DOCSLIB.ORG

Why Do Baby Animals Have Pink Ears? by the Conversation, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 03.24.20 Word Count 706 Level 640L

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Why Do Baby Animals Have Pink Ears? by the Conversation, Adapted by Newsela Staff on 03.24.20 Word Count 706 Level 640L Big Questions: Why do baby animals have pink ears? By The Conversation, adapted by Newsela staff on 03.24.20 Word Count 706 Level 640L Image 1. Animals in colder parts of the world have lighter skin. If a light-skinned animal has blood vessels close to the surface of their ear skin, this will make the ears look pink. Photo from Wikimedia Commons. Question: Why do baby animals have pink ears when their bodies are a different color? Answer: Animals have many blood vessels in their ears. Blood vessels carry blood through the body. These vessels are close to the surface of their ear skin, which is pretty thin. They make the ears look pink. Having blood vessels close to the skin helps animals keep their body temperature just right. This is true for people, too. When we're cold, the blood vessels close to our skin tighten up. This makes it harder for blood to flow. Less blood gets close to our skin, which means less heat escapes our bodies. When we're hot, the opposite happens. The blood vessels near our skin widen. This means more blood flows. Then more heat can escape our bodies. It helps us to cool down. Most animals actually don't have pink ears, though. Let us explain. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Improving Chances Of Survival Evolution is an idea about how life has developed and changes over the years. Over time, animals adapt to their environments. These adaptions help them improve their chances of survival. A trait might be their color. It might be what they eat or how they hunt. If an animal lives long enough, its children can also have traits that help them survive. Animals without these traits might get eaten or die out. Skin Color Changes In Different Climates Skin color is another example of an animal trait. Animals living in hot climates often have darker skin. This includes the skin on their ears. One example is the African elephant. Its ears are quite dark. They are also the biggest ears of any animal! Animals living in colder climates usually have lighter skin. This is true for people, too. Early humans migrated out of Africa. As they moved to colder regions, their skin color became lighter. Why does skin color change in different climates? It is because of something called pigment. Our bodies produce pigment. It gives our skin color. The more pigment our body makes, the darker our skin. Pigment helps protect against sunburn and other skin-related health problems. Animals living in warmer climates make a lot of pigment. They need dark skin to protect themselves from the sun's strong rays. The sun is not as strong in colder, cloudier regions. Animals there do not make as much pigment. So, their skin is lighter. Lighter skin also helps them stay warmer. It reduces heat loss. That is useful if you are in a colder climate. Animals with pink ears can have bodies of all sorts of colors. The fennec fox, for example, has pink ears and a sandy-colored coat. The color of his body camouflages him in the desert. It lets him blend into his surroundings. That way, he stays hidden during hunting. Other animals have also adapted the color of their bodies to survive. Ear Size Animal ears come in many shapes and sizes. Some animals, like the fennec fox, have huge ears for their body size. Bats and a wildcat called a serval do, too. Big ears help these species hear better. They can detect more sound waves. The naked mole-rat, meanwhile, has tiny ears. This hairless creature burrows a lot, so big ears would get in the way. Animals with big ears can also lose a lot of body heat. Their ears might not be covered with fur or feathers. When it's cold, their body heat escapes from the skin of their ears. That's why big ears are a good idea for animals that live in hot weather, like the African elephant. It's also why animals in really cold places have quite small ears. The Arctic fox is one example. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. Quiz 1 What would lambs' ears look like with thicker skin? (A) the same because the fur is pink (B) the same because the skin is pink (C) less pink because blood would not show through (D) less pink because bones would not show through 2 Read the paragraph below from the introduction [paragraphs 1-5]. Answer: Animals have many blood vessels in their ears. Blood vessels carry blood through the body. These vessels are close to the surface of their ear skin, which is pretty thin. They make the ears look pink. What conclusion can the reader draw based on this paragraph? (A) Animals have blood vessels in their ears so that they can warm up easily. (B) Animals will have pink ears if they live in places that are very cold. (C) Animals with pink ears are the only animals that have blood vessels in their ears. (D) Animal ears look pink because the blood vessels can be seen through the skin. 3 Which example describes an adaptation? (A) A giraffe grows taller. (B) A pile of leaves decays. (C) Baby chimps mature to adulthood. (D) Arctic foxes grow white fur in winter. 