"'" CARD 1 KEY FACTS

AFRICAN ELEPHANT
~
SIZES
Height: Male 10 ft. to shoulder.
'\ GROUP 1: MAMMALS Female a little smaller.
. . . CLASS ORDER FAMILY . ~S Weight: Male up to 6 tons. Female
~ Proboscidea E/ephantidae Loxodonta africana up to 4 tons.

BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 14-1 5 years.
Mating: Any time.
Gestation: 22 months.
No. of young: Usually 1 calf.

LIFESTYLE
Habit: Live together in family
units; adult males are solitary.
Call: A throaty rumbling as Range of the African elephant.
constant communication or loud
trumpeting when angry. DISTRIBUTION
In most parts of Africa, south of the Sahara.
Diet: Entirely vegetarian-grass,
foliage, fruit, branches, twigs.
CONSERVATION
Lifespan: About 70 years.
The African elephant is now endangered. Hunting is banned,
but poaching for ivory is still widespread. In Kenya alone, __
RELATED SPECIES
numbers have been reduced from 150,000 to 30,000 in the
The slightly smaller Asian elephant
last 10 years. Gamekeepers are almost powerless against the
(Elephas indicus). sophisticated machine guns used by poachers.

SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT

Ears: Used as Trunk: Used for breathing and smelling, and as an
fans to create a extra limb for picking up food, browsing in tall
stream of air branches, drinking, and bathing.
over the
animal's body.

