Animals_ A Visual Encyclopedia ( PDFDrive )

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Contents

LONDON, NEW YORK, FOREWORD 4
MELBOURNE, MUNICH, and DELHI
ANIMAL KINGDOM 6
Project editors Carrie Love, Caroline Stamps What is an animal? 8
Project designer Rachael Smith Animal behavior 10
An animal’s life cycle 12
Editors Ann Baggaley, Elinor Greenwood, Wendy Horobin, World habitats 14
Cécile Landau, Lorrie Mack, and Penny Smith Animals in danger 20

Designers Sadie Thomas, Clemence De Molliens, MAMMALS 22
Gemma Fletcher, and Joanna Pocock
Picture researcher Liz Moore What is a mammal? 24
Marsupials 26
Packaging services supplied by Bookwork Gliding mammals 28
Insect eaters 30
Publishing manager Bridget Giles Bats 32
Art director Rachael Foster Listening bats 34
Primates 36
Production controller Claire Pearson New World, Old World 38
Production editor Sean Daly The unique gelada 40
Apes 42
Jacket designer Natalie Godwin Prosimian primates 44
Jacket editor Mariza O’Keeffe Rodents 46
A world of rodents 48
US editor Margaret Parrish Beaver engineers 50
Whales and dolphins 52
Consultants Dr. Mark Fox, Dr. John P. Friel, A world of whales 56
Matthew Robertson, and Eileen Westwig M.S. Mother and calf 58
Dolphin communication 60
First American edition published in 2008. Dogs 62
This paperback American edition published in 2012 by DK Publishing Born for the cold! 64
Bears 66
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014 Saving giant pandas 68
Cats 70
Copyright © 2008 and 2012 Dorling Kindersley Limited Lion teamwork 72
A world of cats 74
12 13 14 15 16 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Playing to survive 76
001—183849—April/12 Weasels and their relatives 78
At home with sea otters 80
All rights reserved. Civets and relatives 82
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part Seals and sea lions 84
of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a I am the walrus 86
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, Elephants 88
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior Elephant family 90
Dugongs and manatees 92
written permission of the copyright owner. Horses and zebras 94
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. Giraffe and okapi 96

A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.

ISBN 978-0-7566-9170-7

DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales
promotions, premiums, fundraising, or educational use. For details contact:
DK Publishing Special Markets, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014,

or [email protected].

Color reproduction by Colourscan, Singapore
Printed and bound by Toppan, China

Discover more at

www.dk.com

Rhinoceroses 98 FISHES 200
Battling hippos 100
Camels and relatives 102 What is a fish? 202
Deer 104 A world of sharks 204
Cattle and antelope 106 The big-headed hammerhead 206
Wildebeest migration 108 Killer sharks? 208
Skates and rays 210
BIRDS 110 Bony fishes 212
Schools 214
What is a bird? 112 Fishing for food 216
A world of birds 114 Giant grouper 218
Birds of a feather 116 Deep-sea fishes 220
Birds of prey 118 Spawning salmon 222
Bald eagle 120
Silent owls 122 INVERTEBRATES 224
Gamebirds 124
Seabirds and shorebirds 126 What is an invertebrate? 226
Penguins 128 Sponges 228
The wandering albatross 130 Sea anemones 230
Pelicans and relatives 132 Jellyfish 232
Waterbirds 134 Corals 234
Migration: Snow geese 136 Worms 236
Kingfishers and relatives 138 Mollusks 238
Flamingos 140 Snails and slugs 240
Herons and relatives 142 Octopuses and squid 242
Parrots 144 A world of shells 244
Hummingbirds 146 Arthropods 246
Woodpeckers and toucans 148 Dragonflies and damselflies 248
Amazing nests 150 Stick and leaf insects 250
Perching birds 152 Grasshoppers and crickets 252
Starlings 156 Mantids 254
A world of eggs 158 Cockroaches 256
Bugs 258
REPTILES 160 Treehoppers 260
A world of beetles 262
What is a reptile? 162 Wetas 264
Reptile birthday 164 Ants 266
Tortoises and turtles 166 Termites 268
Snakes 168 Bees and wasps 270
Lizards 174 Flies 272
Chameleons 176 Butterflies and moths 274
Geckos, skinks, and others 178 Moths and butterflies 276
Iguanas, monitors, and relatives 180 Scorpions 278
Crocodiles and alligators 182 Spiders 280
Spider silk 282
AMPHIBIANS 184 Crustaceans 284
Spider crabs 286
What is an amphibian? 186 Centipedes and millipedes 288
Salamanders and newts 188 Echinoderms 290
Frogs and toads 190
Marine toad 194 Glossary 292
Poison dart frogs 196 Index 296
Frogs and toads 198 Credits and acknowledgments 303

Foreword

We share our planet with a wonderful array of diverse and fascinating creatures. From the tiniest insect
to the mighty blue whale, animals have adapted to fill every niche in the ecosystem. There are so many
different types (species), that even after hundreds of years of scientific study people have still not managed to
catalog every species that exists. Even the most familiar animals have aspects of their behavior, lifestyle, or
biology that remain to be discovered. However, it is a sad fact that many species will vanish through habitat
loss, pollution, and human exploitation before their true value to biodiversity is known.
This comprehensive guide aims to introduce children to the exciting world of animals. All the major groups
are represented: mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. Each section introduces the
reader to the main characteristics of the groups, families, and species that follow. Individual entries focus on
particularly interesting or common species, detailing their habitat, geographic location, relative size, lifespan,
and conservation status. Stunning photographs accompany the text, revealing the spectacular colors and
fabulous decorations displayed by many animals, as well as insights into their behavior in the wild. From
the biggest to the baddest and the beautiful to the bizarre, the wonders of the animal kingdom are revealed
here to amaze and inform young minds.

Dr. John P. Friel
Curator of Fishes, Amphibians, & Reptiles
Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates

4

ANIMALS IN DANGER KEY TO SYMBOLS
Many animals face the threat of extinction. An animal is said to be extinct
when the last known specimen has died. Scientists monitor how close an All the animals featured in this book are
animal may be to extinction using a classification system devised by the coded with symbols that indicate their
International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Under this usual habitats, maximum size relative to a
system, animals that have been evaluated are put into the following categories: human, lifespan, and conservation status.
Caves are one habitat not denoted by an
• Extinct in the wild: the animal only exists in captivity or as icon, as relatively few species spend their
a naturalized population outside its normal range. entire lives there. Urban habitats have also
not been included as such animals have a
• Critically endangered: the animal is facing an extremely high natural home in the wild. Animals with a
risk of extinction. lifespan of less than one year do not have
an icon. A question mark indicates that
• Endangered: the animal is facing a very high risk of extinction. the lifespan, though longer than a year,
is unknown. Animal sizes are shown by
• Vulnerable: the animal is facing a high risk of extinction. comparing the animal to an average-height
• Near threatened: the animal is likely to qualify for one of the adult man for large species, or an adult
human hand for smaller species.
above categories in the near future, or depends on conservation
efforts for its survival. ICONS

• Least concern: the animal has been assessed but is regarded as ANIMAL NOT ENDANGERED
widespread and abundant.
ANIMAL NUMBERS ARE DECLINING
• Data deficient/Not evaluated: there is not enough information
to assess the animal fully or it has not been assessed. Some of these ANIMAL ENDANGERED
animals, such as earthworms, fall within this category even though
they are known to be common. ANIMAL STATUS UNKNOWN
IUCN does not classify animals that are domesticated or farmed, such
as cattle, sheep, dromedary camels, goldfishes, and household pets. ANIMAL LIFESPAN

TROPICAL FOREST AND RAIN
FOREST
TEMPERATE FOREST, INCLUDING
WOODLAND

CONIFEROUS FOREST,
INCLUDING WOODLAND

SEAS AND OCEANS

COASTAL AREAS, INCLUDING
BEACHES AND CLIFFS
POLAR REGIONS AND TUNDRA

RIVERS, STREAMS, AND ALL
FLOWING WATER
WETLANDS AND STILL WATER: LAKES,
PONDS, MARSHES, BOGS, AND SWAMPS

MANGROVE SWAMPS, ABOVE AND
BELOW THE WATERLINE
MOUNTAINS, HIGHLANDS,
SCREE SLOPES
DESERT AND SEMIDESERT

CORAL REEFS AND WATERS
IMMEDIATELY AROUND THEM
GRASSLAND HABITATS: MOOR,
SAVANNA, FIELDS, SCRUBLAND
SIZE OF ANIMAL COMPARED
WITH ADULT HUMAN

ANIMAL KINGDOM ANIMAL
KINGDOM

ANIMAL KINGDOM

What is an ANIMAL?

The animal kingdom is a vast collection of weird and wonderful

creatures. Members of this group come in many different shapes

ANIMAL KINGDOM and sizes, but they are all made up of cells, and they all have

nerves and muscles to move and respond to the world around

them. Most important, all animals eat food to make energy.

ANIMALS

Warm and cold blood Birds and mammals are warm-blooded VERTEBRATES
animals, which means they make their own body heat using the
energy from their food. Other animals, such as amphibians, fishes, are animals with backbones and
insects, and reptiles, are cold-blooded creatures, which means they include amphibians, birds, fishes,
cannot make their own body heat. Instead, cold-blooded animals mammals, and reptiles.
rely on outside sources of heat, such as the warmth of the Sun, to
raise their body temperature and carry on their daily lives.

MAMMALS BIRDS REPTILES AMPHIBIANS FISHES

Mammals have Birds have feathers Reptiles have dry Amphibians spend most Fishes have fins
fur and feed their and produce young skin covered with of their adult lives on and scales and
young with milk by laying eggs. Most scales or horny land and breathe air, spend life in
from the mother’s birds move using plates. Most produce but return to water the water. They
mammary glands. their wings to fly. young by laying eggs. to breed. breathe using gills.

FOOD CHAINS When

animals eat other animals, the ENERGY FLOW These
simple food chains show the
energy in the food passes through feeding relationships between
different animals. Energy flows
a food chain. The first link in Orca (killer up each chain until it reaches Cougar
whale) an animal that has no natural Raccoon
the chain is a plant. Plants predators—represented here by
a serval, an orca, and a cougar.
create food using the energy

from the Sun. When an

animal eats the plant, Sea lion

the energy passes up

the chain. The food Serval cat

chain continues Herring Snake
Mouse
as animals eat Starling

other animals. Spider

8

WHAT IS AN ANIMAL?

