. An adult may eat more than 1,600 lemmings a year, or three to five every day. The birds supplement their diet with rabbits, rodents, birds, and fish.

**Migration**

These magnificent owls sometimes remain year-round in their northern breeding grounds, but they are frequent migrants to Canada, the northern United States, Europe, and Asia. Lemming availability may determine the extent of southern migration, when owls take up summer residence on open fields, marshes, and beaches.

## Gallery

Snowy Owl Taking OffSnowy Owl Sitting on PowerlineSnowy Owl with Mouth AgapeSnowy Owl in TreeSnowy Owl sitting on top Fence PostMother Owl with OwletsOwls Mate for LifeOwl with Dead RodentSnowy Owl FamilyWild KrattsTinkerbell: Secret of the WingsLegend of the GuardiansThe Penguins of Madagascar
Opossum

The **opossum**, makes up the largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, including 103 or more species in

    19 genera. Of South American ancestry, they entered North America following the connection of the two continents. Their unspecialized biology, flexible diet, and reproductive habits make them successful colonizers and survivors in diverse locations and conditions.

There are more than 60 different species of opossum, which are often called possums. The most notable is the Virginia opossum or common opossum—the only marsupial (pouched mammal) found in the United States and Canada. A female opossum gives birth to helpless young as tiny as honeybees. Babies immediately crawl into the mother's pouch, where they continue to develop. As they get larger, they will go in and out of the pouch and sometimes ride on the mother's back as she hunts for food. Opossums may give birth to as many as 20 babies in a litter, but fewer than half of them survive. Some never even make it as far as the pouch.

Opossums are scavengers, and they often visit human homes or settlements to raid garbage cans, dumpsters, and other containers. They are attracted to carrion and can often be spotted near roadkill. Opossums also eat grass, nuts, and fruit. They will hunt mice, birds, insects, worms, snakes, and even chickens. These animals are most famous for "playing possum." When threatened by dogs, foxes, or bobcats, opossums sometimes flop onto their sides and lie on the ground with their eyes closed or staring fixedly into space. They extend their tongues and generally appear to be dead. This ploy may put a predator off its guard and allow the opossum an opportunity to make its escape. Most times they will growl deeply, raising their pitch as the threat becomes more urgent. Males make a clicking "smack" noise out of the side of their mouths as they wander in search of a mate, and females will sometimes repeat the sound in return. When separated or distressed, baby opossums will make a sneezing noise to signal their mother. If threatened, the baby will open its mouth and quietly hiss until the threat is gone.

Opossums are excellent tree climbers and spend much of their time aloft. They are aided in this by sharp claws, which dig into bark, and by a long prehensile (gripping) tail that can be used as an extra limb. Opossums nest in tree holes or in dens made by other animals. These animals are widespread and are sometimes hunted as food, particularly in the southern United States.

## Gallery

Mother Opossum with JoeysOpossum with RaccoonJust Hanging AroundOpossum in Tree CavityOpossum Eating Bowl of NoodlesWild KrattsBambi (1942)Gravity Falls
Sharp-Shinned Hawk

Once considered “the enemy of all small birds” (Sutton 1928a), the Sharp-shinned Hawk is a small, slender, feisty accipiter, with short, rounded wings and a long, narrow tail.The tail tends to be square-tipped and may show a notch at the tip. Females are considerably larger than males. Although small mammals and even insects appear in its diet, this forest-dwelling predator feeds almost entirely on small birds.

Sharp-shinned Hawks are widely dispersed and seldom-seen nesters that breed mainly in large stands of deciduous, coniferous, and mixed pine-hardwood forests and pine plantations. In temperate areas, nesting coincides with the annual peak in songbird abundance. The species' secretive nature and the dense vegetation of its nesting habitat make it difficult to find and study during the breeding season. The early stages of nesting, in particular, are little studied. The bird is best seen, and most frequently studied, on migration, when large numbers of individuals concentrate along major migratory corridors and bottlenecks, particularly in the East.

As is true of many members of the genus, the Sharp-shinned Hawk has especially long middle toes and large eyes, useful attributes for catching highly mobile prey. The species is the most sexually dimorphic of all North American raptors, with males averaging only 57% of the body mass of females (Snyder and Wiley 1976).

