Manitoulin Island Radio ~ Kidz Page 1: Unusual Animals

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Page 1

10 Unusual Animals

The list of Unusual Animals below is from InfoPlease,
and is here as a means for issuing a Challenge to
All Grade-School Kidz to Find and Email
kidz1@manitoulinisland-radio.net
or Regular Mail [our Sheguiandah Address]
us Photographs of each Animal!

The First Kidz to send us [by Email and by
Regular Mail] the Most Photographs

will get a Bunch of Manitoulin Island-Radio Free-Stuff!!

Bongo ~ Africa
The Bongo is known for its graceful, spiraled horns and beautiful striped hide.
Timid, well camouflaged, and mostly nocturnal, it is one of Africa's most
mysterious animals. The largest of all forest antelopes, bongos measure up to
four feet at the shoulder.

Capybara ~ South America
Is it a four-foot-long guinea pig? No, this short-tailed, sleepy-eyed beast is a
Capybara - the world's largest rodent. Its semi-webbed feet help make it a good
swimmer, and it spends much of its time around water or wallowing in mud
with other Capybaras.

Civet ~ Africa and Asia
This silky cat-shaped mammal is remarkable for its beautiful spots, raccoon-
like face, and unusual scent, which was once used in making perfumes. Civets
grow two to three feet long (not including the long tail). They will eat most
anything, from meat to fruit.

Echidna ~ Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania
The spiny Echidna is one of only two monotremes-egg-laying mammals.
It spends most of its time alone, burrowing in the ground and catching
insects with its long sticky tongue. Echidnas grow about 18 inches long and
have a simple oblong shape.

Jerboa ~ Africa and Asia
Its long, powerful back legs make this mouse-sized rodent a jumping wonder-
it can leap ten feet in a single bound. Fortunately, its long tail helps it
balance. A Jerboa never drinks, relying only on the moisture found in the
bugs and plants that it eats.

Local Exotic Cave-Dweller ~ Sheguiandah, Manitoulin Island
© 2002 by SLaF, Cricket Hill ~ The Digital Darkroom,
Original Digital Photography, All Rights Reserved

Kinkajou ~ The Americas
With its slim dark body and clever paws, you can see that this mammal is
related to our raccoon. The Kinkajou's long grasping tail helps it travel
around its home in the rainforest trees. Although its diet is varied, its love
of honey earned it the nickname "honey-bear."

Kiwi ~ New Zealand
One look at the rounded brownish body of this flightless bird will tell you
where the Kiwi fruit got its name. The kiwi bird itself was named for its
memorable call. A Kiwi weighs from three to nine pounds, depending on
the species, and has a long beak with nostrils.

Okapi ~ Africa
The Okapi looks like it might be part zebra and part giraffe. In fact, it is
related to the giraffe, though it is only about five feet high at the shoulder
and has a much shorter neck. A mammal, it has a red-brown body and
dazzling white stripes on its legs and bottom.

Pangolin ~ Africa and Asia
No, it's not an ant-eating dachshund in an aardvark suit. It's a scaly,
short-legged mammal that comes out at night to search for bugs. It has
no teeth, but its sticky tongue can stretch two feet long. Shy and quiet, a
Pangolin will curl into a ball when frightened.

Tarsier ~ Southeast Asia
Oh, those eyes-a Tarsier's huge round eyes may be its most stunning
feature. Then again, this squirrel-sized primate is also notable for its
night vision and its ability to turn its head almost all the way around.
It lives entirely in trees; on the ground it can only hop.