recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Baboon

There are five different species of baboons. All of them live in Africa or Arabia. Baboons are some of the world's largest monkeys, and males of different species average from 33 to 82 pounds. Baboon bodies are 20 to 40 inches long, not including substantial tails of varying lengths.

Baboons generally prefer savanna and other semi-arid habitats, though a few live in tropical forests.

Like other Old World monkeys, baboons do not have prehensile (gripping) tails. But they can and do climb trees to sleep, eat, or look out for trouble. They spend much of their time on the ground.

## Diet

Baboons are opportunistic eaters and, fond of crops, become destructive pests to many African farmers. They eat fruits, grasses, seeds, bark, and roots, but also have a taste for meat. They eat birds, rodents, and even the young of larger mammals, such as antelopes and sheep.

## Population

Four baboon species (i.e., chacma, olive, yellow, and Guinea) are known as the savanna baboons. These animals form large troops, composed of dozens or even hundreds of baboons, governed by a complex hierarchy that fascinates scientists. Males use shows of physical power to dominate rivals, and troop members spend endless hours carefully grooming one another to remove insects and dead skin.

A fifth species, the hamadryas baboon, lives in the hills along the Red Sea coasts of Africa and Arabia. These cliff-dwelling baboons disperse to forage during the day and reconvene in much smaller groups at night.
Red-Eyed Tree Frog

Many scientists believe the red-eyed tree frog developed its vivid scarlet peepers to shock predators into at least briefly questioning their meal choice.

## Colorful Adaptations

These iconic rain-forest amphibians sleep by day stuck to leaf-bottoms with their eyes closed and body markings covered. When disturbed, they flash their bulging red eyes and reveal their huge, webbed orange feet and bright blue-and-yellow flanks. This technique, called startle coloration, may give a bird or snake pause, offering a precious instant for the frog to spring to safety.

Their neon-green bodies may play a similar role in thwarting predators. Many of the animals that eat red-eyed tree frogs are nocturnal hunters that use keen eyesight to find prey. The shocking colors of this frog may over-stimulate a predator's eyes, creating a confusing ghost image that remains behind as the frog jumps away.

## Range and Habitat

Red-eyed tree frogs, despite their conspicuous coloration, are not venomous. They are found in tropical lowlands from southern Mexico, throughout Central America, and in northern South America. Nocturnal carnivores, they hide in the rain forest canopy and ambush crickets, flies, and moths with their long, sticky tongues.

Red-eyed tree frogs are not endangered. But their habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate, and their highly recognizable image is often used to promote the cause of saving the world's rain forests.
Eastern Bluebird

There are three species of these colorful North American birds. Eastern and western bluebirds have a reddish brown breast, which contrasts with their predominately blue plumage. Their relative, the (male) mountain bluebird is entirely blue.

## Bluebird Species

Eastern bluebirds are primarily found east of the Rockies, and range from Canada to Mexico and Honduras. They are much admired for their lovely coloring and for a distinctive song that many hear as “chur-lee, chur-lee.” The eastern bluebird is the state bird of both New York and Missouri.

Western bluebirds are found west of the Rocky Mountains from Canada to Mexico. The mountain bluebird also inhabits much of western North America - often at elevations above 7,000 feet.

## Diet

Bluebirds eat small fruits and hunt insects, spiders, and other creatures from above. The birds perch, watch, and then swoop to the ground to pounce on their prey.

## Reproduction

Pairs mate in spring and summer, when they construct small, bowl-shaped nests. Females lay four or five eggs and incubate them for about two weeks. Young remain in the nest, cared for by both parents, for an additional 15 to 20 days. Bluebirds often have two broods in a season. Sometimes, a young bluebird from the first brood will remain in the nest and assist its parents in caring for the second.

## Migration and Population

Bluebirds living in higher latitudes may head south if food becomes scarce or temperatures too cold. Mountain bluebirds typically migrate to lower elevations during the same lean seasons.

Bluebirds are considered fairly common, but their numbers have declined substantially during the last century. Populations have been given a boost by the birdhouse boxes that have become popular in many parks and backyards.
Great Horned Owl

The great horned owl is the most common owl of the Americas, easily recognizable because of the feather tufts on its head. These “plumicorns” resemble horns or, to some, catlike ears.

## Habitat

Great horned owls are adaptable birds and live from the Arctic to South America. They are at home in suburbia as well as in woods and farmlands. Northern populations migrate in winter, but most live permanently in more temperate climes.

## Parenting

The birds nest in tree holes, stumps, caves, or in the abandoned nests of other large birds. Monogamous pairs have one to five eggs (two is typical), both the male and female incubate, and the male also hunts for food. Owls are powerful birds and fiercely protective parents. They have even been known to attack humans who wander too close to their young.

## Feeding and Hunting

Like other owls, these birds have an incredible digestive system. They sometimes swallow their prey whole and later regurgitate pellets composed of bone, fur, and the other unwanted parts of their meal. Owls are efficient nighttime hunters that strike from above, and use their powerful talons to kill and carry animals several times heavier than themselves. Owls prey on a huge variety of creatures, including raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, domestic birds, falcons, and other owls. They regularly eat skunks, and may be the only animal with such an appetite. They sometimes hunt for smaller game by standing or walking along the ground. Owls have even been known to prey upon unlucky cats and dogs.

