Rhinoceros

What does a Rhinoceros look like?

The animal with a large horn, or horns, right on the top of its head near its nose is
called the rhinoceros. Some types of Rhinos have two horns and some one horn.
Rhinos are also very large. Some of them can easily weigh more than 4000 pounds!
Rhinoceroses also have very thick skin.
What does a Rhinoceros eat?
Rhinos are herbivores, meaning they eat only plants. They can eat all sorts of plants
depending on what's available. They prefer leaves.

Rhinoceros
What's the deal with the rhino horn?
Rhino horns are made of keratin. This is the same stuff that makes up
your finger and toe nails. The size of the horn can vary depending on
the type of rhino. For example, a typical horn on a white rhino will
grow to around 60 cm long. However, some horns have been known to
get close to 150 cm long!
Many cultures prize the horns. It is the hunting of the horns that has
caused rhinos to become critically endangered.

Rhinoceros

Gorillas

Fun Facts about Rhinos

Rhinos might be big, but they can run up to 60 km per hour. You
don't want to be in the way when a 6000 pound rhino charges.
Rhinos like to bath in the mud because it helps to protect their
sensitive skin from the sun.
The word rhinoceros comes from the Greek words for nose and
horn.
They have good hearing, but poor eyesight.

Where do Gorillas live?

Gorillas live in Central Africa. Gorillas live in a range of habitats from swamps to
forests. There are lowland gorillas living in bamboo forests, swamps and lowland
forests. There are also mountain gorillas which live in forests in the mountains.
What do they eat?
Gorillas are mostly herbivores and eat plants. The plants they eat include leaves,
stems pith, fruit, and bamboo. Sometimes they will eat insects, especially ants. A full
grown adult male will eat around 50 pounds of food in a day.
Are they endangered?
Yes, gorillas are critically endangered. Recently the Ebola Virus killed a number of
them. This disease, coupled with people hunting gorillas, has put the species further
in danger of extinction.

Gorillas
How big do they get?
Gorillas are the largest species of primates. The males are often twice as big
as the females. The males grow to around 5 feet tall and weigh around 400
pounds. The females grow to 4 feet tall and weigh around 200 pounds.
Gorillas have long arms, even longer than their legs! They use their long arms
to "knuckle-walk". This is where they use the knuckles on their hands to walk
on all fours.
They are mostly covered with brown hair. Gorillas from different areas may
have different colored hair. When male gorillas get older their hair turns
white on their back. These older males are called Silverback gorillas.

Pandas
What is a giant panda?
A giant panda is a black and white bear. That's right the giant panda really is
a bear and is classified in the bear family. It is a bear with black and white
patches. The panda's eyes, ears, legs, and shoulders are all black, and the
rest of its body is white.
Where do giant pandas live?
Giant pandas live in the mountains in Central China. They like dense
temperate forests with lots of bamboo. Right now scientists think that
around 2000 pandas live in the wild in China. Most of the pandas that live in
captivity, live in China. There are around 27 giant pandas that live in captivity
outside China. Giant pandas are currently considered critically endangered
animals, meaning they could go extinct if they are not protected.

Gorillas

Fun Facts About Gorillas

Gorillas have hands and feet like humans including thumbs and big toes.
Some gorillas kept by human have learned to use sign language to
communicate with humans.
Gorillas live in small groups called troops. In each troop there is one
dominant male Silverback, some female gorillas, and their children.
Gorillas are generally calm and passive animals, however, the Silverback
will defend his troop if he feels threatened.
They are highly intelligent and have now been seen using tools in the wild.

Pandas
What do giant pandas eat?
Giant pandas primarily eat bamboo, but they are carnivores meaning
they do eat some meat. Besides bamboo, they will sometimes eat eggs,
some small animals, and other plants. Since bamboo doesn't have a lot
of nutrition, pandas have to eat a lot of bamboo to stay healthy. As a
result, they end up spending most of the day eating. They have giant
teeth to help them crush the bamboo.
Is the giant panda dangerous?
Although the giant panda eats mostly bamboo and looks very cute and
cuddly, it can be dangerous to humans.

Pandas

Fun Facts About Giant Pandas

The panda is depicted on some Chinese coins.
There are over 3.8 million acres of wildlife reserves in China to protect the
Panda's habitat.
Giant pandas do not hibernate (sleep through the winter) like some bears.
Panda cubs don't open their eyes until they are six to eight weeks old and
they weigh between 85 to 150 grams. That's about the size of a candy bar!
Kung Fu Panda, a cartoon movie about a giant panda, broke box office
records in China and Korea.

