The Complete List Of Animals

[Scientist]

One of the earliest voices of spring in North America is the bluebird's. Bluebirds got their name from the males' bright blue feathers. All bluebirds belong to the thrush family; different species, or types, include the common, mountain, and western bluebirds. The common bluebird is the state bird of Missouri and New York.

Where bluebirds live
Bluebirds are found in fields, orchards, and gardens in North America. Common, or eastern, bluebirds live east of the Rocky Mountains, from northeastern Canada to the state of Florida. During the winter months, they migrate south to the middle states and the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The mountain, or Arctic, bluebird can be found in the mountains of western North America. In winter, mountain bluebirds live in the southern United States and Mexico. The western bluebird lives from western Nevada and Idaho to the Pacific coast and north to British Columbia. It spends its winters in Mexico.

Physical features
Bluebirds are about 7 inches (18 centimeters) long. The males are usually more colorful than the females. Different kinds of bluebirds have slightly different colors. Most males are blue with a chestnut-colored throat, breast, and sides. Females can be grayish blue or brownish gray.

Behavior
Bluebirds nest in enclosed spaces, such as a hollow tree, an abandoned woodpecker hole, a rotted fence post, a bird box, or even a mailbox. Bluebirds line the bottom of their nests with dry grasses. The female lays four to six bluish white eggs at a time.

Bluebirds eat mostly insects and some fruit. Their diet makes them helpful to farmers because they keep harmful insects away from crops.

[Scientist]

The boa constrictor is a large snake that kills its prey by coiling around it so tightly that it cannot breathe. Despite this deadly strength, the boa constrictor has gained popularity as a pet because it is mild-mannered, easily tamed, and not poisonous. They are so well behaved that some farmers even keep them around their fields, barns, and storage bins to hunt the rats and mice that eat their grain.

Where boa constrictors live
Boa constrictors live in a variety of habitats throughout Central and South America, including both tropical rainforests and dry scrublands and grasslands. The largest boa constrictors are found in South America.

Physical characteristics
The thick, muscular bodies of boa constrictors grow to about 10 feet (3 meters) in length, but some have been measured at more than 18 feet (5.5 meters). Central American boas rarely reach a length of more than 8 feet (2.4 meters). Some boa constrictors may be red or silver. However, most have a brown and gray body marked with a pattern of brown and black triangles and ovals, with white borders and streaks. The long, triangular head of a boa constrictor has dark streaks from the eyes to the back of the jaw and another dark streak along the top.

Behavior
During the day the boa constrictor rests in tree hollows, old logs, and animal burrows. At night it hunts a wide variety of birds, reptiles, and mammals. It hunts most animals on the ground, but it also climbs into trees in search of birds.

Females give birth to litters of live young that measure from 1 to 2 feet (0.3 to 0.6 meter) long. Litters may include several dozen babies.

[Scientist]

One of the tallest of all dinosaurs, Brachiosaurus was built something like an enormous elephant with an extremely long neck. This dinosaur was tall enough to have looked over the top of a modern four-story building. The name Brachiosaurus means “arm lizard” in Latin. Scientists call it this because of its long front legs. Brachiosaurus belongs to the group of dinosaurs known as sauropods, which also includes Apatosaurus and Diplodocus. The sauropods were large, plant-eating dinosaurs with long necks, massive bodies, and four pillarlike legs to support the body.

Where and when Brachiosaurus lived
Brachiosaurus lived about 150 to 130 million years ago, in the late part of the geologic period known as the Jurassic and the early part of the Cretaceous. Remains of Brachiosaurus have been found in Europe and Africa, as well as in Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah in North America. Scientists once believed that Brachiosaurus, like other large sauropod dinosaurs, needed to live in water to support its massive weight. They now agree that Brachiosaurus was primarily a land animal. Its strong but lightweight bones were able to support it without the help of water. Brachiosaurus lived in areas with much plant life, especially tall trees.

Physical features
Brachiosaurus is the largest and heaviest sauropod dinosaur for which a complete skeleton has been discovered. This dinosaur could reach more than 75 feet (23 meters) in length and weighed up to 80 tons. It stood about 43 feet (13 meters) tall from its head to the ground. The most striking features of Brachiosaurus were its sloped back and its extremely long neck. Its front legs were longer than its back legs, which was a unique feature among dinosaurs. Brachiosaurus also had a relatively short tail. Its dome-shaped head was small and its snout was somewhat flat. Its nostrils were fairly large and were located near the top of its head. Brachiosaurus had a few dozen pencil-like teeth.

