The rainforests are noted for its high rainfall and hence the name. A whopping 70% of the earth’s animals have the habitat of the rainforest. It has been inferred that many millions of the plants and insects are hidden in the rainforest and somewhat unknown to man. There are two types of rainforests tropical and temperate. The rainforests are under a threat due to human activity. This is due to deforestation, habitat loss and the release of various gaseous chemicals into the atmosphere. Apart from the wide variety of the flora and fauna of the rainforests, they house also an unaccountable number of human tribes who have not had any contact with the culture of modern man.

When we consider the animals of the rain forest the adjectives rare, amazing, incredible etc are used to describe the many species that dwell in the rain forests. Living in the impenetrable forests, unhampered by the devastations that are perpetuated by man by his often careless handling of mother earth these animals have acquired bodies of unique color combinations that is hardly found in the more known animals of the workday world.. Unfortunately, the rainforests themselves are threatened and the animals also along with the further destruction of the rainforest.

The rainforests are constantly watered by almost continuous rain. The rainforests know only two seasons, rain as well as the dry season when there is no rain. The normal seasons that we speak of in our continents are not found in the rain forest. The thickness and the greenness of the forest are an ever present reality of the rain forest. The human activity being scarce the ecosystem is unhampered. Each rainforest can boast of millions animals and plants.

In the rain forest there is a harmonious co-existence between all the flora and fauna. There are more animals in a small area of the rainforest than in the other parts of the world. They form a perfectly balanced eco-system. There is an amazing variety of animals in the rain forest. An inventory of the animals include the insects, beetles, butterflies, spiders, scorpions, snakes, lizard,  toads, birds, monkeys, orangutans, gorillas, elephants, alligator, crocodiles, tigers, leopards, jaguars and many more.

These are the names that we know. There are many thousand of animals unknown to man in the inner recesses of the rain forest. There is a stratospheric plan in which the animals of the rain forest live. The birds occupy the highest position in the rain forest. The thick foliage that form a thick coating on the top of the trees that stand towering in the forest provide the ideal location for the roosting of the birds. It is there they build their nests and procreate and rear their young ones. The branches of these huge trees under the foliage are the haunt of the monkeys, orangutans and a great many varieties of insects. Some times snakes also dwell in this height. Larger animals like the tigers and other reptiles live on the forest floor. In this haven they live a life of primordial harmony along with infinite variety.

The jaguar with its amazing skill in speed and stealth operations will be met with another equally clever predator like the Anaconda or Boa Constrictor who will make short work of the unsuspecting jaguar in minutes. So, in an atmosphere of chase, hunt, rest, feeding, mating and procreation life in the rain forest goes on unhindered every day.

The unusual phenomenon of the rainforest is the amazing variety of vegetation on the ground level. In this live an amazing variety of fauna. The flora of the ground level is so dense that scientists have not succeeded in exploring the animals there. The ecosystem of the rainforest gives scope for the herbivorous and carnivorous animals. There are even plants that are carnivorous. Compared to other forests the larger animals like leopards, tigers, crocodiles etc are not present in great numbers. The rainforests of Philippines and Indonesia house the Flying Dragon. Iguana is found in the rainforests of South America and the Blue Tongued Skink dwell in Australia. There are a predominant number of poisonous frogs, spiders and insects who are endowed with amazing predatory skills.

All kinds of birds are present in the rain forest in large numbers and in fact they are the most colorful and easily spotted dwellers of the rain forest. The species of birds will be largely determined by the geographic location of the rain forest. The common ones that are met with are Parrots, the Toucan, Egret, Hyacinth, Macaw and Green Wing. This avian fauna with their melodious calls and their colorful feathers provide a sonorous and visual feast to the visitor to the rainforest.

The present survey of the animals conducted by the scientists has only a tip of the iceberg. There are hidden animal treasures in the rainforests. Unfortunately human activity has reduced the area of the rainforests. With virtually two seasons only rainforest is evergreen. However, things are not looking very bright for the rainforests. The result of excessive deforestation has resulted in the reduction of the size of the rainforests. In the past rainforests occupied 15% of the earth’s surface area. Today, it has been substantially reduced to an alarming small size of only 7% of the earth’s surface area. Much of the destruction of nature today is due to man’s activities. It is up to man to approach nature with due reverence. Man as a rational animal and has a duty to protect the earth otherwise the earth will not yield its fruits to us, will not have the variegated flora and fauna that make life so interesting and ultimately might make the existence for everybody precarious.

