A-Z of animals : Deer to Frogs
Animals: ABC | DEF | GHI | JKL | MNO | PQR | ST | UVW | XYZ
Deer: Ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae (order Artiodactyla). Most ruminants have four-chambered stomachs and a two-toed foot. Of the 43 species of hoofed ruminants in the order, the males of all but one species carry antlers; the Chinese water deer is antlerless. Both sexes of reindeer carry antlers. The Munjtac, of which there are seven species, are also called Barking Deer.
Alpine Musk Deer
Bactrian Deer
Barasingha
Bawean Deer: rare, found only on Bawean Island, Indonesia.
Black Muntjac
Calamian Deer
Chinese Water Deer
Chital or Axis Deer or Spotted Deer.
Dusky Musk Deer
Dwarf Brocket
Eld’s Deer
Fallow Deer
Fea’s Muntjac
Himalyan Musk Deer
Hog Deer
Huemul
Key Deer
Marsh Deer
Moose or Elk. The largest deer, weighs up to 820 kg (1800 lb) but can run at up to 100 kmh (60 mph).
Mule Deer
Pere David’s Deer. Extremely rare; extinct in the wild for over a thousand years, now only found in captivity.
Persian Fallow Deer, one of the rarest deer in the world.
Philippine Brown Deer
Red Brocket
Red Deer
Reeve’s Muntjac
Reindeer or Caribou. Weighs up to 318 kg (700 lb). Are good swimmers. There are two varieties: tundra reindeer and forest (or woodland) reindeer. And, especially for children, there are the flying reindeer that pulls the sleigh of Santa Claus.
Roe Deer
Sambar Deer
Siberian Musk Deer
Sika Deer
Southern Pudu – the smallest deer.
Taruca
Thorold’s Deer
tufted Deer
Visayan Spotted Deer
White-tailed Deer
Dogs, man’s best friend. In fact, worldwide approximately 180 million dogs are kept as trusted pet companions. There are more than 700 types of pure breed dogs. The common belief that dogs are color blind is false. Dogs can see color but it is not as vivid as we see; it is like our vision at twilight. Dogs and cats, like people, are either right-handed or left-handed.
Dolphins are among the most intelligent of animals, as some species have brain-to-body mass ratios equal to that of a human being. Ever since the days of the first seafarers, they have been a subject of art, literature, and myth. Of the approximately 40 species of dolphins, 6 are commonly called whales, including the killer whale and the pilot whales.
Atlantic Humpback Dolphin
Atlantic Spotted Dolphin
Araguaian River Dolphin
Australian Snubfin Dolphin
Boto or Amazon River Dolphin
Bottle-nosed Dolphin
Chilean Dolphin
Clymene Dolphin
Commerson’s Dolphin
Dusky Dolphin
False Killer Whale
Franciscana Dolphin
Frazer’s Dolphin
Guiana Dolphin
Ganges River Dolphin
Heaviside’s Dolphin
Hector’s Dolphin
Hourglass Dolphin
Irrawaddy Dolphin
Killer Whale or Orca, largest member of the dolphin family.
Melon-headed Whale
Peale’s Dolphin
Pygmy Killer Whale
Northern Right-whale Dolphin
Pacific White-sided Dolphin
Pilot Whale
Risso’s Dolphin
Rough-toothed Dolphin
Saddle-backed Dolphin
Spinner Dolphin
Striped Dolphin
Dugong: Also called Sea Cow, Sea Pig or Sea Camel, the Dugong is one of the four species of the order Sirenia; the other species are the manatees.
Echidna: Also known as Spiny Anteater but not related to the true Anteater (or hedgehogs or porcupines) although they largely also eat ants and termites. There are four species of echidna and they, together with the platypus, are the only egg-laying mammals in the world and found only in New Guinea and Australia.
Elephant: The African elephant is the largest living land mammal. The muscular trunk serves as a nose, hand, an extra foot, signalling device and a tool for gathering food. With 40,000 muscles, the trunk performs movements as delicate as picking berries. The elephant is part of the Big Five group of animals.
Elk: see “Moose” under Deer above.
Feral Horse, a free-roaming horse.
Ferret: A mammal belonging to the same genus as the weasel, Mustela. The popular domesticated ferret – ferrets have been domesticated for over 2000 years – is a domesticated form of the European polecat (which is also called the foul marten because of its odour). The domesticated ferret has musk glads around its face and throughout the rest of its body thus smells of sweet musk. There are millions of pet ferrets in the United States, making it the fourth most popular pet, after cats, dogs and parrots. There is, however, a big population of wild ferrets as well; those are ferrets that have been abandoned or have escaped. The Black Footed Ferret, once thought extinct, has successfully been re-introduced to the wild. The Black Footed Ferret is an endangered species; there are only approximately 300 of these little “masked bandits” across North America.
The Fishing Cat is found in India, Sri Lanka, across Burma, the Thai peninsula and Indonesia. It weighs up to 13 kg (29 lb) and grows to almost 1m in length. It takes fish with its paws from the waters edge, and by diving into the water to catch the fish with its jaws. It will also hunt young deer and small wild pigs.
Fisher, small carnivorous mammal native to North America, part of the marten genus of the weasel family.
Fox: There are twelve species of true foxes (genus Vulpes).
Arctic Fox
Bengal Fox or Indian Fox
Blanford’s Fox or Hoary
Cape Fox or Chama, Bat-eared Fox, Big-eared Fox, Motlosi or South African Silver Fox.
Corsac Fox or Steppe Fox, also called Sand Fox.
Fennec fox or Zerda, the smallest fox, weighs about 1 kg (2.2 lb).
Kit Fox
Pale Fox
Rüppell’s Fox, also called Sand Fox.
Red Fox and Silver Fox and Cross Fox, largest of the true foxes, weighs up to 7 kg (15 lb). The symbol of animal cunning.
Swift Fox
Tibetan Fox or Tibetan Sand Fox
Frogs come in many shapes and colours all over the world – except Antartica! A frog’s long, sticky tongue is attached in the front of its mouth, and, as a signature move, a frog can flick its tongue out to capture its prey with remarkable speed.