Animal Profiles

Hippopotamus
Mammal. The hippopotamus, whose name means river horse, is a
distant relative of the pig. Water is the center of a hippo's life, with
hundreds of hippos sharing the same water territory. Since they are
born underwater, baby hippos have to swim the moment they are
born. Female hippos are known to babysit a group of other females'
infants. Although the sweat of a hippo is red and resembles blood, it
is actually an oil that keeps the skin moist. Hippos are amblers
when they walk, that is, the legs on the same side of the body move
together. A hippo's mouth opens 1.2 meters (4 feet) wide.

Goatfish
Fish. Spotted goatfish swim in small
schools, constantly foraging by
around coral reefs. They use two
barbels, located under the tip of their
hiding in the sand. Very active fish,
keep up their energy. When they
rapidly change color from mostly
reddish-brown. In late spring, pairs are
circles during spawning. Goatfish
about 30 cm (1 ft).

Octopus
Mollusk. The common octopus is a master of camouflage, changing
shape and color at will. Octopuses often match their surroundings to
the point of becoming invisible while motionless. To cover
movements and confuse predators, they release a cloud of dark ink,
called sepia, gaining time to escape. Common octopuses have an
arm span of 3 meters (10 feet). Because they have no bones,
octopuses can squeeze into the tiniest places. They are very
intelligent. In laboratory studies, scientists have observed that the
octopus can figure out mazes and puzzles. There are more than 100
octopus species in the world.

Dollar Sunfish

Fish. As beautiful as any tropical fish, the dollar sunfish is found

in the back waters, swamps and small ponds of the southeastern
part of the United States. The name sunfish refers to its bright,
sunny colors. Throughout the southern US all sunfish are
referred to as bream or brim because early American settlers
thought they resembled a flat-bodied European species called a
bream. Mature males have iridescent blue spots and markings

nuzzling the sea bottom

fleshy whiskers called
chin, to search for prey
they need to eat often to
become inactive, they
white to mottled red to a
seen rising in steep looping
grow to a maximum of

and are more colorful than the females. Sunfish have a strong homing instinct and return to
spawn in the same vicinity each year.

Unicorn Fish
Fish. Mainly active in daytime, unicorn fish roam in groups
feeding on algae. They are closely related to tangs and
surgeonfish and can grow to around 51-61 cm (20-24 in). The
horn-like appendage between their eyes begins growing when a
young fish reaches about 13 cm (5 in) in length, and tends to be
a little bigger on males. They are generally not aggressive to
each other, but when they do fight they use sharp scalpels by
their tails as weapons, not their horns. Their skin is smooth and
less susceptible to skin diseases than that of other tangs. They
prefer water temperatures of 24 to 26 degrees C (75-79 F).

Animal Profiles
Kodiak Brown Bear
Mammal. Kodiak brown bears are a unique subspecies of the brown
bear. They are the largest of all bears in stature, but polar bears can
be heavier. The male grows larger than the female, rising up to 1.5
meters (5 feet) high on all fours and reaching up to 3 meters (10
feet) high when standing on two legs. If threatened, a charging
brown bear can reach a speed of 48 kilometers (30 miles) per hour.
Brown bears are omnivorous and depend upon their keen sense of
smell, more than their hearing or sight, to locate food or inspect
their surroundings. They hibernate during the coldest months,
emerging again in spring.

Leopard
Mammal. The leopard has the widest distribution of all wild cats
and is the most adaptable of the big cats. Leopards can run up
to 60 kilometers (37 miles) per hour, but will not chase prey for
long distances. Consequently, they can lose their meal to lions,
hyenas and wild dogs. Leopards are thought to be seven times
stronger than human beings and they can haul a carcass three
times their weight. They store the carcass in a tree or rocky
outcropping to protect their food supply from other predators.
Leopards are famous for their ability to go undetected because
of their spotted coloration. Black
leopards are called panthers.

Giraffe

Mammal. The giraffe is the tallest

as 5.5 meters (18 feet). Although
longer, giraffes have only seven
number as most mammals. The
produce double the blood pressure of
order to pump blood all the way up
the wild, giraffes almost never lie
vulnerability to predators. They
sometimes sitting, and they give
giraffes sleep, they curl their necks
minutes at a time, sleeping no more than 30 minutes a day.