4 Which sentence from the section “Skin Color Changes In Different Climates” explains why having a lot of pigment is important for some animals? (A) As they moved to colder regions, their skin color became lighter. (B) They need dark skin to protect themselves from the sun's strong rays. (C) Animals with pink ears can have bodies of all sorts of colors. (D) The fennec fox, for example, has pink ears and a sandy-colored coat. 5 Why are there so many different colors of human skin? (A) because of different jobs and lifestyles (B) because of different diets and exercise (C) because of adaptations to different cultures (D) because of adaptations to different climates 6 What is the overall structure of this article? (A) cause and effect (B) order of importance (C) problem and solution (D) chronological order This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com. 7 Which factors could cause a species' ear size to adapt? 1. climbing 2. hunting 3. shelter 4. temperature (A) 1, 2 and 3 (B) 1, 2 and 4 (C) 1, 3 and 4 (D) 2, 3 and 4 8 Read the following paragraphs from the section “Ear Size.” Animal ears come in many shapes and sizes. Some animals, like the fennec fox, have huge ears for their body size. Bats and a wildcat called a serval do, too. Big ears help these species hear better. They can detect more sound waves. The naked mole-rat, meanwhile, has tiny ears. This hairless creature burrows a lot, so big ears would get in the way. Which answer choice BEST describes the structure of the paragraphs? (A) problem and solution (B) question and answer (C) compare and contrast (D) chronological order This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com..
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Comparitive Mortality Levels Among Selected Species of Captive Animals
    Demographic Research a free, expedited, online journal of peer-reviewed research and commentary in the population sciences published by the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research Konrad-Zuse Str. 1, D-18057 Rostock ¢ GERMANY www.demographic-research.org DEMOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VOLUME 15, ARTICLE 14, PAGES 413-434 PUBLISHED 17 NOVEMBER 2006 http://www.demographic-research.org/Volumes/Vol15/14/ DOI: 10.4054/DemRes.2006.15.14 Research Article Comparative mortality levels among selected species of captive animals Iliana V. Kohler Samuel H. Preston Laurie Bingaman Lackey °c 2006 Kohler et al. This open-access work is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial License 2.0 Germany, which permits use, reproduction & distribution in any medium for non-commercial purposes, provided the original author(s) and source are given credit. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/de/ Table of Contents 1 Introduction 414 2 Description of data and analytic scheme 414 3 Results 419 3.1 Life tables for groups of species 419 3.2 Mortality variation by species, sex, and birth type 421 3.3 Life table parameters for individual species 426 4 Discussion 430 Demographic Research – Volume 15, Article 14 research article Comparative mortality levels among selected species of captive animals Iliana V. Kohler 1 Samuel H. Preston 2 Laurie Bingaman Lackey 3 Abstract We present life tables by single year of age and sex for groups of animals and for 42 individual mostly mammalian species. Data are derived from the International Species Information System. The survivorship of most of these species has never been mapped systematically.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter One: Introduction
    Nocturnal Adventures Curriculum Manual 2013 Updated by Kimberly Mosgrove 3/28/2013 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION……………………………………….……….…………………… pp. 3-4 CHAPTER 2: THE NUTS AND BOLTS………………………………………….……………….pp. 5-10 CHAPTER 3: POLICIES…………………………………………………………………………………….p. 11 CHAPTER 4: EMERGENCY PROCEDURES……………..……………………….………….pp. 12-13 CHAPTER 5: GENERAL PROGRAM INFORMATION………………………….………..pp.14-17 CHAPTER 6: OVERNIGHT TOURS I - Animal Adaptations………………………….pp. 18-50 CHAPTER 7: OVERNIGHT TOURS II - Sleep with the Manatees………..………pp. 51-81 CHAPTER 8: OVERNIGHT TOURS III - Wolf Woods…………….………….….….pp. 82-127 CHAPTER 9: MORNING TOURS…………………………………………………………….pp.128-130 Updated by Kimberly Mosgrove 3/28/2013 2 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION What is the Nocturnal Adventures program? The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s Education Department offers a unique look at our zoo—the zoo at night. We offer three sequential overnight programs designed to build upon students’ understanding of the natural world. Within these programs, we strive to combine learning with curiosity, passion with dedication, and advocacy with perspective. By sharing our knowledge of, and excitement about, environmental education, we hope to create quality experiences that foster a sense of wonder, share knowledge, and advocate active involvement with wildlife and wild places. Overnight experiences offer a deeper and more profound look at what a zoo really is. The children involved have time to process what they experience, while encountering firsthand the wonderful relationships people can have with wild animals and wild places. The program offers three special adventures: Animal Adaptations, Wolf Woods, and Sleep with the Manatees, including several specialty programs. Activities range from a guided tour of zoo buildings and grounds (including a peek behind-the-scenes), to educational games, animal demonstrations, late night hikes, and presentations of bio-facts.
