Turkey facts

Wild turkeys are covered with dark feathers that help them blend in with their woodland homes. The bare skin on the throat and head of a turkey can change color from flat gray to striking shades of red, white, and blue when the bird becomes distressed or excited.Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) live in woods in parts of North America and are the largest game birds found in this part of the world. They spend their days foraging for food like acorns, seeds, small insects and wild berries. They spend their nights in low branches of trees (yes, wild turkeys can fly!).

Walrus facts

The mustached and long-tusked walrus is most often found near the Arctic Circle, lying on the ice with hundreds of companions. These marine mammals are extremely sociable, prone to loudly bellowing and snorting at one another, but are aggressive during mating season. With wrinkled brown and pink hides, walruses are distinguished by their long white tusks, grizzly whiskers, flat flipper, and bodies full of blubber.

Student runs with wolves!

ALBION, Mich. - The elbows that can fly under the hoop during a college game are nothing like the thrill of racing a wolf pack in your car, according to Albion College basketball center Wayne Bond. Bond, who spent his summer working at an Indiana animal park, says he has more in common with wolves than might be obvious. More

Ostrich facts

The flightless ostrich is the world's largest bird. They roam African savanna and desert lands and get most of their water from the plants they eat.Though they cannot fly, ostriches are fleet, strong runners. They can sprint up to 43 miles (70 kilometers) an hour and run over distance at 31 miles (50 kilometers) an hour. They may use their wings as "rudders" to help them change direction while running. An ostrich's powerful, long legs can cover 10 to 16 feet (3 to 5 meters) in a single stride. These legs can also be formidable weapons. Ostrich kicks can kill a human or a potential predator like a lion. Each two-toed foot has a long, sharp claw.

HUMPBACK WHALE FACTS

Average Length: (Adult) 35-50 ft (Newborn) 13-16 ft
Average Weight: (Adult) 23-30 tons (Birth) 1-2 tons
Population: 18,000-20,000 (2002 figure)
Lifespan: estimated to be around 40 years (1998 figure)
Threats: Caught in fishing nets, human disturbance, and being tangled in marine pollution
The flukes (tails) have a distinct pattern on the underside, much like our fingerprints
The humpback whale breaches more frequently than other baleen whales
The Pacific humpback's pectoral fins are white underneath & black on top..
The Atlantic humpback's pectoral fins are white on both sides- which makes it easier for us to see them
While in their breeding grounds- the whales do NOT eat!
Some humpbacks feed in the Southern Ocean and go north to their reproductive areas!
Can stay underwater for 30 minutes but often dives for much shorter periods of time, usually 5 to 10 minutes
Humpbacks emit high frequency "clicks" reaching 30,000 Hz
The males produce, in frequencies between 20 and 9,000 Hz, songs that are the longest and the most varied in all the animal kingdom, with repeated sequences about 15 minutes long
When they are in cold waters, the humpback whale eats 2 tons of fish and planktonic crustaceans a day, in 2 to 4 meals.

Kangaroo facts

Kangaroos are the largest marsupial mammals. They belong to the Macropodidae family.
Kangaroo moves by hopping on its hind legs using its tail for steering and balancing while hopping at speed up to 40mph/60kmh. When kangaroo is moving slowly the tail is used as an extra leg and supports the kangaroo when it is standing on its hind legs. Most kangaroos can only move both back legs together and not one at a time.
Kangaroos are found in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. They are grazing animals that eat grass, young shoots and leaves of heath plants and grass trees. Kangaroos need very little water to survive and are capable of going for months without drinking at all.

Turtle facts

The first known turtles existed 200 million years ago.
* There are approximately 300 species of turtles.
* Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica.
* Turtles are cold-blooded. One way they regulate their temperature is by basking.
* Some turtles, such as the Musk turtle, emit an odor when startled.
* Not all turtles and tortoises hibernate.
* The blood of hibernating turtles acts somewhat like antifreeze, allowing it to tolerate cold temperatures.
* Some female turtles produce eggs four years after mating.
* Many species make sound, especially while mating.
* Incubation temperature determines the sex of the hatchling.
* All turtles lay their eggs on land.
* Hatching turtles have an egg tooth at the end of their beak to help open the egg.
* Some land turtles can out run a human.
* The smallest turtle, the Speckled Padloper is 4". The largest is the Leatherback sea turtle, that can
reach up to 10' in length.
* Turtle shells DO break.

fact about lobsters!