There are levels of love. The love that you feel towards your spouse is called Eros, due to the predominant erotic element in that love. The love that you feel towards your children is called Phlia. However, there is love that you feel to total strangers who are not your blood relations. This form of love is called agape. Both, Eros and Philia are supported by basic drives genetically coded in our system. To a large extent this is prevalent in all animals including man, the animal. However, generally the third type of love agape was considered typical of man. Because, this love involves a deliberate choice. There is increasing evidence from animal behavior that his form of love is found in animals also.
The process by which animals help other animals is often referred to as altruism in animal behavior, which is a well established fact with adequate documentary evidence. This altruism is often found with in the members of the family as well as with animals of the other species.
A common enough expression of animal help is found in the violence exhibited and the exertion that they make to save the endangered members. This is commonly exhibited by animal parents in the days of parenting. The highest form of this kind of kin help is found in the altruistic behavior of the mother called matriphagy in which the mother allows the offspring to eat them. This consumption of the mother by her offspring is found in the spider, Stegodyphus. In this behavior the mother’s sacrifice, ensures the survival of the progeny and it is the highest of sacrifice that any one can make and it is amazing that the animal can perform it.
There are other less heroic and at the same time amusing reciprocal help done by the monkeys to one another. The monkeys would show their back to others who will search for parasites for some time. Then the process is reversed. This help is somewhat symbiotic.
Survival of the fittest has been slogan of the evolutionary school spearheaded by the great scientist Charles Darwin. However, in nature we find many instances of the sacrifice of the fit to ensure the safety of the weak. This generosity is often extended even to the members of other species by animals. This behavior pattern has made many thinkers question the Darwin’s concept of the survival of the fittest.

There have been many documented instances of animals helping other animals. It has been found that dogs often look after cats, ducks, squirrels and sometimes even the cubs of dangerous of tigers. A breed of dogs known as St.Bernard have such natural delight in rescuing people caught in snow that in the Swiss Alps mountains they are used as rescue dogs. They can know from a great distance a person who is caught in an avalanche of snow and run for the rescue of that person. It is strange for us that a flesh eating animal used in the hunt can bring itself to perform such altruism against its basic nature.
There are many stories in the legend and lore about the exploits of dolphins in saving the lives of man and beast endangered in the sea. In the Greek legend and old sea stories there are many instances of these animals rescuing human beings as well as other fish in the sea. It is interesting to note that dolphins know by strange instinct that land animals cannot breath in water and in their rescue attempts they take care that animal is always in the surface so that their breathing can continue unhampered till the animal is brought to the shore.
Wolves and wild dogs are animals with predatory nature. When they go for the hunt they make sure that part of the game is carried to the members of the pack who could not join the hunt and part take the feast. There have been a lot of stories about wolf children. Many of these stories come from India. It is difficult to verify whether they are only fiction. It is quite possible, in the Indian villages which are near the periphery of forests when women go to work, they may leave the children under the shades of trees. A mother wolf that has lost her baby recently might be under the grip of the instinctive desire to feed its baby might find gratification in feeding the chance found human child. However, the widespread stories of wolf reared children in many cultures may have a nucleus of truth.
In the tactics of animal survival it has been reported that the male baboons act as rear guard to protect the troops from the predators from whom they are withdrawing. This maneuver is meant to protect the weak females and young ones. However, the male baboons take the risk of being attacked and killed by the enemy.
In the avian faun many bird species get help from helper birds to protect and feed the young ones. Some birds even go to the extent of protecting from predators other birds that belong to a different species.
Some animals can give alarm to the other members so that they can run for their lives at the approach of predators. The Vervet Monkeys make use of varied sounds to issue a warning of the approach of a type of predator. Each different animal have a different cry. So a leopard, a snake and an eagle trigger a different cry that is understood by others in the community. The young Vervet Monkeys show a natural tendency to make these calls and the adult monkeys encourage this skill. This is indeed helpful for the survival of others. However, the person initiating the cry endangers itself as they are easy targets to the predator.
A glance through the interesting facts of animal behavior shows that animals helping other animals is somewhat common and makes us infer that altruism is a quality found widely in the animal kingdom.

