Animal

Size ❯ Variable, but small Habitat ❯ Lowland forest, swamps, figs. Some species are seen as pests as they eat crops.
and mangroves. Distribution ❯ Tropical, subtropical, and some Breeding ❯ Caterpillars retreat into hard, round cocoons, from
temperate areas, including the eastern USA, sub-Saharan which they emerge as adult moths. Adults mate and lay eggs
Africa, South and Southeast Asia, and Australasia. Diet ❯ In that will hatch into new caterpillars. Predators ❯ Parasitic
many species adults have no mouthparts. They do all their flies and wasps. Pest species may be killed by humans.
Number of species ❯ About 1,000 slug moth species.
eating as caterpillars, devouring the leaves of plants such as

Flies
Insects ❯ Flies
sii1 House f ly Elongated 4 Marsh crane f ly St Mark’

SCALE front of s f ly
head

rphus r ibe us

Sicus 2 Bluebottle fly
Sy
3 Mosquito Single pair
of wings

ferrugine Long tongue Long, fragile legs Marsh snipe fly
for feeding
at flowers sser house f

5 ly

LeBee flySlender Savannah tsetse fly
Bu6 Bat flyabdomen

Flat, wingless body Drone f ly

7

Flesh f ly Sticky body zzer midge
helps to carry
pollen to plants

Flies include some of the world’s most helpful in mid-air. The humble house fly 1 is the best-known of
these insects, with an annoying habit of flying indoors. It eats
insects, as well as some of the most harmful ones. Many anything sweet and spreads germs as it feeds. The bluebottle
of them have bristly bodies, and most have just one pair of fly 2 lays its eggs on meat and carrion, which its maggots
wings. In place of the rear wings, they have a pair of tiny burrow into, eating as they go. Mosquitoes 3 have sharp
knobs. These work like an aircraft’s gyroscopes, keeping mouthparts and drink blood by piercing the skin of other
the fly stable in the air so it can perform extreme aerobatics. animals. In some parts of the world they carry parasites
100 These include landing upside down and hovering steadily

Long, flexible Insects ❯ Flies
snout for stabbing 8 Giant blue robber fly
and sucking prey

9 Stalk-eyed f ly
ge root fly
Pla
ar 10 Banded brown horsef ly
Cabba
Forest fly

Legs with
strong claws

ginata 11 Timber fly
tyura m Leu
cozona leucor
Moth fly Dark cloud
on wing

Marmalade hoverf ly um Dumpy
abdomen
that can cause malaria and other killer diseases. The marsh
crane fly 4 has extra-long legs that break off if it is robber fly 8 from Australia grabs other insects on the wing, 101
touched. Bee flies 5 do a useful job by pollinating flowers. and flies with a distinctive buzzing sound. Male stalk-eyed
The bat fly 6 has no wings. It does not need them because flies 9 have bizarre heads with eyes set far apart. In the
it spends its adult life in the fur of bats. Drone flies 7 are breeding season, males stand head to head, and the one with
very good at mimicking honey bees. Like bee flies, they the widest eyes wins. The banded brown horsefly 10 bites
are effective pollinators. The awesome-looking giant blue horses, and sometimes humans, too, but timber flies 11 are
harmless and do not feed at all as adults.

Bees, wasps, Wood ant

and ants
Insects ❯ Bees, wasps, and antsTiphiid wasp
rmy ant1 Honey beeEgg-layingmbicid sawf ly
tube
Ci
Giant wood wasp

2A 4L Bristly
3 Great carpenter bee Swe leg

eaf-cutter ant

5 Fire ant

Rose sawfly at bee

Chalcid wasp

Pergid sawf ly

Bees and their relatives are very useful insects. and care for the young. Army ants 2 also live together but

Although many of them pack a painful sting, they help do not make a permanent home. Instead, millions of them

farmers by pollinating crops and killing pests. Apart from rush across the rainforest floor, grabbing small animals with

sawflies, they all have slender waists and most have two pairs their powerful jaws. The great carpenter bee 3 feeds on

of transparent wings. Honey bees 1 live in nests containing nectar from flowers, and lays its eggs in tunnels in dead wood.

thousands of workers ruled by a single queen. The queen lays Like other bees, it uses its sting only if attacked. Leaf-cutter

102 the eggs, while the worker bees build the nest, collect food, ants 4 make giant nests underground, and feed on a special

6 Mammoth wasp Insects ❯ Bees, wasps, and antshid bee
Orc
Slender Extra-long
waist Splenditongue
7 Common wasp
apple gall w d emera ld wasp
asp 8 P lasterer bee
Long
9 antennae

e Pteromalid wasp 10 Horntail
Oak
Fur like
bristles SCALE

Buff-tailed bumblebe Egg-laying 103
tube
fungus which they grow on chewed-up leaves. These ants are
harmless, but some others are not. Tropical fire ants 5 have young. Plasterer bees 8 and buff-tailed bumblebees 9
a vicious sting that feels worse than a burn. The mammoth nest in the ground. Plasterer bees waterproof the walls of
wasp 6 is a predator. It paralyzes the grubs of scarab their nests with a fluid from their bodies. Bumblebees have
beetles and lays eggs on their bodies, so its young have a furry insulation which lets them fly in the cold days of early
private food supply. Common wasps 7 make papery nests, spring. They are good crop pollinators. The horntail 10 looks
and help to get rid of pests by hunting insects to feed their dangerous, but cannot sting. Females lay their eggs in pine
trees, and their grubs feed by chewing through wood.

Fish

Fish were the first vertebrates to evolve. They live underwater and their
streamlined bodies are adapted for speedy swimming. They breathe
by absorbing oxygen from the water through their gills. Fish have
a special extra sense, using organs along their sides to detect
vibrations in the water.

Tail ❯ Most fish use their tails
to power themselves through the
water. This lionfish can use its tail
to stay steady in the water, so it
can hang motionless, ready to
ambush passing prey.

