Native Location: South, Central, and North America

Omnivore – small prey, fruits, berries, and insects

• The Coatimundi is a distant relative of the raccoon. They are in the family Procyonidae.
• A group of coatimundis is called a band. Each band contains anywhere from 15 to 20 individuals. 
• Coatis are curious and resourceful creatures, often found around highly populated human areas, scrounging for leftover food.
• The Coati is a diurnal animal, most active during the day. During the night, they cuddle up together to sleep in the trees.

Domesticated

Herbivore – grass, hay, corn, and vegetation.

• They are hardy, can withstand most climates, and are widely kept worldwide as one of the most popular farm animals.
• Their coat is naturally waterproof.
• From a young age, they learn the agility to climb high places to avoid predators or reach greenery.
• Goats have two-toed hooves with a hard, protective shell and padding. These pads can spread apart, applying control and balance to strengthen their grip.

Native Location: Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, South America

Herbivore – leaves, twigs, flowers, grasses, and fruit

• Despite being called guinea pigs, they are not in the pig family nor from Papua New Guinea. They are South American rodents.
• Male guinea pigs are called boars, while females are called sows. Babies are called pups.
• They are highly social animals, often found in groups of 10 or more in the wild.
• When excited, they jump up and down while yipping. This is called “popcorning”!

Native Location: West Africa

Omnivore – bugs, larvae, crabs, snails, small rodents, and fruit

• The Common Kusimanse is part of the Mongoose family.  The Kusimanse is also known as the “dwarf mongoose.”
• They are highly social animals that live in groups of 10-20 individuals. They are territorial animals. They use scent glands to mark their territory to ward off predators. It will aggressively defend its home against all kinds of intruders.  
• They are diurnal animals, playing and preying during the day. 
• They are excellent diggers. They will dig out their dens or homes underground.

Native Location: Palawan Islands, Philippines

Herbivore – roots, tubers, bark, carrion, insects, vegetation, and fallen fruits

• The Palawan porcupine is considered an “Old World Porcupine,” meaning it only walks on the ground, while “New World Porcupines” also climb trees.
• No porcupines can shoot their quills; that is a myth! Instead, like a peacock, they will fan their quills out to create a sharp barrier between themselves and the predator.
• To stay safe from scavengers, they dig deep burrows and live in their dens. 
• Porcupines are a part of the rodent family. They are related to mice and capybara.

Native Location: North America

Omnivore – small mammals, birds, insects, worms, ticks, vegetation, fruits, and seeds

• The Virginia opossum is North America’s only marsupial. They have 10-14 bumblebee-sized babies that crawl into their pouch after birth.
• They are immune to rattlesnake venom! They can withstand venom of up to 70 bites. They can do this because of peptides in their blood.  
• They have more teeth than any North American mammal!
• Opossums are nocturnal. They will sleep during the day and come out at night to feed on any slow-moving prey they can find.

Native Location: South America

Omnivore – bugs, small vertebrates, and plant material

• The Screaming Hairy Armadillo gets its name from its habit of squealing like a pig when threatened and its hairy underbelly.
• The brown armor covering their bodies is called a carapace and is made of keratin, the same material as human hair and fingernails.  
• They cannot roll into a ball like the three-banded armadillo. Instead, they protect themselves from predators by hiding in their underground burrows. 
• This animal is diurnal during the colder desert seasons and nocturnal during the hotter times.

Native Location: Madagascar

Omnivore – fruit, greens, bugs, and small invertebrates

• Lemurs are not monkeys. They are lesser primates. 
• While most monkeys, like apes and capuchins, are greater primates.
• Lemurs can produce over 20 distinct vocal calls. Lemurs are social animals that live in groups of three or more. 
• Lemurs are from “matriarchies,” meaning their group leader is always female. The highest-ranked male will always be ranked lower than even the lowest-ranked female.

