Useful Topics

Wildlife
A Guide To Buying A New Pet
Sustainable Slogans
Random factoids
Fighting For Animal Rights: The Compilation
Veterinary Technician Schools

Advice and Information
Different Methods of Learning
Operant Conditioning
Classical Conditioning
Positive and Negative Reinforcers
Luring
Habituation

This is a fact topic on animals & the environment! From their diet, to how long they live. Below you will find the animals. In alphabetical order, and the following will be the first five I do.

Short Animal Factfiles

Aardvark
Bear (Polar)
Chimpanzee
Dolphins
Elephant
Fox (Red)
Gorilla
Hedgehog
Impala
Jaguar
Koala
Lion
Manatee
Narwhal
Otter
Panda
Rhinoceros (African Black)
Rhinoceros (African White)
Shark (Great White)
Tapir (Brazilian)
Water Vole

If you have any ideas or facts to add to animals that are already placed in this thread, feel free to PM me. Also suggest any you would like to add.

Thank you!

Post edited at 6:58 am on May 16, 2008 by Spice

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From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:
Orycterpus afer

Physical Appearance:
The aardvark has short legs, the hind legs are longer than it’s front legs. It’s body is almost hairless, which leads onto a very small neck, and then an elongated head. The snout is long and narrow with nostrils that it can close. The ears are usually upright, and the tail is very muscular but short and tapers to its point.

Natural Habitat:
The habitat of the aardvark ranges greatly, you can find it in rainforests all the way to the savannas. It just needs access to food and water and it’s pretty much happy. If the soil is too hard for the aardvark to dig, it will simply move on.

Gestation:
7months.  

Diet:
Aardvarks eat termites, they have very powerful claws to dig into the termite mounds, and their tongue has become extremely adapted to retrieving the termites. Its tongue can be as long as 30cm and is covered in thick, sticky saliva as to retain the termites when it pulls its tongue back into its mouth. Occasionally the aardvark will just suck up the termites by placing its snout against the opening of the termite mound.

Random Fact:
The aardvark is not a territorial animal, though the female wanders less than the male.

Post edited at 5:00 am on Sep. 11, 2007 by Spice

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:  
Ursus maritimus

Physical Appearance:  
They are the largest bear in the world and have an amazingly white coat, which can be seen as yellow sometimes. The polar bear has black skin; this can be seen by looking at its nose, pads, around the eyes and their lips. The bear of the body is elongated, and a short stubby tail.

Natural Habitat:  
They live in the Arctic circle, this includes the countries of Greenland and Canada.

Gestation:  
195-265 days.

Diet:  
Polar bears are carnivorous and therefore eat only meat. Their main food source is seals though will eat other animals such as young walruses, belugas and narwhals.

Random Fact:
Their hairs are like optical fibre: hollow, allowing light to reflect down to the skin to be absorbed.

Post edited at 5:02 am on Sep. 11, 2007 by Spice

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:
Pan troglodytes

Physical Appearance:
The chimpanzee has no tail!  It has short legs, and long arms attached to a thickset body. The chimp is covered in long black hair over most of its body, but the fingers, toes, face and ears are bare, just like humans.

Natural Habitat:
The chimpanzee lives in the rainforest and wet savannas.

Gestation:
8months

Diet:
Fruits are their principal diet, as well as buds, leaves and blossoms.

Random Fact:
Chimpanzees use sticks to throw at humans.

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:
Tursiops truncatus

Physical Appearance:
Bottlenose dolphins have short thick beaks, hence the term bottlenose. It generally has dark grey on its upper body fading into a lighter grey on the lower part of its body.

Natural Habitat:
Bottlenose dolphins tend to stick to temperate and tropical waters. They range from the deep ocean to coastal areas.

Gestation:
12months (every two to three years)

Diet:
To find their food, dolphins use echolocation and eat mainly fish and some cephalopods.

Random Fact:
Dolphins are one of the only animals known to have sex for pleasure. Only humans and Bonobos are the other two species known to do this.

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:
Loxodonta africana

Physical Appearance:
Elephants are very big, and have a grey wrinkled skin which is quite rough with small hairs on it. They are unique in the fact they have a trunk, and both genders have tusks.

Natural Habitat:
Usually where they can find enough food. It could be dry savannah land or woodlands, they can also extend to the mountains.

Gestation:
22months.

Diet:
They are herbivores so consume large amount of tree leaves, bark herbs and leaves.

Random Fact:
It’s trunk is actually an extension of it’s upper lip and nose.

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:
Vulpes Vulpes

Physical Appearance:
Foxes are characteristically red, with a white tuft of fur at the end of their tail and it is very bushy. They have long, slender bodies, attached to long thin legs.

Natural Habitat:
The red fox is a highly adaptable animal and has learned to live in extremely rural areas to largely urban areas, thriving on what food they can get themselves and making the most of territory available.

Gestation:
51-53 days.

Diet:
Foxes are omnivores, so they eat many things from small rodents to litter in urban areas.

