Children’s Illustrated Animal Atlas

SMITHSONIAN Children’s Illustrated Animal ATLAS

Author Jamie Ambrose Contents Editor Olivia Stanford Project editor Allison Singer 4 How to use this book Project art editor Hoa Luc 6 The world Designer Rhea Gaughan US Senior editor Shannon Beatty 8 North America US editor Jane Perlmutter 10 North American taiga Map illustrator Jeongeun Park 12 Great Plains Cartography Ed Merritt, Simon Mumford 13 Eastern forests Illustrators Maltings Partnership, Molly Lattin, 14 Western deserts 16 Central America Bettina Myklebust Stovne, Oliver Magee 17 Caribbean Additional design Lucy Sims, Yamini Panwar 18 Florida Everglades Assistant editor Prerna Grewal 20 South America Jacket coordinator Francesca Young 22 Amazon rain forest Jacket designer Hoa Luc 24 Andean mountains Managing editor Laura Gilbert 26 Temperate pampas Managing art editor Diane Peyton Jones 28 Pantanal Pre-production producer Nikoleta Parasaki 29 Galápagos 30 Cerrado Producer Niamh Tierney 32 Cordillera Blanca Art director Martin Wilson 34 Africa Publisher Sarah Larter Publishing director Sophie Mitchell 36 Sahara desert 38 Congo Basin First American Edition, 2017 40 Southern savanna Published in the United States by DK Publishing 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 Copyright © 2017 Dorling Kindersley Limited. DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC 17 18 19 20 21 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 001-298819-Aug/2017 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special Markets, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014 [email protected] ISBN: 978-1-4654-6203-9 Printed and bound in Hong Kong A WORLD OF IDEAS: SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW

42 Kalahari desert 76 Australasia 43 Madagascar 44 Kruger National Park 78 Australia 80 New Zealand 46 Europe 82 Great Barrier Reef 48 Northern European taiga 84 Antarctica 50 British Isles 86 The Arctic 52 European forests 88 Oceans and seas 54 The Alps 55 European steppe 90 Atlas picture quiz 56 Mediterranean scrubland 92 Glossary 58 Białowieża Forest 93 Index 96 Credits 60 Asia Smithsonian 62 Russian taiga 64 Asian steppe This trademark is owned by the Smithsonian Institution and 65 Central Asian deserts is registered in the U.S Patent and Trademark Office. 66 Tibetan Plateau 68 East Asian forests Consultant Dr. Don E. Wilson, Curator Emeritus, Department of Vertebrate Zoology, 70 Arabian Peninsula National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian 71 Indian forests Smithsonian Enterprises 72 Southeast Asian rain forest Product Development Manager Kealy Gordon 74 Gobi desert Licensing Manager Ellen Nanney Vice President, Consumer and Education Products Brigid Ferraro Senior Vice President, Consumer and Education Products Carol LeBlanc President Christopher A. Liedel Established in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution—the world’s largest museum and research complex—includes 19 museums and galleries and the National Zoological Park. The total number of objects, works of art, and specimens in the Smithsonian’s collection is estimated at 154 million. The Smithsonian is a renowned research center, dedicated to public education, national service, and scholarship in the arts, sciences, and history.

How to use this book An atlas usually shows maps of different countries, but animals often live across borders. The maps in this book show many of the world’s different habitats, which is the environment where an animal lives, such as a desert. Some islands are also shown, since they have animals that are found nowhere else. Compass Animal pictures Independent states Rivers The compass always points north Pictures with descriptions Small independent states, such as Each country’s largest (N) in line with the map. It also pick out particular animals Monaco, are shown with a red rivers are shown as shows the direction of south (S), that live in an area. border and a solid red dot, and continuous blue lines. east (E), and west (W). the name is in capital letters. Mediterranean Mediterranean chameleon Hummingbird Iberian lynx scrubland This is one of only two chameleon species hawk moth Just 404 adult Iberian found in Europe. Its tongue is sticky to catch lynxes are left in the The coastal areas around the Mediterranean Sea passing insects. It is also This insect beats its wild, so this is the most contain rocky hills and flat, shrub-filled plains. This twice the length wings so fast that they rare habitat is found in only a few places on Earth. of its body! make a humming endangered cat on Plants here can survive wildfires, and animals have sound—just like the Earth—but the good to deal with hot, dry weather. birds it’s named after. It feeds on nectar news is this figure made by flowers like is nearly twice the buddleia and number of wild lynxes nThecetahra-wrikchmfoltohwewrildlaryetaufrtnertdoaay. honeysuckle. alive a few years ago! FRANCE Zagreb The Iabneirmiaanl—lytnhxe mEuorsotplyeahnunratsbbjuits.t one N This wolf is thinner and W E Garon Rhöne CROATIA smaller than other European ardin i aC o r s i c a wolves. It hunts rabbits, deer, S MONACO SAN MARINO Golden wild boar, birds, and fish. jackal ne Belgrade o The golden jackal BOSNIA & ROMANIA is found in many places, HERZEGOVINA including southeastern Mediterranean I TA LY Europe, northern Sarajevo SERBIA Ebr P Y R E N E E S banded centipede Africa, and ANDORRA Mediterranean This centipede paralyzes southern Asia. tree frog its prey with a venomous MONTENEGRO S PA I N This frog is usually bright bite and will give a Pristina green or blue. It has suckers human a painful nip VATICAN CITY Iberian wolf on its fingers and toes too—so stay well away! Rome A D R Podgorica KOSOVO Madrid Tagus that let it climb with ease. The cork oak is IC SEA Skopje I A T BULGARIA PORTUGAL one of few trees that can grow new Jeweled Tirana MACEDONIA lizard The cuckoo lays its eggs in bark. The cork bark is ALBANIA other birds’ nests. When harvested once every Majorca the cuckoo chick hatches, S nine years to make bottle it pushes all the other stoppers and other items. Cork oak Dalmatian This monkey is found eggs out—so the parent pelican G R E E C E Lisbon in Africa and on the island of Gibraltar, near Spain. It is the birds feed it instead! Common The magpie is so smart In addition to making only wild monkey that it can make and use other sounds, this in Europe. Iberian The sapphire-like blue spots on cuckoo tools. It eats insects and pelican barks and ibex its body give this lizard its name. It is the largest lizard in Europe seeds, and will even steal hisses! When fishing, at about 231⁄2 in (60 cm) long. SEA other birds’ eggs. it fills up its beak Iberian pig R R A N E A N with food to eat later. E Marginated E D I T Eurasian tortoise A type of wild goat, male M This pig is a Iberian ibexes have horns Sicily magpie This plant-eating farmed animal, that grow up to 291⁄2 in tortoise lives mostly Athens but lives in open (75 cm) long! HABITAT KEY in Greece, in thorny, country, looking rocky, scrubby areas. for mushrooms, Barbary SCALE Scrublands Coniferous MEDITERRANEAN SEA roots, and acorns macaque forests from cork oaks. Wetlands 0 200 miles Deciduous 0 200 kilometers Mountains forests M A LTA European rabbit Location Crete The European rabbit is the This region includes the Mediterranean house gecko ancestor of all pet rabbits in This little gecko is about 4 in (10 cm) long the world. Unlike its enemy, southern parts of Europe and weighs about as much as a sugar cube. It is around the Mediterranean also called a “moon lizard” because it mostly comes the Iberian lynx, the rabbit Sea, as well as islands out at night. It eats small cockroaches and moths. has been seen in yards and 56 parks, and even in busy cities. like Crete that share a 57 similar habitat. Capital Scale Location Habitat key Bordering continents A country’s capital city is The scale shows the size of The location box shows Every map has a key Around the edges of some marked with a red outline. the areas and the distances you where each area is that lists the types maps you can see parts of Some countries have more between different points on found in relation to the of habitats found in bordering continents in a than one capital city. the map. land around it. that area. cream color. 4