    [Show full text]
  • Inokashira Park
    Itsukaichi avenyu Zoo & Botanical garden Kichijoji JR Chuo line 01 Inokashira avenyu Inokashira Park Zoo Inokashira Park Tall parking Kichijoji Inokashira Park Keio-Inokashira line Inokashira Park Zoo avenue Administrator ■ Tokyo Zoological Park Society ●Location 1-chome Gotenyama, Musashino-shi / 4-chome Inokashira, Mitaka-shi ●Contact Information tel:0422-46-1100 Inokashira Park Zoo (1-17-6 Gotenyama, Musashino-shi, 180-0005) ●Transport 10-minute walk from Kichijoji (JR Chuo line, Keio Inokashira line), Parking lot (inside Inokashira Park, toll) ●Closed Mondays (the following day if the Monday is a national holiday), New Year’s holidays (December 29 - January 1) ●Open 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. close) ●Admission Adults ¥ 400, junior high school student ¥ 150, 65 years old and over ¥ 200 *children under elementary school or junior high school students living/ attending school in Tokyo are free of charge ●Free days Park Opening Memorial Day (May 17), Greenery Day (May 4), Tokyo Citizens’ Day (October 1) Nestled in gorgeous greenery of Inokashira Park that deeply reminisc- es the Musashino area, the park is divided into two areas; zoo (Main park) on the west side and Aquatic life park (a separate part of the park) surrounded by the Inokashira pond. Focus of animals found in Japan, there are about 170 species of native creatures bred and exhibited in the park. There are also facilities such as sculpture garden, Doshinkyo, and Sportsland (mini amusement park), adding more ways to enjoy the park. Animals living in Japan Inokashira Park Zoo’s best feature is that it places much efforts in breeding and exhibiting animals from Japan.
    [Show full text]
  • Canine Distemper Virus Infection in Fennec Fox (Vulpes Zerda)
    NOTE Pathology Canine Distemper Virus Infection in Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda) Gye-Hyeong WOO1)*, Yeon-Sook JHO2) and Eun-Jung BAK3) 1)Laboratory of Pathology, Animal Disease Diagnostic Center, National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service, Anyang, Gyeonggi- do 430–824, 2)Snoopy Animal Hospital, Gunpo, Gyeonggi-do 435–040 and 3)Hospital Specialization Research Center, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul 120–752, Republic of Korea (Received 12 November 2009/Accepted 7 March 2010/Published online in J-STAGE 19 March 2010) ABSTRACT. Fifteen 8-month-old fennec foxes imported from Sudan showed fever, mucopurulent ocular discharge, diarrhea, severe ema- ciation, seizures, and generalized ataxia, and died. Three of the 15 animals were presented for diagnostic investigation. Severe dehy- dration, brain congestion, and gastric ulcers were observed in all animals. In one animal, the lungs had failed to collapse and were multifocally dark red in appearance. Histopathologically, there were lymphohistiocytic meningoencephalitis with malacia, mild intersti- tial pneumonia, lymphoid depletion of lymphoid tissues and organs, and intestinal villous atrophy with intralesional coccidia. There were many intracytoplasmic and/or intranuclear inclusion bodies in the epithelial cells of the medullary velum, lungs, liver, kidneys, trachea, pancreas, stomach, gall bladder, urinary bladder, and ureters, and in macrophages of malacia foci and lymphocytes and macrophages of lymphoid organs. Additionally, intestinal coccidia were confirmed to be Isospora species by a fecal test. To our knowledge, this is the first report of canine distemper with intestinal coccidiosis in fennec fox. KEY WORDS: canine distemper, coccidium, fennec fox, meningoencephalitis, Vulpes zerda. J. Vet. Med. Sci. 72(8): 1075–1079, 2010 Canine distemper (CD), caused by the morbillivirus of began to exhibit neurologic symptoms such as ataxia and the paramyxovirus family, frequently causes serious prob- seizures.
