Animal Atlas (Sscstudy - Com)

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SMITHSONIAN
Children’s Illustrated
Animal
ATLAS
Contents
Author Jamie Ambrose
Editor Olivia Stanford 4 How to use this book
Project editor Allison Singer 6 The world
Project art editor Hoa Luc
Designer Rhea Gaughan
US Senior editor Shannon Beatty 8 North America
US editor Jane Perlmutter 10 North American taiga
Map illustrator Jeongeun Park 12 Great Plains
Cartography Ed Merritt, Simon Mumford
Illustrators Maltings Partnership, Molly Lattin, 13 Eastern forests
Bettina Myklebust Stovne, Oliver Magee 14 Western deserts
Additional design Lucy Sims, Yamini Panwar
Assistant editor Prerna Grewal 16 Central America
Jacket coordinator Francesca Young 17 Caribbean
Jacket designer Hoa Luc
Managing editor Laura Gilbert 18 Florida Everglades
Managing art editor Diane Peyton Jones
Pre-production producer Nikoleta Parasaki 20 South America
Producer Niamh Tierney
Art director Martin Wilson 22 Amazon rain forest
Publisher Sarah Larter
Publishing director Sophie Mitchell 24 Andean mountains
First American Edition, 2017 26 Temperate pampas
Published in the United States by DK Publishing
345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 28 Pantanal
Copyright © 2017 Dorling Kindersley Limited.
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC
29 Galápagos
17 18 19 20 21 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
001-298819-Aug/2017 30 Cerrado
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of
32 Cordillera Blanca
this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission 34 Africa
of the copyright owner.
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. 36 Sahara desert
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
38 Congo Basin
DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales
promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: 40 Southern savanna
DK Publishing Special Markets, 345 Hudson Street, New York,
New York 10014 SpecialSales@dk.com
ISBN: 978-1-4654-6203-9
Printed and bound in Hong Kong

A WORLD OF IDEAS:
SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW
42 Kalahari desert 76 Australasia

43 Madagascar 78 Australia
44 Kruger National Park 80 New Zealand
82 Great Barrier Reef
46 Europe
48 Northern European taiga 84 Antarctica
50 British Isles 86 The Arctic
52 European forests 88 Oceans and seas
54 The Alps
90 Atlas picture quiz
55 European steppe
92 Glossary
56 Mediterranean scrubland
93 Index
58 Białowieża Forest
96 Credits
60 Asia
62 Russian taiga
64 Asian steppe
65 Central Asian deserts Smithsonian
This trademark is owned by the Smithsonian Institution and
is registered in the U.S Patent and Trademark Office.
66 Tibetan Plateau
Consultant Dr. Don E. Wilson, Curator Emeritus, Department of Vertebrate Zoology,
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian
68 East Asian forests
Smithsonian Enterprises
Product Development Manager Kealy Gordon
70 Arabian Peninsula Licensing Manager Ellen Nanney
Vice President, Consumer and Education Products Brigid Ferraro
Senior Vice President, Consumer and Education Products Carol LeBlanc
71 Indian forests President Christopher A. Liedel
Established in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution—the world’s largest museum and

72 Southeast Asian rain forest research complex—includes 19 museums and galleries and the National Zoological Park.
The total number of objects, works of art, and specimens in the Smithsonian’s collection is
estimated at 154 million. The Smithsonian is a renowned research center, dedicated to
74 Gobi desert public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts, sciences, and history.
How to use this book

An atlas usually shows maps of different countries, but animals
often live across borders. The maps in this book show many of
the world’s different habitats, which is the environment where
an animal lives, such as a desert. Some islands are also shown,
since they have animals that are found nowhere else.
Compass Animal pictures Independent states Rivers

The compass always points north Pictures with descriptions Small independent states, such as Each country’s largest
(N) in line with the map. It also pick out particular animals Monaco, are shown with a red rivers are shown as
shows the direction of south (S), that live in an area. border and a solid red dot, and continuous blue lines.
east (E), and west (W). the name is in capital letters.
Mediterranean Mediterranean chameleon

This is one of only two chameleon species
found in Europe. Its tongue is sticky to catch
Hummingbird
hawk moth
This insect beats its
Iberian lynx
Just 404 adult Iberian
lynxes are left in the
scrubland passing insects. It is also

twice the length
of its body!
wings so fast that they
make a humming
sound—just like the
birds it’s named after.
wild, so this is the most
endangered cat on
Earth—but the good
news is this figure
The coastal areas around the Mediterranean Sea It feeds on nectar is nearly twice the
contain rocky hills and flat, shrub-filled plains. This made by flowers like number of wild lynxes
rare habitat is found in only a few places on Earth. buddleia and alive a few years ago!
to a honeysuckle.
Plants here can survive wildfires, and animals have l return
moth wil day.
to deal with hot, dry weather. The hawk flower day after
h The Iberian lynx mo
nectar-ric stly hunts just
one animal—the Eur
FRANCE Zagreb opean rabbit.
This wolf is thinner and
smaller than other European N CROATIA
Rhöne
wolves. It hunts rabbits, deer, Ga

wild boar, birds, and fish. W ro Golden
E n MONACO SAN MARINO jackal Belgrade
ne
S The golden jackal

is found in many places,
BOSNIA & ROMANIA
HERZEGOVINA
Mediterranean including southeastern
Europe, northern Sarajevo
Eb
PYR
ENEES banded centipede I TA LY SERBIA
r This centipede paralyzes Africa, and
its prey with a venomous southern Asia.
o
ca
Mediterranean bite and will give a MONTENEGRO

ANDORRA tree frog Pristina
human a painful nip
rsi
too—so stay well away! VATICAN CITY AD Podgorica

S PA I N This frog is usually bright Rome KOSOVO
Iberian wolf RIA
Co
green or blue. It has suckers TIC S

PORTUGAL The cork oak is EA Skopje BULGARIA
ia
on its fingers and toes

Madrid that let it climb with ease. one of few trees
in
MACEDONIA
Ta g u s Jeweled
that can grow new Tirana
rd
The cuckoo lays its eggs in bark. The cork bark is

lizard other birds’ nests. When harvested once every ALBANIA
a
the cuckoo chick hatches, S nine years to make bottle

This monkey is found
Ma Cork oak Dalmatian
jorca it pushes all the other stoppers and other items. pelican
Lisbon in Africa and on the eggs out—so the parent GREECE
island of Gibraltar, birds feed it instead! The magpie is so smart In addition to making
near Spain. It is the Common that it can make and use other sounds, this
only wild monkey Iberian The sapphire-like blue spots on cuckoo
its body give this lizard its name. tools. It eats insects and pelican barks and
in Europe. ibex seeds, and will even steal hisses! When fishing,
It is the largest lizard in Europe
EA other birds’ eggs. it fills up its beak
at about 231⁄2 in (60 cm) long. NEAN S
ERRA
Iberian pig with food to eat later. Marginated
DIT Eurasian
This pig is a A type of wild goat, male ME magpie This plant-eating
tortoise
farmed animal, Iberian ibexes have horns Sic tortoise lives mostly Athens
ily
but lives in open that grow up to 291⁄2 in
(75 cm) long!
HABITAT KEY in Greece, in thorny,
country, looking Barbary rocky, scrubby areas.
for mushrooms, SCALE Scrublands Coniferous ME
macaque forests DIT
roots, and acorns ERRANE
from cork oaks. 0 200 miles Wetlands AN SEA
Deciduous
Mountains forests M A LT A
0 200 kilometers
Cre
European rabbit te
Location
The European rabbit is the This region includes the
ancestor of all pet rabbits in southern parts of Europe
the world. Unlike its enemy, around the Mediterranean
Mediterranean house gecko
the Iberian lynx, the rabbit Sea, as well as islands This little gecko is about 4 in (10 cm) long
has been seen in yards and like Crete that share a and weighs about as much as a sugar cube. It is
56 parks, and even in busy cities. similar habitat. also called a “moon lizard” because it mostly comes 57
out at night. It eats small cockroaches and moths.
Capital Scale Location Habitat key Bordering continents

A country’s capital city is The scale shows the size of The location box shows Every map has a key Around the edges of some
marked with a red outline. the areas and the distances you where each area is that lists the types maps you can see parts of
Some countries have more between different points on found in relation to the of habitats found in bordering continents in a
than one capital city. the map. land around it. that area. cream color.
4
N
North W
S
E
ARCTI
C OC
E AN
GREENLAND
Great
America Barrier Reef
(DENMARK)
Blubber jellyfish Each of this
BE
SEA creature’s eight stumpy arms
G has several mouths that move
AU
IN F Regal tang Also called food to the animal’s stomach.
R O surgeonfish, tangs have a
E RT
This continent stretches from the icy Arctic down to SEA The world’s largest chain of coral reefs, the Great scalpel-like spine at the base
B
of their tail on both sides.
the tropical Caribbean. It has a vast range of habitats, ALASKA Barrier Reef lies just off Australia’s northeastern Blacktip reef shark This
Potato cod The potato
(UNITED STATES) cod hunts fish, crabs, and
from snow-covered mountains to lush rain forests, and coast. It’s so big that it can be seen from space, medium-sized shark loves the
shallows. It can swim in water
crayfish. It’s so curious that
it can annoy divers.
is home to millions of different animals—some large, and it is home to more than 1,500 types of fish. just 12 in (30 cm) deep. The peacock mantis shrimp has the
some small, and all amazing. Yukon
Territory Northwest Nunavut Barrier islands fastest punch in the animal world.
Territories These long, thin stretches of sand protect the
mainland from powerful storms. The barrier Peacock
New
foun
islands off the Virginia and Maryland coasts mantis shrimp
dla are home to the wild Chincoteague Ponies
nd
&L
Only 1–7 in (3–18 cm)
ab
ra of Chincoteague and Assateague islands. long, this shrimp is
deadly. Its clublike
do
Giant barrel sponge The
r
British Columbia
CANADA barrel sponge is an animal arms can punch hard
Québec Central American rain forest that grows up to 6 ft (1.8 m) enough to break the
Alberta across—and it has no brain!
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Prince Rain forests are warm and green all Green sea turtle Green sea shells of crabs—and
Edward ST. PIERRE
& MIQUELON year, and they are home to more than turtles are black when they even aquarium glass!
Island
Ontario Bru Ne (FRANCE)
half the world’s plants and hatch. They change color
otia
nsw w over the next 25 to 50 years.
a Sc
animals. These colorful
AN
ick
Nov
Maine
Washington scarlet macaws from
OCE
Montana
Verm
North Costa Rica perch high
Minnesota
Dakota New Hampshire
years
in rain-forest trees. Dugongs can live for 70
ont
Massachusetts Sea slug Sea slugs eat corals,
Oregon Wisconsin Olive sea snake This snake
York Rhode Island
or more in the wild.
IFIC
Idaho
South New sea anemones, sponges, and breathes air, and it has a large
Dakota Michigan
Western mountains Connecticut fish eggs. Their bright colors
Wyoming
lung that lets it swim for hours
lvania warn predators away. between breaths.
The rocky peaks and thick coniferous forests in the UN Pennsy New Jersey
Iowa Dugong
PA C
ITE
Indiana
Nebraska Ohio Delaware
mountains of western North America are filled D S
TAT Illinois This slow-moving mammal eats
gini t
a
Vir Wes
with wildlife. Wolves, deer, and grizzly bears ES Maryland
Nevada OF AMERIC Virginia nothing but plants. It pulls seagrass
roam freely here, while in the fjords (narrow Utah A (USA)
Kentucky out by the roots with its flexible upper
Ca
California coast redwoods Colorado Kansas
lifor
Missouri
inlets), bald eagles hunt for salmon. North Carolina BERMUDA lip. Dugongs are also called “sea
These redwood trees can grow more
ni
Tennessee (UNITED KINGDOM)
New Mexico
Oklahoma cows,” because they graze like cows.
than 350 ft (107 m) high and live up HABITAT KEY Arkansas South Carolina
Alabama
Arizona
Mississippi
to 2,000 years. Bears, owls, and other Georgia
HAWAII
woodland creatures—including a (UNITED STATES)
Tropical forests AT L A N T I C O C E A N
Texas Orange clown fish Clown
banana slug—call them home. Deciduous forests fish have coats of slime that
Coral
Flor
Louisiana
let them live in sea anemones Location
ida
BRITISH
Coniferous forests Living corals are made without being stung.
O BA VIRGIN ISLANDS The Great Barrier Reef
XIC HA (UNITED KINGDOM) ANGUILLA (UNITED KINGDOM) up of tiny animals Blue starfish Tiny suckers,
Tropical grasslands ME MA
S PUERTO RICO ST. KITTS & NEVIS
called coral polyps
called tube feet, cover the runs for 1,429 miles
Great Plains F (UNITED STATES) underside of starfish and (2,300 km) off the
Scrublands O ANTIGUA & BARBUDA that catch bits of food let them crawl over the reef.
With thousands of miles F CUBA MONTSERRAT (UNITED KINGDOM) coast of the state of
with their tentacles.
L
of grassland, the dry Great Temperate grasslands US VIRGIN DOMINICA Queensland, Australia.
GU
X DOMINICAN The polyps make
E
HAITI ISLANDS MARTINIQUE (FRANCE)
REPUBLIC
Plains can appear empty. Desert
IC (UNITED STATES) BARBADOS
hard cases from
Look closer, though, and O A ST. LUCIA ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES minerals to protect
you’ll see big bison, as Wetlands
JAMAICA
SE GRENADA
AN CURACAO
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO themselves, and these
well as prairie dogs hiding BELIZE BE (NETHERLANDS)
build up over many
Giant clam
RIB
LA
Tundra ARUBA
in their secret world of CA Starfish can regrow a This clam is so big, it can no Most sea creatures avoid sea
MA
UR AS
(NETHERLANDS) years into a reef.
underground burrows. HO ND SCALE The reef has many different damaged or lost arm. longer move. It lives attached anemones because they sting,
TE
Ice
UA
O
R types of coral. In addition to Some can even grow a to the reef, where it sucks in but clown fish live among their
G
D NICARAGUA 0 500 miles 1000 miles hard corals, which build the
Mangroves VA 9 82 whole new starfish from tentacles for protection. In return, 83
S AL reef, there are also soft corals. just part of an arm.
plankton to eat with a tubelike they bring the anemones food.
EL COSTA RICA MA
organ called a siphon.
PA
NA 0 1000 kilometers
Continent maps Feature habitats

The continent maps are colored to show the The feature spreads show a specific place and
biomes found on each continent. A biome is a some of the animals that live there. In reality,
large area of one type of habitat, and the not all the animals would be found together
animals and plants in it. Photographs show at the same time, since they are awake at
some of the places in these biomes. different times of day, and would often
avoid each other to prevent being eaten!
Habitats Mountains Coniferous forests Wetlands

High, rugged Trees in coniferous Wetlands are marshy,
These symbols show the mountainous areas forests usually have swampy areas, such as
different types of habitat are often covered needlelike leaves the Pantanal in Brazil.
on each map. with snow. that are kept all
year round.
Hot desert Oceans and seas Mangroves Temperate grasslands

Hot deserts, such as Huge stretches of Mangrove trees grow Flat, grassy plains with
the Sahara, are dry, water are found on coasts in salty few trees found in
sandy areas. Few around the Earth’s water. Their long roots seasonal areas are
plants grow here. seven continents. stick out of the water. temperate grasslands,
such as prairie, steppe,
and pampas.
Cold desert Tropical forests Coral reefs Tropical grasslands

Cold deserts, such as Rain forests, such as Coral reefs grow in Flat, grassy plains with
the Gobi, are cold, dry the Amazon, get a lot shallow waters. They few trees found in hot
stretches of land. of rain and heat so the are built by coral areas are tropical
trees grow very tall. animals. grasslands, such as
savanna and cerrado.
Snow and ice Deciduous forests Scrublands

Frozen areas are Trees in deciduous Low-lying plants
found high up in the forests usually have and grasses grow in
mountains and at the broad leaves that are scrubland areas with
North and South Poles. lost in the fall, or small trees, such as in
during the dry season. southern Spain.
Borders Country borders Disputed borders Continent borders

The borders between Some countries disagree A broken orange line
Borders show how the countries are shown about where the border shows where the
Earth’s land is divided with a broken white between them should be. border is between
into countries. line. These borders are shown two continents.
with a white dotted line. 5
ARCTIC OCEAN
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle shows
where the temperate
NORTH AMERICA zone ends and the
cold northern polar
region begins.
AT L A N T I C
OCEAN
Tropic of Cancer
PA C I F I C This line marks the
northern limit of the AFRICA
OCEAN
tropics. Above this is the
Northern Hemisphere’s
temperate zone.
Equator
This is an imaginary line that SOUTH AMERICA
goes around the middle of the
Earth, dividing it into two
halves, called the Northern
and Southern Hemispheres.
The world
Tropic of Capricorn
This line marks the
southern limit of the
tropics. Below this is the
Southern Hemisphere’s
The types of habitats found on each of the temperate zone.
Earth’s seven continents depend on the usual AT L A N T I C

OCEAN
weather, or climate, of an area. Five invisible
lines divide the world into three climatic zones:
the tropical zone is hot, the temperate zones
are seasonal, and the polar zones are cold.
Antarctic Circle
SOUTHERN OCEAN The Antarctic Circle
shows where the
temperate zone ends
and the cold southern
6 polar region begins.
ARCTIC OCEAN
Polar zone
Inside the polar circles,
around the North and
South Poles, it is dry
and very cold.
EUROPE ASIA
Temperate zone
Both temperate zones
have warm summers and
cold winters. Forests in the
temperate zone often lose
their leaves in the fall or
during the dry season.
PA C I F I C
OCEAN
Tropical zone
The area between
the tropics, around the
equator, is very hot.
Most rain forests are
INDIAN found in this zone.
OCEAN
AUSTRALASIA
Temperate zone
SOUTHERN OCEAN
Polar zone
A N TA R C T I C A
7
N
North W
S
E
A R C T I C OC
E AN
America
BE
SEA
G
AU
IN F
R O
E RT
This continent stretches from the icy Arctic down to SEA
B
the tropical Caribbean. It has a vast range of habitats, ALASKA
(UNITED STATES)
from snow-covered mountains to lush rain forests, and
is home to millions of different animals—some large,
some small, and all amazing. Yukon
Territory Northwest
Territories
British Columbia
Alberta
AN
Washington
OCE
Montana
Oregon
IFIC
Idaho
Western mountains
The rocky peaks and thick coniferous forests in the UN
PA C
ITE
mountains of western North America are filled D S
TAT E
with wildlife. Wolves, deer, and grizzly bears Nevada S
Utah
roam freely here, while in the fjords (narrow
Ca
California coast redwoods
lifo
inlets), bald eagles hunt for salmon.
rn i
These redwood trees can grow more
a
than 350 ft (107 m) high and live up HABITAT KEY Arizona
to 2,000 years. Bears, owls, and other
HAWAII
woodland creatures—including a (UNITED STATES)
Tropical forests
banana slug—call them home. Deciduous forests
Coniferous forests
Tropical grasslands
Great Plains Scrublands
With thousands of miles
of grassland, the dry Great Temperate grasslands
Plains can appear empty. Desert
Look closer, though, and
you’ll see big bison, as Wetlands
well as prairie dogs hiding Tundra
in their secret world of
underground burrows. Ice
Mangroves
GREENLAND
(DENMARK)
Nunavut Barrier islands

These long, thin stretches of sand protect the
mainland from powerful storms. The barrier
New
foun
islands off the Virginia and Maryland coasts
dla are home to the wild Chincoteague Ponies
nd
&L
ab
ra of Chincoteague and Assateague islands.
do
r
CANADA
Québec Central American rain forest
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Prince Rain forests are warm and green all
Edward ST. PIERRE
Island & MIQUELON year, and they are home to more than
Ontario Br Ne (FRANCE)
half the world’s plants and
a
un w
oti
sw
Sc
ick animals. These colorful

va
Maine
No
scarlet macaws from

Verm
North Costa Rica perch high

Minneso
Dakota New Hampshire

in rain-forest trees.
ont
Massachusetts
Wisconsin ork Rhode Island
ew Y
ta
South N
Dakota Michigan Connecticut
Wyoming
y lvania
Iowa Penns New Jersey
Indiana
Nebraska Ohio Delaware

Illinois
gin t
ia
Vir Wes
Maryland
OF AMERIC Virgin
ia
A (USA)
Colorado Kansas Kentucky
Missouri North Carolina BERMUDA
Tennessee (UNITED KINGDOM)
New Mexico
Oklahoma South Carolina

Arkansas
Alabama
Mississippi
Georgia
Texas AT L A N T I C O C E A N
Flo
Louisiana
r
ida
BRITISH
O BA VIRGIN ISLANDS
XIC HA (UNITED KINGDOM) ANGUILLA (UNITED KINGDOM)
ME MA
S PUERTO RICO ST. KITTS & NEVIS
F (UNITED STATES)
O ANTIGUA & BARBUDA
F CUBA MONTSERRAT (UNITED KINGDOM)
M
US VIRGIN DOMINICA
GU
DOMINICAN
X
E
HAITI ISLANDS MARTINIQUE (FRANCE)

REPUBLIC
IC (UNITED STATES) BARBADOS
O A ST. LUCIA ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES
JAMAICA
SE GRENADA
N CURACAO
BELIZE B EA (NETHERLANDS)
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
RIB
LA
ARUBA
CA
MA
UR AS (NETHERLANDS)
OND
SCALE
TE
H
UA
R
O
G
NICARAGUA 0 1000 miles

AD 500 miles
A LV 9
S
EL COSTA RICA A
N AM 0 1000 kilometers
PA https://sscstudy.com/
HABITAT KEY
Temperate Coniferous
grasslands forests ARCTIC OCEAN
Mountains Deciduous
forests
These large brown bears
A
use their powerful jaws
SE
to snap up salmon in
rivers and streams.
T
R
FO
AU
BE
N E
M a ckenzi
Alaska
(USA) Yu k o n
W S
e
A rc t i c C i r cl e
rL ake
t Bea
Grizzly bear Grea
Sea otters are found
in shallow waters. Their Pe Related to raspberries,
thick fur keeps them this wild berry is eaten by
l ly
warm in the ocean. many animals, including
birds, bears—and people!
e
ak
L
ave
RO
S l
Great
CK
Sea otter
Y
Leatherback
turtle
MO
CO Salmonberry
The largest sea turtle in the
UN
AS
world swims long distances
across the Pacific, Indian,
TA I N
T M
and Atlantic Oceans. Sockeye salmon

PA C I
OU
FIC
S
O Salmon in the ocean return
NT
CE to the freshwater streams

A they hatched in when it is
AIN
time to lay their own eggs.