North N ARCTIC OCEAN Great WE Barrier Reef America S GREENLAND The world’s largest chain of coral reefs, the Great Blubber jellyfish Each of this ERING SEA (DENMARK) Barrier Reef lies just off Australia’s northeastern creature’s eight stumpy arms This continent stretches from the icy Arctic down to coast. It’s so big that it can be seen from space, has several mouths that move BEAU FORT SEA and it is home to more than 1,500 types of fish. Regal tang Also called food to the animal’s stomach. surgeonfish, tangs have a Blacktip reef shark This the tropical Caribbean. It has a vast range of habitats, B scalpel-like spine at the base medium-sized shark loves the Potato cod The potato PA C I F I C O C E A N of their tail on both sides. shallows. It can swim in water cod hunts fish, crabs, and just 12 in (30 cm) deep. crayfish. It’s so curious that from snow-covered mountains to lush rain forests, and ALASKA it can annoy divers. (UNITED STATES) is home to millions of different animals—some large, Tfahsetepsetacpoucnkchmiannttihseshanriimmpalhwasortldh.e some small, and all amazing. Yukon Northwest Nunavut Barrier islands Peacock Territory Territories These long, thin stretches of sand protect the mantis shrimp mainland from powerful storms. The barrier Only 1–7 in (3–18 cm) Newfoundland & Labra islands off the Virginia and Maryland coasts long, this shrimp is are home to the wild Chincoteague Ponies deadly. Its clublike of Chincoteague and Assateague islands. arms can punch hard enough to break the dor Giant barrel sponge The shells of crabs—and barrel sponge is an animal even aquarium glass! British Columbia CANADASaskatchewan Québec Central American rain forest that grows up to 6 ft (1.8 m) Alberta Manitoba Rain forests are warm and green all across—and it has no brain! year, and they are home to more than Green sea turtle Green sea Ontario PrinceNova Scotia ST. PIERRE turtles are black when they Edward & MIQUELON half the world’s plants and hatch. They change color Island (FRANCE) animals. These colorful over the next 25 to 50 years. BrunsNweiwck scarlet macaws from Maine Costa Rica perch high Olive sea snake This snake in rain-forest trees. breathes air, and it has a large Washington Montana North Vermont lung that lets it swim for hours Dakota Indiana between breaths. Oregon South Wisconsin New York New Hampshire Dugongs can live for 70 years Sea slug Sea slugs eat corals, Dakota Minnesota Pennsylvania Massachusetts or more in the wild. sea anemones, sponges, and Orange clown fish Clown Western mountains Idaho Michigan Rhode Island fish eggs. Their bright colors fish have coats of slime that The rocky peaks and thick coniferous forests in the Virginia Connecticut warn predators away. let them live in sea anemones mountains of western North America are filled U N I T Wyoming Iowa Dugong without being stung. E DS Nebraska Ohio New Jersey This slow-moving mammal eats with wildlife. Wolves, deer, and grizzly bears Nevada T Delaware nothing but plants. It pulls seagrass Giant clam roam freely here, while in the fjords (narrow A T E S Illinois VirgiWniesat out by the roots with its flexible upper This clam is so big, it can no inlets), bald eagles hunt for salmon. Maryland lip. Dugongs are also called “sea longer move. It lives attached OF A MER ) cows,” because they graze like cows. to the reef, where it sucks in California coast redwoods Utah Colorado Kansas I C A (U S A Kentucky plankton to eat with a tubelike These redwood trees can grow more California Missouri organ called a siphon. than 350 ft (107 m) high and live up North Carolina BERMUDA to 2,000 years. Bears, owls, and other HABITAT KEY New Mexico Oklahoma Tennessee South Carolina (UNITED KINGDOM) woodland creatures—including a banana slug—call them home. Arizona Arkansas Mississippi Alabama HAWAII Tropical forests Georgia (UNITED STATES) Deciduous forests Texas ATLANTIC OCEAN XICO FloridaLouisiana Coral Location ME Living corals are made The Great Barrier Reef Coniferous forests OF MEXICO BAHAMAS BRITISH up of tiny animals Blue starfish Tiny suckers, runs for 1,429 miles F VIRGIN ISLANDS called coral polyps called tube feet, cover the Great Plains Tropical grasslands (UNITED KINGDOM) ANGUILLA (UNITED KINGDOM) that catch bits of food underside of starfish and (2,300 km) off the With thousands of miles Scrublands PUERTO RICO ST. KITTS & NEVIS with their tentacles. let them crawl over the reef. coast of the state of of grassland, the dry Great Temperate grasslands (UNITED STATES) The polyps make Queensland, Australia. Plains can appear empty. Desert ANTIGUA & BARBUDA hard cases from Look closer, though, and Wetlands minerals to protect you’ll see big bison, as Tundra GUL CUBA MONTSERRAT (UNITED KINGDOM) themselves, and these well as prairie dogs hiding Ice build up over many in their secret world of HAITI DOMINICAN US VIRGIN DOMINICA years into a reef. underground burrows. REPUBLIC ISLANDS MARTINIQUE (FRANCE) (UNITED STATES) BARBADOS 82 BELIZE JAMAICA AN SEA ST. LUCIA ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES HONDURAS RIBBE ARUBA GRENADA TRINIDAD & TOBAGO CURACAO (NETHERLANDS) (NETHERLANDS) GUATEMALA C A SCALE The reef has many different Starfish can regrow a Most sea creatures avoid sea 0 500 miles types of coral. In addition to damaged or lost arm. anemones because they sting, Mangroves EL SALVADOR NICARAGUA 1000 miles 9 hard corals, which build the Some can even grow a but clown fish live among their 83 COSTA RICA reef, there are also soft corals. whole new starfish from tentacles for protection. In return, just part of an arm. they bring the anemones food. PANAMA 0 1000 kilometers Continent maps Feature habitats The continent maps are colored to show the The feature spreads show a specific place and biomes found on each continent. A biome is a some of the animals that live there. In reality, large area of one type of habitat, and the not all the animals would be found together animals and plants in it. Photographs show at the same time, since they are awake at some of the places in these biomes. different times of day, and would often avoid each other to prevent being eaten! Habitats Mountains Coniferous forests Wetlands High, rugged Trees in coniferous Wetlands are marshy, These symbols show the mountainous areas forests usually have swampy areas, such as different types of habitat are often covered needlelike leaves the Pantanal in Brazil. on each map. with snow. that are kept all Oceans and seas year round. Temperate grasslands Hot desert Huge stretches of Mangroves Flat, grassy plains with Hot deserts, such as water are found Mangrove trees grow few trees found in the Sahara, are dry, around the Earth’s on coasts in salty seasonal areas are sandy areas. Few seven continents. water. Their long roots temperate grasslands, plants grow here. Tropical forests stick out of the water. such as prairie, steppe, Rain forests, such as Coral reefs and pampas. Cold desert the Amazon, get a lot Coral reefs grow in Tropical grasslands Cold deserts, such as of rain and heat so the shallow waters. They Flat, grassy plains with the Gobi, are cold, dry trees grow very tall. are built by coral few trees found in hot stretches of land. Deciduous forests animals. areas are tropical Trees in deciduous Scrublands grasslands, such as Snow and ice forests usually have Low-lying plants savanna and cerrado. Frozen areas are broad leaves that are and grasses grow in found high up in the lost in the fall, or scrubland areas with mountains and at the during the dry season. small trees, such as in North and South Poles. southern Spain. Borders Country borders Disputed borders Continent borders 5 The borders between Some countries disagree A broken orange line Borders show how the countries are shown about where the border shows where the Earth’s land is divided with a broken white between them should be. border is between into countries. line. These borders are shown two continents. with a white dotted line.

ARCTIC OCEAN NORTH AMERICA Arctic Circle The Arctic Circle shows where the temperate zone ends and the cold northern polar region begins. AT L A N T I C OCEAN PA C I F I C Tropic of Cancer AFRICA OCEAN This line marks the northern limit of the tropics. Above this is the Northern Hemisphere’s temperate zone. Equator SOUTH AMERICA This is an imaginary line that goes around the middle of the Earth, dividing it into two halves, called the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The world Tropic of Capricorn This line marks the The types of habitats found on each of the southern limit of the Earth’s seven continents depend on the usual tropics. Below this is the weather, or climate, of an area. Five invisible Southern Hemisphere’s lines divide the world into three climatic zones: temperate zone. the tropical zone is hot, the temperate zones are seasonal, and the polar zones are cold. AT L A N T I C OCEAN SOUTHERN OCEAN Antarctic Circle The Antarctic Circle 6 shows where the temperate zone ends and the cold southern polar region begins.

ARCTIC OCEAN Polar zone Inside the polar circles, around the North and South Poles, it is dry and very cold. EUROPE ASIA INDIAN PA C I F I C Temperate zone OCEAN OCEAN Both temperate zones have warm summers and AUSTRALASIA cold winters. Forests in the temperate zone often lose their leaves in the fall or during the dry season. Tropical zone The area between the tropics, around the equator, is very hot. Most rain forests are found in this zone. Temperate zone SOUTHERN OCEAN Polar zone A N TA R C T I C A 7

North N ARCTIC OCEAN WE America S BEAU FORT SEA This continent stretches from the icy Arctic down to ERING SEA B the tropical Caribbean. It has a vast range of habitats, PA C I F I C O C E A NALASKA (UNITED STATES) from snow-covered mountains to lush rain forests, and is home to millions of different animals—some large, some small, and all amazing. Yukon Northwest Territory Territories British Columbia Alberta Washington Montana Oregon Western mountains Idaho The rocky peaks and thick coniferous forests in the U N I T E DS mountains of western North America are filled Nevada T A T E S with wildlife. Wolves, deer, and grizzly bears California coast redwoods roam freely here, while in the fjords (narrow California Utah inlets), bald eagles hunt for salmon. These redwood trees can grow more than 350 ft (107 m) high and live up HABITAT KEY Arizona to 2,000 years. Bears, owls, and other woodland creatures—including a HAWAII Tropical forests banana slug—call them home. (UNITED STATES) Deciduous forests Coniferous forests Great Plains Tropical grasslands Scrublands With thousands of miles Temperate grasslands of grassland, the dry Great Desert Plains can appear empty. Wetlands Look closer, though, and Tundra you’ll see big bison, as Ice well as prairie dogs hiding in their secret world of underground burrows. Mangroves