## Vocalizations

Great horned owls are largely nocturnal so they can be difficult to spot. But in the dark after sunset, or just before dawn, they can often be heard vocalizing with their well known series of “Hoo H'hoos!”
Ocean and Coastline

## What kind of habitats are oceans and coastlines?

Most people know what an ocean is, although there are many people around the world who have never seen one. But despite how they look, oceans are not one uniform type of habitat. The location and depth of an ocean affects the light, pressure, temperature, and available nutrients, and that determines what can live there. Most of the ocean is actually like a desert, with few resources for animals and plants to live on. But there are areas in the open ocean where underwater vents or volcanoes release minerals and gases that can support life. Then there are the coastlines, the areas of land that surround the oceans, which release nutrients from the land into the sea and provide a suitable habitat for a wide variety of animals and plants.

## Beautiful view, but a tough place to live

Coastlines only make up about 8 percent of the Earth’s land, but they have about 26 percent of all biological diversity. This world of seabirds, clams, crabs, starfish, anemones, fish, kelp, and marine mammals, among many others, is a beautiful place with many different types of plants and animal communities. Yet it can be a harsh and difficult place as well, battered by waves, soaked in salty sea spray, and constantly changed by tides and erosion. Coastlines are usually divided into rocky, sandy, or muddy, and each type supports its own ecosystems.

## On the move having it all

Unlike some of the animals that inhabit oceans and coastlines, birds, fish, turtles, and marine mammals can travel, some for long distances, to take advantage of the best temperatures, light, and food available. The migrations of the gray whale and the leatherback sea turtle, for example, are impressive, and the speed and distance that dolphins can travel is quite a feat.
Desert

## What is a desert?

Deserts are hot, dry places made up mostly of sand, rock, and mountains. In general, deserts are defined as areas where more water evaporates in the air than falls to the ground as rain. Now that's hot!

Temperatures can be as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius) in some deserts, but because there is no cloud cover to keep warmth in, deserts can also get very cold at night, with temperatures as low as -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) in places. Deserts can also be very windy, which can stir up violent sandstorms. Examples of deserts are the Namib and Kalahari deserts in Africa, the Arabian Desert in the Arabian Peninsula, the Great Victoria Desert in Australia, and the Mojave and Sonora deserts in the U.S.

## Life in the desert

Even in these harsh and forbidding conditions, few deserts are completely barren. There are plants and animals that have adapted to survive in this habitat. Plants often have thin, tough leaves or succulent stems (like cactus) to store water, and some remain dormant during dry times, only coming to life when one of the brief rainstorms comes along. Animals survive by living underground or resting in burrows during the heat of the day. Some creatures get the moisture they need from their food, so they don’t need to drink much water, if any. Others live along the edges of deserts, where there are more plants and shelter.
Narwhal

The narwhal is the unicorn of the sea, a pale-colored porpoise found in Arctic coastal waters and rivers.

## Narwhal Tusks

These legendary animals have two teeth. In males, the more prominent tooth grows into a swordlike, spiral tusk up to 8.8 feet long. The ivory tusk tooth grows right through the narwhal's upper lip. Scientists are not certain of the tusk's purpose, but some believe it is prominent in mating rituals, perhaps used to impress females or to battle rival suitors. Females sometimes grow a small tusk of their own, but it does not become as prominent as the male's.

## Group Travel

Narwhals are related to bottlenose dolphins, belugas, harbor porpoises, and orcas. Like some other porpoises, they travel in groups and feed on fish, shrimp, squid, and other aquatic fare. They are often sighted swimming in groups of 15 to 20, but gatherings of hundreds—or even several thousand—narwhals have been reported. Sometimes these groups become trapped by shifting pack ice and fall victim to Inuit hunters, polar bears, or walruses.

Inuit people hunt the narwhal for their long tusks and their skin, an important source of vitamin C in the traditional Arctic diet.
Eric Carle

Eric Carle, recognized for his most famous work, ‘The very Hungry Caterpillar’, is a beloved children’s book author. He was born on 25th June 1929 in Syracuse, New York in a German immigrant family. His proud work ‘The very Hungry Caterpillar’ published in 1969, has earned him much love from millions of children all over the world. It has been translated in at least 50 languages and sold over 33 million copies. After his great success in 1969 Eric Carle has published more than seventy books many of which are best sellers also written by him. Over 103 million copies of his books have been sold around the globe till yet.

In mid 1929 his family moved back to Germany when he was six years old. He had his early education in Stuttgart and graduated from the Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart. During World War II, when Eric was 15, he was enrolled by the German Government to dig trenches on the Siegfried line; a memory Eric never really liked to recall. He once told a reporter that his wife thinks that he still suffers from post traumatic stress from those days. During his time in Germany, Eric recalls, he was always homesick and dreamt of his return one day to the land of his happiest childhood memories, America. In 1952 he did finally returned to New York with only 40 U.S dollars in his pocket. His first recruitment in New York was with promotion department of The New York Times as a graphic designer. He was then enrolled in U.S Army during Korean War as mail clerk. Upon his return from war he joined an advertising agency as art director.

