Koalas have soft, wool-like fur that is gray above and white below. Their fur is mostly white on the underside below the neck, and their ears have long white hairs on the tips. The koala resembles a bear, but is actually a marsupial, a special kind of mammal which carries its young in a pouch. They are rather small, round animals, weigh about 30 pounds and on average grow to be 2 feet tall.

Koalas can live as long as 17 years, although high mortality rates (due to car fatalities and dogs) for males lower their life expectancy to 2 to 10 years. The koala's historic range stretches across Australia. Today they can be found only in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. There are fewer than 100,000 koalas left in the wild.

Koalas prefer to live in eucalyptus forests, coastal islands, and low woodlands. They consume eucalyptus leaves and bark from 12 different eucalyptus tree species. They also consume mistletoe and box leaves.

Nocturnal mammals, koalas sleep for up to 20 hours a day. They are arboreal, which means that they live in trees. They do not live in big groups but rather prefer to be alone. Females are solitary and occupy distinct home ranges that they rarely leave. In the more fertile areas, these ranges overlap; in areas where suitable food trees are scarce they tend to be larger and more exclusive. Males are not territorial, but do not tolerate one another, particularly not during the breeding season. Dominant individuals attack subordinate ones, and most adult males carry scars on their face, ears and forearms as a result.

The koala does not make nests, but sleeps in a tree fork or on a branch. It climbs using its powerful claws for gripping, usually moving quite slowly but can climb rapidly when needed.

The koala will leap confidently from one tree to another if they are reasonably close together. Its climbing is aided by a pair of thumbs on each paw, and it is the only other animal aside from primates to possess fingerprints. Longer distances are traversed on the ground in a slow but effective waddle. If threatened, the koala breaks into a surprisingly athletic gallop, heading for the nearest tree and bounding up it to a safe height. There the koala waits for the intruder to go away. The koala is also rather adept at swimming.

Koalas breed once a year. Gestation lasts 35 days, after which one koala is born. A baby koala is referred to as a joey and is hairless, blind and earless. At birth the joey, only the size of a jelly bean, crawls into the downward facing pouch on the mother's belly (which is closed by a drawstring like muscle that the mother can tighten at will) and attaches itself to one of the two teats. Young remain hidden in the pouch for about six months, only feeding on milk. During this time they grow ears, eyes and fur. The joey then begins to explore outside of the pouch. At about 30 weeks it has begun to eat the semi liquid form of the mother’s excrement called "pap". The baby koala will remain with the mother for another six months or so, riding on her back, and feeding on both milk and gum leaves until weaning is complete at about 12 months of age. Young females disperse to nearby areas at that time; young males often stay in the mother's home range until they are two or three years old.

Once numbering in the millions, koalas suffered major declines in population during the 1920s when they were hunted for their fur. The koala was hunted almost to extinction. Today, habitat destruction, traffic deaths, and attacks by dogs kill an estimated 4,000 koalas yearly. In recent years, some colonies have been hard hit by disease, especially chlamydia. The koala requires large areas of healthy, connected forest and will travel long distances along tree corridors in search of new territory and mates. The ever increasing human population of the coastal parts of the continent continues to cut these corridors by agricultural and residential development, forestry and road building...marooning koala colonies in decreasing areas of bush. Although the species covers a massive area, only 'pieces' of Koala habitat remain. These pieces need to be managed, protected and restored in a coordinated way. Presently, many are being lost to weeds, cleared for agriculture, or carved up by developers.

In contrast to the situation on much of the mainland, where populations are declining, the koalas of many island and isolated populations have flourished. In the absence of predators and competition, combined with an inability to migrate to new areas, koala populations can become unsustainable. Although culling has been suggested as a means to reduce koala numbers, this has met with fierce opposition both domestically and internationally, and the species remains protected. The popularity of the koala has made the possibility of a cull politically improbable, with any negative perception likely to impact on tourism and a government's electability. In place of a cull, sterilization and translocation programs have had only limited success in reducing numbers thus far, and remain expensive. There is evidence that koalas relocated to the mainland have difficulty establishing themselves in the different circumstances. A mooted alternative to the complex sterilization method, wherein the animal must first be captured, are hormonal implants that can be injected via darts.

Koalas displayed to the public for human entertainment are disturbed constantly by human visitors, putting them in an alert state which interrupts their normal activity resulting in chronic stress. This is even more hazardous for koalas than for other species, since koalas have an extremely low energy diet of eucalyptus leaves and must minimize energy by sleeping 18 to 20 hours a day. Even in captivity, koalas need to sleep most of the day. Some “wildlife parks” and zoos even allow hands-on experiences with koalas, increasing their level of stress.

Beavers are castorimorph rodents, a suborder of rodents who live in North America and Europe. There are two species of beaver, the European or Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) and the North American beaver (Castor canadensis). Beavers are the second largest rodent in the world after the capybara.

Beavers have webbed hind-feet, and broad, scaly tails. Beavers do not have good eyesight, but they posses good senses of smell, hearing, and touch. Their teeth grow continuously throughout their lives so as not to be worn down by chewing wood. Their powerful front teeth are used to cut trees and plants used by beavers for food and for constructing their homes. While slow on land, beavers are excellent swimmers and are able to stay under water for around 15 minutes.

Beavers are herbivores. They prefer the wood of birch, maple, cottonwood, willow, quaking aspen, alder and cherry trees. They also eat water lilies, sedges and pondweed.

Beavers are well known for building dams on rivers and streams, and for building "lodges" in the ponds created by their dams. They also construct canals used to float their building materials. Their incredible construction abilities makes beavers a keystone species as they create wetlands that are inhabited by many other species. No other animal, with the exception of humans, shapes their landscape as much as beavers. The ponds and the wetlands they create help to remove sediments and pollutants from waterways.

If a beaver's chosen home has no existing ponds, they must construct a dam along a river to create a pond before building their lodges. Sometimes they create a series of dams. The dams also provide protection against predators, such as bears, coyotes and wolves, and create easy access to food sources during the winter months.

To construct a dam, beavers erect vertical poles which are then filled with a crisscross of horizontal branches. The gaps between the branches are stuffed with weeds and mud. They always work at night. Beavers carry their building supplies with their fore-paws and their teeth.

Beaver lodges are constructed similarly to their dams. Lodges have underwater entrances, making it almost impossible for other types of animals to enter. Two den areas within the lodge allow a space for drying off, and another space designated as a living area.

Lodges house up to four adult beavers and up to eight children. Beavers spend the winter in their lodges with a winter stock of wood for eating. Throughout winter, they eat the underbark of sticks and logs they keep stored in their ponds. The top of the pile accumulates snow in the winter, insulating the water and providing an area where they can breathe when outside their lodge. When the ice breaks up in the spring, they leave their lodges to roam until fall.

Eurasian beavers don’t always build lodges—sometimes they dig burrows in stream banks. The entrance, however, is also underwater.

Beavers are known for their unique alarm signal. Frightened and startled beavers rapidly dive while slapping the water with their tails, making a loud sound that can be heard both above and below water. The warning signal alerts other nearby beavers to dive to safety.

Beaver families consist of a monogamous adult male and female couple and their kits and yearlings. While they mate for life; if their spouse dies they will partner with another beaver. Beaver families have up to ten members, in addition to the pair. The mother and father both take part in raising the children. They also both mark and defend their territory, and together they build and repair their dams and lodges.

Baby beavers spend their first month inside the lodge, being taken care of mostly by their mother while their father maintains the territory. They spend most of their time playing. As yearlings they learn to help their parents repair dams and lodges and collect food caches in the fall. Older offspring often continue to live with their families. They continue to help keep up repairs and build food caches, and also help with grooming, feeding, and guarding younger beavers. Older siblings will also take over the responsibility of parenting if the original parents die or are somehow separated from them.

When beavers do leave their childhood home, they usually do not move far away. They recognize their family members through smells created by anal gland secretions, creating more tolerant behavior among neighboring beavers.

Beavers continue to grow throughout their lives, with adults growing to over 55 lb. Females are as big as or larger than males. In the wild, beavers live up to 24 years.

There were once over 60 million North American beaver, but as a result of hunting for its fur, its glands for medicine and because the beavers tree-felling and dams affect other land uses, the population has declined to around 12 million.

The principal threats to beaver populations are habitat destruction and degradation. Human population growth and increasing demands on water resources lead to water storage, diversion, and channelization projects that affect rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Water uses can cause short and long-term effects on beaver habitat by changing seasonal flow regimes and stream morphology, and by causing loss or degradation of riparian vegetation.

Intense grazing by wild and domestic ungulates in a riparian zone is also a primary cause of beaver habitat degradation. Although commercial trapping is no longer a threat to the species, depredation trapping to mitigate beaver damage, and illegal shooting and trapping are localized threats.

Colorful denizens of the trees, macaws are some of the most beautiful and charismatic birds on earth. Part of the parrot family Psittacidae, macaws in particular are New World creatures, native to South America, Central America and Mexico. There are 19 recorded species of macaw, including endangered or extinct ones; while most  are found in rainforest habitats, where their bright plumage fits in with other colorful flowers, fruits and plants. Other species also exist in woodland or drier savannah-type regions.

The two main trademarks of a macaw,  its large, curved beak and long tail, and a lighter colored facial patch (which varies in size between species), is what separates macaws from other types of parrots. Interestingly, each bird’s feather facial patterns are completely unique, much like fingerprints in humans. Most species are generally large birds, and they can range in size from 11.5 to 39.5 inches, and in weight from 4.5oz to 3.75 lb. The largest, the hyacinth macaw, has a wingspan of more than four feet! They’re also some of the most long-lived birds - many species of macaw can live from between 40-60 years of age in the wild, and larger macaws have survived up to age 75 in captivity.

In addition to their vibrant coloring, these birds have many other adaptations suited to tree dwelling. Strong feet with long, gripping toes that alternately face backward and forward (called zygodactyl) are used by the macaw to perch securely on branches, move from place to place, and grab and hold objects. Their powerful beaks allow them to easily crack open seeds and nuts, while their highly manoeuvrable, scaly tongue contains a bone that they use as a tool to manipulate food and tap into fruit.

As a rule, macaws are highly intelligent and social avians. They gather in canopy flocks that range from 10 to 30 birds, and their raucous voices - used in a language of squawks, screams and calls - are used to communicate with other birds, distinguish and identify each other, and mark territory. Macaws are also great mimics, and in captivity, some species easily learn how to imitate human speech and other sounds. Flocks sleep together in the trees overnight for security.