GREENLAND (DENMARK) Nunavut Barrier islands Newfoundland & Labra These long, thin stretches of sand protect the mainland from powerful storms. The barrier islands off the Virginia and Maryland coasts are home to the wild Chincoteague Ponies of Chincoteague and Assateague islands. dor SaskatchewanCANADA Québec Central American rain forest Manitoba Prince Rain forests are warm and green all Edward year, and they are home to more than Ontario IslandNova Scotia ST. PIERRE BrunsNweiwck & MIQUELON half the world’s plants and Maine (FRANCE) animals. These colorful scarlet macaws from North VermontWisconsin New Hampshire Costa Rica perch high Dakota Indiana Massachusetts in rain-forest trees. South Rhode Island Wyoming Dakota Minnesota Michigan New York Connecticut Pennsylvania Nebraska Iowa Ohio New Jersey Illinois Virginia Delaware VirgiWniesat OF A MER ) Maryland Colorado Kansas I C A (U S A Kentucky Missouri North Carolina BERMUDA South Carolina (UNITED KINGDOM) New Mexico Oklahoma Tennessee Arkansas Mississippi Alabama Georgia Texas A T L A N T I C O C E A N FloridaLouisiana ME BRITISH OF MEXICO BAHAMAS VIRGIN ISLANDS ANGUILLA (UNITED KINGDOM) F (UNITED KINGDOM) ST. KITTS & NEVIS PUERTO RICO (UNITED STATES) ANTIGUA & BARBUDA GUL CUBA MONTSERRAT (UNITED KINGDOM) XICO HAITI DOMINICAN US VIRGIN DOMINICA REPUBLIC ISLANDS MARTINIQUE (FRANCE) (UNITED STATES) BARBADOS BELIZE JAMAICA AN SEA ST. LUCIA ST. VINCENT & THE GRENADINES HONDURAS GRENADA TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RIBBE ARUBA CURACAO (NETHERLANDS) (NETHERLANDS) GUATEMALA C A SCALE EL SALVADOR NICARAGUA 0 500 miles 1000 miles 9 COSTA RICA PANAMA 0 1000 kilometers

HABITAT KEY Temperate Coniferous ARCTIC OCEAN grasslands forests These large brown bears Mountains Deciduous use their powerful jaws forests to snap up salmon in rivers and streams. RT BEAUFO SEA NE Alaska Yukon Mackenzie WS (USA) Arctic Circle Sea otters are found Grizzly bear Great Bear Lake in shallow waters. Their Related to raspberries, thick fur keeps them Pe this wild berry is eaten by warm in the ocean. many animals, including ROCKY M O U N TA I N S birds, bears—and people! lly C O A S T M O U N T A I N S Great Slave L ake Sea otter Leatherback Salmonberry The largest sea turtle in the turtle world swims long distances across the Pacific, Indian, Sockeye salmon and Atlantic Oceans. Salmon in the ocean return to the freshwater streams PA C I F I C OCEA they hatched in when it is time to lay their own eggs. N North American American taiga badger With big front feet and long claws, this animal digs burrows up to 32ft (10m) long. Taiga areas are made of coniferous, or evergreen, Location forests that grow in some of the northernmost parts of the world. Grizzly bears and gray wolves live in the Most of northern North vast taiga of North America, which stretches across America is taiga. Summer Canada, the world’s second-largest country, and temperatures reach only Alaska, the largest state in the US. 50˚F (10˚C), and there’s lots of snow in the winter.

Great gray owl SCALE North America’s tallest owl has a 0 250 miles wingspan of up to 5ft (1.5m). It listens 0 250 kilometers for rodents moving under the snow, then snatches them up. Snow geese Flocks of snow geese turn fields white when they land. These noisy birds live in cold areas, but fly south in large groups during the winter. This flat-tailed mammal HUDSON BAY A moose can weigh as Snow geese fly south for the winter. fells trees with its teeth. much as a car! It can also It uses the logs to build The loon’s legs are made trot at a steady pace of E dams across rivers, and for swimming, not walking— 20 mph (32 kph). lodges to live in. so when it wants to fly, it can only take off from water. F C O N E A F TL R O Pacific loon LGAUWL A These geese are found C all over the world. They North have a loud honk and fly ST NTI American in a V-shaped formation. EAN beaver Canada C CANADA goose Moose Monarch Each winter, millions Lak Both male and female butterfly of monarchs migrate fireflies flash yellow, green, from northern North or orange light using special America to Mexico. organs in their tails. Ottawa LHakueron Lake MichiganLake Superior Firefly ntario e Winnipeg USA Lake O Lake Erie Gray wolf 11 The gray wolf is the largest wild member of the dog family. It can have black, white, tan, brown, or gray fur. It hunts in packs and eats animals from tiny mice to huge moose.

Often called “buffalo,” Location these shaggy plant eaters are North America’s The Great Plains stretch biggest mammal and from the Rocky Mountains heaviest animal. east to the Mississippi River, and from southern The national symbol of Canada to as far south the United States, this as Texas. powerful bird eats mostly Prairie rattlesnake fish and water birds. American bison This large hare changes Male prairie chickens from brown to white Though it is venomous, Bald eagle inflate their orange in winter, but its tail the prairie rattlesnake neck sacs and raise stays white all year. would rather flee than their feathers to fight. It rattles its tail attract females. Lake Superior rings, making a sound This shrub’s that warns, “Stay away!” Greater flower spikes prairie chicken provide food White-tailed for mammals jackrabbit and nectar for insects. This cat-sized ississippiM orange fox lives up to Missouri Swift fox its name. It is a swift Prairie nighttime hunter that can shoestring run 30mph (48kph). Colorado This deerlike antelope Arkansas can see predators from A coyote howls to alert others. almost 4 miles (6km) away, and can run for amazing distances. Coyote HABITAT KEY With excellent eyesight and SCALE N Pronghorn Temperate Mountains hearing, and a good sense WE grasslands Cold desert of smell, coyotes make great 0 250 miles Coniferous Hot desert hunters. They howl to claim S forests their territory and to tell other 0 250 kilometers coyotes where they are. Deciduous forests Great Plains Black-tailed prairie dog The Great Plains are in the center of North America. Made of high prairie about 3,000 miles (4,800km) These grass-eating long, they were once home to thousands of bison rodents live in underground and antelope. Today farmland has taken over much prairie-dog towns. They greet of the area, and mostly cattle herds wander the family with a kiss, and have plains—but wildlife has found ways to survive. different warning calls for different predators.

Gray fox Eastern forests As big as a medium-sized dog, gray foxes live in broad-leaved forests. They make their dens in hollow trees, and both parents care for the cubs. Lake Superior If threatened, the Deciduous and coniferous forests cover eastern Raccoons are highly skunk sprays a horrible- North America. There are mountains and river intelligent. They can smelling musk from valleys here, too. Animals have to be smart to live in towns or the glands under its tail. survive in areas densely populated with humans. country and will eat Sugar maples provide sap almost anything! for maple syrup. Their SCALE leaves turn orange-gold Only male deer grow and red in the fall. 0 250 miles antlers. White-tails 0 250 kilometers often escape predators Lake Michigan Striped by swimming across skunk This bright-red bird can lakes or rivers. Sugar sing more than 24 songs. maple When courting, males offer females the best seeds. Northern raccoon Ohio Northern cardinal Washington, D.C. White- This is North America’s tailed deer only marsupial. It can Mississippi outsmart danger by playing dead for up to four hours. Great Virginia AOTCLEAANNT I C horned owl opossum This large owl’s feathery “horns” look like ears, Despite their nwahmitee,ogrrraeydsdqisuhirfruelrs. but its real ears are much can also have farther down on its skull. HABITAT KEY N Gray squirrel WE Temperate Coniferous Double-jointed ankles help gray grasslands forests S squirrels scamper up and down Tropical Deciduous trees. Their teeth never stop growing, grasslands forests so they have to wear them down on Mountains nuts and tree bark. American black bear Location 13 Good swimmers and climbers, black Most of the continent’s bears feast on fruits, nuts, and roots, and eastern forests stretch sometimes ants and grubs. There are from the Mississippi River twice as many of them in the world as Valley eastward, all the there are all other bear species combined. way to the Atlantic Ocean.

Turkey vulture Turkey vultures can’t kill their own prey, so they eat animals that have already died instead. Animals that behave in this way are called scavengers. A turkey vulture perches on a cactus. at Salt Lake Western deserts 14 S I E R R A N E V A D A Western North America has four deserts. These dry, sandy areas are hot during the day, but at night they can get very cold. Animals here must survive these tough conditions—and with very little water. Snake R O C K Y M O U N TA I N S A short, or “bobbed,” tail USA Bobcat gives this wild cat its name. Gre More than a million bobcats live in North America. Black-tailed The jackrabbit can run jackrabbit up to 30 mph (48 kph) and jump 20 ft (6 m) into the air. Male bighorns fight Bighorn sheep by crashing their big heads and Colorado horns together. Desert broom This big, hairy spider This lizard lives mostly The desert broom’s lines its desert burrow underground. It has flowers provide sweet with silk to keep it a venomous bite nectar for butterflies. from caving in. and eats eggs. Desert blonde A tortoise snacks on a desert plant. tarantula Mohave desert tortoise Gila monster This desert tortoise can live for up to 50 years. It digs a burrow to avoid the desert heat, and it spends 95 percent of its time there during the summer.

HABITAT KEY Sharp spines cover This big-footed Each time a diamondback this tree-sized cactus rodent doesn’t need sheds its skin, it gets a new Temperate Coniferous to prevent animals to drink water. It gets section added to its rattle. grasslands forests from eating it. moisture from the Western diamondback seeds it eats instead. rattlesnake Tropical Deciduous Saguaro grasslands forests cactus Scrublands Tropical Merriam’s Mountains forests kangaroo rat Cold desert Hot desert A relative of the raccoon, the ringtail can climb straight up cliffs, trees, and even prickly cacti! SIERRA MADRE O R I E N TA LRoadrunners run up Greater SIERRA MADRE OCC I D E N TA L to 18mph (29kph) roadrunner and are one of the SCALE CEANElf owl few animals that eat rattlesnakes. 0 250 miles Just 6 in (15 cm) tall, North America’s 0 250 kilometers smallest owl plays dead if captured. MEXICO PA C I FIC O Costa’s Found in the Mojave Ringtail hummingbird and Sonoran deserts, Puma this tiny bird slows Nine-banded down its heart rate to armadillo Also called the cougar or mountain survive cold nights. The only armadillo lion, this big cat hunts at night. It living in North America, is a fast runner, a good swimmer, this animal has a great and an excellent jumper sense of smell. and climber. Mexico City N Location WE The Great Basin Desert S is the farthest north of the western deserts. It’s 15 followed by the Mojave, the Sonoran, and finally the Chihuahuan deserts.

