Circle of Animals

I’m a Camel I live in the punishing heat of the desert  I have adapted to live in such harsh conditions and I can survive without water for days and even weeks though I do find every opportunity to drink water if I’m fortunate to find a water source.  I can drink large amounts of water in one sitting and store it for later when I need it.  Camels have a unique physiology that allow them to survive even when they find themselves in extreme conditions without available water.  They can store water in their hump for long periods and are built for withstanding the heat, the sun, the wind and the sand even in the tumultuous conditions of sand storms.  Camels are work animals trekking through the desert on various journeys lasting for days and sometimes weeks at a time carrying passengers on their back along with their belongings. If the journey is for a few days camels can walk up to 60 miles in a day and if the journey is for weeks they can walk up to 25 miles in a ...

I’m a Pelican  I’m a bird of the sea I love hovering over the waters edge I am a glider of the sky and I love to soar over the waters and take in the view on the horizon overlooking the beach.  I enjoy getting my thrust from the waves on the beach. I power my flight and am able to glide gracefully over the breaking waves. I can be found among the surfers and we must respect each other’s boundaries as we share the vastness of the ocean taking to the waves. I am majestic in flight and it’s quite a sight as I scoop down to catch my prey. I can also float on the water.  I’m an excellent swimmer too as I come in for a landing I can use my webbed feet and wings to help navigate the ocean as I dive going underneath to catch fish and other sea life for my catch of the day. Pelicans are social birds that fly together in flocks as they migrate from one place to another and they also hang out together on the ocean surface and on land.  They communicate with their beaks, through...

I’m a Dingo I live in Australia in the wild I am a cross between a wolf and a dog I am a social animal like the wolf as I gather in a pack with my family and friends. I’m a wild dog that roams in the Australian outback. I habitat in the rainforests, grasslands, mountains, woodlands and deserts of mainland Australia and I am constantly in search of water and food to survive in the wild. Dingoes are beautiful, majestic animals that are tan, red, white or black in color and resemble dogs or wolves.  Dingoes are carnivores and they prey on kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, rabbits, birds, small rodents, sea life, insects, vegetation, plants and fruits.  They basically eat anything that comes their way that they can hunt and trap. Many dingoes live in a pack but some do live solitary lives straying from the pack. Dingoes are threatened by hunters and larger predators and vulnerable to extinction so they have been protected in wild life parks, Great Sandy National Park on Fraser Island...

I’m a Beetle  Not to be confused with the popular British rock band known as the Beatles.  Not John, Paul, George or Ringo. Though I can “sing” by rubbing my wings together to attract a female by making sounds in the mating process.  I’m an insect. I have two pairs of wings enabling me to fly.  Six legs to get around crawling everywhere. I can also swim in the water.  I have an outer body protective covering that forms as a shell from forewings as I undergo metamorphosis becoming an adult ready to continue the life cycle and going off to mate to start a new generation of beetles. The shell provides my protection from predators. Beetles are colorful creatures and their look, size and colors depend on their species. Some beetles are unable to fly.  They get around by crawling on the ground or swimming in the water. Some beetles are lucky enough to fly, crawl, swim and burrow. Beetles live everywhere in the world and that also includes the coldest place on the...

I’m a Puffin I can fly high in the sky above the waters. I also am an excellent swimmer of the sea. I live at sea most of my life. I can dive under water as that’s how I live. That’s where I find my food. I am dependent on fish for my diet. The sea is plentiful for my hunt and I dive into the waters to catch my prey. Puffins are beautiful birds who are very interesting in their appearance and how they live. Although they fly they prefer living at sea and are excellent at diving in deep waters and swimming.  When they swim at sea they maneuver their wings and feet and can swim to depths of 200 feet under water. They dive so deep for their food source.  Puffins have webbed feet for the sea and strong wings that serve them in the skies and in the waters. They can swim at speeds of 10 miles per hour at sea and fly at speeds of 55 miles per hour in the sky and climb heights to 30 feet. They’re truly fascinating birds that intrigue scientists and bird watchers alike with their incre...