Fins ❯ Fish fins consist of bony spines Animals
linked by membranes. The fish uses them Fish
to steer its body through the water. In some
species they are adapted for other purposes Features
such as burrowing into mud or sand to hide.
• Mostly lay eggs
This lionfish can inject venom through to reproduce
spines in some of its fins.
• Live
Red l underwater
ionfish
• Absorb oxygen
from the water
using gills

•Swim with
the help of
fins and a tail

• Are mostly
cold-blooded

Gills ❯ Like all animals, fish need oxygen to survive,
which they absorb from the water using gills. As the
fish swims, water constantly flows across a stack of
fine membranes inside the gills, through which
oxygen passes into the fish’s bloodstream.

Fish ❯ Sharks, rays, and skatesSharks, rays,
and skates
SCALE
1 Frilled shark

2 Bluntnose sixgill shark Undulate ray

3 Spott
ed ratfish
4 Elephant fish chimaera Blue skate Parallel Tail fin almost half
Common stingray gill slits of body length

5 Zebra shark

7 Spotted eagle ray Thorn back ray

6 -spottemdanrtiabbroayntail ray

Blue

8 Giant

Haller’s round ray

Flap funnels
plankton into
mouth

Razor-sharp teeth and powerful jaws make replaced throughout their lives. Their relatives chimaeras,

sharks the most fearsome hunters in the seas. Like skates and a group of blunt-headed fish, have teeth that last the whole

rays, they have skeletons made of cartilage or gristle. Frilled of their lives. The spotted ratfish 3 and elephant fish

sharks 1 and bluntnose sixgill sharks 2 live in deep chimaera 4 use their flat teeth for crushing molluscs and

water, but many other sharks live near the surface, in open crabs. Some sharks have to swim non-stop to breathe, but

water or close to the shore. Most sharks have a streamlined zebra sharks 5 spend the day resting on the seabed, waking

106 body and several rows of sharp teeth, which are constantly up to hunt after dark. Skates and rays have wing-like front fins

9 Smalltooth sawfish Nurse shark

10 Longno se sawshark Snout can sense prey Fish ❯ Sharks, rays, and skates
buried in seabed
y Sensory barbels used
to detect vibrations Wing-like
front fins
Brownish grey colour
acts as camouflage Sand devil
on the ocean floor
Epaulette catshark
Marbled electric ra

and mouths on their undersides. Some kinds, including the Measuring up to 9 m (30 ft) across, this colossal but harmless 107
common stingray 6 , have a venomous spine in their tails. fish is the largest ray in the world, with an exceptionally big
Accidentally treading on these fish can be very dangerous. In brain. The smalltooth sawfish 9 is a rare and unusual ray
some cases, a single jab from a spine can kill a person. Rays with a toothed snout like a saw. It uses this to dig up animals
swim by beating their front fins like a bird’s wings. The spotted in the seabed and to slash at other fish that come nearby. The
eagle ray 7 feeds on seabed animals, while the giant manta longnose sawshark 10 looks similar, but is much smaller,
ray 8 scoops up plankton as it “flies” through the open sea. with two barbels, or feelers, attached to its snout.

12 Great white shark

11 Shortfin mako

Piked dogfish

Blacknose shark Large, saw-like teeth
for ripping apart prey

Kitefin shark

Large
dorsal fin

Starry smooth-hound

Sharply pointed 13 Blue shark
snout

SCALE 15 Smooth hammerhead

14 Small-spotted catshark Pectoral fins act
as stabilizers

Some of the world’s biggest sharks roam the this gigantic and much-feared predator typically attacks from
below, and sometimes bursts out of the water as it slams into
open seas. The shortfin mako 11 is one of the fastest of its prey. The beautifully streamlined blue shark 13 travels
these tireless hunters. In short bursts, it can swim at more thousands of kilometres a year, between the places where
than 70 kph (43 mph). Makos feed mainly on fast-swimming it feeds and the places where it breeds. Like most large sharks
fish and squid, but the great white shark 12 has a taste for it gives birth to live young. Small-spotted catsharks 14
seals, dolphins, and occasionally humans, too. Growing up and their relatives lay eggs with leathery cases. Called
108 to 7 m (24 ft) in length, and weighing as much as 2 tonnes,

Highly flexible tail
used to stun prey

16 Port Jackson shark Horn shark
f shark
18 Thresher shark Fish ❯ Sharks, rays, and skates
17
Light and dark
shading hides

shark from above
and below

Sharpnose sevengill shark

19 Blacktip ree 20 Whitetip reef shark Tail with two
21 Bull shark equal-sized
blades

“mermaid’s purses”, they can take over a year to hatch. The thresher shark 18 is an open-water predator. Its extra-long 109
smooth hammerhead 15 belongs to a family of sharks with tail works like a whip, stunning other fish and making them
strange T-shaped heads. Its eyes are at each end of the head, easy to catch. Blacktip reef sharks 19 and whitetip reef
enabling it to see all around as it swims. Port Jackson sharks 20 rarely harm humans, but the bull shark 21 is a
sharks 16 and horn sharks 17 live on the seabed. They notorious man-eater, with a habit of swimming up rivers and
have downward-facing mouths and flat back teeth, which cruising close to the shore. Despite its size, up to 3.4 m (11 ft)
crunch up molluscs and other hard-bodied animals. The long, it can hunt in water just 1 m (3 ft) deep.

WHALE SHARK By far the largest fish in the world, the whale shark
has a huge mouth that stretches almost as wide as its
whole body, armed with up to 300 rows of tiny teeth. However, despite its fearsome appearance,
this gentle giant feeds on plankton. In fact, it is often followed by shoals of smaller fish that keep
the shark clean by eating bacteria and debris from its mouth.

Size ❯ 7–12 m (23–40 ft). Some may grow even larger. gills to filter out the food. Breeding ❯ The female carries
Weight ❯ Up to 181⁄2 tonnes Habitat ❯ Tropical and warm up to 300 embryos and gives birth to live young. Lifespan ❯
temperate seas. They migrate thousands of kilometres Unknown but thought to be up to 150 years. Predators ❯
every year. Distribution ❯ Pacific, South Atlantic, and Indian Adults have no enemies except humans. Other sharks,
Oceans. Diet ❯ Plankton, small fish, and crustaceans. Whale
sharks feed by taking in water then pushing it through their sailfish, and killer whales may attack the young.
Conservation status ❯ Vulnerable due to hunting.

