Platypus Report

Platypus

A platypus has a bill like a duck. They are mammals and their life span is about 15-20 years. The platypus is one of  only 2 mammals that lay eggs. The scientific name for a platypus is Ornithorhynchus Anatinus.

The colour of their fur is brown, grey and black. Adult platypus do not have teeth but young platypus have molar teeth. A baby platypus does not have an official title but most people call them platypups.

Platypus live in Western Australia and Tasmania. They live in burrows that are about 30cm deep. They spend about 12 hours a day hunting in the fresh water. Their burrows are usually in fresh water, rivers or lakes.

Platypus are omnivores and it's favourite food is shrimp. Their predators are foxes, snakes and crocodiles. Their leathery snout has electro-receptors that pick up small electrical signals sent by animals when they move. A male platypus can release toxic venom. By Ella. M

Meerkats

 

A meerkat, also known as a Suricatta is a small mammal and part of the mongoose family. Meerkats have a lifespan of 12 to 14 years in captivity and they are known for their up-right posture. There are three sub-species of meerkat and they are not a threatened species as there are an estimated 10,000 left in the wild.

 

 

Meerkats have light brown fur with a grey and brown tint on the stripes on their back. They eat plants and other animals (not of their own species), which makes them omnivores. Hawks, jackals and snakes are meerkats predators. The name for a young meerkat is a kit. A meerkat is 10 to 14 inches in length not including their tails because their tails are generally half as long as their bodies. The meerkat has a pointy snout used for poking into holes to grab food.

 

A meerkat can be located in Southern Africa in countries including Botswana, Namibia and Angola. They are natives of the Kalahari Desert. There is always a male meerkat watching out for danger. Meerkats live together in a large group called a mob or gang and usually all the meerkats are relatives. They share burrows with yellow mongooses, ground squirrels and occasionally snakes.

 

 

Meerkats can do many interesting things including digging through a large quantity of sand equal to its own weight in just seconds. Did you know meerkats can close their ears to keep dirt out. These animals can run t a speed of up to 37 miles per hour. They can communicate through vocal sounds to warn others of danger, they also have special hunting sounds.

 

 

By Bella M

 

 

 

  

 

Sloths report by stefan.n

Sloths are medium sized animals. They
are extremely slow. They stay in trees
for years and they are nocturnal. Most
sloths are a size of a small dog.
They have shot, flat flat head. Their
hair is greyish row. But sometimes it
looks grey green because they move so
slow their skin grows fungus.
They are found in rainforest canopies in
South Central america. There are two
species of two-toed sloths in South
America.
Their huge hooked claws and long arms
allow them to spend most of their time
in trees hanging upside down since they
have slow metabolism they don't need
much food.
By Stefan .n

Honey Badger Report

A honey badger is also known as a ratel. It is in the kingdom Anamalia, phylum
Chordata, class Mammalia, order Carnivora and family Mustelidae. It genus and
species name is Mellivora capensis.
Despite it's name it looks more like a weasel than a badger. It has a black underbelly
and side but a grey-white top.Males weigh 9-16 kg and females weigh 5-10
kilograms. An adult male can grow up to 90cm with the tail included. It has four legs
and five toes per foot. It also has short claws on the hind legs and long claws on the
fore-limbs. It has a broad body and very thick skin, about 6 mm thick.
 It is found in most of Africa below the Sahara, from the Cape of Good Hope to
Morocco. A young honey badger is called a kit, while females are sows and males
boars. A collection of honey badgers is a cete, colony, set or company although they
are mostly solitary animals.
Honey badgers are very fearless animals, even being named the bravest animal in
the world by the Guinness book of records. They appear to have developed a form of
immunity to snake venoms. It is known to fend of large predators such as lions. They
even are known to chase away lion cubs and take their kills. They have a very ranged
diet eating anything from insects, frogs, turtles, tortoises, rodents, lizards, snakes,
eggs, birds, berries, roots and bulbs. But of course they eat honey, often searching into
behaves for it, which earned the honey badger it's name. They are also very smart.

To see a video of a very cunning honey badger go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c36UNSoJen1 or www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01x412l

By Luke.D