More and more animal behavioral studies show that animals have morals. In the wonderful plan of creation the behavior of animals has been genetically coded and they are able to behave only within the gamut of this genetic determinism. However, in the case of man there are many aspects that he shares with animals and there are many aspects which are subjects of individual choice. This choice makes man different from animals. So, all animal actions are moral as they are following the law of their nature in all that they do. In this sense all animals are innocent to the core.
In the case of man the choice he is forced make is a burden on him. It forces him to maintain moral standards that are entirely different from the animals. So, man’s actions come under the purview of criticism based on the accepted moral code of particular society.
Let us consider first the animal violence. Among the animals the violence that they exhibit is only part of their survival. In the wild animals do not exhibit violence for its own sake. It is part of their survival. So, we do not pass moral judgment on the lioness that pounces on the grazing deer. Once the appetite of the lion is satisfied the lion is totally non-violent. You may find the refreshing site of deer freely grazing in the close vicinity of the lion and the lion showing no sign of threat to the innocent deer. The need to eat and survive makes the lion exhibit its violence. Perhaps it is also part of the nature’s food chain. However, the human violence on fellow human beings and other animals raises many moral questions.
Expression of gratitude and loyalty are moral attributes. Some animals express this in a rich measure. In the front line of this abiding expression of loyalty and gratitude generally dogs and horses are placed. There are many amazing anecdotes about the loyalty of a dog and horses. Many dogs are capable of forming an enduring bond with their master and they will stand by their master in thick and thin. Their gratefulness and readiness to help the master in fact put man to shame. There are instances in which dogs have kept vigil over the dead body of their master for months and in some cases the death of the master evokes in them so much of sadness that after the death of the master some dogs express total listlessness and deep depression.
Just like dogs, horses have been loyal companion of man in battle and travel. In the hey day of ancient warfare when the horse were the reliable vehicles of stout warriors the heroisms of the horses are celebrated in ancient legend and lore. Some horses have taken back their dead warrior rider back home some times traversing miles of rugged and difficult terrains. In fact the love and affection experienced by many people from their dogs and horses in many urban areas have resulted in excessive zoo-philia. Many psychologists explain the excessive interest in animals is related to the frustration people feel in their unfulfilled relation with their fellow human beings.
Many animals show capacity for extending a helping hand to other animals even to animals that do not belong to their own kind. Moralists argue that the highest form of love is the love that you express to total strangers who is not your kith and kin. The love shown to ones own is only based the bonds of blood. It is known that some times a mother dog would breast feed a kitten who has lost its mother. Similarly, some birds hatch and rear the young ones belonging to other species. Dogs do guard the sheep and would take any risk in protecting the flock.
One of the complaints about the modern man is the absence of emotion when one of his companions dies. In many urban centers funeral are like the dispatching packing cases with no sign of emotion at the death of a person with whom we have shared the lives. The expression of sorrow faced with loss of a dear one has a moral dimension. The absence of tears is only a sign of shallow relation among people. This state of affairs is morally questionable. Some animals do observe some form of sorrow when one of their kinds dies. Elephants seem to express a range of feelings which human beings are capable, as observed by famous elephant enthusiast Joyce Poole, including the expression of grief at death. Some of the elephant behavior at death of another elephant is similar to human funeral obsequies. Poole and other field researchers have recorded elephants standing quietly beside the body of the dead elephant and even respectfully touching the body of the dead. After the flesh has decayed the elephants carry them to a special place and cover it with mud and leaves. Pool feels that elephants’ behavior at the death of another elephant leaves me with little doubt that they experience deep emotions and have some understanding of death. They feel the moral obligation to bereave the death of one of their dear ones.
Today the world is experiencing terrible moral anarchy in sexual conduct. However, it is gratifying that the animals are somewhat exemplary in their sexual conduct. Most of the animals regulate their sexual behavior to the requirement of procreation only. The dogs mate only seasonally, may be once or twice in a year. There are birds that choose partners for life and form an exclusive sexual partnership that puts man to shame in the days of promiscuous sexual life.
So, when we consider life in the animal kingdom we understand that animals have morality. All their actions are goaded by the urge to follow the basic nature God has entrenched in them.

The print and the electronic media have made the selling and buying of animals somewhat hazel free. Gone are the days, when people trekked laboriously to the markets and fares where the animals are exhibited and then jostled with tough sellers and buyers who are adept at driving a hard bargain. There are today a maze opportunities for animal lovers to sell and buy the breeds that they like. However, some guidance in this area is warranted so that you may make an informed decision.
Most newspapers host a classified column that highlight the list of categories of animals that are for sale. Similarly there are many internet sale portals for animals. Two categories are found in this: farm animals and pet animals. Familiar farm animals are horses, cows, goats, ducks, rabbits and chicken. The pet animals include dogs, cats, fish, birds and now the widely popular list of animals branded as exotic pets.
We have adequate familiarity with common farm animals and we are not likely to make many errors in their buying. However, when it comes to buying the so called exotic animals we have to tread with sufficient caution as we are on a very slippery ground. While owning a pet can be fun, the selection of these needs extra caution. As the name indicates, they are not local familiar breeds. Many of them are imported from habitats which are strange for us with different climatic conditions and food requirements. Many of them are rodents, reptiles, amphibians, fish and birds.
Classified columns of newspaper and the internet portals would host pets. They are great places to buy some animals in an affordable way. The real pitfall in these purchases is the limited information these sources provide and the willful withdrawal of vital information. The animal laws in each place have restrictions in the keeping of some animals. The portal may keep silence about these issues and you may end up buying an animal that you are not allowed to keep. So, verify the legality of keeping an animal

