Copyright 2016 by Datamatic, S.C.

Text: Berenice Lorenzo.

Design: Sergio Gngora.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
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Editorial: Datamatic, S.C.

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respective authors.

First Edition, October 2016

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www.bioexpedition.com

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Animal Kingdom
Do you have any idea of the number of
living organisms that exist on this planet?
Given its many differences in the
eighteenth century the naturalist, Carl
Linnaeus established an organization
system where all living beings were
classified according to their morphological
features, whose hierarchy extends from the
kingdom down to the individual species.
This system which is still operational
recognizes five kingdoms: Monera,
Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia.
The kingdom Animalia includes all the
organisms called animals or metazoa.
There are more than 10 million animal
species, and scientists estimate that 97.4
percent are invertebrates and just 2.6
percent are vertebrates. The latter split into
five groups: birds, fish, mammals, reptiles
and amphibians.
Among the invertebrates are insects,
mollusks, crustaceans, corals, arachnids
and many others.

BIOMES

The ocean biome is one of the

most affected by human activities.

All animals adapt to one or more regions of the

world that have specific weather conditions,
flora, and fauna; this is a biome.
The climate and rainfall are the main factors that
define the classification of a biome, and the
living beings that live there, from microscopic
organisms to large predators all are closely
related to each other and their environment.

The classification may vary among some

authors, but the best-known and studied
biomes are polar deserts, tundra, taiga, forest,
rainforest, steppe, savanna, desert and
Mediterranean, although each has further subclassifications. Evidently, we cannot forget the
vast and amazing ocean biome, the largest on
the planet.

ANIMALS

Giant panda
It is an animal very easy to identify
because of its black and white color
and its appetite for eating bamboo.
Also called Panda bears; it is an
omnivorous mammal that lives in the
remote mountainous regions of central
China and Tibet at altitudes between
1,200 to 4,100 meters above the sea
level.
It's not as big or aggressive as other
types of bears and reaches up to 1.9
meters high and up to 115 kilos, and
its behavior is solitary and Pacific, and
it tries to avoid confrontations.
99 percent of its diet is bamboo, and it
can spend 10 to 12 hours daily
enjoying it.
This species was close to extinction,
but successful preservation improved
their conservation status, which raised
in September 2016.
That's good news!

Read More...

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Polar Bear
It is the largest land predator; and by that, we mean that some
males weigh up to 700 kilos and reach approximately three
meters long. They live exclusively in the northern hemisphere,
specifically around the arctic and subarctic zones, covering
Canada, Alaska, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and Russia. These
are regions with an abundance of seals, their primary food, as
they provide them the fat and energy they need to survive the
harsh conditions of their habitat, with temperatures ranging
between 10 Celsius degrees to -45 Celsius degrees during
winter.
Polar bears face the ravages of global warming which is
speeding melting, as well as the pollution and the disturbance
caused by oil exploration in the Arctic. In 2008, the excessive
hunting brought them close to extinction.

Read More...

Polar Bears - Their strong legs are

developed to withstand long
walks and swim far distances.

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Human and giraffes have the same

number of vertebrae in the neck, seven.
However, a giraffe vertebra measures up
to 28 cm.

Giraffe
Giraffes are the tallest animals in the
world, and there are nine subspecies,
which inhabit the grasslands and
savannas of Africa, being the Masai
giraffe the largest, reaching up to six
meters tall, while other species range
between 4.5 and 5.5 meters. Despite
their massive size, these mammals can
run at 60 km/h.
Each giraffe has a unique spot pattern
that slightly varies its color according to
his or her health status. Their neck

measures up to 2 meters long, and his

tongue is about 50 cm long, and thanks
to its thick, protective saliva, can ingest
the thorns of the bushes they consume.
An adult requires between 34 and 75 kg
of vegetation per day.
They seem helpless creatures, but a
giraffe can kill his opponent with a
lightning kick. Among its main enemies
are lions, leopards, and crocodiles.

Read More...

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Tiger
It is the world's largest cat. It has six subspecies distributed along
Asia, and the Siberian tiger is the largest of all. The Siberian or Amur
tiger has a length of nearly three meters, including the tail, and a
weight of approximately 320 kg. In contrast, the Sumatran tiger,
which is only 2.30 meters, long and weighs 140 kg. Is considered
the smallest subspecies; however, all have enough strength and
ability to deal with any threat.

Their more than 200 bones

form a strong and agile
structure that supports the
movement of their more than
600 muscles.

Read More...

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Tigers can reach a speed up to 90 km/h during sprints, which give

them a significant advantage when chasing prey. They are highly
territorial and efficient hunters. They eat fish, birds, deer, wild boars,
tapirs, and even some species of bear.
Unfortunately, all subspecies are threatened as the result of
uncontrolled hunting and poaching.

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Lion
The "King of the Jungle" actually lives in
savannas and grasslands of Africa and parts
of Asia. It belongs to the group of big cats.
There are two subspecies: the African Lion
and the Asian Lion. Lions are the second
largest members of the Felidae family
weighing between 190 and 250 kg and
measuring up to 2.50 meters long, being the
African subspecies the one with the highest
dimensions. They are the only cats that show
sexual dimorphism in adulthood, as male
lions have and abundant mane that females
do not grow.
They can capture animals as big as giraffes
and Cape buffaloes; and smaller prey like
impalas, gazelles, wildebeests and zebras,
and even small rodents and amphibians. A
healthy adult requires 5 to 7 kg of meat every
day.
Read More...