N
American
S
badger
North With big front feet and

long claws, this animal
digs burrows up to
32 ft (10 m) long.
American taiga
Taiga areas are made of coniferous, or evergreen,
forests that grow in some of the northernmost parts Location
of the world. Grizzly bears and gray wolves live in the Most of northern North
vast taiga of North America, which stretches across America is taiga. Summer
temperatures reach only
Canada, the world’s second-largest country, and 50˚ F (10˚ C), and there’s
Alaska, the largest state in the US. lots of snow in the winter.
Great gray owl
North America’s tallest owl has a SCALE
wingspan of up to 5 ft (1.5 m). It listens 0 250 miles
for rodents moving under the snow,
then snatches them up. 0 250 kilometers
Snow geese
Flocks of snow geese turn
fields white when they
land. These noisy birds
live in cold areas, but fly
south in large groups
during the winter.
Snow geese
fly south f
or the win
HUDSON B ter.
This flat-tailed mammal AY
fells trees with its teeth.
It uses the logs to build The loon’s legs are made A moose can weigh as
dams across rivers, and for swimming, not walking— much as a car! It can also
lodges to live in. so when it wants to fly, it can trot at a steady pace of
only take off from water. 20 mph (32 kph). E
C
RE F
N
AW O
AT L
LF
OCE
Pacific loon
GU
ANT
These geese are found
ST L
North
AN
American all over the world. They
IC
beaver have a loud honk and fly
in a V-shaped formation.
Moose
CANADA Both male and female
fireflies flash yellow, green, Each winter, millions
La or orange light using special Monarch of monarchs migrate
k organs in their tails. butterfly from northern North
e
Canada America to Mexico.

W
Ottawa
inn
goose
ipe
g
L ake Supe
r ior
Firefly ario
Lau ro n
nt
H
ke
eO
L ak
La
USA ie
ke
Er
Mi
e
ch i g
L ak
an
Gray wolf
The gray wolf is the largest wild member
of the dog family. It can have black, white, tan,
brown, or gray fur. It hunts in packs and eats 11
animals from tiny mice to huge moose.
Often called “buffalo,”
these shaggy plant eaters Location
are North America’s The Great Plains stretch
biggest mammal and from the Rocky Mountains
heaviest animal. east to the Mississippi
River, and from southern
Canada to as far south
The national symbol of
the United States, this as Texas.
powerful bird eats mostly
fish and water birds. This large hare changes
Prairie rattlesnake from brown to white
Though it is venomous, American bison in winter, but its tail
the prairie rattlesnake stays white all year.
would rather flee than Male prairie chickens
fight. It rattles its tail inflate their orange e Sup e ri or
rings, making a sound neck sacs and raise Lak
that warns, “Stay away!” Bald eagle their feathers to This shrub’s
attract females. flower spikes
provide food
for mammals
and nectar
White-tailed for insects.
jackrabbit
Greater
prairie chicken
Mis
sou
This cat-sized
ri
orange fox lives up to
its name. It is a swift M
iss
nighttime hunter that can
iss
run 30 mph (48 kph).
ipp
Swift fox Prairie
i
shoestring
o
ad
lor
This deerlike antelope Ark

Co
can see predators from ans

almost 4 miles (6 km) as
A coyote howls to alert oth away, and can run for
ers. amazing distances.
Coyote
With excellent eyesight and HABITAT KEY
hearing, and a good sense Temperate Mountains
of smell, coyotes make great SCALE N Pronghorn
grasslands
Cold desert
hunters. They howl to claim 0 250 miles Coniferous
their territory and to tell other W E forests Hot desert
coyotes where they are. 0 250 kilometers Deciduous
S forests
Great Plains
The Great Plains are in the center of North America.
Black-tailed
prairie dog
Made of high prairie about 3,000 miles (4,800 km) These grass-eating
rodents live in underground
long, they were once home to thousands of bison prairie-dog towns. They greet
and antelope. Today farmland has taken over much family with a kiss, and have
of the area, and mostly cattle herds wander the different warning calls for
plains—but wildlife has found ways to survive. different predators.
Gray fox
As big as a medium-sized dog, gray
foxes live in broad-leaved forests. They
make their dens in hollow trees, and
Eastern
both parents care for the cubs.
forests
Deciduous and coniferous forests cover eastern
If threatened, the North America. There are mountains and river
skunk sprays a horrible-
smelling musk from
glands under its tail.
valleys here, too. Animals have to be smart to
survive in areas densely populated with humans.
L ake S u p e ri
or Sugar maples provide sap
for maple syrup. Their
Raccoons are highly leaves turn orange-gold
intelligent. They can and red in the fall. SCALE
live in towns or the
n
0 250 miles
a
country and will eat

ch i g
almost anything!
L ake Mi
0 250 kilometers
Only male deer grow
antlers. White-tails Striped
often escape predators skunk This bright-red bird can
by swimming across sing more than 24 songs.
lakes or rivers. Sugar When courting, males offer
maple females the best seeds.
io
Northern
Oh
Northern raccoon cardinal
Washington, D.C.
This is North America’s

White- only marsupial. It can
tailed deer
pi
outsmart danger by
sip
playing dead for up

ssis
to four hours.
Mi
Virginia
opossum AT
Great L
horned owl OC AN
This large owl’s feathery EA TI
“horns” look like ears, N C
but its real ears are much
farther down on its skull. Despite their name, gray sq
uirrels
can also have white or redd
ish fur.
HABITAT KEY N
Gray squirrel
grasslands forests W E Double-jointed ankles help gray
squirrels scamper up and down
Tropical
grasslands
Deciduous
forests
S trees. Their teeth never stop growing,
so they have to wear them down on
Mountains nuts and tree bark.
Location
American black bear Most of the continent’s
Good swimmers and climbers, black eastern forests stretch
bears feast on fruits, nuts, and roots, and from the Mississippi River
sometimes ants and grubs. There are Valley eastward, all the
twice as many of them in the world as way to the Atlantic Ocean. 13
there are all other bear species combined.
Turkey vulture
14
Turkey vultures can’t kill their
own prey, so they eat animals Western
that have already died instead.
Animals that behave in this
way are called scavengers.
deserts
Western North America has four deserts. These
dry, sandy areas are hot during the day, but at night
they can get very cold. Animals here must survive
these tough conditions—and with very little water.
s on a cactus.
A turkey vulture perche
S n ak ROCK
e Y M
OU A short, or “bobbed,” tail
NT
AI gives this wild cat its name. USA
NS More than a million bobcats
live in North America.
Gr
The jackrabbit can run e
at
up to 30 mph (48 kph)
S
Black-tailed and jump 20 ft (6 m)
al t
jackrabbit
L
into the air.
Bobcat
ake
SI
ER
Male bighorns fight
by crashing their
RA
big heads and
horns together. Bighorn sheep
NE
a do
VA
l or
D
Co
A
This lizard lives mostly
This big, hairy spider underground. It has
lines its desert burrow a venomous bite
with silk to keep it and eats eggs.
from caving in.
Desert broom
The desert broom’s
A tortoise sna
cks on a dese
flowers provide sweet rt plant.
Desert blonde nectar for butterflies.
tarantula Mohave desert tortoise
This desert tortoise can live for up to
50 years. It digs a burrow to avoid the
desert heat, and it spends 95 percent
Gila monster of its time there during the summer.
Each time a diamondback
Sharp spines cover sheds its skin, it gets a new
HABITAT KEY this tree-sized cactus section added to its rattle.
to prevent animals This big-footed
Temperate Coniferous from eating it. rodent doesn’t need
grasslands forests to drink water. It gets
moisture from the Western diamondback
Tropical Deciduous seeds it eats instead. rattlesnake
grasslands forests
Saguaro
Scrublands Tropical cactus
forests
Mountains
SI
Hot desert Merriam’s
E
Cold desert kangaroo rat
RR
Roadrunners run up Greater
A
to 18 mph (29 kph) roadrunner
SI
M
Elf owl and are one of the
SCALE few animals that
ER
Just 6 in (15 cm)
AD
A relative of the eat rattlesnakes.
R
0 250 miles tall, North America’s
RA
raccoon, the ringtail
E
smallest owl plays can climb straight up
dead if captured. cliffs, trees, and even
MA
0 250 kilometers
OC
prickly cacti! MEXICO
CI
DR
E
DE
N
OR
PA C
IF
IC
TA L
Ringtail
IEN
O
Costa’s
C
Puma Found in the Mojave
E
hummingbird and Sonoran deserts,
TA L
Also called the cougar or mountain this tiny bird slows
AN
lion, this big cat hunts at night. It down its heart rate to
is a fast runner, a good swimmer, survive cold nights.
and an excellent jumper
and climber. Nine-banded
armadillo
The only armadillo

living in North America,
this animal has a great
sense of smell.
Mexico City
N
W E Location
The Great Basin Desert
S is the farthest north of
the western deserts. It’s
followed by the Mojave,
the Sonoran, and finally
the Chihuahuan deserts.
15
Location
Central America connects
BELIZE North and South America.
Resplendent
quetzal
These butterflies are Its tropical climate is ideal
named for their long for plants and the animals
Mexican kite wing tips that look
swallowtail This monkey swings
like swallows’ tails. that depend on them.
butterfly through the rain forest
and can hang from
branches by its tail.
GUATEMALA This tiny bird’s long,
curved bill lets it sip
Guatemala City nectar from inside HABITAT KEY
HONDURAS rain-forest flowers.
Mangroves Tropical
forests
Geoffroy’s Mountains
spider Deciduous
E L S A LVA D O R monkey Coniferous forests
forests
A male quetzal’s twin
tail feathers are more Tegucigalpa Bronzy hermit
than twice as hummingbird
long as its body. San Salvador SCALE
NICARAGUA 0 100 miles
CA
RI
0 100 kilometers
B
E
B
PA The tayra hunts small A
CI monkeys, rodents, and N
FI Managua
C birds, but it also eats SE
O Tayra fruit and honey. A
CE
A
N
C O S TA R I C A
Sticky finger pads help N
this little frog cling to
twigs and branches. W
E
It may look more like
San José Red-eyed a pig, but the tapir is S
tree frog related to horses.
PA N A M A
Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth

Two long claws on its front legs Baird’s tapir Panama City
let this slow-moving sloth get around
the rain forest. It spends almost its entire
life upside down!
Central Ocelot
America
Seven countries make up the narrow strip of land
This fast cat’s super
sight and hearing help
it hunt rabbits and
other small animals
at night. During the
that is Central America. More than 1,500 different day it rests in the
species of birds live here, and many more animals trees, where its
markings blend in
find food and shelter in its warm rain forests. among the leaves.
USA AT
L
Nassau OC AN
EA TI
Havana
N C
Only wild pigs live on
BAHAMAS the tiny island of Big
Major Cay. They swim
out to greet visitors!
CUBA
Feral pig The solenodon’s

Cuba’s national long nose helps it A male frigate
find food. It stuns bird attracts a
bird is also called
its insect and lizard mate.
the tocororo, after
the sound it makes. prey with venom.
Cuban Magnificent frigate bird
trogon These birds are skilled flyers, known for
Jamaica’s only native swooping in and stealing another bird’s prey.
land mammal, the Male frigate birds inflate their red throat
shy hutia eats fruit, Jamaican sacs to impress females.
shoots, and bark. hutia
JAMAICA HAITI
Hispaniolan solenodon This flat fish uses
SCALE Port-au-Prince DOMINICAN its stiff fins as legs
Kingston REPUBLIC to “walk” along
0 100 miles the ocean floor.
Atlantic batfish
Pu
0 100 kilometers G erto
r e Santo Domingo Rico
a t
e r
A n t
HABITAT KEY i l l e s
A The blue marlin stabs the

C
Wetlands Tropical R
forests IB N fish it wants to eat with
Mountains BE its spearlike snout.
Mangroves AN
SEA
W
E
Location S
e s
The Caribbean lies east of Blue marlin
l l
Central America, between
i
L e s t
North and South America. s e r A n
The area has warm waters Vampire bats drink other
and a tropical climate. animals’ blood. Their saliva
has a special chemical that
keeps the blood flowing.
Common
Caribbean
Port-of-Spain
vampire bat
TRINIDAD
AND TOBAGO
Cuban crocodile
There are more than 7,000 small islands in This critically
the Caribbean Sea. Not many mammals live endangered croc
is found only in
here, but with its rocky areas, beaches, and Cuba, in just two
about nine percent of the world’s coral reefs, swamps. Turtles are
one of its favorite foods,
it is the perfect home for all kinds of reptiles, since its blunt back teeth are 17
birds, and fish. ideal for crushing their shells.
Florida
Everglades
The Everglades, North America’s largest subtropical
wetland, is really a big, slow-moving river. The area is
half its original size due to humans sending its water to
farms and cities. However, it is still home to 350 bird
species, and reptiles such as alligators and crocodiles.
Common snapping turtle

Although it has no teeth, this
turtle’s strong, bony beak and
jaws can bite and kill birds, fish,
and small mammals. It is also Great blue heron North
known to bite the heads off America’s largest heron is a
other turtles that come too slow smover, but it strikes fast
close. No wonder most to catch fish in mid-swim.
animals, including humans,
know to leave it alone!
Around 300 fish species are

found in the waters of the Anhinga This bird hunts
Everglades, ranging from tiny underwater. It acts like a
pygmy sunfish to barracudas that spear-fisherman, stabbing
can grow up to 6 ft (2 m) long. fish with its long, sharp bill.
American alligator The

Everglades is the only place
in the wild where alligators
and crocodiles live together.
An alligator’s teeth are

Everglades rat snake hidden from sight when
This long snake both swims and can its mouth is closed—
unlike a crocodile’s,
climb trees. Rats are on its menu, but which are always visible.
18 A rat snake shows off its forked it also eats frogs, squirrels, and birds
tongue.
and their eggs.
Everglades snail kite This

bird of prey eats apple snails.
It uses its curved bill to pull the
snails out of their shells.
An orb weaver sits in wait on its
web.
Golden silk
orb weaver
Female orb weavers can
grow up to 3 in (8 cm)
long. Their silk is gold in
color, and it is stronger
than the material used
in bulletproof vests!
Purple gallinule This

duck-sized bird has long Florida panther These panthers
toes that allow it to walk are critically endangered. Fewer
on lily pads without sinking. than 100 are left in the wild, since
so many have been hunted.
Location
The Everglades stretches
across the southern tip of
Florida. During its rainy
season, this area gets
twice as much rain as
Green tree frog other places in the US.
Depending on its mood, this little frog is
either bright green or dull khaki in color. It
inflates its vocal sac and screams if picked
up—which can save its life, since the scream
makes a lot of predators drop it in surprise! 19
South W
N
E
VENEZUELA
America
Earth’s fourth-largest continent lies mostly in
S
COLOMBIA
GALÁPAGOS
the southern half of the world. It has tropical ISLANDS
(ECUADOR)
R
rain forests, dry deserts, grassy plains, and high, A DO
E CU
snowy mountains. The many different habitats
means that a variety of amazing animals can
make South America their home.
P
E
R
U
IA
IV
L
Amazon rain forest O
B
The winding Amazon River flows
through the enormous rain forest
that shares its name. In addition
to producing a fifth of the planet’s
oxygen, this rain forest is home
to an astonishing amount of
plants, mammals, birds, and fish.
E AN
C OC
PA CIFI
A
I N
Pantanal HABITAT KEY
C H I L E
N T
The Pantanal is a wetland Tropical forests
wonderland. With flooded
grasslands and tropical Deciduous forests
A R G E
forests, it is home to Tropical grasslands
thousands of birds, fish,
and reptiles. Mammals Scrublands
also live here, such as Temperate grasslands
the plant-eating capybara,
which hides from predators Deserts
in the muddy waters.
Wetlands
Mountains
Mangroves
20
SCALE
0 500 miles 1000 miles
GU
0 1000 kilometers
YA
SU FRENCH
RI
NA GUIANA
NA
(FRANCE)
M
E
AT
LA
NT
IC
OC
EA
N
Patagonian steppe
Shared between Argentina and southern
BRAZIL Chile, the warm, dry Patagonian steppe
is filled with shrubs as well as grasses.
It makes a good home for mammals,
ranging from tiny rodents to foxes
and mountain lions.
Pampas
Its acres of grassland mean
the pampas attracts a lot of
wildlife, particularly birds.
P Some, like the flightless
A
R
Darwin’s rhea, graze on
A
plants. It also eats frogs

G
and insects that might

U
AY
be hiding in the grass.
URUGUAY
Andes
Although parts are warm
with plenty of plants, the
Andean mountains are
mostly full of high, rugged
places. Animals need to be
tough and adaptable to live
here. Flamingos, for example,
can manage to find food
in even the saltiest lakes.
FALKLAND ISLANDS
(UNITED KINGDOM) 21
Amazon Caracas
rain forest VENEZUELA

ino
co
S
Or
D
The Amazon is the Earth’s largest tropical rain forest,
AN
and it surrounds one of the world’s largest rivers—
HL
the Amazon River. Lots of species live here, including
IG
GUIANA H
more than 430 mammals, 1,300 birds, 3,000 fish,
Bogotá
870 reptiles and amphibians, and 2.5 million insects!
COLOMBIA
One of the largest

beetles in the
world, the Hercules
can get up to 7 in
(18 cm) long. Hercules
beetle
Quito
This tree can grow
13 ft (4 m) a year.
ECUADOR It is pollinated by
rain-forest bats.
Also called botos, these
rare dolphins hunt
catfish in the Amazon
and Orinoco Rivers. Kapok
tree
Pink river
dolphin This giant blue
PERU Just 9–10 in butterfly has
yo u n g co ll ar ed anteater rides on (23–26 cm) long, a wingspan of
A . this little primate
its mother’s back
5–8 in (13–20 cm).
eats mostly fruit,
insects, and plants.
Collared anteater
AN
This tree-climbing anteater doesn’t

DE
have any teeth. Instead it slurps up

PA
Emperor
ants and termites with a tongue that
S
CI
tamarin Blue
can be 16 in (40 cm) long! morpho
FI
Lima
C
OC
Yellow-banded
poison dart frog
EA
This frog’s bright-yellow color

N
tells predators to keep away.

It is a serious warning, since
its skin gives off toxic La Paz
chemicals that HABITAT KEY
can kill other
animals. Wetlands Tropical
forests
N
Tropical Sucre
grasslands Deciduous W E
forests
Mountains
Mangroves S
22
SCALE Location
Most of the Amazon is
0 250 miles found in Brazil, but it
extends into eight other
0 250 kilometers countries. It is very hot and
wet—it rains more than
Georgetown The heaviest spider in
the world, this tarantula 200 days a year here.
Paramaribo actually rarely eats
birds. It prefers insects
A
T
or earthworms.
LA EA
O
G U YA N A
C
N N
TI
Cayenne
C
Goliath FRENCH
birdeater
GUIANA
SURINAME Found from Mexico to
the top of Argentina,
the harpy eagle has
talons longer than a
Baby emerald grizzly bear’s claws.
tree boas are red
or orange. They Emerald
change to green tree boa n
as they grow up. azo
Am Harpy eagle
Razor-sharp teeth make Red howler monkeys
ós
piranhas fierce-looking eat

j
Tap a
predators, but insects leaves and fruit.

ir a and fish are their
de
Ma
usual foods.
Red howler monkey
Red-bellied
Red howlers live up to their name.
Army ants form They are the loudest animals on
piranha “swarm raids”
of over 200,000
land, and their howls can be heard
Ring-tailed
coati individuals, which 3 miles (5 km) away!
Army ant a kill any creature that
ai
Related to raccoons, BRAZIL

gu
can’t move away.

To c a n t i n s
Jaguar
Ara
coatis travel in
groups of up to Jaguars are so good at hiding that
65 individuals.
scientists don’t know how many exist
in the wild. They are found throughout
This long, snakelike Central America and
Electric fish has special the northern
eel organs that give an
electric shock to prey. half of South
Toco America.
toucan
Tocos are the
largest type of
toucan. They use
their big bills to Brasília
pick and peel fruit.
BOLIVIA
PA R A G U AY
23
24
Caracas
Found in mountain
woodlands, this
VENEZUELA
Andean
nonvenomous snake o
oc
can grow to 61⁄2 ft rin
O
(2 m) long.
mountains
The Andes is one of the highest mountain ranges
Milk snake
in the world. It reaches a top height of 22,831 ft
Magd al e na
COLOMBIA (6,959 m) and stretches along the west coast of
This is South America’s
only bear. It looks like it Bogotá South America. Animals here have to cope with
wears glasses because
of the lighter-colored extreme habitats, from glaciers to tropical forests.
fur on its face.
The northern pudu
is the tiniest deer in Spectacled bear
the world at just
over 12 in Am azo n
(30 cm) tall.
N
Quito Northern E
pudu BRAZIL
ECUADOR W
eira S
Only found in Lake
ad
Titicaca, this huge frog
M
weighs up to 2.2 lb These domestic

(1 kg) and breathes animals live in groups
through its baggy skin. in high mountain areas,
where they eat hay,
grass, and ferns.
Also called a cavy, eats ferns.
this wild guinea pig The Peruvian firestick
lives in groups in PERU
mountain grassland Montane
and forest edges. guinea pig AN
D
Peruvian firestick
ES The bright-red color
Lima of this stick insect warns
BOLIVIA predators to stay away.
Ti t iLca k e Titicaca If threatened, it releases
a c a water frog
Location Trueb’s
cochran frog Llama a nasty-smelling liquid.
The Andes stretch more
than 4,500 miles (7,240 km) La Paz Sucre
The skin on this frog’s This pale-pink flamingo
through seven countries. belly is see-through—you gets its color from the
The climate here ranges can see its internal organs plantlike algae that it
from humid rain forest to and even its bones! eats, which grow in
high, salty lakes.
snowy mountains.
James’s
flamingo
ARGENTINA
HABITAT KEY
Wetlands Deciduous Caracaras often
forests Mountain wander around, turning
Scrublands caracara over stones to look for
Mountains insects, rodents, and
Temperate other animals to eat.
grasslands Cold desert
Tropical
grasslands
Santiago
This goose’s blood

absorbs more oxygen
ck can than other geese, so
The male cock of the ro
head. it can survive at high
extend the crest on its altitudes where there Andean Colorado
is less oxygen in the air. goose
PA
Long-tailed
C
Andean cock of the rock chinchilla
CHILE
IF
Neg
Male cock of the rocks are brilliant orange, ro
With 60 hairs growing
IC
while females are brownish. The males gather
O
out of each follicle, this
C
together to show off their feathers to females, rodent has very thick fur.
E
A
ANDES
who pick their favorite from the group. Having thick fur is ideal
N
for the cold temperatures
of the high Andes.
The Andean condor ut
Chub
is the world’s largest
flying bird. It rides
mountain air currents Andean
with a wingspan of up condor
to 101⁄2 ft (3.2 m). SOUTH A
T
OCE LAN
Short legs allow this
AN T
IC
endangered deer to
clamber over rough, high
mountain terrain. It is the Huemul
national animal of Chile. Also known as the
Vicuña zorro, these foxlike
These small wild dogs hunt lizards,
members of the insects, rabbits, and Fa l k l a n d
Culpeo geese. They make their
camel family are so dens in rocky caves. Islands
well-adapted to their
mountain homes that
they can survive at
altitudes as high as SCALE
16,404 ft (5,000 m). 0 250 miles
0 250 kilometers
25
Temperate This lizard gets up to

