cheetah

Famous as the “fastest thing on four legs” the cheetah is very different from all the other cats. Its greyhound-like body has evolved for speed. A lightweight body on long legs and an exceptionally flexible spine combine to substantially increase their stride lengths. It has the longest limbs and lumbar portion of the spine of any felid. The long tail acts as a counterbalance when cornering.A cheetah’s feet are adapted to enable greater purchase on the ground while running. They have tough foot pads which are ridged, like tyre treads and the exposed claws act as running spikes. Interdigital webs are greatly reduced so the toes can be spread widely for improved traction.
Unlike those of other cats, a cheetah’s claws are always exposed. Cats evolved retractable claws because they provide an evolutionary advantage by protecting their sharpness. Cheetahs can retract their claws, but they lack the cutaneous lobes, which act as claw sheaths. For this reason a cheetah’s claws are blunt. For the first 15 weeks of life young cheetahs can fully sheath their claws like any other cat. Afterwards they remain exposed.

zebra

In body form all equids are quite similar. They are specialized for running and for grazing on siliceous grasses, which rapidly wear down the teeth. Species can be differentiated, however, on the basis of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the skull, tooth morphology and length and robustness of the metapodials (foot bones). There are also variations in size, color, color patterning, hoof size and shape, mane length, presence or absence of a forelock, tail hair length and distribution, number and size of chestnuts and vocalizations.

Brown hare

Brown hare are not native to Britain. Recent archaelogical evidence suggests that their arrival pre-dates the Romans and therefore supporting the observations of Julius Caesar who noted in "De Bello Gallico" that the early Britons kept pet hare for food.
They have colonised landscapes at the expense of the native Blue Hare (or mountain hare), which in Britain is now largely confined to upland areas. Both species have been widely introduced in Britain and elsewhere for hunting purposes, mainly in the nineteenth century.

American Toad

The American Toad, Bufo americanus, is divided into two subspecies, the Eastern American Toad, B. a. americanus, and the Dwarf American Toad, B. a. charlesmithi. The Eastern American Toad is a medium sized toad usually found in the range from 2 to over 3 1/2 inches. The color and pattern is somewhat variable. The Eastern American Toad has spots that contain only one - two warts (photo to right). It also has enlarged warts on the tibia or lower leg below the knee. While the belly is usually spotted, it is generally more so on the forward half (photo below right; in some rare individuals there may be few or no spots). Other species which may be confused with the Eastern American Toad are Fowler's Toad, which has three or more warts in the largest dark spots, and in the far west of its range Woodhouse's Toad. This species will give you the most trouble.

chamois

The chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) is a large, goat-like animal that lives in the European Alps and Carpathian Mountains. Chamois were successfully introduced to the South Island of New Zealand in 1907, where it has caused damage to mountain ecosystems. It is one of only two species of the genus Rupicapra, the other being the Pyrenean Chamois, Rupicapra pyrenaica. It is in the Caprinae subfamily of bovids, along with sheep and goats.

Swifts

In bulk, Alpine Swifts are over twice as big as Swifts and so they make an even more impressive spectacle when they whirl in flocks low over their breeding sites. The sight and sound of them screaming low over the streets of Istanbul is particularly memorable. Apart from their greater bulk, Alpine Swifts can be told from other swifts by the striking white patch on the belly and the fact that the rest of the plumage is much browner than on other swifts. Beware that some 'swifts with white bellies' turn out to be partial albino swifts so check that the belly is neatly defined, that the plumage is brown, not sooty, and, if you can, try to see the white throat patch which would be diagnostic of Alpine Swift.

catamount

The Texas mountain lion, also called a cougar, panther, puma, and catamount, is scientifically called Puma concolor (Latin for cat of one color). The animal, which only lives to be approximately 12-years-old in the wild, is a brown color with a wide head and paws. Male mountain lions can weigh up to 165 pounds and grow to be eight feet in length. Females usually weigh about 100 pounds.