A male lobster is called a cock and a female a hen or chicken (when she weighs about 1 pound).
There are two kinds of lobsters, the "true" lobster (also called American lobster) and the spiny lobster. The true lobster has claws on the first four legs, lacking in the spiny lobster. The spiny lobster has a pair of horns above the eyes, lacking in the true lobster. Spiny lobsters also have two large cream-colored spots on the top of the second segment of the tail.
Small lobsters, less than 1.5 inches carapace (carapace length is measured from the rear of the eye socket to the rear of the main body shell), hide in and about sea weeds and rocky habitat that provide enough food and shelter from predators. Adolescent lobsters, 1.5 to 3.5 inches carapace, are found in coastal habitats and offshore areas. Adult lobsters inhabit deeper waters, but return seasonally to shallow warmer waters. Spiny lobsters inhabit tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
Lobster can have many different colors, including blue-green, blue, red, yellow, red-orange and white. Some lobsters come in two colors, having half of their shell one color and the other half another.

People scared of cougar in park

Even under ideal circumstances, capturing a cougar is difficult. And the situation that closed Discovery Park in Magnolia Thursday afternoon "is not an ideal circumstance," Department of Fish and Wildlife Capt. Bill Hebner said.
The park closure is scheduled through Monday -- altering plans for at least one wedding --and is only the third time since 1972 that it's been closed. More

Man arrested for barking at police dog

Michigan - A man was arrested in Michigan for barking and shouting at a police dog inside a patrol car, causing the dog to become agitated and aggressive. According to the authorities, police were responding to a call at an apartment complex when a 26-year-old man approached their patrol car and “began to torment” their police dog. The barking man was arrested for disorderly conduct and later released on bond. More…

Koala Facts

Koalas live about 10-15 years. Koalas don’t normally have to drink water. They usually get enough moisture from leaves. A baby koala is known as a “joey.” Koalas are mostly active at night.Some people refer to koalas as “koala bears,” but they are not bears at all. They are marsupials. Koalas also sleep between 18 and 22 hours each day. The word “koala” is thought to mean 'no drink' in the Aboriginal language. A newborn koala is only the size of a jelly bean. Koalas eat 1 to 1.5 pounds of leaves per day. Soon after the joey is born, it crawls into its mother's pouch, where it remains for about 6 months. Koalas can not be a pet.

Dog Facts

Dogs were first domesticated from wolves at least 17,000 years ago.
No one knows for sure when the dog became man's best friend. It most likely began tens of thousands of years ago, when hunters began making partnerships with wolves.Dogs are colorblind.
Dogs do not sweat they pant.A dog's sense of smell is 1 million times greater than humans. A dog's sense of smell is 1 million times greater than humans.A dog can pick up movement very well.

Facts about ducks

Ducks are birds. They are also called waterfowls because they are normally found in places with water like pounds, stream and river. They are related to geese and swans. The ducks the smallest of them all. Ducks also have shorter neck and wings and a stout body.They can live from 2-12 years,depending on species.

Butterfly facts

Female butterflies usually are bigger and live longer than male butterflies.
A butterfly has compound eyes: each eye is made up of about 6,000 tiny parts called lenses, which let in light.
The Queen Alexandra’s birdwing from the island of New Guinea is the largest butterfly; it can have a wingspan of 11 inches!
Most butterflies make no sound, but some in Florida and Texas make a loud clicking sound with their wings.
Butterflies do not get bigger as they age - a young butterfly is a caterpillar! Butterflies are related to crabs and lobsters! Why? Because like those sea creatures, butterflies have skeletons on the outside of their bodiesButterflies weigh only as much as two rose petals, but can fly thousands of miles

solar system

Sun
Over one million Earths can fit on the sun.It is too Hot to get close to.It is a Star.

Mercury
It is the closest planet to the sun. It is too hot and dry to live on. There is no air.

Venus
It is the second planet from the sun.Almost the same size as Earth.It has the same gravity as Earth.And has deadly poisonous clouds (acid)

Earth
The third planet from the sun. The Only planet that we know of that supports life. It has gravity, air, water, etc.

Mars
It is the forth planet from the sun. Its called the red planet. It has red dust and ice.

Jupiter
The fifth planet from the sun. The Only planet with a big red spot (a storm that is very wide) It is the Largest planet in the Solar System.

Saturn
The sixth planet from the sun.Very cold It has an outer ring around the planet.

Uranus
The seventh planet from the sun.It is very cold.It has an outer ring around the planet.Unable to see stars because of storms of clouds.

Neptune
The eight planet from the sun. It is very cold. The planet is blue in color.

Pluto
The farthest planet from the sun. It is the coldest planet. It is very dark. The sun looks very small from this planet. You can see many stars from here.

