A kangaroo rat is a seed-eating rodent which hops like a kangaroo though it is not related with it. It has a large head, large fur-lined cheek pouches, big hind legs and small front legs. It has a long tail, longer than its body and head. Kangaroo rats live in arid areas that have soft […]
Snakes have special glands and teeth designed to inject venom into their prey. The venom is a fluid secreted by snakes through their fangs. It is highly modified saliva containing several enzymes that attack the nervous system, blood and other tissues of the prey. Some species spit venom which helps the snake to immobilize and
There are around 135 species of antelope across the world. A gazelle is a kind of an antelope. A gazelle has a graceful body with beautiful upward-sweeping horns of different shapes. They are mostly tan-coloured with a dark side stripe on their face. They move with great speed, hence the phrase ‘as swift as a
There are around 300 species of turtles across the world. Each species possesses different food habits. Turtles are mostly carnivores. The snapping turtles are strictly carnivorous; they feed on ducks, frogs and fish under water. Green sea turtles mostly feed on marine grass and algae. The box turtle, which is a water and land creature,
The first fish appeared around 500 million years ago. In that period, after that, jawless fish came into being. During the Devonian period around 400 million years ago, all the waters of our world had fish of many different types, hence this period is also known as the ‘Age of Fish’. The jawless fish gradually
Lice are blood-sucking creatures. A louse (Singular of lice) is a tiny wingless, parasitic insect with six legs that lives on the human scalp. Its food is human blood. There are over 1000 insects that are known as ‘Lice’, but in general the one that attacks humans is called a louse. A louse spends its
Vultures are very large birds of prey. They belong to the same order of birds as hawks, eagles and falcons. There are around 22 different species of vultures across the world. They are found in the tropics and subtropics. Vultures feed on dead animals. They fly gracefully and glide in the air. They have very
A goldfish is one of the oldest fish to be domesticated. It is also the most commonly kept fish in an aquarium. It is found in eastern Asia and is a small member of the ‘carp’ family. Around 960-1279 AD, during the reign of the Sung dynasty in China, the Chinese started breeding, ‘carp’. The
Sardines are small yellowish-green fish that belong to the herring family. These fish were first caught in huge quantities in Sardinia, hence the name ‘sardine’. Sardines are small, silvery, elongated fishes with a single short dorsal fin, no lateral line, and no scales on the head. They live in dense schools, migrating along the coast
A seahorse is a fish. But neither does it look like a fish nor does it behave like a fish. Distinguishing it from other fish, it has a distinct neck and a horse-like head which it can move around. Its tail resembles a snake’s tail and it can grasp objects with its help. It has
The mammoth was a large, ‘now extinct’ hairy elephant-like animal that lived millions of years ago. It had long curved tusks and a sloping back. Its ears were small and its body was covered with long woolly hair. Changes in the environment, climate and migration led to its evolution. The largest known species of mammoth
Termites are insects that look like ants but are, in fact, very different. They have existed for millions of years. There are more than 2,000 kinds of termites. Termites live in colonies inside wood. A typical colony has a king, queen, soldiers and workers. Soldiers are blind and wingless but protect the colony. The workers’
A praying mantis is a fascinating insect. It is long and slender. Praying mantis gets its name as it seems to be praying when it is standing still. It holds up its large front legs in a prayer position. But it is ‘preying’ and not praying. In fact, it is the most bloodthirsty creature. It
There are more than 3,500 different types of ants found across the world. They live in groups called colonies. Out of these, perhaps the most interesting is the ‘army ant’. It eats living things. The ‘driver ants’ move in armies of thousands of ants. They do not spare any living thing and kill all in
Dogs go mad because of rabies, a viral infection. This virus infects the brain and the spinal cord. Rabies does infect not only dogs. It infects many other warm-blooded animals as well, but it’s only dogs that can infect man with this deadly disease by biting him. A bite causes the virus in the dog’s