Feet: Undersides soft and cushioned

so it can carry its great weight almost
noiselessly.

~~~;;~~~",~c:t~~] ~
C
ill
E
QJ

C~~~~~~~;i~..~II)o"'i1tl 8
ai Teeth: Only 4 functional teeth 12 inches
t long, 1 in each quarter of jaw. They can
-
N be replaced 6 times.
U
Tusks: Elongated incisor teeth that
Although the African elephant is the largest and most powerful of continue to grow throughout the
a"'iving land mammals, it is also among the most gentle, living in elephant's lifetime.
peaceful family units. PRINTED IN U.S.A. WF OM NC 24
 Left: African
elephants
DID YOU KNOW?
never stray far
from water. Elephants will eat up to 500 distance of 50 miles a day .
pounds of vegetation a day When water is scarce during
and drink up to 40 gallons of the dry season, elephants will
water at a time. dig for water in the sandy bed
An elephant can walk faster of a river that has stopped
Inset: A calf flowing .
than a man, maintaining a
protects its
skin against steady speed of 5-5 1/2 miles The largest tusk ever re-
insect bites per hour. A herd on the corded was 1 0 feet long and
with a dust march can easily cover a weighed nearly 230 pounds.
bath.

Essentially an animal of open grasslands, ~ BREEDING

the African elephant is adaptable enough to live Elephants mate when they
are 14 or 15 years old.
happily in a variety of habitats within its o
c Courtship involves a display
-g of affection between the cow
sub-Saharan African homeland. But wherever it lives, ~ and bull in which they caress
Q)

f
u
the elephant never strays far from a supply of each other with their trunks.
---------------------------------------------- ~
A single calf, standing about
<1l
drinking and bathing water. :l! 33 inches high and weighing
_________________________________________ o Lj~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
approximately 250 pounds is

~ ~ COMMUNICATION
HABITS
Elephants are social animals
with strong family ties. So
close are the relationships that
they even bury their dead with
twigs and leaves. They also
grieve over their loss, staying
by the "grave" for many hours.
Cows (females) and their
calves, live in fa'mily units
under the leadership of a
mature female, to whom every
other member of the group is
related.
Young bulls (males) are
driven from the family when
, bathing they coat their skin in
they reach puberty to live in
Right: All
elephants like
to bathe daily
and will
immerse
themselves
completely if
the water is
deep enough.
separate bachelor herds. Adult When elephants are foraging
bulls live alone and join a for food out of sight of one
family unit only briefly when a another, they communicate
female is ready to mate. by making rumbling noises
Herds may wander great similar to gargling. If an ele-
distances, but they never phant senses possible
move far from water. Ele- danger, it will alert the others
phants like baths every eve- by stopping the noise.
ning, so they stay close to any Conflicts between ele-
available pool or stream. phants are communicated by
They'll make do with a a threat display in which the
shower-squirted from the superior will twirl its trunk or
trunk-if water is scarce. After throw dust into the air.
dirt for protection from
Sometimes an elephant will
also make the trumpeting
insects. noise for which it is famous.
The display is also used to
warn enemies. If its signals
:g, are ignored, the threatened
~ elephant may charge at its
;3 attacker. But charges are
~ rarely carried through; at the
~ last moment, the elephant
~ either stops short or turns
cg aside.
~ FOOD & FEEDING
Elephants are entirely vegetar-
ian. They eat a wide variety of
grasses, foliage, fruit, and
small branches and twigs.
They gather food with the aid
of their trunk and then place it
into their mouths.
The few teeth elephants
have are used to grind their
food. Once an elephant has
born 22 months later.
The calf is suckled for at
least 2 years and remains in
the family unit after the birth
of its mother's next calf. A
cow usually gives birth about
every 4 years and will often
have two or three calves with
her at the same time.
Cows defend their young
vigorously, charging any
intruders.
Below: A three-day-old calf
stands knee-high to its mother.
lost all its teeth, usually
around the age of seventy,
it can no longer feed itself
and it dies of starvation.
Elephants have gigantic
appetites. Night, early
morning, and evening are
their favorite eating and
drinking times, but they also
eat all day on the move.
 "'" CARD 2 ~ KEY FACTS
GORILLA ~ I i~ 1
~~)
SIZES
<S7 Height: Males, 6 ft. Females,
'\ GROUP 1: MAMMALS
5 ft.
.. ORDER FAMILY GENUS & SPECIES ~S Weight: Males, up to 600 lb .
~ Primates Pongidae Gorilla gorilla Females, up to 200 lb.

BREEDING
Sexual maturity: Males, 7-8 years .
Females, 6-7 years.
Mating: No particular season.
Gestation: 251-289 days.
Number of young: One.

LIFESTYLE Range of the gorilla.

Habit: Sociable .
Diet: Entirely vegetarian, mainly
fruit, leaves, and juicy stems.
Lifespan: At least 30 years.
RELATED SPECIES
Western, Mountain, and Eastern
lowland gorillas of Central Africa .
DISTRlBUTION
The mountain gorilla is found only in the Virunga Volcanoes
region in the highlands of eastern Zaire. The lowland gorilla
lives in forest areas, stretching from the northern bank of the
Zaire River to the Ubangai River in southern Nigeria.
CONSERVATION
Both mountain and lowland gorillas are endangered. Fewer
than 450 mountain gorillas exist in the wild.

THE GORILLA'S HANDS AND FEET

The gorilla moves on all fours with its knuckles
on the ground, but its weight is supported by its
feet. Strikingly human in
appearance, the
hands are very
broad and strong .
The thumbs are
smaller than the
fingers , which helps
the gorilla to grip as
it climbs trees or
grabs foliage .

The gorilla's feet

are characterized
by the big toe.
Unlike those of
most apes, it is
not widely
separated from
Largest and most powerful of all living primates, the .gorilla is the other toes.
a peaceful and sociable animal. It lives in the highlands and forests
of Africa in small family groups. MCMXCIIMP BVIIMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILE'" PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200031 PACKET 3a

Gorillas live in the wild only in the Zaire River basin.
The two species-mountain and lowland-are
separated by about 600 miles. Both are now
recognized as being endangered.
~ BREEDING
Gorillas mate year-round . The
female produces one off-
spring about every fourth
year. If her offspring gorilla
dies in infancy, which hap-
pens 40-50 percent of the
time, she will breed more
frequently. A young gorilla re-
mains with its parents three
years after its birth.
Gorillas live in groups of ten
DID YOU KNOW?
When a gori lla d ri nks,
which is rarely, it soaks the
back of its hand and su cks
t he water from the fur.
As he matures, a male
gori lla's skull develops a bony
ridge which makes his head
dome-shaped .
Social grooming can relax a
gorilla to the point that it will
go into a trance .
to thirty females and their
young, with one or more
mature males, called silver-
backs . Young adult males
generally live alone, some-
times joining groups for short
periods. Afterward, they
resume their solitary exis-
tence . Occasionally they take
females with them to mate
and start their own groups .
~ ~
DIET
The gorilla is herbivorous, or
plant-eating (as opposed to
carnivorous, or meat-eating) .
It eats the fruit, leaves, and
stems of a wide variety of
plants that form the under-
growth of the forest floor.
Bamboo shoots are a favorite.
The food it eats, together
with the dew it drinks off of
leaves, provides all the
moisture a gorilla needs.
~ SOCIAL HABITS
Each family group lives within
a fairly small area . However,
groups that occupy the same
area coexist peacefully.
One way in which gorillas
establish and reinforce bonds
is by social grooming . One
gorilla will groom the other
by combing through its fur
with its fingers and teeth . In
GORILLA &: MAN
The gorilla's easy-going
nature has made it possible
for humans to mingle with
wild family groups, and thus
considerable study has been
conducted on the gorilla .
Unfortunately, gorillas have
also been widely hunted for
food and sport.
The greatest risk to the
gorilla, though, comes from
man's invasion of its habitats.
promotes, social grooming
allows close contact and
touch between the animals.
Each evening, gorillas build
nests in trees in which to
spend the night. Up to the
age of three, the young share
their mothers' nest. However,
the nest-building instinct is so
strong that they experiment
Right: 5mall
group of
gorillas crossing
the road in
Kahuzi-Biega
National Park,
Zaire. Note the
position of the
hands.
The forests on which its
survival depends are steadily
being taken over as farmers
at an early age.
Nest building is not a
painstaking process. T he
gorilla simply pulls in any
branches that it can reach
and then squats on them to
make a platform.
Below: A family group; the
dominant male is known as a
silverback because the hair on
his back turns groy with age.
~ WARNING DISPLAY
The unexpected appearance
of a strange male in the
group may cause the silver-
back to mount an elaborate
warning display. He hoots
excitedly, building to an ear-
splitting roar at the intruder.
Then, after having risen to his
full height, tearing at twigs
and branches, the gorilla
beats his chest with the
cupped palms of his hands.
He may take a few steps to-
ward the intruder, growling
and gnashing his teeth .
If th is does not deter the
stranger, the silverback may
be provoked to charge,
waving his arms and scream-
ing with rage. The charge
usually stops short of actual
contact; the silverback will
thrust his face right up to the
and ranchers take advantage intruder's, and t hey will stand
of the fertile land of the nose to nose, glaring at each
forest region .
other, until one or the other
turns and stalks off.
 ~ARD3 J KEY FACTS
MEERKAT ~~ SIZES

GENUS~~~C~: 1: MAMMAlS"~~)
Length: 20 in. from head to
". tip of tail.
FAMILY Weight: 2 lb.
Viveridae ~ 5uricata suricata
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 1 2 months.
Mating: Throughout the year.
Gestation: 75 days.
No. of young: 4-5.

LIFESTYLE
Habit: Highly sociable. Colonies of
up to 30, but averaging 24.
Call: A chirrup, trill, growl, or bark,
according to circumstances. Range of the meerkat.
Diet: Very varied but largely
insects, grubs, scorpions, and DISTRIBUTION
lizards. Southern Africa, south of the Orange River, including Angola,

Lifespan: About 1 years.
Namibia, South Africa, and southern Botswana.

CONSERVATION
RELATED SPECIES
The meerkat is in no danger of extinction, although erosion
The gray meerkat, or Selous's
of its habitat is believed to have reduced its numbers. Further
mongoose, is slightly larger with a
loss of habitat could change its status in a short time.
white-tipped tail.

