Mammals

aardvark

Aardvark

With its anteater’s tongue, piggish snout, and bear-like claws, the aardvark draws many easy comparisons. Its name means “earth pig” in the Afrikaans language, and it has also been called the “ant bear.” However, the aardvark is neither anteater, nor pig, nor bear. It is the only species within its order, Tubulidentata.

Chinchilla

Chinchilla

The chinchilla is a South American rodent with very dense, soft fur. This covering helps it to survive in its cold, mountainous habitat. Though it looks a little like a rabbit, the two are unrelated. But chinchillas are also fast on their feet as they hop, skip, and jump over rocks.

African Wild Dog

African wild dogs are also known as "Cape hunting dogs" or “painted dogs” for their unique mottled coats. These highly social animals share some qualities with domestic dogs, wolves, and other canines, but are not closely related to our four-legged best friends. In fact, they are in a distinct genus from domestic dogs and wolves.

Elephants

Asian Elephant

As the largest land animal, elephants come in two types: African and Asian. Asian elephants have smaller ears and only one “finger” at the end of their trunks. The trunk is actually the elephant’s nose, which it uses like a hand and a straw, inserting food and squirting water into its mouth.

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Zebras

Grevy’s Zebra

These striped animals with Mohawk-like manes look like the horse’s wild punk rock cousins. Considered the most handsome of the zebras, Grevy’s zebras are distinguished by strong, dark, and vertical stripes, a large head, and a white belly.

Grizzly Bear

Grizzly Bear

The grizzly bear is a subspecies of brown bear found in the interior portion of North America. The fur of these bears is sometimes tipped with white or tan, giving them a grizzled appearance. Despite their grisly reputation, these bears eat mostly berries and typically avoid humans.

Rhino

Indian Rhinoceros

With their thick, knobby folds of tough skin, Indian rhinos look like 2-ton armored tanks. Rhinoceroses are the only animals with horns on their noses and African rhinos have two. Of the five species of rhino, four are either endangered or critically endangered.

Lion

Lion

The lion is not really the “King of the Jungle.” Its kingdom is the open grasslands. Male lions have thick manes to protect their necks during fights, while females have a sleeker, stealthier appearance. Lions are one of five species of big cats. The other four species are the tiger, snow leopard, leopard, and jaguar.