Greyhound

Greyhounds are some of the fastest dogs on earth.

       The greyhound is a long, lean dog, distinguished by a long muzzle, very low forehead, short lips, thin and long legs, small muscles and contracted abdomen. There are several varieties, as the Irish, the Scottish, the Russian, the Italian and the Turkish. The common greyhound is universally known as the fleetest of dogs. The name appears to have no reference to the color, but is derived from the Icelandic - grey, a dog. The chief breeds are the Newmarket, the Lancashire and the Scotch.

More About Greyhound From The Web:

• Greyhound after the race - retirement and recreation
• Become a volunteer at a greyhound rescue center.
• Greyhound puppies play tug-of-war

Beaver: 12 Facts About

"As busy as a beaver." 

       The beaver is a small, furry animal, whose industry has passed into a proverb and has been the subject of many literary allusions. "As busy as a beaver" is a compliment to a man and a tribute to this little gnawing animal.

1. The beaver was once common in all northern latitudes, but trappers preyed incessantly upon it for its valuable fur, and it is now necessary to protect it by law in many places.
2. The beaver usually lives in North America, but it occurs solitary in central Europe and Asia.
3. It has short ears, a blunt nose, small forefeet, large webbed hind feet and a flat tail covered with scales on its upper surface.
4. The food of the beavers consists of the bark of trees, leaves, roots and berries. 
5. Their favorite haunts are rivers and lakes which are bordered by forests.
6. In winter they live in houses, about three feet high and seven feet across, substantially built of branches of trees and of mud, on the water's edge so that the entrance can be under water.
7. These dwellings are called beaver lodges, and each accommodates a single family.
8. The teeth of beavers are very strong, and they cut down quite large trees by gnawing around them.
9. Trees around them are felled for food, and also that their branches may be used in building their houses.
10. Beavers are most peculiar, in that sometimes many families work together in communities practically as one. If the stream on which they have located is not deep enough, or if the water does not cover land enough for them, the colony will unite and build an ingenious dam of wood, stones and mud across the stream.
11.  In the pond thus created, each member has its own home.
12. The beavers hold among animals somewhat the same position the bees have among insects, in this remarkable instinct of working in common.

More About Beavers From The Web:

• How Beavers Build Dams by PBS
• Rescue Beaver Loves Building Dams in His House
• Beavers As Engineers from the dollcoloringbook.blogspot

Baltimore O'riole

See the vivid colors of the o'riole from 

American Bird Conservancy

       Baltimore O'riole, Hangbird, Firebird, or Golden Robin, one of the most beautiful of the birds that nest in Northern United States, a relative of the blackbird. It is about seven inches long, has a black head and upper parts and brilliant orange under parts. It weaves a long, graceful, pouch-like nest, usually far out on the tip of a high limb, where it is shaded by overhanging leaves. The Baltimore oriole is a courageous bird, and is quite able to protect its nest from much stronger and larger birds. Its song is sweet and clear, and this, with its bright colors and its destructiveness to insects, makes it a great favorite with every one. It is called the Baltimore oriole because black and orange were the colors of Lord Baltimore.

More About Baltimore O'rioles From The Web:

• Wild Bird House - O'rioles Everywhere
• How to attract o'rioles
• Bird of the week: lcterus galbula or Baltimore o'rioles

Alpaca

The alpaca has soft silky wool.

        Alpaca, a cud-chewing animal of the camel tribe, a native of the Andes, especially of the mountains of Chile and Peru, and so closely allied to the llama that by some it is regarded rather as a smaller variety than a distinct species. It has been domesticated, and remains also in a wild state. In form and size the alpaca approaches the sheep, but it has a longer neck. It is valued chiefly for its long, soft and silky wool, which is straighter than that of the sheep, and very strong. The wool is woven into fabrics of great beauty. All of these are known as alpaca, and they are used for shawls, clothing for warm climates, coat-linings and umbrellas. The flesh of the alpaca is pleasant to eat and is wholesome. 

More About Alpacas From The Web:

• Cute Alpacas from The Cute Show
• Llamas vs. Alpacas by Wilderness Ridge Trail Llamas
• 8 Cute Alpaca Crafts from The Gingerbread House

Adder

       Adder a name given to certain poisonous vipers, as well as to certain harmless snakes. In the United States the term is applied to the copperhead and to the water moccasin, but in general, when the name is used without qualification, the adder of Great Britain, the only poisonous snake in the islands, is referred to.
       The puff adder or asp is a snake of South Africa whose bite is always fatal. The name is derived from the serpent's power of puffing out the upper part of its neck when irritated or alarmed. It is very thick and attains a length of four or five feet. The natives poison their arrows with its venom.

The Brave Crew teaches kids about the deadly puff adder!

Agouti

Agouti are found in South America and the West Indies.

       Agouti is the name of several rodents, forming a family by themselves. There are eight or nine species, all belonging to South America and the West Indies. The common agouti, or yellow-rumped cavy, is of the size of a rabbit. It burrows in the ground or in hollow trees, and lives on vegetables. It grunts like a pig, and is as greedy, so that where it is common it does much injury to crops. The agouti's flesh is white and palatable.

More About The Agouti From The Web:

• Meet The Agouti, The Giant Yet Lovable Rodent of The Amazon

Alligator: 14 Facts

Above are two crocodiles, American on top,
Chinese on bottom. 

The alligator a large reptile resembling the crocodile, dwelling in waters of tropical regions of the western hemisphere.

1. Alligators frequent swamps and marshes and may be seen during the day basking on the ground in the heat of the sun. 
2. Alligators are slow in growth and as they age, their growth rate slows down even more. Males are generally larger than females.
3. Nearly fifty years are required for them to reach their full, potential length.
4. They are active animals, and they prey upon whatever game comes their way. 
5. Whenever they have captured an animal, they take it into the water and eat below the surface. 
6. They are rather timid, in spite of their size, but defend themselves viciously if attacked. 
7. When on shore, they rush with open mouth at their enemies and thrash their powerful tails from side to side. 
8. The young are hatched by the sun from eggs, of which the female lays 200 or more in great heaps of vegetable matter.
9. The alligators of South America were very often called caymans. 
10. One species is known as the spectacled cayman, because of the high bony rim surrounding the orbit of each eye. 
11. In the United States the alligator is not often seen north of Florida, but at one time it was not uncommon from North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico. 
12. There are several alligator "farms" in Florida. 
13. Millions have been killed for sport and because of their hide and ivory. 
14. The flesh of the alligator is often eaten, and the leather made from its hide is beautiful and costly.

More Alligator Facts From The Web:

• Gator Fact Sheet (pdf.) by Savannah River Ecology Labroratory
• Alligator vs. Crocodiles by What Lurks Below
• Crocodiles, Gavials, Caimans, and Alligators
• Everglades National Park
• Alligator Farming: regulations by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Supperclass Tetrapoda: Class II Reptilia