The American bison (Bison bison) is a North American buffalo that is typically found in the United States and the northwestern Canada. It is likely to graze on the grasslands of northern Mexico. It is arguably the largest living land mammal in the United States. In the 19th century humans have hunted bison to almost…
The African fish eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) truly lives up to its name as it skillfully seizes the fish from the water surface and drags it to the land where it tears it apart. The eagle typically breeds all along the sub-Saharan Africa. They fancy living in areas that provide large water bodies such as lakes.…
The African bush elephant (Loxodonta africana) is the largest of all elephants. It stands almost four meters in height and it is the heaviest living elephant species. African bush elephant and the African forest elephant have long been treated as a single species but the recent study shows that they both are distinct species. Out…
The green tree python (Morelia viridis) is a unique python with the green color body and a prehensile tail. It is typically found in the New Guinea and the adjacent islands. While green pythons regularly climb up the trees they do prowl on the ground at night. Should they remain in trees all the time…
Blue tongue skinks are typically found all throughout the Australia. It belongs to the genus Tiliqua which contains the largest of the skink family. Blue tongue skinks make very popular pets but they are highly sensitive to certain things such as temperature, food, and location. They are mainly distinguished by their blue tongue. Blue Tongue…
The African spurred tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata) is a large turtle species. It is primarily known for its digging behavior. The turtle is mainly found in the southern part of Sahara Desert. African tortoises are powerful diggers; in captivity they make extensive burrows so much so that they can even damage walls in the backyard. They…
The Arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) is a medium-size seabird that has inspired biologists not only for its elegant style but also for making the longest migration of any living animal. It is widely distributed in many parts of North America, Europe, and Asia including Arctic regions. Arctic terns are highly migratory and the only bird…
The West African giraffe or Niger giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis peralta) is typically found in the Sagel areas of West Africa. It is an endangered subspecies of giraffe and is mainly recognized by its light orange spots all over its body and neck. The African giraffe’s population is quickly decreasing partly because of hunting and partly…
The hawksbill sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is a sea turtle that is widely distributed in the Indian, Atlantic, and Pacific Oceans. It is thought to occur in the shallow lagoons or coral reefs where the turtle spends much of its daytime. The sea turtle rarely goes into the open water; it largely prefers shallow waters.…
The black vulture (Coragyps atratus) belongs to the New World vulture and it is a large bird of prey. The American black vulture or black vulture occurs in the Central Chile, southeastern United States, Uruguay and many other countries. Like typical vultures, black vultures are also scavengers as they primarily feed on carrion. Black Vulture…
The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is a subspecies of box turtle and is typically found in the eastern United States. It is the state turtle of North Carolina and Tennessee. They are one of the slowest of turtles and it takes them years to attain maturity age. IUCN has listed it as Vulnerable…
The Norway rat or brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) is one of the most familiar common rats. It is thought to occupy almost every continent except for Antarctica. Brown rats are most likely to live near human populations precisely because they get easy access to food. They have got many names such as street rat, sewer…
The passenger pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) is an extinct pigeon that was once widespread throughout North America. It was possibly the world’s most abundant bird in those times with the total population of almost three billion. The extinction of a bird that was once numbered in millions leaves biologists to wonder how it went extinct. The…
The Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) or the eastern black swallowtail is a North American butterfly that typically feeds on several host plants. They claim territories in order to mate and male butterflies actively defend it. They are also found and Canada. It is the national butterfly of the Oklahoma state. Black Swallowtail Butterfly Facts Anatomy…
The black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) is a small North American bird that is mostly found in the mixed and deciduous forests. It is thought to lower down its temperature when the outside temperature drops. Studies further show that the black-capped chickadee is able to recall things for e.g. she could remember caches where she put her food.…
The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) is the smallest of sea turtles. They are typically found in the tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Olive ridleys are the most common turtles. They have got heart-shaped carapace. They are thought to eat soft and hard-bodied invertebrates. Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Facts Anatomy…
Also known as the pygmy marmoset (Cebuella pygmaea), finger monkey is the world’s smallest true monkey and is also one of the smallest primates. It is nearly the size of a human finger which is why it is called a finger monkey. Pygmy marmosets mainly occur in evergreen forests of the Amazon Basin in South America. A finger…
The piping plover (Charadrius melodus) is a small bird that is typically found along the sand beaches of North America. The bird is nearly the size of a sparrow and the black band that goes across its neck makes it rather unique among other birds. One cannot see it especially when the bird stands still…
The eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) is the largest of the chipmunks and is typically found in the eastern North America. It is the only living species belong to the subgenus Tamias. Eastern chipmunks are also known as the ‘chipping squirrel’. Over the years they have adapted to living in fragmented forests. Eastern Chipmunk Facts Anatomy…
Ground squirrels are short haired and short legged rodents that are widely distributed from North America, North Africa, to as far as north Asia and Eastern Europe. They are extremely varied in sizes with largest ground squirrel is nearly 100 times heavier than the smallest squirrel. Ground squirrels have got tail that makes up one…
The colobus monkey (colobids) is a group of monkeys that are extremely rare within their limited range. Common among these monkeys is black and white colobus monkey which are mainly recognized by their black fur. Red colobus monkeys are the largest of the colobus monkeys. Colobus Monkey Facts Anatomy Colobus monkeys are medium-size monkeys but…