Learn English: 2013-01-27

Animals : Black Bear

Himalayan Black Bear

Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling, India

Established in 1958 to study and conserve Himalayan fauna, especially the endangered, this park has been able to breed several species in captivity, such as red pandas, Tibetan wolves, and snow leopards. Most large animals are kept in near-natural, no-roof enclosures and are cared for by dedicated keepers.

Animals : Crocodiles

Crocodiles

Crocodiles are generally large, ponderous, amphibious animals of the reptile order Crocodilia, somewhat lizardlike in appearance, and carnivorous in habit. They have powerful jaws with many conical teeth and short legs with clawed, webbed toes. The tail is long and massive and the skin thick and plated. About 20 species are recognized.

The group is of particular interest because of its evolutionary position: the crocodiles are the last living link with the dinosaur-like reptiles of prehistoric times. They are, at the same time, the nearest living relatives of the birds. A large variety of crocodile fossils have been discovered; three of the four suborders of Crocodilia are extinct. On the basis of this extensive fossil record, it has been possible to establish well-defined relationships between the crocodiles and other vertebrate groups.

The habitat of the crocodile is mainly the tropics and subtropics of the northern and southern hemispheres. The Mississippi, or American, alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus), and the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis) are the only species found outside the tropics. The true crocodiles (family Crocodylidae) occur in most of Africa south of the Sahara, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Southeast Asia, the East Indies, northern Australia, Mexico and Central America, the West Indies, and most of South America east of the Andes and north of the mouth of the Río de la Plata. The caimans are confined to South America. The gavial occurs in India

Crocodile, Zihuataneho, Mexico

Sunbathing (1, 2)			Baby crocodile

Jacaré (Caiman), Pantanal and Amazonas, Brazil



Just off the road	Holding two baby caimans	Few months old	Safely returned to the river
Crocodiles, Tanzania and Uganda
Serengeti NP	Selous Game Reserve	Selous Game Reserve	Queen Elizabeth NP
Alligators, Louisiana, USA

Crocodiles, India
Baby Croc, Sunderbans NP	Sasan Gir National Park	Ghariyal, Corbett NP

Animals : Cheetahs

Cheetahs

Also called hunting leopard (Acinonyx jubatus), a slender, long-legged cat of the family Felidae that lives on the open plains of southern, central, and eastern Africa and in the Middle East, where it is all but extinct. The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world over short distances, capable of attaining speeds as great as 100 km (60 miles) per hour. As its long legs and strong hindquarters suggest, it is built for running. Its claws, which provide traction, differ from those of other cats in being only partly retractable and in lacking protective sheaths.

The cheetah reaches a length of about 140 cm, with the tail accounting for another 75-80 cm; it stands, on average, 80 cm at the shoulder and weighs 50-60 kg. From birth to the age of about three months, the cheetah has a dark-spotted coat with long, blue-gray hair on the head, neck, and back. The crisp, coarse fur of the adult is sandy yellow above, white below, and covered with numerous small black spots; a black streak runs down the face from the corner of each eye.

The cheetah hunts alone or in small groups. It usually hunts in the morning or late afternoon, cautiously stalking its prey (usually a small antelope) and then running it down in a final rapid sprint. The cheetah has long been trapped and tamed in Asia, where it has been used for coursing game, but it has seldom bred in captivity. Its litters consist of two to four kittens, and the gestation period is about 95 days. The African race of the cheetah is relatively uncommon; the Asiatic race is listed as critically endangered in the Red Data Book and is extinct in much of its former range.

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

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Animals : Snow Leopards

Animals : Snow Leopards

Animals : Black Bear

Animals : Crocodiles

Animals : Cheetahs