His first break through which truly began his career struck when Bill Martin Jr. a renowned author and educator asked him to illustrate a story after noticing an illustration of a red lobster Carle created for an advertisement. The store Brown Bear Brown Bear what do you see? came out as best seller and encouraged by this success Carle was soon writing and illustrating his own stories. His first book was ‘1,2,3, to the zoo’.

In 2002, with the assistance of his wife Barbara Carle, he founded The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art dedicated to children’s book art. The museum is located adjacent to the campus of Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. It is regarded as the first full scale museum devoted to national and international picture book art in the United States. Since its inauguration in 2002, the museum has hosted 325,000 visitors.

Carle receives hundreds of letters from his young admirers every week which is because of his intuitive understanding of child psychology. In his writing, Carle says that he attempts to address children’s feelings, thoughts and emotions, as well as inspire their intellectual growth. One of the reasons of his success, apart from his innovative and unique art work, is that his readers tend to relate their life and experiences with his stories.

In 2009, Google paid tribute to Carle and The very hungry Caterpillar by requesting him to design their logo. Currently Carle resides at Northampton, Massachusetts with his wife a son and a daughter.
Rock Pigeon

This highly variable city pigeon is familiar to all urban dwellers. Multicolored birds were developed over centuries of near domestication. Polytypic (12 ssp.; nominate in North America.). Length 12.5".

## Identification

A medium-size compact pigeon with long wings and a short tail. Birds most closely resembling their wild ancestors are gray with head and neck darker than back, and a prominent white rump. Black tips on the greater coverts and secondaries form bold black bars on inner wing, and there is a broad black terminal band on the tail. Adult male: metallic green and purple iridescence on the neck and breast; iris orange to red; orbital skin blue-gray; bill grayish black; and feet dark red. Adult female: like male, but iridescence on neck and breast more restricted and subdued. Juvenile: generally browner, lacks iridescence; orbital skin and feet gray.

## Status and Distribution

The rock pigeon was introduced from Europe by early settlers; it is now widespread and common throughout the United States and southern Canada, particularly in urban settings. Gregarious and forming large flocks, it feeds on handouts and grains during the day in city parks and open fields; roosts on buildings at night. Flocks or otherwise displaced pigeons can be found far from civilization. Breeding: nest is loosely constructed of twigs and leaves, primarily on structures such as window ledges, bridges, and in barns; has 2 white eggs.

## Population

Primarily associated with human development and dependent on people for food and shelter.
Roadrunner

## Description

Greater roadrunners are about 2 feet tall with long, thin legs. They have mottled brown and tan feathers. The tail is long and sticks out to help the roadrunner balance when standing and running.

Roadrunners have a crest at the top of the head that can puff up when the bird is trying to communicate with other roadrunners.

With speeds upwards of 25 miles per hour, roadrunners definitely earn their name!  They are quick on the ground without loosing their ability to fly.  Roadrunners will fly short distances to perch on branches, posts and rocks.

Roadrunners call with a series of "coo" sounds.

   Roadrunners eat mostly small living things, but they will also eat fruit and seeds if prey is scarce. Fruit comes primarily from the prickly pear cactus and sumac plants, while seeds may be foraged on the ground. Roadrunners have also been observed eating carrion, particularly on the side of the road.

Greater roadrunners eat a wide variety of food including rodents, reptiles, and insects. Due to the harsh environment of the Southwest, roadrunners will eat whatever is available. Predators of roadrunners are raccoons, hawks and of course, coyotes!

## Range

Look for greater roadrunners year-round in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California. They can be seen in deserts, brush and grasslands on the ground or sitting on low perches, such as fences.

## Fun Fact

Roadrunners like to sunbathe. They will ruffle their back feathers to allow for sunlight to warm the skin below.
Brazil

One of the world’s most captivating places, Brazil is South America’s giant, a dazzling country of powdery white-sand beaches, pristine rain forests and wild, rhythm-filled metropolises. Brazil’s attractions extend from enchanting, frozen-in-time colonial towns to dramatic landscapes of red-rock canyons, thundering waterfalls and idyllic tropical islands. Add to that, Brazil’s biodiversity: legendary in scope, its diverse ecosystems boast the greatest collection of plant and animal species found anywhere on earth.

Brazil offers big adventures for travellers with budgets large and small. There’s horseback riding in the Pantanal, kayaking flooded forests in the Amazon, ascending rocky cliff tops to breathtaking views, whale-watching off the coast, surfing stellar breaks off palm-fringed beaches and snorkelling crystal-clear rivers or coastal reefs – all part of the great Brazilian experience.

No less entrancing is the prospect of doing nothing, aside from sinking into warm sands and soaking up a glorious stretch of beach, caipirinha – Brazil’s national cocktail – in hand.