**Color Pattern**

Adults are slaty blue-gray above, with narrow, horizontal red-orange bars on the breast. Immature birds are mostly brown, with coarse vertical streaks on white underparts. Adults and young have broad dark bands across their long tails.
Skate

**Skates** are cartilaginous fish belonging to the family **Rajidae** in the superorder Batoidea of rays. More than 150 species have been described, in 17 genera. Softnose skates and pygmy skates were previously treated as subfamilies of Rajidae (Arhynchobatinae and Gurgesiellinae), but are now considered distinct families. Alternatively, the name "skate" is used to refer to the entire Rajiformes order (families Anacanthobatidae, Arhynchobatidae, Gurgesiellidae and Rajidae). Members of Rajidae are distinguished by their stiff snout and a rostrum that is not reduced.

## Conservation

Skates have slow growth rates and, since they mature late, low reproductive rates. As a result, skates are vulnerable to overfishing and appear to have been overfished and are suffering reduced population levels in many parts of the world. The barndoor skate, *Dipturus laevis*, is currently listed with the IUCN as vulnerable due to being severely overfished.

In 2010, Greenpeace International added the barndoor skate, bottlenose skate, and maltese skate to its seafood red list. "The Greenpeace International seafood red list is a list of fish that are commonly sold in supermarkets around the world, and which have a very high risk of being sourced from unsustainable fisheries."
Mexican Red Rump Tarantula

Red-Rump Tarantulas or *Brachypelma vagans* are members of the Arthropod phylum, which is the scientific name for animals like insects, spiders and lobsters.  They are also members of the Araneae order, which is the scientific name for spiders. Red-Rump Tarantulas are 4 or 5 inches across (including their legs) but some females can get as large as 6 inches. The males are smaller than the females. Sometimes the female spiders eat their boyfriends -- yikes!

Red-Rump Tarantula females lay about 300 eggs in a silk cocoon called an "egg sac". She keeps the egg sac in her burrow, protecting it from predators until the eggs hatch. Once they hatch, the spiderlings (baby tarantulas) leave the burrow going out to start life on their own - mom's job is done and she gets her burrow back to herself. When they are young, the spiderlings are brown. Once they are adults the males and females get red hairs on their abdomen (which is why they are called "red-rump" tarantulas). They look quite similar but the males are a little bit brighter red and the females are a bit larger.

Red-Rump Tarantulas live solitary lives, mainly in Mexico but also in some parts of Central America.  Most spiders spin webs to live on and catch prey but not tarantulas -- they live in burrows that they dig into the ground.  Like other spiders, they do spin silk from their abdomen, but they use this silk to line the inside of their burrows not to catch prey. Red-Rump Tarantulas sleep in their burrows during the day and then, at night, come out to hunt. They pounce on their prey and quickly pierce them with venomous fangs like ice-picks. They inject digestive juices into their prey that (quite quickly) turns them into a sort of soup that the spider slurps up.

When feeling threatened, the Red-Rump Tarantula rears up, raising its front legs to show off their threatening fangs. If this doesn't scare off an enemy, the next line of defense the tarantula uses is to flick itchy little hairs at the enemy using their legs. These hairs are called "urticating hairs" and grow on the tarantula's abdomen. It's very similar to what a porcupine does with its quills. The urticating hairs have a hook at the end that itches and irritates the skin and possibly eyes of the enemy. Over time, these hairs can even work themselves deeper into soft flesh.

It's interesting to note that even something the size of a human can have bad discomfort from a tarantula's urticating hairs. Red-Rump Tarantulas are often kept as pets and there have been cases where people get the hairs in their eyes which can cause extreme pain and requires an immediate visit to an eye-doctor to prevent complications. One of the most fascinating things about red-rump tarantulas is that they live for so long -- a female can live for nearly 20 years. The male's life-span is closer to 5 years (if he doesn't get eaten by one of the females before then).
Mustang

