A FEW OF THE UNSUNG WONDERS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD

Lobanova LeraVeltz Andrey

Bongo

The bongo is known for its graceful, spiraled horns and beautiful striped hide. Timid, well camouflaged, and mostly nocturnal, it is one of Africa's most mysterious animals. The largest of all forest antelopes, bongos measure up to four feet at the shoulder.

Capybara

Is it a four-foot-long guinea pig? No, this short-tailed, sleepy-eyed beast is a capybara—the world's largest rodent. Its semi-webbed feet help make it a good swimmer, and it spends much of its time around water or wallowing in mud with other capybaras.

Echidna

The spiny echidna is one of only two monotremes—egg-laying mammals. It spends most of its time alone, burrowing in the ground and catching insects with its long sticky tongue.

OkapiThe okapi looks like it might be part zebra and part giraffe. In fact, it is related to the giraffe, though it is only about five feet high at the shoulder and has a much shorter neck. A mammal, it has a red-brown body and dazzling white stripes on its legs and bottom.

KiwiOne look at the rounded brownish body of this flightless bird will tell you where the kiwi fruit got its name. A kiwi weighs from three to nine pounds, depending on the species, and has a long beak with nostrils.

Ресурсы:

• http://www.factmonster.com/spot/unusualanimals1.html