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Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphin
Tursiops truncatus

Dolphins are scientifically considered one of the

most intelligent animals on Earth, they perform
complex communication, and they are capable
of executing different behaviors according to the
situation. They use echolocation for detection
and orientation, which help them to find prey
and avoid predators. Small fish and squid are
the main food of dolphins.
There are more than 40 species, and they are
closely related to whales. Most species live in

the oceans, but few successfully inhabit

freshwater bodies such as the Gangetic dolphin
or the Amazon pink dolphin.
There are several species severely threatened
and the Baiji dolphin is already extinct in the
wild, while another ten are seriously threatened
by human activities such as fishing and
pollution.
Read More...

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Wolf.
Wolves are known to be powerful predators
with an incredible ability to hunt as and
organized group hardly seen in other
animals.
There are three species of wolves with
several subspecies of gray wolf. They live
in diverse parts of the world with
adaptations to the different types of
climates they inhabit which range from hot
and arid landscapes to the cold taiga and
tundra biomes. Their distribution includes
Asia, America, Europe and Africa.
Wolves are highly territorial, and their way
to communicate and enforce their dominion
is by howling, which can be heard as far as
130 km. They organize into social
hierarchies, where an alpha male and
female are at the highest position of the
community. Both have more freedom and
total control over the resources, being
responsible for resolving potential conflicts
and holding together the pack, besides
breeding most of the offspring.

Read More...

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Raccoon.
This mammal has three species
that can be easily distinguished by
the dark "mask" over his eyes.
Weighing between 2 and 14 kilos,
the raccoon is native to the
American continent, ranging from
the forested areas of southern
Canada to the northern prairies of
South America, although, it has
been introduced in some European
and Asian countries.
Raccoons are solitary and discrete
creatures that hunt at night and
have an omnivorous diet which
33% of it are plants, and the rest is
vertebrates and invertebrates such
as worms, amphibians, and eggs.
However, it is usual to see them
snooping around trash cans in
urban areas where they "steal" food
from homes or businesses.
It is not a dangerous animal to
humans unless they feel
threatened. But something
important to remember is that
raccoons are not domesticated like
dogs or cats and can carry rabies.
Read More...

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Cougar - This animal cannot roar like the

big cats, but it can emit a wide variety of
vocalizations.

Cougar.
Also known as the mountain lion or
puma, it lives in areas with dense
vegetation and large rocks that it uses as
shelter.

cat. Its territorial behavior, its robust and

agile body, its powerful fangs, and claws
make it easy to acknowledge why it is
considered a dangerous predator.

It is the second largest feline in the

continent after the jaguar and the fourth
largest in the world. Its distribution range
is bigger than any other mammal in the
Western Hemisphere, covering from
Canada to the Andes mountain range.

Cougars reach speeds of 55 km/h and

are experts climbing rocks and even
swimming if needed to reach their prey,
which usually are raccoons, coyotes,
beavers, bobcats and several types of
deer.

It is not a small cat; adult males reach a

length up to 2.75 meters and a weight of
over 100 kg. Besides, it is not a friendly

Read More...

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Some whale species may have a

gestation period longer than one
year.

Whale.
Whales inhabit all the world's oceans. There are
two whale suborders, toothed whales and
baleen whales.
The largest species, the blue whale, is the
largest animal that has ever lived on the Earth
as it reaches a length up to 30 m and a weight
of 170 tons. Under their skin, they have a thick
layer of fat that stores energy and regulates

their temperature, as many of them delve into

cold circumpolar waters.
Baleen whales communicate with each other
through melodic sounds, which are popularly
known as "whale singing." Their socialization
skills allow them to teach, learn, collaborate and
show stages of grief. While some tend to be
loners, others can form groups of up to 25
members.

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Despite their large size,

whales feed on small
crustaceans, fish, shrimp,
krill and microscopic
organisms that provide
them the nutrients essential
for their survival..

So far, there are 15

species of baleen whales.

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Leopard.
Leopards belong to the Felidae family and the genus Panthera. They
live in eastern and southern Asian and African continents, with the
largest concentrations in sub-Saharan Africa.
It is the smallest of the "big cats" with a length up to 1.65 m and
weight up to 91 kg. Leopards are often confused with cheetahs or
jaguars, but their main difference is their coat pattern.

Leopards are expert climbing trees to stalk their prey, as their sight
and hear senses, are their best tools for hunting. Their strength
allows them to take down other animals heavier than them like
antelopes, gazelles, and impalas, although rodents, Martens, and
foxes can also be part of their diet when available. They are so
powerful that they can readily take up the trees the bodies of their
prey!
Read More...

Research show that the

leopard is the cat with greater
adaptability, it can live in
various habitat types and at
different temperatures.

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Sea Lion.
Sea lions are part of the Otariidae family
and Otariinae subfamily. Their distribution
extends around the world covering coasts
of Mexico, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and
the United States.
Their length ranges from 1.8 m to 3.0 m
and their weight from 100 kg to 1,000 kg.
The largest species is the Steller sea lion,
one of the most aggressive and territorial
species.
Their diet includes a wide variety of prey
like squid, fish, and even baby seals or
birds when there are not many options
available. As prey, they are hunt by orcas
and large sharks like the great white shark,
which they try to avoid with skills and
intelligence.
Scientists think that sea lions will be 100%
aquatic in the future because their anatomy
is increasingly adapting to this habitat.
Read More...

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Copyright 2016 Datamatic, SC

www.bioexpedition.com