CCrreeaatteedd aanndd pprroodduucceedd bbyyRachel Coombs, Nicholas Harris, Sarah Hartley,
Elizabeth Havercroft and Erica Simms, Orpheus Books Ltd.
TTeexxtt Olivia Brookes
IIlllluussttrraatteedd bbyy Nicki Palin
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner.
ISBN XXXXXXXXXX
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library.
Printed and bound in China
Orpheus
BIFAB Nature 1/8/08 11:49 AM Page 2
If you look very carefully, you willfind a tiny gold ring in each ofthe main illustrations in thisbook. Turn to page 31 to find outwhere they are hidden.
Contents4 5Introduction
5 Introduction
6 Pets
8 Farm animals
10 Insects
12 Woodland animals
14 River animals
16 Mountain animals
17 Polar animals
18 Rainforest animals
20 African grassland animals
22 Desert animals
23 Australian animals
24 Ocean animals
26 Animals in danger
28 Plants
30 Index
IN THIS ENCYCLOPEDIA, you will find out about animals andwhere they live. Some animals live in the steamy rainforest, while
others are suited for life at the icy poles. Some animals survive thedry heat of the desert, while others are only found in the water.
There are lots ofthings to see in themain illustrationthat accompanieseach subject
Each subject ispresented withan introductorytext to explainwhat it is about.
Most (but not all) ofthe items picturedcan be foundsomewhere in themain illustration.
The text thataccompanies eachitem explains what it is and provides moreinformation about it.
BIFAB Nature 1/8/08 11:49 AM Page 4
Pets6 7P E T S
MANY people enjoy havinganimals as pets. Unlike
wild animals, pets are speciallybred to be kept at home.
They rely on humans tofeed and look after them.If treated well, they canbecome great friends.
Rabbit Rabbits are easy to recognize with their long
ears, large teeth and fluffy tails.Their ears help them listen out
for danger. Some rabbits haveears that point straight up,while others flop down. Theuse their strong teeth tognaw through vegetableslike carrots.
GoldfishGoldfish were first kept as petsin ancient China and are themost popular fish today. Theylive in cold water so can bekept in a pond or in a tank. Ingood conditions they can livefor 20 years. They learn to tellthe difference between people.
HamsterHamsters sleep duringthe day. They wake up inthe evening to eat andplay. They will spendhours running inside anexercise wheel.
BudgerigarBudgerigars are members ofthe parrot family. Theyorginally come from Australia.They come in several differentcolours and can be taught tospeak and whistle.
Guinea pigGuinea pigs are not actuallypigs, but rodents likehamsters. They originallycome from South America.They are very nervousanimals and will dart forcover when alarmed. Grassis their natural food.
CatCats spend most of their time groomingthemselves or sleeping. Theyhave very good nightvision, andexcellent hearingand smell. Thishelps themto hunt atnight.
DogThere are many differentbreeds of dog, ranging insize from a tiny chihuahuato a huge greatdane. Dogsusually live toabout 13-14years old.
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8 9
SOME farms grow crops,while others raise animals.
Some do both. Livestockprovide meat, milk, wool oreggs that the farmer can sell.
Farm animals
SheepSheep graze in grassy pasturesor on open moorland. Theyare raised for their wool,which is sheared every year,and their meat, which is calledlamb or mutton.
PigPigs dig in the ground with
their sensitive snouts. Theysniff out all kinds of food,including insects, worms,
fruit, bark and other smallanimals. Pigs are kept for their
meat: pork, ham and bacon.
CattleCattle usually graze on lowlandpasture. Female cattle, the cows,are a good source of milk. Theyare also raised for their meat,beef, or veal in young cows andcalves. The skin of cattle can beused for leather goods.
F A R M A N I M A L S
GoatGoats can grazeanywhere, including steepmountain slopes. Theyare kept for their wool,milk and meat. Babygoats are called kids.
HorseHorses used to be work animalson the farm. They pulled ploughsand carts. Today, this work is doneby tractors. Horses are now usedfor riding. A horse’s height ismeasured in the number of handsfrom the floor to its shoulder.