LIFE

BACTERIA PLANTS FUNGI PROTISTS ANIMAL KINGDOM

are a group of organisms that
include some seaweeds and
molds. Many are single-celled.

INVERTEBRATES

make up 95 percent of the animal kingdom.
They are animals that do not have a bony
skeleton. They include insects, spiders, and many
marine creatures such as crabs and starfish.

WORMS CRUSTACEANS SPONGES HORSESHOE CRAB ECHINODERMS

Various Crabs, lobsters, Starfish,

unrelated ARACHNIDS woodlice MOLLUSKS CNIDARIANS INSECTS sea urchins,

groups. Scorpions, spiders, Clams, octopuses, Sea anemones, Butterflies, moths, sand dollars

ticks, mites oysters, squid, slugs, corals, jellyfish, mosquitoes, flies,

snails hydroids dragonflies, beetles

CLASSIFICATION

Scientists around the world organize the living ■ Order: Carnivora

world into different groups. A species is the Includes any animal
simplest unit of this classification. Related that mainly eats meat.

Feathers (left), fur (center) and scales (right). species are grouped into genus, and genera are ■ Family: Felidae
grouped into families. This grouping system Includes every type of
Animal overcoats Animals keep warm carries on through order, class, and phylum to cat, both large and small.
and protect their skin and bodies in
different ways. Birds are covered with kingdom at the top of the classification system. ■ Genus: Panthera
feathers, mammals have coats of fur, Large cats that can roar
while scales or horny plates grow out The following shows an example of scientific as well as purr. Includes
of the skin of fishes and reptiles. classification for the lion. The genus name is lions, tigers, panthers.

always written in italics with a capital first

letter; the species name is written in italics but ■ Species: leo
Identifies the large cat
does not have a capital first letter. specifically as a lion.

9

ANIMAL KINGDOM ANIMAL behavior

Anything an animal does is its behavior. This ranges
from simple things such as eating and keeping clean
to more complex activities such as attracting a mate.
Some behavior is instinctive, while other behavior
develops through experience.

LIVING ALONE LIVING TOGETHER Feeding time Animals spend a lot
of time looking for food. Some
Many animals choose Animals choose to live together predators hunt alone and rely on
to live and hunt for many different reasons. One speed or stealth to capture prey.
alone and only come of the main benefits is safety in Others hunt in groups. Scavengers
together to mate numbers. You might think that a feed on the remains that other
during the breeding group of animals offers the predator animals leave behind.
season. As soon as the a wider choice of prey. In fact, the
mating takes place, predator often finds it hard to single
the two sexes part out its victim. For any one animal,
company again. the chance of being eaten is less.

u LIFE IN THE HERD u BEE COLONIES u HOME TO ROOST u NESTING SITES u ON THE PROWL
Living in a herd offers a Within a bee colony, one During the day, large During the breeding Female lions and their cubs
better chance of survival female, called the queen, numbers of bats gather to season, seabirds such live in groups called prides.
for zebras since there are produces all the young. She rest at roosting sites, such as gannets and gulls Male lions live alongside
more eyes on the lookout is helped by all the bees in as caves. They emerge at make their nests in dense the females either alone or
for predators such as lions. the colony. dusk to feed. colonies along the coast. in small groups.

10

SENDING A MESSAGE Danger signals ANIMAL BEHAVIOR ANIMAL KINGDOM
Animals use a range of defensive tactics
Animals keep in touch in different when they feel threatened. Some rely on d BROWN BEAR These bears can be
ways. They may make noisy calls, their speed to escape from danger, while aggressive, especially when a mother is
use body language and other visual others puff up their bodies to exaggerate protecting her cubs. Brown bears stand
cues, or leave scent marks. Animals their size and look more dangerous. upright to look as threatening as possible,
communicate in these ways for In some cases, these growling and baring their teeth.
many reasons, such as finding food threats are real.
and finding each other. . COBRA
When threatened,
, SMILE When the Indian cobra
a chimpanzee is spreads its broad
frightened, it hood to look more
bares its teeth. menacing. This
So what looks display is usually
enough to deter the
like a smile to potential threat.
us is actually
a chimpanzee’s . POISON
grin of fear. DART FROG
The bright color
A smile? of the poison
dart frog
, BIRD SONG is a warning to
Birds use a range all animals that
of melodic songs and it contains some
calls to “speak” to deadly poisons.
each other. They use
these calls in many . BUTTERFLY
ways, perhaps to The large eye spots
warn of danger or on the wings of
mark out a territory. butterflies and
moths may startle
d TONGUE TASTER The predators by
snake’s forked tongue brings resembling the eyes
smells and tastes into its of larger animals.
mouth. These are then
detected in two pits, . OPOSSUM
called “Jacobson’s When threatened,
organs,” on the the opossum sinks
roof of its mouth. to the ground,
bares its teeth,
Mangrove snake and lolls its tongue
Boiga dendrophila to one side in
a convincing
display of death.

ANIMAL IQ . TOOLS OF THE TRADE These
chimpanzees are using a thin twig to
It is incredibly difficult for people to probe a termite mound for the
measure the intelligence of an animal. insects inside. The use of
Some apparently intelligent behavior tools is unusual in the
comes naturally, such as the beaver’s animal kingdom.
ability to build a dam. Better
examples of animal intelligence are , MENTAL MAPS The
the abilities to learn from experiences Eurasian jay buries acorns
and solve problems. Unfortunately, as a food store for the winter.
these are rare in the animal world. Rarely do these birds forget the
location of the burial sites.

11

An ANIMAL’S life cycle

ANIMAL KINGDOM The whole of an animal’s life has just one purpose: survival
of the species. Staying alive long enough to find a mate and
produce young is all that really matters. Each species has its
own special life cycle that is repeated as one
generation follows another.

GOING COURTING

Some animals mate at any time of year.

Others breed only in particular seasons, . DISPLAY The
such as spring and fall. Attracting a mate more impressive his
can mean putting in a lot of effort, tail, the more females
especially for the males. Fancy plumage, a peacock will entice
shows of strength, and love songs are just into his harem.

some of the ploys animals use.

. FROG SONGS CARING MOM
Frogs and toads This mother orangutan
inflate their throat is bringing up her infant
sacs to make love without any help from her
calls to mates. mate. Over the next 10 years
she will teach the youngster
u LOCKING ANTLERS survival skills, such as how to
These deer are having a live safely in the forests and
wrestling match to decide where to find food.
which one of them wins
the females.

u BOXING GLOVES
In spring, male hares that are
rivals for the same mate often
settle the matter with
a fierce boxing match.

The way young develop
Most mammals give birth to live young. Animals such as birds, insects,
and many reptiles and fishes, lay eggs. The time it takes for young to develop
independent life, inside the womb or inside an egg, or by passing through larval

stages, varies enormously. A small mammal such as a vole
is pregnant for two or three weeks, while an elephant’s
pregnancy lasts about 22 months. Some insects stay
at an early stage of development for years.

, IN THE EGG An . IN THE WOMB
embryo chick may not begin At this early stage a kitten looks
to develop until the parent much the same as a human
birds start sitting on the embryo. Its body systems will be
eggs. The growing chick is developed long before birth.
nourished by the egg yolk.

12

CHILDCARE AN ANIMAL’S LIFE CYCLE ANIMAL KINGDOM

Some newborn animals receive lavish childcare. For example, a mother ape . A NEST FULL
carries her young everywhere; an infant kangaroo always has a mother’s pouch of chicks is
to shelter in; parent birds feed their nestlings on demand. On the other hand, hard work.
the young of hares and some deer survive on one short daily visit from their Many parent
birds exhaust
mother, when she shows up to feed them. Often, animals such as themselves feeding
insects, fishes, and reptiles never meet their parents at all. their hungry brood.

, KING PENGUINS carry their u PUPS are ready to be weaned
single egg on their feet, tucked from their mother’s milk when
under a warm tummy fold. Both they are about three weeks old.

parent birds share the duty. , TADPOLES know
nothing about parents.
, YOUNG KANGAROOS When they hatch, they
stay in their mother’s pouch for must fend for themselves.

six months. They feed from
a nipple inside the pouch.

, A NEWBORN
ANTEATER climbs
straight up on to its
mother’s back. It rides
around, clinging to
the mother’s fur,
until it is about
one year old.

A continuing cycle u ELEPHANT AUNTS
In some species of animals, All the females in an elephant herd
mothers and their young stay help a mother to look after her calf.
together as a group for life.
Among animals as widely , LIFE TIES
different as lions, monkeys, and The close
killer whales family ties remain bond between
unbroken in this way, though the dolphins and
male offspring will leave the group their offspring
when mature so that only one lasts for life.
dominant male remains with the females.
Other young male and female animals,
such as pandas, move on to a largely
solitary existence.

13

ANIMAL KINGDOM WHERE IN THE WORLD? World habitats

Habitats are places where animals live Our planet is home to a range of landscapes and some
and mix with other animals and their equally varied weather patterns. Months go by in the
surroundings. Most animals can move desert without a single drop of rain, while rain forests
from place to place, so they have spread are soaked daily by tropical storms. Little wonder then
to every part of the world. Many thrive that Earth supports such an amazing diversity of life.
in warm, wet tropical forests, while other
hardy types live in some of the harshest Wetlands and mangroves
places on our planet, from arid deserts
to the darkest ocean depths. In some wetlands, plants form a are flooded with salt water Tropic of Cancer
thin carpet over the waterlogged when the tide comes in and Equator
The following symbols are used soil, while in others stretches of left exposed when the
throughout the book. open water mix with patches of water retreats. These
dense vegetation. Wetlands are swamps contain many
Tropical forest and rain forest homes for land-based swimmers fishes, and the dense
such as snakes, as well as many forests provide
Temperate forest, including insects, fishes, and waterbirds. excellent nesting
woodland Mangrove swamps (see inset) sites for birds.

