The Siberian Tiger

The Siberian Tiger is the world's largest cat. Other names for this feline are Amur Tiger, Manchurian Tiger and Ussuri Tiger. Local people think of the Siberian Tiger as almost God-like and refer to it as "Grandfather" or "Old Man" with respect. Even the most elite unit of the Chinese Imperial Army in the Manchu Qing Dynasty is called Hu Shen Yin, meaning "The Tiger God Army".


Among the tiger subspecies, the Siberian Tiger is the larges, with male Siberian Tigers as long as a stationwagon! The Siberian Tiger has the palest orange coat and the fewest stripes. Each tiger has its own stripe pattern, just the way humans have fingerprints. Researchers can identify individual tigers by their unique stripes.

Tigers are very patient, following their prey for 20 to 30 minutes before pouncing. They used their powerful jaws to grab a prey by the neck to suffocate it. Tigers' rough tongues are used to scrape of the last bits of meat from the bones of the meal. Tigers rely on their colors as camouflage; their black stripes provide the perfect cover while they wait for prey in the tall grass.

Despite the fact that the Siberian Tiger (and other tigers) is a symbol of strenth and courage and are admired, there are only 450 Siberian Tigers left on the CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES list. Most of these large cats are already in zoos and are protected. The Siberian Tiger is not that difficult to breed in captivity; it is when they are released in the wild that they are not able to survive. Some reasons for the endangered classification of the Siberian Tiger include:

1. Hunting - The Siberia Tiger is hunted mainly for sport. Others hunt it so that the tiger will not attack a village or livestock. Tiger parts are also valued for the medicines made out of them. Trade in tiger skin is also increasing.

2. Habitat loss - As land becomes developed to meet the demand for houses and other buildings, the environment of the Siberian Tiger shrinks as well. This includes natural prey species that the tiger hunts. With the presence of more people, even the tigers' meals are being hunted.

Siberian Tiger Fast Facts

Scientific Name: Panthera Tigris Altaica
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Height: 10.75 feet long
Weight: 660 pounds
Range: Russia, China, North Korea
Diet: red deer, boar, hare, rabbit, fish, bears

To make your own zoo habitat for the Siberian Tiger, click on the image or here.

The Florida Panther

The Florida Panther is a subspecies of the mountain lion. It is the state animal of the state of Florida and is one of the most endangered animals on earth. Other names for the panther include mountain lion, cougar, puma, painter and catamount.



This slender wild cat is powerfully built and very agile, as most felines are. They are tawny brown in color, have long bodies and unusually long back legs. These back legs give the panther the ability to have bursts of high-speed running and jumping, used to kill its prey. The Florida has a long neck, a small broad head and a long cylindrical tail with a black tip.

The Florida Panther is a habitat generalist - which means that it lives in a variety of habitats like forests, prairies and swamps. They like to be alone and will travel hundreds of miles within their home range. This characteristic requires a minimum space of 200 square miles (75 square miles for females) for the Florida Panther. That's a lot of space!

A long time ago, the panther could easily be found all over the eastern United States. Now, there are only 30 to 50 panthers left, all found in Florida or a state park or a zoo. With these numbers, the Florida Panther is on the CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES list of animals due to the following:

1. Habitat loss - This is mainly due to the developing that people do. The Florida Panther's environment is lost because trees are cut down, land is taken away for home and buildings or for farming.

2. Collision with vehicles - As the Florida Panther roams the land in search for food or mates, it has to cross roads and highways, which are always deadly for the animal. Conservationist groups have been working to put up more Wildlife Crossing areas to make it safer for the panthers and other wildlife to cross safely under roads and highways.

3. Territorial disputes between panthers - Although this is normal behavior between male panthers, this has increased because habitat loss makes territorial areas for each male Florida Panther smaller and smaller.

4. Poisoning - Environmental toxins find themselves in the Florida Panther, which are fatal. From the pollution that people produce which goes in the air, it goes into the swamps and rivers of the environment and is absorbed. The animals that eat and drink from these places also absorb the poison. And the Florida Panther, at the top of the food chain, eats these same animals that have absorbed the toxins.

Florida Panther Fast Facts

Scientific Name: Puma Concolor Coryi
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Height: 3.25 to 5.25 feet
Weight: 132 pounds
Range: Florida, USA
Diet: white deer, rabbit, racoon, armadillo, birds

To answer a crossword puzzle about the Florida Panther, click on the image or here.

The Giant Ibis

The Giant Ibis, a wading bird, is found in northern Cambodia and southern Laos in Asia. This huge bird has a large, curved bill and makes a loud ringing call which sounds like "a-leurk-a-leurk".


The adult Giant Ibis is dark with a bald head and neck. There are dark bands across the back of the head and shoulders and the pale wings have black bars across them. Younger Giant Ibises have short black feathers on the back of the head down to the neck. Bills are shorter and their eyes are brown.

