ANIMALS AROUND THE WORLDALPHABET BOOK

By:Michael Irwin

ANTEATER

FACTS!1. Anteaters are found throughout the Southern Hemisphere but are more common in Africa, Asia and parts of Australia.2. The average anteater is nearly a three feet long although some may be bigger.3. The giant anteater is known to be able to consume more than 30,000 insects (mainly termites) every day!

BENGAL TIGER

FACTS!!!1.The Bengal tiger is the most numerous species of tiger in Asia and is found in dense forests and mangrove swamps and jungles.2.Due to the size and power of the Bengal tiger, it has no natural predators in its native environment.3.Despite being the most common of all the tiger species, there are thought to be around 2,000 Bengal tigers left in the wild.4.Size (L): (6.8ft - 11ft)5.Weight: (309lbs - 660lbs)

1.Coyotes (prairie wolf) are native to North and Central America

2.Size (L):(30in - 35in) 3.Weight:(15lbs - 46lbs) 4.The coyote is able to

reach sprinting speeds of around 40 mph which the coyote is able obtain for extended periods of time. COYOTE

DESERT TORTOISE

FACTS!!1.They are found in the south-western desert regions of Northern America, and parts of northern Mexico.2.The desert tortoise lives in burrows underground.3.Size (L): (10in - 14in)4.Weight: (8lbs - 15lbs)5.Top Speed: 0.3mph6.Life Span: 25 - 60 years

ELEPHANTFACTS!!

• Size (H): (7ft - 12ft)• Weight: (6,500lbs - 12,000lbs)• Top Speed: (25mph)• Life Span: 55 - 70 years• There are two primary species of

elephant: Asian Elephant Elephant

• Elephants are herbivores that spend around 22 hours eating!

• The elephant is the only known mammal that, despite having knee joints, cannot jump!

FLYING SQUIRREL

1. Size (H): (8in - 12in) 2. Weight: (2oz - 6oz) 3. Top Speed: (15mph) 4. Life Span: 5 - 8 years 5. Despite the name, flying squirrels cannot actually fly, although they can be

airborne for a remarkable length of time. Instead of flying, flying squirrels move through the air by gliding (normally between the trees).

GORILLA

1.Gorillas are the biggest of the world’s primates and live in the forests in select parts of Africa.2. The gorilla is a very sociable animal inhabiting the African wilderness in groups from around 5 to 30 gorillas.3. The gorilla spends the night sleeping in a nest which the gorilla makes out of leaves and other plant materials.4.Size: 1.4-1.7m (4.7-5.5ft)5.Weight: (220-440lbs)6.Top Speed:(25mph)7.Life Span:35-50 years

HOWLER MONKEY

1.There are 9 different species of howler monkey, found dispersed throughout the tropical jungles of South America.2. The howler monkey is thought to have to loudest call of all the primates in the world with some howler monkeys being able to project their howling voices for up to a few miles! Howler monkeys move in troops of around 18 howler monkeys and spend most of their time sleeping and grooming each other.3.Size: (22-36in) 4.Top Speed: (18mph)5.Weight: (6.6-20lbs) 6.Life Span:15-20 years

INDRI1.The Indri is a large species of Lemur found only on the secluded island of Madagascar.2.Lemurs are arboreal animals meaning that they spend the majority of their lives, eating, sleeping and mating high up in the trees.3.Although actual figures are unknown there are thought to be less than 10,000 Indri left in Madagascar, meaning that the species is under severe threat in its natural environment.4.Size (H): (25in - 28in)5.Weight: (13lbs - 21lbs)6.Top Speed: (20mph)7.Life:15 - 22 years

JAGUAR

1.The Jaguar is indigenous to the Western Hemisphere, where it primarily inhabits the tropical rainforests of Central and South America.2.Jaguars tend to prefer thick, dense, moist jungle where there is plenty of cover in order to successfully hunt and then ambush prey. They are nearly always found close to water and prefer either permanent swampland or seasonally flooded forests.3.Life Span: 12 - 15 years4.Size (L): (43in - 75in)5.Weight: (79lbs - 350lbs)6.Top Speed: (50mph)

KING PENGUIN

1.The king penguin is the second largest species of penguin in the world, with adult king penguins growing to nearly a meter in height.2. The king penguin is found inhabiting the rocky islands in parts of the Antarctic Ocean3. King Penguins have 70 feathers per every square inch. The outer layer of feathers are oiled and waterproof, and the inner three layers are down feathers, which act as very effective insulation as the bitter cold.4. Size (H): (24in - 35in)5. Weight: (24lbs - 35lbs)6. Life Span: 15 - 20 years

1. The lynx is a member of the cat family and one of the bigger felines of North America.2. The lynx tends to inhabit dense shrub and grasslands in the forests of North America and parts of Eurasia.3. Although the lynx is a ground mammal, lynx are often known to climb trees or swim in order to catch their prey.4. Size: (31.5-52in)5. Weight: (22-55lbs)6. Top Speed: (50mph)7. Life Span:12-20 years

LYNX

MANATEE

1. The manatee is a large marine mammal and the manatee is also commonly known as the sea cow.2. The manatee is found in warmer waters only in the eastern hemisphere around subtropical regions such as Florida and the Caribbean.3. The average manatee can often weight more than 500kg and can grow to lengths of over 4.5 meters.4. Despite their large size it is not uncommon for the manatee to reach more than 70 years old.5. Size: (9.2-12ft)6. Weight: (800-1,212lbs)7. Top Speed: (13mph)8. Life Span: 50-70 years

NUMBAT

1. The numbat is a small-sized marsupial that is found in Western Australia.2. It has been estimated that there are only 1,500 numbats left in the wild.3. Numbats are solitary animals with large home ranges, which they spend the daylight hours hunting for termites and in the dark nights in hollow logs and burrows.4. Size: (13-18in)5. Weight: (9.9-19oz)6. Top Speed: (15mph)7. Life Span: 4-8 years