    [Show full text]
  • ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS What Are Adaptations?
    ANIMAL ADAPTATIONS What Are Adaptations? ⚫ Adaptations are traits that help an organism survive in its environment A CAMEL They have a hump that stores fat for times when food is not available. They can close their nostrils to keep out sand!!! What Are Adaptations? KANGAROO RAT Never have to drink water. They have the ability to convert the dry seeds they eat into water. FENNEC FOX Have large ears that give off heat and thin fur for the hot desert climate. What Are Types of Adaptations of Animals? Behaviours Hibernation Migration We usually think of sleeping. We usually think of ducks Actually, during hibernation, that fly south for the winter. the animal’s body activities Actually, to migrate is to slow down and it lives off its change locations on a regular body fat. basis. What Are Types of Adaptations of Animals? Camouflage Mimicry When an animal’s fur When one kind of living changes colour to blend in thing looks like another kind with its environment. of living thing. Hover Fly Bumble Bee COAT IN SUMMER COAT IN WINTER ARCTIC FOX Hover Fly and a Bumble Bee What Are Types of Adaptations of Animals? Defenses Locomotion Animals have defenses that Some animals have a they use to protect or defend themselves structure for locomotion, such as wings, to move from place to Hedgehog place, and sometimes to flee has spines to from predators. defend itself Some snakes have venomous fangs. Let’s PREDICT Suppose you moved a polar bear to a rain forest. How might the bear survive there? Can he adapt?.
    [Show full text]
  • List of 28 Orders, 129 Families, 598 Genera and 1121 Species in Mammal Images Library 31 December 2013
    What the American Society of Mammalogists has in the images library LIST OF 28 ORDERS, 129 FAMILIES, 598 GENERA AND 1121 SPECIES IN MAMMAL IMAGES LIBRARY 31 DECEMBER 2013 AFROSORICIDA (5 genera, 5 species) – golden moles and tenrecs CHRYSOCHLORIDAE - golden moles Chrysospalax villosus - Rough-haired Golden Mole TENRECIDAE - tenrecs 1. Echinops telfairi - Lesser Hedgehog Tenrec 2. Hemicentetes semispinosus – Lowland Streaked Tenrec 3. Microgale dobsoni - Dobson’s Shrew Tenrec 4. Tenrec ecaudatus – Tailless Tenrec ARTIODACTYLA (83 genera, 142 species) – paraxonic (mostly even-toed) ungulates ANTILOCAPRIDAE - pronghorns Antilocapra americana - Pronghorn BOVIDAE (46 genera) - cattle, sheep, goats, and antelopes 1. Addax nasomaculatus - Addax 2. Aepyceros melampus - Impala 3. Alcelaphus buselaphus - Hartebeest 4. Alcelaphus caama – Red Hartebeest 5. Ammotragus lervia - Barbary Sheep 6. Antidorcas marsupialis - Springbok 7. Antilope cervicapra – Blackbuck 8. Beatragus hunter – Hunter’s Hartebeest 9. Bison bison - American Bison 10. Bison bonasus - European Bison 11. Bos frontalis - Gaur 12. Bos javanicus - Banteng 13. Bos taurus -Auroch 14. Boselaphus tragocamelus - Nilgai 15. Bubalus bubalis - Water Buffalo 16. Bubalus depressicornis - Anoa 17. Bubalus quarlesi - Mountain Anoa 18. Budorcas taxicolor - Takin 19. Capra caucasica - Tur 20. Capra falconeri - Markhor 21. Capra hircus - Goat 22. Capra nubiana – Nubian Ibex 23. Capra pyrenaica – Spanish Ibex 24. Capricornis crispus – Japanese Serow 25. Cephalophus jentinki - Jentink's Duiker 26. Cephalophus natalensis – Red Duiker 1 What the American Society of Mammalogists has in the images library 27. Cephalophus niger – Black Duiker 28. Cephalophus rufilatus – Red-flanked Duiker 29. Cephalophus silvicultor - Yellow-backed Duiker 30. Cephalophus zebra - Zebra Duiker 31. Connochaetes gnou - Black Wildebeest 32. Connochaetes taurinus - Blue Wildebeest 33. Damaliscus korrigum – Topi 34.