ChickenChickens are keptfor their eggs and
their meat. Whenallowed to range freely,
they scratch at the ground for insects,insect grubs and seeds to eat.
GooseGeese are a little larger than ducks.They are kept on farms for their eggs,their meat andalso for theirsoft feathers.Geese usually matefor life.
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10 11
AN INSECT is a creature with six legs,whose body is protected by a hard case.
All insects have three main body parts: thehead, the thorax and the abdomen. The soilis full of insects, along with spiders, worms,snails and other “creepy-crawlies”.
Insects
BeetleThere are more kindsof beetle than anyother insect. Theycome in many differentshapes and colours. Most beetles can fly.Their wings are folded inside hard cases.
ButterflyButterflies lay eggs thathatch out into worm-likecaterpillars. These laterturn into adult butter-flies. Butterfly wingsoften have colourfulpatterns on them.
WormWorms have no legs, eyesor ears. They have soft,slimy bodies. Earthworms livein soil. If an earthworm loses abit of its tail to a hungry bird, it isable to grow it back.
SnailSnails slither along by alternately shorteningthen streching their bodies. They leave trails of
a slimy substance calledmucus. Snails will
withdraw into theircoiled shell if theyare attacked.
I N S E C T S
AntAnts live in large groupsand work together to buildnests and raise their young.The queen lays the eggs.Worker ants look after theeggs and find food.
SpiderSpiders are not insects. They haveeight legs. Many spiders eat insects,trapping them in their webs. Spidersspin their webs using silk fibres thatthey make inside their body.
BeeLike ants, bees also live together inlarge numbers in nests. They feedon nectar and pollen which they getfrom flowers. Honeybees make
honey from the nectar and store it asfood. The queen bee lays her eggs inside small
six-sided cells made of wax, called honeycomb.
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12 13
WOODLAND trees providegood cover for animals to
hide or to hunt. There are alsoplenty of fruits and nuts for food.Fallen leaves are good places tobuild winter shelters forinsects, worms and smallmammals.
Woodland animals
WoodpeckerWoodpeckers cling to tree trunkswith their sharp claws. They usetheir sharp, pointed beaks topunch holes in the wood. Theyfeed on insects behind the bark.
FoxFoxes have orange-red fur and a brush-liketail. They will eat anything, including small
mammals, birds, insects andfruit. You can also see
foxes in citiessearchingthrough rubbishbins for food.
HedgehogHedgehogs’ spines areactually stiff hairs.They hibernate(go to sleep)during the winterwhen food is scarce.
OwlOwls sleep inside holes in treesduring the day. They come outat night to hunt for voles, miceand frogs. Spotting its preyusing its excellent night vision,the owl plucks it from theground with its talons (claws).
W O O D L A N D A N I M A L S
BadgerBadgers hunt alone atnight, searching forsmall mammals, fruitand worms to eat. Byday they sleep inunderground burrows.
Wild boarWild boar are a kind of pig. Males have tusksto defend themselves in fights. Boars use their
keen sense of smelland their longsnout to find mice,worms, plants,and frogs to eat.
SquirrelSquirrels are often seenscurrying through thetrees. They eat fruits andnuts and store what theydo not eat for the winter.
DeerMale deer, calledstags, have antlersmade of bone. Femaledeer are called hinds ordoes. Young deer, calledfawns, are born with whitespots on their fur, which they lose as theygrow. Deer feed on leaves, grass and shoots.
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14 15
RIVERS and ponds are rich in plantlife. Lots of insects, insect grubs,
worms and snails feed on the plants.They are prey for fish, birds, frogs andlarge insects. Birds and mammalsalso feed on fish. River banks provideshelter for many nesting animals.
River animals R I V E R A N I M A L S
Beaver Beavers have strong teeth. They use them tognaw through and bring down tree trunks. The
trunks then block, ordam, rivers. This
allows beaversto build homesout of reachfrom predators.
DuckDucks are water birds with short legs and flatbeaks. They duck their head below the surfaceto find food such as grasses, insects and small
DragonflyDragonflies can fly at highspeeds, hover and even flybackwards. They feed on otherflying insects around riversand ponds. They chase themin the air or pluck them offplants with their legs.