Location BELIZE Central America connects These butterflies are North and South America. Resplendent named for their long Its tropical climate is ideal quetzal wing tips that look for plants and the animals like swallows’ tails. that depend on them. Mexican kite This monkey swings swallowtail through the rain forest and can hang from butterfly GUATEMALA branches by its tail. This tiny bird’s long, curved bill lets it sip HABITAT KEY Guatemala City HONDURAS nectar from inside rain-forest flowers. Mangroves Tropical EL SALVADOR Geoffroy’s Mountains forests spider Coniferous Deciduous monkey forests forests A male quetzal’s twin Tegucigalpa Bronzy hermit tail feathers are more than twice as hummingbird long as its body. San Salvador SCALE NICARAGUA CARIBB 0 100 miles EAN 0 100 kilometers PA C I F I C OCEAN Managua Tayra The tayra hunts small SEA monkeys, rodents, and birds, but it also eats fruit and honey. COSTA RICA Sticky finger pads help N this little frog cling to W San José Red-eyed twigs and branches. tree frog E It may look more like S a pig, but the tapir is related to horses. PA N A M A Hoffmann’s two-toed sloth Baird’s tapir Panama City Two long claws on its front legs let this slow-moving sloth get around the rain forest. It spends almost its entire life upside down! Central Ocelot America This fast cat’s super Seven countries make up the narrow strip of land sight and hearing help that is Central America. More than 1,500 different it hunt rabbits and species of birds live here, and many more animals other small animals find food and shelter in its warm rain forests. at night. During the day it rests in the trees, where its markings blend in among the leaves.

USA A T L O C E Nassau A N T I BAHAMAS A N C Havana Only wild pigs live on the tiny island of Big Major Cay. They swim out to greet visitors! CUBA Cuba’s national Feral pig The solenodon’s A male frigate bird attracts a mate. bird is also called long nose helps it the tocororo, after Cuban find food. It stuns Magnificent frigate bird the sound it makes. trogon its insect and lizard Jamaica’s only native prey with venom. These birds are skilled flyers, known for land mammal, the Jamaican swooping in and stealing another bird’s prey. shy hutia eats fruit, hutia Male frigate birds inflate their red throat shoots, and bark. sacs to impress females. SCALE JAMAICA H A I T I Hispaniolan solenodon This flat fish uses Kingston Port-au-Prince DOMINICAN its stiff fins as legs 0 100 miles REPUBLIC to “walk” along the ocean floor. 0 100 kilometers Atlantic batfish Greater P u erto Ric Santo Domingo o Antilles HABITAT KEY Wetlands Tropical CARIBBEAN SEA The blue marlin stabs the Mountains forests fish it wants to eat with Mangroves N its spearlike snout. W Location Blue marlin ill e s E Lesser Ant The Caribbean lies east of S Central America, between Vampire bats drink other North and South America. animals’ blood. Their saliva The area has warm waters has a special chemical that and a tropical climate. keeps the blood flowing. Caribbean Port-of-Spain Common vampire bat There are more than 7,000 small islands in TRINIDAD the Caribbean Sea. Not many mammals live AND TOBAGO here, but with its rocky areas, beaches, and Cuban crocodile about nine percent of the world’s coral reefs, 17 it is the perfect home for all kinds of reptiles, This critically birds, and fish. endangered croc is found only in Cuba, in just two swamps. Turtles are one of its favorite foods, since its blunt back teeth are ideal for crushing their shells.

Florida Great blue heron North Everglades America’s largest heron is a slow smover, but it strikes fast The Everglades, North America’s largest subtropical to catch fish in mid-swim. wetland, is really a big, slow-moving river. The area is Anhinga This bird hunts half its original size due to humans sending its water to underwater. It acts like a farms and cities. However, it is still home to 350 bird spear-fisherman, stabbing species, and reptiles such as alligators and crocodiles. fish with its long, sharp bill. Common snapping turtle Although it has no teeth, this turtle’s strong, bony beak and jaws can bite and kill birds, fish, and small mammals. It is also known to bite the heads off other turtles that come too close. No wonder most animals, including humans, know to leave it alone! Around 300 fish species are found in the waters of the Everglades, ranging from tiny pygmy sunfish to barracudas that can grow up to 6ft (2m) long. American alligator The Everglades is the only place in the wild where alligators and crocodiles live together. Everglades rat snake An alligator’s teeth are hidden from sight when This long snake both swims and can its mouth is closed— climb trees. Rats are on its menu, but unlike a crocodile’s, 18 A rat snake shows off its forked tongue. it also eats frogs, squirrels, and birds which are always visible. and their eggs.

Everglades snail kite This An orb weaver sits in wait on its web. bird of prey eats apple snails. Golden silk It uses its curved bill to pull the orb weaver snails out of their shells. Purple gallinule This Female orb weavers can duck-sized bird has long grow up to 3in (8cm) toes that allow it to walk long. Their silk is gold in on lily pads without sinking. color, and it is stronger than the material used in bulletproof vests! Florida panther These panthers are critically endangered. Fewer than 100 are left in the wild, since so many have been hunted. Green tree frog Location Depending on its mood, this little frog is The Everglades stretches either bright green or dull khaki in color. It across the southern tip of inflates its vocal sac and screams if picked Florida. During its rainy up—which can save its life, since the scream makes a lot of predators drop it in surprise! season, this area gets twice as much rain as other places in the US. 19

South N VENEZUELA America WE COLOMBIA Earth’s fourth-largest continent lies mostly in S the southern half of the world. It has tropical ECUADOR rain forests, dry deserts, grassy plains, and high, GALÁPAGOS snowy mountains. The many different habitats ISLANDS means that a variety of amazing animals can (ECUADOR) make South America their home. PERU Amazon rain forest BOLIVIA The winding Amazon River flows through the enormous rain forest that shares its name. In addition to producing a fifth of the planet’s oxygen, this rain forest is home to an astonishing amount of plants, mammals, birds, and fish. PA C I F I C O C E A N Pantanal HABITAT KEY CHILE The Pantanal is a wetland Tropical forests ARGENTINA wonderland. With flooded Deciduous forests grasslands and tropical Tropical grasslands Scrublands forests, it is home to Temperate grasslands thousands of birds, fish, Deserts and reptiles. Mammals Wetlands also live here, such as the plant-eating capybara, which hides from predators in the muddy waters. Mountains 20 Mangroves

SCALE 1000 miles 0 500 miles MESURINAFRENCH0 1000 kilometers GUIANA G U YA N A (FRANCE) ATLANTIC OCEAN BRAZIL Patagonian steppe Shared between Argentina and southern Chile, the warm, dry Patagonian steppe is filled with shrubs as well as grasses. It makes a good home for mammals, ranging from tiny rodents to foxes and mountain lions. Pampas Its acres of grassland mean the pampas attracts a lot of wildlife, particularly birds. PAR Some, like the flightless Darwin’s rhea, graze on AGUAY plants. It also eats frogs and insects that might be hiding in the grass. URUGUAY Andes FALKLAND ISLANDS (UNITED KINGDOM) Although parts are warm with plenty of plants, the Andean mountains are mostly full of high, rugged places. Animals need to be tough and adaptable to live here. Flamingos, for example, can manage to find food in even the saltiest lakes. 21

Amazon Caracas rain forest VENEZUELA The Amazon is the Earth’s largest tropical rain forest, OrinocoGUIANA HIGHLANDS and it surrounds one of the world’s largest rivers— the Amazon River. Lots of species live here, including more than 430 mammals, 1,300 birds, 3,000 fish, 870 reptiles and amphibians, and 2.5 million insects! Bogotá COLOMBIA One of the largest beetles in the world, the Hercules can get up to 7 in (18 cm) long. Hercules beetle Quito This tree can grow 13 ft (4 m) a year. It is pollinated by ECUADOR rain-forest bats. Also called botos, these rare dolphins hunt catfish in the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers. Kapok tree Pink river dolphin This giant blue A young ictosllmaroetdhearn’stebaatcekr.rides on PERU Just 9–10 in butterfly has Collared anteater (23–26 cm) long, a wingspan of this little primate 5–8 in (13–20 cm). This tree-climbing anteater doesn’t eats mostly fruit, have any teeth. Instead it slurps up insects, and plants. ants and termites with a tongue that can be 16 in (40 cm) long! ANDES Emperor Blue tamarin morpho Yellow-banded PA C I F I C O C E A N Lima poison dart frog HABITAT KEY N La Paz This frog’s bright-yellow color WE Sucre tells predators to keep away. Wetlands Tropical It is a serious warning, since Tropical forests S its skin gives off toxic grasslands Deciduous chemicals that Mountains forests can kill other Mangroves animals. 22

