Lexi's Cool Animals

        S nap! Snap! An Alligator is a reptile. They are in the crocodilian family but a bit different from Crocodiles. There are two different types of Alligator: the Chinese Alligator and the American Alligator. Alligator or Crocodile? Wild Kratts: Alligators and Crocodiles       J ust as I said Alligators are a bit different from Crocodiles. First of all Alligators are dark grey or just grey and crocs are green or brown. Second of all Alligators snout are more of a U shape and crocs are more of a V shape. Third of all Alligators' bottom teeth are inside and Crocs' bottom teeth always are sticking outside. Finally Alligators are really big, up to 5 meters long while crocs are even bigger! It's true, crocs can grow up to 6 meters long. Diet         W hen young, Alligators eat fish,  insects, snails, crustaceans and worms. As they grow up they will eat things such as larger fish like Gar, turtles and other animals.

    P omeranians make great companions and assistance dogs. They are brave and confident. Pomeranians are descended from big dogs like Samoyeds and  Huskies. They are playful, enthusiastic and energetic. Pomeranians are often used as therapy dogs. Pomeranians like to bark and they are loud.   Good pets       P omeranians make great pets for elderly and busy people. They are also great pets for people who don't have backyards because they are small. They may not be suitable for families with small children who might hurt them accidentally.    Appearance        P omeranians have a foxy- like face. Their fur is soft and comfy. Pomeranians have dark- almond medium-size eyes. They have pointy ears. The tail lies straight and flat over the back. They have thick double coats. The outer coat is long.

    C oyotes are in the dog family. The coyote is a close relative the grey wolf. Coyotes are omnivores which means they eat meat and plants. Coyotes are mammals.  Food       C oyotes will almost eat anything they find. They will eat rabbits, rodents, fish, frogs and even deer. On the coyote's menu--there are also insects, snacks, fruit, grass and carrion. They sometimes kill lambs, calves and other livestock, as well as pets. Many farmers and ranchers call them destructive pests. Skills     C oyotes like to be in the field. They have keen  vision and a strong sense smell; they can run 40 miles ( 64 kilometres ) an hour. In the autumn and winter they form packs for better hunting. Coyotes are smaller than wolves and are sometimes called prairie wolves or brush wolves.

        C heetahs are cats. At up to 70 miles per hour, cheetahs are the fastest animals on land. Cheetahs are carnivores which means they eat meat. Cheetahs first appeared on earth over four million years ago, but cheetahs are now only found in Africa and the Middle East. Diet       Y ou might think well, ok, since cheetahs are the fastest animals on land, nothing can outrun a cheetah. Well, actually, prey sometimes can. Cheetahs eat gazelles, a type of deer. Gazelles can't run as fast as a cheetah but it can run longer in duration than a cheetah. Cheetahs can only run for short distances. They crouch and sneak up on their prey and then pounce like a cat and take off, chasing the prey. Structure      C heetah's skinny  body is made for its running ability. Cheetahs have a long slim tail to turn and balance while running. Cheetahs have claws that can go out when they need to grip the ground and go in when they have to not need to grip. They are not like normal felin

    B lack-  footed ferrets live in North America on the prairie, a grassland plain. Black- footed ferrets are in the weasel family. They eat prairie dogs (rodents that live in a burrow system).  Appearance       B lack- footed ferret has a mask around its eyes like a thief and bandit. It also has black markings around its feet and tail. The black footed ferret's slim body allows it do get into burrow systems to chase prairie dogs. Black footed ferret babies are called kits.  Predators      B lack- footed ferrets' predators are the golden eagle, great horned owls, coyotes, american badgers, bobcats, prairie flacon, hawks, and prairie rattlesnakes. Black- footed ferrets live in groups to protect each other.  

        R inged-tail lemurs live in Madagascar. They are the most common lemur. Lemurs are primates. They are familiar animals at the zoo. Ring-tailed lemurs can grip and hold with their hands but they can not hang with their tails. Meditate       I n the morning, ring-tailed lemurs like to sunbath. They sit in a meditating position and they sunbath for the morning. Ringed-tailed lemurs live in packs so they meditate together and there is a boss and the boss gets the best spot for sunbathing. Marking      R ing- tailed lemurs like to mark their territory. They pee on a tree and scratch it to make the scent stronger. Other lemurs can make out the scent. If other lemurs intrude, the lemurs who own the territory will attack. Food     R inged- tailed lemurs are herbivores. They eat fruit, leaves, flowers, tree bank, sap and nuts.

        S quirrels are tree farmers. They do this   by burying an acorn and wait for it to grow. Squirrels also bury their acorns for food supply. In the winter, there is no food so squirrels find the spot they buried acorns and feed on that. Squirrels have a good memory so they remember exactly the spot! Traveling      S quirrels can climb straight up and straight down. They can travel long distances from tree to tree. Squirrels can jump 6 feet across from a tree. Squirrels are fast; they can sprint up and down a tree. Species      T heir are many different types of squirrels. There are red squirrels, grey squirrels, flying squirrels, ground squirrels etc. There are more than 200 squirrel species all over the world. The most common squirrel is the tree squirrel. Food     S q uirrels are omnivores which mean they eat meat and plants. Squirrels eat nuts, leaves, roots, seeds, acorns and other plants. Squirrels also eat caterpillars and insects.