41⁄2 ft (1.4 m) long. During
the day it hunts for snails,
spiders, and insects.
pampas
With level plains as far as the eye can see, it’s no Argentine black
and white teju
wonder native South Americans named this region
A
OB
pampas—meaning “flat surface.” This temperate
RD
grassland provides plenty of seeds for birds,
CÓ
This bloodsucking
insects, and small mammals to eat. bug feeds on rodents,
E
D
marsupials, and even
S humans. It sometimes
A Assassin bug
RR passes on a parasite
S IE that causes disease.
This medium-sized fox

throws itself to the
ground and plays dead
if danger passes.
Desagua d ero
Mollina’s
hog-nosed skunk
This skunk uses its
broad, fleshy nose
allow the to snuffle out beetles
Eyes high on its head and spiders to eat. Pampas fox
ims.
coypu to see when it sw
With yellow, white, ARGENTINA
Coypu green, blue, red, and
black feathers, this is one
Sometimes mistaken for a beaver, of the most colorful birds The greater rhea can reach
the coypu is a water-loving rodent to live in the reedbeds 41⁄2 ft (1.4 m) tall. It can’t
that can get up to 3 ft (1 m) long. of the pampas. fly, but it can run as fast as
Also called the “nutria,” it lives in 37mph (60 kph).
riverside burrows and eats plants.
Many-colored The long, powerful legs

Argentine horned frog rush-tyrant of this large rodent
At 51⁄2 in (14 cm) long and weighing allow it to run up to
up to 1 lb (480 g), the horned frog 30 mph (48 kph).
is big enough to eat lizards, Greater rhea
mice, and even other
horned frogs.
Patagonian
mara
Co
lor
ad
o
26
HABITAT KEY
Sa la do Temperate Tropical
á
grasslands grasslands
an
r
Pa
The kingfisher plunges Wetlands Mountains
headfirst into streams
and rivers to catch
small fish.
N
W E
S The male pampas meadowl
ark’s
Amazon chest is brightly colored.
kingfisher
Related to polecats Pampas meadowlark
and wolverines, the
feisty lesser grison This endangered pampas bird
is excellent at likes to nest on the ground in
hunting rabbits. U R U G U AY groups. More than 60 nests
have been found in one area,
all clustered together.
Buenos Aires
Lesser grison RÍ Montevideo
O
About the size of a PL DE
domestic cat, Geoffroy’s AT
cat hunts for rodents
LA
and birds, as well as Burrowing owl

A
frogs and fish. The burrowing owl usually lives

in abandoned burrows dug
Geoffroy’s cat by other animals. It piles
Pampas grass can grow mammal dung around the
up to 81⁄2 ft (2.6 m) tall!
The “plumes” on top entrance to attract dung
are its flowers. beetles, which are one
of its favorite foods.
Pampas grass Millions of these deer
once roamed the
pampas, but today they
have to compete with
cattle and humans
for space. Pampas deer
C
This large rodent has TI
thick, soft fur. Several live N N
together in enormous A
LA
E
underground burrows.
C
AT
O
Plains vizcachas
Location
The pampas lies mostly in
Argentina, stretching into
SCALE Uruguay. Although it is
0 100 miles
warm and humid here, the
summer dry season often
brings wildfires. 27
0 100 kilometers
Pantanal
The Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland, Jabiru stork
which means a lot of it is underwater for much The jabiru is the tallest
flying bird in South and
of the year. The 3,500 different plant species Central America, and
that grow here make it an ideal home for lots can grow to over 3 ft
(1 m) high. It grabs fish,
of birds and mammals, including the capybara, frogs, and insects with
A jabiru stork wades
which is a giant relative of the guinea pig. its enormous bill. through
the Pantanal.
N
This big freshwater About as big as a
snail grows up to 6 in medium-sized W E HABITAT KEY
(15 cm) long! It only dog, the capybara Tropical Deciduous
comes out of the water is the world’s grasslands forests
at night to find food. largest rodent. S
Wetlands
y
gua
ra
Anacondas live in and
Pa
Channeled The roseate spoonbill out of water. They can be
apple snail Capybara sweeps its spoon-shaped up to 291⁄2 ft (9 m) long,
bill from side to side to but hide among water
scoop up minnows— plants to surprise prey.
tiny freshwater fish.
BOLIVIA
Green anaconda
BRAZIL
SCALE This wetland plant’s
leaves can grow to 8 ft The marsh deer has
0 50 miles (2.5 m) across, and can broad hooves that
hold an animal weighing Roseate spread out to prevent
up to 45 lb (20.5 kg)! spoonbill them from sinking
0 50 kilometers
in marshy ground. Marsh deer
Location This clever monkey

The Pantanal lies south of uses rocks to crack
the Amazon rain forest in nuts and crush crab
shells to get at the
Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. food inside.
It gets so much rain that
80 percent of it is flooded Giant water lily Hooded capuchin
during the rainy season.
PA R A G U AY Yacare caiman
Caiman look like
Giant otter their alligator relatives,
Found only in South American rivers but have a pointier snout.
and rain forests, giant otters get The yacare gets up to
up to 41⁄2 ft (1.4 m) long. 10 ft (3 m) long. Its favorite
They eat fish, crabs, and food is the piranha, but it
even small caimans! also eats apple snails.
a
rw
in
Isl
and
Galapagos
The Galápagos are a group of volcanic islands
and
D
Isl that lie about 621 miles (1,000 km) off the
f
ol
W coast of Ecuador. There are several larger
islands and many more smaller ones. Three
major ocean currents meet here, bringing in
Location
lots of different sea animals.
The Galápagos islands
cluster around the equator
in the Pacific Ocean. They have PA C I F
two seasons—a cool, dry IC
OC
season and a warm season. EA
N
Marche
More lava lizards live Islan na
in the Galápagos than
d
any other reptile. They
warm themselves on
sunny rocks. Bright-blue feet make
Although it can’t fly,
this cormorant is a this bird easy to spot.
powerful swimmer Female boobies have
darker-blue feet
and hunts eels and Galápagos lava than males. A marine iguana graz
octopuses on the lizard
es on seaweed.
ocean floor.
San
Blue-footed Marine iguana

S booby Marine iguanas are the only lizards
al
Fe r n
va
dor Isl an to swim in the ocean, where they look for
Flightless seaweed to eat. Special glands clean salt
cormorant
nd from their blood, which they sneeze out!
a
Sant
ina nd Galápagos
Isla hawk
This little penguin Galápagos
San
sea lion
a
lives farther north Cr d

than any other uz Islan Galápagos
penguin species.
C rs l
The Galápagos hawk This sea lion can tortoise

I
Galápagos is very rare. It mostly move its back flippers a stó

i
Isa penguin eats giant centipedes, independently, so it n d b a l This tortoise can grow
up to 5 ft (1.5 m) long
bela Island but also catches rodents can “gallop” on land.
and weigh up to
and young iguanas.
500 lb (227 kg).
Some of them are
over 100 years old!
Sa ía
Sally Lightfoot crab nta Mar Es
pañola
This bright-red crab earned its Island Isl
name by scuttling around at and SCALE
high speeds. It hides from
N
0 25 miles
birds by squeezing E
into tiny spaces W
between rocks. 0 25 kilometers
S
29
Cerrado
The Cerrado is found almost entirely in Brazil. It W
N
E
HABITAT KEY
Wetlands
Tropical
Tropical
forests
grasslands Deciduous
is made up of mostly tropical grassland, but a few S Mountains
forests
gu
trees are mixed with it in places, and there are Cold desert
Xin
Tap a j ó s
areas of dry forest, too. With more than 10,000 BRAZIL
different plant species, the Cerrado offers plenty
of food and shelter for lots of animals.
Often called “a fox The giant anteater

on stilts,” the maned uses its sticky tongue
wolf’s long legs help to lap up 35,000 ants
it to see over the tall and termites a day!
Cerrado grass.
Maned wolf
King vultures don’t have Giant anteater
a great sense of smell. To
make up for it, they follow
Both male and fem other vultures to lead them
ale hyacinth
macaws are bright to dead animals to eat.
blue.
Hyacinth macaw King vulture Boettger’s
The longest parrot on the planet, BOLIVIA caecilian
the hyacinth macaw can be 3 ft
(1 m) long. Their large bills are able
Although it has no
to crack even the hardest palm nuts. legs, this isn’t a snake,
but an amphibian that
lives underground. Only the male
helmeted manakin
has this flashy red
crest. The female
is a plain gray-
green bird. Helmeted
manakin
Found all over Central

America and the north of
South America, this lizard
spends most of its life in Green iguana
trees, where it eats
tender green leaves.
Leaf-cutting ants
These ants “saw” leaves into pieces
with their jaws. They carry the bits back PA R A G U AY
to their underground home, where a
30 fungus grows on them, which the ants
harvest and eat.
SCALE Location
0 200 miles The Cerrado lies in central
This cat can leap Brazil. While it rains a lot
up to 61⁄2 ft (2 m)
antins
ia
off the ground 0 200 kilometers here, the showers only fall
ua
g during half the year, so it
Ara to catch birds.
oc
T is dry for the other half.
Jaguarundi
m
Also called the racerunner, da
this lizard relies on speed
o
inh
to escape predators in
rad
the grasslands.
Sob
Giant ameiva
This bird can run at
speeds of up to 25 mph
(40 kph) for short
distances—about as
fast as a top sprinter.
The giant armadillo

Giant can grow to 3 ft (1 m) Red-legged
armadillo seriema
long. It rips open
isco
termite mounds with

a termite colony.
c
its front claws to reach

Fr a n
the tasty insects inside. This mound houses

São
Termites
Termites are ant-sized insects
Brasília
that build their own “cities.”
These huge mounds get up to
30 in (77 cm) high. The mounds
Just 31⁄2 in (9.5 m) long, have underground chambers
this tiny opossum stores where workers store wood, care
Karimi’s fat-tailed fat in its tail like a camel for eggs, and even grow fungal
mouse opossum stores fat in its hump. gardens for food!
Soldier termites
protect the mound
DS
with their huge jaws.

AN
Cuyaba
dwarf frog
HL
IG
ná
This tiny frog puffs

H
Pa r a
up the two “eyespots”

N
above its back legs to

IA
scare away predators.

IL
Z
A
BR
Worker termites
AT L A N T I are smaller than
Bush dog C soldiers and don’t
OC
This short-legged, stocky EA have large jaws.
carnivore has webbed
31
N
feet, which make it a

good swimmer.
Cordillera
Blanca
Part of the Andes, this is the largest tropical mountain
Andean condor Female
condors produce just one egg
every two years. It takes almost
60 days for the egg to hatch.
range in the world. Peaks over 19,685 ft (6,000 m) high

surround valleys filled with lakes and streams. There
isn’t much oxygen at these heights, so it is hard to
breathe, but the animals here manage surprisingly well.
Taruca
You can tell a taruca apart
from other deer by the
dark, Y-shaped mark
on its face. It feeds on
mountain grasses, and
travels into valleys to
find water. Guanaco The guanaco is a
member of the camel family.
Movable pads on its hooves
help it walk over rocky ground.
The guanaco is the ancestor

of domestic llamas. The closely Andean goose The Andean
related vicuña is the ancestor goose lives in mountain
of domestic alpacas. wetlands, but it doesn’t swim
well, so it avoids the water!
Colocolo The colocolo is a

nocturnal predator that hunts
rodents, guinea pigs, and
ground-nesting birds.
Southern mountain vizcacha

The rabbitlike vizcacha spends a lot of The colocolo resembles
time on rocky ledges, basking in the sun. a house cat, but can be
Vizcachas are related to chinch It is covered in thick, soft fur all the way identified by the dark-
32 illas. colored bands and
to the end of its curled tail. lines around its legs.
Mountain caracara This

black-and-white bird of prey Torrent duck
builds nests of sticks on cliff Native to the Andes,
ledges in the high Andes.
the torrent duck plunges
in and out of cold,
fast-moving mountain
streams to catch insect
larvae to eat. Females,
like this one, are
orange, but males
are black and white.
The spectacled bear

lives only in the
Andean mountains.
Spectacled bear The
spectacled bear eats fruit,
flowers, and plants. It also
hunts insects, rodents, and
birds in grassland habitats.
Culpeo The culpeo spends

most of its time alone, but
parents stay together to raise
cubs in mountain dens.
Location
The Cordillera Blanca is
a chain of mountains in
northern Peru. Snow
covers many of them,
and temperatures range
from 37–73˚ F (3–23˚ C).
Giant hummingbird
Giant hummingbirds get up to 8½ in
(21.5 cm) long! They mostly feed on nectar
from flowers, looking for the ones with the
gest highest levels of energy-filled sugar. They
n t h u mm in gb irds are the big also eat spiders and small insects. 33
G ia
in the world.
hummingbirds https://sscstudy.com/
Africa
T U N IS IA
O
C
Ca na r y Isla nds C
O
This continent is so large and has so many different (SPAIN)
O
R
habitats, it feels as if there are several Africas, not M
A ALGERIA
just one. With deserts and rain forests, mountains A
H
AR
S
and grasslands, Africa is home to some of the best-
RN
IA
TE
known—and most endangered—species on Earth.
ES
N
A
IT
R
U
CAPE
MALI
A
VE
NIGER
M
RDE
SENEGAL
THE GAMBIA
GUINEA-BISSA U BURKINA FASO
GUINEA
BENIN
GHAN
TOGO
AT L A N T I C
OCEAN SIERRA LEONE
A ST NIGERIA N
Y CO O
A
LI IVOR
B
ER O
R
IA
E
M
African savanna GULF OF Bioco
CA
Africa’s tropical grassland GUINEA
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
is known as savanna. It is often
what people think of when they Sã o Tom é &
Pr í nc i pe
imagine Africa: vast, open, grassy GABON
plains. Lots of hoofed animals live O
G
here, moving around in search of CO
N
fresh grass—or, in the giraffe’s

case, tender acacia leaves to eat. N
W E
S
South African fynbos

HABITAT KEY
The southwest tip of South Tropical forests
Africa is covered with Deciduous forests
shrubs and heathland
known as fynbos. Animals Coniferous forests
such as tortoises, frogs, and Tropical grasslands
small baboons live among
the 9,000 plant species that Scrublands
grow here. That’s more Deserts
plant species than in South
America’s Amazon rain forest! Wetlands
Mountains
34 Mangroves
MEDI Sahara desert

TERRANEA
N SEA Huge, hot, and harsh, the
Sahara at first seems too
extreme a region for anything
to survive. However, scorpions,
snakes, rodents, lizards, and
L I B YA even foxes and hyenas make
it their home. Camels also live
EGYPT here. They were brought to
RE the desert around 200ce.
D
SE
SUDAN A
ERITREA
CHAD
DJIBOUTI
CENTRAL SOUTH
AFRICAN SUDAN ETHIOPIA
IA
REPUBLIC
L
A
M
A
O
D E M O C R AT I C
D
S INDIAN Ethiopian highlands

N
REPUBLIC
A
K E N YA OCEAN This area is where most of Africa’s tallest

G
CONGO
OF THE
U
RWANDA
mountains are. Since they’re so isolated,
the highlands are a great place for birds
BURUNDI
and mammals, including the gelada, a
Pemba E S type of monkey whose calls sound a lot
TA N Z A N I A Zanzibar E
L L
like human speech.
H
C
Y
E
S
Madagascar’s spiny forests

ANGOLA
OROS
OM These are some of Earth’s most amazing
MALAWI
C
IA
forests. They contain trees that are tall and

thin with long, sharp spines for “branches,”
B
M
ZA
R
and other trees that are short with lots of

U
CA
IQ
thick, spiky limbs. The spikes don’t stop

E
EL E
W lemurs from eating the trees’ fruits, though!

B
AS
B
ZIMBA
M
AN IQ
A
AG
A
B
N
Z
NAMIBIA
AM
AN
MAURITIUS
Réuni on
O
AD
(FRANCE)
W
OZ
TS
CH
BO
M
M
SWAZILAND
U T HA LESOTHO
SO RIC SCALE
AF 0 500 miles 1000 miles
0 1000 kilometers
Algiers
AI NS TUN
Rabat MOROCCO NT
U
MO
L AS
AT This is Africa’s
only wild sheep.
Males charge at
each other with
Just 4 in (10 cm) their heads down
long, this lizard Barbary sheep when fighting.
licks its eyes to
clean them.
This snake’s “horns”

are really special scales
that protect its eyes
Dune gecko
Striped hyena from sand.
Also found in Asia as far as
India, this nighttime hunter
has teeth and jaws strong Desert horned A
enough to crush bone.
viper MOHAGGA
WESTERN UN R
TA I N S
SAHARA
The desert monitor
uses its long, powerful ALGERIA
N Desert monitor
C EA lizard
tail like a whip to
A
defend itself.
O M A U R I TA N I A D
MALI RA
R
C
Also called a DES

TI
“screwhorn antelope,” Gigantic swarms IFORAS

AN
the endangered addax of desert locusts can

Nouakchott has horns up to 47 in contain billions of
AT L
(120 cm) long. insects and stretch for

40 miles (64 km).
er
Addax Nig NIGER
SCALE Desert
locust
0 250 miles
0 250 kilometers
Niamey
Sahara
Bamako
desert
The Sahara is the Earth’s largest hot desert. It Fennec fox
Abuja
covers 3,630,000 sq miles (9,400,000 sq km) and This small fox’s huge
ears aren’t only great for
is home to about 70 animal and 500 plant species. hearing. They also help to
They have to deal with temperatures as high as keep the fox cool by releasing
its body heat into the air.
135˚ F (57˚ C) and very little rainfall.
Tunis HABITAT KEY

N Tropical Wetlands
grasslands
Mountains
W E Scrublands
MEDITERR Hot desert
NISIA S ANEA
N SE
A
Tripoli
Cairo
This scorpion’s venom
is highly toxic, but it is EGYPT
rarely fatal to humans.
This crocodile gets up to
Deathstalker 20 ft (6 m) long, weighs
scorpion 2,205 lb (1,000 kg),
L I B YA and lives up to 40 years.
The tiny hopping

jerboa’s hind legs Nile crocodile
R
are four times longer
ED
Nile
Lesser Egyptian than its front ones.
jerboa
SE
A
Sandy-colored
markings make it easy
AÏ
for this bird to hide

from desert predators.
R M O U N TA I N
Found in southern TIBESTI The Dorcas gazelle

desert shrubland, the M O U N TA I N S never has to drink.
It gets all its moisture
Nubian bustard eats from eating flowers,
large insects, leaves,
fruit, and grass seeds.
The largest tortoise Dorcas leaves, and bark.
in Africa, this reptile gazelle
can weigh up to Chestnut-bellied
231 lbs (105 kg). sandgrouse ERITREA
S
Khartoum Asmara
African spurred
tortoise
CHAD SUDAN
Nubian bustard
ETHIOPIA
N’Djamena
NIGERIA
Ch
ar
i
Location Dromedary camel

The Sahara stretches Dromedaries are well suited
across North Africa, from to the desert. They can store
the Atlantic Ocean in the fat in their hump as food, have
west all the way to the thick eyelashes to keep sand
Red Sea in the east. out of their eyes, and can
drink 40 gallons (182 liters) 37
of water without stopping! Dromedary camels
have
https://sscstudy.com/ only one hump.
Emperor scorpion
At 8 in (20 cm) long, the emperor
is the largest scorpion on the planet.
Surprisingly, despite its big size, its Congo Basin
sting is not deadly for humans.
Often called “Africa’s Green Heart,” the Congo Basin
is a huge area of land surrounding the Congo River.
This supports the world’s second-largest rain forest,
and, along with swamps and lakes, it is a haven for
hundreds of amazing animals—including bonobos
and chimpanzees, the closest living relatives of humans.
SOUTH
CHAD
SUDAN HABITAT KEY
Wetlands Mangroves
MBANG The turaco gets its
O bright colors from Tropical Tropical
M U N TA I
NS Violet copper, a metal grasslands forests
turaco found in the plants
that it eats. Mountains
CENTRAL
A AFRICAN
AW
A M
NDS
REPUBLIC
AD HLA This big cat stashes African
G its prey up trees to buffalo
HI keep it out of reach
of other predators. If one buffalo is attacked Juba
by a lion, the rest of its
Bangui Ubangi herd will rush to defend it.
Leopard Timid bongos have

many stripes that look
like light and shade, so
they can hide easily Although its legs are
Yaoundé CAMEROON in dense rain forests. striped like a zebra’s,
Adult male gorillas the secretive okapi
t
is a close relative
er
are called “silverbacks” L

l b ake
because of the silvery- of the giraffe. A

Okapi
GABON white hair that covers One of the world’s
The mandrill has the their backs. Con
go most intelligent birds,
most colorful face in the gentle African greys
monkey world—and a can learn lots of UGANDA
bluish-purple bottom! Bongo
rd
human words.
a
L
wa ke
Western gorilla
Bonobo Ed
This slender, peaceful ape Kigali
CONGO eats less meat than its DEMOCRATIC
chimpanzee cousins and REPUBLIC OF
spends more time in trees. African grey
Mandrill THE CONGO parrot RWANDA
Bujumbura
BURUNDI
Brazzaville Ka
sai Covered in protective
Kinshasa This tiny bloodsucker scales, the pangolin TA N Z A N I A
MITUM
causes more deaths rolls itself into a ball
than any other creature when threatened.
because it passes on
AT
L
the disease malaria.
BA M
Slender lungfish
La
This eagle swoops down
k
AN
on fish from nearby
eT
The lungfish lives in
TI
trees, grabbing them
an
OUN
g
floodplains that often dry
C
in its sharp talons. Common
an
y
up. During these times, it Anopheles pangolin

TA
i ka
uses its lungs to breathe mosquito
OC
air until the water returns.
E
INS
AN
African fish
Luanda eagle
ANGOLA
go
N
Con
W E
S
Location
The Congo Basin is located
around the equator in SCALE
west-central Africa. There 0 200 miles
are hot, humid places, and
cooler, dry ones. Some parts 0 200 kilometers
ZAMBIA
also get a lot of rain.
Chimpanzee
This smart ape lives in family
White-throated groups and can walk on two
bee-eater legs as well as four. It uses
The bee-eater lives tools, such as rocks and sticks,
in large families. It rubs to help it get food.
bees and wasps against a
hard surface to remove their Red river hog
stings before eating them.
Red river hogs move around
mostly at night, returning to
burrows during the day to keep
cool. They live in noisy family
Chimpanzees are on groups called sounders. The red river hog uses its snou
e of the closest t to
39
living relatives of hu
mans.
sniff out tasty roots in the groun

d.
Southern Kinda baboon babies

can have white, gray,
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF
savanna
Much of southern Africa is covered in tropical
black, or even
multicolored fur.
THE CONGO
“Hippopotamus” means
“water horse,” but the
hippo’s closest relatives
are dolphins and whales!
grasslands called savanna. They’re great places to
find grazing animals, such as zebras and antelopes. Kinda baboon
This also means that they attract predators, such
as lions. Hippopotamus
HABITAT KEY
Wetlands Deciduous B I É P L AT E AU
Zambezi
forests This tree-dwelling
Tropical primate, also called
grasslands Tropical Mohol
forests a bush baby, can jump
as far as 16 ft (5 m) galago
Mangroves
Hot desert in a single leap.
Mountains
ANGOLA
SCALE African elephant
0 100 miles Lions are social cats. Earth’s largest land
They live in groups African lion animal, the African
called prides. elephant has a brain
0 100 kilometers four times bigger
These dogs help each than a human brain.
other. They rarely fight,
and they take care of
TIC OCEAN
young, old, sick, or injured

members of their pack.
Rhinoceroses don’t see

very well, but they have
good hearing and an BOTSWANA
AT L A N
excellent sense of smell.
O ka
va
African wild dog ngo
Black rhinoceros
NAMIBIA
Location
Grant’s zebra Savanna covers more than
Just like human fingerprints, a half of Africa, mostly in the
zebra’s stripe pattern is unique. central and southern parts.
This means that no two zebras These areas have a rainy and
40 have the exact same stripes. a dry season, but it is hot all year.
IND
IAN
TA N Z A N I A
L ak
OC
EA
eT
N
an
ga
ba
TA B A
S
ny
IN
Luala
i ka
M
Giraffe
U
Male impalas grow

IT
At up to 19 ft (5.8 m) high, the

N
beautiful ridged
M
horns up to 36 in giraffe is the world’s tallest land

O
M
(92 cm) long. animal. Its very long neck helps

it to reach acacia tree
leaves high above
the savanna.
Impala
Vervet monkeys spend
hours each day picking
dirt and parasites out
of each other’s fur. MALAWI
ZAMBIA One of the few savanna
Lake Nyasa
S
trees, the acacia provides

IN
food for many animals—

TA
despite its fierce thorns.

