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Class Mammalia
Order Monotremata
The Duckbill Platypus
The Duckbill Platypus certainly is amongst the world’s most unique and unusual animals and for good reason too. The Duckbill Platypus’ are mammals because the females produce milk and nurse their young; however they are different as the Duckbill platypus, strangely lays eggs. This makes the Duckbill Platypus one of only three Monotremata that walk this earth. Originating from the word monotreme, which means a “single whole or opening”, Monotremata are mammals that lay eggs. The Duckbill platypus is a mammal that lays eggs.
Appearance

The duckbill platypus’ abnormalities are evident in its appearance alone. Their bodies are streamlined and flat with a thick covering of hair all over except on the feet and the bill. The back of a Duckbill Platypus is a dark brown and their stomachs are a light yellow. They have a thick beaver like tail containing fatty tissue which is used to store energy. Their legs are short. The front feet of the duckbill platypus are fully webbed and the back feet are only partially webbed, but all feet have large nails for digging. On the male Duckbill Platypus there are hollow spurs on the ankles that contain venom. They use this Venom as protection. An obvious feature of the duckbill platypus is but of course its bill. The bill is long, skin covered, leathery, and shaped like the bill of a duck. It’s soft and sensitive to the touch with many nerves. The bill has nostrils for breathing which can be closed when the duckbill platypus is under water. The eyes are located directly behind the bill and ear slits directly behind the eyes. Duckbill platypus’ can weigh between one and a half pounds to five and a half pounds and can be twenty six inches long up to thirty nine inches long.
Functions of Features

Duckbill Platypuses flat tails not only store fat for energy but in combination with their webbed feet help the Duckbill Platypus to swim. The hind feet are less powerful then the forefeet and are used for steering. Their thick fur helps keep them warm and dry as it provides the platypus with water resistance. The bill of the Duckbill Platypus has electro receptors which are used to help find prey. The Venom the males have located in the hollow spurs on their ankles can be injected in to a predator. The venom is strong enough to cause an immense amount of pain in a human and powerful enough to kill a dog. 

Eating

Although Duckbill platypuses are carnivores, they have no teeth. In substitute they use grinding pads in their mouths to grind up food. Duckbill platypuses eat early in the morning and again in the evening. They eat frogs, shrimp, larvae, fish, and tadpoles. The Duckbill platypus finds its food by diving to the bottom of the river and wiggling its bill into the sand and mud. Instead of using their ears and eyes to capture prey they use pits in their bills that detect electrical charges coming from possible prey. The food is then stored in cheek pouches behind the bill until it surfaces and then is moved forward into the bill. It is then grinded with the grinding pads.
Reproduction

The Duckbill Platypus reaches sexual maturity at two years of age. They mate in the months of September and October. September and October are spring months in the southern hemisphere where the Duckbill Platypus is found. At this time, the female platypus prepares a breeding burrow which could vary anywhere in between fifteen all the way up to sixty feet. In the burrow she then prepares a nesting chamber and lines it with leaves and grass. Two weeks after mating, the female will return to this burrow and plug the opening with earth. Next she retires to her nest and usually lays two, although sometimes one or three eggs. The eggs are round and about two centimeters in diameter. They are white with tough wrinkly shells. The mother duckbill Platypus curls around the eggs and keeps them incubated for about ten days until they hatch.
Habitat 

Duckbill Platypuses live along streams and rive beds mostly in Eastern Australia and Tasmania. They burrow one entrance underwater and another above water so that they have two entrances to their burrow. The burrows may be up to fifty feet long. The Duckbill Platypus makes its burrow in the riverbanks soft mud using its front feet like shovels to dig. Adult platypuses live by themselves and each one on its own territory. If the territory gets too crowded for the young platypus, it will find a new territory and settle in. Platypuses only tend to be territorial during the mating season.
Baby Platypuses

A newborn duckbill platypus is basically helpless. They are about two and a half centimeters in length, blind, and naked. A baby Platypus nurses from pores that ooze milk on the mother’s underside of the body. The babies live and stay with the mother while being raised. The father duckbill platypus does not help raise the young. They develop rather slowly and aren’t ready to leave the nest until seventeen weeks of age.
Platypuses Today

The Duckbill platypus was hunted for is fur and persecuted for many years by fishermen. Their species came very close to extinction. Now the Duckbill Platypus is protected by law in the National Parks Wildlife Act of 1974, and the population had begun to grow back to a healthy size, however today people are still destroying their habitats. Under regular circumstances a Duckbill Platypus can live up to fifteen years of age.

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Suborder: Macropodiformes
Family: Macropodidae
Genus: Macropus
KANGROO INFO
kangaroo name for a variety of hopping marsupials , or pouched mammals, of the family Macropodidae, found in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea. The term is applied especially to the large kangaroos of the genus Macropus. Kangaroos have powerful hind legs designed for leaping, long feet, short forelimbs, and long muscular tails. The hind legs are also used to deliver blows at enemies when the animal is cornered; the feet are sharply clawed. The tail serves as a balance when the animal leaps and as a prop when it stands; the usual posture is bipedal. The handlike forepaws are used for grasping. As in most marsupials, females have a pouch surrounding the teats. The single young is born in an immature state after a gestation period of about 40 days and is suckled in the mother's pouch for about six months. After it begins to graze it returns frequently to the pouch for shelter and transport until it is too large to be carried. Kangaroos feed on grass and other vegetation; they are the chief grazers of the Australian plains. Day-active animals, they move about in herds called mobs and sleep on the ground at night. Males are called boomers, females flyers; the young are called joeys. Because many types of kangaroo have valuable hides, and because they compete with domestic livestock for grazing land, kangaroos have been extensively hunted and are now extremely reduced in numbers.
Types of Kangaroos 

The largest kangaroo, and largest of all marsupials, is the great red kangaroo, M. rufus, which inhabits the inland plains of Australia. Males of this species may be over 7 ft (210 cm) tall and weigh over 200 lbs (90 kg). They are bright maroon in color, with white faces and underparts. Females, called blue flyers, are blue-gray; smaller and faster than the males, they may achieve speeds of 30 mi (48 km) per hr. The great gray kangaroo, M. canguru, is almost as large; it is found in open forest areas of E and W Australia and in Tasmania. A related kangaroo, M. robustus, is known as the wallaroo and inhabits rocky hills throughout most of the continent. 