Coniferous forest, including Tropic of Capricorn
woodland
Temperate and coniferous forest
Mountains, highlands, scree slopes
In the northern hemisphere, home to many different animals.
Desert and semidesert temperate forests of deciduous Bears, birds of prey, and wolves
trees eventually give way to live in the coniferous forests of
Open habitats including grassland, coniferous forests that stretch the far north, while deer, lizards,
moorland, heathland, savanna, fields, scrub across the far north, deep inside squirrels, and
the Arctic Circle, where the many forest
Rivers, streams, and all temperatures rarely rise above birds are
flowing water freezing. Farther south, the found
temperate forests of evergreen farther
Wetlands and all still trees have warm summers and south.
bodies of water mild winters. These forests are

Mangrove swamps above or below
waterline

Seas and oceans

Coastal areas

Coral reefs and waters
immediately around them

Polar regions, including tundra
and icebergs

Mediterranean-type biomes

14

Tundra WORLD HABITATS ANIMAL KINGDOM

into life as snow and ice melt. Grassland
Alpine plants appear, and birds
The tundra is a vast, frozen arrive to breed. As the soil starts as the savanna. In all
landscape north of the Arctic to freeze again, the plants wither these areas, grasses are
Circle. It is so cold that the soil and the birds depart, marking Grasslands go by different the dominant plants and
is frozen for most of the year. the end of the short summer. names in different places. the main source of food
In the spring, the tundra bursts They are prairies in North for huge herds of grazing
America, pampas or paramo mammals, such as the
Arctic Ocean in South America, steppes wildebeest and zebras
in Europe and Asia, and the of Africa. In turn, these
outback in Australia. The grazers are the food for
tropical and subtropical predators such as the big
grassland of Africa is known cats and wild dogs.

NORTH AMERICA EUROPE ASIA
Atlantic Ocean AFRICA

Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean SOUTH AMERICA Indian Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
DESERT LIFE AUSTRALIA
The world’s deserts
are places of extreme
climate, with very
high temperatures
and little moisture.

ANTARCTICA

Mountain Coastal areas

Few habitats experience such such as apes, bears, deer, and The coast is a natural barrier Rocky coasts, mudflats, and
a variation in conditions as monkeys. Higher up the between land and sea. It is sandy beaches abound with
the mountains. Lower down slopes, the air gets thinner one of the few places on marine invertebrates and
the slopes, in the foothills, and the temperature drops Earth where the landscape the wading birds that feed
the conditions usually match rapidly. Only the hardiest constantly changes. Animals on them.
that of the surrounding area. animals, such as birds of prey that live here must adapt to
Many animals make their and mountain goats, can cope the rhythm of the tides.
home here, including forest with the harsh conditions.
birds and large mammals,

15

ANIMAL KINGDOM The rain forest is warm Hot forests
and wet, creating the Rain forests enjoy plenty of warmth and moisture.
perfect conditions for The rain forests that lie on the equator are hot and
plant growth. This rich humid all year round. They are some of the most
vegetation provides the productive habitats on Earth. The seasonal forests on
foundations for either side of the equator—the so-called monsoon
abundant animal life. forests—experience a yearly cycle of rain and sun.
They are home to a wide variety of animal life.

TROPICAL RAIN FOREST Rain forest layers
A tropical rain forest grows
MEALY PARROT in distinct layers. Each layer
These large parrots live consists of plants and animals
in pairs or small flocks that have adapted to living in
in the Amazon rain that particular part of the rain
forest, where they feast forest. The top, or emergent,
on the abundant fruits, layer consists of the tallest trees.
seeds, and nuts. Here it is hot and windy. Below
this level is the canopy, a dense
TREE DWELLERS layer of branches that is home to
White-faced capuchins most of the forest’s animals. The
live in complex social dark understory of shrubs and
groups called troops, seedlings is the next level down,
which patrol the rain followed by the leaf litter on the
forests of Central and forest floor, which supports
South America. fungi and new plant growth.

LEAF CUTTERS HABITATS LARGE AND SMALL
Leaf-cutter ants live
in complex colonies in Macrohabitat A typical example
almost every part of the of a macrohabitat would be all the
rain forest, from the regions within a large, complex
tallest treetops down environment such as a coastal
to the leaf litter. region. For example, the intertidal
zone, rocky pools, and sand dunes
NIGHT CAT along the shore would all make
The ocelot lives on the up the coastal macrohabitat.
floor of the rain forest,
where it hunts birds, Microhabitat Within each
small mammals, and macrohabitat there are many
reptiles under the smaller microhabitats. These
cover of darkness. regions may be no bigger than a
small, rotting log within the vast
WATER LOVER expanse of a rain forest. Each tiny
The capybara is the environment harbors animals that
largest of all the may not be found anywhere else
rodents. It lives in in the macrohabitat.
densely forested areas
near lakes, rivers, and
swamps of the South
American rain forest.

16

Dry desert heat WORLD HABITATS ANIMAL KINGDOM
For most of the time, the world’s deserts are
dry, barren habitats, where the intense heat Life in the cold poles
results in less than 6 in (15 cm) of rain each The world’s deserts and polar regions have one thing
year. When it comes, rain soaks the parched in common. Both get little in the way of rainfall each
soil and may lead to local flooding. Few year. While deserts are scorching hot, the polar regions
creatures can adapt to these extreme are some of the coldest places on Earth. Few creatures
conditions, so the desert is home to a bunch can survive in these extremes, so the ones that do,
of extremely hardy animals and plants. adapt to overcome the frozen conditions. Sea
mammals have thick skin, called blubber, while some
DESERT fishes even have an “antifreeze” element in their blood.

FOOD TIME The POLAR REGIONS
golden eagle uses its
ARCTIC TERN
keen sense of Arctic terns migrate
sight to hunt between the Arctic
animals such as and Antarctic each
rabbits, hares, year, making full
squirrels, and use of the daylight
mice. hours at each pole.

NESTING HOLE POLAR BEAR
The Gila woodpecker Seals are the main
lives in the desert of food source for these
the southwestern United Arctic predators. The
States. It builds its nest polar bear’s blubber
in holes made in saguaro and thick fur keep it
cacti or mesquite trees. warm under water
and on the ice.
DESERT CAT The
desert-dwelling bobcat PENGUIN
lives in the southerly These superb swimmers
part of North America, are adapted for a life
where it hunts birds, under water. They
hares, rabbits, and other use their flipperlike
small mammals. wings to chase fishes
—a favorite food.
DEATH RATTLE
The rattle on the end of LEOPARD SEAL
a rattlesnake’s tail gives The fearsome
this venomous snake its leopard seal roams
name. If threatened, the southern oceans
the snake shakes its in search of food such
rattle as a warning as seabirds, smaller
to steer clear. seals, and penguins.

STINGING TAIL KRILL These
Scorpions have large, tiny crustaceans
hook-shaped stings on thrive in cold Arctic
the ends of their tails. and Antarctic
These act as defensive waters, where they
weapons but can be feed on plankton.
used to stun prey. They are eaten by
seals and whales.

17

ANIMAL KINGDOM SAVANNA

GLIDING EYE , MONKEY PALACE
The African white- Rhesus macaques patrol
backed vulture glides the walls of the Hawa
high over the vast, Mahal temple (Palace
open savanna in of the Winds) in Jaipur,
search of the remains India. These monkeys
of dead animals. thrive in urban areas
and rely on handouts or
TREE SNAKE human garbage. They
The boomslang is have become a serious
a highly poisonous pest in some countries.
tree-dwelling snake
that lives in savanna
and scrub south of the
Sahara Desert.

AFRICAN GIANT
Herds of up to 30
African elephants
wander across the
savanna in search of
food and water holes.

TOP PREDATOR
Female lions hunt
together, targeting
weak or young zebra
and wildebeest from
the vast herds that
roam the savanna.

DUNG DEALERS
Revolting as it may
sound, dung beetles
eat poop! They roll the
dung into balls and
bury them in the soil
to feed their young.

URBAN HABITATS

Many animals have chosen to make their
homes alongside our own. Towns and
cities provide plenty of hiding places for
these adaptable animals. The vast amounts
of garbage we produce are rich pickings
for the hungry scavengers that can cope
with the hustle and bustle of city life.

18

CORAL REEF WORLD HABITATS ANIMAL KINGDOM

SEA PIRATES FRESH WATER HABITATS
Frigatebirds are
famous for stealing FISHING BIRD
food. They attack Herons are expert
other seabirds in fishing birds. They
flight and force them use their keen sense
to release their food. of sight to pluck
fishes from below
REEF SHARK the water’s surface.
The whitetip reef
shark is harmless to DRAGONFLIES
people. It patrols the These skilled aerial
reef, searching for food hunters skim over
such as crustaceans, the surface of lakes
octopus, and fishes. and rivers, using
their big, compound
SEA TURTLE eyes to search for
The hawksbill turtle smaller insect prey.
uses its narrow beak
to forage for sponges, WATER VOLES
mollusks, and other These ratlike rodents
marine animals make burrows in the
among the coral reef. banks of rivers and
streams, where they
CLEANER CRAB feed on grasses and
The scarlet reef hermit other plant material.
crab is a domestic
goddess. Its appetite for WATER LOVERS
hairy and slime algae Tadpoles spend all
helps keep the reef neat their time in the
and clean. water, but most
adult frogs and toads
REEF FISHES usually live on land,
With their bold only returning to the
patterns and bright water to breed.
colors, angelfishes
are some of the most PERCH PREY
spectacular fishes These freshwater fishes
of the coral reef. live in lakes, ponds,
and slow-moving
, MOUSE HOUSE streams, where they
This adaptable hunt invertebrates
rodent, like its and other small fishes.
relative the rat,
has successfully , FOX FACTS CONSERVATION
infiltrated urban The red fox is a
living. As cute as common sight in It’s a hard life living with people, and animals
they look, they are many city centers. will either adapt to life in the city or die very
very troublesome, Outside the city quickly. Most deaths come from encounters
damaging food stores center, red foxes with traffic, especially among nocturnal
mainly eat rabbits species. Other hazards include the bright
and spreading disease. and hares. Urban lights, noise, and lack of space.
foxes raid garbage
bags for food scraps.

19

ANIMAL KINGDOM WHAT’S GOING WRONG? Animals in
DANGER
The greatest threat to animals comes
from humans. People are destroying Every year, wonderful animals disappear from
habitats to make room for their own Earth—for good. They vanish mostly because
activities. They are poisoning the land, their natural habitat has been spoiled or
seas, and air with toxic chemicals; they destroyed.When an animal loses its special
are even changing the climate. And, niche in the world, it will die if it cannot find
sometimes, the animals that survive all anywhere else suitable to live.
this are killed to meet human demand.
Melting ice Climate warming is
, LOGGING melting the Arctic sea ice. Polar
Clearance for bears spend most of the Arctic
lumber and land summer living on the ice, where
development has they hunt seals and mate. Now
destroyed vast areas their habitat is shrinking.
of forest, with large-
scale damage to the Fewer polar
environment. bear cubs are
surviving in
, WARMING the Arctic.
Gases released
from burning fossil
fuels trap heat in
the atmosphere.
This warming
alters habitats in
ways that affect
animal survival.