Random Fact:
Red foxes have yellow eyes.

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:  
Gorilla Gorilla

Physical Appearance:  
Gorillas fur is usually black or brown grey, and they have black skin on their face, palms and chests. Males develop a silver back as they mature.

Natural Habitat:  
Their natural habitat is in the lowlands, they live in places such as Central Africa, Zaire and Nigeria. Usually in a forest-like habitat.

Gestation:  
8.5months

Diet:  
Gorillas eat vegetation, which consists of over 200 types of leaves, flowers, fungus and fruit. They do not need to drink as they receive enough water from their food.

Random Fact:
The first recorded gorilla sighting (by western civilization) was in the 5th century B.C. by a Roman explorer.

Post edited at 5:23 am on Mar. 12, 2007 by Spice

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:  
Erinaceus Europaeus

Physical Appearance:  
The hedgehog is covered in spikes, has short legs and a pointed snout.

Natural Habitat:  
The hedgehog keeps to the more rural areas, it will live in gardens and parks, as well as woodlands. It is a nocturnal animal so it is difficult to spot unless out at night. It only comes out during the day when the weather is mild.

Gestation:  
35-40days

Diet:  
The hedgehog diet largely consists of beetles and caterpillars; they will eat most garden insects. They are insectivores in the wild.

Random Fact:
The spines on a hedgehog are made from the same materials as human nails

Post edited at 5:26 am on Mar. 12, 2007 by Spice

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:  
Aepyceros melampus

Physical Appearance:  
The impala is largely reddish brown with distinctive white marks on certain areas of it's body. There are some on the buttocks as a "follow me" command. Many African animals have a white mark on their rear/tail.

Natural Habitat:  
The impala lives in the savannah and light woodland. It can conceal itself well because of its coat colours.

Gestation:  
6 to 7 months.

Diet:  
They eat vegetations by browsing and grazing, which allows a wider variety of food compared to most animals in the same habitat.

Random Fact:
The only significant difference between the male and female is that the male has horns.

Post edited at 5:26 am on Mar. 12, 2007 by Spice

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:
Panthera Onca

Physical Appearance:
The jaguar can be solely black, but it also has spot markings on it if it is the orange/sandy coloured version. The spots are a slightly darker colour than the "background" fur and are distinguishable from the Leopard because it has blotches or small markings in the spots. It has a muscular, stocky body.

Natural Habitat:
They live in dense forest which has a large water supply, they may also choose to live in wetlands and river valleys.

Gestation:
Around 100days

Diet:
Jaguars hunt meat, this ranges from capybaras and monkeys to snakes and iguanas. They may occasionally eat fruit.

Random Fact:
Jaguars have no real predators or competitors.

Post edited at 5:24 am on Mar. 12, 2007 by Spice

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:
Phascolarctos cinereus

Physical Appearance:
The koala is small, with grey fur and white tufts at the ear. It looks like a cuddly bear according to many. It's fur is thick and soft.

Natural Habitat:
They live in eucalypt forests preferably but also live in coastal islands.

Gestation:
34-36days

Diet:
They feed on eucalyptus leaves, but will also eat boxleaves and mistletoe. They do not need to drink as they receive 50% moisture from the eucalyptus leaves.

Random Fact:
Fossil remains of koala-like animals have been found dating back to 25 - 40 million years ago

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:
Panthera Leo

Physical Appearance:
Lions are big cats, with a golden coloured coat, males have a brown mane (or varying hues of brown) which goes from the top of their head down the front of their chest. They have a very strong muscular body.

Natural Habitat:
Lions live in grasslands, savannahs and dense woodlands.

Gestation:
105days

Diet:
Lions are obligatory carnivores (like all cats) their digestive system is adapted so they eat a diet of purely meat. They eat rhinos, buffalos and hippos among many other large animals. They also scavenge these meats off of other hunters.

Random Fact:
If a male were to take over a pride, they kill all cubs of the previous males to make sure that their bloodline does not continue, and replaces the cubs with his own genetics.

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:
Trichechus manatus

Physical Appearance:
They are “torpedo” shaped, and are almost hairless. They are grey/black when wet.

Natural Habitat:
Warm waters and shallow saltwater bays. They also live in coastal areas and estuaries.

Gestation:
13months

Diet:
They eat over 60 different species of aquatic and semi-aquatic plants. Their diet includes manatee grass, turtle grass, various species of algae, mangrove leaves, and water hyacinths.

Random Fact:
A fifth species of manatee (Stellars Sea Cow) was hunted to extinction in 1768

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.

Scientific Name:
Monodo monoceros

Physical Appearance:
Infants are grey or greyish brown and the skin becomes mottled over time with white overlapping spots. The grey becomes more of a black hue.

Natural Habitat:
Narwhals live in the Arctic Ocean.

Gestation:
14months

Diet:
They eat things such as shrimp, squid and fish.

Random Fact:
They can stay under water for 7-10 minutes.

-------

From a distance you look like my friend,

even though we are at war.