Smaller, but quite similar in appearance and behavior, are members of the kangaroo family called wallabies and pademelons, of which there are many species, classified in several genera. Some of these are plains dwellers, others live among rocks or in scrub country; most are about the size of a rabbit. Of similar size are the tree and rat kangaroos. Tree kangaroos, species of the genus Dendrolagus, are the only arboreal members of the family. Found in the rain forests of New Guinea and N Australia, they climb well and can leap from branch to branch. Rat kangaroos are omnivorous animals of ratlike appearance. They feed largely on roots and fungi; members of many species live in burrows. They are classified in several genera and are distributed throughout the Australian region.
Classification 

They are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Marsupialia, family Macropodidae.

ORDER - PINNIPEDIA
FAMILY - ODOBENIDAE
GENUS, SPECIES - ODOBENUS ROSMARUS
DISTRIBUTION
1. Walruses are circumpolar, but they are concentrated in geographically separated areas, with little or no chance of interbreeding.
• 
Pacific walruses inhabit the Bering, Chukchi, and Laptev Seas.
• Atlantic walruses inhabit coastal areas of northeastern Canada and Greenland.Pacific walruses inhabit the Bering, Chukchi, and Laptev Seas, while Atlantic walruses are found in coastal areas of northeastern Canada and Greenland.
HABITAT
1. 
Most walruses live where the air temperature is about -15º to +5ºC (5º - 41ºF)  
2. 
Walruses are generally found where the water is no more than 80 m (262 ft.) deep. They prefer a habitat with a gravelly bottom. Walruses spend about two-thirds of their lives in the water.  
3. 
Walruses haul out to rest and bear their young.
• 
Walruses are adapted to a habitat of sea ice and prefer snow-covered moving pack ice or ice floes to land. They haul out on small rocky islands when ice is not present.
• Eskimos call a traditional walrus haul-out area an ooglit.
MIGRATION
1. 
The walruses' migration follows the extent of the pack ice. Throughout the year, they occur primarily in or near the southern periphery of the pack ice.
• 
Pacific walruses winter in the central and south Bering Sea and summer in the Chukchi Sea.
• Migration of the Canadian population is less well known. They seem to remain in the same general vicinity all year. 
2. 
Walruses migrate primarily by swimming, but they may also ride ice floes. 
3. 
Some walruses migrate more than 3,000 km (1,863 miles) each year.  
4. 
Pacific walrus adult females and young walruses are more migratory than adult males.
• 
Pacific walrus calves are born on the northward migration to the Chukchi Sea.
• Several thousand Pacific walrus bulls remain in the south Bering Sea during the summer. When the ice melts, these bulls haul out on islands.
POPULATION
1. 
Total world walrus population is about 250,000 animals.
2. 
The Pacific walrus population is currently unknown but was last estimated at more than 200,000 animals in 1990.
• 
The Pacific walrus population has been hunted to depletion and allowed to recover several times.
• After the latest population depletion, which began in the 1930s, Pacific walruses were given protection by Russia, the State of Alaska, and the U.S. federal government. This protection led to the eventual recovery of the Pacific walrus population. Walruses reoccupied areas where they had not been seen for several years.
• By the early 1980s, walruses appeared leaner. They increased their consumption of alternate foods such as fishes. Natural mortality increased, and birth rates decreased. This evidence supports the theory that the Pacific walrus population may have approached the carrying capacity of its environment.
• As the Pacific walrus population grew, annual subsistence catches by indigenous Arctic peoples ranged from about 3,000 to 16,000 walruses per year until about 1990, and then decreased to an average of 5,789 animals per year from 1996 to 2000. Some scientists predict that, without long-term management, natural and human-related mortality factors could rapidly reduce the population once more.
• Currently the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the Russian Knipovich Polar Research Institute are jointly undertaking a walrus population study. Using infrared imaging they locate walrus groups hauled out on sea ice. High resolution digital photography allows researchers to estimate group numbers. They also use satellite telemetry to estimate the percentage of the population visible during counts.
PYSICAL CHARACTERTISRICS
SIZE
1. 
Male Pacific walruses weigh about 800 to 1,700 kg (1,764-3,748 lb.) and are about 2.7 to 3.6 m (9-12 ft.) long.   
2. 
Female Pacific walruses weigh about 400 to 1,250 kg (882-2,756 lb.) and are about 2.3 to 3.1 m (7.5-10 ft.) long.   
3. 
Atlantic walruses are slightly smaller: males weigh about 908 kg (2,000 lb.) and reach lengths of 2.4 m (8 ft.).
4. 
The northern and southern elephant seals are the only pinnipeds that, when full-grown, can be larger than the walrus.