N
U
O
M
Vervet monkey Lilongwe

A
G Acacia tree
IN
CH
MU MOZAMBIQUE
Za
Lusaka be Long-legged flamingos

m
zi sweep their bills

Southern through salty water
yellow-billed IN to find algae to eat.
hornbill Lesser
This bird snaps up insects Y
flamingo
A
with its curved bill, tossing

N
them into its mouth MO

G
ZA
MB
A
with a flick of its head. CH

AN IQ
M
N NE UE
O
Harare L
UN
W E
TA
INS
Plum dung
beetle S
Dung beetles recycle animal
poop. They roll it up into balls
and bury them to use later as
food or as places to lay eggs.
ZIMBABWE
Blue wildebeest
The wildebeest looks like a cow, but
it is a type of antelope. It travels an
astonishing 1,000 miles (1,609 km)
every year, just to find the right
kind of grass to eat. 41
Wildebeests are also
known as gnus.
Kalahari
Sociable weaver
These small birds
build giant nests,
over 21 ft (6 m) wide,
desert
The Kalahari is a huge, dry, sandy area in southern
with up to 100
weavers in each one.
Some nests are so
heavy that they break
the tree they’re in!
Africa. In some parts of the Kalahari, it may not
rain for up to eight months. Many animals here a ve rs ’ m assive nests
Sociable w e
have to travel in search of fresh grass to eat, and O years.
can last for 1O
predators follow them.
Location
HABITAT KEY ANGOLA The Kalahari covers most
O ka
Wetlands Tropical of Botswana and parts of

Circling high in the Namibia and South Africa.
van
grasslands desert sky on its broad

Scrublands In summer, it can become
go
wings, this bird searches

Hot desert for dead animals to eat. as hot as 104˚ F (40˚ C).
SCALE
0 100 miles White-backed This high-leaping
vulture Growing up to 9 ft antelope moves
(2.8 m) tall, the around in large herds.
0 100 kilometers Both males and
ostrich is the world’s
largest bird. It can’t females have horns.
fly, but it can outrun Springbok
most of its predators.
BOTSWANA
N C
The aardvark’s name

EA TI
Ostrich Warthogs kneel means “earth pig.” It

on their front legs
OC AN
Windhoek when munching can eat up to 50,000

ants a night!
AT L
on fresh grass.
Aardvark
Cheetah During the day, this large
The world’s fastest land Common rodent sleeps in caves or
warthog
animal, the cheetah can run N NAMIBIA
burrows. At night, it comes
out to find plants to eat. Gaborone
at speeds of up to 68 mph
(110 kph). It takes just three W E Pretoria
seconds for this cat to reach
its top speed. S
Cape
porcupine
African bullfrog
a l
This big frog lives underground Va
during the dry season, which can
last 10 months of each year!
Bloemfontein
SOUTH Meerkat
AFRICA Meerkats help each other protect
their families. They take turns
standing on guard and warn other
https://sscstudy.com/ meerkats if danger approaches.
Male panther
Madagascar
Madagascar is the fourth-largest island in
SCALE
0
0 100 kilometers
100 miles
chameleons are
color crazy! Their
body patterns are
a mix of pink, blue,
orange, green, red,
and yellow.
the world, and it is amazingly rich in wildlife.
Q UE Panther
More than 250,000 different species of BI chameleon
AM
INDIAN OCEAN
animals live here, and two-thirds of them MOZ N EL
N
are found nowhere else on Earth. Sadly, CHA
Male ploughshare
many are endangered. tortoises try to flip
each other over
during fights.
N
Location MADAGASCAR
Madagascar is in the W E
Indian Ocean, off the Ploughshare
coast of Africa. It has two S tortoise
B e t s i b o ka
seasons: hot and rainy, Tomato This frog’s
and then cool and dry. The baobab’s thick, frog bright-red color
wide trunk can hold ke is a warning to
thousands of liters La otra predators that
a
of rainwater. Al it is toxic.
Antananarivo
RA MASSIF
Leaf chameleon
Just 1.1 in (29 mm) This hedgehoglike
long, this tiny species animal has spines
of leaf chameleon sticking out of its fur.
remained unknown Lowland
to scientists streaked tenrec
R AT
until 2012. Baobab

HABITAT KEY
KA
Mangroves Tropical
AN
forests
e le on s a r e possibly the Mangok
y Mountains
Deciduous
Leaf cham est reptile. This strange-looking forests
world’s small The ring-tailed
lemur taps its long
lemur sunbathes
middle finger on trees Fossa
to find grubs—its Madagascar’s largest predator is
every morning with favorite food.
its arms outstretched. the catlike fossa. It climbs trees and
Aye-aye uses its long tail to help it balance.
Comet moth
The comet moth is also Fossas hunt many animals, from
called the Madagascan lemurs to fish.
moon moth. It has a
wingspan of 8 in (20 cm)
and its striking tail is 6 in
(15 cm) long. This moth
lives for just a few days. Ring-tailed
lemur
43
Kruger
National Park
South Africa’s Kruger National Park is filled with
wildlife. More than 140 mammal species and
hundreds of birds live in its savanna, mountains,
and tropical forests. Watering holes provide places
for animals to drink during the dry season.
Giraffe Special valves in

a giraffe’s neck stop blood
from rushing to its head
when it bends over to drink.
Hippopotamus A hippo’s
eyes, ears, and nose are on top
of its head, so it can see, hear,
and breathe while the rest of
The white-backed vulture is the most it is underwater.
commonly seen vulture in Africa.
Honey badger Almost
3 ft (1 m) long, the honey
White-backed vulture badger is one of the most
This big vulture eats dead fearless animals in Africa.
animals. Up to 1,000 of them It even fights lions!
may gather to feed on an
elephant carcass, squabbling
and fighting while they eat!
Aardvark The aardvark
uses its wide, strong claws
to dig burrows as well as
find insects to eat.
Secretary bird The aardvark’s nostrils

The secretary bird strides contain lots of hairs to
through the savanna on its long stop dust from going up
its nose when it is digging.
legs, looking for grasshoppers,
44 voles, and mice to eat. It kills
snakes by stomping on them!
Bateleur
This eagle’s name
means “tightrope
walker” because it
rocks its wings from
side to side when it
glides, as if it’s
balancing. Its bright-
red face has no
feathers at all.
Plains zebra Zebra herds

travel long distances to find
enough grass to eat. They African elephant An
must also drink at least once elephant’s trunk contains
a day. 40,000 muscles! It uses its
trunk to spray water into its African elephants have
mouth for a drink. much larger ears than
Asian elephants.
African lion In a pride of

lions, females do most of the
hunting. The male is the only
cat with a mane.
Impala To escape predators,
impalas leap forward up to
291⁄2 ft (9 m) and as high as 8 ft
(2.5 m). Sometimes they leap
over each other!
Location
Kruger National Park
covers 7,523 sq miles
(19,485 sq km) in
northeastern South
Cheetah Africa. It lies south of
A cheetah’s impressive Zimbabwe and west
bursts of speed can only of Mozambique.
last for short distances.
Afterward, it’s tired, so
Impalas eat grass in the other animals can easily
rainy season and shrubs steal its kill!
and herbs at other times. 45
Cheetahs are instantly recognizable
from the black spots on their coat.
Europe
At first glance, the continent of Europe may seem
HABITAT KEY
Deciduous forests
Coniferous forests
Scrublands
too crowded for wildlife. There are 739 million
Temperate grasslands
people living here, in 44 countries! But with
Deserts
dense forests, sandy beaches, high mountains,
ICELAND Tundra
and miles of moorland, animals still have plenty
of different habitats to choose from. Ice
A
SE
AT L A N T I C
N
OCEAN
IA
Scottish moorland E
G
Northern Scotland has s
nd RW
NO
acres of moorland. These a
Fa r o e Isl
AY
rainy highlands have
acidic, peaty soil,
RW
n and
formed by sphagnum l
ds
N
et
Sh la
NO
DE
moss. They are full of Is
a pretty pink- and
SWE
purple-flowering shrub
A
SE
called heather. Heather
is home to many insects,
Öland
T
birds, and small
R
mammals. O
N DENMARK olm
M ae o f
IRELAND
Bornh
n
Isl
UNITED
S
ND
KINGDOM
A
L
R
HE
NET
nel BE GERMANY
h an ands LG
C Is l I
U
M
LUXEMBOURG CZEC H
REPUBL I C
BAY OF
LIECHTENSTEIN
BISCAY F RA N CE A
ITZ
ERLA AUSTRI
Az
SW N
D IA
or
s EN
SLOV
e
CR
AD
SAN MARINO
O
AT
RI
AL
I
A
ANDORRA MONACO AT
The Camargue
UG
IC
SE
ca
IT
This triangular coastal wetland is found A

si
or
A
RT
where the Rhône River meets the C

L
S PA I N
Y
Mediterranean Sea. Its 359 sq miles (930 sq M ajo rc a Minor ca VATICAN

nia
PO
CITY
km) of sandy marshes are home to 400 bird I b iza
rdi
nds
species, and to animals unique to this area, Isla
Balearic
Sa
TYRRHENIAN
such as the Camargue horse.
Gib r al tar MEDITERRANEA SEA
N Sici
Madeira SE ly
46 A
MALTA
Northern taiga
SCALE The coniferous forests of
0 500 miles 1000 miles Norway, Sweden, Finland,
Russia, and Iceland have
0 1000 kilometers long, cold winters and mild
summers. Animals like the
Eurasian moose prefer it
that way—they overheat
easily, so the cool taiga is
one of their favorite places!
FIN
IA
N
H
LAND
OT
FB
GULF O
RUSSIA
(European Russia)
SEA
EST
ON
IA
nd
IC
tl a
IA
Go
LT
LATV
BA
LITHUA
N
NI
RUSSIA E
A
(KALININGRAD)
W
BELARUS S
Mediterranean coast
Thousands of people live near the
Mediterranean Sea, and there are
POLAND always plenty of visitors. This leaves
UKRAINE little space for wildlife. However,
C larger mammals, such as the
A
VA KIA M S endangered Mediterranean
S LO
P
O
monk seal, are found on

LD
IA
Y
OV
AR rocky offshore islands.

N
A
G Crimea
HUN
SE
ROMANIA
K SEA
A
SE
C
BLA
OV INA
&
B O S N IA
R
HE R Z EG
IA
B
BULGARIA
RO
KOSOVO
Carpathian Mountains
NTENEG
(DISPUTED)
A EY
I The Carpathian Mountains run for
ALBANI
RK
MACED ON
TU
932 miles (1,500 km) through central

M O
and eastern Europe. They are home to

A
G
AEGEAN wolves, wild boar, and around 8,000

R
SEA brown bears, mostly in Slovakia,

E
E
Poland, Ukraine, and Romania.

C
E
47
IONIAN
SEA Crete https://sscstudy.com/
N SEA
Puffins can fly at about WEGIA
55 mph (88 kph) and NOR
swim underwater for
up to one minute.
In the spring, several
male hares chase a
female, who may turn
around and box them
with her front feet!
Puffins
Reykjavík ICELAND
FINLAND
Mountain hare
Predators hunt many of
these small rodents, but their
numbers grow quickly. Females
can have young every 3 to 4 This bat has shaggy
weeks, all year round! SWEDEN brown fur with
A superb climber, blond tips. It is the
the lynx often hides only bat found north
in trees and then of the Arctic Circle.
N Norway drops down onto an
lemming unsuspecting deer.
W E
S Northern
bat
The boreal owl

has such good Eurasian
hearing that it lynx
can pinpoint voles
N O RWAY hidden beneath
Boreal owl the snow.
Oslo Helsinki
Stockholm Tallinn
Northern
ESTONIA
d
an
European taiga
tl
E
S
o
G Riga
IC
LATVIA
LT
Taiga is the evergreen forest that grows in cool,

BA
wet, mountainous places in the far north of the LITHUANIA

world. Mammals need thick, furry coats, and birds BELARUS
need to fluff up their feathers to keep warm.
During the cold winters, food can be hard to find.
Carrion crow
The crow has a huge brain for its size.
It’s so smart that it makes and uses
tools, and recognizes faces. It will even
teach other crows to identify
a mean human!
BARENTS S
EA
This type of finch’s bill

is crossed at the tip,
which is ideal for
pulling conifer seeds
ussels whole,
The eider swallows m
out of cones.
in its stomach.
crushing their shells
Common eider
Parrot The wolverine is the The eider is the Northern Hemisphere’s
crossbill biggest member of the largest duck. Mother eiders lead their
weasel family. It has a chicks to the sea, where they swim in
Used as Christmas trees, bite so powerful it can groups of more than 150 chicks!
the Norway spruce can Also called the fish crush bone.
grow to 131 ft (40 m) eagle, the osprey
in height and live for plunges into water
1,000 years. feetfirst to grab
fish with its talons.
Osprey
Wolverine
SCALE
RUSSIAN The jay survives cold
winters by storing food, 0 100 miles
FEDERATION
especially berries. It hides
Norway No them in trees, or covers
rth 0 100 kilometers
spruce ern them with bark and lichens.
La
O n e gk ea
Dv
Male capercaillies perform

ina
a dance in an area called a

“lek” to attract females. They
HABITAT KEY
put their tails up, their wings Mountains Coniferous
down, and make sounds like forests
popping corks! Siberian Deciduous
ma
u kh o jay forests
Western S
capercaillie
This toad’s skin gives off Common

a nasty substance that toad Stoat
stops most predators The stoat is a lightning-
from eating it. It can fast member of the
live for up to 40 years. weasel family. Usually
reddish brown, its coat
turns white in winter,
making it hard to see
against the snow.
Location The tip of its tail,
This part of the taiga runs however, stays dark.
across the top of Europe
eastward to the Ural
Mountains in western
Russia. Winters here are When a stoat has it
s white coat, 49
very cold and snowy. it’s called an ermin
e.
European badger
The badger likes to live in groups.
Six or more share a system of
British Isles
The British Isles are made up of the United
underground tunnels called a sett,
which they dig out with powerful
claws. One badger can eat
Kingdom—which includes England, Scotland, hundreds of earthworms
in a single night!
ds
a
Wales, and Northern Ireland—and the Republic
of Ireland. Although wolves and bears once lived
Islan nd
here, today the largest wild mammal is a deer.
Shetl
Cold British waters
don’t bother this marine
s
mammal. It has a 2½ in
d
N C (6 cm) layer of fat under its
TI
an ey
skin, called blubber, to
l
E N
O
A N keep it warm.
L
A
Is rkn
W E
AT
O
S
s
Gray seal
e
This wildcat looks like a
id
big domestic cat, but it’s
SCALE
really a fierce, strong
b
0 50 miles predator with 18 The European hedgehog
has around
razor-sharp claws!
He
5,000 spines in its coat
.
r
0 50 kilometers
European hedgehog
te
If threatened, this hedgehog curls up
Ou
HABITAT KEY into a ball. Although it is known for
S eating earthworms and slugs, it actually
Wetlands Coniferous N
A
I
forests Scottish prefers insects—even wasps and bees.

P
r Hebrides
Mountains wildcat
M
A
Deciduous
R
forests Red squirrel Red squirrels can be

G
Inne
right- or left-handed—
you can tell by the way
Location they handle a pinecone. NOR
This group of islands is TH
found off the northwest Edinburgh SE
coast of mainland Europe. Cly A
d
e
The weather is often wet

and windy, but summers
can also be very warm.
Scotland
Northern LAKE Shore crabs must shed
Ireland DISTRICT their old shells as they
Belfast grow because once it
European
Ou hardens, the shell
Red se Green can’t get any bigger.
robin deer shore crab
Male deer are called stags.
Tiny, feisty robins sing Their horns, called antlers,
even in winter. A male must be regrown every year The barn owl has a
robin will fight to the and can reach 3 ft (1 m) across. heart-shaped face. Its
death for his territory, color and silent flight
which he may keep mean it is often called
for life. Me the “ghost owl.”
Dublin rsey
n on
IA
an
N
O
Sh English oaks can grow
D
up to 131 ft (40 m)
high. They don’t
produce acorns until
B a r r ow
IRELAND UNITED they are at least
SNOW
Barn owl
KINGDOM 40 years old.
English
Eurasian vern
oak tree
otter s
Se
Red kite Wales Th a m e
Seven-spot
Harbor London ladybug
porpoise Cardiff
The red kite likes to This tiny beetle eats a
Webbed feet make Shallow, cold-water decorate its nest with
bays are this porpoise’s pest called an aphid. Just
the otter a fast, agile odd items—and has one ladybug can eat over
swimmer. It has two favorite place. It hunts even been known to England
for fish and shellfish on Hazel 5,000 aphids in its
layers of fur: a warm steal clothes from dormouse lifetime—which is just
inner one, and a thick, the seabed. clotheslines! one year.
waterproof outer one.
The dormouse’s paws turn L

N NE
sideways to help it climb. CHA
It can spend three-quarters ENGLISH
of the year either asleep
or in hibernation!
FRANCE
Buff-tailed bumblebee
Unlike honeybees, which live in hives, h
C I
bumblebees nest in the ground, usually sl an

an ne
in an abandoned mouse or vole hole. ds l
They are important pollinators and
rarely sting.
Common European adder
The adder is the only venomous snake
t pollen in Britain, but this shy, secretive snake is
Bumblebees collec rarely seen. The zigzag pattern on its
flowers.
51
and nectar from back helps it hide under leaf litter.
European N O RWAY
FINLAND
forests Oslo
Stockholm
SEA
ESTO
Forests here mostly have a mix of trees. Some, like
IC
LT
the Bavarian Forest in Germany, have more conifers, SWEDEN
BA
such as spruce. Others, such as Białoweża Forest in
This little rodent
Poland, have more broad-leaved trees, like oak. All, Copenhagen doesn’t hibernate in L A T V I A
however, provide great homes for animals. winter. Instead, it
moves around beneath
DENMARK the snow, searching for L I T H U A N I A
plants to eat.
Families of blue tits gather
together in winter to search A wood ant colony
for food. They eat insects in contains around
the summer, but eat seeds GERMANY 250,000 workers.
in the winter. The Hague N E T H E R L A N D S This ant can spray
formic acid to keep
Berlin enemies away! Bank vole
Amsterdam
Warsaw
London This millipede might look POLAND
Red wood
BRITISH ISLES
scary, but it is actually a ant This insect gets its name from
Brussels vegetarian—it eats the male’s jaws, which look
Nightjars live in Africa in the BELGIUM rotting plants. like the antlers of a male
winter, but return to Europe Eurasian Prague deer, or stag. Males get up to
blue tit LUXEMBOURG
to nest in the spring. Their CZECH 3 in (7.5 cm) long.
speckled feathers hide them Paris Black REPUBLIC
perfectly among dead leaves. millipede
SLOVAKIA
LICHTENSTEIN Vienna
Bratislava
AUSTRIA
Bern Budapest
This mink is one European nightjar
SWITZERLAND
of Europe’s most FRANCE S L O V E N I A H U N G A R Y Stag beetle
endangered mammals. Ljubljana ROMANIA
It lives near rivers and Zagreb
streams, and hunts CROATIA SERBIA
mostly at night. BOSNIA & Belgrade
European HERZEGOVINA
mink MONACO SAN MARINO Sofia
Sarajevo Pristina
ANDORRA MONTENEGRO B
VATICAN CITY
Podgorica KOSOVO
Skopje
M Rome I TA LY Tirana MACEDONIA
ED
IT ALBANIA
ER
RAN GREECE
SE EAN
A
Location
Red fox There are areas of forest
This adaptable mammal can live in mainland Europe from
almost anywhere—farms or city Portugal as far as Russia.
centers, marshes or mountaintops. Some get really hot in
It lives in more places in the world summer, while others
52 than any other carnivore. are cool all year round.
il is
A red fox’s bushy ta
called a brush. https://sscstudy.com/
O n Lake
e ga
La Lake
SCALE
do 0 200 miles
ga
Helskini
0 200 kilometers
Tallinn
ONIA This pigeon lives in
The ancient Romans woodlands, parks, gardens,
thought this dormouse Common and even cities. Its feathers
was very tasty—which wood pigeon weigh more than its skeleton!
is how it got its name.
Riga
The least weasel is
only about
91⁄2 in (24 cm) long.
Edible
dormouse Moscow Least weasel
Vilnius The roe deer has a varied Small, energetic, and deadly, the weasel
diet, eating everything hunts mice and voles in their burrows,
from fungi and ferns to which it often uses to make a den of
Minsk leaves and acorns. Baby its own. It even lines its nest with its
roe deer are called kids. Grass snake
Roe deer prey’s fur in winter.
BELARUS This snake has no venom.
a
If it’s threatened and can’t
g
Don
Vo l
RUSSIAN escape, it plays dead, or
FEDERATION releases a nasty smelling
Kiev
substance from its rear end! HABITAT KEY
Scrublands Coniferous
This wild ancestor of the forests
This colorful bird is named Temperate
for its calls, which sound domestic pig lives on every grasslands Deciduous
like “hoop, hoop, hoop.” continent except Antarctica. forests
It spends most of its time Males can grow to 6 ft Mountains
Common on the ground, hunting Wild boar (1.8 m) long and weigh up
hoopoe for insects. to 661 lb (300 kg).
MOLDOVA
UKRAINE
N
Chisinau W E
Bucharest S
C K SEA
B LA
ULGARIA
Daubenton’s bat
This “super-sleeper” hibernates for
about six months of the year. It likes to
roost near water in caves, abandoned
mines, tunnels, or hollow trees.
Eurasian eagle owl