Native Location: West & Central Africa

Carnivore – small mammals, birds, amphibians, and fish

• Ball pythons are non-venomous constrictor snakes.
• These snakes have an average of seven eggs per clutch.
• The mother protects the eggs before hatching. Once the hatchlings emerge, the mother will leave, and they will live solitary lives, meeting only to mate.

Native Location: South America

Herbivore – leafy greens, grasses, fungi, fruits, and flowers

• Both male and female red-footed tortoises use head movements to identify and alert one another.
• After mating, females can have five to 15 eggs.
• These tortoises spend over half of each day resting while hidden under leaves.

Native Location: Australia

Herbivores – seeds, fruits, and vegetation

• Parakeets are native to Australia and are known as “budgies.”
• They have fast-growing beaks that can grow over three inches a year. They need to chew on branches or toys to wear down their beaks so they don’t overgrow!
• They have acute vision and can even move each eye independently. 
• Female parakeets have pink or brow ceres, while males have blue/purple cere. The cere is the tiny bit of skin around their nostrils.

Native Location: South America

Carnivore – fish, amphibians, small mammals, birds, crabs, shrimp, mollusks, and other invertebrates

• Dwarf caiman are the smallest crocodilian species.
• Adult caiman are found alone or in pairs.
• They communicate and identify one another through sounds, movements, stances, smells, and touch.

Native Location: North America

Carnivore – worms, snails, insects, and slugs

• Clutch size 20-30 eggs. The eggs only take 12-15 days to develop and hatch.
• The female lays the eggs on twigs and leaves at the bottom of a water pool.
• The larvae have external gills and are entirely aquatic.
• Salamanders have very sensitive and absorbent skin.
• Salamanders are very sensitive to environmental change and pollution and are what scientists call “Indicator Species,” or species that are highly intolerant of pollution and environmental change.

Native Location: Africa

Omnivore – vegetables, twigs, roots, leaves, fruits, earthworms, snails, tadpoles, and other small invertebrates

• The ability to clamp down the rear portion of their shell to protect their vulnerable tail and back legs is how they earned the name hinge-back. When threatened, this tortoise can also partially retract its head into its shell and cover the opening with its front legs, which are protected by large scales. 
• It can store water in anal sacs to help it survive dry periods.

Native Location: Asia

Herbivore – grasses, twigs, flowers, and some fruits.

• Russian tortoises have four toes on each foot.
• The male Russian tortoise courts a female by headbobbing, circling, and biting her forelegs.
• On average, Russian tortoises will hibernate for about eight weeks to five months throughout the year if the conditions are right. The species can spend up to 9 months of the year in dormancy.
• These tortoises are pretty social, and they will visit nearby burrows, and sometimes several will spend the night in one burrow.
• Tortoises have both an exoskeleton and an endoskeleton. A shell is in three main parts: the carapace on the top, the plastron on the bottom, and the bridge that joins these pieces together. Every tortoise has ribs, a spine, and a collarbone inside its shell.

Native Location: North America

Carnivore – snails, insects, fish, crustaceans, and have rarely been documented to eat small birds.

• Florida softshells are the largest North American softshell turtle.
• When it feels threatened, it buries itself in the sand and leaves its head visible.
• These turtles can also breathe underwater through the pharyngeal, cloacal, and skin linings.

Native Location: North America

Omnivore – insects, small animals, fish, and vegetation

• During winter, painted turtles lower their metabolism and body temperature to enter brumation (reptilian hibernation).
• These turtles love the sun and come out of the water to bask in the sun’s rays during the day.

DIET | Herbivore – seeds, fruits, flowers, and young shoots

• The Emu is not very intelligent. Their eyes are larger than their brain!
• While they are flightless, they are excellent runners and swimmers.
• The emu is part of the ratite family, which includes the cassowary, ostriches, and rheas. 
• Back in 1932, Australia waged war on a large population of emus that were raiding farmers’ crops. Humans lost the war.
• Emu lays green eggs!

Native Location: New Guinea

Omnivore – fallen fruits,  berries, seeds, and occasionally small invertebrates.