The mustang horse is the classic wild horse of the Old West. Horses originally existed in the Americas until their extinction about 10,000 years ago. It wasn't until the late 1400's and early 1500's when explorers including Columbus, brought horses back to the new world. The horses they reintroduced were Arabian and Spanish Barb horses, small, swift and tough. Explorers in the 16th century. At one point in time, about 100 years ago, there were over 2 million roaming the land throughout the United States. Since then, many people killed them in order to preserve the land for their own livestock. The number of mustang was brought down to approximately 25,000. In 1971, United States Congress passed the Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act. This act protects the horses and makes it illegal to capture or kill them. However, at times, mustang herds get too large for the land they live on to support them all. Overpopulation is prevented by the actions of the Bureau of Land Management. They periodically round up mustang and sell them. They are then tamed and used by ranchers or taken in as pets.

American mustangs can be found in every equine color variation known and in a range of sizes. Horses are measured in units called “hands.” A hand is used to measure height and denotes exactly 4 inches. The size of a mustang can range from 13 to 16 hands, with 14 hands being the average. They weigh between 700-800 pounds. The horses are very muscular and athletic, normally traveling 20 miles per day over rough terrain. Mustang’s hooves are uniquely hard and durable in comparison to domestic horses. They are able to travel in various environments without experiencing injury or wear.

Like most animals, each gender of the horse has a particular name. A full grown male is known as a “stallion,” while a grown female is known as a “mare.” A male horse under the age of 4 is called a “colt,” and a female horse the same age is called a “filly.” A horse of either sex that is between the ages of one and two is called a “yearling” and a horse less than a year old is called a “foal.”

Stallions will battle each other for breeding rights with the mare during mating season, which is from April to July. After 11 months of pregnancy, a foal is born. The newborn will immediately try to stand up, and after a couple days, can join the herd. For several years they are with the herd, but will then venture off and form a new herd. Mustangs are not fully developed or mature until about age 5. The lifespan of a wild horse is generally between 15-20 years in the wild.

## Habitat

American mustangs are mostly found in Nevada but also occupy land in Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, North Dakota, New Mexico, and California. They dwell on plains and prairies where food is plentiful. Mustangs are herbivores that feed on a variety of grasses and eat up to 6 pounds of vegetation a day. They drink from lakes or streams twice a day.
Sunda Pangolin

The Sunda pangolin is the most widely distributed species of pangolin in Southeast Asia. While its geographic range overlaps with that of the Chinese pangolin, it can be distinguished by fewer rows of scales across the back, shorter forelimb claws, and a longer more slender tail. It also leads a more arboreal lifestyle than the Chinese pangolin. Populations of pangolins in the Philippines were until recently considered to be Sunda pangolins, but are now recognized to be the distinct Philippine pangolin. Sunda pangolins have fewer scale rows across the back than the Philippine pangolin, along with larger scales and a longer head and body to tail length ratio.

## Behavior and Ecology

Pangolins give birth annually to one or two offspring. They breed in the autumn, and females give birth in the winter burrow. Den preference has been known to shift at this time to favor mature forest tree hollows. Presumably, these hollows offer more fortification and stability for the decreased mobility that comes with birthing and caring for young. The amount of time the mother will spend at any one of these dens will increase during parental care periods. Parental care is given for about three months. In these three months, the range of the mother Pangolin drastically decreases as she travels and forages with her offspring. Only a few weeks before the offspring becomes fully independent, the mother and her young can display brief spikes in diurnal activity. Pangolins are sometimes found in pairs, but normally they are solitary, nocturnal, and behave timidly. They protect their soft underparts by rolling into balls when they feel threatened. They are strong diggers and make burrows lined with vegetation for insulation near termite mounds and ant nests. The Sunda pangolin's main predators are humans, tigers, and the clouded leopard.

