Type
of animal |
Leafcutter ants are a type of insect. |
Size
of animal |
Leafcutter ants are smaller than a half inch long, but the queen can be over an inch long. |
What
it eats |
Leafcutter ants do not eat leaves! They use the leaves they carry to help them grow fungus, and that is what they eat. They are fungus farmers! They are herbivores, which means they are plant eaters.. Their jaws move a thousand times a second to slice off pieces of leaves that they carry back to their nest. |
Who
are its enemies? |
Leafcutter ants have lots of enemies, including spiders, frogs, toads, birds, and of course, anteaters. There is an insect called an antlion that builds a trap nest that looks like the ant's. When the ant enters, uhoh.....dinner for the antlion! |
How
it protects itself |
Leafcutter ants have no sting, but they have a strong bite. Soldier leafcutter ants are the largest workers, and they defend their colonies from attack. Their jaws are strong enough to cut leather. |
Other
facts |
Leafcutter ants can be orange, red, brown, or black. Leafcutter ants can carry 30 times their own weight. They can have three to eight million ants in colony! Most of the ants in a colony are females. All the workers are female. The males are called drones, and are very lazy! The queen ant and the drones are the only ants that can fly. Leafcutter ants leave a scent as they walk, so they can find their way back. Their nests can be 30 feet across and 20 feet deep, with several entrances. |
Type
of animal |
Millipedes are a type of arthropod. They are not insects! |
Size
of animal |
Some millipedes are smaller than an inch, and some are about 9 inches long. |
What
it eats |
Most millipedes are plant eaters, or herbivores. They eat damp, decaying plants. There are a few that eat meat. |
Who
are its enemies? |
Birds, frogs, lizards, tortoises, badgers and shrews eat millipedes. There are some beetles that will eat millipedes, too. |
How
it protects itself |
When in danger, millipedes curl up in a spiral to protect their soft undersides. They can also spray a bad smelling liquid. That liquid also tastes awful. The outside of the top of their bodies are hard, and is called an exoskeleton. |
Other
facts |
Millipedes have 47 to 197 pairs of legs with two pairs on each body segment. Centipedes are different because they only have one pair of legs on each body segment. When millipedes walk they lift each pair together, moving along in a wave. Millipedes live in moist places, like under rocks, in rotting logs, and in piles of leaves. They have poor to no vision. They use their antennas to feel their way around. They are nocturnal, or active at night. Millipedes move very slowly. Millipedes are very clean animals, and spend a lot of time cleaning themselves. Some millipedes can breathe under water! |
Type
of animal |
The ocelot is a mammal, in the cat family. |
Size
of animal |
Ocelots are three to five feet long counting their tail, and weigh between 20 and 30 pounds. They are about the size of a medium dog, or twice the size of a house cat. |
What
it eats |
Ocelots eat small deer, monkeys, rabbits, rodents, snakes, reptiles, and fish. Since they eat meat, they are called carnivores. |
How
it captures prey |
Ocelots hunt at night, which means they are nocturnal. They are very quiet hunters. They use their great eyesight and terrific sense of hearing to help capture prey. They will even climb trees to stalk monkeys or birds, although they prefer to hunt on the ground. They have pointed fangs and sharp teeth that are used to bite their prey. Their back teeth work like scissors because their teeth are not good for chewing food. Instead, they tear their food to pieces and swallow it whole. |
How
it protects itself |
The ocelot has sharp teeth and strong legs to defend itself. The spots in their fur help them to hide in the rainforest. They can also swim very well to get away from an enemy. Larger mammals will attack ocelots, like jaguars or large monkeys. |
Other
facts |
The ocelot is a good swimmer. They prefer to stay on the ground, but will climb trees, too. They climb down backwards, feet first! They can run very quickly. Ocelots like to stay by themselves, and not in groups. They have excellent eyesight, and can smell and hear very well, too. Their biggest enemy is man. They are highly endangered, hunted for their beautiful fur. |
Type
of animal |
Pink river dolphins are mammals. They are not fish! |
Size
of animal |
Pink river dolphins grow to over 8 feet long, and can weigh over 450 pounds. They are the largest of all dolphins. |
What
it eats |
Pink river dolphins eat crustaceans like crabs and shrimp, and fish. They are carnivores, or meat eaters. |
How
it captures prey |
Pink river dolphins have small eyes, but still can see very well. They use echolocation to "talk" with other dolphins and locate prey. They like to stay near waterfalls where it is easier to catch fish. Sometimes pink river dolphins will go hunting with giant otters. |
Who
are its enemies |
Pink river dolphins have only one enemy, man. We are destroying their homes. They are also caught in fishermen's nets. |
| Other
facts |
Pink river dolphins are the smartest of all dolphins. Their brains are a lot larger than ours! They are very friendly. They are highly endangered. Some of the dolphins are gray in color, and these are sacred to the natives. They can turn their heads completely from side to side. Because it has no real enemies in the water, these dolphins do not swim in schools. They are not fast swimmers, and sometimes swim upside down. They love to play! They like to throw sticks and even small animals like turtles. |
Type
of animal |
Piranhas are a type of fish. |
Size
of animal |
Piranhas are 6 to 10 inches long and can weight up to two pounds. |
What
it eats |
Piranhas are omnivores, eating both seeds and other fish, insects, or wounded animals that get into the water. They like to eat dead fish, and rarely attack living animals. |
How
it captures prey |
Piranhas swim very quickly, and use their strong teeth to get pieces of food. They have a great sense of smell to locate food. |
How
it protects itself |
Piranhas travel together in large schools to protect themselves from their enemies, such as dolphins, jaguars, caimans, and larger fish. |
Other
facts |
Piranhas are known for their razor sharp teeth and strong jaws. When their mouths are closed, the teeth fit perfectly together. They usually travel in large schools. They come in different colors, some silver with orange bellies, and some are mostly black. Some people think piranhas are really mean, but that really isn't true. |
