Female chipmunks have one or two litters per year, each with four or five babies.
Female chipmunks have one or two litters per year, each with four or five babies.
Photograh by Andreanita, Dreamstime Black rhinoceroses have a sort of attack-first-and-ask-questions-later
These enormous fish are found in tropical oceans around the world.
The opening of whale shark’s throat is covered with about 20 giant pads that have
You can boil them, bake them, deep-freeze them, crush them, dehydrate them, or even blast them into space. It doesn’t matter—tardigrades can survive practically anything. These eight-legged aquatic animals may be small, but they’re nearly indestructible.
a poppy seed, tardigrades look pretty fierce when you view them up close: They have
Blue marlins usually feed at the surface where the water is warm, but they have been
Blue marlins usually feed at the surface where the water is warm, but they have been
The red-tailed hawk is a top predator. The hawks use tall perches to spot their prey in the open spaces next to highways. Red-tailed hawks also hunt from the air. As they circle and soar, they can spot a mouse from 100 feet (30 meters) up in the air—about ten stories high. When a red-tailed hawk spots a rodent, rabbit, lizard, or other prey scurrying, it swoops down and grabs its meal in its talons—the big claws on its feet. Once the hawk grabs its prey, it usually flies back up to its perch to eat it. They were named for the variety that has a brick-red tail. Male and female red-tailed hawks basically look alike, though the females are larger. Red-tailed hawks often mate for life. The pair makes a stick nest in a tree, high above the ground. They will use the nest year after year, so it grows bigger and bigger. The female hawk lays one to five eggs—which are white with brown spots. The parents take turns sitting on the eggs, keeping them warm and safe. Baby red-tailed hawks are covered with white, downy feathers. The hawk parents feed their young until the young birds can leave the nest, usually when they’re about six weeks old.
They have to turn their heads to see to the side.
Learn all about these bamboo eaters.
To stay healthy, they have to eat a lot—up to 15 percent of their body weight in
A moose swims across a mountain lake, reaching the shore alongside a forest. The moose’s antlers—which stretch nearly six feet wide from tip to tip—drip water as the animal exits the water and trots toward the forest. The massive moose (weighing nearly 2,000 pounds) is the largest animal in the deer family.
ALL-WEATHER CHAMP Moose primarily live in areas that have cold, snowy winters.
Today, bison numbers have rebounded somewhat, and about 200,000 bison live on preserves
Today, bison numbers have rebounded somewhat, and about 200,000 bison live on preserves
Fastest mammal on land, the cheetah can reach speeds of 60 or perhaps even 70 miles (97 or 113 kilometers) an hour over short distances. It usually chases its prey at only about half that speed, however. After a chase, a cheetah needs half an hour to catch its breath before it can eat. The cheetah’s excellent eyesight helps it find prey during the day. The cheetah is hard to see because its spotted coat blends with the tall, dry grass of the plains. Suddenly, the cheetah makes a lightning dash. It knocks its prey to the ground and then bites its throat. Once found throughout Asia and Africa, cheetahs today are racing toward extinction. Loss of habitat and declining numbers of their prey combine to threaten the future of these cats. Cheetahs live and hunt mainly in open grasslands and bushy areas in parts of Africa and the Middle East. Cheetahs eat small- to medium-size animals, such as hares, impalas, wildebeest calves, and gazelles. Because of their size, strength, and predatory skills, cheetahs are considered one of the “big cats.” Tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, and cougars are also part of this grouping. Take the big cat quiz to see how much you know about these fierce felines. Then, just for fun, see which wild cat you’re most like with our personality quiz.
Unauthorized use is prohibited. 1 / 6 1 / 6 WET AND WILD: Cheetah moms have