.
Some breeders have their internet presence. However, you have to ascertain their track record in breeding healthy animals and find out whether you are legally allowed to import these animals. Many countries do ban the import exotic breeds as they are like to interfere with the natural fauna in the long run. In some countries animals are kept in quarantine wards in the airport or harbor for a few days to make sure that they do not carry any diseases with them. In such regulatory quarantine precautions the animal pen charges can make a hole in the pocket of the importer. So, this is an issue that you have address before you really import them.
You do well to ask yourself the question is the exotic pets suitable to your special milieu. The compatibility of the exotic pets is largely determined by the kind of pet that you intent to purchase and the kind of life style you have. The suitability of the pets can be decided only after sufficient research. You may have to find out the feeding habits of these exotic pets, the environment and the space requirements, the likes and dislikes of the members of your family, the safety of other pets that you already have, the legal requirements of keeping a pet, the time that you have at your disposal, the cost factors for the upkeep and veterinary assistance available for you. Just because lots of other people have these pets should not goad you to buy them. In fact it is a personal choice that you make considering various factors that have been briefly touched upon.

Among the animals for sale, we have already some knowledge about dogs, horses, cats, rabbits, monkeys, parrots etc. However, pet lovers have now fascination for newer varieties of pets. Many people now go for turtles which can be bought at the shop or from breeders. So, buying them is a simple enough exercise. However, have you ever considered where the turtles come from? They are mostly captured from the wild where they had enjoyed lot of free ranging and unfettered dietary delights. In the captive conditions they are some what tense. This makes them somewhat listless and lethargic after some days. The ideal approach in this case is to mimic as much as possible the natural setting in the place where you are planning to keep them.
The Sakis Monkeys are these days are somewhat popular with pet lovers. They are South American in origin, found in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and the Brazil. Their miniature size perhaps makes them very popular among pet lovers. They might weigh around 2 kilos only. But their smallness should not make us conclude that will be happy in a small cage. Their bodies are specially adapted to live on trees where they are used to lead a vibrant life. The pet lovers who go for this animal should take care to provide them adequate environment filled at least a few number of branches of trees on which they can jump about and feel like home.
Among pet lovers fish is very popular and there are many who sell fish. The tropical fish is very popular in this category. Many of them are bred in the country itself. However, their requirements do not change easily due to the indigenous breeding. So they need warmer climate and fresh water. The popularly of aquarium keeping is due to various factors of convenience and the visual appeal of the fish in your parlor.

Fish do not make any noise and do not cause any hygiene problems. However, this convenience has a pit fall. As the fish cannot utter any sounds if they are not fed or if the water has become dirty, they cannot lodge any complaint to their master. It is up to the fish lover to look into the needs of the fish and keep a constant vigil of their health. When this is not done many fish tanks have become death champers of many exotic fish.
Animals for sale is a realty of the day. However, we have to use this facility in a sensible way. Portals which have reliability in what they say and in the after sales commitments  is the yardstick by which we measure the trustworthiness of an animal seller, whether fish, bird or beast.

 The experience of pain by animals seems to be an uncontestable and an evident proposition. However, scientific world needs empirical evidence for all its propositions that should be tenable philosophically as well as based on experiments and inference. The first question in this context is: what is the way to find out whether humans and animals experience pain? We all, as the members of human species, do experience pain. A simple demo can be done with the help of a needle. Try to insert a needle on our hands. We definitely experience pain at that time. At the same time we cannot experience the pain felt by another when the same thing is done, whether it is a friend or a dog. Pain is a mental experience and it can not be observed. The cry, the attempt to run away from the source of pain etc are not experiences of pain. They are the reactions to pain and the attempt to avoid it. So, the best way to infer the pain experienced by animals is by observing the symptoms of pain in them when they are faced with the infliction of pain.