Like many other birds, omnivorous macaws will eat a wide variety of different foods that can include nuts, snails, fruit, seeds, leaves, palm fruit, flowers and stems. Some species travel long distances to forage, covering over 62 miles in some cases depending on the season and availability. They may even eat foods that contain toxic substances, which they seem to be able to digest. The practice of clay eating is also exclusive to macaw species in the Amazon Basin; with the exception of rainy days, these macaws visit exposed river banks daily to consume clay for its sodium content, since sodium is scarce in these species’ food sources. The clay is also thought to be a natural source of cobalamin (vitamin B12), and parent macaws in the western Amazon will feed their nestlings high amounts of clay after hatching.

Reproduction is a serious business for these birds. Reaching sexual maturity anywhere between 3 and 5 years, mated macaws are monogamous partners for life, raising their young together. Mated macaws will often lick and groom each other to display and enhance their bond together. Breeding typically happens every 1-2 years, and can happen in any season in the wild. Females lay between 1 to 4 eggs in the hollows of trees, usually located in the upper rainforest canopy, and do most of the work of incubation while the male brings them food in the nest. After hatching, the male also is the main provider for the nestlings, feeding them liquefied, regurgitated food until they’re able to eat on their own. Because they reach maturity far later than many other bird species, nestlings often stay with the parents for up to two years, and the male and female will not lay another set of eggs until the previous young are fully independent.

As adults, many macaws are able to escape predation by flying away and hiding in the canopy, but hatchlings, immature birds, and occasionally fully fledged macaws can be vulnerable to predators like snakes, monkeys, eagles, hawks and large cats. As bright as they are, adult macaws try to camouflage their nests as best as possible and are extremely vigilant when protecting their young.

Most species of macaws existing today are unfortunately endangered, some critically so. The two greatest threats to populations of macaws in the wild are the continuing deforestation of their natural habitats, which significantly reduces available nesting sites, and illegal capture of birds for the pet trade, in spite of regulated international trade laws. Some birds are also hunted locally for their meat and bright feathers, which are sold for decoration in handmade products or costuming. Blue and gold macaws tend to be the most numerous macaw species in captivity, with many hybrid variations of blue and gold and other macaw species becoming more popular in the commercial pet market. The destruction of their rainforest habitat is particularly concerning, in light of the fact that macaws don’t reproduce frequently or in large numbers, and it’s likely the largest reason why many species of these beautiful birds teeter on the brink of extinction in the wild.

Frogs are amphibians characterized by a short body, webbed digits (fingers or toes), protruding eyes and the absence of a tail. Frogs are widely known as exceptional jumpers, and many of the anatomical characteristics of frogs, particularly their long, powerful legs, are adaptations to improve jumping performance.

Due to their permeable skin, frogs are often semi-aquatic or inhabit humid areas, but move easily on land. They typically lay their eggs in puddles, ponds or lakes, and their larvae, called tadpoles, have gills and develop in water. Adult frogs follow a carnivorous diet, mostly of arthropods, annelids and gastropods. Frogs are most noticeable by their call, which can be widely heard during the night or day, mainly in their mating season.

The distribution of frogs ranges from tropic to subarctic regions, but most species are found in tropical rainforests. Consisting of more than 5,000 species, they are among the most diverse groups of vertebrates. However, populations of certain frog species are declining significantly.

A popular distinction is often made between frogs and toads on the basis of their appearance, but this has no taxonomic basis. From a taxonomic perspective, all members of the order Anura are frogs, but only members of the family Bufonidae are considered "true toads". The use of the term "frog" in common names usually refers to species that are aquatic or semi-aquatic with smooth and/or moist skins, and the term "toad" generally refers to species that tend to be terrestrial with dry, warty skin. An exception is the fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina): while its skin is slightly warty, it prefers a watery habitat. Frogs are generally recognized as exceptional jumpers, and the best jumper of all vertebrates. The Australian rocket frog, Litoria nasuta, can leap over 50 times its body length.

A tree frog is any frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. These frogs are typically found in very tall trees or other high-growing vegetation. They do not normally descend to the ground, except to mate and spawn, though some build foam nests on leaves and rarely leave the trees at all as adults. Many tree frogs can change their color for better camouflage. Tree frogs are usually tiny, as their weight has to be carried by the branches and twigs of their habitat. Typical for tree frogs are the well-developed discs at the finger and toe tips; the fingers and toes themselves as well as the limbs tend to be rather long, resulting in a superior grasping ability.

Many frogs are able to absorb water and oxygen directly through the skin, especially around the pelvic area. However, the permeability of a frog's skin can also result in water loss. Some tree frogs reduce water loss with a waterproof layer of skin. Others have adapted behaviors to conserve water, including engaging in nocturnal activity and resting in a water-conserving position.

Camouflage is a common defensive mechanism in frogs. Most camouflaged frogs are nocturnal, which adds to their ability to hide. Nocturnal frogs usually find the ideal camouflaged position during the day to sleep. Some frogs have the ability to change color, usually restricted to shades of one or two colors. Features such as warts and skin folds are usually found on ground-dwelling frogs, where a smooth skin would not disguise them. Tree frogs usually have smooth skin, enabling them to disguise themselves as leaves. Some frogs change color between night and day.

Many frogs contain mild toxins that make them unpalatable to potential predators. For example, all toads have large poison glands - the parotoid glands - located behind the eyes, on the top of the head. Some frogs, such as some poison dart frogs, are especially toxic. The chemical makeup of toxins in frogs varies from irritants to hallucinogens, convulsants, nerve poisons and vasoconstrictors. Many predators of frogs have adapted to tolerate high levels of these poisons. Others, including humans, may be severely affected. Some frogs obtain poisons from the ants and other arthropods they eat; others can manufacture an alkaloid not derived from their diet. Some native people of South America extract poison from the poison dart frogs and apply it to their darts for hunting, although few species are toxic enough to be used for this purpose. Poisonous frogs tend to advertise their toxicity with bright colors, an adaptive strategy known as aposematism. Some non-poisonous species of frogs mimic the coloration of poison frogs' coloration for self-protection.

The life cycle of a frog starts with an egg. A female generally lays gelatinous egg masses containing thousands of eggs in water. The eggs are highly vulnerable to predation, so frogs have evolved many techniques to ensure the survival of the next generation. In colder areas the embryo is black to absorb more heat from the sun, which speeds up the development. Many individuals will breed at the same time, overwhelming the actions of predators. Another way in which some species avoid the predators and pathogens eggs are exposed to in ponds is to lay eggs on leaves above the pond, with a gelatinous coating designed to retain moisture. In these species, the tadpoles drop into the water upon hatching. The eggs of some species laid out of water can detect vibrations of nearby predatory wasps or snakes, and will hatch early to avoid being eaten. Some species lay poisonous eggs to minimize predation.

While the length of the egg stage depends on the species and environmental conditions, aquatic eggs generally hatch within one week. Other species go through their whole larval phase inside the eggs or the mother, or have direct development. Unlike salamanders and newts, frogs and toads never become sexually mature while still in their larval stage. Eggs hatch and continue life as tadpoles. Tadpoles are typically herbivorous, feeding mostly on algae, including diatoms filtered from the water through the gills. Some species are carnivorous at the tadpole stage, eating insects, smaller tadpoles, and fish. Cannibalism has been observed among tadpoles. Early developers who gain legs may be eaten by the others, so the late bloomers survive longer.

At the end of the tadpole stage, frogs undergo metamorphosis, in which they transition into the adult form. This metamorphosis last typically only 24 hours. The disappearance of the tail is somewhat later. The material of the tail is used for a quick growth of the legs. After the tail has been reabsorbed, the animals are ready to leave the water and disperse into terrestrial habitats, or continue to live in the aquatic habitat as adults.

Almost all species of frogs are carnivorous as adults, eating invertebrates such as arthropods, annelids and gastropods. A few of the larger species may eat prey such as small mammals, fish and smaller frogs. Some frogs use their sticky tongues to catch fast-moving prey, while others capture their prey and force it into their mouths with their hands. There are some species that primarily eat plants. Adult frogs are preyed upon by birds, large fish, snakes, otters, foxes, badgers and other animals. Frogs can live for many years; recorded living up to 40 years. Frogs from temperate climates hibernate through the winter.

Once adult frogs reach maturity, they will assemble at a water source such as a pond or stream to breed. Many frogs return to the bodies of water where they were born, often resulting in annual migrations involving thousands of frogs. Once at the breeding ground, male frogs call to attract a mate, collectively becoming a chorus of frogs. The call is unique to the species. Some species have satellite males who do not call, but intercept females that are approaching a calling male. The male and female frogs then undergo amplexus. This involves the male mounting the female and gripping her tightly. Fertilization is external: the egg and sperm meet outside of the body. The female releases her eggs, which the male frog covers with a sperm solution. The eggs then swell and develop a protective coating.

Some species of frog lay eggs on the forest floor and protect them, guarding the eggs from predation and keeping them moist. The frog will urinate on them if they become too dry. After hatching, a parent will move them, on its back, to a water-holding bromeliad. The parent then feeds them by laying unfertilized eggs in the bromeliad until the young have metamorphosed. Other frogs carry the eggs and tadpoles on their hind legs. Some frogs even protect their offspring inside their own bodies with pouches along their side. Some swallow their tadpoles, which then develop in the stomach. Some will put the tadpoles in their vocal sac for development. Some species of frog will leave a 'babysitter' to watch over the frogspawn until it hatches.

Frog populations have declined dramatically since the 1950s: more than one third of species are believed to be threatened with extinction and more than 120 species are suspected to be extinct since the 1980s. Habitat loss is a significant cause of frog population decline, as are pollutants, the introduction of non-indigenous predators/competitors, and emerging infectious diseases.

Frogs are threatened by the inhumane pet trade. Every year, a variety of sources provides millions of animals to the wild and exotic pet trade. Animals are captured from their native habitat and transported to various countries to be sold as “pets”. Others are surplus animals from zoos or their offspring. Backyard breeders also supply exotic animals. The sellers of these animals often disregard state or local laws regulating private possession of exotics,  and the dangers, difficulties, physical and physiological needs of the animals they peddle. The suffering of the animals in the hands of unqualified and hapless buyers appears to be of no concern in the lucrative exotic pet trade. The animals also pose safety risks to humans.