BODY SHAPE
A walrus has a rounded, fusiform body.
COLORATION
1. 
Generally, walruses are cinnamon-brown overall. 
2. 
Walruses appear quite pale in the water; after a sustained period in very cold water, they may appear almost white. They are pink in warm weather when tiny blood vessels in the skin dilate and circulation increases. This increased skin circulation sheds excess body heat. 
3. 
Calves at birth are ash gray to brown. Within a week or two, calves become tawny-brown. The coloration pales with age. In general, younger individuals are darkest
FLIPPERS

1. 
Limbs are adapted as flippers. 
2. 
Flippers are hairless. The skin on the soles of a walrus's flippers is thick and rough, providing traction on land and ice.
3. 
The foreflippers, or pectoral flippers, have all the major skeletal elements of the forelimbs of land mammals, but are shortened and modified.
• 
A walrus's foreflippers are short and square. Each foreflipper has five digits of about equal length. Each digit has a small and inconspicuous claw.• While swimming, a walrus holds its foreflippers against its body or uses them for steering.
• On land, a walrus positions its foreflippers at right angles to the body for walking.
4. 
Walruses have triangular-shaped hind flippers. Hind flippers have five bony digits. Claws on the three middle digits are larger than those on the outer two digits.
• 
Walruses use alternating strokes of the hind flippers to propel themselves in water.
• Like sea lions, walruses can rotate their hind flippers under their pelvic girdle, enabling them to walk on all fours.
HEAD
A walrus's head is square and broad with conspicuous tusks and whiskers. 
A walrus has about 400 to 700 vibrissae (whiskers) in 13 to 15 rows on its snout. Vibrissae are attached to muscles and are supplied with blood and nerves.
3. 
Most walruses have 18 teeth. The two canine teeth in the upper jaw are modified into long ivory tusks.
• 
Both males and females have tusks. The tusks of males tend to be longer, straighter, and stouter than those of females.
• Tusks erupt during a calf’s first summer or fall.
• Tusks can grow to a length of 100 cm (39 in.) in males and 80 cm (31.5 in.) in females. Tusks grow for about 15 years, although they may continue to grow in males.
• The primary functions of the tusks are establishing social dominance and hauling out onto ice or rocky shores.
4. 
Eyes are small and located high and toward the sides of the head.
 5. 
Ears, located just behind the eyes, are small inconspicuous openings with no external ear flaps.
6. Paired nostrils are located on the snout above the vibrissae. Nostrils are closed in the resting state.
SKIN AND HAIR

1. 
A walrus's skin is thick and tough. It may reach a thickness of 2 to 4 cm (0.79-1.6 in). It is thickest on the neck and shoulders of adult males, where it protects the animal against jabs by the tusks of other walruses.
2. 
The skin of males often has large nodules; these are absent in females. Because the nodules appear at the time of puberty, they are presumed by some researchers to be a secondary sex characteristic.
 3. 
Hair is about 7 to 12 mm (0.3-0.5 in.) long over most of the body. It is shortest on the face and absent on the flippers.  
4. 
Hair is densest on juveniles and becomes less dense with age. 
5. 
Molting.
• 
An annual molt (hair-shedding) for most males takes place from June to August. Females molt over a more prolonged period. Molting in walruses is gradual - individual hairs fall out and are replaced.
• Calves shed a fine prenatal coat, called lanugo, about two to three months before they are born. They molt again at about one to two months.
Diet & Eating Habits
1. 
Walruses prefer molluscs - mainly bivalves such as clams. They also eat many other kinds of benthic invertebrates including worms, gastropods, cephalopods, crustaceans, sea cucumbers, and other soft-bodied animals. Walruses may occasionally prey on fishes such as polar cod.   
2. 
Walruses may eat the carcasses of young seals when food is scarce.
3. 
There are some rare but habitual seal-eating walruses. Their diet consists mainly of ringed and bearded seals. These are usually male walruses, recognizable because they are usually larger than other males, with powerful shoulder and chest muscles. Their skin may become grease-stained from the blubber of the seals they prey on.

FOOD INTAKE

1. 
Adult walruses eat about 3% to 6% of their total weight per day.
2. 
Adults may eat as many as 3,000 to 6,000 clams in a single feeding session.  
3. 
Observations of feedings indicate that walruses usually fill their stomachs twice daily. 
4. 
In the summer months, and during the southward migration in the fall, walruses spend most of their day foraging. They eat less on their northward migration in the spring. Food intake for mature male walruses dramatically decreases during the breeding season and probably for a shorter time for females in estrus. Pregnant females increase food consumption about 30% to 40%.
METHODS OF COLLECTING FOOD
1. 
Walruses usually forage on the bottom within 80 m (262 ft.) of the surface. Most feeding probably takes place between 10 and 50 m (33-164 ft.).   
2. 
Because visibility is poor in deep and murky waters, walruses rely on their vibrissae to locate food. A walrus moves its snout along the bottom, rooting through the sediment and using its vibrissae to help detect prey. Abrasion patterns of the tusks show that they are dragged through the sediment, but are not used to dig up prey.  
3. 
In addition, researchers have seen foraging Atlantic walruses rapidly waving a foreflipper to uncover prey from the sediment. The walruses that were observed, preferentially used their right flipper when foraging this way. 
4. 
Evidence shows that walruses may take in mouthfuls of water and squirt powerful jets at the sea floor, excavating burrowing invertebrates such as clams.  
5. 
Walruses do not chew their food, but they do sometimes crush clam shells.
• 
Soft-bodied invertebrates are usually not crushed or torn. A walrus sucks off the foot and the fleshy siphon of a clam and swallows it whole.
• The cheek teeth do get worn, but this is probably from abrasion by minute particles of sand that walruses inadvertently take into their mouths and not from crushing clam shells.   
6. Researchers have found numerous pebbles and small stones in the stomachs of walruses. These are thought to be ingested while feeding.
Reproduction
SEXUAL MATURITY
1. 
Most male walruses are sexually mature at about eight to ten years. Successful reproduction, however, probably doesn't occur until 15 years when a male attains full physical size and is able to compete for females.   
2. 
Most females are sexually mature at about five to six years. Successful reproduction probably begins at about ten years.