, POLLUTION
The dumping
of poisonous
chemicals in
the oceans is
harming marine
life and destroying
habitats such as
coral reefs.

, SLAUGHTER
Despite laws that
ban trading in
animal furs and
body parts, the
illegal killing of
species such as the
leopard is difficult
to control.

, CAPTURE
Caught wild birds,
such as these young
African gray
parrots, fetch high
prices in the exotic
bird trade. Many
birds die in transit
between countries.

20

GLOBAL CLIMATE ANIMALS IN DANGER

, WARMING UP WHAT’S BEING DONE? ANIMAL KINGDOM
Based on climate
records for the last Around the world, national parks and
50 years, this map wildlife reserves help animals by protecting
shows the rise of their natural habitats. Breeding rare animals
surface temperatures in captivity and releasing them into the
worldwide. The wild has also had some success. Animals are
pattern of warming further protected by international laws,
is variable and at such as those that place limits on hunting
present the effects and make it illegal to trade in rare species.
are most noticeable
in the polar regions. . BREEDING
The golden lion
34°F (1°C) TO 38°F (3.4°C) 34°F (1°C) TO 36°F (2°C) tamarin is one of
INCREASE INCREASE the world’s rarest
monkeys. Zoo-bred
32°F (0°C) TO 34°F (1°C) NO DATA tamarins successfully
INCREASE released into the
wild have helped to
World weather In the last century, Earth has warmed up. boost numbers.
As temperatures continue to rise, there will be permanent climate
changes around the world. Summers will be hotter and drier. The . PLANNING
type of plants growing in particular areas may die out. Sea levels will American bison,
rise as the ice caps melt, and land may be flooded. Warming is already once counted in
beginning to affect wildlife habitats both on land and in the oceans. millions, were
hunted almost to
Oil and gas exploration in the extinction. Under
Arctic pollutes the polar bears’ a protection plan,
habitat and splits up their hunting small herds are
grounds. Another hazard is the now thriving.
release of toxic industrial chemicals,
carried south by winds and currents. . RELOCATION
These poisons enter the Arctic food New Zealand’s rare
web and are seriously damaging flightless parrot, the
the health not only of polar bears kakapo, has been
but of the native Inuit people. moved to a safer
location.This may
save the species from
being wiped out
by predators.

FACTFILE . HEALTHCARE
To protect the last
■ An estimated 65,000 ft² few hundred
(6,000 m²) of rain forest are Ethiopian wolves,
lost every second. domestic dogs in
■ The world’s rarest land mammal nearby areas are
is the Javan rhinoceros. Only about vaccinated to
50 of these rhinos still survive. prevent the spread
■ One in 8 bird species, 1 in 4 of canine diseases.
mammal species, and 1 in 3
amphibian species are believed to . SANCTUARY
be currently at risk of extinction. Both the American
alligator (front) and
the endangered
American crocodile
(rear) are fully
protected while they
are in the Everglades
National Park.

21

MAMMALS MAMMALS

Definition: Mammals are MAMMALS

warm-blooded creatures like
you and me. They drink milk
from their mothers when they’re
first born, and most grow hair
and give birth to live young.

What is a MAMMAL?

Mammals are vertebrates that feed their young from
the female’s mammary glands—these glands give the
class its name. Mammals also maintain a
constant internal body temperature.

MAMMALS BORN ALIVE FACTFILE

Most mammals give birth to live There are about 5,500 species of
young—only a few lay eggs. The young mammals, which are grouped into
of most placental mammals are different families and orders including:
born fully developed.
Newborn marsupials ■ Marsupials, which give birth to
(such as kangaroos) embryos early in their development. The
develop further in tiny creatures crawl up to the mother’s
their mother’s pouch, and continue growing there.
pouch.
■ Insectivores, small mammals that eat
, FEEDING insects, spiders, and worms.
Because newborn
mammals drink ■ Bats, the only mammals that have true
milk from their wings and are able to fly.
mothers, they don’t
have to wander off ■ Rodents, small mammals with four
and find food. legs, a long tail, clawed feet, long
whiskers, and teeth. There are more
species of rodent than any other mammal.

■ Cetaceans, such as whales, dolphins,
and porpoises. These are aquatic
mammals that breathe through lungs.

■ Carnivores, animals with long, sharp
canine teeth. Most carnivores are meat-
eaters, but some plant-eaters, such as
pandas, are also carnivores.

■ Hoofed mammals, which are known
for their speed and strength. Hoofed
mammals have long muzzles, grinding
teeth, and barrel-shaped bodies.

HAIR . SPINY BEAST Hair
The short-nosed
With a few exceptions, mammals echidna is a rare, Sweat
have a covering of hair or fur on their egg-laying gland
body. (Whales and dolphins have no mammal. It has
fur.) This helps to keep them warm. both spines and fur. Sebaceous
In cold conditions, each hair will be gland
pulled upright by a tiny erector muscle,
trapping a layer of warming air. Erector
muscle
24
Follicle

Blood supply
to follicle

Skull WHAT IS A MAMMAL?
Amazing variety
BONE STRUCTURE Rib cage Jaw Mammals, which originally developed
from prehistoric reptiles, come in all
Mammal skeletons differ from those Humerus shapes and sizes. They live mostly on MAMMALS
of other vertebrates in that the jaw Radius land, but they can live in water, too.
is hinged directly to the skull. Some mammals are widely familiar,
Also, the lower jaw consists of Carpal but other, rarer, species are not as
a single bone. Together, these well known.
factors make the jaw
extremely efficient at u SLOTHS live in the rain-forest trees of
cutting and then South America. They move slowly and come
chewing food. down only occasionally to leave droppings.

Spine

Hip bone

Hare skeleton Like most mammals,
hares have a backbone that curves up
to help resist the downward pull of their
body weight. The vertebrae are bigger
toward the bottom, or lumbar, end of
the spine, where there is most stress.

MONKEY SKULL An elephant’s u ARMADILLOS are native to South and
Like human jaws, monkeys’ foot bones are Central America. They have bony bands
jaws are designed to chew surrounded by a around their middle and skin like leather.
rather than tear, since thick pad to spread
monkeys gather food the animal’s weight.
with their hands.
A horse’s A seal’s foot has u THE DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS has
ELEPHANT SKULL hoof has a long “fingers.” a furry body, but it lives in water and walks
To grind tough plant single toe. like a reptile. It lays eggs, but its young feed on
fiber, elephants’ jaws A badger has wide their mother’s milk.
can move from side A gazelle’s hoof claws for digging.
to side as well as is divided into
up and down. two toes.

TIGER Feet and toes Arm . BOWHEAD
SKULL Mammals’ feet are bones WHALES have
A tiger’s jaws individually adapted to no teeth; they feed
anchor huge, sharp suit their lifestyle and Wrist on the plankton
teeth for tearing habitat. Some have hooves bones in seawater. Vast
chunks of meat. with one or more “toes,” quantities of this
while some have footpads, Palm water are filtered
u JAW ADAPTATIONS with or without claws, and bones through a tough
Mammal jaws, like those of all others have flippers. fringe called
animals, are shaped and constructed Finger baleen, which
to suit the food they eat. Long, thin bones dangles inside the
jaws, for example, are good for whale’s mouth.
probing and nibbling, while short,
broad jaws are ideal for grinding
plants or cracking bones.

25

MAMMALS Marsupials

All marsupials give birth to live young, but
these are poorly developed. Most complete
their development in a pouch containing teats,
from which they drink milk. There are about
350 species of marsupial. Most live in Australia
and New Guinea. Some live in the Americas.

LIFE IN A POUCH

When a marsupial is born it makes its way to its
mother’s pouch, where it attaches itself to a teat.
It remains firmly attached until it is fully formed
and can explore the outside world. Some pouches
face up, as in kangaroos, and some face down, as
in koalas. Some pouches can hold several babies,
but others are a simple flap and the young have
to cling tightly to their mother’s fur.

, PARMA WALLABY
(Macropus parma) The
tiny newborn wallaby,
called a joey, develops in
its mother’s pouch. It can
leave the pouch after
about 30 weeks, but is
not independent until it
is about 40 weeks old.

Eastern gray kangaroo

Macropus giganteus

19

■ Length 5–6 ft (1.5–1.8 m)
■ Weight 70–132 lb
(32–60 kg)
■ Speed 34 mph (55 kph)
■ Location Eastern
Australia, Tasmania

The eastern gray kangaroo is
a steely gray color with white
underparts, legs, and underside of the
tail. Its tail is strong and is used for
balance while jumping and leaping,
and as a prop while standing upright.
Females are much smaller than males.

26

MARSUPIALS

Red kangaroo Doria’s tree kangaroo Koala

Macropus rufus Dendrolagus dorianus Phascolarctos cinereus

20 10 10 MAMMALS

■ Length 5 ft (1.6 m) ■ Length 31 in (78 cm) ■ Length 32 in (82 cm)
■ Weight 200 lb (90 kg) ■ Weight 32 lb ■ Weight 33 lb (15 kg)
■ Speed 30 mph (50 kph) (14.5 kg) ■ Location Eastern Australia
■ Location Australia ■ Location New
Guinea Although it is often called a koala bear, the
The red kangaroo is the largest koala is not at all related to bears. It lives
marsupial. Males are orange- Tree kangaroos
red in color, while the have short, broad in eucalyptus trees and its only food is
smaller females are feet with long claws, which eucalyptus leaves. It feeds at night and
blue-gray. Like gray are useful for gripping as they spends all day asleep in a tree. Female
kangaroos, the red climb through the trees. They use their koalas have one baby at a time. This
kangaroo bounds along long tails to help them balance on the spends more than six months in its
on its hind legs. It eats branches. Doria’s tree kangaroo has dense mother’s pouch then climbs out
grass shoots, herbs, brown fur, black ears, and a pale brown and rides on her back.
and leaves. or cream tail.