Facts about hippos!

Hippos are the third largest animal on land. Only elephants and some rhinos are bigger. An adult male hippopotamus can weigh as much as 3200 kg (7000 lbs), but are usually around 2300 kg (5000 lbs). Adult females only weigh about 1800 kg (4000 lbs).
Even though hippos are so big, they only eat plants. In a single night, a hippo may eat as much as 45.5 kg (100 lbs) of grass.
Hippos are the closest living land mammals to whales and dolphins. Perhaps this is why a hippo can hold it's breath for about 5 minutes. They spend much of their day in the water or snoozing on the beach.

Zebra Facts!

No animal has a more distinctive coat than the zebra. Each animal's stripes are as unique as fingerprints—no two are exactly alike—although each of the three species has its own general pattern.Why do zebras have stripes at all? Scientists aren't sure, but many theories center on their utility as some form of camouflage. The patterns may make it difficult for predators to identify a single animal from a running herd and distort distance at dawn and dusk. Or they may dissuade insects that recognize only large areas of single-colored fur or act as a kind of natural sunscreen. Because of their uniqueness, stripes may also help zebras recognize one another.Zebras are social animals that spend time in herds. They graze together, primarily on grass, and even groom one another.No animal has a more distinctive coat than the zebra. Each animal's stripes are as unique as fingerprints—no two are exactly alike—although each of the three species has its own general pattern.Why do zebras have stripes at all? Scientists aren't sure, but many theories center on their utility as some form of camouflage. The patterns may make it difficult for predators to identify a single animal from a running herd and distort distance at dawn and dusk. Or they may dissuade insects that recognize only large areas of single-colored fur or act as a kind of natural sunscreen. Because of their uniqueness, stripes may also help zebras recognize one another.Zebras are social animals that spend time in herds. They graze together, primarily on grass, and even groom one another.

Horse Facts!

One of the first horses was called a Hyracotherium. It lived about 50 million years ago and was as tall as a fox. It had toes! This horse changed over millions of years to become a modern horse.

Camargue horses are completely white as adults. Their babies are pure black when they are born.

There is a breed of horse from Russia called Akhal-Teke. It can go for days without food or water.

You measure a horse's height in hands. Each hand equals four inches. If you say a horse is 16.2 hands high, the 2 stands for 2 fingers.

You can tell how old a horse is by how many teeth it has. A horse gets all of its teeth by the time it is five years old. After that, they just get longer.

A female horse is called a mare. In the wild it is the mare that decides when the herd moves on to another spot to find food.

A male horse is called a stallion. Usually only one stallion will stay with a herd.

Any marking on a horse's forehead is called a star, even if it is not shaped like a star.

Horses and ponies feel safer when they are in a herd.

Mustangs are one of the few breeds of horses that live wild in North America. They are related to the horses that the Spanish explorers brought to North America 400 years ago.

Horses can communicate how they are feeling by their facial expressions. They use their ears, nostrils, and eyes to show their moods. Beware of a horse that has flared nostrils and their ears back. That means it might attack!

A hoof is like a fingernail. It is always growing and needs to be clipped so that it won't be uncomfortable for the horse.

A farrier is a person who makes horse shoes and fits them on your horse. They also clip hooves to keep them from getting overgrown.

A horse can move in four ways: walk, trot, canter, and gallop. A gallop is the fastest gait.

Beaver facts!

Beavers live in lodges which they build in rivers and streams from small trees and mud. They build a dam first, then the lodge which looks like a dome on top of a pile of wood. The entrance is under the water which keeps out other animals. Beavers can stay under water for about fifteen minutes.
A beaver might live for 19 years, and weigh 60 pounds and get to a length of four feet. They mate for life and are very social animals, living and working together with other beavers.
They eat fresh bark, water plants, berries and fruit. Their large front teeth help them chew through the bark of trees, both to build their lodge, and to eat the bark.

Lion Fact!

Lions are the laziest of the big cats. They usually spend 16 to 20 hours a day sleeping and resting, devoting the remaining hours to hunting, courting or protecting their territory. They keep in contact with one another by roaring loud enough to be heard up to five miles away. The pride usually remains intact until the males are challenged and successfully driven away or killed by other males, who then take over. Not all lions live in prides. At maturity, young males leave the units of their birth and spend several years as nomads before they become strong enough to take over a pride of their own. Some never stop wandering and continue to follow migrating herds; but the nomadic life is much more difficult, with little time for resting or reproducing.Lions are the laziest of the big cats. They usually spend 16 to 20 hours a day sleeping and resting, devoting the remaining hours to hunting, courting or protecting their territory. They keep in contact with one another by roaring loud enough to be heard up to five miles away. The pride usually remains intact until the males are challenged and successfully driven away or killed by other males, who then take over. Not all lions live in prides. At maturity, young males leave the units of their birth and spend several years as nomads before they become strong enough to take over a pride of their own. Some never stop wandering and continue to follow migrating herds; but the nomadic life is much more difficult, with little time for resting or reproducing.

