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
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
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 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
The Aardvark is a native animal of Africa and is called the ant bear as well as Aardvark. The aardvark is built like a small pig, and has coarse hairs scattered over his body. He is stocky with an arched back and long legs Aardvarks have just four toes on their front feet. The back
Tasmanian Pademelons are a species found in Australia that includes two separate types of animals. They are somewhat akin to a kangaroo, and are in fact a type of wallaby, which has one very interesting and unique thing to recommend it. They make runways or cleared aspects in the grassy areas surrounding their location. Pademelons
The Spotted Quoll, also known as the Spotted Tailed Quoll or Spotted Quoll is the second largest marsupial which is a carnivore. The largest being the Tasmanian devil. The Spotted Quoll is sometimes called the Tiger Cat. Quolls are about the size of a domestic cat, and will range in color from red brown to
The Ocelot has many names, Painted leopard, Manigordo, (mainly in Costa Rica) or Mcnenneys’s Wildcat. It is a wild cat through South and Central America, as well as Mexico. It has a length of up to 35 inches, not including it’s 18 inch tail, and weighs around 30 pounds. This makes it the largest of
The Quokka is a small marsupial. It is very much like the wallaby and tree kangaroo of Australia. The Quokka is very active after dusk and during the night, and very often sleep in small groups during the where they find shelter in dense vegetation. At night time up to 150 adults converge on waterholes
