Vocabulary

Animal Vocabulary

By: Tollisa Long and Latona Street

Ant: Ants, like all insects, have jointed legs, three body parts (the head, thorax and abdomen), a pair of antennae, and a hard exoskeleton. The exoskeleton is made up of a material that is very similar to our fingernails. Ants range in color from yellow to brown to red to black.

Black Bear: American Black Bears are up to 6 feet (1.8 m) long and weigh up to 300 pounds (135 kg). Their long, thick fur ranges in color from black to brown. Like all bears, they are plantigrade (flat-footed). The front claws are longer than the rear claws.

Cat: The cat has a long, arched neck, slim legs and a long, tapering tail. The eyes are almond-shaped and are green, gold or hazel in color. The ears are large, alert, and set widely apart. The muscular body is long and lithe.

Dolphin: Bottlenose dolphins are small, toothed whales that have a long, beaklike snout, a sickle-shaped dorsal fin, and sharp teeth. Dolphins breathe air through a single blowhole. They grow to be at most 12 feet (3.3 m) long. Dolphins live in small groups of up to 12 whales; these groups are called pods. Dolphins make high-pitched whistles, clicks, moans, squeaks, and other sounds. Bottlenose dolphins have a life span of about 25 years.

Elephant: Elephants are from 8-10 feet (2.5-3 m) tall at the shoulder, weighing roughly 6 tons (5,400 kg). Males are larger than females. Elephants have very wrinkled, gray-brown skin that is almost hairless. After a pregnancy of 22 months (the longest of all animals), calves (baby elephants) are born weighing 200 pounds (90 kg) - more than most human adults! The ears not only hear well, but also help the elephant lose excess heat, as hot blood flows near the surface.

Fox: The Fennec fox is the smallest fox; it is from 14 to 17 inches (36-44 cm) long with a tail 8 inches (20 cm) long, and it weighs 2 to 3.5 pounds (1-1.5 kg). The long, bushy tail, sometimes called a sweep, helps the fox change direction quickly and keeps the fox's feet and nose warm when it curls up to sleep. Foxes have sharp, curved claws, and sharp teeth. The thick, insulating fur of the Fennec fox is the color of sand; the belly is white. The outer edges of the ears are reddish brown. To shield their feet from the heat of the burning desert sand, their feet have protective hair on the soles (the bottoms of the feet). The muzzle is narrow and pointed.

Gorilla: Gorillas have very long arms (the arms are longer than the legs), and a short, bulky body with a wide chest. They are covered with black hair on most of their body (except their fingers, palms, face, armpits, and bottoms of the feet). Gorillas have a very large head with a bulging forehead, a crest on top (larger on males), tiny ears, and small, dark-brown eyes. Gorillas (like all apes) have no tail. Gorillas range from 4.6-5.6 ft (1.4-1.7 m) tall.

Horse: Horses have hoofed feet (they are ungulates). The hooves and teeth continue to grow throughout the horse's life. Horses have a narrow, flowing mane. They have large nostrils that let them get lots of air quickly. Large eyes and ears help the horse detect predators early, allowing it to run away. The heaviest horse is the Belgian (up to 3,150 lb,1400 kg), a draft (working) horse; the tallest is the Percheron (7 ft tall), another draft horse. The lightest and smallest is the miniature horse, a type of pony.

Iguana: Iguanas vary in color from green to brown to yellow (their coloring lets them blend into the background). These reptiles have a long tail, eyelids, and four sprawling legs. A row of spines runs along the back from the head to the tail. Iguanas have a dewlap, a loose fold of skin under the neck that can be extended to signal to other iguanas. On the top of the head, iguana have a "third eye," a patch of pale, scaly skin that senses light (but does not see images). Iguanas use their powerful, clawed legs to swim and climb trees. The biggest iguanas (green iguanas) average 5-6 feet long; the smallest species of iguanas are less than a foot long.

Jellyfish: Jellyfish are fish-eating animals that float in the sea - only a few jellyfish live in fresh water. They have soft bodies and long, stinging, poisonous tentacles that they use to catch fish. Venom is sent out through stinging cells called nematocysts. A jellyfish is 98% water.