Koalas
The Koala is an Australian icon – people recognize, love and adore these cuddly creatures all over the world. The Koala is a grey-shaded colour animal wth round eas and beautiful thmbs.
Koalas are often referred to as a bear(koala bear), because they look like a cute fluffy teddy bear. However Koalas are not bears. They are Marsupials, which means that they carry their young in a pouch. The name Koala comes from an Aboriginal word. It means "no drink", as Koalas get enough fluids through the eucalyptus leaves they feed on, thay hardly drink water at all!!!
Koalas are found all over east Australia, mainly in the south east.
Koalas are nocturnal. That means they sleep most of the day and are most active at night. They are very placid animals, and do not move around much, they are only active for about 2 hours of the day. A Koala spends about 75% of its life sleeping.
Koalas have only two thumbs on their front paws - to help them climb, to hold onto the tree and to grip their food.
CHEETAH
The cheetah is the world's fastest land animal and the most unique and specialized member of the cat family. It can reach speeds of 70 mph. Unlike other cats, the cheetah has a leaner body, longer legs, and has been referred to as the “greyhound” of the cats. It is not an aggressive animal, using flight versus fight. With its weak jaws and small teeth, the price it paid for speed, it cannot fight larger predators to protect it's kills or young.After a chase a cheetah needs about half an hour to catch its’ breath before it eats. When cheetahs run at top speed they can cover 23 feet in only 4 steps and travel at speeds up to 70 miles per hour! Cheetahs are an endangered species due to a loss of habit and poaching
The cheetah is often mistaken for a leopard. It's distinguishing marks are the long tear-drop shaped lines on each side of the nose from the corner of it's eyes to it's mouth. The cheetah’s coat is tan, or buff colored, with black spots measuring from ¾ to 1 ¼ inches across. There are no spots on it's white belly, and the tail has spots which merge to form four to six dark rings at the end.
Koalas are nocturnal. That means they sleep most of the day and are most active at night. They are very placid animals, and do not move around much, they are only active for about 2 hours of the day. A Koala spends about 75% of its life sleeping.
Koalas have only two thumbs on their front paws - to help them climb, to hold onto the tree and to grip their food.
CHEETAH
The cheetah is the world's fastest land animal and the most unique and specialized member of the cat family. It can reach speeds of 70 mph. Unlike other cats, the cheetah has a leaner body, longer legs, and has been referred to as the “greyhound” of the cats. It is not an aggressive animal, using flight versus fight. With its weak jaws and small teeth, the price it paid for speed, it cannot fight larger predators to protect it's kills or young.After a chase a cheetah needs about half an hour to catch its’ breath before it eats. When cheetahs run at top speed they can cover 23 feet in only 4 steps and travel at speeds up to 70 miles per hour! Cheetahs are an endangered species due to a loss of habit and poaching
The cheetah is often mistaken for a leopard. It's distinguishing marks are the long tear-drop shaped lines on each side of the nose from the corner of it's eyes to it's mouth. The cheetah’s coat is tan, or buff colored, with black spots measuring from ¾ to 1 ¼ inches across. There are no spots on it's white belly, and the tail has spots which merge to form four to six dark rings at the end.
TIGERS
Wild tigers are at the very top of the food chain A tiger marks its territory by spraying surrounding trees and bushes with urine, dropping prominently placed scat, and leaving deep scratch marks on tree trunks. In the scent of the tigers urine and scat is a code which can only be deciphered by other wild tigers. The message not only acts as a warning to trespasses, but will also supply all the information needed for a would be mate.Tiger stripes are individually as unique as the human finger print.If you were to shave the fur from a tiger it would still have stripes. Tiger cubs are blind at birthAll tigers have a similar marking on their forehead, which resembles the Chinese symbol Wang, meaning King.Tigers do not purr.In Chinese, tiger means Wu Lao Hu. In Hindi it means Bagh, Sher. In Indonesian it means Harimau,Macan. In Korean it means Ho Lang-ee. In Vietnamese it means Cop. In Thai and Lao it means Seua. In Nepalese it means Bagh. In Burmese it means Kyar. And in Malay it means Harimau.As the trade for tiger parts has now been forced underground the incentives for poachers have greatly increased, one tiger carcass can mean as much as ten years pay.
BLUE WHALE
A blue whale's arteries are as big as drain pipes and its tongue weighs 4 tonnes. It's mouth is so huge that a football team could stand on its tongue!
A newborn calf drinks around 230 litres of its mother's rich milk each day - her milk is about 50% fat, so not surprisingly, the calf gains weight quickly, putting on about 4kg per hour! By the time it is weaned (stops drinking milk) at 7-8 months old, the calf weighs around 23 tonnes.
Blues feed by gulping krill and water, taking in maybe 40-50 tonnes in a single mouthful. The whale then pushes out all the water and traps the krill using its hundreds of furry, comb-like ‘baleen plates’ which hang from its jaw and act like a giant sieve. Their baleen is the longest of all the rorqual whales, but it is particularly wide in relation to its length (90cm to 1m long; 50 to 55cm wide).
Blues must eat around 1.5 million calories each day, equivalent to around 4 million krill.
Blue whales are usually observed to travel either singly or in twos and threes (however, in a creature this immense, the usual rules on 'personal space' may not apply and what we perceive as a solitary migrating blue may in fact be 'travelling in company' with others, maybe several kilometres apart!).
DOLPHINS
What is Flipper doing with Sponge Bob? Dolphins have been observed using sea sponges as they scavenge for food on the ocean floor. It is believed that they use the sponges to protect their noses from being scratched.
Orcas, other wise known as killer whales, are not whales. They are actually the largest species of dolphin.
Orcas got the name “killer whale” after being observed killing whales for food. In fact, the orca is the only natural predator of humpback whales. About fifteen percent of all humpbacks have scars left after an orca attacks.
Although they are known for their ability to kill whales, an orca’s diet consists more of fish. However, they have also been observed eating sea birds, dolphin, sharks, seals, and even swimming deer and moose.
Some dolphin species, such as orcas and bottlenose, have been observed beaching themselves on purpose in order to go after their prey.
The smallest species of dolphin, the vaquita, is only four feet long and lives only in the Sea of Cortez.
Most dolphins sleep just below the surface of the water, surfacing frequently to breathe. They are also known to sleep with one eye open.
Dolphins are not only found in the oceans. There are several species of freshwater dolphins.
Dolphins use sonar to locate their prey, similar to bats do. Some freshwater dolphins are blind, and their only method of guiding themselves is their sonar.
Bottlenose dolphins are capable of creating sonic booms that exceed 230 decibels, which stuns the fish.
Dolphins communicate by clicking and whistling at each other. Each dolphin has a “signature whistle” that it uses to identify itself to other dolphins.
http://www.naturespath.com/envirokidz/facts
http://www.indianchild.com/cheetah.htm
http://www.andymcdermott.com/tiger_facts.htm
