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.