MATING ACTIVITY

1. 
Only a portion of the female population mates each year, as some are pregnant from the year before. Non-pregnant females may go into estrus some time between December and June and most ovulate in February.   
2. 
In the Pacific, female herds meet male herds as they move south into the central and south Bering Sea in January. Estrous females gather in herds separate from pregnant females and are attended by males displaying nearby in the water. 
3. 
Most mating probably occurs from December through March, when most sexually mature males produce viable sperm. Mating takes place off the pack ice, underwater and remote from shore; breeding locations are thus largely inaccessible for observation.   
4. 
Each herd of estrous females is attended by one or more large adult males. According to one study, the ratio of males to females averaged 1 to 23.
5
Males display visually and vocally from the water while the females rest. A display occurs both at and below the surface and lasts about two to three minutes. The males' displays include clanging bell-like sounds, pulses, and clicks under water, and teeth clacking and whistles at the surface.
GESTATION
1. 
Total gestation is 15 to 16 months.   
2. 
Gestation includes a period of delayed implantation. The fertilized egg divides into a hollow ball of cells one layer thick (blastocyst), and then it stops growing and remains free-floating in the uterus for four to five months. The blastocyst then implants on the uterine wall and continues to develop.  
3. 
Delayed implantation allows the mother time to recover from her last pregnancy and devote her energy to nursing and caring for her calf. It also ensures that the calf will be born when environmental conditions are optimal for its survival.

SWAHILI NAME FOR DOG: Mbwa
Scientific Name: Lycaon pictus pictus
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

These dogs are similar in size and shape to medium-large domestic dogs, but they are only distantly related to other canids. Their mottled coloring and large rounded ears make them unmistakable. The muzzle is black and the forehead has a black line in the middle of it. The large head resembles that of a hyena. Legs are long and slender. The feet have only four toes, and no dewclaws. The tail has a white plume at the tip

No two dogs have identical coat patterns of white, black and tan; yet close relatives are recognizably similar in coloration. The body length is about 40 inches with a 12-16 inch tail. Animals weigh a maximum of 66 pounds. Males are slightly larger than females, and animals from Southern Africa are slightly larger than their northern relatives.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT:

African Wild Dogs are savanna inhabitants and their normal range is from south of the Sahara Desert except in forested areas.

BEHAVIOR:

African Wild Dogs are very social animals that live in packs of 5-20 individuals; rarely as many as 60. They fill the ecological role or niche of the wolf in Africa. One of the most efficient of all predators, they do not hesitate to attack small hares or large zebras. They specialize in preying on medium-sized antelope including Thomson's gazelle, impala, kob, lechwe and springbok. This species does not hunt in relays but rather depends on endurance that is greater than their prey. They can run at about 35 m.p.h. for 3 miles or more.

They hunt mainly around dawn and dusk because they rely on sight when hunting. The pack will hunt at least once a day. If there are youngsters present at the kill, the adults will allow them to eat first unlike lions. They do not defend territories except in the vicinity of occupied dens. Only the dominant breeding pair urine mark. There is very little overt aggression among pack members. The social arrangement is extraordinary because they are the exact opposite of those in most other social mammals such as lions and elephants.

African Wild Dogs rarely live in the wild beyond 9-10 years.
DIET:

They hunt cooperatively which sometimes allows them to bring down their prey in seconds. Prey may be consumed in a few seconds, sometimes while the animal is still alive.

African Wild Dogs are exclusively carnivorous. They eat no plant food, and rarely consume carrion or return to an earlier kill.
REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:

Babies develop for 72 days before the mother gives birth in an underground den. As many as 12 pups may be born in a litter; a majority of those being male, but only a few usually survive. 

Pups at birth are all black and white. The tan patches develop from the black areas beginning in the second month. The pups eyes open at 3 weeks, but they will not emerge from the den until they start to eat solid food regurgitated by the adults.

Only the dominant male and female in the pack (the alpha pair) reproduce. The entire pack is needed to help feed the large litter of young that are dependent for 12-14 months. The adults eat at their kill site, then return to the den and regurgitate meat as food for the young. Adult males stay with the birth pack. Unlike other animals, females between 14 and 30 months of age will leave their natal pack in groups of littermate sisters. They will eventually join a different male kin line.
STATUS:

The African wild dog is listed by the IUCN as threatened by extinction. They are nearly as endangered as the black rhino and they are still persecuted by farmers and hunters. Fewer than 5,000 dogs remain and because they need vast home ranges, it makes conservation difficult.

SWAHILI NAME: Fisi
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Spotted Hyenas (also called Laughing Hyenas) are the largest of the hyenas. They have robust bodies with large heads, powerful jaws, and rounded ears. Their necks are maned, and their backs slope downwards to smaller hind quarters. One hundred eighty pounds is their maximum weight. Females are larger than males.

The colors of their coats vary but are usually brown, yellow or gray, with numerous dark spots. Sometimes the muzzle and hind legs are black and the foot-long tail has a black tuft.
 
Their external sex organs are so similar in appearance that they all appear to be males.
DISTRIBUTION:

Spotted Hyenas live in Africa south of the Sahara except in densely forested areas and at the southern tip of the continent. They prefer open grasslands and savannas.
BEHAVIOR:

Spotted Hyenas are highly adaptable. They are generally nocturnal, but are sometimes active during the day. They are both scavengers and fierce hunters as situations demand.

Rarely solitary, they usually live, hunt and eat in groups of as many as 50 individuals. They are noisy animals, capable of making a great variety of vocalizations. Blood-curdling laughter usually indicates a successful hunt. 

Hyenas also communicate by body posture and by scent marking. Anal glands secrete substances which the animals deposit on grass stalks.
DIET:

Spotted hyenas will eat almost anything; they are efficient scavengers of carrion and fresh meat. They often follow migrating herds of large herbivores, feeding on carcasses if they are available, and on new-born babies.