Northern quoll

Dasyurus hallucatus

2

■ Length 12 in (30 cm)
■ Weight 2 lb (900 g)
■ Location Australia

Quolls are carnivorous
marsupials and have many
sharp teeth for killing their
prey. Northern quolls eat
mainly insects, worms,
small mammals, and
reptiles, but they also like a
bit of honey and fruit. They
are active mostly at night,
preferring to sleep during
the heat of the day.

MONOTREME FACTFILE Duck-billed platypus

Monotremes are the only egg-laying mammals. There are five living Ornithorhynchus anatinus
species: one platypus and four echidnas. They have a beaklike mouth
and the females produce milk in mammary glands on the belly. 17

■ Duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) Duck-billed ■ Length 24 in (60 cm) ■ Weight 5½ lb (2.5 kg)
live in bank-side burrows in lakes and rivers in platypus skull ■ Location Eastern Australia and Tasmania
Australia. They have a ducklike beak covered with
sensitive skin, which they use to find crustaceans and The platypus is well equipped for an aquatic
insect larvae on the riverbed. life. It has waterproof fur to keep it dry, and
dense underfur to keep it warm. It also has
■ Echidnas have fur and spines and a long, cylindrical beak. webbed feet, which it uses
like flippers to propel
The long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijni) lives itself through
the water.
only in New Guinea. The short-beaked

echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) lives in Long-nosed

New Guinea and Australia. They eat echidna skull

ants and termites, which they collect with a sticky tongue.

WHY DO THEY GLIDE? Gliding mammals

Gliding is a useful method of A few mammals can glide through the trees, but they
escaping from predators as well do not actually fly like birds and bats. They have a
as a quick way to get from tree to membrane of skin on either side of their body, attached
tree to find better food. Not many between their fore and hindlimbs. This skin acts like a
mammals can glide. They include sail, allowing the animals to glide down through the air.
the sugar glider, shown on the
MAMMALS right, and the flying lemurs.

Flying lemurs, or colugos, are the
world’s largest gliding mammals—they
are about the size of a domestic cat. Their
name is a bit misleading, since they are
not actually lemurs and they glide instead
of fly! There are two species and they both
live in the forests of Southeast Asia.
They feed on
leaves, flowers,
and fruit.

Sunda flying lemur

Galeopterus variegates

Southern Sugar glider
flying squirrel
Petaurus breviceps
Glaucomys volans
10
The southern flying
squirrel lives in ■ Length 12 in (30 cm)
■ Tail 17½ in (44 cm)
hollow trees, deserted ■ Weight 5 oz (150 g)
woodpecker holes, and ■ Diet Eucalyptus leaves, pollen, nectar, insects
even in bird boxes. It
■ Location Australia, New Guinea, Indonesia
builds a nest out of
soft materials such This animal is an opossum and, therefore,
a marsupial, and the female has a pouch. One
as moss and fur. or two young are born and will remain in the
pouch for the first 70 days of life, before
Southern flying squirrels live in venturing out to explore their world.
North and Central America. They look
very like the sugar glider but they are PLANNING A PERFECT FLIGHT
rodents. Flying squirrels eat lots of A sugar glider is able to make “flights”
different kinds of food including nuts, through the trees of more than 165 ft
seeds, fruit, fungi, insects, young birds, (50 m)! Its long, flat, furry tail is used just
and mice. Like other squirrels, they like a rudder, to guide it through the air.
collect and store food for the winter.
28

GLIDING MAMMALS MAMMALS

Look out!
I’m coming down.

The piece of skin that a glider uses to
float through the air is called a patagium.

When the animal is gliding, this is
stretched taut. When the animal
is walking, running, or sitting, the

patagium is loose and folded
out of the way.

29

MAMMALS Insect eaters Out of the way.
I’m coming out!
Many different animals eat insects.
Six related families, including moles, The aardvark has large upright ears.
hedgehogs, and shrews, are called When it is underground, it folds its
insectivores because they eat mainly
insects. Aardvarks and anteaters ears out of the way. It surfaces at
specialize in eating ants and termites. night, and always comes out of
They both have long sticky tongues for
sweeping up their prey and powerful its burrow head first.
claws for digging out the insects’ nests.
, ANTEATER
, RUSSIAN DESMAN The giant anteater
(Desmana moschata) A (Myrmecophaga
member of the mole family, tridactyla) is
the desman uses its long, related to sloths
whiskered snout and strong and armadillos.
sense of smell to investigate. It rips open ant
and termite nests
. AARDVARK (Orycteropus with its large claws
afer) The “earth pig” spends the and collects the
day in burrows underground. ants with its long
It comes out at night to find tongue. It eats up
ants and termites. to 30,000 ants in
a single day.
WELL-DEVELOPED NOSES

Most insectivores, such as desmans, have
poor eyesight but a good sense of smell, with snouts
ideal for sniffing out insects. Aardvarks also have a
good sense of smell. They have a piglike snout and
nostrils surrounded with hair to filter out dust.

MOLES FACTFILE

HEDGEHOGS ■ Moles live in Europe, Asia, and North America.
SHREWS They live in underground tunnels that they dig with
their powerful front legs. Their eyesight is poor but
30 they have an acute sense of smell.

■ Hedgehogs live only in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
They live in many different habitats. Hedgehogs have
spines and curl up into prickly balls when danger
threatens. They have good hearing.

■ Shrews live across most parts of the world except
Australia and New Zealand and parts of South
America. Most have tiny eyes and ears and a long,
pointed snout. They have poor vision but good hearing.

INSECT EATERS

Long-eared hedgehog Eurasian water shrew

Hemiechinus auritus Neomys fodiens

? 2 MAMMALS

■ Length 10½ in (27 cm) ■ Length 3¾ in (9.5 cm)
■ Weight 10 oz (280 g) ■ Weight ½ oz (14 g)
■ Location Asia and northern Africa ■ Location Europe, northern Asia

This hedgehog is found in dry areas such as This shrew has water-repellent
deserts. It is nocturnal and burrows under fur so it can keep dry. Its
small bushes during the day, or rests under tail has a row of bristles,
rocks or in hollows in the ground. It feeds which may help with
swimming. The shrew
mainly on small hunts for food under water,
invertebrates killing insects, small fishes,
and insects, and frogs with a poisonous
which it bite. It also feeds on land,
finds using where it preys on worms,
beetles, and grubs.
its acute senses
of hearing and smell.

Streaked tenrec European mole Russian desman

Hemicentetes semispinosus Talpa europaea Desmana moschata

23 3

■ Length 6 in (15 cm) ■ Length 6½ in (16 cm) ■ Length 8½ in (21 cm)
■ Weight 10 oz (280 g) ■ Weight 4½ oz (125 g) ■ Weight 7¾ oz (220 g)
■ Location Madagascar ■ Location Europe, northern Asia ■ Location Eastern Europe to central Asia

Tenrecs look a little like a cross between a This mole has fur that can lie at any angle, A desman has a long tail—as long as its head
shrew and a hedgehog because they have sharp which means it can go forward and backward and body put together. The tail is flattened
spines as well as fur. Their main diet consists in its tunnels. As it digs, it pushes up piles from side to side, and the desman uses it as
of worms and grubs, which they find in of soil as molehills. The mole eats worms and a paddle and a rudder to move and steer
grasses or under leaves on the rain-forest floor. other soil animals that fall into the tunnels,
often biting off the heads through water.
and storing them
for later.

Giant anteater

Myrmecophaga tridactyla

20

■ Length 4 ft (120 cm)
■ Weight 85 lb (39 kg)
■ Location Central and South America

The giant anteater is mainly gray
with black and white markings.
It has coarse, long fur and a
very bushy tail. The anteater
walks on the knuckles of its
front feet so that its long
claws are kept out of the
way. It wanders around
its home range like this
looking for food and is
active day and night.

31

Furry epaulettes Can you see
my epaulettes?

Male epauletted bats have patches
of different fur on their shoulders,
which is how they got their name.
(An epaulette is an ornament on

the shoulder of a soldier’s
uniform.)

MAMMALS Buettikofer’s
epauletted bat

Epomops buettikoferi

d SKELETON
This bat’s skeleton shows how
its arms, legs, and long fingers
provide a frame for the wings.

Bats BAT WINGS

There are two groups of bats called Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly, not just
megabats and microbats. Megabats eat glide. Their wings are formed from a double layer of
fruit and are often called fruit bats. skin stretched between the side of the body and the
Most microbats eat insects. Bats usually four long fingers on each hand. The Latin name for
go looking for food at night. During bats, Chiroptera, means “hand wings.”
the day they find somewhere to sleep,
or roost, hanging upside down and
clinging on with their toes.

FACTFILE

■ Megabats These bats use their . LARGEST , SMALLEST
eyes and noses to find their food. The large flying The hog-nosed bat
They have large eyes so they can see fox (Pteropus (Craseonycteris
in the dark. Many megabats are vampyrus) is one thonglongyai) is the
found in tropical areas, where there of the largest bats smallest bat in the
are lots of different fruits to eat. with a wingspan world. It weighs
They often feed in groups and fly of around 5 ft about 1⁄16 oz (2 g)
long distances in search of food. (1.5 m). and is only 1¼ in
(3 cm) long.
■ Microbats Most microbats eat insects, but some prey
on lizards, frogs, or fishes. Vampire bats drink fresh blood
from animals. Microbats have poor eyesight and find
food using echolocation (see page 34). They live
in both temperate and tropical areas.

Size comparison

Large flying fox Hog-nosed bat

32

BATS

Hammer-headed fruit bat Elery’s tube-nosed bat Comoro flying fox

Hypsignathus monstrosus Murina eleryi Pteropus livingstonii

30 ? 10

■ Length 8–12 in (20–30 cm) ■ Length 2½ in (6.5 cm) ■ Length 11¾ in (30 cm)
■ Weight 11½ oz (326 g) ■ Weight 1⁄8 oz (4 g) ■ Weight 21 oz (600 g)
■ Wingspan 35 in (90 cm) ■ Wingspan 8 in (20 cm) ■ Wingspan 5 ft (1.5 m)
■ Location Central Africa ■ Location North Vietnam ■ Location Comoros islands

This is the largest bat found in Africa. It roosts Elery’s tube-nosed bat is a small species with Fruit bats are sometimes called flying foxes.
high in the trees in tropical forests to avoid golden woolly fur. Its nostrils are located at The Comoro flying fox is found on only two
enemies on the ground. It is sometimes the end of two tubes that protrude from its islands in the Comoros island chain, off the
known as the big-lipped bat because males nose, which give this type of bat its name. east coast of Africa. It is critically endangered
have huge lips. They may use these to make It lives in an area of forest that is home to and it is estimated that only about 400
their loud honking noises, which can be heard other species of bats, and feeds on insects. individuals exist. They roost in small groups
in the forest at night at certain times of the called harems and stick together in groups
year. The noises attract females to come and when they go out to look for food. MAMMALS
hang beside the males on their branch.