Behavior
Brachiosaurus was a plant-eating dinosaur. Its long neck allowed it to feed from the tops of the highest trees, where other dinosaurs could not reach. Scientists believe that Brachiosaurus also fed on low-lying ground plants, such as ferns. Like other sauropod dinosaurs, Brachiosaurus had small stones in its stomach to help it grind up the plants that it ate. Brachiosaurus lived and traveled in herds. Scientists believe that Brachiosaurus could travel at speeds of about 12 to 19 miles per hour (19 to 31 kilometers per hour). Its immense size and weight, as well as sharp claws on its feet, protected it from meat-eating dinosaurs. Its tremendous height also allowed Brachiosaurus to watch for enemies coming from miles away. Young Brachiosaurus probably stayed in the center of the herd for protection. Brachiosaurus, like most other dinosaurs, reproduced by laying eggs.

[Scientist]

Although the North American bison is often called a buffalo, true buffalo come from much warmer lands in Asia and Africa. Along with bison, buffalo belong to the scientific family Bovidae.

Where buffalo live
The several types of buffalo are native to South and Southeast Asia and much of Africa. As people from those regions spread throughout the world they brought buffalo with them. Today the animals can be found in Europe, Australia, and South and Central America as well as Asia and Africa.

The Indian, or Asian water, buffalo lives in tall grasses close to bodies of water. It loves to lie in water or wallow in mud to keep flies away as well as to keep cool. The Cape, or African, buffalo lives in open or scrub-covered plains and open forests. Other types live in dense forests.

Physical features
Buffalo are heavily built animals. They range in size from the anoa, which stands about 3 feet (1 meter) tall, to the Asian water buffalo, which can reach a height of more than 5 feet (1.5 meters). All buffalo have horns, although the size and shape of the horns can vary greatly. The Cape buffalo has heavy horns that typically curve downward, then up and inward; in males the two horns meet to form a shield that covers the whole top of the head. The Asian water buffalo has horns that curve outward and backward and may reach 4 feet (1.2 meters) across. The animals can also vary in color. Many are black, though they may have patches of white, and one African type is reddish in color.

Behavior
Except for the anoa, buffalo in the wild travel and live in herds. They spend a great deal of time grazing on grasses and digesting their food. Buffalo are ruminants, which means that they digest their food by swallowing it, regurgitating it (bringing it back up from the stomach), and then chewing it again in a form called cud. Female buffalo give birth to one or two young 10 or 11 months after mating.

Buffalo and humans
The Asian water buffalo has been domesticated, or tamed for use by humans, for thousands of years. People value it as a beast of burden that can pull or carry things on its broad back. It is accustomed to wet conditions and for that reason is employed in flooded rice fields. People use buffalo milk and meat for food. In addition, people make leather products from buffalo hides.

Though the domestic water buffalo remains widespread, the number of buffalo in the wild is decreasing. Farmers have taken over some of the lands where wild buffalo live. Humans have hunted the animals in large numbers for food and for their hides. Diseases spread by domestic animals have also decreased the population of wild buffalo.

[Scientist]

Zebra swallowtail butterfly


Luna moth

Known for their brightly or strikingly colored wings, butterflies and moths are flying insects that come from caterpillars. There are as many as 100,000 different types of butterflies and moths throughout the world.

Where butterflies and moths live
Butterflies and moths are found in temperate regions, snowy mountains, deserts, and jungles. In fact, butterflies and moths live on every continent except Antarctica.

Physical features
Like all insects, butterflies and moths have three pairs of legs. Their bodies are divided into three sections: the head, thorax, and abdomen. On either side of the head is a large compound eye. The compound eyes are very efficient for distinguishing movement. They cannot, however, see distant objects clearly. Some butterflies and moths have very sharp hearing and sense of smell. They also have a good sense of taste, especially for sugars.

There are two pairs of wings on the thorax, or middle section of the body. The pair in front is usually the larger of the two. The wings, body, and legs are all covered with dustlike scales that come off when handled.

Butterflies and moths vary greatly in size. The smallest moths have wing expanses as small as about 16100 inch (4 millimeters), while the largest have wingspans of about 1 foot (nearly 30 centimeters).

Although butterflies and moths have similar appearances, they are different from each other in many ways. The best way to tell them apart is to examine their antennae, or feelers. Butterfly antennae are slender, and the ends are rounded into little knobs. Moth antennae lack these knobs. Moth feelers may look like tiny feathers, and some are threadlike.

Butterflies are usually brightly or strikingly colored. Most moths have a duller color, a stouter body, and smaller wings than butterflies. Butterflies rest with their wings held upright over their backs; moths rest with their wings outspread. Most butterflies fly during the daytime, while moths generally fly at night.