Almost all the outward indications help us to conclude that there is evidence of pain found in many animals, especially in higher mammals and the avian fauna. There are many external signs of pain exhibited by animals. The common ones are writhing, twisting and turning of the facial muscles, whimpering and other recognizable cries typical of discomfort. There is also a desperate attempt to keep away from the source of pain and the fear at the sight of the cause of pain. These are the normal reactions to pain in mankind too.
Moving from these external symptoms of pain, if we make a more invasive journey into the inner of workings of body mechanism, more evidence comes to the lime light. Like humans, animals also experience an initial rise in the blood pressure. The pupils dilate as result of pain and many animals show perspiration and augmented pulse rate. At the persistence of pain, like in man, the blood pressure falls in animals too.

In the evolutionary march of species the experience of pain is somewhat genetically coded and is the ultimate tool of survival. The capacity to feel pain in fact increases the possibility of the species for survival. Since pain is an experience to be avoided for survival in the scheme of evolutionary development of the animals, the experience of pain is a tool of survival. How is it possible to argue that man alone is endowed with this tool, as survival is a shared need of man and animals?

There is a wrong notion that animals feel pain in a lesser degree than human beings. In fact, animals have fewer channels for the expression of pain compared to man. Most of the animals have only limited reaction to pain and techniques to avoid it. Man can use reason and tools to avoid the sources of pain. Man’s life is also organized in a social way and there are different approaches to the initiator of pain. For example man can organize collectively against a situation that causes pain. The animals do not have the capacity for an organized campaign against a situation that causes them pain. This helplessness of animals does not indicate a lesser experience of pain.

One of the contentions is that since animals do not have a language and hence do not have state of consciousness. This is an absurd argument. First of all animals do have a language though they are not as complex as ours. When this argument is stressed too much we are landing in trouble. It could be argued that infants also do not have a language as adults have and hence they do not fee pain. Infants too have a language from the day one of their birth, a very expressive cry. The child expresses all its needs through this cry and the mother is able to understand the meaning of the cry. The caring mothers are sensitive to the cry of distress of the child as an expression of pain. So the argument that animals do not have language is somewhat wrong. The same applies in the case of deaf and dumb who cannot use the language that we use. They also suffer as much as a man endowed with speech.  There are no valid arguments to prove that animals do not suffer. If we can accept that human beings feel pain then we can definitely accept that animals also feel pain.

The pain experienced by animals and man is indeed a reality. However, animals have limited mechanisms to avoid pain. They are entirely dependent on genetically coded reactions to pain. In the case man he is a tool maker. He has developed various tools by which he can avoid pain. For example, the pain of extreme temperature is managed by man by the use of air conditioners, while the animals are somewhat helpless in a hot climate.

In fact man has been the source of much pain to many animals. His skill as a tool maker has given him dominance over the beast of the earth and the birds of the sky. Has man misused his power to cause pain to the helpless creatures? Instead of denying the pain experienced by the animals it is essential that man makes a sincere soul search about his role in inflicting pain on the helpless animals for satisfying his many whims.

Albino Animals are in a way the result of the vagaries of nature which results in oddities. This is actually a pathological condition known as albinism. In this condition the production of usual pigmentation do not take place or take place only partially due to the mutations that various genes undergo. A complete albino does not have melanin pigment and as a result are white in color with no markings and eyes which are pink. Some times we find partial albinos which have limited pigmentation as a result they exhibit blue-eyes.
Albinism has many degrees. Sometimes they are seen only in skin cells due to regional mutations which result in partial white color.

However, animals with unusual white color or patches should not be mistaken to be instances of albinism. They are called leucistic animals in which the pigmentation cells do not develop properly. This will result in white patches appearing on the body of the animals or they even turning completely white. Albinism can be ascertained by observing the eyes. Albinos have usually pink or red eyes and the whiteness is in the entire body.

Both albinism and leucism have been matters of great scientific curiosity. Many early sighting of these creatures either all white or partially white used to create a furor in the scientific world as the scientists wrongly thought that they have spotted on a hitherto unknown animal. Before the development of photography the scientists shot these animals and stuffed them. Many of the old zoos have these taxidermists’ specimens in some numbers. However, with the development of photography especially with the night vision cameras these unfortunate creatures didn’t have to die to wet the curiosity of men. These animals are photographed and filmed by hidden cameras which have given amazing images of these creatures.

The main problem faced by the albino animals is their inability to make use of the protective camouflage. It is a technique of eluding observation by becoming indiscernible in a given environment. In the jungles survival is a tricky thing. The survival rate of albinos in the jungle milieu is found to be very low. They are easily exposed to the predators and they run the risk of attack more than the other well protected animals.

Though man is responsible for the extinction of many species from the face of the earth there is hope that man is more and more concerned with the survival of animals. Albino Squirrel Preservation Society (ASPS) have evaluated the perils of the squirrels and come out with many creative ideas to protect them the perils of survival in world of imminent danger. How the survival of the albinos can be ensured in the wild is a matter of concern for animal lovers who have understood the precarious nature of the survival of the albinos in the wild.