HeronHerons are birds with longlegs. They wade through thewater to catch fish andfrogs in their long beak.
FrogFrogs live on land, butthey lay their eggs,called spawn, in thewater. These hatchout into tadpoles,which later grow into frogs.
FishFish spend all their time in the water. They donot have lungs to breathe air. Instead theytake in oxygen from the water using gills.
KingfisherKingfishers sit on branchesjust above the water,watching for their prey.Then they quickly dive intothe water to grab a fish intheir long beak.
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SNOW and high winds make lifedifficult on mountains. Grazing
animals must be nimble climbers andbirds strong flyers to survivethe harsh conditions.
WolfWolves havethick coats of furto keep them
warm. They live ingroups called packs
and call to each other by howling. Wolveswork together to hunt down large prey.
Brown bearBrown bears are mostly plant-eaters, but willalso feed on fish and small animals They may
eat the kills of otheranimals. Bearsspend winterasleep in cavesor dens dug intothe snow.
ChamoisChamois are goat-like animals thatgraze on the short
mountain grasses.They are excellent
climbers. Females andtheir kids live in herds.
Golden eagleThe golden eaglehas excellent visionand can spot its preyfrom long distances. Ituses its strong clawsto grab its victim beforedevouring it with its sharp,hooked beak.
Mountain animals
IN ICY Antarctica, noplants grow on the land.
The animals must find theirfood in the ocean. Somewhales feed on tiny shrimpcalled krill. Seals andpenguins dive for fish.
PenguinPenguins cannot fly. They usetheir wings to swim underwater.They have a thick coat offeathers, which forms awaterproof layer. Emperorpenguins keep their eggs warmby carrying them on their feet.
SealSeals spend most of their lives inthe sea feeding on fish and squid.
They use theirflippers topower them-
selves throughthe water.
Polar animals
AlbatrossAn albatross is asea bird with verylong wings. It soarsand glides above theocean waves looking forfish. It catches them by seizingthem from the surface. Albatrossescome on to land only to breed.
WhaleWhales are mammals thatlive in the sea. Theybreathe through ablowhole at the top oftheir head. A layer of fatbeneath their skin, calledblubber, keeps themwarm in the freezing water.
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18 19
RAINFORESTS are found inplaces with a hot climate and
plenty of rainfall. They are hometo more different kinds of animalsthan anywhere else on Earth.Most rainforest animals live highup in the sunlit treetops. Otherslive in the rivers, or roam theforest floor at night for food.
Rainforest animalsSnakeSnakes slither along theground or through rain-forest trees. Some kill theirprey by coiling round it andsqueezing the life out of it.
HummingbirdHummingbirds are thetiniest of all birds. Theyhover when feeding fromflowers by flapping theirwings very fast. Theirvery long, thin beakreaches deep into theflower for its nectar.
MonkeyMonkeys swingthrough treesin the rain-forest. They usetheir long tails tograsp the branches.
CrocodileCrocodiles often lurk in shallowwater. They are waiting for animalsthat come to the water’s edge to
drink. They seizethem in their
hugejaws.
R A I N F O R E S T A N I M A L S
SlothSloths spend mostof their time hangingupside down fromtrees. They can sleep forup to 18 hours a day.Sloths feed on leaves.
JaguarJaguars are large cats. They are lone hunters.Their markings help them hide in trees, where
they lurk ready toleap down onto their prey.Jaguars aregood climbers
and swimmers.
MacawIncluding their tail feathers,macaws may measure up toone metre in length. They havestrong, curved beaks whichthey use to crack open hardseeds. They make loud, low-pitched squawks as they fly.
TapirTapirs use their short trunkto pull up leaves, shootsand fruits to eat. Theycome out at night to feed,always on the lookout forjaguars. They stay close torivers. Baby tapirs havestripes and spots tocamouflage them.
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20 21
THE GRASSLANDS ofAfrica are known as the
savannah. Large herds ofanimals roam these plains tograze on the plentiful grassor feed on the leaves in thetrees. Lions, cheetahs andother hunters prey on them.