Jamaican fruit-eating bat

Artibeus jamaicensis

10

■ Length 3½ in (9 cm)
■ Weight 1½ oz (46 g)
■ Wingspan 18 in (45 cm)
■ Location Mexico to Bolivia
and Brazil

This fruit bat roosts in
caves and buildings
but also makes “tents”
from leaves. It bites
through the mid rib of
a leaf so that it collapses to
form a roof to sleep under. Unlike many
other bats, this fruit bat feeds alone.

African straw-colored fruit bat , COLOR
The African straw-colored
Eidolon helvum fruit bat gets its name from
the color of its neck and back.
21 Its underside is brown or gray.

■ Length 7 in (18 cm)
■ Weight 10 oz (280 g)
■ Wingspan 30 in (76 cm)
■ Location Africa

This is one of the larger species of
fruit bat. It roosts in large colonies
of between 100,000 and 1,000,000
individuals. The bats go out at night
in small groups to search for food.
They eat mainly fruit but they do
not eat the whole fruit. Instead they
suck the juice and spit out the pulp.

33

Listening bats

Most of the bats in the world are microbats. Gray long-eared bat
They are smaller than megabats and live on every
continent, except Antarctica. Sometimes known Plecotus austriacus
as insect-eating bats, they have good hearing that
enables them to sense insects flying by. They also Gray long-eared bat
use their hearing to avoid obstacles in the dark.
Plecotus austriacus
MAMMALS SPECIAL FEATURES
30
Microbats hunt in the dark, finding insects using a technique
called echolocation. Many of these bats have special features ■ Length 2 in (5 cm)
to help them. Some have long ears for hearing. Some have a ■ Weight 1⁄2 oz (14 g)
growth on their nose, called a nose-leaf, which focuses sounds. ■ Wingspan 12 in (30 cm)
■ Location Central and southern Europe, northern
Echolocation To find insects in the Africa, southwest Asia
dark, microbats make a series of clicks
(shown here by red bars). The sound These long-eared bats like to live near human
bounces off objects like an echo and the settlements, where they can roost in buildings.
bat can pinpoint a moth’s position by When they come out to feed, they hunt for
listening to the echoes. These get closer moths, flies, and beetles and
together as the bat approaches its prey. use their long ears to listen
for their prey.

SEEK APPROACH SEIZE

Common Found in a wide range of habitats from farms
pipistrelle and forests to city buildings, these are
among the smallest and most widespread
Pipistrellus pipistrellus of all bats. They come out to feed early
(sometimes before sunset) and hunt for
16 moths, gnats, and other small insects—a
single bat can eat up to 3,000 insects in
■ Length 11⁄2–2 in (3.5–4.5 cm) one night. The young are born in early
■ Weight 1⁄4–1⁄8 oz (5–8 g) summer and leave the roost in August
■ Wingspan 71⁄2–10 in (19–25 cm) or September.
■ Location Europe

Townsend’s As their name suggests, these bats have
big-eared bat enormous ears, which reach to the middle
of their body when they are laid flat. The
Corynorhinus townsendii bats go out hunting late in the evening
and feed almost entirely on moths. Male
10 Townsend’s big-eared bats live on their
own, but females form groups when they
■ Length 23⁄4 in (7 cm) have their young. These groups, called
■ Weight ¾ oz (20 g) nurseries, contain several hundred animals.
■ Wingspan 121⁄2 in (30 cm) They live together for protection.
■ Location North America

34

LISTENING BATS MAMMALS

Got it! This moth will do
nicely for supper.

The gray long-eared bat has ears almost as long as
its head and body put together. These are
useful for picking up sounds
for echolocation.

, FOLDED AWAY When
this long-eared bat hibernates,

it folds its ears and tucks
them under its wings.

Proboscis bat This species is named for its long pointed
nose. (A “proboscis” is a long nose.) The bats
Rhynchonycteris naso like to roost head down against the trunks or
branches of trees. They are well camouflaged
4 here because their gray-brown speckled fur and
small size makes them look a bit like lichen
■ Length 12⁄3 in (5 cm) growing on the tree. Small groups of proboscis
■ Weight ¼ oz (5 g) bats roost together, sometimes spaced out
■ Wingspan 91⁄2 in (24 cm) evenly in a vertical line down a tree trunk.
■ Location Central America

Lesser horseshoe bat There are many species of horseshoe bat and the
lesser horseshoe bat is one of the smallest. Its body is
Rhinolophus hipposideros smaller than a human thumb. Horseshoe bats have a
horseshoe-shaped nose leaf, which is formed of
7 bare, folded skin. During the day these bats
roost in tree holes, chimneys, and caves.
■ Length 11⁄2 in (4 cm) They come out at night to hunt for
■ Weight 1⁄8–3⁄8 oz (4–10 g) flying insects. In the winter
■ Wingspan 9 in (23 cm) they hibernate in groups of
■ Location Europe, northern Africa to up to 500 animals.
west Asia

Common The vampire bat is a strong flyer
vampire bat but can also scuttle along the
ground using its wings as front legs.
Desmodus rotundus It is well known for its eating habits.
It lands on the ground and moves
12 toward its prey, such as a horse or a
cow. It bites away any fur, cuts into the
■ Length 31⁄2 in (9 cm) skin, then licks up the fresh blood. Its
■ Weight 13⁄4 oz (50 g) teeth are so sharp that they can cut into the
■ Wingspan 8 in (20 cm) skin easily and the victim hardly notices.
■ Location Mexico to South America

35

MAMMALS Primates PRIMATE FEATURES

Humans are primates, as are our closest relatives, All primates are good climbers and
the great apes and gibbons. The group also includes some spend almost their whole lives
all types of monkeys and many less familiar species, in trees. They have strong arms and
including the diverse lemurs of Madagascar and the legs and long, grasping fingers and
nocturnal lorises, galagos, and pottos. toes for hanging on to branches.
Their forward-facing eyes allow
I’m ready to them to judge distances accurately—
go fishing! a useful skill when leaping from
branch to branch.
Chimpanzees eat many different kinds of
food. Ants and termites make a good snack FAST LEARNERS Young
because they contain a lot of protein. To catch chimpanzees pick up skills by
them, chimps use stripped twigs or plant watching adults, but also by
trial and error. It takes a lot
stems, which they poke into holes in the of practice to fine-tune methods
termite nest or mound. Only the such as fishing for termites.
smartest animals have the ability
to make and use tools in
this way.

FACTFILE

■ The aye-aye’s long skinny fingers are
perfect for picking insect grubs out of
small crevices in tree bark.

■ The pads on a tarsier’s fingers, toes,
palms, and soles provide excellent grip
on smooth trunks and branches.

■ Chimpanzees are as comfortable
moving on the ground as in the trees.
Their feet have large flat soles for
walking on.

36

Madame Berthe’s Hamadryas baboon PRIMATES
mouse lemur
Papio hamadryas Venezuelan red howler
Microcebus berthae
Alouatta seniculus
5–8
30 18
■ Length 3½–4¼ in (9–11 cm)
■ Weight ¾–1¼ oz (24–38 g) ■ Length 24–30 in (60–75 cm) ■ Length 24–36 in (60–90 cm)
■ Location Madagascar only ■ Height (on four legs) 28 in (70 cm) ■ Weight 11–22 lb (5–10 kg)
■ Weight 22–44 lb (10–20 kg) ■ Location Northern South America
This is the world’s smallest primate. It lives ■ Location Eastern Africa including Egypt, Ethiopia,
in forests and is active mainly at night, when Sudan and Somalia, also in Arabia A tree-dwelling monkey, which lives in
it scrambles nimbly through the trees, looking groups and eats mainly fruit and leaves.
for insects, spiders, frogs, and other small Hamadryas baboons spend most of their time Howlers are famous for having one of the
animals. It also feeds on honeydew secreted at ground level, eating grass and any other plant loudest calls of any animal. They gather
by insects. The long tail is used for balance or animal food they can find. They live in large each morning for a deafening chorus that
when climbing. By day, it sleeps alone in groups called troops. A troop can contain lets other groups know their position.
thick vegetation, unlike some other species several smaller bands, each led by a large, Their throaty howls can be heard an
of mouse lemurs, which sleep in groups. experienced male. Members of the band show incredible 1¾–3 miles (3–5 km) away.
their loyalty by grooming one another’s fur.
MAMMALS

CONSERVATION Bonobo

Many species of primate are endangered in Pan paniscus
the wild. Their habitats are disappearing and
some species are illegally hunted for meat. 30
Some young primates are taken from the
forests to be sold as pets, and primates are ■ Height 28–32 in (70–83 cm)
still widely used for medical research. ■ Weight 66–132 lb (30–60 kg)
■ Location Central Africa

These highly intelligent and social
apes are told apart from chimpanzees
by their dark skin and habit of often
walking upright. Bonobos live in
organized groups and are active
mainly by day, when they
forage for fruits, leaves and
small animals. A large amount
of time is spent in social
activities such as grooming,
cuddling, and mating.

, MACAQUE SOCIETY Most
primates live in social groups. Members
of the group often groom each other to
strengthen the bonds between them and
to earn favors.