SCALE Location 0 250 miles Most of the Amazon is found in Brazil, but it 0 250 kilometers extends into eight other countries. It is very hot and Georgetown Paramaribo The heaviest spider in A wet—it rains more than G U YA N A the world, this tarantula 200 days a year here. actually rarely eats T birds. It prefers insects Redlehaovwelseranmdonfrkueiyts. eat or earthworms. LOACNETAI Red howler monkey Cayenne C Red howlers live up to their name. N They are the loudest animals on Goliath FRENCH land, and their howls can be heard birdeater GUIANA 3 miles (5 km) away! SURINAME Found from Mexico to Jaguar the top of Argentina, Jaguars are so good at hiding that the harpy eagle has scientists don’t know how many exist talons longer than a in the wild. They are found throughout grizzly bear’s claws. Baby emerald Central America and tree boas are red the northern or orange. They half of South change to green Emerald America. as they grow up. tree boaAmazon Harpy eagle Razor-sharp teeth make Made piranhas fierce-looking Tapajóspredators, but insects ira and fish are their Araguai Tocantinsusual foods. Red-bellied Army ants form piranha “swarm raids” Ring-tailed Army ant of over 200,000 coati individuals, which BRAZIL a kill any creature that Related to raccoons, coatis travel in can’t move away. groups of up to 65 individuals. Electric This long, snakelike eel fish has special organs that give an Toco electric shock to prey. toucan Brasília Tocos are the largest type of toucan. They use their big bills to pick and peel fruit. BOLIVIA PA R A G U AY 23

24 Andean mountains Found in mountain Caracas woodlands, this The Andes is one of the highest mountain ranges nonvenomous snake VENEZUELA in the world. It reaches a top height of 22,831 ft can grow to 61⁄2 ft (6,959 m) and stretches along the west coast of (2 m) long. rinoco South America. Animals here have to cope with Magdalena extreme habitats, from glaciers to tropical forests. O Milk snake N This is South America’s E only bear. It looks like it COLOMBIA wears glasses because Bogotá WS of the lighter-colored fur on its face. Spectacled bear The northern pudu Amazon is the tiniest deer in the world at just over 12 in (30 cm) tall. Quito Northern BRAZIL E C U A D O R pudu Only found in Lake Madeira Titicaca, this huge frog weighs up to 2.2 lb These domestic animals live in groups (1 kg) and breathes in high mountain areas, through its baggy skin. where they eat hay, grass, and ferns. Also called a cavy, The Peruvian firestick eats ferns. this wild guinea pig PERU lives in groups in Montane Peruvian firestick mountain grassland guinea pig ANDES and forest edges. The bright-red color Trueb’s of this stick insect warns Lima cochran frog BOLIVIA predators to stay away. Location TitiLcaakcea Titicaca If threatened, it releases water frog a nasty-smelling liquid. The Andes stretch more Llama than 4,500 miles (7,240 km) The skin on this frog’s La Paz Sucre This pale-pink flamingo through seven countries. belly is see-through—you gets its color from the The climate here ranges can see its internal organs plantlike algae that it eats, which grow in from humid rain forest to and even its bones! high, salty lakes. snowy mountains. James’s flamingo

HABITAT KEY ARGENTINA Caracaras often Wetlands Deciduous Mountain wander around, turning Scrublands forests caracara over stones to look for Temperate Mountains insects, rodents, and grasslands Cold desert other animals to eat. Tropical grasslands Santiago Tehxetemndaltehceocckreostf tohneitrsochkeacadn. This goose’s blood Andean cock of the rock absorbs more oxygen than other geese, so Male cock of the rocks are brilliant orange, it can survive at high while females are brownish. The males gather altitudes where there Andean Colorado together to show off their feathers to females, is less oxygen in the air. goose Long-tailed who pick their favorite from the group. IC CHILE Negro chinchilla Vicuña ANDES OCEANWith 60 hairs growing These small out of each follicle, this members of the PA C I F I Crodent has very thick fur. camel family are so Having thick fur is ideal well-adapted to their25 for the cold temperatures mountain homes that of the high Andes. they can survive at The Andean condor Chubut altitudes as high as is the world’s largest 16,404 ft (5,000 m). flying bird. It rides mountain air currents Andean with a wingspan of up condor to 101⁄2 ft (3.2 m). S O U TH AT L Short legs allow this OC EAN A N T endangered deer to clamber over rough, high mountain terrain. It is the Huemul national animal of Chile. Also known as the zorro, these foxlike wild dogs hunt lizards, Culpeo insects, rabbits, and Fal kl a n d geese. They make their Isla n d s dens in rocky caves. SCALE 0 250 miles 0 250 kilometers

Temperate This lizard gets up to pampas 41⁄2 ft (1.4 m) long. During the day it hunts for snails, With level plains as far as the eye can see, it’s no spiders, and insects. wonder native South Americans named this region pampas—meaning “flat surface.” This temperate DE Argentine black grassland provides plenty of seeds for birds, CÓRDOBA and white teju insects, and small mammals to eat. This bloodsucking SIERRAS bug feeds on rodents, Assassin bug marsupials, and even humans. It sometimes passes on a parasite that causes disease. This medium-sized fox throws itself to the ground and plays dead if danger passes. Desaguadero Mollina’s hog-nosed skunk Eyes high osneeitws hheenadit aslwloiwmst.he This skunk uses its Pampas fox coypu to broad, fleshy nose ARGENTINA to snuffle out beetles The greater rhea can reach Coypu and spiders to eat. 41⁄2 ft (1.4 m) tall. It can’t fly, but it can run as fast as Sometimes mistaken for a beaver, With yellow, white, 37mph (60 kph). the coypu is a water-loving rodent green, blue, red, and that can get up to 3 ft (1 m) long. black feathers, this is one Also called the “nutria,” it lives in of the most colorful birds riverside burrows and eats plants. to live in the reedbeds of the pampas. Argentine horned frog Many-colored The long, powerful legs rush-tyrant of this large rodent At 51⁄2 in (14 cm) long and weighing allow it to run up to up to 1 lb (480 g), the horned frog 30 mph (48 kph). is big enough to eat lizards, mice, and even other Greater rhea horned frogs. Patagonian mara 26 Colorado

Salado HABITAT KEY Paraná Temperate Tropical grasslands grasslands The kingfisher plunges Wetlands Mountains headfirst into streams and rivers to catch small fish. Amazon N Thecmheaslteipsabmripgahstlmy ecaoldoorwedla.rk’s kingfisher WE Pampas meadowlark S This endangered pampas bird Related to polecats U R U G U AY likes to nest on the ground in and wolverines, the groups. More than 60 nests feisty lesser grison have been found in one area, is excellent at all clustered together. hunting rabbits. Burrowing owl Lesser grison Buenos Aires RÍO Montevideo About the size of a The burrowing owl usually lives domestic cat, Geoffroy’s P L A D E in abandoned burrows dug cat hunts for rodents T by other animals. It piles and birds, as well as LA mammal dung around the frogs and fish. A entrance to attract dung beetles, which are one Pampas grass can grow Geoffroy’s cat of its favorite foods. up to 81⁄2 ft (2.6 m) tall! The “plumes” on top 27 are its flowers. Pampas grass Millions of these deer once roamed the pampas, but today they Pampas deer have to compete with cattle and humans for space. This large rodent has N T IC thick, soft fur. Several live AN together in enormous A underground burrows. L E T C A O Plains vizcachas SCALE 100 miles Location 0 The pampas lies mostly in Argentina, stretching into 0 100 kilometers Uruguay. Although it is warm and humid here, the summer dry season often brings wildfires.

Pantanal Jabiru stork A jabiruthsetoPraknwtaandaels. through The Pantanal is the world’s largest wetland, The jabiru is the tallest which means a lot of it is underwater for much flying bird in South and of the year. The 3,500 different plant species Central America, and that grow here make it an ideal home for lots can grow to over 3 ft of birds and mammals, including the capybara, (1 m) high. It grabs fish, which is a giant relative of the guinea pig. frogs, and insects with its enormous bill. This big freshwater About as big as a N HABITAT KEY snail grows up to 6 in medium-sized WE (15 cm) long! It only dog, the capybara Tropical Deciduous comes out of the water is the world’s S grasslands forests at night to find food. largest rodent. Wetlands Channeled The roseate spoonbill Paraguay Anacondas live in and apple snail sweeps its spoon-shaped out of water. They can be Capybara bill from side to side to up to 291⁄2 ft (9 m) long, scoop up minnows— but hide among water tiny freshwater fish. plants to surprise prey. BOLIVIA Green anaconda SCALE BRAZIL 0 50 miles This wetland plant’s Roseate The marsh deer has leaves can grow to 8ft spoonbill broad hooves that 0 50 kilometers (2.5m) across, and can spread out to prevent hold an animal weighing them from sinking up to 45 lb (20.5 kg)! in marshy ground. Marsh deer Location Giant water lily This clever monkey uses rocks to crack The Pantanal lies south of nuts and crush crab the Amazon rain forest in shells to get at the Brazil, Bolivia, and Paraguay. food inside. It gets so much rain that 80 percent of it is flooded Hooded capuchin during the rainy season. PA R A G U AY Yacare caiman Giant otter Caiman look like their alligator relatives, Found only in South American rivers but have a pointier snout. and rain forests, giant otters get The yacare gets up to up to 41⁄2 ft (1.4 m) long. 10ft (3m) long. Its favorite They eat fish, crabs, and food is the piranha, but it even small caimans! also eats apple snails.