Skippers are insects that have some characteristics of both butterflies and moths. Their bodies resemble moths. When at rest, however, they hold their wings upright like butterflies. Skippers are generally small. They get their name because they fly with quick movements from place to place.

Behavior
Butterflies and moths feed on the nectar of flowers and on other plant liquids. Some species eat mosses, ferns, and lichens. Others may feed on cones and fruits and their seeds. Many also feed on dead and decaying plant matter.

Some butterflies and moths are famous for the fact that they travel from place to place. Several species in Europe and North America migrate to different regions based on the seasons. In North America the monarch butterfly lives as far north as southern Canada during the summer. In the fall these butterflies travel to California or Mexico, where they spend the winter. They then return to their summer homes in the spring. Unlike birds, they do not make the trip more than once since butterflies do not live longer than a year.

Life cycle
Butterflies and moths go through four stages of development: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult (imago). The process of changing from one stage to the next is known as metamorphosis.

First, the female lays many eggs. Caterpillars hatch from these tiny larvae. The caterpillar then sheds its skin many times in a process called molting, until it is ready to turn into a pupa. The pupa is a resting stage, where the future butterfly lies encased in a tough, flexible shell. During this stage the organs and other tissues of the caterpillar break down and are replaced by wings, legs, and other parts of the adult.

In the final stage, the adult emerges from the pupa. At this point it is wet and its wings are soft and limp. It slowly fans the wings to pump air into the veins. Gradually the wings expand and harden. In a few hours the adult is ready to fly and seek a mate. Most adults live from four to six weeks. Some live only a few days, while others may live as long as ten months.

Defenses
Butterflies and moths have many enemies. In fact, they are a favorite food of birds. To survive, some species have natural protections. For example, the monarch butterfly has a foul taste and odor and is avoided by birds. The viceroy butterfly looks exactly like the monarch, only smaller. Because birds mistake viceroy butterflies for monarch butterflies, the birds leave the viceroy butterflies alone too.

Other species have unusual markings that frighten away birds. In addition, many butterflies and moths at rest look like dead leaves or the twigs and bark of trees. Therefore, they are difficult for birds to spot.

[Scientist]

Buzzards are carnivorous birds, which means that they eat other animals for food. They are in the same family of birds as hawks and are considered birds of prey. The best-known buzzard is the common or true buzzard.

Where buzzards live
The common buzzard is found from Scandinavia in the north to the Mediterranean Sea in the south. Other species, or kinds, range over much of North America, Eurasia, and northern Africa. They live in hills, wooded valleys, and farmland with scattered woods.

Physical characteristics
When in flight, buzzards can be recognized by their broad wings and large rounded tails. Their wingspan may be anywhere between 48 and 60 inches (120 to 150 centimeters). They fly with slow, heavy wing beats and soar gracefully. The feathers of most buzzards are dark brown above and white or light brown below. The tail and underside of the wings are usually striped. The color of these birds varies.

Behavior
Buzzards eat insects and small mammals. They also occasionally attack other birds. They are slow fliers, so they do not usually catch their prey on the move. Instead, buzzards perch motionless on a branch while waiting patiently for a rabbit, rat, or mouse to pass beneath it. Then they swoop down and surprise their prey.

Buzzards build big nests, usually in a tree or on a cliff. They build these nests with sticks and line them with softer materials. They generally lay two to five eggs. The eggs are white and brown.

[Scientist]

Sometimes called the “ship of the desert,” the camel is a large mammal that is well suited to living and working in hot, dry deserts. Camels are known for their humps, which can nourish the animal for several days when it does not have food or water.

Where camels live
Camels originated in North America about 40 million years ago. By about 1 million years ago they had spread to South America and Asia. Camels later vanished from North America. Relatives of the camel, such as the guanaco, vicuña, llama, and alpaca, now live in South America.


The Bactrian, or Asian, camel is found throughout the highlands of Central Asia. Although this camel is largely domesticated, or tamed to help humans, small herds of wild Bactrians are still found in southwestern Mongolia and northwestern China.


The dromedary, or Arabian, camel is found in North Africa, the Middle East, and India. This camel once roamed wild but is now found only in domestication. Groups of dromedaries, however, are often left on their own for up to five months. The dromedary has been imported into many parts of the world, including the United States and Australia.

Physical features
The camel's most striking feature is the large hump (for the dromedary) or two large humps (for the Bactrian) on its back. The hump is made of fat and muscle and does not have any bone. When a camel is well fed and given enough water, the hump remains erect. If the animal goes without food and water for a period of time, the fat in its hump can nourish it for several days. In this case, the hump becomes limp and leans to one side.