Saltwater fish

Fish ❯ Saltwater fish1 Spotted boxfish
el
White-spotted puffer Body swollen
with water

Warty frogfish 2 Long-spine porcupinefish

Spiny front4 3 Clown triggerfish
fins can grip
seaweed Large mouth has
blunt teeth adapted
Sargassumfish for crushing prey

5 Zebra moray Spotted garden e

Tail burrows into
sand as anchor

Saltwater fish come in a mind-boggling variety swallows lots of water and turns into a prickly ball. The

of shapes, sizes, and colours, and scientists discover many new clown triggerfish 3 lives in the Indian and Pacific Oceans

kinds every year. Rays and sharks have rubbery (cartilaginous) and jams itself in coral reefs if danger comes its way. It feeds

skeletons, but most saltwater fish have bony skeletons and are by crunching up sea urchins and other hard-shelled animals.

covered in scales. The spotted boxfish’s 1 scales fit together The sargassumfish 4 lives in floating seaweed around the

like armour plating, while the long-spine porcupinefish 2 world. Even in broad daylight, its incredible camouflage

112 has scales with sharp spines. If it feels threatened, this fish makes it almost impossible to see. The zebra moray 5

6 Needlefish

Variegated lizardfish

Fish ❯ Saltwater fishStriped eel catfish
ard
Pineapple fish

Flying gurn Longspined bullhead

Crowned squirrelfish

Camouf lage
imitates rock
7 Red lionfWeedy seadrag
ish
Upturned
mouth sucks SCALE
in smaller fish
9 Yellow seahorse
8 Stonefish

on Smallscale scorpionfish Tail winds
around
Extra-large fins for
gliding over seabed solid objects

Trumpetfish 10 Coral toadfish

comes out to feed at night. To firmly grip its prey, it has a can give humans a lethal jab with its venomous spines. The 113
second set of jaws in its throat, which can spring forward yellow seahorse 9 swims with its body upright. Like other
into its mouth. Needlefish 6 live near the surface of the seahorses it is one of the world’s slowest fish, with a maximum
sea. Large specimens have been known to spear people by speed of just a few metres an hour. Male coral toadfish 10
jumping on to boats. The red lionfish’s 7 striped colours make strange grunting or whistling sounds to attract females.
warn predators that this fish is venomous. It defends itself After the females have laid their eggs, the males guard them
by spreading out its poison-tipped fins. The stonefish 8 until the young fish hatch and swim away.

Fish ❯ Saltwater fish gelfish
11 Emperor an
SCALE
12 Banded archerfish

Royal angelfish Royal gramma
chre-striped cardinalfish
Long dorsal fin Brown meagre
raised like a sail

O

Butterf ly blenny ouwrdgeero-nbfliuseh
13 Blue-spotted seabream

s 14 P

Longnose hawkfish

15 Clown anemonefish Slender body
fits in burrow

Red mullet Fleshy barbels help
detect buried prey

More fish live on coasts and coral reefs than seabream 13 eats animals on the seabed, while the beautiful

anywhere else in the seas. The emperor angelfish 11 and powder-blue surgeonfish 14 feeds mainly on algae and

its relatives are some of the most colourful reef-dwellers underwater plants. Surgeonfish look harmless, but when

with vivid markings that change as they mature. Banded attacked they fight back using two sharp blades on either

archerfish 12 live in estuaries in Southeast Asia. They look side of their tails. The clown anemonefish 15 hides in

for insects on overhanging branches and knock them off by the tentacles of sea anemones. Unlike other fish, it is not

114 squirting a jet of water from their mouths. The blue-spotted harmed by their stings. Common bluestripe snappers 16

Harlequin swe 16 Common bluestripe snapper

Fish ❯ Saltwater fish
etlips
17 Harlequin tuskfish
Bold pattern
camouflages eyes

Bluefish

18 Mediterranean parrotfish

19 Atlantic mudskipper

Foxface rabbitfish

Red bandfish

20 Albacore tuna

live on coral reefs. They move in fast-swimming shoals by mangrove swamps where they climb up roots or hop across 115
day, dispersing at night to feed. Harlequin tuskfish 17 flip the mud. Their front fins work like stubby legs, and they can
stones over with their teeth to get at small animals hiding survive out of the water by breathing air through their skin.
underneath. The Mediterranean parrotfish 18 crunches The albacore tuna 20 belongs to a family of high-speed
up food with its beak-shaped mouth. Like many other swimmers with muscle-packed bodies and long, razor-like
parrotfish it starts out life as female, but may change into fins. Unlike most fish, tunas are warm-blooded, and can
a male as it grows older. Atlantic mudskippers 19 live in hurtle through water at up to 80 kph (50 mph).

Fish ❯ Saltwater fish Three fins 21 Shore rockling
on back
SCALE Snake-like body
Slippery body
without scales 22 Atlantic mackerel

Gunnel
23 Turbot

Upper side 24 Lesser weeverfish Small sandeel
camouflaged
against seabed

Sea fish thrive in cold water because it is often live on the seabed. Very young flatfish look like other fish.

full of food. Shore rocklings 21 search for shrimps and crabs As they grow up, one eye moves around their heads until, as

in rock pools using sensitive whiskers or barbels. Atlantic adults, they swim on one side with both eyes facing up. The

mackerels 22 live in the open sea. Like tunas they have lesser weeverfish 24 also lives on the bottom, with its body

muscle-packed bodies and a streamlined shape for speeding half-buried near the shore. This venomous fish has spines on its

through the water. They have to keep swimming, as they rely back, which it raises to defend itself against predators. It can

116 on the flow of water to breathe. Turbot 23 and other flatfish even give humans a painful sting. Sockeye salmon 25 spend

