Animals & Science

Hawks are carnivorous birds; they only eat other animals. In general, hawks will eat any live animal that they can catch and eat--they have a varied diet. They tend to adapt to eating what is in...

Lizards are reptiles that are closely related to snakes and range in size from the half- inch members of the gecko family to the 10 foot-long Komodo dragons. Nearly 5,000 species of lizards...

Manatees belong to a group of sea mammals called sirenians after the centuries-old belief that the manatees were singing mermaids known as sirens. Even though they must breathe air, their immense...

Galapagos Island tortoises are giant land-dwelling turtles found only on the Galapagos Islands, an isolated Pacific archipelago 450 miles off the coast of Ecuador. Males can weigh as much as 550...

Foxes are small, primarily carnivorous mammals of the dog family. They range in size from the tiny African fennec to the European red fox. Diet includes birds, rabbits, mice, grasshoppers and...

Emerald tree boas are arboreal (tree-dwelling) constrictors found in South America. These nocturnal snakes are brightly colored, making them popular in zoos and among pet owners.

Reptiles and amphibians share some characteristics with mammals, but they are mostly different. For instance, all amphibians spend at least part of their life cycle in the water. Reptiles and...

Mammals are a unique order of animals in the animal kingdom. Mammals are characterized by being warm blooded, having sweat glands, having mammary glands and bearing live young (except for five...

Sea otters are aquatic mammals belonging to the weasel family. Sea otters are noted for their graceful maneuvering in the water and their often comical awkwardness on land.

A buzzard is a raptor in the genus Buteo with broad wings and a round tail. It is a medium-sized bird of prey, with many varieties. Buzzards are known as hawks in North America. Regardless of...

Bats are probably not the first creatures that come to mind when envisioning cute, furry mammals. They are, however, very important to people and the environment. In addition to feeding on...

Our world revolves around color. From the personal choices we make, like what to wear in the morning, to the lights that direct traffic flow, color is a part of who we are and how we live. But how...

Mammals life cycles can vary, especially in some varieties of mammals that may not be so obvious, such as dolphins and platypuses. The life cycle, while seemingly simple, can be fairly complicated...

Muskrats are aquatic mammals that closely resemble beavers but have a long, rat-like tails and webbed feet. They are found throughout most of North America, and are often considered pests because...

Birds do not have teeth and therefore do not chew food like mammals do. They grind up their food in an organ called a gizzard. This is a muscular organ that is part of the stomach. It contracts...

The Namib Desert is located in Angola, Africa. The climate is incredibly hot and dry, and is so harsh that most animals cannot survive in it. The most common types of animals that thrive in the...

Pheromones are widespread among the animal kingdom, and there are many types that affect behavior among creatures.

According to Sasks Schools, the arctic region is the most northern point on the planet, beginning at the north pole and ending at the Arctic Circle. Contrary to the connotation of "arctic," this...

Dolphins are mammals because they give live birth, they have hair and they breathe air, thus sharing similar characteristics to humans. Learn about the gestation period of dolphins, which is...

Mussels can live in both fresh water and salt water, and are distinguished from clams by their asymmetrical shells. Mussels have many natural enemies that they try to protect themselves from with...

Dolphins are mammals because they breathe air, they bear live young, and baby dolphins drink milk and have hair. Find out why dolphins are not fish because they do not have gills with information...

Dolphins are aquatic mammals that are members of the whale family, with many different species living in the world's oceans and seas. Dolphins have a pair of lungs and breathe through a blowhole...

Dolphins live in the ocean. They look like giant fish with tails, fins and no legs, but they are not fish at all. They are mammals, like cows, monkeys, elephants and people.

Dolphins are popular marine mammals that can reach a size of 20 feet in length and weigh thousands of pounds. Larger than their cousins the porpoise, dolphins lack hair like other mammals and feed...

Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. Dolphins are often confused with porpoises, and though the two are related, they are separate species. People are...

Elephants are the largest land mammals. They are social animals and considered to be highly intelligent. Elephants are well known for their excellent memory and their structured family order....

While dolphins live, eat and swim in the water they are not considered fish like most sea creatures. Dolphins, like whales, are actually mammals.

Penguins have to beware of several different kinds of predators. These include mammals: rats, cats, dogs and ferrets. There are also bird predators: skuas and giant petrals. There are also marine...

Florida Everglades Manatees are peace loving marine mammals. Scientists have studied them and can tell all about how they behave and live. However, if you were able to ask an ancient person about...

Manatees, or sea cows, are marine mammals that live in the warm water of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico along the coasts of Florida, Belize, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, the Caribbean Islands...

Manatees are part of the small group of mammals that spend their entire lives in water, only surfacing to breathe. One of the reasons that manatees can only live in the water is because their...

Dolphins are intelligent mammals. Their intelligence shows in their creative ability to invent new games. Different pods of dolphins have shown to have different games and play behaviors. Dolphin...

Mammals have the most complex nervous system on the planet, with humans being the most advanced. The nervous system works with the senses to transmit information to the mammal's brain, a process...

Many people are familiar with manatees to some degree. Manatees are aquatic mammals also known as Sea Cows. The most common type of manatee is the West Indian Manatee. The well-known Florida...

Manatees are large, grey aquatic mammals that are related to elephants. Although migratory, manatees concentrate in Florida waters during the winter months where they eat vegetation in estuaries....