This owl is one of the largest in
the world—it has a wingspan of
to n ’s b a ts use sound to find almost 6½ ft (2 m). It is so big, it
Dauben ight. can catch mammals as large as a
insect prey at n full-grown fox or young deer!
The Alps
Location
The Alps stretch through
eight countries in total.
The highest parts are
The mountains of the Alps divide the cooler always snowy, but in
summer lower parts can
northern parts of Europe from the warm southern reach 86˚ F (30˚ C).
parts. With mountain lakes, glaciers, meadows,
and forests, there are plenty of places for different
animals to live. As many as 30,000 different Young shrews “caravan”
behind their mother, by
species make their home here. following each other in a
line, holding onto the shrew
in front by their mouth!
This hoofed mammal is able to GERMANY

run up to 31 mph (50 kph), even
N on a snow-covered mountain!
W E
LICHTENSTEIN AUSTRIA
S SWITZERLAND Alpine shrew
FRANCE
Chamois SLOVENIA
Bern This ptarmigan Ljubljana
turns white in the Rock
ptarmigan
winter to hide
from predators
in the snow.
Alpine
The endangered Apollo chough
Apollo butterfly’s bright-red wing Built for flight, CROATIA
butterfly spots fade in the sun, so the alpine chough
older butterflies have spots has been seen
that are more orange. soaring as high as
26,250 ft (8,000 m)
above sea level!
The sure-footed ibex has I TA LY
Alpine long curved horns that SCALE
ibex grow up to 40 in
0 100 miles
(100 cm) long in males.
HABITAT KEY
0 100 kilometers
Although it mostly Scrublands Coniferous
comes out at night, this forests
little black salamander Mountains
Alpine Deciduous
salamander also ventures out in the
daytime after rain. forests
Alpine marmot
The alpine marmot digs
long, deep burrows where
it hibernates for up to nine
months of the year. When
Pine marten hibernating, a marmot
Powerful forelimbs and strong breathes just one to two
claws make martens excellent times a minute! The marmot
54 climbers. They even race through lives in
the trees to hunt squirrels. meadows and high alpine
pastures.
Black-bellied hamster
European This hamster digs summer

and fall burrows 191⁄2 in
(50 cm) below the ground’s
steppe
surface. Its winter burrow
can be 61⁄2 ft (2 m) deep.
When swimming, this
hamster inflates its
cheek pouches to act
The steppe is a temperate grassland habitat. like water wings!
Many animals here are seasonal visitors from
other habitats, while some, such as hamsters Black fur on its unders
ide gives the
black-bellied hamster
and moles, live here all year round. its name.
RUSSIAN
FEDERATION This big bird of prey can
SCALE This pink and black live for up to 32 years.
starling eats locusts It makes a nest, called
0 200 miles and other grasshoppers an aerie, in a tall tree
Minsk it finds on the steppe. The colorful marbled Golden eagle or on a cliff ledge.
polecat travels up to
0 200 kilometers 0.6 miles (1 km) a night
searching for food.
BELARUS Although they each have their
own burrow, there might be 6,000
The mole’s big forepaws giant mole rats in just 0.4 sq miles
are always turned (1 sq km) of grassland!
Kiev Rosy starling
outward to help it dig its
Marbled
underground tunnels. UKRAINE polecat HABITAT KEY
grasslands forests
Eurasian
European Great harvest mouse Scrublands Deciduous
Giant mole forests
mole bustard Weighing just rat Mountains
0.2 oz (6 g),
ROMANIA This is the heaviest the tiny harvest
flying bird on Earth. mouse is Europe’s
Bucharest Males weigh up to smallest rodent.
35 lb (16 kg)! N
BULGARIA
W E
Sofia
S
MACEDONIA
Location
The European steppe
stretches from Romania
in the west to the Ural
Mountains in the east,
where it merges with crest
the Asian steppe. Only males have a
on their backs.
Common nightingale Northern crested newt

This little bird is plain to look at, Also called the great crested newt, this
but its song sets it apart. Nightingale amphibian gets up to 61⁄2 in (17 cm)
songs have high and low notes, long. Newts are most active at night,
phrases, and trills that other birds and spend the day hiding in ponds, or 55
can’t make. under damp logs or rocks.
Mediterranean Mediterranean chameleon

This is one of only two chameleon species
found in Europe. Its tongue is sticky to catch
scrubland passing insects. It is also

twice the length
of its body!
The coastal areas around the Mediterranean Sea
contain rocky hills and flat, shrub-filled plains. This
rare habitat is found in only a few places on Earth.
Plants here can survive wildfires, and animals have
to deal with hot, dry weather.
This wolf is thinner and FRANCE
smaller than other European N
Rhöne
wolves. It hunts rabbits, deer, Ga
wild boar, birds, and fish. W ro
E n MONACO
ne
S
Mediterranean
PYR banded centipede
Eb ENEES This centipede paralyzes
r
its prey with a venomous
o
ca
Mediterranean bite and will give a
ANDORRA tree frog human a painful nip
rsi
S PA I N too—so stay well away!
Iberian wolf This frog is usually bright
Co
green or blue. It has suckers
PORTUGAL
ia
on its fingers and toes
Madrid that let it climb with ease.
in
Ta g u s Jeweled
rd
The cuckoo lays its eggs in
lizard other birds’ nests. When
a
the cuckoo chick hatches, S
This monkey is found
Ma
jorca it pushes all the other
Lisbon in Africa and on the eggs out—so the parent
island of Gibraltar, birds feed it instead!
near Spain. It is the Common
only wild monkey Iberian The sapphire-like blue spots on cuckoo
in Europe. ibex its body give this lizard its name.
It is the largest lizard in Europe
EA
Iberian pig at about 231⁄2 in (60 cm) long. RA NEAN S
D ITER
This pig is a A type of wild goat, male ME
farmed animal, Iberian ibexes have horns
but lives in open that grow up to 291⁄2 in
(75 cm) long!
HABITAT KEY
country, looking Barbary
for mushrooms, SCALE Scrublands Coniferous
macaque forests
roots, and acorns Wetlands
from cork oaks. 0 200 miles
Deciduous
Mountains forests
0 200 kilometers
European rabbit Location

The European rabbit is the This region includes the
ancestor of all pet rabbits in southern parts of Europe
the world. Unlike its enemy, around the Mediterranean
the Iberian lynx, the rabbit Sea, as well as islands
has been seen in yards and like Crete that share a
56 parks, and even in busy cities. similar habitat.
Hummingbird Iberian lynx
hawk moth Just 404 adult Iberian
This insect beats its lynxes are left in the
wings so fast that they wild, so this is the most
make a humming endangered cat on
sound—just like the Earth—but the good
birds it’s named after. news is this figure
It feeds on nectar is nearly twice the
made by flowers like number of wild lynxes
buddleia and alive a few years ago!
a
t h w i l l r eturn to honeysuckle.
mo day.
The hawk flower day after
ch The Iberian lynx mos
nectar-ri tly hunts just
one animal—the Eu
Zagreb ropean rabbit.
CROATIA
Golden
SAN MARINO jackal Belgrade
The golden jackal BOSNIA & ROMANIA
is found in many places, HERZEGOVINA
including southeastern
Europe, northern Sarajevo
I TA LY SERBIA
Africa, and
southern Asia.
MONTENEGRO
Pristina
VATICAN CITY AD Podgorica
Rome RIA KOSOVO
TIC S
The cork oak is EA Skopje BULGARIA
one of few trees
that can grow new Tirana MACEDONIA
bark. The cork bark is
harvested once every ALBANIA
nine years to make bottle Dalmatian
stoppers and other items. Cork oak
pelican
GREECE
The magpie is so smart In addition to making
that it can make and use other sounds, this
tools. It eats insects and pelican barks and
seeds, and will even steal hisses! When fishing,
other birds’ eggs. it fills up its beak
with food to eat later. Marginated
Eurasian
magpie tortoise
This plant-eating
Sic tortoise lives mostly Athens
ily
in Greece, in thorny,
rocky, scrubby areas.
ME
DIT
ERRANE
AN SEA
M A LT A
Cre
te
Mediterranean house gecko

This little gecko is about 4 in (10 cm) long
and weighs about as much as a sugar cube. It is
also called a “moon lizard” because it mostly comes 57
out at night. It eats small cockroaches and moths.
Bialowieza
Forest
Białowieża is lowland Europe’s only old-growth,
or “primeval,” forest. Forests like this once covered
all of northeastern Europe. Its many different trees Red deer Red deer find
leaves, small twigs, and bark
and habitats mean Białowieża is home to thousands to eat in the fall and winter,
and herbs and grasses during
of animals, including the rare European bison! the summer.
Pine marten Pine martens

are related to weasels but,
unlike weasels, they hunt in
the trees. They chase small
mammals such as squirrels.
All domestic dogs are descended

from the gray wolf. Red fox Foxes feed on a wide
variety of foods. In Białowieża,
Gray wolf they eat yellow-necked mice,
The gray wolf is found in Europe, hares, and the carcasses of red
North America, and Asia. Packs of deer killed by wolves or lynxes.
four to five wolves hunt deer, elk,
wild boar, rabbits, and beavers.
Common toad A male and female red fox

Many parts of this forest are wet, have a territory that they
share, which is where they
including rare places known as “spruce raise their young.
bog forests,” where coniferous spruce trees
58 grow in very wet ground. These habitats
make a perfect home for the common toad!
Old-growth forests have
plenty of standing dead
trees as well as live ones.
Woodpecker nests or holes
where the tree has rotted
make ideal bat roosts.
Great spotted woodpecker
Woodpeckers nest in holes
made in tree trunks. They
search for tasty insect prey
in the bark.
European bison The bison

is Europe’s largest land
mammal. There are around Tawny owl This woodland
900 in Białowieża forest. owl hunts at night for birds,
rodents, amphibians such as
frogs, and bats to eat.
Noctule bat
Noctule bats nest in
hollow trees. The holes
must be high enough to
avoid predators such as
pine martens. Noctules
Eurasian red squirrel are one of the first bats
Eurasian red squirrels like to come out at night,
Yellow-necked mouse to eat seeds, especially from and hunt moths and
This mouse prefers living in conifer trees.
woodland, because it eats a flying ants.
lot of tree seeds. It is also an
excellent tree climber!
Eurasian badger Badgers
are common in forests. In
addition to plenty of worms
to eat, they find lots of hollow
trees, which they use as
daytime shelters.
Location
Białowieża Forest
covers 579 sq miles
(1,500 sq km) across
Poland and Belarus.
Temperatures range
Eurasian beaver from 21˚ F (-6˚ C) in
The Eurasian beaver disappeared from winter to 75˚ F (24˚ C)
Białowieża in the mid-19th century due in summer.
to hunting. It was reintroduced in 1956.
Today, they live all along the rivers,
Beavers produce an oily substance streams, and ponds throughout the forest. 59
that keeps their fur waterproof. https://sscstudy.com/
Savanna
Asia
Welcome to Earth’s largest continent! Asia
This region in northern India is warm
all year round. It has the highest
grasslands in the world—some
grow more than 10 ft (3 m)
tall! The grasslands provide
contains half the world’s human population, food for deer and rhinos,
and cover for predators
but there is still a lot of land for wildlife. such as the tiger.
Habitats here include vast deserts, grassy
plains, snowy mountains, and dense,
green rain forests.
MED
ITE SE
BLA
CK
RR A
T
U
SE
AN
A
GE
CASPIAN SEA
C
YP K K A Z A K H S TA N
OR
A
E
N R
U E G
IA
S Y ARMENIA
U
AZERBAIJAN Z
B
EK
LEBANON
SYRIA TU
IS
RK
TA
M
ISRAEL AN N
N
S TA
E
RD KYRGYZ
IR
N
IS
JO
TA
TA J I K I S TA
AQ
N
N
TA N
IRAN NIS
KU HA
FG
RED SEA
WA
IT A
N
SAUDI BAHRAIN
A
ARABIA QATAR T
I S
City wildlife UNITED
ARAB PA K NE
PA
EMIRATES L
The Turkish capital of Istanbul is rich in wildlife—
337 of the country’s 483 bird species, such as this
seagull, live here. The city is also part of an important AN
OM
migration route for hundreds of thousands of storks, YEMEN INDIA
raptors, and water birds each year. ARABIAN
E N
GULF OF AD SEA
S o co t ra
N F
O
W E
Y
Arabian highlands A
B
The Arabian highlands are S
made of the mountains and high
plateaus that border the desert SRI LANKA
of the Arabian Peninsula, in

southwest Asia. The highlands
es
are cooler than the desert, and

Maldiv
have more rainfall, so shrubs and

grasses can grow. These plants are
food for animals such as camels. INDIAN
60
ARCTIC https://sscstudy.com/
OCEAN
EAST
BE
SIBERIAN
SEA
RI
NG
SEA
S
EA
RUSSIAN
OF
FEDERATION Himalayas
OK
Ku r i l e I s l a n d s
Running through northeast India and parts of
H OT
five other Asian countries, the Himalayas are
the world’s highest mountains. Their highest,
SK
rockiest areas offer enough food sources for
SEA O the rare snow leopard, and this strong yak.
HABITAT KEY
F J A PA N
MONGOLIA Tropical forests

PA N
NORTH Deciduous forests

KOREA
JA
Coniferous forests
SOUTH
KOREA
Tropical grasslands
Scrublands
EAST Temperate grasslands
CHINA CHINA
SEA Desert
Wetlands
PA C I F I C
OCEAN Mountains
TA I WA N
BHUTAN
Tundra
BAN
P Ice
GLA
P
H
MYANMAR
H
IL
DES
(BURMA) LA Mangroves
OS Ha i nan
IP
IL
H
D ao
PI
BEN Bornean rain forest

IP
NE
VIETNAM
G
THAILAND
Borneo is the third-biggest
P
SOUTH
AL
IN
CHINA island in the world, and the

SE
A
CAM B ODI
I s l aa m a n
Bornean rain forest is 140 million

nds
SEA
ES
years old! About 221 mammal

G
d
TH
A LF
U
AN
An
D
species live here, including Asia’s
A IL OF only great ape, the highly
AN
N iI s l a
SE M BRUNEI
A A D
co n
ba N endangered orangutan.
ds r
MA L AY S I A
eo
rn
Bo SCALE
Su
A
S I
at
m
ra
E 0 500 miles 1000 miles
O N
OCEA I N D 61
N JAVA SEA EAST TIMOR 0 1000 kilometers
Ja v a
TIMOR SEA
Russian K AR
A SEA
taiga
Taiga is also called “snow forest.” It’s found in cool, Fur-covered flaps of
high places, like in northeast Russia, and is made skin linking its legs let
this tiny squirrel glide
up of coniferous forests. Animals use trees for food from tree to tree.
and shelter, and as places to hide from predators.
Siberian flying
Brown bear squirrel
The most widespread of all The sable is a member
bear species, the brown bear of the weasel family.
eats mostly roots, berries, It hunts chipmunks,
and other parts of plants, mice, and birds.
but it will also hunt animals.
Adults can be more than Sable
7 ft (2 m) tall when they stand
on their hind legs. Ob
This deer has fangs!
They’re really tusklike
teeth that the males
Irt
ys
h
b ro w n b ea r ta kes to the river use to fight each other.
A on.
to hunt for salm
Ye n i s
Fast-growing birch
trees shed their bark
e
Siberian
i
like tissue paper as musk deer
they grow.
This wapiti is a large
type of deer that forms
herds of 100 or more
Silver birch in the fall.
The saiga’s swollen,
flexible nose hangs over
its mouth, helping keep
out the dust kicked up
by its herd in summer.
Siberian wapiti
Saiga antelope
HABITAT KEY
Wetlands Coniferous
forests
Mountains
Siberian tiger Deciduous
This is the world’s biggest wild cat. Males Snow forests
weigh up to 660 lb (300 kg). It even has and ice
62
a mane, like a lion’s, to help keep its neck
warm in cold Siberian winters.
Ural owl
This big owl hunts rodents,
frogs, and birds that it spots
from its perch. In spring, it
BER
sings a courtship duet with
its lifelong mate.
ING SEA
This is the only chipmunk
found outside North
America. It has five dark
and four white stripes
running along its back.
The Ural owl aggressively defen

ds its
territory, chasing away intrude
rs. Siberian
chipmunk
Its main home is the

taiga, but this little
bird is sometimes
Snow sheep spotted in Scotland
Both male and female and North America. Siberian
snow sheep have big, rubythroat
curved horns that grow
in a corkscrew shape N
as they get older.
SCALE
a Blue robins often look W E 0 300 miles
Len for food near rivers,
but they never stray S 0 300 kilometers
far from the forest.
This seal lives only in Siberian blue robin

Lake Baikal, which is
an icy, freshwater lake
in Russian Siberia.
Baikal seal
ikal
Wood frogs spend

Ba
the winter
Siberian
ke
La hibernating in holes
on river bottoms. wood frog
Location Black woodpecker

Taiga stretches over Strong neck muscles and a
northeast Russia, eastward sharp bill make this bird
to the Pacific Ocean. a champion wood borer.
Summers are short, but the It chisels out holes in tree
winters are long and snowy. trunks, where it lays its eggs.
Central Asian tortoise
Asian steppe
A steppe is a high, grassy, mostly treeless plain.
Also called the steppe tortoise,
this animal’s shell is almost as
wide as it is long. It has claws
on each foot—and one on
its tail, too!
Animals here live on grass and other plants—
or on the animals that do! They must be able to
survive freezing winters, hot summers, and harsh
wind, and to go long periods without water. On
the steppe, watering holes are in short supply.
RUSSIAN
FEDERATION This nocturnal
animal can cover
11 miles (18 km)
a night in its
HABITAT KEY search for food.
Wetlands Coniferous The bobak digs Steppe polecat
forests burrows up to 13–16 ft
Temperate Bobak (4–5 m) deep, where
grasslands Deciduous marmot it hibernates up to six This wild cat’s coat
forests months each year.
Mountains turns from frosty gray
Cold desert in winter to reddish
K A Z A K H S TA N Astana gray in spring.
This bird hovers above

SCALE N its prey before swooping
0 200 miles down and grabbing it Wild horses live in herds
W E with its powerful talons. of females and foals led
by a male, called a Pallas’s cat
0 200 kilometers This squirrel digs two Steppe
S types of burrows: one eagle
stallion. Stallions fight
over who gets to lead.
for hibernation, and
one to hide in from
predators like eagles.
Przewalski’s
CA
Bishkek
U Z B E K I S TA N Little wild horse
SP
ground
IA
squirrel
Tashkent
N SEA
K Y R G Y Z S TA N
Dushanbe
The onager looks like a CHINA

TA J I K I S TA N horse, but is smaller and
brays like a donkey.
A F G H A N I S TA N
Onager
Peregrine falcon Location

These falcons normally hunt other The Asian steppe stretches
birds. When hunting, peregrines make from west of the Caspian
a steep dive called a “stoop.” During a Sea, though central Asian
stoop, they can reach speeds of up to Russia, and as far east as
150 mph (240 kph)! the Altai Mountains.
Secret toadhead agama
The insect-eating agama keeps several Location
secrets. It may look like a regular desert There are deserts in
lizard, but when it displays, it opens its Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan,
mouth to reveal a deep reddish pink and Turkmenistan, and
and expands two spiny cheek flaps. parts of Afghanistan,
Pakistan, and Iran.
When a predator is near,

this hedgehog growls and Astana
hisses like a cat, then rolls
itself into a protective ball.
nds alert.
A secret toadhead agama sta
The corsac fox uses
its long, wide ears to
listen for rodent noises
SCALE in the desert. Long-eared
0 200 miles hedgehog
K A Z A K H S TA N
At up to 13 in (33 cm)
0 200 kilometers Corsac fox long, this is the largest
gerbil on Earth. Bishkek
N This is the world’s most
U Z B E K I S TA N
venomous true cobra.
Tashkent
W E Though it lives in the
desert, it is very good Great gerbil K Y R G Y Z S TA N
at swimming. This hare comes out at night
S to feed on desert plants. It
Yerevan Central Asian cobra rests in a shallow scrape in
the ground during the day.
AZERBAIJAN CHINA
T U R K M E N I S TA N
The wild goat lives Dushanbe
ARMENIA TA J I K I S TA N
Baku in dry, rocky areas.
Its curved horns Ashgabat Tolai hare
have a very sharp
Tehran inside edge. Kabul
Wild goat Islamabad

Tehran
IRAN A F G H A N I S TA N
Baghdad
PA K I S TA N
Central Asian Goitered

gazelle HABITAT KEY
deserts
Wetlands Coniferous
forests
A big, swollen tube on Temperate
its throat gives this gazelle grasslands Deciduous
its name. It also gives males forests
Mountains
There are different kinds of deserts here. Some an extra-loud voice.
Tropical
Cold desert forests
are salty and sandy. Others are rocky or have clay
Hot desert
soil. All are dry. Water is found mostly near desert
borders where rivers can overflow. 65
Tibetan HABITAT KEY

Tropical Coniferous
Plateau
forests forests
Tropical Deciduous
grasslands forests
Many kinds of plants Mountains Cold desert
This high, flat region of Asia is surrounded by grow on the plateau,
mountains. It’s so high that it’s often called the including this serratula,
a type of thistle.
“roof of the world.” The animals that live here
have to deal with thin air and bitter winters.
Himalayan
alpine serratula
Location
This region includes Tibet
and parts of southwest
China. Summers are dry
and warm, and winters
are often below freezing.
This large, cowlike animal
has extra-big lungs that
Islamabad help it to get enough
Asiatic black bear oxygen from the thin air.
This little relative
This bear is also called the of the rabbit is so suited
“moon bear” due to the pale, to rocky ground that it Himalayan Wild yak
crescent-shaped band on its often nests in a mouse hare
chest. It spends about half pile of stones!
of its life up in trees.
PA K I S TA N
HI
The tahr is a wild goat that MA
LA
has hooves with rubberlike YA
cores. These help it grip S
onto smooth rocks. Himalayan
tahr N E PA L
New Delhi
N Himalayan wolf
INDIA
W E Kathmandu
The Himalayan wolf is a
S rare type of gray wolf. Some
are almost white—like snow
on the Himalayas!
Himalayan marmot
Nicknamed the “Tibetan snow pig,”
this ground squirrel is one of the
only mammals on Earth that lives
p
ala yan m arm ots dig very dee above 16,400 ft (5,000 m).
66 Him nate in.
burrows to hiber
When threatened, Mountain
weasel
SCALE the mountain weasel
scares away predators
0 100 miles with a foul-smelling
spray called musk.
0 100 kilometers
I NS
TA
UN
N MO This bird picks up bones
T U
AL in its claws and carries
them high into the air.
It then drops the bones Pandas are the only
bears
CHINA Bearded vulture on rocks to shatter them that eat just plants
into bite-sized pieces. .
The chiru is a type of
Giant panda
antelope. It has soft wool, The giant panda lives in six forests
called shahtoosh, which is in central China. It spends 10 to 16
very good at keeping it hours a day eating mostly bamboo,
warm through winter. Also called the Himalayan
blue sheep, the bharal has and sleeps the rest of the time.
a bluish sheen to its gray
Chiru coat. This makes it hard
for its enemies to see it
against rocky cliffs.
This very rare fox
hunts rodents and
lizards. Its slitlike
eyes help to lessen
glare from the sun.
Bharal
Herds of kiang can have
Kiang as many as 400 animals.
When they travel, kiangs
follow their female
leader in single file.
Tibetan sand
fox
This raccoonlike animal

is also called the “fire
fox” or “fire cat” due
to its striking red fur.
Red
Thimphu Tibetan panda
This toad is
B H U T A N toad one of the very
few amphibians M YA N M A R
that are able to
live so high up.
BANGLADESH
Snow leopard
These cats have a thick, spotted
coat that keeps them warm and
helps them blend in when hunting.
They keep their face warm when they
sleep by covering it with their furry tail. 67
East Asian
S
IN
TA
N
U
forests
O
M
I
O
N
LO
B
Eastern Asia’s deciduous forests are full of trees YA
like oak and ash, as well as some walnut and
birch. With streams and rivers, mountains and
grassland edges, they are a haven for animals.
Ulan Bator
MONGOLIA
Chinese peacock butterfly
This forest butterfly’s size depends
on what time of the year it comes
out of its cocoon. Spring Chinese
peacocks have a wingspan of up to
3 in (8 cm). Summer ones have a
wingspan up to 5 in (12 cm).
Beijing
A Chinese peacock bu
tterfly feeds
on a spider lily plan This snake eats poisonous
t. This monkey toads, absorbs the poisons,
has a blue face! then releases them later
It spends 95 from its neck glands!
Japanese sika deer percent of its
The sika is a small deer— time in the trees.
males are only 3 ft (95 cm) at Asian tiger
shoulder height. They make keelback
strange noises, too, such as
He
the male’s long, whistlelike Huang
call that sounds like a siren.
Male Baikal teals
Golden make a deep chuckling
snub-nosed sound—wot-wot-wot!
monkey
Earth’s largest
amphibian grows
to 6 ft (1.8 m) Ya n g Baikal teal
long. That’s longer tz CHINA
than many adult
e
humans are tall!
Chinese giant This is the smallest

salamander of the “big cats.”
Cloudlike spots
help this leopard
blend in with its Clouded
forest home. leopard
68
RUSSIAN HABITAT KEY