Brazil’s most famous celebration, Carnaval, storms though the country’s cities and towns with hip-shaking samba and frevo, dazzling costumes and carefree joie de vivre, but Brazilians hardly regulate their passion for revelry to a few weeks of the year. Wherever there’s music, that carefree lust for life tends to appear – whether dancing with Cariocas at Rio’s atmospheric samba clubs or following powerful drumbeats through the streets of Salvador. There’s the dancehall forró of the Northeast, twirling carimbó of the Amazon, scratch-skilled DJs of São Paulo and an endless variety of regional sounds that extends from the back-country sertanejo to reggae-loving Maranhão.

With so much going for them, it’s no wonder that Brazilians say ‘Deus e Brasileiro’ (God is Brazilian). How else to explain the treasure chest of natural and cultural riches sprinkled all across the country?
Eastern Gray Kangaroo

Eastern gray kangaroos roam the forests of Australia and Tasmania and prefer to live among the trees, though they do take to open grasslands for grazing.

Gray kangaroos, red kangaroos, and wallaroos are called the great kangaroos because they are so much larger than the nearly 70 other kinds of kangaroos.

## Hopping and Speed

Eastern gray kangaroos hop along on their powerful hind legs and do so at great speed. An eastern gray kangaroos can reach speeds of over 35 miles an hour and travel for long distances at 15 miles an hour. Their bounding gate allows them to cover 25 feet in a single leap and to jump 6 feet high.

## Reproduction

Females have one baby at a time, which at birth is smaller than a cherry. The infant immediately climbs into its mother's pouch and does not emerge for two months. Until they reach about 10 or 11 months of age, threatened young kangaroos, called joeys, will quickly dive for the safety of mom's pouch. As they grow, joeys' heads and feet can often be seen hanging out of the pouch.

## Kangaroo "Boxing"

Larger male kangaroos are powerfully built. Like many species, male kangaroos sometimes fight over potential mates. They often lean back on their sturdy tail and “box” each other with their strong hind legs. Kangaroos can also bite and wield sharp claws, which they may do in battle with an enemy, such as a dingo.

## Threats to Population

Eastern gray kangaroos gather in groups called “mobs.” Aboriginal and European Australians have spent centuries clearing open tracts of land and establishing water sources—both of which are boons to kangaroo populations. Many millions of these animals roam Australia, and considerable numbers are killed each year for their skins and meat, which is becoming a more popular human food.
Humpback Whale

Humpback whales are found in every ocean in the world. Their Latin name, *Megaptera novaeangliae*, means "big wing of New England." It refers to their giant pectoral fins, which can grow up to 16 feet long, and their appearance off the coast of New England, where European whalers first encountered them. They have dark backs, light bellies, pleats on their throats, and a small hump in front of their dorsal fin, leading to the common name of "humpback."

## Whale Songs

Humpback whales are known for their magical songs, which travel for great distances through the world's oceans. These sequences of moans, howls, cries, and other noises are quite complex and often continue for hours on end. Scientists are studying these sounds to decipher their meaning. It is most likely that humpbacks sing to communicate with others and to attract potential mates. Humpback calves are known to "whisper" to their mothers.

## Behavior and Parenting

These whales are found near coastlines, feeding on tiny shrimp-like krill, plankton, and small fish. Humpbacks migrate annually from summer feeding grounds near the poles to warmer winter breeding waters closer to the Equator. Mothers and their young swim close together, often touching one another with their flippers with what appear to be gestures of affection. Females nurse their calves for almost a year, though it takes far longer than that for a humpback whale to reach full adulthood. Calves do not stop growing until they are ten years old.

## Swimming, Breaching, and Displays

Humpbacks are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fin, called a fluke, to propel themselves through the water and sometimes completely out of it. These whales, like others, regularly leap from the water, landing with a tremendous splash. Scientists aren't sure if this breaching behavior serves some purpose, such as cleaning pests from the whale's skin, or whether whales simply do it for fun. A favorite of whale watchers, they also slap the water with their flukes and pectoral fins, rise nose-first out of the water (called "spy hopping"), and do peduncle throws, a behavior unique to this species in which they raise their entire rear torso and tail out of the water, twist, and slam their lower half down onto the ocean surface. Rarer displays include flapping their fins like wings and occasionally gathering in "super groups" of as many as 200, though scientists don't know why.

## Conservation

Humpback whale numbers were severely reduced before the 1985 ban on commercial whaling, but the numbers in many population groups have since improved. Today, the biggest threats to humpback whales are collisions with ships and entanglement in fishing gear.
Velociraptor

Recent research suggests that *Velociraptor mongoliensis* was a feathered dinosaur. A forelimb fossil discovered in Mongolia showed quill knobs like those found in many modern birds. These telltale features are evidence of where ligaments attached flight feathers to bone and are considered proof that *Velociraptor* sported a fine feathery coat.

The dinosaur's plumage may have been used for mating or other visual displays, similar to how modern birds use their colorful feathers, or to help regulate body temperature. The feathers might also have helped females protect their eggs.

*Velociraptor* highlights many of the numerous similarities between dinosaurs and birds, which go far beyond the skin-deep appearance of feathers. Like birds, *Velociraptor* had hollow bones, tended nests of eggs, and probably behaved in similar ways.

