Critters

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 Giraffe Facts
* Their average lifespan is 25 years
* They can grow up to 19 feet tall
* An adult can weigh anywhere between 1,750 lbs. and 4,000 lbs.
* Their neck alone weighs 550 lbs.
* They are the world’s tallest mammal
* They can run up to 35 miles per hour
* Their tongue is nearly 2 feet long
* Their tongue is black
* They can go long periods without drinking water
* No two giraffes have the same spot pattern
* They only sleep in increments ranging from 1 – 12 minutes, in total on average they sleep 1.9 hours a day
* Male giraffes are known to neck wrestle
* They have excellent eyesight
* The term giraffe means “one who walks swiftly”
* An adult’s heart weighs 24 lbs. on average
* They sleep and give birth standing upright
* When a calf is born they fall 6 feet to the ground
* They have been known to eat 140 lbs of leaves a day
* The giraffe has been portrayed in art as early as the year 1486
* “Giraffes are one of the few species of mammal to perceive color” (www.giraffelearningzone.com)
* They were originally thought to be the result of a camel and leopard mating

REFERENCES
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/giraffe.html
http://www.randomgiraffefacts.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giraffe

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Flamingo Facts
* They are omnivores
* They can grow up to 4 feet tall
* Their average wingspan extends 5 feet across
* Adults weigh around 9 lbs.
* When in a group they are referred to as a colony
* They swim extremely well
* It takes a baby flamingo two years for their feathers to turn from gray to pink
* Their pink color is a direct result of the carotenoid pigment in the food they eat
* The world flamingo is derived from the Latin word for flame
* They can live up to 20 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity
* Their eyes are larger then their brains
* They are defenseless
* What many believe to be their knees are actually their ankles
* They are very social animals
* They are known for their dancing
* They stand on one leg to conserve body heat
* They have evolved over the past 30 million years
* They can drink water at temperatures nearing the boiling point
* They have great eyesight
* They have a poor sense of smell
* They have been known to fly 373 miles in a single night
* They communicate through squawks, honks, grunts, and growls
* Ancient Romans considered flamingo tongue a delicacy
* Their beak contains a filter which allows them to remove food from the
water
* They use their legs and webbed feet to stir food up from the bottom of shallow waters

REFERENCES
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/greater-flamingo.html
http://www.geocities.com/flamingo22701/flamingo_facts.html
http://www.flamingopinkinc.com/flamingofacts.htm

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Elephant Facts
* There are two types, African Elephants and Asian Elephants
* African elephants are the largest land animals on Earth
* They can live up to 70 years
* They are herbivores
* They can grow up to 13 feet tall
* They can weigh up to 14,000 lbs.
* They are considered a threatened species
* Their ears radiate heat to keep their body temperature cooler
* Their trunk contains 100,000 different muscles and serves as a nose, a hand, a foot, and a signaling device
* They use their tusks to dig for food and water
* The largest tusk ever found weighed 214 lbs. and was 11.5 feet long
* They eat for 16 hours a day
* They can eat up to 300 lbs. of food a day
* They need anywhere between 30 gallons and 50 gallons of water every day
* At birth, a baby elephant weighs 200 lbs.
* Pads on their feet allow them to walk in absolute silence
* Their main form of communication is through grunts, purrs, bellows, whistles and trumpeting
* Similar to cows an elephant male = a bull, a female = a cow, and a baby = a calf
* They walk at a pace of around 4 mph
* They have poor sight and poor hearing
* They have the largest brain in the entire animal kingdom
* “The elephant is distinguished by its high level of intelligence, interesting behavior, methods of communication and complex social structure” (www.outofafrica.com)
* “Elephants demonstrate concern for members of their families they take care of weak or injured members and appear to grieve over a dead companion” (www.outofafrica.com)

REFERENCES
www.nationalgeographic.com
http://www.outtoafrica.nl/animals/engelephant.html
http://www.facts-about.org.uk/animals-elephants.html

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Dugong Facts
* They are herbivores
* They can live up to 70 years
* They can grow up to 10 feet
* They can weigh anywhere from 510 lbs to 2,000 lbs
* When in a group they are referred to as a herd
* They are a threatened species and considered endangered
* They are related to the manatee and elephant
* They can stay underwater for up to six minutes
* They can stand on their tail
* They are the inspiration behind ancient tales of mermaids and sirens
* Dugong is derived from the Malay language and means “lady of the sea”
* Their nickname is the sea cow
* They can reach a swim speed of up to 15.5 mph
* They have been heavily hunted for their meat, hide, and oil
* They were referenced in the Bible
* Males have two tusks
* They have poor vision
* They have acute hearing and a strong sense of smell
* They have extremely dense bones, which act as a ballast to keep them afloat
* They must find fresh water sources for drinking
* They are found in the waters of 43 different countries
* They prefer to live in warm shallow water

REFERENCES
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/dugong.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugong
http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw_southern_africa/save_animals/other/dugong.php

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Capybara Facts
* They are the largest living rodent
* The scientific name is derived from a Greek word meaning “water hog”
* The common name translates as the “master of the grasses” in
the language of the Guarani Indians
* An adult can weigh anywhere from 75lbs. to 140lbs.
* They can grow up to 4.5 feet long
* A now extinct version of the capybara grew up to 8 times the average size
* They can live anywhere from 8 to 15 years
* They have webbed feet
* They are expert swimmers and divers
* They can hold their breathe for up to 5 minutes
* They can sleep underwater with just their nostrils above water
* They are herbivores
* They are found in Central and South America
* They are hunted for their meat and hide
* They have a scent gland on their nose that they use to mark their territory
* They are extremely prone to sunburn
* They eat their own feces for its bacterial element, which in turns
aids in the digestive process
* Their two front teeth never stop growing
* A baby capybara is called a pup
* They can be taught to sit, stay, and beg

REFERENCES
www.encyclopedia.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capybara

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http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/baboon.html

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Armadillo Facts
* There are a total of 20 varieties
* Only one variety can roll itself into a ball
* Armadillo in Spanish means the “little armored one”
* They sleep up to 16 hours a day
* Their lifespan is from 12-15 years
* They are classified as a mammal
* They are the only mammal with a shell
* They are omnivores
* They can weigh anything from 3oz. to 120lbs.
* One variety has been known to grow up to 3 feet long
* They have been nicknamed the “Hillbilly Speed Bump”
* They are considered a threatened species
* They can eat up to 40,000 ants in one meal
* They give birth to four perfect quadruplets
* They can swim underwater for up to six minutes
* They are known to carry leprosy and rabies
* When frightened they jump straight into the air
* The German word for armadillo means “Little Pig”
* They are cousins to the three toed sloth and the anteater
* “In 1728, The King of England, George II, was given an
armadillo as a present. He called it an “Indian Monster”
and gave it hard boiled eggs to eat” (ezinearticles.com)

REFERENCES:
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/armadillo.html
http://www.dilloscape.com/
http://http://www.armadillolearningzone.com/armadillo-facts.php
http://ezinearticles.com/?Six-Unkanny-Facts-About-Armadillos&id=536474