There are certain common unscientific notions about albinistic individuals of a species. One of them is the popular notion that they are sterile. This is far from the truth as they are fully capable of reproduction. Some hold the view that albinos have shorter lives. This also is not true. However, they are more prone to skin cancer. Another misconception is that albinos will become blind in the course of their life. This is also not true. However, albinos are extremely photo sensitive.

Albinism is a rare occurrence in the nature’s scheme of things. However, we come across albino white ferrets and albino rabbits in large numbers. Albino squirrels are found in large numbers in Olney, Illinois and are considered the white squirrel capital of the world.

Because of the rarity of albinism among most species of animals this has generated lot of curiosity among people. This curiosity has resulted in the death of many albinos in the past. In the absence of well developed photography and lack of concern for animal rights man has perpetuated atrocities on the albinos as they are shot and preserved. From a scientific point of view this has given large collection of rare albinos which are kept in some of the zoos of the world.

It is interesting to note that the primitive tribes have successfully integrated the protection of the albinos in their socio-religious systems of beliefs. The albinos for them were somewhat sacred as they are rare. The tribal people considered the white buffalo as a holy spirit. The white deer is a kind of messenger of the gods. So the tribal folk ingrained codes of conduct with regard to the albinos. They are not to be hunted or killed. The violation of this prescription carried many curses. So, this belief system somehow saved the albinos. In primitive man’s co-existence with nature these integrated systems of belief has a socio-biological foundation. The logic behind this belief is: Why kill the white when the colored are available in plenty? Their faith system had a rationale which though was never explained in elaborated logic, yielded magnificent results in the preservation of the helpless.

It is good that we have an enhanced knowledge about the albino animals. However, our curiosity should not lead us to make short work of these animals by careless killing or ruthless separation from the natural habitat. The albinos are indeed freaks of nature. Perhaps man and his technology can lend a helping hand in their hard road to survival in a world full of hidden perils.

Nature in her lavish prodigality has peopled each nook and corner of the earth, a rich array of animal wealth that is a wonder to the onlooker. The geographic and climatic variation has resulted in this colorful feast. Africa till recently have been virgin nature where man and beast co-existed in perfect harmony for many thousands of years. A survey of the most common animals of the so called Dark Continent is in itself a rewarding exercise that gives us insight to the amazing Africa Animals.

A quick glance of this amazing variety puts Black Rhinoceros, White Rhinoceros, Cheetah, Giraffe, Leopard, Lion and the Hippopotamus as the most common of the African animals. If a second list is to be drawn then you have animals like Aardvark, Buffalo, Eland, Impala, Hyena and Hedgehog. Indeed, they are not an exhaustive list because there are many animals in Africa which are less known.

African animals some times are listed also as the most dangerous animals. This is due to their fierce nature as part of their genetically coded skill in survival. The African lion has the pre-eminent position in this. This is closely followed by the Leopard, Cheetah and the African Buffalo.

Some African animals are endowed with a mind-boggling speed. In this category of speed, the Cheetah tops the list. It can run at a speed of 113 km per hour and rated as the fastest animal on earth. The wildebeest can run at 80 km per hour.  The lion too is a fast animal which can run at a speed of 80 km per hour. The same speed is achieved by Thomson’s gazelle. In the world of animals the brute force is the main stay of animals when it comes to survival. However, man with his superior skill in using technology as a tool has outwitted all animals in speed.

When we consider the common African animals the African Rhinoceros has a predominant place. It is a fairly large animal with body that is as good as armor and a horn. It is interesting to know that the rhinoceros belongs to the family of horses. The black rhino is the smallest of the entire 5 species of rhinos and have an intimidating horn and a whopping weight of 1.5 tones.

The white rhino is endowed with two horns. The name white is a misnomer as they are grey in color. The white rhino is the second largest animal on land. They range in groups of ten and feed on leaves and grass. They are highly endangered. Poaching this animal and trading their horns are illegal everywhere. They are fun loving creatures and like to wallow in muddy water. The huge size of the animal, its armor like body and intimidating look coupled with speed has made the animal somewhat safe and is free from predators in the wild. However, man with his sophisticated tools is the real predator.
The animal cheetah is a fantastic African animal. The various attractive traits of this animal have made it famous the world over. Their habitat is the south of Sahara and hunt in packs. Its body is covered with spots and hence the name cheetah, which in Hindi means spotted. The weight of this ferocious animal is around 50 kilos. Compared to their body they have a small head and comparatively long tale.