African grassland animals
CheetahA cheetah is another kind ofwild cat. It hunts its prey, ayoung zebra or antelope, bychasing after it at high speed.With its long legs and leanbody, it can outrun any otheranimal. It is the fastest landanimal in the world. When itcatches up with its victim, itfells it with a bite to the throat.
GiraffeThe giraffe is the tallestanimal in the world. It haslong legs, a sloping backand an extremely long neck.This means it can feed onleaves from trees higher upthan any other animal canreach. Its tongue is aslong as your arm! Ituses it to pluckoff the leaves to eat.
A F R I C A N G R A S S L A N D A N I M A L S
HippopotamusThe hippo lives in riversand lakes. Its skin driesout quickly in the hotsunshine, so it spendsthe day lazing in the coolwater and mud. Nearlyall its body is submerged,with just its eyes, earsand nose sticking out. Atnight, it comes out tograze on grass.
ZebraA zebra is a kind of horse.Every zebra has a slightlydifferent pattern of black
and whitestripes.Zebras
gather inherds tograze on theplains.
ElephantThe African elephant is one of twokinds of elephant. The other is theAsian elephant. The African is larger,and has a straighter back, larger earsand longer tusks. Its trunk is strongenough to pull up trees. It uses it tosuck up water and grasp food toplace in its mouth.
LionThe lion is a large, wild cat.Lions live together in groups,called prides. Lionesses, thefemale lions, do the hunting.The male defends the pride.
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22 23
DESERTS are lands wherethere is little water. Many
deserts are also very hot. Theanimals spend the day shelteringfrom the heat, coming out tofeed only at night. Some get thewater they need from their food.
Fennec foxThe fennec fox is a small fox with verylarge ears. Its earshelp keep it cool.It has thick furon its feet toprotect themfrom the hot sand.
ScorpionScorpions are related to spiders. They also haveeight legs. Scorpions have large pincers on
their front limbs to grasp theirprey. They also have a tail
with a sting at its tip.They use it to kill theirvictims or ward offattackers.
LizardLizards are reptiles. They bask in the sun in themornings or evenings to give them energy to moveabout. Some lizardscan break offtheir own tailsto escape fromtheir attackers.
CamelCamels may not drink for months. When
they do find water, theygulp down huge
amounts! Theirhumps store fatwhich can beused as food
when they need it.
Desert animals
AUSTRALIA is hometo some very
unusual animals. Manyof them, such as koalasand kangaroos, aremarsupials. When theyoung are born, they livein their mother’s pouchwhere they stay for a fewmonths to grow stronger.
WombatWombats sleep in burrows during theday. They come out at night to feedon grass. They are usually very slow,
shy animals, butif attacked, a
wombat canrun awayquickly.
KoalaKoalas eat only eucalyptusleaves. They live in trees,which they climbexpertly using theirsharp claws. They spendtheir days asleep, stirringonly at night.
PlatypusUnlike most mammals, the platypus layseggs. It has a duck-like beak andwebbed feet. Itlives in andaround water,using its beak tofind tiny river animals.
Australian animals
KangarooKangaroos bound around on their very powerful backlegs. Their long tails keep them balanced as they go,often extremely quickly. A baby kangaroo, called a joey,
is born hairless and blind, thesize of a bean. It lives in its
mother’spouch for
about a year.
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THE OCEANS cover nearly three-quarters of the Earth’s surface.
Most ocean animals live in sunlit,shallow waters. Here vast numbers of plants and animals, calledplankton, are found. They are so tinyyou cannot see them. But theyprovide food for many larger animals.
Ocean animals O C E A N A N I M A L S
JellyfishJellyfish have nobones. They aremade of a jelly-likesubstance. Theyfeed on small fishand plankton thatget caught in theirstinging tentaclesas they drift along.
TurtleTurtles are reptileswith beak-like mouthsand hard shells. Theylay their eggs in sandypits on the samebeaches every year.
DolphinDolphins aremammals, closelyrelated to whales.
They are intelligentanimals with excellent
eyesight and hearing.Dolphins find their way through
the water by sending out high-pitchedsounds and listening for their echoes. Theytrack down fish and squid in this way.