Cool penguin facts!

Penguins are birds that cannot fly. They are great swimmers and divers. Their wings work as paddles for swimming. Male penguins take care of their chicks. Parents take turns waiting for the eggs to hatch. Female penguins are in charge of going to get the food. They stay in a group. Penguins take small naps in the water. They use their flippers and head to talk to each other.

Fish facts

Fish have been on earth for more than 450 million years. Fish feel pain and suffer stress just like mammals and birds. Tropical fish are one of the most popular pets in the U.S. Some species of fish can glide others can skip along the scrface and others can even climb rocks.

Fact about kittens!

Kittens can't taste sweets. They only have 5 toes in the front and 4 toes in the back. Kittens have 32 muscles in each ear.

Fact about Giraffe

Giraffe are the tallest land animals on earth. They stand up most of the time. Their tongue is about 18 inches long and is bright blue.

Shark Facts!

Sharks typically swim with the even, liquid grace of a creature completely at home with its place in the Universe. Large sharks generally cruise at a leisurely 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometres) per hour. Because most species fare poorly in captivity, the maximum swimming speed of a shark has seldom been measured. The Blue Shark (Prionace glauca) is an open ocean glider, planing on wing-like pectoral fins and flattened belly. There exists a dubious record of a small Blue Shark about 2 feet (0.6 metres) in length which was found to swim steadily against a current at 17.7 miles (28.5 kilometres) per hour and was reported to achieve 43 miles (69 kilometres) per hour in short bursts. The most reliable record of a Blue Shark at speed is 24.5 miles (39.4 kilometres) per hour for a 6.5-foot- (2-metre-) long individual.

The difference between a crocodile and an alligator

The first difference between a crocodile and an alligator is that they are from different families of crocodilians. Crocodiles are from the crocodylidae family, while alligators and caiman are from the alligatoridae family.
In terms of physical differences the easiest way to tell the difference between the two is that a crocodile has a very long, narrow, V-shaped snout, while the alligator's snout is wider and U-shaped. Because of the wide snout of the alligator it packs more crushing power to eat prey like turtles that constitute part of its diet. The narrow crocodile snout, although still very powerful, is not really suited for prey like turtles but is very versatile for fish and mammals.
Another physical difference between the crocodile and the alligator is that the crocodile's upper and lower jaws are nearly the same width, so the teeth are exposed all along the jaw line in an interlocking pattern, even when the mouth is closed. They also have an enormous 4th tooth on the lower jaw that is accommodated by depressions in the upper jaw just behind the nostrils.
An alligator, on the other hand, has a wider upper jaw, so when its mouth is closed the teeth in the lower jaw fit into sockets of the upper jaw, hidden from view. Only the teeth of the upper jaw are exposed along the lower jaw line. Even the enormous 4th tooth on the bottom jaw, which is exposed in a crocodile, is hidden in the alligator.
Another physical difference is that crocodiles have a lighter olive brown coloration, while alligators appear blackish. Alligators also prefer freshwater while crocodiles like brackish water and sometimes even ocean.

What elephants eat and drink!

An elephant's day is spent eating (about 16 hours), drinking, bathing, dusting, wallowing, playing and resting (about three to five hours). As an elephant only digests some 40 percent of what it eats, it needs tremendous amounts of vegetation (approximately 5 percent of its body weight per day) and about 30 to 50 gallons of water. A young elephant must learn how to draw water up into its trunk and then pour it into its mouth. Elephants eat an extremely varied vegetarian diet, including grass, leaves, twigs, bark, fruit and seed pods. The fibrous content of their food and the great quantities consumed makes for large volumes of dung.

Surgery Allows Girl to Open Jaw For First Time in 8 Years

A teenager from Afghanistan, who’s been living with a debilitating condition for years, has been given a new lease on life thanks to a team of doctors in New York.
Wahida Sher-Agha was eight years old when she fell off a bridge and broke her jaw, the New York Daily News reported. Since that time, she has barely been able to open her mouth.
But everything changed for the 16-year-old Thursday when doctors at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx performed surgery to reopen her jaw. More...