## Conservation

Pangolins as a genus are among the most heavily poached and exploited protected animals. Like other pangolin species, the Sunda pangolin is hunted for its skin, scales, and meat, used in clothing manufacture and traditional medicine. Scales are made into rings as charms against rheumatic fever, and meat is eaten by indigenous peoples. Despite enjoying protected status almost everywhere in its range, illegal international trade, largely driven by Chinese buyers, has led to rapidly decreasing population numbers. The Sunda pangolin is currently considered to be critically endangered. As of 2016, all pangolin species, including the Sunda pangolin, are listed by CITES in its Appendix I, which prohibits international trade in wild-caught specimens or their body parts.
Pufferfish

Biologists think pufferfish, also known as blowfish, developed their famous “inflatability” because their slow, somewhat clumsy swimming style makes them vulnerable to predators. In lieu of escape, pufferfish use their highly elastic stomachs and the ability to quickly ingest huge amounts of water (and even air when necessary) to turn themselves into a virtually inedible ball several times their normal size. Some species also have spines on their skin to make them even less palatable.

## Pufferfish Toxins

A predator that manages to snag a puffer before it inflates won’t feel lucky for long. Almost all pufferfish contain tetrodotoxin, a substance that makes them foul tasting and often lethal to fish. To humans, tetrodotoxin is deadly, up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. There is enough toxin in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote. Amazingly, the meat of some pufferfish is considered a delicacy. Called *fugu* in Japan, it is extremely expensive and only prepared by trained, licensed chefs who know that one bad cut means almost certain death for a customer. In fact, many such deaths occur annually.

## Population

There are more than 120 species of pufferfish worldwide. Most are found in tropical and subtropical ocean waters, but some species live in brackish and even fresh water. They have long, tapered bodies with bulbous heads. Some wear wild markings and colors to advertise their toxicity, while others have more muted or cryptic coloring to blend in with their environment. They range in size from the 1-inch-long (2.5-centimeter-long) dwarf or pygmy puffer to the freshwater giant puffer, which can grow to more than 2 feet (61 centimeters) in length. They are scaleless fish and usually have rough to spiky skin. All have four teeth that are fused together into a beak-like form.

The diet of the pufferfish includes mostly invertebrates and algae. Large specimens will even crack open and eat clams, mussels, and shellfish with their hard beaks. Poisonous puffers are believed to synthesize their deadly toxin from the bacteria in the animals they eat. Some species of pufferfish are considered vulnerable due to pollution, habitat loss, and overfishing, but most populations are considered stable.
Sun Bear

The reclusive sun bear, smallest member of the bear family, lives an insular life in the dense lowland forests of Southeast Asia. Found from southern China to eastern India and as far south as Indonesia, sun bears, also called Malayan sun bears, take their name from the bib-shaped golden or white patch on their chest, which legend says represents the rising sun. They have a stocky, muscular build, small ears, and a short muzzle, which has earned them the nickname “dog bear.” Their sleek, black coat is short to avoid overheating in the tropical weather but thick and coarse to provide protection from twigs, branches, and rain.

Sun bears grow to only about half the size of an American black bear. Males, slightly larger than females, are about 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and weigh up to 150 pounds (70 kilograms), a stature which suits their arboreal lifestyle and allows them to move easily through the trees. They have even been observed making sleeping platforms high above the ground out of branches and leaves.

Ironically, sun bears are nocturnal. They lumber through the forests by night, snacking on fruits, berries, roots, insects, small birds, lizards, and rodents. They have an excellent sense of smell and extremely long claws, exceeding four inches (ten centimeters) in length, which they use to rip open trees and termite nests. They also have an almost comically long tongue for extracting honey from bee nests, giving them their other nickname, “honey bear.”

Little is known about the social life of these bears, but there is some evidence that suggests they may be monogamous. Mother bears, called sows, make ground nests and give birth to one or two blind, helpless babies that weigh about 11 ounces (325 grams). Mothers have actually been observed cradling a cub in their arms while walking on their hind legs, a rare trait among bears. Cubs can move about after two months and are weaned by four months, but they remain with their mothers for two years or more.

Because of their remote habitat and shy personality, there is currently not enough data to determine if sun bears are in danger of extinction, but scientists fear the worst. Their homelands are being lost rapidly to deforestation, poachers hunt them mercilessly for body parts and fur, and some farmers kill them on site because they often eat crops such as oil palm, coconuts, and bananas. Adult females are also frequently killed so their cubs can be taken and raised as pets.