OctopusOctopuses have eight arms. Each arm iscovered in suction cups to help it cling torocks on the sea bed. If an octopus is
attacked, it ejects cloudsof black ink. It then
makes itsescape while
its attackercannot see it.
SharkSharks are atype of fish.Some can growvery large andhave manysharp teeth. Theyhave excellentsenses of smell andhearing to locate theirvictims underwater from a long wayaway. Although they are dangerous predators,only some sharks, such as the tiger shark orthe great white, would attack people.
SeahorseSeahorses are upright-swimming fish, with ahead shaped like a horse’s.
Their curly tails cling onto sea grasses to stop
them being swept away incurrents. The male carriesthe female’s eggs in aspecial pouch, and givesbirth to their young.
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ZOOS are a goodplace to see and
find out about animals.Some of the animals yousee there have becomevery rare in the wild. Theyare in danger of dying out.
Animals in danger
TigerThe tiger is the largest of
all cats. The stripes on itscoat help it to blend inwith its surroundings.Hidden in the tallgrass, it can creep upclose to its prey before
suddenly leaping intothe attack. Tigers roam
the woodlands andswamplands of south and east
Asia. Their numbers have fallen drastically in recentyears. This is because of hunting and thedisappearance of their native forests.
A N I M A L S I N D A N G E R
Orang-utanOrang-utans are a kindof ape. They have longarms which they useto swing through
rainforest trees insoutheast Asia. Orang-
utans are losing theirhomes as people cut down rainforests tomake room for farmland and quarries.
Giant pandaGiant pandas are a type ofbear. They live in theforests of China. Theirmain food is bamboo, butmany bamboo forestshave been cut down.
RhinocerosRhinoceroses are thick-skinned grazinganimals. They arehunted for their hornswhich are made intomedicines.
Polar bearPolar bears live in the Arctic. Their thick furprotects them from the cold. Polar bearsare at risk fromglobal warming.As the planetwarms up, theice that istheir homemay melt.
ChimpanzeeChimpanzees live together ingroups in the forests of Africa.They share food, play andgroom one another. They feed on theground and in the trees, eating fruit,insects and fruit. Sometimes they hunt other animals.Chimps areunder threatas their foresthomes are cutdown.
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PLANTS use sunlight to makethe food that they need to
grow. The leaves of a plant are likelittle factories. They makesugars from water in theground and carbon dioxide inthe air. A plant’s roots take inwater and other substancesfrom the soil. Its stemholds the main parts of theplant above the ground.
Plants
TreeA tree is a large plant witha woody trunk covered withbark. They have branchesbearing leaves. There aretwo kinds of tree. Broadleaftrees, the first kind, losetheir leaves in autumn.Conifers, the second kind,are usually evergreen. Theyhave needle-like leaves allyear round.
P L A N T S
FruitFruits are the case around the seed. Some fruitsare very light, like the parachutes of a dandelion.Others, like nuts, have veryhard outer cases. Manyfruits have juicy, tastyflesh. These attractanimals to eat them.The seeds passthrough the animalsand are spread todistant places to grow.
Pine coneConifer trees, suchas pines, bearcones instead offruit. The scalesopen in dry weatherto release seeds.
SeedsSeeds are made by plants sothat other new plants maygrow. Some seeds are in fruits,like the pips in an apple. Theyare scattered by the wind orcarried by animals. A seed maygrow if it reaches damp soil.
MushroomMushrooms andtoadstools aretypes of fungi.We recognize
them by theirumbrella-shaped
bodies. These producedust-like particles called spores fromwhich new fungi grow. But underneath themushroom is a mass of threads. Thesetake goodness from soil or dead wood.
FlowerFlowers have male parts and femaleparts. The male parts, called stamens,make tiny, dust-like grains called pollen.Flowers attract insects, who come to
feed on their sweetnectar. The pollenbrushes on tothem and is carriedto the female parts
(carpels) of anotherflower. The flower
can now make seeds.
BIFAB Nature 1/8/08 11:50 AM Page 28
Index30 31Did you find them?
The red circles show exactlywhere the ring can be foundon each of the mainillustrations in this book.
