The Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest terrestrial animal in the world and is a unique member of the cat family 'felidae'.The scientific name for a Cheetah is Acinonyx jubatus.The Cheetah appeared on Earth around 4 million years ago, well before the other big cats. … [Read more...]
Dog
A dog is a mammal in the order Carnivora.The history of dogs is an old tale indeed. You could say as long as there has been civilisation, there have been records of humans and dogs. Dogs were domesticated from wolves around 15,000 years ago. New evidence suggests that dogs … [Read more...]
Aardvark
The Aardvark (Orycteropus afer) ('Digging foot'), sometimes called 'antbear' is a medium-sized mammal native to Africa. The name comes from the Afrikaans/Dutch for 'earth pig', because early settlers from Europe thought it resembled a pig. However, the aardvark is not related to … [Read more...]
Whales
Whales belong to the order Cetacea which has 79 species, including Dolphins, Porpoises and Killer Whales (orcas).The name 'Whale' is quite a confusing term when classifying these large mammals. Some Whales that are called 'Whales' are not actually Whales. It can refer to all … [Read more...]
Bowhead Whale
Bowhead whales have robust bodies. They are dark-colored whales with no dorsal fin and a strongly bowed lower jaw and narrow upper jaw. Their baleen plates exceed three metres and are the longest of the baleen whales. Baleen plates are used to strain tiny prey from the water. … [Read more...]
Right Whales
Right Whales are baleen whales belonging to the family 'Balaenidae'. Three right whale species are recognized in the genus 'Eubalaena', while the Bowhead Whale, also a Right whale, is placed in its own genus, 'Balaena'.Right Whales can grow up to 18 metres (60 feet) long and … [Read more...]
Striped Dolphins
The Striped Dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) is an extensively studied dolphin that is found in temperate and tropical waters of all the worlds oceans. Striped Dolphins can be found in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, usually offshore, though sometimes in deeper waters closer … [Read more...]
Dolphins
Dolphins (Delphinidae) are aquatic mammals related to whales and porpoises and famous for their intelligence, apparent compassion and joy. There are almost 40 species of dolphin in 17 genera. Dolphins vary in size from 1.2 metres (4 feet) and 40 kilograms (88 pounds) (Maui's … [Read more...]
Atlantic Spotted Dolphins
The Atlantic Spotted Dolphin (Stenella frontalis) is a dolphin found in the Gulf Stream of the North Atlantic Ocean. Older members of the species have a very distinctive spotted coloration all over their body.The scientific name for an Atlantic Spotted Dolphin is Stenella … [Read more...]
Bottlenose Dolphins
The Bottlenose Dolphin is the most common and well-known dolphin species. It inhabits warm and temperate seas worldwide and may be found in all but the Arctic and the Antarctic Oceans. Bottlenose Dolphins prefer shallow, inshore waters and are commonly seen off the coasts of … [Read more...]