ITYPICAL ~ERKAT GROUP

Baby sitter will Sentries will scan the

stay close to horizon and sky for
burrow with predators
youngsters in
her care. Hunters will dig for
food , some of which
will be given to the
young .

u.:
(f)

c:i
D
~o
ra
al
2
S
o
Ateacher w/U
Meerkats live in complex groups with clearly defined duties. They show a juvenile
rely on teamwork and cooperation to ensure their survival in the 'howtID I'l1:Ult.
hostile environment of the Kalahari desert. MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILpM PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200051 PACKET 5
 ~ ~ FOOD &: HUNTING
A species of mongoose,
BREEDING
the meerkat is about the same size When meerkats breed, the
female will initially refuse the
as a rabbit. Despite its sma.ll size,
male, until he seizes her by the
however, it can drive off predators neck. Mating soon follows.
The young are born blind
much larger than itself by producing and hairless after a gestation
period of 11 weeks . The usual
an aggressive display.
number of the litter is four, and
within several days, the young
are weaned. The mother then
leaves the burrow to hunt;
other adult meerkats protect
her young.
At 3 weeks, the young
meerkats emerge from the
burrow for the first time,
closely watched by their
guardian. The mother intro-
duces her young to unfamiliar
food by running around with
it in her mouth, encouraging
them to snatch it from her.
At 2 months, young
meerkats resemble the adults.
Meerkats feed mainly on
insects, spiders, and snails,
but their prey also includes
rodents, ground-nesting
birds and their eggs, lizards,
and bulbs and roots of select
plants. They will even tackle
dangerous prey such as
scorpions and snakes.

~ HABITAT
The meerkat is found ex-
clusively on the semiarid
plains of southern Africa. It
avoids woodland and dense
vegetation, preferring to live
among the scrub.
Atnight, the meerkat
retires to a network of
burrows which it digs with
Below: A meerkat burrows for
beetle larvae in the sands of the
Kalahari desert.
Relying on its keen sense
of smell, the meerkat is a
its powerful forelegs. The successful forager. With its
burrows may be as deep as 10
prey in sight, the meerkat
feet. Sometimes the burrows
strikes out with its paws
are shared with other animals before killing it with a bite.
such as the ground squirrel The meerkat tears into it
and yellow mongoose. In
before taking the remains
rocky ground, the meerkat back to the burrow to share
will make its den in the
crevices between the rocks.
Below: A meerkat baby sitter will
Right: A typical meerkat group guard youngsters diligently for
stands on guard for predators hours on end while the rest of
against the African skyline. the group is hunting.

DID YOU KNOW?
Meerkats are immune to
the poison from a scorpion or
a snake.
A meerkat can dig through
a quantity of sand equal to its
own weight in just seconds.
I threat of a rival group of
Meerkats band together in
numbers to frighten off
predators many times their
size.
The meerkat uses its tail for
balance and as a signal.
~ BEHAVIOR
The meerkat is the most
sociable of all the mongooses,
living in close-knit colonies
numbering as many as 2
dozen. Each meerkat has
special duties that benefit the
group as a whole.
As meerkats emerge from the
burrows, selected individuals
will stand guard to keep watch
for predators. They keep watch
often in the branches of a tree,
and bark out a warning at the
first sign of danger.
When meerkats face the
meerkats or a predator, they
begin digging up the ground
frantically in order to create
clouds of dust to distract their
aggressor. Also, with their hair
bristling, a group of meerkats
may advance in a pack
toward the enemy in a series
of mock attacks designed to
scare off the intruder.
During such confronta-
tions, the meerkats make
themselves as large and
fearsome as possible by
stretching their legs, arching
their bodies, and holding
their tails stiffly erect. Once
this is done, the entire group
continually leaps into the air
and growls aggressively. If
the intruder persists, the
bolder meerkats will bite.
When forced on the
defensive, the meerkat
throws itself on its back with
teeth bared and claws out-
stretched to ward off its
attacker.
 "" CARD 4 KEY FACTS
ARCTIC WOLF SIZES
Length: Head and body, 3-5 ft.
" GROU P 1: MAMMA LS
,,~------------------------------------~ Height: To shoulder, 25 -3 1 in .
. . ORDER FAMILY GENUS & SPECIES Weight: Up to 175 lb . Females
'IIIIIIIIIIII Carnivora Canidae Canis lupus arctos lighter.

BREEDING
Sexual maturity: Males 3 years .
Females 2 years.
Gestation: 61-53 days.
No. of young: Usually 4-5.

LIFESTYLE
Habit: Lives in family groups of up Range of the arctic wolf.
to 30, but usually 7-10.
Call: A chorus of howls. DISTRIBUTION
Diet: Mainly arctic hares, musk ox, Throughout the Arctic land mass, but not on the permanent
caribou, and lemmings. ice sheets of the sea ice.
Lifespan: 7 years average.
CONSERVATION
RELATED SPECIES
Wolves in general have been under threat throughout history.
The arctic wolf is a subspecies of
The arctic wolf is the only subspecies still found over the whole
the gray wolf. Others are the
timber wolf of America and the of its original range, largely because it rarely encounters
humans.
common wolf of Eurasia.

THE SOCIAL STATUS IN A PACK

Social status with in a pack is expressed by a complex
"language" of gestures, barks, and growls. High-ranking
wolves constantly assert their position , making lesser
members cringe or lie on their backs in submission .
Despite th is behavior, there is very little friction .

The majestic arctic wolf lives in the silent vastness of the barren
polar region, where darkness cloaks the land for up to five months
a year. Here it hunts almost every other living animal.
MCMXCIIMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILpM PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200031 PACKET 3a
 ~ FOOD & HUNTING
Full grown caribou and musk
oxen are far too powerful for a
single wolf to attack alone, so
wolves must always work
together as a pack when
hunting large prey.
Surprise attacks are almost
impossible on the open
tundra; by the time the pack
approaches, its prey is in a
defensive stance. Musk oxen,
for example, will form a circle
with their calves safely on the
inside. The wolf pack must
then try to disrupt the herd.
The wolves circle the herd
and prowl around, forcing the
oxen to shift their ground to
face them. If the wolves are
successful, the oxen scatter.
Once the herd has scattered,
the wolves give chase, trying
to isolate a young or weak
animal. If one wolf catches a
victim, the others will aid in
killing it. A musk ox provides
enough food to last the
wolves for several days.
Below: To kill a musk ox, the pack
must first split the herd and then
pick a victim that is too young, too
old, or too sick to put up a fight.

temperatures, months of darkness and weeks without

food, the arctic wolf lives in one of the few places on

earth where it is safe from

the greatest threat of all-man.

~ HABITAT
Arctic wolves inhabit some of
the most inhospitable terrain
in the world. In April, the air
temperature rarely rises above
-220 F. The ground is perma-
nently frozen . The arctic wolf
is one of the few mammals
that can tolerate these
conditions.
The wolf preys on lemmings
and arctic hare, but its most
substantial source of food is
DID YOU KNOW?
Wolves will often go days
without food, but can then
eat up to 10 pounds of meat
at a time.
Food is so scarce in the
Arctic that no part of a wolf's
prey is wasted; a wolf will eat
the musk ox and caribou .
Because of the scarcity of
grazing plants, animals must
roam a large area in order to
find enough food to survive.
Consequently, the wolf pack
has to travel over areas of up
to 800 square miles in search
of its prey.
When winter temperatures
plummet, the wolves may fol-
low migrating caribou south .
every part of an arctic hare,
including the skin, fur, and
bones.
Several of the younger pack
members will watch the cubs
while the mother wolf is
hunting .
Throughout the fall and
winter, wolves keep on the
move, but after mating in
March, the pregnant female
leaves the pack to find a
nursery den. She may dig a
new one, but where the
ground is frozen, she will be
forced to return to an old den
in a cave or rock cleft.
The cubs are born deaf,
blind, and helpless. They are
totally dependent on their
mother, and she in turn relies
on her mate to bring her the
food she needs.
After a month, the cubs are
able to eat meat. From then
on, the whole pack shares the
job of feeding them with re-
gurgitated meat from a kill.
The cubs may strike out on
their own the following year.
Wolves usually live in small
packs, or family groups,
consisting of a breeding pair,
their cubs, and their unmated
offspring from the previous
two or three seasons. The
~ dominant, or breeding, pair
~ are known as the alpha male
.g and alpha female. The other
~ wolves defer to them. All of
~
[II
the adults in the pack cooper-
E
" ate in feeding and caring for
the cubs .
Above: A
Lone wolves are usually
unique glimpse
of three-week- ~ young animals that have left
old sleeping ~ the pack in search of their
cubs inside the ~ own territory. They avoid
w
den. ~ other wolves, unless they are
potential mates. If a lone wolf
Right: Almost
weaned, three
i finds unoccupied territory, it
~ will claim it by marking it witr
cubs suckle
~ its scent. It then attracts a
their patient
mother. ~ mate and starts a new pack.
 "'" CARD 5 KEY FACTS

~,E-- ~-RD-~-RA_L_T_I:_E_FA_~_IL_Y ~S:~C~~ ~J

SIZES
Length: Males, 9-10 ft., head to
GENUS
_ _ _" _ _ 1: MAMMALS tip of tail.
Shoulder height: 36 in.
"IIIIIIIIIII Carnivora "IIIIIIIIIII Felidae "IIIIIIIIIII Panthera tigris tigris Weight: Male 400-575 lb.

BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 3-4 years.
Mating: Usually in spring. i '-

Gestation: 95-112 days.
Litter size: 2-4 cubs.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary and nocturnal.
Diet: Chital, wild boar, monkeys,
gaur, buffalo.
Call: Roar, growl, or purr.
Lifespan: 15 years under normal
conditions.
RELATED SPECIES
There are seven other sub-species
of tiger in the world. The color of
the coat distinguishes one sub-
species from another.
v
/'-I\ '
~/
Range of the Bengal tiger.
DISTRIBUTION
The Bengal tiger is most numerous in the Sundarbans
regions of India and Bangladesh. It is also found in northern
and central India and in Burma and Nepal.
CONSERVATION
In 1900 the tiger population of India was estimated at
40,000-50,000. By 1972 this number had dropped to 1,850.
A good conservation program has increased it to 4,000.

THE BENGAL TIGER'S TEETH

Like its ancestor, the saber-toothed tiger,

the Bengal tiger's teeth are vital to its
surviv91 . If it loses its canines (tearing
teeth) due to injury or old age, it can no
longer kill prey and will starve to death .