• This species was named in honor of the British monarch, Queen Victoria.
• It is considered the largest surviving pigeon species on Earth.
• Victoria-crowned pigeons spend most of their time on the ground and fly up into trees only when disturbed or to roost at night.
• Victoria crowned pigeons are monogamous and mate for life.
• Like other crowned pigeons, the Victoria crowned pigeon is a gregarious species. The Victoria crowned pigeon often gathers in groups of 2-10 individuals. They usually travel in pairs or small parties as they search for food.

Native Location: South, Central, and North America

Herbivore/Frugivore – fruit and nectar

• The Kinkajou, also known as the “honey bear,” is a relative of raccoons and coatimundis. 
• They have a long, narrow tongue, which they use to lap up flower nectar and honey from beehives.
• Kinkajous are essential pollinators. They catch pollen on their faces and spread it as they go from flower to flower, drinking the nectar.
• They can turn their feet in the opposite direction and run backward as swiftly as forward! They also have long, prehensile tails that help them climb through trees. 

Native Location: South America

Herbivore/Frugivore – fruits, honey, and flower sap

• The Olingo belongs to the Procyonidae family, which includes raccoons, ringtails, kinkajous, and coatimundis. Although they highly resemble the kinkajou, their cousin, you can distinguish them from one another by their tails. The olingo’s tail is far bushier than the kinkajou’s.
• They can turn their feet in the opposite direction and run backward just as swiftly as running forward! 
• They prefer to live in pairs but are otherwise very solitary animals.

Native Location: South America

Herbivore – greens and vegetation

• The sloth is a slow-moving animal in the Xenarthra family, so it is related to armadillos and anteaters.
• Sloths are surprisingly good swimmers. They can drop into the water and swim to a new home territory.
• It can take a sloth 30 days to digest a leaf! On average, it takes them two weeks to digest food.

Native Location: Australia

Omnivore – insects, small vertebrates, Eucalyptus tree, sap, nectar, pollen, and fruits.

• Sugar Gliders get their name from their love of sweet foods and a thin membrane under their arms that allows them to glide through the air.
• They are marsupials, which means they carry their babies in their pouch, just like the kangaroo.
• In the wild, they spend most of their life gliding through trees. They rarely land on the ground.
• They are very social animals. They prefer living in prominent families of five or more.

Native Location: Madagascar

Omnivore – insects and vegetation

• Despite its name and appearance, the lesser hedgehog tenrec is unrelated to the hedgehog. It is more closely related to the elephant than its prickly doppelganger.
• Tenrecs are nocturnal and very shy. They hide in their nests or underground burrows during the day.
• To protect themselves from predators, they may roll into a ball or burrow into the ground to avoid being seen.
• Tenrecs may have up to 32 offspring per litter.

Native Location: Africa, Asia

Herbivore – grass and vegetation

• The miniature zebu is a herd animal, meaning it travels in large groups for protection from predators.
• In India, the zebu is considered sacred, and eating them is prohibited. 
• Like a camel, the miniature zebu has a hump on its back used to store fat during periods of food scarcity. They also use their humps to help dissipate their body heat.
• The zebu has been domesticated for its productivity in hot, humid climates.

Native Location: South America

Carnivore – small to medium-sized mammals, birds, lizards, and amphibians

• Red-tailed boas are non-venomous constrictor snakes.
• These snakes do not lay eggs; they give live birth. Females incubate the eggs inside their bodies.
• After hatching inside the mother, she will give birth to up to 60 hatchlings.

Native Location: Australia & Oceania

Carnivore –  insects such as moths, cockroaches, and locusts. They also eat spiders and can include smaller frogs and even small mammals (including bats) among their prey.

• The Australian Green tree frog is also known as the Green tree frog, White’s tree frog, or the Dumpy tree frog. 
• These frogs have enormous sticky toe pads with partially webbed toes.
• Their toes rely on wet adhesion, which is aided by mucus secretion.
• Docile and well-suited to living near human dwellings, Australian green tree frogs are often found on window sills or inside houses, eating insects drawn by the light.

