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TopClicks
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Animals, Pets & More
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Mammals
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A-Z of the Arabian Camel - Source of transport, food, and clothing, the camel is an important part of desert life in many parts of the world, notably Africa and Asia. This site teaches many surprising facts about camels. They have two fleshy toes on each foot. When walking, the toes splay out against the sand, providing a snowshoe (sandshoe?) effect that keeps the camel from sinking. All camels shed their coats in the spring and grow new ones by the fall. Their hair is sought after for making fine artist's brushes, garments, and rugs.
Amazing Animals of the World - Did you know there are real dragons? Komodo dragons, that is. They can grow up to ten feet long and weigh 300 pounds! Learn about the unique and fascinating features of 30 different animals. You can search on the area of the world or the name of the animal. This site was created by students for the ThinkQuest Junior competition.
Animal Bytes - Brought to you by Sea World Busch Gardens, Animal Bytes were specifically designed to help you quickly find information about some of the unique creatures found in the animal kingdom. Most files include the scientific classification, fun facts, and biological value as well as some incredible photos.
Animal Photo Library - View up-close and personal photographs of the animal kingdom, provided by the National Zoo. You can click on the photos to get larger pictures.
Artiodactyla - Artiodactyla may seem like a strange name, but you're already familiar with many members of this group. It includes the cloven-footed mammals, such as sheep, goats, cows, camels, and giraffes. This site is also where the deer and the antelope play; join them!
Classifying Critters - You may know that you're a mammal and have more in common with a moose than a snake. How good are you at classifying other animals? Sort five different critters into their correct groups. You'll need to know what cold-blooded and warm-blooded mean before you begin. Cold-blooded means that the animal's body temperature changes based on environmental conditions. For example, a snake may have to sit on a sunny rock because he needs to be warm and can't regulate his body temperature himself. You're warm-blooded, meaning that, unless you're sick, your body stays pretty much at a constant temperature.
Hall of Mammals - Take a tour to four major groups of mammals and discover the differences among them and how they are classified. One group, the multituberculat a, is extinct. Once widespread and successful, our knowledge of these pre-rodent creatures comes only from observation of their fossils. As you explore this site, try the occasional audio sound bite (it doesn't hurt!).
Hedgehog Hollow - Hedgehogs: the trendy pet of the `90s. Have you been considering getting a hedgehog as a pet, or are you just wondering what all the interest in those hedgehog things is about? Either way, Hedgehog Hollow is the place to visit. Contrary to popular belief, hedgehogs are not related to porcupines. They make great pets, but some kinds make better pets than others; find out here. Some hedgehogs can even be trained to use a litter box. They eat a variety of food, such as cat food, hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, oatmeal, fruit, mealworms, crickets, grasshoppers, earthworms...well, you get the picture.
Hinterland Who's Who - Bison - Two hundred years ago, millions of bison, also called buffalo, roamed the Great Plains areas of North America. They were hunted by Native Americans and provided food, clothing, and shelter to the native people. In the 1800s, the animals were killed by the millions and hunted to near extinction. The activities of the commercial buffalo hide hunters, pioneers, and others may haved up the grasslands for cultivation, but the native peoples were left with a bitter legacy. Now, bison are protected in national parks and other sanctuaries. They are the largest land animal in North America, and you can learn much more at this site.
Hinterland Who's Who - Moose - The moose is the largest member of the deer family, often as large as a saddle horse. Old antlers are shed each autumn and new ones are grown in the spring. An adult bull moose can have an antler spread as wide as six feet or more; usually, though, they are about four feet wide. Moose eat twigs, leaves, and water plants. They are often seen wading in shallow ponds, munching water lilies. They swim well and have been known to dive over 18 feet deep to reach a succulent plant!
Hinterland Who's Who - Mountain Sheep - Mountain, or bighorn, sheep have a varied lifestyle. Some of them live in the below-sea-level deserts of Death Valley, while others inhabit the steep alpine cliffs of the snowy Rocky Mountains. Their huge curving horns are never shed, and biologists can estimate a sheep's age by examining his horns. Mountain sheep are brown, not white like the domesticated ones you may have seen on farms. They are also very much larger, standing over three feet tall at the shoulder.
Hinterland Who's Who - Snowshoe Hare - Although brown in summer, snowshoe hares turn completely white in the winter. That's good, because it camouflages them in the snow. Their big furry feet help them stay on top of the snow rather than sink in, like a deer would. They have large ears with which to detect nearby predators, but the ears serve another purpose: they help regulate body temperature by dispersing excess heat.
Hinterland Who's Who Index - Lemmings--those are cute little computer game characters who run up and down hills and in and out of caves, right? Better check out this site! Real lemmings are mouselike rodents that live in the treeless areas of northern Canada. They are a very important species in Arctic ecosystems. The curious thing is that lemming populations fluctuate drastically, peaking about every four years and then crashing almost to extinction. One of the Inuit names for the collared lemming is kilangmiutak , which means "one who comes from the sky." Read about this Indian legend and the various theories on the rise and fall of the lemming population as well as interesting information about more than 80 other animals native to Canada's hinterlands. Put on your snowshoes and follow the animal tracks across northern Canada.