The saber-toothed tiger (below) had long

canines which were used to stab its prey.
Its jaw structure enabled it to kill with a
powerful, downward bite.

The exquisite grace and power of the Bengal tiger evokes both awe
and fear in man. Capable of killing animals over twice its size, it is
one of nature IS most feared predators.
MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200041 PACKET 4
 The Bengal tiger's characteristic reddish gold fur
~ HABITAT
and black stripes are easily visible to visitors in a zoo. The Bengal tiger is most
numerous in the mangrove
But in the tiger's natural habitat of forest
forests of the Sundarbans in
and reed beds., the markings act as camouflage and eastern India and Bangladesh
where the River Ganges meets
enable it to disappear from view. the Bay of Bengal. They are
also found in other areas of
India as well as some parts of
Nepal and Burma .
Since Bengal tigers are
solitary and do not like to
share their hunting grounds,
they need large home ranges
in which to hunt. Males
occupy about 20 square
miles, while females typically
require 17 square miles. A
tiger usually has several dens
in its home range and uses
whichever one is most
convenient at the time.
DID YOU KNOW?
The roar of a Bengal tiger
can be heard 2 m iles away.
Bengal tigers purr. Domes-
tic cats purr when breathing
in as well as out-tigers purr
only when breathing out.
After killing its prey, the

~ BEHAVIOR t iger always starts feeding

from the hindquarters first.
The Bengal tiger is solitary
A tiger is a voracious eater.
and does not like to share its
It can kill t he equivalent of 30
range with other tigers. All
buffaloes a year, and eat 65
tigers mark their territory
pounds of meat in a night.
with strong-smelling urine
Tigers, unlike many other
and also by shredding the
cats, often eat meat that has
bark of trees.
begun to putrefy.
Bengal tigers drag the
The Siberian tiger, a cousin
remains of a kill into the
of the Bengal tiger, is the
brush and bury it loosely
world's largest cat.
with leaves, then return to
eat it later.

Bengal tigers usually breed in
the spring. A neighboring
male will mate with a female
in her home range. Of the
20-80 days he remains with
her, she is fertile for only 3-7
days. After mating, the male
returns to his home range and
plays no part in rearing the
cubs.
Approximately 15 weeks
later, the tigress gives birth to
two to four cubs. She suckles
them for 8 weeks, after which
Above: Mother
and cubs on a ~ FOOD & HUNTING
hunting trip in Bengal tigers are nocturnal:
their home they hunt at night. Though
range.
powerful and quick over short
Left: Tigers do distances, they stalk their
not like prey because they cannot
excessive heat. outrun faster prey. The tiger
They often lie kills small prey with a bite on
in pools of
the back of the neck and
water to keep
cool. large prey with a bite to the
throat.
Far Left: Tigers mainly hunt gaur
Bengal tiger (wild ox) and buffalo . Al-
cub at five
though a tiger is capable of
weeks old.
killing a bull gaur more than
twice its size, it prefers to
attack young or old animals
that put up less resistance.
she brings them prey to eat as In the Sundarbans region
well. At 11 months, the cubs of India and Bangladesh,
can hunt on their own. The the tiger's prey are.chital
tiger cubs stay with their (axis deer), wild boar, and
mother for 2-3 years, at which monkeys. Tigers will some-
time she is ready to mate times attack porcupines.
Right: Feeding tiger warns an
again .
intruder to keep its distance.
 KEY FACTS
MUSTANG SIZES
Height: Up to 14 hands
~ GRO UP 1: MAMMAlS~
(1 hand = 4 in .) .
. . . ORDER . . FAMILY GENUS & SPECIES
"IIIIIIIIIII Perissodactyla ~ Equidiae Equus cabal/us BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 3 years. Stallions
do not usually head herds until
they are about 6 years old .
Mating season: April to July.
Gestation: 11 months.
No. of young: Usually 1, occasion-
ally twins.

LIFESTYLE
Habit: Social. Live and wander
together in small herds.
Call: Soft whinnying and whicker-
ing to one another; loud snorting
to warn of danger.
Diet: Grass and foliage.
Lifespan: Up to 20 years.
RELATED SPECIES
The mustang is related to every
other breed of horse.
Range of the mustang.
DISTRIBUTION
Sparsely distributed in remote areas in nine states in the
northwestern United States.
CONSERVATION
After it had been brought nearly to extinction, laws passed in
1971 made it a federal offense to harass or kill mustangs. But
they are still being killed by farmers and ranchers.

FEATURES OF THE MUSTANG

Originally, mustangs were much finer Average height to withers = 14 hands.

looking than they are today, having
descended from beautiful Spanish Barbs
and Andalusian horses. Occasionally, a
purer breed will be found .

Because mustangs have interbred

with so many different types of
horses, they have no uniform body
type or coat color. But in' grder to
withstand the hardship of the'ir
enVironment, they remain small~
no more than 14 hands- with a
sturdy build and a Wiry frame.
Before the western United States was settled, the mustang roamed
free in greater numbers than any other wild horse on earth, band-
ing together in herds to protect itself from wolves, coyotes, MCMXCI IMP BVIIMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200051 PACKET 5
and other predators.
 The mustang is descended from horses first brought
to North America by the Spanish in the sixteenth
century. The horses eventually broke free to run wild
and breed on the open prairies.
~ HABITS
Mustangs form small herds
that provide companionship
and defense against preda-
tors. A herd consists of one
stallion and his harem of two
to eight mares, their foals,
and various young mustangs.
A herd will wander and
graze in a specific territory. It
will tolerate the presence of
other herds on the outskirts
of its range, and will some-
~ BREEDING
The mating season is from
April to July. The foals are
born the following spring .
When it is time to give
birth, the mares leave the
herd and bear their foals
alone in well-hidden loca-
tions. Although adult
mustangs have a wide
variety of coat colors, new-
born foals have coats that
blend in with the dusty
times join them in warding
off attacks from predators.
When the herd is con-
fronted by an attacker, an
older female, called a lead
mare, will lead the herd away
from danger while the stal-
lion remains to challenge the
aggressor. It will snort wildly
while pawing the ground
with his front hoofs to raise a
cloud of dust.
ground of their habitat.
The foals are able to stand
within several hours of birth.
After 2-3 days, mother and
foal join the herd and remain
with it for a year or more.
When the male colts reach
about 3 years of age, they are
driven from the herd by the
stallion. The colts are too
young to attract females, so
they form a herd of their own
with which they roam for
several years. They occasion-
ally challenge the leaders of
other herds, until they are
successful in establishing a
herd of their own .
Below left: 5tallions are vicious
fighters if challenged.
Below: Foals suckle for about a
month. By 4 months, they will be
fairly independent.
~ FOOD & FEEDING
Like all horses, the mustang
is an herbivore, eating
nothing but vegetation.
But, because of the scarcity
and low nutritional value of
the coarse grass, sagebrush,
and juniper which it eats, it
has adapted to survive on a
diet that would not sustain
domesticated horses.
Centuries of living in such
harsh conditions have
enabled the mustang to go
without food or water for
several days if nec~ssary. The
mustang has also learned
~ MUSTANG & MAN
By the late eighteenth
century, mustangs were well
established in nine western
states and numbered be-
tween two and five million.
Then, as settlers moved west
and began to cultivate the
land, the mustangs were
Right: With its
tough teeth and
strong jaws, the
mustang tears at
the sparse, coarse
grass of its
inhospitable
habitat.
how to break open frozen
springs and to clear sedi-
ment-clogged water holes by
splashing and digging to
driven off and killed by the
thousands.
The greatest destruction of
the mustangs has occurred in
this century; huge numbers
were captured and used in
both the Boer War and World
War I. Others were caught
DID YOU KNOW?
The name mustang comes
from the Spanish word
mesteno meaning ownerless,
belonging to la mesta- that is,
to everyone and no one.
To fight off an attack from
wolves, mustangs group into a
tight circle with the colts
inside. As the wolves try to
penetrate the circle, the
mustangs stamp their hooves
and snap their teeth viciously.
Mustangs were often ridden
by the Plains Indians. The I
Cheyenne thought that mus-
tangs spotted on the head and
chest were sacred and would
bring them victory in battle.
dislodge the debris. It will even
chew prickly pear cactus to
obtain moisture from the plant's
juices.
and used as cow ponies, and
many more were shot to be
used as pet food and fertilizer.
By the mid-1960s, their
numbers were estimated at
between 18,000 and 34,000,
and by the early 1970s, there
were less than 10,000.
 "" CARD 7
'U
~ KEY FACTS
GIANT PANDA ~ ~ SIZES

~ GENUS ~;~C~: ~~)

~ Height: 5 ft. standing erect.
1: MAMMALS Females slightly smaller.
. . ORDER . . FAMILY Weight: Up to 265 lb. Females
"IIIIIIIIIII Carnivora "IIIIIIIIIII Procyonidae Ailuropoda melanoleuca weigh less.
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: Not known.
Breeding season: Not known, but
thought to be April.
Gestation: 5 months.
No. of young: Usually single cub.

LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary.
Range of the giant panda.
Diet: Mainly bamboo, supple-
mented by berries, fruit, flowers, DISTRIBUTION
fungi, grasses, bark, and occasion- Southwestern China, notably the Qionglai, Daxiangling,
ally small animals. Xiaoxionging, and Liang Mountains in Sichuan Province; also
RELATED SPECIES the Min Mountains and Qinling Range in Shaanxi Province.
The name panda is taken from the
CONSERVATION
animal now known as the cat-bear.
The giant panda is threatened with extinction. From an
The cat-bear is also known as the
estimated 1,000 in 1983, the numbers have dropped to 300
lesser or red panda.
following die-back of forest (see below).

LlFECYClE OF THE BAMBOO FOREST

New growth

~
.... :.~~ ~
<ii

~="~~1 1 ~
Every 50 years or so, large
areas of bamboo forest si-
Because the panda cannot
cross inhabited villages
~~~~~__~~~~~~~__~~~ 0
multaneously flower, seed, and farmland, it is unable
Among the shyest and rarest of wild animals, the bear-faced and die (foreground). The to migrate to areas of new
last time this phenomenon growth and literally dies of
panc1a, with its black and white coat and prominent black eye occurred was in 1983. starvation.
markings, is one of the world's best-known mammals.
MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A. 0160200131 PACKET 13