Despite their birdlike plumage these dinosaurs were not fliers. Their short forelimbs made liftoff impossible, though they may be the evolutionary remnants of an ancient ancestor's flight-giving wings.

*Velociraptor* was probably one of the more intelligent dinosaurs, because it had a large brain proportionate to its body size. It was formidable on land and, as the name suggests, almost certainly covered ground quickly. Moving upright on two legs, they may have been able to reach speeds of 24 miles an hour (39 kilometers an hour).

When they caught up to prey, these predators likely brought them down quickly with a long, 3.5-inch (9-centimeter) retractable claw on each foot and a mouth full of sharp teeth. *Velociraptor* is known to have preyed on herbivores such as *Protoceratops*. One famous fossil immortalized the two species locked in an ancient duel to the death.
Walrus

The mustached and long-tusked walrus is most often found near the Arctic Circle, lying on the ice with hundreds of companions. These marine mammals are extremely sociable, prone to loudly bellowing and snorting at one another, but are aggressive during mating season. With wrinkled brown and pink hides, walruses are distinguished by their long white tusks, grizzly whiskers, flat flipper, and bodies full of blubber.

## Walrus Tusks

Walruses use their iconic long tusks for a variety of reasons, each of which makes their lives in the Arctic a bit easier. They use them to haul their enormous bodies out of frigid waters, thus their “tooth-walking” label, and to break breathing holes into ice from below. Their tusks, which are found on both males and females, can extend to about three feet, and are, in fact, large canine teeth, which grow throughout their lives. Male walruses, or bulls, also employ their tusks aggressively to maintain territory and, during mating season, to protect their harems of females, or cows.

## Arctic Adaptations

The walrus' other characteristic features are equally useful. As their favorite meals, particularly shellfish, are found near the dark ocean floor, walruses use their extremely sensitive whiskers, called mustacial vibrissae, as detection devices. Their blubbery bodies allow them to live comfortably in the Arctic region - walruses are capable of slowing their heartbeats in order to withstand the polar temperatures of the surrounding waters.

## Atlantic and Pacific Subspecies

The two subspecies of walrus are divided geographically. Atlantic walruses inhabit coastal areas from northeastern Canada to Greenland, while Pacific walruses inhabit the northern seas off Russia and Alaska, migrating seasonally from their southern range in the Bering Sea - where they are found on the pack ice in winter - to the Chukchi Sea. Female Pacific walruses give birth to calves during the spring migration north.

## Historic Overhunting

Only Native Americans are currently allowed to hunt walruses, as the species' survival was threatened by past overhunting. Their tusks, oil, skin, and meat were so sought after in the 18th and 19th centuries that the walrus was hunted to extinction in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and around Sable Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia.
United States of America

The great American experience is about so many things: bluegrass and beaches, snow-covered peaks and redwood forests, restaurant-loving cities and big open skies.

## On the Road Again

This is a country of road trips and great open skies, where four million miles of highways lead past red-rock deserts, below towering mountain peaks, and across fertile wheat fields that roll off toward the horizon. The sun-bleached hillsides of the Great Plains, the lush rainforests of the Pacific Northwest and the scenic country lanes of New England are a few fine starting points for the great American road trip.

## Food-Loving Nation

On one evening in the US, thick barbecue ribs and smoked brisket come piping hot at a Texas roadhouse, while talented chefs blend organic produce with Asian accents at award-winning West Coast restaurants. Locals get their fix of bagels and lox at a century-old deli in Manhattan's Upper West Side, and several states away, plump pancakes and fried eggs disappear under the clatter of cutlery at a 1950s-style diner. Steaming plates of fresh lobster served off a Maine pier, oysters and champagne in a fashion-forward wine bar in California, beer and pizza at a Midwestern pub – these are just a few ways to dine à la Americana.

## Cultural Behemoth

The USA has made tremendous contributions to the arts. Georgia O'Keeffe's wild landscapes, Robert Rauschenberg's surreal collages, Alexander Calder's elegant mobiles and Jackson Pollock's drip paintings have entered the vernacular of 20th-century art. Chicago and New York have become veritable drawing boards for the great architects of the modern era. And from the soulful blues born in the Mississippi Delta to the bluegrass of Appalachia and Detroit's Motown sound – plus jazz, funk, hip-hop, country, and rock and roll – America has invented sounds integral to modern music.

## Bright Lights, Big Cities

America is the birthplace of LA, Las Vegas, Chicago, Miami, Boston and New York City – each a brimming metropolis whose name alone conjures a million different notions of culture, cuisine and entertainment. Look more closely, and the American quilt unfurls in all its surprising variety: the eclectic music scene of Austin, the easygoing charms of antebellum Savannah, the ecoconsciousness of free-spirited Portland, the magnificent waterfront of San Francisco, and the captivating old quarters of New Orleans, still rising up from its waterlogged ashes.

