You are here: Home / Archives for Animals / Mammals

Polar Bears

Posted by on October 27, 2010

This post is for my friend Drew.

Did you know that polar bears are the largest bear species? Adult males weigh between 700-1,700 pounds! They are also really good swimmers! They use their front legs to paddle and back legs to steer. They can swim 100 miles without stopping!

Polar bear’s favorite thing to eat is seals. To catch them, they hide and when their pray is not looking, they jump out and bite them on the head. Sometimes they stalk their prey and grab them with their claws.

Polar bear babies usually stay with their moms for two years. That is when they learn how to hunt.

Filed Under: Animals, Mammals | Tagged:

Duck Billed Platypus

Posted by on October 19, 2010

I bet you didn’t know that duck billed platypuses are venomous. The venom isn’t strong enough to kill a person, but people have said that it hurts a lot!Their venom doesn’t come from their mouth. Instead, it comes from a pointy spike on their rear ankles.

They are the only mammals that lay eggs. They look so weird. They walk like a reptile, have a bill like a bird, a body like an otter, and a tail like a beaver. I learned that they are much smaller than I thought. They are about 18 inches and weigh only 3 pounds!  Platypuses live in Australia.

Filed Under: Animals, Mammals, P | Tagged:

Capybara

Posted by on October 17, 2010

This is for Rilee, who loves Capybaras!

Capybaras have  very sharp teeth . They are the biggest members of the rodent family.  They love to swim, unlike other rodents. When they sense fear, sometimes they dive under water. They can stay underwater for 5 minutes! Can you imagine that?  They can even sleep underwater with just their noses poking out.

Capybara means “Master of all grasses.”  That is a good name because they eat a lot of grass and live in grasslands.

Filed Under: Animals, C, Grasslands, Mammals | Tagged: