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Polar Bear (Ursus Maritimus)
Welcome to the big chill! Now you will need more than just a woolly hat and a pair of mittens to come visiting the Arctic, home of the famous North Pole, gargantuan ice-burgs and of course me - the Polar Bear!
Although you need warm togs to come here, I don't. I'm superbly adapted to living in seriously cold places. I have a double fur coat, and for extra insulation I have up to 11cm of fat under my skin. So long as I can keep up the fat content in my diet I won't lose any heat from my body. ...
Read more about the Polar Bear |
Red Squirrel (Sciurus Vulgaris)
Oooh, Hou ar ye? Welcome to my Scottish home, although it is fantastically beautiful here and we adore it to bits, not to mention how much people seem to like us, and the pine nuts are second to none, we weren't always only lasses and lads from the Highlands, we did have cousins who lived further south.
The problem came when someone had the bad idea that it might be good to have two species of Squirrel in this country and along came a very, very distant grey relation. Well - ...
Read more about the Red Squirrel |
Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca)
Ah Ha - Hello from the world's most iconic animal. I know it sounds rather grand, but it's true, more people recognise me than any other species because I have such a great image.
I'm the super model of the animal kingdom; I am a natural poser and am particularly good at it in the bamboo forests of China. Here, it is so easy for me to relax; I bask in the forests and I don't have to reach out too far to find a tasty, tender bamboo shoot which I can chew at my leisure.
Read more about the Giant Panda Boy |
Giant Panda (Ailuropoda Melanoleuca)
Ah Ha - Hello from the world's most iconic animal. I know it sounds rather grand, but it's true, more people recognise me than any other species because I have such a great image.
I'm the super model of the animal kingdom; I am a natural poser and am particularly good at it in the bamboo forests of China. Here, it is so easy for me to relax; I bask in the forests and I don't have to reach out too far to find a tasty, tender bamboo shoot which I can chew at my leisure.
Read more about the Giant Panda Girl |
Blue Whale (Balaenoptera Musculus)
Now when it comes to facts and figures I have to say that I come top on a lot of lists. So let's start with the best - I'm the largest animal in the world ever to have existed! I hear you cry, but what about the dinosaurs? Nope - I'm bigger than any of them - in fact many of them were tiddlers compared to me!
Carrying on: I weigh up to 200 tons (no one heavier that that either); have a heart the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, and a human child could crawl through my main artery. I h...
Read more about the Blue Whale |
Cheetah (Acinonyx Jubatus)
Blink and you will miss me! I'm the fastest land mammal on the planet. I go from 0-60 km/h in three strides and within a few seconds I reach my top speed of 110 km/h. Built for speed, I have a long, lithe body, an incredibly flexible spine, powerful heart and strong arteries. I'm the only big cat with blunt claws, and they don't retract, which means they are always out and ready for action at a moment's notice. When I'm running, my claws grip the ground like the spikes on sprinters' runn...
Read more about the Cheetah |
Mako Shark (Isurus Oxyrinchus)
Well Hello and greetings! Just when you thought it was safe to return to the water you learn about me, the top dog of the marine world. I'm what you would describe as an apex predator - it means no-one gets away. I'm fast and fierce, and when you see my fin you should be afraid!
OK now that's all the scary stuff done with - I do have a bit of a reputation to maintain! But between friends, let's speak in a less alarming way.
I am a truly magnificent shark. My looks are the classic shark ...
Read more about the Mako Shark |
Przewalski's Horse (Equus Przewalskii)
Blowing winds, open plains, endless sky - breathe it in and take in the amazing expanse that was, and hopefully will once again be my home. Przwalski Horses or (Takh as we are known in Mongolia) roamed these wild Mongolian grasslands, galloping free with the wind blowing in our bristly upright manes for centuries. We were named after the Russian explorer Nikoli Przewalski who first discovered us in the 1870s.
We are the last of the true wild horse horses (we have never been tame...
Read more about the Przewalski's Horse |
Snow Leopard (Uncia Uncia)
If you like high places, you may like my home. Some of the highest places in the world are my home, and I often have a beautiful view of Mount Everest, (have you spotted it on my map?)
Snow Leopards love to roam in the high, wide open and very cold (especially when it's snowy) mountains of Central Asia. But you will have to look hard to spot me as my coat is perfect for camouflaging me in the snowy rocky terrain. My stunning extra long tail provides extra balance as I leap gracefully from on...
Read more about the Snow Leopard |
African Wild Dog (Lycaon Pictus)
Or Painted Dog, or Painted Hunting Dog, or Cape Dog, or Cyhyene, or Loup-Peint, or Lycaon, or even Licaon, depending on whom you are speaking to!
Your domestic dogs are distantly related to me. We are only found in Africa, especially in scrub savannah and other lightly wooded areas. Our coats are rather special; they're bespoke design, with no two individuals having the same markings.
We hunt in packs and give a mean chase, catching an amazing 85% of our targeted prey - p...
Read more about the African Wild Dog |
Luna Moth (Actias Luna)
It has been said that we're the most beautiful moth on the American continent. I'm known for the stunning long tails on my hind wings, and although you may see many pictures of me (as for all super models), I am a real surprise when found in my natural habitat.
The male of my species has much to cram into life because he only has about one week to live. In which time he has to eat a lot and mate. Then 100-300 eggs are laid by the female. They hatch and hey presto caterpillars! ...
Read more about the Luna Moth |
Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus Siamensis)
Now there I was peacefully lumbering across my local river bank in Thailand, when I bumped into a bunch of crazed scientists with cameras flashing and behaving like I was some Hollywood star on the red carpet at the Oscars.
Although I was happy to pose for a short while I did wonder what all the fuss was about. Well, it turns out these people were from the Wildlife Conservation Society looking for tigers (not many of them about these days, I can tell you) when I stepped into the fram...
Read more about the Siamese Crocodile |
Ring-Tailed Lemur (Lemur Catta)
Lemur means "ghost" in Madagascar, probably because we look rather spooky. But we're really sociable and fun to be with. We like to hang out in groups of about 30 swinging from trees, partying, looking for food and doing a bit of sunbathing.
You may have noticed our tails are rather special. They look so special because they have a lot of uses; we raise them high in the air like flags to tell each other "follow me!" When the boys show off for us girls, they rub their tails with ...
Read more about the Ring-Tailed Lemur |
Stag Beetle (Lucanus Cervus)
How about this! I'm Britain's largest beetle - yes that's me the Stag Beetle. But can you believe it despite being the biggest (and we think the most impressive beetle), we're in crisis as our numbers are falling across the whole of Europe. Our biggest population is found in Britain, and the hot spot is London, we like to party.
You'll find me, if you have sharp eyes and some good luck, flying around on a summer afternoon looking for a mate. Actually flying is not my forte and I am...
Read more about the Stag Beetle |
Spiny Seahorse (Hippocampus Guttulatus)
Hello my darlings! Let me tell you something about love and relationships. People ask 'what is love?' Well seahorses have the answer; we are ultra romantic. Every morning we start the day with a dance. We change into different colours to keep the romance alive. The dance lasts ten minutes, then we separate for the rest of the day so as not to risk getting on each others nerves. Now we know the formula works because we remain partners for life.
But here is something - you know wha...
Read more about the Seahorse |
Asian Elephant (Elephas Maximus)
Well hello! I'm the Asian Elephant. The difference between me and the African Elephant is I have smaller ears, a rounder back, 19 ribs instead of 21, but most of all I'm so much more friendly. In fact I'm a charmer and an entertainer. If you ever see an elephant at the circus, it will without doubt be an Asian elephant as we are easily domesticated (we like to be looked after and let someone else worry about where the food is coming from) and we form loving bonds with humans.
The m...
Read more about the Asian Elephant |
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