Animal Alphabet Book - An A to Z Walk In the Park

The aye-aye is the largest nocturnal primate in the world. It uses its long fingers to pull grubs out of trees. It has a rodent-like face and a monkey-like body. An Aye-aye is fearless and has been known to walk up and smell a person's shoes. It also is an endangered species.

The Blue Jay is a colorful blue, white and black bird that grows to about a foot in length. Males and females look very similar although the males grow to be a little larger. They make an alarm-like sound that is a lot like a scream of a gull and becomes higher pitched and faster the more excited the bird becomes. They have strong black bills or beaks that can crack acorns and nuts and they eat these along with seeds, corn, grains and insects. Blue Jays have a bad reputation of nest raiders that steal and eat eggs from other birds but a study of their eating habits indicated that only 1% had done so. Blue Jays are really intelligent. They have been known to mimic the sounds of other birds such as hawks and scare them off into believing another hawk is present. In captivity they have used strips of newspaper to rake in pieces of food from outside their cage. A smart breed indeed!

The dingo is mostly familiar as an Australian wild dog but actually comes from Asia. The name "dingo" comes from the Aboriginal people of Australia. Dingoes are more howlers than barkers. They live in packs but generally hunt in family groups or alone at night. They form lifetime bonds with family members and can live over 20 years of age. They eat anything from meat to fruit and even insects. Although the dingoes are wild creatures they also have been raised as pets from birth.

The giraffe is the tallest of all land animals. Although they have a very long neck they have the same number of vertebrae as a human-7. They eat leaves mostly from Acacia trees and eat up to 75 lbs. a day. Giraffes live in central, eastern and southern Africa. They can drink a lot of water which gives them the ability to withstand long periods in hot, dry weather. Both male and female giraffes have horns though females are shorter and have tufts of hair covering them. Giraffes only require about 2 hours of sleep each day. On average, they live 25 years.

Hermit crabs have soft abdomens and borrow shells to live in from snails and other mollusks. They have two claws and one is bigger than the other. A hermit crab's back legs are small and adapted well to help pull itself into shells. As they grow larger they leave their old shell behind in search of a bigger one. Of the different species some live on land and breath air but most live in the sea. Despite its name, a hermit crab is social and thrives in groups of 100 or more. If taken as pets, and treated properly, hermit crabs generally will live up to 20 years.

The indri is the largest lemur growing over 2 feet in height and is a native to the rainforests of Madagascar. The indri likes to eat leaves, fruit, and flowers. They live among trees and jump from branch to branch with great leaping ability (up to 33 feet and beyond). They make loud, distinct sounds which have been described as songs which are used to maintain territorial rights between neighboring groups. Like many other creatures in this day and age, the indri is threatened by deforestation and human civilization.

The Komodo dragon makes its home in central Indonesia. It is the largest of all lizards and belongs to the Monitor lizard family. Their average adult weight is around 200 lbs. yet they are fast moving and able to climb and swim. While carnivorous and fierce in the wild, a Komodo has been known to become docile in captivity and even brought out for interaction among children. One would hope they are well fed before this interaction. Their lifespan ranges anywhere from 20 to 50 years.

The loris is nocturnal and a tree dwelling (arboreal) animal. They are slow movers that have opposable thumbs but can move fast when necessary. A loris can produce toxin by licking it from their elbows and mixing it in its saliva as a form of defense from other animals. A mother loris covers her offspring with this toxin for protection when leaving them to find food. Loris' like to eat insects, bird eggs, and other small, assorted creatures. Some loris have been known to live up to 15 years.

		The ocelot inhabits Central and South America and was once widespread in parts of the south and southwestern United States. They are nocturnal and avoid humans. Also known as the "painted leopard," the ocelot is about twice as big as an ordinary house cat and likes to eat mice, birds, rabbits, deer, frogs and iguanas. The ocelot is a very good swimmer, leaper, and climber of trees.