The capybara (“Water pig”) is a semi aquatic animal which is an herbivore. The capybara is also the world’s largest rodent. Capybaras are native to much of the tropical and subtropical aspects of South America which lie east of the Andes Mountains. It has also been brought to Florida to live in the subtropics of
The Okapi is a native African animal that is dark brown or deep purple red, with a pattern of stripes that move horizontally like those of a zebra. They lower legs are white, with dark circles on the joints. The Okapi’s head looks a great deal like a horse with a long black muzzle and
The pronghorn has often mistakenly been called an antelope. It is not even related to the antelopes of Africa or those of Asia. It is also not closely related to deer or goats or cattle. Its ancestor’s fossils have been found on the American plains dating back millions of years. The miniature pronghorns were not
Twenty nine million years ago there were beavers living in North America. They were the size of kittens and they lived in spiral burrows on dry land. Their burrows were in “beaver towns” similar to the way prairie dogs live. There have also been skulls discovered from that long ago time that were beavers who
The burrowing owl is so called because they live in family groups much like a prairie dog town, and in fact many times use prairie dog towns to begin their own villages. They are brown spotted owls, quite small with the largest being about ten inches tall. They have very unique white eyebrows above their
Peccaries are more slender and will generally weigh 30-50 pounds less than pigs, have longer, thinner legs and smaller hooves. Javelinas have only 3 toes on each hind foot upper tusks (1.5 inches long) are pointed down. They have large heads and long snouts with thick coats of dark-gray, bristly hair and hair around the
Kori Bustard is one of the largest birds in the world. Males will weigh as much as 35 pounds while the females weigh about half that. It is difficult for them to fly because of their size. They are native to southern Africa and are strictly ground dwellers, limited to the earth. They much prefer
Once you see photos of the African and the Asian elephants together, it is easy to see the differences. The African elephant is larger, with ears that measure six and a half feet. The Asian elephant, along with much smaller ears, has a concave forehead and a sloping hump on the back. From the tip
The roadrunner is legendary for its speed, its unique appearance and because it is fast enough to catch and eat even a rattlesnake. Roadrunners are faster, large brown and what or black and white birds that sport a head crest, strong legs and feet and a tail that is long and tipped in white. The
The Zebra is, as they say in the Dr Seuss™ books a horse in striped pajamas. Well almost. It is in fact Africa’s answer to the wild horse. The Zebra lives in Africa and boast one of the largest numbers of animals of any species, There isn’t a lot that zebra won’t eat and they
The smallest armadillo, she is known mostly for her shell like armor which encases her body and her very tiny size. The armadillo tends to look a great deal like something from a fairy tale. They are usually about 4 inches long, without the tail, and are pale rosy pink their color. They sport a
Armadillos are very small mammals, which have a hard outer shell that protects them like armor plating. There are several species of Armadillo and some of these can be distinguished by the bands on their armor. They will grow to be about thirty inches including their tails, while the giant species of armadillo will grow
The black panther is a commonly used name for a black specimen of a varied number of species. Typically the term panther. Usually in North America the term panther, will refer to the cougar or mountain lion. In Central America, this term will usually mean a Jaguar, and in other parts of the world it
Hippos are large plant eating mammals that live primarily in the Saharan areas of Africa. The hippopotamus is what is known as a semi aquatic mammal. He lives in the water during the daylight hours primarily to beat the high heat of the African habitat in which he lives. They live in larger groups of
The Meerkat is a sort of weasel, or mongoose but a bit larger and colored differently. The Meerkat is gray or tan and has a dark band on its back. It is yellow or tan on the underside, has dark eye patches and a tip of black on its tail. The Meerkat lives in some