25 Sockeye salmon Large eyes give Fish ❯ Saltwater fish
27 Atlantic cod good vision Dory

26 John

Fleshy barbel Jaws extend
on chin to catch prey

28 Atlantic herring

Peruvian anchoveta

Allis shad

Both eyes on right-hand
side, which always
faces upwards

29 Europ ean plaice 30 Comm
n sole
o

their adult lives in the northern Pacific Ocean but return to 5 million eggs every time they breed, but their numbers have 117
fresh water to breed. In some rivers, thousands of sockeyes plummeted due to overfishing. Herrings are some of the most
fight their way upstream, creating a feast for fish-eating eagles common fish in seas. A single shoal can contain more than a
and bears. The John Dory 26 looks big when seen from the billion members, attracting predators such as seals, whales, and
side, but it is good at sneaking up on other fish because its body larger fish. The European plaice 29 and common sole 30
is as thin as a human hand. The Atlantic cod 27 and Atlantic are two flatfish that are highly prized as food. Both of them
herring 28 are often fished for food. Cod can produce often hide on the seabed by covering themselves with sand.

BLACK-STRIPED SALEMA These tropical fish are found in
waters around the Galápagos
Islands. They form huge schools of hundreds or thousands. When a predator approaches, the school
bunches into a tight cluster known as a bait ball. By swarming together, splitting, and changing
direction in a flash, these fish try to confuse predators, making it difficult for them to attack.

Size ❯ Up to 30 cm (12 in) long Habitat ❯ Reefs and rocky without scales or fins, which slowly develop into young
areas in shallow waters. They gather in large shoals during fish. Predators ❯ Dolphins, seals, penguins, and sharks.
the day, but disperse at night. Distribution ❯ Eastern Pacific Conservation status ❯ Vulnerable due to changes in its
Ocean, only around the Galapagos Islands. Diet ❯ Plankton environment. Recently, a weather system called El Niño has
and fish larvae Breeding ❯ The female releases eggs that disrupted the oceans around the Galapagos, increasing water
float freely in the ocean. These eggs hatch into tiny larvae temperatures, which may affect fish like these.

Deep-sea fish

Fish ❯ Deep-sea fish1 Tripodfish 2 Common fangtoot h
Pa
Bristlemouth

cific hatchetfi
sh

Elongated rays 3 Orange roughy
form a tripod
Northern stoplight loosejaw
Lure can be held
in front of mouth

4 Footballfish

Giant
super-flexible

jaws

Viperfish Tiny lights or
photophores
on both sides

The deep sea is dark, silent, and bitterly depths of up to 5,000 m (16,400 ft). It feeds on smaller fish,

cold. The fish that live here have evolved strange shapes grabbing them with its needle-like fangs and swallowing

to survive. Food is hard to find, so deep-sea fish cannot them whole. The orange roughy 3 gathers over ocean

waste any chance to catch a meal. The tripodfish 1 perches ridges and underwater mountains. It grows very slowly

above the seabed, propped up by three long rays that stick and can live to be 150 years old. Footballfish 4 attract

out from its fins. It faces into the current and catches small their prey using luminous lures that dangle in front of their

120 animals that drift by. The common fangtooth 2 lives at mouths. If other fish come near to investigate, they are

5 Pacific grenadier

6 Black swallower Luminous lanternfish
Spotted lanternfish
Narrownecked oceanic eel

SCALE Prickly lanternf Slender fins
7 Feelerf ish held above
ish body

Pearlfish Sail-shaped
dorsal fin

8 Longnose lancetfish

Long, whip-like tail

9 Pelican eel

instantly sucked inside. Female footballfish really are fins are thin and whiskery and work like antennae for 121
as big as footballs, but the males are tiny and often fasten sensing food. The longnose lancetfish 8 is a daily
themselves to the females as parasites. The Pacific visitor to the deeps. It hides in the dark by day, coming
grenadier 5 cruises over the ocean floor, gently rippling closer to the surface to feed when night falls. The pelican
its long, rat-like tail, while the black swallower 6 has a eel 9 has enormous jaws but tiny teeth. It uses its mouth like
super-stretchy stomach and can gulp down prey larger than a scoop to catch its prey. Like the black swallower, it has an
itself. Feelerfish 7 stay close to the ocean floor. Their front expandable stomach to deal with over-sized meals.

Freshwater fish

1 Goldfish Green sunfish

Clown l
oach
Extra-large
decorative scales

2 Koi carp

3 Glass catfish Tench

Brown bullhead

4 Tiger shovelnose catfish 5 Chain pickerel

Giant whiptail catfish Sensitive barbels
to probe for food
Fish live in a huge variety of freshwater
including the goldfish 1 and koi carp 2 , have been raised
habitats, from lakes and rivers to streams and ponds. They in captivity for hundreds of years. There are many varieties
can be found in hot springs where the water temperature is of both these fish, and the rarest koi carp can be worth more
a steamy 40°C (104°F), and in chilly caves hundreds of than $1 million. Catfish are common freshwater fish,
metres underground. The smallest fish, even the fully grown particularly where the water is murky or the current is slow.
ones, are not much bigger than a grain of rice, while the The glass catfish 3 from Southeast Asia has a transparent
122 biggest are as long as a family car. Some freshwater fish, body. The South American tiger shovelnose catfish 4 has

Longsnout distichodus This cave-dwelling 6 Red piranha
species has no eyes

Mexican tetra
Fish ❯ Freshwater fish
sh 7 American paddlefish Mudminnow
8 Tigerfish
Prominent jaw
with sharp teeth

Ri ver hatchetfi Striped anostomus
9 European eel

Large rear fins SCALE
help the fish to
hover in one spot

long barbels that probe the riverbed for food. The chain ferocious, but it feeds only on tiny animals filtered out by its 123
pickerel 5 is an ambush hunter. It lurks in the shallows and gills. Tigerfish 8 are fierce predators from Africa’s rivers.
lunges at other fish with a powerful flick of its tail. The red They are famous for putting up a tremendous fight if hooked.
piranha 6 from South America usually eats fish, worms, The European eel 9 is a long-distance migrant. It spawns in
and crustaceans, but a large group of red piranhas can the Sargasso Sea, in the North Atlantic Ocean, and its tiny
attack big mammals, stripping away chunks of flesh with young travel all the way back to Europe’s rivers, an epic
their razor-sharp teeth. The American paddlefish 7 looks journey of up to 6,000 km (3,700 miles).

