• Interesting Facts about Amphibians (3)
• Interesting Facts about Birds (22)
• Interesting Facts about Fishes (9)
• Interesting Facts about Mammals (48)
• Interesting Facts about Reptiles (16)

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African Black Duck

DESCRIPTION: Overall, this duck is black in colorwith white markings on the back region. SIZE: Approximately 35 cm WEIGHT: 316-502 g FUN FACTS: Males are called drakes, females arehens, and young are ducklings. Africanblack ducks commonly feed in swift-running streams. They forage by eitherstanding on top of partially submerged rocks and jabbing under the rocks withtheir bills or by diving in rapids or at the base of waterfalls.

Aldabra Tortoise

DESCRIPTION: They are dark gray to black in colorwith a highly domed thick carapace, a very long neck to aid in food gathering,and short, thick legs.Males have longer, thicker tails than females. SIZE:Mature males have an average carapace (shell)length of 122 cm.Adult female carapace length averages 91 cm. WEIGHT: Adult males up to 250 kg or more.Mature females average 159 kg. FUN FACTS: The Aldabra tortoise is the largestanimal on the atoll. The tortoises fill a niche very similar to the oneoccupied by elephants in Africa and Asia. Aswith elephants, they are the main consumers of vegetation and noticeably alterthe habitat during their search for food. Tortoises have been known to knockover small trees and shrubs to obtain nutritious leaves. This makes pathwaysand clearings within the forestlands for other animals. Seeds pass through thetortoise's digestive tract and eventually become food for many other species. TheAldabra tortoise is one of the longest-lived animals on earth, if not thelongest. No one knows exactly how long these animals are capable of living, butthey are believed to easily surpass 100 years. So far, the tortoises studiedhave outlived the scientists studying them, and proper records have not beenmaintained.

Alligator

FUN FACTS: The namealligator was derived from the Spanish words el lagarto, meaning "thelizard," which is what Spanish explorers called these creatures. TheAmerican alligator is one of just two species of true alligators - the other isthe Chinese alligator. Alligators are one animal that haschanged very little since the prehistoric days. When dinosaurs became extinct,these modern day contemporaries continued to prosper. The alligator became the official statereptile of Floridain 1987. It is also the mascot of Universityof Florida at Gainesville. Communicating territory in the water isoften difficult, but many crocodilians are quite adept at it. Most species usea headslap or jawclap above or beneath the water. A crocodilian performs aheadslap by raising its head and slamming it against the surface of the water.Jawclaps are when the reptile opens its jaw in a biting motion at the surfaceof the water, then quickly closes it. The result is a loud pop and splash. Unlikeother reptiles, female alligators will protect young for up to two years afterhatching. The first two years are the most critical in the life of analligator. Eighty percent or more may fall victim to wading birds, raccoons,bobcats, otters, snakes, large bass and even larger alligators. Once analligator exceeds four feet, it is relatively safe from predators, but maystill be vulnerable to cannibalism. There are approximately 80 teeth intheir mouth at one time. When the teeth wear down they are replaced.Consequently, an alligator can go through 2,000-3,000 teeth in a lifetime. There are two true species ofalligators: American and Chinese. The Chinese gator is smaller than itsAmerican cousin - only growing to 2 meters in length. There are also fewer than1,000 Chinese alligators left in China'slower Yangtze RiverValley. Alligatorsare hunted for their meat and skin. As early as the 1800s, alligator skins weresold in the Miamiarea for $7 each.

Anaconda

SIZE: Averages 6 m in length; averagediameter is 30 cm;reportedly can grow in excess of 10m in length, though individuals at this length arerare and/or poorly documented; the largest credibly documented specimen wasreported to be 11.4 min length, though this 1944 figure is not innately accepted throughout theentire zoologic community; newborn anacondas are 30-60 cm in length FUN FACTS: The name "anaconda" isderived from the Tamil word "anaikolra", which means "elephantkiller." Early Spanish settlers referred to the anaconda as"matatoro" or "bull killer." Though anacondas are excellentswimmers, they will also hang from branches to dry off. The only area on the anaconda's bodywithout scales is the cloaca. Glands in this area emit a foul smelling musk,which is poisonous for small organisms. Scientists believe the musk may preventticks and leeches from attaching themselves to the cloaca

Arctic Fox (White Fox)

DESCRIPTION: The arctic fox has a dense, bushy coatand a long, fluffy tail. There are two color phases. For the white phase, thefox has a thick, white coat during the colder, winter months and a shorterbrownish to gray coat in the summer. The blue phase fox, has a long blue-graycoat in the winter and a shorter darker gray coat in the summer. SIZE:   109 cm (43 in) WEIGHT:        2.7-4.5 kg (6-10 lb) FUN FACTS:        Communaland nomadic; the foxes form small bands and scavenge for food together. A family group consists of one male,two females (called vixens), and their young - if any. One of the vixens is anonbreeding juvenile born the previous year, who stays to help care for thenext litter. Arctic foxes are monogamous, usuallymating for life. The father helps care for the young. The fur ofthe arctic fox has two phases: in the winter, it is entirely white, and in thesummer the coat ranges from gray to brown on the back, and somewhat lighter onthe belly. The foxes' paws are sheathed in dense fur during the winter (unlikeother canids), which is why they are named lagopus ("rabbit-footed"). Althoughthey have been hunted for their fur and driven away for their predation ondomestic sheep, arctic fox numbers remain relatively stable.

