Critter Science
The Science of Animals
The crested caracara is a bird of prey that belongs to the falcon family. They are found in the southwestern parts of the U.S. and in Central and South America. The crested caracara inhabits savannas, pastures, grasslands, scrublands, open countryside and areas near
The kinkajou lives in tropical rainforests from the southern parts of Mexico down into Brazil. Its small feet have fingers that are a slightly webbed and come equipped with sharp claws. Dense, wool-like fur serves as a raincoat to help keep them dry in their rainy environment
The pudu deer consist of 2 known species of South American deer and are the world’s smallest deer. The name comes from Mapudungun, the language of the indigenous Mapuche people of central Chile and south-western Argentina. These tiny deer are the size of a small dog
One of the more bizarre mammals, and there are a few, is the anteater. They can range in size from a squirrel, to up to 7′ long! There are 4 species of anteater: giant anteater, silky anteater, northern tamandua and southern tamandua
There are many species of dolphins in the world. The most unique, by far, is the pink river dolphin. These dolphins begin life as a gray color and slowly turn pink as they age. They can be anywhere from predominantly gray with a few pink spots, to nearly as
Among the large host of critters found in the Amazon is the caiman, a carnivorous (eats meat), semi-aquatic crocodilian that calls the Amazon rainforest its home. There are 6 known species of caiman found in Central and South America: in Puerto Rico, Brazil, Ecuador, Peru
The coatis or coatimundis are relatives of the raccoon that live from Arizona and areas of southern New Mexico in the U.S., through Mexico (except the Baja peninsula and central Sierra Madres) and into Central America, all the way to Panama and into South America in areas
The piranha is a small to medium sized fish that lives in rivers and lakes of South America. They have also been introduced to some rivers and lakes in North America and Kaptai Lake in Bangladesh. The name piranha means “fish tooth” in the indigenous languages of the Amazon
The jaguar is only found in the Americas. Their range extends from as far north as Arizona and as far south as northern Argentina. They prefer rainforest environments but can also be found in other forested regions. They are recognized by their orange or yellow coats
The kakapo, aka the owl parrot or night parrot, is a parrot that can only be found in New Zealand. This bird is critically endangered, and is the primary focus of a large conservation effort by the Kakapo Recovery program of the New Zealand Department of Conservation