At first glance, the giant panda
seems to resemble a bear, but in fact
its features have much in common with those of a
racoon. Although its ancestors were meat eaters,
the retiring and peaceful panda is a plant eater,
feeding almost entirely on bamboo.
DID YOU KNOW?
The giant panda has larger
molar teeth than any other
mammal.
The giant panda spends 16
hours a day eating, in which
time it digests only a small
portion of the food .
The giant panda was un- beneath the tail, onto the
known in the Western world
until 1869.
The panda's stumplike tail
is used to spread secretions
produced by the scent
glands, which are located
~ HABITS
Pandas are solitary animals.
They spend two-thirds of their
day feeding and the remainder
of the day resting. Extremely
agile climbers, they usually
climb only when they are in
danger from predators such as
brown bears, leopards, and
wild dogs. They take refuge in
the nearest tree until danger
has passed.
Pandas have no particular
resting place; they simply lie
down on the ground wherever
they happen to be.
Pandas live in cold, damp
conditions. They have excep-
tionally dense waterproof coats
that give protection against
these conditions.
surrounding area.
The panda's hearing is so
acute that it can detect even
the most stealthy predators.
The panda does not
hibernate. ~ ; the wild.
~ GIANT PANDA & MAN
At one time, the greatest
threat to the giant panda's
survival was man, who hunted
it for its pelt. Today the prin- vere penalties.
cipal cause of its decline is the
erosion of its habitat due to
crop cultivation or from natural panda's natural habitat with
causes such as die-back of
bamboo. As its natural habi-
tat becomes increasingly sur-
rounded by human settlement, stituting a comprehensive
the panda can no longer mi-
grate to unaffected areas.
The Chinese people now
support any measures neces-
~ FOOD &: FEEDING
Although the panda is classi-
fied as a carnivore, its diet
consists almost exclusively of
the stems, leaves, and young
shoots of various types of
bamboo. Because bamboo
has a low nutritional value,
the panda needs to eat huge
sary for the panda's protec-
tion. As a result, those caught
hunting the animal face se-
Special sanctuaries have
been established in the
enough space for 500 to 600
animals. Scientists are study-
ing the animal's habits and in-
conservation program.
Zoos are also collaborating
in the development of a
captive breeding project.
quantities-25 to 45 pounds
a day-to sustain itself.
It also eats eggs and some
seasonal vegetation.
Right: The peaceful panda
requires nothing more than a
plentiful supply of bamboo to
survive.
I~l SPECIAL
~ ADAPTAT IONS
The panda has adapted well
to its diet. It uses its carnassial
(meat-tearing) teeth to slice
I through ba mboo shoots.
The forepaws of the panda
, have a n extra "thumb"
w hich, when used in con-
junction with its "forefingers,"
enables the panda to grasp
even sma ll ba m boo shoots
with precision. Its paws are
broad and have long, retract-
able claws.
The mating season .is the only
time pandas come together.
A single cub is born five
months after mating in a nest
constructed of bamboo. A
panda rarely gives birth to
twins; if she does, the second
cub is unlikely to survive.
The tiny newborn panda cub
is blind; it is six inches long
and weighs only three ounces.
It stays with its mother for 18
II months, until it is independent
enough to establish its own
I .
terntory.
jJ
:2
left: Panda mother and
young, Madrid Zoo. Pandas
~ rarely breed in captivity and
~ are seldom seen with young in
--;
 ' " CARD 8 KEY FACTS
NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO SIZES
Length: Body, up to 32 in .
,,~------------------------------------------~
~
Tail, 14 in .

