Welcome to the Wild Animal page! Â "Wild animals are a fascinating and joy-inspiring part of our world. We can learn so much by studying them and learning more about the habitats, food webs, and social communities to which they belong. Did you know that many different kinds of scientists study animals -- to learn more about the human world? It's true!
Ecologists learn about human kind's place in the fragile web of life by studying the needs and health of the animals (and plants) that share our planet. Meanwhile, psychologists and anthropologists learn about human evolution, social bonding, reproductive drives and much more by studying the habits and anatomy of non-human, animal relatives (both distant and near). Even medical doctors learn from animals by studying their venoms, bacteria, self-healing abilities and so on in an effort to unlock new ways to heal the human body.
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But as the great naturalist John Muir taught us, animals -- and in fact all of our natural world -- offer another kind of benefit as well. And that is that quiet time spent out in nature, observing wildlife, has the power to uplift the human spirit. The beauty, courage, and tenderness of animals touches us.
And outdoors, surrounded by the wonder of nature, a sense of quite joy, of wonder, wells up inside us. For a moment, we simply ARE. Perhaps we even notice that our human mind, with all it's busy thoughts, is not the only important force in the world. Life itself, flowing from a power greater than ourselves, is at work all around us. And we are a part of that Life.
We invite you to spend more time with the animals. Visit a wildlife preserve. Play with your pet. Observe the animals that live in the zoo. Observe with your heart as well as your mind. See what you find out.
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Listed below are a good many resources to help your learn more about your favorite animals. Be sure to also visit our page on Saving the Environment to find out what you can do to help endangered animal species and to preserve the habitats of those who are not endangered (yet).
Animal facts from
Animal Planet! This multimedia site includes sound bytes,
pictures, text, and documentary clips to help you learn about
each kind of animal.
Here's a great place to look up
fascinating and accurate info on all your favorite animals!
Offers A to Z creature features, plus news and stories, incredible
photos, and wallpaper for your computer. You can even use their
Local Wildlife Guides to find out about native plant and animal
species in your area. (Just enter your zip code.) Printable
coloring pages as well.
Suited to older students, this
is an excellent collection
of articles, web pages, and breaking news on a wide variety of topics
related to animal behavior and biology. Lots of unusual
links.
You may have heard of a wolf "pack" or
a dolphin "pod", but what about an "army" of frogs or a "skulk" of
foxes? Learn the names for all kinds of animal groups -- as
well as what to call the male and female of each species, and their
offspring.
In the fathomless depths of the ocean,
where it's so far from the surface that even can't penetrate, live
bizarre creatures with adaptations so strange they seem like science
fiction. Part of the
Extreme Science website.
This site by the American Museum of
Natural History presents an online exhibition showing various
endangered animals, the reasons for the problem, an informative fact
sheet on each animal species, as well as some fun pages with legends
and coloring. There's even information on endangered habitats,
such as coral reefs, the Olympic Peninsula, Madagascar, and the
Kapuas River region of Borneo.
Learn about the difference between
frogs and toads, meet some really strange and wacky frog species,
and find out all about the life cycle and adaptations of different
frog types. Part of the great
FrogLandsite with lots of cool
frog photos.
<This is useful site for learning about
the various creatures that make up the family crocodilian.
Great facts and links, plus myth busting! Photographs
illustrate the differences between the various crocs and gators.
Great for school reports.
A great place to learn about gorillas,
including Koko, the gorilla who can speak to us in sign language.
You can actually watch online footage of Koko signing, plus view
other interesting online videos. Now you can also check
out KOKO'S
KIDS CLUB, with facts and images especially for younger
gorilla fans!
Help continue Dian Fossey's legendary work to save the mountain
gorilla. Adopt your own gorilla and be a long
distance gorilla foster parent. You will get a
special profile on your gorilla and a framed photo. Visit
the site to learn more or to learn what else you can do to help
these very special animals. (Be sure to visit the
Gorilla
Foundation web site for even more about gorillas.)
Hosted by the
American Library Association, this site features a listing of high
quality educational sites about animals. (Check out their other
link topics too, like history and geology.) Be sure to check out
their special listing of pages devoted to
sharks!
Infrared light shows us the heat radiated by the world around us. By viewing
animals with a thermal infrared camera, we can actually "see" the
differences between
warm and cold-blooded
animals. Infrared also allows us to study how well feathers, fur and
blubber insulate animals. Check the images on the Infrared Zoo to
see for yourself!
To learn
more about infrared, visit the
Cool Cosmos.
The quickest
way to take action for the environment. This site features
news in the world of wildlife conservation and environmental
issues, and highlights specific actions you can take -- right
now -- to help with wetlands preservation, ending government
funded harm to the environment, and urging government to take
positive action on behalf of wildlife. Be sure to check
out their cool stuff for kids
including their excellent
action tips. (Be sure to check out
Green Home.
Courtesy of the San Diego Zoo.
Check in and see what the pandas are up to. Then visit their
Panda Central
to find out fun panda facts and photos. Be sure to check out
there
Animal Bytes to learn more about your other favorite animal
species.
Giant PandasWritten and
illustrated by Gail Gibbons. 32pp. This fascinating book
provides factual information about giant pandas. It is an introduction
to the physical characteristics, behavior, life cycle, and habitat of
these endangered animals. Colorful illustrations accompany the text.
Animals make much the
same sounds around the world, but each language expresses them
differently. English and French cows sound the same, but not in
English and French! Explore the sounds of the world's languages
through the sounds of the world's animals.
This is the place to view and learn
about tigers. Tiger facts, fun games, tiger photos and art,
plus conservation info and the latest research, news and discoveries.
This site combines great guessing
games with fun animal trivia. For example, did you know that
some kinds of fish give birth to live baby fish -- from eggs that
hatch inside the mother's body?
Play the echolocation
game, try some fun crosswords and word searches, and do some puzzles
-- you're just getting started with this fun site that's all about
bats.
Love the illustrations in those DK
educational books? Check out their free clip art!
These are the super high quality, eye-popping illustrations that you
would expect from DK...and totally free! Great for
illustrating school reports or art projects. This clip art can be used at home
or school, but not for commercial purposes.
Interactive
Adventures, the Cartoon Factory, funny fill-in the blanks stories
and photo gags plus mazes, quizzes, word searches, photo
guessing games, and more.
Combine the parts of regular wild
animals to make up your own wacky new animals in this
wonderfully silly online game. Will it be a Zebraphant, or a
Pigtah?
This printable worksheet asks kids to
find an animal that has the adaptation in the picture (such as
stripes or claws) and list the species, where it lives, and how the
adaptation helps!
From the Birmingham Zoo.
Read the clues and visit the zoo -- or
do some research online -- to figure out which animals the clues
describe. You'll learn some interesting animal facts along the
way.
From the Birmingham Zoo.
From DLTK, this site features an A-Z
listing of different craft activities: puppets, masks,
coloring, holiday decorations, and more. Great for preschool
crafts projects.
But as the great naturalist John Muir taught us, animals -- and in fact all of our natural world -- offer another kind of benefit as well. And that is that quiet time spent out in nature, observing wildlife, has the power to uplift the human spirit. The beauty, courage, and tenderness of animals touches us.
