Facts city Fun Facts and Trivia

 quokka Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Infraclass: Marsupialia Order: Diprotodontia Family: Macropodidae Subfamily: Macropodinae Genus: Setonix Species: S. brachyurus The quokka also known as the short-tailed scrub wallaby (Setonix brachyurus), is a small macropod about the size of a domestic cat. It is the only member of the genus Setonix. Like other marsupials in the macropod family (such as kangaroos and wallabies), the quokka is herbivorous and mainly nocturnal. A quokka weighs 2.5 to 5.0 kg (5.5 to 11 lb) and is 40 to 54 cm (16 to 21 in) long with a 25-to-30 cm-long (9.8-to-12 in) tail, which is quite short for a macropod. It has a stocky build, well developed hind legs, rounded ears, and a short, broad head. Its musculoskeletal system was originally adapted for terrestrial bipedal saltation, but over its evolution, its system has been built for arboreal locomotion. Although looking rather like a very small kangaroo, it can climb s...

 pangolins Ranges of living species COMMON NAME:  Pangolins DIET:  Insectivore SIZE:  45 inches to 4.5 feet long WEIGHT:  4 to 72 pounds Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Mirorder: Ferae Clade: Pholidotamorpha Order: Pholidota pangolin, (family Manidae), also called scaly anteater, any of about eight species of armoured placental mammals of the family Manidae (order Pholidota). The name pangolin, from the Malay meaning “rolling over,” refers to this animal’s habit of curling into a ball when threatened. Pangolins—which are typically classified in the genera Manis, Phataginus, and Smutsia—are found in tropical Asia and Africa. Pangolins are 30 to 90 cm (1 to 3 feet) long exclusive of the tail and weigh 5 to 27 kg (10 to 60 pounds). Across all eight species, adult tail length ranges from about 26 to 70 cm (approximately 10 to 28 inches). Except for the sides of the face and underside of the body, they are covered with ove...

 Spotted Hyena Range of spotted hyena COMMON NAME:   Spotted Hyena SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Crocuta crocuta TYPE:  Mammals DIET:  Omnivore GROUP NAME:  Clan AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD:  Up to 25 years SIZE:  Head and body:  34 to 59 inches;  tail:  10 to 14 inches WEIGHT:  110 to  190 pounds SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN: Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Feliformia Family: Hyaenidae Genus: Crocuta Species: C. crocuta The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), also known as the laughing hyena, is a hyena species, currently classed as the sole extant member of the genus Crocuta, native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as being of least concern by the IUCN on account of its widespread range and large numbers estimated between 27,000 and 47,000 individuals. The species is, however, experiencing declines outside of protected areas due to habitat loss and poachin...

 Rhesus Macaque Range of Rhesus Macaque COMMON NAME:   Rhesus Macaque SCIENTIFIC NAME:   Macaca mulatta TYPE:   Mammals DIET:  Omnivore SIZE:  Head and body:  17.75 to 25 inches   tail:   7.5 to 12.5 inches WEIGHT:   8.75 to 26.5 pounds SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Primates Suborder: Haplorhini Infraorder: Simiiformes Family: Cercopithecidae Genus: Macaca Species: M. mulatta rhesus monkey, (Macaca mulatta), sand-coloured primate native to forests but also found coexisting with humans in northern India, Nepal, eastern and southern China, and northern Southeast Asia. The rhesus monkey is the best-known species of macaque and measures about 47–64 cm (19–25 inches) long, excluding the furry 20–30-cm tail. Females average about 8.5 kg (19 pounds) and males 11 kg. In both sexes the rump and legs are orange. Rhesus monkeys can thrive...

 Lion Male lion Female lion (lioness) Historical and present distribution of the lion in Africa, Asia and Europe COMMON NAME:  African lions SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Panthera leo TYPE:  Mammals DIET:  Carnivore SIZE:  Head and body,  4.5 to 6.5 feet  tail,  26.25 to 39.5 inches WEIGHT:  265 to 420 pounds CONSERVATION STATUS: vulnerable SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Feliformia Family: Felidae Subfamily: Pantherinae Genus: Panthera Species: P. leo lion, (Panthera leo), large, powerfully built cat (family Felidae) that is second in size only to the tiger. The proverbial “king of beasts,” the lion has been one of the best-known wild animals since earliest times. Lions are most active at night and live in a variety of habitats but prefer grassland, savanna, dense scrub, and open woodland. Historically, they ranged across much of Europe, Asia, and Af...

 Sea Otter COMMON NAME:  Sea Otter SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Enhydra lutris TYPE:  Mammals DIET:  Carnivore AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD:  Up to 23 years SIZE:  4 feet WEIGHT:  65 pounds CONSERVATION STATUS: Endangered SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN: Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Mustelidae Subfamily: Lutrinae Genus: Enhydra Species: E. lutris  sea otter, (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, completely marine otter species of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floating on its back, it opens mollusks by smashing them on a stone balanced on its chest. The large hind feet are broad and flipperlike. The thick lustrous coat is reddish to dark brown. The sea otter is the largest otter, reaching 100–160 cm (40–65 inches) long and weighing 16–40 kg (35–90 pounds) when fully grown. It inhabits coastal waters from the Kuril Islands to the Aleutian Islands southward t...