## Gallery

A Male Sun Bear in captivity at Mesker Park Zoo; Evansville Indiana.Sun Bear Sitting UpSun Bear Sticking out TongueSun Bear Resting at San Diego ZooThe Wild Thornberrys
Ring-Necked Pheasant

Ring-necked Pheasants stride across open fields and weedy roadsides in the U.S. and southern Canada. Males sport iridescent copper-and-gold plumage, a red face, and a crisp white collar; their rooster-like crowing can be heard from up to a mile away. The brown females blend in with their field habitat. Introduced to the U.S. from Asia in the 1880s, pheasants quickly became one of North America’s most popular upland game birds. Watch for them along roads or bursting into flight from brushy cover.

Because they live in tall vegetation and old fields, Ring-necked Pheasants can be hard to see even in places where they’re numerous. Keep an eye out for them running between patches of cover as you travel through agricultural areas—particularly along dirt roads where the birds often forage in weedy areas. Winter is a good time to look for Ring-necked Pheasants, when vegetation is at a minimum, crops have been harvested, and some areas have a snowy backdrop for the birds to stand out against. In spring and summer, listen and watch for males performing their calling and wing-flapping display in open areas.

## Size & Shape

Ring-necked Pheasant is a large, chicken-like bird with a long, pointed tail. It has fairly long legs, a small head, long neck, and plump body.

## Color Pattern

Male Ring-necked Pheasants are gaudy birds with red faces and an iridescent green neck with a bold white ring. The male’s very long tail is coppery with thin, black bars. Females are brown with paler scaling on the upperparts; buff or cinnamon underparts with black spotting on the sides; and thin, black bars on their tails.

## Behavior

They forage on the ground in fields, where they eat waste grain, other seeds, and insects when available. Ring-necked Pheasants usually walk or run and only occasionally resort to flying, usually when disturbed at close range by humans or other predators. Males give a loud, cackling display that can be heard over long distances.

## Habitat

Ring-necked Pheasants are birds of agricultural areas intermixed with areas of taller vegetation, which they use for cover. Look for them along rural roadsides, in overgrown or recently harvested fields, and in brushy areas and hedgerows.

## Similar Species

The brightly patterned male Ring-necked Pheasant is hard to mistake; female pheasants are browner, although their long tails give them a distinctive shape. Sharp-Tailed Grouse are smaller than female pheasants, and they have a slightly peaked crest. They have darker upperparts with white scaling, dark scaling on the chest, a white lower belly, and feathered legs. Both the Greater Prairie-Chicken and Lesser Prairie-Chicken are smaller than Ring-necked Pheasants. They have shorter tails and more strongly barred plumage.
Pink-Headed Duck

The **pink-headed duck** (*Rhodonessa caryophyllacea*) is a large diving duck that was once found in parts of the Gangetic plains of India, Bangladesh and in the riverine swamps of Myanmar but feared extinct since the 1950s. Numerous searches have failed to provide any proof of continued existence. It has been suggested that it may exist in the inaccessible swamp regions of northern Myanmar and some sight reports from that region have led to its status being declared as "Critically Endangered" rather than extinct. The genus placement has been disputed and while some have suggested that it is close to the red-crested pochard (*Netta rufina*), others have placed it in a separate genus of its own. It is unique in the pink colouration of the head combined with a dark body. A prominent wing patch and the long slender neck are features shared with the common Indian spot-billed duck. The eggs have also been held as particularly peculiar in being nearly spherical.
Otters

Otters are a type of weasel they live in the ocean they like North America and Asia they stay in water they sleep rap in Kelp so they don’t dwirt away they eat clams they use rocks to break them open they have thick fur that keeps them warm they have enemies called killer whales and sharks they use Webbet feet that helps them swim away fast they don’t form in cartoon called the milky and shake show the only one from meet the animals like 39 sea otter
Spectacled Bear

The diminutive spectacled bear makes its home in the dense Andean jungles of South America, and it has the distinction of being the continent’s only bear. Spectacled bears wear shaggy fur that is black, brown, or sometimes reddish. They are so named for the whitish to yellowish rings that encircle their eyes, resembling large eyeglasses. These lines, however, don't always fully encircle the eyes, and some individuals lack the markings altogether.

