The birds known as kingfishers are found all over the world, but most kinds live in tropical areas. Many kingfishers are brightly colored. There are about 90 kinds of kingfisher throughout the world. All are famous for their swift dives. Many kingfishers have crests on their large heads. Their bills are long and heavy and help to catch fish as they swoop into the water.
Kingfishers are about 10 to 46 centimeters long. Their feathers come in many colors. Many kingfishers have blue feathers on their back and reddish or white feathers on their belly. Kingfishers are also known for chasing and attacking each other in the air.
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Moles are small burrowing mammals. There are more than 40 species, of mole. They can be found in Europe, Asia, and North America. Moles have wide, flat front feet with sharp claws which help them dig through soil.
Their bodies are cylindrical and they generally have short tails. They range in length from about 3 centimeters to almost 22.5 centimeters. An adult male weighs more than 100 g and adult females less than that. The head is flat and the nose is long and piglike. Their fur is very soft. Their eyes reveal only light and dark. Hairs on their noses and tails that are very sensitive. These help to guide them through the darkness.
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Peacocks live in the wild in Southeast Asia and belong to the pheasant family. Two important kinds of peacocks are the green peacock and the blue peacock. The green peacock is found from Myanmar to Java. The blue is found in India and Sri Lanka. They also can be seen in zoos around the world. Peacocks usually live in lowland forests. At night they sleep in trees.
A peacock’s feathers are brilliant shades of bronze, blue, green, and gold. At the tip of each tail feather is a big shiny spot ringed with blue and bronze that looks like an eye. The male’s body is about 90 to 130 centimeters long. Its tail is about 150 centimeters long. Peahens, female peacocks, do not have long tails. They are green and brown in color and almost as big as the males.
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An amoeba is a one-celled creature that is among the simplest of all living organisms. Most amoebas are so small that they can only be seen though a microscope. They look like tiny blobs of colorless jelly. The word amoeba is derived from the Greek word ameibein (to change), which describes the amoeba’s most easily distinguishable feature, the continuous changing of shape by repeated formation of pseudopods (Greek: false feet). Pseudopods serve two important functions—locomotion and food capture.
Amoebas live in fresh and salt water. They also live in the moist body parts of other animals and in moist soil. In human beings are found at least six types of amoeba.
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The piranha is found in the rivers and lakes of South America. It is a meat-eating fish with long, triangular, razor-sharp teeth. It is not very big, but when hungry it can be bold and savage. Some piranhas are silver with orange undersides. Others are almost totally black. All have strong jaws. The name “piranha” comes from the Portuguese words for “fish” and “tooth.”
There are 20 different kinds of piranhas in the Amazon River. The red-bellied piranha is the most famous and has the strongest jaws and the sharpest teeth. These fish hunts in schools of more than 100 fish. Piranhas have excellent hearing.
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The hippopotamus is a huge mammal that lives in Africa. It spends most of its time in rivers, lakes, and swamps. The hippopotamus is related to pigs. Its name is a combination of two Greek words that join to mean “river horse.”
Hippos have barrel-shaped bodies, short legs, and four toes on each foot. They are about 3.5 meters long and weigh more than 3,200 kilograms. Their hide is grayish brown and almost hairless.
The hippo has glands beneath its skin that secrete a pink, sweat–like substance. This biological fact has inspired the myth that hippos sweat blood. This pink substance helps to regulate the hippo’s skin temperature.
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Although the koala is often called a “koala bear” it is not a member of the bear family. It is a marsupial—an animal related to wombats, opossums, and kangaroos. It is found only in Australia.
Koalas are small and round, with little eyes and a big black nose. They have no tail. Adults range from about 61 to 90 centimeters in length and weigh about 4.5 to 13.5 kilograms. Males are much larger than females. Their fur acts as a rain repellant and provides warmth. Koalas are arboreal and nocturnal.
They have a keen sense of balance and are very muscular. Koalas climb by means of their large hands and feet, which are equipped with long, strong, curved claws.
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