SCALE Long lower 10 Elephantnose fish
jaw used to
probe for food

Chipokae Clown knifefish

11 Electric eel Mouth can
gulp air in
Slippery skin stagnant water
without scales
12 Foureyed fish
Burbot

Spotted ctenopoma Large mouth
with strong jaws

mese fightin Zebrafish 14 Arctic char

13 Sia g fish Thin, rounded tail

Many freshwater fish have special skills that foureyed fish 12 has eyes that are divided into two, letting
it see clearly above and below the waterline. Siamese
help them to survive. The elephantnose fish 10 from fighting fish 13 are small but famously aggressive. When
tropical Africa lives in murky rivers. It finds its way by giving two males clash, they sometimes fight to the death. Far away
off weak electric signals and probes for food using its long from the tropics, the Arctic char 14 lives in icy rivers and
lower jaw. The electric eel 11 from South America uses cold lakes. It is one of the world’s most northerly freshwater
electricity to find and kill prey. It can give a jolt of up to fish, surviving as close as 800 km (500 miles) from the North
124 650 volts, enough to knock a person off their feet. The

15 European perch Fish ❯ Freshwater fish

16 Nile tilapia

17 African lungfish

Blade-shaped tail

18 Rainbow trout

Thread-like
front fins

19 Longnose gar

Pole. The European perch 15 is a patient predator, lying that can dry out for months at a time. They seal themselves 125
in wait for its prey. It lays eggs in long ribbons and fastens up in cocoons of mud and survive by breathing air. The
them to underwater plants. A distant relative of the European rainbow trout 18 originally came from North America
perch, the African Nile tilapia 16 breeds in a very different but has been introduced into lakes and rivers in many other
way. The female scoops up her eggs, up to 2,000 at a time, parts of the world for food and sport. Another American
and holds them in her mouth until they hatch and her young fish, the longnose gar 19 bursts out of hiding to stab
swim away. African lungfish 17 live in lakes and swamps other fish with its needle-sharp teeth.

Amphibians

Amphibians spend part of their lives in the water and part on
land. Some kinds undergo metamorphosis, like many invertebrates,
starting out as water-based tadpoles with gills and evolving into
air-breathing adults. They need fresh water to survive, and
many species are threatened with extinction due to pollution,
disease, and destruction of their habitat.

Poison glands ❯ Many species
of amphibian secrete a poisonous
slime from glands in their skin.
This helps to keep them moist as
well as to deter predators. Some
amphibians simply taste nasty,
while others, like this cane toad,
can be deadly to some predators.

Skin ❯ Amphibians have
permeable skin, so water
can pass outwards and
evaporate. This means they
mostly live in water or in
damp areas to stop their
bodies from drying out.

Cane toad Animals
Amphibians

Features

• Usually lay eggs
to reproduce

•Have moist
skin, and may
die if they
dry out

•Often spend
much of their
lives in water

• Some hatch as
tadpoles, and
change shape to
become adults

• Are cold-
blooded

Legs ❯ Some amphibians only
have legs as adults. These

kinds hatch out from eggs as
tadpoles, tiny swimming

creatures with tails. As the
tadpoles mature, legs grow
out of their bodies and their

tails shrink and disappear.

Amphibians ❯ Frogs and toads Frogs and Tongue flips out
toads to catch prey

A grub makes
a tasty morsel

1 Lemur frog 3 Australian green treefr

2 Giant broad-headed treefrog Loose skin soaks og
up water for use
Frin in dry conditions

ge-limbed treefrog

Suckers on treefrog
all toes

4 Amazon milk frog Yucatan casque-headed

Orange-legged leaf frog

5 Paradoxical fr og n Islands horned frogolomo
6S
SCALE

Frogs and toads look very different to other climber with slender, sucker-tipped toes. The giant broad-
headed treefrog 2 lives in South American forests. It
amphibians, with their stubby bodies and long back legs. clings to tree trunks and branches, while the Australian
Frogs are usually sleek and slippery, but most toads have dry, green treefrog 3 sometimes climbs into houses, where it
warty skin. Nearly all of these animals start life as tadpoles, makes itself at home in water tanks and kitchen sinks. The
changing shape as they grow up. The lemur frog 1 from Amazon milk frog 4 lays its eggs in rain-filled tree-holes.
Central America hunts insects by night and hides under It lives high in the treetops and hardly ever comes to the
128 leaves during the day. Like other treefrogs, it is an expert

7 European com Golden mantella
Elegant Ma
8 mon toad dagascan frog

Guyanan stubfo ot toad Eyes with slit-shaped9 Malayan tree toad Warts on male’s
Raucous toad pupils detect small, skin develop dark,
moving prey sharp spines in the
Natterjack toad breeding season
10 Cane toad

ground. The South American paradoxical frog 5 spends its The rare golden mantella 8 frog from Madagascar is 129
life in lakes and pools. It gets its name from its monster brilliantly coloured, warning predators that it has poison-
tadpoles, which are up to four times the adult’s length. The covered skin. The Malayan tree toad 9 is one of the few
Solomon Islands horned frog 6 has a pointed snout and true toads that lives off the ground. The enormous cane
horn-like projections above its eyes, camouflaging it perfectly toad 10 gulps down mice and even snakes. Originally from
among fallen leaves. The European common toad 7 hunts Central America, this ravenous predator has become a major
all kinds of small animals, including beetles, snails, and slugs. pest in Australia and other parts of the world.