When a camel stands on its very long legs, its hump can reach a height of 7 feet (about 2 meters) above the ground. The animal weighs up to 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms). It has a long, thin neck, a small head without horns or antlers, and a split upper lip. Each foot consists of two toes. Each toe has a hoof at end of it. The soft feet are well suited for walking on sand or snow. Horny pads on a camel's chest and knees support its weight when it kneels. The camel's body is covered with a scruffy, sand-colored coat of hair. A thick fringe of hair also hangs from the long, curved neck.

Camels are well adapted to the desert and other harsh environments. A long, double row of eyelashes protects the animal's eyes from sandstorms and the glare of the desert sun. The nostrils can open wide to draw breath, or they can close to keep out blowing sand. The camel also has a keen sense of sight and smell. It has long jaws with sharp teeth. A camel's lower jaw swings sideways as the animal chews.

Behavior
Camels can survive on the coarsest of vegetation. They can feed on thorny plants, the leaves and twigs of shrubs, and dried grasses. They can also go for days or even months without water. Camels can carry up to 1,000 pounds (450 kilograms), though a more typical load is about one third of that.

Life cycle
The female camel produces one calf at a time. The newborn calf stands about 3 feet (1 meter) high on long, thin, wobbly legs. It can follow its mother to pasture just one day after birth.

By their third year camels have grown big enough to carry heavy loads. They can bear such loads for 15 to 20 years and then do lighter work until they are about 30 years old. The life span of a camel is generally 30 to 40 years.

Other uses of the camel
Camel milk and meat are valuable sources of nourishment for desert dwellers. Camel hair can be used to make tents, blankets, rugs, clothing, rope, and cord. Dried camel droppings are useful as fuel for cooking fires. The hide of the animal can be used for making sandals, water bags, and other necessary articles.

[Scientist]

A canary is a type of bird that belongs to the finch family. It has become a popular household pet around the world. Canaries became cage birds in the 16th century, when they were first brought from the Canary Islands of Spain to Italy. Over time, humans have been able to breed at least 50 different kinds of canaries.

Where canaries live
The canary is native to the Canary, Azores, and Madeira islands. In North America, “wild canaries” are also known as American goldfinches and yellow warblers. Both of these birds look like pet canaries. Breeders in the United States, France, Belgium, England, and Scotland have helped develop the canary's color, shape, and song.

Physical features
In the wild, canaries measure about 5 12 inches (14 centimeters) in length. They are dull green with a yellow breast. Canaries kept as pets differ in size, form, feather color, and song. Breeders work to develop these characteristics among the different kinds of canaries.

The American Singer is a very popular type of canary. It is usually yellow. One of the most graceful canaries is the Yorkshire canary. It has a long, slim body. The average life span of a caged canary is ten to 15 years.

Behavior
The behavior and song of a canary vary depending on the type of breed. A roller canary trills almost continuously, and its songs are very controlled and complex. Another kind of canary, called a chopper, has a loud trill.

[Scientist]

A songbird of the finch family, the cardinal is sometimes called the redbird because of its striking color. Its loud, clear whistling song can be heard year-round in gardens and open woodlands. The cardinal is the state bird of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Where cardinals live
Cardinals are found in North America east of the Rocky Mountains. They are especially abundant in the southeastern United States. Over the years, their range has extended farther into the northern United States. Cardinals do not migrate but instead spend the winter in their nesting areas.

Cardinals like brushy thickets and tangles. However, they also live in urban areas where shrubbery offers protection. They usually build their nests in bushes within a few feet of the ground. These nests are loosely built structures of twigs, leaves, bark, and grasses.

Physical characteristics
The cardinal is about 8 inches (20 centimeters) long, a little smaller than a robin. The male is easy to identify with its red crest and feathers and black face markings. The female and young have gray-brown backs and dull red wings, tail, and crest.

Behavior
Cardinals feed on insects and thus are good for pest control. They also eat seeds and wild fruits.

Female cardinals lay two to four eggs. They are bluish white with brown spots and hatch in 12 days. Baby cardinals remain in the nest for about ten days. The male cares for the young after they leave the nest, while the female prepares for the next family.

[Scientist]

Cats have fascinated humans for thousands of years. People have prized them as hunters and companions, worshiped them as gods, and sacrificed them as demons. They often have been used as symbols of beauty, grace, mystery, and power. Cats are members of a flesh-eating family of animals that includes the lion, tiger, jaguar, leopard, puma, cheetah, and domestic cat, or house cat. The domestic cat (species Felis catus) is a member of the larger cat family Felidae. This article discusses the domestic cat.