FEDERATION
Wetlands Coniferous
forests
Temperate
grasslands Deciduous
forests
Mountains
Cold desert
E
NG
Although it is a relative of
the dog, this animal does
RA
not bark. Instead it whines, SCALE
growls, or even mews!
N
0 250 miles
LI
This popular game bird,
-A
which has been hunted 0 250 kilometers
TE
in Europe for centuries,
O
is originally from Asia. Raccoon
H
dog
IK
S
Common
pheasant
N
PA Red-crowned This tall, graceful,
JA crane endangered crane is
F Hokkaido a symbol of love and
O
good luck in Japan.
S EA
The serow is a goat

NORTH KOREA antelope—a hooved
Pyongyang This clever, short-tailed mammal with traits of
Gorals warn other Japanese both goats and antelopes.
gorals of danger by monkey loves to bathe serow
making a wheezing in Japan’s natural hot
alarm call. springs to keep warm.
Seoul The Japanese marten can
jump 6½ ft (2 m) from
the ground into a tree! AN
Long-tailed goral CE
O
Japanese Tokyo
IC
SOUTH KOREA
F
marten
CI
J A PA N
PA
Japanese
macaque
N
W E
EA
ST
CH
IN Cherry
The Japanese cherry tree is S
called the sakura in Japanese.
A blossom Its blossom is a traditional
SEA
symbol of Japanese culture.
Location
There are broad-leaved Mandarin duck
forests in parts of eastern Despite their bright colors,
China, southeast Russia, Mandarin ducks are hard to spot
North and South Korea, in the wild. They hide under plants
and Japan. that hang over lakes, or in nests
they build in hollow trees.
Arabian
Arabian partridge
This partridge lives on the
ground, where it looks for
seeds, grass, and insects
Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a hot, dry part of the
to eat. The female lays
her eggs in a shallow,
scooped-out hole.
world, and it is covered by sandy deserts. The

animals that live here have special ways of
dealing with its harsh conditions. Partridges run rath
er than fly
away when threaten
ed.
Jerusalem
Amman Baghdad
Location
ISRAEL
Located between Africa
JORDAN and Asia, the Arabian
Peninsula is made up of
IRAQ Saudi Arabia and several
This cat can jump
10 ft (3 m) off the Kuwait City smaller countries.
ground to snatch
birds out of the air.
Spadelike hooves let KUWAIT

IRAN
Caracal this antelope walk
N on the soft desert
W sand with ease. Manama SCALE
BAHRAIN
E People of the desert, called
the Bedouin, bred this horse
0 200 miles
S to be fast, strong, and able to Arabian oryx Q ATA R 0 200 kilometers
withstand desert conditions. Doha
RED
Riyadh Abu Dhabi

SEA
UNITED ARAB
Muscat
EMIRATES
Arabian horse Male gazelles have
The sandfish is a type of
Hamadryas baboon Fur on the bottom lizard that “swims” beneath “air-cushion” fights—
These monkeys live in troops of its feet helps Sand cat the surface of the sand using they charge at each
the sand cat walk its flipperlike feet. other but stop just
of up to 1,000. They spend over hot ground. before they crash.
nights on ledges of cliffs, but Mountain gazelle
come down to the ground SAUDI ARABIA
each day to find food.
HABITAT KEY
The camel spider isn’t Wetlands Deciduous
Sandfish forests
a true spider—it’s a Mountains
Arabian camel spider different type of OMAN Hot desert
Sana’a arachnid, and it eats
scorpions, spiders,
and mice.
YEMEN
Rock hyrax
Although it looks more like a
guinea pig, the plant-eating rock
hyrax is related to the elephant.
70 It even grows two tiny tusks!
Location
Indian forests stretch from
the Himalayan mountains
south to the Indian Ocean.
The weather here is hot or
Indian forests
warm most of the year.
India’s forests can be wet or dry, but all are warm
and tropical. Many trees have broad leaves that
they lose in the dry season. For animals, the forests
PA K I S TA N provide food and shelter. However, since trees are cut
down for wood or to make farmland, animals like
Gan
the Bengal tiger have fewer places to live.
ge s
Ya m
na u
INDIA New Delhi
Male peafowl are
called peacocks. Gan ges
They use their bright,
eyespotted feathers
to attract mates.
Bengal tiger
This tiger’s canine
teeth (fangs) grow up
to 4 in (10 cm) long.
Indian
peafowl Indian grey
N a rm a d a mongoose
Mongooses kill
scorpions by throwing
The cobra hunts lizards, them against a hard
rodents, and frogs. Venom surface until they crack.
from its bite stops its prey
from being able to move.
avani Indian cobra The Indian gia
The Indian rhino’s God nt hornet’s bri
gh
orange color m
akes it easy to t
horn grows to
2 ft (60 cm) long. N spot.
It’s made from
Indian giant hornet
keratin—just
like our hair.
W E The giant hornet is the world’s
Indian rhinoceros Kri s h n a
largest—and probably angriest—
S wasp. It grows up to 2 in (5 cm)
long and will sting anything that
The giant squirrel
AR builds nests in trees BA
even slightly disturbs its nest.
AB that are the same size Y
SE IA nd
A
as eagles’ nests. N
Indian giant
O
A N ic a
ob man and
F
squirrel
ar
BE
islands
NG
Asia’s largest land mammal

SCALE is much smaller than its African
AL
cousin. It spends three-quarters

0 200 miles of its day eating plants.
0 200 kilometers
Asian elephant Sloth bear
The shy sloth bear digs
HABITAT KEY SRI ants and termites with its
Wetlands Coniferous LANKA long, curved claws. As it
forests laps them up, its loud
Mountains Colombo
Deciduous slurping can be heard from
Cold desert forests several miles away.
Tropical Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
forests
INDIA N
W E
S
CHINA
VIETNAM
M YA N M A R Hanoi
Female orchid
mantises look li LAOS
Males are sma ke flowers. Nay Pyi Daw inan
ller and duller
in color. Vientiane Ha
Orchid mantis Adult sunbirds drink
AN
This insect disguises itself as a pink- nectar with their
and-white orchid flower. When other long, curved bills.
D
insects land nearby, they are caught They feed their
AMAN SEA
unaware as the mantis strikes. chicks insects.

Lar gibbon Purple
Gibbons sing in the sunbird
Bornean orangutan treetops every morning
to tell other gibbons Bangkok CAMBODIA
Fruit-eating orangutans live in trees. where their territory is.
They bend branches into nests to sleep
Andaman
in at night. Orangutans live alone,

Islands
Its foxlike Water buffalo

unlike other face gives
great apes. this large fruit
The domesticated
Large bat its name.
flying fox Phnom Penh water buffalo
is widely used to
GU plough paddy
LF (rice) fields.
N THAILAND
I O
This frog jumps from F Special skin stretched
i cl a n
T
s
tree to tree, using its H over extra-long ribs lets

ob ds
webbed feet and loose Wallace’s this lizard glide through
A
skin like a parachute. flying frog
ar
the rain forest.
IL
A
N
This rare,
D
endangered M A L AY S I A
rain-forest
rhino has Kuala Lumpur
Sumatran Putrajaya Common
two horns. rhinoceros flying dragon
SINGAPORE
e o
Su rn
ma Bo
Southeast tr
a
Asian rain forest This is the biggest

The Southeast Asian rain forests are some of the single flower in the Rafflesia Jakarta
world. It smells flower
oldest on Earth, and they are home to hundreds like rotting flesh!
of animal species. As the rain forests are cut down,
IND Java
however, amazing animals like the Sumatran OCE
IAN
AN
rhinoceros become rarer and rarer.
Taipei
Location
Lots of countries make up
Southeast Asia, including
many island nations. All
TA I WA N are tropical, with a rainy
monsoon season and
a hot, dry season.
HABITAT KEY
A big “sail” of skin Wetlands Tropical
on its tail helps drive forests
ontail stingray
the soa-soa water Mountains One sting from a ribb
SOUTH
edator.
lizard forward
when it swims. can kill a would-be pr
SCALE Ribbontail stingray
Soa-soa This stingray swims in
CHIN
water lizard 0 200 miles

shallow water, looking for
Manila crabs, shrimp, and small
0 200 kilometers
fish to eat. Its bright-blue
A SE
spots and stripes warn

IC other sea creatures to
PHILIPPINES IF
A
C stay away.
PA E A N
OC
Just 6 in (16 cm) tall,
SULU this little primate can
SEA turn its head right Pa l a u
around to look King cobra
backward!
The king cobra can grow
This species of up to 18 ft (5.5 m) long.
Philippine tarsier humpback dolphin
is usually gray, but it It lives almost entirely
can also be white, off other snakes, which it
BRUNEI or even pink! hunts by sight and smell.
The world’s smallest type Unusually, this snake
of bear uses its long tongue A Indo-Pacific
E doesn’t hiss—it growls!
to lap up insects, but its humpback
S
favorite food is fruit. dolphin Only male birds of paradise

CA
have amazing, colorful

feathers, which they show
UC
u off to attract females.

uk h
MOL
Sun bear
a lo r t
MN
N
ew
INDONESIA Gu
in
Proboscis i Maluku ea
monkey es
Su law Greater bird
of paradise
The world’s biggest lizard,
Male proboscis the Komodo dragon grows
monkeys’ huge up to 6 ft (2 m) long. Its
noses help to make venomous bite can kill
their calls louder. a water buffalo!
JAVA SEA
EAST TIMOR
Bali
Komodo dragon 73
Dili
Gobi desert
The Gobi is Asia’s largest desert. It spans more than
Gobi bear This is the Earth’s
rarest bear. Fewer than 50
Gobi bears remain in the
460,000 sq miles (1.2 million sq km). Temperatures desert, their only home.
here can be as scorching hot as 122˚ F (50˚ C) and
as freezing cold as -40˚ F (-40˚ C), but many tough
animal species are able to survive despite the
extreme conditions.
Mongolian wild ass The wild

ass waits for rare rain showers.
After the showers, it can feed
on fresh grass.
Dinosaur fossil
The Gobi tells us a lot about
prehistoric wildlife. Hundreds of
dinosaur fossils of many types have
been found here—including some
from 250 million years ago! This was
also first place in the world where Mongolian marmot This
rodent spends winters in its
dinosaur eggs were identified. burrow, where it is safe from
predators such as eagles.
Long-eared jerboa This tiny,

mouselike jerboa hops around
the desert at night, looking for
tasty insects to eat.
This jerboa’s enormous

Marbled polecat ears are almost as long
This little predator doesn’t see very well, as its body! Scientists
Marbled polecats are named aft but it has no trouble finding most of its think they release heat,
er keeping the jerboa cool.
74 the pattern on their backs. prey by smell. It hunts rodents, birds, and
reptiles—mostly during cool desert nights.
The great bustard flies
with slow, steady beats
of its wings, which end
Great bustard Each year, in long, white feathers.
male great bustards grow
“whiskers” that look a lot
like ears of wheat!
Yarkand gazelle Unlike other

gazelles, the Yarkland doesn’t
“bound.” If scared, it sprints
away as fast as it can!
Bactrian camel
The Bactrian camel
has two humps, where
it stores fat to help it
survive for long periods
without food. If it can’t
find enough plants to
eat, it will eat bones,
rope, or even a tent!
Przewalski’s wild horse This

wild horse is always on the
move, looking for water and
short grasses to eat.
Location
The Gobi stretches across
northwestern China
Saxaul tree and southern Mongolia.
The average rainfall
The gnarly saxaul has a lot of roots to here is less than 8 in
anchor it in the sand. Its tiny leaves keep (190 mm) a year!
it from losing too much moisture, and it
stores water in its bark. If you press a few
pieces together, water comes out! 75
Australasia
Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and
N orthern
Maria na Is l ands
(UNITED STATES)
thousands of small islands make up the Australasia PHILIPPINE
region. From deserts, mountains, and rain forests to SEA Guam
(UNITED STATES)
beaches and coral reefs, the habitats here are home

to many animals only found in this part of the world.
MICRONESIA
PALAU
Australian coast
The western Australian coast
is home to hundreds of fish,
mammals, and bird species.
Australian pelicans often
land here to enjoy the sand
and sun after staying in the PA P U A N E W
air for 24 hours! GUINEA
ARAFURA
SEA
TIMOR
SEA
C hri st mas I sl an d Cor al Sea I s l ands
(AUSTRALIA) As h mo re an d (AUSTRALIA)
Car ti e r Is la n d s
(AUSTRALIA)
CORAL
Cocos Northern
SEA
N
( Ke e ling ) I slands Territory

EA
(AUSTRALIA) Queensland
OC
AUSTRALIA
N
Western
INDIA
Australia
South
Australia
New South
Wales
N Victoria
Australian outback W E
The hot, dry center of Australia
is known as the outback,
S Tasmania
or the “bush.” Because it

is mostly desert, very few
people live here, but some
Snares Islands
amazing animals have found This New Zealand island group,
ways to survive the tough north of the Auckland Islands, is
desert conditions. protected from humans so native
animal species can thrive. One is
the Snares penguin, which nests Macquarie Is l and
only on these islands—on the (AUSTRALIA)
76 ground, under trees and shrubs.

New Guinea forests
Forests cover two-thirds of
the island of Papua New
Wake Islan d Guinea. Around 760 bird
(UNITED STATES) species and 25,000 plant
species live here, as does
the Goodfellow’s tree
kangaroo, which climbs
trees to eat leaves.
MARSHALL
ISLANDS
K in gma n Re e f
(UNITED STATES)
B ake r an d
NAURU Howla nd Is l an d s
(UNITED STATES)
Palmyr a Ato l l
(UNITED STATES)
Jarv is Is lan d
(UNITED STATES)
K I R
I B A
T I
SOLOMON
ISLANDS
TUVALU
Coral reefs
Coral reefs, like this one in French
Polynesia, make up about one percent
Wallis a nd of the ocean floor—but they are home
Fut una
(FRANCE) to almost a quarter of all ocean species.
SAMOA
Lots of fish, such as these gold-lined sea
VANUATU A me ri ca n S a mo a breams, gather in the reefs to eat.
(UNITED STATES)
FIJI
Niu e
(NEW ZEALAND)
N e w C aled o n i a TONGA
(FRANCE)
Co o k I sl an d s
(NEW ZEALAND)
N o r fo lk Isl and
(AUSTRALIA) Ke rm a de c Is lan d s
(NEW ZEALAND)
Lord Ho we Islan d Fre n ch Po ly n e sia
(FRANCE)
(AUSTRALIA)
C OCEAN
FI
CI
N EW PA
ZEALA N D
HABITAT KEY
Tropical forests
TA S M A N Deciduous forests Pitcairn,
SEA Hende rson,
Tropical grasslands Ducie, a nd O eno
I s l ands
C ha tha m Isla nds (UNITED KINGDOM)
(NEW ZEALAND) Scrublands
B ounty Isla nds Temperate grasslands
Au ckl a n d Isl an d s (NEW ZEALAND)
(NEW ZEALAND)
A nti pode s Isla nds Desert
C a m p b ell Islan d s (NEW ZEALAND) SCALE
(NEW ZEALAND) Mountains
0 500 miles 1000 miles
Mangroves
77
0 1000 kilometers
Australia
Australia is the world’s largest island. Most of it
SCALE
0 250 miles
This lizard defends
itself by opening its
frill, standing on its
hind legs, and hissing.
is made of hot, dry desert called “the outback.” 0 250 kilometers

In the hottest months, some of Australia’s lakes Frilled lizard
The kookaburra is the
may dry up completely. However, there are rain
Vi c t o r i a
largest kingfisher. Its call
forests here, too, and many of the animals that sounds like a laugh.
Blue-winged
live in Australia are found nowhere else. kookaburra
Fi t z r o y
AN
Location
O
CE
Australia lies south of This desert lizard is
N covered in protective
the equator, between the A
thorny scales.
I
Pacific and Indian oceans.
D
De
Summer here is from IN
Gr
December to February.
ey
Fo r t e
s cue Thorny devil
As AUSTRALIA
hbu
HABITAT KEY rton
Temperate Tropical
grasslands forests These huge caterpillars
G a s c oy n e eat witchetty bush roots—
Scrublands Mountains and Australian Aboriginals,
the first people to live
Tropical Hot desert here, eat them!
grasslands
Common off the
Australian coast,
Witchetty the world’s largest
grubs predatory fish has
This mouse-sized 300 teeth.
marsupial doesn’t
eat honey—just
nectar and pollen.
Emu Great white shark

Australia’s largest bird Honey
possum
is 5–6½ ft (1.5–2 m) tall
and can weigh up to 132 lb
(60 kg). Its call can be heard
up to 1 mile (2 km) away!
Red kangaroo
Kangaroos are marsupials,
which are a type of animal
N that carry their young in a
pouch on their body. Red
W E kangaroos are only found
in Australia. They move by
S hopping around on their
78 powerful back legs.
called a joey,
A baby kangaroo,
er’s pouch.
https://sscstudy.com/ rides in its moth
PA P U A
NEW GUINEA
Redbacks are one of

the most venomous of
Australia’s 10,000
Earth’s largest reptile spider species.
is also found in India
and Southeast Asia.
G R E AT
Mi Redback
t ch
e l l spider
Saltwater
crocodile The short-beaked echi
BA
dna’s
sharp spines repel pr
edators.
RR
IE
Short-beaked echidna
Fl i n
de
R
rs Also called the spiny anteater,
R
this strange-looking mammal
E
F
E
lays eggs. It uses its long, sticky
tongue to eat grubs, termites,
and ants.
This dangerous snake is
responsible for the most A webbed membrane
deaths by snakebite in Eastern allows this tiny mammal
Australia. Watch out! brown snake to glide more than 151 ft
(46 m) between trees.
Sugar glider
This intelligent
wild dog rarely
barks, but it loves
to howl.
This plant-eating
burrower is a marsupial,
S
but its pouch points

AIN
backward. Also, its

poop is cube shaped!
NT
ing Common
rl
OU
Dingo Da wombat
M
E
LU
B
Mu
Platypus rra
y
This egg-laying Canberra
mammal has
N
webbed feet and

A
a ducklike bill.
M
S
A
TA
E
S
G R E AT
AUSTR Koala
ALIAN
BIGHT Often mistakenly called bears,
koalas are marsupials. Once big
This animal is the size of a enough to leave the pouch, baby
small dog. It’s called a devil koalas ride on the parents’ backs.
because it is so aggressive. Tasmanian devil Koalas mostly eat eucalyptus
(gum tree) leaves, such as those 79
found in southeastern Australia.
Auckland tree weta
80
Wetas are much larger cousins
of crickets. A tree weta’s body is
about 11⁄2 in (4 cm) long, but a
giant weta can be 4 in (10 cm)—
New Zealand
New Zealand is made up of two main islands—North
longer than your hand!
and South Island—and many smaller ones. Lots of birds
live here, some of which cannot fly. Unfortunately, many
were killed by cats, rats, and other predators brought
by European settlers. Now, rare birds such as the
kakapo are protected.
can raise their These huge trees only
Auckland tree wetas grow on the North Island.
defense.
spiny back legs for Birds eat the seeds from Kauri
the cones they produce.
Bats are New Zealand’s
B
only native mammals. This
This bus-sized whale often one spends more time on
AY
raises its tail like a sail, letting the ground than in the air.
O
the wind push it along the F

surface of the ocean. P
LE
NT
Y
N
Wa
o
ik
at
New Zealand’s national o rt
symbol, the kiwi is a bird h
Southern right that cannot fly. It lives Is New Zealand
whale la lesser short-
mostly in burrows and nd
only comes out at night. tailed bat
North Island po
N brown kiwi k e Ta u
a
L
SCALE ke
E
A
w y
W
E
0 250 miles
S
Ha
Ba
S A
N
0 250 kilometers M
S New Zealand
TA land snail This enormous snail
grows to 31⁄2 in (9 cm)
Location across and loves to
eat earthworms.
Located in the This rare frog lives mostly
southwestern Pacific on tiny Stephens Island,
Ocean, New Zealand’s where it is safe from
tuataras and rats.
closest neighbor is
Australia, 932 miles Hamilton’s
(1,500 km) to the northwest. frog
Wellington
Found only in New
Zealand, this crayfish
HABITAT KEY buries itself in mud to
Temperate Deciduous survive droughts.
Northern
grasslands forests koura
Mountains
Also called the kereru,

Hector’s dolphin this blue-green bird eats
New Zealand mostly fruit. It has a red
Highly endangered, bill, eyes, and feet.
this social little pigeon
dolphin only grows up S
to 41⁄2 ft (1.4 m) long. P d
L
n
A
l
N
Is
R
Its large eyes help th
E
e nocturnal
The yellow-eyed penguin
th
A
L a k e Te k a
TH
morepork to see at
L ake P
lays its eggs in forests, night.
u
SE
U
po
and hunts for food up to Morepork
L ake O
AN
u kak
i
So
SO
M 15 miles (24 km) away.
AS This small, dark owl got its name because
hau
T
Yellow-eyed its call sounds like “more pork”! It sleeps
Lake H
penguin
in forests during the day. At night it hunts
The blue damselfly insects, such as the weta.
n ak
aw e a
L a k e Wa a
can turn itself darker
to get more warmth Blue damselfly This sea lion rests on
from the sun. southern beaches and Kea
offshore islands when
it isn’t hunting squid. Scientists think this cat-sized
New Zealand parrot is as smart as a four-year-
N
sea lion old child. It lives on the
A
L a k e Te A n a u
E
Clu South Island and makes