Common parsley f

rog poiBsoranz-dila-nrut tf ro g

Amphibians ❯ Frogs and toads11 European common frog 13 Gra nular on-da Yellow-
12 Gol Dyeing
rt frogden poison-dart frogpoisbanded
rt frogpoison-da
poison-da

rt frog

14 Edible frog

Circular poTihsroene--dsatrrtipferdog
eardrums
behind eyes

16 American

15 Wood frog bullfrog

SCALE gara frog

Tun

Toads usually move by crawling, but frogs away. The golden poison-dart frog 12 is the deadliest,

often hop and jump. In emergencies, the European with enough poison to kill two African elephants, while the

common frog 11 can leap more than seven times its own granular poison-dart frog 13 is one of the smallest, and

length, equivalent to a human athlete clearing a school bus could easily fit inside a matchbox. In the past, native

without a run-up. In Central and South America, tiny Americans used these frogs to make poison hunting darts,

poison-dart frogs climb up trees or hop over the rainforest which is how they got their names. In the breeding season,

130 floor. Their bright colours are a warning to predators to stay frogs and toads often make loud calls. Male edible frogs 14

17 Asian horned frog 18 Indian bullfrog

Bolifamba reed frog t stump-toed Amphibians ❯ Frogs and toads
19 Paint frog
Gian Common skit
ed toad
Rajamally wart frog tering frog

Sticky, bright Couch’s spadefoot
red skin to ward
off predators

Foulassi banana frog 21 Tinker reed fro

20 Tomato frog g

and wood frogs 15 sound like quacking ducks, while the It usually climbs out after a few minutes, but can stay 131
male American bullfrog 16 sounds more like a mooing underwater for several hours. Painted toads 19 and
cow. This massive frog swallows almost anything it can cram tomato frogs 20 live on land and come out to feed at night.
into its mouth, including smaller frogs, young turtles, and Their skin is covered with a glue-like substance, which helps
small water birds. The “horns” and the brown colour of the to protect them from attack. Tinker reed frogs 21 from
Asian horned frog 17 help it blend in among fallen leaves. Africa lay their eggs on waterside plants. Their tadpoles
The Indian bullfrog 18 leaps into water if it is disturbed. wriggle down into the water after hatching.

22 Mexican burrowing toadAmphibians ❯ Frogs and toads pSopisootnte-dda-trhtifgrhoe n’s glass frog
Painted frog 23 Horned marsupial frogdg
Oriental fire-bellied toad 25 Fleischman
SCALE
Eggs wrapped around
male’s hind legs

24 Midwife toad

Mouth as
wide as head

26 Ornate horned frog -headed rain frog

Big

Mascarene ridged frog

Frogs and toads have lots of different shapes, on her back. Instead of producing tadpoles, they hatch

and varied lifestyles that help them to survive. If threatened, directly into baby frogs. The midwife toad 24 is so called

the Mexican burrowing toad 22 can blow itself up to because the male carries the female’s eggs. When the eggs

resemble a small balloon. It lives underground and feeds on are ready to hatch, he takes them to water so that the tadpoles

ants, coming to the surface only when it breeds. The horned can swim away. Fleischmann’s glass frog 25 lives in trees.

marsupial frog 23 has a strange way of breeding that lets it On its underside, its tiny beating heart can be seen through

132 stay high up in trees. The female carries her eggs in a pouch its transparent skin. The ornate horned frog 26 is a sit-and-

Darwin’s fro Coromandel New Zea
g Webbed feet land frog
g work like

African foam-nest treef parachutes

rog 27 Desert rain fro Amphibians ❯ Frogs and toads

Southern whipping frog

ssy frog
i

A
ing frog

og
Mo
28 Wallace’s f ly

frican treefrog West

Cameroon forest treefr

Puerto Rican coqu Brown-striped marsh frog

29 Fraser’s clawed frog

Limon robber frog

30 African bullfrog 31 Common spadefoot toad 133

wait hunter from the grasslands of Argentina. Camouflaged stays in water all its life. It has a flat body, sensitive fingers,
by its green and brown markings, it lurks in muddy ground and upward-facing eyes. The African bullfrog 30 lives in
and grabs anything edible that comes nearby. The desert grassland and savanna. Big and aggressive, it sometimes eats
rain frog 27 lives and breeds among Namibian sand dunes, its own kind. It spends the dry season underground. Males of
hiding beneath the surface during the day. Wallace’s flying this species defend their eggs fiercely until they hatch. The
frog 28 glides through the forests of Southeast Asia on common spadefoot toad 31 digs burrows with its back
its webbed feet. Fraser’s clawed frog 29 from Africa legs, and spends half the year hidden away.

TREE FROGS There are more than 900 known species of tree frogs, most of
which live high up in the branches of tropical rainforests. These
red-eyed tree frogs are easy to recognize, thanks to their startling colouring. Their bright eyes are
thought to surprise predators and discourage them from attacking. However, during the day they often
keep their eyes shut, relying on their green skin to camouflage them among forest leaves.

Size ❯ Up to 7 cm (23⁄4 in) Habitat ❯ Trees and shrubs near five days and tadpoles fall into the water. Lifespan ❯
water in warm, tropical forests and jungles. Distribution ❯ Up to five years. Predators ❯ Many climbing and flying
Central America Diet ❯ Insects such as crickets, flies, birds, reptiles, and mammals, including snakes and
and moths, also worms and spiders. Breeding ❯ Females monkeys. Fish may prey on tadpoles. Conservation
lay a batch of 50 eggs on a leaf over water. This process status ❯ Numbers of some species are declining where
their forest habitats are being cut down.
is repeated several times. The eggs hatch after about

Amphibians ❯ Salamanders and newtsSalamanders
and newts
SCALE
1 Fire salamander Lore stan newt
2 Tiger salamander 3 Crocodilenewt
Spotless stout newt
Sensors in skin detect
prey by vibrations Blue markings
attract a mate
4 Japanese giant salamander