Frogs are also victims of the animal entertainment industry, placed on display in zoos, aquariums, businesses and nature centers. They are removed from their natural habitat; depriving them of the ability to freely engage in instinctual behaviors. Both children and adults are desensitized to animal mistreatment by the animal entertainment industry. Even under the best of circumstances, captivity is cruel for wild animals. Confined to tiny areas and gawked at by crowds, animals in exhibits endure constant stress. They may suffer from temperature extremes and irregular feeding and watering. Without exercise, they become listless, their immune systems are weakened, and they become prone to sickness; many resort to self-mutilation in reaction to stress or boredom. Mental illness is rampant among confined animals. Torn from their families and deprived of all dignity, every part of their lives is controlled by their captors. While zoos may appear to be educational and conservation-oriented, most are designed with the needs and desires of the visitors in mind, not the needs of the animals.

When we think of antelopes, many of us picture four-legged, deer-like creatures bounding across a blazing savannah. What may be surprising, however, is that members of this sub-group within the family Bovidae live in a wide range of environments, including grassland, desert, rocky terrain, frigid steppes, forest, and swampland. The majority of the 91 antelope species are found in Africa and include gnus and gazelles, but some species also occur in India, Central Asia, Russia, and the Arabian Peninsula. No antelope species is native to the Americas or Australia, however populations exist on those continents because of importation for exotic game hunting.

Antelopes are distinct from other hoofed mammals like sheep, cattle and goats, although they are all classed under the same family. Their height and weight can also vary enormously depending on species. A common eland may measure around 70 inches tall with a weight of 2,090 lb, but its diminutive relative, the royal antelope, stands (on average) around 9.4 inches at the shoulder and weighs just over 3 lb – smaller than a housecat. The average adult lifespan of antelope is also hard to determine, since older or ill individuals tend to be slower, falling first to predators, but some species have lived beyond 20 years of age.

Many species of antelope are typically known for speed, with long, slender legs, enabling them to take long strides. Others are known for their powerful leaping abilities, like the springbok and klipspringer antelopes. They have dense coats of short fur, varying from some form of brown (typical in most species) to grey, silver, black and white patterning, or darker vertical striping along their backs, depending on the type of antelope. One of the most unusual-looking species (as well as one of the most endangered) is the saiga antelope, which has an oversized, snout-like nose structure that helps to filter and warm the air it breathes.

Like their related bovine cousins, antelope are plant-eating ruminants, meaning that they regurgitate a food ball (cud) from their stomach back into their mouths, using strong molar teeth to grind down the cud for further digestion. While some species browse mainly on grass stems and leaves, others eat fungi, fruit and leaves from the forest floor, and gerenuks and dibatags can stand erect on their hind legs in order to reach foliage above their heads. One or two species of duiker antelope have also been known to eat insects, birds, and occasionally small mammals as well. Some antelopes migrate to eat, following the rainy season, bird flocks and monkey troops, to browse on the leftover fruit they drop.

As herbivores, antelope are prey animals, and have evolved some very effective ways to defend themselves from predators. Besides being fast runners or jumpers, they also have extremely sensitive senses of smell and hearing, as well as eyes on each side of their head, giving them a wide range of vision to help them detect danger more easily. Larger antelopes travel in large herds for protection, while smaller species rely on their dull coloring and thick brush to help them avoid becoming dinner.

Antelope communicate with each other using ‘rump flashes’ (a danger signal), raised hair crests, and audible communications like whistles, barks, moos, and trumpets. Scent marking by rubbing their face on grass, trees, stones and logs is also used to claim territory and to lay a path for other members of the herd to follow.

An antelope’s horns are also used to help them defend themselves, though more against competitors of the same species than against the nearest cheetah. Both males and females of most species have horns (with some exceptions), though the horns of female antelopes tend to be differ in size, especially in many of the smaller members of this sub-family. Some antelopes have simple ‘spike’ type projections, while others have straight, twisted, spiral or long curved horns. Species of antelope where males fight to compete for mates tend to have more highly developed horn structures. Unlike other hoofed mammals such as deer and moose, antelope don’t typically shed their horns.

Mating behavior can vary quite significantly between different antelope species, though as mammals, all antelope give birth to and nurse live young. Smaller antelopes tend to remain with a single mate, since they often live in areas with lower resources and larger population distribution, making it difficult for males to maintain a larger herd. Larger forest species and grazing antelope form more numerous herds however, with many females to a single breeding male who drives away competitors by means of posturing and combat.

The age that an antelope reaches sexual maturity can range from 6 months to 4 years, with smaller species breeding earlier during their lifetime. Calf gestation ranges from 5 to 8 months. Antelope calves are usually born singly, and antelope females native to forested areas will usually hide their young, only coming to feed them, in order to avoid attracting predators. Grassland antelope young are born in the open instead, and must gain the ability to stand on their feet within around 15 minutes of birth. They then must keep up with the herd when they’re only a few days old.

Although there are still large native populations of some gazelles in Africa and Asia, there are also many species of antelope on the IUCN endangered list, including the dama gazelle, giant sable antelope, and nyala. Loss of habitat, game hunting, poaching, and loss of grazing land to cattle farmers are some of the biggest threats to antelope populations.

The Tibetan antelope, traditionally hunted for its pelt, and the saiga antelope, hunted for its horns (considered an aphrodisiac in Chinese culture) are two of the most threatened species, with the saiga listed as a Class I protected species in China and critically endangered elsewhere.

Fish are cold blooded, live in water and are covered in scales. They breathe through gills located on the sides of their heads. Their gills take oxygen out of the water around them so they can breathe. Their limbs, if they have any, are in the shape of fins and do not have digits. They exhibit greater species diversity than any other group of vertebrates, with over 32,000 known species.

Fish live in oceans and freshwater ecosystems. Well adapted to their water world, fish secrete a special type of mucus from their skin. The slime coating helps them move through water faster, protects them against parasites and diseases and covers wounds to prevent infection.

Most fish have color vision that is at least as good as a human's. Many fish also have chemoreceptors that are responsible for extraordinary senses of taste and smell. Sensitive receptors allow fish to detect gentle currents and vibrations, and to sense the motion of nearby fish and prey. Some fish have organs that detect electric currents. Some can even produce electric currents, which they use in navigation and social communication.

Fish orient themselves using landmarks and mental maps based on multiple landmarks or symbols. They possess spatial memory and visual discrimination.

Over 97% of all known fish are oviparous, that is, the eggs develop outside the mother's body. Newly hatched babies are called larvae and do not look like their parents until they go through metamorphosis.

Jaws allow fish to eat a wide variety of food, including plants and other organisms. Many are specialists, eating very limited diets. Others will eat almost anything. Cleaner wrasses eat parasites off of other fish, setting up cleaning stations that predators visit who even allow the wrasse into their mouths to clean their teeth.

Fishing, rising water demand, river dams, water pollution and invasive species place aquatic ecosystems among the most endangered on Earth. Therefore, the fact that many species of fish – both marine, and freshwater – are currently endangered, does not come as a surprise. More than one fifth of all known fish species are now considered to be at imminent risk.

Fish range in size from the nearly microscopic to the gigantic. The longest fish is the whale shark at over 55 feet. The whale shark is also the heaviest, weighing 80,000 pounds.

The smallest fish is the tiny stout infantfish at only 0.3 in.

The fastest fish is the swordfish, swimming at seeds of 40 mph.

European eels live the longest, well over 80 years.

Fish have been proven to be as intelligent as mammals. They can distinguish between larger and smaller quantities and can count. Fish clean and massage one another by rubbing up against each others’ pectoral fins. They have advanced nervous systems that allow them to feel pain. They have highly-developed hearing capabilities that allow them to detect electric currents in the water, and can create their own electric currents. Archerfish fire jets of water to knock insects off foliage and into the water, requiring complex calculus calculations.

French angelfish mate for life and spend most of their time swimming together in their coral reef homes. When couples reunite after being separated, they joyfully encircle each other round-and-round in a romantic dance called "carouseling."

Coral trout hunt in collaboration with moray eels. Cleaner wrasse perform rituals to coherce predators into letting them pick off parasites.

Some fish protect their babies by opening their mouths and letting the babies swim inside until the predator has passed by.

Squid are very curious, have the ability to learn complex skills and use tools to repress their boredom and protect them from harm. They can change their body color and texture to not only blend in with their surroundings, but to convey different messages on both sides of their bodies, such as projecting a mating color on one side and warning off a predator on the other.

Fish live in groups with social hierarchies. They are able to recognize individual family members, form bonds with other fish, cooperate and even tell time.

Goldfish not only enjoy listening to music, but they also can distinguish one composer from another and detect complex properties of sounds, such as pitch and timbre. Goldfish can tell different faces apart and are able to distinguish between different shapes, colors and sounds.

While fish may have different brain structures than mammals, they do have nervous systems that comprehend and respond to pain. Numerous studies have proven that fish feel and react to pain. Without the ability to feel pain, it would be impossible for fish to survive. Pain perception is essential to animal survival and has deep evolutionary origins across all vertebrate species. Billions of fish are killed yearly for food in the U.S. alone, with no federal laws to protect fish from pain on aquaculture factory farms, during fishing events or at slaughter.

Often called endearingly ugly, opossums are the only family of marsupials to inhabit the Americas. Originating in South America, these unusual-looking little mammals gradually migrated to Central and North America around three million years ago when the volcanic bridge between the two continents arose from the sea floor, and opossums have migrated further and further north (into southern Ontario, for example) as climate change has allowed them to survive the winter season in many areas.

Grouped under the family Didelphidae, their name itself is borrowed from the word in Powhatan language meaning ‘white dog’, and was first recorded in the 1600’s by colonists in Jamestown, Virginia. Although the words ‘possum’ and ‘opossum’ are used interchangeably by many, especially in the southern states, ‘possum’ is generally the term used by scientists and naturalists to describe only the opossum’s related marsupial cousins in Australia.

Significantly different in appearance than their Outback relatives, opossums are small to medium sized, with species ranging from around mouse size to housecat stature. Species in tropical regions of Central and South America tend to be smaller than their North American counterparts. Although their lifespan in captivity may be as long as five years, in their natural habitat opossums don’t generally tend to live past the age of two years. They have long snouts, narrow skulls and jaws, and an impressive number of teeth; more than any other mammals in the Americas, in fact, making them look rather alarming in the middle of an open-mouthed hiss. An opossum’s coat is solely made up of medium length awn hairs (insulating intermediate hair) and can range from grey to black, with lighter fur on their faces, while their noses, feet and tail are usually pink and fairly hairless. Although they’re perfectly comfortable walking flat-footed on the ground, many opossum species spend quite a large amount of time in the trees, clinging to branches and tree trunks and assisted by opposable digits on their hind feet. Their tails are also helpful appendages as well; although adult opossums can’t actually dangle from trees with those hind parts (dispelling a common misconception about them). Their tails are still somewhat prehensile, helping opossums to balance and brace themselves as they climb.

