Animals are an inseparable part of the existence of living beings on earth. They complete the cycle of nature. Let’s talk about some well known wild animals and gather some amazing facts about them.
THE ‘DOLPHINS’ like you and me are mammals. They have teeth, are warm-blooded, have a four-chambered heart and nurse their young from mammary glands. The biggest dolphins are about 3 and half feet long at birth . They eat mostly a variety of fish and squid, depending on what part of the ocean they live in. Their teeth are not used to chew but swallow their food in whole. Dolphins are intelligent animals and can learn to perform certain actions when broken into small steps and rewarded with food they like.
THE ‘POLAR BEAR’ is the largest land carnivore in the world. Apart from mother with cubs, polar bears usually live alone. Because of their habitat of pack ice and coastal waters they have a heavy coat and a dense lining of fat under their skin that keeps out the intense cold. The polar bear also has fur on the soles of its feet, which allows the bear to move across ice and snow without slipping. Polar bears feed mainly on seals, carrion (dead animals) such as whales or walruses, and fish or crabs that have washed ashore. A Polar Bear’s hair is a hollow transparent tube with no color. Ultraviolet light from the sun travels down the core of each hair.
THE ‘GIRAFFE’ is the tallest living land animal. Its height is up to 5.5 meters and its shoulders are at the height of 2.5 meters that makes him visible even from a long distance. Its sight is extremely good as well as its hearing sense. With their long feet, they can reach the speed of 50 km per hour (30 mph). This long-necked mammal mainly lives in the southern parts of Africa Sahara. Plains and woodlands are their natural habitat. They feed on leaves, fruit etc. In case of emergency they can use their forefeet to defend themselves. Generally the giraffes lives up to 20 years.
THE ‘LION’ is known as the “King of Beasts” because of its strength and predatory habit. It is the most social of all big cats that live in rich grasslands to Savannas and semi-arid ranges. The lions live in small units of 20 to 30 members and defend their territory where lionesses do most of the hunting. When preying it can reach the speed of 60 km per hours and can leap to 12 meters height. It eats deer, rodents, turtles, lizards, fishes, birds, giraffes etc. Hyenas are the only animals which kill lions for food but sometimes themselves end up as a prey to the “King of Beasts”.
THE ‘AFRICAN ELEPHANTS’ are the largest mammal on the land. In India, Elephants play an inevitable part in some religions and proverbs. When a baby elephant is born it is protected by his mother and the entire herd has no shortage of helpers. Elephants require about 330 lbs of food and 20-25 gallons of water a day. Its diet mainly consists of bark, grass, leaves, fruit etc. Its ears enable it to cool off its head and to get rid of bugs. With its trunk it can drink water, bath, smell, grasp and bring food near to his mouth. Elephants usually live up to 70 years but the main threat to it’s existence is poaching. Poachers hunt them because of their ivory tusks.