        C hipmunks are cute, cheeky, and fuzzy brown creatures that live in the North American forest. Chipmunks are rodents. They are a small member of the squirrel family. Depending on the species, chipmunks can be grey or reddish brown. Diet     C hipmunks like to eat nuts, pine cone, acorns, peanuts, berries and grains. Chipmunks are omnivores, meaning they eat meat and plants. Chipmunks have cheek pouches that can store food; they keep food in their mouths so they can snack whenever they want. It's like traveling with a hamper. Shelter       C hipmunks  live in  burrows. They create tunnel systems to move around; they also make nests in logs or bushes. Their tunnel systems can be 10 to 30 feet long. Chipmunks can be found anywhere in the trees.     

        F oxes are sly, sneaky creatures. There are many different types of foxes: red fox, arctic fox, Fennec fox, swift fox, bat-eared fox, Bengal fox, kit fox etc. Foxes are omnivorous which means they eat both meat and plants. Foxes like to eat fish and berries plus chickens if near a farm. Foxes are not in the  WARNING   dog family. I know it sounds crazy; Foxes are a Make sure to coop  type of mammal, relating to dogs but    up your chicken     they are not dogs.       coop or the next day you'll find  your coop abandoned with only feathers  behind. Home     F oxes live in North America. Their home is call a den. The den is made out of dirt. It can sometimes be made by other animals: badger, woodchucks or rabbits. Foxes use their den to raise their litter and then they separate, going off on their own. A fox den is usually in a burrow underground. Birth       F ox babies are called kits. During mating season the female which are called vixens will cry out to let

    T he Border Collie is a working herding dog. It lives between 10 and 14 years with an average of 12 years. The Border Collie is a medium size dog and it has a lot of fur. The Border Collie is widely known as the most intelligent dog breed. Broder Collies are also demanding, playful and energetic. Color coat      T he Border Collie's coat comes in many colors but black and white is most common. However, they also come in black, white-tan, red-white, and black-red-white. There are other colors too such as red and gold or just one single color but these are less common. Their coat is medium length and do not shed too much. Exercise                   T he Border Collie needs to exercise a lot physically and mentally. A long daily walk is not enough; it needs lots of tasks to exercise its body as well as mind to keep it in top shape. So if you are going to run up a steep hill or jog 2 laps in the park, you might want to bring your Mr. Border Collie as well.              WARNING

     H uskies are one of the cold climate animals. They are great at dog sledding so they exercise a lot. Huskies are very good working dogs; they are good at being an alpine search dog. They have lots of fur to keep them warm so they do not like heat. Food      H uskies live in hash weather so food is hard to find. They mainly eat fish and small artic animals. Working huskies get proper dog food. Family     H uskies are in the domestic dog family. They are related to wolves but they don't howl. Instead, they bark, whine, whimper but no howling. Company     H uskies travel in packs like wolves (check my first post on April 3 2016).They corporate and communicate in the pack. They work together and watch out for each other; that's what makes them so good at group dog sledding. 

      O wls are birds; birds are animals who can fly. Owls are closely related to hawks. There are lots of different types of owls like barn owl, great horned owl, burrowing owl, elf owl, snowy owl,  etc . Night animals Photo:  Tim Knight       O wls are nocturnal animals which means they sleep during the day and hunt at night. Owls have big eyes so they can see very well at night. Owls mostly eat furry animals such as mice, rats, moles, squirrels, rabbits and even skunks; owls usually swallow the small animals whole. Owls also eat insects, worms, spiders, frogs, lizards and small birds. Owls can kill animals as big as they are or even bigger. Chick Photo: Wayne Lynch       O wls have their chicks in the nest. The mother lays eggs and then they wait for the eggs to hatch. Baby owls are called owlets. When the owlets are born they are fluffy and do not have feathers but they will grow soon enough.

    W olves have been on earth for years.When the humans came,  they started to be fond of the humans. Humans tamed them and that's how domestic dogs came to life.                   Hunters    W olves are big hunters. They are carnivores which means they only eat meat. They hunt in groups called packs. Wolves like to eat hoofed animals such as different kind of deers, mountain goats,  moose, elk and bison. They also hunt hares, beavers, birds and fish. Wolves can eat 9 kilos of food a meal so that means they eat 27 kilos a day. Wolves also eat fruit to keep them healthy. Kiddies Photo:  Alan And Sandy Carey       B aby wolves are very cute but  beware when their teeth start to grow; better be careful, no joke! They be as fearsome as their mother soon enough. A mother wolf can have 1 to 11 pups. Now, thats a lot of puppies. When the pups are born they are completely blind and deaf but    they have a sense of smell, growing up very fast. The pups leave their mother at w