    [Show full text]
  • The Red Fox Applied Animal Behaviour Science
    Author's personal copy Applied Animal Behaviour Science 116 (2009) 260–265 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Applied Animal Behaviour Science journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/applanim Feeding enrichment in an opportunistic carnivore: The red fox Claudia Kistler a,*, Daniel Hegglin b, Hanno Wu¨ rbel c, Barbara Ko¨nig a a Zoologisches Institut, Universita¨tZu¨rich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zu¨rich, Switzerland b SWILD, Urban Ecology & Wildlife Research, Wuhrstrasse 12, CH-8003 Zu¨rich, Switzerland c Division of Animal Welfare and Ethology, Clinical Veterinary Sciences, University of Giessen, D-35392 Giessen, Germany ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: In captive carnivores, species-specific behaviour is often restricted by inadequate feeding Received 18 November 2007 regimens. Feeding live prey is not feasible in most places and food delivery is often Received in revised form 9 September 2008 highly predictable in space and time which is considerably different from the situation in Accepted 16 September 2008 the wild. As a result, captive carnivores are often inactive, show little behavioural Available online 4 November 2008 diversity and are prone to behavioural problems such as stereotypic pacing. Using artificial feeding devices to substitute for natural food resources is a way to address these Keywords: problems. In a group of four red fox (Vulpes vulpes), we compared a conventional feeding Environmental enrichment method to four different methods through the use of feeding enrichment that were Feeding enrichment Foraging based on natural foraging strategies of opportunistic carnivores. Feeding enrichments Red fox consisted of electronic feeders delivering food unpredictable in time which were Vulpes vulpes successively combined with one of the three additional treatments: a self-service food Animal welfare box (allowing control over access to food), manually scattering food (unpredictable in Behavioural diversity space), and an electronic dispenser delivering food unpredictably both in space and time.
