1. Mammals From A to Z By: Christine Jayroe

2. A is for Anteater The anteater lives in rainforests and grasslands in Central South America. They walk on their knuckles instead of its paws because they do not want to ruin their nails. The anteater eats up to 30,00 ants and termites a day. Its tongue can stretch out to 2 feet. National Geographic

3. B is for Bison Bison's eat grass, plants, and berries. They can weigh up to 2,000 pounds! Also, Bison can run up to 55 kilometers per hour and are excellent swimmers. You can find Bison in Canada, the United States, and parts of Mexico. National Geographic

4. C is for Cheetah Cheetahs live and hunt mainly in open grasslands and bushy areas in parts of Africa and the Middle East. They eat hares, impalas, wildebeest calves, and gazelles. After a chase, a cheetah needs half an hour to catch its breath before it can eat. When a cheetah is running at top speed, it covers 23 feet in only four footfalls. National Geographic

5. D is for Dolphin Dolphin’s eat squid and fish. They use echolocation to navigate and hunt, listening for the echoes. They can swim up to 20 miles an hour. Dolphin's have a thick layer of fat called blubber just under the skin that helps keep them warm.

6. E is for Elephant The elephant is the largest animal that lives on land. They live in the grasslands of Africa and in the forests of Asia. Elephants smell, drink, eat, fight, and wash themselves with their long trunks. They eat 200 pounds of good and drink 30-50 gallons of water every day. National Geographic

7. F is for Fox Foxes sleep all day, and play all night. They eat rodents like rabbits, mice, and squirrels. Most foxes live for only 3 years.

8. G is for Giraffe The giraffe is the tallest animal in the world! They live in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia. Giraffe’s are vegetarians and mostly eat the leaves of the acadia tree. They only sleep about a half an hour a day!

9. H is for Hippopotamus Hippos can weigh up to 3-1/2 tons! They live in Africa. They can not survive without being in the water everyday, otherwise their skin will get too dry. Hippos eat 130 pounds of vegetable a day! lhric.org z.about.com

10. I is for Impala The impala lives in wide open plains in Africa. They mostly eat grass and leaves. Impala’s have a scent gland above their hoof that helps them find their way back home. africanfauna.com

11. J is for Jackrabbit Jackrabbit’s are found in deserts and scrublands in Central and Western North America. Their powerful hind legs can propel them on leaps of more than ten feet! They use leaps and zigzag running style to escape their predators. Most Jackrabbit’s eat grasses, sagebrush, and cacti. National Geographic

12. K is for Koala The koala live on the East coast of Australia. They eat eucalytus leaves, which are poisonous to most animals. Koala’s sleep between 18 and 22 hours a day. They usually don’t have to drink water because they get enough moisture from leaves they eat. They baby koala called “joey” stays in its mother’s pouch for the first six months of its life.

13. L is for Lion You can hear a lion’s roar from 5 miles away. They live in grassy plains, savanna, and open woodlands in Africa. Lion’s usually eat large animals, such as zebra and wildebeest. kritterfacts.com

14. M is for Monkey Monkey’s use their hands, feet, and their tail to hold on and swing from branches. They are very social animals. If they stare at you, it is a threat. Monkey’s are found all over the world. They show aggression when they pull up their lip to show their teeth. When monkey’s groom each other, it is the best way to make up after fighting, or to make friends with other troop members. cloudforestvoices.com

15. is for Nutria The nutria is a large semi-aquatic rodent. They are capable of fast overland travel, but are slow swimmers. Nutria’s like to eat vegetables before sunrise and after sunset. N

16. O is for Opossum Opossum’s are omnivores and eat a variety of things like persimmons, corn, apples, berries, small mammals, insects, and fruit. They play “laying possum” as a defensive by falling to its side so it appears to be dead until the danger is over. Opossum’s have poor eyesight, but their hearing and sense of smell are very good. Kritterfacts.com

17. P is for Panther The black panther can be found in dense tropical rain forest of Southeast Asia. Deer and hog are the preferred prey for panthers. These skilled hunters creep up as close to their prey as possible, and launch a short spring attack. mvisd.com

18. Q is for Quagga This extinct animal is closely related to the horse and zebra. It was a yellowish-brown zebra with stripes only on its head, neck, and forebody. The quagga was native to the desert areas of Africa. petermaas.nl

19. R is for Rabbit Rabbits can see behind them, but have a blind spot in front of their face. When rabbits are happy, they will jump and twist. Predators can scare a rabbit to death! In their natural habitat, they eat grass, weeds, leaves, shoots, twigs, crops, roots, fruit, and vegetables.

20. S is for Skunk Skunk’s are nocturnal who eat fruit and plants, insects, larvae, worms, eggs, reptiles, small mammals, and fish. You can find them all over America. A skunk’s spray is an oily liquid produced by glands under its tail. It does not cause any damage to its victims, but it makes them feel uncomfortable and lingers on for many days. National Geographic National Geographic

21. T is for Tiger The tiger is the only cat that has striped fur. They live in the forests in Asia. Tigers mostly eat wild boar. They like to live alone because another tiger can sneak up on its prey that is trying to catch.

22. U is for Uganda Kob The Uganda kob is a medium-sized antelope that feeds on green grasses in East Africa. To mark their territory boundaries, the males whistle. Uganda Kob’s predators are cheetahs, lions, hyenas, African wild dogs, and snakes. Seaworld.com mapendanovoyages.com

23. V is for Vampire Bat Vampire bat’s feed on blood from cows, pigs, horses, and birds. They make a small cut with their teeth and lap up the flowing blood with their tongues. They can drink blood from an animal for 30 minutes without waking it up. Vampire bat’s can walk, run, and jump. Its body is about the size of your thumb! National Geographic

24. W is for Walrus Walruses eat mostly shellfish. You usually see them on the shore of the artic coastline. They have air sacs in their necks that let them keep their heads above water when they sleep. Walruses can swim up to 22 miles an hour!

25. X is for Xerus A xerus is a South African ground squirrel. They have sharp claws so they can dig holes underground so they can runaway from predators and from sand storms. When it is hot outside, the xerus lies flat on its belly in the shade, and flicks sand on its back. Xerus’ eat leaves, grass, stems, bulbs, seeds, roots, and insects. gateway-africa.com

26. Y is for Yak Yak’s live in apline meadows and on the steppes in Asia. They live at the highest altitude of any mammal. They graze on grasses, herbs, moss, lichens, and tubers. Yak’s can also survive temperatures as low as -40 degrees! thejunglestore.com

27. Z is for Zebra Zebra’s mostly live off of grass in Africa. They can run up to 35 miles per hour! Some zebra’s have brown stripes instead of black stripes. Zebras must be constantly looking out for lions and hyenas. If one is attacked, its family will come to its defense, circling the wounded zebra and attempting to drive off the predator. National Geographic