## Why I Love the USA

By Regis St Louis, Author

When it comes to travel, America has always floored me with its staggering range of possibilities. Not many other countries have so much natural beauty – mountains, beaches, rainforest, deserts, canyons, glaciers – coupled with fascinating cities to explore, an unrivaled music scene and all the things that make travel so rewarding (friendly locals, great restaurants and farmers markets, and a burgeoning microbrewery scene). I love living in a place where I don't need a car (Brooklyn), but there's nothing quite like getting out on the open road and exploring the unsung wonders and hidden corners of this inspiring country.
Killer Whale

Orcas, or killer whales, are the largest of the dolphins and one of the world's most powerful predators. They feast on marine mammals such as seals, sea lions, and even whales, employing teeth that can be four inches long. They are known to grab seals right off the ice. They also eat fish, squid, and seabirds.

## Hunting and Communication

Though they often frequent cold, coastal waters, orcas can be found from the polar regions to the Equator.

Orcas hunt in deadly pods, family groups of up to 40 individuals. There appear to be both resident and transient pod populations of orcas. These different groups may prey on different animals and use different techniques to catch them. Resident pods tend to prefer fish, while transient pods target marine mammals. All pods use effective, cooperative hunting techniques that some liken to the behavior of wolf packs.

Whales make a wide variety of communicative sounds, and each pod has distinctive noises that its members will recognize even at a distance. They use echolocation to communicate and hunt, making sounds that travel underwater until they encounter objects, then bounce back, revealing their location, size, and shape.

## Reproduction and Conservation

Orcas are protective of their young, and other adolescent females often assist the mother in caring for them. Mothers give birth every three to ten years, after a 17-month pregnancy.

Orcas are immediately recognizable by their distinctive black-and-white coloring and are the intelligent, trainable stars of many aquarium shows. Orcas have never been extensively hunted by humans.
Nurse Shark

The scientific name for the nurse shark sounds like something Bilbo Baggins might have said to summon elves to his rescue: *Ginglymostoma cirratum*. Actually the name is a mix of Greek and Latin and means "curled, hinged mouth" to describe this shark's somewhat puckered appearance.

## Etymology

The origin of the name "nurse shark" is unclear. It may come from the sucking sound they make when hunting for prey in the sand, which vaguely resembles that of a nursing baby. Or it may derive from an archaic word, *nusse*, meaning cat shark. The most likely theory though is that the name comes from the Old English word for sea-floor shark: *hurse*.

## Characteristics

Nurse sharks are slow-moving bottom-dwellers and are, for the most part, harmless to humans. However, they can be huge—up to 14 feet—and have very strong jaws filled with thousands of tiny, serrated teeth, and will bite defensively if stepped on or bothered by divers who assume they’re docile.

They use their strong jaws to crush and eat shellfish and even coral, but prefer to dine on fish, shrimp, and squid. They are gray-brown and have distinctive tail fins that can be up to one-fourth their total length. Unlike most other sharks, nurses are smooth to the touch.

## Habitat and Range

Nurse sharks are found in the warm, shallow waters of the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific oceans. They are abundant throughout their range and have no special conservation status, although the closeness of their habit to human activities is putting pressure on the species.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart was no doubt the greatest child star that ever lived. He was traveling all over Europe playing music by the time he was six. Because of his constant travels, Mozart eventually learned to speak fifteen different languages.

He wrote his first sonata for the piano when he was four and composed his first opera when he was twelve! Mozart could compose anywhere - at meals (he loved liver dumplings and sauerkraut), while talking to friends, while playing pool and even while his wife was having a baby. He composed very quickly and wrote huge amounts of music. It would take over 8 days to play all of his music, one piece after the next, without stopping. One famous piece that he wrote was *Variations on "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."*

One night a mysterious stranger came to his door dressed in gray to hire Mozart to write a requiem mass (a piece of music that choirs perform at funerals). Mozart, who was very afraid of ghosts and extremely superstitious, was terrified of the stranger who kept nagging him to finish the piece. He was already ill, and in his state of mind he became convinced that he was writing music for his own funeral.

During his lifetime, Mozart was very well-known but spent money faster than he could earn it. He was poor and in debt when he died of kidney failure at the age of 35 and was buried in an unmarked grave. Mozart is considered by some to be the greatest composer who ever lived. While most composers specialize in certain kinds of pieces, Mozart created masterful works for almost every category of music - vocal music, concertos, chamber music, symphonies, sonatas, and opera.
White-Tailed Deer

White-tailed deer, the smallest members of the North American deer family, are found from southern Canada to South America. In the heat of summer they typically inhabit fields and meadows using clumps of broad-leaved and coniferous forests for shade. During the winter they generally keep to forests, preferring coniferous stands that provide shelter from the harsh elements.

## Breeding

Adult white-tails have reddish-brown coats in summer which fade to a duller grayish-brown in winter. Male deer, called bucks, are easily recognizable in the summer and fall by their prominent set of antlers, which are grown annually and fall off in the winter. Only the bucks grow antlers, which bear a number of tines, or sharp points. During the mating season, also called the rut, bucks fight over territory by using their antlers in sparring matches.

Female deer, called does, give birth to one to three young at a time, usually in May or June and after a gestation period of seven months. Young deer, called fawns, wear a reddish-brown coat with white spots that helps them blend in with the forest.