    [Show full text]
  • Complex Traits: Dogs — a Model for Modern Genetics
    GGGGGGGGAAAA TTTTTTGGGGGG GGGTGTTTTTTT TTCTCTCTCCCC AAAAAAAACCCC GGGGGGGGGGGG CCCTCTCCTTTT Complex Traits DogsUsing — Dogs A Model as a Model for for Modern Modern GeneticsGenetics Nancy P. Moreno, Ph.D. CCTCCCCCCCCC GGGGGTGGGTGG AAAAAGAAAGAA CCCCCTCCCTCC GGGGGGGTGGGG TTTTCTTTCTTT AAAAATAAATAA AAAAGAGAGAAA TTTTGTTTGTTT CCCTCTCTCTCC © Baylor College of Medicine CTCTCTTTTTTT GAGAGAGAGGGG GAGAGAGAGGGG SOURCES We are grateful to the following individuals and institutions for generously providing us with permission to use their images and source materials in this publication. Pages 1–3: California Department of Fish and Wildlife. © 2017 by Baylor College of Medicine. All rights reserved. Distinguishing between Coyotes, Wolves and Dogs. Printed in the United States of America. Track patterns by Karen Converse. https://www. ISBN: 978-1-944035-08-2 wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Mammals/Gray-Wolf/ Identification Page 4: Wayne, R., and Ostrander, E. Lessons learned from the dog genome. TRENDS in Genetics. 23 (2007): 557-567. Licensed for use March 2, 2016: Elsevier and Copyright Clearance Center: License Number Teacher Resources from the Center for Educational Outreach at Baylor College of Medicine. 3820930088090. http://www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/pii/S0168952507003058# The mark “BioEd” is a service mark of Baylor College of Medicine. Page 5: African wild dog © Michael Gäbler, Wikimedia Commons CC-BY-SA 3.0. Dog (boxer) © Artman1, Development of Complex Traits educational materials was supported, in part, by a grant from licensed for use. Gray wolf © MacNeil Lyons, courtesy the Science Education Partnership Award Program Office of the Director, National Institutes of of the U.S. National Park Service. Arctic fox © Jason Health grant 5R25OD011134 (Principal Investigator, Nancy Moreno, Ph.D.). Activities described in Burrows; Bat-eared fox © Mike Cilliers; Black-backed this book are intended for middle school students under direct supervision of adults.
    [Show full text]
  • Global ICAP Workshop for Canids and Hyaenids Final Report.Pdf
    Global Integrated Collection Assessment and Planning Workshop for Canids and Hyaenids Omaha, NE, US, 19 – 20 March 2016 Final Report Workshop organized by: AZA Canid and Hyaenid Taxon Advisory Group; EAZA Canid and Hyaenid Taxon Advisory Group; ZAA Carnivore Taxon Advisory Group; IUCN SSC Canid Specialist Group; IUCN SSC Hyaenid Specialist Group; and the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG). Workshop financial support provided by: Saint Louis Zoo and a private donation Photo credits (front cover, left to right): Row 1: African wild dog (Yorkshire Wildlife Park); Swift fox (M. Sovada); Darwin fox education (M. Zordan); Fennec fox research (Fitbit; R. Meibaum); Row 2: Culpeo fox (Zoologico Nacional – Parque Metropolitano de Santiago, Chile); spotted hyena (Colchester Zoo); bush dog (M. Jacob); maned wolf (Temaiken Foundation); Row 3: Dhole (B. Gupta); Mexican wolf (J. Fallon); striped hyena (T. Rehse); black‐backed jackal (Amersfoort Zoo) A contribution of the IUCN SSC Conservation Planning Specialist Group IUCN encourages meetings, workshops and other fora for the consideration and analysis of issues related to conservation, and believes that reports of these meetings are most useful when broadly disseminated. The opinions and views expressed by the authors may not necessarily reflect the formal policies of IUCN, its Commissions, its Secretariat or its members. The designation of geographical entities in this book, and the presentation of the material, do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of IUCN concerning the legal status of any country, territory, or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. © Copyright CPSG 2018 Traylor‐Holzer, K., K.
    [Show full text]
  • Canids of the World Wolves, Wild Dogs, Foxes
    INTRODUCTION © Copyright, Princeton University Press. No part of this book may be distributed, posted, or reproduced in any form by digital or mechanical means without prior written permission of the publisher. RECOGNITION The Canid family is a lineage of terrestrial carnivorans, adapted for swift running, which includes Wolves, Coyotes, Jackals, Foxes, Dogs, Dingoes, Dholes and other Dog-like mammals, with a total of 13 genera and at least 37 extant species. They are mostly social animals, living together in family units or small groups and behaving cooperatively. Most are seasonal breeders producing a single litter each year. They exhibit many reproductive and behavioral traits uncommon in other mammals, such as monogamy with paternal care, long-term incorporation of young adults into the social group, alloparenting, inhibition of reproduction in subordinate individuals, monoestrus, and a copulatory tie. They inhabit temperate and tropical forests, savanna, tundra and deserts throughout the world, with the exception of some oceanic islands and Antarctica. Most Canids feed on mammalian prey, but vegetable matter, carrion, and invertebrates are also an important source of food in many species. Size and body shape (fig. 1): Canids vary widely in size, from the Gray Wolf, which may be up to 160 cm long, and can weigh up to 80 kg, to the diminutive Fennec Fox, which may be as little as 24 cm in length, and weighs less than 1 kg. Most Fox species weigh 1.5 to 9.0 kg, while most other species are 5 to 27 kg. Body lengths (without tail) range between 35 and 160 cm, and tail lengths are approximately 12 to 56 cm.