Cheetah is a flesh eating animal and small animals are their prey. They have a great capacity for stealth operations and they cleverly camouflage in grass or climb on trees and from that vantage point watch the animals with their keen eyes. Once the animal is spotted the Cheetah relies on its amazing speed; it can acquire 70 km within two seconds. This strength of its speed can not be outwitted by most of the animals. It mauls to death small animals. The larger ones are caught on the neck with powerful grip and the wind pipe is blocked which take the life of the animal. They belong to the cat family and can growl and purr.

The cheetah like other cats is somewhat fast breeding. They have a gestation period of 90 days and two to four cubs are born. They are ready to move with the pack after 6 weeks. However, the mother and the cubs stay together for one year so that the young ones are adept in the tricks of the hunt and other survival maneuvers.

Giraffe is another interesting African animal. It is the tallest of all living land animals and can reach an incredible height of 6 meters. Giraffes range in the African Savannah. They eat leaves and fruit and usually choose dusk and dawn as their eating times. It can gallop at the speed of 55 km an hour. They are considered very quite animals, however, when cornered can use their front legs to kick the foe or charge the enemy with their heavily boned heads. Giraffes do not have many predators. However, the young ones are vulnerable to the attacks of a Hyena.
The Leopards range the length and breadth of the African wild except in the Sahara Desert. Like the Cheetah they are clever hunters and feast on a wide variety of preys which include insects, rodents and large animals. They hunt alone and are clever in climbing trees. Endowed with rich coat of yellow with dark spots, they are very pretty to see. The average weight of the Leopard is 150 pounds and grows six to seven feet in length.

In sheer ferocity there is nothing like the African Lion. However, this image has been recently mellowed by the famous film, The Lion King. They are pretty large animals, the male reaching an impressive height of 1.2 meters and the female 90 cm. The male lion weighs around 190 kilos and the female 130. Apart from this size difference you can tell a male lion by the delightful manes around its neck. They hunt in groups known as the pride and bring down the prey in a cooperative venture. Though the female take the lead in the hunt the male takes the lion share of the price; what is left over goes to the females and the cubs.

The Africa Animals are colorful, interesting and fascinating and much of Africa bound tourism includes a visit to the preserved reserves to have a look at the beautiful people that fill the primordial jungles of Africa. Many of these animals today are threatened by extinction due to the past and present operations of man and man has a duty to explore the ways and means to salvage them from their sad predicament.

Animals are some of the most beautiful creations of the world. They are really the assets of the universe. Animals have every right to live freely in the world. They are of infinite varieties of color and shape. They live in thick forests, jungles, deserts, in snow filled areas and in different climatic conditions. We obtain valuable costly materials from them which are of immense value. However, abused animals are today a reality as it was in the past.
Animal abuse is a term that has been explained in different ways by different people. Some consider any pain caused to animals as abuse, except in the attempt of self-defense from the attack of animals. However, we may require a practical and working explanation of the term animal abuse. Man has been harnessing animal from time immemorial for various purposes. They and their products are part of the diet of man the world over. Their help is sought in travel and carrying goods. They have been used in clinical trials in laboratory before the medicines are tried on man. In all these instances, which cannot be avoided , it is absolutely necessary that all methods within the means of man are tried to avoid the suffering caused to them or make sure that they suffer the least.

