Hyena – African and Asian carnivore. Hyenas are mammals of Africa and Asia. Hyenas are gray, brown, or yellowish. Some have stripes or spots. There are three species of hyena: spotted, striped, and brown. The spotted hyena is known for its hunting cry, which sounds like human laughter. It is also the largest species. Female spotted hyenas are larger than males and measure about 1.8 meters long and weigh 80 kilograms.
Hyenas have strong jaws and teeth that are strong enough to crush bones. The neck of the hyena is rather elongate, and the hind legs are somewhat smaller and lower than the forelegs.
Hyenas live on dry grasslands with few trees. They find shelter in caves or empty burrows and are active at night. They live alone or in packs. Spotted hyenas may form packs of 80 or more animals.
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Carp is the name of several fish in the carp family. One of the best-known carp is the common carp. The common carp is a fish that lives along the muddy bottoms of ponds, lakes, and rivers. It swallows plants, insects and fish eggs. It was first found in Asia but was later taken into Europe and North America. Sometimes carp can live 100 years and grow to weigh 35 kilograms or more. Goldfish and minnows also belong to the carp family.
The carp has a blunt nose and a small thick-lipped mouth. Most types of carp have feelers, called barbels, at the corners of the mouth. The barbels help the carp find food in dark, muddy water. Their food is mostly obtained by probing in the bottom mud of their aquatic habitat.
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The snow leopard, also known as the ounce, or irbis, is a large cat. The snow leopard habitats are located in the territory of many Central Asian states. These are Afghanistan and India, Kazakhstan, China and Mongolia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and the southern Siberian territories of Russia. It would seem that the area is large enough, but their number decreases every year.
Beautiful thick, fluffy and soft fur serves as an excellent protection against cold. The color of the snow leopard is gray with a smoky touch, sometimes almost white. On the whole body there are black large annular and small continuous spots. In summer, the color is lighter than in winter. Thanks to their fur, snow leopards are perfectly adapted to those harsh conditions in which they live.
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Tomatoes are commonly called vegetables, but they are actually fruits. They are eaten raw or used in cooking. Canned tomatoes and tomato juice are also popular.
Tomatoes were first grown thousands of years ago by South American Indians who lived in the Andes Mountains. In Mexico, Indians cultivated tomatoes long before Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s. The name “tomato” comes from tomatl (which means large berry), a word in the language of the Aztec people of Mexico.
The Spanish who returned to Europe brought the tomato back with them. The tomato was first used as a food in Spain and Italy.
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This endless sea of sand and sun-scorched rocks was once one of the most fertile regions of Africa. Not only giraffes were walking there, elephants and hippos splashed in water, but also people who most likely had a powerful influence on the emergence of the mysterious and powerful civilization of Ancient Egypt lived there. What happened in the Sahara eight thousand years ago? Why did it become a barren desert? Where did its inhabitants disappear? Scientists try to answer these questions.
The famous rock paintings in Tassili n’Ajjer (a plateau in the southeastern part of Algeria), which the French scientist Henri Lot discovered in the mid-fifties of the last century, became obvious proof that the Sahara desert was once the most prosperous place on the planet.
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Pigs are among the smartest of all domestic animals. The world’s largest population of domestic pigs is in China. The second largest population of domestic pigs is in the United States, and the third largest is found in Brazil.
Wild pigs live in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The pygmy hog is the smallest of the wild pigs. The warty pig and the bearded pig live in parts of Southeast Asia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Both male and female wild pigs have tusks on their snouts.
A pig has a bulky body with short legs. They range in length from about 0.6 to 2.1 meters long. Domestic pigs can weigh as much as 320 kilograms. The skin of pigs is thick and tough, and it may be sparsely or thickly haired, depending on species.
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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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