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ANT :
Ants can carry 10 times their body weight. Worker ants live one to five years; some queens live longer than 20 years.
The biggest ant colony found was on the Ishikari Coast of Hokkaido: 306 million ants, with 1,080,000 queens in 45,000
interconnected nests over an area of 2.7 square kilometres (a square mile). |
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BEE :
The bee is a remarkable animal ;they do not have ears, but they have an excellent sense of smell with chemoreceptors
in their antennae. Bees see colours differently than we do. They are insensitive to red but detect ultraviolet
light which is invisible to us. |
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CHEETAH :
The fastest land animal at 95 km/h (60mph), but unlike other "big cats" it does not roar - however it does purr and make
high pitched yelps, barks and chirruping sounds. It is found in Africa and in some parts of Asia. |
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DOLPHIN :
They are among the most intelligent of animals, as some species have brain-to-body mass ratios equal to that of a human
being. Ever since the days of the first seafarers, they have been a subject of art, literature, and myth. |
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ELEPHANT :
The African elephant is the largest living land mammal. The muscular trunk serves as a nose, hand, an extra foot,
signalling device and a tool for gathering food. With 40,000 muscles, the trunk performs movements as delicate
as picking berries. |
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FROGS :
Frogs come in many shapes and colours all over the world - except Antartica! A frog's long, sticky tongue is attached
in the front of its mouth, and, as a signature move, a frog can flick its tongue out to capture its prey with remarkable
speed. |
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GORILLA :
The largest of the living primates, male gorillas weigh up to 200kg, yet are shy and retiring. They will, however,
protect their family groups valiantly. They eat a variety of plants, including wild celery, bamboo, thistles, stinging
nettles, bedstraw and certain fruits. An endangered species, only about 630 remain. Their quest for survival was made
famous by Dian Fossey, portrayed in the movie "Gorillas in the mist." |
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HIPPO :
The hippo's yawn is not a sign of sleepiness or boredom but is actually a threat gesture, displaying long, thick,
razor-sharp canine teeth, or tusks, with which it is capable of biting a small boat in half. Being fearlessly protective
of their turf and young, hippos have killed more than 400 people in Africa. |
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IGUANA :
Widely distributed in Galapagos Island, Madagascar, Fiji, Mexico and Central South America, an arboreal tropical forest
animal, attaining more than 1.5 m in length. Swims close to shore and can dive to a depth of more than 35 feet to feed
on plants, insects, birds and small mammals and remains submerged upto 30 minutes. Colour generally brown, gray or
black. Limbs well developed and five toed, tail – fragile. Clutch size – 20-30 eggs. Incubation period – 61-65 days.
Status – Endangered. |
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JAGUAR :
The only member of the panthera family to be found in the Americas and it is by far the biggest cat of the continent.
With a lifespan of 12 - 16 years, it grows up to 1.8m in length and weighs up to 120kg. |
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KOALA :
Found only in Australia, koalas belong to a class of animals that are among the oldest inhabitants of the planet.
They have one of the most specialised diets of any living mammal, feeding exclusively on the leaves of a small number
of species of the eucalyptus. Koalas sleep as much as 18 hours a day, with a lifespan of up to 18 years. |
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LION :
Found in Africa and India(Gir Forests), the lion stands out from the other ‘big cats’, not just in its distinctive appearance but also in
being the only felid that lives in organised social groups. Adult males weigh up to 225kg and grow up to 3m in body length.
Prey consists of medium to large herd animals. Once the prey is taken, it is common for the males to eat first even though
they take no part in the hunting process. |
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MEERKAT :
Found in the Kalahari desert in Southern Africa, male and female meerkats are hard to identify from each other mainly
because they are both the same size, at 50cm (20in) with the tail itself at 20cm (8in) long. They eat insects, small
mammals, scorpions, lizards, and snakes. Meerkats are immune to scorpion venom. The meerkats' society is formed into
groups, called "colonies" or "mobs", with up to 40 inhabitants each. They have a lifespan of about 10 years. |
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NARWHALE :
The ivory tusk protruding from a tooth socket is the most distinctive feature of this arctic whale. This tusk is actually
a tooth, reaching 3m (10 ft) in length. Embedded 38cm (15in) into the head, the tusk is straight as an arrow, spiralled
up to 12cm (5in) from the tip where it is polished and smooth. |
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OCTOPUS :
The blue-ringed octopus is the size of a golf ball but its poison is powerful enough to kill an adult human in minutes.
The last thing the victim sees are the blue rings - visible only when it is about to attack. It is brown or yellow in
its natural state, found in the shallow pools around the Australian coast. |
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PANDA :
The best known of endangered species, they are often called "bears" but actually belong to a family of their own,
closely allied to racoons. The panda has the digestive system of a carnivore, but long ago adapted to a vegetarian
diet and now feeds almost exclusively on the stems and leaves of bamboo. Panda cubs weigh only 90g (3oz) at birth.
Fully grown pandas weigh 100kg (220lb) and live 10 to 15 years. |
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QUOKKA :
This type of wallaby, the Setonix brachyurus, was one of the first Australian mammals seen by Europeans, first explained
as a "a wild cat". They have a well-developed pecking order in their groups of 25-150. They breed once a year, and produce
a single joey. |
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RHINO :
This large, primitive-looking mammal has been hunted to near extinction: since 1970 the rhino population has declined
by 90%. The white or square-lipped rhino, is one of the two species. The black or hooked-lipped rhino, is an odd-toed ungulate
(three toes on each foot). Both the black and white rhino have two horns. |
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SHARK :
The planet's most efficient killers, they are powerful hunters able to catch 500kg (1,100lb) tuna, small whales, and,
occasionally, people with ease. There are some 350 species of sharks, the majority of which cannot stop for long or move
backwards, as can most other fish. |
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TIGER :
The male Siberian or Amur Tiger, with a total body length in excess of 3m and weighing up to 300kg is by far the
largest and most powerful member of the cat family. As in common with many cats the tiger will cache its food supply,
returning to feed on the carcass over several days. |
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U :
Not Available.
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VIPER RUSSEL'S :
Distributed in India, Thailand, Indo-China, Indo-Australian Archipelago and Sri Lanka. The head is flat, triangular with short snout and covered with small scales without shields. Nocturnal; Lives in rocky and bushy regions where the colouration on the skin is in keeping with the surroundings. The poison acts as haemotoxin and causes extensive internal haemorrhages. Feeds on rats, mice, squirrels, kittens, small birds, calotes, lizards and frogs. Viviparous; breeds throughout the year. The gestation period exceeds 6 months. . |
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WOLF :
As large predators, wolves depend on prey such as deer, elk, caribou, and in some parts of its range, moose and bison
that weigh more than 450kg (1000 pounds). Their powerful jaws exert twice as much power as that of the domestic dog.
The wolf is a highly social animal, generally living within the same pack for most, if not all, of its life. Only the
top male and female breed, while any attempts to do so by others are punished. |
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X :
Not Available.
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YAK :
Found in the mountains of Tibet, male yaks reach a length of 2.7m (9ft) and a height of 1.8m (6ft), weighing
545kg (1200lb). Despite their relative immensity, they are agile, nimble, sure climbers and good swimmers roaming
icy mountainsides and valleys. There are wild yaks and domesticated yaks. |
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ZEBRA :
Found in Africa, this close relative of the horse falls into 3 species: Grevy's zebra, Burchell's zebra, and
Mountain zebra. Habitat loss and hunting have made them vulnerable, worsened by their slow reproduction. The stripes
on all zebras is unique to each individual, with the variation greatest in the shoulder region. |
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