37

MAMMALS New World, NOSES AND TAILS
Old World
New World monkeys have flat
Monkeys can be either New World monkeys or Old noses and their nostrils are directed
World monkeys. New World monkeys include spider outward. The nostrils of Old World
monkeys, squirrel monkeys, and marmosets. Old monkeys are close together and
World monkeys include baboons, macaques, and directed downward. New World
mandrills. They all live in forests and are good climbers. monkeys have a fully prehensile
tail, but Old World monkeys never
Japanese macaque d NORTHERN SOULS Japanese do. Old World monkeys are more
macaques live farther north than any other closely related to apes than the
Macaca fuscata primate (not counting humans). They grow New World monkeys.
a thick coat to help them cope with the
30 1 cold winters. Sometimes the monkeys bathe , ACROBATS Like
in hot springs to keep warm. all spider monkeys,
■ Length 37 in (95 cm) the black spider
■ Tail 4 in (10 cm) monkey (Ateles
■ Weight 31 lb (14 kg) chamek) can swing
■ Location Japan through the forest
canopy incredibly
Japanese macaques live quickly. It uses its
in groups, with females long, prehensile tail
usually outnumbering as a “fifth limb.”
males by about three to
one. Females stay in a
group for life, and
daughters inherit their
mother’s rank, or position,
in the pecking order.

FACTFILE

■ New World monkeys are found
from Mexico down through Central
America to Argentina.
■ Old World monkeys can be found
in most of Africa and southern and
eastern Asia.

1

46 5 8 3
72

The numbers show where the featured monkeys
are found.

38

Chacma baboon Kipunji NEW WORLD, OLD WORLD

Papio ursinus Rungwecebus kipunji Common squirrel monkey

25 2 3 Saimiri sciureus MAMMALS
?
■ Length 32 in (82 cm) 4
■ Tail 33 in (84 cm) ■ Length 35½ in (90 cm) 20
■ Weight 66 lb (30 kg) ■ Tail 431⁄2 in (110 cm)
■ Location Southern Africa ■ Weight 35 lb (16 kg) ■ Length
■ Location East Africa 121⁄2 in (32 cm)
This is the largest baboon and it spends most ■ Tail 161⁄2 in (42 cm)
of its time on the ground. Males are twice as This rare monkey ■ Weight
big as females and have two large canine teeth. is found in a small 34 oz (950 g)
The baboons eat a variety of food—fruit, nuts, area in Tanzania and ■ Location
grass, roots, insects, and other small animals. numbers around 1,100 Western to central
At night, they sleep in a tree or on a cliff, individuals. It is brownish South America
using one of gray in color and has a distinctive
several chosen crest on top of its head. Although shy and Squirrel monkeys form
spots in their secretive, adult kipunjis emit a loud “honk- large troops, sometimes
territory. bark” noise to communicate with members of containing more than 200
their group. individuals. They eat a wide range of
food including fruit, nuts, berries, leaves,
seeds, flowers, insects, and small animals.

Common marmoset Tufted capuchin

Callithrix jacchus Cebus apella

12 35 6
5
■ Length 17 in (42 cm)
■ Length 10 in (25 cm) ■ Tail 19 in (49 cm)
■ Tail 14 in (35 cm) ■ Weight 10 lb (4.5 kg)
■ Weight 12 oz (350 g) ■ Location Northern, central
■ Location Brazil and eastern South America

Common marmosets are unusual among These intelligent
primates because they have clawlike nails monkeys eat mostly
instead of true nails. They use these to help fruit, but they also eat nuts, eggs, insects, and
other small animals. They are known to use
them cling vertically tools, such as stones, to crack open hard nuts.
to tree trunks and Groups of up to 20 animals leap and climb
run on all fours through the trees, and the young often come
along branches. down to the ground to play.
These marmosets

eat tree sap as well
as fruit and insects.

Golden lion tamarin Mandrill

Leontopithecus rosalia Mandrillus sphinx

7 25 8
15
■ Length 32 in (81 cm)
■ Length 10 in (25 cm) ■ Tail 31⁄2 in (9 cm)
■ Tail 141⁄2 in (37 cm) ■ Weight 82 lb (37 kg)
■ Weight 28 oz (800 g) ■ Location Western central Africa
■ Location Eastern
South America Mandrills are easily recognized by
the bright red and blue nose. Males
These monkeys are rare because their are much larger than females and are
habitat has almost vanished and many the largest monkeys in the world.
of them are captured and sold as pets. These monkeys live in mixed groups
Tamarins live in small troops in which containing one dominant male, and
only one dominant pair breed. They can form troops of up to 250 animals.
look for food during the day, using They spend most of their time on the
their long, thin fingers to find grubs ground looking for fruits, seeds, eggs,
in crevices and tree bark. At night, and small mammals.
they often sleep in a hole in a tree.

39

MAMMALS MOM AND BABY A female gelada’s
main job is to care for her young. She
carries, grooms, nurses, and protects her
offspring until they are independent
enough to find their own food, usually
when they are around 12 to 18 months old.

The unique
gelada

The gelada’s ancestors roamed over the whole of Africa,
but the modern-day gelada is found only in the grassy
highlands of Ethiopia and is the only grass-eating primate.
Geladas nibble away at blades of grass, as well as the stems,
seeds, and roots. All this munching can take up a lot of
time: these monkeys spend up to 60 percent of their day
eating—longer than any other monkey.

40

THE UNIQUE GELADA MAMMALS

My baby likes Gelada
to ride on my back.
Theropithecus gelada
From about three months old, young
geladas ride on their mother’s back just 19

like a jockey rides a horse. Females ■ Length 28–29 in (70–74 cm)
usually have one baby at a time and only ■ Tail 27–32 in (70–80 cm)
■ Weight 44 lb (20 kg)
four or five in a lifetime. But they ■ Location Ethiopia, Africa
spend a lot of time and energy
looking after them. The gelada is a
close cousin of
the baboon and
is sometimes
known as a
gelada baboon.
Both males and
females have a
triangular shaped
patch of bright
pink skin on their chest, outlined with white
hairs. This is why this species of monkey is
sometimes called the pink-chested gelada.
The male has a thick mane that hangs halfway
down his back and a very long tail with a
dense tuft of hairs at the tip.

COMING TO BLOWS

Gelada males rarely fight, but when
they do they can be quite vicious,
tearing at each other’s flesh with
their long, pointed canine teeth.
Fortunately, most conflicts are
resolved long before this happens.
Angry stares and slapping the
ground to warn off an aggressor are
usually all it takes to restore peace.

Safety in numbers Geladas are not very
territorial, so separate families often graze
together. Troops of up to 400 individuals
are common. Each family in the troop is
made up of an adult male, his “harem”
of three to five females, and their young.
Grooming each other helps the adults to
bond, but it is the close friendships of the
females that hold the family together.

41

Apes We can stay
up here all day.
An ape is not a monkey! Apes do not have a
tail, but most monkeys do. Apes are able to Orangutans spend most of their time in
swing from branches from their hands and feet, the trees. They have longer arms and
but monkeys cannot. There are two families of more flexible joints than other great
apes—the lesser apes (gibbons) and the great apes, so they can swing through
apes (orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees). the branches with ease.

MAMMALS LIVING IN THE TREES

Apes are found mainly in tropical forests
and are largely vegetarian. Like most
primates, they are good climbers and their
long arms and grasping hands are ideal for
swinging through the trees. All great apes are
on the endangered species list because their
forest homes are being cut down.

FACTFILE

■ Great apes There are six species of great ape:
two species of orangutan, two species of gorilla,
the chimpanzee, and the bonobo, or pygmy
chimpanzee. They are known for their intelligence
and the ability to hold things in their hands.

■ Lesser apes There are 14 species of lesser
ape, or gibbon. They have long arms and use
their hands like hooks to swing from branch
to branch. This way of moving is called
brachiation. The apes can travel through the
trees at about 9 mph (15 kph).

G L
G LO

O Orangutan G Great apes L Lesser apes u INFANT APE Female
orangutans give birth in a
■ Distribution The orangutan lives only in treetop. The young ape clings
forests on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in to its mother as she clambers
Indonesia and Malaysia. Other great apes live in around and stays with her until
forests in western and central Africa. Lesser apes it is about eight years old.
live in southern and Southeast Asia.
. GRASPING HANDS All apes can move
their thumbs around to touch their fingers, like
humans. They are called opposable thumbs. This

means they can pick up and hold things.

42

APES

Western gorilla Bornean orangutan

Gorilla gorilla Pongo pygmaeus

50 50

■ Height 61⁄4 ft (1.8 m) ■ Height 41⁄2 ft (1.4 m) MAMMALS
■ Weight 400 lb (180 kg) ■ Weight 175 lb (80 kg)
■ Location Central Africa ■ Location Borneo, Malaysia

Gorillas are the largest great ape. They The orangutan’s bright red fur makes it easy
may look fierce, but they are shy and to recognize. The name orangutan is a Malay
peaceful unless threatened. Males are word meaning “man of the forest,” and this
more agressive than females and show great ape spends most of its time on its own in
off their strength by standing up and the treetops. During the day, it looks for food,
beating their chests with their fists. such as fruits, leaves, and honey, or sometimes
Gorillas walk on all fours with their small lizards and baby birds. At night, it sleeps
hands curled over so that their knuckles on a platform, which it makes by weaving
touch the ground. The animals live in branches together.
small groups in forests, where they eat
mainly plant stems, leaves, and berries.

Siamang Lar gibbon

Symphalangus syndactylus Hylobates lar

30 25

■ Height 35 in (90 cm) ■ Height 25 in (64 cm)
■ Weight 33 lb (15 kg) ■ Weight 12 lb (5.5 kg)
■ Location Southeast Asia ■ Location South and
Southeast Asia
The siamang is the largest
gibbon and it has an This gibbon hardly
amazingly loud voice. Males ever comes down to
and females sometimes “sing” the forest floor. It stays
together. The female’s voice up in the trees, moving
is like a bark but the male’s through its territory in the
voice is more like a forest by swinging from branch to
scream. Their duet branch. A male and female usually stay
can be heard more together for their whole lives. They live
than half a mile with their young, which leave the family
(1 km) away. to find partners when they are ready.

Chimpanzee Black-crested gibbon

Pan troglodytes Nomascus concolor

60 25

■ Height 3 ft (1 m) ■ Height 25 in (64 cm)
■ Weight 130 lb (60 kg) ■ Weight 20 lb (9 kg)
■ Location West to central Africa ■ Location Southeast Asia

The chimpanzee is one of the most Young black-crested gibbons are born with
intelligent of all animals. It is one of very yellow fur, but they gradually
few animals to use tools, using stones to change color as they grow older.
crack nuts and sticks to get ants and termites Males become black with white
out of their nests. It strips off the bark with cheeks, while females turn brown
its teeth, then pokes the stick into the ants’ or gray. Crested gibbons live in
nests to make them swarm onto the stick. It family groups, but they may join
then pulls the stick out and wipes it between other families to feed at a good
its lips to eat the ants. Chimps live in groups spot. They eat buds, young
of up to 120 animals, and a young chimp leaves, and fruit. The fruit
will stay with its mother for up to 10 years. must be ripe and juicy!