When necessary, they hunt in packs, killing animals as large as zebras. Extremely strong jaws and teeth allow them to crack large bones. Bones and bone marrow form a considerable part of their diet.
REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:

During courtship and mating periods they gather in large packs which are quite noisy. One or two young (rarely three) are born after a 110 day gestation, in an underground burrow. 

Babies are born with their eyes open and with canine and incisor teeth already cut. Nursing mothers often raise their young in communal nurseries. The young nurse for about 18 months, and are sexually mature at two or three years of age. Spotted hyenas have lived as long as 40 years in captivity, and 25 years in the wild.

SWAHILI NAME: Twiga
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

The Giraffe is the tallest animal in the world. Males may be 16-18 feet tall and weigh up to 2,000 pounds. Females are usually lighter and about two feet shorter. The giraffe's front legs are only slightly longer than the back ones, the height of the fore part of the body being largely due to the heavy muscular development of the base of the neck. 

The long neck has the usual seven vertebrae of most mammals, although each is greatly elongated. The giraffe's soup-plate-sized hooves are used as offensive weapons, usually in the defense of the calves. The powerful kick from the front feet can kill a lion. 

The giraffe is one of the few ruminant born with horns. Both sexes have horns which are covered with skin. The horns of males are thicker and heavier and are used in fights between males. 

The giraffe's canine teeth are splayed out in two or three lobes to comb the leaves off shoots. Their long black tongue, which can be extended 18 inches, is used to gather food into the mouth. To compensate for the sudden increase in blood pressure when the head is lowered, the giraffe has very elastic blood vessels and valves in the venous system of the neck. 

The Nubian giraffe's color scheme varies considerably in pattern, but consists of dark-reddish to chestnut brown blotches of various shapes and sizes on a buff ground color. The coloration darkens with age. 

The reticulated giraffe has large, four-sided, liver-colored spots separated by a sharply defined network of narrow white lines.

DISTRIBUTION:

Giraffes inhabit savanna country where there are Acacia and climbing leguminous plants. They are found in Africa south of the Sahara to Cape Town. The reticulated giraffe is found in East Africa.

BEHAVIOR:

Giraffes can rest standing, but they often lie down with their legs folded beneath them. The neck is held vertical except during short periods of sleep, usually about five minutes duration, when the head is rested on the rump. When giraffes walk they swing the two legs on the same side of the body at almost the same time. When galloping, the hind legs are brought forward almost together and placed outside the front. Maximum galloping speed is 31-37 mph. 

Giraffes form scattered herds. Being a gregarious animal, individuals band together into loose groups for protection against predators. Home ranges in giraffes are large, about 46 sq. miles for adult cows, but smaller in mature bulls, and larger in young males.
 

Bulls are non-territorial, and amicably coexist together within overlapping home ranges. Each individual knows its relative status in the hierarchy, which minimizes aggression. Young males have developed an elaborate ritual, called necking, to determine dominance. The necks are slowly intertwined, pushing from one side to the other, rather like a bout of arm-wrestling in humans.

DIET:

Giraffes are highly selective feeders, the bulk of their diet comprising the leaves and shoots of trees and shrubs, supplemented by climbers, vines and some herbs.
REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:

Female giraffes conceive for the first time in their fifth year. With a gestation period of 15 months, a mean interval between births of 20 months, and a maximum longevity of 25 years, a cow may produce up to 12 calves in her lifetime. 

Newborn calves usually stand 6 feet and weigh approx. 150 lbs. After being dropped about 6 feet to the ground, they stand on wobbly legs about 20 minutes after birth and begin to nurse within 1 hour. Male calves are weaned at about 15 months, female calves a couple of months later.

SWAHILI NAME FOR FLAMINGO: Heroe
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Flamingos generally are long-legged, long necked water birds. The long neck is curved with 19 cervical vertebrae. The beak is curved and is used for filter feeding. The feet are webbed for swimming and for greater stability on soft mud. 

There are five species of flamingos: The Greater (which includes the subspecies American or Caribbean), Chilean, Lesser, Andean and James' flamingo.

Our exhibit at the Honolulu Zoo includes (from largest to smallest) the American, Chilean, and Lesser.
HABITAT: 

Flamingos live near or in brackish or salt water lakes and lagoons, where few other species compete for food. They are the only birds with a beak capable of filtering out the floating organisms on which they feed. That same filter keeps them from consuming too much salt, which could be toxic. 

The American flamingo is found along the Atlantic seaboard and on Caribbean islands; the Chilean species inhabits Western South America.

BEHAVIOR: 

The flamingo is gregarious in nature, living in flocks numbering in the thousands. Colonies are not always permanent, but seem to be affected by the change in water levels and the subsequent effect on breeding areas. Mass movements of flamingos may be the result of a communication system like that of the honey bee, with individuals reporting information about conditions at distant points. These birds fly well, occasionally soaring, and they also swim, feeding as they travel to other areas
DIET:

Flamingos feed on small crustaceans, algae and unicellular organisms, which they filter from the water with their unique sieve-like beak. Some are bottom-feeders; others are top-feeders, making it possible for different species to co-exist in the same territory. 

The food that flamingos eat is rich in carotinoid pigments (named after the pigment found in carrots) which they use to create the pink coloration in their feathers. Without this pigment, their feathers would slowly bleach out and lose color, so in the Zoo they are fed a diet which has carophyll red pigment in it. Their diet consists of rice and scratch, shrimp meal, bread, ground meat, salt, flamin oil, dog meal and smelt.
REPRODUCTION and GROWTH: 

It is difficult to distinguish the sexes apart. Males tend to be larger than females. Sexual maturity is reached after 5-6 years. These birds congregate in huge flocks in the wild. As they mature some of the birds engage in ritual preening and stretching movements, always in the same sequence. The flocking instinct is so strong that in the Zoo, our birds remain together in their exhibit by species. 