The water-rat, Hydromys chrysogaster (family Muridae), is black or dark grey above and white or orange below. It is found mainly near permanent bodies of freshwater, occasionally at temporary waterholes.Water-rat figures as the spouse of Moon in one traditional story.
Muridae is esembriomys gouldii (black-footed tree-rat, "mouse")
Pseudomys delicatulus (delicate mouse, "mouse")

boar

The wild boar is found in Europe, Asia, and parts of North Africa. The boar can live in groups up to fifty. The wild boar's mating season takes place during the winter months. The boar can have two to twelve babies in a litter. They are born usually between March and May. The piglets are not full grown until the age of four or five years.

The Hippopotamus

The Hippopotamus, whose name means "river horse", is a plant-eating water-loving giant. A relative of camels, pigs, and deer, the hippo has two lives in one! The center of a hippo's day life is water. Like a hippo pool-party, sometimes hundreds of hippos, will share a territory of water during the day. Whether it's mating, playing, fighting or giving birth, hippo's all wet. The hippo's night life begins a few hours after sunset, when all the hippos file out of the water to graze on land by the light of the moon.

totem

Native and tribal peoples believe that all living things have lessons to teach us. By observing the characteristics and behaviors of our creature and feathered relatives, we can become aware of these lessons. Many native peoples carry or wear carvings of animals or birds (fetishes) as a reminder of the wisdom, experience, understanding and medicine power of that animal or bird. These likenesses honor these teachers, as well as inspire us toward a clearer understanding of our own strengths and remind us of where we may need to concentrate more effort in our own lives.

FISH BREATHES

The fish takes water into its mouth. The water goes back through the gills. Then the gill cover at the side of the fish's head opens and the water runs out. This intake of water gives the fish oxygen.If a fish is out of water for a while, it will die because the gills will not work unless the fish is in the water.

Peace

There was a big farm next to the forest and this farm was full of chickens and ducks.
One day the hungry fox decided to go to the farm with the net and chase the chicken and duck for his lunch.That fox went to the fence of farmland. Chicken escaped when it saw the fox is coming and duck jumped on the top of tree.The fox said: I heard your beautiful sound and then came here to hear you better. Why do you jump over there?
The duck replied: I afraid of you and I feel safe here.

cats

Whether cats are completely domesticated is questionable, but it is believed that humans have bred cats for specific characteristics for the past 2,000 years. These profiles explore some of those breeds and their unique traits. Each profile covers three specific areas: history, personality and conformation (the physical appearance of the cat). Check out your cat's illustrious history and description, or browse around for your perfect pet.

horseman

Over the next year, renowned natural horseman Pat Parelli will tackle twelve of your toughest horse behavior problems in Horse Illustrated magazine—a whole "dirty dozen"—from biting and bucking to trailer loading and tying difficulties. If you’ve got a horse that won’t go, won’t stop, or one that you can’t even catch, watch HI’s pages each month for Pat’s savvy solutions, starting in January 2005.

Melopsittacus undulatus

'Melopsittacus undulatus' Out of 1,800 possible color phases this is the most highly prized and most highly priced of these great little birds. Affectionate, active, intelligent, and easy to take care of - the perfect pet!
'Nymphicus hollandicus' One of 59 species of parrot like birds from Australia - second in popularity (as a pet) to another Australian bird, the Budgies. Very friendly and a good talker

elephants

African elephants Loxodonta africana— Have large ears that are shaped like the continent of Africa, both males and females have visible tusks, their skin is very wrinkly, their backs are swayed, and the end of their trunk works as if they have two fingers there to help them pick things up.
Asian elephants Elephas maximus— Have smaller ears, usually only the males have visible tusks, their skin is not as wrinkly, they only have one "finger" at the ends of their trunks, and their backs are dome-shaped.

Antilope

Aus den tropischen Busch- und Waldgebieten Afrikas stammen die Nyala-Antilopen.
Bei dieser Antilopenart unterscheiden sich Männchen und Weibchen sehr stark. Das größere Männchen besitzt ein Gehörn und eine deutliche Mähne an den Beinen und Rücken. Die Weibchen fallen durch die weiße Streifung auf dem hellbraunen Fell auf.