43

Prosimian primates

MAMMALS What is a prosimian? The word means “before monkeys,” u LONG FINGER The aye-aye
and this group of animal is the most primitive of all (Daubentonia madagascariensis) lives
primates. Like monkeys and apes, they are adapted for in Madagascar. It taps on trees with its
life in trees, with grasping hands and feet. They include long middle finger then listens for insects
lemurs, bushbabies, and lorises. moving under the bark. If anything is
there, it rips off the bark with its teeth
I like to and hooks out the victims with its finger.
dance and leap.
HITCHING A
Verreaux’s sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) is RIDE When they are
a species of lemur that spends lots of old enough, young
time on the ground as well as in trees. Verreaux’s sifakas ride
It takes great strides and springs piggy-back style on
through the air at speed as if it their mother’s back.
were dancing. Babies have Younger infants cling
to hold on tight! to their mother’s belly
where they are safer.

FACTFILE

■ Lemurs, such as this black lemur (Eulemur
macaco), live in Madagascar or on the nearby
Comoro Islands. Most are larger than other
prosimians, with long limbs and long snouts.

■ Bushbabies (or galagos), such as this Senegal
bushbaby (Galago senegalensis), live south of
the Sahara in Africa and on nearby islands.
They have a bushy tail and a childlike cry.

■ Lorises, such as this red slender loris (Loris
tardigradus), are found in southeastern and
southern Asia. The related pottos live in central
and western Africa. They move hand-over-
hand, always gripping a branch, never leaping.

44

Brown greater galago Ring-tailed lemur Senegal bushbaby

Otolemur crassicaudatus Lemur catta Galago senegalensis

15 25 10

■ Length 16 in (40 cm) ■ Length 18 in (46 cm) ■ Length 6 in (16 cm)
■ Tail 19 in (49 cm) ■ Tail 24 in (62 cm) ■ Tail 9 in (23 cm)
■ Weight 4½ lb (2 kg) ■ Weight 8 lb (3.5 kg) ■ Weight 9 oz (250 g)
■ Location Central, eastern, and southern Africa ■ Location Southern Madagascar ■ Location Western Africa

This is the largest bushbaby. It is nocturnal Unlike most lemurs, ring- With its large ears and eyes,
and has huge ears and eyes to help it find tailed lemurs are active and bushy tail, this animal is a
insects in the dark. It catches its prey by hand during the day and feed perfect example of a bushbaby.
in a split second. It also scrapes up gum on the ground. They It can leap as far as 16½ ft (5 m)
and sap with gather flowers, fruits, using its long back legs. As well
its teeth. and leaves with their as having good senses of smell,
hands. They are hearing, and sight, the Senegal
sociable and form bushbaby has a good sense of touch. It MAMMALS
groups of up to can even catch flying insects in its hands!
25 animals,
with the
females
in charge.

Golden angwantibo White-footed sportive lemur

Arctocebus aureus Lepilemur leucopus

13 7

■ Length 12 in (30 cm) ■ Length 12 in (30 cm)
■ Tail ½ in (1 cm) ■ Tail 10 in (25 cm)
■ Weight 17 oz (475 g) ■ Weight 21 oz (600 g)
■ Location Western Africa ■ Location Southern Madagascar

The golden angwantibo is nocturnal and This species of lemur eats
largely solitary. It has unusual hands with mostly leaves. It moves
two long fingers and two shorter fingers (one through the forest by leaping
is hardly more than a fleshy pad). It is a good between tree trunks rather
climber, moving slowly through the trees than from branch to branch,
and has large pads on its
looking for insects to eat, and fingers and toes to help it
picking them off twigs and leaves cling on tightly. A female and
with its hands. It also eats fruit. her young form small groups,
while males live alone. The
males have a territory where
one or two females live, and
they defend it fiercely.

. LIFE IN TREES
The white-footed
sportive lemur spends
most of its time in
trees and looks for
food at night.

45

Rodents

Rodents are found worldwide, except Antarctica, and can be u BABIES The world’s largest rodent, the
divided into three groups—squirrel-like rodents, cavylike capybara, usually has one litter a year, with
rodents, and mouselike rodents. They get their name from five young. Most smaller rodents have more
the Latin word rodere, which means “to gnaw.” All rodents offspring. A house mouse can have up to
gnaw food and other things with their long front teeth. 120 babies a year (in separate litters!).

MAMMALS FACTFILE GOOD SENSES

■ Squirrel-like rodents have long whiskers Most rodents have excellent senses of smell and
and a furry tail. There are a variety of squirrel- hearing. They also have sensitive whiskers. They
like species with different lifestyles, living in use their senses to find their way around, find
lots of different habitats worldwide. food, and also to be alert to predators. Nocturnal
species, such as the dormouse, have large eyes for
■ Cavylike rodents are found in Africa, the seeing in the dark.
Americas, and Asia. Most species have a large
head, sturdy body, short tail, and slender legs. I need to
The cavy is the ancestor of the guinea pig. put on weight.

■ Mouselike rodents have a pointed face The dormouse hibernates from October
and long whiskers. Most species are small through to April. Before it curls up in
and nocturnal. They are found worldwide.
its nest, it eats enough almost to
HUGE INCISORS All rodents have double its weight. It then has
four large front teeth called incisors, which enough body fat to live on
never stop growing and always stay sharp. during the winter.
This is the skull of a paca (Agouti paca),
a cavylike rodent from South America.

TREE DWELLER The hazel
dormouse (Muscardinus
avellanarius) lives in trees. It sleeps
during the day in a nest woven
from grasses and strips of bark. It
comes out at night to feed, mainly
on flowers, fruits, and nuts.

46

Brown rat Long-tailed field mouse RODENTS

Rattus norvegicus Apodemus sylvaticus Long-tailed chinchilla

3 Chinchilla lanigera

■ Length 11 in (28 cm) 1.5 10
■ Weight 20 oz (575 g)
■ Location Worldwide, except polar regions ■ Length 4 in (11 cm) ■ Length 15 in (38 cm)
■ Weight 1 oz (30 g) ■ Weight 28 oz (800 g)
This intelligent mammal eats almost ■ Location Western ■ Location Southwest South America
anything, and can survive Europe to western and
in almost any habitat. It central Asia The chinchilla is often kept as a pet, but
lives in huge groups near some wild chinchillas still live in the Andes
humans because food The field mouse is mountains. Chinchillas have thick, soft
is easy to find there. a fast and agile mouse. It lives mainly in fur, which keeps them warm
Wild brown rats are woods and fields, but can be found in most during the cold nights.
not liked by humans habitats that are not too wet. Its food changes They are very active at
because they spread with the seasons—seeds in winter, buds in twilight and at night.
disease and eat spring, caterpillars and grubs in summer, and
food stores. MAMMALS
fruit and fungi in the fall. Most field mice
Eastern chipmunk live in an underground burrow, which gets
passed on from generation to generation.
Tamias striatus
Mongolian jird Cape porcupine
2
Meriones unguiculatus Hystrix africaeaustralis
■ Length 6½ in (16.5 cm)
■ Weight 4 oz (125 g) 1 15
■ Location Southeastern Canada
to central and eastern US ■ Length 5 in (12.5 cm) ■ Length 31 in (80 cm)
■ Weight 2 oz (60 g) ■ Weight 44 lb (20 kg)
This bold, inquisitive animal is a popular ■ Location Eastern Asia ■ Location Central to sourthern Africa
visitor to picnic sites in the areas
where it lives, and is not afraid Wild jirds live in hot, The most noticeable thing about this rodent
of people. It normally dry places is the long spines that grow in its fur. The
eats seeds, berries, and eat mainly spines, called quills, cover the porcupine’s back
and nuts but this and sides. Shorter ones
“cheeky” creature seeds. They get most grow on its tail.
also likes sandwiches! of the water they They come out
need from their easily, and if a
Southern food. Like many other desert mammals, predator gets
mountain viscacha jirds have furry feet to keep them cool on one stuck
in its nose,
Lagidium viscacia the hot ground. They have a burrow under it hurts!
ground where they shelter from the hot sun,
3
store food, and have their young.
■ Length 16 in (40 cm)
■ Weight 6½ lbs (3 kg)
■ Location Western South America

With its soft, woolly coat and
large ears, the viscacha looks a
bit like a rabbit, but it is related
to the chinchilla. It lives in
groups of about 50 animals
among rocks in the Andes
mountains. Males do sentry
duty at the entrance to the
burrow and warn the others
if danger threatens.

47

A world of rodents

Rodentia is the largest group of mammals, with more -1
than 1,800 species. Because of their huge numbers,
rodents are of great significance to humans. Several make Common vole
good pets, others help to shape the environment, but
others cause damage and spread disease. Microtus arvalis

MAMMALS 4

Northeast African spiny mouse

Acomys cahirinus

28

Naked mole-rat

Heterocephalus glaber

2

Long-tailed field
mouse

Apodemus sylvaticus

12

Votsovotsa

Hypogeomys antimena

1

House mouse

Mus musculus

12 2

Eastern gray squirrel Golden hamster

Sciurus carolinensis Mesocricetus auratus

5

Domesticated guinea pig

Cavia porcellus

5 3

Northern Brown rat
flying squirrel
Rattus norvegicus
Glaucomys sabrinus

48

A WORLD OF RODENTS

2 1

Striped desert hamster Roof rat

Phodopus sungorus Rattus rattus

-1 2 MAMMALS

Yellow-necked field mouse Pale gerbil

Apodemus flavicollis Gerbillus perpallidus

2 1

Eastern chipmunk Mongolian jird

Tamias striatus Meriones unguiculatus

(R1rTo(io3osbhd0nuoeeecprncomo(tatv4sfpo))sytkciih4bmins’e¼sao)lrhsenamlnfaoltymgnatl1gshlet.½.esrtin ?

Laotian rock rat

Laonastes aenigmamus

10

Long-tailed chinchilla

Chinchilla lanigera

5

Bank vole

Myodes glareolus

10 3

BIGGEST RODENT Roborovski’s desert hamster
Capybara
Phodopus roborovskii
Hydrochoerus
hydrochaeris 49