A Trip to the Zoo

1. A A Trip to the Zoo A Trip to the Zoo “Hi! I’m Professor Zooman and welcome to my zoo animal information center! Just click on the animal you want to know about and get all the information you need! Have fun!” alligator rhino lion chimp tiger giraffe elephant hippo zebra bear

2. American Alligator Alligators have broad, flat, and rounded snouts, as opposed to the longer, sharper snouts of other crocodilians; also unlike other crocodilians, their lower teeth cannot be seen when their mouths are closed. Alligators feed on fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, birds, mammals, and carrion. They are also known to attack humans. Alligators have broad, flat, and rounded snouts, as opposed to the longer, sharper snouts of other crocodilians; also unlike other crocodilians, their lower teeth cannot be seen when their mouths are closed. Alligators feed on fish, frogs, snakes, turtles, birds, mammals, and carrion. They are also known to attack humans. -Back-

3. Lions Lions have long, muscular bodies and large heads. The male grows to 10 ft long (including the tail) and 3 ft high, and it weighs up to 500 lb. The mane sometimes extends to the shoulders and belly. Captive lions have longer, fuller manes. The smaller, equally muscular females are of the same tawny color but lack manes. Both sexes have hooked claws and wide, powerful jaws. The lions’ roar is usually uttered before they hunt in the evening and again in the early morning. -Back-

4. Siberian Tiger The very rare Siberian tiger ranges as far north as the Arctic Circle. A big male measures 13 ft long, including the tail, and weighs 700 lbs. It has thick yellow fur with dark stripes.The tiger is a solitary animal, males and females coming together only at mating time. The litter usually numbers two or three cubs, which stay with the mother into their second year. The diet is varied, including deer, cattle, snakes and termites.The Siberian tiger has been declared endangered. -Back-

5. Bear Bears are closely related to pandas, raccoons, and dogs. They have heavy bodies, a short tail and short, rounded ears and a hind foot with five toes. The crushing molars of bears are believed to be an adaptation for a plant diet. Bears are classified as carnivores, the different species vary widely in their feeding habits. For example, the polar bear feeds almost exclusively on seals, but may also graze on vegetation; the grizzly eats grasses, herbs, berries, and nuts as well as living or dead animals. -Back-

6. Rhinoceros The rhino has one or two horns on the snout, composed of keratin, a protein found in hair. They are used mostly for digging up bulbs that, with grass and other foliage, make up the food of the animal. The rhino has a big body and short legs. The skin is rough, thick and gray or brown in color. Some species, marked by folds at the neck and limbs appear to be covered with armor plates. The vision of the rhino is poor, but this is compensated for by a good sense of smell and hearing. -Back-

7. Chimpanzee Chimp faces are pink or black, and the bodies are covered with long black hair. Their opposable thumbs and toes help them grasp objects easily. Chimpanzees walk on all four limbs, although they can also walk upright for short distances. Standing approximately 4 ft. high, males weigh between 90 and 120 pounds, while females weigh between 60 and 110 pounds. An estimated 100,000 to 200,000 chimpanzees remain in the wild, and they are endangered.. -Back-

8. Elephant The elephant is the largest living land mammal, and during the Pleistocene period roamed every landmass except Australia and Antarctica. The boneless, muscular trunk is actually a long upper lip and nose used to bring grasses, leaves, and water to the mouth. Today’s elephants eat as much as 495 lbs of leaves / grass a day and drink as much as 50 gal. of water, using their trunk and squirting it into the mouth. The trunk is also used to trumpet calls, pull down trees, rip off foliage, and draw up dust for dust bathing.. -Back-

9. Giraffe Giraffe inhabit the dry south of the Sahara. A male stands close to 16 ft. and with its 15 in. tongue is able to reach high into trees. Like most mammals, it has only seven neck vertebrae, which are much longer to support its long, muscular neck. Giraffes have brown blotches against a buff background, markings that blend with the shadows of tree branches. As giraffes age, their color grows a darker brown. Each animal has a unique set of markings. A giraffe’s life span is 15 to 20 years. -Back-

10. Hippopotamus Found only in Africa, hippos (also called river horses) are heavy, short-legged, short-tailed animals, resembling pigs more than horses. Their nostrils have special flaps that close down when the animal goes underwater. The hippo is semi-aquatic, spending most of the day with only its eyes, ears, and nostrils above the surface of a river, and it can remain underwater for as long as 25 minutes. During the day it often swims more than 25 miles in search of food, emerging at night to feed on land plants. -Back-

11. Zebra The zebra is a striped mammal native to Africa and belongs to the same family as the horse and donkey. It is smaller than the horse and resembles the wild donkey, having a short, spikey mane, large ears, and a tufted tail. The stripes, which distinguish this animal from other members of the horse family, serve as protective coloration in its natural habitat. The chief enemy of the zebra is the lion. It is also hunted by Africans for the hide. Zebras can be trained to work in harness and are popular animals in zoos and circuses. -Back-