The newly hatched chick has white down feathers, a straight pink beak and thick legs. After 2-3 weeks new gray down feathers grow and the beak begins to bend. At this stage the young are not able to filter feed. They are fed by their parents on a liquid produced in the gullet which is rich in carotinoid pigment. The young Flamingo achieves fully adult plumage in 3-4 years and can breed at 6 years. 

Corresponding to the long growth period and the late onset of breeding, flamingos have a long life span. Records exist of 30 years for some captive birds.

King Cobra
The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world's longest venomous snake, with a length that can be as large as 5.7 m (22 ft). This species is widespread throughout Southeast Asia and parts of India, but found mostly in forested areas. Its genus name, Ophiophagus, literally means "snake-eater", and its diet primarily consists of other snakes, including sizeable pythons and even smaller members of its own species.
Profile
The King Cobra is a large powerful snake, averaging 3.6-4 m (12-13 feet) in length typically weighing about 6 kg (13.2 lb). The record-sized wild cobra was shot in the Nakhon Si Thammarat Mountains of south Thailand and was 5.6 m (18.5 ft). An even larger cobra was kept captive at the London Zoo and grew to 5.7 m (18.8 ft) before being euthanized upon the outbreak of World War II The skin is either olive-green, tan, or black and it has faint, pale yellow cross bands down the length of the body. The belly is cream or pale yellow, and the scales are smooth. The head of a mature snake can be quite massive and bulky in appearance, though like all snakes, they can expand their jaws to swallow large prey items. It has proteroglyph dentition, meaning it has two short, fixed fangs in the front of the mouth which channel venom into the prey like hypodermic needles. The male is larger and thicker than the female. The average lifespan of a King Cobra is about 20 years.
Habitat

Widespread, but not common, across South and South-east Asia. It lives in dense highland forests. The snake has a preference for living in areas dotted with lakes and streams. King Cobra populations have dropped in some areas of its range due to the destruction of forests, but despite this the snake is not listed by the IUCN as in danger of becoming extinct. It is, however, listed as an Appendix II Animal within CITES.
Hunting

King Cobras, like other snakes, receive chemical information ("smell") via their forked tongues, which pick up scent particles and transfer them to a special sensory receptor (Jacobson's Organ) located in the roof of its mouth. When the scent of a meal has been detected, the snake will flick its tongue to gauge the prey's direction (the twin forks of the tongue acting in stereo); it will also rely on its keen eyesight (King Cobras are able to detect moving prey almost 100 m [300 feet] away), intelligence and sensitivity to earth-borne vibration to track its prey. Following envenomation, the King Cobra will begin to swallow its struggling prey while its toxins begin the digestion of its victim. King Cobras, as with all other snakes, do not have rigidly fixed jaws. Instead, the jaw bones are connected by extremely pliable ligaments, enabling the lower jaw bones to move independently of each other. Like other snakes, the King Cobra does not chew its food, instead it swallows its prey whole. The expansion of the jaw enables the snake to swallow prey much larger than its head.

King Cobras are able to hunt at all times of day, although it is rarely seen at night, leading most herpetologists to classify it as a diurnal species.

Diet

The King Cobra's diet is mainly composed of other snakes (ophiophagy): both non-venomous snakes such as pythons and venomous snakes including kraits and Indian Cobras. When food is scarce, King Cobras may also feed on other small vertebrates such as lizards, birds, and rodents. In some cases, the cobra may "constrict" its prey, like birds and larger rodents using its muscular body, though this is uncommon. After a large meal the snake may live for many months without another one due to its slow metabolic rate
Defense

If a King Cobra encounters a natural predator, such as the mongoose, which has some resistance to the neurotoxins, the cobra will generally try to flee. If all else fails, it will flatten its upper body by spreading its ribs, forming the distinctive cobra hood about its neck, which can be the size of an adult's handspan. It will also emit a high-pitched hiss, sometimes with feigned closed-mouth strikes. These efforts usually prove to be very effective, especially since the King cobra is more dangerous than other mongoose prey as well as being much too large for the small mammal to kill

Venom
King Cobra's venom, which is composed mostly of proteins and polypeptides, is produced in specialized salivary glands (as is the case with all venomous reptiles) just behind the animal's eyes. When biting its prey, venom is forced through the snake's half-inch (1.25 cm) fangs and into the wound. Although its venom is not the most toxic one, a King Cobra's size enables it to inject larger quantities of venom than most other species. On a single bite, it injects as much as 6 to 7 ml of venom The large amount of venom in a single bite allows the King Cobra to kill faster, and to kill larger animals than other serpents. The King Cobra can kill up to 5 times faster than the black mamba, so it just takes a few minutes to kill a human, and can even kill an Asian Elephant within 3 hours if the larger animal is bitten in a vulnerable area such as the trunk.

The King Cobra's venom is primarily neurotoxic and thus attacks the victim's central nervous system and quickly induces severe pain, blurred vision, vertigo, drowsiness, and paralysis. In one to two minutes, cardiovascular collapse occurs, and the victim falls into a coma. Death soon follows due to respiratory failure. There are two types of antivenin made specifically to treat King Cobra envenomations. The Red Cross in Thailand manufactures one, and the Central Research Institute in India manufactures the other, however both are made in small quantities, and are not widely available. A protein component of the venom Ohanin causes hypolocomotion and hyperalgesia in mammals other components have cardiotoxic, cytotoxic and neurotoxic effects.

Despite the King Cobra's fearsome reputation and deadly bite, it is a shy and reclusive animal, avoiding confrontation with humans as often as possible. There are other venomous snakes within this species' range, in fact, that are responsible for more fatal snake bites than the King Cobra, such as the Monocled Cobra, or Russell's Viper .

