• 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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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

Beluga

DESCRIPTION: In general, adult belugas are almostcompletely white, while young belugas are gray. The head region is rounded witha prominent melon and a short broad beak. One highly noticeable trait is thelack of a dorsal fin; instead belugas have a narrow dorsal ridge. The pectoralflippers of belugas are broad and the flukes become strongly convex on thetrailing edge in mature whales.In general, male belugas tend to be larger thanfemales SIZE: Newborn beluga calves are up to 1.6 m in length.Male 3.4-4.6 m, Female 3-4 m WEIGHT: At birth, calves are approximately 54-80 kg. Male - Up to 1500 kg, Female - Up to 1360 kg FUN FACTS: The English name "beluga"comes from the Russian word belukha, which translates into "white."Belugas are also known as white whales. At birth, beluga calves are generallydark gray. They gradually lighten with age, and upon reaching maturity, attainthe white coloration characteristic of adult belugas. This white colorationprotects belugas from predators by camouflaging them among the icebergs and icefloes of northern seas. A highly social species, beluga whalesare extremely vocal. Long ago, scientists and sailors gave beluga whales thenickname "sea canaries," due to the birdlike sounds these whalesmake. Beluga whales lack dorsal fins, buthave a low dorsal ridge. The lack of a dorsal fin means less surface area forlosing heat to the environment. And without a dorsal fin, a beluga can moreeasily swim beneath extensive ice sheets and locate breathing holes. Belugas are among the few whales thathave un-fused neck vertebrae. This feature makes their necks quite flexible andgives their heads a wide range of motion. Belugascan swim both forward and, unlike most other whales, backward.

Black Swan

DESCRIPTION: As indicated by its name, this speciesof swan has dark body plumage with white feather tips on its wings. The bill isorange-red with a white band near the tip and the eyes are bright red. SIZE: 0.2-1.3 m long WEIGHT: Up to 9 kg FUN FACTS: The term 'swan song' comes from theancient Greek belief that a swan sang a song of death when its life was aboutto end. Male swans are called cobs, females arepens, and young are cygnets. Swans have far more neck vertebrae thanmammals, with 24 or 25 vertebrae; most mammals only have seven. Swans in general have the largest eggsof any flighted bird. Swan parents will carry cygnets ontheir back while swimming, enabling the parents to regain weight lost to therigors of mating, egg laying, incubation, simultaneous feeding, and brooding.This practice also provides protection for the downy cygnets. Swansare known to have a triumph ceremony. Such ceremonies are when a male attacks arival suitor, then returns to his potential mate to perform an elaborateceremony while posturing and calling.

Blue Whale

DESCRIPTION: Blue whales, named for theirbluish-gray coloration, are known for their immense size. Their colorationoften includes grayish or whitish areas. When viewed from above, the rostrumappears broad and U-shaped and a large splashguard surrounds two blowholes. Ablue whale's slender, vertical blow can reach a height of 9 m. Blue whales have55-68 vertical grooves extending back almost to the navel. The dorsal fin isvery small and set of the way back and the trailing edge of the flukes aresmooth except for a small notch in the center.Females tend to be slightly larger thanmales SIZE: For adults, a maximum of 33.5 m, but lengths of 21 m are more common. Bluewhale calves measure about 7 min length.Male: For Antarctic adults at physical maturity,lengths of 25 m are common; specimens from the Northern hemisphere are typically smaller.Female: For Antarctic adults at physicalmaturity, lengths of 27 mare common; specimens from the Northern hemisphere are typically smaller WEIGHT: Long ago, Antarctic blue whales weighed 145,280 kg. Newborncalves weigh 2,700-3,600 kg. FUN FACTS: Blue whales belong to the cetaceansuborder Mysticeti - the baleen whales. Whales in this suborder lack teeth.Instead, they have stiff, hair-like baleen plates that hang from their upperjaws. With the baleen plates, blue whales filter vast quantities of krill (tinyshrimp-like crustaceans), consuming as much as four tons per day. Blue whales typically travel eithersingly or in pairs, although sometimes more whales may be found within closerange in areas high in krill concentrations. Blue whales are capable of producinglow-frequency sounds, which can travel hundreds of miles in deep water. Thefunction of these long-ranging vocalizations is not quite known although it istheorized that some of the vocalizations aid in navigation by imagingseamounts, islands and other underwater masses. Theblue whale is the largest animal in the world - probably the largest that everlived. Long ago, Antarctic blue whales measured 30.5 m (100 ft.) and weighed 145,280 kg (320,000 lb.). Whalehunters took the most massive whales - the biggest blue whales today measureabout 26 m(85 ft.),but lengths of 21 m(70 ft.)are more common. A blue whale's heart alone may weigh 908 kg (2,000 lb.), as much as asmall car.

