Amazing Animals of the World

A Planet Full of Life

Our planet is bursting with life. From the deepest part of the ocean to the tops of icy mountains, animals are almost everywhere. There are creatures so tiny you need a magnifying glass to see them, and others so enormous they are bigger than a bus.

The natural home where an animal lives is called its habitat. A habitat gives an animal the food, water and shelter it needs. Different animals live in different habitats — and each one has special body parts and clever tricks to help it survive in its own home.

In this book we will travel to five amazing habitats: the steamy rainforest, the dry desert, the deep ocean, the freezing polar lands, and the wide grasslands. Along the way you will meet record-breakers, surprising survivors and some of the most amazing animals on Earth. Let's begin our world tour.

Sorting the Animals

Before we set off, let's learn how scientists sort animals into groups. Scientists who study animals are called zoologists, and they place animals into big groups based on what their bodies are like.

• Mammals have hair or fur, feed their babies milk, and breathe air. Dogs, elephants, whales and people are all mammals.
• Birds have feathers and wings, and lay eggs. Most birds can fly.
• Reptiles, like snakes and lizards, have scaly skin and lay eggs on land.
• Amphibians, like frogs, start life in water and later live partly on land.
• Fish live in water and breathe through special body parts called gills.
• Insects, like ants and beetles, have six legs and a body in three parts.

As we travel, see if you can spot which group each animal belongs to.

Animals of the Rainforest

A rainforest is a warm, wet forest where rain falls almost every day. Tall trees grow close together, and their leaves form a thick roof high above the ground called the canopy. Rainforests are home to more kinds of animals than any other habitat on Earth.

High in the canopy lives the toucan, a bird with a huge, colourful beak that it uses to reach fruit on thin branches. Monkeys swing from branch to branch using their long arms and grabbing tails. Bright parrots screech and fly between the trees.

On the forest floor, a jaguar prowls silently. This big spotted cat is a powerful hunter. Brilliantly coloured poison dart frogs sit on leaves; their bright colours warn other animals that they are not safe to eat. And everywhere, in the soil and the trees, march millions of ants, working together to build their nests.

Animals of the Desert

A desert is a place that gets very little rain. Many deserts are baking hot in the day and surprisingly cold at night. There is little water and little shade. Yet some clever animals have found ways to survive here.

The camel is the most famous desert animal. It can go a long time without drinking, and the hump on its back stores fat for energy. Its wide feet stop it sinking into the soft sand, and special eyelashes keep the blowing sand out of its eyes.

The fennec fox is a tiny fox with huge ears. Those big ears let heat escape from its body, helping it stay cool. To avoid the worst of the heat, the fennec fox hunts at night and rests in a cool burrow during the day. Snakes and lizards also live in the desert, often hiding under rocks or in the sand to stay out of the burning sun.

Animals of the Ocean

The ocean is the largest habitat of all. It covers most of our planet and is full of life, from the sunny surface to the cold, dark depths.

The biggest animal that has ever lived swims in the ocean: the blue whale. It is even bigger than the largest dinosaurs! A blue whale is a mammal, so it must come to the surface to breathe air. Despite its size, it eats some of the tiniest creatures in the sea, tiny shrimp-like animals called krill.

Dolphins are clever, friendly mammals that swim in groups and talk to each other with clicks and whistles. Sharks are powerful fish with rows of sharp teeth, and the great white shark is one of the ocean's top hunters. The octopus is one of the cleverest sea creatures, with eight arms and the amazing ability to change colour to hide. Down in the dark, deep ocean live strange fish that make their own light to find their way.

Animals of the Polar Lands

At the very top and bottom of our planet lie the polar lands, the coldest places on Earth. Here the ground is covered in ice and snow, and the sea is freezing. Only the toughest animals can live here.

In the icy north, called the Arctic, lives the polar bear. It has thick white fur and a layer of fat called blubber under its skin that keeps it warm. Its white coat helps it hide against the snow as it hunts for seals. Seals and walruses also live here, with their own thick blubber to keep out the cold.

Far away at the bottom of the world, in a frozen land called Antarctica, live the penguins. Penguins are birds, but they cannot fly. Instead they are wonderful swimmers, using their wings like flippers to zoom through the water after fish. Penguins huddle together in big groups to share warmth in the icy wind.

Animals of the Grasslands

A grassland is a wide, open habitat covered in grasses, with only a few trees. The grasslands of Africa, called the savannah, are home to some of the most famous animals in the world.

The elephant is the largest land animal. It uses its long, bendy trunk like a hand, to pick up food, drink water and even give itself a dusty shower. The giraffe is the tallest land animal, with a neck so long it can reach leaves high up in the trees that no other animal can touch.

Herds of zebras and antelopes graze on the grass, always alert for danger. Watching them is the lion, often called the king of the grasslands. Lions live in family groups called prides and hunt together as a team. The fastest land animal of all, the cheetah, also lives here. It can sprint faster than a car on a town road to catch its dinner.

Protecting Our Animals

Sadly, some of the amazing animals in this book are in danger. When forests are cut down, oceans are polluted, or animals are hunted too much, they can become endangered. This means there are very few of them left in the wild.

The good news is that people all over the world are working to help. They protect wild places where animals live, look after injured animals, and make rules to stop too much hunting. Even small actions, like keeping our world clean and learning about animals, can make a difference. When we understand animals, we want to take care of them.

What We Learned

What an adventure! We have travelled all around the world and met some of its most amazing animals.

We learned that the place an animal lives is called its habitat, and that each animal has special features to help it survive there. We met colourful birds and monkeys in the rainforest, the hardy camel in the desert, the giant blue whale in the ocean, the warm-coated polar bear in the icy poles, and the mighty elephants and lions of the grasslands. We also learned how scientists sort animals into groups like mammals, birds and reptiles.

Most of all, we learned that the animal kingdom is a treasure worth protecting. Our planet is richer and more beautiful because we share it with so many amazing animals.

Want to keep exploring the living world? Plunge into the waves with Explorers of the Deep Sea, or meet the giants of long ago in All About Dinosaurs.