 Blue Whale Range of Blue whale COMMON NAME:  Blue Whale SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Balaenoptera musculus TYPE:  Mammals DIET:  Carnivore GROUP NAME:  Pod AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD:  80 to 90 years SIZE:  82 to 105 feet WEIGHT:  Up to 200 tons CONSERVATION STATUS: Endangered SIZE RELATIVE TO A BUS: Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Artiodactyla Infraorder: Cetacea Family: Balaenopteridae Genus: Balaenoptera Species: B. musculus blue whale, (Balaenoptera musculus), also called sulfur-bottom whale, the most massive animal ever to have lived, a species of baleen whale that weighs approximately 150 tons and may attain a length of more than 30 metres (98 feet). The largest accurately measured blue whale was a 29.5-metre female that weighed 180 metric tons (nearly 200 short [U.S.] tons), but there are reports of 33-metre catches that may have reached 200 metric tons. The heart of one blue whale was recor...

 Red Panda Range of Red Panda COMMON NAME:  Red Panda SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Ailurus fulgens TYPE:  Mammals DIET:  Herbivore SIZE:  Head and body:  20 to 26 inches  tail:  12 to 20 inches WEIGHT:  12 to 20 pounds CONSERVATION STATUS:  Endangered SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ailuridae Genus: Ailurus Species: A. fulgens red panda, (Ailurus fulgens), also called lesser panda, panda, red cat-bear, or red bear-cat, reddish brown, long-tailed, raccoonlike mammal, about the size of a large domestic cat, that is found in the mountain forests of the Himalayas and adjacent areas of eastern Asia and subsists mainly on bamboo and other vegetation, fruits, and insects. Once classified as a relative of the giant panda, it is now usually classified as the sole member of the family Ailuridae. The red panda has soft thick fur—rich reddish brown above and ...

 Brown bear Kodiak bear on Kodiak Island Range of brown bear COMMON NAME:  Brown Bear SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Ursus arctos TYPE:  Mammals DIET:  Omnivore GROUP NAME:  Sloth, sleuth AVERAGE LIFE SPAN IN THE WILD:  25 years SIZE:  5 to 8 feet WEIGHT:  700 pounds CONSERVATION STATUS: least concern SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN: Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Family: Ursidae Genus: Ursus Species: U. arctos brown bear, (Ursus arctos), shaggy-haired bear (family Ursidae) native to Europe, Asia, and northwestern North America. More than 80 forms of the brown bear have been described; they are treated as several subspecies of Ursus arctos. North American brown bears are traditionally called grizzlies. Brown bears are omnivorous and feed on berries, plant roots and shoots, small mammals, fish, calves of many hoofed animals, and carrion. They often cache food in shallow holes, and they dig readily ...

 Meerkat Range of Meerkats COMMON NAME:  Meerkat SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Suricata suricatta TYPE:  Mammals DIET:  Omnivore SIZE:  Head and body:  9.75 to 11.75 inches  tail:  7.5 to 9.5 inches WEIGHT:  Up to 2.2 pounds SIZE RELATIVE TO A 6-FT MAN: CONSERVATION STATUS: least concern Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Feliformia Family: Herpestidae Genus: Suricata Species: S. suricatta meerkat, (Suricata suricatta), also spelled mierkat, also called suricate, burrowing member of the mongoose family (Herpestidae), found in southwestern Africa, that is unmistakably recognizable in its upright “sentinel” posture as it watches for predators. The meerkat is slender and has a pointed little face, tiny ears, and black eye patches. Body length is about 29 cm (11 inches), and the smooth, pointed tail is 19 cm long. Colour varies from dark to grizzled light gray or tan, with broad dark b...

 Snow Leopard Range of snow Leopard COMMON NAME:  Snow leopards SCIENTIFIC NAME:  Panthera uncia TYPE:  Mammals DIET:  Carnivore SIZE:  Four to five feet with a tail up to 36 inches WEIGHT:  60 to 120 pounds CONSERVATION STATUS: Vulnerable Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Feliformia Family: Felidae Subfamily: Pantherinae Genus: Panthera Species: P. uncia snow leopard, also called ounce, large long-haired Asian cat, classified as either Panthera uncia or Uncia uncia in the family Felidae. The snow leopard inhabits the mountains of central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, ranging from an elevation of about 1,800 metres (about 6,000 feet) in the winter to about 5,500 metres (18,000 feet) in the summer. Its soft coat, consisting of a dense insulating undercoat and a thick outercoat of hairs about 5 cm (2 inches) long, is pale grayish with dark rosettes and a dark streak along the spine...

 Mammoth (extinct) Range of  Mammoth Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Proboscidea Family: Elephantidae Genus: †Mammuthus mammoth, (genus Mammuthus), any member of an extinct group of elephants found as fossils in Pleistocene deposits over every continent except Australia and South America and in early Holocene deposits of North America. (The Pleistocene Epoch began 2.6 million years ago and ended 11,700 years ago. The Holocene Epoch began 11,700 years ago and continues through the present.) The woolly, Northern, or Siberian mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) is by far the best-known of all mammoths. The relative abundance and, at times, excellent preservation of this species’s carcasses found in the permanently frozen ground of Siberia has provided much information about mammoths’ structure and habits. Fossil mammoth ivory was previously so abundant that it was exported from Siberia to China and Europe from medieval times. Scient...