Spectacled bears, also called Andean bears, are among the smallest members of the family Ursidae. Males, which are significantly larger than females, grow over 5 feet (1.5 meters) in length and weigh up to 340 pounds (154 kilograms). Females rarely weigh more than 180 pounds (82 kilograms).

Intensely shy bears, they prefer the lush, isolated cloud forests on the slopes of the Andes, climbing as high as 14,000 feet (4,300 meters). They will descend to search for food though, and have been seen in widely differing habitats, from rain forests, to steppe lands, to coastal deserts. Spectacled bears are generally nocturnal and are primarily vegetarian, harvesting fruit, berries, cacti, and honey. Highly agile climbers, they have been known to sit in a tree for days on a platform made of broken branches, waiting for fruit to ripen. They have extremely strong jaws and wide, flat molars to chew tough vegetation such as tree bark and orchid bulbs. Occasionally they will supplement their diet with meat, taking small rodents, birds, insects, and even small cows, making them the largest carnivores in South America.

Solitary animals, mature spectacled bears are normally seen together only during mating season. Females usually give birth to one or two small, helpless cubs, which are mobile after a month, but remain with the mother for up to eight months, often hitching a ride on the mother’s back.

Population data are sketchy, but some estimates suggest fewer than 3,000 spectacled bears may remain in the wild today. Their numbers suffer primarily from destruction and fragmentation of their habitat. Poachers also hunt them for their meat and body parts, and farmers kill them as agricultural pests. They are currently listed as vulnerable to extinction.

## Gallery

Spectacled Bear at St. Louis ZooSpectacled Bear CubsSpectacled Bear in NestSpectacled Bears MatingA Rare Golden Spectacled BearGo! Diego! Go!
Radiated-Tortoise

The radiated tortoise (*Astrochelys radiata*) of Madagascar is one of the most attractive of all the tortoises. The high-domed, dark carapace is marked by brilliant yellow lines that radiate from the centre of each plate and create this tortoise's distinctive pattern. As individuals age, the dark pigment in the shell fades, producing a lighter coloured shell. The legs, feet and blunt-shaped head are also yellow in colour with the exception of a dark patch on the top of the head. Males can be distinguished by their longer tails and a notch in the under shell (plastron), below the tail. Juveniles are black and off-white when they hatch, but quickly develop the adult's striking coloration.

## Biology

Males reach sexual maturity once they have attained a carapace length of around 30 cm. Rival males will fight during the breeding season and attempt to roll one another onto their backs. They initiate courtship by a head-bobbing display and smelling the female's hind legs. This is followed by energetic circling and butting of the female's carapace. Once mating has occurred, the female lays her clutch of 3–12 eggs in a nest dug into the ground. Eggs are laid at the end of the wet season, between February and April, and hatch after 10 months or more. Hatchlings emerge within a few weeks of one another at the onset of the next rains, in November or December. Radiated tortoises graze on vegetation such as leaves and grasses, flowers, fruit and cacti. During much of the year dead leaves also make up a substantial part of their diet.

### **Reproduction**

Males first mate upon attaining lengths of about 12 in (31 cm); females may need to be a few inches longer. The male begins this fairly noisy procedure by bobbing his head and smelling the female's hind legs and cloaca. In some cases, the male may lift the female up with the front edge of his shell to keep her from moving away.

The male then proceeds to mount the female from the rear while striking the anal region of his plastron against the female’s carapace. Hissing and grunting by the male during mating is common. This is a very dangerous procedure and cases have been recorded where the female's shell has cracked and pierced the vaginal and anal cavities. Females lay from three to 12 eggs in a previously excavated hole 6-8 in (15–20 cm) deep, and then depart. Incubation is quite long in this species, lasting usually between five and eight months. Juveniles are between 1.25 and 1.6 inches (3.2 to 4 cm) upon hatching. Unlike the yellow coloration of the adults, the juveniles are a white to an off-white shade. Juveniles attain the high-domed carapace soon after hatching.

## Range and Distribution

Radiated tortoises occur naturally only in the extreme southern and southwestern part of the island of Madagascar. They have also been introduced to the nearby island of Reunion. They prefer dry regions of brush, thorn (Diderae) forests, and woodlands of southern Madagascar.