The ABCs of the Animal Kingdom A journey

The ABCs of the Animal Kingdom A journey through the animal habitats around the world. Written by: Ashley Smith Click here for cool animal videos

A is for Antelope • Antelope are desert mammals that run up to 60 miles per hour. They live in the grasslands of Africa and Asia. Picture from www. pebblego. com

B is for Beaver • Beavers live in the wetlands of North America and Europe. They live in homes built with sticks and mud. Picture from www. pebblego. com

C is for Camel Picture from www. pebblego. com • Camels live in in the desert. They have one or two large humps on their backs. Even though they live in the desert, they rarely sweat and can go for weeks without food.

D is for Dolphin • Dolphins live in every ocean in the world. They use blowholes to breathe. Picture from www. pebblego. com

E is for Elephant • Elephants can be found in the flat, grassy areas of Africa. They have large tusks that are used for digging and fighting off enemies. Picture from www. pebblego. com

F is for Ferret Picture from www. pebblego. com • Ferrets are pets that live in a cage. They have dark fur around their faces that look like a mask.

G is for Giraffe • Giraffes have long necks to help them eat leaves from the tops of trees. They can run 30 miles per hour. Pictures from www. pebblego. com

H is for Hyena • Hyenas live in the savannas of Africa. When hyenas are in danger, they make a laughing sound to scare away their predators. Picture from www. pebblego. com

I is for Iguana • Iguanas are reptiles that live in the desert. They have long tails and very sharp teeth. Pictures from www. pebblego. com

J is for Jackrabbit • Jackrabbits are desert animals. Even though they look like rabbits, they really aren’t. Picture from www. pebblego. com

K is for Kangaroo • Kangaroos have long feet and strong back legs. They can hop 30 miles per hour. Picture from www. pebblego. com

L is for Lion • Lions are large wildcats that live in Africa and Asia. Lions rest between 18 and 20 hours each day. Picture from www. pebblego. com

M is for Moose • Moose are the largest members of the deer family. They are found in wetlands, woodlands, and grasslands. Picture from www. pebblego. com

N is for Newt • Newts are amphibians that are about 5 inches long. They have tails for swimming and legs for walking. Picture from www. pebblego. com

O is for Orangutan • Orangutans are apes that live in the canopy of the rain forest. They sleep in nests high in the trees. Picture from www. pebblego. com

P is for Porcupine • Porcupines live in forests, deserts, and grasslands all over the world. They have sharp quills on their backs to protect them from their enemies. Pictures from www. pebblego. com

Q is for Quail • Quail live in woodland habitats. They are small birds and lay brightly colored eggs. Picture from www. pebblego. com

R is for Rhinoceros • Rhinoceroses are very large mammals who live in the grasslands. They have one or two horns on their noses and thick gray skin. Picture from www. pebblego. com

S is for Sloth • Sloths are the world’s slowest animal. They sleep 15 -20 hours per day. Picture from www. pebblego. com

T is for Tapir • Tapirs have snouts that look like short elephant trunks. They use their coloring to hide from predators. Picture from www. pebblego. com

U is for Umbrellabird • Umbrellabirds live in the canopy of the rain forest. They have a large crest on the top of their head. Pictures from http: //a-z-animals. com

V is for Vulture Picture from www. pebblego. com • Vultures are large birds that live all over the world. They have hooked bills that help them tear apart dead animals.

W is for Wolverine • Wolverines are polar mammals that live alone in the wild. They are covered in thick brown fur with white patches on their face or chest. Pictures from www. pebblego. com

X is for Musk O Xen • Musk oxen are polar mammals with long, shaggy hair. Male and female musk oxen have sharp pointed horns on their heads. Picture from www. pebblego. com

Y is for Yak • Yaks live in the mountains of Asia. They have long hair to keep them warm in the frigid temperatures. Pictures from http: //a-z-animals. com

Z is for Zebra • Zebras look like horses with stripes. They live in large herds in Africa. Picture from www. pebblego. com

About the Author • Ashley Smith is a first grade teacher at Donna Lee Loflin Elementary. She has been teaching for 11 years. She attended Southern Wesleyan University and is currently studying for her Masters in Literacy at High Point University. She lives in Asheboro, North Carolina with her husband six year old twins.

Resources • www. pebblego. com • www. a-z-animals. com • Amazing Animals Video. Retrieved on Dec. 7, 2014 from https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=dg 8 qvw. DUos. Q&list=PLE x 7 da. Qbh 2 xn. EQ 8 pql. AGc 4 y 19 jahg. WJWV.