Bottlenose Dolphins

DESCRIPTION:Bottlenosedolphins are light to dark gray over their dorsal surface, fading into a whiteor cream along their ventral region. They have a streamlined fusiform bodyshape. The source of their common name, bottlenose dolphins exhibit apronounced anterior rostrum (often referred to as a beak), typically 7-8cm (3 in.) in length. Said rostrumgenerally contains 76-98 conically-shaped, homogenous teeth - with tooth countsvarying among individuals. Their dorsal fin is falcate.It shouldbe noted that two distinct ecotypes are recognized. The coastal ecotypetypically exhibits smaller average body size with relatively larger flippersize. Comparatively, the offshore ecotype typically exhibit larger average bodysize and darker coloration - among other morphological distinctions. SIZE:Coastalecotype = average 2.5-2.7 m Offshoreecotype = 3.7 m Atlanticbottlenose dolphins as a whole are typically smaller than Pacific bottlenosedolphins; however, bottlenose dolphins frequenting cooler, temperate waters ineither ocean tend to exhibit sizes indicative of the relatively larger offshoreecotype. Calves areapproximately 106-132 cmat birth. FUN FACTS: Dolphins frequently ride the bow wakeor the stern wake of boats. They have been seen jumping as high as 4.9 m (16 ft.) out of the water andlanding on their backs or sides, in a behavior called a breach. Both young and old dolphins chase oneanother, carry objects around, toss seaweed to one another, and use objects toinvite each other to interact. Such activity may be practice for catching food. Bottlenose dolphins often cooperatewhen hunting and catching fish. In open waters, a dolphin pod sometimesencircles a large school of fish and herds them into a tight ball for easyfeeding. Then the dolphins take turns charging through the school to feed.Occasionally dolphins will herd fish to shallow water where they are easy prey. Bottlenosedolphins generally do not need to dive very deeply to catch food. Depending onhabitat, most bottlenose dolphins regularly dive to depths of 3-46 m (10-150 ft.). They are, however,capable of diving to some depth. Under experimental conditions, a traineddolphin dove 547 m(1,795 ft.). Bottlenosedolphins live in fluid social groups called pods. The size of a pod roughlyvaries from 2-15 individuals. Several pods may join temporarily to form largergroups called herds or aggregations. Up to several hundred animals have beenobserved traveling in a single herd. The dolphin's sleek, fusiform body,together with its flippers, flukes, and dorsal fin, adapt this animal for oceanlife. A dolphin's forelimbs are pectoral flippers. As it swims, a dolphin usesits pectoral flippers to steer and, with the help of the flukes, to stop. Bottlenose dolphins routinely swim atspeeds of about 5-11 kph (3-7mph). On average, a dive may last 8-10minutes. Group composition and structure oftenare based on age and sex. Adult males tend to group together in pairs or inthrees. Females with calves associate with one another. Individuals may leaveone group and join another. Adultseat about 4-5% of their body weight per day. Bottlenose dolphins oftencooperate when hunting and catching fish. In open waters, a dolphin groupsometimes encircles a large school of fish and herds them into a tight, densemass for easy feeding. The dolphins take turns charging through the school tofeed while the others keep the fish from scattering. Occasionally dolphins herdfish to shallow water and trap them against a shore or sandbar.

Brown Pelicans

DESCRIPTION: The brown pelican is a large,grayish-brown bird with a blackish belly and a white head and neck. It has along beak with a thin, membranous pouch. SIZE: Approximately 120 cm tall; 210 cm wide WEIGHT: Approximately 2.7-3.18 kg FUN FACTS: Brown pelicans are the only species todive into the water from 30feet above to capture prey. After catching the prey anda lot of water, they tip their bill downward to drain the water beforeswallowing the fish. While brown pelicans are known fordiving, they will never be deep divers due to the extensive system ofsubcutaneous air-sacs that give them theirbuoyancy in the water. The pelican's pouch (gular pouch) isused as a dip net to catch fish, which are soon swallowed into the stomach (thecenter of gravity) so that they can maintain their balance while flying. They have an extendable sac of skin atthe base of their throat, which is capable of holding up to 3 gallons of water,several times more than their belly. Most fossil species of pelican areplaced in the same genus as the modern pelican due to extreme anatomicalsimilarities. This suggests that the present form of pelican has changed verylittle over the past 30-40 million years. The brown pelican, the smallest of thePelecanidae family, can fly up to 30 mph. Its gular pouch may be used to disperseheat as well as to collect fish and rainwater. Brownpelicans are best adapted to living alongside humans. They are frequently seenat fishing ports up and down the coast, opportunistically feeding on fishscraps discarded by fisherman.

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List of Animals English Globe