The word “animal” comes from the Latin animalis, meaning ‘having breath’, ‘having soul’ or ‘living being’. The biological definition includes all members of the kingdom Animalia. In colloquial usage, the term animal is often used to refer only to nonhuman animals.
Animals are categorised into ecological groups depending on how they obtain or consume organic material, including carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, detritivores, and parasites.
The first fossils that might represent animals appear in the 665-million-year-old rocks of the Trezona Formation of South Australia. These fossils are interpreted as most probably being early sponges.
The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived, weighing up to 190 tonnes and measuring up to 33.6 metres (110 ft) long.
The largest extant terrestrial animal is the African bush elephant, weighing up to 12.25 tonnes and measuring up to 10.67 metres (35.0 ft) long.
The giraffe is the tallest mammal in the world at an average height of around 5 m (16-18 ft.), with even new-born babies being taller than most humans.
Tigers are the largest members of the cat family and are renowned for their power and strength.
The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world, reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h. They can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in just 3 seconds.
Sloths are a medium-sized mammal. They are weird looking characterized by slow movement in the trees. In fact sloth is the slowest mammal on Earth.
Camels can survive a 40% weight loss and then drink up to 145 liters (32 gallons) of water in one drinking session!
The Serengeti wildebeest migration is a truly spectacular event. Over two million wildebeest, zebras and gazelles move through the Serengeti and Masai Mara ecosystems in search of green pasture, in a regular pattern. This is surely one of the greatest wonders of the natural world and is recognized as one of the “Seven Wonders of the Natural World.”
African lions are the most social of all big cats and live together in groups or “prides.” Although extremely large prides, consisting of up to 30 individuals, have been observed, the average pride consists of five or six females, their cubs of both sexes, and one or two males (known as a coalition if more than one) who mate with the adult females.
Leopards are astoundingly strong. They are pound for pound the strongest of the big cats.This means if all the big cats where the same size and weight, the leopard would be the strongest.
The jaguar has the strongest bite force of any cat and the strongest bite of any mammal. With that bite force, jaguars will crunch down on bones and eat them. In fact, in the zoo, bones are part of a jaguars’ regular diet.
When rhinos are happy, they make a loud “mmwonk” sound with their mouths.
You can tall whether is African or Asian species of elephant by the shape of their ears. Two species from Africa have large ears shaped like the continent of Africa while Asian species have smaller ears shaped like India.
There are 2 widely recognized species of wolves in the world, the red and the gray. However, there is debate over how many species of wolf exist and if there are different subspecies of the gray wolf.
There are four different kangaroo species, the red kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, western grey kangaroo and antilopine kangaroo. Kangaroo can leap the distance of 9 meters (30 feet) and 3 meters (10 feet) in height.
Koalas are not bears. They are not placental or ‘eutherian’ mammals, but marsupials, which means that their young are born immature & they develop further in the safety of a pouch. It’s incorrect to call them ‘Koala bears’ – their correct name is simply ‘Koalas’.
The giant panda’s black and white coat and prominent black eye patches have made it one of the best known species, although it is among the shyest and rarest animals in the world.
During hibernation, the bear’s metabolism slows down, its body temperature decreases slightly, and its heart rate slows from a normal value of 55 to just 9 beats per minute.
In the 1950s, snow monkeys of the mountainous Shiga Heights region, took advantage of a beneficial environmental change: humans altered the temperature of some volcanic hot springs to make the water more comfortable for bathers. The snow monkeys, taking a cue from their human cousins, began to partake in the hot tub experience.
Beavers are second only to humans in their ability to manipulate and change their environment.
Native Americans consider the bald eagle and the golden eagle to be sacred.
Scientists aren’t sure why do flamingos stand on one leg.There is less heat lost through the leg if it is tucked next to the bird’s body – however, this behavior is also seen in hot climates. Another explanation is more mundane: it’s probably a comfortable position for standing.
The world’s largest snake, the reticulated python (Python reticulatus), can grow to a whopping 10.5 meters (33 feet).
Reaching 3 meters (10 feet) in length and more than 135 kilograms (300 pounds), Komodo dragons are the largest lizards on Earth.
The smallest frog is the gold frog (Psyllophryne didactyla), which is a tiny 1 centimeters (0.39 inches) long and only about 1 gram (0.035 ounce).
The Hummingbird got their name because of the unique humming sound they make with their wings during flight. Each species creates a different humming sound, depending on the speed of its wing beats.
Monarch butterflies are known for the incredible mass migration that brings millions of them to California and Mexico each winter. North American monarchs are the only butterflies that make such a massive journey— up to 5,000 km (3,100 mile).
Dolphins make sounds that travel underwater, bounce off something, and then return to the dolphins as echoes. This sophisticated echolocation allows dolphins to find food or avoid predators, even in dark or murky water.
Octopuses have 3 hearts and their blood is blue in color.
Animals have been the subjects of art from the earliest times, both historical, as in Ancient Egypt, and prehistoric, as in the cave paintings at Lascaux.
Major animal paintings include Albrecht Dürer’s 1515 The Rhinoceros, and George Stubbs’s c. 1762 horse portrait Whistlejacket.
Insects, birds and mammals play roles in literature and film, such as in giant bug movies.
Animals including insects and mammals feature in mythology and religion. In both Japan and Europe, a butterfly was seen as the personification of a person’s soul, while the scarab beetle was sacred in ancient Egypt.
Among the mammals, cattle, deer, horses, lions, bats, bears, and wolves are the subjects of myths and worship. The signs of the Western and Chinese zodiacs are based on animals.