arwin Island D Galapagos Wolf Isl a n d d The Galápagos are a group of volcanic islands Location that lie about 621 miles (1,000km) off the coast of Ecuador. There are several larger The Galápagos islands islands and many more smaller ones. Three cluster around the equator major ocean currents meet here, bringing in in the Pacific Ocean. They have lots of different sea animals. two seasons—a cool, dry season and a warm season. PA C I F I C OCEAN More lava lizards live Ma r cahnedn a in the Galápagos than Is l any other reptile. They Although it can’t fly, warm themselves on Bright-blue feet make A marine iguana grazes on seaweed. this cormorant is a sunny rocks. this bird easy to spot. powerful swimmer Galápagos lava Female boobies have and hunts eels and lizard darker-blue feet octopuses on the than males. ocean floor. Santa San S a l Blue-footed n Marine iguana booby Fe r n a Flightless s l a Marine iguanas are the only lizards vador I to swim in the ocean, where they look for cormorant seaweed to eat. Special glands clean salt n d i a n d Galápagos from their blood, which they sneeze out! na Isl hawk Galápagos This little penguin sea lion San lives farther north C r u z n d than any other I sla penguin species. Galápagos The Galápagos hawk This sea lion can C tortoise is very rare. It mostly move its back flippers This tortoise can grow eats giant centipedes, independently, so it r up to 5 ft (1.5 m) long but also catches rodents can “gallop” on land. I Galápagos and young iguanas. s i n t s d a penguin l ó I s a bela Island b a l and weigh up to 500 lb (227 kg). Some of them are over 100 years old! Sally Lightfoot crab Sa nta a r í a Esp Isl d Isl SCALE This bright-red crab earned its M a ñ o l a an a n d name by scuttling around at N high speeds. It hides from birds by squeezing E 0 25 miles into tiny spaces W between rocks. S 0 25 kilometers 29

Cerrado N HABITAT KEY WE The Cerrado is found almost entirely in Brazil. It Wetlands Tropical is made up of mostly tropical grassland, but a few S Tropical forests trees are mixed with it in places, and there are grasslands Deciduous areas of dry forest, too. With more than 10,000 BRAZIL Mountains forests different plant species, the Cerrado offers plenty Cold desert of food and shelter for lots of animals. Tapajós Xingu Often called “a fox The giant anteater on stilts,” the maned uses its sticky tongue wolf’s long legs help to lap up 35,000 ants it to see over the tall and termites a day! Cerrado grass. Bothmamcaalwesaanrde female hyacinth King vultures don’t have Maned wolf Giant anteater bright blue. a great sense of smell. To King vulture Boettger’s make up for it, they follow caecilian Hyacinth macaw other vultures to lead them to dead animals to eat. The longest parrot on the planet, the hyacinth macaw can be 3 ft BOLIVIA (1 m) long. Their large bills are able Although it has no to crack even the hardest palm nuts. legs, this isn’t a snake, but an amphibian that lives underground. Only the male helmeted manakin has this flashy red crest. The female is a plain gray- green bird. Helmeted manakin Found all over Central Green iguana America and the north of South America, this lizard spends most of its life in trees, where it eats tender green leaves. Leaf-cutting ants These ants “saw” leaves into pieces with their jaws. They carry the bits back to their underground home, where a PA R A G U AY fungus grows on them, which the ants 30 harvest and eat.

This cat can leap SCALE 200 miles Location 0 The Cerrado lies in central Brazil. While it rains a lot uaia up to 61⁄2 ft (2 m) here, the showers only fall ocantins off the ground 0 200 kilometers during half the year, so it Arag to catch birds. is dry for the other half. T Jaguarundi Also called the racerunner, Sobradinho dam this lizard relies on speed Giant ameiva to escape predators in Giant the grasslands. armadillo This bird can run at speeds of up to 25 mph (40 kph) for short distances—about as fast as a top sprinter. The giant armadillo Red-legged can grow to 3 ft (1 m) seriema long. It rips open termite mounds with São Francisco This mound houses a termite colony. its front claws to reach the tasty insects inside. Termites Karimi’s fat-tailed Brasília Termites are ant-sized insects mouse opossum Just 31⁄2 in (9.5 m) long, that build their own “cities.” this tiny opossum stores These huge mounds get up to fat in its tail like a camel 30in (77cm) high. The mounds stores fat in its hump. have underground chambers where workers store wood, care for eggs, and even grow fungal gardens for food! Paraná Soldier termites IAN protect the mound with their huge jaws. HIGHLANDS Cuyaba BRAZIL dwarf frog This tiny frog puffs up the two “eyespots” above its back legs to scare away predators. Bush dog AT L A N T I C OCEA Worker termites are smaller than This short-legged, stocky soldiers and don’t carnivore has webbed have large jaws. feet, which make it a N 31 good swimmer.

Cordillera Andean condor Female Blanca condors produce just one egg every two years. It takes almost Part of the Andes, this is the largest tropical mountain 60 days for the egg to hatch. range in the world. Peaks over 19,685ft (6,000m) high Guanaco The guanaco is a surround valleys filled with lakes and streams. There member of the camel family. isn’t much oxygen at these heights, so it is hard to Movable pads on its hooves breathe, but the animals here manage surprisingly well. help it walk over rocky ground. Taruca You can tell a taruca apart from other deer by the dark, Y-shaped mark on its face. It feeds on mountain grasses, and travels into valleys to find water. The guanaco is the ancestor Andean goose The Andean of domestic llamas. The closely goose lives in mountain related vicuña is the ancestor wetlands, but it doesn’t swim of domestic alpacas. well, so it avoids the water! Colocolo The colocolo is a nocturnal predator that hunts rodents, guinea pigs, and ground-nesting birds. Southern mountain vizcacha The rabbitlike vizcacha spends a lot of The colocolo resembles time on rocky ledges, basking in the sun. a house cat, but can be 32 Vizcachas are related to chinchillas. It is covered in thick, soft fur all the way identified by the dark- to the end of its curled tail. colored bands and lines around its legs.

Mountain caracara This Torrent duck black-and-white bird of prey builds nests of sticks on cliff Native to the Andes, ledges in the high Andes. the torrent duck plunges in and out of cold, fast-moving mountain streams to catch insect larvae to eat. Females, like this one, are orange, but males are black and white. The spectacled bear lives only in the Andean mountains. Spectacled bear The spectacled bear eats fruit, flowers, and plants. It also hunts insects, rodents, and birds in grassland habitats. Culpeo The culpeo spends most of its time alone, but parents stay together to raise cubs in mountain dens. Gianhtuhmummminignbgibrdirsdisnatrheethweorbldig.gest Giant hummingbird Location Giant hummingbirds get up to 8½ in The Cordillera Blanca is (21.5 cm) long! They mostly feed on nectar a chain of mountains in from flowers, looking for the ones with the northern Peru. Snow highest levels of energy-filled sugar. They covers many of them, also eat spiders and small insects. and temperatures range from 37–73˚ F (3–23˚ C). 33

Africa Canary Islands MOROCCO TUNISIA ALGERIA This continent is so large and has so many different (SPAIN) habitats, it feels as if there are several Africas, not AHARA NIA just one. With deserts and rain forests, mountains S and grasslands, Africa is home to some of the best- known—and most endangered—species on Earth. WESTERN A T I R CAPE U MALI VERDE A M NIGER SENEGAL THE GAMBIA GUINEA BURKINA FASO GUINEA-BISSAU AT L A N T I C SIERRA LEONE LIBERIA IVORY COAST BENIN NIGERIA OON OCEAN TOGO GHANA African savanna GULF OF Bioco CAMER GUINEA Africa’s tropical grassland EQUATORIAL GUINEA is known as savanna. It is often what people think of when they São Tomé & GABON imagine Africa: vast, open, grassy Príncipe plains. Lots of hoofed animals live here, moving around in search of CONGO fresh grass—or, in the giraffe’s case, tender acacia leaves to eat. N WE S South African fynbos HABITAT KEY The southwest tip of South Tropical forests Africa is covered with Deciduous forests shrubs and heathland Coniferous forests known as fynbos. Animals Tropical grasslands such as tortoises, frogs, and Scrublands small baboons live among Deserts the 9,000 plant species that Wetlands grow here. That’s more Mountains plant species than in South Mangroves America’s Amazon rain forest! 34

MEDITERRANEAN SEA Sahara desert L I B YA Huge, hot, and harsh, the Sahara at first seems too EGYPT SEA extreme a region for anything SUDAN RED to survive. However, scorpions, snakes, rodents, lizards, and even foxes and hyenas make it their home. Camels also live here. They were brought to the desert around 200ce. ERITREA CHAD UGANDA DJIBOUTI MALIA CENTRAL SOUTH ETHIOPIA AFRICAN SUDAN REPUBLIC ODFERMTEHPOEUCBRCLAOITNCIGCO K E N YA SO INDIAN Ethiopian highlands OCEAN RWANDA Pemba This area is where most of Africa’s tallest BURUNDI Zanzibar YCHEL L E S mountains are. Since they’re so isolated, E the highlands are a great place for birds TA N Z A N I A and mammals, including the gelada, a type of monkey whose calls sound a lot ANGOLA A MALAWI COMOROSMADAGASCAR S like human speech. I Madagascar’s spiny forests B These are some of Earth’s most amazing E forests. They contain trees that are tall and ZAM thin with long, sharp spines for “branches,” ZIMBABWE U and other trees that are short with lots of thick, spiky limbs. The spikes don’t stop Q lemurs from eating the trees’ fruits, though! I E B U NAMIBIA WANA MOZAM Réunion MAURITIUS MCOHZAANMNBEILQ BOTS (FRANCE) SAOF U T H A SWAZILAND SCALE R I C LESOTHO 0 500 miles 1000 miles 0 1000 kilometers