Oita salamander

Splayed legs

With their slender bodies and long tails, lay their eggs. The Asian crocodile newt 3 heads for ponds
at the beginning of the monsoon, while the Japanese giant
salamanders and newts look very different from frogs and salamander 4 is fully aquatic and never leaves its watery
toads. Many are well camouflaged, but others, including the home. Measuring up to 1.5 m (5 ft) long, this huge, wrinkly-
fire salamander 1 and tiger salamander 2 , have bright skinned amphibian feeds on fish and freshwater insects, and
warning colours. This shows other animals that they are hunts after dark. Young salamanders and newts breathe
poisonous and best left alone. Some species spend all using feathery gills. Some salamander species, such as the
136 their lives on land, but most return to water to mate and

6

5 Axolotl Feathery gills ee-lined salamander Amphibians ❯ Salamanders and newts
Olm
Sardinian brook salamander8 Ca
Thr
Italian cave salamander 7 Great crested ne

wt

lifornia newt

Sharp-ribbed salamander Bones can poke through
sides for defence

California giant salam

ander

Alpine newt

Ensatina salamander

9

Spectacled salamander

10 Three-toed amphiuma Four-toed salamander

axolotl 5 and olm 6 , keep their gills throughout their lives. On land, salamanders and newts live in damp woodlands 137
If the axolotl loses a body part, it can regrow the entire part and rocky places, and hunt mainly after dark. During the
within months. The olm lives in dark, flooded caves. Extremely summer, many species, such as the California newt 8
slender and totally blind, it finds its food by smell and touch. and Ensatina salamander 9 , keep moist by hiding under
Great crested newts 7 breed in ponds, and have elaborate rotting logs. The three-toed amphiuma 10 buries itself in
courtship displays. The male grows his impressive crest in mud, and makes a waterproof cocoon. This slimy, snake-like
spring and uses it to attract females waiting to lay their eggs. amphibian has tiny legs but a powerful bite.

Reptiles

Millions of years ago reptiles ruled the Earth in the form of dinosaurs. Modern
reptiles are mostly smaller, although they still include fearsome predators such
as the Komodo dragon, giant snakes, and ferocious crocodiles, which can attack
and kill human beings. However, they also include gentle vegetarians, such as
giant tortoises and the green sea turtle.

Cold-blooded ❯ Unlike birds and
mammals, reptiles cannot keep
their bodies warm by burning food.
Instead they rely on sources of
heat in their environment
to keep warm.

Scaly skin ❯ As well as skin, reptiles have an Animals
outer layer of protective armour. Lizards and Reptiles
snakes are covered in scales. Turtles, tortoises,
crocodiles, and alligators have scutes, horny Features
layers of skin backed by bony plates.
• Mostly lay eggs
to reproduce

• Have dry,
scaly skins

Panther chameleon • Are mostly
meat-eaters

• Mostly live
in warmer
climates

• Are cold-
blooded

Lungs ❯ Reptiles have
lungs and must breathe
air to survive. Even turtles
that live under water,
usually return to the
surface to breathe.

Legs ❯ Most reptiles have
four legs. Some groups,
such as snakes, have no

legs at all. They move by
pushing against the ground

with their flexible bodies.

Turtles and

tortoises
Reptiles ❯ Turtles and tortoises 1 Yellow-marginated box turtl
SalGoldencoin
Blanding’s turtle turtle
e
2 Red-bellied turtle

Hawksbill sea turtle

Jaws can cut
fish in two

Red-eared slider

4 Leatherback sea turtle 3 Carolina box turtle

Rubbery shell

twater terrapin

5 Common snapping turtle

Hooked beak delivers
a powerful bite

With their domed shells and beak-like mouths, burying itself in mud. Turtles and tortoises come in many

turtles and tortoises are easy to recognize. The yellow- sizes. The smallest ones are not much bigger than a baseball,

marginated box turtle 1 has a hinge on the underside of but the record-breaking leatherback sea turtle 4 can

its shell. If danger strikes, it quickly pulls in its head and legs, weigh as much as a small car. It is one of the greatest

and shuts itself away. The American red-bellied turtle 2 travellers in the animal world, swimming vast distances with

likes sunning itself near the shore, while the Carolina box its large flippers. Sea turtles live mainly in tropical oceans,

140 turtle 3 escapes the heat by retreating into cover or by but freshwater turtles live in rivers and lakes, where they eat

6 Chinese soft-shelled 7 Painted turtle

Big-headed turtle turtle

rop ean pond turtle Matamata
Eu Common snake-necked turtle

False map turtle

Asian leaf turtle

8 Alligator snapping Mississippi mud turtle

turtle

Common musk turtle Ornate box turtle 9 Loggerhead sea turtle

SCALE Paddle-like limb

plants or animal prey. The common snapping turtle 5 , Yellow slider 141
from North America, is one of the world’s biggest freshwater
turtles. It lurks in the mud at the bottom of rivers and lakes. female alligator snapping turtle 8 leaves the water in
The Chinese soft-shelled turtle 6 has a nose like a snorkel, spring to lay eggs, whereas the male spends most of his time
and spends most of its time in the water. Turtles and tortoises at the bottom of rivers or lakes. Sea turtles, including the
breed by laying eggs. Freshwater kinds, such as the painted loggerhead 9 , dig nests in sandy beaches. After hatching,
turtle 7 , lay theirs in holes not far from the water’s edge. The the young turtles dig their way to the surface and then scuttle
towards the sea. It is a dangerous time, and many are caught
by predators before they reach the water’s edge.