~ Edentata
ORDER FAMILY GENUS & SPECIES Weight: 12-15 lb.
Dasypodidae ~ Dasypus novemcinctus
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 6-12 months.
Mating season: Summer months.
Gestation: 120 days after delayed
implantation.
No. of young: Always 4 identical
young of the same sex.
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Nocturnal, solitary, and
burrowing. Range of the nine-banded armadillo.
Diet: Insects, small animals, birds'
eggs, roots, fruits, and carrion. DISTRIBUTION
Call: Grunts, squeals, and snuffling . From Kansas and Missouri through Mexico and Central
lifespan: 12-15 years. America to Argentina and Uruguay.

CONSERVATION
RELATED SPECIES
Common enough to be considered a pest in some areas. It
There are 6 species of long-nosed
has colonized new areas in the northern and southern
armadillo, found in 3 subgenera.
extremes of its range and has been introduced into other
All 6 inhabit Central and South
places to combat insect plagues.
America.

THE NINE-BANDED ARMAD illO'S DE FE NSES

The hard bony Fore and hind limbs

plates covering have strong , curved
the body provide claws for digging in
effective armor the ground.
against attack. Armadillos dig to
The plates are find food, to make
arranged in nest burrows , and
bands over the to escape predators
middle of the such as jaguars,
back and are pumas, and
attached to coyotes .
flexible skin.

The armadillo 's

underside has no
armor. The nine-
banded armadillo
protects itself by
lying flat on the
ground with its
legs tucked under
the shields on its
The solitary and nocturnal armadillo has an armored skin shoulders and
composed of hard bony plates. Its head, legs, and tail are similarly hips.

protected with bony scales. MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM 0160200081 PACKET 8
PRINTED IN U.S.A .

