Animal Facts10 Interesting animals

Photos by Melissa Morro

Ring-tailed Lemur

Ring-tailed lemurs are unmistakable because of their long, vividly striped, black-and-white tail. They are residents of many zoos.Lemurs use their hands and feet to move through the trees, but cannot grip with their tails.

Red Panda The red panda is often unknown because of the black-and-white giant that shares its name. These pandas typically grow to the size of a house cat, though their big, bushy tails add an additional 18 inches. The pandas use their ringed tails as wraparound blankets in the chilly mountain heights.

Bengal TigerTigers are the largest members of the cat family and are known for their power and strength. Despite their fearsome reputation, most tigers avoid humans; however, a few do become dangerous man-eaters. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 60 pounds in one night, though they usually eat less.

Polar BearPolar bears roam the Arctic ice sheets and swim in that region's coastal waters. They are very strong swimmers, and their large front paws are slightly webbed to help them paddle. Some polar bears have been seen swimming hundreds of miles from land, but they usually cover most of that distance by floating on sheets of ice.

Lioness

Female lions are the pride's primary hunters. They often work together to prey upon antelopes, zebras, wildebeest, and other large animals of the open grasslands. Many of these animals are faster than lions, so the ladies teamwork pays off.

GiraffeGiraffes use their height to good advantage and browse on leaves and buds in treetops that few other animals can reach. Even the giraffe's tongue is long! The 21-inch tongue helps them pluck tasty morsels from branches. A giraffe eats hundreds of pounds of leaves each week and must travel miles to find enough food.

Orca (Killer Wale)Orcas, are one of the world's most powerful predators. They eat marine mammals like seals, sea lions, and even whales. Their teeth can be four inches long. They use echolocation to communicate and hunt, making sounds that travel underwater until they encounter objects, then bounce back, revealing their location, size, and shape.

Brown BearAdult brown bears are powerful, top-of-the-food chain predators, but much of their diet consists of nuts, berries, fruit, leaves, and roots. Bears also eat other animals, from rodents to moose. Despite their enormous size, brown bears are extremely fast, having been clockedat speeds of 30 miles per hour. They can be dangerous to humans, particularly if surprised or if a person gets between a mother bear and her cubs. The world's largest brown bears are found in coastal British Columbia and Alaska.

BaboonLike other Old World monkeys, baboons do not have gripping tails, so they spend much of their time on the ground. They can however climb trees to sleep, eat, or look out for trouble. Males use shows of physical power to

dominate rivals, and troop members spend endless hours carefully grooming one another to remove insects and dead skin. Baboons use at least ten different and unique vocalizations to communicate with other members of the troop.