Native Location: Africa

Carnivore – insects, fish, mice, birds, other frogs, reptiles, and small mammals.

• The African Bullfrog has teeth and eats small mammals.
• They have giant clutches of eggs! They can have over 4,000 at a time!
• Males have yellow or orange bellies and throats. Females are beige underneath.
• Pixie frogs don’t chase their food; instead, they hide, waiting patiently, and ambush creatures that come close enough to be snatched up.

Native Location: Madagascar

Omnivore – insects, fruit, and nectar

• There are over 40 species of day geckos.
• They do not have claws; their fingers have small, flat, adhesive scales (lamella) that allow them to climb smooth surfaces.

Native Location: North and Central America

Mostly herbivorous – Insects, leaves, and berries.

• Green iguanas, or common iguanas, are among the largest lizards in the Americas.
• They spend most of their lives in the tree canopies, descending only to lay eggs or change trees.
• Iguanas’ stout build gives them a clumsy look, but they are fast and agile on land.
• They have strong jaws with razor-sharp teeth and sharp tails.

Native Location: Australia

Carnivore – arthropods, insects, small lizards, mammals, eggs, and marsupial joeys.

• Also known as spiny-tailed monitors, these lizards use their spiny tails to defend themselves against predators. They wedge themselves into a tight space and block the entrance with their tail.
• Monitor lizards are among the most complex and intelligent reptiles.
• This spiny-tailed monitor subspecies has the longest tail and legs of all subspecies.
• In the wild, approximately 70% of its water requirements come from its food.

Native Location: North America

Carnivore – eats small mammals, birds, lizards, and amphibians

• The corn snake is beneficial to humans because it helps to control populations of wild rodent pests that damage crops and spread disease.
• Though superficially resembling the venomous copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix) and often killed as a result of this mistaken identity, the corn snake lacks functional venom and is harmless.
• The corn snake can be distinguished from other rat snakes and from kingsnakes by the stripe extending from the back of its eye past the corner of its jaw, plus the large, bold black and white checkerboard pattern on its belly.
• They are “solar-powered” and rely fully on external heat or light sources.
• They smell with their tongues.

Domesticated

Omnivore – greens, seeds, insects, larvae, worms, other invertebrates, and even small animals.

• This breed originated in Tuscany, central Italy. 
• Birds were first exported to North America in 1828 from the Tuscan port city of Livorno on the western coast of Italy. They were initially called “Italians”, but by 1865, the breed was known as “Leghorn.”
• The name comes from Leghorn, the traditional anglicization of Livorno, the Tuscan port from which the first birds were exported to North America.
• This breed comes in three colors: black, white, and brown (light and dark)
• Leghorns are good layers of white eggs, laying an average of 280 per year and sometimes reaching 300–320.

Domesticated

Omnivore – greens, seeds, insects, larvae, worms, other invertebrates, and even small animals.

• The original Black Orpington was bred by William Cook in 1886 by crossing Minorcas, Langshans, and Plymouth Rocks to create a new hybrid bird.
• These chickens are named for their original breeding location — Orpington, England.
• Colors of this breed include: Blue, Black, Buff, White (Standardised UK), Birchen, Chocolate, Cuckoo, Gold Laced, Jubilee, Lavender, Lemon Cuckoo, Partridge, Red, Spangled (Non-Standardised).

Domesticated

Omnivore – greens, seeds, insects, larvae, worms, other invertebrates, and even small animals.

• Polish chickens are bred primarily as ornamental birds and, for show-quality birds, for show, but were initially productive egg layers.
• In present times, they are rarely broody or sit on their eggs.
• The Polish has a small V-shaped comb, though the large crest of feathers often hides it. The earlobes and wattles are small and may be completely hidden by the crest.
• Polish chickens were brought to America between 1830 and 1840.
• Polish chickens lay white eggs.