Sun spiders range from about 0.4 to 2 in. in length and are generally uniform in color. They are usually yellow, brown or black, though a few species have patterns. The solpugids are hairy and have spider-like features. They have two closely placed median eyes and eight legs. … [Read more...]
Animals in North America
The North American continent is one of the world's seven continents. It is located in the Northern Hemisphere and is made up of three countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. The continent has a total area of 24,709,000 square kilometers (9,500,000 sq mi) and a population of over 538 million people.
This continent is bounded by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, and the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico to the south. The climate of North America varies from region to region. In general, the further north you go the colder it becomes, and the further south you go the warmer it becomes.
The geography of North America is very diverse, with mountains, forests, deserts, and rivers. The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range that runs through the western United States and Canada.
Other notable mountain ranges include the Appalachian Mountains in the east and the Sierra Nevada in the west.
North America also has many large forests, including the boreal forest in Canada and the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest.
Many animals are native to North America. Some of these animals include the grizzly bear, the black bear, the elk, the moose, the white-tailed deer, and the American bison.
Many different types of birds can be found in North America, such as the bald eagle, the golden eagle, the Canadian goose, and the American robin.
Magpie
Magpies belong to the family Corvidae, which also contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers. There are four genera of magpies, although magpies in the genus Pica are most well known. These birds are known for being mainly black and … [Read more...]
Tundra Swan
The tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus) is a small swan with two taxa found in the northern hemisphere. These taxa are often considered to be the same species, but are sometimes split into two species: Bewick's swan (Cygnus bewickii) and the whistling swan (C. … [Read more...]
Drywood Termites
Drywood termites belong to the family Kalotermitidae, which includes 21 genera and 419 species of termites. Drywood termites can be found worldwide throughout the tropics. Drywood termites infest dry wood and often establish nests in roof materials and wooden wall supports and … [Read more...]
Slug
Slug, also known as land slug, is a common name used for any terrestrial gastropod mollusk that doesn’t have a shell, has just a small internal shell, or a very reduced shell. Slugs have soft bodies, which is actually just one big muscle in the stomach area that can be used for … [Read more...]
Seagull
Gulls, known colloquially as seagulls, belong to the seabird family Laridae. There are 10 genera of gulls, and they are most closely related to the terns (family Sternidae) and only distantly related to auks, skimmers and even more distantly to waders.Gull have a worldwide … [Read more...]
Turkey Vulture
The Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) has a featherless red head and the flight feathers are a silvery gray. Turkey Vultures have a naked head. This prevents any feathers on the head from getting fouled by the carrion that they eat. Head feathers are very difficult to clean. Early … [Read more...]
Cooper’s Hawk
The Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) is a forest dwelling hawk. They eat mostly smaller ground dwelling birds but also some small mammals and reptiles. They have short wings and long tails that make them agile flyers in wooded terrain.Cooper's Hawks nest in coniferous … [Read more...]
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) can be seen all over most of the North American continent searching for food or just having fun playing on the updrafts.Red-tailed Hawks are generalists. They eat mostly small rodents but also eat some smaller rabbits, snakes, lizards, … [Read more...]
Snow Goose
The snow goose (Anser caerulescens) is a species of goose native to North America. It breeds north of the timberline in Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and the northeastern tip of Siberia, and spend winters in warm parts of North America from southwestern British Columbia through … [Read more...]