These plucky little animals are tremendously resilient, and definitely aren’t picky when it comes to mealtime. All possums are opportunistic omnivores, eating what’s available seasonally and in their location, so their diet may consist of everything from garbage, pet food, small rodents, insects and grubs, to frogs, plants and berries. Even freshwater molluscs and crayfish are fair game for water-preferring opossums. They also have a strong immune system and, surprisingly, many opossum species are partly or even totally immune to select poisons and the venom of poisonous snakes like rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. Opossums are also highly resistant to the rabies virus – they’re eight times less likely to carry rabies than dogs or other wild canids.

Although they can put on a terrific show that’s capable of scaring off possible predators, opossums are more about defense than offence, rarely attacking when they’re threatened. With the exception of a mother and her offspring, they tend to live and forage for food alone, remaining in shallow burrows, tree holes or other hidden areas through the day and becoming more active at night as they hunt. When they encounter natural enemies like coyotes, wolves, bobcats, owls and dogs, opossums will hiss or growl if threatened, but can also display a very curious defensive behavior as well – playing ‘dead’ to imitate the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal to deter an attack. This is a physiological response, and during an episode their bodies will become stiff and curled, the eyes will be closed, teeth bared, and a pungent, smelly fluid is released from their anal glands. An opossum can remain in this state for anywhere between 40 minutes and 4 hours.

True marsupials, opossums have a distinctive way of reproducing and carrying their offspring. Females have a divided uterus and vaginal structure, as well as a pouch, while males possess a forked penis. Males are somewhat larger than females, on average, with larger canines. They’ll often begin their search for a female by making a clicking ‘smack’ sound as they search. After mating, the opossum gestation period is only 12 to 14 days. The young are born extremely early and completely blind, deaf and hairless. Offspring must then crawl through their mother’s fur to reach the pouch, where they then latch on to a teat, staying there to nurse and grow throughout the next few months. Opossums generally have large litters, since many offspring fail to find an available teat in the pouch and perish shortly after a female gives birth, but litter sizes up to 13 pups are fairly common, and opossums can produce anywhere from 1 to 3 litters every year. Although most opossum mothers are responsible for the entirety of care, the yapok is an unusual opossum species. One of the only semi-aquatic marsupials, it has the distinction of being the only marsupial species in which both male and female have a pouch. Possum offspring usually wean and leave their safe pouch around 70 to 100 days old, but hitch a ride on their mother’s back after that, staying close to their dam until they’re at least four or five months old.

Although opossums were once commonly hunted in the USA for both their pelt and for the stew pot, these days they’re more typically hunted in the Dominican, Grenada and Trinidad for food. Their ability to reproduce quickly means that they’re quite populous throughout the Americas, with no opossum currently on the endangered species list. Since they are nomadic, particularly when hunting for food, they tend to be frequent victims of collisions with cars.

The Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the largest of the true foxes, as well as being the most geographically spread member of the Carnivora, being distributed across the entire northern hemisphere from the Arctic Circle to North Africa, Central America, and the steppes of Asia. Its range has increased alongside human expansion, having been introduced to Australia, where it is considered harmful to native mammal and bird populations. Forty-five subspecies are currently recognized, which are divided into two categories: the large northern foxes, and the small, primitive southern foxes of Asia and the Middle East.

Red foxes are social animals, whose groups are led by a mated pair which monopolizes breeding. Subordinates within a group are typically the young of the mated pair, who remain with their parents to assist in caring for new kits. The species primarily feeds on small rodents, though it may also target leporids, game birds, reptiles, invertebrates and young ungulates. Fruit and vegetable matter is also eaten on occasion. Although the red fox tends to displace or even kill its smaller cousins, it is nonetheless vulnerable to attack from larger predators such as wolves, coyotes, golden jackals and medium and large felines. The species has a long history of association with humans, having been extensively hunted as a pest and furbearer for centuries, as well as being prominently represented in human folklore and mythology. Because of its widespread distribution and large population, the red fox is one of the most important furbearing animals harvested for the inhumane fur trade.

Red foxes use their urine to mark their territories. Urine is also used to mark empty cache sites, as reminders not to waste time investigating them. Red foxes live in family group sharing a joint territory or a pack, scout or troop made of an alpha male and/or female with rogues (loner or abandoned foxes) and family members. In favorable habitats and/or areas with low hunting pressure, subordinate foxes may be present in a range. Subordinate foxes may number 1-2, sometimes up to 8 in one territory. These subordinates could be formerly dominant animals, but are mostly young from the previous year, who act as helpers in rearing the breeding vixen's kits. Non-breeding vixens will guard, play, groom, provision and retrieve kits. Red foxes may leave their families once they reach adulthood if the chances of winning a territory of their own are high. If not, they will stay with their parents, at the cost of postponing their own reproduction.

Red fox body language consists of movements of the ears, tail and postures, with their body markings emphasizing certain gestures. Postures can be divided into aggressive/dominant and fearful/submissive categories. Some postures may blend the two together. Red foxes have a wide vocal range, and produce different sounds spanning five octaves, which grade into each other.

Foxes are at risk from habitat loss, inhumane trapping, hunting and vehicle deaths. Fox penning is an indefensible and barbaric blood sport in which dozens of dogs compete in a fenced-in area to chase - and sometimes rip apart - foxes and coyotes taken from the wild.

Foxes are senselessly tortured and killed to satisfy the dictates of fashion. Wild-caught fox fur is obtained by setting traps or snares. Once an animal is caught, it may remain in the trap or snare for several days starving or slowly strangling. Farm-raised fox fur comes from animals kept in tiny, filthy cages, deprived of adequate protection from the elements. As a result, animals develop stereotypical behavior, including pacing, head bobbing and self-mutilation. On fur farms, foxes are electrocuted by placing a metal clamp on the snout and forcing a rod into the anus, and then connecting the metal to a power source. Some animals are forced into bags or boxes and gassed with carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide.

The gray fox is a species of fox ranging from southern Canada, throughout most of the lower United States and Central America, to Venezuela. This species, and the closely related island fox, are the only living members of the genus Urocyon, which is considered to be among the most primitive of the living canids.

The gray fox has a gray back, tawny sides, neck and legs, a white belly, and a black stripe along the back and tail. Another black stripe crosses their face from the nose to the eye and continuing to the side of the head. Standing about 12-16 inches at the shoulders, weighing up to 16 pounds, and having an overall body length of up to 47 inches, the gray fox is an agile canid able to scurry up and down trees with relative ease.

The gray fox's ability to climb trees is shared only with the Asian raccoon dog among canids. Their strong, hooked claws allow them to scramble up trees to escape many predators such as the domestic dog or the coyote, or to reach tree-bound or arboreal food sources. They descend primarily by jumping from branch to branch, or by descending slowly backwards as a house cat would do. The gray fox is nocturnal or crepuscular and dens in hollow trees, stumps or appropriated burrows during the day.

The gray fox is a solitary hunter and is largely omnivorous. They frequently prey upon the eastern cottontail, though gray foxes will readily catch voles, shrews and birds. The gray fox supplements their diet with whatever fruits are readily available and generally eats more vegetable matter than does the red fox.

The gray fox is monogamous. The breeding season of the gray fox varies geographically; in Michigan, the gray fox mates in early March, in Alabama, breeding peaks occur in February. The gestation period lasts approximately 53 days. Litter size ranges from 1 to 7. Kits begin to hunt with their parents at the age of 3 months. By the time they are 4 months old, the kits will have developed their permanent dentition and can easily forage on their own. The family group still remains together until autumn when the young reach sexual maturity and then disperse.

Gray foxes are at risk from habitat loss, inhumane trapping, hunting and vehicle deaths.

Fox penning is an indefensible and barbaric blood sport in which dozens of dogs compete in a fenced-in area to chase—and sometimes rip apart—foxes and coyotes taken from the wild.

While the gray fox pelt is not considered as "desirable" as the red fox in the fur industry because it is more course; in recent years it has been used as trim for coat collars and for similar uses in the fur industry.

Raccoons are medium-sized mammals native to North America. The raccoon is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of 16 to 28 inches and a body weight of 8 to 20 lb. Two of the raccoon's most distinctive features are its extremely dexterous front paws and its facial mask - the area of black fur around the eyes which contrasts sharply with the surrounding white face coloring. This is reminiscent of a "bandit's mask" and has thus enhanced the animal's reputation for mischief. Raccoons are noted for their intelligence.

The original habitats of the raccoon were deciduous and mixed forests, but due to their adaptability they have extended their range to mountainous areas, coastal marshes, and urban areas. As a result of escapes and deliberate introductions in the mid-20th century, raccoons also now live across the European mainland, the Caucasus region and Japan. Although they have thrived in sparsely wooded areas in the last decades, raccoons depend on vertical structures to climb when they feel threatened. Therefore, they avoid open terrain and areas with high concentrations of beech trees, as beech bark is too smooth to climb. Tree hollows in old oaks or other trees and rock crevices are preferred by raccoons as sleeping, winter and litter dens. If such dens are unavailable or accessing them is inconvenient, raccoons use burrows dug by other mammals, dense undergrowth or tree crotches. Since amphibians, crustaceans, and other animals found around the shore of lakes and rivers are an important part of the raccoon's diet, lowland deciduous or mixed forests abundant with water and marshes are the favorite homes of raccoons.

The shape and size of a raccoon's home range varies depending on age, sex, and habitat, with adults claiming areas more than twice as large as juveniles.

Home range sizes vary anywhere from 7 acres for females in cities to 20 square miles for males in prairies. Irrespective of whether the home ranges of adjacent groups overlap, they are most likely not actively defended outside the mating season if food supplies are sufficient. Odor marks on prominent spots establish home ranges and identify individuals.

The most important sense for the raccoon is its sense of touch. The "hyper sensitive" front paws are protected by a thin horny layer which becomes pliable when wet. The five digits of the paws have no webbing between them, but they lack an opposable thumb. Raccoons are thought to be color blind or at least poorly able to distinguish color, though their eyes are well-adapted for sensing green light.

Raccoons recognize the facial expression and posture of other members of their species more quickly because of the conspicuous facial coloration and the alternating light and dark rings on the tail. The dark mask may also reduce glare and thus enhance night vision. On other parts of the body, the long and stiff guard hairs, which shed moisture, are usually colored in shades of gray and, to a lesser extent, brown. The dense underfur, which accounts for almost 90% of the coat, keeps raccoons well insulated against cold weather.