Animal abuse is often the result of commission and omission. In other words, they are willfully inflicted by others or they are the result of neglect or ignorance. In all the areas where animals are used by man abuse has occurred in the past and do occur now. It is good to examine some of the key areas of abuse.
One of the areas of animal abuse is the way in which the animals are kept as pets or domestic animals for economic gain. Many owners of pets and domestic animals are not aware of the original habitat of the animal that they keep in their house. Breeds of cattle that are exotic when transported to another country do not have the proper environmental ambience and consequently they suffer. Some times large dogs are kept in small kennels with standing room only. This imprisonment is intolerable to them. Our aquariums in which we keep the fish often turn out to be the torture chambers for the fish. Many fish need large ranging areas, special food and temperature conditions. In addition to these there is the issue of compatibility with the other fish in the tank.
Our zoos and circuses are helpful for us to see the animals at close quarters. However, many animals in the zoos and circuses are kept in tine cells. The animals which need huge ranging areas living years and years together in confined areas is a terrible experience for them. In many zoos the dietary requirements of the animals are not taken in to account. In some case the allocated food supply do not reach the animal. This warrants the need for some civil architectural modifications for our zoos and supervisory controls of the workers of the zoo. In circus many animals are made to do stunts that they find it difficult to do. A huge animal like elephant made to stand on a stool in circus or made to stand on its hind leg is enjoyable to the observer but we are not aware of the subliminal sadism behind it.
Even when we consider that slaughtering animals is necessary for man’s survival, there is no justification for the suffering of these animals while transportation and at the hands of the butcher. The way in which the chicks are transported in small cages stalked over one another through either hot or cold terrains for many hours without feeding them till they meet their fate at the hand of the butcher is too terrible to imagine. Similarly in many places cattle in herds are made to walk miles and miles or forced to travel in jam packed lorries till they reach the abattoir. Some of the slaughtering methods are too primitive and have least consideration for the suffering of animals. Even now birds are strangled and pigs and huge cattle are malleted.
The laboratories in colleges and pharma companies use animal for their research. Often there is no way of ascertaining the animal abuse. The rules are somewhat hazy in this matter. As result sometimes students perform live vivisection on their specimens and pharma companies give lethal injections on the animals which produce different types of diseases in them. The animals carry these diseases with them till they find respite from suffering by their death. Similarly military laboratories conduct trials on animal to try the effect of various poisonous gases which they are developing for the use in future warfare. Many thousand of dogs, monkeys and rabbits have died on these dangerous trials which do not have any positive application beneficial to the entire humanity.
Poaching of animals for their flesh and other valuable material is rampant today in spite of their universal ban. Many animals have died for the sheer delight of the hunt which man enjoy. If some these animals are today in the list of the endangered, it is also due to the human activity. Though elephant is a beautiful creature its attractive tusk is its great danger. The lure of the elephant tusk has resulted in the death of many thousands of them. Many of these tusks have ended up as snooker balls and sculptural artifacts in the palaces of great kings and queen and indeed in the houses of the fabulously rich.

The ritual of slaughter of animals as part of religious worship is rampant even today. In order to propitiate the deities man makes short work of God’s creation by shedding their blood on special alters of stone erected for this purpose. Many animals die in various dangerous sports like the bullfights in Spain. Similarly there are many instances in which animals are carelessly killed at the time of moviemaking. The precaution to save the life of man at shooting is not extended to the animals as result they suffer while films are made.

If man claims that he is the crown and glory of creation there are certain accompanying responsibilities. If man has some dominance over the creatures of the earth he has the duty to protect them. Abused animals are not a fairy tale and it is up to man take adequate steps to ensure their welfare.

Many people find the walrus to be one of the most fascinating animals in the world. There is no denying what it is when you see those two long tusks in front of the face.

They have long been a source of food for the people of the Arctic but these people find a use for the entire walrus so they are very respectful in the manner that they use it.

The walrus is a very large animal and one that is believed to have evolved millions of years ago from a land creature.

Walrus Feeding

The feeding habits of the walrus are very interesting. They consume foods from the bottom of the water including mollusks such as clams. They have also been known to feed on seals in the area when they need to. Due to the large size of these animals they have to consume large amounts of food each day. Generally that will be about 6% of their overall body weight.

Habitat: in coastal waters or on pack ice.

Size: length : male, 171 - 190cm.

Weight: 120 - 135kg.

Life-span: up to 30 years.

Food: various species of fish. Young eat crabs.

Number of young: 1

Sexual Maturity: females, up to 7 years; males, 4 years.

Gestation: 225 days, but twelve months in total because of delayed implantation.

Life-span: up to 30 years.

Food: various species of fish. Young eat crabs.

Harp Seal Habits

Daily life. Unlike sea lions and eared seals which use their fore flippers for propulsion, harp seals use their hind flippers in a side-to-side action to propel themselves through the water. They are born with white fur, but this darkens in adulthood, and they develop irregular black patches on their backs. These patches are often harp-shaped, which is how the seal gets its name.

Their lives are governed by the movements of pack ice throughout the year. There are three distinct populations, one in the seas around Jan Mayen, one around Novaya Zemlya and one around the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland. All these populations migrate south before the spring breeding season.

They travel in groups of ten or more, but these groups are often parts of a much larger herd, which dives, leaps and swims in unison. In May, after breeding and moulting, they head back to their northern feeding grounds.

Food and feeding. Harp seals have good eyesight, which is very useful in the dimly lit Arctic waters. They also use their sharp ears and sensitive whiskers, which can sense vibrations in the water caused by the swimming action of their prey. Fish such as capelin, herring and cod make up most of an adult seal’s diet. They are able to dive to depths of 150-200m in search of prey. Once caught, small fish are eaten whole underwater, but for larger catches, the harp seal will swim to the surface before eating.