IGUANA

IGUANA

Photo :- google

Iguana  is a genus of herbivorous lizards that are native to tropical areas of Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.

TYPES

The green iguana, which is widespread throughout its range and a popular pet, and the Lesser Antillean iguana, which is native to the Lesser Antilles and endangered due to habitat destruction and hybridization with introduced green iguanas.

DIET

In the wild, they feed almost entirely on the leaves of trees and vines, fruits or flowers etc...

BITE

The teeth of an iguana are designed to rip at plant material but can still deliver painful bites to people and pets. They have extremely powerful jaws capable of exerting considerable pressure.

LIFESPAN

Captive iguanas often live to be 10-12 years old. 

POLAR BEAR

POLAR BEAR

Photo :- google

The polar bear is a hypercarnivorous bear whose native range lies largely within the Arctic Circle. A boar (adult male) weighs around 350–700 kg. Although most polar bears are born on land, they spend most of their time on the sea ice.

Because of their dependence on the sea ice, polar bears are classified as marine mammals. It is the only living marine mammal with powerful, large limbs and feet that allow them to cover miles on foot and run on land.

Compared with its closest relative, the brown bear, the polar bear has a more elongated body build and a longer skull and nose; the legs are stocky and the ears and tail are small.

The 42 teeth of a polar bear reflect its highly carnivorous diet. The cheek teeth are smaller and more jagged than in the brown bear, and the canines are larger and sharper. The polar bear has an extremely well developed sense of smell, being able to detect seals nearly 1.6 km.

ATTACKING SKILS

Polar bears  are very skilled hunters. Seals targeted as prey are usually not aware there is a polar bear in the vicinity until it attacks.

Although polar bears are masters of still hunting, they can reach speeds of 25 mph for short bursts. A polar bear approaches a seal quietly, then charges when he's within 50 to 100 feet of the seal. For this short distance, he can move so fast the seal doesn't have much time to react and reach the safety of the water.

DIET

Polar bears feed mainly on ringed and bearded seals. Depending upon their location, they also eat harp and hooded seals and scavenge on carcasses of beluga whales, walruses, narwhals, and bowhead whales. On occasion, polar bears kill beluga whales and young walruses.

When other food is unavailable, polar bears will eat just about any animal they can get, including reindeer, small rodents, seabirds, waterfowl, fish, eggs, vegetation (including kelp), berries, and human garbage.

LIFESPAN

Polar bears can live 20 to 30 years, but only a small percentage of polar bears live past 15 to 18 years. 

Mesopredator

Mesopredator

A mesopredator is a mid ranking predator in which typically preys on smaller animals. mesopredators often avoid areas claimed by top carnivores or alter their hunting and foraging patterns to reduce the chances of an encounter.

Apex predator

Apex predator

An apex predator is a predator at the top of a food chain, with no natural predators. Humans are the only threat to such apex predators on Earth. 

ELAND

ELAND

Photo :- google

The eland is the world’s largest and slowest antelope but they are great jumpers, despite their huge size, and can clear a two-metre fence with ease. Bulls of both species attain shoulder heights of 180 cm  and weigh nearly one ton.

The common eland is better adapted than cattle to the African environment, and is easily domesticated. It has been farmed for its meat and milk in both South Africa and Russia. A female can produce up to 7kg of milk per day, which is richer in fat than cow milk.

WILD TURKEY

WILD TURKEY

Photo :- google

The turkey is a large bird which is native to the Americas. The male is larger and much more colorful than the female. Wild turkeys have very good eyesight, but their vision is very poor at night.

The male turkey may be 130 cm long and weigh 10 kg. Wild turkeys have very powerful legs and can run at speeds up to 25 miles per hour. Their top speed in flight is 55 miles per hour.

Adult male turkeys are called toms and females are called hens and very young birds are poults.

TURKEY BEHAVIOUR IN WILD

Turkeys in the wild are far stronger and faster. Males in particular are driven to show physical aggression as a way to climb the social pecking order, and they sometimes view humans as potential competitors. 

When fighting off predators, turkeys may kick with their legs, using the spurs on their back of the legs as a weapon, bite with their beak.

DIET

They feed more on fruits, berries, seeds and insects.

LIFESPAN

The average lifespan of a wild turkey is 3-5 years.

AFRICAN ROCK PYTHON

AFRICAN ROCK PYTHON

( All photos collected from google )

The African rock python is a large, nonvenomous snake. The snake is found in a variety of habitats, from forests to near deserts, although usually near sources of water. Africa's largest snake species and one of the world's largest, the typical African rock python adult measures 3 to 3.5m in total length. Weights are reportedly in the range of 44 to 55 kg.

KILLING  OF VICTIM

After gripping the prey, the snake coils around it, tightening its coils every time the victim breathes out. Death is thought to be caused by cardiac arrest rather than by asphyxiation or crushing.

DIET

The African rock python feeds on a variety of large rodents, monkeys, warthogs, antelopes, fruit bats, monitor lizards, and even crocodiles in forest areas.

Rats, poultry, dogs, and goats in suburban areas.

LIFESPAN

African Rock Pythons can live to anywhere between 20-30 years.