Algiers Rabat MOROCCO M O U N TA I N S TUN AT L A S This is Africa’s only wild sheep. Just 4 in (10 cm) Barbary sheep Males charge at long, this lizard each other with licks its eyes to their heads down clean them. when fighting. Striped hyena Dune gecko This snake’s “horns” are really special scales Also found in Asia as far as that protect its eyes India, this nighttime hunter from sand. has teeth and jaws strong enough to crush bone. W E S T E R N Desert horned M A H A G GAR viper O U N T AINS SAHARA The desert monitor OCEAN Desert monitor uses its long, powerful ALGERIA lizard Nouakchott tail like a whip to ADRAR M A U R I TA N I A defend itself. AT L A N T IC MALI DES Also called a “screwhorn antelope,” Gigantic swarms IFORAS the endangered addax of desert locusts can has horns up to 47 in contain billions of (120 cm) long. insects and stretch for 40 miles (64 km). SCALE Addax Niger Desert NIGER 0 250 miles locust 0 250 kilometers Bamako Niamey Abuja Sahara desert The Sahara is the Earth’s largest hot desert. It Fennec fox covers 3,630,000sq miles (9,400,000sq km) and is home to about 70 animal and 500 plant species. This small fox’s huge They have to deal with temperatures as high as ears aren’t only great for 135˚F (57˚C) and very little rainfall. hearing. They also help to keep the fox cool by releasing its body heat into the air.

Tunis N HABITAT KEY NISIA WE MEDITERRANEAN SEA Tropical Wetlands S grasslands Mountains Scrublands Hot desert Tripoli This scorpion’s venom Cairo is highly toxic, but it is rarely fatal to humans. L I B YA EGYPT Deathstalker This crocodile gets up to scorpion 20 ft (6 m) long, weighs 2,205 lb (1,000 kg), and lives up to 40 years. The tiny hopping Nile crocodile jerboa’s hind legs are four times longer Lesser Egyptian than its front ones. jerboa SEA Found in southern REDTIBESTIThe Dorcas gazelleSandy-colored desert shrubland, the O U N TA I N never has to drink. markings make it easy Nubian bustard eats NileIt gets all its moisturefor this bird to hide large insects, leaves, from eating flowers, from desert predators. fruit, and grass seeds. i leaves, and bark. AÏ R M O U N TA I NS M S The largest tortoise Dorcas Chestnut-bellied in Africa, this reptile gazelle sandgrouse can weigh up to 231 lbs (105 kg). ERITREA African spurred Khartoum Asmara tortoise CHAD SUDAN Nubian bustard ETHIOPIA NIGERIA N’Djamena Char Location Dromedary camel Dromoneldyarony ecahmumelsp.have 37 The Sahara stretches Dromedaries are well suited across North Africa, from to the desert. They can store the Atlantic Ocean in the fat in their hump as food, have west all the way to the thick eyelashes to keep sand Red Sea in the east. out of their eyes, and can drink 40 gallons (182 liters) of water without stopping!

Emperor scorpion Congo Basin At 8 in (20 cm) long, the emperor Often called “Africa’s Green Heart,” the Congo Basin is the largest scorpion on the planet. is a huge area of land surrounding the Congo River. Surprisingly, despite its big size, its This supports the world’s second-largest rain forest, sting is not deadly for humans. and, along with swamps and lakes, it is a haven for hundreds of amazing animals—including bonobos and chimpanzees, the closest living relatives of humans. CHAD SOUTH HABITAT KEY SUDAN MBANG Wetlands Mangroves M O U N TA I N S The turaco gets its Violet bright colors from Tropical Tropical turaco copper, a metal grasslands forests CENTRAL found in the plants that it eats. Mountains A DI GAHMLAAWNAD S This big cat stashes AFRICAN African H its prey up trees to REPUBLIC buffalo keep it out of reach If one buffalo is attacked of other predators. Ubangi by a lion, the rest of its Juba herd will rush to defend it. Bangui Leopard Timid bongos have many stripes that look Yaoundé CAMEROON like light and shade, so Although its legs are they can hide easily striped like a zebra’s, in dense rain forests. the secretive okapi Adult male gorillas is a close relative waarkde are called “silverbacks” Bongo of the giraffe. Llbearkte GABON because of the silvery- This slender, peaceful ape Okapi A The mandrill has the white hair that covers eats less meat than its most colorful face in the their backs. chimpanzee cousins and Congo One of the world’s UGANDA monkey world—and a Western gorilla spends more time in trees. most intelligent birds, bluish-purple bottom! gentle African greys LEd can learn lots of Kigali human words. RWANDA CONGO Bonobo DEMOCRATIC Mandrill REPUBLIC OF African grey THE CONGO parrot

Bujumbura BURUNDI TA N Z A N I A Brazzaville Kinshasa This tiny bloodsuckerKasai Covered in protective Lake Tanganyika causes more deaths scales, the pangolin M I T U M BA M O U N TA I N S ATLANTIC O C E A N Slender lungfish than any other creature rolls itself into a ball Common The lungfish lives in because it passes on when threatened. pangolin floodplains that often dry the disease malaria. This eagle swoops down up. During these times, it Anopheles on fish from nearby uses its lungs to breathe mosquito trees, grabbing them air until the water returns. in its sharp talons. Luanda African fish eagle N WE ANGOLA Congo S Location The Congo Basin is located SCALE 200 miles around the equator in west-central Africa. There 0 are hot, humid places, and cooler, dry ones. Some parts ZAMBIA 0 200 kilometers also get a lot of rain. White-throated Chimpanzee The red river hog uses its snout to bee-eater sniff out tasty roots in the ground. This smart ape lives in family The bee-eater lives groups and can walk on two in large families. It rubs legs as well as four. It uses bees and wasps against a tools, such as rocks and sticks, hard surface to remove their to help it get food. stings before eating them. Red river hog Chimlivpianngzereeslaatirveesonoef ohfutmhaencsl.osest Red river hogs move around mostly at night, returning to burrows during the day to keep cool. They live in noisy family groups called sounders. 39

Southern Kinda baboon babies DEMOCRATIC savanna can have white, gray, REPUBLIC OF black, or even Much of southern Africa is covered in tropical multicolored fur. THE CONGO grasslands called savanna. They’re great places to “Hippopotamus” means find grazing animals, such as zebras and antelopes. Kinda baboon “water horse,” but the This also means that they attract predators, such hippo’s closest relatives as lions. are dolphins and whales! Hippopotamus HABITAT KEY Wetlands Deciduous This tree-dwelling Mohol BIÉ PLATEAU Zambezi Tropical forests primate, also called galago grasslands Tropical a bush baby, can jump African lion Mangroves forests as far as 16 ft (5 m) These dogs help each Mountains Hot desert in a single leap. other. They rarely fight, and they take care of SCALE ANGOLA young, old, sick, or injured African elephant Lions are social cats. members of their pack. Earth’s largest land 0 100 miles They live in groups animal, the African called prides. elephant has a brain 0 100 kilometers four times bigger than a human brain. ATLANTIC OCEAN Rhinoceroses don’t see BOTSWANA very well, but they have good hearing and an Okavango excellent sense of smell. African wild dog Black rhinoceros NAMIBIA Location Grant’s zebra Savanna covers more than half of Africa, mostly in the 40 Just like human fingerprints, a central and southern parts. zebra’s stripe pattern is unique. These areas have a rainy and This means that no two zebras a dry season, but it is hot all year. have the exact same stripes.

Lake Tanganyika TA N Z A N I A INDIAN OCEAN Lualaba A Giraffe S At up to 19 ft (5.8 m) high, the B giraffe is the world’s tallest land N animal. Its very long neck helps INTTUA IM Male impalas grow it to reach acacia tree beautiful ridged leaves high above M horns up to 36 in the savanna. U (92 cm) long. O M Impala MALAWI Vervet monkeys spend hours each day picking Lake Nyasa One of the few savanna dirt and parasites out trees, the acacia provides of each other’s fur. food for many animals— despite its fierce thorns. ZAMBIA MOUNTA I N S Vervet monkey MUCHINGA Lilongwe Acacia tree Lusaka INY Zam M O U N T A I N Sbezi MOZAMBIQUE Southern ANGA Lesser Long-legged flamingos yellow-billed flamingo sweep their bills hornbill through salty water to find algae to eat. This bird snaps up insects with its curved bill, tossing N MCOHZAANMNBEILQ U E them into its mouth WE with a flick of its head. S Harare Plum dung beetle Dung beetles recycle animal poop. They roll it up into balls and bury them to use later as food or as places to lay eggs. ZIMBABWE Blue wildebeest Wildebeests are also known as gnus. 41 The wildebeest looks like a cow, but it is a type of antelope. It travels an astonishing 1,000 miles (1,609 km) every year, just to find the right kind of grass to eat.

