Animalia Video

Crocodiles, A Fighter from Swamp

Crocodiles are large aquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, Americas and Australia. Crocodiles tend to congregate in freshwater habitats like rivers, lakes, wetlands and sometimes in brackish water. They feed mostly on vertebrates like fish, reptiles, and mammals, sometimes on invertebrates like mollusks and crustaceans, depending on species. They are an ancient lineage, and are believed to have changed little since the time of the dinosaurs. They are believed to be 200 million years old whereas dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago; crocodiles survived great extinction events.Crocodiles are ambush hunters, waiting for fish or land animals to come close, then rushing out to attack. Crocodiles eat fish, birds, mammals and occasionally smaller crocodiles.

Komodo, A Dinosaur from Komodo Island

The Komodo dragon is a large species of lizard found in the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, and Gili Motang. It is the largest living species of lizard. Their unusual size has been attributed to island gigantism, since there are no other carnivorous animals to fill the niche on the islands where they live. As a result of their size, these lizards dominate the ecosystems in which they live. Although Komodo dragons eat mostly carrion, they will also hunt and ambush prey including invertebrates, birds, and mammals.

Komodo dragon are protected under Indonesian law, and a national park, Komodo National Park, was founded to aid protection efforts.

Deer, Most Hunted Animal by Hunters

Deer are widely distributed, and hunted, with indigenous representatives in all continents except Antarctica and Australia.

Deer live in a variety of biomes ranging from tundra to the tropical rainforest. While often associated with forests, many deer are ecotone species that live in transitional areas between forests and thickets (for cover) and prairie and savanna (open space). The majority of large deer species inhabit temperate mixed deciduous forest, mountain mixed coniferous forest, tropical seasonal/dry forest, and savanna habitats around the world. Clearing open areas within forests to some extent may actually benefit deer populations by exposing the understory and allowing the types of grasses, weeds, and herbs to grow that deer like to eat.

Deer weights generally range from 40 to 200 kilograms. They generally have lithe, compact bodies and long, powerful legs suited for rugged woodland terrain. Deer are also excellent jumpers and swimmers. Deer are ruminants, or cud-chewers, and have a four-chambered stomach. The teeth of deer are adapted to feeding on vegetation, and like other ruminants, they lack upper incisors, instead having a tough pad at the front of their upper jaw.

Orangutan, Protected by Law

Orangutans are the most intelligent primates and use a variety of sophisticated tools, also making sleeping nests each night from branches and foliage. They are more solitary than other apes; males and females generally come together only to mate. Orangutans may live for up to 50 years in the wild. Unlike gorillas and chimpanzees, orangutans are not true knuckle-walkers, and are instead fist-walkers. Like the other great apes, orangutans are among the most intelligent primates Orangutans do not swim. Fruit makes up 65–90 percent of the orangutan' food,

The most recent estimate for the Sumatran Orangutan is around 7,300 individuals in the wild. Orangutan habitat destruction due to logging, mining and forest fires, as well as fragmentation by roads, has been increasing rapidly in the last decade.

Honey Bear, Character of Winnie The Pooh

The Sun Bear or Honey Bear, is a bear found primarily in the tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia.

The Sun Bear stands approximately 1.2 m in length, making it the smallest member in the bear family. Unlike other bears, the Sun Bear's fur is short and sleek. This adaptation is probably due to the lowland climates it inhabits. Dark black or brown-black fur covers its body, except on the chest, where there is a pale orange-yellow marking in the shape of a horseshoe. Similar colored fur can be found around the muzzle and the eyes. These distinctive markings give the Sun Bear its name.

The diet of the Sun Bear varies widely and includes small vertebrates, such as lizards, birds, and other mammals, in addition to fruits, eggs, termites, the young tips of palm trees, nests of bees, berries, sprouts, insects, roots, cocoa, and coconuts. Its powerful jaws can crack open nuts. Much of the Sun Bear's food must be detected using its keen sense of smell, as its sight is poor.

Snakes, A Human Enemy

Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears.

The skin of a snake is covered in scales. Contrary to the popular notion of snakes being slimy because of possible confusion of snakes with worms, snakeskin has a smooth, dry texture. Most snakes use specialized belly scales to travel, gripping surfaces.

All snakes are strictly carnivorous, eating small animals including lizards, other snakes, small mammals, birds, eggs, fish, snails or insects. Because snakes cannot bite or tear their food to pieces, a snake must swallow its prey whole. The body size of a snake has a major influence on its eating habits.

Zebra, A Unique White and Black Stripes

Zebras are known for their distinctive white and black stripes. Their stripes come in different patterns unique to each individual. The unique stripes and behaviors of zebras make these among the animals most familiar to people. They can be found in a variety of habitats, such as grasslands, savannas, woodlands, thorny scrublands, mountains and coastal hills.

Like horses, zebras walk, trot, canter and gallop. They are generally slower than horses but their great stamina helps them outpace predators. When chased, a zebra will zig-zag from side to side making it more difficult for the predator. When cornered the zebra will rear up and kick or bite its attacker.