Raccoons engage in gender-specific social behaviors and are not typically solitary, as was previously thought. Related females often live in a so-called "fission-fusion society", that is, they share a common area and occasionally meet at feeding or resting grounds. Unrelated males often form loose male social groups to maintain their position against foreign males during the mating season—or against other potential invaders. These groups usually consist of up to four individuals. Since some males show aggressive behavior towards unrelated kits, mothers will isolate themselves from other raccoons until their kits are big enough to defend themselves.

Though usually nocturnal, the raccoon is sometimes active in daylight to take advantage of available food sources. Its diet consists of about 40% invertebrates, 33% plant material and 27% vertebrates. While its diet in spring and early summer consists mostly of insects, worms, and other animals already available early in the year, it prefers fruits and nuts, such as acorns and walnuts, which emerge in late summer and autumn and represent a rich calorie source for building up fat needed for winter. Contrary to popular belief, raccoons eat active or large prey such as birds and mammals only occasionally. When food is plentiful, raccoons can develop strong individual preferences for specific foods.

Raccoons usually mate in a period triggered by increasing daylight between late January and mid-March. During the mating season, males restlessly roam their home ranges in search of females in an attempt to court them during the three to four day period when conception is possible. These encounters will often occur at central meeting places. Copulation, including foreplay, can last over an hour and is repeated over several nights. The weaker members of a male social group also get the opportunity to mate, since the stronger ones cannot mate with all available females. If a female does not become pregnant or if she loses her kits early, she will sometimes become fertile again 80 to 140 days later. After 63 to 70 days, a litter of typically two to five young is born. The average litter size varies widely with habitat, ranging from 2.5 in Alabama to 4.8 in North Dakota. Males have no part in raising young. The kits (also called "cubs") are blind and deaf at birth, but their mask is already visible against their light fur. After six to nine weeks, they begin to explore outside the den, consuming solid food for the first time. After this point, their mother suckles them with decreasing frequency. They are usually weaned by 16 weeks. In the fall, after their mother has shown them dens and feeding grounds, the juvenile group splits up. While many females will stay close to the home range of their mother, males can sometimes move more than 12 miles away. However, mother and offspring may share a den during the first winter in cold areas.

Young raccoons are vulnerable to losing their mother and to starvation, particularly in long and cold winters. The most frequent natural cause of death in the North American raccoon population is distemper, which can reach epidemic proportions and kill most of a local raccoon population. In areas with heavy vehicular traffic and extensive hunting, these factors can account for up to 90% of all deaths of adult raccoons. The most important natural predators of the raccoon are bobcats, coyotes, and great horned owls, the latter mainly preying on young raccoons.

Raccoons’ lives are often cut short by the inhumane fur industry. Like foxes, raccoons are hunted by starved dogs and often suffer in steel-jaw traps, where they endure hours of agony before they are killed—or chew an arm or leg off in an effort to escape. Raccoons are also raised on “fur farms”, often in horrific conditions. Raccoons are sometimes kept as pets, which is inhumane because the raccoon is not a domesticated species. Raccoons may act unpredictably and aggressively from the extreme stress of captivity.

Natural avian drilling experts, woodpeckers are well-known in popular culture. These notorious members of the Picidae family are almost exclusively tree-dwellers, and are found in treed areas throughout most of the world, with the exception of Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar and the more extreme Polar Regions. There’s far greater species diversity present in rainforest habitats, but woodpeckers can be found in savannahs, scrublands and bamboo forests as well. A few species do inhabit grassland or desert, sometimes nesting in taller cacti plants instead of trees, or, like the enterprising ground woodpecker, in holes that they dig themselves. The presence of deadwood is important for breeding populations of forest woodpecker species. 

Generally, woodpecker species have similar physiological characteristics. Depending on species, they can range in size from around 6” up to 21” in length, and up to just over 1lb in weight. The largest woodpecker species is thought to be the ivory-billed woodpecker, which had been listed as extinct for a large part of the 20th century but was rediscovered again in 2005.

A woodpecker’s strong bill and thickened skull are suitable for drilling on trees, and their brain is smaller in size and oriented differently from other avians to protect it from damage caused by repeated impacts. In fact, a woodpecker can repeatedly peck on a tree from around 8,000 to 12,000 times a day, at velocities of up to 10,000 m/s2. Their nostrils are slit-like and covered by protective feathers, while their eyes have a thick membrane that closes just before the bird makes contact, protecting them from flying pieces of wood or tree bark.

A woodpecker’s tail and feet are also uniquely functional; stiffened tail feathers actually help to act as a prop or support for them as they forage or rest in between bouts of drilling, and their feet, which have two toes facing forwards and two facing backwards, are adapted to assist them with grasping tree limbs and walking vertically up tree trunks as they forage. The males of many woodpecker species also tend to have distinctive red or yellow head markings.

Woodpeckers spend a large part of their day foraging for food. Their diet is mainly made up of insects like ants, termites, beetles, spiders and grubs from trees, though they’ll also feed on fruit, nuts and tree sap. They either collect food from the crevices in bark, or excavate holes in the wood to reach their prey, reaching in and capturing it with a long, barbed tongue. It’s a fact that many woodpecker species have a positive ecological impact on the trees they live in, since they help to control insect infestations that could damage forested areas.

When it comes to social behavior, each woodpecker species is different; some are extremely antisocial, aggressively driving away other woodpeckers, while others live in communal breeding groups, or join mixed-species flocks when they’re feeding. Staying within a larger group allows them to reduce their vigilance towards predators and increase their rate of successful foraging as well. They’re most active during the day, roosting at night inside holes (often tree cavities), which they’ll also use as nesting sites. Roosts are typically lined with the wood chips produced as a hole is made, and most woodpeckers will usually only build one nest each breeding season, though sometimes it takes them multiple tries before they find a location that’s just right. A breeding pair can take up to a month to finish excavating the perfect nest, and abandoned attempts are often used by other bird species and small mammals. They’ll often need to determinedly defend their nest once it becomes usable, since they face competition for nesting sites from other woodpeckers or different species of cavity nesting birds.

The majority of woodpecker species are monogamous, mating and raising offspring with the same partner, but some species will breed and raise chicks in cooperation with other birds or even practice polygamy. Tree drumming is often used as part of communication and courtship rituals between males and females. A mated pair jointly builds a nest, incubates the eggs, and raises young together. In most species the male tends to do most of the ‘heavy lifting’, since he performs the majority of the nest excavation and night time incubation duties. Egg clutches are usually 2-5 in number, and incubate for around 11-14 days before they hatch. The chicks are blind and featherless at first, and one parent remains in the nest at a time while the other forages and brings food back to feed them. Most woodpeckers are ready to leave the nest between 20 and 30 days of age, beginning their own one-bird drilling operations. Woodpeckers tend to live anywhere between 4-11 years of age.

Like many other endangered avians, many species of woodpeckers are threatened by loss of their habitat through human activities like removal of deadwood, large scale clearing, and agricultural development. Pesticide use in many parts of the world also threatens woodpecker populations, and changes in climate are becoming a larger issue as well. Drought tends to increase the incidence of severe forest fires that destroy mature trees (which woodpeckers use for nesting), and outbreaks of parasitic insects like the pine beetle can affect large stands of forested habitat that woodpeckers use for nesting. Several species, including the Imperial, Ivory-billed and Okinawa woodpeckers are listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List.

Mongooses are small mammals with a similar appearance to meerkats and weasels. Mongooses are not rodents; they are members of the Herpestidae family. Mongooses naturally inhabit Africa, Asia and parts of Europe and have been introduced to the Caribbean and Hawaiian islands. There are about 34 species of mongoose.

Mongooses vary in size depending on species. Most mongooses have a long-shaped face and body, short legs and small, round ears. Mongooses have grayish or brown fur. Some species of mongoose have patterned fur or ringed tails. They are a little lighter than weasels, making them more agile and able to avert danger better than weasels.

The smallest mongoose is the dwarf mongoose. The largest mongoose is the white-tailed mongoose.

Some mongooses are solitary, while other species of mongoose live and work in communities called packs, mobs or colonies. Colonies can have as many as 50 mongoose residents. Some mongooses groom each other. Colonies may be lead by an alpha male and female who can be the only two residents who mate and reproduce. Community members may have specific jobs and duties. Some hunt, some baby sit, others guard. Elders and youngsters are often cared for by the entire pack. Mongooses are known for using tools.

Each species of mongoose has adapted to their particular ecosystem. Some inhabit treetops, some rocky areas, and others live in semi-aquatic ecosystems. Many mongooses live in burrows that they either build themselves, or take over from other animals. Mongoose burrows are made up of a complex system of tunnels.

Mongooses are active during the day and sleep at night. They chatter incessantly to each other with a humane-like speech that combines discrete units of sound using vowel and syllable combinations. Mongooses sound alarm calls when they spot predators. During mating season they produce high-pitched giggling sounds to inform potential partners they are ready to mate. Mongooses also use scent to communicate their reproductive status and to mark their territories.

Mongooses are omnivores, feeding on both plants and animals. Most mongooses prefer to feed on small mammals, amphibians, birds, invertebrates, reptiles, fish, insects and worms. They will supplement their diets with seeds, nuts, berries, eggs, fruits and roots. Mongooses are known to crack eggs, nuts and shelled animals with, or against, hard objects.

Mongooses are very fast and agile. They have a keen sense of smell, sight and hearing. They can successfully fight off snakes. Some mongooses are even resistant to snake and scorpion venom and feed on venomous snakes and scorpions.

Female mongooses usually produce just one litter each year, but are capable of producing another litter if the first litter is lost. Baby mongooses are called pups and a group of offspring is called a litter. Pup mongooses are weaned at around 6 weeks old. They then forage with their mothers until they are about 4 months old. Male mongoose babies leave their mothers when they are about 6 months old. Female mongoose babies stay with their mother longer, sometimes permanently.

Mongooses live up to 10 years in the wild.

Most mongoose species are threatened. The main threat to mongooses is habitat loss. Forest-dwelling mongooses are threatened by deforestation. Animal agriculture, pesticides and pollution also threaten mongooses.

Mongooses are victims of roadside shows in some countries, forced to fight with snakes. They are also victims of the pet trade, kept in tiny cages for the amusement of humans.

Mongooses were introduced to some areas to control pests, only to then be regarded as an invasive species. They have been made the scapegoat for the decline of many animal species, but habitat destruction, caused by humans, is the leading cause of threatened and endangered species.