POTBELLIED PIG

So you may be interested in Potbellied Pigs? This is a little information in
order to serve you. It gives you "just a little information about the
Potbellied Pig," and focues on what it is like to own a pet pig. Some
responses are in jest.WHAT IS A POTBELLIED PIG AND WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
It seems like all of a sudden, people are hearing more and more about
potbellied pigs being used as family pigs. They originated in China and
Southeast Asia thousands of years ago. Their history is quite amazing. They
descended from wild herds of swine which migrated from China into Viet Nam and
Laos. They have been raised as food and pets in the Asian culture for many
centuries. In the 1950's, some potbellied pigs were exported to Scandinavia
from Asia BUT...

Dogs

Our rescue of 500 farmed bears in China is building a momentum to end bear farming forever by working with the government and the local community. Finding solutions to end dog and cat eating through investigation and cultural understanding, we strive to transform attitudes from within.Our 300 animal therapy dogs across Asia are proving that companion animals are wonderful friends and helpers.Dogs take on the role of teachers, as they inspire school children to love and respect animals whilst learning English.ency relief and usage of animals in Traditional Medicine.

The camel

The camel is often found around ancient ruins in Syria, mostly for the sake of tourists. The locals make a living this way, and the visitors get a memory they won't soon forget. However, note that the 'reins' are held by the handler. If that camel became spooked, he would take off in an unknown direction, and run until he decided he was hungry. They are hard to stop, impossible to train, stupid, and worthy of every name one can think off to pin on them. Yet, to the owner, there is a relationship much like that between horse and cowboy in America's old west. The camel and rider depended upon each other, and respected each other, within the limits of the camel to understand such a simple concept.

girrafe Life

Unknown nomadic males may stimulate serious fighting with sledgehammer blows being exchanged, using the side of the head. Dominant males father most of the young. Males become sexually mature at about 42 months but seldom have a chance to breed until 8 or more years old. Females first conceive in their fifth year of age. Gestation is about 15 months. Calves are born in special calving grounds from a standing female, thus dropping some 6 feet to the ground. Birth weight is 100-150 pounds; height is 6 feet. They can stand on wobbly legs about five minutes after birth and begin to feed about 20 minutes later. Groups of calves may be found together waiting for their mothers to come by to nurse. Offspring begin browsing in their first month and are rarely observed to suckle after they start eating leaves. First year calf mortality is about 58%. Lions are the major predator, but calves may be taken by hyenas, leopards and African wild dogs. Life expectancy is 25 years.

Horse Articles

Horse Articles
American Horse Rider has all the articles and information that so many have enjoyed at www.horses-and-horse-information.com, along with 243 new information-stuffed horse articles written by the most experienced horse professionals in the world. Everything is here, including 105 topics on horse health and horse nutrition. Great new articles on horse barns, pasture, and fencing, horse shoes and hoof care, and horse breeding too.
Chat with other fellow horse owners and lovers in our horse training forum to get great advice from pros, as well as answer horse questions asked by novices. Learning care and health secrets from other horse owners in our horse care and nutrition forum is a great way to pick helpful tips and advice based on experiences. These are busy horse forums bustling with 100's of horse enthusiasts that participate daily.

girrafe continue

Although mostly leaves and shoots are taken, giraffe also eat flowers, vines and herbs. Giraffe have also been seen to eat weaver-bird nests with young inside, and may chew on bones, perhaps to gain additional minerals. An average of 16-20 hours per day are spent feeding and up to 140 lbs of fresh browse are taken. Thorns do not seem to be a deterrent to feeding; the long, prehensile, muscular tongue (which can be extended up to 18 inches), thick, gluey saliva, and special upper palate shape enable the giraffe to process thorny foods. They are ruminants with a 4-chambered stomach.Giraffe form scattered herds, the compositions of which are constantly changing. Although gregarious, the individual is the social unit in giraffe society. Home ranges are large, about 46 sq. miles. Bulls are non-territorial and exhibit a dominance hierarchy. Young bulls determine dominance with "necking displays".