In Burma, King Cobras are often used by female snake charmers. The charmer is usually tattooed with three pictograms using an ink mixed with snake venom; superstition holds that it protects the charmer from the snake. The charmer kisses the snake on the top of its head at the end of the show.
Reproduction
The female king cobra is a very dedicated parent. Before she is ready to lay her eggs, she uses the coils of her long body to gather a big mound of leaf litter. She deposits 20-40 eggs into the mound, which acts as an incubator. The female stays with her eggs and guards the mound tenaciously, rearing up into a threat display if any large animal gets too close.

Related species 
The King Cobra belongs to the family Elapidae. There are over 200 species of elapid found around the world, excepting Antarctica and Europe. All are venomous and have short, fixed fangs (proteroglyphs), but may differ widely in habits, behaviour and appearance. Four better known species of the Elapidae are the Coral Snake, Death Adder, Black Mamba, and of course, the King Cobra.

SWAHILI NAME: Kiboko
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Hippopotamus is Greek for "river horse." The hippo is the second or third largest land animal, depending on which rhino one is considering, and by far the largest river dweller. A mature bull is about 13 feet long, nose to tail, and measures five feet high at the shoulder.

Hippos have a thin epidermis, and the rate of water loss through the skin in dry air is several times greater than in other mammals. Hence, the hippo must stay in the water or in a very humid habitat to prevent dehydration.

Hippos have stubby little legs that could not possibly support its great bulk, over an average of forty years or so, without the buoyancy of water to relieve the burden.

They have a set of massive, razor sharp tusks found in the corners of the jaw and hidden away inside the folds of their fatty lips. The two tusks of the lower jaw can grow to a foot or more. Sharp incisors also line both jaws.

HABITAT:
Hippos arrive at the water pool before sunrise and leave after dark. In the grass the hippos spread out and graze alone, except for females and their calves, who stay close together most of the night. Hippos will travel great distances to establish their natural grazing area.

BEHAVIOR:
Although hippos might look docile, they are probably the most dangerous African animal. They are not only aggressive and easily enraged, but they are also very unpredictable. On land, this 1-3 ton animal, over a short haul, can easily outrun a man.

The adult hippo's only real enemy (other than man) is his pool mate. They bite, maim, and kill each other. The bulls fight over females in breeding season and quarrel over water space at all times, especially in dry season. When seen yawning, a hippo may actually be threatening another hippo.

Hippos can stay totally submerged for up to six minutes and, having a high specific gravity, they can easily walk or run along the bottom during a dive. When submerged, they close the valves of their nostrils and press their ears flat against the sides of their heads. The heart rate slows down, giving it more time underwater. When it surfaces, it is usually with a loud hiss, a snort, or distinctive grunt that sounds like a blast from a tuba.

At the river, lake or stream, the herd gathers in "schools" comprised of 20 or more. The configuration depends on the available space or depth of water, as the hippo needs to submerge itself up to its ears, protruding eyes, and nostrils (all conveniently placed on top of its head, like a crocodile or a frog) without exposing much else to the hot African sun. The hippo expends far less energy during the day in the water than he would on land.

DIET:
An adult hippo eats more than 150 pounds of grass a night. These grazers tear up grass not with their teeth but with their lips. In the zoo, they eat zoo ration, alfalfa hay, trace minerals, and water free choice.

REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:
Hippos have a low mortality rate, and both males and females reproduce into old age. Longevity is 40 years or so. Females usually have their first calf at about 10 years of age. 

A single calf is born at a time, rarely two, with a gestation period of 227-240 days. The calf weighs 60-100 pounds at birth and measures up to 3 feet long. Calves are sometimes born underwater and must swim to the surface for their first breath of air. They also nurse underwater some of the time. Young hippos occupy most of their time in the water standing on the backs of their mothers. Otherwise, the effort to keep afloat would wear them out.

Common Name: African Helmeted Turtle
Scientific name: Pelomedusa subrufa subrufa
Family: Pelomedusidae
Order: Testudines
Class: Reptilia

Physical Characteristics: 
The African Helmeted Turtle is a relatively small turtle with a shell length of 15-18 cm (6 to 7) as an adult. The shell is very thin, oval shaped, and brown to olive in color. The head is brown to olive colored and may be mottled with darker or lighter tones. The tops of the tail and limbs are a grayish brown, while the underside is yellowish. The male turtle is distinguished by its long, thick tail. Females tend to have a shorter tail and a broader carapace. Hatchlings have a shell size of about 30mm ( 1 ) in length, and are olive to black in color.

Distribution and Habitat:
Pelomedusa subrufa is found throughout Africa, as far west as Ghana, and south all the way to the Cape of Africa. It has also been recorded in parts of Madagascar, and is undistinguishable from those in east Africa. Pelomedusa subrufa has a subspecies olivacea, found in northern Africa ranging from Ethiopia westward to Nigeria and the Cameroons. They are semi-aquatic animals, living in marshes, creeks and rain holes. During the dry season, they will bury themselves in the bottoms of mud pools and estivate until the next rainy season, where they travel from mud hole to mud hole, distributing themselves widely.

Behavior:
When eating and courting, the relatively small African Helmeted Turtle becomes quite aggressive. During feeding, it will seize its prey in its mouth and tear it to shreds with its forefoot claws. Where populations are dense, and competition for food becomes heightened, several turtles may attack larger prey together, and drag it underwater before tearing it apart. The African Helmeted Turtle often basks midday in temperate climates where the sun is not too not. When captured, helmeted turtles will emit an offensive musky odor, but soon tame and are kept well in captivity or as pets.