A tree frog is any frog that spends a major portion of its lifespan in trees, known as an arboreal state. These frogs are typically found in very tall trees or other high-growing vegetation. They do not normally descend to the ground, except to mate and spawn, though some build foam nests on leaves and rarely leave the trees at all as adults. Many tree frogs can change their color for better camouflage. Tree frogs are usually tiny, as their weight has to be carried by the branches and twigs of their habitat. Typical for tree frogs are the well-developed discs at the finger and toe tips; the fingers and toes themselves as well as the limbs tend to be rather long, resulting in a superior grasping ability.

Frogs are amphibians characterized by a short body, webbed digits (fingers or toes), protruding eyes and the absence of a tail. Frogs are widely known as exceptional jumpers, and many of the anatomical characteristics of frogs, particularly their long, powerful legs, are adaptations to improve jumping performance.

Due to their permeable skin, frogs are often semi-aquatic or inhabit humid areas, but move easily on land. They typically lay their eggs in puddles, ponds or lakes, and their larvae, called tadpoles, have gills and develop in water. Adult frogs follow a carnivorous diet, mostly of arthropods, annelids and gastropods. Frogs are most noticeable by their call, which can be widely heard during the night or day, mainly in their mating season.

The distribution of frogs ranges from tropic to subarctic regions, but most species are found in tropical rainforests. Consisting of more than 5,000 species, they are among the most diverse groups of vertebrates. However, populations of certain frog species are declining significantly.

A popular distinction is often made between frogs and toads on the basis of their appearance, but this has no taxonomic basis. From a taxonomic perspective, all members of the order Anura are frogs, but only members of the family Bufonidae are considered "true toads". The use of the term "frog" in common names usually refers to species that are aquatic or semi-aquatic with smooth and/or moist skins, and the term "toad" generally refers to species that tend to be terrestrial with dry, warty skin. An exception is the fire-bellied toad (Bombina bombina): while its skin is slightly warty, it prefers a watery habitat.

Frogs are generally recognized as exceptional jumpers, and the best jumper of all vertebrates. The Australian rocket frog, Litoria nasuta, can leap over 50 times its body length.

Many frogs are able to absorb water and oxygen directly through the skin, especially around the pelvic area. However, the permeability of a frog's skin can also result in water loss. Some tree frogs reduce water loss with a waterproof layer of skin. Others have adapted behaviors to conserve water, including engaging in nocturnal activity and resting in a water-conserving position.

Camouflage is a common defensive mechanism in frogs. Most camouflaged frogs are nocturnal, which adds to their ability to hide. Nocturnal frogs usually find the ideal camouflaged position during the day to sleep. Some frogs have the ability to change color, usually restricted to shades of one or two colors. Features such as warts and skin folds are usually found on ground-dwelling frogs, where a smooth skin would not disguise them. Tree frogs usually have smooth skin, enabling them to disguise themselves as leaves. Some frogs change color between night and day.

Many frogs contain mild toxins that make them unpalatable to potential predators. For example, all toads have large poison glands - the parotoid glands - located behind the eyes, on the top of the head. Some frogs, such as some poison dart frogs, are especially toxic. The chemical makeup of toxins in frogs varies from irritants to hallucinogens, convulsants, nerve poisons and vasoconstrictors. Many predators of frogs have adapted to tolerate high levels of these poisons. Others, including humans, may be severely affected. Some frogs obtain poisons from the ants and other arthropods they eat; others can manufacture an alkaloid not derived from their diet. Some native people of South America extract poison from the poison dart frogs and apply it to their darts for hunting, although few species are toxic enough to be used for this purpose. Poisonous frogs tend to advertise their toxicity with bright colors, an adaptive strategy known as aposematism. Some non-poisonous species of frogs mimic the coloration of poison frogs' coloration for self-protection.

The life cycle of a frog starts with an egg. A female generally lays gelatinous egg masses containing thousands of eggs in water. The eggs are highly vulnerable to predation, so frogs have evolved many techniques to ensure the survival of the next generation. In colder areas the embryo is black to absorb more heat from the sun, which speeds up the development. Many individuals will breed at the same time, overwhelming the actions of predators. Another way in which some species avoid the predators and pathogens eggs are exposed to in ponds is to lay eggs on leaves above the pond, with a gelatinous coating designed to retain moisture. In these species, the tadpoles drop into the water upon hatching. The eggs of some species laid out of water can detect vibrations of nearby predatory wasps or snakes, and will hatch early to avoid being eaten. Some species lay poisonous eggs to minimize predation.

While the length of the egg stage depends on the species and environmental conditions, aquatic eggs generally hatch within one week. Other species go through their whole larval phase inside the eggs or the mother, or have direct development. Unlike salamanders and newts, frogs and toads never become sexually mature while still in their larval stage. Eggs hatch and continue life as tadpoles. Tadpoles are typically herbivorous, feeding mostly on algae, including diatoms filtered from the water through the gills. Some species are carnivorous at the tadpole stage, eating insects, smaller tadpoles, and fish. Cannibalism has been observed among tadpoles. Early developers who gain legs may be eaten by the others, so the late bloomers survive longer.

At the end of the tadpole stage, frogs undergo metamorphosis, in which they transition into the adult form. This metamorphosis last typically only 24 hours. The disappearance of the tail is somewhat later. The material of the tail is used for a quick growth of the legs. After the tail has been reabsorbed, the animals are ready to leave the water and disperse into terrestrial habitats, or continue to live in the aquatic habitat as adults.

Almost all species of frogs are carnivorous as adults, eating invertebrates such as arthropods, annelids and gastropods. A few of the larger species may eat prey such as small mammals, fish and smaller frogs. Some frogs use their sticky tongues to catch fast-moving prey, while others capture their prey and force it into their mouths with their hands. There are some species that primarily eat plants. Adult frogs are preyed upon by birds, large fish, snakes, otters, foxes, badgers and other animals. Frogs can live for many years; recorded living up to 40 years. Frogs from temperate climates hibernate through the winter.

Once adult frogs reach maturity, they will assemble at a water source such as a pond or stream to breed. Many frogs return to the bodies of water where they were born, often resulting in annual migrations involving thousands of frogs. Once at the breeding ground, male frogs call to attract a mate, collectively becoming a chorus of frogs. The call is unique to the species. Some species have satellite males who do not call, but intercept females that are approaching a calling male. The male and female frogs then undergo amplexus. This involves the male mounting the female and gripping her tightly. Fertilization is external: the egg and sperm meet outside of the body. The female releases her eggs, which the male frog covers with a sperm solution. The eggs then swell and develop a protective coating.

Some species of frog lay eggs on the forest floor and protect them, guarding the eggs from predation and keeping them moist. The frog will urinate on them if they become too dry. After hatching, a parent will move them, on its back, to a water-holding bromeliad. The parent then feeds them by laying unfertilized eggs in the bromeliad until the young have metamorphosed. Other frogs carry the eggs and tadpoles on their hind legs. Some frogs even protect their offspring inside their own bodies with pouches along their side. Some swallow their tadpoles, which then develop in the stomach. Some will put the tadpoles in their vocal sac for development. Some species of frog will leave a 'babysitter' to watch over the frogspawn until it hatches.

Frog populations have declined dramatically since the 1950s: more than one third of species are believed to be threatened with extinction and more than 120 species are suspected to be extinct since the 1980s. Habitat loss is a significant cause of frog population decline, as are pollutants, the introduction of non-indigenous predators/competitors, and emerging infectious diseases.

Frogs are threatened by the inhumane pet trade. Every year, a variety of sources provides millions of animals to the wild and exotic pet trade. Animals are captured from their native habitat and transported to various countries to be sold as “pets”. Others are surplus animals from zoos or their offspring. Backyard breeders also supply exotic animals. The sellers of these animals often disregard state or local laws regulating private possession of exotics,  and the dangers, difficulties, physical and physiological needs of the animals they peddle. The suffering of the animals in the hands of unqualified and hapless buyers appears to be of no concern in the lucrative exotic pet trade. The animals also pose safety risks to humans.

Frogs are also victims of the animal entertainment industry, placed on display in zoos, aquariums, businesses and nature centers. They are removed from their natural habitat; depriving them of the ability to freely engage in instinctual behaviors. Both children and adults are desensitized to animal mistreatment by the animal entertainment industry. Even under the best of circumstances, captivity is cruel for wild animals. Confined to tiny areas and gawked at by crowds, animals in exhibits endure constant stress. They may suffer from temperature extremes and irregular feeding and watering. Without exercise, they become listless, their immune systems are weakened, and they become prone to sickness; many resort to self-mutilation in reaction to stress or boredom. Mental illness is rampant among confined animals. Torn from their families and deprived of all dignity, every part of their lives is controlled by their captors. While zoos may appear to be educational and conservation-oriented, most are designed with the needs and desires of the visitors in mind, not the needs of the animals.

Penguins are flightless sea birds. They can be many different colors from the chest up. Most species have black backs and white fronts. Penguins are able to control their body temperature on land by facing either their black back or white front to the sun. This coloration also camouflages them in the water. They have a thick layer of blubber that helps keep them warm.

There are 17 penguin species, varying greatly in size. The largest is the emperor penguin at 4 feet tall and about 65 to 90 pounds. The smallest is the little penguin, also known as the blue or fairy penguin, which weighs 2 pounds.

Penguins can live up to 15 to 20 years in the wild. They are found on every continent in the southern hemisphere, from the Antarctic to the Galapagos Islands.

Penguins are carnivores and mostly eat krill, a tiny shrimp-like animal, and other fish. Their sharp, spine-like teeth allow them to catch fish up to 10 inches long, which they swallow head first.

With compact, streamlined bodies, penguins can swim an average of 2.5 to 5 miles per hour – using their wings as paddles – with some species swimming as fast as 7.5 miles per hour. They also "toboggan," laying on their belly and pushing themselves along the ice with their flippers and feet. Most penguin species spend several hours a day preening and waterproofing their feathers with an oil produced from a gland located above their tail feathers. Feathers are important to keep penguins warm and to keep cold water from touching their skin.

Most penguin species gather in colonies in areas free from land predators during nesting. Many penguins build a nest of rocks, sticks or grass where one or two eggs are laid. Because penguins only eat in the ocean, they must fast while mating, incubating eggs and guarding chicks. The male and female usually take turns tending to the eggs and raising the chicks while the other mate returns to the ocean to eat. Adult feathers replace a chick’s down at about two to four months. Once the chick has adult feathers, it is ready to swim and hunt on its own.

Penguins are superbly adapted to an aquatic life. Their wings have become flippers, useless for flight in the air. In the water, however, penguins are astonishingly agile. Within the smooth plumage a layer of air is preserved, ensuring buoyancy. The air layer also helps insulate the birds in cold waters. On land, penguins use their tails and wings to maintain balance for their upright stance.