Saddle shape
allows tortoise
to raise its head

Reptiles ❯ Turtles and tortoises 11 Hermann’s tortoise

SCALE 10 Red-footed to

rtoise Sharp jaw for
cutting through food

Pancake tortoise
13
12Aldabra giant tortoise
Bow
Scales on sprit tortoise
shell show
growth rings

Tortoises are close relatives of turtles, but Hermann’s tortoise 11 , for example, has a lifespan of
50 years, while the Aldabra giant tortoise 12 from coral
they have stronger legs and spend all their lives on land. islands in the Indian Ocean can survive for more than two
Like turtles, tortoises breed by laying eggs. Most of centuries. One recently died in captivity at the astonishing
them are vegetarian, although some, including the South age of 255. Most tortoises have high shells, which predators
American red-footed tortoise 10 , also eat small animals find hard to break. The African pancake tortoise 13 is
and dead remains. Tortoises are famous for being slow, but almost flat, which allows it to hide in rocky cracks to avoid
142 to make up for this, they can be amazingly long-lived. The

14 Galápagos tortoise Shell with 15 Radiated tortoise
vertical streaks

Elongated tortoise Reptiles ❯ Turtles and tortoises

16 Indian starred tortoise Knobbly shell Serrated hinge-back tortoise

17 Spur -thighed tortoise

Wood turtle Leopa

18 Desert tortoise rd tortoise

predators. It has the tiniest families, as it lays just one egg have shells with raised knobs, but the lumpiest shell belongs 143
at a time, although it usually breeds several times each to the Indian starred tortoise 16 , which has star-like
year. Galápagos tortoises 14 live on islands in the Pacific markings that hide it in dry grass. The spur-thighed
Ocean. They are as large as the Aldabra giant tortoise, and tortoise 17 from Europe and North Africa has bony
often have shells with a saddle-shaped front. This lets them projections on its hind legs. It lays up to 20 eggs at a time,
stretch their necks high up to munch prickly cacti, their while the desert tortoise 18 , found in small burrows in
primary food. Radiated tortoises 15 , from Madagascar, the deserts of North America, lays as few as four eggs.

Lizards 1 Emerald skink

Reptiles ❯ Lizards Slender toes for Cape girdled lizard
climbing trees
SCALE
Green anole

Shiny, beadlike 2 Gila monster
scales

Desert horned lizard 3 Asian water monitor

4 Madagascar day gecko

There are more than 4,000 lizard species in Toes with sharp
claws for climbing
the world, more than all other reptiles put together. Most
of them hunt small animals, and most lay eggs, although of the few lizards with a poisonous bite. Fortunately, it is a
some give birth to live young. The emerald skink 1 preys slow mover, so attacks on people are very rare. The fierce
on insects. It spends most of its time on tree trunks, while Asian water monitor 3 grows up to 2 m (61⁄2 ft) long. A
the heavy-bodied Gila monster 2 stays on the ground. good swimmer, it hunts all sorts of animals, from fish and
144 Found in North American deserts, the Gila monster is one frogs to crabs. The Madagascar day gecko 4 is mostly
found on trees and belongs to a family of lizards famous for
their “sticky” toes. Like other geckos, it can cling to almost

Frilled lizard5

6 Sandfish skink Reptiles ❯ Lizards

Frill opens like
an umbrella

Long, flattened tail Strong back legs
used in swimming built for speed

Knight anole 7 Green basilisk

La rge psammodrom us

Spiky crest

8 Marine iguana

Rough-scaled plated lizard

Viviparous lizard
Wonder gecko

any surface, and can even hunt upside down. When faced by “swimming” through it. The green basilisk 7 from 145
with danger, many lizards shed their tails. This distracts Central America has the most impressive escape trick of
their enemies while they run away. The Australian frilled all. Standing on its back legs, it runs over the surface of
lizard 5 has a different technique to protect itself. It stands lakes and streams, before swimming away from the predator.
its ground and opens up its frill, making it look much more Found in the Galapagos Islands, the marine iguana 8 is
threatening than it really is. The North African sandfish the only lizard that feeds in the sea. It uses its blunt jaws to
skink 6 dives for safety, disappearing into the desert sand tear seaweed from underwater rocks.

9 Common leopard ge 10 Slow worm
Berber skink So
11 Common scaly foot
Reptiles ❯ Lizards ard
lomon Islands skink

Med

cko
iterranean gecko 12 Green iguana
Italian wall liz

on gecko
Moorish
13 Parson’s chamele

Tail can wrap Colorado desert fringe-toed lizard
around branches

SCALE Fringe-toed lizard

Geckos are widespread in warm parts of the looks like a snake with tiny leg flaps, Both these lizards

world, where there are plenty of insects for them to hunt. hunt insects and spiders, finding their prey on the ground.

One of the most popular reptile pets, the common leopard The Central American green iguana 12 is a much bigger

gecko 9 from South Asia is easy to look after. This small reptile, with a spiky crest. Although it looks dangerous,

gecko has an amazingly loud call for an animal just 20 cm it feeds mainly on plants and often climbs high up trees.

(8 in) long. The slow worm 10 , from Europe, has no legs Chameleons are even better climbers and hardly ever come

146 at all while the common scaly foot 11 , from Australia, to the ground. Parson’s chameleon 13 from Madagascar

Western banded ge 14 Tokay gecko

Reptiles ❯ Lizards
cko
Yellow-spotted night lizard Green-striped tree dragon

15 African fat-tailed gecko

Body fat in
tail used as a
food reserve

16 Jackson’s chameleon

17 Red tegu

is the largest chameleon. It creeps along branches using hunts indoors. African fat-tailed geckos 15 live in deserts. 147
its feet and its tail and catches insects by shooting out its Unlike other geckos, they do not have sticky toes, and rarely
unbelievably long, sticky tongue. Like other chameleons, climb. Jackson’s chameleon 16 lives in East Africa. The
its eyes swivel in all directions, and it can change colour males of this species are identified by the three horns on
to match its background or to show its mood. The tokay their snouts. The red tegu 17 is one of the biggest lizards
gecko 14 gets its name from its harsh “to-kay” call. This in South America. A predator and a scavenger, it sometimes
large gecko from Southeast Asia lives in houses and often steals chickens from farms.

KOMODO DRAGON Like a creature out of a horror film, the Komodo
dragon lurches over the ground in search of carrion
and live prey. The world’s largest lizard, it has a poisonous bite, and can smell food more than 5 km
(3 miles) away by flicking out its forked tongue. It can swallow small prey whole and knock down
bigger animals with a swipe of its powerful tail, killing them with a bite to the throat.