C
th
a
O
a laughlike squeal.
FIC
CI
PA
So rare they are almost

extinct, these large,
Ste
flightless parrots live
Kakapo
w
only in New Zealand.
a
rt
Is
lan
d
Tuatara
This reptile’s closest relatives were
around at the time of the dinosaurs.
Tuataras like cool weather and can
live for up to 100 years!
81
Great
Barrier Reef
The world’s largest chain of coral reefs, the Great
Regal tang Also called
surgeonfish, tangs have a
scalpel-like spine at the base
of their tail on both sides.
Barrier Reef lies just off Australia’s northeastern
coast. It’s so big that it can be seen from space,
and it is home to more than 1,500 types of fish.
Giant barrel sponge The

barrel sponge is an animal
that grows up to 6 ft (1.8 m)
across—and it has no brain!
years
Dugongs can live for 70 Sea slug Sea slugs eat corals,
or more in the wild. sea anemones, sponges, and
fish eggs. Their bright colors
warn predators away.
Dugong
This slow-moving mammal eats
nothing but plants. It pulls seagrass
out by the roots with its flexible upper
lip. Dugongs are also called “sea
cows,” because they graze like cows.
Coral
Living corals are made
up of tiny animals Blue starfish Tiny suckers,
called tube feet, cover the
called coral polyps underside of starfish and
that catch bits of food let them crawl over the reef.
with their tentacles.
The polyps make
hard cases from
minerals to protect
themselves, and these
build up over many
years into a reef. Starfish can regrow a
The reef has many different damaged or lost arm.
types of coral. In addition to Some can even grow a
82 hard corals, which build the whole new starfish from
reef, there are also soft corals. just part of an arm.
Blubber jellyfish Each of this

creature’s eight stumpy arms
has several mouths that move
food to the animal’s stomach.
Potato cod The potato

Blacktip reef shark This cod hunts fish, crabs, and
medium-sized shark loves the crayfish. It’s so curious that
shallows. It can swim in water it can annoy divers.
just 12 in (30 cm) deep. The peacock mantis shrimp has the
fastest punch in the animal world.
Peacock
mantis shrimp
Only 1–7 in (3–18 cm)
long, this shrimp is
deadly. Its clublike
arms can punch hard
enough to break the
Green sea turtle Green sea shells of crabs—and
turtles are black when they even aquarium glass!
hatch. They change color
over the next 25 to 50 years.
Olive sea snake This snake

breathes air, and it has a large
lung that lets it swim for hours
between breaths.
Orange clown fish Clown

fish have coats of slime that
let them live in sea anemones Location
without being stung. The Great Barrier Reef
runs for 1,429 miles
(2,300 km) off the
coast of the state of
Queensland, Australia.
Giant clam
This clam is so big, it can no Most sea creatures avoid sea
longer move. It lives attached anemones because they sting,
to the reef, where it sucks in but clown fish live among their
plankton to eat with a tubelike tentacles for protection. In return, 83
they bring the anemones food.
organ called a siphon.
Antarctica
The world’s coldest continent, Antarctica is also its
Blackfin icefish
This fish’s blood is white
because it has no red blood
Wandering cells. This makes it easier
most remote, meaning it is far from any other land albatross for blood to move around
the body in icy water.
mass. Ice more than 1 mile (1.6 km) thick covers
most of it, and temperatures go down to -129˚ F
(-89.2˚ C), too extreme for many animals. Since it With the longest wingspan
doesn’t rain here, Antarctica is considered a desert. of any bird—111⁄2 ft (3.5 m)
—the wandering albatross
can glide for hours at a time.
LL
AN
Weddell seals can stay
DE underwater for up to
ED A
TA
Location R W SE 82 minutes while they
CT hunt for icefish.
Antarctica is found at IC P
the bottom of the Earth. ENI Weddell seal
N SU F
It is home to the Earth’s LA IC ILC
E
most southerly point,
N N E S HH N
the South Pole. RO E LE R
S H E LF
ICE F
Chinstrap These penguins look as if they

have a strap around their chin.
HABITAT KEY penguin
They are often found on icebergs
Snow Mountains in the sea around Antarctica.
and ice
Unlike most Antarctic

fish, the toothfish has South
chemicals in its blood Pole
that prevent it
from freezing.
Patagonian West
toothfish
Antarctica
TO
SOUTH
AMERICA This small whale eats
krill by using comblike
Southern elephant seal structures in its mouth
called baleen. IC R
The southern elephant seal E O
is Earth’s largest seal. Males Antarctic SCALE SH
can grow up to 20 ft (6 m) minke whale
0 250 miles
Lim
long and weigh 8,501 lb

(3,856 kg), but females are 0 250 kilometers
it
much smaller. An inflatable, TO

NEW
trunklike nose allows males
of
ZEALAND
to make loud roaring calls. L SO
im UTH
OCE ERN
w
it
AN
in
of
te
su
mm
r
er pack ice
p
a
Even though it has

ck
enormous jaws and eats

other animals, this seal’s
ic
main food is tiny krill.

e
Leopard seal
Krill are tiny, shrimplike
crustaceans that provide food
for animals ranging from small
fish to the largest whales. TO
AFRICA
Antarctic krill
Antarctic
brittle
star
This relative of the
starfish can lose an
Pure white except for arm if attacked—
their black eyes and and grow it back!
bills, snow petrels have
even been seen at the The Antarctic midge
South Pole. Snow petrel looks tiny
when shown on a hu
man finger.
Antarctic midge
The colossal squid is the Antarctica’s only insect, this
biggest squid on Earth. midge lives on the rocky Antarctic
It also has the largest Peninsula, which juts out into the
eyes of any animal.
Southern Ocean. It is wingless
Colossal and eats algae and bacteria.
squid Adult midges live just seven to
East ten days, but their young can
Antarctica survive two winters.
h The size of a large gull, the

skua takes penguin eggs Emperor penguin
and chicks for food. The emperor penguin is
South polar the only animal to survive
skua
TR Antarctica’s ice in winter. It
A stays snug with its waterproof
M N coat and four layers of feathers.
O
S
A
Males keep the eggs warm by

U
N
N
holding them on their feet off

TA I N S
TA
of the chilly ice.

RC
TIC
O
S
H S Emperor penguin
E chicks are covered in
L
fluffy gray down, which
F
is not waterproof.
This penguin is 28 in
(71 cm) high and makes
its nest out of stones,
sometimes stealing rocks
from its neighbors. TO
AU S T R A L I A
Adélie penguin
85
Polar bear
The polar bear actually has
black skin, but it is covered
The Arctic
The Arctic is the Earth’s northernmost region.
by thick fur to keep the bear
warm. A strong swimmer,
the polar bear hunts seals,
Animals here must survive freezing temperatures. which it can smell from
Ice and snow cover the area in winter, and the 1 mile (1.6 km) away.
water of the Arctic Ocean freezes over. In summer,
much of the ice melts, revealing a treeless habitat
on the surrounding land called tundra.
A polar bear’s white
fur helps it
blend in with its ha
bitat.
Lichen is one of the SCALE HABITAT KEY

few things reindeer 0 250 miles Mountains Coniferous
find to eat during forests
Arctic winters. Snow
USA 0 250 kilometers and ice
H UKC H I
C
Reindeer lichen SEA
EAST
Both male and female ERIAN Arctic tern
SIB
Reindeer reindeer have antlers. They SEA
use their hooves to dig for This bird flies 24,900 miles
CANADA RT
food under the snow. (40,000 km) from the RUSSIA
FO Arctic to the Antarctic
each year to follow
A
U A
E warmer weather.
S
BE
Hunted by wolves and
sometimes polar bears, This cod has substances
Musk ox musk oxen form a circle in its blood that prevent
when threatened. it from freezing in the Lemmings are small
polar cold. rodents that live on the
tundra, eating grass,
ARCTIC seeds, and moss.
EV Siberian brown
Arctic cod OCEAN A P TA
L SE lemming
Its pure-white coat
makes this hare almost
invisible in the snow.
North Beluga Born gray, beluga
Pole whales don’t turn
Arctic hare white until they are
This whale’s spiral as old as eight years.
tusk is actually a tooth
that grows up to 10 ft
(3 m) long. Narwhal KA
RA
SE
A
A very slow swimmer,
this shark cruises deep
In winter, this fox in the ocean, feeding on
turns white to carrion (dead animals).
help it hide in the
snow as it hunts Arctic fox Greenland shark
for Arctic hares.
Walrus ENTS
LE
C
BAR A
A thick layer of blubber SE
IR
(fat) keeps walruses

C
GREENLAND
(DENMARK) warm when they hunt
IC
for food in icy waters. Lemmings are one of the

ND
CT
NLA snowy owl’s main sources

R
G R E E of food. It can eat five

A
SEA lemmings in a day.
Location
The Arctic includes the
extreme northern parts of N O RWAY
Europe, Asia, and North FINLAND
America. Winters get as Snowy owl
cold as -90˚ F (-68˚ C). SWEDEN
Harp seal
These seals are named for
the pattern on their backs,
which looks like the musical
instrument. Harp seals are
born white, but turn dark
Arctic fox after three weeks.
In summer, the Arctic fox
sheds its white coat, turning
gray-brown so it blends in An adult harp seal
with its surroundings. watches
87
its white-furred cub.

HABITAT KEY Common cuttlefish

Coral reef The cuttlefish changes color
to blend in with its surroundings
and to communicate with other
cuttlefish. It has three hearts,
two of which pump blood to
The chinook hatches in its gills. The third pumps blood
freshwater, then swims to around its body.
the ocean, but each adult
fish returns to the place
where it hatched to breed. Sardines
The cuttlefis
h is related Sardines grow up to 12 in
t
and octopuse o squids (30 cm) long and swim in
s. enormous schools with lots
of other sardines so they
Chinook salmon aren’t all eaten at once.
As it grows, the lobster Killer
sheds its skin—a process whale
called molting. By the time
The world’s largest ray, it becomes an adult, a Also known as an orca,
the giant manta grows up lobster has increased in this is the largest dolphin
size 100,000 times! species. It has teeth Blue mussels
to 23 ft (7 m) across and
weighs up to 2.2 tons up to 4 in (10 cm) long.
(2 tonnes). American
lobster The blue mussel is one
of the toughest shellfish
around. It can survive
freezing as well as very
warm ocean water.
Giant manta ray
Yellowfin
The great hammerhead’s tuna Just one yellowfin tuna
favorite food is the stingray. can weigh up to 882 lb
It holds rays down using one (400 kg), although
Great side of its “hammer” to avoid 388 lb (176 kg) is
hammerhead getting stung while it feeds. more common.
PA C I F I C
The sea horse can move OC
its eyes individually, so it EA
can watch for predators N The anglerfish uses
or prey from many the glowing lure on Deep sea
directions at once. Spiny its head to tempt anglerfish
sea horse passing prey close
enough to eat.
Oceans
IC OCE
L ANT A N
AT
and seas
Water covers a huge 70 percent of the Earth’s Blue whale
The blue whale is roughly
the size of a jumbo jet. It
surface. Thousands of species live in or near weighs two times more than
oceans and seas, from tiny plankton to the the biggest known dinosaur.
largest creature on our planet—the blue whale.

Common sea urchin
The common sea urchin moves along
the ocean floor using “tube feet”—
suckerlike tips that stick out from
its spines. It eats seaweed, mollusks,
corals, and anemones.
The giant Pacific octopus

grows up to 291⁄2 ft (9 m)
long. The female lays up to
100,000 eggs at a time.
This fish grows up to 161⁄2 ft
(5 m) long. Sturgeons are
endangered, because people
kill them for their eggs, which This crab’s legs never stop
are eaten as caviar. growing. They can stretch
13 ft (4 m) from the tip of
one claw to the other!
Beluga sturgeon Seawater is full of tiny plants Giant Pacific

and animals that are often octopus
too small to see without a
microscope. This is plankton. Japanese
Most food chains in the ocean spider crab
start with these miniature With its big forehead
life forms. and short beak, this Found in warm
dolphin looks more like a ocean waters, green
small whale. Each baby, sea turtles have
or calf, is born about green-colored fat—
3 ft (1 m) long. that’s what gives
them their name.
Green
Irrawaddy turtle
Plankton dolphin
INDIA
N OCEAN
The whale shark isn’t a whale,
but a whale-sized fish. It grows If threatened by a predator,
to about 391⁄2 ft (12 m) long, the porcupine fish “puffs
and it eats mostly plankton. up” by swallowing air or Porcupine fish
water. This makes it a very
Whale uncomfortable mouthful.
shark
Sperm whales can dive

9,501 ft (2,896 m) deep in EA N
Common bottlenose dolphin Sperm whale search of octopus, fish, OC
The bottlenose is very smart. It loves to and giant squid to eat. IC
play, riding in the wakes of boats and
They can hold their breath IF
for up to 90 minutes!
C
PA
ships. Some have even been known to

help fishermen by driving fish into their
nets in return for some of the catch! 89
ATLAS PICTURE QUIZ

This area in northern This high prairie stretches
Africa is the largest across parts of Canada
hot desert in the world. and the United States.
1 This area of scrubland

shares its name with
the sea it borders.
3
10 N AM
E THE HAB
IT
A 4
T
Here are some
of the habitats and
islands that appear in
this atlas. Can you name
This famous mountain them? Look at the clues This country is made
range in Europe includes of two main islands
lakes, glaciers, meadows, to help you. The answers
are on page 91. and lots of other,
and forests. smaller ones.
This desert in southern

Africa gets enough rain This South American
9 5
for grass and other plants rain forest is home to
to grow. 2.5 million different
species of insects.
The rain forests of this

area are some of the
6
oldest on Earth.
8 7
These volcanic islands are This continent, found at
90 home to many unique animals the bottom of the Earth,
named after the area. is the world’s coldest.
D THE FAC
F IN T
2. What sea All of the answers to

3. How many ants creature has the 1. What is the these questions appear
can an aardvark largest eyes of smallest of the somewhere in this book.
eat a night? any animal? “big cats”? You can check if you are
correct at the bottom
of this page.
4. What color, 6. In what

other than blue, can 5. For how long mountain range
the Mediterranean does a seven-spot would you find the 7. How long do the
tree frog be? ladybug live? spectacled bear? Iberian ibex’s
horns grow?
10. What is the 9. Where does the 8. What animal has

11. In what area largest tortoise cube-shaped poop?
would you find Gila monster live?
in Africa?
a mandrill?
13. What bird has

12. What lizard two tail feathers 14. What whale has
is also called the twice the length a tusk that can grow 15. On what island
racerunner? of its body? to 10 ft (3 m) long? does the ring-tailed
lemur live?
19. What butterfly 18. What 16. What is the

17. What is the heaviest flying bird
migrates from northern penguin lays its heaviest spider in
North America eggs in forests? on Earth?
the world?
to Mexico?
20. What bat 23. What beetle

22. What frog uses
drinks other 21. How long can with antlerlike
its feet to parachute
animals’ blood? the Indian tiger’s jaws is this?
from tree to tree?
fangs grow?
22. Wallace’s flying frog (page 72), 23. Stag beetle (page 52).
15. Madagascar (page 43), 16. Great bustard (page 55), 17. Goliath birdeater (page 23), 18. Yellow-eyed penguin (page 81), 19. Monarch butterfly (page 11), 20. Vampire bat (page 17), 21. 4 in or 10 cm (page 71),
8. Common wombat (page 79), 9. Western deserts (page 14), 10. African spurred tortoise (page 37), 11. Congo Basin (page 38), 12. Giant ameiva (page 31), 13. Resplendent quetzal (page 16), 14. Narwhal (page 87),
Page 91 Guess the icon: 1. Clouded leopard (page 68), 2. Colossal squid (page 85), 3. 50,000 (page 42), 4. Green (page 56), 5. One year (page 51), 6. The Andes (page 24), 7. 291⁄2 in or 75 cm (page 56), 91
84–85), 7. Southeast Asia (pages 72–73), 8. The Galápagos (page 29), 9. Mediterranean scrubland (pages 56–57), 10. The Alps (page 54).
Answers: Page 90 Name the habitat: 1. Sahara desert (pages 36–37), 2. Kalahari (page 42), 3. Great Plains (page 12), 4. New Zealand (pages 80–81), 5. Amazon rain forest (pages 22–23), 6. Antarctica (pages
Glossary
amphibians equator mountain reptiles
Cold-blooded animals that Imaginary line around the Area of land that rises up Cold-blooded animals covered
live both on land and in water, middle of the Earth much higher than the land in dry, scaly skin such as snakes,
such as frogs and newts around it to form a peak tortoises, and crocodiles
extinct
birds Word used to describe a plant national park scrubland
Warm-blooded animals that or animal species that has no Area of countryside that has Area of land covered in
are covered in feathers and living members been preserved in its natural different types of grass, and
have a bill, many of which can state by the government of a small trees and bushes
fly, such as eagles fish country to protect the wildlife
Cold-blooded animals that live there and for people to enjoy species
climate in water and have gills and Particular group of animals
Normal weather pattern fins, such as salmon native or plants that share similar
during the year in any part Word used to describe an features
of the world habitat animal that comes from a
Environment in which an particular area or country taiga
coniferous tree animal or plant lives Area of cold, coniferous forest
Type of tree with cones and nocturnal found near the Arctic Circle
needlelike leaves that keeps hibernation Word used to describe animals
its leaves all year round Sleeplike state some animals that are awake during the night temperate grassland
enter in winter Large areas of grass found
continents ocean in regions with hot and cold
Seven large areas of land invertebrates Very large sea. There are five seasons, such as prairie,
that the world is divided into: Cold-blooded animals oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, steppe, and pampas
Africa, Antarctica, Asia, without a backbone, such as Indian, Arctic, and Southern
Australasia, Europe, North insects, spiders, or squids temperate regions
America, and South America plain Areas with hot and cold
island Area of flat land with few seasons found between
coral reefs Piece of land that has water trees, often covered with grass tropical and polar regions
Rocklike structures formed all around it
by coral animals in the shallow plateau tropical grassland
waters along coasts mammals Large area of high, flat land Large areas of grass found
Warm-blooded animals that in areas that are hot all year
deciduous tree have hair and feed their young polar regions round, such as savanna
Type of tree that loses its with milk, such as mice Areas within the polar circles. and cerrado
leaves in the fall or the Polar regions are covered in
dry season mangroves snow and ice for most of the tropical regions
Trees that live in salty water year and are extremely cold Areas that are hot all year
desert and have long, stiltlike roots round, found near the equator
Dry region that gets very little predator between the Tropic of Cancer
rainfall in a year. Deserts can marsupial Animal that hunts other living and the Tropic of Capricorn
be hot or cold Type of mammal that keeps its animals for food
young in a pouch tundra
endangered prey Cold, treeless plains found
Word used to describe a migration Animal that is hunted for food near the Arctic Circle
species of plant or animal Movement of a large number
with only a few living of animals from one area to rain forests wetlands
another. Animals migrate to Dense forests with very high Land with wet, spongy soil,
members left
follow warmer weather and rainfall. Most are near the such as a marsh or swamp
to find food equator and are also very hot
92
Index
A Belize 9, 16
Benin 34
chimpanzees 39
China 60, 61, 64, 65, 66–67, 68–69, 72,
dugongs 82
aardvarks 42, 44
acacia trees 34, 41
bharals 67 74–75 E
Bhutan 61, 67 chinchillas 25 eagles 8, 12, 23, 39, 45, 49, 55, 64
Afghanistan 60, 64, 65 Białowieża Forest 58–59 chipmunks 63 East Asian forests 68–69
Africa 34–45 birch trees 62 choughs 54 East Timor 61, 73
Alaska 10 birds of paradise 73 clams 83 eastern forests 13
Albania 47, 52, 57 bison 8, 12, 59 climatic zones 6 echidnas 79
albatrosses 84 blue tits 52 clown fish 83 Ecuador 20, 22, 24
Algeria 34, 36 bobcats 14 coatis 23 eels 23
alligators 18 Bolivia 20, 23, 24, 28, 30 cock of the rocks 25 Egypt 35, 37
The Alps 54 bongos 38 cod 83, 86 El Salvador 9, 16
Amazon rain forest 20, 22–23 bonobos 38 colocolos 32 elephants 40, 45, 71
Amazon River 21 boobies 29 Colombia 20, 22, 24 emus 78
Andes 21, 24–25, 32–33 Borneo 61, 72 Comoros 35 England 51
Andorra 46 Bosnia & Herzegovina 47, 52, 57 condors 25, 32 equator 6
anglerfish 88 Botswana 40, 42 Congo 34, 38 Equatorial Guinea 34
Angola 34–35, 40, 42 Brazil 20–21, 22–23, 24, 28, 30–31 Congo Basin 38–39 Eritrea 35, 37
anhingas 18 British Isles 46, 50–51, 52 continents 6–7 Estonia 47, 48, 52
Antarctic Circle 6 brittle stars 85 coral 82 Ethiopia 35, 37
Antarctica 84–85 Brunei 61, 73 coral reefs 77, 82–83 Europe 46–59
anteaters 22, 30 buffaloes 38, 72 Cordillera Blanca 32–33 European forests 52–53
antelopes 12, 36, 37, 41, 42, 45, 62, 65, Bulgaria 47, 55, 57 cork oaks 57 European steppe 55
67, 69, 70, 75 Burkina Faso 34 cormorants 29 The Everglades 18–19
ants 23, 30, 52 Burundi 35 Corsica 56
Arabian Peninsula 60, 70
Arctic 86–87
bush babies 40
bustards 37, 55, 75
Costa Rica 9, 16
coyotes 12
F
Arctic Circle 6 falcons 64
butterflies 11, 22, 54, 68 coypus 26 Falkland Islands 21, 25
Argentina 20, 25, 26–27 crabs 29, 51, 89 Fiji 77
armadillos 15, 31
Armenia 60, 65
C cranes 69 Finland 47, 48, 52, 87
cacti 15 crayfish 81 fireflies 11
Asia 60–75 caimans 28 Crete 57
Asian steppe 64 flamingos 21, 24, 41
The Camargue 46 Croatia 46, 52, 54, 57 Florida 18–19
assassin bugs 26 Cambodia 61, 72 crocodiles 17, 37, 79
asses 67, 74 forests 13, 22–23, 35, 52–53, 58–59,
camels 35, 37, 60, 75 crossbills 49 68–69, 71, 77
Atlantic Ocean 88 Cameroon 34, 38 crows 49
Australasia 76–83 see also rain forests; taiga
Canada 8–9, 10–11, 12–13, 86 Cuba 9, 17 fossas 43
Australia 76, 78–79, 82–83 Cape Verde 34 cuckoos 56
Austria 46, 52, 54 foxes 12, 13, 26, 36, 52, 58, 65, 67, 87
capercaillies 49 culpeos 33 France 46, 52, 54, 56
aye-ayes 43 capybaras 20, 28 cuttlefish 88
Azerbaijan 60, 65 French Guiana 21, 23
caracals 70 Cyprus 60 frigate birds 17
Czech Republic 46, 52
B caracaras 25, 33
cardinals 13
frogs 16, 19, 22, 24, 26, 31, 39, 42, 43,
56, 63, 72, 80
baboons 40, 70 Caribbean 9, 17 D fynbos 34
badgers 10, 50, 59 Carpathian Mountains 47 damselflies 81
Bahamas 9, 17
Bahrain 60, 70
Caspian Sea 64
cats 15, 27, 31, 64, 70
deer 8, 13, 24, 25, 27, 28, 32, 51, 53, 58,
62, 68
G
Bangladesh 61, 67 Gabon 34, 38
centipedes 56 Democratic Republic of the Congo 35, 38, galagos 40
baobabs 43 Central African Republic 34–35, 38 40–41
barracudas 18 Galápagos 29
Central America 9, 16 Denmark 46, 52 gallinules 19
barrier islands 9 Central Asian deserts 65 desert broom 14
batfish 17 The Gambia 34
Cerrado 30–31 deserts 14–15, 35, 36–37, 42, 60, 65, 70, gazelles 37, 65, 70, 75
bats 17, 48, 53, 59, 72, 80 Chad 34–35, 37, 38 74–75, 76, 78, 84
bears 8, 10, 13, 24, 33, 47, 62, 66, 71, 73, geckos 36, 57
chameleons 43, 56 dingoes 79 geese 11, 25, 32
86 chamois 54 dinosaur fossils 74
beavers 11, 59 geladas 35
chapis 38 Djibouti 35 Georgia 60
bee-eaters 39 cheetahs 42, 45 dogs 25, 31, 40, 58, 69, 79
bees 51 gerbils 65
cherry trees 69 dolphins 22, 73, 81, 89 Germany 46, 52, 54
beetles 22, 41, 52 chickens 12 Dominican Republic 9, 17
Belarus 47, 48, 53, 55, 58–59 Ghana 34
Chihuahuan desert 15 dormice 51, 53 gibbons 72
Belgium 46, 52 Chile 20, 25 ducks 33, 49, 68, 69 giraffes 34, 41, 44
93
goats 65, 66, 69