The Giant Ibis has official protection from conservationists in both Laos and Cambodia. Both countries are campaigning to reduce the hunting of these large water birds; the Giant Ibis is being displayed on banners and other materials to make the public more aware about this almost-extinct bird.

With only 250 birds in the world, the Giant Ibis is a CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES. With so few birds, there are no current research projects that focus on the Giant Ibis. Some reasons that are known to have caused them to be on the endangered list:

1. Habitat loss - Continued trade in logging from Cambodia and Laos cause the deforestation of the natural environments of the Giant Ibis.

2. Hunting - The public, who are not aware of the importance and rarity of the Giant Ibis, continue to hunt the bird for sport and for trophy. There are steps being taken to control gun and rifle ownership.

Giant Ibis Fast Facts

Scientific Name: Thaumatibis Gigantea
Type: Bird
Diet: Carnivore
Height: 40 to 42 inches
Weight: 9 pounds
Range: Cambodia, Laos
Diet: locusts, seeds, crustaceans, small reptiles

To make an origami of the Ibis, click on the image or here.

The Sea Otter

The Sea Otter is the heaviest member of the weasel family. It is also among the smallest marine mammal. It is the only marine mammal that does not have blubber (layer of fat) to keep it warm. Instead, its very thick, dense fur traps warm air close to the body to keep the Sea Otter from feeling cold! How dense is this Sea Otter fur? Try fitting 100,000 strands of hair on the size of a postage stamp!


Another unusual thing about the Sea Otter is that it has flexible fingers and can grab prey with their paws! The are often seen with a clam and a rock in their paws; with the rock against their chest, they smash the shellfish into it until it breaks open. Other food that the Sea Otter loves are seq urchins crabs, squid, octopus and fish.

After a meal, the Sea Otter cleans itself by washing themselves in the ocean, cleaning their coat with its teeth and paws. Cleaning its coat ensures that the coat remains waterproof and will provide the insulation against the cold air and water.

The Sea Otter is one animal that truly adapts to its environment. Its nostrils and small ear can close when it dives in the water. Its hind feet are long, broad and fully webbed, allowing the Sea Otter to swim strongly in the water. The tail is short, thick, flat and muscular. This helps the Sea Otter in its swimming as well. The front paws are short with claws that appear when the Sea Otter grabs its prey. Its highly sensitive whiskers and front paws help find prey by touch when the water is dark or murky.

The Sea Otter is an ENDANGERED SPECIES, with only 5,000 Sea Otters left in the world. They used to number anywhere from 100,000 to 137,000 in the 1980s. But several things have happened to cause their numbers to dwindle:

1. Oil spills - This is the most significant threat to the Sea Otter. When oil spills in the ocean and soaks the Sea Otter's dense fur, the fur loses its ability to retain air, and the Sea Otter quickly dies from hypothermia.

2. Diseases - Toxoplasma gondii infection and acanthocephalan parasite infection are major causes of Sea Otter deaths. These parasites come from cat poop dropped and flushed into the ocean from the sewage systems. These parasites are fatal to the Sea Otter.

3. Reduction of food - As the world population grows, the need for food grows as well. People take more and more food from the ocean, and this includes the food of the Sea Otter.

Sea Otter Fast Facts

Scientific Name: Enhydra Lutris
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Height: 4 feet
Weight: 65 pounds
Range: Pacific Ocean
Diet: fish, clams, snails, crabs, sea urchins

To solve a jigsaw puzzle of an otter, click on the image or here.

The Mountain Gorilla

The gorilla is the largest of all primates. It is a peaceful, family-oriented, plant-eating animal. Older, adult male gorillas are also called Silverbacks, because of the almost-silver colored fur that grows down their backs when they reach "maturity" at 13 years old. Gorillas are intelligent animals and have even learned simple human sign language in captivity!


The Mountain Gorilla has longer and darker hair than any other gorilla species. It is also the largest of all gorillas. Although it can climb trees, the Mountain Gorilla likes to be on the ground and lives with a troop of 30 other gorillas. If humans have fingerprints, then gorillas have nose prints; it is said that no two gorilla noses are alike! In fact, researches have photographed gorillas' noses while in the wild to help them identify individual gorillas!

Gorillas LOVE to eat. It's their favorite activity. A male gorilla can eat as much as 75 pounds of vegetation a day, while a female can eat as much as 40 pounds a day. Gorillas need this amount of food to help them move their huge size.

For unknown reasons, the Mountain Gorilla is naturally afraid of certain reptiles. They are also afraid of water and will cross streams only if they can do so without getting wet.

A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES, there are only 700 Mountain Gorillas left in the world. Some reasons for their few numbers:

1. Hunting/Poaching - Mountain Gorillas have been killed for their heads, hands and feet, which are sold to collectors. Infant gorillas are captured and sold to zoos, researchers and people who want them as pets!

2. Habitat loss - People's need for more land and food means lesser trees and lesser land for the Mountain Gorilla to live in.

3. Disease - Humans and gorillas are similar enough that gorillas can also get the same diseases as humans, especially in places where tourists visit the gorillas in their natural habitat.