How Can You Go to Bed with an Elephant in Your Head? - This 30-page rhymed story is about a kid who has a dream about getting stuck on a log in a river. The reindeer, monkeys, cow, Tasmanian devil (it looks like a devil with horns, not the animal by that name--don't be fooled), and an angel (whose wings get stuck in the trees) can't help. An elephant happens by; then goes off to get all of its friends. The boy dreams he is rescued, but we won't spoil the surprise. The elephant asks the boy for a favor: to help spread the word about people killing elephants for their ivory. The boy wrote this book to tell everyone that we should share the Earth with the elephants.
LlamaWeb, Llamas on the Internet! - Llamas make wonderful pets. They are used as pack animals, golfing caddies, and watch or guard animals. Their coat fiber is used to produce rugs, ropes, and sweaters and other clothing. All camelids (the camel family of mammals) have a bad reputation for spitting. Usually they spit at other llamas, though, and not at people in particular. Be careful not to get in the middle of a spitting contest between two camelids! Stop by to learn all about raising these interesting animals.
Mammal Species of the World - This site from the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History is a database that contains the names of the 4,629 currently recognized species of mammals, in a taxonomic hierarchy that includes Order, Family, Subfamily, and Genus. Each animal has it's scientific name, common name and a photo of the animal.
Manatees - Have you ever heard of the manatee? Found in waters around Florida, throughout the Caribbean, and into South America, manatees are gentle vegetarians that are also called sea cows. They are, believe it or not, related to elephants, and some think the myth of mermaids may have come from sailors who saw these graceful creatures swimming. To learn more about manatees, take a look at this page.
Marine Mammal Center - This San Francisco area wildlife rehabilitation center specializes in pinnipeds, including California sea lions, northern elephant seals, and harbor seals. Do you know why elephant seals' eyes are so big? So they can see in low light levels when they dive deep. They get most of their food this way. They prefer to be offshore, up to 35 miles, diving to 4,000 feet and possibly even deeper. On land, because they have nonreversible rear flippers, elephant seals must slide, wriggle, and roll, using movements that resemble those of a caterpillar. To learn more about other marine mammals, visit this home page.
Monotremata - All species of living monotremes come from either Australia or New Guinea. They include the duck-billed platypus and two species of echidna, sometimes called spiny anteaters. Like other mammals, these animals produce milk to nurse their young, but they lay eggs-- setting them apart from all other mammal species. Learn about the fascinating monotremes at this page.
Monotreme Extreme - The momma echidna lays one egg directly into her pouch. It's about the size of a green grape. It hatches after about 10 days, and then it spends about 50 days nestled inside the pouch. By then it has started growing spines of its own (ouch!), so Mom moves it into a special nursery burrow she digs in the earth. Not much is known about the natural history of these strange mammals, but this scientist is trying to change all that. Follow her research and learn about these critters, whose ancestors roamed with the dinosaurs.
Moose Page - Students in Fairbanks, Alaska, couldn't help but notice the moose in their backyards and in their schoolyard. So they decided to create a classroom project with collected moose information. They say, "Our site is dedicated to supplying mounds of moose megabytes." There are lighthearted parts of the site (the moose in comics and cartoons), but there is also a section on moose hunting, which might disturb sensitive kids. High on the "Yuck!" scale is the part of the site dedicated to the funky things you can make out of moose droppings.
Nature - Wildlife - Need to know what a warthog looks like? Desperate to discover what a zebra looks like when he's threatening to bite? Want to see over 60 high-quality photos of elephants? A professional wildlife photographer's page, illustrated with his own photos, also contains lots of information about these and other African mammals.
NetVet Veterinary Resources and the Electronic Zoo - The doctor is in! You'll find information on animal care and behavior from breeders, vets, and researchers. This site features anything that walks, flies, hops, slithers, or swings through the trees. The NetVet resource contains some of the most respected and popular resources about pets on the Net.
Otternet - You otter visit this site, if just to see the friendly otter swim around the top of your screen. Did you know there are 13 different species of otters that live on five different continents? They are very smart, especially sea otters, which use rocks as tools to pryabalone shells for the meat inside. Find otter facts and activities as you splash and glide your way around all 40 pages of this wet and wild site.
Planet Camel - Camels have long eyelashes to keep desert sands from blowing into their eyes. They also have a special third eyelid that slides into place if the sand gets too bad. It's so thin that the camel can see through it! To keep the sand from blowing into their noses, they can close their nostrils. Find out more fascinating camel facts at Planet Camel.
The Animal Planet - Is your favorite TV channel the Animal Planet? If so, you'll love their website. Filled with info and pictures of the creatures of the world, and of course, the Croc Hunter's recent exploits.
Wild Channel - The Wild Channel is an interactive wildlife experience designed to take you on a journey into the world of natural history and wildlife. Watch the stunning video clips an the in-depth features which highlight different animals.
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