## Diet and Behavior

White-tailed deer are herbivores, leisurely grazing on most available plant foods. Their stomachs allow them to digest a varied diet, including leaves, twigs, fruits and nuts, grass, corn, alfalfa, and even lichens and other fungi. Occasionally venturing out in the daylight hours, white-tailed deer are primarily nocturnal or crepuscular, browsing mainly at dawn and dusk.

In the wild, white-tails, particularly the young, are preyed upon by bobcats, mountain lions, and coyotes. They use speed and agility to outrun predators, sprinting up to 30 miles per hour and leaping as high as 10 feet and as far as 30 feet in a single bound.

Although previously depleted by unrestricted hunting in the United States, strict game-management measures have helped restore the white-tailed deer population.
Groundhog

The groundhog, or woodchuck, is one of 14 species of marmots. These rodents live a feast-or-famine lifestyle and gorge themselves all summer to build up plentiful reserves of fat. After the first frost, they retreat to their underground burrows and snooze until spring, drawing their sustenance from body fat. While hibernating, the animal's heart rate plunges, and its body temperature is not much warmer than the temperature inside its burrow.

## Groundhog Day and Hibernation

Groundhog hibernation gave rise to the popular American custom of Groundhog Day, held on the second of February every year. According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather; no shadow means an early spring.

In the spring, females welcome a litter of perhaps a half dozen newborns, which stay with their mother for several months.

## Behavior

Groundhogs are the largest members of the squirrel family. Though they are usually seen on the ground, they can climb trees and are also capable swimmers. These rodents frequent the areas where woodlands meet open spaces, like fields, roads, or streams. Here they eat grasses and plants as well as fruits and tree bark. Groundhogs are the bane of many a gardener. They can decimate a plot while voraciously feeding during the summer and fall seasons.
Aardvark

Aardvarks live throughout Africa, south of the Sahara. Their name comes from South Africa's Afrikaans language and means "earth pig." A glimpse of the aardvark's body and long snout brings the pig to mind. On closer inspection, the aardvark appears to include other animal features as well. It boasts rabbit like ears and a kangaroo tail - yet the aardvark is related to none of these animals.

## Burrow Digging and Diet

Aardvarks are nocturnal. They spend the hot African afternoon holed up in cool underground burrows dug with their powerful feet and claws that resemble small spades. After sunset, aardvarks put those claws to good use in acquiring their favorite food - termites.

While foraging in grasslands and forests aardvarks, also called "antbears," may travel several miles a night in search of large, earthen termite mounds. A hungry aardvark digs through the hard shell of a promising mound with its front claws and uses its long, sticky, wormlike tongue to feast on the insects within. It can close its nostrils to keep dust and insects from invading its snout, and its thick skin protects it from bites. It uses a similar technique to raid underground ant nests.

Female aardvarks typically give birth to one newborn each year. The young remain with their mother for about six months before moving out and digging their own burrows, which can be extensive dwellings with many different openings.
Three-Toed Sloth

The sloth is the world's slowest mammal, so sedentary that algae grows on its furry coat. The plant gives it a greenish tint that is useful camouflage in the trees of its Central and South American rain forest home.

Sloths are identified by the number of long, prominent claws that they have on each front foot. There are both two-toed and three-toed sloths.

## Life in the Trees

All sloths are built for life in the treetops. They spend nearly all of their time aloft, hanging from branches with a powerful grip aided by their long claws. (Dead sloths have been known to retain their grip and remain suspended from a branch.) Sloths even sleep in trees, and they sleep a lot - some 15 to 20 hours every day. Even when awake they often remain motionless. At night they eat leaves, shoots, and fruit from the trees and get almost all of their water from juicy plants.

Sloths mate and give birth while hanging in the trees. Three-toed sloth babies are often seen clinging to their mothers - they travel by hanging on to them for the first nine months of their lives.

## Life on Land

On land, sloths' weak hind legs provide no power and their long claws are a hindrance. They must dig into the earth with their front claws and use their strong front legs to pull themselves along, dragging their bellies across the ground. If caught on land, these animals have no chance to evade predators, such as big cats, and must try to defend themselves by clawing and biting.

Though they couldn't be clumsier on land, sloths are surprisingly good swimmers. They sometimes fall directly from rain forest trees into rivers and stroke efficiently with their long arms.

## Characteristics

The three-toed sloth emits a long, high-pitched call that echoes through the forests as “ahh-eeee.” Because of this cry these sloths are sometimes called *ais* (pronounced “eyes”).

Three-toed sloths also have an advantage that few other mammals possess: They have extra neck vertebrae that allows them to turn their heads some 270 degrees.
Iskappe Town

**Iskappe Town** is located in the North of Eventyr, and is the home of Erik and Eva, the protagonists of Pokemon Biome. Professor Acacia's Lab is also located here.

This small town is accessible via the south on Route 1, which leads to Route 2 and Kyrstal City.

## Description

A small and ancient town where it often snows, with a view of the Icecap Peaks, as well as the beautiful Aurora Borealis. You can also sit by the ocean and fish or sail across.

