Land Animals | Worldwide Animals

Land Animals

The lion is an amazing animal that appears as a symbol of power, courage and excellence on family crests, and national flags in many civilizations. Generally, dark yellow lions, like other species, tend to be lighter in color in hot, desert areas and darker in areas of dense vegetation. Mature male lions are unique among the cat species for the thick mane of brown or black hair that encircles the head and neck. The tails of lions end in a horny spine covered with a tuft of hair. Lions are also the laziest of all the big cats they spend 16-20 hours sleeping and resting. Hunting enables lions to take prey as large as wildebeests, zebras, buffaloes, young elephants, rhinos, hippos, mice, lizards, tortoises, warthogs, antelopes, crocodile, and giraffes, any of which can provide several meals for the lion. Litters consist of two or three cubs that weigh about 3 pounds each. Some mothers carefully nurture the young, others may neglect or abandon them, especially when food is scarce. Usually two or more females in a pride give birth about the same time, and the cubs are raised together. A lioness will permit cubs other than her own to suckle, sometimes enabling a neglected infant to survive. Lions become fully grown between 5-6 years and normally live about 13 years.

Giraffes are the world's tallest mammals, thanks to their towering legs and long necks. A giraffe's legs alone are taller than many humans—about 6 feet (1.8 meters). These long legs allow giraffes to run as fast as 35 miles (56 kilometers) an hour over short distances and stroll comfortably at 10 miles (16 kilometers) an hour over longer distances. Typically, these intriguing animals roam the open grasslands in small groups of about half a dozen.

Zebras have horselike bodies, but their manes are made of short, erect hair, their tails are tufted at the tip and their coats are striped. Zebras have shiny coats that will burn up over 70 percent of incoming heat, and some scientists believe the stripes help the animals withstand intense solar radiation. The black and white stripes are a form of camouflage called disruptive glow that breaks up the outline of the body. Although the pattern is visible during daytime, at dawn or in the evening when their predators are most active, zebras look indistinct and may confuse predators by distorting true distance.

Beavers are almost always busy, they turn their talents to reengineering the landscape as few other animals can. When sites are available, beavers burrow in the banks of rivers and lakes. But they also transform less suitable habitats by building dams. Felling and gnawing trees with their strong teeth and powerful jaws, they create massive log, branch, and mud structures to block streams and turn fields and forests into the large ponds that beavers love.

The rhinoceros is a large mammal that in fact dates from the Miocene era millions of years ago. In recent decades rhinos have been relentlessly hunted to the point of near extinction. Since 1970 the rhino population has decreased by 90 percent, with five species remaining in the world today, all of which are endangered. The white rhino's name derives from the Dutch "weit," meaning wide, a reference to its wide, square muzzle for grazing. The white rhino, which is actually gray, has a hump on it's neck and a long face. The black, or hooked-lipped, rhino, along with all other rhino species, is an odd-toed ungulate (three toes on each foot). It has a thick, hairless, gray hide. Both the black and white rhino have two horns, the longer of which sits at the front of the nose.

Gorillas fit into the category of primates, and they are the largest of all of primates found in the world. There are only two species of them left in the world - the Eastern gorilla and the Western gorilla. Each one has a couple of subspecies as well that helps to further break them down into smaller groups. Many people are fascinated with gorillas due to the fact that they have so many characteristics of humans. However, that is one of the reasons why so many are upset over these animals being in captivity. They feel like they see human eyes reflecting back from the gorillas in those cages. This can be extremely unsettling and an image that is hard to let go of.
In captivity, many gorillas will do things that they see humans doing. It can be gross too such as picking their nose or throwing up. All of this though in a zoo setting really makes you wonder who is watching now through the glass.

The platypus is among nature's most unlikely animals. In fact, the first scientists to examine a specimen believed they were the victims of a prank. The animal is best described as a hodgepodge of more familiar species: the duck (bill and webbed feet), beaver (tail), and otter (body and fur). Males platypuses are also venomous. They have sharp stingers on the heels of their rear feet and can use them to deliver a strong toxic blow to any foe. Platypuses hunt underwater, where they swim gracefully by paddling with their front webbed feet and steering with their hind feet and beaverlike tail. Folds of skin cover their eyes and ears to prevent water from entering, and the nostrils close with a watertight seal. In this posture, a platypus can remain submerged for a minute or two and employ its sensitive bill to find food.