I’m an Armadillo  It means little armored one I have a tough leathery scaly skin with patterns that is shell like.  It’s nicely designed and serves for my protection  I also have a tail I am common to North, Central and South America and Mexico and have been introduced in other parts of the world where I can survive.  I am unique looking. I have short legs, claws, a small face, small nose, eyes and small ears.  I don’t have good eyesight but I do have a keen sense of smell.  I walk in shallow waters and roam the land. I can swim despite my heavy shell but I do tread water and if shallow enough will walk on the bottom floor holding my breath as long as I can up to 6 minutes.  I also love to dig burrows and tunnels underground and stay in cool places on hot summer days. The smallest of armadillo grows to 6 inches weighing less than a pound and the largest grows to 5 feet in length weighing as much as 120 pounds. Armadillos live near waterways and streams...

I’m a Wolf I run in a pack Packs can include anywhere between 5 to 30 wolves at a time.  Wolves are social animals and are capable. of forming life long bonds and friendships in the pack. When a wolf goes on their own after they leave their family, their natal pack they are called a “lone wolf” and they go in search of a new pack as wolves do not like to live alone. Wolves prefer running in packs and establishing relationships as they feel safe in numbers. When wolves travel in packs they do so in their hunt for food, when protecting their young or when they’re under threat.  When a young wolf of 2 leaves the family in search of a mate they desire to form their own natal pack.  It’s not easy to find a mate but that’s their mindset and their mission.  There is risk leaving the family but that’s life’s calling and all animals seek independence and raising a family of their own including the wolf. Wolves take care of their families and are very caring of their young pup...

I’m a Badger I’m unique in appearance  I resemble many types of small animals  I am short, full bodied, with an elongated head and have a white face with two black stripes that run down my face and past my eyes and I have a cute little black nose.  I have 4 stubby legs and I have a tail. I am usually grey or brown in color with white and I have tiny ears. I’m a mustelid and I belong to the family that includes weasels, martens, ferrets, otters, polecats, minks, skunks and wolverines. Badgers live in open areas in meadows, grasslands, fields, sagebrush, woodlands and semi arid deserts.  They inhabit many places in the world including Subsaharan Africa, Asia, Arabian desert, United Kingdom, Europe, North America and many other countries in the world.  They live in all continents with exception of Antarctica.  Badgers live underground to keep cool in the day and create tunnels by burrowing into the ground creating shelter called setts.  They are nocturnal...

I’m a Manatee I am a creature of the sea I am very long in length about 9 feet from snout to tail weighing 1,000 pounds or more.  Some of us grow to 13 feet weighing 3000 pounds or more. I’m a gentle giant I’m docile and agreeable  I live in the waters where I swim and search for food underneath the surface and come up for air regularly. I have two flippers to help me steer in the waters. Manatees propel themselves forward in the seas with their tails steering with their flippers.  Manatees have thick leathery skin to protect them in the waters but it tends to flake and fall off because of the salty waters.    Manatees prefer to be alone but at times will swim with others in search of food and to assure their safety. Manatees eat aquatic plants usually but have been known to eat small fish and crustaceans on occasion.  Manatees live in saltwater, freshwater, brackish waters but need freshwater in their diet to drink to prevent dehydration. Manatees are call...

I’m an Aardvark  I am a fascinating animal  I may be unusual looking and a curiosity but there is an animal I slightly resemble  I look like a pig with a long snout  I also look like an anteater  I’m neither though I live in Africa  I live on ants and termites and aardvark cucumbers. I know what you’re going to ask What is an aardvark cucumber? Well it’s a fruit, a melon grown in Africa  Aardvarks spread the seeds after they eat and fully digest them and nature does its magic. It’s the only fruit spread by the aardvark. It’s quite remarkable if you think about it. It’s similar to the giant sloths who once roamed the earth eating avocados and spreading their seeds. If you were to look up my name you’d learn that it translates to “earth pig”. Aardvarks weigh between 130 to 180 pounds and outstretched they extend to a length of 7 feet including their tail. Aardvarks rise to a height of two feet and have a keen sense of smell and hearing which helps them t...