Gobi desert 74–75 J M Niger 34, 37
Nigeria 34, 37
gorals 69 jackals 57 macaws 9, 30 nightingales 55
gorillas 38 jaguars 23 Macedonia 47, 52, 55, 57 nightjars 52
grasslands 30–31 Jamaica 9, 17 Madagascar 35, 43 North America 8–19
see also pampas; savanna; steppes Japan 61, 69 magpies 57 North Korea 61, 69
Great Barrier Reef 82–83 jays 49 Majorca 56 North Pole 87
Great Plains 8, 12 jellyfish 83 Malawi 35 Northern Ireland 51
Greece 47, 52, 57 jerboas 37, 74 Malaysia 61, 72 Norway 46, 48, 52, 87
Greenland 9, 87 Jordan 60, 70 Mali 34, 36
grisons 27
K
Malta 46, 57
manakins 30
O
guanacos 32 oaks 51, 57
Guatemala 9, 16 kakapos 81 mandrills 38 oceans 88–89
Guinea 34 Kalahari desert 42 mantises 72 ocelots 16
guinea pigs 24 kangaroos 77, 78 maras 26 octopuses 89
Guinea-Bissau 34 kapok trees 22 marlins 17 okapis 38
Guyana 21, 23 kauri trees 80 marmots 54, 64, 66, 74 Oman 60, 70
Kazakhstan 60, 64, 65 Marshall Islands 77 onagers 64
H keas 81 Mauritania 34, 36
Mauritius 35
opossums 13, 31
habitats 5, 6 Kenya 35 orangutans 61, 72
Haiti 9, 17 kererus 81 meadowlarks 27 ospreys 49
hamsters 55 kiangs 67 Mediterranean scrubland 56–57 ostriches 42
hares 12, 48, 65, 66, 87 kingfishers 27, 78 Mediterranean Sea 47, 56–57 otters 10, 28, 51
hawks 29 Kiribati 77 meerkats 42 outback 76
heather 46 kites 19, 51 Mexico 8–9, 15 owls 11, 13, 15, 27, 48, 51, 53, 59, 63, 81,
hedgehogs 50, 65 kiwis 80 mice 51, 53, 55, 59, 66 87
herons 18 koalas 79 Micronesia 76
Himalayas 61, 66–67 Komodo dragons 73
kookaburras 78
midges 85
millipedes 52
P
hippopotamuses 40, 44 Pacific Ocean 88–89
hogs 39 Kosovo 47, 52, 57 minks 52
Mojave desert 14, 15 Pakistan 60, 65, 66, 71
Honduras 9, 16 krill 85 Palau 76
honey badgers 44 Kruger National Park 44–45 Moldova 47, 53
mole rats 55 pampas 21, 26–27
hoopoes 53 Kuwait 60, 70 pampas grass 27
hornbills 41 Kyrgyzstan 60, 64, 65 moles 55
Monaco 46 Panama 9, 16
hornets 71
horses 46, 60, 64, 70, 75 L Mongolia 60, 61, 68, 74–75
mongooses 71
pandas 67
pangolins 39
hummingbirds 15, 16, 33 ladybugs 51 Pantanal 20, 28
Hungary 47, 52 Laos 61, 72 monkeys 16, 23, 28, 41, 56, 68, 69, 70, 73
Montenegro 47, 52, 57 panthers 19
hutias 17 Latvia 47, 48, 52 Papua New Guinea 76, 79
hyenas 36 Lebanon 60 moorland 46
moose 11, 47 Paraguay 21, 23, 28, 30
hyraxes 70 lemmings 48, 86, 87 parrots 38, 81
lemurs 43 Morocco 34, 36
partridges 70
I leopards 38, 61, 67, 68 mosquitoes 39
moss 46 Patagonia 21
ibexes 54, 56 Lesotho 35 peafowl 71
Liberia 34 moths 43, 57
icefish 84 mountains 8, 24–25, 35, 54, 61, 66–67 pelicans 57, 76
Iceland 46, 48 Libya 34–35, 37 penguins 29, 76, 81, 84, 85
lichen 86 Mozambique 35, 41
iguanas 29, 30 musk oxen 86 Peru 20, 22, 24, 32–33
impalas 41, 45 Liechtenstein 46 petrels 85
lions 40, 45 mussels 88
India 60, 66, 71, 72 Myanmar (Burma) 61, 67, 72 pheasants 69
Indian forests 71 Lithuania 47, 48, 52 Philippines 61, 73
lizards 14, 26, 29, 30, 31, 36, 56, 70, 72,
Indian Ocean 89
Indonesia 61, 73 73, 78 N pigeons 53, 81
pigs 17, 39, 56
Iran 65, 70 llamas 24 Namibia 34–35, 40, 42 pine martens 54, 58
Iraq 60, 70 locust 36 Nauru 77 piranhas 23
Ireland 46, 51 loons 11 Nepal 60, 66 plankton 89
Israel 60, 70 lungfish 39 Netherlands 46, 52 platypuses 79
Italy 46, 52, 54, 57 Luxembourg 46, 52 New Zealand 77, 80–81 Poland 47, 52, 58–59
Ivory Coast 34 lynxes 48, 57 newts 55 polar bears 86
Nicaragua 9, 16
94
polar zones 6, 7 sea lions 29, 81 sugar gliders 79 Uruguay 21, 27

polecats 55, 64, 74 sea urchins 89 sugar maples 13 Uzbekistan 60, 64, 65
ponies 9 seagulls 60 sunbirds 72
porcupine fish 89 sea horses 88 sunfish 18 V
porcupines 42 seals 47, 50, 63, 84, 87 Suriname 21 Vanuatu 77
porpoises 51 seas 88–89 Swaziland 35 Vatican City 46
Portugal 46, 56 secretary birds 44 Sweden 46, 48, 52, 87 Venezuela 17, 20, 22
possums 78, 79 Senegal 34 Switzerland 46, 52, 54 vicuñas 25
prairie dogs 8, 12 Serbia 47, 52, 57 Syria 60 Vietnam 61, 72
prairie shoestring 12 seriemas 31 vizcachas 27, 32
ptarmigans 54 serows 69 T voles 52
Puerto Rico 9, 17 serratulas 66 tahrs 66 vultures 14, 30, 42, 44, 67
puffins 48 Seychelles 35 taiga 10–11, 47, 48–49, 62–63
pumas 15 sharks 78, 83, 87, 88, 89
sheep 14, 36, 63, 67
Taiwan 61, 73 W
Tajikistan 60, 64, 65 Wales 51
Q shrews 54 tamarins 22 walruses 87
Qatar 60, 70 shrimps 83 tangs 82 warthogs 42
quetzals 16 Sicily 57 Tanzania 35 water lilies 28
Sierra Leone 34 tapirs 16 weasels 53, 67
R skuas 85
skunks 13
tarsiers 73 weavers 42
rabbits 12, 14, 56 tayras 16 western deserts 14–15
raccoons 13, 69 sloths 16, 71 temperate zones 6, 7 Western Sahara 34, 36
rafflesia flowers 72 Slovakia 47, 52 tenrecs 43 wetas 80
rain forest 9, 20, 38–39, 61, 72–73 Slovenia 46, 52, 54 termites 31 wetlands 18–19, 20, 28, 46
rats 15 slugs 8, 82 terns 86 whales 80, 84, 87, 88, 89
rays 73, 88 snails 28, 80 Thailand 61, 72 wild boars 47, 53
Red Sea 35, 37 snakes 12, 15, 18, 23, 24, 28, 30, 36, 51, thorny devils 78 wildcats 50
redwood trees 8 53, 65, 68, 71, 73, 79, 83 Tibetan Plateau 66–67 wildebeests 41
reindeer 86 Snares Islands 76 tigers 62, 71 witchetty grubs 78
rheas 21, 26 solenodons 17 toads 49, 58, 67 wolverines 49
rhinoceroses 40, 71, 72 Solomon Islands 77 Togo 34 wolves 8, 10, 11, 30, 47, 56, 58, 66
roadrunners 15 Somalia 35 Tonga 77 wombats 79
robins 51, 63 Sonoran desert 15 toothfish 84 woodpeckers 59, 63
Romania 47, 52, 55, 57 South Africa 34–35, 42, 44–45 tortoises 14, 29, 37, 43, 57, 64 world map 6–7
rubythroats 63 South America 20–33 toucans 23
Russian Federation 47, 48–49, 53, 55, South Korea 61, 69
South Pole 84
Trinidad and Tobago 9, 17
trogons 17
Y
60–61, 68–69, 86 yaks 61, 66
Rwanda 35 South Sudan 35, 38 Tropic of Cancer 6 Yemen 60, 70
Southeast Asian rain forest 72–73 Tropic of Capricorn 6
S Southern savanna 40–41
Spain 46, 56
tropical zone 6, 7
tuataras 81
Z
sables 62 Zambia 35, 40–41
spiders 14, 19, 23, 79 tuna 88
Sahara desert 35, 36–37 zebras 40, 45
spiny forest 35 tundra 86
salamanders 54, 68 Zimbabwe 35, 41
sponges 82 Tunisia 34, 36
salmon 10, 88
spoonbills 28 turacos 38
salmonberries 10
spruce trees 49 Turkey 47, 60
Samoa 77
squid 85 Turkmenistan 60, 65
San Marino 46
squirrels 13, 50, 59, 62, 64, 71 turtles 10, 17, 18, 83, 89
sandgrouse 37
Sri Lanka 60, 71 Tuvalu 77
sardines 88
starfish 82
Sardinia 56
Saudi Arabia 60, 70
starlings 55
steppes 21, 55, 64
U
savanna 34, 40–41, 44, 60 Uganda 35
stick insects 24 Ukraine 47, 53, 55
saxaul trees 75
stingrays 73 United Arab Emirates 60, 70
scorpions 37, 38
stoats 49 United Kingdom 46, 50–51
Scotland 46, 50
storks 28 United States of America (USA) 8–9, 10,
scrubland 56–57
sturgeon 89 12–15, 18–19, 86
sea anemones 83
Sudan 35, 37 Ural Mountains 49, 55
sea breams 77
95
Credits
Dorling Kindersley would like to thank Dr. Don E. Wilson, 35 Alamy Stock Photo: Ange (br); Aivar Mikko (tc). Maxim Petrichuk (bl). iStockphoto.com: muha04 (cra).
Curator Emeritus, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, iStockphoto.com: helovi (cra). 36 Dorling Kindersley: SuperStock: Biosphoto (ca). 76 Alamy Stock Photo:
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian, for Jerry Young (br). 38 Dorling Kindersley: Liberty’s Owl, David Foster (clb); Schöttger / mauritius images GmbH
his expert consultation. Raptor and Reptile Centre, Hampshire, UK (bl). 39 (cla); Frans Lanting Studio (bc). 77 Alamy Stock Photo:
123RF.com: Andrey Gudkov (cr); Jatesada Natayo (tr). 41 WaterFrame_fba (tr). SuperStock: Roland Seitre /
The publisher would also like to thank the following
123RF.com: pytyczech (bc). Alamy Stock Photo: Andrew Minden Pictures (tl). 78 Alamy Stock Photo: FLPA (br).
people for their help in preparing this book: Kealy Gordon
Mackay (r). 42 Dorling Kindersley: Wildlife Heritage 79 Fotolia: Eric Isselee (br). 80 Getty Images: Robin
and Ellen Nanney at the Smithsonian; Helen Peters for
Foundation, Kent, UK (bl). Dreamstime.com: Artushfoto Bush / Oxford Scientific (bl). 81 123RF.com:
the index; Polly Goodman for proofreading; Joylon
(ftr). SuperStock: Alexander Koenders / NiS / Minden petervick167 (tl). 82 123RF.com: Daniel Poloha (br).
Goddard and Katy Lennon for additional editing; and
Pictures (tr). 43 Alamy Stock Photo: Travel Africa (cl); Alamy Stock Photo: Barry Brown / DanitaDelimont.
Jagtar Singh and Sachin Singh for additional design.
Eric Nathan (br). Dreamstime.com: Faunuslsd (bl). 44 com / Danita Delimont (c). Dreamstime.com: Izanbar
Picture Credits: Depositphotos Inc: Meoita (cb). Dorling Kindersley: (cl). iStockphoto.com: LeventKonuk (bl). SuperStock:
The publisher would also like to thank the following for Blackpool Zoo, Lancashire, UK (crb). Dreamstime.com: Fred Bavendam / Minden Pictures (tr); Ron Offermans /
their kind permission to reproduce their photographs: Lauren Pretorius (bl). SuperStock: Biosphoto (cl); Roger Buiten-beeld / Minden Pictures (cr). 82-83 Alamy Stock
de la Harpe / Africa (c). 45 Dorling Kindersley: Photo: Norbert Probst / imageBROKER. 83 123RF.com:
(Key: a-above; b-below/bottom; c-center; f-far; l-left; Suzanne Porter / Rough Guides (fcra). Dreamstime.com: antos777 (cla). Alamy Stock Photo: Reinhard Dirscherl
r-right; t-top) Clickit (c); Ecophoto (tr); Rixie (cra); Mark De Scande (cr); (br). Dreamstime.com: Carol Buchanan (bc); Apidech
8 Alamy Stock Photo: John Hyde / Design Pics Inc (c). Fabio Lamanna (bc). 46 Dreamstime.com: Philip Bird Ninkhlai (tc); Whitcomberd (tr). SuperStock: Fred
iStockphoto.com: ericfoltz (bl); Pawel Gaul (cl). 9 (c). iStockphoto.com: nimu1956 (clb). 47 Alamy Stock Bavendam / Minden Pictures (clb, ftl, tl); D. Parer & E.
iStockphoto.com: John_Wijsman (tr); OGphoto (cr). 11 Photo: Images & Stories (cr). iStockphoto.com: Parer-Cook / Minden Pictures (fbl). 84 Alamy Stock
Alamy Stock Photo: Danny Green / Nature Picture misterbike (tr); vencavolrab (bc). 49 Dorling Kindersley: Photo: David Osborn (bl). 85 Getty Images: Bill
Library (tl); Vl_K (tr). Dorling Kindersley: Jerry Young ZSL Whipsnade Zoo (tr). Dreamstime.com: Anagram1 Curtsinger / National Geographic (tr); David Tipling /
(br). 12 123RF.com: wrangel (br). Corbis: Ocean (cl). 13 (tl). SuperStock: Juniors (br). 50 123RF.com: Piotr Digital Vision (br). 86 123RF.com: Ondřej Prosický (cla).
123RF.com: Marie-Ann Daloia (cr). Dorling Kindersley: Krześlak (tc). 51 Dorling Kindersley: Hoa Luc (br). 52 87 Alamy Stock Photo: Arco / G. Lacz / Arco Images
Jerry Young (tl). 14 Alamy Stock Photo: Wayne Lynch / Dorling Kindersley: British Wildlife Centre, Surrey, UK GmbH (tr). Dorling Kindersley: Jerry Young (br). 88
All Canada Photos (tc). SuperStock: Cyril Ruoso / (bl). 53 123RF.com: alucard21 (tr). Dorling Kindersley: iStockphoto.com: BulentBARIS (tc). 89 Dreamstime.com:
Minden Pictures (cl). 16 Fotolia: Eric Isselee (cl). 17 Rollin Verlinde (bl). 54 Dorling Kindersley: British Igor Dolgov (tr).
Photolibrary: Photodisc / Tom Brakefield (tr). 18 Alamy Wildlife Centre, Surrey, UK (bl). iStockphoto.com:
Stock Photo: WaterFrame_eda (cl). Dorling Kindersley: mauribo (br). 55 Dreamstime.com: Mikelane45 (crb).
Jerry Young (cr). Dreamstime.com: Brian Lasenby (cb). SuperStock: Kurt Kracher / imagebro / imageBROKER
Getty Images: Joe McDonald / Corbis Documentary (bl). (tr). 57 Dreamstime.com: García Juan (tr); Rosemarie
Kappler (tl). 58 Dorling Kindersley: British Wildlife All other images © Dorling Kindersley
18-19 Getty Images: Tim Graham / Getty Images
News. 19 Alamy Stock Photo: George Grall / National Centre, Surrey, UK (cr, c); Jerry Young (cl). Dreamstime. For further information see: www.dkimages.com
Geographic Creative (bl). iStockphoto.com: FernandoAH com: Valentino2 (bl). 58-59 Alamy Stock Photo:
(tl); madcorona (crb); hakoar (tr); ygluzberg (cl). 20 Alamy Aleksander Bolbot. 59 123RF.com: alein (tc); Alexey
Stock Photo: Denis-Huot Michel / hemis.fr / Hemis (bl). Sokolov (bl). Dorling Kindersley: Rollin Verlinde (ftr).
iStockphoto.com: Marcelo Horn (cl). 21 123RF.com: Fotolia: Eric Isselee (cr). 60 Alamy Stock Photo: Danita
belikova (b). Alamy Stock Photo: blickwinkel / Wothe Delimont / Gavriel Jecan (cl); Ethiopia / Panther Media
(cr). iStockphoto.com: Magaiza (tr). 22 iStockphoto. GmbH (bl). iStockphoto.com: Danielrao (tr). 61 Alamy
com: Leonardo Prest Mercon Ro / LeoMercon (cl). 23 Stock Photo: Art Wolfe / Cultura RM (cr). iStockphoto.
123RF.com: Anan Kaewkhammul (br). Alamy Stock com: fotoVoyager (tr). 62 123RF.com: Sergey
Photo: Amazon-Images (cra). 24 SuperStock: Albert Krasnoshchokov (cl). Dorling Kindersley: Blackpool Zoo
Lleal / Minden Pictures (tc). 25 Dorling Kindersley: (bl). 63 Dreamstime.com: Silviu Matei (tl). iStockphoto.
Blackpool Zoo (br). iStockphoto.com: webguzs (bl). 26 com: Gerdzhikov (br). 64 Dorling Kindersley: Twan
SuperStock: Juniors (cl). 27 Alamy Stock Photo: Johner Leenders (tr). 65 Dreamstime.com: Dmytro Pylypenko
Images (tr). Dorling Kindersley: Gary Ombler (br). 28 (tl). 66 Dreamstime.com: Rudra Narayan Mitra (bc). 67
123RF.com: Francisco de Casa Gonzalez (br); Ondřej Dorling Kindersley: Connor Daly (tr); Wildlife Heritage
Prosický (tr). Alamy Stock Photo: James Brunker (bl). 29 Foundation, Kent, UK (b). 68 Dreamstime.com: Vasiliy
123RF.com: mark52 (bl). Alamy Stock Photo: Reinhard Vishnevskiy (bl). iStockphoto.com: Biscut (cl). 69
Dirscherl (cr). 30 Dorling Kindersley: Greg Dean / Dorling Kindersley: Jerry Young (br). 70 123RF.com:
Yvonne Dean (cl). 31 naturepl.com: Luiz Claudio Marigo Shlomo Polonsky (bl); wrangel (br). Alamy Stock Photo:
(br). SuperStock: Minden Pictures (cra). 32 123RF.com: blickwinkel / McPHOTO / MAS (tr). 71 123RF.com:
Martin Otero (cl). Dorling Kindersley: Hanne Eriksen / tonarinokeroro (cra). SuperStock: Biosphoto (br). 72
Jens Eriksen (fcrb); Prof. Marcio Motta (cb). Dreamstime. Dreamstime.com: Phittavas (tl). 73 123RF.com:
com: Jeremy Richards (bl). 33 123RF.com: Martin aquafun (tr). 74-75 Alamy Stock Photo: David Tipling
Schneiter (c). Dorling Kindersley: E. J. Peiker (tr). Photo Library. 74 Dreamstime.com: Evgovorov (bl).
Dreamstime.com: Musat Christian (cr). SuperStock: naturepl.com: Roland Seitre (cb). SuperStock: Biosphoto
Glenn Bartley / All Canada Photos (bl, tl). 34 Alamy (cra, cr); Pete Oxford / Minden Pictures (crb); Stock
Stock Photo: Michele Burgess (bc); Lars Johansson (cl). Connection (cl). 75 Dreamstime.com: Mikelane45 (tc);
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Animal Atlas (Sscstudy - Com)

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Animal Atlas (Sscstudy - Com)

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Printed and bound in Hong Kong

42 Kalahari desert 76 Australasia

Established in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution—the world’s largest museum and

How to use this book

Compass Animal pictures Independent states Rivers

Mediterranean Mediterranean chameleon

scrubland passing insects. It is also

wolves. It hunts rabbits, deer, Ga

S The golden jackal

Mediterranean bite and will give a MONTENEGRO

too—so stay well away! VATICAN CITY AD Podgorica

green or blue. It has suckers TIC S

on its fingers and toes

The cuckoo lays its eggs in bark. The cork bark is

the cuckoo chick hatches, S nine years to make bottle

Capital Scale Location Habitat key Bordering continents

Continent maps Feature habitats

Habitats Mountains Coniferous forests Wetlands

Hot desert Oceans and seas Mangroves Temperate grasslands

Cold desert Tropical forests Coral reefs Tropical grasslands

Snow and ice Deciduous forests Scrublands

Borders Country borders Disputed borders Continent borders

Earth’s seven continents depend on the usual AT L A N T I C

Nunavut Barrier islands

ick animals. These colorful

scarlet macaws from

North Costa Rica perch high

Dakota New Hampshire

Nebraska Ohio Delaware

Oklahoma South Carolina

HAITI ISLANDS MARTINIQUE (FRANCE)

NICARAGUA 0 1000 miles

and Atlantic Oceans. Sockeye salmon

CE to the freshwater streams

time to lay their own eggs.

North With big front feet and

Canada America to Mexico.

This deerlike antelope Ark

can see predators from ans

country and will eat

Northern raccoon cardinal

This is North America’s

playing dead for up

raccoon, the ringtail

Also called the cougar or mountain this tiny bird slows

The only armadillo

Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth

Feral pig The solenodon’s

A The blue marlin stabs the

Common snapping turtle

Around 300 fish species are

American alligator The

An alligator’s teeth are

Everglades snail kite This

Purple gallinule This

plants. It also eats frogs

and insects that might

be hiding in the grass.

rain forest VENEZUELA

One of the largest

This tree-climbing anteater doesn’t

have any teeth. Instead it slurps up