The nine-banded armadillo is the most
widespread of the armadillo species. It inhabits
the open grasslands and tropical forests of North
and South America. Still, it is unable to survive
in arid regions, such as deserts, or in areas
that are very cold.
~ HABITS
Armadi llos generally spend
the day sleeping in the safety
of burrows. They may have
as many as twelve burrows
located throughout their
range, which they dig with
their strong front claws,
kicking away the excavated
dirt with their hind legs.
Each burrow may be from
20 inches to 12 feet below
the surface of the ground.
The burrow consists of a
labyrinth of tunnels that can
be as long as 23 feet. Two or
more of the tunnels have
nest chambers, which the
animal lines with grass and
weeds.
Nine-banded armadillos
will share their burrows only
with members of the same
sex. Each animal has its own
territory, but those of males
often overlap. Territories are
marked with scent.
Days are spent in which-
ever burrow is nearest at the
end of the night's wander-
ings.
Top: Farmers value the nine-
banded armadillo because it
preys on harmful insects, but its
digging can cause soil erosion.
~ FOOD & FEEDING
At night, the armadillo
emerges from its burrow to
look for food: insects, small
animals, birds' eggs, fungi,
roots, fruits, and carrion (rot-
ting animal flesh) . It uses its
strong sense of smell to detect
food . Its long snout has
Right: A young
nine-banded
armadillo digs
for food.
Below: Some
armadillos roll
themselves into
armor-plated
balls.
~ BREED ING
Mating takes place during
the summer, but the exact
time varies according to
location. Since armadillos
have poorly developed
senses of sight and hearing,
it is thought that the males
rely on their sense of smell to
detect when a female is
ready to mate.
After mating, the fertilized
egg is not implanted into the
female's uterus wall for 3
months. This delays the birth
of the young until the fol-
lowing spring, when more
food is available.
particularly sensitive nostrils.
In the southern parts of its
range, the nine-banded
armadillo feeds on ants and
termites. It pokes its long,
sticky tongue into the nest
holes and draws out both
the insects and their larvae.
Right: The
female always
gives birth to
four identical
young, as the
fertilized egg
divides into four
parts. They are
born in the nest
chamber and
have a soft,
pinkish, leathery
skin at birth.
This hardens in a
few weeks to ~.....--.".rl
form the armor-
like covering of
plates and
scales.
DID YOU KNOW?
If food is detected under- The nine-banded armadillo
ground, the armadillo begins is the only armadillo species
to dig frantically. It uses its that can swim . It does this by
powerful forelegs to loosen inflating its stomach and
the soil and, balancing on its intestines with air to keep it
forelegs and tail, kicks away buoyant. It can also cross a
the dirt from beneath its small river or stream by
body using its hind legs. walking on the bottom while
holding its breath .
Using its long, sticky
tongue, the armadillo can eat
more than 40,000 ants at
one feeding .
Armadillos sometimes fall
asleep on their backs, away
from the safety of their
burrows. When they do, they
expose their vulnerable
underside to attack from
predators.
The name armadillo comes
from the Spanish word
armado, which means "one
that is armed ."
When d igging for prey, the
armadillo avoids getting dust
up its nose by holding its
breath for up to 6 minutes.
 ' " CARD 9 KEY FACTS
VAMPIRE BAT
~~l
SIZES
Length: Body, 2 3/ 4 in.
'\ GROUP 1: MAMMALS
~
Wingspan: 8 in .
~ ORDER . . . FAMILY . . . GENUS & SPECIES Weight: 1 oz .
~ Chiroptero ~ Desmodontidae ~ Desmodus rotundus BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 9 months.
Mating season: All year.
Gestation: 6-8 months.
No. of young: 1 .
LIFESTYLE
Habit: Nocturnal. Lives in colonies
of 6-2,000, but which usually
number 100.
Diet: Blood of domestic animals, Range of the vampire bat.
particularly cows, pigs, horses.
Lifespan: 9 years in the wild; nearly DISTRIBUTION
20 years in captivity. Central and South America, in tropical and subtropical regions
from Mexico to northern Chile and Argentina.
RELATED SPECIES
There are two other species of true CONSERVATION
vampire bat, Diaemus youngi iand Considered a serious pest in areas where cattle and horses are
Diphyl/a ecaudata. kept because they transmit rabies and other diseases. Vampi re
bats are not currently endangered.

FEEDING HABITS OF THE ' JMP'tkRI~W~

VA
Vampire bats prey mainly on domestic The bat's tongue has two lateral
animals, biting them on the neck, grooves which alternately open and
shoulder, rump, or ankle. The only close while the bat is feeding. This
thing the vampire bat eats is blood, action draws the blood up the deeply
which it laps from the wound that it grooved lower lip, channeling it into the
makes in its host with its sharp teeth. mouth. Chemicals in the bat's saliva
prevent the blood from clotting and
keep it flowing. An adult vampire bat
will consume about five teaspoons of
blood per day.

Although it 's not the bloodthirsty te"or portrayed in ho"or

movies, this ordinary-looking little bot really does feed
exclusively on the blood of other animals. MCMXCI IMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILETM PRINTED IN U.S.A. WF DM NC 21
 Despite the vampire bat's tiny size-its body is no DID YOU KNOW?
larger than that of a mouse-this Vampire bats once preyed
on wild animals, but now feed
blood-sucking bat is a threat to cattle mainly on domestic anima ls.
Vampire bats have been
in its native Latin America. When it drinks the
known to feed on sleeping
blood of domestic animals, it can infect them humans.
In a year, a colony of 100
with the deadly rabies disease.
~ HABITS ~ FOOD
;[ FEEDING
Vampire bats are active only times move from one daytime The vampire bat feeds on the
during the darkest periods of roost to another which is blood of animals. Cows, pigs,
and horses are its favorite
the night. It is the time when closer to their prey. This kind
they are most likely to avoid of activity indicates that vam- hosts. The bat will usually
being caught by such noctur- pire bats learn from experience choose to feed on the most
nal predators as owls. Also, where their prey can be found. docile or isolated animal in the
the domestic animals on Vampire bats also use rivers resting herd. Using its chisel-
which the bats feed are often as navigational tools as they like incisor teeth, the bat
sleeping, and so are easier to move from one part of their makes a small cut in the
approach undetected. range to another. The rivers animal's skin. It usually
During the day, vampire are easier to follow than chooses a fleshy area, like the
bats roost in colonies, hang- wooded routes, and cattle shoulder or neck, where the
ing upside down in caves and often graze in pastures near blood vessels are closer to the
hollow trees. They will some- water. skin's surface.
Left: Barely
larger than a
sparrow, the
vampire bat is
a fearsome
sight. Its
wedge-shaped
incisor teeth
are used for
slashing open
the skin of its
prey.
Right: A bat
drinks the
blood ofa
female pig.
When larger
prey is not
available,
vampire bats
will attack
turkeys and
chickens.
vampire bats consumes a
quantity of blood equivalent
to the amount in 25 cows.
Vampire bats bite more
calves than cows, probably
because the youngsters sleep
for much longer periods.
The bat then drinks the
blood that flows from the
wound. Chemicals in the bat's
saliva keep the blood flowing
for the 2-3 minutes that the
bat feeds. Often two or three
bats will feed from the same
wound.
In most instances, the host
animal suffers no ill effects
from the loss of blood, al-
though if too many bats feed
on the same animal, it may be
severely weakened.
~ BREEDING
The vampire bat's ability to
reproduce is limited by its
need to remain light enough
to fly. It gives birth to a single
offspring after an unusually
long gestation period of six to
eight months.
Born blind, the you ng bat is
~ VAMPIRE BAT ;[
The vampire bat can transmit
rabies to livestock and man.
To control the vampire bats,
cattle have been injected with
anticoagulants, substances
that do not harm the cows
but will cause internal bleed-
Right: Vampire
bats feed
almost
exclusively on
livestock,
biting their
victims in
places such as
the ear, where
the blood
vessels run
close to the
surface.
carried by its mother for the
first few days of its life. Its eyes
open after a week, and it takes
its first flight when it is three
weeks old. The young bat is
sexually mature at nine month:
and breeds at any time of the
year.
Left: Vampire
bats mate year-
round. Mating
takes place
while roosting
upside down in
the security of a
cave. A single
young is then
born some 6-8
months later.
MAN
ing in the feeding bats. Antico
agulants have also been
smeared on the bats them-
selves. When they return to
their roost site, other bats in
the colony groom them and
ingest the fatal drug.
 POLAR BEAR
~ARDllU
---SI..
[IJ
/
SIZES
KEY FACTS