All penguins have a white underside and a dark (mostly black) upperside. This is for camouflage. A predator looking up from below (such as an orca or a leopard seal) has difficulty distinguishing between a white penguin belly and the reflective water surface. The dark plumage on their backs camouflages them from above.

The small penguins do not usually dive deep; they catch their prey near the surface in dives that normally last only one or two minutes. Larger penguins can dive deep in case of need. Dives of the large Emperor Penguin have been recorded which reach a depth of 1,870 feet and last up to 20 minutes.

Penguins either waddle on their feet or slide on their bellies across the snow, a movement called "tobogganing", which allows them to conserve energy and move relatively fast at the same time.

Penguins have an excellent sense of hearing. Their eyes are adapted for underwater vision, and are their primary means of locating prey and avoiding predators; in air, conversely, they are nearsighted. Their sense of smell has not been researched so far.

They are able to drink salt water safely because their supraorbital gland filters excess salt from the bloodstream. The salt is excreted in a concentrated fluid from the nasal passages.

Penguins have no external genitalia.

Penguins living more than 60 degrees south of the equator are protected from hunting by the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. Penguins are currently threatened by human activity. Threats include oil spills, human exploitation for guano and food, entanglement in fishing gear, human encroachment, over-fishing of food sources and introduced predators such as dogs. The Galapagos penguin is the only species listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Penguins are victims of the animal entertainment industry. While zoos and aquariums may appear to be educational and conservation-oriented, most are designed with the needs and desires of the visitors in mind, not the needs of the animals. Many animals in zoos and aquariums exhibit abnormal behavior as a result of being deprived of their natural environments and social structures. Some zoos and aquariums do rescue some animals and work to save endangered species, but most animals in zoos were either captured from the wild or bred in captivity for the purpose of public display, not species protection. The vast majority of captive-bred animals will never be returned to the wild. When the facility breeds too many animals they become "surplus" and often are sold to laboratories, traveling shows, shooting ranches, or to private individuals who may be unqualified to care for them.

Lionfish (also called turkeyfish, dragonfish, tigerfish, butterfly cod and scorpionfish) are venomous spiky fish that inhabit warm waters of the western and central Pacific Ocean. Lionfish are predatory fish, hunting small fish. Their venom is used for self-defense and can kill large animals. Lionfish are known for their beautiful colored bodies, covered with zebra-like stripes of red, orange, white, brown or black color, depending on the species.

Lionfish live in coastal waters around rocky crevices, as well as coral reefs with an abundance of smaller fish. There are at least 12 different species of lionfish including the Andover lionfish, Spot-fin lionfish, Red Sea lionfish, Japanese/Luna lionfish, Devil firefish, Frill-fin turkeyfish, Clear-fin lionfish, Soldier lionfish, Hawaiian turkeyfish, Red lionfish, African/Mombasa lionfish and Indian Ocean shortfin lionfish.

The range of the lionfish covers a very large area from western Australia and Malaysia east to French Polynesia and the United Kingdom's Pitcairn Islands, north to southern Japan and southern Korea and south to Lord Howe Island off the east coast of Australia and the Kermadec Islands of New Zealand. In between, the species is found throughout Micronesia.

Lionfish prey on a large variety of small fish and crustaceans. Lionfish are active hunters who ambush their prey by using their outstretched, fan-like pectoral fins to slowly pursue and corner them. The large mouths of lionfish allows them to swallow prey whole. The stomachs of lionfish have the ability to expand up to 30 times their size, allowing lionfish to eat animals larger than themselves. When food sources are scarce, lionfish will even eat other lionfish.

Lionfish have teeth. They are small and are located not only on the upper and lower jaws, but also in a small patch on the roof of their mouths. Their extra teeth aid in grasping prey caught by quick predatory strikes.

Lionfish move about by slowly undulating the soft rays of the dorsal and anal fins. During the day, they sometimes retreat to ledges and crevices among the rocks and corals.

Lionfish are mostly solitary fish, but some live in groups. Lionfish communities usually house one male lionfish and a few female lionfish that he mates with. Male lionfish are very territorial.

A female lionfish can releases up to two million eggs each year – or about 10,000 to 30,000 eggs every four days. The eggs are then fertilized by male lionfish. Lionfish couples hide after mating so their eggs can float away before being seen by predators that eat lionfish eggs. Lionfish eggs hatch in 2 days. A baby lionfish is very small and is called a fry. Baby lionfish remain near the surface of the water until they grow larger. When they are about an inch long they join the reef community. Lionfish reach adult size when they are about 2 years old.

Lionfish have few predators due to their large size and intimidating appearance. Spikes protruding from lionfish contain venom. Lionfish have over 19 spines, 13 along the backside of their bodies. Their spines are not used to hunt; only self-defense.

Lionfish live up to 15 years in the wild.

Lionfish are not currently listed as threatened or endangered in their native range. However, the increase in pollution in coral reefs may negatively affect the lionfish's primary food sources (crustaceans and fish). If lionfish are unable to adapt to declines in their prey species, their numbers may decrease.

Lionfish are victims of the pet trade. The lionfish is a very popular aquarium fish, condemned to a life in a small tank for the amusement of humans.

Lionfish are also an invasive species due to the pet industry, flourishing unnaturally in U.S. Southeast and Caribbean coastal waters. This invasive species has the potential to harm reef ecosystems because it is a top predator that competes for food and space with overfished native animals. Scientists fear that lionfish will also kill off helpful species such as algae-eating parrotfish, allowing seaweed to overtake the reefs.

Cuttlefish are small to medium sized mollusc inhabiting ocean waters throughout the world. Cuttlefish are cephalopods, not fish. Cephalopods include the squid, octopus and nautilus. Like their squid and octopus relatives, cuttlefish have large, elongated bodies and tentacles surrounding their mouths. Cuttlefish are considered one of the ocean’s most intelligent invertebrates.

There are 120 known species of cuttlefish found across the globe, from warm and tropical shallows to cold depths of the deep seas. They are known for the flashing colors displayed on their bodies during fighting and mating.

Cuttlefish have 3 hearts and green-blue blood. They possess 8 arms and 2 long tentacles used for feeding. Cuttlefish are color blind and taste with their suckers. They have W shaped eyelids to help them see in front and behind at the same time.

Cuttlefish are amazing masters of disguise. They rely on their incredible camouflage abilities to avoid predators. Cuttlefish change color almost instantly to match their surroundings, and mimic the shape and texture of objects around them while arranging their arms to match the shape of the objects.

Like squid and octopuses, cuttlefish have sacks that eject ink to aid in escaping predators. Their ink can also be mixed with mucus to create a smaller, denser cloud about the same shape and size as their own bodies to act as a decoy cuttlefish – confusing attackers. Their color-changing abilities can also be used to hypnotize potential prey with pulsating lights and color shows.

Cuttlefish are carnivorous animals, primarily preying on small crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp. Cuttlefish also eat fish. They use their camouflaging abilities for sneak attacks and catch prey with sucker-pads on the ends of their tentacles – bringing the animal into their sharp beaks.

During cuttlefish mating rituals, male cuttlefish change their body colors to attract female cuttlefish. Some males even make themselves look like female cuttlefish to fool dominant males and then steal their females. Females place multiple sperm packets from different males into their mouth cavities. When ready to lay her eggs, she decides which male's sperm to use. Male cuttlefish try to get the females to use their own sperm by shooting a jet stream of water into the female's mouth to remove the sperm of other males. Once the female has found a safe location to lay her eggs, she reaches into her mouth cavity and takes out the sperm packets of her choice to fertilize the eggs she lays. Female cuttlefish lay about 200 eggs and some die soon afterwards.

Since cuttlefish are relatively small in size, they have numerous marine predators that hunt them. Sharks, large fish and even other cuttlefish are the most common predators of cuttlefish.

Ocean acidification caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is a serious threat to all cuttlefish. Studies have shown that under high pCO2 concentrations, cuttlefishes actually lay down a denser cuttlebone which is likely to negatively affect buoyancy regulation.

Cuttlefish are also victims of the commercial fishing industry, intensively fished to the sustainable limit and beyond. Females may also be used as lures in traps during the spawning season. Cuttlefish are also frequently caught as bycatch.

Pollution, plastic and changes in climate also threaten cuttlefish.

Thorny devils, also known as thorny dragons, thorny lizards and molochs, are small lizards covered from head to tail with spines and thorns. They inhabit the deserts of Australia, living in sand, spinifex grasslands and scrub. There are no other lizards like thorny devils anywhere on the planet.

Thorny devils are only about the size of a mouse. They have an extremely spiky looking appearance, with a rigid body structure. Thorny devils have false heads on the back of their necks that confuse predators when they dip their real heads down. Between the cone shaped spikes of thorny devils, small channels collect water from all parts of their body to be transported to their mouths.

Female thorny devils are usually slightly larger than male thorny devils. Females are paler in color; males being slightly redder. Both male and female thorny devils change colors. In the morning when it is cool, thorny devils are a drab olive-brown color. During the day when it gets warmer, they turn yellow and red. Their changing skin coloration helps thorny devils to blend into the Australian desert throughout the day. At night, thorny devils dig themselves into the soil to keep warm. When the heat is extreme during the day, they dig underground burrows.

Thorny devils walk slowly, stop frequently, and rock back and forth. Their shaky, jerky movements and frequent freezing in place helps them conceal themselves from predators.

Thorny devils are obligate myrmecophages, feeding primarily on ants. They eat thousands of black ants every day. They receive most of their water from moisture that forms as dew drops each night. While thorny devils are often seen standing in water, they do not drink it. Their bodies are able to simply absorb it and store it for later use. When it is very hot, thorny devils can excrete salt to retain their water.

Thorny devils are “sit-and-wait” predators. They sit near ant trails and wait for the ants, then use their sticky tongues to capture the ants. Their teeth are well designed to handle the hard, chitinous bodies of ants. The mandibular teeth of thorny devils fit between maxillary teeth to create efficient shearing tools.

Thorny devils do not randomly scatter their fecal pellets. They place them in latrine sites.

Thorny devils are almost completely inactive during the hottest summer months and the coldest winter months. During these times they take refuge underground. They are most active in the autumn and late winter months.

During mating season, thorny devils build underground nests for their eggs. Males are aggressive with each other during mating season. Females give off an intoxicating scent to attract males. After mating, males go off in search of other females. Mother thorny devils lay ten eggs in their burrow during the spring-summer season (September-December). When the eggs hatch in three to four months, thorny devil babies are immediately able to take care of themselves.