Diet:
It has a carnivorous diet, feeding on a variety of insects, small crustaceans, fish, earthworms and snails. In large groups they will drown and eat small aquatic birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Reproduction and Growth:
In spring, during courtship, the male will follow the female and extend his head touching her hindquarters and vent. If she is non-responsive he will nip and snap at her legs and tail. After mounting her carapace, he extends his head over hers swaying it in front of her face while expelling water from his nose.

The female will lay 13 to 16 eggs on average, normally during late spring and early summer. The eggs are covered with slime when laid, and placed in a flask shaped nest that is about 10 to 17 cm (approximately 4 - 7) deep. The eggs hatch in 75- 90 days.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

Sloths have long tan, gray, or brown fur. During the rainy season their fur appears bluish green due to a blue-green algae that covers their coat. The algae helps to further camouflage the sloth from predators, such as the jaguar, while they are in the rain forest canopy.

Sloths spend almost their entire lifespan hanging upside down from a tree limb. They have developed many features that help them adapt to such a lifestyle such as very long, curved claws that help them grip onto the tree limbs. They grow to an average length of 2 ½ feet and weigh up to 20 pounds. Their heads are short and flat with large brown eyes, tiny ears, and a short snout. Their legs are long and they have very short tails. In fact, the Linne’s two-toed sloth has no tail at all!
DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:
Sloths are found in Central and South America in the rain forest canopy. The Linne’s two-toed sloth is found in such countries as Nicaragua, Columbia, Venezuela, Surinam, Guyana, French Guiana, North Central Brazil, and Northern Peru
BEHAVIOR:
Sloths are arboreal and spend very little time on the ground. On the rare occasion when they do venture to the ground, they move extremely slowly (which is how they received their name), and walk upright. When moving through the trees, they move with remarkable ease and grace, especially considering all their movement is done upside down. Sloths eat, sleep, mate, and give birth upside down! Sloths are also able to swim very well.

Male sloths are solitary and shy. Females will sometimes form groups. They are nocturnal and spend approximately 15 hours a day sleeping. They have the lowest body temperature of any mammal, with a range anywhere from 76 to 96 degrees. By adjusting their body temperature, they are able to conserve valuable energy.
DIET:
Sloths are herbivores. They eat leaves (particularly from the Cecropia tree), tender young shoots, and fruit. They have a slow metabolic rate which minimizes their food and water needs. Their minimal water needs are met by eating juicy leaves and licking dew drops. Due to their diet, they have a very complex compartmented stomach and a lengthy digestive time. It is estimated that a third of a sloth’s weight is comprised of its stomach contents. Sloths do not have incisors and use their tough lips to tear off food.
REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:
There is no fixed mating season. Births have been recorded in all months except April, September and November. When mating, the animals hang from a branch by their arms and turn to face each other. Gestation is 5-6 months with one young per birth. The infant is fully furred, with eyes open and dentition complete. Birth weight is 11-14oz (300-400g). The female giving birth will hang by her arms. The infant remains hidden in the fur of the mother’s belly for 4 weeks. When it starts to show interest in its surroundings it will start to grab at nearby branches. At 10 weeks it starts to eat part of the mother’s meals. At 9 months it starts hanging independently from the mother.

Sexual maturity is reached at about three years in females and four to five years in males. Their lifespan in the wild is 10-20 years, 30-40 years in captivity.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:

The Burmese python, Python molurus bivittatus, is light yellowish cream with a series of brown elongated rectangular blotches edged with black. There is a lance-shaped mark on the head and neck. There are a number of facial pits, which are sensitive to changes in temperature and allow the python to locate warm-blooded prey hiding in concealed areas. 

The Burmese python is one of the largest of all snakes, growing up to 25 feet, usually 20 and weighing up to 190 pounds. It continues to grow throughout life and the great length is due to the presence of a large number of vertebrae (up to 450). The female grows faster than the male and is ultimately larger. The outer layer of skin is shed depending on the rate of growth and may be several times a year.

DISTRIBUTION and HABITAT:
The Burmese python is found in Burma, Malaysia and Thailand. It lives in jungles and scrubland and may live near human settlements.

BEHAVIOR:
The Burmese python climbs well and can suspend itself by its prehensile tail. It is also quite at home in the water, being a good swimmer, and is able to stay submerged for up to half an hour. In the northern parts of its range it may hibernate for some months during the cold season in a hollow tree, a hole in the riverbank or under rocks.

Pythons move by undulating the ribs backwards and forwards by muscular action. The ventral scales grip the substrate.

Like all snakes, pythons lack an outer and middle ear and are therefore deaf to airborne sounds of all but the lowest frequencies. Pythons are also mute or at best can utter a hissing sound by forcing air through the larynx. The sense of smell is the most acute sense. The tongue is flicked out and in carrying scent particles to the Jacobson's organ in the roof of the mouth.

DIET:
The Burmese python is carnivorous, feeding on mammals and birds. The snake uses its sharp backward pointing teeth to seize its prey. It then wraps its powerful body two or more times around the prey at the same time contracting its muscles, killing the prey by asphyxiation. 

A snake needs to eat the equivalent of its body weight in a year. After eating it may not feed for weeks and can even fast for several months.

REPRODUCTION and GROWTH:
Sexual maturity is reached in 2-3 years. Pythons are oviparous, meaning it produces eggs, which develop and hatch outside the maternal body. Up to 107 eggs are laid, which the female coils around to incubate. The incubation period is two months or more. The rate of growth is influenced by the conditions under which the snake lives. Pythons have been known to live up to 25 years.

ENDANGERED STATUS:
The Burmese python is listed as a Threatened species. With the spread of human settlements the scrubland habitat is the first habitat to disappear. Many have also been killed due to heavy demand for python skin by the leather industry. Some are also killed for food, particularly by the Chinese.