Height: 5 ft. to shoulder.

-------

~
Standing height: 8-11 ft. -. ~

ORDER Foot size: 12 in. long, lOin. wide. : :':., .

Ursidae Ursus maritimus Weight: Males, 880-990 lb.; ,,- .. -) , - ' .. ..
' <;'- . ~() ... . , " '/!(
females, 660-770 lb.
.I ,<u~ \. ~;'\ ' ~. ' .?i~
BREEDING
Sexual maturity: 3-5 years.
"'-, i\
Mating season: March-June.
Gestation: About 7-8 months.
Litter size: Usually 2.

LIFESTYLE
Habit: Solitary, but sometimes
come together to feed. Range of the polar bear.
Diet: Mainly seal fat and skin;
carrion; vegetation in summer. DISTRIBUTION
Southern edge of the arctic ice cap.

RELATED SPECIES CONSERVATION

The polar bear is the largest of
the bear family, which includes
the North American Grizzly bear
and Kodiak bear.
Conservation projects and regulated hunting exist in all
countries where polar bears are found. After declining to
about 5,000, the present world population is put at 40,000.
Future depends on the protection of the arctic environments.

HOW THE POLAR BEAR HUNTS SEALS

Hunting: The polar bear preys on

seals and their pups. It catches
adults by ambushing them at their
breathing holes in the ice. With its
excellent sense of smell , -the polar
bear can sniff out a pup in its den up
to 3 feet under the ground. It then
digs out the pup and devours it.

Ringed seal: Lives around or under

the coastal ice. The cow gives birth
in a den l:lnder the snow and ice and
p'rovfdes her pup with a breathing
hole. The den keeps the pup warm
and offers some degree of protec-
The huge polar bear is one of the largest land carnivores in the world. Its tion from the predatory Arctic fox
and polar bear.
coat, which varies in color from pure white to shades of yellow, blends in well
with its snow-covered environment. MCMXCIIMP BV/IMP INC WILDLIFE FACT FILE'M PRINTED IN U.S.A. WF DM NC 14

~ FOOD & HUNTING
Polar bears feed mainly on
seals. They wait for them to
come to the water surface to
breathe, or stalk them while
they rest on the ice. The seal is
kil1ed by a crushing blow to
g' its thin skull. Polar bears eat
~ everything-they cannot afford
~ to leave anything edible behind.
~ In the late summer and early
~ autumn, polar bears will patrol
~ HABITS
Polar bears are well suited for life Polar bears are found
throughout the polar region,
on the icy tundra. They are immensely
but they spend most of their
strong and active-the sales time along the southern edge
of the icecap on coastal land
of their feet are covered with fur,
near open water. They are
solitary animals and are active
which gives them stability
at all times ofthe year.
Polar bears are also excel-
on slippery, frozen ground.
lent swimmers. They cruise
through the water at speeds
of up to six miles per hour,
using their front legs to
propel them, with their hind
legs trailing behind. With
~ their eyes open and nostrils
~ closed, they can dive under-
~ water as well, remaining sub-
~ merged for two minutes.
i When they emerge, they im-
~ mediately shake the water
from their coats before it
I-
freezes.
DID YOU KNOW?
Polar bears have a very
acute sense of smell; they can
smell carrion, such as a dead
whale, from 20 miles away,
and can sniff out seal dens
that are covered with snow.
The black nose of a polar
bear on the snow can be seen
I
from six miles away on a clear
Right : Solitary
polar bears
the coastal areas looking for will often
come together
whale and walrus carcasses.
to feed on
Sometimes ten to twenty carcasses.
bears may be found feeding
together. At this time of year, Below: Strong
their diet is more varied, swimmers,
polar bears
including such land mammals
have been
as lemmings, arctic foxes, and seen swim-
eider ducks. ming 50 miles
Like most bears, polar bears from ice or
also eat vegetation. land.
Springtime is the mating
season for polar bears, w ith
most activity taking place in
.x April. Males seek available
~ females; most females breed
~ every third year after separating
E
~ from their young .
I-
~ In October and November,
~ the bears dig dens in the snow
'--..;;..,.,;......_::;a_,;...-;;....._.;;..;..;_ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _~ or tundra . The dens are usually
left: A polar
bear ;s no located on south-facing slopes
bigger than a of hills where northerly w inds
rat when it is pile up large amounts 0 f snow.
born.
The dens are used for giving
Below: Two birth. Young are born in
large cubs
November or December and
~ snuggle up to
.3 their mother weigh only 16-32 ounces. They
~
~Ol
for warmth.
Two is the
are hairless, blind, and deaf.
They first emerge from the den
1l usual litter size
~ of polar bears. in March or April. They will
CfJ
w remain with their mother into
-;
the third spring of their lives.
day through binoculars. It has
been said that, when stalking
seals, the polar bear will cover
its nose with a paw to escape
detection.
The temperature inside aJ
polar bear's den can be 40
degrees warmer than the
outside air temperature.