    [Show full text]
  • Fennec Fox by Guy Belleranti
    Name: __________________________________ The Big-Eared, Bushy-Tailed Fennec Fox by Guy Belleranti In the deserts of North Africa and Saudi Arabia lives the smallest of all foxes with the largest of ears. This animal is the fennec fox. Fennec foxes have ears that are 5 to 6 inches long. That's big for an animal that weighs less than four pounds. Their ears help shed body heat. And, as you may have guessed, they also provide great hearing. It's interesting to compare the big ears of fennec foxes to the small ears of arctic foxes. Arctic foxes live in cold climates, so they don't need to shed Fennec foxes live in small communities of burrows heat. Instead, they need to save heat. Big ears or dens. They spend most of the day sleeping in would not save heat and would probably even their dens, out of the hot sun. Then, when night cause an arctic fox to get frostbitten! comes, out they come in search of food. In addition to their great hearing, fennecs also use It's also interesting to think about the hair of their great sense of smell and big eyes to track fennec foxes. Why would a fox that lives in the down dinner. Animals that are active at night are desert need a thick, fur coat? Actually, the called nocturnal. desert isn't always warm. During the nighttime, a desert can be downright cold! A fennec fox's fur Like other foxes, fennecs are omnivores. This keeps them warm during those chilly desert means they eat both meat and plants.
    [Show full text]
  • Grade 1 Animal Safari 2020 Fox: Lilly, Shannon, Harper, Olivia, Marcus
    Grade 1 Animal Safari 2020 Fox: Lilly, Shannon, Harper, Olivia, Marcus • Foxes are small to medium sized. • The most common fox is the red fox and the smallest is the Fennec Fox • They are Mammals • Foxes are omnivores they eat plants, rabbits, animals, birds, mice, snakes and fish • They can hear up to 40 meters away • They live in dens which can be in logs, under rocks, and in the ground • Structural adaptations: • Retractable claws so they can climb trees and get away from predators • Bushy tails keep their nose and feet warm and to talk to other animals • Fur on their paws stop them from slippin on ice • Their coloring changes to help them blend in during each season • They have short ears to hear their prey. They can hear it moving underground and will pounce on it • Behavioral adaptations: • They walk along the same tracks to prevent other animals from finding them • How are babies and adults alike or different: • They have same coloring, 4 legs, a tail and a pointed muzzle • Babies are smaller and weigh less than adults • How do adults keep babies safe? • Mothers keeps babies warm and safe in the den and teach them to catch prey at 12 weeks old • Fathers protect the den from predators Foxes By: Shannon https://app.writereader.com/library/book/4db7eba5-7839-48bf-9ded-7aa433737132 Foxes By: Lilly https://app.writereader.com/library/book/2631fcb9-e1ae-4851-9d38-1bd2e6800da5 The Fennec Fox By: Marcus Giraffe: Buddy, Nora, Joey, Isaiah • Giraffes live in the Savannah and African Grasslands • They eat African leaves and vines • Their tongues are 18-20 inches long and are black and blue • Giraffes feet are the size of a dinner plate • They run quickly at 35 MPH • A baby giraffe is called a calf • Giraffes only need 5-30 minutes of sleep each day • Structural Adaptations • Long neck - so it can reach high and eat leaves off trees and see predators from far away • Long legs - to run fast away from predators • Long tongue - to grab many leaves • They only drink every couple of days but can go weeks without it.
    [Show full text]