White Rhinoceros
Mammal. The white rhinoceros is the second largest land
mammal in the world, after the elephant. White rhinos can
weigh over 2,000 kilograms (2 tons) and stand as tall as 1.8
meters (6 feet). There were once over 30 species of rhino, but
today there are only five and all are endangered. White
rhinoceros are calmer and more sociable than other species of
rhino, and they often live in small, territorial groups. Females
and juveniles are rarely alone. Rhinos communicate using a wide
variety of sounds, including grunts, growls, snorts, squeaks and
bellows. Because of their hump, white rhinos cannot swim.

Animal Profiles
Jaguar
Mammal. The largest cat of the Americas, the jaguar has become a
symbol of power, strength, and beauty. Once worshipped as a god,
the jaguar's name comes from a native American word meaning
the killer that takes its prey in a single bound. Jaguars' skill in
hunting is partly due to their extremely strong jaws. Jaguars make a
variety of sounds, including roaring, mewing, and grunting. They
are excellent swimmers, and they enjoy being in the water. While

mammal, reaching as high

their necks are much
vertebrae, the same
giraffe's heart has to
most large mammals in
to the animal's brain. In
down because of
usually sleep standing,
birth standing up. When
and sleep for about five

they do most of their stalking on the ground, they are also skilled at climbing and fishing. Like
black leopards, black jaguars are called panthers.

Dragonfly
Insect. Dragonflies first lived 300 million years ago, and predate
dinosaurs by more than 100 million years and birds by some 150
million. They had wingspans up to 61 centimeters (24 inches).
Dragonflies spend only a very short part of their lives as flying
insects. Instead they live as nymphs (wingless, immature form)
for up to four years, shedding their skin as much as fifteen
times, finally maturing into adults who will survive only a few
months. They can fly up to 97 kilometers (60 miles) per hour
and are able to make lightning stops and starts, and instant
right-angle turns.

Fulgorid
Insect. Fulgorids are the largest of the planthoppers. They are
characterized by wavy, filamentous tails and elaborate head
protuberances. There are more than 12,000 fulgorid species.
They are avid plant juice suckers. A portion of their digestive
systems serves as a filter chamber that processes large volumes
of plant sap. The excess water, sugar, and certain amino acids
bypass the midgut and pass into the hindgut, eventually
excreted as honeydew. In exchange for this honeydew, many
species of ants care for and protect
the fulgorid.

Flower Loving Fly

Insect. At 2.5 centimeters (1 inch)
flower loving fly is one of the largest
like hummingbirds, flower-loving flies

long, the Delhi-sands

flies in the world. Hovering
use their long, tubular

proboscis (a flexible feeding tube that is an extension of the mouth) to extract nectar from
the flowers of native plants. Although they may live longer than two years, these flies spend
most of their life as larvae burrowed in the sand. After emerging as flies, they live for only a
few weeks. During this short time, they feed, mate, and lay eggs. The Delhi-sands flower
loving fly exists in only 12 known populations in California, US.

Praying Mantis

Insect. There are approximately 1,800 species of praying mantis

in the world. Their most striking feature is the grasping front
legs that look like they are praying, and are well-designed for
grabbing and holding prey. Harmless to humans, this insect
actually helps farmers by eating insects that destroy crops. Their
eggs are laid in masses that can include hundreds of eggs and
are often insulated with a foamy material that protects them
over winter.

Animal Profiles
Oedemera
Insect. The oedemera is a small beetle, only reaching 1 cm (.4 in) in
length. Oedemeras love flowers and are particularly active on hot,
sunny days. It is easy to tell males and females apart because the
males have extra large thighs, making them look quite muscular.
Larvae develop in the stems of old plants. Beetles have two sets of
wings. Their elytra wings make a hard shell partially protecting
their flying wings. Their metallic coloring is in the elytra. In order
to fly, the beetles must raise the elytra to free up their flying wings.
The oedemera's scientific name means noble oedemera.