Polar Bears
How do they stay warm in such cold weather?
Polar bears have adapted to the cold of the Arctic. First, they have a thick layer of
fat that helps insulate them from the cold. It is usually around 3 to 4 inches thick.
Second, they have a thick layer of outer hair made of hollow tubes filled with air.
This outer hair helps to keep their inner fur from getting wet when they swim in
the icy water.
Are they endangered?
Polar bears are not currently classified as endangered, but they are listed as
threatened and vulnerable. It is estimated the current population of polar bears is
at around 25,000, but is declining. They are threatened by a shrinking habitat,
pollution, and illegal hunting.

Polar Bears
Where do polar bears live?
Polar bears live far to the north in the freezing Arctic. They are well insulated from
the cold with heavy fur and a thick layer of fat. The polar bear's white fur also acts
as camouflage in the snow and icy Arctic terrain. Polar bears live on the ice in the
winter and on land in the summer once the ice melts.
What do they eat?
Polar bears hunt on land and on sea. They are comfortable in the icy water and
swim with their front paws similar to dogs. Seals are the polar bear's main source
of food, but polar bears eat all sorts of things including small animals and berries.
Polar bears will often hide by a hole in the ice where seals come up for air. When
the seal comes up for air, the polar bear will grab the seal with its sharp claws.

Polar Bears
Fun Facts About Polar Bears
They can see great under water.
The fur of a polar bear isn't actually white, but is actually clear tubes of hair
that make them look white.
They are patient and will wait for hours above a seal hole for a chance to catch
dinner.
They have a great sense of smell and can smell a seal that is up to 20 miles
away.
They have been known to go on long swims of over 100 miles.

Sea Turtles

Sea Turtles

How big do they get?

Sea turtles come in all different sizes. The largest is the leatherback which can grow
up to 6 feet long and weigh well over 1,000 pounds! The smallest are the olive
ridley and the Kemp's ridley turtles. They grow to around 2 feet long and 100
pounds.
Do they have a shell?
Like other turtles, sea turtles have a hard shell that acts as armor and protects
them from predators. The top side of the shell that we see is called the carapace.
Different species have different shaped shells. Some are oval and some are more
heart shaped. Sea turtles don't retract into their shells like some turtles.

What do they eat?

Depending on the species and age of the turtle, sea turtles eat all kinds of food
including sea grass, seaweed, crabs, jellyfish, and shrimp
Baby Sea Turtles
Grown sea turtles have very few predators. However, baby Sea turtles are highly
vulnerable when they are born. Mother sea turtles lay lots of eggs on the beach in
a hole they dig. Then the mothers leave and go back into the ocean. The eggs are
left defenseless and become prime food for many predators.

Sea Turtles

Blue Whale

Fun Facts About Sea Turtles

Many sea turtles can hold their breath for over 30 minutes.
Leatherback sea turtles have been known to dive over 1000 feet deep in the
ocean.
Sea turtles don't need a supply of fresh water. They can live off of the water they
get from their food.
Sea turtles sometimes look like they are crying. These tears are from special
glands that allow them to get rid of extra salt they get by living in salt water
oceans.
The fastest turtles are the leatherbacks which have been known to swim at
speeds of over 20 miles per hour.

What do they eat?

To eat, blue whales filter their food through stiff, bony, comb-like teeth called
baleen plates. Their main diet is krill (euphausiids) and copepods. A blue whale
can eat up to 8,000 lbs. of krill a day during its peak consumption period. It is
estimated to take 2,200 lbs. of food to fill a blue whale's stomach.
Baby Blue Whales
A baby blue whale is called calf. When the baby is born it is as large as an
elephant and grows very quickly. It will gain around 200 pounds a day and be
about 50 feet long at the age of 6 months. Wow! A baby blue whale will live off
its mother's milk for the first 6 months, at which point it will have grown its
baleen plates so it can eat krill.

Blue Whale
Are they endangered?
The worldwide blue whale population is not known, however, blue whales are
considered endangered according to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. It is thought
that the current population is between 5,000 and 12,000 blue whales. For many
years blue whales were hunted extensively for their large quantities of baleen,
blubber, and meat. Although blue whales are protected, their populations show
few signs of recovery.

Blue Whale
Fun Facts About Blue Whale
When blue whales exhale out their blowhole, the water they blow can go 30
feet high.
They can travel thousands of miles each year as they migrate.
They are usually found alone or in small groups.
They are protected under the 1966 International Whaling Convention.
They have a lifespan of around 80 to 90 years.