Baboons

FUN FACTS: Guineababoons are found in grassy, rocky, and steppe habitats in western Africa. They live in troops of up to 200 individuals,each with a set place in a hierarchy. Group living provides protection frompredators such as lions and hyenas. Baboons are omnivores, eating almostanything available, which allows them to occupy areas with few resources orharsh conditions. Their presence may help improve habitats because they dig forwater and spread seeds in their waste, encouraging plant growth.   Baboons live everywhere in Africa where they can find drinking water. Thay havedog-like muzzles and limb modifications which allow them to walk long distanceson the ground. Baboons can be an important food sourcefor other animals. Some of the largest eagles will feed on them or their young.The African crowned hawk eagle will often hunt in pairs. One swoops and perchesamong a troop of baboons, and while they mob it, the mate swoops from behindand picks up an unwary baboon. Mother-daughter bonds among baboonslast into adulthood. The maternal bond with sons lasts until sexual maturity,when juvenile males leave their natal group to enter another group or becomesolitary. The social structure of Guineababoons is multi-leveled. Adult males maintain separate social units,containing females, juveniles, and subadult males. Guinea baboons are highlycommunicative animals. They communicate with one another by using a variety ofvocalizations and physical interactions. In addition to vocalizations to oneanother, these animals have vocal communications apparently intended to bereceived and interpreted by predators.

Balloonfish

DESCRIPTION: Tan teardrop-shaped body with brownblotches and black spots over entire length. Long spines (typically seenlowered) are found over entire body surface, starting at the forehead. Eyes arelarge and pronounced with yellow irises. Iridescent blue-green specks may beseen within pupil. Brown band runs over forehead, from eye to eye. Fins areclear. Rounded caudal fin. SIZE: 20.3-35.6 cm avg; 50.8 cm max FUN FACTS: When threatened or frightened, theballoonfish will take in water - thereby noticeably expanding its overall bodysize. In this inflated state, its spines stand erect. The spines and theenlarged size can prove intimidating to potential predators. Throughout certain Pacific island communities,the balloonfish was historically fashioned as a helmet

Barn Owl

DESCRIPTION: The barn owl is primarily white withyellow and tawny shade and it is freckles of dark specks. The eyes and beak arecompletely encircled by a heart-shaped facial ruff of white feathers rimmedwith tan feathers. SIZE: Approximately 37.5-50 cm. Females usually are larger than males WEIGHT: Approximately 450-560 g FUN FACTS: In the wild, many young barn owls donot survive their first year of life. Some scientists think this may be aresult of breeding and raising large clutches more than once a year, which usesa lot of energy. Barn owl pairs typically stay togetheras long as both members of the pair are alive. They do not create a nest;rather they deposit the eggs in manmade structures such as towers, barns, etc.- often using the site year after year. Farmers and ranchers are increasinglyattracted to the barn owl's ability to control rodents better than traps,poison, or cats. In some Pacific islands they have been introduced for ratcontrol and have been provided with nest boxes in palm groves by locals for thesame purpose. Barn owls are able to consume twice asmuch food as other owls in comparison to their weight. They are able to cover 100 acres each night insearch of food. A single barn owl offspring is able to consume 25,000 mice ayear. They are often seen in barns andagricultural fields which provide them with ample hunting sites. During the daythey find an enclosed area in an old building, hollow tree, or hole in a rockycliff and sleep away the afternoon. Barn owls hunt at night, and althoughthey have very good vision, they rely mostly on their sense of hearing. Owlears are located one higher than the other, increasing sound reception. Duringflight, the left ear captures sounds below while the right ear focuses onsounds from above. In addition, their face feathers createa disc, which works to trap and focus sound. Researchers found that in totalblackness the barn owl is still able to find the smallest of prey because oftheir excellent hearing. Owls' eyes look forward in a fixedposition and cannot move from side to side, as the human eye can. In order tosee peripherally, the owl must turn its entire head. It is a myth that owls can turn theirhead all the way around. Owls have 14 neck vertebrae, allowing them to movetheir head 270 degrees. Barn owls have a serrated comb on themiddle toes claw. So far, scientists believe this to be a grooming adaptation.         Most owls have unique, comb like feathers thatallow for silent flight. The leading edge is "fringed" so that thefeathers, when moving, do not make noise when rubbing together.

Bearded Dragon

BeardedDragons are generally considered good pets even for beginner reptile owners,even though they have a fairly complicated diet, special enclosure needs andrequire a fair amount of care.  BeardedDragons are very social, easy to handle and can get depressed if your notpaying enough attention to them causing their scales to fall off.  Some of these little guys will actually bobtheir heads and wave to you through the glass when you approach the tank. Adult sizeusually reach lengths of 18-24  by about2 years of age and have been known to live over 10 years.

Bears

DESCRIPTION:  Bears have large, heavy bodies, massiveskulls, short limbs, five digit paws with well developed curved claws. They arecovered with thick fur and are usually black, brown or white in color. Somespecies have other coloration patterns and markings that distinguish them fromother bears. Capable of walking upright on hind legs for short distances. SIZE:   Head/body length: 1,000-2,800 mm (3.28-9.19 ft.) Taillength: 65-210 mm(2.5-8.27in.) MALE: Males are approximately 20% larger than females. Weight: 27-780 kg. Males areapproximately 20% larger than females DIET: Most bears are omnivorous with the exceptionof the polar bear which is primarily carnivorous GESTATION: Varies, but delayed implantation extendspregnancy periods by 6-9 months SEXUALMATURITY: 2.5-6 years LIFE SPAN: 15-30 years in the wild RANGE: Throughout most of Eurasia, North America, Atlas Mountains of North Africa and Andesof South America

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List of Animals English Globe