Endangered Species

Endangered Species

A species of animal or plant that is seriously at risk of extinction.

A species can either be Extinct (EX) Extinct in the Wild (EW), Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), Vulnerable (V), Near Threatened (NT) or Least Concern (LC). The list applies mostly to CR, EN, and V species as per IUCN. 

Categories are assigned based on five criteria, a ( letters A through E )

A =  a population that is declining rapidly, even if it is currently large

B = a species inhabits a small geographic range and has declining population

C = a population is small and declining

D = a species has an extremely small population, and is susceptible to sudden changes in circumstance.

E = risk of extinction

Examples for endangered species is giant panda, tiger, whooping crane, blue whale, Asian elephant, sea otter, snow leopard, gorilla etc...

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park

American national park located in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. It was established in 1872. The park is known for its wildlife and its many geothermal features, especially Old Faithful  geyser, one of its most popular features. Yellowstone National Park spans an area of 3,468.4 square miles (8,983 km2) with comprising lakes, canyons, rivers and mountain ranges.

There are almost 60 species of mammals in the park, including the timber wolf, coyote, the threatened Canadian lynx, and grizzly bears. Other large mammals include the bison, black bear, elk, moose, mule deer, white-tailed deer, mountain goat, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and cougar. Over 1,700 species of trees and other vascular plants are native to the park. 

Gir National Park

Gir National Park

Photo :- Asiatic Lions in GIR

It was established in 1965 at Gujarat in India, with a total area of 1,412 km2, of which 258 km2 is fully protected as national park and 1,153 km2 as wildlife sanctuary. December to March is climatically best season to visit the park. It is the only area in Asia, where Asiatic lions occur, and is considered one of the most important protected areas in Asia.

The carnivores group mainly comprises the Asiatic lion, Indian leopard, jungle cat, striped hyena, Golden jackal, Indian grey mongoose and Ruddy mongoose, and honey badger. Desert cats  and rusty-spotted cats occur but are rarely seen.

The main herbivores of Gir are chital, nilgai, sambar, four-horned antelope, chinkara and wild boar. Blackbucks from the surrounding area are sometimes seen in the sanctuary.


Smaller mammals like, porcupine and hare are common, but the pangolin is rare. The reptiles are represented by the mugger crocodile, Indian cobra, tortoise and monitor lizard which inhabit the sanctuary's bodies of water. Snakes are found in the bush and forest. Pythons are sighted at times along the stream banks etc...


There 300 species of birds, most of which are resident. The scavenger group of birds has 6 recorded species of vultures. Some of the typical species of Gir include crested serpent eagle, endangered Bonelli's eagle, crested hawk-eagle, brown fish owl, Indian eagle-owl, rock bush-quail, Indian peafowl, brown-capped pygmy woodpecker, black-headed oriole, crested treeswift and Indian pitta. More than 400 plant species were recorded in Gir forest.

Muscular Looking Animals

Muscular Looking Animals

( All photos collected from google )

KANGAROO

KANGAROO

Kangaroos have large, powerful hind legs, large feet adapted for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. A large male can be 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall and weighs 90 kg (200 lb).

Peoples like kangaroo meats due to the low level of fat on kangaroos.

TYPES

1. Antilopine Kangaroo

2. Western Grey Kangaroo

3. Eastern Grey Kangaroo 

4. Red Kangaroo

DIET

Kangaroos have single-chambered stomachs. Kangaroos are herbivores. They eat grasses, flowers, leaves, ferns, moss and even insects. kangaroos regurgitate their food and re-chew it before it is ready to be totally digested.

LIFESPAN

It can live 8 to 12 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.

Arboreal

Arboreal

Arboreal habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some animals may scale trees only occasionally, but others are exclusively arboreal.

Fossorial

Fossorial

A fossorial is an animal adapted to digging which lives primarily, but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, and mole salamanders.

CARACAL

CARACAL

Caracal is highly secretive and difficult to observe that its activity at daytime might easily go unnoticed. The Caracal is capable of leaping into the air and knocking down 10-12 birds at one time. 

Its speed and agility make it an efficient hunter, able to take down prey two to three times its size The powerful hind legs allow it to leap more than 3 m in the air to catch birds on the wing..It can even twist and change its direction mid-air. It is an adroit climber. It stalks its prey until it is within 5 m, following which it can launch into a sprint.

The caracal is also commonly known as the Persian Lynx or African Lynx despite the fact that the caracal is not a lynx at all.

DIET

Caracals prey on a variety of mammals, with the most common being rodents, hares, hyraxes, and small antelope.

LIFESPAN

The average lifespan of the caracal in captivity is nearly 16 years.

BOBCAT

BOBCAT

Photo :- google

The bobcat is an adaptable predator that inhabits wooded areas, as well as semidesert, urban edge, forest edge, and swampland environments. Bobcat activities are confined to well-defined territories, which vary in size depending on the sex and the distribution of prey.

DIET

Though the bobcat prefers rabbits and hares, it hunts insects, chickens, geese and other birds, small rodents, and deer.

LIFE SPAN

The average bobcat lifespan is 7 years long and rarely exceeds 10 years.