Form and structure
Members of the cat family are quite easy to identify. They differ widely in size, color, and markings, but they all look “catlike.” They have long, rather slender but powerfully built bodies. Domestic cats are very different from the larger cats, in coat as well as in size. Male domestic cats may reach 28 inches (71 centimeters), but 21 inches (51 centimeters) is a more usual length for females. Most female domestic cats weigh between 6 and 10 pounds (2.5 and 4.5 kilograms) while males weigh between 10 and 15 pounds (4.5 and 6.8 kilograms). The British shorthair cat may weigh up to 28 pounds (13 kilograms). Most house cats, including the Siamese and Abyssinian, are shorthaired, but the Persian has a long, thick coat. The rex, a British breed, has a curly coat. The domestic cat may be black, white, brown, gray, yellow, red, orange, stripped (tabby), mixed white, black, and yellow (tortoiseshell), or marked with patches of color (calico).

Claws and teeth
The cat is equipped to be an efficient hunter. It has strong, sharp retractile claws, which are capable of being drawn back or in, and strong, sharp teeth. The jaws of a cat are short but they, too, are extremely strong. They clamp down upon prey with enough power to crush bones. The cat's teeth are used to grab and hold prey. The sharp molars function like scissors and cut food into small pieces.

Eyes, ears, and whiskers
The cat's large and prominent eyes are placed well forward on the head. The size and position of the eyes permit as much light as possible to enter them, which ensures a large field of vision—important for hunting and night prowling. The cat's hearing also is extremely sensitive. The triangular ears can rotate rapidly to identify the source of a sound. A cat can detect many sounds that humans cannot hear. In the cat, as in humans, the inner ear contains a mechanism for maintaining body balance. It is this mechanism that lets the animal land on its feet when it falls.

A cat's whiskers serve as delicate sense organs of touch. They allow the cat to feel its way around. Four rows of stiff whiskers grow on the upper lip on each side of the nose. Small groups of whiskers also grow on other parts of the body including above each eye, on both cheeks, and on the backs of the front paws.

The tongue
A cat's tongue is rough. The tongue of a domestic cat feels much like sandpaper. The tongue of a big wild cat, such as a lion or a tiger, is much rougher. The surface of the tongue is covered with small hooks, or barbs, that face backward into the throat. All cats use their tongues as grooming tools to clean and comb the fur. They also use them as tools to strip flesh off the bones of prey.

The purr
All cats—domestic and wild—can and do purr. The sound may be very loud or very soft. Kittens may begin to purr a few days after birth. In all animals, vocal sounds come from vibrations of the vocal cords, which are in the voice box in the throat. No one knows exactly how the cat uses its vocal cords to produce purring nor why no other kind of animal purrs. In addition to purring, cats make several different kinds of sounds—including meowing, chirping, hissing, yowling, and even growling.

Life cycle
A female cat may have two to three litters of young (kittens) a year. A domestic cat carries the unborn kittens inside her body for about 64 days. As the time for birth approaches, she hunts for a quiet, safe place to have her kittens. The average litter consists of four kittens but there may be only one or as many as seven. A newly born kitten weighs about 3.5 to 5 ounces (100 to 142 grams) and is about 3 inches (8 centimeters) long.

At the time of birth the kitten has no teeth, the eyes are closed, and the fur is soft and downy. The ears lie flat against the head and the tail is short and triangular. The kitten begins to get its first teeth when it is two or three weeks old. The eyes begin to open when the kitten is about 8 to 12 days old. Kittens begin to crawl out of their nest when they are about a month old. The rate of growth depends on what kind of cat it is and nutrition. Most six-month-old domestic cats weigh about 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms). Their full development takes about one year. Female cats usually become sexually mature when they are six to eight months old, and males become sexually active a few months later. A simple operation, called spaying or neutering, prevents overpopulation by removing the cat's ability to reproduce.

History


Bombay


The first association of cats with humans may have begun toward the end of the Stone Age, some 10,000 years ago. About 4,500 years ago cats were considered sacred in Egypt. The Egyptians used the cat to hunt fish and birds as well as to destroy the rats and mice that infested the grain stocks along the Nile River. Domestic cats were also found in India, China, and Japan where they were prized as pets as well as rodent catchers. However, during the Middle Ages in Europe, the cat became an object of superstitions and was associated with witchcraft. Cats were hunted and tortured. A trace of those superstitions exists even today in the fear some have that a black cat is an unlucky omen.

Historically, dogs were the most popular pet in the United States. By the turn of the 21st century, however, the number of cats as pets outnumbered dogs.