4. War and civil unrest - In central Africa, many wars and civil unrest put the Mountain Gorilla directly in the middle of both sides.

Mountain Gorilla Fast Facts
Scientific Name: Gorilla Bteringei Beringei
Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Height: 4 to 6 feet
Weight: 300 to 485 pounds
Range: Uganda, Congo, Rwanda
Diet: roots, shoots, fruits, pulp, tree bark

To make an origami model of the Mountain Gorilla, click here or here.

The Snow Leopard

Snow Leopards are rarely seen in the wild because they live in very high mountains. Their shyness and amazing ability to disappear among the snow and rocks (i.e., their coloring provides perfect camouflage for their surroundings) gives them a legendary reputation. Local stories in many countries describe the Snow Leopards as shape-changing sprites/fairies or "ghost cats".


The Snow Leopard has thick very thick fur. Its wide feet, covered in fur as well, act as natural snowshoes. It has powerful legs and can leap as far as 50 feet! These legs are used to travel between cliffs and across ravines. The Snow Leopard uses its tail for balance and as a blanket against the cold mountain air.

This white feline feeds on whatever is available in its surroundings. It prefers blue sheep and ibex, but will eat smaller animals like game birds, marmots and rodents. It will even turn to livestock if it is very hungry. The Snow Leopard prefers to kill its meal from above, using its powerful legs to leap down (and across) when needed. It can bring down an animal up to three times its weight!

The Snow Leopard is on the ENDANGERED SPECIES list. There are only 6,000 Snow Leopards left in the world. Some reasons why this beautiful cat is endangered:

1. Hunting - The Snow Leopard is hunted for its rare and beautiful coat of fur. Its body parts are also valued for traditional Chinese medicine.

2. Taste for domestic animals - This occurs mostly during the winter, when most mammal prey hibernate. The Snow Leopard will venture into areas where herders have their livestock to eat. To protect their livestock, herders need to kill the Snow Leopard.

3. Vanishing habitat - As populations grow, the natural habitats of animals are reduced. With less and less places to live and hunt, the Snow Leopard may be in danger of becoming extinct.

Snow Leopard Fast Facts
Scientific Name: Panthera Uncia
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Height: 4 to 5 feet
Weight: 60 to 120 pounds
Range: Central Asia
Diet: blue sheep, boar, marmot, ibex, rodents

Here's a video from the Snow Leopard Trust, taken from YouTube:

The Red Wolf

Wolves are the largest members of the dog family. Although we know from our fairy tales that wolves are villains (think of The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf), wolves aren't really that big or bad. Wolves are natural predators that hunt and eat other animals; it doesn't matter that they are from the dog family, they must never be treated as pets. They are wild animals. This is their nature.

The Red Wolf is unusual because this species actually became extinct in the wild in 1980. It was the top predator in the Southeastern United States. Hunting and the clearing of the forests where the Red Wolf roamed reduced the entire population of the animal to just 17 wolves in 1980!
The Red Wolf has a brownish, cinnamon-colored fur with black and gray on the back and tail. Its muzzle has white fur around the lips. Their ears are larger in size than regular wolves. Their jaws are powerful, which can bite through most animal hides. The Red Wolf usually hunts at night, dawn or dusk in a pack, a group of 20 or so wolves. It is almost exclusively a meat-eater, feasting on deer, sheep, goats, rabbits and rodents. Unlike the Gray Wolf, the Red Wolf has not been recorded to attack people.A Red Wolf will travel up to 20 miles to search for food.

Once practically extinct, the Red Wolf has been put on the CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES list. Thanks to scientists and conservationists who believed in the importance of bringing back and nurturing back the Red Wolf, there are thought to be some 300 Red Wolves in the world, with most of them in captivity.

Some new threats to the Red Wolf species include:

1. Presence of coyotes - Interbreeding with coyotes threaten the Red Wolf recovery program. Conservationists want to keep the Red Wolf line as pure as possible, but they have noticed that coyotes appear when there is a Red Wolf population in a place, no matter how small.

2. Diseases from domestic dogs - When the recovery program attempted to start a second breeding program, the Red Wolf pups often picked up diseases normally seen in pet dogs. Adult wolves also started moving away from the protected areas.

3. Loss of habitat - Forests and hills where the Red Wolf roams has been getting fewer and fewer as more people begin to demand more space. Only a few protected habitat for the Red Wolf remain.

4. Public perception of wolves - This has been the hardest to change, according to the conservationists. People would hear the word "wolf" and they begin to imagine all sorts of bad things happening, which has not been good for the Red Wolf recovery program at all.

More information on the Red Wolf Recovery Program can be found here.

Red Wolf Fast Facts
Scientific Name: Canis Rufus
Type: Mammal
Diet: Carnivore
Height: 3 to 5.25 feet
Weight: 40 to 175 pounds
Range: Southeastern United States
Diet: Goats, sheep, deer, rats, rabbits

To solve a jigsaw puzzle of a wolf, click on the image or here.