OTTER

1. The otter is a small mammal that lives both in water and on land.2. There are 13 known species of otter that inhabit areas all around the world.3. Otters have a thick coat of fur which enables the otter to be warm in near freezing waters. There is also a series of thin hairs under the otters fur that help to trap air and keep the otter warm.4. Size: (30-36in)5. Weight: (10-30lbs)6. Top Speed: (7mph)7. Life Span: 15-25 years

PORCUPINE

1. The porcupine is one of the world’s largest rodents, with porcupines weighing around 12 kg.2. The porcupine is found inhabiting the forests and jungles of Asia, Europe, parts of Africa, and both North and South America.3. Size: (20-35in)4. Weight: (12-35lbs)5. Top Speed: (2mph)6. Life Span: 8-12 years

QUOLL

1. The quoll is found in parts of Australia, Papua New Guinea and Tasmania.2. The quoll is a nocturnal animal meaning that it spends the nights hunting and the daytimes hours resting.3. Unlike many other nocturnal mammals, the quoll enjoys to spend the sunlit days basking in the heat rather than hiding in a crevice or underground.4. The quoll is a marsupial, meaning that the female quoll has a pouch on her tummy for her young to develop in.5. Size: (14-29.5in)6. Weight: (3-15.4lbs)7. Top Speed: (15mph)8. Life Span: 3-6 years

1. The rhinoceros is a large mammal native to Africa and Asia.2. The rhino also has a large horn in the middle of its face and some species of rhino have a second smaller horn above the larger one.3. Although the rhino is a herbivore, they are known for their aggressive nature and will often charge towards oncoming predators in order to scare them away.4. Size: (51-86in)5. Weight: (1,765-7,716lbs)6. Top Speed:(30mph)7. Life Span:35-50 years

RHINOCEROS

SUN BEAR

1. The Sun Bear is found inhabiting the dense, tropical forests of south-east Asia.2. The Sun Bear is the smallest species of bear in the world and it is also one of the most unique, being the only member of its family that has not only adapted to living in the jungle but also leads an exclusively tree-dwelling life.3. The orange U-shaped marking on its chest is where it gets its name.4. Size (H): (4ft - 5ft)5. Weight: (66lbs - 132lbs)6. Top Speed: (30mph)7. Life Span: 15 - 30 years

1. The Tarsier is a small species of primate that is found on a number of islands in south-east Asia.2. Tarsiers are able to leap distances of up to 5 meters between branches.3. The Tarsier is a unique animal as they are the only completely carnivorous primates in the world.4. Life Span:12 - 20 years5. Size (H): (3.6in - 6.4in)6. Weight: (2.8oz - 5.8oz)7. Top Speed: (24mph)

TARSIER

1. The Uakari is a small species of monkey, native to the tropical rainforests of South America.2. The Uakari is most well-known for its naked face which most commonly ranges from pink to deep red in color.3. The name Uakari is actually pronounced "wakari".4. Size (L): (15in - 22.5in)5. Weight: (6.5lbs - 7.75lbs)

UAKARI

VAMPIRE BAT

1. The Vampire Bat is a small species of Bat, native to the tropics of Central and South America.2. The Vampire Bat is quite a small animal, with its body rarely growing larger than the size of a human thumb.3. When flying, they produce high-pitched sounds that bounce of the objects in the area, and it is this bounced-back sound that allows the Bat to figure out where things are around them.4. Size (H): 7cm - 9.5cm (2.75in - 3.75in)5. Weight: 19g - 57g (0.7oz - 2oz)6. Top Speed: 40km/h (25mph)7. Life Span: 8 - 12 years

1. The Walrus is a large marine mammal that is found inhabiting the freezing cold and icy waters of the Arctic Circle.2. The Walrus is very elusive which makes it difficult to determine the current status of Walrus populations in the wild.3. Walruses have long tusks that are used for both fighting and to dig into the ice when they are pulling their heavy bodies out of the water.4. Size (L): (7.5ft - 11.5ft)5. Weight: (880lbs - 3,740lbs)6. Top Speed: (22mph)7. Life Span: 40 - 50 years

WALRUS

1. The X-Ray Tetra is a small species of schooling fish that is naturally found in the Amazon River's coastal waters in South America.2. They are one of the most popular freshwater fish kept in artificial aquariums today.3. The most distinctive feature of the X-Ray Tetra is the translucent layer of skin that covers its small body, allowing the Fish's backbone to be clearly seen.4. Size (H): (1.6in - 1.9in)5. Life Span: 2 - 5 years

X-RAY TETRA

1. The yak is a herd animal found in the mountainous regions of central Asia.

2. The yak tends to gather in herds from 10 yaks to 100 yaks, most of which are female. There are only a few male yaks per herd.

3. Although there is a large domestic population of yak, there are only a few wild yaks remaining.

4. Size: (6.5-7.2ft)5. Weight: (661-2,200lbs)6. Top Speed: (25mph)7. Life Span: 15-20 years

YAK

1. The Zebra natively found roaming the grassy plains of sub-Saharan Africa.

2. They are the largest and most distinctive wild horses with bodies that are patterned with white and black stripes, the exact placement of which is unique to each individual.

3. Today, both the Grevy's Zebra and the Mountain Zebra are considered to be endangered species and although the Common Zebra is more widespread and numerous, there have been sharp population declines in certain areas.

4. Size (L): (6.6ft - 9ft)5. Weight: (485lbs - 893lbs)6. Top Speed: (25mph)7. Life Span:20 - 30 years

ZEBRA

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g.,

maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key

words, sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a given topic efficiently.

STANDARDS