Kalahari Sociable weaver desert These small birds The Kalahari is a huge, dry, sandy area in southern build giant nests, Africa. In some parts of the Kalahari, it may not over 21 ft (6 m) wide, rain for up to eight months. Many animals here with up to 100 have to travel in search of fresh grass to eat, and weavers in each one. predators follow them. Some nests are so heavy that they break the tree they’re in! Sociable wlaesatvfeorrs’ 1mOOasysievaersn. ests can HABITAT KEY Okavango ANGOLA Location Circling high in the Wetlands Tropical desert sky on its broad The Kalahari covers most Scrublands grasslands wings, this bird searches of Botswana and parts of Hot desert for dead animals to eat. Namibia and South Africa. In summer, it can become as hot as 104˚ F (40˚ C). SCALE White-backed Growing up to 9 ft This high-leaping vulture (2.8 m) tall, the antelope moves 0 100 miles ostrich is the world’s around in large herds. largest bird. It can’t Both males and 0 100 kilometers fly, but it can outrun females have horns. most of its predators. Springbok AOTCLEAANNT I C Ostrich Warthogs kneel BOTSWANA The aardvark’s name on their front legs means “earth pig.” It Windhoek when munching can eat up to 50,000 on fresh grass. ants a night! Cheetah N Common Aardvark Gaborone W warthog During the day, this large Pretoria The world’s fastest land NAMIBIA rodent sleeps in caves or animal, the cheetah can run burrows. At night, it comes at speeds of up to 68 mph E out to find plants to eat. (110 kph). It takes just three seconds for this cat to reach S its top speed. Cape porcupine African bullfrog This big frog lives underground Vaal during the dry season, which can last 10 months of each year! SOUTH Bloemfontein AFRICA Meerkat Meerkats help each other protect their families. They take turns standing on guard and warn other meerkats if danger approaches.

Madagascar SCALE Male panther chameleons are Madagascar is the fourth-largest island in 0 100 miles color crazy! Their the world, and it is amazingly rich in wildlife. body patterns are More than 250,000 different species of 0 100 kilometers a mix of pink, blue, animals live here, and two-thirds of them orange, green, red, are found nowhere else on Earth. Sadly, MBIQ U E ANNE L and yellow. A Panther H chameleon Z INDIAN OCEAN M O C many are endangered. Male ploughshare tortoises try to flip each other over during fights. Location N Ploughshare Betsiboka MADAGASCAR WE tortoise Tomato Madagascar is in the frog Indian Ocean, off the S coast of Africa. It has two ALlaakoetra seasons: hot and rainy, The baobab’s thick, This frog’s and then cool and dry. wide trunk can hold bright-red color thousands of liters is a warning to of rainwater. predators that it is toxic. Antananarivo Leaf chameleon ANKARATRA MASSIF This hedgehoglike animal has spines Just 1.1 in (29 mm) sticking out of its fur. long, this tiny species of leaf chameleon Lowland remained unknown streaked tenrec to scientists until 2012. Baobab HABITAT KEY Leaf wchoarlmd’eslesomnsalalerset possibly the Mangoky Mangroves Tropical reptile. This strange-looking Mountains forests The lemur taps its long Deciduous middle finger on trees forests to find grubs—its ring-tailed favorite food. Fossa lemur sunbathes every morning with Ring-tailed Madagascar’s largest predator is its arms outstretched. lemur the catlike fossa. It climbs trees and Aye-aye uses its long tail to help it balance. Comet moth Fossas hunt many animals, from lemurs to fish. The comet moth is also called the Madagascan moon moth. It has a wingspan of 8 in (20 cm) and its striking tail is 6 in (15 cm) long. This moth lives for just a few days. 43

Kruger National Park South Africa’s Kruger National Park is filled with wildlife. More than 140 mammal species and hundreds of birds live in its savanna, mountains, and tropical forests. Watering holes provide places for animals to drink during the dry season. Giraffe Special valves in a giraffe’s neck stop blood from rushing to its head when it bends over to drink. The white-backed vulture is the most Honey badger Almost Hippopotamus A hippo’s commonly seen vulture in Africa. 3 ft (1 m) long, the honey eyes, ears, and nose are on top badger is one of the most of its head, so it can see, hear, White-backed vulture fearless animals in Africa. and breathe while the rest of It even fights lions! it is underwater. This big vulture eats dead animals. Up to 1,000 of them Aardvark The aardvark may gather to feed on an uses its wide, strong claws elephant carcass, squabbling to dig burrows as well as and fighting while they eat! find insects to eat. Secretary bird The aardvark’s nostrils The secretary bird strides contain lots of hairs to stop dust from going up through the savanna on its long its nose when it is digging. legs, looking for grasshoppers, 44 voles, and mice to eat. It kills snakes by stomping on them!

Plains zebra Zebra herds African elephant An Bateleur travel long distances to find elephant’s trunk contains enough grass to eat. They 40,000 muscles! It uses its This eagle’s name must also drink at least once trunk to spray water into its means “tightrope a day. mouth for a drink. walker” because it rocks its wings from side to side when it glides, as if it’s balancing. Its bright- red face has no feathers at all. African elephants have much larger ears than Asian elephants. African lion In a pride of lions, females do most of the hunting. The male is the only cat with a mane. Impala To escape predators, impalas leap forward up to 291⁄2 ft (9m) and as high as 8ft (2.5m). Sometimes they leap over each other! Impalas eat grass in the Cheetahs are instantly recognizable Cheetah Location rainy season and shrubs from the black spots on their coat. and herbs at other times. A cheetah’s impressive Kruger National Park bursts of speed can only covers 7,523 sq miles last for short distances. Afterward, it’s tired, so (19,485 sq km) in other animals can easily northeastern South steal its kill! Africa. It lies south of Zimbabwe and west of Mozambique. 45

Europe ICELAND HABITAT KEY At first glance, the continent of Europe may seem Deciduous forests IAN too crowded for wildlife. There are 739 million Coniferous forests SEA people living here, in 44 countries! But with Scrublands dense forests, sandy beaches, high mountains, Temperate grasslands and miles of moorland, animals still have plenty Deserts of different habitats to choose from. Tundra Ice Scottish moorland AT L A N T I C NORWEG Northern Scotland has OCEAN N O R WAY acres of moorland. These rainy highlands have Faroe Islands acidic, peaty soil, formed by sphagnum d moss. They are full of a pretty pink- and n purple-flowering shrub called heather. Heather S hIestllaa SWEDEN is home to many insects, s birds, and small mammals. d s n RTH Öland SEA NO DENMARK IRELAND I sMlaeno f Bornh olm UNITED ANDS KINGDOM NETHERL C h aIns lnaenld s BELGI G E R M A N Y UM LUXEMBOURG CZECH REPUBLIC BAY OF FRANCE SWITZERLA LIECHTENSTEIN BISCAY AUSTRIA Azore ND SLOVENIA SAN MARINO CROATIA PORTUGAL ADRI The Camargue Sardinia sicaANDORRAMONACO A This triangular coastal wetland is found T where the Rhône River meets the Mediterranean Sea. Its 359sq miles (930sq I km) of sandy marshes are home to 400 bird Cor SEA species, and to animals unique to this area, C such as the Camargue horse. I T A S PA I N L Majorca Minorca Y VATICAN Ibiza Islands CITY Balearic TYRRHENIAN Gibraltar MEDITERRANEAN SEA S E A Sicily 46 Madeira MALTA

SCALE 500 miles 1000 miles Northern taiga 1000 kilometers 0 The coniferous forests of Norway, Sweden, Finland, 0 Russia, and Iceland have long, cold winters and mild summers. Animals like the Eurasian moose prefer it that way—they overheat easily, so the cool taiga is one of their favorite places! GULF OF B OT H N I A FINLAND RUSSIA (European Russia) A ESTONIA E S d tlan LATVIA IC Go N WE LT S A CAS B LITH U A RUSSIA N I (KALININGRAD) A BELARUS POLAND UKRAINE Mediterranean coast SLOVAKIA M Thousands of people live near the Mediterranean Sea, and there are OLDOVA SEA always plenty of visitors. This leaves HUNGAR R O M A N I AMONTENEGRHOEBRZOSENGIOAVI&NA Crimea PIAN little space for wildlife. However, larger mammals, such as the Y BLACK SEA endangered Mediterranean monk seal, are found on TURK rocky offshore islands. SERB IA KOSOVO B U L G A R I A Carpathian Mountains (DISPUTED) MACEDONIA EY The Carpathian Mountains run for GREECE 932 miles (1,500 km) through central AEGEAN and eastern Europe. They are home to ALBANIA SEA wolves, wild boar, and around 8,000 brown bears, mostly in Slovakia, IONIAN Poland, Ukraine, and Romania. SEA 47 Crete

Puffins can fly at about NORWEGIAN SEA 55 mph (88 kph) and swim underwater for In the spring, several up to one minute. male hares chase a female, who may turn Puffins around and box them ICELAND with her front feet! Reykjavík FINLAND Mountain hare Predators hunt many of SWEDEN A superb climber, This bat has shaggy these small rodents, but their the lynx often hides brown fur with numbers grow quickly. Females in trees and then blond tips. It is the can have young every 3 to 4 drops down onto an only bat found north weeks, all year round! unsuspecting deer. of the Arctic Circle. N Norway WE lemming S Northern bat The boreal owl Eurasian has such good lynx hearing that it N O R WAY Boreal owl can pinpoint voles hidden beneath the snow. Oslo Helsinki Northern Stockholm Tallinn European taiga ESTONIA Taiga is the evergreen forest that grows in cool, wet, mountainous places in the far north of the BALTICotl a n d A world. Mammals need thick, furry coats, and birds SEG Riga need to fluff up their feathers to keep warm. During the cold winters, food can be hard to find. LATVIA LITHUANIA BELARUS