Thorny devils are preyed upon by bustards, foxes, bobcats, coyotes, goannas, falcons and snakes. Goannas also prey on the eggs of thorny devils. Thorny devils puff themselves up to appear larger when confronted by predators. Their densely-packed spikes also make predators think twice before attacking them.

Thorny devils can live up to 20 years in the wild.

Thorny devils are threatened by habitat loss and changes in climate. They are often hit by cars. Their populations are declining.

Thorny devils are also victims of the pet trade, inhumanely kept in confinement for humane entertainment. They are difficult to maintain in captivity and rarely survive longer than a few months.

The coyote, also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada. It occurs as far north as Alaska and all but the northernmost portions of Canada. There are currently 19 recognized subspecies, with 16 in Canada, Mexico and the United States, and 3 in Central America. Unlike its cousin the gray wolf, which is Eurasian in origin, evolutionary theory suggests the coyote evolved in North America during the Pleistocene epoch 1.81 million years ago alongside the Dire Wolf. Unlike the wolf, the coyote's range has expanded in the wake of human civilization, and coyotes readily reproduce in metropolitan areas.

The color of the coyote's pelt varies from grayish brown to yellowish gray on the upper parts, while the throat and belly tend to have a buff or white color. The forelegs, sides of the head, muzzle and paws are reddish brown. The back has tawny-colored underfur and long, black-tipped guard hairs that form a black dorsal stripe and a dark cross on the shoulder area. The black-tipped tail has a scent gland located on its base. The ears are proportionately large in relation to the head, while the feet are relatively small in relation to the rest of the body. Coyotes typically grow to up to 30–34 inches in length, not counting a tail of 12–16 inches, stand about 23–26 inches at the shoulder and, on average, weigh from 15–46 lb. Northern coyotes are typically larger than southern subspecies, with the largest coyotes on record weighing 74¾ pounds and measuring over five feet in total length. Coyotes shed once a year, beginning in May with light hair loss, ending in July after heavy shedding.

Female coyotes go into heat once a year, and remain in heat for 2–5 days between late January and late March, during which mating occurs. Once the female chooses a partner, the mated pair may remain temporarily monogamous for a number of years. The gestation period lasts from 60 to 63 days. Litter size ranges from 1 to 19 pups; the average is 6. These large litters act against the high juvenile mortality rate, with approximately 50–70% of pups not surviving to adulthood. The pups are initially blind and limp-eared. Coyote growth rate is faster than that of wolves. The eyes open and ears become erect after 10 days. Around 21–28 days after birth, the young begin to emerge from the den, and by 35 days they are fully weaned. Both parents feed the weaned pups with regurgitated food. Male pups will disperse from their dens between months 6 and 9, while females usually remain with the parents and form the basis of the pack. The pups attain full growth between 9 and 12 months. Sexual maturity is reached by 12 months.

The calls a coyote makes are high-pitched and variously described as howls, yips, yelps, and barks. These calls may be a long rising and falling note (a howl) or a series of short notes (yips). The calls are most often heard at dusk or night, but may sometimes be heard in the day or in the middle of the day. Although the calls are made throughout the year, they are most common during the spring mating season and in the fall when the pups leave their families to establish new territories. When a coyote calls his pack together, he howls at one high note. When the pack is together, he howls higher and higher, and then they yip and yelp and also do a yi-yi sound, very shrill, with the howl.

Coyotes are opportunistic, versatile carnivores with a 90% mammalian diet, depending on the season. They primarily eat small mammals, such as voles, prairie dogs, eastern cottontails, ground squirrels, and mice - though they will eat birds, snakes, lizards, deer, javelina, and livestock, as well as large insects and other large invertebrates. The coyote will also target any species of bird that nests on the ground. Though they will consume large amounts of carrion, they tend to prefer fresh meat. Fruits and vegetables are a significant part of the coyote's diet in the autumn and winter months.

Part of the coyote's success as a species is its dietary adaptability. As such, coyotes have been known to eat human rubbish and domestic pets. Urban populations of coyotes have been known to actively hunt cats, and to leap shorter fences to take small dogs. However, this behavior is often reported when normal urban prey, such as brown rats, black rats and rabbits, have become scarce.

Coyotes shift their hunting techniques in accordance with their prey. When hunting small animals such as mice, they slowly stalk through the grass, and use their acute sense of smell to track down the prey. When the prey is located, the coyotes stiffen and pounce on the prey in a cat-like manner. Coyotes will commonly work in teams when hunting large ungulates such as deer, which is more common in winter (when large prey is likely weakened) and in larger-bodied Northern coyotes. Coyotes may take turns in baiting and pursuing the deer to exhaustion, or they may drive it towards a hidden member of the pack. Coyotes are persistent hunters, with successful attacks sometimes lasting as long as 21 hours; even unsuccessful ones can continue more than 8 hours before the coyotes give up. Packs of coyotes can bring down prey as large as adult elk.

Despite being extensively hunted, the coyote is one of the few medium-to-large-sized animals that has enlarged its range since human encroachment began. It originally ranged primarily in the western half of North America, but it has adapted readily to the changes caused by human presence and, since the early 19th century, has been steadily and dramatically extending its range. Sightings now commonly occur in a majority of the United States and Canada. Coyotes inhabit nearly every contiguous U.S. state and Alaska. Coyotes have moved into most of the areas of North America formerly occupied by wolves, and are often observed foraging in suburban garbage bins. Coyotes thrive in suburban settings and even some urban ones. Urban coyotes tend to live longer than their rural counterparts, and live anywhere from parks to industrial areas.

Destruction and fragmentation of habitat has resulted in dramatic conflicts with carnivores such as coyotes.

The killing of wild carnivores has long been common practice in North America, as they are often viewed as a threat to humans and domestic animals...rather than an important part of the ecosystem. They are also killed to protect corporate-owned lands, and to boost “game” stocks for hunters. Trophy hunting and trapping take a massive toll on carnivores across the continent.

“Damage control programs” result in the killing of million of animals by the U.S government each year. Government agencies and private interests employ a disturbing array of lethal methods to kill an alarming number of carnivores including: leghold traps, neck snares, poisoning, clubbing, trapping, gunning from helicopters, hounding, baiting, shooting, and killing pups in their dens.

These techniques are inhumane and do not address the root causes of conflicts; nor do they provide long-lasting solutions.

Crane are large, long-beaked birds found all over the planet. There are 15 species of crane. Despite their similar appearance to other long-necked birds like storks and herons, cranes are not related genetically to these birds.

Cranes inhabit every continent except the Antarctic and South America. They prefer temperate wetlands and swamps in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

The smallest species of crane is the Demoiselle crane. The tallest species of crane is the Sarus crane. The heaviest species of crane is the Red-crowned crane.

Despite being such large birds, cranes are quite agile fliers. Unlike herons, cranes outstretch their necks when flying to help control their large bodies during flight.

Cranes are omnivorous birds, feeding on both plants and animals. They are also opportunistic feeders, feeding on whatever they can find in their habitat. Preferring to be near water, cranes usually feed on aquatic organisms such as fish, amphibians and insects, while also eating a variety of plants including seeds, berries, tree bark and grains.

Cranes are very social animals that form large communities called flocks. They communicate with each other via a variety of sounds and body language. Alarm calls inform other birds in the community that a threat is near.

Some species of crane live in a single territory, while others that live in temperature climates migrate seasonally. Migratory crane species travel up to 10,000 miles during migration. Cranes also travel up to 500 miles each day searching for food.

Cranes are monogamous, mating for life. Mating rituals consist of a complicated dance of fast movements of the feet, jumps, bowing and stretching. Nests are constructed in marshy habitats. Female cranes lay two eggs that hatch in about 30 days. Both crane parents care for the babies for up to 10 months. It takes 2 to 4 months for chicks to grow plumage like their parents. Cranes reach sexual maturity at the age of 3 to 5 years.

Being large animals, cranes have few natural predators. Wildcats, large birds of prey and foxes are common predators of crane babies.

The average lifespan of cranes in the wild is from 20 to 30 years old.

All crane species populations have declined dramatically due to habitat loss, pollution and the illicit pet trade industry. 15 crane species are now either vulnerable in the wild or critically endangered. The Whooping crane, Florida Sandhill crane, Siberian crane and Mississippi Sandhill crane are among the endangered crane species.

The tang is a small to medium sized fish inhabiting warm, coastal waters of the tropics. Well known for their vibrant colors, they are close cousins of surgeon fish and unicorn fish. There are at least 80 species of tang found in the waters of the southern hemisphere.

Tangs can adjust the intensity of their colors. When they are stressed, tang colors darken to communicate danger to other fish. Some tangs change colors at night. Other tangs, when faced with danger, can make themselves semi-transparent.

Tang live in shallow coral reefs. They prefer habitats with an abundance of food sources and places to hide from predators. The tang has a razor-sharp scalpel at the base of their tails used in self defense. When threatened, tangs will hide in coral or rocks and anchor themselves with their scalpels. They also use their scalpels against predators when needed. Some tangs will play dead by lying on their sides and remaining motionless until the predator has gone.

Tangs are omnivores but prefer a mostly vegetarian diet. Tang eat algae and other plants found in coral reefs. They also feed on larger food particles in plankton. Tang are vital in reducing algae levels on coral. Without the assistance of tang, algae could quickly overgrow and suffocate coral reefs – home to about one quarter of all ocean species. Tang often feed on the algae on sea turtle shells. Some tang species will eat small fish and invertebrates.

Tangs usually breed year round in tropical areas. A male tang will secure a temporary breeding territory for a pair, or group, of female tangs. Males may establish dominance by showing their bright colors and fighting aggressively. Female tangs release about 40,000 eggs into the water. Male tangs then fertilize the eggs. After spawning, parent tangs swim off and do not care for their offspring. Baby tangs, called fry, hatch in under a week. It can take up to 12 months for a tang to reach sexual maturity.

Due to their small size, tangs have numerous natural predators including larger fish, sharks, eels, crustaceans and large invertebrates.

Tangs can live over 30 years in the wild.

Tangs are one of the most popular fish species to be inhumanely kept in tanks and aquariums for human amusement. Ripped from their natural environment, often using cyanide that kills coral and other animals, they are shipped for thousands of miles in tiny plastic bags. Even if they survive the cyanide, many tangs do not survive the extremely stressful journey. Captive tangs suffer from confinement, stress, lack of proper nutrition, parasites and competition with other captive fish. Most die premature deaths. No aquarium can replicate the tangs’s natural environment. These animals belong in coral reefs, not in tiny glass tanks.