Animal life ( from China )

Profusion of vegetation and a variety of relief have fostered the development of a great diversity of animal life and have permitted the survival of animals that elsewhere are extinct. Notable among such survivals are the great paddlefish of the Yangtze, the small species of alligator in eastern and central China, and the giant salamander (related to the Japanese giant salamander and the American hellbender) in western China. The diversity of animal life is perhaps greatest in the ranges and valleys of Tibet and Szechwan, to which region the giant panda is confined. The takin, or goat antelope, numerous species of pheasants, and a variety of laughing thrushes are to be found in all the Chinese mountains. China seems to be one of the chief centres of dispersal of the carp family and [Read more]

Animal life ( from Ukraine )

The animal life of Ukraine is diverse, with about 350 species of birds, more than 100 of mammals, and more than 200 of fish. The most common predators are the wolf, fox, wildcat, and marten, while hoofed animals include the roe deer, wild pig, and sometimes elk and mouflon (a wild sheep). The wide variety of rodents includes gophers, hamsters, jerboas, and field mice. The major bird species are black and hazel grouse, owl, gull, and partridge, as well as many migrating birds, such as wild goose, duck, and stork. Among [Read more]

Animal life ( from N.American desert )

The North American Desert harbours an abundant variety of insects, including grasshoppers that occasionally reach destructive proportions. Lizards, snakes, and other reptiles, the most conspicuous animals, are dependent on plant fluids or devoured animals for moisture. Likewise, desert birds are largely independent of water sources (and are seen almost everywhere), as they derive their moisture from the insects and spiders that they eat. Rodents (including mice, rats, and squirrels), rabbits, and bats are the most numerous mammals; essentially nocturnal, they remain underground during the heat of the day and, like the birds and reptiles, obtain moisture from their food. Higher up in the food chain are such carnivores as coyotes, bobcats, foxes, and skunks; and the largest desert mammal, found at higher elevations, is the bighorn sheep. Protective coloration, [Read more]

Animal life ( from Tien Shan )

The diversity and range of animals and birds in the Tien Shan increased markedly following the relocation of much of the human population to lower elevations. Species typifying the mountain fauna include the wolf, fox, and ermine. There also are many distinctively Central Asian species, inhabiting chiefly the high mountains; these include the snow leopard, mountain goat, Manchurian roe, roe deer, and mountain sheep. The forest meadow steppe zone is inhabited by bears, wild boars, badgers, field voles, members of the jerboa family (nocturnal jumping rodents), and members of the Ochotonidae family [Read more]

Animal life ( from Malaysia )

The forests and scrublands are inhabited by a large variety of animal life. Mammals on the peninsula include the elephant, tiger, seladang (or Malayan gaur, a massive wild ox), Sumatran rhinoceros, tapir (a hoofed and snouted quadruped), wild pig, and many species of deer, including the pelandok, or chevrotain (a small, deerlike ruminant). Crocodiles, monitor lizards, and cobras also are indigenous to the country, while the green sea turtle and the giant leathery turtle nest regularly on the beaches of the east coast. Animal life in East Malaysia is even more varied than it is on the peninsula. In addition to the peninsular species, East Malaysia is also the home of the fast-disappearing orangutan and rhinoceros, the sun bear (also called the honey bear), and the unique proboscis monkey a reddish [Read more]

Animal life ( from Switzerland )

The animal life of Switzerland is mainly Alpine, but a mixture of species familiar to southern and north-central Europe is also found. Animal life is protected, except during a brief annual hunting season. The Alpine tourists may observe marmots, which live in the high meadows, and the chamois. Large herds of the round ibex, which had died out in the Swiss Alps and has since been reintroduced, have again developed in several areas, especially in the Bernina region of Graubünden (canton) and in the Saastal of Valais. In the forests there are deer, rabbits, foxes, badgers, squirrels, and many varieties of birds, [Read more]

Next Page »