## Places of Interest

### Professor Acacia's Lab

A fairly large lab situated in the northeast of the town. Here, you can obtain a **Starter Pokemon** of your choice from Professor Acacia.

### Player's House

This is where you and your sibling (friendly rival) live before beginning your journey. It is located in the east of the town.

### Maria's House

This is the house of your antagonistic rival, Maria. She lives in the east of the town as well, close to yours.

### Aurora House

A place dedicated for watching the Aurora Borealis, thanks to the entirely glass roof. You can also battle other trainers here if you wish.

## Demographics

Iskappe has a population of roughly 80-90 people.
Starter Pokemon

At the beginning of their journey, Trainers are given a **starter Pokémon**. This Pokémon will be used to battle the first wild Pokémon that the Trainer encounters, and the first Rival Battle.

Starter Pokemon usually have a strong bond with their Pokemon, and at their fully evolved form in Eventyr, they can unlock a special phenomenon, known as Mega Evolution.

## Starter Pokemon

In **Eventyr**, Professor Acacia will give the player a choice between Grass, Fire, and Water. Each of them begin at level 5.

(The player character not chosen) will then take the starter Pokémon that has a type disadvantage over the one the player chooses. However, (Antagonistic Rival) takes the remaining starter Pokémon, which has a type advantage over the one the player chooses.
Player Character

A **player character** is the **protagonist** of the game. Remarkably silent, the player character is the avatar of the player and it's left to the person playing to "fill in" what they imagine the character is feeling, thinking and acting which immerses the player within the world of the game. You can play as the male or female protagonist in Eventyr.

## Gameplay

The player character is a trainer native to Eventyr, who is starting out on their Pokemon Journey. They start in their hometown, Iskappe Town by obtaining a Starter Pokemon from Professor Acacia as well as a **Pokedex** to record data in.

Players can choose which of two available characters to play as. They have a rival who begins their journey at the same time as them.

Players explore Eventyr and discover and take part in many events, meeting many people and Pokemon, or they can sit back and just explore Eventyr. The main target is to defeat and conquer the Eventyr League's 8 Gym Leaders and Elite Four, and then ultimately become the Champion. Additional sidequests occur during the main game plot, as well as the post-game plot.

## Characters

In Pokemon Biome, the male player character is Erik, while the female is Eva. They are siblings and live in Iskappe Town. The character who the player does not choose to play as will become a friendly rival.
Eventyr Region Wiki

Welcome to the **Eventyr Region**, a massive region based on Norway and other parts of the Scandinavian area, filled with many places to explore, people to meet, things to do, and of course, Pokemon to meet and battle with. Choose your starter Pokemon and begin your journey through mountains to jungles, and participate in the Eventyr League. There's lots to do and you can experience quite a lot of things drawn from the Scandinavian cultures.

The Eventyr Region began in January of 2021, and was formerly known as Sekai.

## Rules

If you would like to help with this project, please ask and **DO NOT** edit pages or delete them without permission, or it will be an **automatic ban.**

People that can edit without permission:

* **Bulbasaur4ever**
* **Phaonix**
* **Iamnotchip12**

Please follow these rules when editing a page:

* Use correct spelling
* Please let the people above know what you have edited

## Explore Eventyr

* **Pokedex**
* **Starters**
* **Player Character**
* **Rival**
* **Eventyr League**
* **Bio Corporation**
* **Professor Spruce**
* **Gym Leaders**
* **Elite Four**

You can also be part of the larger Fandom family of communities. Visit Fandom's Community Central!

*Community Founders*: Write a good and paragraph-length description for your welcome section about your topic. Let your readers know what your topic is about and add some general information about it. Then you should visit the admin dashboard for more tips.
Erik

**Erik** is the canon name of the male choice for the Player Character in Pokémon Bismuth. He also serves as a rival in the game if the player chooses to play as the female character. His female counterpart is Eva.

## Role

If Erik is selected as the player character, he starts his journey in Iskappe Town in Eventyr. He is given one of the three starters of the Eventyr Region. He goes on to gather the eight Badges of Eventyr, stop the plans of Bio Corporation and conquer the Pokémon League.

If Erik is not selected as the player, he will be the player's rival and sibling. He begins his own journey at the same time as the player, receiving a starter at the same time as the player does.

## Bio

Erik is a kind-spirited boy, who enjoys adventure and battling. His signature Pokemon is the starter weak to yours, which he cherishes quite a lot.
Eva

**Eva** is the canon name of the female choice for the Player Character in Pokémon Bismuth. She also serves as a rival in the game if the player chooses to play as the male character. Her male counterpart is Erik.

## Role

If Eva is selected as the player character, she starts her journey in Iskappe Town in Eventyr. She is given one of the three starters of the Eventyr Region. She goes on to gather the eight Badges of Eventyr, stop the plans of Bio Corporation and conquer the Pokémon League.

If Eva is not selected as the player, she will be the player's rival and sibling. She begins her own journey at the same time as the player, receiving a starter at the same time as the player does.

## Bio

Eva is a girl with a heart of gold, and often loves to help Pokemon that are in pain or trouble. She's rarely ever in a bad mood, thanks to her incredible good mood that spreads to the people she meets.